Loss
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Hogan is getting booed LOUDLY by this Chicago crowd, and that's before he debuts his new look in all black. I guess this a kinda, sorta proto-Hollywood run. He does this weird shoot about how the wrestling promoter he built Hulkamania with is dying and choking on his own ego. This is a really self-indulgent promo. Outside, The Giant is trying to get in the building with a monster truck and is surrounded by police.
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The finish is what gets remembered here, and rightfully so, but this was a good match before the finish. They cut a quick pace and Shawn plays a really good FIP for the bulk of this. Davey Boy gets the pin on Diesel to set up In Your House. Mabel and Dean Douglas hit the ring and it's carnage, with the top three babyfaces in the company being really convincingly beaten and laid out.
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This was solid. But the crowd seemed ready to explode the whole time, and they never got the chance, because the match never kicked it into high gear. Solid is fine, but that wasn't enough here -- this really needed to be a classic. I liked the matwork, but it was more UWFI-style than New Japan style, and UWFI doesn't seem in context in an arena this big. Still, Takada gives an inspired performance, although Takada submitting to a figure four doesn't do wonders for his aura. Those who say Muto didn't really care to work here are correct. The crowd erupts for the finish.
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Last few minutes from Mid South Coliseum, for the WWF tag titles. Always cool seeing WWF babyfaces as heels in this environment. Techno Team 2000 does a run-in for the DQ! Can't get much more surreal than that.
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Another famous Foley promo, this one mentioning the 20/20 segment from 1985 with John Stossel. He decided from there that he wanted to make people respect pro wrestling, and what a waste of time that has been. He also mentions the story of losing his ear in Germany and not being able to take it home because he didn't know the German word for formaldehyde. Pro wrestling will never be respected no matter how many teeth, ears or brain cells he loses. He ties this back to Dreamer turning down an offer from WCW. This also has some outstanding quotes, the second one being possibly my favorite line ever in a promo. "Did Giant Baba hand you a dozen eggs and say break these on Jumbo Tsuruta's head?" "I am but a failed experiment in human sociology." "We're not a wrestling organization anymore, we're the world's biggest damn puppet show." I think this is my favorite of all the Cactus promos during this time, and it's easily the wrestling promo of the year.
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So here we have Steve Austin! This feels more like a debut than the cameo at Gangstas Paradise. I thought we may have made a mistake, but that show was a week before this one. "This place is a complete shithole" is the first line from Austin, which gets a laugh from me. This isn't quite Stone Cold, but it's a big step in that direction. Then we get clips of the match, which involves a ladder. He hangs from the low ceiling and does a legdrop, which is a risky move for Mikey to take. Sandman wins again, but Mikey puts up a big fight.
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Gene Okerlund brings Hulk Hogan is coming out for an interview. Hogan is still in his neckbrace and is prepared to go after The Giant, but a lady in the audience throws powder at him and starts hitting him with a cane. WAIT, THAT'S NO LADY, THAT'S THE TASKMASTER! Giant rips off Hogan's neckbrace and snaps his neck again. But then, we get the awesome part, as Sullivan shaves off Hogan's mustache! Hot angle. Bischoff has no idea how to sell this in a way that gets over the impact, and when Hogan is ringside, the camera angles give away that something is about to happen, but that's WCW for you, and this is still one of the best WCW angles of the year. The Nasty Boys and American Males come in to make the save, but get cut off by chokeslams from the Giant. They tease cutting Hogan's hair, and Heenan is having a field day.
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Is OJ guilty? 51% of WWF fans said NO, and 49% said YES.
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Kid is on fire early, as consistent with the storyline, he's out to prove himself. Is there ever a match these two have had where Kid hasn't jumped into the fallaway slam position for Razor though? Anyway, they quickly show Dean Douglas at ringside taking notes. Short match with Razor making quick work of Kid, but Kid won't accept the loss, slapping Razor after the match and goading Razor into more. The match slowly continues getting more aggressive, with Kid slapping Razor in the face as he continues coming back no matter what Razor throws at him. Razor finally gets a second win and Kid still insists on continuing, so they have a THIRD match. Kid *still* keeps coming back no matter what Razor throws at him. Razor is about to give him the Razor's Edge, but Kid can barely stand, so he shows mercy and just inside cradles him instead and wins again. (Note to Jericho: Scott Hall obviously knew the move!) At the end, Kid teases shaking Razor's hand, then tries to schoolboy him for a quick pin, but Razor kicks out. Kid ends up turning his back to Razor and dares him to give him a Razor's Edge, but still can't really stand long enough to make his point. Finally, he offers a handshake, they hug it out and that's that. But there's obviously more coming, because even the nature of Razor's hug, noogie and all, is a little patronizing. This was a good series of mini-matches, but more than that, a GREAT, FANTASTIC, AWESOME story that should be talked about way, way, way, way more.
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September: #1 - Rey Misterio Jr vs Psicosis (AAA 09/22/95) ****1/2 #2 - Manami Toyota vs Yumiko Hotta (AJW 09/03/95) ****1/4 #3 - Silver King vs Miguel Perez (CMLL 09/22/95) **** #4 - Brian Pillman vs Johnny B. Badd (WCW Fall Brawl 09/17/95) **** #5 - Mitsuharu Misawa vs Akira Taue (AJPW 09/10/95) ***3/4 #6 - Ric Flair vs Arn Anderson (WCW Fall Brawl 09/17/95) ***3/4 #7 - Manami Toyota vs Akira Hokuto (AJW 09/02/95) ***1/2 #8 - Rey Misterio Jr vs Psicosis (ECW Gangstas Paradise 09/16/95) ***1/2 #9 - El Hijo del Santo vs Negro Casas (CMLL 09/29/95) ***1/2 #10 - Chigusa Nagayo vs Mayumi Ozaki (GAEA 09/17/95) ***1/2 #11 - Keiji Muto vs Junji Hirata (NJPW 09/25/95) ***1/2 #12 - Bret Hart vs Jean Pierre Lafitte (WWF In Your House III 09/24/95) ***1/2 #13 - Marty Jannetty vs Skip (WWF Monday Night RAW 09/25/95) *** #14 - 1-2-3 Kid vs Razor Ramon (WWF Monday Night RAW 09/18/95) *** #15 - Raven & Stevie Richards vs Pit Bulls (ECW Gangstas Paradise 09/16/95) #16 - Jerry Lawler vs Jesse James Armstrong (USWA TV 09/23/95) #17 - Ric Flair vs Sting (WCW Monday Nitro 09/04/95) #18 - Brian Pillman vs Jushin Liger (WCW Monday Nitro 09/04/95) Overall thoughts: I didn't comment on it last month since I only saw the first match, but Toyota had quite the three day spell. I think the 8/30 and 9/2 matches are wildly overrated, but they're still really good, and the Hotta match is fantastic. Rey and Psicosis had the best match I've ever seen them have together. In fact, it was a really strong month for lucha singles matches, with King/Perez and Santo/Casas also impressing. The Fall Brawl pair are both excellent. WCW is moving in a good direction. Misawa/Taue I criticized and called disappointing, but I did still like the match. There were positives, and I thought they cut a great pace. It was disappointing by the standards of what I was expecting going in, but still really good. Muto/Hirata is the type of match that has been rare in some ways in '95 -- the guy way beneath the champ in the pecking order still making a good showing in a title match. All Japan has that too, but it's easier to overlook because we've seen most of the pairings so many times. Also, see Jannetty/Skip because Marty Jannetty for one match looks like wrestling's biggest star. Pretty surreal. But the WWF is obviously hurting, evident by the darker arenas, and the Clique stuff is starting to swallow everything else whole.
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Badd shows up all dirty and says he had a flat tire. DDP shows up to tell him how stupid he is. Maxx Muscle accidentally lets it slip that Badd had four flat tires and then we get "FOUR FLAT TIRES? I SAID AAAAAAA FLAAAATTTTTT TIIIIIIIIIIREEEEEE!" followed by Gene Okerlund saying "OH! WHAT A PUNCH!" when he decks DDP. The physical part of this looked fake as could be, but I still enjoyed this. Now, WCW has some passable, decent and good things going up and down the card. The infrastructure was in place to take off before the NWO came in.
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Badd is scheduled to get his title shot from Fall Brawl, they play his music ... and he doesn't come out. So, they switch to Sting's music and he comes out first. They agree to give him a little more time later in the show. Pillman approaches Gene Okerlund and wants to know where Badd is. To be continued ...
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Cornette is wrestling Bob Armstrong, who has one arm tied behind his back. Cornette doesn't throw good punches or anything, but they are better punches than those of most wrestlers. Immediately, Cornette goes for powder and throws it in Bob's eyes and then creates a series of ref distractions to let the cheating take place. He strings together some passable offense before getting overconfident and missing an elbow drop, as Armstrong mounts his comeback. Punisher runs in at this point for the DQ. Now Bob is having to fight both guys with one arm tied behind his back. The Heavenly Bodies try to run in, but the Thugz cut them off. Meanwhile, Gordy runs in and attacks Armstrong with a piledriver. Brad Armstrong finally makes the save.
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Landell is nursing his forehead, which is busted wide open, and has another quotable interview: "You know Les, it's been a year and a half since alcohol has crossed my lips, and I can't stand the taste of it. And I can't stand the taste of Jim Cornette and Tommy Rich anymore. Jimmy Cornette, to do that to somebody that's had a problem with alcohol in the past, that's the lowest thing I've ever seen in my life. Not even I would stoop to anything that low. I guess you would give a shot of heroin to a junkie just to see him jerk. Well lemme tell ya something Jimmy. You wanna get scriptural? The Bible says in Galatians 3, 'Don't be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, that he will also reap.' Tommy Rich, I'm gonna kick your stinkin' teeth in. That's the bottom line."
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This is Kessler's Korner with Cornette, Rich and the Punisher. Landell wants a cage match with Rich, and Rich says if he wants a cage match, he can have it, as he made his name and fought the best in cage matches, namedropping Buzz Sawyer. They are also having some other gimmick matches around the loop -- barbed wire match, first blood match, falls count anywhere, etc. Wow, they must not have been drawing at this point at all, because that seems amazingly desperate. Cornette makes me laugh when he points out that people turn to the Lord when no one else will talk to them. He gets personal with Buddy Landell, saying he lost his career and family, but he says he's a compassionate guy and he presents him with some liquid courage in the form of alcohol. This is pretty much the Jake/Lawler feud a year early in the WWF. Buddy finally has enough and comes into start clearing the ring, going after Rich and Punisher. He even decks Cornette, but Rich ends up hitting him with the racket and then hits him with a slapjack. The announcers point out that no one makes the save because Buddy has no friends in SMW. Cornette ends up pouring the alcohol down his throat! If Buddy was cool with his alcoholism being used in an angle, so be it. I just hope the bottle was gimmicked with something that wasn't water. I'm sure it was.
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It's Santo/Casas, one of the greatest rivalries in wrestling history, of course. I haven't heard too much about this match, so I'm not sure what to expect. The first fall was mostly mat-based. Santo catching Casas in the headscissors and giving him trouble countering was lots of fun, and Casas is great at putting over nuance, in this case winning the first fall by submission but still looking the worst for it. He immediately starts juicing to start the second fall, but turns the tide in a really fun moment where he trips Santo, mounts him and starts pulling on his mask. Now Santo's mask is torn half off his face and he has to finish the match that way. Negro knows he has him off his game. He comes back in the ring and Casas trips him again, again getting him down on the mat and repeatedly punching him in the face. A dropkick in the corner and it looks like we have a theme. Santo is grabbing his face and everything Casas is doing is focused on it -- elbows, left hooks, you name it. He ends up elbowing the ref when he tries to restore order, which is a pretty nasty-looking shot that gets slo-mo'd a few times. They end up replacing refs, as he gets carted out. Awesome! This buys Santo a little time and he starts mounting a comeback, including a great sunset flip/powerbomb combo from the apron to the floor. They sell this big time and are trying to create space to allow Santo time to recover, but Santo is sneaking in his own shots. Casas does an amazing job selling this, including one camera shot where they have his face covered in blood while his eyes seem to be rolling into the back of his head. When he's a little more alert, he sees Santo coming and still can't do much about it and there's the match. The match is stopped (Either that or Santo loses the second fall by DQ?? I don't know.) This was going great until the finish, which came way too soon. I take it this was to build to another match, or was intended to be more of an angle. Too bad, because I was really into this and they were on track for a classic. Also, wrestlers love to work the face in 1995, and I love it!
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Also, there was no heat on beating Flair. The heat was on taking the title from him, as that was harder to do. I think he hurt himself in some ways in that regard, because Flair doing a job didn't mean as much as it should have.
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"I'm not one to be polypragmatic, but the two of you have clearly collaborated." -- Gene Okerlund Pillman and Arn do a good promo. Arn laughs at the idea that Flair thinks Savage or Sting might be his partner, and that his past is just coming home to roost. Cool to see Flair's Horsemen numbers used against him.
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This is another hot segment, with Luger doing a surprisingly decent promo, getting in Savage's face over slapping him the last week and challenging him to a match. He says he'll put his promised title shot against Hogan on the line, and even says if he can't beat Savage the next week, he'll leave WCW. At the end, Savage sticks his hand out to shake on it and Luger just grabs his shoulders and walks away. Really good stuff.
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