wrestling recap

Wrestling Recap: Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn (Hardcore Heaven ’99)

Dr. K2 Comments

The Date: 16 May 1999
The Venue: Mid-Hudson Civic Centre; Poughkeepsie, New York
The Commentary: Joey Styles
The Referee: John Finegan
The Stakes: Singles match for the ECW World Television Championship

The Build-Up:
In the nineties, while the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) dominated the professional wrestling scene in an all-out war for television ratings, Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) offered an alterative product to its mainstream counterparts. Originally known as Eastern Championship Wrestling, ECW was re-branded in 1993 by pro wrestling genius Paul Heyman and quickly grew a cult following with the rabid Philadelphia crowd at the ECW Arena. While making waves with its violent and controversial matches and content, ECW also offered no-nonsense wrestling, greatly inspired the WWF’s “Attitude Era”, and gave future wrestling stars a chance to hone their craft. Up until 1997, ECW primarily presented non-televised supercard events from the ECW Arena, but Heyman got his big break with his first pay-per-view, Barely Legal, on this day in 1997. Unquestionably, one of ECW’s biggest stars was “Mr. Monday Night” Rob Van Dam, a trainee of the legendary Sheik who started out as enhancement talent for various independent promotions and WCW before honing his craft in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and being signed by Heyman in 1996. Depicted as a stoner, RVD made a name for himself with his rivalry with Sabu, which saw him transform into an arrogant heel, and his career-defining run with the ECW World Television Championship, which lasted 700 days! Widely considered one of RVD’s greatest rivals, Jerry Lynn had numerous clashes with RVD before and after his TV Championship reign, most notably earning this shot at the belt after declaring himself “The New Fuckin’ Show” and vowing to relieve RVD of the championship.

The Match:
This classic bout for the ECW Television Championship, a belt made famous my ECW’s most charismatic star, RVD, started with a lot of postering by “The Whole Fuckin’ Show” and his ever-annoying manager, Bill Alfonso, as they milked the crowd’s anticipation, laid down the law with the referee, and played into RVD’s arrogant character. Once the bell rang, however, Jerry Lynn wasted no time in going for the attack, fitting considering how badly he “coveted” the belt. Lynn’s opening wristlock kicked off an extended showcase of both men’s athleticism and wrestling fundamentals as RVD flipped his way into an advantageous position, took Lynn to the mat with a headlock, and the two effortlessly exchanged wristlocks, hammerlocks, and takedowns, proving themselves evenly matched and earning the respect and appreciation of the raucous ECW crowd. The next exchange emphasised their speed as both men shot off the ropes, ducked and dodged running attacks, and ended up in that classic wrestling standoff, with even the cocksure RVD giving his opponent his props for his quickness. Despite Alfonso’s irritating whistling, the crowd chanting the cocky champion’s name, and RVD’s showboating, Lynn remained laser focused and went right back working over the champion in the corner. Again, though, RVD proved too quick and constantly slipped out of every attack and Lynn answered right back, awkwardly flipping out of RVD’s patented corner monkey flip and leading to another stalemate. An errant elbow from the challenger caught RVD above the eyebrow, causing a minor wound that Alfonso tried to use as an excuse to call the match off, but RVD simply shrugged it off and went back to work with some martial arts kicks. The two then fought on the ring apron, with RVD missing a top rope backflip and being dumped out of the ring from Lynn’s springboard dropkick. However, RVD clumsily caught and countered Lynn’s top-rope dive and both men crashed to the concrete.

When the duo proved evenly matched, RVD upped his attack on the outside to gain the advantage.

RVD returned to the ring the hard way when Lynn stunned him with a dropkick and then hit a guillotine leg drop from the top rope that saw RVD folded up like an accordion on the ring apron! This scored Lynn the first near fall of the match and saw him work RVD over in the corner with some chops and a ludicrous avalanche bulldog…for a two count! When Lynn went back up to continue his assault, Alfonso tripped him and sent him crotch-first into the ropes, though Lynn fought the little weasel off and acquired a steel chair in the process, leading to a sickening shot to RVD’s head. The champion basically no-sold this, however, as he immediately crotched Lynn and sent him tumbling to the outside with a springboard kick. RVD took his time stalking Lynn and hauling the dead weight of his challenger back to his feet, then spitefully launched Lynn into and over the security guardrail. RVD followed up with an impressive flying clothesline, leading the dazed and bleeding Lynn to answer with a dropkick that sent RVD scurrying back into the ring. Lynn (who was either legitimately hurt or really good at selling), stumbled after him and even tangled RVD up with a rollup after dodging a corner attack. Although Lynn couldn’t hit a piledriver or avoid a rolling leg drop, he did roll out of the way of RVD’s Rolling Thunder. However, when Lynn went for a Tornado DDT out of the corner, RVD impressively countered into a Northern Lights Suplex pin for a near fall. With both men back in the corner again and battling on the top rope, Lynn took RVD to the mat with an avalanche sunset flip for another near fall then just decked him with a short-arm clothesline. With RVD down, Lynn set up a table at ringside but was again tossed into the front row when RVD intercepted him and ate a steel chair to the face thanks to an assist from Alfonso and a Van Daminator from the guardrail. However, Lynn quickly answered back by ramming RVD’s head off the ring post and teasing a top-rope hurricanrana through the table, only to be clunkily back body dropped through the wood!

The back and forth action culminated in RVD’s victory and a show of mutual respect.

RVD soon doubled down with a corkscrew guillotine leg drop off the top rope and across the prone Lynn’s back as he dangled over the railing. When Lynn still kicked out from the follow-up pin, RVD targeted his left knee and flip-dropkicked the steel chair into his face. RVD then countered a Tornado DDT onto the apron with a clothesline and a flying leg drop for another two count. Frustrated and impressed by his opponent’s resolve, RVD was sent through the ringside table when Lynn hit a sunset flip over the top rope and through the wood! RVD still kicked out of a pin fall and dodged a chair shot, but Lynn threw the chair in Alfonso’s face and nailed a nice bridging German Suplex for a near fall, though both men tumbled to the mat while fighting on the top rope in what could’ve easily been a very dangerous botch. A hush fell over the crowd as Lynn kicked out of the pin fall, but they soon got back into the action when Lynn dropkicked the steel chair into RVD’s face for a near fall. A clumsy pinning and reversal sequence saw Lynn switch his Cradle Piledriver attempt into a roll up and RVD hit the Split-Legged Moonsault for a two count. After slipping out of Lynn’s Inverted DDT attempt, RVD nailed a beautiful Five-Star Frog Splash, only for Lynn to roll into a pinning attempt. In the end, it was Alfonso who was the difference maker as he tossed the steel chair back into the ring, leading to a second Van Daminator and another Five-Star Frog Splash for RVD to retain his championship, though both RVD and Alfonso gave Lynn his props during their celebration. This was a very athletic and impressive showing from both men, though I would’ve preferred to see the stalling replaced with the guys selling the punishment they were dishing out as it seemed they were back on their feet far too quickly off the bigger moves. I liked how they made good use of all the space and were constantly portrayed as evenly matched, with both men easily dodging, countering, and exchanging strikes, holds, and crazy moves with tables and chairs. It felt as though the match could end at any moment and either man could be the victor, and they definitely built up a lot of anticipation and paced things out well, and the sloppier aspects actually fed into this narrative really well.

The Aftermath:
Rob Van Dam and Jerry Lynn’s iconic clash for the ECW World Television Championship was so well received that Paul Heyman opted to air the match in its entirety when ECW debuted on TNN. Given that a mutual respect had been earned between the two competitors, RVD and Lynn teamed up at ECW’s next pay-per-view, Heat Wave, to take on the Impact Players. While the duo won the match, RVD did accidentally hit Lynn with the Five-Star Frog Plash while aiming for Lance Storm. Despite this, Lynn branched off to feud with Storm and, later, Yoshihiro Tajiri and Super Crazy while RVD continued to defend his championship in a career-defining reign. Unfortunately, a broken ankle meant RVD was forced to vacate the belt and, when he returned at the 2000 Hardcore Heaven event, it was to face Lynn once again. This time, Lynn was victorious thanks to interference by Scott Anton, though RVD got another win over his rival at the start of 2001 in what turned out to be RVD’s final ECW match. Despite both men competing for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) during and after the ill-fated “Invasion” angle, their paths wouldn’t cross until they were in Total Nonstop Action (TNA), where RVD defeated Lynn on five separate occasions.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

What did you think to this classic match between Rob Van Dam and Jerry Lynn? Who were you rooting for at the time? Were you a fan of Rob Van Dam’s time in ECW? What did you think to the two being portrayed as evenly matched? Do you agree that there could’ve been a bit more selling of the bigger moves? Did you watch ECW back in the day and, if so, who were some of your favourite wrestlers and what were some of your favourite matches and moments? Whatever your thoughts, feel free to leave them below, support me on Ko-Fi, and be sure to check out my other ECW content across the site!

Wrestling Recap: Hogan vs. Warrior (WrestleMania VI)

Dr. KLeave a comment

The Date: 1 April 1990
The Venue: SkyDome; Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The Commentary: Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse “The Body” Ventura
The Referee: Earl Hebner
The Stakes: “The Ultimate Challenge” singles match for the WWF Championship and the Intercontinental Championship

The Build-Up:
On 31 March 1985, Vince McMahon took a massive gamble on WrestleMania, a wrestling extravaganza watched by over one million viewers that forever changed the wrestling landscape. Today, WrestleMania is a peerless premier wrestling event known for career-defining matches and iconic “WrestleMania Moments”, with easily one of the most memorable of these being this unprecedented contest between Intercontinental Champion the Ultimate Warrior and WWF Champion “The Immortal” Hulk Hogan. After years of Hogan being the undisputed face of the WWF and easily the most mainstream star in professional wrestling, McMahon wanted a passing of the torch to a new hero for the ages and so cooked up “The Ultimate Challenge” for the Hulkster. Born James Hellwig, the man who became known as the Ultimate Warrior (and, later, simply “Warrior”) started out as an amateur bodybuilder. After being spotted while training, Hellwig agreed to join a group of other bodybuilders (including Steve Borden) as a professional wrestling team. After touring the independent scene and teaming with Borden as the Blade Runners, the Ultimate Warrior initially made his name in the WWF by destroying competitors in quick matches. This culminated in a last-minute decision to have him crush reigning Intercontinental Champion the Honky Tonk Man in around thirty seconds, cementing his status as one of the WWF’s most popular competitors as much as his wild energy, chiselled physique, and colourful ring attire. With fans cheering the Ultimate Warrior just as loudly, if not more so, than Hulk Hogan, the stage was set for a showdown between the two after a confrontation at the 1990 Royal Rumble. Not only would this pit the WWF’s two top stars against each other, not only did both men stay as virtuous characters in the build-up, but this would also be the first time both the WWF and Intercontinental Championships would be on the line in a single match. The end result has gone down in history as one of the quintessential WrestleMania Moments as, despite the Ultimate Warrior failing to replace Hogan as the WWF’s top star, it represented a changing of the guard that would, eventually, change the landscape of the WWF’s main event picture.

The Match:
It’s funny to think about how fans gravitated to the Ultimate Warrior, favouring him almost as much if not more than Hulk Hogan, considering how similar their gimmicks and mannerisms were. Both men were larger-than-super superheroes decked out in colourful attire, both ploughed through opponents, and both had a never-miss finisher sequence with a ridiculous final move that never should’ve worked but, somehow, always did! Still, the Ultimate Warrior does stand out a lot more with his face paint and jacked-up physique; the guy was like a living action figure! Unfortunately, one aspect where they differed (as expertly observed by Ventura) was that the Ultimate Warrior would sprint to the ring, run the ropes, shake the ropes, and get all fired up and gassed before the match could even start! This was true here, on what would end up being the biggest night of Jim Hellwig’s entire career, though the crowd simply ate it up as they loved this guy…and it’s hard to blame them as he exudes superhero appeal. Of course, the crowd was at least 50/50 for both men as Hulk Hogan continued to get the same response as you’d expect, still every bit the living legend kids and adults gravitated towards, and the atmosphere of seeing both men in the ring was simply electric. Since both men were popular babyfaces, a rarity even nowadays, there wasn’t the same vitriol between the competitors as in a traditional face/heel dynamic, though the two still engaged in a tense stare down to start since they both wanted to be the undisputed top dog in the company. As the young up-and-comer, the Ultimate Warrior made the first move, shoving Hogan, initiating the first tie-up, and giving Hogan a taste of his own medicine by throwing him into the corner. Naturally, Hogan returned the favour during the second tie-up, with both men posing and playing to the crowd before going for the tired old “test of strength” spot. Again, the crowd loved seeing the two titans testing each other’s limits, which eventually saw the Ultimate Warrior overpower the Hulkster and drive him to his knees.

Despite the thrill of seeing these two titans clash, the gassed wrestlers spent more time in rest holds.

Of course, Hogan rallied and turned the tide, presenting both men as essentially evenly matched in terms of power and popularity. Though surprised to see the Ultimate Warrior power back to his feet, Hogan tripped his foe to the mat for a quick one-count and then the two titans ran the ropes looking for shoulder tackles and traded scoop slams, gassing themselves even more! The Ultimate Warrior then hit a stiff, clunky clothesline and sent Hogan tumbling to the outside, where he began favouring his left knee. Limping, clearly in pain, Hogan struggled to stay on his feet so the Ultimate Warrior immediately targeted the limb with sharp kicks, before the two traded eye rakes back in the ring. Referee Earl Hebner admonished both men as tensions rose, before Hogan forgot about his knee pain and unloaded on the Ultimate Warrior with big shots and the ten-punches and another scoop slam. Two elbow drops, a two-count, and a small package later and Hogan unloaded on the Ultimate Warrior with chops, a clothesline, and the odd rest hold just to catch his breath. Still, the Intercontinental Champion kept kicking out, even after a backbreaker, resulting in a frustrated Hulkster arguing with the referee and wearing his opponent down with a chin lock that just went on and on and on. Hogan then hit a few spiteful knee shots to the spine and a backdrop before returning to the hold, showing he’s not afraid to fight dirty, before the Ultimate Warrior caught a second wind. After the Ultimate warrior fought free, both men a double knock down gave them even more time to catch their breath, and both men struggled up at the same time. However, the Ultimate Warrior was in a frenzied state, shrugging off Hogan’s blows and sending him reeling with a headbutt and repeated clotheslines. His face paint all but gone and his adrenaline spiking, the Ultimate Warrior tossed Hogan into the corners and laid in some chops, driving Hogan to his knees once more before hitting a suplex and getting his first near fall. The Ultimate Warrior then continued to dominate the WWF Champion by grabbing him in a pretty weak-looking bearhug that was more of a cuddle than the devastating hold Ventura and Monsoon sold it as.

A missed Leg Drop and a Splash saw the Ultimate Warrior share the victory with Hogan.

Still, this allowed Hogan to do the time-tested “three arm” spot but, as you’d expect, Hogan’s arm refused to fall the third time and the Hulkster mounted a comeback with some rabbit-like punches. However, as the Ultimate Warrior ran the ropes, he collided with the referee, meaning there was no one there to make the count when Hogan tried to pin his rival after reversing a diving shoulder block. This allowed the Ultimate Warrior to hit a back suplex, but both he and Hogan had to settle for the visual pinfall and a slow two count as Earl Hebner was too out of it to make the final count. A back elbow saw the action spill to the outside for a slugfest, which ended when Hogan got rammed into the ring post. Once back in the ring, the Ultimate Warrior hit the Gorilla Press Slam (an impressive, if ungainly, achievement) and then hit his patented Running Splash! However, the Ultimate Warrior was too slow going for the pin, resulting in a rare finisher kickout and the Hulkster “Hulking Up” However, Hogan missed the Atomic Leg Drop (!) and the Ultimate Warrior splashed him again for the biggest win of his career! Hogan just had to power out at 3.1, though, and keep the spotlight equally trained on him by presenting the Ultimate Warrior with both belts and raising his arm in a passing of the torch. This was an okay match but, as ever, one bogged down by rest holds and plodding offense. Both men were so gassed at the start of the match that their blows and holds just came off as so weak and obvious stalling. The energy was there, however, and the crowd loved seeing the two share the ring and shrug off each other’s moves. I think this might’ve worked better with a big stare down, test of strength, unflinching clotheslines and trading scoop slams, and then a finisher-fest (with the Ultimate Warrior also kicking out of the Atomic Leg Drop), but it was okay for what it was: a spectacle between two titans of the company.

The Aftermath:
Despite the Ultimate Warrior’s win and the very specific requirement that the winner would become a dual champion, the Ultimate Warrior was forced to vacant the Intercontinental Championship, resulting in Mr. Perfect becoming the champion after a lengthy tournament. Surprisingly, Hogan didn’t immediately vie for a rematch and instead left to film the under-rated sci-fi comedy Suburban Commando (Kennedy, 1991). Though the Ultimate Warrior rekindled his rivalry with “Ravishing” Rick Rude and helped the Legion of Doom at the 1990 Survivor Series, none of these storylines benefitted him. His mega push fizzled out and saw him dropping the belt to turncoat Sergeant Slaughter at the 1991 Royal Rumble after interference by Sensational Sherri and the “Macho King” Randy Savage. This led to Hogan recapturing the belt and returning to the top of the mountain at WrestleMania VII, where the Ultimate Warrior “retired” Savage. Although the Ultimate Warrior fought with the Undertaker and was prepped to face Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Hellwig walked out of the WWF after demanding financial compensation. The Ultimate Warrior made brief (and infamous) comebacks in 1992 and 1996, but disagreements about money saw him follow Hogan to World Championship Wrestling (WCW). After a ludicrous tease regarding his presence, the Ultimate Warrior, more unhinged than ever, opposed “Hollywood” Hogan’s New World Order (nWo), leading to Davey Boy Smith being critically injured by a gimmicked trapdoor, a hilariously botched fireball incident, and one of the worst matches in WCW history as Hogan got his win back at the 1998 Halloween Havoc. After years of being estranged from and vilified by what’s now known as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), the Ultimate Warrior was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, buried the hatchet with Hogan, and gave a stirring speech to his fans that became disturbingly prophetic after he was found dead the very next day.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

What did you think to the “The Ultimate Challenge” at WrestleMania VI? Were you a fan of the Ultimate Warrior back in the day and excited to see his big win? Do you think the match should’ve been altered to play into Hellwig’s strengths? Were you surprised when Hogan kicked out of the Ultimate Warrior’s finisher? What did you think to the Ultimate Warrior’s title reign and how should it have been done differently? Were you happy to see the Ultimate Warrior honoured by the WWE after so many years of animosity? How are you celebrating WrestleMania’s anniversary this year and what’s your favourite WrestleMania moment? Let me know your thoughts and memories of this iconic clash, support me on Ko-Fi, and be sure to check out my other wrestling content across the site.

Wrestling Recap: Savage vs. Hogan (WrestleMania V)

Dr. KLeave a comment

The Date: 2 April 1989
The Venue: Boardwalk Hall/Trump Plaza; Atlantic City, New Jersey
The Commentary: Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse “The Body” Ventura
The Referee: Dave Hebner
The Stakes: Singles match for the WWF Championship

The Build-Up:
Vince McMahon gambled it all with WrestleMania. The event aired on 31 March 1985 and was seen by an unprecedented one million+ viewers and ultimately altered the wrestling landscape by bringing in some of the biggest names in wrestling, music, sports, and television. Now regarded as the biggest wrestling event in the industry, WrestleMania has become synonymous with career-defining matches and iconic “WrestleMania Moments”, with easily one of the most dramatic of these being the implosion of the “Mega Powers”, a super-team comprised of “The Immortal” Hulk Hogan and the WWF Champion, “Macho Man” Randy Savage. After previously being fierce rivals, Hogan and Savage first joined forces in 1987 at Saturday Night’s Main Event XII after Savage’s wife, Miss Elizabeth, recruited Hogan to help Savage fend off the Honky Tonk Man and the Hart Foundation. Sealing their partnership with a dramatic handshake, the Mega Powers teamed from 1987 to 1989, clashing with Hogan’s long-time rival, the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, and Hogan even helping his friend capture the WWF Championship at WrestleMania IV. However, cracks began to form in their partnership after Savage grew increasingly jealous and justifiably concerned about Hogan’s intentions towards Miss Elizabeth. After Hogan accidentally tossed Savage from the 1989 Royal Rumble match and then abandoned Savage during a tag team match at The Main Event II to get Miss Elizabeth to safety, Savage confronted his partner backstage. Despite Hogan and Miss Elizabeth’s best efforts, the furious Savage physically and verbally assaulted Hogan and Miss Elizabeth, dissolving the Mega Powers and leading to Hogan challenging Savage to this championship match to settle the score in what’s often touted as one of the best examples of long-term storytelling in wrestling.

The Match:
Even to this day, I find it baffling that the WWF decided to make Randy Savage the bad guy in this feud. Sure, the idea of Hulk Hogan turning heel was preposterous at the time, but Savage had every right to be suspicious of Hogan. Still, Savage’s turn into a neurotic, paranoid, jealous and obsessive character certainly fed into his already unhinged persona, though I think it was equally ridiculous not to change up his colourful ring attire and entrance music. Despite Savage being fully justified in attacking Hogan, the crowd were firmly against the champion, who notably came out alone since Miss Elizabeth chose to stand in a neutral corner during the match as she was loyal to both men. Ventura wasted no time in joining Savage in chastising Miss Elizabeth, branding her a “gold digger” who’ll favour whoever wins, a “smart” strategy according to Gorilla Monsoon considering the awkward position she’s found herself in. Hogan (labelled “Lust Hogan” by Ventura, who doesn’t hold back in criticising the Hulkster), still as popular as ever, marched to the ring and immediately riled Savage up with his posing and pageantry, to the point where Savage was ready to whack his friend-turned-foe with the championship belt! After handing the belt over to referee Dave Hebner, Savage whipped Hogan into a frenzy by slipping out of the ring and posing on the turnbuckles before the Mega Powers finally got into it. Overwhelmed by Hogan’s power, the champion retreated to the ring apron to keep some distance, again slipping to the outside after being floored by a shoulder block. When they tied up again, Savage gained an advantage with an eye rake and continued to psych Hogan out, leading to the challenger to chase the champion around the ring and Savage to use Miss Elizabeth as a human shield!

Savage riled Hogan up at every turn and and kept him grounded with dull rest holds.

With Ventura awkwardly advocating for spousal abuse and Savage inviting Hogan back into the ring, the challenger surprisingly kept Savage at bay with some wrestling fundamentals, favouring takedowns and headlocks, only to be planted with a back body drop. After avoiding a running elbow drop, Hogan resorted to throwing “illegal […] closed fists”, leading to another eye rake from Savage and a top-rope double axe handle for the first near fall of the match. Savage employed his own ground game with an arm bar, planting a knee into Hogan’s face and grabbing his hair to add insult to injury, only for Hogan to rally and send Savage flying through the ropes. After quickly tossing the champion back into the ring, Hogan rammed his face into the top turnbuckles and planted him with a clothesline, two elbow drops, and an eye rake of his own. However, Savage countered with a boot and brought Hogan down for another two count before slapping on a chin lock to the now-bloodied Hogan. Both men seemed extremely gassed and were sweating profusely despite the slow pace of the match as Savage maintained the hold, before the “Pukesters” encouraged Hogan back to his feet. This time, Hogan caught Savage’s kick, hit an atomic drop, but missed another running elbow. Savage quickly capitalised by shoving Hogan chest-first into a corner and trying to score a cheap victory off a roll up and a handful of tights, but the Hulkster still kicked out at two. Frustrated, the Macho Man redoubled his attack, throwing Hogan from corner to corner and targeting the cut above Hogan’s eye. Stomping on Hogan’s hand and delivering a disrespectful slap to his face, Savage basked in his glory and paid for it when Hogan rallied with a beatdown in the corner, only to suffer some kind of arm injury when clotheslining the champion. Regardless, Hogan easily lifted Savage and dumped him to the outside in an impressive show of strength. After aggressively waving off Miss Elizabeth’s help, Savage hit an eye poke and eventually shoved Hogan off a ring post after Miss Elizabeth caused Hogan to hesitate from hurting her man. After Savage couldn’t help but get in Miss Elizabeth’s face and chastise her, the referee sent her to the back to keep her from distracting from the match and Savage continued his methodical attack against his former partner.

Savage’s ground game and Diving Elbow naturally led to Hulk rallying and scoring the victory.

After landing a beautiful axe handle off the top rope and to the outside, Savage tossed Hogan back in the ring and began targeting his throat, using the ropes to his advantage and landing stiff elbow shots to his opponent. A quick scoop slam led to a standing splash and another two count before Savage took a page out of Ventura’s playbook to choke Hogan with his wrist tape. After choking Hogan to the canvas, the Macho Man went to the top rope and hit his gorgeous Diving Elbow…only for Hogan to power out and start “Hulking Up!” Despite Savage’s best shots, Hogan wouldn’t be deterred; he shrugged off every blow and dropped the champion with a big boot. The Atomic Leg Drop followed soon after and signalled the end of the match after Hogan pinned the champion for the three count. Naturally, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause as Hogan clumsily strapped the belt to his waist, Ventura just about had a coronary, and the Macho Man stormed from the ring in humiliation and rage, leaving Hogan to pose and play to his very vocal fans. This one was pretty decent, but still the same, tired Hogan formula. Hogan took quite a beating here and Savage looked pretty strong as he targeted Hogan’s wound and wore down the Hulkster with chin locks, takedowns, and repeatedly fleeing from the ring. Unfortunately, these elements dragged the match out way too much for me. I was expecting a bit more aggression and agility from the Macho Man, only to be frustrated by rest holds as the two obviously gassed competitors fought for breath. I was also disappointed that Miss Elizabeth didn’t factor into the match, or the ending, more, and that Hogan was dominated the entire time but won without any real issue in the end. I would’ve liked to see a bit more energy, some more moves being thrown, and to see Savage dodge the Atomic Leg Drop, miss a second Elbow Drop, and then take the fall…but I guess that didn’t work for Hogan, brother.

The Aftermath:
Despite his emphatic win, this wouldn’t be the end of the issues between the former Mega Powers. After Hulk Hogan starred in the much-maligned No Holds Barred (Wright, 1989), the Macho Man brought in Hogan’s co-star, Tom “Tiny” Lister, Jr., as his film character, Zeus, to battle Hogan and his friend, Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake at the 1989 SummerSlam and in a tag team steel cage match at the 19989 No Holds Barred: The Match/The Movie event. The Mega Powers collided for the WWF Championship once more at The Main Event III and, though Savage lost the match, he eventually aligned with Sensational Sherri, won the 1989 King of the Ring (transforming into the unhinged “Macho King” in the process) and eventually had an emotional reunion with Miss Elizabeth at WrestleMania VII, despite being forced to retire after losing to the Ultimate Warrior. However, disagreeing that his in-ring career was over, Savage followed Hogan’s example and jumped ship to World Championship Wrestling (WCW), eventually becoming WCW Champion and not only reforming the Mega Powers with Hogan but also fighting alongside him in the New World Order (nWo). However, the two eventually butted heads when “Hollywood” Hogan’s ego wouldn’t allow him to see anyone but him become WCW Champion, leading to Savage dropping the belt to his old rival and splintering off from the nWo with first the Wolfpac and then “Team Madness”. Their fates seemingly entwined, Hogan and Savage eventually found themselves on the same side with Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff rallied WCW’s young up-and-comers into a power-hungry group, though the company dissolved before he could really get involved. Although Randy Savage had a brief (and disastrous) appearance during Total Non Stop Action’s (TNA) early run under the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), he wasn’t there when Hogan was present, though he and Hogan continued to be on-again, off-again friends and rivals over the years, with the Macho Man even recording an infamous rap track chastising the Hulkster! After tragically passing away from a heart attack in 2011, Savage was posthumously inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame (after a lengthy absence due to a strained relationship with Vince McMahon) and fondly remembered by many, including Hogan, as one of wrestling’s all-time greats.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

What did you think to the dramatic showdown between the Mega Powers? Do you agree that Savage was justified in suspecting and attacking Hogan? Were you disappointed that the match was more mind games and rest holds? Would you have liked to see Miss Elizabeth play a bigger role in the finish? Which of Hogan and Savage’s many matches was your favourite? Can you name a match between former tag team partners that you enjoyed? How are you celebrating WrestleMania’s anniversary this year? Leave your comments about this classic WrestleMania match below, support me on Ko-Fi, and be sure to check out my other wrestling content across the site.

Wrestling Recap [3:16 Day]: Austin vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania 13)

Dr. K2 Comments
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 316day.png
“Talk about your psalms, talk about “John 3:16”…Austin 3:16 says I just whupped your ass!”

With those immortal words, spoken by the legendary pro wrestler “Stone Cold” Steve Austin after winning the King of the Ring tournament on 23 June 1996, a momentous wrestling career was about to unfold before our eyes that would see everyone’s favourite beer-swigging, finger-gesturing anti-hero become not just an industry icon but a mainstream icon as well. Here’s to yah, Steve!

The Date: 23 March 1997
The Venue: Rosemont Horizon; Rosemont, Illinois
The Commentary: Jim “J.R.” Ross, Jerry “The King” Lawler, and Vince McMahon
The Referee: “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock (guest)
The Stakes: No disqualification submission match

The Build-Up:
Contrary to popular relief, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s rise to the top of what was then known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) didn’t happen with his infamous “Austin 3:16” promo. After shedding his awful “Ringmaster” persona and winning the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, Austin made a name for himself as a no-nonsense badass during his controversial feud with former tag team partner “The Loose Cannon” Brian Pillman before punching his ticket to a WWF Championship match at WrestleMania 13 by winning the 1997 Royal Rumble. However, this victory was tainted as Austin had already been eliminated by Bret “The Hitman” Hart, leading to Austin’s first-ever main event match at In Your House 13: Final Four for the vacant championship. Since a knee injury saw Austin eliminated in the early-going, the Texas Rattlesnake bit back by costing Bret the WWF Championship, kick-started a prolonged feud between the two that would drastically alter their careers. The son of wrestling legend and hard-nosed trainer Stu Hart, Bret Hart first made his mark in the WWF as part of the Hart Foundation before graduating to notable singles success with his award-winning Intercontinental Championship run. Regarded as the “Excellence of Execution”, Bret eventually became WWF Champion following a shift in direction after a steroid scandal before clashing with brother Owen and pushing himself to the limit in a heated rivalry with the “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels. Following his WrestleMania XII loss, Bret took a hiatus and, upon declining a big payday from rival company World Championship Wrestling (WCW), returned to answer cocksure Austin’s challenge following his King of the Ring win. Frustrated at being overlooked and the fickle fans cheering such an uncouth anti-hero, Bret began one of the greatest turns towards the dark side in wrestling history and was set on a collision course with Austin, who was on the precipice of greatness.

The Match:
The introductory package for this classic, career-making match is heavily focused on Bret Hart’s displeasure with the direction the WWF was taking at the time and the lack of respect he felt he deserved for his in-ring ability. While Bret was absolutely justified in questioning this treatment, and Steve Austin’s rude, foul-mouthed attitude, the crowd knew who they wanted to cheer and Bret was largely seen as a “cry-baby”, leading to Bret lashing out at everyone and anyone, including WWF Chairman Vince McMahon, to get his respect. This pivotal match in Austin’s career stood out not just for the storyline surrounding it and the memorable ending, or for introducing Ken Shamrock to WWF audiences, but also for Austin’s iconic glass breaking entrance, which perfectly summed up his no-nonsense persona. Indeed, while he was universally cheered at this time, Austin was no baby kissing, hand shaking babyface and instead treated them with the same disdain and hostility as he did special guest referee Ken Shamrock. This was in contrast to Bret, who still had his fans on this night and who still gifted his sunglasses to a kid in the front row, but I find it incredibly ironic that McMahon called out Bret’s abusive behaviour and volatile attitude when many of this mannerisms and aspects (especially Bret’s contempt for McMahon) would be so integral to Austin’s developing, anti-authoritarian character. As if getting in Shamrock’s face wasn’t enough, the Rattlesnake demonstrated that he had no fear and far less respect for Bret by pouncing on the Hitman and pummelling him with punches the moment he got into the ring. For his part, Bret answered back with shots of his own, leading to the two rolling around like crocodiles wrestling for territory and spilling to the outside to exchange blows. Although Bret sent Austin flying into a ring post, Austin answered back by dumping him crotch-first on the security railing and then clotheslining him into the crowd. The camera struggled to follow the brawl, which saw Bret drenched in beer, Austin back body dropped onto the steps following a piledriver attempt, and Bret land a flimsy-looking fist drop off a guard rail jump.

Some ringside brawling, chair shots, and innovative offense saw Austin on the backfoot at the start.

Once back at ringside, Austin whipped Bret knee-first into the ring steps, though Bret saved himself from further harm by kicking Austin’s knee out from under him. Once the two returned to the ring, Bret nailed a neckbreaker and an elbow drop from the second rope, before focusing his attack on Austin’s knee and leg in preparation for his patented Sharpshooter. With Austin grounded, Hart pounded, wrenched, and “dissected” Austin’s knee, causing the Rattlesnake to stumble and be spitefully kicked to the canvas whenever he fought to his feet. Even when Stone Cold hit a desperation Stone Cold Stunner to create some distance, it didn’t matter as Bret was right back up and soon had Austin’s legs tied around a ring post with a modified Figure Four Leglock! Despite the agony and the additional leverage afforded by the move, Austin refused to tap out to the hold, so the Hitman tossed his opponent into the ring and brought a steel chair and the ring bell into the match. Bret looped Austin’s bad leg into the chair and teased leaping off the top rope, looking to break Austin’s limb, only for Stone Cold to scramble to his feet and send Bret tumbling from the top rope with a chair shot to the head! Austin then continued the assault, whacking the chair over Bret’s spine and assaulting his foe with slams, whips, and suplexes, firmly targeting the Hitman’s back and landing a sneaky stomp to Bret’s balls to add insult to injury. Despite attacking Bret’s spine, Austin locked in a modified arm lock and seemingly forgot his leg, landing an elbow drop off the second rope and applying a Boston Crab. Despite the pressure, Bret hauled himself to the bottom rope to break the hold (something that shouldn’t have counted as this was a no disqualification match), so Austin tried to slap on the Sharpshooter. However, a thumb to the eye put a stop to that and, though Bret was soon launched to the outside, the Hitman continued his comeback by tossing Austin into the timekeeper’s table and busting him open with closed fists to the forehead.

Austin’s sheer tenacity saw fans turn on Bret and applaud and Stone Cold’s defiant attitude.

Bret maliciously targeted the wound, causing blood to gush from Austin’s forehead, while being sure to work over Austin’s whole body with a backbreaker, another second rope elbow drop, and repeated strikes to Austin’s injured knee with the steel chair. However, Austin frantically fought Bret off when he tried to apply the Sharpshooter and the match descended into a brawl in the corner once again, which ended with a swift kick to the Hitman’s balls! Groggy and suffering, Stone Cold whipped Bret sternum-first into the corner and then stomped a mudhole in the Hitman’s ass (and walked it dry!) in the opposite corner before hitting a top-rope suplex. His face the literal crimson mask, Austin choked Bret with an electrical cord and received a shot to the head with the ring bell in recompense! The Hitman wasted no time in applying the Sharpshooter right in the centre of the ring, locking it in tight and giving Austin nowhere to go. Shamrock dropped to the mat and frantically asked Austin if he wanted to submit, but the Rattlesnake stubbornly refused and desperately tried to ease the pressure, almost powering his way out of it to chants of “Austin! Austin!” and delivering one of the most iconic WrestleMania visuals ever: his screaming, bloody face. In the end, Austin patently refused to tap out or submit and, as a result, eventually blacked out to the pain, losing the match but leaving Bret visibly frustrated since he couldn’t secure the tap out. Bret then took his frustrations out on Austin’s leg, forcing Shamrock to take him down and solidifying perhaps the greatest double turn in the history of wrestling as the crowd unanimously booed Bret and applauded Austin’s resolve! I’m gonna be honest and say that, as much as I like Austin, a lot of his matches can be very formulaic as he primarily relied on brawling and ringside shenanigans. However, this really showcased how his more in-your-face style can nicely compliment a more technical mat wrestler. The story of Austin not knowing any submission holds meant it made perfect sense for him to rely on weapons and underhanded tactics, while Bret’s clinical targeting of his foe’s limbs showed just how methodical the Hitman was and how resilient the Rattlesnake was!

The Aftermath:
This wouldn’t be the end of the rivalry between Stone Cold and Bret Hart, but it did signal a change in their dynamic since Bret was now a dastardly, besmirched heel and Austin was a tenacious babyface. Bret brought in his friends and family to re-form the Hart Foundation to escalate the feud, resulting in another inconclusive finish when the British Bulldog attacked Austin with a steel chair at In Your House 14: Revenge of the ’Taker. However, Austin got the last laugh when he fought off the Hart Foundation and even locked Bret into the Sharpshooter, resulting in ten-man tag team match at In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede. Airing in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the Hart Foundation were cheered as national heroes and ultimately defeated Steve Austin’s team and had the Rattlesnake arrested after he attacked them at the end of the match. The matches between Austin, his allies, and the Hart Foundation earned them the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s “Feud of the Year” award and Bret Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s “Most Hated Wrestler of the Year” award, though it’s surprising to see that Austin was on the losing end of the feud. Austin and Bret’s issues fizzled out by the 1997 SummerSlam, which kick-started Bret’s long and troubled road back into the fan’s hearts, towards the WWF Championship and, ultimately out of the company. Austin pivoted into feuding with Bret’s brother, Owen Hart, for the Intercontinental Championship, resulting in a sickening injury that shaved years off his career. Thanks to this incident putting Austin on the shelf for some time, and the cataclysmic fallout of the “Montreal Screwjob”, Austin and Bret never wrestled each other again, though both men looked back on this match fondly and regarded it as one of the best matches of their respective careers.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

What did you think to the Submission Match between Steve Austin and Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13? Which man were you rooting for at the time, and did your perception of one or both change after the match? What did you think to Austin’s crowd brawling and Bret’s more systematic attack? Can you name another double turn like this, or a similar bloody visual as Austin’s face? How are you celebrating 3:16 Day this year, what are some of your favourite matches and moments from Austin’s illustrious career? What dream match would you have liked to see him involved in? Let me know what you think about “Stone Cold” Steve Austin down in the comments, send me £3.16 on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other wrestling content across the site!

Wrestling Recap: Hogan vs. André (WrestleMania III)

Dr. KLeave a comment

The Date: 29 March 1987
The Venue: Pontiac Silverdome; Pontiac, Michigan
The Commentary: Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse “The Body” Ventura
The Referee: Joey Marella
The Stakes: Singles match for the WWF Championship

The Build-Up:
On 31 March 1985, Vince McMahon gambled it all on WrestleMania, an event seen by over one million viewers that changed the face of the wrestling landscape forever by bringing together the biggest names in wrestling alongside numerous celebrity guests. Now regarded as the premier wrestling event, WrestleMania eventually became known for career-defining matches and iconic “WrestleMania Moments”, with perhaps the first and most memorable of these moments coming in this titanic clash between “The Eighth Wonder of the World” André the Giant and “The Immortal” Hulk Hogan. Born in Coulommiers, Seine-et-Marne and suffering from gigantism, the physically imposing yet kind hearted Andre became a larger than life attraction thanks to some clever booking and sensationalist claims. Just in the build up to this match alone, André was said to have been undefeated for fifteen years and to have never been slammed, to say nothing of the dramatic claims regarding WrestleMania III’s attendance figures! Still, with André’s health failing and his body deteriorating, the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF) sowed the seeds of dissent between the giant and the Hulkster after Hogan was presented with an award for this three-year reign as WWF Champion. Unimpressed that his own trophy was much smaller and annoyed at Hogan stealing his spotlight, André shocked the world by aligning with Hogan’s long-time nemesis, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, and challenging Hogan to a match for the belt, dramatically tearing the shirt and crucifix off the stunned Hogan in the process. The clash between the “Irresistible Force” and the “Immoveable Object” has since gone down as one of the most definitive and iconic WrestleMania matches of all time despite (or, perhaps, because of) Hogan’s wild claims regarding the contest.

The Match:
While a lot of this era of wrestling hasn’t aged too well, and the quality of the in-ring work doesn’t quite match a lot of the work horses who thrill us today, it can’t be denied that there was a certain energy about the business during this time. Hulkamania truly was running wild back then and Hulk Hogan was peerless at the top of the mountain for his iconic and celebrated status, which took wrestling into the mainstream and catapulted the WWF to greater heights back in the day. Also, while it’s symptomatic of André’s failing health, I really dig the old motorised carts that brought some of the larger Superstars to the ring during this time. But, getting back to the energy, you can practically feel the atmosphere oozing from the raucous crowd as Hogan and André stand toe-to-toe at the start of the match. Today, this stare down would garner a “This is awesome!” but, back then, the crowd simply ate up the anticipation of seeing these two larger-than-life titans squaring off in the middle of the ring. One thing I loved about this tense moment was that Hogan worked himself into a frenzy talking smack to André and shaking with rage at the big man’s actions, while André stayed completely stoic and simply swatted the Hulkster away like a gnat. This led to Hogan landing blow after blow to André’s massive head, which the giant no-sold, and to the Hulkster being crushed when he tried and failed to slam André. Though he squirmed out of the pin fall, much to André’s surprise, Hogan began favouring his lower back, which the giant immediately homed in on with plodding kicks and blows. André dictated the pace, easily toying with and manhandling Hogan and taunting him, humbling the champion and making him seem small. André flung Hogan from corner to corner, pounding his abdomen with his hips, but was stunned when Hogan dodged a headbutt and caused André to slam into the ring post.

An iconic clash, to be sure, but a plodding match handicapped by André’s ill health.

Hogan mounted a comeback consisting of blows to the head and shots to the chest, repeatedly slamming André’s forehead off the top turnbuckle pad, before being taken down with a lumbering big boot. André gave Hogan a receipt for those chops and clamped down hard with a bearhug for what felt like an ice age. Eventually, Hogan seemingly succumbed to the agony but, just as his arm was being raised for the third time, Hogan rallied, feeding off the energy of the crowd, and forced André to release the hold with yet more fists to the face. Hogan’s attempts to shoulder tackle André down were akin to running into a brick wall and, again, Hogan was taken down with a big chop. A simple, clumsy kick to the gut sent Hogan to the outside, where André again ate the ring post thanks to Hogan’s wiles. Hogan then pulled up the protective mat at ringside and threatened to hit a piledriver, only to be awkwardly dumped to the concrete. André dumped the champion back into the ring, missed a kick, and finally fell to the canvas from a clothesline. Fuelled by this small victory, Hogan “Hulked Up”, the crowd on their feet and in an uproar, and finally delivered the body slam heard around the world! Hogan then flew off the ropes with the Atomic Leg Drop and scored the pinfall, securing the WWF Championship and drinking in the adulation of his fans as André and Heenan were sent scurrying to the back. I talked about “energy” and “atmosphere” at the start of this review and this match is perhaps the greatest example of style over substance as there really was nothing to it. It’s not André’s fault, the guy was clearly struggling, was basically immobile, and was clearing in a lot of pain, but I don’t think enough smoke and mirrors were used to cover for that. I enjoyed seeing him toy with and humiliate Hogan, putting a hurting on the champion and dominating him, but Hogan’s comeback barely dealt any damage, leaving the ending a bit flat for me. A shot with the ring bell, belt, or a chair or seeing André make a massive mistake might’ve helped with this. The only reason this match gets two stars is because of how iconic the body slam, the stare down, and the atmosphere were. Strip that away and it’s a dull, slow, repetitive match that I’d say barely qualifies as a contest.

The Aftermath:
Despite André the Giant’s clearly failing health, this match wasn’t the end of his in-ring career. André and Hulk Hogan squared off again almost one year later at The Main Event I in a match for the WWF Championship that saw André finally end Hogan’s incredible run with the belt thanks to the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase bribing crooked referee Earl Hebner. As part of this deal, André sold the belt to DiBiase, though faux WWF President Jack Tunney overruled this and declared the title to be vacant. This led to a fourteen-man tournament that culminated at WrestleMania IV, where Hogan and André faced each other once more. This time, weapons were involved in the match and resulted in both men being disqualified. However, when André accompanied DiBiase to the ring for the final match of the tournament, Hogan evened the odds, allowing his friend and tag team partner, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, to capture the WWF Championship. After Hogan defeated André once again in a steel cage match, he moved on to his Mega Powers super-team and subsequent feud with the Macho Man. André, meanwhile, fought the likes Jake “The Snake” Roberts, revealing he was deathly afraid of snakes and the Ultimate Warrior, formed an intimidating tag team with Haku, and finally turned back to the light side after having enough of Heenan’s foul treatment. From there, André made sporadic appearances in America and Japan, before finally passing away in 1993 and becoming the first-ever inductee in the WWF Hall of Fame. As for Hogan, he milked this contest for all its worth, revisiting it during his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) run in matches against the Giant (initially billed as André’s son) and elaborating upon the match more and more as the years went on.

My Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

What did you think to the iconic clash between André the Giant and Hulk Hogan? Do you think this is the best WrestleMania Moment? Did you enjoy seeing Hogan on the backfoot for most of the match? What did you think to the ending, and do you agree that the match lacked substance? Which of Hogan and André’s matches was your favourite? How are you celebrating WrestleMania’s anniversary this year and what’s your favourite WrestleMania match? Let me know what you think in the comments below, support me on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other wrestling content across the site.

Wrestling Recap: Hogan/Mr. T vs. Piper/Orndorff (WrestleMania)

Dr. K8 Comments

The Date: 31 March 1985
The Venue: Madison Square Garden; New York City
The Commentary: Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse “The Body” Ventura
The Referee: Muhammad Ali and Pat Patterson
The Stakes: Tag team grudge match

The Build-Up:
The origins of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), now known worldwide as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), can be traced back to the 1950s. Despite some uncertainty about which McMahon founded the company, Vince McMahon Sr. is the one most closely associated with its early success. Initially working alongside the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), then then-World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) established itself as as one of many wrestling territories. While McMahon Sr. resisted involving his son, the more well-known and controversial Vince McMahon, the younger McMahon forced himself into the business, eventually buying out his father and putting local territories out of business with an aggressive expansion plan. McMahon brought in Hulk Hogan and established a strong working relationship with hip, relevant celebrity stars to put the WWF in the public eye, but risked total ruin by planning the biggest pay-per-view event in wrestling history, WrestleMania. McMahon pulled out all the stops for the event, roping in celebrity appearances from the likes of Cyndi Lauper and A-Team (1983 to 1987) superstar Mr. T, who became embroiled in Hogan’s issues with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper after Hogan and Mr. T appeared in Rocky III (Stallone, 1982). After Piper grew increasingly aggressive and outspoken about the “Rock ‘n’ Wrestling” era, he inevitably crossed paths with Hogan, easily the biggest wrestling star in the world at that time, leading to Hogan teaming with Mr. T to face Piper and his bodyguard, “Cowboy” Bob Orton, in the main event of the first-ever WrestleMania. Seen by over one million viewers, WrestleMania was the largest wrestling event on closed-circuit television in the United States and changed the face of the industry, ultimately becoming the biggest event not just for the WWE, but the entire wrestling world.

The Match:
Vince McMahon certainly brought in all the stars of the day for the first-ever WrestleMania. It wasn’t enough to have Mr. T fighting by “The Immortal” Hulk Hogan’s side or to have boxing legend Muhammad Ali as one of the two special guest referees, but baseball legend Billy Martin acted as the special guest ring announcer, Liberace as the special guest time keeper (after having a boogie with the Rockettes), and Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka and Bob Orton (cast and all) walked to the ring alongside Hogan and Mr. T and the “Hot Rod” Roddy Piper and “Mr, Wonderful” Paul Orndorff, respectively. While all this pomp and circumstance and these celebrity appearances may seem egregious today, the crowd went absolutely nuts for Liberace and Muhammad Ali, to say nothing of the ovation Hulk Hogan and Mr. T got. Piper and Orndorff came to the ring with a marching band almost drowned out by a sea of boos, while Hogan and Mr. T soaked in the adulation of the braying crowd during the lengthy introductions. Undeterred by Orndorff’s antics with a Singapore cane, Hogan goaded Orndorff to face him but then encouraged him to tag in Piper at the start of the match. However, when Mr. T begged and pleaded to get in the ring and kick things off, Hogan happily obliged. Disgusted by Mr. T’s presence and the chanting from the crowd, Piper went nose to nose with the tough guy actor and finally got things started with a slap fest. When Mr. T kicked Piper in the gut, the Hot Rod took him to the mat with some fundamentals but was left frustrated and humiliated when Mr. T slipped out of the situation. Determined to humble Mr. T, Piper tried for a headlock, only to be hoisted into a fireman’s carry and pumped to the mat like “yesterday’s newspaper”!

Despite a good showing from Mr. T, this was a mediocre affair focused more on its guest stars.

This caused an all-out brawl as all the competitors and their ring men threw hands, with only Muhammad Ali able to maintain order, forcing the heel team to take a powder at the crowded ringside. After teasing a walk out, Piper and Orndorff returned to the ring to continue the brawl, with Hogan and Mr. T forcing their opponents to butt heads and Hogan single-handedly taking down both his foes. Despite an eye rake, Hogan tagged in Mr. T and the two continued to dominate Piper, who took a couple of nice slams from the actor before Hogan re-entered the ring. A big boot from Hogan sent Piper flying to the outside so Orndorff retaliated by sending Hogan out after him with a clothesline, allowing Piper to slam a steel chair across the Hulkster’s spine! With Patterson and Ali struggling to keep things under control, Piper maintained the advantage by choking Hogan on the ropes and allowing Orndorff to put the boots to the icon. Frustrated and eager to end the assault, Mr. T rushed the ring, ultimately causing more harm than good as Hogan took a double atomic drop, some spiteful boots from Piper, and a suplex. Orndorff continued the assault with some theatrical punches, though Hogan easily kicked out at “two-and-a-quarter” so Orndorff steadied him for a top-rope elbow from Piper. Although Orndorff scored with a backbreaker, Hogan avoided a top rope dive and brought in Mr. T, who targeted his foes’ eyes before receiving a beatdown. After an awkward exchange between Mr. T and Orndorff, Piper returned to the ring to keep Mr. T grounded with a front facelock. Still, Mr. T powered his way to the corner and brought in Hogan, then saved Hogan from a shot from Piper. Although Orndorff locked Hogan in a full nelson, the Hulkster swung his opponent into the path of Orton’s diving cast shot, which was enough to score him the three count.

The Aftermath:
Despite this abrupt end and the short length of the match, the crowd seemed very happy with what they watched. They were on their feet and making noise from the moment the celebrities arrived, to say nothing of seeing their hero, Hulk Hogan. Piper fled in disgrace, leaving the disorientated Orndorff to be ejected from the ring so Hogan could pose with his allies, to the delight of the crowd. Despite their energy, however, and a decent showing from Mr. T (who showcased some impressive power and ring skills, despite his limitations), this was a really weak match. More time was spent on the elaborate introductions and stalling than actually wrestling, potentially to account for Mr. T’s weaknesses, and the ending fell really flat for me. still. One million buys can’t be wrong, though, and the event did what it was supposed to do: it put the WWF on the map and kick-start an annual tradition that is now the biggest and most extravagant wrestling production of all time! Although Orndorff turned to the side of good following this match and Piper’s ill treatment of him, even teaming with Hogan a few times, Piper’s issues with the Hulkster and Mr. T resurfaced after the Hot Rod started training Orton as a boxer. This culminated in a match between Orton and Mr. T at Saturday Night’s Main Event V and, ultimately a poorly received boxing match between Mr. T and Piper at WrestleMania 2 that saw Piper get disqualified. The animosity between Hogan and Piper would last for decades, with the two meeting in contests in both the WWF and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Piper even making a surprise return at WrestleMania XIX to unsuccessfully try and screw over Hogan one more time. This wouldn’t be the last time we saw Mr. T in a wrestling ring, either. Not only did he compete and the next WrestleMania, as mentioned, but he also acted as a special guest referee/enforcer and guest competitor in the WWF and WCW, before being infamously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014.

My Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

What did you think to the main event of the first-ever WrestleMania? Did you enjoy seeing the celebrities involved in the event? What did you think to Mr. T’s showing in the ring? Were you also disappointed that the match was more of a celebrity showcase than an engaging confrontation between the teams? Which of Hogan and Piper’s many matches was your favourite? How are you celebrating WrestleMania’s anniversary this year and what’s your favourite WrestleMania moment? Drop your thoughts below to let me know what you think about WrestleMania, support me on Ko-Fi, and be sure to check out my other wrestling content across the site.

Wrestling Recap: Women’s Royal Rumble (2018)

Dr. KLeave a comment

The Date: 28 January 2018
The Venue: Wells Fargo Center; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Commentary: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Stephanie McMahon
The Stipulation: Thirty woman over the top rope battle royale for a WWE Women’s Championship opportunity at WrestleMania
Notable Competitors: Asuka (Winner), Sasha Banks (#1), Trish Stratus (#30), and Michelle McCool (Most Eliminations)

The Build-Up:
It should be no surprise, with how dominating the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is in the wrestling industry, that the WWE has been at the forefront of creativity. By 1988, the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF) stepped into the mainstream with their inaugural WrestleMania before hosting their first Survivor Series event. To see in the new year, the legendary Pat Patterson sold WWF chairman Vince McMahon on the Royal Rumble, an over-the-top-rope battle royale that eventually became one of the biggest wrestling events of the year thanks to its winners earning a World Championship match at WrestleMania. In the long history of the event, only two women had ever competed in a Royal Rumble match. Indeed, women’s wrestling was little more than an afterthought for decades, especially in WWE, where cheerleaders and models were made to roll around in mud pits. In 2015, WWE’s latest crop of female wrestlers sought to change this. However, while competitors like Paige were at the forefront of changing the perception of women’s wrestling, it was Stephanie McMahon who took credit for spearheading a revolution in the division. Despite the first-ever all-female WWE pay-per-view, Evolution, not being a ratings success, WWE’s female superstars continued to push for a bigger spotlight. The derogatory “Divas” term and title were dropped and women started main eventing shows, pay-per-views, and competing in more gimmick matches. This led to the first-ever women’s Money in the Bank ladder match and, naturally, their first-ever Royal Rumble match.

The Match:
It’s crazy to think how long it took for the WWE to produce a women’s Royal Rumble match. It’s fitting (and surely no surprise) that the first of these occurred in the same year that the WWE produced their first (and, to date, only) women’s-only pay-per-view event. This was the year of the “Women’s Revolution”, after all, which probably explains why this match was the main event of the show. As a side note, I actually had the pleasure of watching this Royal Rumble event live thanks to having a three-month subscription to the WWE Network at the time, which is a rarity for me. It was fitting that two of the key figures in the Women’s Evolution movement, “The Boss” Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch, started this match. Their time alongside Bayley and “The Queen” Charlotte Flair as the “Four Horsewomen” helped change people’s perception of women’s wrestling so it was only right that they kicked off the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble. The two old frenemies started the match with a lock-up and some reversals, going through the early stages of a wrestling match and even going for submission holds rather than trying to toss each other over the top rope. Sarah Logan ran out to break up their showcase, aggressively attacking both and trying to muscle Becky out of the ring. Strangely, Sasha made the save (potentially because Sasha’s group, the Riott Squad, had been causing issues in the Raw women’s division), eating a headbutt for her troubles. Glorified cheerleader Mandy Rose, a poor substitute for the injured Paige, was next out and she and Logan focused on putting the hurt on Sasha and Becky. In record time, the four were joined by women’s legend and Hall of Famer, Lita (one of my favourites of the Attitude Era), to a raucous ovation. Sasha and Becky set aside their differences to take on Lita, but she floored them with clotheslines and got into it with Mandy, an awkward exchange that saw Mandy tumble to the floor. Kairi Sane, still riding a wave of momentum from winning the Mae Young Classic, was number six and immediately went after everyone with an enthusiastic gusto, including hitting her Insane Elbow drop onto Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch. With Kairi standing tall in a ring littered with bodies, powerhouse, Tamini stalked out and began throwing her weight around, though she soon fell foul of a Lita DDT just as Sasha and Becky took her Twist of Fate and Lita-sault. Lita then beckoned in Tamini and dropped her from the ring, only to be immediately dumped by Becky, much to the disdain of the crowd.

Legends and notable figures mixed it up with the WWE’s modern-day female stars.

Dana Brooke cartwheeled her way into the match next and things returned to a lacklustre brawl as the woman exchanged strikes and stomps and showed little interest in eliminating each other. Dana finally dumped Kairi when she went to the top once too often and Torrie Wilson made a surprising WWE return, though her momentum was cut short by the manic Sarah Logan. Still, Torrie made an impression by clumsily eliminating Dana Brooke, only for Sonya Deville to take her place and lay into Sasha with some hard-hitting strikes. Though she failed to eliminate Becky, Sonya took Torrie out of the match before Liv Morgan entered the fray, taking it to Sasha and teaming up with her Riott Squad teammate, Sarah Logan. Molly Holly was the next Legend to get involved, immediately asserting herself by eliminating Sarah Logan and taking out Sasha out with the Molly-Go-Round. In no time at all (seriously, what was with these timings?), Lana, of all people, came in at number thirteen and got the shit kicked out of her by Liv and Deville. Lana fought back as best she could, but luckily Michelle McCool was next out and the Riott Squad were more interested in fighting her. Naturally, they were no match, and Michelle was soon tossing both women, Molly Holly, and the boisterous Lana. As Becky and Sasha tried to haul out Michelle, Ruby Riott joined the melee and was immediately and repeatedly fighting to stay in the match as everyone tried to toss her. Vickie Guerrero shrieked her way out next, screaming like a banshee and earning her the ire of all. Setting aside their differences, Sasha, Becky, Ruby, and Michelle launched Vickie out to thunderous applause. Number seventeen was Carmella, who unceremoniously got her Money in the Bank briefcase smacked into her face courtesy of an enraged Guerrero, delaying her entry into the ring.

Occasionally feats of strength and agility couldn’t make up for the plodding in-ring action.

When Natalya mocked Carmella during her entrance, she got tugged off the ring apron; Carmella then clumsily scuffled with Becky before finally being planted with the Bexploder. Another glorified cheerleader, Kelly Kelly, was next, McCool was dumped by Natalya, and the women continued to meander as Naomi took everyone out with her Rear View hip attack. Sasha and Becky took turns shutting her down, immediately dousing her fire, before Becky was finally tossed by Ruby Riott. The next Legend entrant was Jacqueline, who showcased her power and experience by running through the competitors, though she failed to eliminate Kelly even with Natalya’s help. Mere moments later, surly Nia Jax stormed the ring and got the usual “monster” treatment. She effortlessly eliminated Jacqueline, Kelly Kelly, and Ruby Riott (with a military press, no less). Naomi went after Nia with gusto, throwing kicks and trying to throw her off balance. When she was knocked from the ring, Naomi was caught by Nia’s victims and walked the barricade and rode a ringside chair back to the ring…only to be immediately dumped by Nia! The NXT Women’s Champion, Ember Moon, was number twenty-three. Despite an injury from a previous match with Shayna Bazler, Ember went for Nia and got tossed like a ragdoll for her troubles. Nia was next challenged by the “Glamazon” Beth Phoenix, the only competitor to have competed in a Royal Rumble before. Beth showed no fear and attacked Nia, but couldn’t quite muscle her up. Even Natalya could only help to shove Nia through the ropes. After an emotional hug, Natalya threw Beth to the floor and got stomped by Carmella in recompense. The “Empress of Tomorrow”, Asuka, energetically took to the ring and floored everyone before renewing her NXT rivalry with Ember Moon, who hit a one-arm version of her Blockbuster-like Eclipse. Asuka no-sold the move, however, and soon took Ember out, bad arm and all.

Asuka’s surprise victory over the Bellas was usurped by Ronda’s awkward appearance.

Mickie James made a return next and continued the tradition of targeting Sasha and dropping women with neckbreakers before flailing about trying to chuck Natalya and Asuka. Nikki Bella was next in the ring, drawing mockery from the crowd due to her association with John Cena, taunting Charlotte Flair (who was at ringside with Alexa Bliss), and sending the screaming Carmella from the ring. The competitors ganged up on Nikki but luckily, her twin sister, Brie, made the save, milking the crowd’s love for her husband, Daniel Bryan, and teaming with her sister. A heartbeat later, Bayley arrived and also rekindled her NXT rivalry with Asuka, before certified Legend Trish Stratus came out at number thirty. Trish’s presence angered the modern stars, forcing her to plant both Bellas with a Stratusfaction. Though she arrived too late to battle Lita, Trish and Mickie James turned back the clock for a bit before Trish dumped her outside. Everyone then jumped Nia, aiding the Bellas in hefting her over the top rope. Sasha then immediately tossed Bayley, while Natalya locked Trish in the Sharpshooter and got kicked from the ring as a consequence. Sasha then got in Trish’s face and dumped her as she went for the Stratusfaction. Sasha then betrayed Asuka and beat her with the Bellas, directing them to double-team Asuka but being summarily betrayed by the twins while she was mocking Asuka. Despite being outnumbered, Asuka fought off the Bella’s attack and damn-near kicked their heads off; Nikki then stupidly betrayed her sister one last time, leaving her alone with Asuka. Despite Nikki’s best efforts, Asuka’s tenacity won out and, after tying the Bella up with a leg scissors, Asuka unceremoniously dumped Bella to punch her ticket to WrestleMania. Asuka’s celebration and confrontation with the WWE’s Women’s Champions was then completely usurped when “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey sauntered out to play mind games with all three and awkwardly point to the WrestleMania sign.

The Aftermath:
Considering how often Corey Graves, Michael Cole, and Stephanie McMahon hyped up this match as “history in the making”, the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble was a largely dull and tedious affair. The match lacked much of the excitement associated with the stipulation, relying far too much on bringing back Legends or roping in NXT competitors to round out the clearly limited women’s division. The in-ring action was clunky and awkward; there was a lot of standing around, dead air, and far too much half-hearted brawling as competitors stalled for time. The time between entrants was also a joke, with some appearing within a minute and others taken more like four to come out. The Naomi spot was fun, I did like seeing the returning stars, and I liked that Asuka won, but Ronda Rousey showing up at the end really stole Asuka’s thunder. Of course, much of the immediate aftermath did revolve around the question of which WWE Women’s Champion Asuka would challenge at WrestleMania. Asuka was bullied into facing Nia Jax at the Elimination Chamber event to keep the match from becoming a triple threat, though Asuka ultimately decided to face the SmackDown! Women’s Champion at the Showcase of the Immortals. To the surprise of many, Asuka not only lost that match but was forced to submit to Flair’s Figure-Eight, ending her celebrated undefeated streak. She went on to repeatedly fall short of capturing the belt in matches against Carmella after she successfully chased in her briefcase on Flair and it wouldn’t be until the end of the year that Asuka finally won the belt by defeating Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. As for Ronda Rousey, she made her in-ring debut at WrestleMania by teaming with Kurt Angle in a winning effort against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, impressing many with her transition from the octagon to the squared circle, before decimating Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss later that year at SummerSlam. The WWE continued to include women’s Royal Rumble matches and shine a greater spotlight on their female division, to varying success, in the years that followed.

My Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

What did you think to the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match? Do you agree that the pacing and in-ring action was confusing and disjointed? Which of the returning stars were you most happy to see back in the ring? Who was your pick to win and what did you think to Asuka’s victory? Do you also think Ronda Rousey stole Asuka’s thunder? Which Royal Rumble matches and events are your favourite? Who’s your pick to win this year? I’d love to see your thoughts on the Royal Rumble in the comments so go ahead and leave them there, then check out my other wrestling content on the site.

Wrestling Recap: Sting vs. Triple H (WrestleMania ’15)

Dr. KLeave a comment

The Date: 29 March 2015
The Venue: Levi’s Stadium; Santa Clara, California
The Commentary: Michael Cole, Jerry “The King” Lawler, and John “Bradshaw” Layfield/JBL
The Referee: Charles Robinson
The Stakes: No disqualification singles match

The Build-Up:
For an unprecedented eighty-four weeks, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) dominated the “Monday Night Wars” thanks to big-name star power, big-money contracts, and ground-breaking storylines involving the New World Order (nWo). During this time, Hulk Hogan, arguably wrestling’s greatest icon, experienced a career revival as the villainous “Hollywood” Hogan and his clash against WCW stalwart-turned-dark avenger Sting became the stuff of wrestling legend on this day in 1997. On 26 March 2001, the wrestling world changed forever when World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) bought WCW and claimed ultimate victory. However, while many WCW wrestlers jumped ship to the WWE for an ill-fated “Invasion” angle, Sting repeatedly turned down offers to join the WWE and instead spent nearly ten years signed with Total Nonstop Action (TNA). Over the years, WWE repeatedly tried to negotiate a contract and fans longed to see the Icon clash with the Undertaker in a dream match. However, it wouldn’t be until 2014, when Sting was shockingly announced to be included in WWE 2K15 (Yuke’s), that the WCW Icon finally decided to sign with the company. At the time, the WWE was in one of its worst ruts as weekly television was dominated by the Authority, a stable of wrestlers and corporate figureheads led by Triple H that routinely interrupted matches and quashed fan favourites. It was in the midst of a multi-man match against the Authority’s representatives that Sting finally made his presence felt. He debuted at the 2014 Survivor Series to help Dolph Ziggler fend off Triple H and pin Seth Rollins to remove the Authority from power. Although this only lasted for a few weeks, Triple H was incensed by Sting’s interference and challenged him to a face-to-face confrontation at Fastlane. Sting accepted and the two brawled, with the Icon besting Triple H’s signature sledgehammer. However, the simple story of Sting being a “vigilante” looking to oust Triple H from power was quickly muddled by the ridiculous decision to reframe the feud into a battle for the honour of the long-dead WCW.

The Match:
As a massive Sting fan, I was super pumped about him finally signing with WWE in 2014. Sure, he was getting on a bit but there were still so many opportunities for dream matches there, especially with a light schedule and a bit of smoke and mirrors. Sadly, things were kind of botched right from the start. After Sting helped remove the Authority from power, he really should have been placed as the replacement authority figure, one who favoured putting on interesting matches and seeing things go down in a fair and just way. Also, they never should have replaced his WCW music with that generic, awful quasi-goth metal track. I didn’t expect the WWE to pay for Metallica’s “Seek & Destroy” but they bought WCW, so they owned the rights to his original Crow music that is so iconic to the character, so they really should’ve used that. Finally, as much as I feel like Triple H vs. Sting was definitely a match to do while he was about, this is not the match people wanted to see. People wanted Sting vs. The Undertaker, even back in 2014, and I’ll never understand the decision to veto that in favour of this except to stroke the egos of a bitter Vince McMahon and the vindictive Triple H. Speaking of whom, the Game came to the ring following a pre-taped introduction by Arnold Schwarzenegger, flanked by T-800 endoskeletons, and decked out in Terminator-themed apparel that might’ve looked cool if the match hadn’t taken place in broad daylight! I get that this was a tie-in to the event’s sponsor, Terminator Genysis (Taylor, 2015), but it actually didn’t make much sense since the last time Schwarzenegger and Triple H interacted, the Austrian Oak slapped the shit out of the Game. Oh, and Triple H looked ridiculous in his cheap cosplay outfit, too. The bell hadn’t even rung before Michael Cole was repeating the ludicrous diatribe that Triple H’s goal was to destroy the last remnant of WCW. As if that wasn’t bad enough, JBL constantly kept ragging on Sting throughout the match, questioning his ability to hang in the WWE, and pretending like he’d been absent from the business for the last ten/fifteen years. Just absolutely pathetic stuff all around from the commentary team, really. WCW was dead and buried and Sting had a whole career after it, so all they succeeded at here was sending mixed messages about the legendary figure.

Sting dominated the early stages of the match until D-Generation X rushed the ring!

After milking a brief outburst of “This is awesome!” (which, to be fair, it kind of was because it was Sting at WrestleMania!), the two locked up. Sting knocked Triple H down with a shoulder block so the Game countered with another lock up to show some off his fundamentals and then hit a shoulder block of his own. Sting bounced back with a hip toss and a dropkick that sent Triple H scurrying into the corner as Sting pandered to the crowd to chants of “You still got it!” Though hesitant, Triple H engaged in another lockup, but this time he turned the match into a brawl. Sting shrugged off Triple H’s patented knee smash and sent him scrambling to the outside to avoid the Scorpion Death Lock. After clearing his head on the outside, Triple H returned to the ring to slug it out with Sting once more only to end up back outside after taking his little flip over the top rope off an Irish whip. This time, Sting followed but crashed and burned into the barricade when the Game dodged a Stinger Splash. Triple H chucked Sting shoulder-first into the ring steps and hefting him back into the ring with a suplex off the apron for a two count. Triple H maintained his dominance with some mounted punches, a whip into the corner, and relished in seeing Sting fall to his knees at his feet. After another near fall, Triple H slapped on a rest hold as, apparently, all this action was just two much for the competitors. When Sting tried to mount a comeback, the Game shut him down with his signature spinebuster for another two count before returning to his rest hold. This time, Sting fought out with the Scorpion Death Lock after countering a top rope attack. However, Triple H’s old D-Generation X buddies, “Bad Ass” Billy Gunn, “Road Dogg” Jesse James, and X-Pac, rushed the ring, forcing Sting to break the hold to fight them off. Sting even countered the Pedigree and launched Triple H from the ring, and then took all of D-X out with a top rope dive! Unfortunately, a momentary distraction from Billy Gunn was all the opportunity Triple H needed to plant Sting with the Pedigree but, incredibly, Sting got the shoulder up before the three count.

While faction warfare broke out at ringside, it was Triple H’s sledgehammer that made a chump of Sting.

Stunned, Triple H retrieved his sledgehammer from under the ring but he was interrupted by, of all people, “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall of the nWo! Yes, Sting’s long-time enemies, who he vehemently opposed during arguably the most memorable moments of his entire career, actually helped him! This led to an admittedly awesome moment as the nWo finally got into it with D-X, it just had no place being in this match as it made no sense for them to defend either him or the “honour” of the long-dead company. Regardless, in the chaos, Sting dropped Triple H with the Scorpion Death Drop for a two count. Sting then reapplied the Scorpion Death Lock and Hogan moved the sledgehammer out of Triple H’s reach, which really should’ve been the finish to the match. Instead, Triple H grabbed the ropes (which shouldn’t have counted as it was a no disqualification match…) and Sting was blasted by a Sweet Chin Music from the ”Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels! Since Triple H was slow to cover, Sting kicked out, so D-X slid Triple H his sledgehammer and Sting’s hated enemy, Scott Hall, passed him his trusty baseball bat. Sting not only nailed Triple H with the bat, he also comically snapped his sledgehammer in two before unleashing a flurry of strikes in the corner. A Stinger Splash followed but, rather than hitting a second and bringing the match to a close in a feel-good moment, Triple H blasted Sting in the head with the tip of his sledgehammer and pinned him for the three count! To make matters worse, the two shook hands in a show of respect after a tense showdown between their factions! This match feels like it was put together by someone who had no idea about anything that happened in WCW and just wanted to see D-X and the nWo have a scuffle while putting the final nail in the coffin of the long-dead company. Sting looked pretty good but it was clear from the rest holds that he was getting a bit gassed by the middle and, honestly, this match should’ve made better use of the no disqualification stipulation to help with this. Instead, it was tonally all over the place, with Sting proving a daunting figure but being buried by JBL, him getting the better of Triple H but being beaten by a sledgehammer to the face, and then him shaking Triple H’s hand afterwards like he was beaten by the better man and not a brute who cheated to win.

The Aftermath:
Since Sting lost this match like a chump, Triple H and the Authority continued to dominate the WWE, especially as their golden boy, Seth Rollins, had captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of WrestleMania ’15. Thanks to having the Authority in his corner, Rollins successfully defended the WWE World Heavyweight Championship throughout the year and even toppled John Cena in the main event of that year’s SummerSlam. To honour him and his accomplishments, the Authority presented Rollins with a commemorative statue, but were stunned to find Sting in its place. Despite the fact that he lost his big match, Sting challenged Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Night of Champions, a decision that would’ve made a lot more sense if Sting had won at WrestleMania ’15 and spent his time afterwards continuously opposing the remnants of the Authority. This also could’ve tied into Rollins’ later rivalry with Triple H as he could’ve claimed to beat the man who beat his mentor. Unfortunately, Night of Champions would spell the end of Sting’s in-ring WWE career as he suffered a debilitating neck injury from Rollin’s trademark Buckle Bomb. Although the remorseful Rollins got some flack for this (and, honestly, he really should’ve stopped using the move from that point), Sting maintained that it was a freak accident. Despite announcing his retirement during his induction to the WWE Hall of Fame, Sting jumped ship to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in 2020, where he took on a mentor role to youngster Darby Allen and even returned to the ring for a handful of matches.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

What did you think to Sting’s long-awaited WWE debut? Were you disappointed that he faced Triple H and not the Undertaker? What did you think to the involvement of D-X and the nWo and do you think it made sense for the nWo to help Sting? Were you annoyed by JBL’s commentary during the match and the anti-WCW narrative being told here? Did it annoy you that Sting lost and how do you feel about his time in the WWE? Whatever your thoughts on Sting, and this match in particular, feel free to voice them below and be sure to check out my other wrestling reviews!

Wrestling Recap [Undervember]: Undertaker vs. Batista (WrestleMania 23)

Dr. KLeave a comment

After debuting as part of the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar Team at the 1990 Survivor Series, the Undertaker became a force of nature within World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). To celebrate the Deadman’s illustrious career, I’m looking back at his WrestleMania matches against the future members of the super-stable Evolution.

The Date: 1 April 2007
The Venue: Ford Field; Detroit, Michigan
The Commentary: Michael Cole and John “Bradshaw” Layfield/JBL
The Referee: Charles Robinson
The Stakes: No disqualification singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship

The Build-Up:
Over his many years as a WWE Superstar, the Undertaker went on to become a true phenom within the promotion, facing off against a who’s-who of wrestling’s biggest names and amassing the greatest winning streak in wrestling history with 21 WrestleMania wins between 1991 and 2013. By WrestleMania 23, Evolution had long since split up, legal issues had caused a company-wide rebrand, and the WWE had split their roster into three distinct brands, Raw, SmackDown!, and the ill-fated Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) revival, each with their own distinct competitors and championships. After defeating his mentor for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 21, Batista impressed in the Raw main event before being drafted to SmackDown! in 2005, where he reigned as a popular babyface champion until being forced to relinquish the belt due to an injury. Upon his return in 2006, the “Animal” regained the World Heavyweight Championship from King Booker and ended up signing a contract to defend the belt against the Undertaker, who had shockingly won the annual Royal Rumble match and then formally chose to challenge Batista on an episode of Raw. Although Batista initially claimed to have great respect for the Undertaker, his patience was tested by the Deadman’s spooky mind games and aggressive stance, which led to many awkward tag team bouts where the two struggled to get along and often left each other to the mercy of their opponents.

The Match:
During the first brand split, I was a SmackDown! guy. This was by necessity rather than choice, since it was available on Sky One for “free” in the United Kingdom at the time, but luckily it meant I was treated to some of the best wrestling available courtesy of the fabled “SmackDown! Six”. There were some strange decisions in that brand split, though, such as splitting apart established tag teams like the Acolytes Protection Agency (APA) and the Dudley Boyz; D-Von Dudley underwent a dramatic repackaging on SmackDown! as “Reverend D-Von” and was accompanied by a monster of a man, Deacon Batista. Looking back now, there’s no way that I (much less anyone else) could’ve predicted that this huge, tattooed, grim-faced heavy would become one of the most popular main eventers of the “Ruthless Aggression” era. Even I didn’t really take notice of Big Dave until he jumped over to Raw and started running with Evolution, but he improved week by week and had such a great look and explosive moveset that I quickly became a fan of his. He was one of those one-of-a-kind guys who just naturally clicked with the audience and his ascension to the top felt natural and earned since the fans latched onto him over Randy Orton and wanted to see him succeed, even if his in-ring skills weren’t perhaps as refined as some other competitors. This wasn’t an issue by 2007; by then, Batista had fully established himself as a big-time player in the WWE and had honed his craft to the point where he was pretty reliable on the mic and in the ring. I think there was a lot of anticipation heading into this match as Batista was still a rising star but he was facing the Undertaker, a guy who had never lost at WrestleMania, with the World Heavyweight Championship on the line. To his credit, Batista showed absolutely no intimidation when the Undertaker stalked his way to the ring through smoke and flanked by fire. If anything, Batista appeared determined and a little pissed off as he dashed at his opponent with a quick tackle and started beating on him in the corner.

The Undertaker was forced to bust out his best moves to counter Batista’s power game.

The Undertaker soon returned the favour, throwing hands in the corner, so Batista countered with some shoulder blocks and sent the Deadman over the ropes to a chorus of boos. The mixed reaction to Batista continued as the two brawled around the ringside area. The Undertaker mostly shrugged off Batista’s shots and the slams into the barricade and ring apron but took a hell of a bump when the champion whipped him knee-first into the steel steps. After rolling the groggy Undertaker into the ring, Batista uncharacteristically climbed to the top rope and hit a diving shoulder block for the first near fall of the match. He then no-sold a big boot and downed the Undertaker with a big clothesline for another near fall and continued to dominate the Deadman with his power game. This quickly turned into a fun spot where the two exchange big right hands, with the fans loudly cheering every punch the Undertaker threw and booing Batista’s. The Undertaker eventually won this exchange and got himself back in the match with a few splashes in the corner and his Snake Eyes/big boot/leg drop combo for a two count. Although the Undertaker hit his “Old School” rope walk strike, Batista powered out of a Chokeslam attempt but the Undertaker shut down the champion’s attempts to regain the momentum by hitting a clunky diving clothesline off the ropes for another two count. The action went outside again where the Undertaker got a measure of revenge by bouncing Batista’s head off the ring steps, running his elbow into the Animal’s jaw, and hitting his apron leg drop to topple Batista to the floor. The Undertaker then returned to the ring and more than made up for his earlier diving clothesline by launching himself over the ropes and taking Batista down with a hell of a suicide dive that left both men down!

Although Batista have his all, the Undertaker emerged victorious and as champion again.

Once they got to their feet, the two continued to brawl at ringside. This time, the Undertaker got whipped into the timekeeper’s table, but Batista made a conscious decision to continuously return to the ring to break the referee’s ten count since he had guaranteed that he would pin the Undertaker for the victory. Thus, Batista beat on the helpless Phenom on the outside before powerslamming him off one announce table and through another! Batista tossed the exhausted challenger into the ring but was left frustrated when the Deadman kicked out no matter how much he pummelled him. This frustration almost cost him as the Undertaker forced his way out of a Batista Bomb attempt, but Batista shut that down with a beautiful belly-to-belly slam for a two count. Batista then let his emotions get the better of him as he lashed out with the ten punches in the corner and left himself wide open for a Last Ride and the crowd was stunned when the Animal managed to kick out at two. Batista answered back with his big spinebuster, but his momentum was again thwarted first by the Undertaker’s zombie sit up and then by a Chokeslam, but again the champion was able to kick out before the three. The closing stretch saw Batista slip out of a Tombstone Piledriver and drill the Undertaker with a Spear before finally hitting the Batista Bomb…for a two count! Aghast, Batista tried to hit it again but the Undertaker powered out. The Phenom then reversed Batista’s attempt at a Tombstone, bounced him out of the corner, and nailed the Animal with the legendary Tombstone Piledriver to score the victory, earning himself his fifth World Championship and bringing the Streak to 15-0. This one was actually really good; the Undertaker seemed hungry and ready to fight and the match made good use of Batista’s power game. I liked the story of Batista being determined to get a legitimate, uncontested pin fall victory and trying to hit the Batista Bomb and being exasperated when it failed to get the job done. The Undertaker also did a hell of a job making Batista look good by throwing his body at the Animal at every opportunity. It lacked a little edge at times and JBL’s obnoxious commentary was, as ever, quite the distraction but this could’ve been a great place to end the Streak. Yhe Undertaker didn’t need the World Championship to be popular, especially at this time, but if he had gone into the event with the belt instead of challenging for it, I think that outcome could’ve been a little different for Big Dave.

The Aftermath:
Since this match was heralded as one of the best matches the two ever had, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Undertaker and Batista were far from done following this exchange. Batista himself felt slighted that the two didn’t get the main event spot at WrestleMania 23, which may have contributed to the two clashing twice more in the following months. Batista challenged the Undertaker at Backlash in a Last Man Standing match and in a steel cage match on SmackDown!, but both matches ended in controversial draws. Unfortunately, their rivalry was cut short when the Undertaker suffered an injury. The WWE had Edge cash-in his Money in the Bank contract to steal the belt so Batista transitioned into challenging Edge for the title, though he was unsuccessful each time. It wasn’t until he got into it with the Great Khali that Batista regained the World Championship and, once the Undertaker returned from his injury later in 2007, the two continued to face off for the belt. Interference from Edge meant Batista finally emerged victorious and the three men faced off at Armageddon at the end of the year, with Edge regaining the belt in a triple threat match. By WrestleMania XXIV, the Undertaker was challenging Edge in the main event while Batista had to settle for representing SmackDown! in a “Battle for Brand Supremacy” against Raw’s Umaga, though the Animal and the Deadman would cross paths again three more times between 2008 and 2009, with the Undertaker being victorious in each instance.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

What did you think to the Undertaker’s battle against Batista at WrestleMania 23? How would you rate it against the Undertaker’s other WrestleMania matches? Do you think the Undertaker needed the World Championship at this point in his career? Were you a fan of Batista’s and would you have liked to see the Streak end at his hands? Do you think this match should’ve been the main event of the evening? How are you celebrating the Undertaker’s debut this year, what are some of your favourite matches and moments from his long and distinguished career, and what dream match would you have liked to see him involved in? Whatever your thoughts, drop a comment below and go check out my reviews of other Undertaker matches across the site!

Wrestling Recap: Elimination Chamber Match (Survivor Series ’02)

Dr. KLeave a comment

The Date: 17 November 2002
The Venue: Madison Square Garden; New York, New York
The Commentary: Jim “J.R.” Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler
The Referee: Earl Hebner
The Stakes: Six-man Elimination Chamber match for Triple H’s World Heavyweight Championship

The Build-Up:
Over its many decades as the dominating force in sports entertainment, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has created some of the industry’s most successful competitors, changed the face of pay-per-view entertainment, and delivered some game-changing match types. In 1987, the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF) struck it big with WrestleMania, a pay-per-view showcase that was so successful that WWF Chairman Vince McMahon strong-armed many cable companies into showing their follow-up event, Survivor Series, over the National Wrestling Alliance’s (NWA) Starrcade pay-per-view. Although the show was famous for featuring a series of ten-man elimination tag team matches, this format was shaken up in 2002 with the introduction of the “Elimination Chamber”. This was a merciless steel structure that forced four men to wait in “bulletproof pods” as two others fought in the ring, with each participant joining the match at random at regular intervals and wrestlers being eliminated by pin fall or submission until only one is left standing. At this time, the WWE’s hefty roster was split into two distinct brands, Raw and SmackDown!, and the Elimination Chamber was first introduced by Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff as a means to out-do his blue branded rival. The chamber would prove the perfect staging ground to force World Heavyweight Champion Triple H (who was in the midst of a “Reign of Terror” alongside his Evolution allies, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista) against his five top challengers, men he had spent the previous year humiliating and destroying both in the ring and in backstage segments. While Chris Jericho, Kane, Booker T, and Rob Van Dam all had legitimate beef with Triple H, the real story heading into the match was the return of Triple H’s former D-Generation X teammate, the “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels. HBK had been famously sidelined with a career-ending back injury in 1998 and Triple H had flourished as a main event heel in the interim. Although HBK functioned as an on-air personality, he made an unexpected in-ring return in June 2002 and was set to reunite with Triple H before his friend viciously attacked him, leading to a brutal street fight at the 2002 SummerSlam that briefly took HBK off television before he dramatically returned to Raw to be the final entrant in the first of what would become an annual event match for the WWE.

The Match:
I was massively invested in wrestling by 2002. While I was mainly watching SmackDown! due to the limitations of my Sky package, I still followed Raw and caught the odd pay-per-view so I was fully aware of Triple H’s dominating run with the World Heavyweight Championship. Honestly, 2002 was one of my favourite times in wrestling just for the stars and music involved: Jericho was played to the ring by Saliva, Kane was sporting perhaps my favourite look of his and had a banging theme song, and Triple H made regular use of Motörhead both as a singles star and as part of Evolution. Things went a little extreme during this time and Triple H started absorbing other belts along the way, which was a bit of a mistake (and clearly upper management agreed as they restored the Intercontinental Championship soon enough) but it was a good way to showcase new faces in the main event scene. Some of these guys, like Rob Van Dam and Booker T, were overdue their time in the sun while others, like Chris Jericho and Kane, could easily be slotted into the title picture without any issue. Of course, the big story of the year was HBK’s incredible comeback. HBK hadn’t been an active wrestler when I started watching but his reputation preceded him and I was completely caught up in the drama and hatred that quickly brewed between him and his former best friend since it was our best shot at seeing Triple H relieved of his championship belt. I remember also feeling a lot of anticipation about the first-ever Elimination Chamber match. I’d never seen a War Games match at the time so the closest analogy I (and most people had) was the Hell in a Cell match, but I was excited about it as it was a nice twist on the traditional Survivor Series match. Triple H and Rob Van Dam kicked off the match (literally in RVD’s case) and immediately rekindled their rivalry from earlier in the year, with RVD working Triple H over with his “educated feet” and martial arts agility.

RVD impressed throughout the match but almost killed Triple H with a botched splash off the top!

RVD continued to press his advantage by back dropping Triple H out of a Pedigree attempt, over the ropes, to the raised steel floor at ringside. RVD followed up by repeatedly launching “The Game” into the chained walls of the chamber, busting him open in the process, and even hitting his backflip/monkey flip combo out on the steel and his trademark Rolling Thunder over the ropes and to the outside! Triple H was unexpectedly saved from a potential Five-Star Frog Splash off a chamber pod when Jericho grabbed at RVD’s leg but the Game ended up crotched on the top rope and taking a rolling senton to the face anyway. Triple H continued to take a beating against the chain-link walls and in the ring, but was given a brief reprieve when Jericho entered the match and got into it with RVD. Things don’t go too well for the self-proclaimed “King of the World”, however, as he got nailed with RVD’s spinning kick for a two count and then took his jumping side kick out the corner, and RVD even managed to pivot in mid-air to briefly cling to the cage and then take Jericho out with a dive off the wall! Despite the blood loss and the beating he took, Triple H walloped RVD with a clothesline; this was enough for Jericho to plant him with a back suplex and try his awesome cocky pin. Although RVD valiantly fought back, Triple H’s Harley Race-style knee strike shut him down and he and Jericho put aside their differences to pummel RVD . RVD dodged a corner splash, however, only to get absolutely planted by a DDT from Triple H. Luckily, the odds evened up as Booker T entered the fray. He rode his recent wave of momentum to go after both Jericho and Triple H and even had time to celebrate with a Spinaroonie before he and RVD went at it. Although RVD still had plenty of gas left in the tank, a couple of big side kicks from Booker T led to a near fall. Not to be outdone, RVD got a two count off a spinning heel kick before Triple H interjected himself into their fight, only to eat a Scissors Kick for his troubles. Although Jericho attacked Booker T before he could make a cover, things got seriously bad for Triple H when his throat was legitimately crushed after RVD miscalculated a Five-Star Frog Splash off a pod. RVD was then anti-climatically eliminated from the match after a Missile Dropkick from Booker T.

Kane’s rampage came to a dramatic end and HBK eliminated Jericho to go on-on-one with Triple H.

Jericho and Booker T frantically went at it as Triple H recuperated, with Booker T dodging the Lionsault and planting Jericho with his snap spinebuster for a two count. Kane was then released from his pod and started hitting everyone in sight. He easily manhandled Jericho, ramming him into the chained walls and then threw him through the pod plexiglass! Kane beat on Triple H for a little before focusing on Booker T, nailing a Chokeslam that allowed the bloodied Jericho to eliminate Booker with a Lionsault. Kane continued to pulverise Jericho on the outside before dumping him back in the ring with a military press. He easily fended off Triple H’s desperate attempts to get back into things and scored a near fall off a suplex before tossing Triple H off the top rope. Jericho countered a Chokeslam with a kick to the balls and finally knocked Kane down with a Missile Dropkick, meaning all three men were down when HBK (and his atrocious brown tights) was finally unleashed. Shawn Michaels went after Jericho and Kane like a house on fire but his momentum stalled after Kane nailed him with a Chokeslam. Kane then hit another on Triple H and caught Jericho in mid-air for a third Chokeslam. However, when Kane tried to hit the Tombstone Piledriver on Triple H, he got blasted with Sweet Chin Music from HBK, drilled with a Pedigree, and finally pinned and eliminated off a Lionsault. Jericho followed up by ramming HBK into the cage wall, drawing blood in the process and leaving him a helpless husk for him and Triple H to beat on in a heinous assault. Triple H dumped his former friend to the outside so he could grind his face against the chains and bounce him off the plexiglass. He and Jericho then took turns pummeling HBK’s bloodstained face, dumping him on the steel floor, and repeatedly smashing him off the chain-link wall. HBK mounted a brief comeback with a flying forearm and a nip-up, but Jericho put a stop to that with yet another Lionsault. However, Shawn refused to be pinned and caught Jericho off-guard with a moonsault for a near fall. Triple H then saved Jericho when HBK had him in his own Walls of Jericho submission hold and started brawling with Y2J after he tried to eliminate his hated rival. Although Jericho almost made the Game tap with the Walls of Jericho, Y2J got nailed with Sweet Chin Music and summarily eliminated by Shawn Michaels, meaning that the match came down to the two former friends going at it once again.

HBK and Triple H’s bloody brawl ends with Shawn toppling the Game and becoming World Champion!

The two bloodied, exhausted one-time allies traded punches, an exchange that ended with Triple H scoring a two count off a massive Arn Anderson-like spinebuster. HBK then found himself tossed outside again and catapulted right through the plexiglass of a pod when he dared to try and hit Triple H with a Pedigree on the steel, though is only resulted in another near fall as Shawn refused to die. Frustrated, desperate to inflict more punishment, Triple H urged HBK to his feet and the two got into a heated slugfest that ended with Shawn getting smashed with Triple H’s knee facebuster. HBK got a measure of revenge on the outside, however, when he reversed a Pedigree attempt into a catapult of his own that saw Triple H’s battered face bounce off the chain-link wall one more time. Shawn Michaels followed with his signature Diving Elbow from the top of a pod but chose to tune up the band rather than go for the pin. Triple H caught Shawn’s foot, however, and drilled him with a Pedigree but the champion was too hurt to immediately capitalise and HBK got the shoulder up at two. Triple H then tried for another Pedigree but Shawn countered with a back drop and then nailed Sweet Chin Music out of nowhere and scored the victory to an absolutely thunderous applause. He then celebrated his big comeback and title victory with tears in his eyes and under a shower of confetti. Considering no one knew what to expect from this first-ever Elimination Chamber match, this was a really good and well-paced contest. The competitors made really good use of the space to showcase how dangerous the structure is and give a taste of the athletic and innovative manoeuvres the chamber’s walls and pods could offer. While it somewhat undermined the narrative of the plexiglass being “bulletproof” to have it smashed in this first match, it worked wonderfully to showcase Kane’s brutality and Shawn’s never-say-die attitude. It’s amazing that Triple H was able to continue the match considering he could’ve been killed from RVDs freak botch, but it didn’t interrupt the flow of the match as these guys all knew how to buy him time to recover. RVD and Jericho stole the match in the early going. RVD’s athleticism and conditioning really impressed me and I was surprised to see Jericho score the most eliminations, and off the Lionsault no less! Kane got a good showing with his power game but I think more could’ve been done to help him stand out as a force of nature, but the one to watch was clearly Booker T. The guy was so popular at this point and I think the crowd would’ve been just as happy to see him or RVD get the win as much as HBK. However, you can’t take away from Shawn’s incredible comeback story. We never thought we’d see him back in the ring, much less a World Champion again, and this was a really emotional, cathartic moment for him and those who just wanted to see Triple H dethroned as champion.

The Aftermath:
Although Booker T, Kane, and Chris Jericho largely faded out of the main event scene in the immediate aftermath to this match, Shawn Michaels and Triple H were far from done with their rivalry, and poor old Rob Van Dam got caught up in the middle of it. RVD was defeated by Triple H to earn the Game a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship in a “Three Stages of Hell” match at Armageddon the following month, where Triple H regaining the belt after enduring a street fight, a steel cage, and a ladder match. While Triple H was busying stinking up the main event scene in horrendous matches with “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner, Kane, Jericho, Shawn Michaels, RVD, and Booker T all competed in the Royal Rumble match and all came up short. Although Booker T earned himself a shot at Triple H’s World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XIX, he was resoundingly defeated despite everything pointing to a big babyface victory! Kane and RVD formed a tag team in the interim and eventually ended up at odds with each other after the Big Red Machine’s dramatic unmasking. Jericho and HBK got into an emotionally-charged feud that only got worse after Y2J’s temper tantrum at WrestleMania XIX, and Triple H went on to have lacklustre matches against Goldberg throughout 2003. HBK and Triple H rekindled their rivalry near the end of 2003. HBK appeared to defeat Triple H for the belt on an episode of Raw that was ruled a draw and the two again went to a no contest in a Last Man Standing match at the 2004 Royal Rumble. This led to HBK interjecting himself into the WrestleMania XX main event. Though he was ultimately unsuccessful, his tumultuous relationship with Triple H would continue on and off over the next few years before the two finally got back on the same page and reformed D-Generation X in 2006.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

What did you think to the first-ever Elimination Chamber match? Who was your pick to win at the time? What did you think the the level of violence on show in the match? Were you impressed that Triple H was able to continue after his injury? What did you think to Shawn Michaels’ big comeback and championship win here? Which Elimination Chamber match or event is your favourite? Whatever your thoughts on the Elimination Chamber, feel free to leave them below or drop a c and be sure to check out my other wrestling reviews!