WWE Vintage Collection Report: 30th November 2008
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund

Welcome aboard. This week we wrap up our lookback at the Survivor Series. Some dubious choices are on hand from 1995, 96 & 97. People expecting Montreal from 1997, the Wild Card match from 1995 or Bret Hart vs Stone Cold from 1996 are going to be disappointed. Four matches have been selected so let’s get to it. We begin with the 1995 show, held on November 19th at the USAir Arena in Landover, Maryland. Vince McMahon, Mr Perfect & Jim Ross are on commentary

Alundra Blayze, Sakie Hasegawa, Kyoko Inoue & Chaparita Asari vs
Bertha Faye, Aja Kong, Lioness Aska & Tomoko Watanabe
Japanese imports were used to beef up the Women’s roster, at the tail end of 1995, which was still being spearheaded by Blayze. We pick this up with Blayze left alone against Faye, Kong and Watanabe. Blayze eliminates Watanabe with a piledriver, then Faye following a german suplex with a bridge. Kong (no relation to TNA’s Awesome Kong) works over Blayze with a superplex and several butt thrusts in the corner. Blayze nearly takes it with a headscissors pin, missile dropkick and standing moonsault. Kong blocks a superplex and retaliates with several headbutts. Blayze bounces off Kong’s large frame several times. Kong scores the win following a spinning martial arts chop to the face. Here is Your Survivor: AJA KONG. It’s a pity that Blayze left for WCW shortly after this, did nothing and burnt her bridges forever in WWE, by throwing the Women’s title into the trash. Hindsight is always 20/20 I guess.

A video package airs on Rocky Maivia. In it he talks with Kevin Kelly about his excitement at debuting in MSG. Quite surreal seeing Rocky talk calmly and not making Kevin Kelly wear a t-shirt over his head, while owning him during a promo. After seeing him training in the ring with Tom Prichard, Rocky’s heritage is touched upon. Rocky introduces his father into Tampa’s Cauliflower Alley club Hall of Fame, calling it the greatest day/moment of his life (to date). Rocky says that respect is given when it’s earned, so go out and earn it. Rocky plans on not getting by on his heritage, but his own unique style (he certainly did that all right). Rocky finishes by saying he wants to look back in five years, knowing he gave it 110% commitment and effort. We go to MSG in New York City, for the debut of the first third generation wrestler. Vince McMahon, Sunny and Jim Ross are calling the action.

“Wildman” Marc Mero, The Stalker, Jake “The Snake” Roberts & Rocky Maivia vs
Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Goldust, Jerry “The King” Lawler & Crush
Joined in progress. Jake is getting worked over. Lawler mocks Jake. Jake gets the last laugh, as he counters a slam with the DDT, to eliminate the King. The Stalker (Barry Windham and referred as such) is next to go. JR and Sunny get a Blackjack Mulligan reference in (Windham’s father) as Windham has the advantage over Goldust. From behind, Crush lands a kidney punch, enabling Goldust to eliminate Windham with the Curtain Call. Mero hits Goldust with a running kneelift then escapes a Helmsley abdominal stretch, fresh off a commercial break. The two were currently engaged in a feud over the Intercontinental Title. Mero attacks Helmsley with a headscissors and backbodydrop. Helmsley goes to the eyes, before throwing Mero to the outside. Helmsley gets distracted with Jake, allowing Mero to hit Helmsley with a Mero-sault from the top rope for the pin, much to Sunny’s chagrin. On the outside, Goldust pushes Crush out of the way to avoid a Mero somersault plancha. Sunny gets in a dig at Sable, urging Crush to strike her, giving Sable something ‘her Mama should have given her a long time ago’. Crush eliminates Mero and Jake in short order with his new finishing move. A heart punch. Both times, it was met with silence from the crowd. Rocky, all alone, receives some ‘Rocky’ chants from the crowd. Rocky turns Crush’s test of strength spot into a small package for two. Rocky takes the fight to both men, ducking under a double clothesline to hit a cross body. Goldust low blows Rocky and holds him for a third heart punch. Rocky moves and Crush nails Goldust. The crowd finally react to Crush. Rocky eliminates Crush with a cross body then Goldust with a shoulderbreaker. Here is Your Survivor: ROCKY MAIVIA. Good at times, bad at others. A short time later, the crowd rejected Rocky’s push and a star was born. The rest is history. I wish he’d come back and wrestle. WWE needs the Rock right now.

Time for a trip back to 1997. The birth of Kane is chronicled with highlights from his first thirty days in the WWF. What an impact. Paul Bearer announces to Undertaker Kane’s alive. Undertaker refuses to fight his ‘brother.’ Footage airs of Kane laying waste to the Hardys (when they were job guys) and Dude Love with a chokeslam on the entrance ramp. This sets up our next match and was great seeing Kane when he actually meant a damn in McMahon land and was red hot. (No pun intended).

Before the match we get an old school Mankind psychotic promo. Damn I miss those. Mankind warns that this won’t be a wrestling match. It’ll be him against a brick wall. Common sense says you walk around or climb over the wall, but it’s not his way. He’ll launch himself into the brick wall and when it doesn’t fall, he’ll get up and do it over and over again. He may die trying but he may not? If the wall goes down then it’s just Mankind and Paul Bearer. Mankind reflects on the year he gave Bearer and Bearer referred to him as a pebble. When Mankind sinks his fingers deep into Bearer’s jowel and his eyes begin to pop out of his evil little mind, Mankind will ask him a simple question. Does he look like a pebble now? Have a Nice Day! Match time. It’s Survivor Series 1997. We’re in the Molson Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler are announcing.

Kane vs Mankind
Kane sets the ringposts on fire. An eerie red light casts a cool shadow over the arena during the match. JR puts over Kane’s impact in his first thirty days. The fight spills to the outside. Kane throws the ringsteps into Mankind, who gets his hands up. Kane stands tall as Mankind continually gets beaten down. Mankind sends Kane into the ringsteps. Mankind lands a chair shot to the head, Kane hardly flinches. Mankind hits a piledriver on Kane. Mankind sinks the Mandible claw into Paul Bearer. Kane rises up, shoving Mankind off the apron and through the Spanish announcers table. Kane beats Mankind around the ring with pieces of the broken table. Mankind counters a chokeslam on the concrete with a DDT. Mankind crawls onto the apron before launching himself onto Kane with a flying elbow. Kane rises up and tosses Mankind off the second rope, resulting in another hard spill to the floor for Mankind. Mankind crawls back in for more and props himself up against Kane, who stands firm. Kane grabs Mankind by the hair, stares eye-to-eye with him then delivers the tombstone piledriver. Kane pins down the unconscious Mankind’s arms for the 1-2-3. Here is Your Winner: KANE. A great showing, which got Kane over as a monster, but at the same time got Mankind’ s tenacity and undying fighting spirit over too. Mankind reminded me in parts of Tommy Dreamer, when he politely asked Sandman for more cane shots, in their classic ECW feud, not knowing when to stay down. Also, this was the classic Kane I’m a fan of. Today’s Kane is boring and has no edge.

WWF Title
Shawn Michaels vs Psycho Sid
It’s back to 1996 for today’s Main Event. Michaels has his mentor Jose Lothario in his corner for support. Most of the MSG crowd had rejected this white-meat babyface version of Shawn Michaels and were cheering on Sid. Sid earned this title shot by defeating Vader at the previous month’s In Your House PPV. Michaels takes out Sid’s leg early and applies a figure four. When Michaels attempts it again, Sid uses his other leg to push Michaels into the corner. Following commercials we fast forward to the closing stages. Sid teases a powerbomb, but Michaels counters with a small package. Both Michaels and Sid can be seen calling spots. Sid catches Michaels in a powerslam. Michaels sends Sid into the corner with a flying forearm. Michaels nips up, so Sid levels him with a running clothesline. Sid commandeers a camera. After teasing hitting Michaels, he hits Lothario, who falls to the floor, clutching his chest. Michaels hits Sweet Chin Music then disregards the match to tend to Lothario. Michaels pitches a fit while calling for help. Sid throws Michaels back in. Michaels wipes out the referee with a springboard cross body out of the corner. Michaels goes back to Lothario. Sid clocks Michaels with the camera, cusses out loud, rolls Michaels back in, and hits the powerbomb for the 1-2-3. Here is Your Winner & New WWF Champion: PSYCHO SID. The crowd cheer the title switch. Medics arrive to carry Lothario away. Vladimir the superfan is seen on camera. Michaels no-sells the powerbomb, as he rolls out to focus on Lothario. Way to kill the credibility of the move. That being said, I hated the ending to this match. A fake heart attack and a ref bump. Too hokey. Michaels would regain the title from Sid, in another bad match a few months later, at the Royal Rumble in Michaels’ hometown of San Antonio, Texas.

Okerlund wraps things up to end the show.

Bit disappointed with some of the dubious choices for this week. On the plus side, Kane and Mankind were the best thing on the show, while it was fun seeing Rocky Maivia start out once again. On the whole though it’s not enough to save the show which gets a thumbs down from me. See you next week. Shaun.

Comments/praise/feedback/criticism/discussion points please direct to shaunmb1@hotmail.com.