WWE Vintage Collection Report (02/28/10)

WWE Vintage Collection Report: 28th February 2010
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund

Welcome aboard. This week’s WrestleMania Road Trip focuses on events 5 – 7 with four matches on cue. Let’s begin.

WrestleMania V: April 2nd 1989 – Trump Plaza
Mr Perfect vs The Blue Blazer
Announcers for this match are Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura. Both combatants were undefeated, making their first Mania appearances with Perfect also debuting his customary wrestling singlet. Perfect hiptosses and slaps Blazer around to begin, as Ventura states he’s close to finding out the Blazer’s true identity. Blazer retaliates with a drop toehold then prevents a second hiptoss by landing on his feet. Blazer dominates with several slams, a standing dropkick to the floor and baseball slide. Back inside, Blazer floats over a charge, going up and over Perfect to toss him to the mat. Blazer catches Perfect with a backbreaker, executes a bridging underhook suplex, before coming unstuck after a top rope splash is thwarted by Perfect’s knees. Perfect works over Blazer’s back with a reverse chinlock. After escaping and kicking Perfect away, Blazer uses a falling powerslam, belly to-belly suplex and crucifix to gather nearfalls. Blazer mistakenly turns away to dispute the last count, allowing Perfect to clock him with a stiff forearm. Perfect quickly puts the Blazer away with the Perfect-plex, which Ventura christens for the first time. This was a really good match. Perfect always sold for his opponents and gave Blazer (who was low on the WWF’s totem pole) a truckload of offense to establish him as a threat. Winner: MR PERFECT.

A Hall of Fame package airs on Ted DiBiase which leads to a set of promos to build a WrestleMania VI match between the Million Dollar Man and Jake “The Snake” Roberts. DiBiase had ‘injured’ Jake with a piledriver, so Jake stole DiBiase’s custom made Million Dollar title.

An enraged DiBiase says he’s beaten, embarrassed, humiliated Jake, put him in hospital, and he comes back and steals his property, one million dollars worth of gold and diamonds. DiBiase directs his anger at the WWF for forcing him to step in the ring and fight for something that already belongs to him, but resolves if that’s the way it’s gotta be, that’s the way it will be.

Jake taunts DiBiase, calling it the biggest match of his career because everything he stands for is on the line. Jake says the title can be DiBiase’s once again, all he has to do to get it back is go through him and Damian. Jake brings up DiBiase making people far less fortunate grovel for his money which could be used for essentials, humbling and humiliating them, but now it’s his turn. Jake promises to make DiBiase beg and get down on his hands and knees, making him the one that’s humbled, humiliated and grovelling for his own money, while being a victim of his own greed and wallowing in the muck of avarice.

In a WrestleMania moment Demolition defeat the Colossal Connection (Andre The Giant & Haku) to three-peat as Tag Team champions at WrestleMania VI. Postmatch, Andre turns babyface in what was his penultimate Mania appearance.

WrestleMania VI: April 1st 1990 – Toronto Skydome
Million Dollar Title: Ted DiBiase w/Virgil vs Jake “The Snake” Roberts
Time to join Gorilla and Jesse once more. Since the Million Dollar title is a non WWF sanctioned belt it can change hands on a DQ or countout. Jake gets the better of a hammerlock exchange to send DiBiase out of the ring. DiBiase counters a backbodydrop by dropping an elbow across the back of Jake’s neck then avoids a running kneelift which sends Jake crashing into the corner and down. DiBiase focuses on the neck with well placed knees and elbow drops. The crowd grow restless during a DiBiase front facelock and begin several Mexican waves. DiBiase stomps Jake to the floor where he pulls him shoulder first into the ringpost. Back inside, DiBiase delivers a piledriver then slaps on the Million Dollar dream (sleeper). Jake fades, but uses his ring savvy to drop his foot on the bottom rope. A frustrated DiBiase pays for going to the second rope as Jake delivers a gut punch. The crowd chant DDT as Jake goes after DiBiase with clotheslines, an inverted atomic drop and backbodydrop. Jake fires up the crowd once more, then delivers his prelude to the DDT, that being a short arm clothesline. Jake finally signals for the end. DiBiase hooks the referee’s leg to stop Jake from trying for the DDT. The announcers lament Jake‘s delay in going for the DDT. Virgil pulls Jake to the floor. Jake slams him, before getting caught by DiBiase’s Million Dollar dream on the floor. Jake wipes DiBiase and himself out by running into the ringpost. Virgil places DiBiase back in the ring to beat the referee’s count. DiBiase regains his property. Virgil collects DiBiase’s belt and begins to count some money. Jake clotheslines both from behind, then sends Virgil into his boss as the money goes flying. Virgil manages to hightail it to the back with the belt, as Jake manages a consolation DDT on DiBiase. Ventura states ‘too little, too late,’ but then gets angry at Jake for dishing out DiBiase’s spilt money to lucky fans seated ringside. Winner via countout: MILLION DOLLAR MAN TED DIBIASE.

In another WrestleMania moment Jake is the victor at WrestleMania VII in the first blindfold match against the Model Rick Martel. Jake gives Martel the snake treatment afterwards as revenge for being blinded by Martel’s arrogance canister.

Before we see the beginning of the Undertaker’s legendary Mania streak, a promo airs with him and Paul Bearer in preparation for the Deadman’s match with Jimmy Snuka. Bearer says the clock is ticking down on Jimmy Superfly Snuka. He wants Snuka to climb that top rope and jump off. Taker cuts in telling Snuka he’s not going to like where he lands, as he unscrews the top off the urn while Bearer laughs.

WrestleMania VII: March 24th 1991 – Los Angeles, California
The Undertaker w/Paul Bearer vs Superfly Jimmy Snuka
We join this match in progress with Bobby Heenan joining Gorilla Monsoon on commentary. Paul Bearer had replaced the recently departed Brother Love as Undertaker’s manager and was a much better fit. The announcers speculate on the urn’s contents, while constantly getting Bearer over as ‘sick.’ Bearer would laugh maniacally, holding the urn in the air whenever Undertaker was on offense, but clutch it close to his heart whenever the Deadman missed a maneuver. Undertaker is tattoo free at this point as he suplexes Snuka back into the ring from the apron. Undertaker misses an elbow drop, but instantly sits up. Snuka’s headbutts and chops don’t even faze Undertaker who avoids a flying tackle to send the Superfly bouncing off the top rope and to the floor. Snuka tries a springboard clothesline off the top rope, but Undertaker catches him and delivers the tombstone piledriver to put the ‘fly to rest. Squashtastic. Winner: THE UNDERTAKER.

In our third and final WrestleMania moment for this week, Undertaker goes 2-0 at WrestleMania VIII after tombstoning an evil Jake “The Snake” Roberts to defeat.

A set of promos air from Ravishing Rick Rude and Ultimate Warrior before they square off for the Intercontinental Title at WrestleMania V. Rude had attacked Warrior with an iron bar at the 1989 Royal Rumble after Warrior defeated him in a super posedown to set up the match.

Rude asks if Warrior’s ready, stating it’s not a super posedown and the crowd won’t decide. They are the only two that can decide the outcome. Rude doesn’t doubt Warrior’s strength and power, but warns Warrior that he doesn’t know what kind of a man Rude is. Rude says Warrior is the odds on favourite, but declares in the end that Ravishing Rick Rude will be the ultimate Intercontinental Champion. Rude turns to flex his arms and bum showing an airbrushed picture of himself on the back of his tights (Warrior’s face was on the front).

An oiled up Warrior calls Rude a nervous wreck, warning him that by not accepting defeat at the Royal Rumble, he will pounce and come back with even more fire and fury. Warrior speculates on jumping off the highest building, letting lawnmowers run over him and having raging elephants trample him in Africa as methods of training before saying Rude can not prepare for the most intense battle in his entire life. He must live with the fear, hatred and everything Warrior will bring. Rude has no place to run and hide. There is no escape. Gotta love the wackiness of the Warrior.

WrestleMania V: April 2nd 1989 – Trump Plaza
Intercontinental Title: Ultimate Warrior vs Ravishing Rick Rude w/Bobby Heenan
Warrior throws Rude around like a rag doll in the corner in the early going. Rude pokes the eyes to escape a bearhug. Rude hits an impressive top rope missile dropkick, but Warrior no-sells a cover, dishing out slams and returning to the bearhug. The referee prevents Rude from two cheap shots, so Rude rakes the face. Once again Warrior comes charging right back, biting away on Rude’s face and launching him in the air with a backbodydrop. Rude gets his knees up to prevent a Warrior splash, before delivering a piledriver. Rude struggles into a cover, with the announcers summising the momentary delay has prevented Rude from winning. Rude grimaces in pain as he tries and fails to gyrate, leading Ventura to speculate on all the broken hearts from women as a result. A single clothesline and side Russian legsweep fail to put Warrior away, so Rude applies a modified surfboard, stretching out Warrior’s arms. On his knees, Warrior crawls to the ropes where he shakes them maniacally to re-energise and throw Rude off his back. Warrior launches into a comeback consisting of a flying tackle, two faceplants and backbreaker. Rude counters a second backbreaker by dropping Warrior into the ropes. Yet again, Warrior doesn’t sell a thing and begins to throw Rude around in the corners. Even Ventura is surprised when Rude dodges a charge and Warrior splashes into the corner. Rude goes for the Rude Awakening, but Warrior counters with a clothesline to the floor. After a second clothesline to the floor, Warrior prepares for a suplex from the apron. Heenan, quiet all match, grabs Warrior’s leg, as Rude falls on top, and Heenan crouches under the apron out of view while holding Warrior’s leg down as the referee counts 1-2-3. New Intercontinental champion! Winner: RAVISHING RICK RUDE. Warrior stalks Heenan into the ring as Rude gets out of dodge with his belt. Warrior gives Heenan a clumsy press slam onto his back before chasing Rude up the ramp. This match was really brutal on Rude who struggled to gather any serious momentum due to Warrior’s refusal to sell anything. Their SummerSlam rematch was a lot better.

Overall a pretty good selection this week, with a barnburner of an opener and the other matches providing some vintage nostalgia, if for nothing else.

The Road Trip continues next week. Shaun.

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