WWE Vintage Collection Report: 6th July 2008
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
Welcome aboard. Once again we delve into the MSG archives for some vintage wrestling action. Looks like I’ll be posting these reports on a Monday for the next month or so as my Sundays are quite work orientated at the moment. This week’s helping comes from October 1990 with four matches on display. Your commentators are Gorilla Monsoon and Lord Alfred Hayes. The latter is in for Bobby Heenan when he’s at ringside with a protege. Let’s get started.
Koko B. Ware w/Frankie vs The Warlord
The Warlord has just been repackaged, following the end of the Powers of Pain tandem he shared with the Barbarian. Monsoon reveals Heenan had a choice in managing Barbarian or Warlord. No elaboration is given on Heenan’s choice of the Barbarian. Frankie is perched at ringside. Koko avoids having to lock up to start. This match gets so dull that Heenan leaves mid-way through to check on Mr Perfect backstage. Monsoon reports that Perfect is tearing things up in a fit of rage in a bid to play up his revenge mission against Texas Tornado. Back to the match at hand. Warlord uses his power to shove Koko around. Koko retaliates with punches and an axehandle attack from the top rope. Warlord staggers so Koko pulls him down. Warlord powers out of a pinfall attempt. After a long tedious exchange of punches, Warlord hits a sloppy tree slam, whips Koko into the buckles and catches him in a long bearhug. Koko uses a clapping shot to the head to escape. Monsoon reveals Warlord eats around 20,000 calories a day as he chokes Koko across the top rope. Warlord whips Koko into the corner then charges into a boot. Koko hits a top rope missile dropkick for a nearfall. Immediately after, Warlord catches Koko with a stun gun (hanging him up on the top rope) for the 1-2-3. Here is Your Winner: THE WARLORD. Very slow, uneventful opener. Amazingly, after this, the Warlord received a mini-push of sorts which culminated at the 1990 Survivor Series. After that he became a giant jobber to the face stars. In my view, Warlord floundered as a single and should have stayed as a team with the Barbarian.
WWF Intercontinental Title
Texas Tornado vs Mr Perfect w/Bobby Heenan
Tornado famously won the Intercontinental title from Mr Perfect at SummerSlam 1990, when he was a last minute sub for the injured Brutus Beefcake. This was Perfect’s mandatory rematch. A livid Perfect attacks Tornado as soon as he steps into the ring. Perfect clotheslines Tornado over the top rope. Perfect repeatedly stops Tornado from getting back in, until Tornado pulls Perfect out. On the outside, Tornado connects with his patented spinning tornado punch to knock Perfect silly. When he finds his way back in, Perfect gets tossed back over the top rope again. Tornado stays on the offensive with an armwringer/punch combo. Tornado reverses an Irish whip but Perfect comes back with a sleeper. Tornado manages to reverse the hold. However, Perfect gets to the corner and works over Tornado’s neck with two snapmares, a neck snap and head vice. Perfect slugs at Tornado in the corner, until Tornado reverses an Irish whip, sending Perfect into the referee. Perfect ducks a charge and Tornado clotheslines the referee down. Perfect takes advantage by delivering a clothesline of his own then the Perfect Plex. Unfortunately for Perfect, there’s no referee to count. Undeterred, Perfect removes the top turnbuckle and sends Tornado’s head into the exposed steel. The referee slowly comes to and registers a nearfall. Tornado recovers to hit two more spinning tornado punches. The last one sends Perfect out to the floor.. Both men go at it on the outside. Tornado sends Perfect into the ringpost then gets back in, right as the bell rings. The referee rules a double countout even though Tornado made it back in in time. Tornado celebrates and the fans rejoice when Howard Finkel notes that the title hasn’t changed hands. Monsoon talks like the wrong man won. Here is Your Winner: DOUBLE COUNTOUT. We cut to a post match promo with an irate Heenan and Perfect in the ring. Heenan says it was the worst job of officiating he’s ever seen. Perfect snatches the house mic and says he’s never seen such an injustice in the WWF. (We see the referee in question get helped to the back.) Perfect says he should be the Intercontinental champion. Perfect wants a rematch right here in MSG and he wants an official who knows what he’s doing. Only then will we have a perfect Intercontinental champion. This was good while it lasted. One month after this, Perfect would eliminate the Tornado from the Survivor Series. Then in December, after help from the Million Dollar Man, Perfect would reclaim the Intercontinental title at a TV taping after Vince McMahon soured on the Tornado’s push. It’s just sad that both of these wrestlers are no longer with us.
Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase w/Virgil vs Dusty Rhodes
Rhodes was in the middle of a feud with DiBiase who had just bought Rhodes’ manager Sapphire at the recent SummerSlam PPV. DiBiase and Virgil put the boots to Rhodes as soon as he enters the ring. Heenan informs us that this is allowed to happen as the bell hasn’t rung yet. Rhodes comes back with a double clothesline, punches and bionic elbows galore to clear the ring. Back inside, DiBiase suckers Rhodes in to attack. Rhodes quickly recovers to reverse an Irish whip. DiBiase walks into another bionic elbow. An atomic drop sends DiBiase into Virgil (who was strangely up on the apron for no apparent reason.) DiBiase begs off, Rhodes catches a swinging leg and drills DiBiase’s head with an elbow. A backelbow off the ropes puts DiBiase in trouble. Virgil senses this and hooks Rhodes’ leg. Rhodes goes out and puts Virgil in a sleeper. DiBiase takes advantage by dropping a double axehandle across Rhodes’ back. DiBiase puts the boots to Rhodes who then gets rammed into the ringsteps, barricade and ringpost. Inside the ring, DiBiase works over Rhodes with a series of elbows, and a reverse chinlock. Rhodes comes back with a shoulder tackle and small package. DiBiase resumes control with knees to the back and a second chinlock. During this, Heenan completely buries Rhodes on commentary for his upbringing as a plumbers son. Rhodes frees himself but runs into a knee to the gut. DiBiase attempts a third chinlock, but Rhodes runs him face first into the corner. Rhodes mounts DiBiase in the corner for a successful ten elbow assault. Another elbow sends DiBiase out of the ring. Rhodes hammers Virgil on the apron before pulling him into the ring. Rhodes catches DiBiase coming at him with the ring bell. Rhodes drives it into DiBiase’s chest then across his back to earn himself a DQ. DiBiase gets his arm raised as Rhodes attacks Virgil. The numbers game quickly catches up to Rhodes, who ends up getting knocked out with a bell shot to the head. Heenan begs for DiBiase to do it again while telling Monsoon that DiBiase could afford to pay any fine thrown at him. Here is Your Winner via DQ: MILLION DOLLAR MAN TED DIBIASE. After the match, we throw it to Lord Alfred Hayes, who picks up some post match comments backstage, from both men to hype up their next MSG meeting. Rhodes says this has gotten personal. DiBiase and Virgil are real good at buying people with dirty money and ganging on two, three people at a time. Rhodes says he has something for them. If they want to play the family and play together then he’s got his son, 6’5, 270lbs. Rhodes is going to bring that big old ball with him. Ted DiBiase and Virgil are going to be in for the whipping of their life, because they’re coming for them. In retaliation, DiBiase lets out his trademark laugh before saying, double your pleasure, double your fun. Beating up two peons is better than one. That’s exactly what’s going to happen. DiBiase asks what makes Rhodes think this is going to be different. With regards to Dustin being brought in, DiBiase says he’s already been laid out at ringside, with his head busted wide open, laying down right next to Dusty. DiBiase boasts it’s going to be the same thing when Dusty brings Dustin to the Garden. Do we think DiBiase hired Virgil for nothing? No. Virgil’s not a wrestler. He’s a bodyguard and a very well paid bodyguard, which means he can definitely handle himself. DiBiase finishes by saying that Dusty’s going to be laying and Dustin’s going to be laying next to him saying, daddy please help, daddy please help. This was a good promo by DiBiase and it was a lot easier to understand than Dusty’s incoherent spiel. At this point, Rhodes had given notice and was on his way out of the WWF, to take a booking job at WCW. DiBiase and Virgil would win the feud at the Royal Rumble before starting their own feud against each other.
WWF Tag Team Titles
The Hart Foundation vs Rhythm ‘N’ Blues w/Jimmy Hart
Joined in progress, the Harts are working over Valentine. Monsoon calls Valentine ‘Boxcar’ (after a country and western singer) which really annoys Heenan. Valentine misses a charge at Bret in the corner and hits the ringpost. Monsoon puts over the Harts for being able to reclaim Tag Team gold. This was quite a credible achievement back in this golden era of Tag Team wrestling. Anvil scores with a side headlock and shoulder tackle on Valentine. The tide turns when Honky hooks Anvil’s leg to distract him and Valentine attacks from behind. Valentine drives his head into Anvil’s gut for a nearfall. Anvil gets worked over until he catches Honky in a bearhug. Valentine breaks it up by driving a knee into Anvil’s back. Honky applies a front facelock and Anvil gets worked over with double axehandles and an elbow drop. Valentine and Anvil slug it out until Valentine delivers a drop toehold to keep the advantage. Anvil receives more double axehandles and elbow drops from both heels. Valentine gets Anvil in the corner, Anvil charges out with a clothesline and Valentine slowly falls down after selling the impact. Both men tag out. Bret goes to work on Honky with punches. Valentine runs in to receive an inverted atomic drop. Honky gets an atomic drop before Bret gives Rhythm ‘N’ Blues a double noggin knocker. Bret catches Honky with a gut punch and rolls him up. Honky gets out at two, Bret rebounds and scores with a clothesline on Valentine. Bret surprises Honky with a small package for one. Bret follows up with a backbreaker and elbow from the second rope. 1-2-broken up by Valentine. Anvil comes in and slugs Valentine through the ropes. Anvil chases Honky around the outside and back in, where the referee orders Anvil out. Honky hooks Bret as Valentine brings in a guitar. Bret moves and Honky gets whacked. Bret punches Valentine down and covers Honky for the 1-2-3. Short but effective match for the Harts. Here Are Your Winners: THE HART FOUNDATION. Post match sees Valentine crouch over a recovering Honky, who, at this point was on his way out of the WWF.
Okerlund wraps things up to end the show.
Best match: Texas Tornado vs Mr Perfect.
Worst match: Koko B. Ware vs The Warlord.
Show verdict: Thumbs in the middle. Nothing outstanding, but on the plus side, at least most of the matches served a purpose in establishing recently crowned champions and furthering current feuds. Warlord and Koko was an odd match to show. I wouldn’t exactly call their match ‘vintage’. See you next week. Shaun.
If anyone wants to sound off, chew the fat or talk wrestling get in touch. Comments/praise/feedback/criticism/discussion points please direct to [email protected].
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