1 Year in Wrestling : 1998: Recent Episodes
Reviewing 1998 WWF & WCW PPVs
"Welcome everyone!!... Welcome....to the 1 Year in Wrestling Podcast!!!"
This year we will be going back in time to 1998 - best known for the WWF reclaiming the top spot from WCW, the blooming of Mr.McMahon vs Steve Austin rivalry, the Rise of DX, and wrestling hitting the mainstream like never before!
Month by month we rewatch and review the 1998 WWF & WCW pay per views.
LIVE from the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York
Attendance: 17,000
Winner: Ric Flair
CLASSIC WWF!! One of, if not, my favourite Rumble match of all time.
The card also included:
The New Hart Foundation v The Orient Express
Roddy Piper v The Mountie
LOD v The Natural Disasters
A Year in Review of both 1998 and 2022.
...apologies to our listeners for the recent radio silence!! I explain in this episode.
Happy 2023.
August 30th, 1998: NEW YORK: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN: attendance 21,588
One of the most iconic PPVs of the Attitude Era...
- D'Lo Brown (c) defeats Val Venis via DQ to retain the title WWF EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
- The Oddities (Kurrgan, Giant Silva & Golga) defeat Kaientai (Taka Michinoku, Funaki, Dick Togo & Men's Teioh)4-ON-3 HANDICAP MATCH
- X-Pac defeats Jeff JarrettHAIR VS. HAIR
- Edge & Sable defeat Marc Mero & Jacqueline
- Ken Shamrock defeats Owen HartLION'S DEN MATCH
- Triple H defeats The Rock (c) to win the titleWWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP LADDER MATCH
- Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) defeats The Undertaker to retain the titleWWF CHAMPIONSHIP
August 8, 1998: STURGIS, NORTH DAKOTA: 8500 attendance
- Meng defeats The Barbarian
- The Public Enemy (Rocco Rock & Johnny Grunge) defeat The Dancing Fools (Disco Inferno & Alex Wright)STREET FIGHT
- Saturn defeats Raven and KanyonRAVEN'S RULES TRIANGLE MATCH
- Rey Mysterio Jr. defeats Psychosis#1 CONTENDER (WCW CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
- Stevie Ray (c) defeats Chavo Guerrero Jr. to retain the titleWCW WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
- Steve McMichael defeats Brian Adams
- Juventud Guerrera defeats Chris Jericho (c) to win the title
(Special referee: Dean Malenko)WCW CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP * Winner: Goldberg
Participants: Goldberg, The Giant, Lex Luger, Sting, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Curt Hennig, Scott Norton, Konnan"NWO INVITATIONAL" 9-MAN BATTLE ROYAL * Diamond Dallas Page & Jay Leno defeat nWo Hollywood (Hollywood Hogan & Eric Bischoff)
It took place on July 26, 1998, at the Selland Arena in Fresno, California. Nine matches were contested at the event.
This is the PPV with the infamous Sable "handprints" bikini competition,
as well as The Rock v HHH in a 2/3 falls (30min time limit) match.
...also Undertaker teams with Steve Austin v Kane and Mankind in the Main Event! Who's side is Undertaker on??
July 12, 1998. Cox Arena in San
- Raven (w/ Scotty Riggs and Lodi) defeated Saturn in a Raven's Rules match (10:40)
- Juventud Guerrera defeated Kidman (9:55)
- Stevie Ray defeated Chavo Guerrero, Jr. (1:35)
- Eddie Guerrero defeated Chavo Guerrero, Jr. in a Hair versus Hair match (11:54)
- Konnan (w/ Lex Luger and Kevin Nash) defeated Disco Inferno (w/ Alex Wright) (2:16)
- The Giant defeated Kevin Greene (6:58)
- Rey Misterio, Jr. defeated Chris Jericho to win the WCW World Cruiserweight Championship (6:00)
- Booker T defeated Bret Hart by disqualification to retain the WCW World Television Championship (8:28)
- Goldberg defeated Curt Hennig to retain the WCW World Heavyweight Championship (3:50)
- Hollywood Hogan and Dennis Rodman (w/ The Disciple) defeated Diamond Dallas Page and Karl Malone(23:47)
This event is one of the Mount Rushmore events of the Attitude Era, simply due to 1 match...
Mankind v Undertaker: Hell in a Cell.
The First Blood Match with Austin v Kane is actually quite a sleeper of a main event, which is completely understandable considering it had to follow the HiaC.
Ken Shamrock wins King of the Ring in a solid match against The Rock.
The Nation is becoming incredibly entertaining with Kama now The Godfather and Mark Henry starting to show some personality.
Sable is back!
Too Cool do their infamous "Head & Shoulders" gag v Al Snow and Head.
The New Age Outlaws take on the NEW Midnight Express.
X-Pac takes on Owen Hart.
Goldberg....Da Man....hits 100-0 after destroying Konnan.
nWo Wolfpac v nWo Hollywood continues to "heat up" as the usual random double-crosses / jersey switching occurs. Here Curt Hennig and Rick Rude jump Konnan after the match to reveal they are still part of nWo Hollywood.
Speaking of Hollywood - Hogan & Hart team up in a pretty rotten match v Piper & Macho Man. Hart did not work well in WCW, did he? Hogan and Hart have little to no chemistry...Piper and Mach end up having a strange match after the tag match.
The main event saw Sting (red face paint and all) take on a cigarette-smoking Giant for full custody of the tag belts. The best part of the match was watching Giant smoke cigarettes.
If the top of the card was lousy (and it was) then the bottom to middle was actually quite good!
Malenko v Jericho
Chavo v Eddy
Booker T kicks off the night in match 8 in his best of 7 series with Chris Benoit (how is that for Steiner math!)
Booker T then takes on Fit Finlay for the TV Title later in the evening.
Kanyon v Saturn
Steve Austin v Dude Love II as the headliner - and what a headliner it was!!
All the WWF bells & whistles were here in this match: Vince McMahon as the special guest ref, Undertaker as the outside enforcer, Pat Patterson as the special guest ring announcer and Gerald Brisco as the special guest timekeeper.
Brilliant stuff, here. The crowd is absolutely rabid for Austin!
Aside from that, we have:
-
DX vs the Nation in a 6-man tag (which had the crowd surprisingly quiet).
-
Farooq interrupts The Rock during his promo making fun of the audience, giving him some incredible piledrivers that result in The Rock needing to wear a neck brace.
-
LOD 2000 vs DOA (*crickets)
-
Kane v Vader in a mask-vs-mask match that results in the infamous "Look at me! I'm so BIG!!" Vader promo after the match, as well as Paul Bearer putting on Vader's mask and declaring it's "Paul Bearer time!!"
All in all this is a decent show, but the main event is what really carries the PPV.
You really get the sense that the wind is coming out of the WCW sails at this point.
The 83 weeks of WCW ratings dominance has come to an end...DX invaded a WCW broadcast on April 27th...Aside from the Rise of Goldberg - there isn't a lot positive to say about WCW these days.
There are some very strange booking decisions in this PPV:
The ending of Macho v Bret Hart is way too over-complicated. Eric Bischoff presenting as a good guy vs an absent Vince McMahon. Babyface Sting teaming with a heel Giant vs nWo Wolfpack Nash & Hall where the hot tags and flow of the match point to Hall/Nash being the bad guys...all this makes for a flat viewing experience.
There were some positives:
Guerrero v Ultimo Dragon (with a conflicted Chavo in Eddy's corner)
Jericho awaits the winner of a Cruiserweight Battle Royal - who happens to be a returning Dean Malenko, wearing Lucha gear.
The table being set for the Benoit v Booker T best of 7.
As with our previous episode, this one is a watch-along as well!
We will be watching the last 2 matches of this PPV:
DDP v Raven for the US Title (in a Ravens Rules match)
Macho Man v Sting for the WCW Title.
Curious booking having 2 back-to-back no holds barred matches...🤔
Macho Man apparently “fought through the agonizing pain of a torn ACL knee ligament to compete in the main event of Spring Stampede '98."
This is also what appears to be the genesis of nWo Wolfpack, as Kevin Nash comes down to help Macho win the title.
Also, of note, I watched the Goldberg match (v Saturn) as this is where Goldberg is really picking up some steam! He is closing in on a 75-0 winning streak at this stage of things.
The match.....is abysmal. I dare you to try and sit through it.
THANKS FOR BEING PATIENT WITH THE LATE RELEASES THIS MONTH!
SEE YOU IN MAY.
- Matt
Sorry for the late podcasts this month!!
I have been focusing all my energy on my career pivot/entrepreneurial pursuits and was travelling last week to boot.
Nevertheless, today Chris and I are going to do a watch-along for the main event of 1998 WWF PPV Unforgiven.
This match is a CLASSIC!! Steve Austin in his first title defence as WWF Heavyweight Champion vs Dude Love, with Vince McMahon lurking on the outside of the ring.
Great stuff here.
This is one of the most pivotal events in modern wrestling history.
One of the biggest Main Events in the history of our sport: Steve Austin v Shawn Michaels with Mike Tyson as the Guest Enforcer at ringside. It doesn't get any bigger, it doesn't get any better.
Aside from that 5-star Main Event we had Undertaker take on Kane for the first time in one hell of a match!!
There was also the infamous Dumpster Match that saw Terry Funk & Cactus Jack take on the New Age Outlaws. Classic stuff.
Also:
The Rock v Ken Shamrock
LOD 2000 debut in a Tag Team Battle Royal
Owen Hart v HHH
I vividly remember this PPV. This was at the start of Wrestling becoming mainstream again. The commentating team of Lawler and Ross is so incredible - Ross is at his absolute best here.
I maintain: this is one of the most important WWF PPVs of ALL TIME.
'Nuff Said.
RIP Scott Hall. One of the Greats, no doubt.
"Hey yo.."
Hall finally gets his World War III-promised Title Match against Sting.
Hogan v Macho inside a solid steel cage.
Match of the Night: DDP v Raven v The Man Who Shall Not Be Named! Killer match.
Booker T started off the PPV, yet again, defending his TV Title against Eddy Guerrero. Very solid opener.
As Chris mentioned, the undercard of this one was solid and the matches (and crowd) got flatter as the evening progressed.
Bret Hart v Curt Hennig was the perfect (pun intended) case of this statement...after so many classic battles over the years, you'd expect these 2 to have a mat classic but it just.. fell ..flat. (Plus Bret Hart has some rotten entrance music at this point).
Jericho beats Malenko with one of his 1004 holds...and then Mean Gene lives up to his name and verbally destroys Malenko after the match! Hilarious!
Giant looks for revenge for his broken neck at the hands of Kevin Nash.
The recently turned-heel Scott Stiener faces off against Lex Luger in a short and ugly contest.
Fairly solid outing here, overall.
On the flipside - WCW follows up their brutal January show (Souled Out) with a very solid outing here with SuperBrawl 8!
Booker T kicks off the evening with great back-to-back matches against Rick Martel, then Saturn.
Scott Steiner finally turns on his brother and joins the nWo in a riveting heel turn that has the crowd explode.
Macho Man takes on Lex Luger is a fairly decent outing, on the heels of some nWo tensions between Macho and Hogan.
Speaking of Hogan - he waits for Sting in the ring with his weightlifter belt taken off and proceeds to whip Sting and strangle him before the main event can even start! Classic heel Hogan.
Bret Hart isn't even on the card, curiously...
DDP and Beniot have the match of the night and DDP uses a tremendous variation of the Diamond Cutter to win and then leaves through the audience. Great stuff.
Jericho has a tainted victory against Juventud and gets Juvies mask as a trophy.
After such a strong PPV of Royal Rumble 98, this one kind of tanked..
Lacking the star-power and a mish-mash of matches..this PPV did very little to bring up the excitment heading into Wrestlemania 14.
The high points included: Vader v Kane - very well done match, Vader's best outing in a while and Kane looked like a monster. Steve Austin is OVER. Cactus Jack getting wrapped in barbwire and beaten with brooms in the main event..Hilarious! The NOD takes on a hodgepodge of babyfaces in the War of Attrition match.
This is the PPV where Shawn Michaels bowed out of the main event and was curiously replaced by Savio Vega. So it was HHH with the New Age Outlaws and Savio v Cactus, Chainsaw, Owen Hart and Steve Austin.
HAPPY ROYAL RUMBLE WEEKEND!
The nostalgia is HEAVY on this one!
Some great, classic angles here on this one :
Macho Man is absolutely the MVP of the night - his various performances are just amazing to watch as he ramps up the rivalry with The Ultimate Warrior that would lead them to Wrestlemania 7.
Sgt Slaughter has become an Iraq-sympathizer as USA/Iraq Desert Storm war tensions rise to an uncomfortable place...Sarge ends up winning the Heavyweight belt from the Warrior due to Macho interference. This sets up the Hogan/Slaughter title match at WM7, as Hogan then wins the Royal Rumble later in the evening.
Virgil turns on the Million Dollar Man after their match with Dusty & Dustin Rhodes! Classic stuff.
The rapid-fire interviews prior to the Rumble, the purple ring apron, Gorilla Monsoon on commentary...ahhh the memories.
And what a STACKED roster WWF had at this time!!
So how did WCW follow up the blunder that was the December 97 PPV 'Starrcade' ??
Well, let's see here...
Nash almost paralyzed The Giant with a scary-looking Jackknife, Lex Luger took on Macho Man in a snoozefest main event, Booker T took on Rick Martel for some reason...no Heavyweight title match at all....not great stuff here.
The beginning of the card, however, saw a pair of great matches: Benoit took on Raven in a 'Ravens Rules Match' that was crazy!! and Chris Jericho had recently turned full-heel and was at the start of his 'Crybaby' phase as he took on Rey Mysterio. Also great stuff.
All in all - not a great show. You can feel the air coming out of the nWo angle. In 1996 and 1997 the nWo was so edgy and hip - whereas here you can already tell the peak has been hit and they are on the downslide.
Stone Cold!! Stone Cold!! Stone Cold!!
This is the Royal Rumble where the tide starts to shift back to WWF in the 'Monday Night Wars'.
Mike Tyson brings a lot of extra eyes to this PPV as he sits in a private box with Shane McMahon.
The Rumble starts with the infamous Cactus Jack / Chainsaw Charlie drawing 1 & 2 respectively. Classic stuff!
The New Age Outlaws continue to humiliate the Legion of Doom.
The event is headlined by Undertaker v HBK in a Casket Match that would see Michaels break his back on the casket...the match, itself, is outstanding.
This PPV is well-known (except to Chris) as the PPV with the botched ending that, in some folks opinion, showed the first crack in the WCW armour.
Nick Patrick was "supposed" to do a quick 3 count to feed into the story that followed : Bret Hart came down, claiming no ref funny business will ever happen on his watch, punches out Patrick and re-starts the match.
Rumour has it Hogan told Patrick NOT to do the rushed count in order to get what he wanted out of the match..whether that was making Sting look weak or whatever his reasons may have been.
Sting had taken some heat for not being in ring-shape, as well - the hilarious quote of Bischoff suggesting he wasn't "tan enough".
Aside from the confusing main event - the rest of the PPV was fairly middle of the road...
Of note :
Benoit took on Saturn, Eddy took on Dean Malenko - all 4 of the Radicalz fought amongst themselves on this night.
Nash was unable to make the event due to legit health issues, so his match against the Giant was pulled.
Goldberg had his first official PPV match v Mongo McMichael.
Curt Hennig took on DDP.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF OUR LISTENERS OUT THERE!!
THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN FOR THIS PAST YEAR OF 1997 & 1990.
WE'LL BE COMING BACK AT YOU IN 2022 WITH '1 Year in Wrestling : 1998' ...as well as reviewing / rewatching the 'Big 4' for 1991.
See you next year!!!
- 1YiW
2 things come to mind when I think of this PPV :
D-Lo Brown getting a Stunner on the roof of a truck, and Owen Hart rushing the ring to attack HBK after the main event.
This PPV is the first PPV since Bret Hart left..a lot has changed. Vince is off-camera, for now, as the Mr.McMahon character is lurking just around the corner...JR and the King are the only 2 commentators for this event - which would set the tone for the Attitude Era, commentators-wise.
Brian Christopher and Taka M have an underrated match to kick things off, Marc Mero takes on Butterbean in a ToughMan Contest...
We get to see The Rock v Steve Austin in their first PPV match in a rivalry that would define the era.
As far as DX content :
Ken Shamrock proves he can hang with the main event crew as he takes on Shawn Michaels in the main event, while HHH takes on a 48 year old Sgt Slaughter in a Boot Camp Match..and the New Age Outlaws (pre-DX) take on the Legion of Doom.
ECW is back with their final PPV offering for 1997!
I actually quite enjoyed this PPV.
Sabu v The Sandman in a 'Tables & Ladders' Match...very entertaining, sometimes unintentionally hilarious..
Tommy Dreamer v Rob Van Dam in a WWF/ECW Flag Match
Taz begins his uprising into the title picture.
Chris Candido continues to impress!
...and a sloppy & entertaining 4-way-dance tag match for the straps!! FBI v The Gangstanators v The Dudleys v The Hardcore Chair-Swingin' Freaks!!
oh, and Shane Douglas v Bam Bam Bigelow headlines.
We have been loving watching these old 1990's PPVs!
So much nostalgia...the interviews and promos are worth the price of admission!!!
Hard to say these aren't some of the greatest SS teams ever on this PPV :
Ultimate Warrior, Legion of Doom & Texas Tornado VS Mr.Perfect and all 3 members of Demolition.
A debuting Undertaker with Ted DiBiase, Honky Tonk Man & Greg Valentine VS Dusty Rhodes, Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Koko B Ware
The Visionaries (Hercules, Paul Roma, Rick Martel, and The Warlord) (with Slick) defeated The Vipers (Jake Roberts, Jimmy Snuka, Marty Jannetty, and Shawn Michaels)
The Hulkamaniacs (Big Boss Man, Hulk Hogan, Jim Duggan, and Tugboat) defeated The Natural Disasters (The Barbarian, Dino Bravo, Earthquake, and Haku) (with Bobby Heenan and Jimmy Hart)
60 men. 3 rings. 1 winner. YOU DO THE MATH!!
Kevin Nash repels from the roof as the only 7' Sting in the history. Very amusing!
Looking at this card we didn't have high hopes but, honestly, WCW can almost do-no-wrong at this point! (That will change soon enough...)
LOTS of rematches from the previous months Halloween Havoc, and they all tell different stories than last months.
Flair v Hennig
Faces of Fear v Glacier & Ernest Miller
The Steiners v The Blue Bloods
Das Wunderkind v Mongo
Eddy Guerrero v Rey Mysterio
60 Man Battle Royal (Scott Hall is the victor)
One of, if not THE, most infamous PPVs of all time...the Montreal Screwjob : Survivor Series 1997.
Live from the Molson Center in Montreal, Canada - 20,000+ strong witnessed a pivotal piece of wrestling history that would change the course of the business for years to come...
Bret Hart v Shawn Michaels and also Owen Hart v Steve Austin with many traditional "gang rulez" Survivor Series tag matches.
(Old) Age in the Cage!! Roddy Piper puts Hollywood Hogan to sleep!!...but doesn't win the belt. Annnnnd WCW sends the fans home angry, yet again.
Numerous bogus Stings throughout the event...very cool visual.
The match of the night is Rey v Eddy Guerrero - 5 stars, without question. So GOOD!
Macho Man takes on DDP in a tremendous Last Man Standing Match.
The infamous Disco Inferno v Jackie match...
Jericho v Gedo (with a scary bump by Jericho - almost landing on his head)
Scott Hall takes on Lex Luger w. Larry Zybsco as the special guest ref.
Another noteworthy moment : Goldberg makes his PPV debut with a sneaky run-in on the Alex Wright v Mongo McMicheal match.
Very solid PPV!!
The First Ever 'Hell in a Cell' match with Shawn Michaels v The Undertaker!! ..and, one of the best debut of all time - Kane!! ("That's gotta be Kane!!")
Bret Hart/Bulldog v Vader/The Patriot in a Flag Match that allowed pin falls, strangely.
The spectre of the Brian Pillman hung over this PPV - his body found just hours before this event.
LOD v NOD with the Rise of The Rock very much in stride!
Owen Hart wins the vacated IC belt with the help of his nemesis, Steve Austin, against Farooq. (Austin trolls all the commentary teams during the match, including the French and Spanish desks).
The main event is an absolute 5 star classic! So good.
Sept 20, 1997 the WWF travels "across the pond" to Manchester for the One Night Only PPV.
A few weeks removed from the IYH : Ground Zero PPV we see Shawn Michaels defeat The British Bulldog for the European Championship, in controversial fashion. Degeneration X has all but formed and are about 5 weeks into using that moniker.
Shawn Michaels becomes the first "Grand Slam Champion" in WWF history - IE the first person to have held all of the titles at least once.
Bret Hart has what has been heralded by many (including Bret, himself) his last great match vs The Undertaker - in a 28min classic.
2 days after this PPV, Monday Night Raw takes place in Madison Square Garden - this is when Vince McMahon tells Bret Hart he cannot honour Bret's contract and suggests he leave to WCW.
You can hear the tension and the under-cutting Vince does to Bret during his pre-match interview..suggesting that he is getting booed by the UK audience - which was only partially correct.
There is also a dandy of a match between Vader and Owen Hart! Arguably match of the night.
The Godwinns take on the Legion of Doom.
Flash Funk, strangely, takes on The Patriot (who gets booed out of the building).
Dude Love takes on Hunter Hearst-Helmsley in a solid opening contest.
This Fall Brawl saw the infamous Curt Hennig nWo turn, as the 4 Horsemen took on Nash, Konnan, Buff Bagwell and Syxx.
This match comes on the heels of the controversial nWo imitation of the 4 Horsemen after Arn Anderson retired.
Also on the card :
Jericho v Guerrero
Das Wunderkind v Ultimo Dragon
Macho Man & Hall v DDP & Luger
Scott Norton v The Giant
The Faces of Fear v Wrath & Mortis
The Steiner Bros v Harlem Heat
The first 3-hour In Your House features the double main events of : Shawn Michaels v Undertaker & Bret Hart v The Patriot.
This was HBK and Undertaker's 1st meeting in what we all know amounted to one of the most storied rivalries of all time. It is full of tremendous HBK over-selling and has a hilarious schmozz ending.
Bret Hart is the current champ at this point and is curiously 2nd-to-last in his title defence versus The Patriot.
As we lead into the infamous 'Gang Rulez' Survivor Series, the former members of the Nation battle the leader in a Triple Threat Match : Farooq v Savio Vega v Crush.
Goldust puts Marlena on the line in an 'Indecent Proposal' Match in what would be Brian Pillman's final PPV match.
There is also a fairly chaotic, entertaining 4-way tag match to crown the new Tag Team Champions (Steve Austin and Dude Love had to forfeit their belts, due to Austin being unable to compete) : The Godwinns, The Headbangers, Owen & Bulldog, Legion of Doom.
Ahhhh nostalgic early 90s WWF....so amazing.
This show is story-rich, and promo-heavy..most of the matches are all 8min or less.
The Main Event sees the Ultimate Warrior v Rick Rude inside a solid steel cage of 15ft!!
This PPV also marks the return of Hulk Hogan, a little sooner than expected, due to the ever-growing lack of faith in the Warrior as the Top Guy.
Hogan faces Earthquake.
The Hart Foundation take on the now-3-member Demolition in a 2/3 falls Summerslam Classic!...the Legion of Doom come down to ringside to factor in to the ending.
Also on the card :
Tito Santana v The Warlord
Texas Tornado v Mr.Perfect (supposed to be Brutus Beefcake, but he'd had that BRUTAL accident out of the ring)
The Rockers v Power & Glory (Shawn Michaels' bad knee angle)
Jake Roberts v Bad News Brown (200lbs of Harlem Sewer Rats v Damien the Snake)
Dusty Rhodes v Macho King (Rhodes was distraught as he just found out Sapphire had been 'purchased' by the Million Dollar Man)
Classic stuff here!!
This is my favourite WCW PPV of the past 2 years! Very solid card, great moments, great matches...nWo at its height...very entertaining.
Lex Luger won the WCW Title just days before this event - which added a nice wrinkle to things. The Fake Sting came out, once again - leading to more speculation as to what Sting is up to.
Giant v Macho Man
DDP v Curt Hennig
The Outsiders v The Steiners
Jericho v Alex Wright
Rey v Konnan
Flair v Syxx
Harlem Heat v Norton/Bagwell
Solid card, great atmosphere with the Sturgis Bike Rally as the backdrop, too!!
A tremendous Summerslam that saw all members of the Hart Foundation fight in Singles Matches that had stipulations to them :
Bret Hart v Undertaker (c) = is Hart doesn't win he can never wrestle on American soil, again ...HBK as special referee. FANTASTIC match and an even-better ending.
Owen Hart v Steve Austin = if Owen wins, Austin must kiss his ass. (This is the dreaded Owen-Driver match that almost left Austin paralyzed).
Brian Pillman v Goldust = if Pillman loses he must wear a dress on Raw the following night.
British Bulldog v Ken Shamrock = If Shamrock loses he must eat a can of dog food.
..also Mankind v HHH in an incredible opener - inside a 15ft high steel cage!! (The first hinting at Dude Love in the WWF).
Excellent PPV. I loved seeing how quickly the crowd left after Hart was declared Champion!
ECW is back with their 2nd-ever PPV : Hardcore Heaven.
The Main Event is a 3way Dance for the ECW Heavyweight Championship : Terry Funk (c) v Shane Douglas v Sabu
Also on the card : Taz v Candido, Lawler v Dreamer (Match of the Night!), Dudleys v PG-13 and RVD v Al Snow in a 'Monday Night Rules' match..whatever that means.
This event took place in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in the War Memorial Auditorium..1800 fans.
It is the 1 Year Anniversary / Birthday of the nWo !!
To celebrate : Hollywood Hogan is back!! ..After a few PPVs off to film yet another blockbuster movie - Hogan is back with his friend : Dennis Rodman!
They take on Giant and Luger in what was actually a very entertaining Main Event. ..Rodman was surprisingly good in the ring, and hella-entertaining.
All in all this was a solid PPV.
Benoit v Sullivan in a Career Match.
Steiners v The Great Muta & Chono
Piper v Flair
Hall/Macho v DDP and a returning Curt Hennig
Jericho v Ultimo Dragon
This was a HUGE PPV for Chris and I - as it happened right in our backyard.
Chris actually attended the Monday Night Raw the following evening here in Edmonton - which saw The Hart Foundation all come out wearing Oilers jerseys, famous for Bret’s “Our beer tastes butter” promo.
As Chris mentions, there are only 4 matches on this PPV!
The main event is an absolute barn-burner classic..so fun to see all 10 guys in around their prime fighting on the side of Canada vs USA. (Harts v Austin, Goldust, LOD and Shamrock).
Mankind and HHH have another solid match, but its the brawl outside the Saddledome that is most memorable.
Annnnnd Vader gets the tar beaten out of him -AGAIN! (vs Undertaker). We are nearing his imfamous "I'm a big fat piece of $hit" promo.
Great stuff here! Ah, the nostalgia.
DDP v Macho Man II headlines! ..a great match that really brings DDP into the Main Event picture for good.
Hall/Nash take on Piper/Flair - Flair abandoned Piper early on setting up their brief rivalry.
Kevin Greene is back in a surprisingly good match v Mongo McMichael.
Another questionable Glacier match haha
Meng and Benoit chop the living hell out of each other in a return Death Match.
And UItimate Dragon starts off the PPV AGAIN!!
Hunter Hearst-Helmsley is finally crowned the King of the Ring! He defeated Mankind in a classic Finals match..this is shortly after Mankind's "Mrs Foleys Little Boy" series of tell-all interviews with Jim Ross.
Mankind starts his night with a very entertaining match against Jerry Lawler.
HHH starts his night with Ahmed Johnson, in a serviceable match that starts Ahmed's descent.
Steve Austin faces his tag partner (and fellow tag champion) Shawn Michaels in a classic - right before Michaels walks out on the company and abandons a championship for the 2nd time of 1997.
Bret Hart challenges any 5 Americans to the next PPV in Calgary.
Farooq battles Undertaker in the Main Event for the Championship.
Great PPV!
A fairly heavy NFL presence on this show - Kevin Greene and Reggie White both show up tonight. It is also the homecoming for Ric Flair, as the show takes place in Charolette, NC ! Reggie White takes on Mongo McMichael, Jeff Jarrett takes on Dean Malenko, Meng takes on Chris Benoit...Ultimo Dragon takes on Steven Regal.. and the Main Event sees Nash, Hall and Syxx take on Greene, Piper and Flair. ..also DDP takes down Macho Man in a great interview segment. Hogan is conspicuous by his absence for the 2nd PPV in a row...
Stone Cold Steve Austin main-events his 2nd straight PPV as an emerging "character babyface" antihero - facing The Undertaker for the coveted WWF Heavyweight Championship.
Bret Hart and his fully formed Hart Foundation all set up in the front row for the match to heckle and interfere with Austin's attempt to win championship gold.
Also on the card : Ahmed Johnson attempts to run the gauntlet of the Nation of Domination, Hunter Hearst-Helmsley (with his new bodyguard Chyna) take on Flash Funk, Mankind battles rookie Rocky Miavia in an interesting early match between what would become a classic 90s rivalry.
Ken Shamrock enters his "zone" and debuts tonight in a UFC style match against Vader.
This is a bit of a sleeper PPV to follow up Wrestlemania 13.
It contains the 'forgotten' Bret Hart v Steve Austin match that would complete their trilogy of matches.
It also saw Mankind challenge the newly championed Undertaker for his belt in what would seem to be their 8th PPV match of the past 13 months! There is a crazy table spot where Mankind goes through the table headfirst from off the ring apron..there is flash paper, a burnt up Taker, and a bad Jerry Lawler joke where Paul Bearer hits Taker with the urn and Jerry says "Well...he urned it.."
Also Rocky Miavia takes on Savio Vega and the NoD.
Bulldog/Owen ALMOST drop their titles to the Legion of Doom, but get bailed out by a technicality - following by their loving brother Bret.
A 41 year old Diamond Dallas Page finally takes his spot as a main eventer in this PPV as he takes on Macho Man!!
...strangely neither Scott Hall or Hollywood Hogan are on the card...
Beniot v Malenko in a surprisingly conservative match, Giant gives up a change at a title match to allow Luger to take his spot, Rey opens yet another PPV against Ultimate Dragon, and some teasing of discontent in the nWo as Nash ruffles some feathers!
Not bad, not great either...
The first ECW PPV and, as a result, the first ECW PPV of our 1 Year in Wrestling Podcast!
Lots of great angles in this one - Terry Funk as the unlikely champion - going through 2 matches to win the belt..Douglas with all the 'grab him by the halo' heat in what leads to an absolutely awful match v Pitbull#2...RVD was off the card initially - but ends up filling in for an injured Candido v Lance Storm..and, of course, Taz v Sabu!!
The Dudleys v The Eliminators is tremendous, as well, as the opener.
Wrestlemania 37 is in the books and what a spectacle it was! The first ever rain delay in WM history, but also 25k strong each night..great to see fans back!
The Ultimate Challenge!!
An absolute wrestling classic - WM6 from Skydome in Toronto, Canada - in front of 67,678 strong!
The Hogan/Warrior belt v belt Main Event, that was surprisingly good...Rick Rude v Snuka...Andre turns on Heenan...Piper paints himself half black in his prep for his match against Bad News Brown...Jake Roberts v DiBease in a classic...Brutus hands Mr.Perfect his first loss...
and if you look closely you can see a 12 year old Edge and a 12 year old Christian in the audience!
Awesome entrance music throughout, nostalgia for days on this one.
HAPPY WRESTLEMANIA SEASON!
This Wrestlemania has long since been referred to as a "one match show" but looking back - this was a great PPV!
The tremendous fire-extinguisher-laden Chicago Street Fight that resulted in yet another Ahmed Johnson wedgie...Goldust v Hunter Hearst Helmsley in a great story-telling match up...Owen Hart, coming off his 2 Slammy evening the night before - teaming with the Bulldog v Vader and Mankind...Undertaker finally gets recognized as the Man, defeating Sid in the Main Event that saw HBK join on commentary and Bret Hart interfere literally 3 times...
And, of course - arguably the greatest match in the history of Wrestlemania : Steve Austin v Bret Hart in a Submissions Match w Ken Shamrock as the referee. What a classic.
Rodzilla!! Dennis Rodman almost missed his NBA Championship Playoff game to be at Hollywood Hogan's side for the tag match at the end...also DDP is humiliated by Macho Man - which sets up their April PPV match that really kicks DDP into that headliner classification.
And the usual solid undercard including Dean Malenko, Rey Mysterio, Eddy Guerrero...
Live from the Cow Palace !! 13.4k strong in a attendance!
The rematch of the century : Roddy Piper, fresh off his 7 days and 7 nights in Alcatraz v Hollywood Hogan.
Dean Malenko v Syxx
Jericho v Eddy Guerrero
The Outsiders v Giant with Lex Luger coming in at the end to clean up
DDP continues to shine and evolve ever-so-closer to his jeans-wearing rib taped self (v Buff Bagwell)
Faces of Fear v Public Enemy v Harlem Heat in the sleeper match of the night (Chris' fave match, surprisingly)
Decent card!
Good nWo stuff at the end where Macho Man turns heel on Piper and joins the Black & White!
WWF had to call an audible on the road to Wrestlemania 13 : HBK "lost his smile" and forfeited his title shortly after the Royal Rumble - which caused the main event of the PPV to crown a brand new WWF Champion.
Bret Hart v Vader v Undertaker v Steve Austin is a rather strange 4way where you could win by pin...submission...or throwing the man over the top rope!
This match created the infamous 'Vader Bloody Vader' visual, as well as saw Bret Hart win his 4th Championship (although it was very short lived).
Some other solid matches on this card as we ramp up into the home stretch of W13 from Chicago.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley faces Rocky Miavia in their first-of-many PPV bouts, Leif Cassidy takes on Marc Mero, Owen Hart/Bulldog tease a breakup against Furnace/LaFon, the first appearance of Chyna!...and the NoD take on some random-ass good guys in Bart Gunn, Flash Funk and Goldust.
We teleport ourselves back to a golden time in WWF : 1990 !
This Rumble match is one of the best, in our opinions - it has the iconic spot where The Warrior and Hogan clear the ring and face off, setting the table for the WM6 match in Skydome in Toronto.
Ted DiBiase is the token 'iron man' in this Rumble, drawing #1 (karma for buying #30 in 1989).
The undercard doesn't look like much, on paper, but actually delivered some fun moments as well...Garvin v Valentine, Brutus v The Genius, Big Bossman v Hacksaw...
and this is one of the only PPVs that Tony Schiavone does play-by-play!
Classic stuff here, very fun to re-watch.
WCW takes a risk in Jan 97 with their nWo PPV - Souled Out.
Definitely a case of sizzle-over-steak this PPV features a lot of experimental presentation : from the intro of the PPV where the nWo approach the arena on the backs of garbage trucks, to the good-guys coming down the ringside without any music, to Eric Bischoff and Ted DiBiase just lounging about instead of located behind an announce desk..and, of course, the nWo narrator guy randomly coming over the PA to make fun of someone or simply say "New World Order".
As Chris points out - nWo shockingly manage to loose 2 of their Championships this night, despite the obvious deck-stacking.
The Outsiders v The Steiner Bros
Syxx v Eddy Guerrero in a ladder match for the US Title
DDP faces Scott Norton - which leads to another HUGE DDP moment after the match
Sting gets a pop with his upper deck appearance; various WCW good-guys show up in the audience throughout the event.
...aaaaaaannd Hulk Hogan faces off against Giant (again).
Often referenced as one of the worst PPVs of the era - this one has some sparks and some creativity , but the matches just don't deliver.
The first PPV of 1997 is a doozy!
WWF kicks the attitude up a few gears in the start of 97 - lots of "rule-bending" matches here (ie lots of outside brawling, stairs usage, chairs and tables) which is even commented on by Jim Ross.
Goldust has turned good-guy and is feuding with Hunter-Hearst Helmsley...Ahmed Johnson finally gets his chance at "extracting revenge" with his match with Farooq, months after his kidneys burst like a balloon...and, in the main event, Sid defends the Heavyweight Championship against the hometown hero, Shawn Michaels.
Michaels had a strong fever and was ill all day leading into the match. This is the culmination of close to 16 months of HBK push, thru WM12 and the Boyhood Dream; we are now weeks away from him loosing his smile.
An up and coming Steve Austin really shines in the Rumble match itself, throwing numerous pieces of trash over the top rope and then cheatingly coming back into the ring at the end to toss over Bret Hart - who, by all intents and purposes, should have won.
Great PPV! Welcome to 1997!
Chris and Matt look back on the stellar year that was 1996 in the timeline of WCW and WWF !
The first season of '1 Year In Wrestling' comes to an end!
The final PPV of 1996 is the Grand-daddy of the WCW PPVs, their Superbowl - 'Starrcade'.
This was most likely the strongest WCW show of the year, too.
Very nWo driven, great crowd (just shy of 10k people - Nashville) .. great tag match between Nash & Hall v The Faces of Fear (with a HUGE pop for Nash Jacknifing Barbarian) ..2 killer promos by Piper and Hogan leading into their awkward main event...DDP and Eddy face off one more time...Malenko v Ultimate Dragon as the opener, Mysterio v Liger 2 matches later...Jeff Jarrett v Benoit in a 4 Horsemen in-fighting match...and a surprisingly good match between Luger and Giant!
Great moments at the end of the PPV to set up Giant turning on the nWo, as well as planting the seeds for DDP turning face in early 97!
Thanks to all of our listeners this year, we look forward to 1997!!
There will be the addition of the ECW PPVs, too, for 97
Chris and I will also do a 4 bonus episodes as we go back to 1990, as well, to do the "Big 4" WWF PPVs (which includes Wrestlemania 6 : Warrior v Hogan at the Skydome in Toronto!)
**(PS - look for our End of the Year podcast special - dropping Christmas week)
- Happy Holidays for 1YiW !!
A very strong PPV that saw Sid take down Bret Hart in the main event - thanks, in part, to a surly Shawn Michaels on commentary.
Flash Funk makes his PPV debut, Fake Razor & Diesel get a title shot against Owen & Bulldog ...Stone Cold does a few run-ins...Terry Gordy as the Executioner ends up in the river beside the arena during his Armageddon Rules Match v the Undertaker...
60 men. 3 rings. 3 giants.
Well...this wasn't the greatest PPV of 1996 that is for sure.
There was a few good matches (including Rey Mysterio v Ultimate Dragon) , but there was some rotten stuff on here too.
The Battle Royal itself was disappointing until the end where there was a WCW v nWo showdown.
There was also a lengthy talk segment with Roddy Piper and Hollywood Hogan that seemed more suited for a Nitro episode.
I just rewatched some killer old-school Survivor Series matches from the years past, highly recommend all of which I talk about today :
CM Punk v Alberto Del Rio (2011)
Mr.Perfect & Macho Man v Razor Ramon & Ric Flair (1992)
Bret Hart v Shawn Michaels (1992...note - not the 97 match!)
Bret Hart v Diesel (1995)
Live from MSG!!
The return of Bret Hart - he faces the up and coming Steve Austin in a classic (and underrated) match...the NY crowd turns on Shawn Michaels, and he sells it, as he drops the belt to Sid
...some debuts - Rocky Miavia, Flash Funk, Furnace & LaFon
...some returns - Jimmy Snuka and the batwings version of the Undertaker!
Classic stuff here.
"Snap into a SlimJim! The meat that snaps!!"
This PPV has SlimJim alll over it. And its riddled with audio, specifically music botches.
I love the nWo separate entrance located up in the balcony.
Also great : Hogan promoting 'Santa With Muscles' while wearing a hairpiece. Hogan wearing his sunglasses for the first 5 min of the match against Macho Man, Macho Man ripping off the shades and hairpiece and putting them both on...Piper's bizarre and recklessly unscripted promo at the end of the PPV that ran far too long...Syxx ( at the tender age of 24) debuting in WCW against a 26 year old Chris Jericho....DDP v Eddy Guerrero....another Malenko v Rey classic...some good stuff here.
"Someone is going to be buried alivvvvveee!!!"
Heel Jim Ross' headset isn't working - and he is NOT happy about it!
Mr.Perfect, at age 38, is ready to make his in-ring return.
Steve Austin debuts his new glass-shattering music in his match against the outed 'should have won' King of the Ring - Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
HBK hits up the commentary both as Sid and Vader face off for the #1 contender spot in a 'Master of the Powerbomb' Match !!... that ends with a chokeslam!
Bulldog & Owen continue their fantastic Tag Champ run as the Smoking Gunns continue to implode over the infatuation with the sexy Sunny.
The Rivalry of the Year for 1996 - Mankind v Undertaker (both at the age of 31) climaxes in the somewhat ackward, first-ever Buried Alive Match!
Oh, and Vince mentions Goldust's "histrionics" a good half-dozen times.
We're back!! And we have A LOT of wrestling to watch and catch up on!
Heel Reigns, random Young Bucks super kicks, Zayn as the REAL IC champ...KOC v Finn...and much, much more
Main event'd by the criminally-underrated Shawn Michaels v Mankind, this PPV was tremendous!
Some classic moments - Pillman and Owen Hart interview Steve Austin as they collectively call out Bret Hart...Owen & Bulldog win the tag team gold..Goldust and Undertaker have a sleeper of a match..and some ECW guys invade the show in the front row!!
Tommy Dreamer and Sandman are in the front row, unbeknownst to the WWF wrestlers..apparently only a handful of people knew they were going to be there.
The show takes place in ECW's backyard of Philadelphia, which definitely adds to the show!
Great card here! The best WCW show of 96 thus far.
Some great nWo moments, the War Games cage, the Fake Sting...Benoit v Jericho (Jericho was in week 3 of being in WCW), another wicked Rey Mysterio match...Macho v Giant..
All the thing listed in the title, plus the Cody Angle, the Genius of Brock Lesnar...Current News : September Edition!
Live from Cleveland, Ohio - The Gund Arena - 17,000 strong!
Great PPV here that is known for its main event of HBK v Vader that included Shawn Michaels going "off script" and throwing a hissyfit in the ring.
Also a great sleeper match of Owen Hart v Savio Vega (which included the use of his controversial cast)...Sid is OVER huge in his match with the Bulldog...Mankind and Undertaker take themselves to the bowels of the building in the infamous Boiler Room Brawl...
Farooq wears a nerf headpiece and is strangely Greek in his presentation...Ahmed is hard to understand while his discusses his ruptured kidney...Jake Roberts takes on both Jerry Lawler AND his demons while a young, recently signed Mark Henry watches on at the commentary table.
Great show here!
A somewhat long-winded bonus episode involving Thunderdome and NXT XXX content and chatter!
WWE Summerslam weekend is here!!
Looks like a good, solid card here - Chris and I predict many a title changing hands here at this PPV!
Live from Sturgis, South Dakota - in front of 5000 biker low-lifes,,,WCW takes to an outside venue at this annual biker rally.
There are some iconic moments in this PPV : Hogans first heel PPV match (where he wins the Heavyweight belt, only to spray paint NWO on it)..The Outsiders win the tag belts - nWo leave with all the gold!
The undercard is killer in this show, too : Rey v Ultimo Dragon, Benoit v Malenko, Flair v Guerrero ...
In Your House is coming to you from Vancouver, BC, Canada!
A large 14,000+ crowd packed GM Place to see Austin v Mark Mero 2, Goldust v Undertaker 2, Mankind randomly take on Henry Godwinn..the ongoing saga of Sunny and the Tag Team belts...
and of course the main event 6 man tag that saw the start of what was supposed to be a long-term feud of Vader / HBK ..as well as saw Sid return to a huge reaction!! as the Ultimate Warrior sat out for his suspension.
Camp Cornette (Bulldog, Owen and Vader) v The Peoples Posse (HBK, Sid and Ahmed Johnson) !!
We discuss what a computer-animated eye might look like, if there will be live alligators in the Wyatt v Strowman match..and what will be the best and sleeper matches on the card!
The 24th Anniversary of the Biggest Heel Turn in wrestling history!!
Hulk Hogan turns on the fans!!
AEW Fyter Fest vs NXT Great American Bash!...the Greatest Wrestling Match of All Time, Taz calls out WWE in his heated promo...SummerSlam is pulled from the Boston Gardens...
The birthplace of Austin 3:16 !!
Also, Mankind and Undertaker have their first of many brawls, The Ultimate Warrior has another stinker of a gimmick match, Ahmed Johnson wins his fist IC title and Owen Hart provides some hilarious commentary!
..not to mention an excellent headlining match between Shawn Michaels and Davey Boy Smith!!
Milwaukee, 8762 in attendance.
Live from Baltimore! 9000 fans were on hand to watch Nash & Hall attack an "innocent" Eric Bischoff...DDP continues his strange comeback from being a homeless person...Scott Steiner botches his Frankensteiner big time...Rey Mysterio makes his WCW in-ring debut in an instant classic vs Dean Melenko...Mongo McMichael turns on his friend to join the 4 Horsemen...
Good PPV here!!
The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever is tonight!!
...we also cover AEW and NXT In Your House.
"The Night the Lights Went Out" !!
Beware of Dog Parts 1 & 2 took place over 2 nights (Sun, then the following Tues) due to a massive storm that knocked the arenas power out on night 1.
I like how WWE Network has formatted this show : Night 1 comes first, so the HBK v Bulldog match is 2nd on the card...its a neat little quirk.
The Strap Match between the newly renamed Stone Cold Steve Austin v Savio Vega (with Austin's manager - Ted DiBiase's career on the line) is an amazing match!!...along with a fairly decent Casket Match between Goldust v Undertaker where the new superstar Mankind pops out of the casket and attacks Undertaker!
Just a quick review of AEW's PPV from last night!
I really enjoyed the Stadium Stampede Match, as well as the Jungle Boy v MJF match..although the whole PPV was very entertaining.
This was a surprisingly enjoyable PPV!
Dusty Rhodes brought his unique concept of :
the 'Lethal Lottery' which partnered up teams at random (which saw rivals forced to partner, teams forced to split up and even face each other) - which lead to the 'Lord of the Ring' Battle Royal ..the winner which will get a future title shot - ended with DDP as the winner take all!!
We talk about the Undertaker : The Last Ride documentary series that is airing on the WWE Network (which is amazing)...as well as delve into the Dino Bravo, Dr. D and the UWF episodes of Dark Side of the Ring
.. as well as preview tonights Season Finale : the Owen Hart episode!!
Money in the Bank review, Becky Lynch is pregnant, The Undertaker - 'The Last Ride' episode 1 drops and The Road Warriors are on tonight's (Tues) Dark Side of the Ring!!
On the eve of the unusual / innovative WWE Money in the Bank PPV - Chris and I run down the card and discuss how hilarious this whole PPV could be with the main MITB match taking place in and around Titan Towers!
Diesel and Razor Ramon have their last PPV matches in WWF before they head down south to change the wrestling landscape forever!
HBK gets powerbombed through a table before powerbombing through tables was cool!
Goldust and Warrior have a 7 minute "match" of 100% gaga!
Diesel hints at 4th-wall breaking by calling out Vince McMahon!
Sunny wins "Best Buns" Slammy!
Jake Roberts teams with Ahmed Johnson vs Owen & Bulldog!!
Chris and I discuss the tremendous TV series "Dark Side of the Ring" - which you can view on CraveTV, as well as YouTube (for the most part the episodes are up on the latter).
There has been some really great episodes and stories told as this series moves through its 2nd season.
Great background music, riveting interviews and a surprising amount of actual footage they were able to license!..as well as some "white whale" interview gets.
Excellent series - any wrestling fan needs to check it out!
On Wednesday, April 14th WWE released over 30 employees - from wrestlers to production crew...
We discuss where we think each of the "wrecently wreleased wrestlers" may end up : Impact?...AEW?....ROH, perhaps??...a return to NJPW for some??
For the production crew - is this more or less just a lay-off??
Crazy times in the world, therefore in the world of wrestling.
This episode is dedicated to Howard "The Fink" Finkel. (He was only 69 btw!!)
The review so big it needed 2 episodes!
We review a strange, but very memorable (and enjoyable) Wrestlemania 36!!
The review so big..it needed 2 episodes!
Chris & Matt review the strange, yet very enjoyable audience-less Wrestlemania 36!!
What a strange Wrestlemania this will be...but there are still some killer matches on the card!!
We go through our Top 3 Matches, which matches should headline and which should open, as well as the sleeper-matches on the card and which match or matches don't quite belong...
The boyhood dream!!!
This was the pallette-cleanser to WCW Uncensored...We both loved this PPV growing up and it was great to revisit it.
Early Stone Cold Steve Austin faces Savio Vega...Diesel v Undertaker (complete with purple dishwashing gloves)..and a returning Ultimate Warrior no-selling the Pedigree!
Not to mention the Ironman Match & the Backlot Brawl w Piper vs Goldust!!!
Classic
The Doomsday Cage is here!!!!....cough, cough
What a strange match it was.
Don't forget Loch Ness v Giant or the Chicago Street Fight between the Road Warrior v Sting and Booker T!
What would happen if the Hardy's end up in AEW??
ANNNnnnnd we prep ourselves for yet ..another ...WWE PPV.
Luckily its the Elimination Chamber!!
Timely PPV reviews this time!! (....for the most part).
Loved the AEW PPV, Super ShowDown was ....an international ppv...and Takeover was amazing as usual.
"I respect you, booker man!!"
Aside from the Brian Pillman going-off-script and a decent garbage-match opener between Public Enemy and the Nasty Boys....there isn't much good on this card!!!
The event ended with a back-to-back cage match series with Macho Man v Ric Flair (Flair wins the Big Gold Belt when Miss Elizabeth turns on Macho)...followed by the other half of the reformed Mega Powers - Hulk Hogan - takes on Giant.
...also on the card : DDP v Johnny B Badd, LOD v Sting and Luger, Konnan...Harlem Heat...
All in all - kind of a disappointing PPV...
This was a really good PPV!
2 hrs, action packed and did a great job furthering the storylines heading into Wrestlemania 12!
Shawn Michaels puts his title match at WM on the line against the man who put him on the shelf back in late '95 : the legendary Owen Hart!
Bret Hart puts the WWF title against Diesel in the big, blue steel cage! (this is wear the crushed-face Undertaker comes through the ring and drags Diesel into the abyss..
Don't forget 123Kid v Razor Ramon in a "Cry Baby Match" - which included Vince McMahon asking "Who is going to get diapered ..here at In Your House?!" on commentary.
And who can forget the IYH stage where wrestlers walked out of the garage, down to ringside!
We are on the Road to Wrestlemania!! The card is starting to shape up - but not without another "international pay per view" and, of course, the Elimination Chamber!
AEW is starting to shape up with a lot of their storylines, as well, heading into the Feb 29th PPV : Revolution!!
Better late than never!!
We'll try to be a little more timely with our PPV Recap shows...
the 2020 Royal Rumble was a stellar show, in both our opinions!
Welcome everyone!! To the 1 Year in Wrestling Podcast!!!
Methodical Matt Gardiner and Cryogenically-frozen Chris Achtymichuk (from Calgary...Alberta Canada) bring you a weekly series that follows the following format :
Week 1 of the month : WWE PPV review from previous month (Feb will be Royal Rumble review, for example)
Week 2 of the month : Current News (WWE, AEW, NJPW, NWA...whatever comes up!)
Week 3 of the month : Rewatch/review 1996 WCW PPV or Clash of Champions
Week 4 of the month : Rewatch/review 1996 WWF/E PPV
We'll be starting on the year 1996 - one of the most pivotal years in wrestling history...The Boyhood Dream, nWo forms, Austin 3:16 is born, the Curtain Call, Hart/Austin, the bogus Razor and Diesel...A LOT of meat on the bone here.
We'll be paralleling 1996 with the current news of today....
And we will continue on from 1996 to 2001 (and beyond?)
....so basically this podcast has a "6 year shelf-life" or 6 seasons, at the minimum as we relive the boom era that was the Attitude Era!!
Enjoy!
A classic PPV from 1996!!
Razor and Diesel start their paths out of the WWF, HBK wins 2 Rumbles in a row!
1FDuke Droese defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley by disqualificationSingles match for entry #30 in the Royal Rumble match06:25
2Ahmed Johnson defeated Jeff Jarrett by disqualificationSingles match06:40
3The Smoking Gunns (Billy Gunn and Bart Gunn) (c) defeated The Bodydonnas (Skip and Zip) (with Sunny)Tag team match for the WWF Tag Team Championship11:14
4Goldust (with Marlena) defeated Razor Ramon (c)Singles match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship14:17
5Shawn Michaels won by last eliminating Diesel30-man Royal Rumble match for a WWF World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania XII[8]58:49
6The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer) defeated Bret Hart (c) by disqualificationSingles match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship28:31
Clash of the Champions 32 LIVE from Cesars Palace in Las Vegas!
January 23rd, 1996
Tag Team Match
The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags) vs. The Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge & Rocco Rock) - Double DQ (4:00)
Singles Match
Dean Malenko defeats Alex Wright (5:29)
Singles Match
Brian Pillman defeats Eddie Guerrero (5:59)
WCW World Tag Team Title Match
Lex Luger & Sting (c) defeat The Blue Bloods (Earl Robert Eaton & Lord Steven Regal) (7:47)
Mexican Heavyweight Title Match
Konnan (c) defeats Psicosis (5:26)
Tag Team Match
Ric Flair & The Giant (w/Jimmy Hart) defeat Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage (w/Kevin Greene & Miss Elizabeth) (9:52)
Welcome everyone!! To the 1 Year in Wrestling Podcast!!!
Methodical Matt Gardiner and Cryogenically-frozen Chris Achtymichuk (from Calgary...Alberta Canada) bring you a weekly series that follows the following format :
Week 1 of the month : WWE PPV review from previous month (Feb will be Royal Rumble review, for example)
Week 2 of the month : Current News (WWE, AEW, NJPW, NWA...whatever comes up!)
Week 3 of the month : Rewatch/review 1996 WCW PPV or Clash of Champions
Week 4 of the month : Rewatch/review 1996 WWF/E PPV
We'll be starting on the year 1996 - one of the most pivotal years in wrestling history...The Boyhood Dream, nWo forms, Austin 3:16 is born, the Curtain Call, Hart/Austin, the bogus Razor and Diesel...A LOT of meat on the bone here.
We'll be paralleling 1996 with the current news of today....
And we will continue on from 1996 to 2001 (and beyond?)
....so basically this podcast has a "6 year shelf-life" or 6 seasons, at the minimum as we relive the boom era that was the Attitude Era!!
Enjoy!
Welcome everyone!! To the 1 Year in Wrestling Podcast!!!
Methodical Matt Gardiner and Cryogenically-frozen Chris Achtymichuk (from Calgary...Alberta Canada) bring you a weekly series that follows the following format :
Week 1 of the month : WWE PPV review from previous month (Feb will be Royal Rumble review, for example)
Week 2 of the month : Current News (WWE, AEW, NJPW, NWA...whatever comes up!)
Week 3 of the month : Rewatch/review 1996 WCW PPV or Clash of Champions
Week 4 of the month : Rewatch/review 1996 WWF/E PPV
We'll be starting on the year 1996 - one of the most pivotal years in wrestling history...The Boyhood Dream, nWo forms, Austin 3:16 is born, the Curtain Call, Hart/Austin, the bogus Razor and Diesel...A LOT of meat on the bone here.
We'll be paralleling 1996 with the current news of today....
And we will continue on from 1996 to 2001 (and beyond?)
....so basically this podcast has a "6 year shelf-life" or 6 seasons, at the minimum as we relive the boom era that was the Attitude Era!!
Enjoy!