WWE Vintage Collection Report: February 12th 2012
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
This week, some of the greatest feuds/rivalries get put under the spotlight.
WWE Monday Night Raw: June 24th 2002
Loser Leaves Raw: Raven vs Tommy Dreamer
This was a marquee feud back in the original ECW. Dreamer won a “Loser Leaves ECW” bout in mid-1997, to mark the end of a barren run of defeats against Raven. However, the feud was clearly treated as an afterthought in WWE. Vince McMahon basically said he hated both men and wanted to shift some of the “deadweight” from Raw. Security surround ringside ready to escort the loser out and Jim Ross reminds us that SmackDown! isn’t an option for whoever comes up short. Raven pounds away, hitting a clothesline, kneelift and a knee to the back of the head from the top rope. Dreamer counters a running bulldog by sending Raven face first to the corner. Dreamer delivers a powerslam, ducks under a clothesline and catches his foe with a neckbreaker. Dreamer posts himself in the corner, but manages to escape the Raven Effect DDT. Raven turns a Death Valley Driver into a reverse DDT, before Dreamer hits the DVD at the second attempt and sends Raven on a one way ticket to Heat. The match didn’t even go three minutes. Winner: TOMMY DREAMER. After the bell, Dreamer feigns disbelief in the ring, while Raven calls it “a bunch of crap.” Security escort Raven to the back, where if memory serves, Matt Hardy gives him another beating as we cut away at this point. As predicted earlier, this wasn’t a patch on their ECW rivalry. The WWE really missed the boat on Raven as, even during his “exile,” he made Heat entertaining, making it his “personal playground.” In addition, he was also devising a gimmick based on the film “Seven,” which would unfortunately never really get off the ground. Raven would win a return to Raw at the start of 2003, only to be beaten by Jeff Hardy then released. Despite having a great mind for the business, Raven has definitely been a victim of wrestling politics.
During the March 30th 1998 episode of WCW Nitro, Chris Jericho makes light of Dean Malenko being the man of 1,000 holds, bragging that he knows four more. Jericho proceeds to pull out a sheet of paper and rattles them off one-by-one.
WCW Nitro: July 27th 1998
Cruiserweight Title: Chris Jericho vs Dean Malenko
It’s win or bust for Malenko as WCW Commissioner JJ Dillon has ruled it’s the Iceman’s last shot at Jericho and his title. Malenko comes out with a purpose, but gets dropkicked before he can even enter the ring. Jericho works Malenko over on the floor. Inside, Jericho takes flight, only to be met in mid-air with a dropkick. Both go back-and-forth telegraphing the other’s moves. Jericho lands on his feet after Malenko pushes him from the top rope to block a Frankensteiner attempt. Malenko gets to the ropes to stop a liontamer being applied. Jericho knocks Malenko off the apron with a springboard dropkick then lands on top of him with a plancha.
Malenko strikes back with a heel kick, release german suplex and corner clothesline. Jericho reverses a suplex and hits a lionsault across Malenko’s back for a two count. Both block suplex attempts, before Malenko executes a butterfly powerbomb. Malenko goes for the Texas Cloverleaf, but Jericho is too close to the ropes. Jericho crotches a perched Malenko, heads up to meet him and eats a huge DDT. Malenko covers, but the plucky Jericho clutches the ropes once more. Jericho rolls outside to pull some brass knuckles out of his boot. Malenko meets Jericho as he gets back in and stomps a mudhole. Malenko piefaces/shoves the referee away then goes to check on him. Jericho misses a knuckle duster and eats a knuckle sandwich. Malenko foolishly celebrates by hoisting the knuckles into the air. The referee sees this and calls for the DQ. Malenko walks to the back as a KO’d Jericho gets his arm raised and his belt draped across his chest. Winner via DQ: CHRIS JERICHO. Malenko would avenge this loss by serving as special referee and helping Juventud Guerrera beat Jericho for the title at the Road Wild PPV.
WWF Monday Night Raw: December 9th 1996
No Holds Barred: The Undertaker vs Mankind w/Paul Bearer
The Deadman was gearing up to face the Executioner (aka the late Terry Gordy) in an Armageddon Rules match at the upcoming In Your House: “It’s Time” PPV. Undertaker scares Bearer off the apron then puts Mankind down with a flying clothesline, rope walk shot and chokeslam. The Executioner runs out to stop the tombstone piledriver and gets stalked to the back by the Deadman.
Undertaker takes the fight to the outside and attempts to disarm any potential Mandible Claw by mangling Mankind’s hand with the ringsteps. Inside, Mankind ducks under a big boot, clips a leg, then utilises kicks and a chokehold. Both spill over the top rope from a Mankind clothesline. On the floor, Mankind quickly reverses Undertaker into the ringsteps. Mankind sets Undertaker’s leg across a chair and leaps off the apron, crashing into it with a flying elbow.
Undertaker uses his good leg to push Mankind into the guardrail when Mankind tries to pull him out of the ring. Undertaker slams Mankind across the Spanish announce table. Mankind clips the leg once more when Undertaker tries to re-enter the ring. Mankind drop toeholds his way out of a chokeslam then grabs a chair. Undertaker kicks and punches the chair into Mankind’s face. Undertaker goes for a tombstone, but Mankind applies the dreaded claw and Undertaker sinks down. Undertaker fights back up to hang Mankind upside down in the corner. Mankind charges into the tombstone piledriver and it’s all over. Winner: THE UNDERTAKER. The Executioner runs back out to choke Undertaker with a spike, but Undertaker would put him to the sword at the PPV.
WCW/NJPW Rumble in the Rising Sun: March 21st 1991
Sting vs The Great Muta
Muta sprays Green mist in the air as streamers fall around the ring. Yes we’re in Japan. Various superstars such as Masahiro Chono, Flyin’ Brian and the Steiners surround the ring as “seconds” for their respective countrymen. Muta jumps Sting, hitting a quick handspring backelbow and backbreaker. Sting avoids Muta’s patented moonsault, but Muta lands on his feet and enziguiri’s Sting out of the ring. Muta follows with a pescado. Now Red mist comes out of Muta’s mouth. Inside, Sting stops Air Muta with a knee to the gut. Sting presses Muta over his shoulders, walks around the ring and dumps him on the floor. Jim Ross reminds us that’s a DQ in WCW, but thankfully not here. Sting clears the top rope with a suicide dive then slows the pace with several front facelocks. In between holds, Muta nearly breaks his neck from a Sting monkey flip. Failing to fully rotate, Muta thankfully manages to faceplant the mat. The lesser of two evils if you ask me. Sting ducks under a martial arts kick to hit a running bulldog. Sting follows Muta to the floor to drop him across the guardrail, then use the turnbuckles to his advantage. Sting attempts the Scorpion Deathlock, but Muta makes the ropes before Sting can sit back on the hold.
Muta spin kicks Sting to the corner. A snapmare is quickly followed by a spinning elbow. Sting sustains a chinlock, avoids a second handspring backelbow, but misses a Stinger splash. Muta delivers a backbreaker, attempts the moonsault again and meets Sting’s knees. Muta falls on top of a press slam attempt for a nearfall. Muta sets up for a third moonsault, but Sting dropkicks him from behind and delivers a back superplex for a two count. Sting tries the Randy Savage elbow, only to come up short. Both men cancel each other out with simultaneous clothesline and dropkick attempts. Sting counters a hiptoss into a backslide, while Muta reverses a slam into an inside cradle. Muta foils a second Deathlock attempt by again reaching out to the ropes. Sting re-attempts the Stinger splash, only to be sprayed with Green mist. Muta springs to the top rope, coming off with a cross body to the blinded Stinger. Muta hooks the leg and, the referee, who’s none the wiser counts the 1-2-3. Winner: THE GREAT MUTA. An incensed Sting punishes Muta with the Stinger splash and Scorpion Deathlock after the bell while the outside observers pile into the ring and have a brief skirmish. This was a cracking match. Both had great chemistry and the action was fast paced for the most part.
We cross more enemy lines next week.
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