WWE Vintage Collection Report: 16th May 2010
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
This week we conclude our two part retrospective on the career of Shawn Michaels. We pick up where we left off last week, with regards to the Owen Hart injury angle.
Chronological clips of HBK’s WWF career up to 1995 are shown as the song “Tell Me A Lie” (featured on the WWE Anthology CD) plays to fuel speculation on Michaels’s future. This was quite poignant in the current day, considering he really has retired now.
Of course, Michaels makes a triumphant return at the Royal Rumble on January 21st 1996, winning back-to-back Rumble matches in the process. Quick clips air showing HBK eliminate Yokozuna and Vader (both at once), 1-2-3 Kid, British Bulldog and Diesel en route to victory. Mr Perfect puts Michaels over afterwards on commentary, describing him as an “amazing athlete no matter what anybody says.”
In Your House 6: February 18th 1996
Shawn Michaels vs Owen Hart w/Jim Cornette
Michaels’s WrestleMania title shot was on the line here. Owen had been bragging for three months about putting Michaels on the shelf. The closing stages air. Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler are the announcers. Owen slams then snots on Michaels as Lawler laughs. Michaels gets a quick rollup before getting knocked out of the ring by the enziguiri kick of doom. Michaels lies flat out on the floor, as the referee checks on him. Owen puts Michaels back in. Owen irish whips, but misses a charge, crotching himself in the corner. Michaels delivers an inverted atomic drop to buy some recovery time while Lawler pleads for Owen to kick Michaels in the head again. Michaels ducks under a clothesline attempt to deliver a couple of flying forearms, slam and top rope elbow drop. Michaels tunes up the band, knocks Cornette off the apron, ducks another enziguiri attempt and delivers Sweet Chin Music to march to WrestleMania. 1-2-3. Winner: SHAWN MICHAELS.
Shawn’s flashy zipwire entrance from WrestleMania XII (March 31st 1996) is shown followed by the decisive sudden death superkick that defeated Bret Hart in an Iron Man Match for Michaels’s first title reign. “The boyhood dream has come true for Shawn Michaels.”
Okerlund notes an eight month reign ended by Psycho Sid at the 1996 Survivor Series, but introduces the next match which was just one month into HBK’s rise to the top.
Superstars: April 27th 1996
Shawn Michaels vs 1-2-3 Kid w/Ted DiBiase (Non Title)
Michaels was preparing for an upcoming No Holds Barred Match with former ally Diesel at In Your House 7 “Good Friends, Better Enemies.” We join this match in progress with Vince McMahon, Jim Ross and Mr Perfect announcing. Kid posts Michaels and rolls him up for a nearfall. Kid scores with a legdrop but misses a top rope somersault splash. Michaels counters a backbodydrop with a spike piledriver then takes complete control, catching Kid with a flying forearm, powerslam and top rope elbow drop. Michaels press slams Kid to the floor, launches over the top rope with a plancha and pounds away on Kid’s head. Michaels chases after DiBiase, steals money from his top pocket and stuffs it down his tights. Michaels dodges a Kid baseball slide, hiptosses him on the floor, then dumps him into the ringpost. Back inside, Michaels springs off the top rope with a double axehandle. Sweet Chin Music puts Kid out of his misery for the 1-2-3. Kid was WCW bound. Winner: SHAWN MICHAELS. Michaels rolls Kid out of the ring, throws DiBiase’s money into the crowd, (to pay off the Kliq according to Perfect), before getting blindsided by Stone Cold Steve Austin (a DiBiase ally). Michaels fights back to clothesline Austin out of the ring and referees hold Austin back.
Fast forward to 1997 and Michaels has crossed back over to the dark side. Our focus is the aftermath of SummerSlam 1997, where Michaels was serving as guest referee in the Undertaker vs Bret Hart WWF Title match. Michaels costs the Deadman the title following a wayward chair shot. This leads to the start of a legendary rivalry at In Your House 17 – Ground Zero. Here’s a narrated preview before the match.
Vince McMahon: “He was once one of the most respected superstars in World Wrestling Federation history. But Shawn’s disastrous mistake at SummerSlam changed everything. A phenomenal champion was robbed, the finger of blame pointed squarely at Shawn.” Fans weighed in with their views immediately after SummerSlam.
Fan: “The Undertaker got robbed. Shawn Michaels is a piece of crap.”
Fan: “It was a travesty of justice.”
Fan: “I think Shawn Michaels is a traitor. I think he did it on purpose.”
Vince McMahon: “If a true test of a man’s soul comes in times of adversity, what can be said of Michaels?”
Shawn Michaels: “Either you’re with me or you’re against me. Take your pick.”
The Undertaker: “Shawn Michaels you’re going to have to look me in the eyes and you’re going to have to pay for your crimes.”
Vince McMahon: “Rather than face the consequences of his actions Shawn Michaels fanned the flames.” (Michaels strikes Undertaker with a chair shot)
Shawn Michaels: “He is going down and in a blaze of fire.”
Vince McMahon: “In a fleeting moment, Shawn had one last chance to change his destiny, then he made his choice.” (Michaels strikes the Deadman with another chair shot)
Shawn Michaels: “I will go ahead and take whatever is coming to me.”
Vince McMahon: “Tonight one of the most volatile conflicts in history is set to explode. For the first time ever the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels will face each other one-on-one.”
In Your House 17 – Ground Zero: September 7th 1997
Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker
Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler are the announcers. Joined in progress. Commissioner Sgt Slaughter coaxes Michaels towards the ring. Undertaker scoops up fallen referee Mike Chioda and dumps him over the top rope onto Michaels. Taker stalks Michaels up the ramp. Michaels bangs on the door of the In Your House set begging for help. Taker press slams Michaels onto the top of the entrance, throws him into a set of potted plants, then sends Michaels rolling back to ringside. Taker sends Michaels into the ringsteps, guardrail and off the French announce table. Inside, the Deadman clotheslines and drops a couple of elbows, goes for a cover, but there still isn’t an official to count. Taker flips Michaels upside down in the corner, putting HBK back on the floor, as Earl Hebner is escorted out by Slaughter. On his knees, Michaels begs for Undertaker to be DQed as he’s “killing me,” but Hebner says no.
After commercials, Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Chyna are at ringside, having helped Michaels get the upper hand. Hebner is down. Michaels slips out of a tombstone attempt, Taker thwarts Sweet Chin Music and works over Michaels in the corner. Taker pulls a pair of brass knucks from Michaels’s tights and nails Michaels and Helmsley. Taker gets pissed at Hebner’s slow recovery and subsequent nearfall so he chokeslams him. A third referee, Timmy White runs in and throws the match out as a NO CONTEST as Taker hits Michaels with a flying clothesline. Taker chokeslams Helmsley onto Michaels from the ring apron before tossing Helmsley to the floor. Michaels connects with Sweet Chin Music to tie the Deadman up in the ropes. Chyna fetches a chair. Helmsley punches Timmy White out. Michaels charges, but Taker kicks the chair in his face. Taker fights the 2-on-1 odds while Michaels attacks officials and agents as they arrive to break it up. Helmsley suffers a tombstone piledriver, as wrestlers such as Brian Christopher, Jesse James, The Sultan, Billy Gunn and Flash Funk arrive to try and stop the melee. Gunn is the next chokeslam victim, as LOD, Los Boricuas and Rocky Maivia force Taker to cool down in the ropes. Just when everything looks settled, Taker breaks away from the pack to dive over the top rope and onto Michaels, Helmsley, Chyna, The Nation and The Godwinns on the floor. The future D-Generates make their escape to leave a bunch of wrestlers on the floor while an angry Undertaker throws a chair down in the ring. This set the scene for the infamous Hell in a Cell match the following month.
PG-friendly DX clips air, focusing from 2006 onwards and without any mention of X-Pac or the New Age Outlaws. This was a disappointing two minute glossover.
In studio, Okerlund states “when it comes to controversy and sheer havoc in the WWE nothing can compare to D- Generation X.” If this was 1997, he’d have a point. Okerlund then mentions Michaels’s friendship with Triple H leading to tensions and confrontations before introducing a controversial but PG friendly DX moment from late 1997.
Monday Night Raw: December 22nd 1997
European Title: Shawn Michaels vs Hunter Hearst Helmsley
Michaels was the first Grand Slam champion after winning the European Title from the British Bulldog at the UK PPV “One Night Only” back in September. Chyna is ringside in a neutral corner. Commissioner Slaughter has made this match. Michaels goes down immediately after a soft lockup and lies motionless, as Helmsley mockingly runs the ropes and drops a phoney looking splash for the 1-2-3. Winner: HUNTER HEARST HELMSLEY. The announce team of Jim Ross and Jim Cornette crap all over this, as do the crowd. DX have duped Slaughter, who watches on from the top of the ramp. Michaels pounds the mat and is consoled by Chyna, before getting on the mic, wiping back mock tears.
“It’s not easy being defeated for the coveted European Title. I’ve been in ladder matches, cell matches, marathon matches but never has any match been so emotionally, physically and mentally draining as this one.”
Cornette angrily scoffs “Michaels cries every time he comes to this town,” (referring to Michaels vacating his title on the Thursday Night Raw earlier in the year), with Ross sarcastically adding “he’s lost his smile,” in another tip of the hat to the incident.
The comedy continues as both D-Generates hug, before Helmsley adds the following:
“Other than my kid being born, well I don’t have one, that I know of, this is the greatest moment of my life. Hey Sarge I did it, I did it.” Michaels hoists Helmsley up then crotch chops at Sarge. I couldn’t help but laugh at this, as it was so over the top, but it did bury the European Title to a degree.
Fast forward eight years and the Rockers reunion against La Resistance is highlighted from the March 14th 2005 edition of Raw. With Michaels involved in a feud with Kurt Angle, this was a tune-up match for Marty Jannetty, who was preparing to face Angle on the following edition of Smackdown. After rolling back the clock, the Rockers win following a Jannetty Rocker dropper on Sylvain Grenier. “Vintage Rockers.”
Okerlund mentions the back injury and four years spent away by Michaels, before noting his 2002 return, stating HBK was “seeking redemption from the WWE Universe, many superstars and former friends he’d wronged in the past.” We conclude the retrospective with a barnburner of a match from mid-2005.
Monday Night Raw: May 2nd 2005
Gold Rush Tournament – First Round
Shawn Michaels vs Shelton Benjamin
This first meeting of the two superstars is joined in progress with Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler. Benjamin is the reigning Intercontinental Champion. Benjamin scores with a flying forearm, a couple of clotheslines and an inverted backbreaker, with the story being the young athlete outpacing the veteran. Michaels comes back with his own flying forearm and both nip up in front of each other. Michaels catches a kick, before the two trade rollup combinations. Benjamin sends Michaels to the corner and hits a stinger splash. Michaels counters a T-Bone suplex with elbows and a backbodydrop. Benjamin ducks Sweet Chin Music and hits a dragonwhip kick for a nearfall.
After a commercial break, Michaels thwarts a superplex by pushing Benjamin to the mat, then scores with a top rope elbow drop. Sporting a bloody mouth, Michaels tunes up the band, Benjamin blocks and connects with a high kick of his own. 1-2-kickout. Benjamin blindly leaps from the top rope to hit a clothesline for another nearfall. Michaels sends Benjamin out onto the apron. With Michaels on the other side of the ring, Benjamin uses the top rope as a springboard once more, only to get zapped in mid-air with Sweet Chin Music. Goodnight Shelton. 1-2-3. Winner: SHAWN MICHAELS. After the match Michaels gives props to the fallen Benjamin, while we check out replays of the finish from different angles. This was definitely a good ending point for today’s show, but I wonder, if upon seeing this match once more, if officials are now regretting their decision to release Shelton. Criminally underused for years, Shelton was deserving of so much more than a yearly Money in the Bank big bump. WWE truly wasted this man’s talents. Arguably this was his greatest WWE moment in one of the most talked about matches of 2005.
Okerlund closes out the show with the following statements:
“To think we may never see the band tune up for a little Sweet Chin Music ever again is something I’m still coming to terms with.”
“Now while there are obviously too many memorable matches and moments to show in only two episodes, I encourage each and every one of you to keep tuning in to Vintage Collection as I’m sure the Heartbreak Kid is going to be making more and more appearances as the weeks and months go by.”
See you next week. Shaun.
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