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Friday, November 30, 2012

Madison Square Garden Moments Part One

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To truly understand the existential importance of Madison Square Garden to present day WWE, you must go back to the era of the territories.

In 1948, the National Wrestling Alliance formed. It pretty much aligned all the major promotions within the United States together. While there were regional bookers who had their own clientele of talent, they all had to share one recognized World Champion.

This seemed dandy until two major federations broke away later on.

One of them would be Verne Gagne and the Minnesota-based AWA (American Wrestling Association).

The other would be Vincent J. McMahon and the WWWF (World Wide Wrestling Federation).

McMahon, the father of Vincent Kennedy McMahon, would run shop in the Northeast. For all the towns and all the venues, only one place would hold the major cards and feud-enders: Madison Square Garden.

Located in New York City on 34th & 6th, MSG held the trials and tribulations of many a superstar over the years.

It’s history is so vast that a singular count-down list of moments would do this invaluable establishment injustice.

In this piece, we’re gonna look at just a few of MSG’s greatest contributions to WWE’s history.

One of the reasons why MSG is so important is because it can link the lineage of WWE with mentions of Bruno Sammartino and John Cena in the same breath. The Garden has always been a hotbed for wrestling, and this is one small article to prove it.

So here we are, a sampling of what MSG so great. (Note: These are not in chronological order!)

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Hulk Hogan Defeats The Iron Sheik to Win the WWE Championship. January 23rd, 1984.

Consider this the moment that changed it all!

Hulk Hogan, once banished from the WWE for attempting to become a movie star, became the top man partially thanks to a change in management.

The elder McMahon stepped down from power, and his successor to the throne was son Vince Kennedy. Vince’s vision was succinctly different than his father’s, which would ultimately involve carving the business up for himself.

That’s another story for another day.

Instead, let’s go back to that cold January night.

The Sheik won the title only a month before due to the forfeit of Bob Backlund via that man’s manager Arnold Skaaland. This evil Iranian was the epitome of evil. His Camel Clutch was a death spell for all victims, including the once-superhuman Backlund. Bob’s five-year title run as champion was effectively ended by that hold.

Backlund was out for revenge, but he would need help.

Cue Hogan!

Hogan’s first WWWF stint a few years before was relatively fruitless. While the big guy was managed by Freddie Blassie, this heel monster was kind-of forgettable.

Hogan was approached about an offer for Rocky III. The elder McMahon told Hogan it’s either the movie or the business. Hulk chose Rocky, and Vince Sr. fired him on the spot.

After the movie was done shooting, Hogan showed up in the AWA. He was initially brought in as a heel, but the crowd could not get enough of him. Not only did he eventually turn face, but he was the most credible threat to Nick Bockwinkel’s kingpin status as AWA Champion.

Hogan was gaining credibility and experience every time he stepped into the ring. While the belt always eluded him, it was only a matter of time before he would get it.

Then the son called.

Vincent Kennedy offered Hogan a can’t miss opportunity. It was so grand that Hogan even skipped his remaining AWA commitments in order to jump ship. The ramifications of THAT will be discussed another day.

So Hogan came to the WWE. With a fire in his gut and an eye of the tiger, Hulk eyed Sheik and the title.

Alia iacta est. The die is cast. January the 23rd 1984 would be the date everyone circled on their calendar.

The match itself was pretty quick. Hogan primarily dominated his smaller opponent, but the evil-doer would turn momentum. Hogan was down in the despised Clutch, and the fans were rumbling for his comeback!

Hogan answered and in spades. He would drop the leg, and get the 1-2-3!

In a shade under seven minutes, Hulk Hogan became WWE Champion for the first time. It was an emotional affair backstage, capped off with Andre the Giant pouring champagne down the backside of the champion.

For the next four years, Hulkamania would indeed be running wild. This match was like Snow White with Disney: the one that started it all!

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AUSTIN STUNS MCMAHON! Monday Night RAW. September 22nd, 1997

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WWE’s RAW had been on the air for over four years by this point. For all the accolades the show would have by now, the surprising fact here is that it was RAW’s first trip to MSG.

Do not get confused between this and with the original home of RAW, the Manhattan Center. They are very close to one another, but the arenas could not be any more different.

Back to MSG. The Monday Night Wars are in full swing, and WCW was in full kick-assery mode. The new World order was running strong, and the Cruiserweights were supplementing that with great matches in the undercard.

WWE was just beginning to inject some ‘Attitude’ into the formula in desperation.

Steve Austin was really starting to come up through the ranks of the WWE. A neck injury stalled his wrestling momentum, but not the brash personality.

In the month prior to this, Austin laid out every announcer and authority figure with the Stone Cold Stunner.

But one.

You see, Austin didn’t have many friends on the roster (kayfabe), and his biggest enemies were that of the Hart Foundation. At this point in time, specifically Owen.

Owen’s botched piledriver sent Austin to the hospital with a neck injury that would keep Austin out of the ring for a while, and ultimately would lead to surgery.

In the events leading up to the show, Owen had a restraining order filed against Austin. Essentially, Austin would be arrested if he tried to touch Owen.

So after Owen’s victory over Brian Pillman in the Intercontinental Championship tournament, he dedicated the match to loving brother Bret.

Then he got jumped.

Austin pounced, but NYPD’s finest were right in line to arrest him. Vince McMahon got off the announce table to cool the proceedings.

Vince scolded Austin, but not in the way he would later on in future. He understood Austin was hurt and upset, but he shouldn’t break the law and hurt himself further.

Austin acknowledges the care he has received, but he tells McMahon to go kiss his ASS.

STUNNER!

It was a very poorly executed Stunner, and it can be attributed to Vince’s goofy selling. Austin was arrested, and hauled off to jail. I wonder if perhaps it was the same jail the Mountie got anally raped in during Summerslam 1991?

Whatever the case was, it was effective, and it might have been a turning point in the Wars.

Not only was it a great MSG moment, but it will rank up there in WWE moments as well.

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John Cena Returns! Royal Rumble. January 27th, 2008

 

Transforming into something more current.

John Cena’s Superman-like WWE Championship run in 2007 came to an abrupt end. While attempting to give a basic hip toss to Mr. Kennedy on RAW, Cena tore his right pectoral muscle. Like a soldier he finished the match, and was even subject to a beat-down from Randy Orton. Orton and Cena should have clashed at No Mercy that month for the title in a Last Man Standing affair.

Cena’s recovery time was slated to be six to twelve months. From that point, WrestleMania may not have even been an option.

However, he shocked the world…

More on that in a minute.

The 2008 edition of the Royal Rumble was an entertaining one indeed.

Michael Buffer introduced the first two combatants. First was The Undertaker, the defending winner of the Rumble. Second was the HEARTBREAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK KIDDDDDDDDDDD! Shawn Michaels literally had his name exaggerated like that, and sought revenge on the man who eliminated him from the Rumble last year. Essentially, the last two men to enter the Rumble the year previous are the first two men to enter this year.

Michaels and ‘Taker dominated the first half of the Rumble. Eventually both would be eliminated as Michaels would eliminate Undertaker, and Mr. Kennedy would nearly simultaneously throw Shawn over. 

Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka would go nose to nose and brawl. This would stop everything DEAD COLD in the ring!

When Triple H came out, he started to whoop some ass. He was the odds on favorite seeing as how he had to overcome the odds to even enter this match.

#30 was coming out. While there was no one announced for it, the general consensus is that it would be some sort of mid-card filler.

3…

2…

1…

HOLY FUCKING DOG SHIT IT’S JOHN CENA!

The response to this was epic. He came back more than two months earlier than projected! Cena started mowing down the competition to a mixture of appreciation and depreciation.

H and Cena were the last two eligible. Cena was able to hurl The Game over the top, and claim his prize: a trip to WrestleMania!

For an era where the internet is the greatest tool in spoilers, this surprise was guarded better than almost any in that time frame. Cena legitimately surprised the Madison Square Garden crowd, who in themselves are no spring chickens.

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Shawn Michaels Flies! WrestleMania X. March 20th, 1994

The setup for the match was perfect. Shawn Michaels, then Intercontinental Champion, was suspended by the WWE for testing positive on a drug test. On television, this was covered up by saying Michaels failed to appear for company duty.

In the wake of it all, a new champion was crowned via a one-two punch, a battle royal in which the last two men standing would compete one-on-one. Razor Ramon was the baddest guy with the baddest gold by the time it was all said and done.

Shawn appears a short time later… WITH AN INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE BELT?

In real life, Shawn kept the belt after he was suspended. Vince turned this into a positive by saying the WWE never asked for it back.

Fans were confused yet interested. The battle to determine it all was WrestleMania X, the ladder match!

While it was a ladder contest, the match didn’t really go deep into the ladders immediately. Some nice wrestling kicked it off, with Diesel (Shawn’s bodyguard at the time) earned an ejection after cold-cocking Ramon with a right hand! “YOU SEE SOMETHIN’?” Apparently John Cena did in his sleep!

Both men eventually would taste the steel.

Shawn would eventually climb that ladder, and in a single moment, cemented his status as amongst the elite in the WWE.

The splash made the people gasp in awe, and it made Shawn Michaels a major power broker for life afterwards.

Ramon would win the match, but as noted, Shawn was the real winner. The next three matches Shawn would have at ‘Mania would all be WWE Championship matches for the Heartbreak Kid.

Not bad for a guy who literally made an ass of himself.

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This concludes part one! What moments will I pick for next time? You’ll find out in a New York City minute!

If you like what you see, please support these two organizations: MARKS, and the newly fledgling The Johnson Transcript. Both are awesome reads by writers who have been wrestling fans for the majority of their lives!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Bad Booking's Top Ten List of 'Attitude' Matches

It's been a while since I've been in the saddle making regular posts.

It's been even longer since I've made lists.

Time to make another one!

While I have done lists covering decades, I haven't made one that was dedicated to a particular era of the WWE.

That's about to change.

To celebrate the new WWE Home Video release of the Attitude Era, here we have a new list celebrating this storied time.

Just like how the Attitude Era shook up sports-entertainment, this seemingly normal countdown will have a twist. One of nearing Vince Russo-like proportions.

You see, this list isn't just about match quality, or what reviewers would say, “THAT'S A FIVE-STAR CLASSIC!”

In addition, the matches selected have to feel like they could have only been done in this period of time. The period where the crowds were consistently insane, the characters were across-the-board memorable, and the storylines had plot devices that left fans scratching their heads. Take that as both a positive and a negative. Most importantly, they are synonymous with how ‘business’ was done back in those times. 

Also, the matches have to take place in the era. For the sake of all argument, this period will be defined as starting on March 10th, 1997, the date where the whole RAW show had a major overhaul following a particularly disastrous episode the week before, and ending on April 1st, 2001, which of course was when WrestleMania X-Seven occurred.

Let's not waste any more time. If you're not down with that, I have two words for ya...

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10. Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship: Sycho Sid © vs. Bret Hart, WWE RAW (3/17/97)

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This first entry is like that song from the classic 1966 movie “Sound of Music”.

We will start from the very beginning. A very good place to start!

This is only the second episode of RAW since the major overhaul. Right away, the tone set for ‘Attitude’ was reached right here.

At the start of the show, it was noted this match may or may not be for the title. Gorilla Monsoon stated that since Hart didn’t receive his proper rematch for the title yet, it had to be done before Undertaker would get his shot.

Let me break it down: Shawn Michaels vacated his WWE Championship after he lost smile. I still call bullshit. The following pay-per-view event had a Final Four match, which was born out of the controversial finish from the Royal Rumble match the month before. Originally a #1 contender match for the title at WrestleMania, it was now a WWE Championship match. Bret Hart became WWE Champion after lasting against Steve Austin, Undertaker, and Vader. Sycho Sid, who originally was the #1 contender for the title, fought Hart for the title the night after the PPV. He won after Austin beat the crap out of Hart. So here we are on the 17th of March, and we got a conundrum. Two matches on the WrestleMania 13 card depend on the outcome of this match: will the title either go to the Bret Hart and Steve Austin submission battle, or will it go to the battle of the monsters Undertaker and Sid?

For match quality, this was not amongst Bret Hart’s best work. It was probably amongst Sid’s best, but that’s like saying your dog’s shit smelled less than your neighbor’s.

As for the finish, it was nuts. Undertaker and Austin were creating all sorts of hell ringside. ‘Taker had the last say when he slammed the cage door right into Hart’s face, and that allowed Sid, Undertaker’s opponent for ‘Mania, to retain the WWE Championship. Austin looked on DEJECTED at this result.

Bret was more than dejected, and therefore he took the microphone.

What followed was an expletive-filled promo that defies the entity of time. Because RAW was live at that point, it was completely uncensored. The emotion was certainly ‘raw’, and was full of ‘attitude’ Bret Hart never had the balls to show before.

To make this even more explosive, all four men fought with each other. Shawn Michaels even made an appearance with a steel chair! Jim Ross was getting so hoarse in his voice you thought it was the big night itself!

This character bitterness would lead to one of the greatest matches in history, where Hart would make a bloody Austin pass out in pain at WrestleMania. Undertaker would ultimately win the title from Sid that same event. Ironically, the man who slammed the door into Hart’s face would ultimately have the last laugh and the title.

DVD’s: WWE The Best of RAW 15th Anniversary (note: the link takes you to an Evan Bourne shirt, but trust me: it’s for the DVD)

9. No Disqualification Match for the WWE Championship: The Rock © vs. ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, WrestleMania X-Seven

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This is one of the only lists you’ll see where the beginning and the end are piled one right on top of the other.

This is also one of the only lists where you’ll see this matchup rank so low in the overall running.

If anything, this is probably the greatest title match in ‘Mania history!

The whole match felt like a goodbye kiss to the Attitude Era. It was non-stop in its brawling. It was non-stop in its brutality. The blood flowed early and often. To conclude, it even had a shocking ending Russo would have shit his pants over!

Even so, there were some reservations about the conclusion.

Directly after this match, for all intents and purposes, the inVasion happened. That will go down as one of the darker times in WWE history.

Also, no one wanted to see Austin turn heel. While it was Steve’s desire to do so, the television revolving around this wasn’t the best stuff of Austin’s career. I will say that the comedy stuff with Angle was deep-fried gold however.

To conclude, this match is like Billy Joel’s “Famous Last Words”. There may be words some other day, but for this time period, it’s time to say goodbye. Don’t go away yet, we still have eight spots to go on the countdown!

DVD’s: The History of the WWE Championship, Stone Cold Steve Austin - What?, The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Stone Cold Steve Austin: The Bottom Line on the Most Popular Superstar of All Time 

8. Steel Cage Match: Vince McMahon vs. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1999)

The introduction to this match is as hilariously confusing as the contest itself.

Vince McMahon won the 1999 Royal Rumble. It took a lot of ‘Corporate’ help, mainly The Rock, but the boss was able to go coast to coast in getting the win.

The night after on RAW, Vince was going to relinquish his title shot to help further The Rock. Or so he thought.

Cut to Steve Austin via Titantron in San Antonio. He looks plastered off his ass, which quite frankly is pretty much barred today. He says he’s going to WrestleMania, which stifles the Corporate team.

Cue in Shawn Michaels, the ever-present WWE Commissioner. Even at home!

Michaels states in the WWE rulebook that because McMahon forfeits his title shot, Austin is able to take that shot because he came in second.

Austin is up for a challenge, self-imposed: At the next event, he wants Vince’s ass in a cage. If Austin wins, he gets the title shot. If Vince wins, then, well, uh, I think the title shot goes to the Corporation or something like that.

The first nine minute or so of this match occur outside the cage, before the match even starts! Of course, the big bump with McMahon going through the table occurs. Vince legitimately broke his tailbone on the fall, and whether that affected the rest of the match I didn’t notice.

Once inside the cage, Austin is like the proverbial shark in the water. He makes McMahon bleed, and beats the holy high hell out of him.

McMahon has a ruse though.

Popping up from a hole in the ring comes Paul Wight. You might remember this guy as a 7’ ignoramus from WCW just the week before! Wight throws Austin against the cage, but it accidentally opens and gives the Rattlesnake the win!

This match is primarily on here because of the shocking way Paul Wight debuted. Most people dropped their jaws to the floor when they saw this monster, mainly because of the fact that Wight was on WCW just a few days before as The Giant. The debut felt like a more physical version of when Lex Luger appeared in WCW after just appearing with the WWE the night before. Since the internet was not as prevalent then as it is now, debuts like that legitimately shocked people, and that’s why this match is on the list.

DVD’s: McMahon, The Greatest Cage Matches of All Time

7. Three Stages of Hell: 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin vs. Triple H, No Way Out 2001

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Triple H and Steve Austin had an on-again, off-again feud since about 1996. Whether it was singles, DX, or even had a corporate undertone, these two were at each other’s throats!

The latter-half of 1999 saw Austin chase Triple H for the WWE Championship. During the Survivor Series PPV, which was supposed to have seen the holiest of all Attitude matches (Austin/Rock/HHH), Austin was run down in the parking lot. It turned out Rikishi was the driver, but Triple H was the impetus behind it.

These two men are indestructible. Austin survives getting run over. Triple H survived a crash landing of twenty feet to the ground upside down in a car. The two were even at the brim of destruction inside of a six-man Hell in the Cell match!

For all the unforgiving acts of brutality displayed, it all had to come to an end.

Thus enter Vince and the 3 Stages of Hell.

The match itself is simple yet complex. It’s a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match, with each fall depicting a different stipulation. Fall one was a regular singles match. Fall two was a Street Fight. Finally, fall three (if necessary) was to be contested inside of a steel cage.

What followed is a match that, well, there is a reason why I thought it was 2001 Match of the Year. Keep in mind that year had some GREAT matches.

However, even in the aura of Attitude, this shines high.

The long-arching storyline, topped with a match for the ages is something you’ll rarely see today. Even more so, there are rarely any blood feuds that fully envelop a fan’s interest from start to finish.

That one was definitely it!

DVDs: Stone Cold Steve Austin - What?, The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H - That Damn Good (The original pay per view sadly is only available on VHS in the United States. Europeans are lucky enough to have it in their Tagged Classics series.)

6. Street Fight Match for the WWE Championship: Triple H © vs. Cactus Jack, Royal Rumble 2000

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I have mentioned this match on frequently on this blog.

It’s 2000 Match of the Year.

Hell, I even did an in-depth review on the contest itself.

So why mention it again?

Mainly this match reeks of ‘Attitude’.

Both men were in prime physical form for the match. Foley actually took time off from the road to exercise and rehab, to make his already mythical Cactus Jack character seem more of a monster. Triple H was probably at his very best here, using his vast technical/brawling skills to their absolute zenith.

As for the feel of the match, it is about as close to a Death Match from Japan as you’ll ever get to in the WWE. To say it’s brutal is an understatement, and emotional even more so. Both men put their heart and soul into it, and the story told in bloodshed is more convincing than any story in a Twilight novel.

This match couldn’t have been done a few years before this, and it can’t be done now. Sure Foley would have these type matches with Edge and Randy Orton during the middle portion of the decade, but they still have to bow down to this one.

DVD’s: Mick Foley's Greatest Hits & Misses, Triple H - The Game, Triple H - That Damn Good, Royal Rumble 2000, Royal Rumble, The Complete Anthology

5. Ladder Match to conclude the T.I.T Invitational: Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz, No Mercy 1999

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Where this match ranks on the countdown might very well catch people off guard.

Literal five-star classics are ranked lower than this, and quite frankly this match feels tame in comparison to what was to come.

To quote The Hurricane, “WAZZ UP WIT DAT?”

As noted from the top of the article, this countdown isn’t just about match quality. It also has to be one with the era, and its impact has to be vast.

Therefore, this match earns its spot on the countdown right here.

While ladder matches had been done in the WWE prior to 1999, hell there were even a couple that year, this match was special.

There were no titles on the line, but it was for the managerial service of one busty Terri Runnels. $100,000 dollars doesn’t sound bad either, but it might very well be out of Goldust’s alimony checks. More importantly, there were four men in the ring whose careers were at that important “make it or break it” crossroads.

Like George Newman staring into a burning burger patty from UHF, the four men battling it out had imagination!

They put their bodies, their souls, their careers, and their lives on the line. Up to this point, double-team ladder maneuvers hadn’t been done in the United States professional wrestling mainstream. Daredevil moves that could have been individual high spots in other matches instead became glue to the overall flow.

These teams and their daredevil antics are one of the bountiful reasons why The Attitude Era became one of the greatest times in wrestling history. Every ladder match (including TLC’s) that followed owes some of their greatness to this match.

DVD’s: Hardy Boyz - Leap of Faith, The Ladder Match, Edge - A Decade of Decadence

4. WWE Championship: 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin © vs. Dude Love. Over the Edge 1998

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Talk about your jack of all trades matches.

This one is the epitome.

Stone Cold had been the target of Vince McMahon and The Corporation since probably mankind existed.

Well, not that Mick Foley ‘mankind’.

As a matter of fact, Mankind was tag team partners and champions with Austin the year before. Both men had been viewed as disposable by WCW. Boy wasn’t that a mistake!

When Austin and McMahon were due to have their big-time match in April of 1998 on RAW, one character stopped the madness with his quirky albeit lovable theme music.

Enter Dude Love.

It looked like he was going to attack McMahon, knowing that Love was always a babyface. Instead, he stuck his Mandible Claw inside AUSTIN! This aligned Love with the evil empire of McMahon, the Death Star of the WWE.

Love even got a corporate makeover. He had his teeth done, got himself a blue blazer (not Owen Hart as “The Blue Blazer”), and even shaved! This man was grooving big time, HAVE MERCY!

Pat Patterson, who had been doing ring introductions on this night in Milwaukee, intentionally didn’t do Austin’s opening. He felt Austin was a “beer-swilling fool, a loud-mouthed punk… and a BUM!” Glass shattered and that’s all what was needed.

To add even more intrigue, HERE COMES UNDERTAKER! He was legitimately sidelined with a broken foot, but he had an important role in the match anyway.

Oh, I forgot. I goofed. This was my 1998 Match of the Year!

Simply, this match had a great mix of technical wrestling, brawling, weapons, blood, and tomfoolery. Dude Love tried to win multiple times, but Undertaker sent McMahon’s minions straight to hell via some rough table chokeslam spots! Austin wins, and everyone is happy.

Attitude this was, and magic that may never be created again. The storyline on paper looked like the basic good guy and bad guy premise, but the characters portrayed mixed with an electric atmosphere made this match seemingly unforgettable.

DVD’s: Mick Foley's Greatest Hits & Misses - A Life in Wrestling (Hardcore Edition), Mick Foley: Hard Knocks & Cheap Pops, Stone Cold Steve Austin: The Bottom Line on the Most Popular Superstar of All Time

3. WWE Championship: Bret Hart © vs. Shawn Michaels, Survivor Series 1997

 

“Whoa Bad Booking. You just made a Montreal Screwjob post, and now you’re making this #2 on a ATTITUDE ERA MATCH COUNTDOWN?!?!?!? You’re one stupid son-of-a-bitch!”

Actually sir, let me explain myself.

Yes, I just made that post not too long ago, and quite frankly the material is still fresh in my mind. Hell, I even popped in the Hart/Michaels Rivalry Blu-ray the night I posted that sucker, so the stuff remained even more relevant in my mind.

The ramifications associated with this match however make it practically one with the Attitude.

Let’s start with one thing perfectly clear: Shawn Michaels was fully able to get away with consecrating a Canadian flag, while Chris Jericho well over a decade later was almost arrested for making fun of a Brazilian flag.

To prove my point even further, let’s mark this as the night kayfabe was stabbed forty times in a Canadian Forum with “And you also Vince” as the last words uttered by in-prime Bret Hart.

While I explain it more in depth in the article, I will note this: the fact such a fourth-wall breaking moment occurred, in ANY ERA, makes it something memorable. It can’t be replicated with any hint of authenticity, and Cornette’s Seven Year Rule is obliterated.

The legacy this match left behind, with legitimate raw bitterness, makes it a lock at this podium position.

DVD’s: The Best of WWE Confidential, Vol. 1, Greatest Rivalries - Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray exclusive match)

 

2. WWE Championship: Triple H (c) vs. The Rock, Backlash 2000

THIS should have main evented WrestleMania 2000!

The Rock and Triple H have practically grown up together in the WWE. Hell, Triple H was technically in Rock’s first WWE match as a Survivor Series team member!

Through their early singles runs they battled.

Through their faction wars they battled it out.

Rock was a Corporate entity, and Triple H had to overcome the odds.

Now Triple H is the Corporate entity, and Rock has to now overcome those same odds.

Only this time, the coveted WWE Championship is on the line.

Triple H has some LOADED backup. You could say its… FULLY LOADED. There’s his wife Stephanie. His father-in-law Vince. Brother-in-law Shane, who was also picked as the referee. Hell, even the Stooges Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco had a hand in on the action as well!

There is another wildcard in the mix, but more on him in a moment.

The grand majority of the match, Triple H is seemingly using the numbers game to his advantage. Even when not on the offense, Rock is always getting heckled by the referee and outside distraction. At one point, everyone and their mothers (well, maybe not the mother) come down to kick Rock’s head in.

Glass shatters!

What the fuck?

Yep, it’s Stone Cold!

A week after blowing up the DX Express, Austin is armed with a chair. FREE SHOTS FOR EVERYONE! Hell, he even got in a few headshots, which in today’s environment will net you a $2,000 fine per shot! After this goes down, Linda McMahon (see, the mother did something good) comes down with campaign advisor Senior Referee Earl Hebner to bring order back into the match. The Rock finally puts away The Game, and gets the title!

Austin greets Rock with a stare post-match, but ultimately toasts the title with a beer. #9 would happen nearly a year later.

For such a match, this feels right at home on the list. Mainly that ‘Corporate’ aspect where in an era where there were more shades of grey than softcore porn, everyone agreed these were selfish and greedy bad guys ready to get taken down. While the Attitude Era had lots of different original aspects of sports entertainment, the basics are always welcomed as well. It was just that this basic story was about as high as this era was going to go, all things considered.

DVD’s: The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment

1. Hell in the Cell: Undertaker vs. Mankind, King of the Ring 1998

 

When I compiled the list for this countdown, there were dozens of matches ready for action. Amongst the 30+ entries for this entry, only one spot was claimed off the bat.

#1 and this Hell in the Cell was that spot.

This is the only match on the list whose notoriety reached well beyond the realm of sports-entertainment. Hogan and Andre from WrestleMania III may very well be the only match whose mainstream popularity overrides this one.

Like some other matches on this list, Hell in the Cell has been covered multiple times in different fashions.

Also like the other matches mentioned, there is another angle that could be taken on this, so here we go.

It was right around this time period where Undertaker’s character seemingly started to change. His benevolence was quickly turning into grey matter. He beat up heels and faces all along with amazing crowd reactions. Hell, Undertaker cut a in-character shoot promo in SWEATPANTS! The only character that had this luxury in recent times was Kane earlier this year in those therapy segments.

Mick Foley had quite the build himself. He was fired by Vince McMahon for not getting the job done at Over the Edge, but was quickly hired back after causing hell at the behest of Austin and Undertaker. He regularly threw himself out there waiting for that next big bump.

As noted in the OTE entry, Undertaker was still suffering with a broken foot. Mainly, the in-ring segments non-PPV were limited to chokeslams coupled with man-on-the-street beatdowns (like beating up Paul Bearer at his house).

The big day ensues, and we all know what happens. The match is essentially one big “HOLY SHIT” moment, where one big bump happens right after an another. Broken bones and stitches along the way!

Really quickly, it is easy why this match is #1 on an Attitude Era countdown. It’s relentlessly brutal, had a great story, wonderful crowd involvement, and further more, both men garnered more respect after the match. Further more, it couldn’t have been done in eras past, and the era we are currently in now. It’s a product of its time that still holds up.

DVD’s: Mick Foley's Greatest Hits & Misses - A Life in Wrestling (Hardcore Edition), Tombstone - The History of the Undertaker, Hell in a Cell - The Greatest Hell in a Cell Matches of All Time, The Best of King of the Ring

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CONCLUSION

This list took a lot of priming and debating.

The matches selected in this countdown had to feel like they could have only been done in this period of time. The period where the crowds were consistently insane, the characters were across-the-board memorable, and the storylines were full of wild twists and turns. Plus their lasting impact had to be measurable from the product that has followed since.

It was the era where the WWE came from damnation to vindication, securing a television audience that would override the challenge of the WCW juggernaut. While times may have changed, it’s never a bad thing to look back at the good times.

They will happen again…

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P.S: If you like what you see here, please check out another site my posts frequently appear on: MARKS. They’re a great bunch of guys (and a few ladies), and they’re as passionate about the product as any fans today.

Please help the blog and purchase from my Amazon links! SmileHappy Thanksgiving! If you want to read something I don’t normally delve on, look at Alton Brown and his Good Eats special from 1999!

 

Friday, November 9, 2012

Montreal Screwjob Retrospective

How do you make an otherwise forgettable event the most infamous pay-per-view in professional wrestling history?

A simple answer: screw over the man who is about to go over to the competition!

The real answer is much more complicated. It’s fallout would ultimately impact the professional wrestling scene forever.

Raw emotion struck during this time wouldn’t be fully resolved until well into the new millennium. Today, on the 15th anniversary of the most infamous wrestling double-cross ever, this piece will reflect the decisions and the trauma behind the most argued piece of shoot ever devised. This will feel almost as cold as a normal winter’s day in the Canadian province of Quebec.

If anyone wants to doubt how bad the financial state the WWE was at this time, look no further than the Screwjob.

Vince McMahon, in full-out desperation, signed Bret Hart to an exclusive 20-year contract just the year before. McMahon did it because not only would it ensure Bret’s loyalty, but Vince also knew that WCW wouldn’t know what to do with a Bret Hart.

The terms of the contract stipulated that Bret would be paid “x” amount one year, then as time went on, he would get a somewhat smaller sum. Keep in mind that this is upfront costs, and does not the additional bonuses Bret would most likely accrue from merchandise plus other odds and ends.

Sadly for Vince, this was a contract he wasn’t able to keep.

In the summer of 1997, right after the Summerslam event when Bret won his fifth World Wrestling Federation Championship, Vince talked to Bret. McMahon laid out his folly, and told Bret he was free to look at other employment opportunities.

Behind the scenes, Bret didn’t want to go. While he has had his fair share of personal drama and bullshit with members of the roster (i.e: Shawn Michaels), the WWE had primarily been his home base for well over a decade. He was built from the ground up, and pulled through every rank there was. Bret was looked upon as a leader to the boys, and inspiration when times got rough.

For the state of the company though, times were indeed VERY rough.

WCW came from the trenches and established itself as the dog to beat. Between the Ric Flair and Randy Savage angle at the end of 1995, to the not-so-humble beginnings of the nWo, the Georgia-based juggernaut was growing exponentially.

Almost to the point of putting the Connecticut-based WWE out of business!

Vince had to cut Bret because not only was WWE losing money, but also viewed Bret as a growing liability due to age. Bret had just turned the big 4-0, while other men in their twenties and early thirties were just starting to hit their stride.

As noted, Bret was given the option to look for other work. Bret had sent his notice, and uneasy tensions were quickly surfacing.

The 1997 Survivor Series was heavily hyped around the rematch from WrestleMania XII. Only this time, Bret and Shawn were not only enemies on screen, but they were even worse at odds off it. Without getting too far into it, let’s say that most of the locker room was firmly on the side of Bret while Shawn and his Kliq were viewed as outcasts of power.

Originally, the outcome of the match was seen to have Shawn and Bret battle to a double-disqualification. It seemed as if everyone had agreed on the plan…

Until Vince called a meeting.

In a nutshell, this was where the Screwjob was orchestrated. Shawn was in on it, but had no hand in the decision making. Shawn, as much as as he despised Bret, didn’t really want to go through with this because the locker room hated him to begin with, and the reaction to this would be an upheaval of the guard.

Shawn told Earl what to do, and from Shawn’s autobiography, it was described as if Earl aged many years during this transaction.

Before the match started, Shawn turned into the most heinous dick ever conceived in Canada. He had consecrated the Canadian flag in many fashioned, into up and including simulated humping. Of course this was in design to make Bret look like a proud hero in his home country.

The main flow of the match was a brawl, interrupted with a few sound technical maneuvers. Then Shawn put Bret in the sharpshooter…

In the main script of the match, Bret was going to go to the ropes, and the match would continue on until the DQ.

As we all know, Vince McMahon (who had been at ringside the duration of the contest) ordered Earl to “RING THE FUCKING BELL!”

Bret looked confused, lost, and shell-shocked when the bell rang. Shawn had a startled face himself, but in reality was a mask of knowing that the plan had worked.

Vince handed Shawn the belt, and with many legitimate road agents at hand, they all walked behind the curtain the masterminds of the greatest shoot in wrestling history.

Garbage filled the ring like a blizzard, and Bret went around destroying the tables at ringside not unlike the nWo did on WCW earlier in the year.

The shit really hit the fan (and I don’t mean the forum) backstage. Vince McMahon was confronted by Bret, and was socked in the face. Vince was struck down in vain, but let’s not forget that all Vince was trying to do was cover his ass so his champion couldn’t defect to WCW with the title at hand. It was only the year before were Alundyra Blaze, aka Madusa, went to Nitro and threw the not-so-prestigious WWE’s Women’s Championship in the trash can!

Shawn and the Kliq had to fight off multiple threats, and even more of “the boys” threatened to no-show the following night’s RAW.

And they did!

The albatross known as RAW in Toronto took place live the following night. Seriously, I’m not telling going to tell you the synopsis of the show because it was so bad. Shawn looked drunker than drunk, the ever-eloquent Commissioner Slaughter was babbling needlessly, and it seemed like jobbers were all over the show. This was the absolute lowest point for the WWE, not just for ratings but also in morale. It could not have looked worse for Vince and company.

Slowly but surely, WWE climbed out of its hole. Ironically, the man who legitimately screwed Bret Hart became the biggest heel by doing working screwjobs on a semi-regular basis.

As for Mr. Vincent K. McMahon, he stated that “Bret screwed Bret” the RAW after Survivor Series, and the fans gravitated towards him. He was evil, seedy, plus his intentions were biased one way or another. No one was safe in his path of destruction. The clientele includes names amongst the likes of Steve Austin, Goldust, Undertaker, Kane, etc.

In another note of irony, another plot of double-cross worked to great effect in one of the highest points of 1998. At THAT Survivor Series event, the Deadly Game tournament culminated in The Rock, long-standing Corporation enemy, versus Mankind, a fully-made-over character perceived to be in cahoots with Vince. Rock put Mankind in the sharpshooter…

And it was revealed that Rock was a patsy for the Master Plan of Vince’s! It signaled the arrival of Dwayne Johnson in the upper echelon of the WWE, and Mick Foley was hot in pursuit. The Deadly Game solidified the future of the WWE, with establishment of the main event secure.

As for Shawn Michaels, he would pay the price of winning the WWE title, but in a different fashion. Over the next little while, Shawn would experience back pain getting a little more intense. Add in the casket bump from the Royal Rumble the following January, and we have a champ who was damn near immobile.

Go to 11:45 in the video!
Shawn lost the belt to Austin at WrestleMania in March, and then disappeared. While he would show up every now and then on WWE television, it would be more than four years before he made an in-ring return. With his life in order, Shawn is a man of faith and dignity.

As for Bret Hart, he would pay the price of going to WCW almost immediately. Hart was misused from day one. A botched introduction at WCW’s Starrcade would only be ominous of signs to come. Numerous injuries took their toll, and a brutal kick from Goldberg sealed the deal.

 

Bret would also suffer a stroke, one that forced him to relearn how to talk. WWE and Bret Hart did put aside their differences to make a career retrospective. That DVD is (as of this moment) the best WWE compilation ever made.

Bret’s feelings towards Shawn wouldn’t budge, even with the revelations of Shawn’s lifestyle revamp. At WrestleMania 22 weekend in 2006, Bret was inducted into the Hall of Fame. However, Bret only did it with the knowledge he couldn’t see Shawn in the audience, and that he kept away from Shawn during the show. Bret’s no-show of the big show gave him heat that rivaled almost all the heels on that event!

It wouldn’t be until 2010 where the past finally came to rest. Shawn and Bret aired their dirty laundry for all to see on national television, capped off with an emotional embrace. The two became friends, and even agreed to do a DVD based on their rivalry. It’s an excellent production, and if you want to purchase that, click here.

How do you make an otherwise forgettable event the most infamous pay-per-view in professional wrestling history?

A simple answer: by orchestrating an event that would shake the very foundation of the business for years to come.

The legacy of the screwjob has, and will always be, measured in how the business has changed. Vince McMahon was able to make a smashing positive out of what should have been a crushing negative. Viva La Attitude!