WWE Vintage Collection Report: August 21st 2011
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
Welcome to the (belated) final part of our Summer spectacular theme.
The show opens with footage from the July 22nd 1996 edition of Monday Night Raw. Sunny has wheeled out a special birthday cake for Shawn Michaels. The sugartrap works as Sunny’s protégés, and reigning Tag Team champions the Smoking Gunns attack HBK and partner Ahmed Johnson ahead of their scheduled match. Michaels superkicks Billy then has some fun with Sunny, rubbing some icing onto her face. Sunny picks up the cake, but Ahmed makes sure it gets shoved in her face. Michaels licks some icing off of Sunny’s face.
WWF Tag Team Titles: Smoking Gunns w/Sunny vs Shawn Michaels & Ahmed Johnson
Following the impromptu shenanigans, this match got bumped to the end of Raw. Sunny has had the cake removed from her face, while Billy still looks out of it from the superkick. In addition to Michaels being Heavyweight champion, Ahmed is also the Intercontinental titleholder. Only the Gunns’ belts are on the line here. Michaels clears the ring to begin then opts to showboat on the ropes and high five his fans at ringside.
Billy reverses an irish whip to send HBK crashing upside down to the floor. The Gunns isolate Michaels, as Billy leaps off Bart’s back to hit a flying forearm, then applies a chinlock. Michaels counters a double team with a double noggin knocker and makes the hot tag. Ahmed goes clothesline crazy and catches Billy in a spinebuster. Bart yanks the top rope down to send Ahmed to the floor. As Michaels does a number on both Gunns, a man wearing a silver/blue gladiator outfit and helmet runs down to attack Ahmed on the arena floor. Jerry Lawler identifies him as Ron Simmons, but we would soon know him as Faarooq Asad, then later, just Faarooq. Michaels makes the save, as Faarooq is held back by officials. Sunny embraces her new protégé in the aisle. A proposed Ahmed/Faarooq feud over the Intercontinental title was put on ice after Ahmed was diagnosed with legitimate kidney problems which put him on the shelf for the rest of the year. He would resume his feud with Faarooq upon his return.
WWF In Your House 15 – A Cold Day in Hell: May 11th 1997
Gauntlet Match: Ahmed Johnson vs Nation of Domination
Faarooq had ditched the short-term Gladiator gimmick and formed the militant Nation of Domination stable. This early carnation sported Crush, Savio Vega, attorney Clarence Mason, rappers PG-13 and D’Lo Brown (in a bodyguard role) as its members. If Ahmed can win three successive matches then the Nation must disband. The Nation watch the action from the top of the ramp. Faarooq has his arm in a sling, citing a ‘separated shoulder.’
Crush is Ahmed’s first opponent. Crush wears Ahmed down with a nerve hold. Both exchange suplexes, with Ahmed carelessly dropping Crush on his head. Crush almost beats Ahmed with a sleeper and piledriver, but Ahmed counters Crush’s heart punch finisher into a reverse heel kick for the 1-2-3.
Savio Vega is up next. After Savio misses a corner dive, Ahmed takes control with a back suplex and powerslam. Ahmed signals for his Pearl River Plunge finisher (powerbomb), so Savio wisely rolls to the floor. Ahmed goes after him, only to walk into a superkick. Savio waffles Ahmed with repeated chair shots for a blatant DQ and to soften him up for Faarooq, who casually strolls to the ring. Faarooq removes his sling to reveal he was fine all along. Ahmed manages to execute a spinebuster and the Pearl River Plunge, but fatigue means he’s slow to cover and Faarooq kicks out at two. Faarooq clips Ahmed’s knee and gives him a Dominator to pick up the decisive 1-2-3 and ensure the Nation survives. Winner: FAAROOQ. Ahmed would turn on the Undertaker and join the Nation soon after this, but injuries would once again derail his push and stall his WWF career. Soon after returning, Ahmed was kicked out of the Nation and released in early 1998.
We switch gears to relive Ultimate Warrior dethroning Honky Tonk Man for the Intercontinental title at SummerSlam 1988, thus catapulting himself to superstardom in the process.
Saturday Night’s Main Event: January 7th 1989
Intercontinental Title: Ultimate Warrior vs Honky Tonk Man w/Jimmy Hart
Taped one month prior, this is Honky’s last chance at regaining the gold he held onto for so long. Warrior catches Honky trying to bail from the get-go. Warrior carries Honky back to the ring in a gorilla press, tossing him back in through the ropes. Hart gets on the apron for a consultation with Honky, but Warrior bashes both their heads together. Warrior continues to dominate Honky with a tree slam, mounted assault in the corner and a battering ram. Warrior misses a corner splash, enabling Honky to attack him with Hart’s trusty megaphone while Hart distracts the referee. Honky’s subsequent punch/kick offense only serves to rile up the Warrior, who fires up to deliver a slam. Honky avoids an elbow drop, but Warrior quickly turns the tables on a head ram assault in the corner. Warrior clotheslines Honky, who gets his knees up to thwart a big splash. Honky attempts a clothesline, but knocks himself down. Warrior ducks under several more clothesline attempts, before landing a flying tackle for the 1-2-3. This would bring Honky’s Intercontinental involvement to an end. Winner: ULTIMATE WARRIOR. This was an enjoyable five minute scrap.
The end of SummerSlam 2005 is replayed as John Cena defeats Chris Jericho with an FU.
Monday Night Raw: August 22nd 2005
WWE Title – Loser Gets Fired: John Cena vs Chris Jericho
Security watch from the ramp, while Raw GM Eric Bischoff is stationed at ringside in support of Jericho. We join the match in progress as Jericho takes control with a drop toehold and a flurry of kicks. Both men slug it out until Jericho catches Cena with a spinning heel kick. The dastardly Jericho chokes Cena with his knee as he keeps the referee distracted. Jericho lands a couple of clotheslines. Cena prevents a superplex, but whiffs on a top rope cross body.
We skip ahead to the closing stages. Cena attacks Jericho with clotheslines, but eats a boot on a charge. Jericho turns an FU attempt into the Walls of Jericho. Bischoff pulls the ropes back so Cena can’t get to them. Jericho drags Cena back to the middle of the ring. Cena manages to drag his way to the ropes adjacent to Bischoff. Jericho thinks he’s won and gets distracted. Cena’s back gives out as he attempts the FU once more, but he rises back up to execute the move. Bischoff saves Jericho by placing his leg on the bottom rope, then hands him some brass knux. Bischoff distracts the referee while Jericho gives Cena a knuckle duster. Cena stays alive once more, so a desperate Bischoff seizes the title belt and climbs up onto the apron. Cena slingshots Jericho into Bischoff to take the GM out of the equation, before a decisive FU connects and sends Y2J on his way to a two year sabbatical. 1-2-3. Winner: JOHN CENA.
In a memorable exit, Jericho gets on his knees to beg for his job, and in desperation appeals to a flabbergasted Cena, who’s powerless to help. Bischoff coldly tells Jericho he doesn’t care about him, his wife or kids and orders him out of his ring. Security carry a hysterical Jericho to the back, with Y2J kicking and screaming the entire way.
See you back here on Sunday for another helping from the Vintage vault. Shaun.
Any comments or discussion points drop me a line at [email protected].
Follow me on Twitter @Shaun_Best.
