WWE Vintage Collection Report: 17th May 2009
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
Welcome aboard. In September 1993, Shawn Michaels was stripped of the Intercontinental Title for apparently not defending it within a 30 day window. In truth, he had been suspended, so there was an opening for a new champion. Today’s show features a 20 Man Battle Royal from the 4th October edition of Raw. The last two men standing would then compete in a match the following week to crown a new Intercontinental Champion. In addition, we have a Tag Team Title match with a twist from the September 13th edition of Raw. Let’s begin.
20 Man Over The Top Rope Battle Royal
Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan are on commentary. Bill Alfonso is one of the referees stationed outside. The participants are: Diesel, Giant Gonzalez, Razor Ramon, Tatanka, Bam Bam Bigelow, Mr Perfect, Adam Bomb, Marty Jannetty, Bastion Booger, Superfly Jimmy Snuka, 1-2-3 Kid, MVP (Most Valuable Player), Owen Hart, The Quebecers (Jacques & Pierre), Mabel, IRS, Bob Backlund, Macho Man Randy Savage & The Model Rick Martel. MVP is Steve Lombardi, aka the Brooklyn Brawler dressed as a baseballer with his face painted like a baseball. Being the last man to enter, Savage uses his initiative to attack Gonzalez from the top rope. Diesel, Booger, Bomb, Bam Bam, Savage, Jannetty and Kid then combine to push him out. Vince calls Snuka a blast from the past. Mabel screams into the camera that it’s every man for himself as he rakes at Tatanka’s face. The Quebecers combine to save each other from early elimination. Diesel and IRS join forces to put Mabel out. There was several minutes space between the first two eliminations. After a commercial break, Diesel, Kid, Snuka, Backlund and IRS are all missing. Bam Bam tosses Perfect out. Perfect was nearly through with the company. Jannetty unhooks Savage from the ropes then charges at Bomb who flips him out. Bam Bam pulls the top rope down to send Tatanka sailing out. Jacques stops Bomb from press slamming Pierre out. The blown up Booger is then tossed out by Savage. Bam Bam throws Razor through the ropes and celebrates like he's won. An angry Razor charges back in to clothesline Bam Bam out. Owen eliminates MVP with a standing dropkick, before Jacques dumps Owen out by the hair. We're down to the final six. Bomb, Martel and the Quebecers group off against a leery Savage and Razor, who look at each other with distrustful eyes. When Bomb inadvertently punches Martel, Savage eliminates him with a fireman’s carry. Bomb hooks Savage’s leg, allowing Martel and the Quebecers to dump Savage out. We’re down to four. Despite avoiding a triple dropkick, Razor is overwhelmed by the three on one odds. The heels take it in turns to hold, slap and kick Razor. Razor manages to duck a Pierre lunge and Jacques gets clotheslined out. Razor quickly throws Pierre out and referees immediately separate Razor and Martel. These two will go head to head in our Main Event. Razor fights off a post match Quebecers attack. This was a marked improvement on the Battle Royal showed last week. Most of this one was shown too. Hooray! Winners: RAZOR RAMON & THE MODEL RICK MARTEL.
WWF Tag Team Titles "Quebec Rules"
The Steiner Brothers vs The Quebecers w/Johnny Polo
The Steiners had defeated Money Inc earlier in the year to become top dogs. Quebec Rules meant that the titles could change hands on a DQ or countout. Randy Savage has joined Vince and Bobby at the announce booth at the Manhattan Centre. Scott grounds Pierre with a side headlock takedown and shoulder tackle. Pierre counters hiptoss attempts with a hard clothesline. Scott comes back with a belly-to-belly suplex. Both Steiners trap Pierre in a single leg boston crab. Jacques tries sneak attacks to no avail. Rick throws Pierre down by the arm, but lands on Pierre’s leg after jumping from the second rope. Pierre roughs Rick up in the corner. Rick counters a superplex with a slam from the second rope. Jacques’s intended elbow drop for Rick lands on Pierre. Feeling dominated, the Quebecers go to leave, but following a commercial, the heels now have the advantage. Jacques hits a jumping backelbow on Scott, who then sends Jacques flying with a big boot. Pierre slams Scott, before Jacques backbodydrops his own partner onto the fallen Steiner. Jacques Irish whips, but Scott comes back with a DDT. Pierre baits Rick in, prompting Jacques to throw Scott outside. Johnny Polo (the future Raven) refrains from hitting Scott with his hockey stick. Back inside, Jacques delivers an alabama slam into a boston crab on Scott, while Pierre lands a legdrop from the second rope mid-move. Rick rushes in to stop Pierre doing it again. Scott hits a double clothesline and makes the hot tag. Rick delivers clotheslines and slams, while the quickly recovered Scott throws some dropkicks. Scott nails Pierre with the Frankensteiner, but Jacques breaks up the pin. Rick punches Polo off the apron and the hockey stick lands in the ring. Jacques picks it up, Scott wrestles it away, nailing Jacques in full view of referee Earl Hebner, who calls for the bell. Heenan is ecstatic as Howard Finkel announces the title change. The Steiners protest their case as the Quebecers and Polo struggle to the back. This was a pretty good back-and-forth effort from what was shown. Winners: THE QUEBECERS.
Intercontinental Title
Razor Ramon vs The Model Rick Martel
Going into this match, neither man had held the Intercontinental Title. We have the same announce trio as the previous match. Razor toothpicks Martel, both exchange shoves, and Martel delivers a slap to the face. Both exchange arm work, Martel drop toeholds Razor, then paintbrushes the back of his head. Martel rubs it in by doing some jumping jacks. Razor sends Martel outside with a fallaway slam. Martel attacks Razor’s gut, before applying a front facelock. Razor lifts Martel out onto the apron, launching him back in over the top rope to the mat. Razor grabs an arm to deliver some shoulder thrusts and wrenches. Razor holds a wristlock and armbar on the mat. Martel sends Razor into the corner and misses a dive. Martel gains control after a break with a back suplex. Referee Earl Hebner catches Martel trying to pin Razor with his feet on the ropes. Martel focuses his attack on Razor’s back using double axehandles and stomps. A high knee sends Razor into the top of the ringpost and to the mat. Razor gets to the ropes to survive a boston crab. Martel catches Razor in a sidewalk slam and second boston crab. Caught in the middle of the ring, Razor flips Martel over and the two exchange a series of sunset flips for nearfalls. Razor eats a dropkick, before catching Martel’s swinging leg and lifting him onto the second rope. Razor goes to climb, but Martel elbows him off. Razor rolls through from a top rope flying bodypress attempt for two. Martel immediately levels Razor with a clothesline. 1-2-no. This is great stuff. Martel kicks the rope in frustration at not being able to put Razor away. The crowd rally behind Razor, who takes advantage of Martel putting his head down, to deliver a kneelift. The Razor’s Edge is enough to bag the Intercontinental Title for the Bad Guy and end a tremendous match. The crowd pop for Razor’s victory. At this point, the Intercontinental Title was seen as a big deal, as opposed to a prop. I wish there was a greater emphasis on it today. No questions asked, it should be defended at every PPV.
Winner: RAZOR RAMON.
In his closing notes, Okerlund puts over the return of Michaels and a certain Ladder match you might have heard of at WrestleMania X. One of the best Mania matches in history undoubtedly.
From top to bottom, this was a really solid show. Fans of the Quebecers won’t be disappointed either. Bobby Heenan was on fine form on commentary again. His greatest musing came in the Battle Royal when Vince was pressing for MVP’s identity.
Vince: Who is the MVP?
Heenan: He’s the guy in the baseball uniform.
Vince: Oh. Thank you very much.
Heenan: Don’t mention it.
They don’t produce announcers like they used to. See you next week. Shaun.
Comments/praise/feedback/criticism/discussion points please direct to shaunmb1@hotmail.com.
