WWE Vintage Collection Report: January 16th 2011
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
Staying on the topic of “new beginnings,” this week we focus on Chris Jericho, Jacques Rougeau, Sgt Slaughter and Mr Perfect. We begin with the countdown to Y2J!
On the August 9th 1999 edition of Monday Night Raw, the Rock is interrupted by the countdown of a Millennium clock on the titantron as it reaches zero. Chris Jericho enters to a loud cheer and welcomes us to “Raw is Jericho.” After blowing a kiss to the crowd, Jericho christens himself as the fans’ new hero, party host and “most charismatic showman to ever enter a living room through a TV screen,” all while a bemused Rock looks on. After coining the terms “Ayatollah of Rock ‘n’ Rolla,” “Y2J,” and “Go Jericho Go,” which the crowd start to chant, Jericho promises the WWF will “never eeeevvver be the same again.” Rock’s rebuttal is edited out as we go straight to our first match.
Smackdown: October 12th 2000
Intercontinental Title: Eddie Guerrero vs Chris Jericho vs X-Pac
Eddie lets Jericho and X-Pac do the early fighting, before interjecting himself to break up a pin attempt. Jericho sends Eddie onto the apron with a monkey flip and spin kick. A springboard dropkick puts Eddie on the floor. Jericho baseball slides Eddie into the guardrail, but forgets about X-Pac and eats a spin kick. Eddie and X-Pac form a brief alliance to work Jericho over in the corner. X-Pac nails a Bronco Buster. Jericho fights back, but X-Pac thwarts a Walls of Jericho on Eddie with a kick. Eddie and X-Pac give Jericho a double clothesline. X-Pac turns to celebrate, so Eddie naturally turns on him with a clothesline, much to the crowd’s delight. Jericho elevates Eddie over his head and face first into the top turnbuckle, before giving X-Pac a clothesline and flying forearm. Jericho catches Eddie with a bulldog and powerbomb sandwiched in-between clotheslining X-Pac over the top rope. Jericho hits a lionsault on Eddie. X-Pac comes from behind to low blow Jericho and give him the X-Factor. Eddie dropkicks X-Pac out of the ring to steal the pin on Jericho for himself and retain the title. After the bell, a swarm of referees break-up a Jericho/X-Pac brawl. This was a very crisp, fast-paced matchup and excellent way to start a show. Winner: EDDIE GUERRERO.
Prime Time Wrestling: December 19th 1988
The Fabulous Rougeaus w/Jimmy Hart vs Koko B. Ware & Scott Casey
Joined in progress, the Rougeaus work over Koko until the Birdman hits Jacques with a butt thump. Casey avoids a Jacques flying backelbow and Raymond gets wiped out. Jacques makes amends by grabbing Casey’s hair as he runs the ropes. This allows Raymond to hoist Casey into a bearhug position, while Jacques comes off the top rope with a seated senton (La Bombe de Rougeau). That’s enough for the 1-2-3. Winners: THE FABULOUS ROUGEAUS.
In a vignette from the December 24th 1990 edition of Prime Time Wrestling, Jacques Rougeau debuts the Mountie gimmick. Accompanied by a horse, the Mountie hassles a female American driver at the Canadian border, deliberately dropping her licence by the horse, when she reveals she’s afraid of them. When she calls him officer, the Mountie scolds her by claiming “I’m the Mountie.”
Royal Rumble 1991: January 19th 1991
The Mountie w/Jimmy Hart vs Koko B. Ware w/Frankie
This was the Mountie’s in-ring debut. The final few minutes air. Mountie sends Koko to the floor while Hart talks trash and threatens Frankie (Koko’s pet parrot) who’s watching on from his perch. Mountie chokes Koko along the top rope then gives him a kneelift. Koko reverses a piledriver into a backbodydrop. Mountie comes back to punt Koko in the gut. Koko stuns Mountie with a swinging neckbreaker. Koko “birds up” to land a flying tackle, slam and missile dropkick. Koko gets distracted by Hart, but catches a Mountie sneak attack and gets a nearfall from a blind cross body out of the corner. Koko ducks under a clothesline, leapfrogs Mountie, but the Mountie finally gets his man, catching Koko in a Boss Man slam for the 1-2-3. Winner: THE MOUNTIE. Sadly, there’s no post match electric shock from the cattle prod as Mountie simply leaves.
Stood outside an army base on the July 21st 1990 edition of Superstars, we’re introduced to the “Drill Sgt Slaughter.” Sarge voices his displeasure at us “maggots” and America for opening their arms to Nikolai Volkoff, warning us not to believe the crap he’s trying to feed us. Slaughter cries that America has gone soft not only physically, but soft in the head. Slaughter says the cold war is over, over his dead body to end a pretty strong heelish promo.
September 21st 1990: Sgt Slaughter vs Nikolai Volkoff
This match is from an MSG House Show. Slaughter’s turned his back on America, while former Bolshevik Volkoff has embraced it. Volkoff hammers away in the corner. Slaughter lands a cheap shot and backelbow. Volkoff ducks a second elbow to hit roundhouse kicks, a running kneelift and clothesline. Volkoff wobbles Slaughter with his own backelbow. Slaughter ducks a wild swing to clothesline Volkoff down. Slaughter softens up the back then submits Volkoff after a Camel Clutch. This was a disappointing follow-up to what was a strong promo beforehand from Slaughter. Winner: SGT SLAUGHTER.
One year later on the September 28th 1991 episode of Superstars, we join an unshaven Slaughter, sat outside the same army base talking to Mean Gene. Having been in seclusion since the “Match Made in Hell” at SummerSlam, Okerlund says Slaughter got exactly what he deserved. A reflective Slaughter agrees, saying when he wanted to be WWF champion, he didn’t care what scum, slime and sleaze he associated with. It didn’t matter as he wanted to be champion at all costs. He was blind by ambition and stepped on everyone. Now he’s lost all self respect and self esteem, he doesn’t blame his friends for never wanting to speak to him again and doesn’t expect forgiveness from his family. Fighting back the tears, Slaughter removes his glasses and says the one thing he wants real bad is his country back. Once again, good delivery from Slaughter who’s turn was complete when Hacksaw Jim Duggan accepted him onto his Survivor Series team.
WCW Uncensored: March 15th 1998
Curt Hennig w/Rick Rude vs Bret Hart
Hennig resorts to hair pulling to escape a side headlock on the mat. Bret tackles then reverses a hiptoss, prompting Hennig to regroup with Rude on the floor. Rude grabs Bret’s leg allowing Hennig to pound. Bret reverses a head ram in the corner. Hennig goes to counter a suplex back in with a rollup, but Bret locks in the Sharpshooter. Rude steps in to attack Bret unbeknownst to the referee, who is crouched down checking to see if Hennig is tapping. Hennig goes after Bret’s leg to stop him from going for the Sharpshooter again. Rude interferes freely behind the referee’s back, throttling Bret and pulling his leg around the ringpost.
After a commercial break, Bret crotches Hennig on the top rope, then kicks his leg from under him. A hair biel out of the corner crotches Hennig once more – this time in the ringpost. Bret pulls Hennig up for an inverted atomic drop and clothesline. Bret gets nearfalls from a small package and side Russian legsweep. Hennig gets a foot on the ropes to survive a running bulldog. Bret connects with a backbreaker and vertical elbow. Hennig reverses an irish whip, as Bret hits the corner front first. Bret kicks out of a Hennig-plex, then sends Hennig into Rude to knock him off the apron. Hennig reverses a rollup off the ropes and hooks the tights. 1-2-no. Bret counters a sunset flip into the Sharpshooter and Hennig taps just before Rude can make the save. Rude attacks Bret after the bell and gives him the Rude Awakening, while Hennig attacks Bret with a chair. nWo music plays as Hennig places a foot on Bret’s chest and raises his arms along with Rude. Winner: BRET HART. Although not as good as their WWF scraps, this was still a solid match.
Mr Perfect returned to the WWF at the 2002 Royal Rumble. One month later on the February 11th edition of Raw, Perfect resorts to cheating at chess to beat the 1999 National Amateur champion. After causing a diversion by knocking a piece onto the floor, Perfect moves into a check mate position. When the champion calls foul, Perfect calls him a loser, while he’s Perfect….Mr Perfect.
Sunday Night Heat: March 3rd 2002
Edge vs Mr Perfect
This match is featured on Edge’s “Decade of Decadence DVD,” as Perfect was one of Edge’s boyhood heroes. Perfect controls with a side headlock and tackle at the start. Perfect runs into a hiptoss and takes a spill over the top rope from a dropkick (which doesn’t connect). Edge pulls Perfect onto the apron by the hair. Perfect reverses a head ram to the corner. Perfect delivers chops and slaps in the corner as he talks trash, reminding Edge who he’s in the ring with. Both exchange hair biels with Perfect sliding into the ringpost. Edge delivers battering rams in the corner. Referee Nick Patrick steps in allowing Perfect to cheap shot and set Edge up for his patented rolling neck snap. Perfect holds the top rope during an abdominal stretch. Edge wins a slugfest, hits a variation of atomic drops, a clothesline and the Edge-o-Matic for a nearfall. Edge ducks a clothesline and goes for the spear, but Perfect pulls Patrick in to take the hit. Perfect posts Edge, grabs a steel chair and Patrick DQ’s him. As Perfect argues the decision, Edge spears Perfect to send him packing. Winner by DQ: EDGE.
The new beginnings theme continues next week. This was a pretty good edition with strong promos and some solid, entertaining matches to boot. See you next week.
Comments/praise/feedback/criticism/discussion points please direct to shaunmb1@hotmail.com.