WWE Vintage Collection Report: 3rd May 2009
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
Welcome. This week, we travel back to the start of the 90s. Ultimate Warrior was running wild and he is featured here in a six-man tag Main Event, along with Jake “The Snake” Roberts going for Intercontinental Gold. Sean Mooney and Lord Alfred Hayes are on commentary, with Gorilla Monsoon replacing Mooney for the Main Event. Of the four matches on show, three are plucked from TV, the other from MSG classics. Our opener and Main Event bout are from September 1990 with the middle matches coming from August 1990. We begin with……………
Earthquake w/Jimmy Hart vs Tugboat
Okerlund ignored Fred Ottman’s Tugboat persona during his pre-match notes, referring to him as Typhoon at all times. That was a year away yet. Following a quick size-up, Earthquake busts out an impressive dropkick. Now clearly blown-up, Quake’s offense consists of stomps, walk-overs and chokes. Quake drops two elbows for a nearfall. Tugboat stands firm from a shoulder tackle, attacking Quake with a clothesline and big splash. Tugboat sends Jimmy Hart off the apron, then breaks out a dropkick of his own which ties Quake up in the ropes. (Quake’s dropkick was more impressive.) Tugboat pounds Quake, manhandles Hart, and Dino Bravo runs in for the DQ. Tugboat receives a double team, but rolls out to avoid Quake’s vertical splash, scaring both away with a steel chair. Less than a year later, Tugboat turned on the Bushwhackers, to join Jimmy Hart’s camp, where he was christened with the ‘Typhoon’ moniker. Apart from the super heavyweight dropkicks, this was a nothing match: Winner by DQ: TUGBOAT.
Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase w/Virgil vs Big Boss Man
Boss Man had refused to be bought by DiBiase at WrestleMania VI, thus turning face in the process. Here, Boss Man rushes to the ring prompting DiBiase to run scared and stall. Boss Man thwarts a sneak attack, beginning brightly with ten head rams to the corner, gut punches and an inverted atomic drop. Boss Man sends DiBiase into the ringsteps, before choking and whipping him like a government mule with his belt. With DiBiase brought to his knees, Boss Man makes a mistake when he misses a splash. Virgil distracts the referee, allowing DiBiase to whack Boss Man in the gut with his own nightstick. DiBiase works over Boss Man’s midsection, driving him backfirst to the corner, then staggering him with a clothesline. DiBiase catches Boss Man in a bearhug, before both men clothesline each other simultaneously. DiBiase leaps off the second rope into a gut punch. Boss Man fights back with three clotheslines and an inverted atomic drop. Boss Man brings Virgil in, planting him with a big boot, a noggin knocker and clothesline over the top rope. As Boss Man atomic drops DiBiase out of the ring, the bell goes. DiBiase has been awarded the DQ win. As Boss Man argues, he gets ambushed with a double clothesline. Virgil hands DiBiase the nightstick, but Boss Man wrestles it away, sending DiBiase and Virgil scurrying out of harm’s way. Boss Man favours his ribs, as the announcers speculate on them being broken. Boss Man found his niche as a face, and was relatively over with the crowd here. Winner by DQ: MILLION DOLLAR MAN TED DIBIASE.
Intercontinental Title
Mr Perfect w/Bobby Heenan vs Jake "The Snake" Roberts w/Damian
Okerlund puts over Perfect's IC reign, while noting Jake’s high profile feuds with Ricky Steamboat, Honky Tonk Man and Ravishing Rick Rude. Heenan distracts Jake by making moves towards the snake bag. Perfect attacks, Jake avoids a charge, and Perfect runs shoulder first into the corner. Jake methodically works the shoulder for several minutes, tying Perfect up on the mat. Perfect fails to throw Jake off, and upon trying a hammerlock, Jake backelbows Perfect out of the ring. As Heenan tries to soothe Perfect’s shoulder with his towel, Jake pulls Perfect back in, only to backdrop him out again a few moments later. Heenan distracts Jake, allowing Perfect to pull Jake’s shoulder into the ringpost. Now Perfect takes his time picking apart Jake by focusing on his arm and shoulder. Jake gets whipped to the corner, but gets a boot up on a charge. Jake lands punches and a short-arm clothesline as he calls for the DDT. Heenan comes in to grab Jake for the third DQ finish in a row. Grrrr! Perfect prevents a DDT on Heenan with a knee to the back. Perfect throws the referee out of the ring before Jake grabs the top rope to prevent a Perfect Plex on the snake bag. Jake gives Perfect a DDT, brings Damian out and Heenan pulls Perfect out to safety. The crowd pop for Jake. This was a little boring as it just consisted of holds and not much else. Winner by DQ: JAKE “THE SNAKE” ROBERTS.
Ultimate Warrior & Legion of Doom vs Demolition
Main Event time in a dimly lit Madison Square Garden. Warrior had just concluded a feud with Ravishing Rick Rude at SummerSlam, and, with his title reign losing steam, he was thrown together with the newly arrived Legion of Doom in six man bouts against Demolition. In a funny pre-match moment, Warrior tries to channel some energy by applying a loose Von Erich claw on Animal’s head. Ax distracts Animal, so Smash takes advantage with a clothesline, several double axehandles and a choke in the ropes. Animal comes back with a powerslam and elbow drop. Crush and Hawk exchange several shoves and stalemate lockups. Crush goes to the eyes before delivering a backbreaker, Irish whip and shot to the back. Hawk retaliates with a clothesline, standing dropkick and flying tackle. The crowd goes wild as Warrior enters. Ax tries to beg off, as Warrior unloads with a flurry of boots to the gut. Warrior clotheslines Ax then slams all three Demos, before missing a splash on Ax. In truth, Ax didn’t move as Warrior just dove over him. Warrior gets sent to the floor where he tangles with Smash and Crush. Following commercials, we skip ahead to Animal being worked over. Smash uses a back suplex and head vice. Animal gets caught in the wrong corner after attempting to take all three Demos on. Who does he think he is? Ultimate Warrior? Ax traps Animal in a chinlock and drop toehold, while Crush resorts to choking and punching in the corner. Following a Crush Irish whip, Animal rebounds with a clothesline. Smash and Warrior get tagged in. Warrior runs wild with clotheslines galore, along with lots of rope shaking. While LOD keep Ax and Crush occupied on the floor, Warrior takes care of Smash with a flying tackle and big splash. 1-2-3. Finally a decisive, clean finish. LOD hoist Warrior on their shoulders before Warrior mounts the corners with the WWF title. I always preferred Demolition to Legion of Doom. It’s a shame that their feud was so one sided. Once Ax was released at the end of the year, Demolition were jobbed out and disbanded. Bad match, but good to see Warrior get some exposure on WWE programming again from a nostalgia point. Winners: ULTIMATE WARRIOR & LEGION OF DOOM.
Okerlund wraps up the show and doesn’t bury the Warrior. Instead he puts him and LOD over as a strong tandem. As controversial as Warrior was, you can’t deny that he was good for business. Growing up, I was always a Warrior fan over being a Hulkamaniac. Despite that, there were too many non-finishes for my liking this week. See you next week. Shaun.
Comments/praise/feedback/criticism/discussion points please direct to shaunmb1@hotmail.com.
