WWE Vintage Collection Report: 12th April 2009
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
Happy Easter everybody! Today we rewind back to February 6th 1988. The location is the Boston Garden, in Boston, Massachusetts. WrestleMania IV is just around the corner. Craig DeGeorge (the 1980s version of Todd Grisham) is joined on commentary by Lord Alfred Hayes, with Frenchy Martin replacing Hayes in bout number two. In an insignificant note, an image of Sting with bleach blonde hair has replaced an old shot of Dusty Rhodes in the WWE studio backdrop. Let’s begin.
Sam Houston vs Iron Mike Sharpe
The last few minutes air. While it was never acknowledged on TV, Houston is the real life brother of Jake Roberts. At this point, Sharpe was floating around in a Brooklyn Brawler type role – an established heel jobber to the stars. Very similar to what Jim Powers did as a face in the early 90s. Houston misses a corner charge. Sharpe wipes him out with an overhead right hook. Sharpe wastes time playing to the crowd. Houston nearly wins it with a rollup. Sharpe cuts off Houston’s fightback, before tossing him outside onto the rickety floor, then into the guardrail. Back inside, Sharpe keeps the advantage with a gut punch. The tide turns when Houston reverses an Irish whip, then monkey flips Sharpe out of the corner. Houston catches Sharpe with a running bulldog off the ropes to pick up the victory. Lord Alfred calls this an upset. I don’t. Here is Your Winner: SAM HOUSTON.
The British Bulldogs vs The Islanders
Okerlund notes the 'loaded' Tag Team division beforehand, and he wasn’t wrong, as the Rockers, Powers of Pain and Brain Busters were all still yet to come in. Bobby Heenan is absent from the Islanders’ corner. The Islanders had dog-napped the Bulldogs’ mascot Matilda, bringing her dog lead to the ring to rub salt in the wounds. The Bulldogs storm the ring to jump the Islanders, whipping them into one another. Davey and Haku go back-and-forth with some counter wrestling at the start. Dynamite ducks a Haku dive, but messes up a clothesline over the top rope spot. Haku shakes off Davey's offense to give him a back suplex. Tama comes in and gets owned by the Bulldogs and their power moves. First, Dynamite counters a monkey flip with a falling headbutt. Dynamite then accepts Tama's handshake with a kick to the gut, followed by a slingshot into the corner. Dynamite delivers a spike piledriver, before tossing Tama through the ropes. DeGeorge and Frenchy have a falling out, resulting in Frenchy leaving the announce area. Apart from a few pro-Islander lines, you couldn’t understand a word Frenchy said. Au revoir. Davey slingshots Tama back in, then press slams him. The Islanders finally manage to trap Dynamite and work him over. Haku uses a clothesline, legdrop and nerve hold. After a Dynamite sunset flip, Haku administers a shoulderbreaker and a second nerve hold. Davey gets the tag behind the referee's back and is ordered out. Tama slams Dynamite, misses an elbow and both men tag out. Davey comes in, knocking the Islanders heads together. Davey uses a suplex, small package and running powerslam on Haku. Tama breaks up the pin and the Islanders begin the double team on Davey. Haku slams, then Tama comes off the top rope with a splash. Dynamite comes to the rescue, shoving the referee away to cause a DQ. Still frustrated, Dynamite grabs the dog lead, whipping both Islanders until they leave. Here Are Your Winners via DQ: THE ISLANDERS. Despite the disappointing finish, this was a good match. Tama bumped well for the Bulldogs.
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs Dino Bravo w/Frenchy Martin
Canadian strongman Dino Bravo is displaying a rather large frame here. Bravo feigns wanting a test of strength to get in some early shots. Bravo throws Steamboat over the ropes. Steamboat hangs on, kicks Frenchy away, skins the cat back in, then backdrops Bravo out to the floor. Bravo and Frenchy suffer a meeting of the minds courtesy of Steamboat. Back inside, Steamboat focuses on Bravo’s arm, using several knees, armdrags and armbars. Bravo rises up from a wristlock to deliver battering rams in the corner. Bravo lands a backelbow, Steamboat comes back with a crucifix pin attempt, before going back to the arm. Bravo gets sent to the corner, but manages to counter a monkey flip with an inverted atomic drop. Bravo takes advantage with a clothesline, suplex, snapmare and slam. Upon applying a bearhug we skip ahead to see Steamboat escape a chinlock. Bravo catches Steamboat with his patented sidewalk slam, but Bravo opts to waste time high-fiving Frenchy. This costs Bravo dear, as he misses a big elbow drop. Steamboat fights back with mounted punches in the corner and a top rope chop. Steamboat drives Bravo’s head into the corner ten times. Bravo tries to pin Steamboat with his feet on the ropes, but fortunately, the referee sees this and refuses to count. Steamboat continues his attack until Bravo sends him out to the floor, where the fight continues. Disappointingly, both men get counted out. Verdict: DRAW. Back inside, Bravo throws Steamboat back outside, then gets on the mic, saying the people came to see a winner. After promising to kick his butt, Bravo asks Steamboat for five more minutes. Steamboat obliges, but is immediately double-teamed, until a wayward Bravo knee hits Frenchy. Steamboat clears the ring, places Frenchy’s beret on his head, and leads the crowd in a Steamboat chant. A moral victory for the Dragon. Despite Bravo being a bit difficult to move around, this was one of his better matches, thanks to Steamboat. Once more though, it’s a shame about the non-finish.
Hulk Hogan & Bam Bam Bigelow w/Oliver Humperdinck vs
Andre The Giant & Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase w/Virgil
As Okerlund hypes our Main Event, the debuting vignettes of Ted DiBiase play behind him on a small screen. When we cut to the match, DiBiase is wearing his recently bought WWF Title. Hogan and Bam Bam rush to the ring, to engage in a heated brawl. Hogan manages to send Andre over the top rope. After a Bam Bam atomic drop and clothesline on DiBiase, Hogan takes over. The raging Hogan drops both heels with clotheslines in the corner. Andre breaks Hogan’s offense by pulling him out onto the apron and choking him across the bottom rope with his hands. DiBiase picks the bones by delivering stomps. Hogan gets isolated in the wrong corner. Andre wears him down with chokes, while DiBiase uses a clothesline, some fistdrops and a lengthy chinlock to keep the advantage. Hogan and DiBiase cancel each other out with simultaneous clotheslines. Bam Bam gets a hot tag, clotheslining and press slamming DiBiase. As Bam Bam hits the ropes, Virgil trips him from the outside. Bam Bam recovers to throw DiBiase from the top rope. A refreshed Hogan re-enters, running DiBiase into the corner, then dazing Andre on the apron. DiBiase gets planted by a big boot and the legdrop of doom ends things. Andre can’t get back in to make the save. 1-2-3. Hogan gets some revenge and builds some momentum. Here Are Your Winners: HULK HOGAN & BAM BAM BIGELOW. DiBiase did the brunt of the in-ring work, which was smart. Bam Bam didn’t really get much of a look-in. He would soon depart WWF until 1993. Post match sees Bam Bam and Hogan brandish Humperdinck’s stick and two steel chairs to keep the heels from re-entering.
Right after this event, DiBiase was stripped of the WWF Title by WWF President Jack Tunney. This led to the famous 14 man tournament at WrestleMania and the beginning of Macho Madness.
Okerlund wraps things up to end the show.
Best Match: The British Bulldogs vs The Islanders.
An okay show. The middle two matches were the best things highlighted, but the non-finishes were annoying, especially for what was essentially a House Show. It was cool though seeing Ted DiBiase getting to wear the World Title once.
See you next week!
Comments/praise/feedback/criticism/discussion points please direct to shaunmb1@hotmail.com.
