WWE Vintage Collection Report: 7th September 2008
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
Welcome aboard. This week, we see action from the Los Angeles Sports Arena, Los Angeles, in October of 1988. The arena is infamous for being one of the arenas that housed WrestleMania II, two years prior. Five matches await us, so let's get started. On commentary is Rod Trongard and Superstar Billy Graham.
The Blue Blazer vs Jose Estrada
Okerlund never mentions that the late Owen Hart was the Blazer. Estrada looks like a clone of the late Bad News Brown. Joined in progress, Estrada traps Blazer in a nerve hold. Blazer gets thrown to the outside. Estrada refuses to let Blazer back in. Blazer gets a sunset flip back in, for a nearfall. Estrada quickly re-asserts the advantage with a punch from the top rope. Estrada goes back to the nerve hold. Estrada slams, but misses a diving senton from the top rope. Blazer dropkicks Estrada out of the ring. Blazer connects with a running dive through the ropes. Blazer suplexes Estrada back into the ring, before missing with a flying elbow from the second rope. Estrada hits a shoulder tackle, Blazer immediately nips up and catches Estrada with a kick and gut wrench suplex. Blazer follows up with a backbreaker and a splash from the top rope for the 1-2-3. Good action. Here is Your Winner: THE BLUE BLAZER.
Mr Perfect vs Jumping Jim Brunzell
Perfect still carried the Curt Hennig moniker at this point. Brunzell was making his way as a singles wrestler, following the end of the Killer Bees tag team, he shared with B. Brian Blair. Perfect keeps Brunzell from getting in the ring. Brunzell finally gets in, sending Perfect to the corner and delivering two head knockers in-between his knees. Perfect gains the upper hand after telegraphing a backbodydrop with several stomps. Both exchange chops and Brunzell scores with forearms that send Perfect over the top rope. Brunzell hangs Perfect's head up on the top rope to bring him back into the ring. Brunzell catches Perfect in a sleeper. Perfect inches to the corner, before getting his head thrown into it several times. Brunzell catches Perfect with a dropkick. Perfect drapes a leg along the bottom rope, to break up a cover. Brunzell pounds on Perfect's head with punches. Perfect manages to reverse Brunzell off the ropes and surprises him with a quick powerslam for the 1-2-3. Here is Your Winner: MR PERFECT. Classic Perfect matchup, where he sells for the majority of the match, to make his opponent look good, before finishing him off.
Hulk Hogan vs King Haku w/Bobby Heenan
Hogan came out wearing a yellow hard helmet, that sported Hulkster across the front and had a fist attached to it. Haku ambushes Hogan as the referee checks him. Haku resorts to biting Hogan in the face. Haku is all over Hogan with shots. A fired up Hogan rises up and retaliates with punches. Hogan punches Heenan off the apron, before raking Haku's back and delivering an elbow smash and several elbow drops. Hogan lands an Irish whip and corner clothesline. Hogan clotheslines Haku and sensing his man in trouble, Heenan hooks Hogan's leg. Hogan goes outside, scares the hell out of Heenan then gives chase. Heenan leads Hogan right into Haku, who goes on the attack once more and delivers a dropkick. Hogan comes back with a slam, but misses an elbow drop. Haku applies a nerve hold to both of Hogan's shoulders as we cut away for a commercial break. When we return, Hogan is struggling to his feet on the outside, as Heenan lurks. Hogan gets back in, where Haku meets him with a suplex. Hogan throws Haku off of a cover and Hulks up. Hogan catches Haku's foot, lands punches and a big boot off the ropes. Hogan readies for the legdrop, as Heenan gets on the apron with Hogan's helmet. Hogan gets the referee to approach Heenan. Haku goes to the eyes to halt Hogan's momentum. Heenan puts on the helmet and crouches down, with the intention of Haku throwing Hogan's head into it. However, Hogan turns the tables to knock Haku silly. Hogan punches Heenan off the apron, puts the helmet on and drops the leg on Haku for the 1-2-3. Typical Hogan matchup. The crowd loved this formula and ate up Hogan's customary post match posedown, which included Hogan throwing Heenan out of the ring. Heenan (who took an awkward back bump out of the corner) made this match entertaining. Here is Your Winner: HULK HOGAN.
Big Boss Man w/Slick vs Koko B. Ware
Lots of stalling at the start, as Koko tries to frustrate Boss Man, by ducking under lockups. Boss Man finally catches him and clubs him down. Boss Man drops Koko across the top rope, then hits a running spike, with Koko resting in the ropes. Boss Man stands on the bottom rope, pressing it into Koko's throat. Slick chokes Koko behind the referee's back. Koko ducks underneath a Boss Man clothesline and slides outside to give chase to Slick. This leads Koko back to the ring and into Boss Man's path, as Slick marginally escapes. Boss Man places Koko in a bearhug. Koko uses clapping blows to the head to escape. Boss Man takes Koko down with a big boot. Boss Man delivers a slam, before missing a splash off the ropes. Koko lands a series of punches and four mounted punches in the corner. The referee pulls Koko off so Koko pushes him out of the way. Amazingly, there's no DQ and Boss Man takes advantage by jamming his nightstick into Koko's throat. Koko is easy pickings for a weak looking Boss Man slam for the 1-2-3. Slow, uneventful and boring. Here is Your Winner: BIG BOSS MAN.
Jake The Snake Roberts w/Cheryl Roberts vs Ravishing Rick Rude
Main Event time. Before the bout, Okerlund recapped this bitter feud. Rude liked to pick girls out from ringside to kiss after his matches. On one night, Rude picked Jake's wife, Cheryl, who refused Rude's advances. Rude taunted Jake in the coming weeks by having pictures of Cheryl on his tights, which drove Jake wild. The feud was on. Heenan was absent from Rude's corner for this match. Rude taunts Cheryl from the start, allowing Jake the opportunity to attack. Rude reverses an Irish whip, but charges into Jake's knee. Jake methodically works over Rude's arm and goes for an early DDT, but Rude immediately scrambles to the outside. Jake pulls Rude back onto the apron, Rude lands a cheap shot then works over Jake with several punches. Rude throws Jake's head into the mat a few times. Jake punches back, Rude ducks a short-arm clothesline, hits a clothesline of his own, then flexes at the crowd. Rude ties Jake up in the ropes, gyrates, then makes advances towards Cheryl. Jake gets free and drills Rude from behind. Back inside, Rude begs off as he suckers Jake in for an inverted atomic drop. Following a commercial break, Rude has Jake in a lengthy chinlock. Jake uses a jawbreaker to escape. Jake goes for a slam, but Rude falls on top for a nearfall. Rude goes back to the chinlock. Jake tries to muscle into a reversal, but Rude hooks the hair to keep the chinlock applied. Both men exchange hammerlock reversals, which sees Rude take a tumble outside. Rude looks mad at being outwrestled there. Rude grabs Jake's arm as he tries to pull it into the ringpost. Jake blocks and sends Rude into the ringpost twice. The second time, Rude was so close to getting his head split open, had he not got his arm up. Jake slams Rude on the floor outside. Rude immediately favours his foot. Jake tosses Rude back in, as the crowd rabidly chant DDT. Even Damian becomes animated in the snake bag. Jake softens Rude up with a gutbuster and kneelift. Jake goes for the DDT, Rude hooks the top rope to block, so Jake gives him another kneelift. Rude goes to step outside, Jake pulls him back in by the tights, exposing Rude's ass. Thankfully the image is pixelated. Jake delivers a short-arm clothesline then sends the crowd into a frenzy by giving the DDT signal. Jake goes for it, but Rude drives Jake back first into the corner. Jake attempts a running kneelift, but Rude sweeps the leg and Jake rebounds off the corner, with the back of his head hitting the mat. Rude hits a fistdrop from the top rope, crawls towards Cheryl, then nonchalantly covers Jake for a nearfall. Rude drops Jake with a piledriver, who gets his foot on the rope to break up a second cover. Rude gets on his hands and knees and crawls towards Cheryl again. Cheryl stands up, slaps Rude and Jake rolls him up for the 1-2-3. Post match sees an irate Rude attack Jake then gyrate towards Cheryl. Jake unleashes Damian and Rude quickly gets out of dodge. The heated rivalry made for a good matchup which was pretty much shown in its entirety. Here is Your Winner: JAKE "THE SNAKE" ROBERTS.
Okerlund wraps things up to end the show.
Best match: Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs Ravishing Rick Rude.
Worst match: Big Boss Man vs Koko B. Ware.
Show verdict: Thumbs up. A pretty good variety, although I'd have preferred to have seen more of the Blazer match, as opposed to the Boss Man/Koko exchange.
Quick Unforgiven picks: CM PUNK: TRIPLE H: MATT HARDY: TED DIBIASE & CODY RHODES: CHRIS JERICHO: MICHELLE McCOOL.
I'm really looking forward to Unforgiven. Although it's a match right from the TNA playbook, the Scramble matches should be fun to watch. I'm eager to see The Brian Kendrick get a chance to shine on the big stage. Chris Jericho/Shawn Michaels is the feud of the year and the best thing on WWE television right now. While I don't know the extent of HBK's injury, I'm sure he and Y2J will put on another stellar matchup. Enjoy the show and I'll see you next weekend. Shaun.
If anyone wants to sound off, chew the fat or talk wrestling get in touch. Comments/praise/feedback/criticism/discussion points please direct to shaunmb1@hotmail.com.
