WWE Vintage Collection Report: September 9th 2012
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
Our “Month of Champions” theme rolls on this week with four defunct titles you may or may not have heard of before.
WCW Main Event: November 3rd 1991
WCW Six Man Tag Team Titles: Big Josh, Z-Man & Dustin Rhodes vs The York Foundation (Thomas Rich, Terrence Taylor & Richard Morton) w/Alexandra York
Both Morton and Rich were part of the first trio to hold the titles (along with Junkyard Dog) back in February. Josh crushes Rich’s hand after seeing through a handshake/sneak attack. Rhodes catches Taylor with a cross body, but the referee has his back to the action. Morton trips Rhodes as he runs the ropes. Taylor tosses Rhodes over the top rope behind the referee’s back, to save his team from a DQ. With six men to look after, it’s being hinted that it’s too much for one referee to handle. Morton sends Rhodes into the guardrail. Inside, Taylor gives Rhodes a gutwrench powerbomb, while Rich catches him with a clothesline and Morton hits an inverted atomic drop. Rhodes gets in a couple of hopeful pin attempts, before Taylor gives him a jawbreaker. An irish whip leads to a mid-ring collision. Josh gets the hot tag and unloads with dropkicks galore. A predictable six man brawl erupts. The referee catches Taylor using the ropes to try and pin Josh, but doesn’t see Josh do the same. 1-2-3. Winners: BIG JOSH, Z-MAN & DUSTIN RHODES. The Foundation would bag the titles during the next week’s telecast, but with both shows having been taped a month prior, the titles were quietly retired in real time on November 7th. The York Foundation quickly became enhancement talent and disbanded in January 1992.
NWA Bunkhouse Stampede: January 24th 1988
NWA Western States Heritage Title: Barry Windham vs Larry Zbyszko w/Baby Doll
The said title was born in the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) which was Bill Watts’ attempt to launch Mid-South Wrestling on a national scale. However, failure to compete with Jim Crockett Promotions and the WWF led to the sale of UWF to Crockett in April 1987. The UWF remained until December that year and ran a tournament in June to crown the first Western States Heritage Champion, which Barry Windham won. Windham is coming into this bout with a knee injury, courtesy of an attack by the Four Horsemen. Also on this night, the WWF deliberately ran the first annual Royal Rumble in direct competition to the Bunkhouse PPV, which ended up having serious consequences for Crockett down the line.
Windham misses a careless top rope dive, allowing Zbyszko to work over a leg. Windham eventually comes back with a dropkick, delayed suplex and gutwrench. A sleeper leads to Zbyszko sinking down in the ropes. Windham uses a table and the wooden steps as weapons, before both use the steel ringpost to their advantage. Zbyszko avoids a flying lariat. Windham counters a piledriver into a backbodydrop. A mid-ring collision puts both men down. Zbyszko misses a high knee in the corner. Windham inadvertently sends Zbyszko into the referee. Windham rolls up Zbyszko and Baby Doll counts the 1-2-3. A confused Windham turns to see no referee. Zbyszko wipes Windham out with one of Doll’s high heeled shoes to steal the 1-2-3. Winner: LARRY ZBYSZKO. The belt would be retired a year later when Zbyszko jumped to the AWA after Ted Turner and WCW bought out Crockett.
WWF All American Wrestling: January 12th 1986
Canadian Heavyweight Title: Dino Bravo vs Tiger Chung Lee
When the WWF took over the Montreal promotion, Bravo came in and was billed as the Canadian champion whenever the company ran in any of Canada’s major cities. It’s odd seeing Bravo with a mop of brown hair and being a fan favourite. We join the match in progress with Tiger in control. The crafty Korean uses his bare feet and the top rope to choke Bravo. Tiger follows up with a clothesline. Bravo survives a couple of chinlocks and fires up. Tiger begs off. Bravo elevates Tiger with a backbodydrop. Tiger telegraphs a second with a kick to the head. Bravo ducks a clothesline, quickly dropping Tiger with a back suplex for the 1-2-3. Winner: DINO BRAVO. The Canadian title was abandoned later in the month when Bravo departed after a planned match with Hulk Hogan in Montreal was nixed. The WWF were afraid the Canadian crowd would cheer Bravo more than Hogan. When Bravo returned a year later, he was given a Canadian strongman gimmick and turned heel.
WWF Royal Rumble: January 20th 2002
Undisputed Title: Chris Jericho vs The Rock
Jericho upset the odds the previous month, defeating both Stone Cold and Rock in the same night, thus merging the WCW and WWF Heavyweight titles into the Undisputed title. A staredown in the ring leads to Jericho stealing Rock’s catchphrases and placing his hand in front of Rock’s face. Rock responds with right hands, a back elbow and samoan drop for a quick two. Jericho takes a breather. Rock gives chase back inside. Rock spear tackles Jericho and unloads with more rights. Jericho telegraphs a backbodydrop with a kick to the head, and follows up with a flying forearm. Jericho hits a corner clothesline. Rock avoids another charge and Jericho posts himself. Rock drives Jericho’s face into the mat. Jericho hotshots Rock across the top rope. Both fight in the corner until Jericho catches Rock with a spin kick. Jericho scores with a suplex and a nonchalant posing pin attempt. Jericho exposes the top turnbuckle. Rock flips his legs out of a Walls of Jericho attempt.
A commercial break cuts out some of the obligatory rest holds. Jericho hits a running bulldog and scores with not one, but two lionsaults. Rock kicks out of a pin. Jericho gets into a shoving match with Earl Hebner. Rock catches a missile dropkick and turns Jericho over into a Sharpshooter. Cue Jericho’s Canadian running buddies Lance Storm and Christian. Hebner gets distracted and doesn’t see Jericho tapping out. Rock releases the hold to knock Storm from the apron, duck a Christian belt shot and spit punch him to the floor. Second official Nick Patrick escorts the duo to the back. Jericho catches Rock in his variation of a Rock Bottom. 1-2-kickout. Jericho hits a senton. People’s elbow, no, Rock nips up and tosses Jericho over the top rope. Jericho has ideas of a Rock Bottom through the Spanish Announce Table, but Rock reveses and plants Jericho through the American hardwood instead.
Back inside, Jericho elbows out of a Rock Bottom attempt and applies the Walls. Rock struggles, but hooks the bottom rope. Rock counters a slingshot into a rollup for two. Jericho avoids a flying clothesline and Hebner gets bumped. Jericho takes Rock out with a belt shot. Patrick runs in to count a nearfall. Jericho argues the count. Rock plants Jericho with a DDT. Patrick refuses to count and takes a Rock Bottom. Jericho walks into a spinebuster. The People’s elbow connects, but Hebner’s still down. As Rock tries to revive him, Jericho takes advantage to land a low blow. Jericho quickly sends Rock into the exposed corner and gets the pin with his feet on the ropes. Winner: CHRIS JERICHO. This was probably Jericho’s best match during his Undisputed reign. The belt was retired after Brock Lesnar defeated the Rock later in the year at SummerSlam and single brand world titles were brought in.
Next week we look back at the lengths two superstars would go to for a chance to hold onto one of Sports Entertainment’s most historic titles. Okerlund doesn’t elaborate further so that’s all we’re getting for now.
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