by Logan Scisco
–Vince McMahon and
Jim Cornette are taped in the booth in Muncie, Indiana, while Jim Ross and The
Honky Tonk Man call the action in South Africa.
It’s a simulcast of sorts, even though the South Africa action was also
taped beforehand.
Jim Cornette are taped in the booth in Muncie, Indiana, while Jim Ross and The
Honky Tonk Man call the action in South Africa.
It’s a simulcast of sorts, even though the South Africa action was also
taped beforehand.
-Call 815-734-1161
to purchase your Undertaker poster for $29.95 (not including shipping &
handling)!
to purchase your Undertaker poster for $29.95 (not including shipping &
handling)!
–Opening
Contest: The Godwinns defeat The Legion
of Doom when Henry pins Animal after the British Bulldog nails Animal in the
back of the head with his tag team title belt at 6:05 shown:
Contest: The Godwinns defeat The Legion
of Doom when Henry pins Animal after the British Bulldog nails Animal in the
back of the head with his tag team title belt at 6:05 shown:
This match was set up by the Godwinns inadvertently
slopping the Legion of Doom on last week’s show. This is standard fare between two brawling
teams until Owen Hart and the British Bulldog make their presence known at the
end of the match and cost the Legion of Doom the contest. It’s not a huge setback for the LOD, though,
since they get a title match with the Bulldog and Owen in six days at In Your
House. Rating: **
slopping the Legion of Doom on last week’s show. This is standard fare between two brawling
teams until Owen Hart and the British Bulldog make their presence known at the
end of the match and cost the Legion of Doom the contest. It’s not a huge setback for the LOD, though,
since they get a title match with the Bulldog and Owen in six days at In Your
House. Rating: **
–Footage of “The
Real Double J” Jesse James breaking The Honky Tonk Man’s guitar two weeks ago
is shown.
Real Double J” Jesse James breaking The Honky Tonk Man’s guitar two weeks ago
is shown.
–Hunter Hearst
Helmsley (w/Chyna) pins “The Real Double J” Jesse James with a Pedigree at
11:49 shown:
Helmsley (w/Chyna) pins “The Real Double J” Jesse James with a Pedigree at
11:49 shown:
This is a match from South Africa and the Honky Tonk Man
talks about how he’s got the perfect mystery man to face James at In Your
House. There is some “amateur” wrestling
both men employ here, which is quite boring, but Jim Cornette makes some it
tolerable by cracking some current event jokes.
This is a very start and stop contest, as James’s offense builds
momentum until Helmsley abruptly cuts it off with a maneuver with his knee and
going to a rest hold. Honky Tonk Man
gets tired of watching the match, so he nails James in the gut as Chyna
distracts the referee and Helmsley gets the victory. The piped in crowd noise made this match come
off better than it actually was. Rating:
*¾
talks about how he’s got the perfect mystery man to face James at In Your
House. There is some “amateur” wrestling
both men employ here, which is quite boring, but Jim Cornette makes some it
tolerable by cracking some current event jokes.
This is a very start and stop contest, as James’s offense builds
momentum until Helmsley abruptly cuts it off with a maneuver with his knee and
going to a rest hold. Honky Tonk Man
gets tired of watching the match, so he nails James in the gut as Chyna
distracts the referee and Helmsley gets the victory. The piped in crowd noise made this match come
off better than it actually was. Rating:
*¾
–James says that he
can’t wait to beat Honky’s mystery man at In Your House this Sunday.
can’t wait to beat Honky’s mystery man at In Your House this Sunday.
–Non-Title
Match: Savio Vega (w/The Nation of
Domination) pins “The Rock” Rocky Maivia (Inercontinental Champion) with a
schoolboy at 14:29 shown:
Match: Savio Vega (w/The Nation of
Domination) pins “The Rock” Rocky Maivia (Inercontinental Champion) with a
schoolboy at 14:29 shown:
This is another bout from South Africa. Ahmed Johnson cuts an unintelligible promo in
the split screen during the opening stages of the match and Cornette proceeds
to rant about it. Savio puts the
audience into a coma with about seven minutes of nerve holds, although Faarooq
and Crush try to rile up the crowd around ringside to draw heat. After eleven minutes, the pace finally picks
up as Maivia makes the comeback and Savio kicks out of what will become the
Rock Bottom by the end of the year.
Savio manages to outmaneuver the inexperienced Maivia near the corner
and scores the victory with a handful of tights and the Nation does a brief
beatdown before Ahmed Johnson shows up.
This was terrible until it hit the closing sequence. Savio’s victory gives him some momentum for
his title match with Maivia at In Your House, but it would’ve been better to do
this a couple of weeks prior to this show so that match would have more time to
build. Rating: *¼
the split screen during the opening stages of the match and Cornette proceeds
to rant about it. Savio puts the
audience into a coma with about seven minutes of nerve holds, although Faarooq
and Crush try to rile up the crowd around ringside to draw heat. After eleven minutes, the pace finally picks
up as Maivia makes the comeback and Savio kicks out of what will become the
Rock Bottom by the end of the year.
Savio manages to outmaneuver the inexperienced Maivia near the corner
and scores the victory with a handful of tights and the Nation does a brief
beatdown before Ahmed Johnson shows up.
This was terrible until it hit the closing sequence. Savio’s victory gives him some momentum for
his title match with Maivia at In Your House, but it would’ve been better to do
this a couple of weeks prior to this show so that match would have more time to
build. Rating: *¼
–Steve Austin
convincing WWF President Gorilla Monsoon to give him a match with Bret Hart at
In Your House near the end of last week’s show is shown.
convincing WWF President Gorilla Monsoon to give him a match with Bret Hart at
In Your House near the end of last week’s show is shown.
–McMahon interviews
Austin, who accuses McMahon of holding him down in the past but says that he
can’t hold him back anymore. Austin
pledges to beat Bret at In Your House and that Bret is copying his mannerisms
and logo. Simple stuff from Austin here
and it’s not like he can say a lot more for this feud right now.
Austin, who accuses McMahon of holding him down in the past but says that he
can’t hold him back anymore. Austin
pledges to beat Bret at In Your House and that Bret is copying his mannerisms
and logo. Simple stuff from Austin here
and it’s not like he can say a lot more for this feud right now.
–Goldust defeats
The Sultan (w/The Iron Sheik) by disqualification when Hunter Hearst Helmsley
and Chyna interfere at 3:01 shown:
The Sultan (w/The Iron Sheik) by disqualification when Hunter Hearst Helmsley
and Chyna interfere at 3:01 shown:
This is our third bout from South Africa. Goldust’s paints his face like a leopard,
which causes McMahon to speculate that Goldust might have ebola. Marlena is missing in action because of the
bearhug she endured at the hands of Chyna at WrestleMania. The Sultan delivers a nasty looking
piledriver, as he holds Goldust vertically and then suddenly drops into the
move. It looked safe, but it earned a
ten for the visual effect. Helmsley
interferes after we catch a few minutes of action, since this one is joined in
progress after a commercial break, and he and the Sultan do a beatdown before
leaving. The beatdown was nice, but the
match wasn’t going anywhere prior to Helmsley’s interference. Rating: ½*
which causes McMahon to speculate that Goldust might have ebola. Marlena is missing in action because of the
bearhug she endured at the hands of Chyna at WrestleMania. The Sultan delivers a nasty looking
piledriver, as he holds Goldust vertically and then suddenly drops into the
move. It looked safe, but it earned a
ten for the visual effect. Helmsley
interferes after we catch a few minutes of action, since this one is joined in
progress after a commercial break, and he and the Sultan do a beatdown before
leaving. The beatdown was nice, but the
match wasn’t going anywhere prior to Helmsley’s interference. Rating: ½*
–Call
1-815-734-1161 to get your Undertaker poster for $29.95 (not including shipping
& handling)!
1-815-734-1161 to get your Undertaker poster for $29.95 (not including shipping
& handling)!
–To continue the
international flavor of the show, a Bret Hart promo from Kuwait is aired and he
says that he stands for truth, justice, and what’s right, which is something
that the American fans have forgotten about.
international flavor of the show, a Bret Hart promo from Kuwait is aired and he
says that he stands for truth, justice, and what’s right, which is something
that the American fans have forgotten about.
–Vader & Mankind
(w/Paul Bearer) defeat The Headbangers by disqualification at 5:33:
(w/Paul Bearer) defeat The Headbangers by disqualification at 5:33:
We’re back in the United States for this contest. The Headbangers do a good job handling Vader
early, but Mankind soon makes the save and becomes a one man juggernaut that
fights both Headbangers. Vader and
Mankind dominate the rest of the way until Mosh spits some type of liquid into
Mankind’s eyes and gets his team disqualified.
Mankind sells it like he can’t see and he ends up putting Vader in the
Mandible Claw by mistake. That was a
nice touch, but having the Headbangers blind Mankind was odd booking. This was a glorified squash, but they let the
Headbangers save face. Rating:
*
early, but Mankind soon makes the save and becomes a one man juggernaut that
fights both Headbangers. Vader and
Mankind dominate the rest of the way until Mosh spits some type of liquid into
Mankind’s eyes and gets his team disqualified.
Mankind sells it like he can’t see and he ends up putting Vader in the
Mandible Claw by mistake. That was a
nice touch, but having the Headbangers blind Mankind was odd booking. This was a glorified squash, but they let the
Headbangers save face. Rating:
*
–As the lights flicker
in South Africa, the Undertaker gives a promo over the PA system and says that
he’s going to make sure Mankind burns in hell after In Your House this Sunday.
in South Africa, the Undertaker gives a promo over the PA system and says that
he’s going to make sure Mankind burns in hell after In Your House this Sunday.
–Revealing photographs
of Sable, which will appear in the next Raw magazine, are shown.
of Sable, which will appear in the next Raw magazine, are shown.
–Footage of the ladies
of the WWF in their bikinis at the Slammy’s is shown.
of the WWF in their bikinis at the Slammy’s is shown.
–The Commandant, the
leader of the Truth Commission, cuts a promo in South Africa and says that his
group of commandos is soon to enter the WWF.
He also repeats a lot of the content of the promo he did last week.
leader of the Truth Commission, cuts a promo in South Africa and says that his
group of commandos is soon to enter the WWF.
He also repeats a lot of the content of the promo he did last week.
–Ahmed Johnson
defeats Crush (w/The Nation of Domination) with a schoolboy at 8:40 shown:
defeats Crush (w/The Nation of Domination) with a schoolboy at 8:40 shown:
Our last match of the night comes from South Africa. The announce team makes some illusions to
dissension within the Nation of Domination and says that Crush has been
criticized lately for his performance, thereby sowing the seeds for the “gang
warfare” angle that would emerge by the fall.
Crush methodically focuses his offense on Ahmed’s kidneys, but he
acquires the same rest hold sickness that plagued Savio early in the show. Ahmed doesn’t even get in that much offense,
as he avoids a heart punch and puts Crush away with a roll up shortly
thereafter after coming off the ropes.
The only redeeming part of this match was Jim Ross, who made it seem
like the fate of the world rested on an Ahmed victory. Rating: ½*
dissension within the Nation of Domination and says that Crush has been
criticized lately for his performance, thereby sowing the seeds for the “gang
warfare” angle that would emerge by the fall.
Crush methodically focuses his offense on Ahmed’s kidneys, but he
acquires the same rest hold sickness that plagued Savio early in the show. Ahmed doesn’t even get in that much offense,
as he avoids a heart punch and puts Crush away with a roll up shortly
thereafter after coming off the ropes.
The only redeeming part of this match was Jim Ross, who made it seem
like the fate of the world rested on an Ahmed victory. Rating: ½*
–After the match,
Faarooq tells Ahmed that the Nation will get rid of him. Faarooq says that if Ahmed can beat the
Nation, he will disband the group. Ahmed
doesn’t respond.
Faarooq tells Ahmed that the Nation will get rid of him. Faarooq says that if Ahmed can beat the
Nation, he will disband the group. Ahmed
doesn’t respond.
The Final Report Card: Four
weeks ago, the WWF put together a great go home show for WrestleMania, but this
was the exact opposite. The back and
forth between the American and South African venues just didn’t work and it
didn’t help that nearly every match on this card was below average. I often wonder how the Undertaker felt about
this title reign, since most of it was eclipsed by the Bret-Austin storyline.
weeks ago, the WWF put together a great go home show for WrestleMania, but this
was the exact opposite. The back and
forth between the American and South African venues just didn’t work and it
didn’t help that nearly every match on this card was below average. I often wonder how the Undertaker felt about
this title reign, since most of it was eclipsed by the Bret-Austin storyline.
Show Rating: 2.2 (vs. 3.5 for Nitro)
Show Evaluation: Thumbs Down