WWE Vintage Collection Report: 10th January 2010
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
Welcome aboard. This week, Royal Rumblings from 1988, 1989 and 1991.
The show opens backstage at the Miami Arena on January 19th 1991. Ahead of the Ultimate Warrior vs Sgt Slaughter WWF Title match, the self-proclaimed “greatest WWF Champion” and “No 1 contender,” Macho King Randy Savage reveals the commitment of a future title shot from Sgt Slaughter and says Sensational Queen Sherri is about to bait the Warrior for the same promise.
Cut to the interview podium with Sherri gushing over an “honourable” and “wonderful” Warrior. After describing his physical attributes and planting a kiss on the perturbed champion, Sherri, on her knees asks for a title shot. Warrior spits out the remnants of the kiss, shakes and screams “Noooooooo.”
January 24th 1988: Hamilton, Ontario
Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat vs Ravishing Rick Rude
Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura are the announcers. Steamboat was back from a sabbatical, while Rude had joined the WWF the previous year. All through the match, a woman in the front row uses a cone as a megaphone to heckle Rude and support Steamboat. Neither McMahon nor Ventura acknowledge her annoying presence once. Steamboat starts by working over an arm. Rude struggles to fully lift the arm at first when he goes to flex for the crowd. Rude sends Steamboat to the floor with a knee to the gut, then slams him on the outside and gyrates. Back inside, Steamboat escapes a camel clutch with an electric chair drop, but Rude gets his knees up on a splash, leading Ventura to lament Steamboat for “using aerial tactics when your opponent isn’t finished off.” Rude gives Steamboat an atomic drop then goes back to the camel clutch. Steamboat escapes this time by shoving Rude face first into the corner. Steamboat dazes Rude with ten head rams to the corner, before delivering a snapmare and falling chop. Both exchange a number of pinfall techniques, Steamboat blocks then reverses a suplex and heads to the top rope, with Ventura again questioning Steamboat’s wisdom. Rude shoves referee Dave Hebner into the path of Steamboat’s flying bodypress. The bell goes as Rude has Steamboat up in a shoulderbreaker position. Rude leaves with his arm raised as his music plays, and Ventura dubs it a “Rude Awakening for Steamboat,” but Howard Finkel announces Steamboat the winner via DQ, causing Rude to come rushing back to chew out Hebner. Winner via DQ: RICKY “THE DRAGON” STEAMBOAT.
January 15th 1989: Houston, Texas
Two out of Three Falls Six Man Tag Match
Dino Bravo & The Fabulous Rougeaus w/Frenchy Martin & Jimmy Hart vs
Hacksaw Jim Duggan & The Hart Foundation
Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura are calling the action from the Houston Summit. Bret goes after an early fall catching Raymond in a small package, sunset flip and cross body. Anvil then gives all three opponents a battering ram in the corner. The tide turns when Raymond pulls the top rope down on Bret to send him to the floor. Raymond sends him back in for a Bravo sidewalk slam. Raymond then hoists Bret up on his shoulders for a Jacques seated senton from the top rope and the first fall. Bret remains isolated in the second fall, surviving a Jacques boston crab. Bret makes a tag to Anvil, but the referee doesn’t see it, so the Rougeaus take it in turns to apply abdominal stretches. Bret blocks a Jacques monkey flip out of the corner, countering with an inverted atomic drop, before tagging in Hacksaw, who attacks everyone with punches. Hacksaw slams Raymond, before catapulting both Anvil and Bret on top. Anvil tackles Bravo and Jacques out of contention and Hacksaw takes the second fall, pinning Raymond after an elbow drop. Hacksaw attempts to go after everyone again, but gets caught and triple teamed. Monsoon states he’s not used to tag team wrestling. Ventura disagrees, resolving that Hacksaw has a peanut for a brain. Bravo mistakenly fires up Hacksaw after ramming his head into the corner, then makes a second error by atomic dropping him right by the Hitman. Bret comes in to give Bravo a backbreaker. Raymond shoves Bret from the second rope before he can connect with his patented elbow, causing Anvil to go after Raymond. During the commotion, referee Joey Morella gets distracted. As Bravo blocks Bret’s rollup attempt off the ropes, Hacksaw smacks the Canadian strong man in the back with his 2x4. Bravo falls back, allowing Bret to pick up the deciding fall. Both Frenchy and Jimmy Hart complain, but to no avail. This was an enjoyable match. Winners: HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN & THE HART FOUNDATION.
Backstage promos from Sgt Slaughter w/General Adnan and the Ultimate Warrior air before today’s Main Event. Slaughter dubs all of us maggots, before saying the turmoil in the world will be nothing compared to when he beats the Ultimate Puke. Us maggots need a leader and Slaughter has integrity and is someone to look up to and respect. Ultimate Puke’s weeks, days and hours are no longer numbered, but his seconds are and that’s an order. Slaughter barked this out in a comical, corny, over-the-top manner. Obviously portraying an Iraqi sympathiser during the Gulf War gave Slaughter instant heat, but compared to Muhammad Hassan in later years, I’d say this particular gimmick was the better handled.
Warrior says Slaughter’s orders will fall on deaf ears. He gives no orders, and only takes them from the Warriors that ride up on his back. Slaughter’s turmoil is nothing but a grain of sand in the desert, where a foxhole will be created that will lead Slaughter down to defeat. His Warriors could never lower themselves and look up to someone like Slaughter. The only ones that would follow him are those that are demented. Warrior finishes by stating he walks into this battle as the Ultimate champion and will walk away as the Ultimate victor. This was a surprisingly coherent promo by the Warrior, directed by Okerlund’s well-placed questions.
January 19th 1991: Miami, Florida
WWF Title: Ultimate Warrior vs Sgt Slaughter
Gorilla Monsoon and Rowdy Roddy Piper announce this title bout, joined in progress with Slaughter taking a faceplant and bump over the top rope to the floor from two irish whips. Sensational Queen Sherri runs down as Warrior chokes Slaughter on the floor. Sherri quickly interjects herself by grabbing Warrior’s boot as he runs the ropes. Warrior gives chase and is ambushed by the Macho King in the aisle, who sends the champion into the guardrail before attacking him with a light stand. The crowd rabidly chant USA as Slaughter repeatedly stops the referee from counting Warrior out as he slowly crawls back to the ring. Slaughter methodically works over Warrior for a short while until both clothesline each other simultaneously. Slaughter manages to apply a camel clutch, but Warrior has both legs sticking outside the ring and as soon as referee Earl Hebner sees, he forces Slaughter to break. Hebner dashes Slaughter’s initial thoughts of victory, and as Slaughter argues, Warrior starts to re-energise by shaking the ropes. Warrior tears into Slaughter with three clotheslines, a flying tackle and signals for the gorilla press. This causes Sherri to run down again. Warrior pulls her into the ring, press slamming her onto an onrushing Savage. Warrior plays to the crowd too long, allowing Slaughter to knee him into the ropes. As Hebner pulls Slaughter away from choking Warrior, Savage takes the opportunity to smack Warrior between the eyes with his sceptor, before leaving with Sherri like thieves in the night. As Monsoon screams it's “three against one,” Slaughter drops an elbow and hooks the leg for the 1-2-3. Winner: SGT SLAUGHTER. A stunned crowd are in disbelief and Monsoon speculates on a possible DQ as a decision is delayed. Warrior rolls outside and runs to the back in pursuit of Savage and Howard Finkel announces a new champion. The crowd boo the decision, which Piper calls “bull.” As Slaughter hoists the title in the air mouthing “I told you so,” the prospect of a dream rematch between Hulk Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VII disappears. While Warrior’s title reign wasn’t Hogan-esque this was still somewhat of a shock. Watching this again some 19 years later brought back all those same feelings of sadness I had for the Warrior and disdain I shared for the devilish Savage at the time. Truly a Vintage moment.
Next week’s show will feature the 1993 Royal Rumble match. All I’ll say to that is Banzai! See you next week. Shaun.
Comments/praise/feedback/criticism/discussion points please direct to shaunmb1@hotmail.com.
