Ring Of Honor
Date: July 3, 2025
Location: ShoWare Center, Kent, Washington
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We are eight days away from Supercard Of Honor and last week, Ring Of Honor seemed to remember that the show was taking place. We now have a few matches set for the show and there is a good chance that we’ll get some more tonight. Or they’ll announce it at the very last second. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

We run down the card.

Alex Zayne vs. Wheeler Yuta

Yuta wrestles him to the mat to start but drops down, allowing Zayne to hit some springboard knees to the back. An armdrag sends Yuta to the floor but he breaks up another springboard. A top rope forearm drops Zayne again and Yuta elbows him in the face, though he makes sure to let the referee know that HE HAS UNTIL FIVE.

Back up and Zayne strikes away, setting up a running flipping ax kick. Yuta goes to the eyes though and grabs something like an Angle Slam. Cattle Mutilation doesn’t work so Yuta elbows him again and bites his head in the corner. Zayne is right back with a running hurricanrana out of the corner and a facebuster gets two. Something off the top misses for Zayne though and Yuta hits a running knee for the pin at 6:44.

Rating: C+. Are we really setting up Yuta vs. Bryan Danielson in the future? Unless that match winds up being about three seconds long, I have no idea what I would want to see from it. Zayne is someone who can do the flips but doesn’t really stand out, but at least he’s getting a chance to show what he can do.

Video on Athena vs. Thunder Rosa.

The Infantry and Trish Adora wish us a happy 4th of July.

Spanish Announce Project vs. Midnight Heat

Angelico and Pearl start things off but Gibson comes in, earning an armdrag down. It’s off to Serpentico for a hurricanrana out of the corner but a slingshot backbreaker puts Serpentico down. A whip into the corner sets up a sleeper from Pearl and it’s already back to Gibson. Serpentico gets caught in a Russian legsweep/backbreaker combination for two but he grabs a jumping Downward Spiral. That’s enough for the tag back to Serpentico so house can be cleaned. La majistral gets two on Pearl so Angelico ties him up in a leglock for the tap at 5:14.

Rating: C. You know what you’re going to be getting with the Project (which is a name that doesn’t make a ton of sense as they haven’t been announcers in years) and that’s exactly what happened here. They didn’t have anything out of the ordinary here, though Midnight Heat continues to be a nice team who are fine when they get in the ring. Do a bit more with them if you can.

The Frat House recruits recruits but the Dark Order came in and beat them in a game of Flip Cup. The Frat House accuses them of cheating but the Order agrees to pay the tab anyway. Reynolds: “Put it under Griff Garrison.” Bartender: “Who the heck is Griff Garrison?” Ok that was good for a smile.

Serena Deeb vs. B3cca

Pure Rules. Deeb takes her down without much trouble to start and B3cca uses her first rope break rather quickly. A surfboard has B3cca in more trouble before she switches to a camel clutch. We’ll make that a sleeper (as switching submissions is Deeb’s thing) and B3cca uses a second rope break. Deeb neckbreakers her over the ropes and a double arm trap faceplant into a Serenity Lock makes B3cca tap at 4:38.

Rating: C. Pretty much a squash here and I’m still not sure why I should be interested in a women’s pure rules division. The men’s division is barely ever used and now we’re not only getting a women’s division but also a title? Maybe you should give us a reason for it happening before a title is set up? Also, if you just have to do the tournament, maybe actually set it up?

Post match Trish Adora comes out to take notes.

We recap Konosuke Takeshita challenging Bandido for Supercard Of Honor. By this I mean they just air it again.

Supercard Of Honor rundown.

Infantry vs. Top Flight

For the Tag Team Title shot at Supercard and the rest of Shane Taylor Promotions/Leila Grey are here too. Riccaboni: “The stakes could not be higher!” Wouldn’t the title match itself have higher stakes? Dean works on Darius’ arm to start but Darius is back up with a snappy headlock takeover. It’s off to Dante for a running clothesline in the corner to Bravo but Shane Taylor offers a distraction. That lets Bravo get in a cheap shot on the floor and a double backbreaker connects back inside.

Darius gets tied in the Tree of Woe for a double dropkick and a double clothesline gets two. Darius fights out of the corner with a double knockdown and it’s back to Dante to clean house. Some suicide dives connect to the Infantry and a high crossbody gets two on Dean. Darius comes back in with a springboard Downward Spiral and Leila Grey and Trish Adora get in a brawl on the floor. Lee Moriarty uses the distraction to clock Darius with the Pure Title to give Dean the pin at 9:27.

Rating: C+. So we get the Infantry getting another chance at the titles. It’s not like they’re better or worse than any team but for some reason they’re getting the nod this time. While I could still go for Top Flight getting a chance to do something important, it’s not like the Sons Of Texas are going to lose their titles in Texas (not when they’re this close to a year with the belts) so go with the Infantry to give them a win here.

Overall Rating: C. Yeah it was fine. Above all else it was short, clocking in at around 42 minutes, which really does do these things a world of good. They didn’t have much to say this week (which is a bad sign when they have one more show before their first pay per view of the year) and thankfully they didn’t stick around very long. They kept this to the point and the matches were fine enough, so we’ll call it a completely acceptable show.

Results
Wheeler Yuta b. Alex Zayne – Running knee
Spanish Announce Project b. Midnight Heat – Leglock to Pearl
Serena Deeb b. B3cca – Serenity Lock
The Infantry b. Top Flight – Belt shot to Darius

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: July 26, 1993
Location: Manhattan Center, New York City, New York
Attendance: 1,200
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, Bobby Heenan

It’s time to start putting together the Summerslam card as Lex Luger continues his quest for a WWF Title shot. He doesn’t actually have it yet but maybe he can get there by doing….bus things. Other than that, we have a rematch from the King Of The Ring finals as Bret Hart meets Bam Bam Bigelow. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Doink the Clown is NOT happy with Randy Savage costing him a match so if the Macho Boy ever does it again, it won’t go well. If he’s a good Macho Boy though, Doink might have a surprise for him.

Opening sequence.

Commentary previews the show, with Stu and Helen Hart in the balcony for Bret’s match.

Bret Hart vs. Bam Bam Bigelow

Luna Vachon is here with Bigelow, who knocks him down fast to start and hammers away. Hart slides between the legs though and slugs away before knocking him out to the floor. Back in and Hart hits a top rope…something but comes up holding his knee. Bigelow stomps away and we take an early break.

We come back with Hart on the floor and holding his knee so Bigelow whips him hard into the corner. Some mockery makes it even worse and a World’s Strongest Slam gives Bigelow two. Hart avoids another shot and hits a belly to back suplex before slugging away. Bigelow hits a dropkick to the ribs of all things and we hit the rather large chinlock. We take another break and come back with Hart fighting out of the chinlock.

Another dropkick is avoided though and Hart manages a backdrop. A middle rope clothesline gives Hart two and he jumps on Bigelow’s back with a sleeper. With nothing else working, Bigelow just launches him head first into the buckle for the escape. Hart knocks him down again and tries the Sharpshooter…but Jerry Lawler is in the balcony with Stu and Helen Hart.

Lawler says they have more tragedies than Shakespeare as Bigelow rams Hart into the post. Stu argues back with Lawler and it goes about as well as you would expect. Helen tells him to wrestle and keep his mouth closed as Bigelow keeps hammering away. Bigelow misses a Swanton of all things and Hart slugs away, which is enough for him to go after Lawler for the countout at 17:02.

Rating: B-. It’s not quite as good as the match at the King Of The Ring but then again that’s not the point here. This was about advancing Hart’s issues with Lawler and having him go after Hart’s parents is going to do that rather well. Hart can always work well with a monster and Bigelow is more than good enough so the match worked well as a result.

Post match Hart gets to his parents but Lawler is long gone.

Summerslam Report! Lex Luger is officially getting the WWF Title shot, though he has to wear an elbow pad. Gene Okerlund thinks Jerry Lawler is a complete jerk, but he also wants to see the Rest In Peace match between Undertaker and Giant Gonzalez. What is a Rest In Peace match? Only Undertaker knows. Also, hasn’t Undertaker been feuding with Mr. Hughes? So why is he facing Gonzalez? Normally I would say would Gonzalez be that much worse than Hughes…..but yeah, yeah he would be.

Mr. Hughes vs. Ross Greenberg

Hughes hammers away to start as commentary talks about the Undertaker, with McMahon asking how a match between Undertaker and Hughes would go. Then he plugs the Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzalez match. 1993 was weird. Hughes hits a powerbomb and sends him into the buckle a few times. A Boss Man Slam finishes Greenberg at 3:05.

Rating: C-. Commentary summed up the problem here perfectly: why in the world should I care about Hughes if Gonzalez is getting the big match with Undertaker? It makes Hughes feel like a filler (which, granted, he was) and that’s not the best way to go. Then again, it is better than having Gonzalez out there week after week.

Post match Hughes rips up another black wreath from the Undertaker and Heenan makes a rather inappropriate joke about Bill Clinton.

Wrestlemania: The Album is being released so there was a party with some wrestlers present.

Smoking Gunns vs. Duane Gill/Glen Ruth

Billy takes Gill down without much effort to start and it’s off to Bart to work on the arm. Ruth comes in and gets taken down by a crossbody. A powerslam into an elbow drop sets up a double Russian legsweep. Billy adds a dropkick and a clothesline as the Gunns keeps making the quick tags. Commentary talks about Lex Luger long enough until McMahon decides to focus on the match. A backdrop into a piledriver finishes Ruth at 4:23.

Rating: C. The Gunns were a team who felt like the next big thing, which is pretty much exactly what they were. They had an easily identifiable gimmick and they worked well together, but as usual in this time period, there was no competition for them and it took away what they could do. Total squash here, and I’m not sure on that finisher.

Ludwig Borga doesn’t like America.

Lex Luger was here earlier today and talks about how happy he is to have his WWF Title shot at Summerslam. He’s fine with wearing the elbow pad and wants to do nothing more than answer questions and meet fans on the way to the match.

We look at some fans who have joined the Lex train.

Doink The Clown vs. Phil Apollo

Doink wrestles him down without much trouble to start and ties Apollo up on the mat. Savage says Doink is boring, with natural promoter Vince McMahon running in to defend Doink, which is rather weird to hear. The Whoopee Cushion finishes Apollo at 2:32.  Apollo would be better off when he he became…Doink.

Post match Doink talks to the Macho Boy, and comes to the floor to talk to him face to face. Doink challenges Savage to face him next week and promises Triple Vision, with two more Doinks appearing in the arena. Savage is down with the match and promises a little surprise for next week. Oh dear.

We wrap it up with the Wrestlemania Rap and…yeah I still love it.

Overall Rating: C+. As usual, Hart carries things around this time and he has a new foe in Lawler to work with, so things should go well. Other than that, you have Luger continuing his bus stuff and…it’s Lex Luger riding around the country on a bus. What am I supposed to get out of that? The Hart match is the only good thing here but luckily it takes up a bunch of time so things could be a lot worse.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: July 19, 1993
Location: Manhattan Center, New York City, New York
Attendance: 1,200
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, Bobby Heenan

We’re still a long way away from Summerslam but Lex Luger has come up with something better than being on Raw: he’s going to be on a bus! Over the weekend, Luger announced the launch of the Lex Express as he is trying to find his way to a title shot at Summerslam. Other than that, Marty Jannetty wants the Intercontinental Title back from Shawn Michaels. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We look at the launch of the Lex Express, with Lex Luger saying it’s still cool to be patriotic.

Opening sequence.

Commentary runs down the card.

Intercontinental Title: Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jannetty

Michaels, with Diesel, is defending. Jannetty stops to look at Diesel and gets decked from behind. A backslide doesn’t work for Michaels and Jannetty counters a rollup by sending him to the floor. Back in and Michaels misses the superkick, which leaves him rather frustrated. A flying shoulder only hits the buckle so Jannetty starts in on the arm. Jannetty takes him down again and hits a DDT for the pin…but Michaels’ foot was on the rope.

We take a break and come back with the match continuing as Jannetty grabs a suplex for two. A backbreaker gives Jannetty two and the sleeper goes on. Michaels manages to send him outside for the break before they collide back inside. A poke to the eye staggers Jannetty again and we take another break.

We come back with Michaels grabbing a chinlock, which in this case means an arm laying over Jannetty’s chest (that looked horrible). Thankfully it’s switched to a front facelock, which goes on for a good while. That’s broken up and Jannetty counters a piledriver into a hurricanrana. Jannetty rolls through a high crossbody for two but misses a charge and crashes hard to the floor. Diesel throws him back in and Michaels retains at 21:21.

Rating: B. This was a good match, though the two of them have had some rather strong matches over the years so that isn’t a big surprise. The Rockers might not have been the best team ever but they worked well together in a variety of ways. Good stuff here, though pretty much the end of Jannetty as a serious contender for anything.

Vince McMahon brings out Money Inc. for a chat. They aren’t happy about losing the Tag Team Titles to the Steiner Brothers but they’ll get them back next week. DiBiase mocks Razor Ramon for losing to the 1-2-3 Kid and thinks Ramon could have a job working for them. Ramon comes out to say he works for no one and has no price before taking them out. DiBiase swears revenge and challenges….the 1-2-3 Kid to show Ramon how it’s done. That’s the official face turn and yeah that worked.

Men On A Mission vs. Rich Myers/Hank Harris

Oscar is here with MOM, who take over on Myers to start. The slow motion beating ensues and apparently Men On A Mission are the team of the future. No wonder the tag division was in such bad shape in the 90s. The double splash ends Harris at 1:43.

It’s the Summerslam Report, which focuses on Bret Hart vs. Jerry Lawler and Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzalez in a Rest In Peace match (as Mr. Hughes doesn’t seem to have the legs to get that far).

We look at the beginning of the Lex Express tour. It’s Lex Luger on a bus and greeting fans.

Bastion Booger vs. Scott Depres

Booger runs him over, drops a leg and hits a powerslam. The weird sitdown splash finishes at 58 seconds.

Next week: Bret Hart vs. Bam Bam Bigelow II. I’ve heard worse ideas.

Here is Jerry Lawler for the King’s Court. He brings out his guest, ukulele player Tiny Tim, who is the definition of a gimmick performer, whom Lawler mocks for his weird appearance. Tim starts singing his song, Tiptoe Through The Tulips, and Lawler cuts him off after a few notes. He has a radio show in Iowa coming up but stops to note the BURGER KING chants. Tim thinks Lawler is more the DAIRY QUEEN so Lawler breaks his ukulele. In case this doesn’t mean anything to you, note that Tim’s big song was released in 1968.

1-2-3 Kid vs. Chris Duffy

Duffy takes him into the corner to start as Money Inc. comes out to watch. Kid gets hiptossed down but comes back with a kick of his own. The running legdrop (those always looked good) has Duffy in more trouble and a running clothesline drops him again. A top rope legdrop gives the Kid a win at 2:09.

Razor Ramon comes out to mock Money Inc.

Randy Savage has abducted a child to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. There’s one match on the show and it worked rather well, which is more than enough to carry a show like this. The rest of the show was the usual collection of short matches and little else. I’m not sure what the point of the Tiny Tim thing was, but it was probably the company’s usual obsession with any celebrity status they could get. What mattered here was Michaels vs. Jannetty though, and that made up for the rest of the show.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Best Of Vader
Commentators: Jim Ross, Bob Caudle, Jesse Ventura, Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler, Mr. Perfect

As tends to be the case with the WWE Vault, the title pretty much speaks for itself. Vader is as much of a monster as you can get and there is something very fun about watching him smash through people. That’s what we’re getting here, and hopefully it lives up to the hype that I’m giving it at the thought of that much Vader. Let’s get to it.

From the 1990 Great American Bash.

Big Van Vader vs. Z-Man

This is Vader’s WCW debut. For some reason the graphic lists Z-Man as Tom Zenk, which was a name used in WCW, but far less frequently than Z-Man. Vader hammers away to start and hits a corner splash. Z-Man fights back but gets caught in a delayed gorilla press. The big elbow and a clothesline set up a splash to finish Z-Man off at 2:17. Total dominance and Vader looks like a monster right out of the gate.

From the 1992 Great American Bash.

WCW World Title: Sting vs. Big Van Vader

Vader, with Harley Race, is challenging after mauling Sting a few months back. They argue a lot to start and Vader takes him into the corner to start hammering away. Back up and Sting hits a clothesline but Vader knocks him down with a single shot, leaving Sting shaken up. We see the backs of Ron Simmons and Tony Schiavone’s heads as they watch (what a weird camera shot) as Vader hammers away again.

Sting manages a quick belly to back suplex though and the comeback is on, with some clotheslines putting Vader on the floor and the place goes NUTS. Dang what a switch from quiet to insane. Back in and Sting makes the mistake of trying a test of strength (with commentary basically saying “you’re an idiot”) but goes to the eyes to cut Vader off and dropkicks Sting out to the apron.

A suplex brings Vader back in for two but he drops Sting with a single shot. The splash connects and Vader stops to pose, allowing JR to say he’s heard bodybuilding isn’t doing so well for the shot at the WBF. Vader drops a big elbow and then chokes, setting up the Scorpion Deathlock on Sting for a change. Jesse thinks it would be something for the champion to submit to his own hold and Vince McMahon’s ears perk up for some reason. That’s broken up so Vader drops him with a clothesline.

Sting manages to fight up with a rolling kick to the head and a DDT but Vader gets up top again. That’s cut off and Sting grabs a fireman’s carry, which he holds for a LONG time (notice his legs shaking) for a Samoan drop and two. The referee gets bumped and Sting gets a bridging German suplex for a delayed near fall. Sting hits a Stinger Splash and goes for another, only to hit his head on the buckle and knock himself silly. Vader gets two but Sting is mostly done. The powerbomb gives Vader the pin and the title at 18:17.

Rating: B-. It wasn’t a squash, but the match left very little in doubt: Vader was the new monster and Sting was going to have to do something special to beat him. That’s the kind of push you do not see happen very often and it worked very well for Vader. It would seem like he was ready to dominate the title scene…but he would lose the belt to Ron Simmons three weeks later.

From Starrcade 1993.

WCW World Title: Vader vs. Ric Flair

Vader, with Harley Race, is defending and this is title vs. career (and we’re in Charlotte). They take their time to start with Flair looking nervous as the fans are totally behind Flair, which shouldn’t be a surprise. The lockup goes to Vader so Flair tries to get the chase going, which is as smart of a move as he has. Back in and Vader wrenches the arm, setting up a hard clothesline.

Schiavone goes into a big rant about how Flair has left Starrcade as champion so many times over the years. Ventura: “None of that matters. It’s 1993 and this is Vader.” Point to Ventura. Vader hammers Flair down and takes him outside for a drop onto the barricade but misses a splash onto said barricade. Flair starts fighting back but Race gets in a cheap shot to cut both he and the crowd off again.

Vader hammers him down again, including a trip to the floor, followed by a big clothesline back inside. A slam plants Flair again but he avoids the middle rope splash for a much needed breather. Three straight top rope shots to the head put Vader down and Flair “hits” his knee drop which never really comes close but oh well. Vader gets in a superplex and Flair is bleeding from the mouth.

More big shots have Flair closer to death and Vader throws him outside. Vader’s splash misses in the corner…but the second connects and Flair is right back down. Flair’s poke to the eye lets him slug away, even managing to put Vader down (that was great). Flair wraps the leg around the post and then hits it with a chair (as in the old plastic kind) as Vader has lost his mask.

More right hands put Vader down on the floor and a chair to the head rocks him again. They get back inside and Flair unloads with more rights and lefts to put both of them down. Flair starts in on the leg but can’t get the Figure Four. The Vader Bomb misses as well and NOW the Figure Four goes on. Vader turns it over and drops Flair again, only to miss the moonsault. Flair covers but rolls away as Race tries a top rope headbutt, which hits Vader. Back up and Flair chops away but Vader runs him over. Flair is fine enough to trip him down and get a rollup (an ugly one but whatever) for the pin and the title at 21:11.

Rating: A. There’s no way around it: this is a classic with Flair rising up one more time to slay the monster that no one (other than Sting) could stop. Flair slugging away and managing to slow Vader down with pure heart and determination has stuck with me since I first saw this match live and it’s still incredible to this day. Outstanding stuff here and one of the best “hero fights the monster” matches you’ll ever see.

From Worldwide, April 30, 1994.

Vader vs. Cactus Jack

Texas Death Match and you knew we’d be seeing Mick on here somewhere. This is basically Last Man Standing, though it being called a “Texas Tornado” match makes it even more confusing. Harley Race is here with Vader too. Jack fights out of the corner to start and slugs away, only for Vader to run him over. Vader hammers away but Jack is back up with a clothesline to the floor.

After dropping Race, Jack grabs a chair to hit Vader in the head but has to backdrop an interfering Race. A flip dive off the apron drops Vader (dang) and they go back inside, where Jack drops a leg. We hit the sleeper but Vader drops back onto Jack for the big nasty crash. A pair of Vader Bombs crush Jack and a middle rope splash gets two, with Heenan losing his mind over why Jack would get up. Another Vader Bomb misses so Race pulls Jack outside for a chair to the face (though only Race falls down). Vader follows and powerbombs him on the floor (with a sickening THUD) for the win at 6:56.

Rating: C+. Well it was starting to get good, but then it just ended with that nasty powerbomb. I’m not sure what the point was in having the match go so short, as it felt like something that should have gotten that much more time. What we got was the intense brawl that these two are known for, but I was expecting something longer than you would see from Tatanka vs. the Brooklyn Brawler on Raw.

From Clash Of The Champions XXIX.

Vader vs. Dustin Rhodes

Harley Race is here with Vader, who powers Rhodes into the corner to start. As usual, Vader starts hammering away to take over without much trouble. Another shot to the face ticks Rhodes off and he SPEARS VADER DOWN to blow the roof off the place. Rhodes slaps away and comes back with a running crossbody for two. A clothesline sends Vader to the floor and Rhodes follows to keep hammering away.

Rhodes takes Race out and they go back inside, where Vader gets pounded down again. Vader hits the standing body block to take over again, meaning it’s time to pummel away in the corner. Rhodes gets in a shot of his own and avoids the sitdown splash. The bulldog is loaded up but Vader picks him up and LAUNCHES HIM over the top to the floor. Back in and the Vader Bomb gets two, with Vader hitting him in the face for daring to kick out. Vader just pummels him down again, but Rhodes starts waving his arm (ala Dusty, and we’re in Florida).

Rhodes catches him coming off the top in a powerslam (Vader loved that spot and it looked great no matter who did it) and the comeback is on. Rhodes slgs away and elbwos him in the head, with a clothesline knocking Vader into the ropes. The top rope clothesline drops Vader and a middle rope DDT gives Rhodes two. The bulldog connects but Race comes in, allowing Vader to deck Rhodes from behind. A wheelbarrow faceplant (OUCH) knocks Rhodes silly to give Vader the pin at 11:49.

Rating: B+. Sweet goodness this was a fight, with the crowd’s reaction to that takedown being insane. One of the traditions with Vader is that the best way to fight him is to hit him in the mouth and that’s what Rhodes did here. The problem is that Vader hits back, and that’s what we saw here in one heck of a slugout. The ending alone was awesome, as Vader absolutely planted him. Great fight here and one of Rhodes’ best matches ever.

Post match another Vader Bomb is loaded up but Jim Duggan comes in for the save. In theory that leads us into….

From Monday Night Raw, January 22, 1996 (I had the intro for the Vader vs. Duggan US Title match at Starrcade 1994 ready to go. That’s a rare miss from the Vault.).

Vader vs. Savio Vega

Vader, with Jim Cornette, is freshly debuted and this is his first match on Raw. As usual, Vader hammers him down in the corner then does it again for a bonus. The running splash misses though and Vega strikes away, with a superkick putting Vader on the floor. That’s fine with Vader, who drops Vega onto the barricade. Back in and the corner splash connects, setting up the Vader Bomb for the pin at 2:58. Pretty much a squash.

Post match Vader puts him down again for a second Vader Bomb. The referee tries to break it up and gets beaten up as well, with Lawler knowing that’s a bad idea. Another referee comes in and gets powerbombed so here is Interim President Gorilla Monsoon to yell at Vader. Cornette tries to back Vader off as Monsoon announces that Vader is suspended indefinitely.

Vader shoves Cornette away and goes face to face with Monsoon again, with Monsoon pointing a finger in his face. Vader slaps Monsoon on the back so Monsoon chops away (marking the first time he had gotten physical in almost fifteen years). That’s too far for Vader, who splashes Monsoon in the corner, setting up the Vader Bomb. Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon make the save. As someone who grew up watching Monsoon as a commentator, this was INSANE. Monsoon wasn’t going to be able to wrestle again, but my goodness the heat would have been off the charts if he could have pulled it off.

From Summerslam 1996.

WWF Title: Vader vs. Shawn Michaels

Vader, with Jim Cornette, is challenging while Jose Lothario is here with Michaels (who was sick of him by this point and wanting the whole thing to end). Vader starts fast by hammering away and knocks him down without much effort. Michaels kicks away to put Vader down and hits him in the face a few times, followed by a low bridge to the floor. The big dive takes Vader out again (that was on a lot of highlight reels) and Michaels scores with a double ax handle back inside.

A headscissors sends Vader outside so Michaels tries a slingshot version, only to get countered into a heck of a powerbomb. Vader picks him up on one shoulder and carries him back inside, where it’s time to unload in the corner. Michaels gets tossed outside and then backdropped inside as Vader stays on the back. A hard clothesline cuts off Michaels’ comeback attempt and Vader plants him with kind of a reverse Jackknife.

We hit the head and arm clutch to put Michaels on his knees but he fights out and hits some running shots of his own. Vader tries to sit on him but gets low blowed, allowing Michaels to go up. The big elbow…doesn’t quite work as Michaels pulls up in the air, as Vader didn’t move as planned. This results in Michaels kicking him in the head and berating him, all because the spot didn’t work, which ONLY the people in the match would know about, making Michaels look like a whiny brat. They crash out to the floor and Michaels is dropped onto the barricade for a countout at 13:51.

Hold on though as Cornette says not that way and begs Michaels to come back because they want the title. Michaels eventually comes back like a moron and gets beaten down again, including a racket shot from Cornette. A belly to belly gives Vader two but Michaels fights out of a powerbomb. Michaels makes the comeback and loads up the superkick but Cornette tries to grab him. Instead Michaels takes the racket away and wacks Vader (with a great THUD sound) for the DQ at 17:49.

Cornette calls Michaels a coward who knew he couldn’t beat Vader and wants to restart this again. Works for Michaels so we starts it again, with Vader missing a sitdown splash. Michaels hits the forearm and NOW the top rope elbow connects (good, maybe Michaels can be happy).

Sweet Chin Music gets two but the referee gets knocked to the floor. Vader hits a powerbomb for two from a second referee and Cornette is losing his mind on their near falls. The Vader bomb is loaded up but Cornette wants the moonsault, despite Michaels being very close to the corner (it would have hit anyway, which is impressive). Michaels hits a moonsault press to retain at 22:19.

Rating: B-. That tantrum in the middle manages to bring down what is an otherwise awesome match, as Michaels kept surviving one way or another until he caught Vader making a mistake. That’s one of the recurring themes with Vader, as pretty much no one could hang with him one on one, but they could tire him out or eventually catch him screwing up. Michaels knows how to do this match in his sleep, but alas he had to go over the edge.

Also of note, this was originally going to be Vader winning the title and ultimately losing it back to Michaels at the Royal Rumble, but Michaels didn’t want to work with Vader so Sid got the spot instead (hence the December In Your House being called “It’s Time” when Vader had nothing to do with the main event.).

From In Your House XIII: Final Four.

WWF Title: Vader vs. Bret Hart vs. Undertaker vs. Steve Austin

For the vacant title and it’s elimination rules, with pinfall, submission or over the top for a unique setup. Vader has Paul Bearer for one last manager. After a quick interview from Hart, who knows these people are all tough and that the winner will deserve the title, we’re ready to go. Undertaker drops Vader to start before pulling Hart off of Austin. Vader is back up with a belly to belly and takes Undertaker outside (not out, despite Lawler thinking they were).

A chair only hits post so Vader puts Undertaker against the post and hammers away again. Back up and Undertaker boots the chair into Vader’s face (ignore Vader blading) as Austin elbows Hart down for two inside. Vader (bleeding from the eye) gets back inside to hammer on Undertaker some more as Austin jawbreaks his way outo f a sleeper from Hart. Austin takes Hart into the corner while Undertaker hits a chokeslam on Vader.

A Stunner (which is sold like a swinging neckbreaker) drops Undertaker for two as Vader runs Hart over for two of his own. Vader takes Hart outside for some chair shots to the back as his eye is GUSHING. Undertaker backdrops Austin out of a piledriver attempt in the aisle before switching off with Hart. Austin goes after Vader’s eye and sends him into the steps. Some belt shots rock Vader, who pounds Austin right back and hits him with the ring bell.

Vader and Hart go up the aisle with Hart being sent into the barricade, leaving Undertaker to beat Austin up back inside. Back at ringside, Vader tries a Sharpshooter on Hart, leaving Austin to stomp on Hart some more. That’s broken up so Hart goes after Austin (yeah that always works) but Austin goes back inside to Thesz press Vader (right on the bloody eye). Back up and Vader misses the moonsault to Undertaker, who takes him outside for a choke with a camera cable.

Vader cuts that off (the choking, not the cable) and chokes Undertaker down for two back inside. Hart’s middle rope elbow gets two Austin, who gets an O’Connor roll for the same. They switch off again so Hart can kick Vader low (with the camera showing Vader just covered in blood) for two more. Undertaker tries to throw Austin over (oh yeah that’s a thing) as Vader Fujiwara’s Hart’s arm. Back up and Hart tosses Austin for the first elimination at 18:09 (there have been longstanding rumors that Austin was supposed to win but those wound up being nonsense).

Undertaker hammers on Hart until Vader breaks it up as we see Sid (who gets the winner tomorrow) watching in the back. Undertaker is sent outside (not out) where Bearer gets in an urn shot, leaving Vader to take off the blood soaked mask. Hart cuts Vader off on the top and hits a top rope superplex, because this match needed another crazy spot.

The Sharpshooter goes on but Undertaker breaks it up (JR is confused) and Austin is back to go after Hart. Austin gets back in to keep up the beating as Undertaker breaks up a Vader Bomb. A low blow sends Vader out at 22:26, leaving Undertaker to drop Austin and chokeslam Hart. Austin pulls Hart out of the Tombstone though, leaving Undertaker to go after Austin again. Hart clotheslines Undertaker out for the win and the title at 24:06.

Rating: A-. These guys beat the living daylights out of each other and I had a great time watching it again. It’s such a unique match that it feels more like a regular four way until the eliminations, which is a fine way to go as it’s perfectly within the rules. Vader was a wrecking ball in this whole thing and everyone was game to fight him. Outstanding match and arguably a hidden gem, even if it meant very little as Hart would lose the title to Sid the next night on Raw.

Overall Rating: A. I had an absolute blast with this, as it was an awesome showcase of why Vader really was that much of a monster (and they didn’t cover all kinds of stuff from his American run). What mattered the most was that Vader didn’t feel like any run of the mill monster who was beaten and then faded away. He was always going to be around because very few people could do things like he could. WCW knew what they had with him and if the WWF hadn’t wasted so much of him, he could have been up there with Andre for all time greatest super heavyweight. Make sure to check this out as it’s outstanding.

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Summerslam 1995
Date: August 27, 1995
Location: Pittsburgh Civic Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 18,062
Commentators: Jerry Lawler, Vince McMahon

So it’s time for the annual redos and for some reason, my readers decided to have me watch one of the worst Summerslams of all time. I’m so thrilled. Anyway this is built around Diesel vs. King Mabel in one of those moments where Vince McMahon was considered completely insane. Let’s get to it.

The opening video talks about the big matches tonight, including Diesel vs. Mabel, Jerry Lawler sending his evil dentist (that will never sound normal) against Bret Hart, Kama Mustafa vs. Undertaker (over the again stolen urn) and the sequel to the ladder match (which was added because the company knew they were dead in the water otherwise).

I still love the big flying blimp in the arena. The fans behind it must be so thrilled. Now am I being sarcastic on that one?

Dean Douglas, the annoying teacher, is in the back to critique all of the matches. I’m not a Shane fan, but to go from the Franchise to this is a shame.

1-2-3 Kid vs. Hakushi

Vince: “The Kid is ready for WWF action!” You mean this isn’t the Boggle tournament? Hakushi’s White Angel look is way too awesome for a show like this. Kid grabs a headlock to start but gets taken down by the hair, with a fan opposite the hard camera being VERY upset by the cheating. A trip takes Hakushi down but he kicks Kid away, giving us a double nipup.

Back up and they both miss spinning kicks for another early standoff. Hakushi finally sends him into the corner for the handspring elbow and the fans aren’t sure what to think of it (fair enough as he’s a heel, but an awesome heel). The Bronco Buster hits Kid (so that’s where he got it) and it’s time to kick at his leg. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Hakushi sends him outside and hits a cartwheel into a backdrop over the top for your YOU DO KNOW IT’S 1995 spot.

Back in and a top rope headbutt to the standing Kid gets two but a top rope splash misses. Kid dropkicks him to the floor and hits his own dive, followed by a slingshot legdrop for two. Kid’s top rope splash connects for the patented 1-2-He Got Him NO! Back up and Kid tries a spinwheel kick but gets caught in something like a belly to back suplex to give Hakushi the pin at 9:28.

Rating: B-. This was WAY ahead of its time with stuff like the Space Flying Tiger Drop of all things being far more than you would expect from a WWF match in 1995. The Kid was very good as well and fought from underneath with his own high flying. Good stuff here, though I’m worried about what else they have for the rest of the night.

Dok Hendrix is WAY too excited to know about Mabel’s master plan. You’ll just have to wait, exactly like Big Daddy Fool. And that’s before he even gets in the ring people.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Bob Holly

Helmsley is brand new here and still an undefeated blue blood. There’s no contact for the first minute so Holly grabs him for a slam and an armdrag sends Helmsley into the corner. Holly charges at him though and gets caught in a Stun Gun to let Helmsley take over. Vince talks about wanting to see Lawler in a go kart or bumper cars as Holly gets whipped hard into the corner.

The chinlock goes on and we cut to British Bulldog arriving, even though he has nothing to say. Back in and arena and Holly’s abdominal stretch is countered with a hiptoss over the top. Holly is right back up with a DDT and the dropkick with the backdrop completing the jobber level comeback. A missed charge lets Helmsley finish with the Pedigree at 7:10.

Rating: D. Oh come on. I know it’s a different era but this made Summerslam? I can get behind the idea of a match to make a newcomer look good but this wasn’t entertaining on any level. Helmsley was clearly someone they wanted to push but this would have been boring on Raw and we get it on a pay per view. At least it was short, but that’s all I’ve got.

Some wrestlers and firemen had a charity tug of war. Nothing wrong with that.

Blu Brothers vs. Smoking Gunns

Jacob (of Jacob and Eli Blu, which sounds conspicuously like Jake and Elwood Blues) gets caught in an early armbar from Billy. It’s off to Bart in a hurry but Eli snaps his throat across the top to take over. A quick crossbody gets Bart out of trouble though and Billy comes back in.

The yet to be named H Bomb (when they would become the Harris Twins that is) plants Billy for a delayed two and it’s off to the also yet to be named Tree of Woe (1995 needs to catch up with the times already). Lawler: “I bought five copies of Windows 95 and I don’t even have a computer.” After that random line, Eli gets two off a powerslam as the second Raw level match continues. Billy gets in a dropkick and brings in Bart to clean house. Heel miscommunication lets the Sidewinder connect for the fast pin on Eli at 6:11.

Rating: D-. At least in the Helmsley vs. Holly match (something that has never been said) they were pushing someone new and fresh. Here it’s a win for the Gunns, who had been around for years and were former Tag Team Champions. And against the Blu Brothers? That’s the best they can put together for what should be the second biggest show of the year? Thank goodness we were only a few weeks away from Nitro because this is some horrible planning.

We recap Barry Horowitz vs. Skip in a rematch of the huge upset of Barry pinning Skip. Barry then won by surviving a ten minute challenge, meaning it’s time for a third match. The idea here is that Barry hasn’t won a match in years but managed to pull this one off. How this is supposed to make me want to watch isn’t clear, as Barry is only going to be known to long time fans who are going to be watching in the first place.

Barry Horowitz vs. Skip

Sunny is out with Skip and does her trademark great rant about how they were cheated twice but it won’t happen again. Barry charges to the ring (with the awesome rock version of Hava Nagila) and hammers away to start with a clothesline putting Skip on the floor. Back in and Barry gets two off an O’Connor roll before suplexing Skip over the top again. Sunny tries to throw in the towel but is told that it’s not boxing and doesn’t count. Uh, it counted for Bob Backlund in 1983.

The distraction works well enough for Skip to jump Barry from behind, meaning it’s time for some jumping jacks. For some reason, this turns into a discussion of who would win in a fight between Siskel and Ebert. Barry is back up with some shoulders for two and a sunset flip for the same. Skip runs him over again though and it’s off to a seated abdominal stretch. That’s broken up as well and Horowitz goes old school with a Thesz press of all things for two more.

Skip pulls it back to the mat for legdrops and a chinlock but Barry jobbers up. They trade dropkicks and it’s a double knockdown as this keeps going. Another dropkick from Barry crotches him on top but Skip knocks him backwards. The Swan Dive gives Skip two so Barry hits another dropkick and goes up. This time it’s Sunny crotching him down for a change, which draws out Hakushi of all people. The distraction into a rollup lets Barry get his third straight win at 11:23.

Rating: D. AND??? Am I really supposed to get behind Horowitz after this? The guy has a career win/loss record somewhere lower than mine and now he’s getting a win on Summerslam? Somehow this is the best that they can do and that sums up a lot of the problems they were having around this point.

Dean Douglas uses a telestrator to talk about the previous match in big words. Barry gets an S for Slacker.

Shane throws it to Vince but we get Todd Pettengill instead, who gives us a look at the Wrestlemania X ladder match. Shawn Michaels says you can’t prepare for a ladder match but Razor isn’t taking his title again tonight.

Women’s Title: Bertha Faye vs. Alundra Blayze

Faye, with Harvey Wippleman, is challenging and her gimmick is that she’s large and not very attractive. This is one of those gimmicks that was bad then, worse later and horrible today. Blayze kicks her down to start and sweeps the leg for a bonus. More kicks have Bertha in trouble but she runs Blayze over, because she’s big you see.

The middle rope splash misses and Blayze gets two off a victory roll. Some running head slams get no cover as Harvey has the referee. Instead Blayze goes after him but can’t get the German suplex on Faye. A hurricanrana gives Blayze two and a missile dropkick has Faye reeling. Another dropkick misses though and it’s a sitout powerbomb to give Faye the pin and the title at 4:37.

Rating: D-. You can hear Vince laughing at this one and doing so all by himself. This gimmick isn’t funny and it’s a waste of someone as talented as she was. Is there any reason why they felt the need to humiliate someone that they brought in? There was nothing that the women could do when Faye was only allowed to use the “I’m big” offense in a short match. Terrible stuff here and it’s not on the wrestlers.

Post match Faye says she’s the beauty now and has the belt. Blayze would get it back in about two months.

We recap Undertaker vs. Kama Mustafa, who is the latest person to steal the urn (and melted it down into a big gold chain because reasons) as part of Undertaker vs. the Million Dollar Corporation, which felt like it went on forever. Kama even beat up some of the Creatures of the Night, meaning he’s gone too far. Therefore, it’s a casket match because what else could it be.

Paul Bearer and Undertaker promise to finish Kama.

Undertaker vs. Kama Mustafa

Casket match with Ted DiBiase in Kama’s corner to counter Bearer. Undertaker isn’t wasting time and picks Kama up for some choking and then throws him onto the casket. Something close to a Stinger Splash (THEY’RE DOING THE MATCH!!!) and Old School connects. The casket is opened revealing the Casket Cam as Kama is knocked in.

That goes nowhere this early and Kama is right back up with a top rope clothesline. Undertaker’s second Stinger Splash is caught with a powerslam and of course he sits up again. DiBiase offers a distraction so Kama can hammer and kick away. A clothesline puts Undertaker on top of the closed casket and a suplex does it again. Kama can’t piledrive him on the casket though and Undertaker backdrops him inside.

That’s fine with Kama, who hits a powerslam for a cover, checking off your required “I forgot this is a casket match” box. We hit the chinlock for a good while as the match just stops as they lay there. A belly to back suplex finally gives them something to do and the comeback is on.

The jumping clothesline connects but it’s a Cactus Clothesline to put them both in the casket. They come out and it’s a prototype of the famous shot of Shawn Michaels being dragged back in as Kama is put inside again. Back in and Kama grabs a swinging neckbreaker to put them both down again. The chokeslam connects though and it’s a Tombstone to finish Kama for good at 16:26.

Rating: D. It wasn’t even that it was bad but it was WAY too long with all of the laying around and Kama being the least believable opponent Undertaker has had in a long time. Kama felt like the villain in the fourth edition of an action movie series that has gone on too long and the star needed a paycheck. Really dull stuff here and the last thing the show needed.

Lawler is very excited about the idea of Isaac Yankem removing Bret Hart’s teeth.

Video on Yankem, who really is an evil dentist and we really are supposed to believe this as something threatening. Lawler vs. Hart has been going on for over two years now and has offered some awesome stuff, but as soon as Todd says “the King recruited a dentist”, it loses me a bit. Yankem is of course better known as Kane and his story of hearing that he was being brought in to be an evil dentist is rather funny.

Bret is ready to shut Lawler’s mouth. Bret to Yankem: “I don’t care if you’re a dentist.” Words never spoken in wrestling before or since.

Isaac Yankem vs. Bret Hart

Lawler handles Yankem’s entrance. As a bonus pun, Yankem is billed from Decay-tur, Illinois. Lawler is on commentary for a bit of a surprise as Bret gets shoved down to start. Yankem misses a big elbow but is fine enough to send Bret hard into the corner. Bret is back with an atomic drop and a clothesline for a trip to the floor. Back in and Bret hits a middle rope clothesline, followed by the headbutt to the abdomen.

The backslide gets two as Lawler is saying only Vince needs to be impartial tonight. Another hard whip into the corner takes Bret down again and Isaac chokes on the ropes until the referee drags him away by the hair. More choking ensues as Yankem doesn’t have the highest variety in his offense so far.

Bret is back up and sends him outside for a suicide dive as the comeback is on. Back in and it’s time for the Five Moves Of Doom but a Lawler distraction breaks up the Sharpshooter. Lawler stays up to cheer on Yankem’s beating (as he should) but Bret gets in a slam off the top for a rare power display.

In a change of pace, Bret ties Yankem’s legs around the post and stomps away until the referee unties Yankem’s feet. Lawler would do it but he’s too busy getting beaten up by Bret. The distraction lets Yankem hit a top rope ax handle to the back and Lawler helps him tie Bret’s neck in the ropes for the DQ at 16:10.

Rating: C+. Bret was doing everything he could here but Yankem wasn’t there yet and there’s only so much you can do as an evil dentist. The match felt straight out of Memphis with someone wanting to get at Lawler but he brought in his latest monster for protection. It’s a perfectly usable story and the match wasn’t bad, so I’ll take what I can get here.

Post match Lawler and Yankem pull at the still trapped Bret until referees break it up.

Razor Ramon isn’t scared of Shawn Michaels and he’ll take every chance he can get. If Shawn is ready to dance, Razor leads.

Intercontinental Title: Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon

Shawn is defending in a ladder match, which was added due to “fan demand”, which is a rather accurate definition of what happened (originally scheduled to be Shawn vs. Sid before the company woke up and saw the rest of the card). The title is raised but hang on because Shawn isn’t happy with the way it’s attached to the hook (likely a problem with how the finish was supposed to go). Dok Hendrix has replaced Lawler on commentary.

They both look up at the title and then go to the slugout, as they should have done. The threat of an early superkick has Razor grabbing the ropes in a smart move. A Razor’s Edge attempt has Shawn looking worried so Razor throws him outside without much trouble. It’s time to go for the ladder but Shawn cuts Razor off from getting it. I’ve never gotten that but I guess it’s a pride thing.

They head back to the ring instead with Razor suplexing Shawn outside but Shawn’s leg hits the barricade in a nasty looking crash. Dok: “I might suggest that’s it.” Vince: “Uh yes that’s it.” Back in and Shawn escapes the Edge again but misses another superkick, meaning it’s a double clothesline to put them both down. Razor is up first and hits a super fall away slam as he continues the early dominance (they’re building things up here and that’s going to pay off in the end).

Now the ladder is brought in as we see Sid watching in the back. Shawn makes a fast save though and it’s his turn to grab the ladder, but he would rather hit Razor than climb. Razor breaks up a climb by pulling the tights down and then shoves the ladder over in a smart move. Replays show Shawn’s leg getting caught in the ladder on the way down as the focal point continues to grow.

The leg gets crushed in the ladder again and the fans aren’t pleased. Razor slams him legs first onto the ladder and then puts the ladder on the middle rope in the corner. That gives Razor another place to drop Shawn’s knee onto the ladder and it’s time to go into the Ric Flair cannonballs onto the leg. Shawn kicks him to the floor for a breather but that just lets Razor wrap the knee around the post. Back in and the knee gets wrenched again The ladder is set up in the middle of the ring but Shawn suplexes Razor back down for a double knockdown.

Shawn puts the ladder in the corner and whips Razor into it and bring the cheers back. A moonsault off the ladder lets Shawn hammer away but he misses the huge splash off the ladder (call back tot he previous match) and they’re both down again. They both make the slow climb and crash back down for a double crotching on the top. A missed charge with the ladder has Shawn falling out to the floor and Razor goes down with him. Shawn goes back in and sets up the ladder but Razor brings in a second ladder (a new concept at the time).

Razor drops his though and hits the Razor’s Edge off the original ladder for the big knockout shot. He can’t follow up though and they’re both down again. Both ladders are set up for a double climb but Shawn superkicks him down. Hang on though as Shawn isn’t under the belt so he jumps for it, meaning another crash down onto the bad leg. Another Razor’s Edge attempt is countered with a backdrop to the floor, allowing Shawn to go up and grab the title….but he falls again without the belt coming down. A ticked off Shawn goes up and pulls the title down to retain at 25:09.

Rating: A. Yeah this was outstanding and you could argue it’s better than the original. The big difference here was having the match involve a ladder instead of being about a ladder. They had a heck of a match with Razor working the leg and Shawn having to find a way around the power game. The teasing of finishers until the end was a great addition as well and the whole thing was a blast with big spots and awesome action throughout. Check this out and then go watch the first one again because you really could say either of them is better.

Post match Razor grabs the belt but hands it to Shawn for the nice moment.

Douglas doesn’t like Razor calling himself the Bad Guy when Razor comes in to knock him down with one punch.

Diesel isn’t worried about Mabel. You know, because he’s Mabel.

WWF World Title: King Mabel vs. Diesel

Mabel, with Sir Mo, is defending and the story here is finding out his Royal Plan. We get the trash talking before the bell and my goodness Mabel’s crown looks pitiful. It looks like it’s made of paper or cheap plastic and comes off like a toy instead of something serious. Kind of like his whole push in a way.

Mabel runs him over to start and chops away in the corner but Diesel forearms him back. The big slam doesn’t work so Diesel hits some clotheslines to put Mabel on the floor. Diesel actually manages a dive over the top (not terrible either) to take Mabel down but the fans just do not care. Mabel charges into a big boot but is back in with a….I guess Boss Man Slam, but he shoved Diesel down instead of picking him up. To mix it up a bit, Mabel sits on Diesel’s back but misses a backsplash.

The referee gets bumped so Mo comes in (which seems to be the Royal Plan), drawing out Lex Luger for the save. Well the attempted save at least as Luger is knocked outside, leaving Mabel to drop the leg on Diesel on the floor. Luger takes care of Mo (Did Luger just come out early or something? Also, that would be his last appearance in the company as he would debut on Nitro eight days later), leaving Mabel to hit the belly to belly for two. Mabel misses a middle rope splash though, allowing Diesel to hit a middle rope clothesline to retain at 9:16 (admittedly to a big pop).

Rating: D-. Oh come on what else were you expecting here? It’s freaking MABEL. Diesel is someone who can have a great match with the right opponent but Mabel is so far away from being the right opponent that he’s the left one. There’s no way to make this work as Mabel was nothing more than the big guy with a lame lackey. There was no way this was going to work, the match was terrible and they got them out of there almost as fast as possible. What else could this have been?

Overall Rating: D. There are some bright spots in here, but aside from the classic ladder match, this could have been any given house show. The opener was good, Bret vs. Yankem could have been a lot worse and the ladder match is awesome. Other than that, there is no reason to think of this as a special show in any way and that was very clear throughout. I know it’s a dark time for the company, but this was them putting out whatever they had because they had to do a show instead of trying to put on a great show. Terrible for the most part, with a few bright spots sprinkled in.

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Evolve
Date: July 2, 2025
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenburg, Robert Stone

We’re back to the developmental’s developmental and that means we should be seeing someone new coming after the Evolve Title. While Sean Legacy couldn’t quite get through the Vanity Project, someone else is probably going to be coming for the shot instead. That opens up some doors and now we get to see where it goes. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of the Vanity Project wrecking people, leading to Lince Dorado and the LWO stepping up to face them this week.

Opening sequence.

Jamar Hampton vs. Edris Enofe

This is fallout from last week when Enofe interrupted Dante Chen’s Evolve debut. Hampton shoves him around to start and grabs a headlock but Enofe powers out. A jumping ax handle to the back hits Hampton, who is right back with a crossbody. Enofe avoids a dropkick though and stomps on Hampton’s chest for two.

The chinlock goes on, followed by a headscissors to keep Hampton in trouble. Hampton gets up and powers his own way out, with the dropkick connecting this time. A running splash gives Hampton one but Enofe kicks him into the corner. They wind up on the apron, where Enofe snaps him throat first across the top. A Regal Cutter finishes Hampton at 5:49.

Rating: C. Hampton feels like someone who could go somewhere and putting him in there with one of the slightly more experienced hands is a good sign. The loss isn’t as good of a sign, but it’s so early in Hampton’s run that this shouldn’t be much of a setback. Hampton is crazy athletic and has an awesome look, but he’ll need a lot more than that to get anywhere. Granted that’s why he’s here, so he’s hardy out of place.

Lince Dorado and the LWO are in Stevie Turner’s office. She’s happy that the LWO is here but Dorado wants to get into Evolve Title contention.

Cappuccino Jones and Jack Cartwheel talk about bonding over coffee. Their name is now Adrenaline Drip. I’m not so sure on that one. They want some Evolve Tag Team Titles. Well those are all but guaranteed at this point.

Layla Diggs vs. Jin Tala

Feeling out process to start until Diggs takes over and hits a powerslam for two. Back up and Tala sends her to the apron, where Diggs’ arm is snapped over the top rope. Tala works on the arm, including a full nelson with the legs to send Diggs face first to the mat. Diggs gets out and hits a quick ax kick for two but the arm gives out on a slam attempt. Tala takes her down and ties up the arm in kind of a crossface with the leg for the tap at 4:34.

Rating: C. There’ something to Tala as she has a nice mixture of submissions and simple logic to what she does. Give her some more time and that could work out well. At the same time, Diggs is another on the list of very athletic people with a good look who could turn into something if she gets some development so she at least has some potential.

Post match Tala is accused of a hair pull (she did it) but she’s just doing what she was taught on LFG. The wins are all that matter.

The Vanity Project is ready for Lince Dorado and the LWO.

It’s time for a contract signing between Natalya and Kali Armstrong. Armstrong knows who she’s about to face and immediately signs. Natalya respects Armstrong but doesn’t like her rudeness. That’s not how Armstrong sees it, because she had to fight to get to the title (Natalya: “Cry me a river!”). Then Natalya looked at the title was a bit disrespectful, just like when she got the pin in their tag match.

Natalya is a legend but this is Evolve and that means it’s Armstrong’s show. Natalya goes on a rant about carrying a division on her shoulders for eighteen years (that is one heck of a stretch) so Armstrong tells her to sign. That’s exactly what Natalya does and they go nose to nose. Armstrong swings at her but gets put in the Sharpshooter in a hurry. This is a rather simple story and it should benefit Armstrong rather well.

Timothy Thatcher and Sean Legacy are in the back, with Thatcher saying Legacy put himself in a no win situation (er, yeah there was a way to win). Legacy wants to be a champion and Thatcher says use that motivation. Thatcher is ready to stand up to Keanu Carver for disrespecting the ID Program next week and isn’t scared of him.

Keanu Carver is lifting weights and doesn’t want to hear from Thatcher. Violence is promised for next week.

Chantel Monroe doesn’t like the women’s locker room and she’s now lowering her standards for the women’s division.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Vanity Project vs. LWO/Lince Dorado

Smokes backs Dorado into the corner to start and then runs him over with a shoulder. Dorado elbows his way out of trouble and grabs an anklescissors so it’s off to Wilde vs. Baylor. Wilde kicks him into the corner rather quickly and an assisted springboard splash crushes Baylor again. Del Toro adds a splash for two and everything breaks down as we take a break.

We come back with Baylor kneeing Wilde down and handing it off to Drake for the corner stomps. Wilde gets dragged back into the corner so Baylor can whip Wilde into a big boot for two. A belly to back suplex is broken up though and the rolling tag brings in Dorado to pick up the pace. The Golden Rewind hits Drake and the big running flip dive to the floor takes him down again.

Back in and Dorado misses a charge in the corner and a moonsault hits raised boots to put him down again. Del Toro comes in off a blind tag and a springboard high crossbody hits Drake. A rather spinning la majistral gets two on Drake but he’s fine enough to come back with a hot shot. Something like a Hart Attack (with a dropkick) hits del Toro and a Swanton gives Drake two.

Wilde fights up and hits a tornado DDT but Baylor puts him down rather quickly. Drake is back in with a gorilla press gutbuster for two on del Toro but he catches Drake on top. Dorado’s super hurricanrana sends Drake into Baylor and Smokes, leaving the LWO to hit stereo dives. Dorado hits a shooting star press to pin Drake at 11:06.

Rating: B-. Much like Armstrong and Natalya, they aren’t being subtle about what they’re going for with this story. Dorado should get an Evolve Title shot out of this and Drake can get a win over a main roster name. Commentary kept hyping up how important it was to have the LWO around here and that’s fair enough, as bringing any main roster stars down here feels like a big deal. This was a good use of them as well, as you don’t want the Vanity Project running over everyone, but at the same time, it hardly crushes the up and coming heels.

Overall Rating: B-. This show has come such a long way in just a few months and while it might not be the best series in the world, it does things exactly as it should be. You’re seeing these names get some experience in the WWE style and the work in the ring is good enough. It’s also letting some main roster wrestlers get some reps, which is a good idea if they’re just sitting on the sidelines. Nice show here, as tends to be the case with Evolve.

Results
Edris Enofe b. Jamar Hampton – Regal Cutter
Jin Tala b. Layla Diggs – Arm lock
LWO/Lince Dorado b. Vanity Project – Shooting star press to Drake

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Dynamite
Date: July 2, 2025
Location: Toyota Arena, Ontario, California
Commentators: Excalibur, Ian Riccaboni, Taz

It’s the 300th episode of the show and we are rapidly approaching All In. The show is mostly set but we also have a bit more to cover on the way there. That includes this week’s TBS Title match as Mercedes Mone gets to defend against Mina Shirakawa. That could make for some interesting situations so let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Hangman Page to get things going. He has said enough about his match against Jon Moxley already because he is going to win the title. You can tie him up and hang him but you will have to kill him before he lets this chance pass him by. He knows the Elite and the Death Riders are coming for him so let’s make this a Texas Death Match. Cue Jon Moxley, who says Page wants to put all the chips on the table. No. That isn’t what Page wants, because Moxley says he is going to lose.

Page isn’t going to win because he doesn’t want to win. Page doesn’t want everything that comes with the title. People call themselves the “best in the world” but that’s “basic b**** s***” to Moxley, because Page isn’t good enough to go into a Texas Death Match. The brawl is on and Page whips out a fork, which draws in the Death Riders for the save. Moxley bails as Castagnoli and Yuta lay Page out.

Hold on though as Page gets up, saying he’s still standing. That brings Moxley back but the Opps are waiting there to cut them off. Marina Shafir tries a briefcase shot but Page takes it away, demanding the stipulation be made in exchange for the briefcase. Now Moxley is in. Page goes to leave but says he needs to show he’ll do anything to beat Moxley, so he Buckshot Lariats Shafir. I’m almost scared for what this means for All In, but the result is all that matters.

Toni Storm talks to one of the stars of the upcoming Superman film, who used to wrestle.

TBS Title: Mercedes Mone vs. Mina Shirakawa

Mone is defending and Toni Storm is on commentary. The chase is on to start and Mone catches her coming in for a stomping. Shirakawa’s rollup gets two as the fans are split. Back up and Shirakawa cuts off a leapfrog and stops for some dancing. Mone knocks her down and hits the middle rope Meteora for two before tossing Shirakawa outside. We take a break and come back with Shirakawa jumping over the referee to dive onto Mone, who is right back with the Statement Maker.

That’s reversed into a Figure Four but Mone rolls out to the floor for the break. A hurricanrana to the floor takes Mone down and a DDT makes it worse. Mone is back up with a Meteora off the apron and they go back inside to trade forearms. Another Meteora and a sunset bomb into the corner gets two but Shirakawa reverses a middle rope Meteora.

The Figure Four sends Mone over to the ropes so Shirakawa grabs a top rope Sling Blade. Shirakawa hits her in the back and front of the head, setting up the Glamorous Driver for two. Back up and Mone grabs a Tombstone into a gutbuster for two of her own before grabbing a small package to retain at 14:20.

Rating: B. I’m not sure how much drama there was here because, you know, Mone never loses. Odds are that’s what happens again at All In and then…I have no idea where it goes from there. Mone stopped interesting me a long time ago and while her matches are far more good than bad, I could go for the tiniest bit of drama in the result.

Post match Mone decks Shirakawa again and takes out Storm as she tries to make the save. That’s not enough so Mone throws champagne in Luther’s face.

The Young Bucks have their own customized limousine (on Tony Khan’s dive) and they go on a tour of their childhood homes.

Casino Gauntlet Qualifying Match: MJF vs. AR Fox vs. Anthony Bowens vs. Brody King

For the #2 spot in the match. MJF immediately hands King money to take a dive but King throws it down, which sends MJF bailing to the floor. King beats up the other two without much trouble, including the running crossbody to Fox against the barricade. MJF sits in on commentary as Fox is back in with a skin the cat into a dropkick to King.

Back up and Fox hits a springboard inverted flip dive to take King down. King hits a dive of his own to drop both of them but MJF is back up to steal some covers as we take a break. Back with MJF running the ropes to taunt Bowens but King takes him down. King clotheslines Bowens and Fox down and we get a quadruple breather. Bowens is up with a Blockbuster to King to make him DDT MJF, followed by a spinning DDT for two on Fox.

King’s Cannonball misses MJF, who hits a running knee to Fox. MJF grabs a chair, which King punches into his face, setting up a triple Cannonball in the corner for two. Fox is back up with a 450 for two of his own but MJF hits Bowens with the hammerlock DDT. MJF says BRODY SUCKS but gets caught in the hanging sleeper. King Ganso Bombs Bowens so Fox breaks it up, only to get caught in the Salt Of The Earth to give MJF the win at 13:01.

Rating: B-. I could go a long, long, long time without a three or four way qualifying match for…pretty much anything really. Anyway, this did have more drama than the opener, because the prize of being #2 in the Casino Gauntlet is far different than just not being in the gauntlet whatsoever. King looked like a monster, Fox was his usual entertaining self, Bowens is talented and MJF stole a win as he said he would. Pretty much as expected here.

Post match Mark Briscoe comes out to say that MJF will be getting an uninterrupted a** whipping in Dallas. Before then though, he wants MJF to come to the ring on his own for a talkie talk, and if he has anything next to his pickle, he’ll do it. Cue Jet Speed to go after the Hurt Syndicate, who come back and lay them out. Jet Speed keeps getting up and keep getting beaten down as the destruction continues. Kevin Knight gets up again and challenges Shelton Benjamin for Collision. Jet Speed is not feeling like serious challengers, though I’m not sure who would at this point.

Young Bucks/Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kyle O’Reilly/Bandido/Roderick Strong

Bandido takes Takeshita down to start and gives him the finger gun to the face. Matt comes in with a top rope spinning armdrag before the Bucks elbow O’Reilly down. We hit the parade of strikes to the face until Bandido hits a big dive to take the Bucks out on the floor. Takeshita takes him out with a dive of his own though and we take a break.

We come back with Strong getting the tag to clean house, followed by O’Reilly doing the same. Matt is back up with some rolling northern lights suplexes and Takeshita Blue Thunder Bombs Bandido to leave everyone down. A pop up sitout powerbomb gets two on Bandido but he’s back up with a super flipping World’s Strongest Slam for two of his own.

Nick flips out of the 21 Plex though and a double superkick into a wheelbarrow suplex drops Bandido for two more. O’Reilly breaks up the superkick party but the second round takes him down. A triple knee to the face sets up Raging Fire to give Takeshita the pin on O’Reilly at 11:48.

Rating: B. This was the party match of the week and it isn’t like O’Reilly and Strong have much status to lose so the result is fine. The Bucks don’t need a win but Takeshita gets to look strong on the way to his Ring Of Honor World Title match next week. Other than that, this was a way to give the fans something entertaining that has become the standard in AEW and that makes sense for an anniversary show.

Post match Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay run in to clear the Bucks out. They still want the EVP titles on the line because the people can get the power back. The Bucks so no, but Ospreay sweetens the pot by saying if the Bucks win, Swerve and Ospreay can’t challenge for the World Title for a year. Swerve is in as well and the match is set.

Will Ospreay/Swerve Strickland vs. The Beast Mortos/Dralistico

Mortos and Dralistico rush the ring to start fast and Ospreay is knocked to the floor. Swerve kicks away at Mortos and hits the rolling Downward Spiral but Mortos sends him to the floor. Mortos hits a big rolling flip dive to take the heroes out and we take a break. We come back with Ospreay getting the tag to clean house, including a big flip dive to take out Dralistico. Mortos backbreakers Ospreay into a top rope double stomp from Dralistico for two, with Swerve making the save. Back up and a Swerve Stomp/Stormbreaker combination hits Mortos, leaving Dralistico to get Styles Clashed into a House Call for the pin at 8:42.

Rating: C+. Ok so the result was never really in doubt here, but it makes all the sense in the world to have the new superhero team get a win. They have a heck of a showdown coming up in less than two weeks so getting the experience together is a must. I’m not sure which way the All In match will go and that’s a nice feeling, even if it means the Bucks winning feels possible.

Kota Ibushi vs. Kazuchika Okada

Non-title and Don Callis is here with Okada. A shove to the face annoys Ibushi to start and Okada bails to the floor. Back in and Okada pats him on the chest before bailing outside again. A cheap shot from behind drops Ibushi but he knocks Okada outside for a slingshot dive. Okada manages a ram into the steps though and we take a break.

We come back with Ibushi hitting a dropkick and kicking him down, setting up a standing moonsault for two. A running knee drops Okada again but he’s back up with a flapjack to cut Ibushi off. The top rope elbow hits Ibushi again and there’s the middle finger to the camera. Okada knocks him into the corner and hammers away, where Ibushi fights up.

The Rainmaker is ducked and Ibushi hits a hard clothesline of his own. Ibushi’s phoenix splash is countered into a German suplex but the Rainmaker is countered (again) into a kick to the head. They go up top and Ibushi hits a super tiger driver, say it with me, for two. Okada is back on his feet 33 seconds later and counters a sunset flip into a rollup for two more. The big dropkick into the Rainmaker finishes Ibushi at 14:47.

Rating: B-. That super tiger driver being little more than a throwaway move didn’t help here, but at least it seems that Ibushi won’t be getting a Superman push. He’s looked better in his return, but he only means so much in AEW outside of being Kenny Omega’s friend. Okada looks like more of a killer going into All In, and that should make the winner take all match that much better.

Post match the Don Callis Family comes in for the beatdown but Kenny Omega returns with a chair for the save. Ibushi and Omega beat Trent Beretta down and celebrate to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. Rather strong show this week, with a bunch of fine tuning or adjusting being done to the All In card. That’s in addition to a nice slate of matches this week, making it quite the good use of TV. All In is pretty much everything for AEW and they need to knock it out of the park. Getting the setup right is a big part of that and they took some very nice steps in that direction this week.

Results
Mercedes Mone b. Mina Shirakawa – Small package
MJF b. Brody King, AR Fox and Anthony Bowens – Salt Of The Earth to Fox
Young Bucks/Konosuke Takeshita b. Roderick Strong/Bandido/Kyle O’Reilly – Raging Fire to O’Reilly
Will Ospreay/Swerve Strickland b. The Beast Mortos/Dralistico – House Call to Dralistico
Kazuchika Okada b. Kota Ibushi – Rainmaker

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: July 12, 1993
Location: Manhattan Center, New York City, New York
Attendance: 1,500
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, Bobby Heenan

We’re fresh into the summer of Lex Luger, but first we have to take a trip to Hawaii as Crush is getting a WWF Title shot against Yokozuna. That’s about all there is going on here as last week’s show focused on pretty much nothing else whatsoever. Summerslam is a month and a half away so we’ve got a long way to go. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

WWF Title: Yokozuna vs. Crush

Yokozuna, with Mr. Fuji, is defending and we spend over a minute doing the warmup ceremony. They fight over a lockup until Yokozuna slams him, only to miss an elbow. Crush knocks him to the floor and it’s time for an early breather. Back in and Crush strikes away but gets knocked down to cut that off fast. Yokozuna knocks him to the floor before grabbing a nerve hold back inside.

We take a break and come back with Yokozuna kicking him down and grabbing the nerve hold again. Back up and Crush avoids a charge into the corner and hits a dropkick, followed by a top rope shoulder for two. Crush goes up again but Fuji hits him with a flag (must be a Demolition thing) to cut that off. Back in and a belly to belly plants Crush, followed by the big legdrop. The Banzai Drop retains the title at 11:09.

Rating: C+. Yokozuna continues to be one of the most unique WWF Champions of all time as there was only so much stuff that you can do to him. Crush isn’t someone who can throw Yokozuna around (granted almost no one can) but he was mixing up his offense here. While Crush wasn’t going to be the big hero, he is someone who made for an entertaining and unique challenger and that’s a good thing to have.

Post match Yokozuna hits some more Banzai Drops, with Tatanka making a failed save attempt. Randy Savage, who is banned from getting physical, gets in to pull Crush away. Savage holds Yokozuna off with a chair as Bobby Heenan blames all of this on Lex Luger.

During the break, Crush is taken out on a stretcher with Savage going with him. Heenan goes on a rant about how this is ALL Luger’s fault.

Headshrinkers vs. Aaron Ferguson/PJ Walker

Afa is here with the Headshrinkers, who jump them from behind to start. Walker gets dropped hard and a heck of a clothesline drops him again. It’s off to Ferguson, who is knocked down just as fast. The double Stroke into the top rope splash gives Fatu the pin at 3:19.

Rating: C. I’m a sucker for the Headshrinkers and I always will be. There’s something about them coming in and smashing through people, which is what we got here. What matters the most is that they were a team who could be put into the title picture rather quickly, which has been the case for the Samoan teams over the years. Yeah it’s a simple idea, but it’s an effective one and that’s good to see.

Next week: Marty Jannetty gets another shot at Shawn Michaels’ Intercontinental Title.

Tatanka vs. Brooklyn Brawler

Brawler poses on the ropes to start and gets backed into the corner, meaning it’s time to bicker. Savage gets back to commentary and it’s time to talk about Yokozuna and Crush rather than the match. Normally that’s annoying but…well what would you rather talk about? Tatanka knocks him outside as Heenan rants about how this is Luger’s fault. Savage: “DON’T SWITCH THE HEAT! DON’T SWITCH THE HEAT!”

Savage all but says this match isn’t important as Brawler kicks him down and grabs a neckbreaker for two. Tatanka misses a charge into the corner and Brawler rakes the eyes a few times. We get a rare shirtless Brawler as Savage wants to face Heenan next week. Tatanka gets sent into the corner, which triggers the comeback. The top rope chop into the Papoose To Go finishes Brawler off at 7:03.

Rating: C-. Tatanka wasn’t a new star at this point but he needed that long to beat the Brooklyn Brawler? I’m not sure what the thinking is here, as Tatanka is a big enough star who should be able to smash through one of the most famous jobbers of all time. Just a weird choice, though Savage ranting and raving against Heenan was great, even if they all but said “this match doesn’t matter”.

Some fans are on the Lex train.

Mr. Hughes vs. Tony DeVito

Hughes is on quite the roll here, having taken out Undertaker, stolen the urn and injured Paul Bearer. The bell rings and a black wreath is delivered to ringside. Hughes slowly pounds him down and grabs DeVito by the hair to pull him down. One heck of a whip into the corner sets up a splash for two, with Hughes pulling him up. A dropkick and chokeslam, which Vince says is reminiscent of the Big Boss Man, finish DeVito at 1:52.

Post match Hughes sees that the wreath is from the Undertaker so he rips it apart.

It’s the Summerslam Report, which mentions that Lex Luger is about to start a campaign.

Video on Men On A Mission. They rap and seem to want to make things better for kids.

Adam Bomb vs. Scott Amati

Johnny Polo is here with Bomb, who takes Amati down in a hurry to start. Amati gets thrown into the corner and then over the top, where Polo gets to promise more destruction. Back in and the Atom Smasher finishes at 2:32.

Commentary wraps us up.

Overall Rating: C. I liked the Crush vs. Yokozuna title match but at the same time, there is only so much you can do when the main star isn’t on the show. Lex Luger not being around is a weird choice, but he’s on a bus so at least they’re doing…something with him. Other than that, Undertaker is stalking Mr. Hughes and I’m still going to need a bigger secondary story than those two. It’s just such a dead time for the company and you can really see why with these shows.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: July 5, 1993
Location: Manhattan Center, New York City, New York
Attendance: 1,500
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, Bobby Heenan

We’re fresh off of the 4th of July and that means we have a new American hero. Yesterday saw a bodyslam challenge on the deck of the USS Intrepid. That means we are going to be seeing quite the push on the way to next month’s Summerslam but since the WWF has always been good at subtlety, they should be fine about pushing the new hero too hard. Let’s get to it.

We open with a look at some of the failed attempts at the bodyslam challenge on the USS Intrepid, but we don’t see the winner.

Opening sequence.

Commentary is rather excited about what happened yesterday.

We get an extended look at the bodyslam challenge, with no one being able to pull it off. Yokozuna even stopped for some rice during the middle of the contest. Tatanka chopped him but got beaten up before Crush got closer than anyone else. Randy Savage went last but couldn’t do it either and all hope was lost. Then a helicopter landed on the ship and LEX LUGER decided to be a real American (he has a flag shirt on after all) and called Yokozuna out. The fight was on and, after the steel forearm to the head, he (mostly) slammed Yokozuna. This was a heck of a moment and the staredown alone looked great. Now just follow it up.

Randy Savage praises Luger, whose challenge for a title shot has already been turned down.

Blake Beverly vs. 1-2-3 Kid

Kid is freshly off beating Razor Ramon so he’s far from established. Beverly yells at the crowd to start but gets dropkicked in the back, followed by a jumping kick to the chest to drop him again. Back up and Beverly gets in a shot of his own, followed by a neckbreaker. The Kid gets sent crashing out to the floor and the rather cocky Beverly slaps him in the face a few times.

Back in and a big toss over the top sends Kid crashing to the floor again, followed by an Oklahoma Stampede for two back inside. Kid misses a middle rope crossbody and a flying shoulder sends him crashing out to the floor. Beverly’s dive off the apron misses though and Kid hits a running flip dive. Back in and Beverly catches him with a belly to back suplex, only to get kicked down. A top rope legdrop gives the Kid the pin at 8:03.

Rating: B-. This was a match that told a nice story, with Beverly not buying that the Kid was anything more than a fluke and then getting caught as a result. That’s a smart way to go and Beverly is just enough of a name to make this feel important. The Kid is still getting started, but they’re doing it right in the early stages.

Men On A Mission raps. I think they want the titles.

Luna Vachon threatens us with Bam Bam Bigelow.

Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Joey Maggs

Some corner splashes finish Maggs in 41 seconds.

Watch All-American Wrestling!

Undertaker vs. Samu

Afa is here with Samu but Paul Bearer is still injured and the urn has been stolen (again). Samu hammers away to start before an exchange of shoulders goes nowhere. Undertaker tries a leapfrog and it doesn’t go well, which is probably why he doesn’t do it very often. A drop toehold of all things takes Samu down and Undertaker knocks him outside for some venting of frustration. Back in and Old School connects but Samu gets in a shot of his own to put Undertaker on the floor.

We take a break and come back with Undertaker being sent knees first into the steps. A powerslam gives Samu two and he knocks Undertaker outside again, only for Undertaker to grab him by the throat. Undertaker tosses him into the corner but misses the elbow. The top rope headbutt connects but Samu tries another, with Undertaker sitting up. The chokeslam and Tombstone finish Samu at 7:21.

Rating: C. The idea here was that the Undertaker was doing different things without Bearer around and it worked…kind of. The leapfrog was terrible and the match itself was only so good, but that’s what you have to expect from a Samu match. Undertaker needed a better opponent and Mr. Hughes was only going to take him so far in the near future.

Watch WWF Mania! Dang this company has a lot of shows.

Here is Yokozuna, with Mr. Fuji, for a chat. Fuji doesn’t hear the USA chants and brings up Lex Luger’s steel forearm. There was NO slam and Luger does not get a title shot because he is a CHEATER. Vince McMahon asks about Bret Hart or Randy Savage getting a title shot but here is Crush to interrupt. Crush thanks Luger for standing up for America and embarrassing anyone. He’d love that title shot and the match is on for next week.

Mr. Perfect vs. Brian Costello

PerfectPlex finishes at 1:00.

Commentary wraps us up and we see the slam one more time to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. So this is pretty much where we are now, as the entire focus is on Lex Luger and little more. Other than that, the biggest story is the Undertaker against the monster of the month and that isn’t exactly enough to carry things. Hopefully they add in something as a bonus, because Luger slamming Yokozuna and then not being here the next week isn’t much to go on for the long term.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Summerslam 1994
Date: August 29, 1994
Location: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 23,000
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler

This is the old review of the year and that’s an interesting choice. The show has a double main event of WWF World Champion Bret Hart defending against his brother Owen to continue their awesome feud, plus the wholly unawesome Undertaker vs. Fake Undertaker match. It’s the best of both worlds you see. Let’s get to it.

Here’s Randy Savage to welcome us to the show, held in the brand new United Center. Somehow, this is the only pay per view the company has ever run from the arena.

Jerry Lawler has some breaking news: Shawn Michaels and Diesel have become the new Tag Team Champions after defeating the Headshrinkers last night. What an odd time to do a title change, but 1994 was an odd time.

IRS/Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Headshrinkers

IRS and Bigelow have Ted DiBiase in their corner and this was originally going to be a title match. The Headshrinkers (Samu/Fatu) have Afa and Lou Albano with them, just to crank up the bizarre state of the show so far. Bigelow runs Fatu (not Samu Vince, though to be fair it’s a pretty easy mistake to make) over with a shoulder but eats the superkick for two. Fatu avoids a very early top rope headbutt and a double superkick puts Bigelow down again. Samu comes in, so Vince says Samu is now in, after saying Samu started.

Vince really wasn’t great at this whole thing. Samu starts cleaning house and ducks an IRS charge to send him outside. Back in and Bigelow low bridges Fatu to the floor but it’s a double clothesline for a double knockdown. The hot(ish) tag brings Samu back in for a BAAAACK body drop and a headbutt to Bigelow, which works because Samoans have hard heads. The middle rope headbutt gets two on IRS with Bigelow making a save. With Bigelow being knocked to the floor, the double Stroke sets up the Superfly Splash but Bigelow goes after Albano. That’s enough to draw Afa in for the DQ at 7:18.

Rating: D+. Pretty lame opener here with the lack of the titles taking away the little interest this match had. The Headshrinkers are good in their roles but Bigelow and IRS are a pretty generic team who don’t have much to do here. I’m still not sure what the point is in having the titles change early. Why not just do it the next night on Raw?

They brawl to the back.

And now, for your comedy of the show. The detectives from the Naked Gun movies are trying to find the Undertaker, complete with a bunch of puns and sight gags. Such gems include “we’re both on the case” as they stand on a briefcase.

Women’s Title: Bull Nakano vs. Alundra Blayze

Blayze is defending and Nakano has Luna Vachon in her corner. For those of you of a younger age, Nakano is a rather terrifying Japanese monster and Blayze’s archnemesis. We get the ceremonial flower presentation but Vachon throws hers at Blayze to really be a jerk. Nakano kicks her in the ribs instead of shaking hands but it’s too early for a powerbomb. A knee to the ribs cuts the champ off and Nakano throws her down by the hair.

We hit the chinlock (with Nakano’s back to the camera because she doesn’t know how to work) until Blayze makes the rope, which isn’t an escape you see that often. The yet to be named hurricanrana gives Blayze two but Nakano pulls her down into a Boston crab with both legs under one arm. With that broken up, Nakano puts on what would become Paige’s Scorpion Crosslock.

Since Blayze hasn’t been tortured enough yet, Nakano switches to a cross armbreaker. Back up and three straight running sleeper drops have Nakano in trouble but she powers out of a piledriver attempt. A powerbomb gets two on the champ as the pace has picked WAY up out of nowhere. Blayze avoids the guillotine legdrop though, kicks Vachon down and grabs the German suplex to retain at 8:17.

Rating: B. For 1994, this was some insane stuff in America, especially for a women’s match. Blayze really was good but Nakano was one of the best of the era. She was big, strong, could wrestle on the mat and had the submission skills to be that dominant. Unfortunately these two pretty much the entire division for a long time so it could only go so far.

Shawn Michaels and Diesel brag about winning the titles because the Heartbreak Hotel needed some more gold. Diesel says Razor Ramon isn’t taking one of his two titles tonight. Razor has had a bunch of chances and tonight isn’t going to change anything.

Intercontinental Title: Razor Ramon vs. Diesel

Razor is challenging and has NFL Hall of Famer Walter Payton in his corner to balance out Shawn. The white boots are a weird look for Razor. Shawn talks trash to Payton to start and Razor fires off the right hands, which look very good against someone Diesel’s size. Back in after a quick trip to the floor and Diesel gets in his own punches to take over. A sleeper slows Razor down even more and Diesel throws him outside.

Shawn goes for the turnbuckle pad but Payton chases him off, allowing Shawn to forearm Razor behind the referee’s back. I could watch Shawn outsmart people for days. Back in again and the referee stands in front of the exposed buckle but Shawn’s second distraction allows Razor to be whipped in. Diesel hits Snake Eyes onto an unexposed buckle as Lawler thinks the pad fell off the other one. A chinlock with a knee to the back keeps Razor in trouble and a big boot knocks his head off.

We hit the abdominal stretch, which at least looks more painful than a chinlock with a knee in the back. Diesel grabs the rope, making me wish we had Bobby Heenan there to explain why it’s more to avoid a hiptoss counter than to add more leverage. Razor gets out and sends Diesel ribs first into the exposed buckle, sending Lawler into hysterics as it should.

The middle rope bulldog (the Hall Buster) gets two and there’s a right hand to knock Shawn off the apron for a great over the top sell. A flying shoulder gives Diesel a breather so Shawn goes after the belt. Payton goes after him again and of course the referee yells, allowing Shawn to superkick Diesel by mistake. Shawn gets pulled outside and Razor finally crawls over for the pin to get the title back at 15:01.

Rating: B-. I’ve always had a mixed reaction to this one as the match itself is pretty good but Payton being out there was just a celebrity cameo that could have been anyone. Razor getting the title back was the right call as Shawn and Diesel are already having issues. They could have cut a few minutes out here, but what we got was still good enough and didn’t get sunk by the extra time.

Diesel yells at Shawn all the way to the back.

Savage talks about what we just saw.

Lex Luger and Tatanka are in the back. A fan poll has 54% saying that Luger sold out to Ted DiBiase and Tatanka is tired of hearing Luger deny it. We see a montage of DiBiase and Luger getting very close, but Luger still swears there’s nothing going on because DiBiase is lying. Tatanka is going to prove his story in the ring tonight.

Lex Luger vs. Tatanka

There’s no DiBiase to start. Feeling out process to start with Luger running him over but not following up. Tatanka’s armbar has no effect so Luger puts him down again, only to miss the jumping elbow (as always). That means we get more of Tatanka’s lame offense, including the top rope chop to the head. The second attempt gets punched out of the air and Luger starts in with the clotheslines. Cue DiBiase with a gym bag as Luger hits a powerslam. DiBiase pulls money out of the bag as Luger yells at him, allowing Tatanka to grab a rollup for the pin at 6:02.

Rating: D. This was all about the storyline instead of the wrestling and that’s not surprising. Neither Luger nor Tatanka were going to have a good match at this point so the story was the only way this was going to work. Tatanka was a fine midcard hand but if he had even a slightly better offense, he could have been a much bigger deal. There comes a point where you need the wrestling to back up the character and that just wasn’t the case for him.

Post match Luger kicks the money out of DiBiase’s hands so Tatanka jumps him from behind, revealing that he sold out. I’ve always liked that story, as bad as the match was. What I don’t like is how long this goes on, as Tatanka beats him up three different times, capped off by the Million Dollar Dream. We get the money in Luger’s mouth for a little old school touch.

Gorilla Monsoon is aghast at what we just saw. Agreed. That money must be filthy.

Jeff Jarrett vs. Mabel

This is going to be a disaster. During the entrances, Vince and Jerry debate the detectives’ skills and if Lawler has any rhythm. Mabel tosses away a wristlock attempt (Jarrett’s sell is quite good) and drops the big elbow when Jarrett tries a drop down. A clothesline puts Jarrett on the floor so he shoves the rapping Oscar. That’s not going to get him booed as Oscar isn’t very good. Back in and Jeff scores with some middle rope ax handles but Mabel crushes him in the corner.

The spinwheel kick (the one good thing that Mabel could do) gets two as Abe Knuckleball Schwartz (the Brooklyn Brawler as a baseball player) is on strike in the crowd. This adds nothing and isn’t funny or interesting, but it’s a thing that happens. Sounds like 1994 as a whole. They head outside with Oscar getting in a slap and Mabel splashing Jeff against the post. Back in and the middle rope splash misses, followed by a missed sitdown splash to give Jeff the pin at 5:57.

Rating: F. Oh what were you expecting here? Mabel was fat and useless while Jarrett wasn’t exactly someone who was going to carry anyone at this point, especially someone that big. This should have been on Raw at best and comes off as terrible filler here. Mainly because that’s what it was.

Vince introduces the detectives in the aisle, blowing their cover. Undertaker’s silhouette appears in the entrance but they don’t see him. Because they’re bad at their jobs you see.

We recap Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart. This started way back in 1993 when Owen was the only Hart eliminated at the Survivor Series, which he blamed on Bret. Owen and Bret then teamed up to try and win the Tag Team Titles, but Bret wouldn’t tag out when injured, leading to a referee stoppage.

They went on to have a classic at Wrestlemania X with Owen pinning Bret clean. Bret won the WWF World Title later in the night and the feud was on for the rest of the summer. Owen even won the King of the Ring (just like his brother the previous year) to earn another title shot. Tonight is the big blowoff inside a cage. This really was a great feud as you could see Owen’s point all along and it built up perfectly over time.

Earlier today, Owen and crony Jim Neidhart (Bret’s former partner) were in the cage and promised to destroy Bret once and for all tonight.

Bret is going to forget they’re family tonight because Owen will be crying a river of tears, just like he did when he was a baby.

The Hart Family, including Davey Boy Smith, is at ringside and Helen can’t believe this is happening. Stu hopes the best wrestler wins and sounds as only he can. Lawler accuses both of them of causing all of this and thinks Smith will turn on Bret again. Lawler: “Wouldn’t you love to be in there with Bret again tonight?” Smith: “Uh, not really.” Neidhart is behind Smith and says we’ll see Owen prove that he’s the better man once and for all. Bruce Hart spins around and says stay out of this.

Bret, recovering from strep throat, says his condition won’t change anything tonight. What we’re going to see tonight is barbaric and nothing like what they did when they were kids. Everyone wants things to end tonight and Bret is going to finish it to heal his family.

WWF World Title: Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart

Bret is defending in a cage with escape only to win. Owen goes right at him to start and hammers away during the entrances, followed by some hard right hands to the head. You can see Helen panicking over the whole thing and a DDT by Bret makes things even worse. It’s too early to escape though and Owen scores with some headbutts, followed by an enziguri to really rock Bret. He’s fine enough to suplex Owen off the cage and it’s a double knockdown.

Owen goes for the door so Bret bends him around the ropes for a save and drags him right back in. They’re setting up a good feel here with both of them going for the escape and being pulled back for more punishment. That ties in the idea of wanting to hurt each other but wanting to be the better man even more, which is really what this is all about. They both wind up on the top rope and slug it out with Owen knocking him down.

Instead of getting the easy climb out though, Owen comes back with a missile dropkick into a nipup. Both make some fast climbs up the cage but get pulled down for a crash each. A collision gives us another double knockdown as they’re taking their time building the drama, mainly because they’ve got the time to do so. It’s still too early for Owen to get out the door as Bret pulls him out, only to get pulled back down from the top for a hard crotching.

Bret is up fast enough for the headbutt between the legs but Owen pulls him down again. Owen gets closer to getting out than any other attempt yet, even getting his feet and legs out of the cage. Bret pulls him back in and sends Owen face first into the cage for a big knockdown. This time the climb is cut off by a belly to back superplex as the crashes and falls are getting bigger and bigger. A good piledriver plants Bret but he’s fine enough to catch a tired Owen again.

They both fall off the ropes this time for a breather until Bret catapults him face first into the cage. Owen has to literally dive over for a save and sends Bret into the cage, with the champ coming up holding his knee. The knee is fine enough to climb up and kick Owen away but he gets pulled back down by the arm.

Owen gets out again and you can feel the fans quiet down as he gets close. He’s pulled back in yet again and Bret kicks him down to the mat but it’s Owen’s turn for a last second save. Bret catches him in the corner and pulls Owen back down with a huge superplex (Bret always had a great one) and they’re both down again. Owen is up first with a Sharpshooter but Bret reverses into one of his own.

A little cranking has Owen down but, say it with me, he lunges over for the save by pulling Bret down hair first. They both climb and this time make it over the top, leaving them hanging on the side. Bret hits him in the ribs, causing Owen to slip and get tied up in the cage wall. That’s enough for Bret to drop down and retain at 32:18.

Rating: A+. I’ve had to say this about several Bret matches before but the wrestling isn’t the point here. This was all about telling a great story and that’s what we got. The thing to remember here is that they don’t hate each other but rather Owen wants to prove he’s better and Bret wants to shut Owen up. It explains why they weren’t trying to kill each other in what is usually a violent match. Instead, they were trying to win, which should be the case in most matches and especially one like this. Notice how the match ends: not with a big spot, but with Bret being one step better than Owen, which is the point of the feud.

It is slower paced and it does feel like they’re doing the same things over and over, but it’s a case of WHY they’re doing the same things over and over. They’re not trying to destroy each other and it really is about being the better man. Owen has gone off the deep end with trying to beat Bret, but it never felt like he wanted to hurt him. That might not make for the most exciting match, but it’s how things should have gone when you think about it.

Post match Neidhart jumps the barricade and clotheslines Davey, knocking him into his wife. Neidhart locks himself inside the cage and the double beatdown is on as Owen has completely snapped. The Hart Brothers storm the cage (always cool) but Owen keeps knocking them off. Davey finally punches Owen down (for a great bump) and gets in, sending Owen and Neidhart running as the rest of the brothers get inside as well.

In the back, Owen and Neidhart yell about how Owen should be the winner and Davey isn’t family. Owen: “Let’s go celebrate my victory!”

Survivor Series ad, making fun of football. Considering how meh that show was, I wouldn’t go that way.

We recap the Undertaker vs. Undertaker. Back in January, Undertaker was destroyed by about a dozen guys and put in a casket. Not to worry as he ascended out of the casket in one of the most ridiculous things you’ll ever see in wrestling. After being gone for several months (aside from some sightings, including by a young child in school), Ted DiBiase said he had seen Undertaker. Paul Bearer said no way but DiBiase brought him back, only to reveal that it was a fake Undertaker (played by Brian Adams, better known as Chainz). The lack of about three inches was a, ahem, dead giveaway.

With Undertaker succumbing to the power of money, Bearer went to the graveyard and said he had the real Undertaker again. After the lights went out one night on the King’s Court (Todd Pettengill: “Look at that brain surgeon Jerry Lawler.”), the real Undertaker said he was back and not with DiBiase. He would be around this coming Monday (at Summerslam) against whatever DiBiase had with him. This video gets well over five minutes as we need to get rid of the cage.

Undertaker vs. Undertaker

For the sake of simplicity, I’ll identify them by the colors of their gloves: gray for the fake one and purple for the real. DiBiase brings his man to the ring but Bearer comes out with just a casket. There’s nothing inside though and the casket is wheeled to the back. Instead Bearer opens the Urn to reveal a light….and here’s the real Undertaker. That certainly seems to be worth the wait for the fans.

Purple shrugs off some forearms to the back and leapfrogs (!) gray, who falls to the floor. Gray stalks Bearer and gets suplexed back inside for his troubles, only to be sent right back to the floor. A Stunner over the top staggers Purple but Old School just isn’t happening. The real Old School connects and now Lawler believes Bearer has the real thing.

Purple misses a charge and falls to the floor as Vince defends the silent crowd. More right hands from gray don’t have much effect but a good looking chokeslam gets….no cover. Gray goes with a Tombstone for no cover again as he spends too long pointing at DiBiase. Purple hits a Tombstone of his own, followed by a second for good measure. A third finally gives purple the pin at 9:10.

Rating: F. Well what was that supposed to be? The biggest problem here is the match was really, really bad with the Tombstone being the only thing worthwhile from the fake Undertaker. That leaves you with about eight minutes of lumbering forearms and right hands as the fans had no idea what to make of anything because there was nothing to get excited about. This would have been much easier to sit through if it didn’t come after twenty minutes of build and a great cage match. For the life of me I’m not sure how they thought this was going to work, but it failed miserably.

Gray gets put in the casket and purple poses before the Urn’s flashlight.

Savage wraps the show up but throws it to the detectives, who find a briefcase. “The case is closed.” That ends the show. Summerslam mind you, ends on a sight gag. I remember watching this live and my dad tried to explain the joke to me because at six years old, this went flying over my head. What a great way to end a show.

Overall Rating: D+. It’s certainly not the worst show as there’s enough good stuff to carry it past horrible, but my goodness they didn’t do themselves any favors here. There’s a reason that 1994 was one of the worst years in company history and this show was a good example. With the fake main event being such a mess, they’re lucky to have an instant classic in the real main event to bail it out. It’s watchable, but be ready to fast forward a lot.

Ratings Comparison

IRS/Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Headshrinkers

Original: C+
2013 Redo: D+

2018 Redo: D+

Alundra Blayze vs. Bull Nakano

Original: D+

2013 Redo: C

2018 Redo: B

Razor Ramon vs. Diesel

Original: B-

2013 Redo: C+

2018 Redo: B-

Lex Luger vs. Tatanka

Original: C-

2013 Redo: D

2018 Redo: D

Jeff Jarrett vs. Mabel

Original: D-

2013 Redo: D-

2018 Redo: F

Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart

Original: A

2013 Redo: A+

2018 Redo: A+

Undertaker vs. Undertaker

Original: B

2013 Redo: F

2018 Redo: F

Overall Rating

Original: C-

2013 Redo: D+

2018 Redo: D+

I still don’t know how I got a B out of the main event before and I really liked the women’s match more this time around. Other than that, it’s about the same all around.

Here’s the original review if you’re interested:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2011/07/28/history-of-summerslam-count-up-summerslam-1994-from-great-matches-to-leslie-nielsen/

And the 2013 Redo:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2013/07/30/summerslam-count-up-1994-the-last-great-cage-match/

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

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