WWE Vintage Collection Report (06/05/11)

WWE Vintage Collection Report: June 5th 2011
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund

This week, we conclude our month long retrospective of matches and moments from “WCW Saturday Night.” British Bulldog, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Ricky Steamboat are all promised. Let’s begin!

March 9th 1996 WCW TV Title
Johnny B. Badd w/Kimberly vs Lex Luger
Both men had recently traded the title with Badd also recently winning the services of Kimberly Page from (real-life husband at the time) DDP. Luger is one half of the reigning Tag Team champions along with Sting. We join the match in progress. Badd escapes a couple of restholds. Luger sends Badd front first into the corner. Badd rolls back from a suplex attempt to land a sitdown powerbomb. Badd has Luger where he wants him when DDP and Jimmy Hart appear in the aisle. Badd dropkicks Luger to the floor and connects with a plancha. Hart distracts the referee, which enables DDP to give Badd the Diamond Cutter on the floor. DDP rolls Badd back into the ring for Luger to cover and regain the TV title. Winner: LEX LUGER. This was Badd’s final WCW appearance for four years after he disapproved of the Kimberly angle and being involved with another man’s wife. He made his first WWF appearance as “Wildman” Marc Mero at the end of March, rescuing (wife at the time) Sable from Hunter Hearst Helmsley.

July 14th 1990: Stan Hansen vs “Wildfire” Tommy Rich
The JBL of his time, Hansen (credited for inventing the lariat clothesline) spent a large portion of his career wrestling in the Orient for New Japan and All Japan, only returning to wrestle in the States sporadically. Hansen famously ran over the AWA title with his truck, mailing it back with the mud tracks still on it after being stripped due to a booking conflict. Stiff in the ring, Hansen also popped Vader’s eyeball out of its socket after repeated punches during a bout between the two in Japan. Hansen had briefly returned to WCW (still under the NWA banner) to fight former partner and friend Tommy Rich. In a pre-match promo, Hansen threatens Rich with a cowbell. Hansen tells Rich to bring his fans as Hansen has no fans and doesn’t want any. Hansen blames the people for his U.S exile, and is bringing his bell to burn the past. The new Stan Hansen has arrived and he advises Rich to head out of town.

For most of the match, Hansen constantly outbrawls his former friend, but the plucky Rich keeps fighting back, only to keep getting cut off. Hansen loudly disputes nearfalls with referee Randy “Pee Wee” Anderson as his frustration starts to build. Rich fights back with a backelbow, thesz press, dropkick and several fists. Rich runs into a boot, allowing Hansen to hammer away. Hansen misses an elbow drop. Rich lands punches until Hansen rakes the eyes and tosses Rich over the top rope for the automatic DQ (a rule in place at the time, made common by Jim Cornette’s Smoky Mountain Wrestling.) An incensed Hansen gives Pee Wee the lariat, then kicks him in the head as he rolls to the floor. Talk about kicking a man when he’s down! Hansen smashes Rich in the head with his cowbell for good measure. Winner via DQ: “WILDFIRE” TOMMY RICH.

Senior referee Nick Patrick joins Jim Ross on the stage, informing him that a wrestler goes too far whenever he touches a referee. As a result, Patrick suspends Hansen for 30 days and issues him with a $5,000 fine. Hansen comes in screaming and goes for Patrick, who threatens to double the fine and make the suspension for a year. Hansen grabs the mic from Ross and screams repeatedly that no-one can suspend him. Hansen destroys a ringside table with his cowbell, as he continues to scream. The post-match happenings were far more entertaining than the actual match, which really dragged.

March 27th 1993: British Bulldog vs Vinnie Vegas
After being fired from the WWF in late 1992, Bulldog came to WCW to boost the UK fanbase. This match was taped at a House Show in England (March 13th) and replayed two weeks later. We pick things up with a green Kevin Nash sucking the life out of Manchester’s G-Mex Arena with a lengthy sleeper. Bulldog finally escapes, Vegas busts out a leapfrog then catches Bulldog with a big boot. Bulldog counters snake eyes, and puts Vegas down after three clotheslines. Bulldog delivers a slam and a suplex before running into another boot. Vegas misses a charging elbow and Bulldog puts him away with the running powerslam. Winner: BRITISH BULLDOG. Considering the monstrous ovation Bulldog received at Wembley Stadium just seven months earlier, this reaction in his hometown was quite timid in comparison. Meanwhile, Vegas was just two months away from becoming Diesel.

February 26th 2000: WCW TV Title
Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs Lord Steven Regal
Once a prestigious championship, the TV title had been residing in a garbage bin for two months courtesy of Scott Hall. Hacksaw found the belt, christened himself the champion and started defending it. Hacksaw is doing a janitor gimmick, dressed in light brown overalls which makes him look like a wild rabbit. Regal has put up his career in order to get a title shot. Both tussle to the ropes before Hacksaw clears the ring with a series of clotheslines. Back inside, Regal avoids a corner charge and Hacksaw jars his shoulder. Regal works over the shoulder, counters a backbodydrop, but misses a rolling senton. Hacksaw fires off punches, catches Regal in a slam, clotheslines him and drops the Old Glory kneedrop for the 1-2-3. Farewell Lord Steven, hello William Regal. Towards the end of the match, Puerto Rican grappler Fidel Sierra has come out to watch, as he’s challenged the winner. Hacksaw would defeat him on the following episode. Winner: HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN.

October 16th 1993: WCW Title – Lumberjack Match
(Big Van) Vader w/Harley Race vs Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat
Maxx Payne, Equalizer, Sting, Colonel Rob Parker, Arn Anderson, Dustin Rhodes, British Bulldog, Sid Vicious, Harley Race, Shockmaster and Harlem Heat are the lumberjacks surrounding the ring. We join the match in progress for the last 15 minutes. Vader clotheslines Steamboat to the floor, but misses a dive from the apron and hits the guardrail. Steamboat avoids a sitdown splash after seeing his sunset flip attempt fail. Steamboat works over Vader’s midsection, while Jesse Ventura on commentary makes light of Shockmaster’s recent infamous debut. YouTube it, it’s hilarious! Sid Vicious distracts the referee enabling Race to hook Steamboat. Vader inadvertently takes out his manager after Steamboat moves. Steamboat stays on the offensive with a DDT and several splashes. Steamboat sets up for a superplex, but thinks better of it and rolls Vader off the second rope instead. Steamboat applies a figure four. Race and Vicious try to help Vader, who eventually makes it to the ropes. Vader misses an avalanche splash in the corner. Steamboat stays on the offensive, but can’t put Vader away. Vader slams Steamboat, discards his mask and delivers a clothesline from the second rope.

Vader crushes Steamboat with a samoan drop, but the Dragon avoids a splash. Steamboat goes airborne to wobble the big man, taking him down with a top rope cross body. Both slug it out until Vader slumps in the corner. Vader fights back, Steamboat stays resilient, so Vader throws him outside, first to Race, then to Harlem Heat. A brief lumber-scuffle breaks out. Steamboat tries the sunset flip a couple more times, but gets sat on. A Vader Bomb misses the mark after Vader takes too long up top. A cross dive by Steamboat takes both men over the top rope. Steamboat rolls back in as the lumberjacks focus on Vader…that is except for Sid Vicious who gives Steamboat a powerbomb behind the referee’s back. Vicious and Race high five, as Vader splashes on top of Steamboat for the 1-2-3. Winner: (BIG VAN) VADER. Best thing on today’s show by a mile! The plan was to have Vader eventually face Sid for the title at the end of 1993. However, just 11 days after this match, Sid and Arn Anderson went after each other with scissors after a UK House Show in Blackburn, which resulted in both men needing hospital treatment for multiple stab and puncture wounds. It ended up costing Sid his job and WCW their next marquee feud.

It’s kind of ironic how every match today featured at least one person who left the company shortly after.

Aside from the Main Event and Stan Hansen’s antics, this week’s show was largely disappointing. They haven’t really capitalised on the Saturday Night theme nor done it justice over the past month as some of the match choices have been baffling to say the least.

There will be more hidden treasures from the Vintage Vault next week. Shaun.

Any comments or discussion points drop me a line at [email protected] or follow me on Twitter at Shaun_Best.