WWE Vintage Collection Report (04/08/12)
WWE Vintage Collection Report: April 8th 2012
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
Happy Easter everyone! WrestleMania revenge is the theme for the next two weeks. Let’s begin.
WWF House Show – Madison Square Garden: July 12th 1986
Junkyard Dog vs Greg “The Hammer” Valentine w/Luscious Johnny Valiant
A year earlier, JYD scored a count out victory over the Hammer at the inaugural WrestleMania, but didn’t bag the Intercontinental Title. Now, Valentine is no longer the champion, so this is hardly a revenge match. Valentine and Valiant stall on the floor and hug, before Valiant takes his leave. JYD mocks Valentine by hugging the referee. JYD controls early with headbutts. Valentine comes back with elbows and a chinlock. JYD wins a slugfest, lands a clothesline and almost pins Valentine with a small package.
A double clothesline takes both men out. JYD attempts a slam, but Valentine falls on top for a nearfall. The impact is enough to make the bell ring, but it’s ignored. A desperate Valentine tries and fails to pin JYD’s shoulders to the mat. Instead, JYD bridges up and drives a knee into the Hammer’s nether region. JYD delivers a side Russian legsweep. There goes the bell again. Valentine targets a leg and nearly gets DQed after shoving the referee twice. Valentine applies the figure four. JYD can’t make the ropes. Frustrated that he won’t quit, Valentine gets caught using the ropes for extra leverage and is forced to break.
Valentine tries a falling headbutt, but no-one’s home. JYD hits his patented powerslam (for our third bell ringing), but can’t take advantage to cover. JYD kicks off a second figure four attempt to knock Valentine through the ropes. JYD headbutts Valentine off the apron. The Hammer pulls him outside and a brawl ensues. JYD reverses Valentine into the barricade. The bell finally rings for real with both men counted out. Valentine and the crowd aren’t happy. This match took up almost 15 minutes and never really got going. Winner: DOUBLE COUNTOUT.
We recap the “Narcissist” Lex Luger scoring a cheap win over Mr Perfect at WrestleMania IX, before knocking him out with his gimmicked steel plated forearm. One year later at WrestleMania X, Perfect would screw Luger out of the WWF Title. During his match with Yokozuna, Luger has Yoko, Mr Fuji and Jim Cornette all down, but Perfect refuses to count with managers still in the ring. Luger puts his hands on Perfect and gets DQed.
WCW Nitro: November 17th 1997
U.S Title: Curt Hennig vs Lex Luger
nWo member Hennig was feuding with Ric Flair by this point, having stolen one of the Naitch’s robes and cutting the arms off. Flair had interfered in a previous title match when Luger was set to win the title, so this is Luger’s rematch. Luger uses the hair to pull Hennig into the ring and throw him into the corner. Luger follows up with a backbodydrop and running clothesline. Hennig does a Flair flop to the mat. Hennig pokes the eyes to turn the tide. Hennig chops away, then delivers a snapmare and rolling neck snap. Hennig works over Luger in the corner until Luger reverses an irish whip and turns Hennig inside out with a clothesline. Luger delivers a delayed suplex, then goes to stop Hennig from leaving, only to get hung up on the top rope.
Hennig cinches in a sleeper. Luger’s arm drops once, twice, but not a third time. Luger back suplexes free. An inverted atomic drop sends Hennig sailing over the top rope. Hennig throws Luger into referee Nick Patrick, then wipes Luger out with a belt shot. The crowd are begging for Flair to come out. Hennig has it won with the Hennig-plex, but Patrick calls for the bell. Hennig shoves Patrick down and puts the boots to Luger until the Giant comes down and scares Hennig to the back. Winner via DQ: LEX LUGER.
In our final feud for today, we rewind to 2004 to see Trish Stratus turn on a smitten Chris Jericho at WrestleMania XX, and align herself with Jericho’s former friend turned rival, Christian.
WWE Backlash: April 18th 2004
Chris Jericho vs Christian & Trish Stratus
Jericho doesn’t take kindly to a pre-match shove, quickly decking Christian and giving chase to Trish. Christian interjects, but eats a backelbow and backbodydrop. The crowd tell Trish she’s a “slut,” as Jericho gives Christian a delayed suplex. Trish distracts Jericho to give Christian the upper hand briefly. Jericho quickly tosses him and lands a springboard dropkick. Jericho thwarts a Trish sneak attack, throws Christian into the guardrail and catches him with a flying elbow. Jericho accidentally collides with Trish as he runs the ropes, sending the blonde bombshell flying. Christian takes advantage as he suplexes Jericho onto the top rope and makes him taste the guardrail twice. Trish repeatedly slaps the taste out of Jericho’s mouth, before blasting him with a chick kick. Jericho escapes a chinlock. Christian kicks off a Walls of Jericho attempt and Jericho falls head first into Christian’s nads.
Jericho counters a reverse DDT into a northern lights suplex for a nearfall. Jericho gets sent to the corner. Trish slaps him once more, enabling Christian to drop Jericho with a reverse DDT from the second rope. Trish yanks Jericho’s hair to stop him from putting Christian into the Walls. Jericho blocks a slap and puts Trish across his knee for a good spanking. Christian comes from behind to hit the Unprettier. Both Trish and Christian fail with pin attempts. Jericho foils a Christian backbodydrop, then wipes out Trish with a hard clothesline. A double clothesline puts everyone down. Both men get up at a nine count to slug it out. Jericho hits a running forearm, spike in the ropes and running bulldog. Christian gets his knees up to block a lionsault and applies a Texas Cloverleaf. Jericho reverses into the Walls, only to break and put Trish in the hold. Christian rolls up Jericho for two, attempts a second Unprettier, but gets catapulted into Trish. Jericho catches Christian with an enziguiri for the 1-2-3. Winner: CHRIS JERICHO. Christian would bring in Tyson Tomko as his Problem Solver the following night on Raw to continue the feud.
Aside from the Main Event, the first two matches didn’t seem to fit with the ‘revenge’ theme, taking place so long after their original backstory. Here’s hoping for a better show and less non-finishes next week.
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