WWE Vintage Collection Report (05/09/10)

WWE Vintage Collection Report: 9th May 2010
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund

Welcome aboard to the first in a two week retrospective on the career of the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels.

Shawn’s emotional farewell speech from the March 29th 2010 episode of Raw opens up the show. To quote Shawn, “This is how we started and this is how we’re going to end. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels has left the building.” Let’s go back to where it all started for ol’ HBK.

Superstars of Wrestling: June 18th 1988
The Rockers vs Iron Mike Sharpe & The Intruder
This was the TV debut of the Rockers and can also be seen as an extra on the “Before They Were Superstars 2” DVD. An inset promo airs as the match is in progress. Jannetty: “From Austin to Boston, from Maine to Spain, the Rockers are coming and they’ve got one thing in mind.” Michaels: “That’s right, at the top of the heap is Demolition. Everybody is saying they can’t be beat and there’s nothing that turns on the Rockers more than being told you can’t do something, so everybody look over your shoulders because here we come. Woo.” Early in the bout Jannetty takes Sharpe out with several dropkicks. On commentary, Vince McMahon calls the Rockers “tag team specialists.” Jesse Ventura doesn’t disagree but doubts they have the credentials to beat Demolition, noting Strike Force’s unsuccessful attempt and being bigger in size than the Rockers. After the Rockers isolate Intruder with fast tags a plenty, Michaels lands a top rope fistdrop, armdrags Jannetty on top and dropkicks Sharpe out of commission, while the referee registers the 1-2-3. Winners: THE ROCKERS. This was a good showcase, although Sharpe was a little difficult to move around the ring.

Superstars of Wrestling: December 28th 1991
WWF Tag Team Titles: Legion of Doom vs The Rockers
Fast forward three and a half years and there’s some dissension in the Rockers camp. Vince McMahon is joined by Mr Perfect on commentary. Hawk presses Michaels above his head so Jannetty provides an assist for Michaels to execute a headscissors. Hawk pops up immediately to take down Michaels. Hawk misses a top rope clothesline and easily thwarts a Michaels sunset flip attempt. Animal delivers a powerslam, but Michaels gets his knees up to stop a splash. Michaels aids a Jannetty sunset flip by superkicking Animal over for a nearfall. Hawk runs in to plant Michaels. LOD have the Rockers set up in the corner. Jannetty flips over his partner to land on his feet. The Rockers floor Hawk with a double superkick and duck an Animal lunge. Animal catches a Jannetty cross body, Michaels goes to dropkick his partner on top, but at the last second Animal turns and the dropkick hits him in the back, resulting in Animal falling on top of Jannetty for the 1-2-3. Clever finish but the match was a little awkward as LOD seemed reluctant to sell for their opponents. Winners: LEGION OF DOOM. Post match, the dissension boils over as Michaels chastises his partner, rebuffs apologies, shoves Jannetty, and points a finger into his chest. Two slaps send Jannetty over the edge as he grabs Michaels by the throat, before releasing, unable to follow through and hit his partner. The crowd boo Michaels who’s left alone in the ring.

We see the Rockers implode on the January 12th 1992 edition of Wrestling Challenge. Guests on the Barber Shop segment, Michaels superkicks Jannetty then throws him through a plate glass window, before tearing up a copy of WWF magazine that was carrying an article on the Rockers. “Is there a problem with the Rockers? I don’t think so.”

Sean Mooney introduces one of Michaels’s first promos as a heel singles wrestler, describing Michaels as a “new kid on the block in the singles ranks,” who believes “becoming champion will be like taking candy from a baby.”

Stood with a lovelorn and smitten Sensational Sherri, the “Boy Toy” says: “Every once in a great while an athlete comes to a sport and completely sets himself apart from all the rest. I got news for ya, that man in the World Wrestling Federation is Shawn Michaels. He is the hottest thing to ever grace these rings and I’ve got news for just about everybody in the World Wrestling Federation that I mean business. (Michaels takes off his shades and rests them down Sherri’s cleavage). I am a high performance, state of the art wrestling machine and I’m aerodynamically designed to cut my way through every bit of competition that the World Wrestling Federation sees fit to put in front of me and I’ve got news for everybody, I’m going through every one of them.” Sherri kept her attention on Michaels throughout the promo, gushing all over him like a lovesick teenager. Mooney speculates on the new partnership and asks if Michaels can keep his mind on the action in the ring.

Okerlund quickly goes over Michaels dumping Sherri and replacing her with bodyguard Diesel.

August 17th 1993: Steel Cage Match-Intercontinental Title
Shawn Michaels w/Diesel vs Marty Jannetty
This match, taped for the 1994 Coliseum Video release “Bloopers, Bleeps & Bodyslams” was effectively the blowoff to the longstanding Michaels and Jannetty feud, which had constantly stopped/started during the last 18 months. Both are wrestling in the old-school blue style cage. Gorilla Monsoon and Johnny Polo are the announcers, with Polo constantly mocking “Marty Confetti.” We join proceedings during the closing stages. Jannetty atomic drops Michaels into the cage. Both take it in turns to toss each other from the top of the cage to the mat. Jannetty kicks at Diesel through the cage as he tries to interfere. An angry Diesel starts to climb the cage, but Jannetty works over him. Michaels takes advantage of the distraction to slither out and retain his title, with Jannetty dropping down to the floor a few seconds later. Jannetty’s post match protests fall on deaf ears. Winner: SHAWN MICHAELS.

The infamous Ladder match from WrestleMania X (March 20th 1994) is replayed. Razor Ramon becomes undisputed Intercontinental champion after Michaels locks his foot in the ropes, allowing the Bad Guy to climb the ladder and retrieve the belt.

After WrestleMania, Michaels stayed out of the ring for four months to host an interview segment called the “Heartbreak Hotel” and managed bodyguard Diesel to an Intercontinental title triumph over Razor. Our next match features HBK’s first match back against none other than Razor, who was just weeks away from a rematch with Diesel at SummerSlam. Pre-match promos air from both. Razor says after he’s done he won’t have to worry about Michaels at SummerSlam. HBK retorts that he makes all his dates and to trust him that Razor won’t make it to SummerSlam.

Monday Night Raw: August 1st 1994
Shawn Michaels w/Diesel vs Razor Ramon
Announcers are Vince McMahon and Randy Savage. Both stand face-to-face. Michaels shoves, then uses quickness to evade and counter a back suplex into a double leg takedown. Michaels cockily walks over Razor, prompting the Bad Guy to jump up and deck Michaels before irish whipping him over the top rope. Razor keeps Michaels on the floor by punching him off the apron. Michaels goes to the eyes, dives off the top rope and gets caught with a gut punch. Michaels counters a backbodydrop with a swinging neckbreaker. Razor comes back by catching Michaels with a fallaway slam. Michaels escapes an armbar to choke Razor in the corner then catch him with a dropkick. Michaels and Diesel choke Razor in the ropes. Razor absorbs a chinlock, then counters a hiptoss into a backslide for a nearfall. Michaels clotheslines and goes back to the chinlock.

After a commercial break, both are groggy, but Razor flips Michaels upside down in the corner and catches him with a clothesline. Michaels prevents a backsuperplex by elbowing Razor to the mat. Michaels launches into a moonsault, Razor catches him and rolls through 1-2-no. Michaels delivers a quick superkick, falling into a cover of his own 1-2-no. Michaels calls for the Razor’s Edge, Razor prevents with a backbodydrop then breaks away to punch at Diesel, who’s climbed onto the apron. Michaels grabs the IC Title, Razor foils an attack with another backbodydrop, but as the referee disposes of the title, Michaels sends Razor into a big boot from Diesel. A dazed Razor is easy pickings for a Michaels schoolboy and the 1-2-3. Winner: SHAWN MICHAELS. After the match, Michaels and Diesel continue to beat on Razor with Diesel keeping referees at bay by threatening violence. This was a very good match.

HBK’s first Royal Rumble victory (January 22nd 1995) is quickly recapped. Michaels (from #1) and British Bulldog (#2) are the last two in. Bulldog thinks he’s won after tossing Michaels, but “only one of Shawn Michaels’s feet hit the floor,” enabling HBK to come back in and shove Bulldog out.

We switch gears to the middle of 1995 and in the midst of the WWF’s “New Generation” era, Michaels had turned babyface. Our next match is just six days before Michaels would successfully challenge Double J Jeff Jarrett for the Intercontinental Title at the In Your House 3 PPV.

Monday Night Raw: July 17th 1995
Shawn Michaels vs IRS w/Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase
Once again, only the closing stages air. Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler are on commentary. IRS is in control with a chinlock and slam, but eats boot following a top rope jump. Michaels nips up, sends IRS into the corner, hits a flying forearm, then springs off the top rope with a double axehandle for a nearfall. IRS ducks under a superkick to clothesline Michaels. IRS irish whips, Michaels floats over a crawling charge and nails the superkick at the second attempt. 1-2-3. IRS was WCW bound at this point. Winner: SHAWN MICHAELS.

The latest Intercontinental title reign doesn’t last long as Michaels is forced to forfeit it to Dean (Shane) Douglas on October 22nd 1995 at the In Your House 4 PPV. Sporting big bags under his eyes, a glum Michaels was banged up after being attacked outside a nightclub by a number of angry marines. A serious sounding Vince McMahon narrates, describing it as a “serious matter being investigated by the Syracuse Police department. Vince adds, “In an unprovoked attack outside a Syracuse nightclub late last Friday night, Shawn Michaels was attacked in a parking lot by some ten thugs. Mr Michaels was pulled from a car and repeatedly battered in the face to the extent that he lost consciousness. As a result of that he was taken to the hospital.”

Michaels adds his comments via telephone as we watch an ungrateful Douglas snatch the title away before Michaels can vacate it to president Gorilla Monsoon.

“Getting beat up by nine guys in Syracuse to me there is not a whole lot of shame in, but, to have to walk out and give somebody who I think is extremely overrated and really undeserving my belt that I worked day and night and since I was 12 years old to get, to me it was the hardest thing I ever did.” Douglas’s reign only lasted a few minutes as Razor Ramon challenged him to a match and won the belt but that isn’t shown or mentioned here.

Monday Night Raw: November 20th 1995
Shawn Michaels vs Owen Hart w/Jim Cornette & Mr Fuji
Reality was turned into storyline here with regards to Michaels’s injuries. Michaels had only just returned from the Syracuse incident the night before at the Survivor Series, winning an eight man wildcard match. We pick things up with Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler during the last few minutes. Owen is in control until Michaels counters a superplex by shifting his weight on top. Michaels lands a flying forearm and plays possum, waiting for Owen to get back to his feet before nipping up. Michaels connects with another flying foreram, slam and top rope elbow. Owen is sent front first to the corner, but is able to turn away to thwart a superkick attempt. Michaels grabs a leg as he tries to pull Owen out of the corner. Owen holds the ropes to steady himself before connecting with the dreaded enziguiri kick of doom. Michaels goes down, but is able to go to the eyes to stop Owen from locking in the Sharpshooter. Both exchange counters until the two take a spill outside from a Michaels clothesline. Ever the showman, Michaels is able to skin the cat back in and starts to dance until he clutches his head and crumples in a heap. Owen, Fuji and Cornette all freeze on the outside to show concern as the match is ruled a NO CONTEST. EMT’s spend several minutes tending to Michaels while Vince and Lawler put down their headsets to enter the ring. As an oxygen mask is placed onto Michaels, Pat Patterson tries to talk to him, but Michaels is barely responsive. Fans look on anxiously as this controversial angle seemingly has everyone fooled. While there was an initial backlash to the angle, it fuelled HBK’s big comeback at the start of 1996 which led to the “Boyhood Dream coming true at WrestleMania XII.”

Okerlund hypes a revenge match against Owen Hart (probably from In Your House 6) as part of next week’s show, before signing off.

Phewph! They managed to cram a lot into this week’s show, and although it flowed quite nicely, I would prefer that it was spaced out over a month. HBK is certainly deserving of a month’s worth of shows. Week 1 could have focused on the Rockers in the AWA and WWF and finished at the split, Week 2 could pick things up from the Barber Shop and showcase the heel and boyhood dream eras, Week 3 could be dedicated to DX and the final week could feature the triumphant comeback from 2002 onwards. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this week’s show and am looking forward to next week’s offering. While I’ve had my grievances with HBK at various points in his career, you can’t argue about the man’s ability and talent inside the ring, and I just want to take this opportunity to say thank you Shawn for all the matches, moments and entertainment you’ve provided.

See you next week. Shaun.

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