WWE Vintage Collection Report: December 5th 2010
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
This week, memorable matches and moments galore from WWF in the mid 1980s. Let’s begin!
March 23rd 1986: Maple Leaf Gardens, Canada
“Cowboy” Bob Orton vs “Leaping” Lanny Poffo
Poffo is the younger brother of the Macho Man and the future Genius. We join this match in progress as Orton tosses Poffo to the floor. Poffo counters a slam from the apron into a rollup, before reversing a suplex. Poffo busts out a somersault senton and top rope moonsault as the crowd start believing an upset could be on the cards. Poffo hangs Orton into a tree of woe position in order to choke. A dropkick sends Orton over the top rope onto the elevated wooden entrance platform. Poffo dropkicks again, but Orton sees a third coming and moves. Back inside, Poffo reverses to the corner, but gets caught on the top rope, enabling Orton to pick up the win following a superplex. Orton made Poffo look like a real threat before putting him away. After all, it’s better to beat a somebody rather than a nobody. Winner: “COWBOY” BOB ORTON.
An early Demolition promo airs. Former manager “Luscious” Johnny V had sold their contracts to the devious one Mr Fuji before departing the Federation. Here, Fuji stands behind Ax and Smash wearing his trademark black bowler hat, with his back to the camera and is referred to not by name, but as the team’s “new manager.” During the promo, Smash vows to demolish people as per the manager’s orders, while Ax promises to pay attention to him. Ax finishes by putting all the other teams on notice, stating Demolition want to be the number one tag team, and promising nobody will stand in their way.
March 15th 1987: Maple Leaf Gardens, Canada
Demolition w/”Luscious” Johnny V vs The Killer Bees
Demolition had recently debuted as the WWF’s version of the Road Warriors. Little did we know at the time how big Demolition would become in their own right. Barry Darsow had also just replaced Randy Colley as Smash after fans recognised Colley as his former alias Moondog Rex and started chanting “Moondog” at him. We pick this match up with the Bees working over Smash’s leg with kicks, and a make-a-wish. Ax breaks up a figure four by dropping an elbow onto B. Brian Blair. Ax and Blair have a brief exchange. Ax wears Blair down with a front facelock, before Smash drops the Killer Bee throat first across the top rope. Ax sends Blair to the outside to let Johnny V get some kicks in. Back inside, Jumping Jim Brunzell gets an unseen tag by the referee and is ordered out. Demolition drill Blair with a double backelbow, to send him back to the outside. Brunzell nips out to pull Blair underneath the ring so that the Bees can slip on masks. Fresh man Brunzell re-enters to dropkick Ax. Smash breaks up a pin by kicking Brunzell in the head. As the referee gets Smash out of the ring, Blair, the legal Bee, catches Ax with a sunset flip from the top rope. The referee sees one Bee in the ring and counts the pin 1-2-3. Demolition get their heat back after the bout by pounding the crap out of the Bees. Winners: THE KILLER BEES.
Somewhere in the Australian bush, we are introduced to the WWF’s version of Crocodile Dundee aka Outback Jack, sat beside a river with a crocodile swimming around. Jack says that after surviving in a rough and rugged place, the only place left for a bloke like him to go to is the World Wrestling Federation. Jack adds that he’s heading overseas to meet his American mates, before putting over the fact he’s 6 “6 and 330lbs. The segment ends with a cheesy version of Rolf Harris’s 1957 song “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport” playing. This was unintentionally funny.
July 18th 1987: Maple Leaf Gardens, Canada
Outback Jack vs One Man Gang w/Slick
Okerlund describes Jack as a “rugged outdoorsman from Australia,” and a “favourite among the WWE Universe.” OMG was only two months into his WWF tenure. Shoulder tackles fail to budge OMG, so Jack delivers some battering rams in the corner. OMG reverses to the corner, misses a charge and Jack goes after an arm. OMG drives Jack to the corner then stands on his back. Jack pokes the eyes to escape a bearhug. Jack attacks OMG’s gut before clotheslining him to the corner. Jack irish whips, but OMG rebounds out of the corner with a clothesline, before putting Jack away with an inverted suplex. Just a year later Jack departed the WWF, one can only assume to return to the outback. Bad match. Winner: ONE MAN GANG.
December 7th 1985: Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Intercontinental Title: Tito Santana vs Jesse “The Body” Ventura
Wrestler turned announcer Ventura had come out of retirement and was deemed the number one contender for Tito’s title and was high on the list for a shot at Hulk Hogan’s world title as well. The Body stalls to begin with as he takes his time to remove his earrings and feather boa. Ventura doesn’t reciprocate an early clean break and goes on the attack. Tito fires back to send Ventura scrambling to the floor. Back inside, Tito wrenches the arm, before grounding the Body in an armbar. Ventura goes to the eyes to escape then drags Tito’s face across the top rope.
After pressing down on Tito’s neck against the top rope, Ventura delivers a backbreaker, stomps the back, then catches the champion in a bearhug. Tito punches free leading a blinded Ventura to make a comical swing at thin air. Tito gives Ventura a receipt for his earlier face drag across the top rope, before going after a leg. Tito locks on the figure four, but Ventura quickly makes it to the ropes. Ventura pulls at Tito’s trunks to send him to the floor, hobbles up and puts the boots to him. As the referee lays the count on, Tito sends Ventura down with a shoulder thrust to the gut from the apron. Tito launches over the top rope and on top of Ventura with a springboard splash, but it’s too late as Tito has been counted out. The referee has to wrestle the title away from Ventura who thinks he’s won it. Tito lies the title in the middle of the ring inviting Ventura to take it, then puts the boots to the Body when he makes a play for it. Ventura bails, but still raises his arms and acts like he’s the uncrowned champion on his way to the back. Winner via Countout: JESSE “THE BODY” VENTURA.
January 11th 1987: Maple Leaf Gardens, Canada
Davey Boy Smith & The Junkyard Dog w/Matilda vs The Hart Foundation
With Davey Boy’s partner and co-holder of the Tag Titles Dynamite Kid out nursing a back injury, Davey went back to the pound to turn to a different dog for backup and found JYD. The dastardly Danny Davis is the referee. Davis immediately tells Davey off for an imaginary hair pull on Bret enabling the Hitman to hook a front facelock. Davey lifts Bret onto the top rope for a slap, then counters an Anvil tackle into a drop toehold. Davey ties Anvil’s feet up, but the big man makes it to the ropes. JYD works Anvil’s arm then yanks his goatee to prompt a reprimand from Davis. Anvil shoves JYD into Bret, who hooks the arms for a free shot, but gets wiped out by an errant Anvil strike. JYD gets down onto all fours prompting a scared Anvil to dart outside. JYD manages to corner Bret, tags in Davey and the makeshift duo give the Hitman a double clothesline. As Davis gets JYD out, Anvil sledges Davey in the back of the head to shift the momentum. Bret gives Davey an inverted atomic drop, before tossing him onto the entrance ramp. Bret feigns injury by falling down close to JYD clutching his face. Davis chews out JYD while once again turning his back to the action. This allows Anvil to slam Davey on the hard entrance floor. Bret taunts JYD with some jumping jacks.
Anvil traps Davey in a bearhug. Davis turns away so Bret can illegally switch and send Davey into a backbodydrop. Davey backs Bret into a corner to escape a sleeper. Davey presses Bret above his head, crotches him on the top rope and makes a tag to JYD in full view of Davis who begrudgingly allows it. JYD comes in with headbutts, dishes out a double noggin knocker and has Bret beat with a powerslam. Anvil breaks up a pin, Davey goes after him, but gets tossed out. Davis gets distracted. Bret cradles JYD, Davey rolls JYD on top, Davis turns and registers a fast 1-2-3 without realising who’s on top. Davis shoves JYD after the bell, but is run off by Matilda. Winners: DAVEY BOY SMITH & THE JUNKYARD DOG. Within a month, Davis would help the Harts beat the Bulldogs to become tag team champions. In truth, Dynamite Kid was still struggling with his back injury so this necessitated the title switch.
This week’s show is well worth a look. Two decent tag bouts, an energetic opener, and some wrestlecrap with Outback Jack made for some good viewing, although the Intercontinental bout was boring so that can be skipped over.
Longtime readers may know that over the last few years I’ve created an end of year spoof awards ceremony and this year is no different. The 2010 Michael Cole’s will celebrate all things Vintage which have been pulled from the vaults for our viewing pleasure over the past 12 months.
Categories will be decided in the upcoming weeks, but I’m open to any suggestions/ideas.
Who is your favourite Vintage Superstar? Manager? Announcer? Tag Team?
What has been your favourite Vintage Collection moment this year?
E-mail your views to shaunmb1@hotmail.com and I’ll include the best ones.
See you next week. Shaun.
For those that want to cross the line, check out and/or follow my TNA blog at totaltna.blogspot.com. It’s still in its infancy and hasn’t been updated in a while, but in the upcoming weeks I’ll be looking to add match recaps from the syndicated Xplosion show along with all the latest news and happenings from the !mpact zone.
