WWE Vintage Collection Report: July 1st 2012
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
Mean Gene opens the show surrounded by flags of the world adorning his desk. To celebrate the upcoming Olympic Games, the next few weeks will be spent showcasing some of wrestling’s international stars. What better way to start than with Team GB (Great Britain) themselves.
WCW Thunder: June 4th 1998
TV Title: Fit Finlay vs Psychosis
Psychosis catches Finlay’s knee as he slides underneath his legs, before hitting the Irishman with a spin kick. Finlay goes to the eyes, hits a stiff clothesline and follows up with a fireman carry drop across the top rope. Finlay delivers a short-arm clothesline, applies a chinlock, then fetches a steel chair. The referee prevents Finlay from using the chair. The crowd chant boring as Finlay holds a camel clutch and yells expletives into the camera. Psychosis gets his knees up to block a jumping attack and manages to execute a top rope Frankensteiner. Finlay quickly recovers to post the luchador’s shoulder, before dropping him with a rolling senton and putting him away with a tombstone piledriver. This was nothing more than a glorified squash. Winner: FIT FINLAY.
We recap Lord Steven Regal running away from opponent Bobby Eaton during the March 18th 1995 edition of WCW Saturday Night. With Eaton in firm control, Regal gets on the mic and suggests they would make better partners. Fast forward to a week later, we see a short vignette of Regal educating Eaton in the art of fine dining at a British Restaurant. After starting out as a “reject from Saturday Night Fever,” Eaton was eventually transformed into the more sophisticated Lord Robert and thus the Bluebloods tandem was born.
WCW Great American Bash: June 18th 1995
Tag Team Titles: The Nasty Boys vs The Bluebloods
We join the match just in time to see both Bluebloods receive the smelly pit stop treatment. The Nastys take the fight out to the floor. Sags gives Regal a headbutt to the groin, before whacking him with an object from the crowd, while Knobbs atomic drops Eaton onto a chair. Inside, Sags gives Regal a pumphandle drop for a nearfall. Eaton pulls the top rope down on Knobbs, who goes out to the floor. Regal drops an elbow from the apron.
After commercials, Sags is the one being double teamed. Eaton hits a top rope kneedrop, while Regal delivers kneelifts and uppercuts. Regal misses a standing senton and Knobbs gets the hot tag. Knobbs gives Regal a powerslam. Eaton makes the save. Knobbs and Regal both go down from a shoulder tackle. Stevie Ray and Sister Sherri from Harlem Heat run out for the distraction. This allows Booker T to sneak in and give Knobbs a Harlem Hangover (legdrop.) As Booker nips over the ropes, he crotches Eaton who’s setting up for the Alabama Jam. Regal goes after Booker as Sags comes off the top with a flying forearm to Eaton. Sags pulls Knobbs on top of Eaton and Regal fails to pull him off as the referee counts 1-2-3. Winners: THE NASTY BOYS. Due to WCW taping stuff well in advance, Harlem Heat were already the new champions, but the switch was yet to air on TV. Despite being inserted into the mix, the Bluebloods would come up short in their quest for gold and Regal would eventually replace Eaton with “Squire” Dave Taylor.
WWF Prime Time Wrestling: November 5th 1985
The British Bulldogs vs The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff w/Classy Freddie Blassie
The Bulldogs target their opponents’ arms until Dynamite gets cut off. Sheik gives him a gutwrench suplex. Dynamite manages to block and reverse a normal suplex, but gets winded by a Volkoff gut punch, then pressed up in the air with an impressive one handed tree slam. Volkoff drops Dynamite across the top rope and picks up a nearfall from a piledriver. Volkoff holds Dynamite for a Sheik boot, but heel miscommunication means Volkoff takes the kick. Davey Boy Smith comes in with dropkicks and a double noggin knocker. Sheik falls victim to the running powerslam, but Volkoff makes the save. Sheik kicks Davey Boy in the head to prevent a backbodydrop. A german suplex softens Davey Boy for the Camel Clutch, which the Sheik cinches in. Dynamite breaks it up, but gets tossed out by Volkoff. Davey Boy takes a double slam. Volkoff scoops him up, so Dynamite hits a missile dropkick, causing Davey Boy to fall on top of Volkoff and pick up the 1-2-3. Winners: THE BRITISH BULLDOGS.
WCW Saturday Night: January 17th 1998
“Gentleman” Chris Adams vs “Squire” Dave Taylor
Taylor has control to start, using a back suplex to counter a side headlock. Adams escapes a chinlock, while Taylor gets to the ropes to get out of a cross armbreaker. Taylor catches a swinging leg and works over Adams in the corner with a neck pull, uppercuts and several battering rams. Taylor delivers a suplex. Adams comes back with a leg trip. Adams avoids a corner charge, softens Taylor with a back suplex, then hits a superkick for the 1-2-3. Winner: “GENTLEMAN” CHRIS ADAMS. You can’t beat a good old-fashioned British scrap. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but short and solid nonetheless.
WCW Halloween Havoc: October 24th 1993
TV Title: Lord Steven Regal w/Sir William vs The British Bulldog
This match has a 15 minute time limit. Lots of nice chain wrestling and quick counters to begin as both cancel each other out. Bulldog monkey flips Regal, then locks on a surfboard stretch. Shenanigans from Sir William lets Regal take over with a standing senton and front first irish whip. Regal mixes it up with several uppercuts and kneelifts. Regal grounds Bulldog for a while, squeezing the midsection and applying a half nelson. Bulldog gets Regal on his shoulders a couple of times, but Regal hooks the top rope to land on the apron. Bulldog finally makes a comeback with two minutes left, hitting a clothesline and suplex. Regal kicks out from the running powerslam and Bulldog looks lost, as it seems like that was the finish. Bulldog hits a piledriver and gets a two count as the time runs out. The draw means Regal keeps his title. Bulldog would depart WCW shortly after this due to legal trouble stemming from a bar fight. Despite the timing miscue at the end, this was a good match.
See you next week for a different international flavour.
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