It really was unfortunate that Owen admitted to kicking Bret's leg out of his leg, because if he had just spoken like a normal human during that 3 second span, that would have been one of the more monumental moments ever. Not that it wasn't, I guess, but it was for all the wrong reasons. Or something.

MDM's reaction to the kick the leg out of leg is so perfect.

"Well it's obvious to me that Owen Hart is..."
*kick*
*Maniacal laughter*

Ehhh, it's 830 and I'm already drunk.

DiBiase was so good during this show. He should've been the new heel color commentator after Heenan left, not Jerry Lawler.

WRESTLEMANIA X (1994)
Location: Madison Square Garden



Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart
(Go to 10:30 on video.)

* There’s a lot of titles this match contends for: The best opening match of a PPV ever; The best pure North American wrestling match ever; The best match between brothers ever (the Funks can give that title a run). I’m not saying it’s any of those things, just that it can be considered. Owen’s heel work here is fantastic, I won’t comment on every little thing but it adds so much. Owen does a fireman’s carry but Bret counters with a headscissors that Owen kips up out of. Bret goes behind and takes down Owen, who can’t escape and goes to the ropes. Owen then goes behind and takes down Bret, and he sends Owen through the ropes to the floor to get out of the waistlock. Owen gets back in and gets in Bret’s face, and when Bret starts pushing him away, Owen slaps him hard, drawing gasps. Then he plays the coward as Bret comes at him. Fantastic. Owen puts Bret in a hammerlock, Bret reverses and Owen counters with a drop toe hold into a side headlock, which Bret counters into a hammerlock before driving a knee down. He works over the arm but Owen does some gymnastics to reverse it, then yanks Bret down by the hair. Already people are actually applauding, how often do you hear that? Bret kips up and reverses the arm ringer. Owen reverses a whip to the corner but Bret leapfrogs Owen and rolls him up for two. Bret takes control again with an arm drag, then a hammerlock. Owen gets out of it with a hard elbow to the jaw, hits a shoulderblock, but Bret scores with a monkey flip and then clotheslines a dazed Owen over the ropes to the floor. The crowd is white hot. Owen looks like he’s going to take a countout but Bret goes and gets him and sends him back in, gesturing as if to say, “Let’s see what you have now?” A shoving battle ensues until Bret slaps Owen in revenge for earlier, then rolls him up for two. God, this match is all kinds of awesome, I feel silly for thinking Bret/Bulldog was better. Bret works over the arm, then ducks an Owen clothesline and hits a crucifix for two. Bret goes back to the arm. Owen sends him to the ropes and eventually turns the tide with a spinning leg lariat. He kicks Bret out of the ring, then goes and gets him and slams him back-first into the post. Back inside, Bret gets whipped hard into the corner, then Owen hits a side backbreaker before applying a sweet camel clutch (didn’t see that move coming). Bret fights up and elbows out of it, but Owen hits his patented belly-to-belly suplex for two. Bret reverses a whip to the corner but Owen leaps to the second turnbuckle and flies off with a twisting crossbody, only to have Bret reverse it on the mat for a two, fantastic sequence. Owen gets back on offense quick with a series of knees and another chinlock submission. Owen tries a slam but Bret falls on top for two. Bret winds up outside the ring, and Owen tries to bring him in with a suplex. Bret lands on his feet behind Owen and is in German suplex position, but Owen reverses the waistlock and hits his own awesome German suplex for oohs, aahs and a two. Owen drops a leg on the back of Bret’s neck for two. Bret blocks a suplex and hits a small package for two. Owen hits a european uppercut. Bret reverses a whip to the ropes and goes for a side suplex, but Owen spins through, lands on his feet, then lifts Bret and dumps him on his head with a jumping tombstone! The crowd is in total shock (as I remember being at age 14). Owen goes to the top but misses a diving headbutt as the crowd pops. Seriously, how in the hell did I think Bret/Bulldog was better all those years?!? Not. Even. Close. Bret hits a reverse atomic drop and a clothesline for two. A russian leg sweep gets two. A side backbreaker and second-rope elbow gets a very long two. Owen begs off, then Owen catches a kick attempt, but Owen hits an enziguiri and then goes for the sharpshooter as the crowd shrieks, but Bret punches him and sends him down, then goes for the sharpshooter himself but Owen rolls out of it. Owen rolls up Bret in a nifty pin but gets just two as Bret’s kickout sends him to the floor. Bret then gets up and hits a suicide dive over the top onto Owen, but sells a hurt knee. Owen comically calls for time before Bret rolls him back in the ring. Bret really favors the knee and Owen notices and goes to work on it before wrapping it around the post three times. Owen mocks Bret’s limping and hits a dragon screw before legdropping the injured leg and applying a sitting indian deathlock (which on a personal level, I can’t stand, it’s totally painless and doesn’t even look like it hurts. Now an inverted indian deathlock, like Triple H used real early in his career, thats a different story). Owen drops both knees across Bret’s leg and keeps working it over. Another dragon screw leads into a figure four. Bret gets counted down for two twice, then turns Owen over to reverse the hold to a pop. Owen kicks Bret’s leg a couple times, but Bret hits his own enziguiri. Owen takes a MASSIVE chest turnbuckle bump, wow! Bret drops a leg and gets two. A bulldog gets two. A fantastic piledriver gets two after Bret’s slow to cover because of the knee. Vince: “Watching this match is exhausting, can you imagine participating in it?” Exactly. Bret sets Owen up for a superplex as the fans pop, then hits it to a bigger pop but gets only two to a large disappointed pop! Bret hits two euro uppercuts, then ducks Owen’s desperation clothesline and applies a sleeper. Owen makes it to the ropes, then back kicks Bret in the groin as the crowd groans. Owen then applies the sharpshooter, and Bret pounds the mat before pulling Owen’s foot out, causing him to fall. Bret then applies his own sharpshooter but Owen gets to the ropes, to another disappointed pop. Owen reverses a whip and sends Bret to the corner, then charges into Bret’s boot. Bret sets up for a victory roll, but Owen stops it short and drop his knees on Bret’s shoulders for the surprise pin and the upset to a shocked pop and some applause. Owen’s post-match bragging in Bret’s face is fantastic. Match of the chronology so far (and that honor may not last past this card, although I doubt it). I have to give credit to the MSG crowd, they were into this and that added a lot. Then again, ANY crowd would have been into this match. A master class in the art of professional wrestling. 5 stars easy.

I probably won't get to the ladder match until Monday.

Owen celebrating a draw in the lock-up at the beginning of the match is so classic.

so sick that this opens. gotta be the best opener ever. i'll give it best brother match too. so many 's

I see this lasting as the top match for at least another three years, anyway. The ladder match has only faded with time as they've gotten crazier and more innovative.

It really is amazing Owen was able to carry Bret to such a great match.

I'm not taking the bait.

No reason to.

i know it can't really compare from a pure wrestling perspective, but the ladder match will probably always be the top match on the card for me.

WRESTLEMANIA X (1994) continued ...

IC Title Ladder Match: Razor Ramon © vs. Shawn Michaels
(Go to 1:53:10 on video.)

* This is the match that launched HBK ... and, of course, brought the idea of ladder matches mainstream. (I think Bret Hart’s still crying that he doesn’t get the credit. Boo hoo.) I know we’ve seen him a bunch of Michaels already on the chronology, but frankly, he hadn’t exactly been a Showstopper. Loved Razor walking under the ladder. I guess it’s easier when you know you’re going over! They start by exchanging basic holds until HBK reverses a hip toss and tries one of his own. Nothing doing at first, so HBK pokes Razor in the eye, puts his leg on he back of Razor’s head, backflips ... and gets viciously chokeslammed by Razor to oohs. HBK ducks two clotheslines and hits a spinning neckbreaker. Razor hits a shoulderblock, but HBK dodges a second one and tosses Razor outside. Diesel sneaks around the ring and clotheslines Razor, leading to referee Earl Hebner tossing Diesel from ringside. Razor nails HBK with a huge uppercut before entering the ring. HBK does a modified Flair Flip in the corner, and then gets clotheslined over the top to the outside with some velocity. Razor pulls up the floor mats but HBK stops him and sends him inside. Razor puts HBK in Razor’s Edge position but is obviously not in the right ring position, and HBK backdrops him over the top onto the exposed part of the floor. HBK heads down the aisle to get the ladder and drags it to ringside before Razor cuts him off. HBK gets rolled inside and Razor places the ladder on the apron. HBK quickly runs off the opposite ropes and baseball slide kicks the ladder into Razor as the crowd reacts with groans. Just a small taste of things to come! HBK gets in the ring with the ladder, picks it up and spears Razor in the gut with the top end. Razor collapses to the mat and HBK drives the ladder into his gut again. HBK picks the ladder up over his head and slams it down onto Razor’s back as he’s on his knees. Ouch! Razor uses the ropes the keep himself upright and HBK throws the ladder into his back again. Brutal. HBK finally sets up the ladder in the middle of the ring and climbs. Razor comes to life as HBK gets close to the top and grabs his foot. Razor exposes HBK’s whole backside (not my favorite moment) before HBK kicks him away, then instead of grabbing the belts, he drops an elbow down on Razor. Great spot but kind of dumb! I’m nit-picking, I know. HBK sets up the ladder in the corner (opened) and slams Razor at center ring, then climbs up the turnbuckle and onto the ladder for his infamous splash on Razor, an awesome spot. HBK moves the ladder back to the center and climbs. He’s got his fingertips on the belts when Razor gets to his feet and pushes the ladder down, sending HBK crashing down in stun-gun fashion across the ropes. A minute later, they wind up slamming heads together. HBK gets up first and sets up the ladder in the corner (closed) and goes to whip Razor into it, but Razor reverses and HBK slams into the ladder, then falls all the way to the floor in a sweet spot. Razor grabs the ladder and takes it outside, then slams it into HBK as he leans against the post. HBK staggers away, and Razor follows and hits him again, sending HBK into the post. Razor leans the closed ladder against the ring, then catapaults HBK into it for another sweet-looking spot, with HBK riding the ladder down to the floor. Razor rolls HBK into the ring and slides the ladder in before entering. Razor lifts the ladder up and uses the top end to “uppercut” HBK in the jaw, sending him flying over the top rope to the floor. Razor is slow to set up the ladder at center ring, but eventually works his way up. HBK gets to the top turnbuckle and flies across with a double axehandle, knocking Razor and the ladder down, with the ladder landing on HBK as a nice bonus. They both struggle up and climb opposite sides of the ladder. They slug it out before Razor suplexes HBK off the ladder, but the balance is thrown off and Razor and the ladder go toppling over. That whole five-second sequence is ridiculous. Razor sets up the ladder again and climbs until he can touch the belts, but HBK dropkicks the ladder and Razor falls off it while the ladder wobbles but stays up. I wish the ladder had fallen, that would have made Razor’s fall look more realistic. HBK pushes the ladder so it falls on Razor. He drags Razor up and whips him off the ropes, missing a clothesline but catching him with sweet chin music on the rebound. HBK signals that he’s going to finish Razor, then pulls him up and piledrives him. HBK then holds the ladder in front of him as he climbs the turnbuckle, then rides the ladder down onto Razor. Ridiculous spot and I remember thinking at this point, “My God, this may be better than Bret/Owen.” (On review, I was wrong, but not by much at all.) I cannot imagine how much that had to hurt. HBK sets up the ladder at center ring (with Razor lying under it) and climbs. Razor gets up and shoulderblocks the ladder, and HBK falls and crotches himself on the top rope, then falls and gets his leg caught between the ropes. Razor quickly sets up the ladder and climbs. HBK gets his leg free but ensnares his arm as Razor grabs the belts for the win, falling to the mat with both titles (which was a fantastic final flourish).

OK, I definitely preferred Bret/Owen to this match ... it’s close, but not THAT close. However, this match really was as revolutionary as everyone says. It was absolutely mind-blowing when it happened, given what they did to each other with the ladder. So this basically has to be 5 stars, because anything else would be unfair given just how revolutionary it was. Just my two cents.

ANTIDAN’S MOSTLY MEANINGLESS WWE PPV MATCH RATINGS:
5 — Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart, Wrestlemania X (1994)
5 — IC Title, ladder match: Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels, Wrestlemania X (1994)
5 — IC Title: Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog, Summerslam 1992
4.75 — IC Title: Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat, Wrestlemania III (1987)
4.5 — Semifinals: Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect, King of the Ring 1993
4.5 — IC Title: Mr. Perfect vs. Bret Hart, Summerslam 1991
4.25 — The Royal Rumble (1992)
4.25 — WWE Title: Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage, Wrestlemania VIII (1992)
4 — WWE Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior, Wrestlemania VI (1990)
4 — Retirement Match: Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage, Wrestlemania VII (1991)
4 — IC Title: Roddy Piper vs. Bret Hart, Wrestlemania VIII (1992)
4 — Brain Busters vs. Hart Foundation, Summerslam 1989
4 — Rockers vs. Orient Express, Royal Rumble 1991
4 — WWE Tag Titles: Steiner Brothers vs. Heavenly Bodies, Summerslam 1993
3.75 — IC Title: Rick Rude vs. Ultimate Warrior, Summerslam 1989
3.75 — Tag Team Survivor Match: Demolition, Brain Busters, Bolsheviks, Rougeau Brothers & Los Conquistadores vs. Powers of Pain, Rockers, British Bulldogs, Hart Foundation & Young Stallions, Survivor Series 1988
3.5 — WWE Title: Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan, Wrestlemania V (1989)
3.5 — WWE Title: Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior, Summerslam 1992
3.5 — WWE Title: Bret Hart vs. Razor Ramon, Royal Rumble 1993
3.5 — WWE Title: Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels, Survivor Series 1992
3.5 — WWE Title: Randy Savage vs. Shawn Michaels, UK Rampage 1992
3.5 — Final: Bret Hart vs. Bam Bam Bigelow, King of the Ring 1993
3.5 — The New Foundation vs. The Orient Express, Royal Rumble 1992
3.5 — Tag Team Survivor Match: Demolition, The Islanders, The Hart Foundation, The New Dream Team & The Bolsheviks vs. Strike Force, The Rougeau Brothers, The British Bulldogs, The Young Stallions & The Killer Bees, Survivor Series 1987
3.5 — Rockers & Tito Santana vs The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers & Rick Martel, Summerslam 1989
3.5 — Rockers vs. Haku/Barbarian, Wrestlemania VII (1991)
3.25 — WWE Tag Titles, Demolition vs. Hart Foundation, Summerslam 1988
3.25 — Bret Hart vs Doink/Jerry Lawler, Summerslam 1993
3.25 — WWE Tag Titles: The Quebeckers vs. Bret & Owen Hart, Royal Rumble 1994
3.25 — IC Title: Shawn Michaels vs. Tatanka, Wrestlemania IX (1993)
3.25 — The British Bulldogs vs. The Rougeau Brothers, Summerslam 1988
3 — IC Title: Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude, Wrestlemania V (1989)
3 — Steiner Brothers vs. Headshrinkers, Wrestlemania IX (1993)
3 — WWE Tag Titles, Dream Team vs. British Bulldogs, Wrestlemania 2 (1986)
3 — Elimination Match: Ric Flair, Ted DiBiase, The Mountie & The Warlord vs. Roddy Piper, Bret Hart, British Bulldog & Virgil, Survivor Series 1991
3 — Million Dollar Title: Ted DiBiase vs. Virgil, Summerslam 1991
3 — Shawn Michaels vs. Rick Martel, Summerslam 1992
3 — IC Title: Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jannetty, Royal Rumble 1993
3 — Smoky Mountain Tag Titles: Rock ‘n’ Roll Express vs. Heavenly Bodies, Survivor Series 1993
3 — Best 2 of 3 Falls: Dino Bravo & The Rougeau Brothers vs. Jim Duggan & The Hart Foundation, Royal Rumble 1989
3 — Mr. Perfect vs. Blue Blazer (Owen Hart), Wrestlemania V (1989)
3 — King Haku vs. Harley Race, Royal Rumble 1989
3 — The Royal Rumble (1990)
2.75 — Quarterfinals: Bret Hart vs. Razor Ramon, King of the Ring 1993
2.75 — Snake Pit Match: Jake Roberts vs. Ricky Steamboat, The Big Event (1986)
2.75 — Tatanka & Smoking Gunns vs. Bam Bam Bigelow & Headshrinkers, Summerslam 1993
2.75 — Elimination Match: Razor Ramon, 1-2-3 Kid, Marty Jannetty & Randy Savage vs. Irwin R. Schyster, Diesel, Rick Martel & Adam Bomb, Survivor Series 1993
2.5 — WWE Tag Titles: Hart Foundation vs. Nasty Boys, Wrestlemania VII (1991)
2.5 — Randy Savage & Mr. Perfect vs. Ric Flair & Razor Ramon, Survivor Series 1992
2.5 — Steiner Brothers vs. Beverly Brothers, Royal Rumble 1993
2.5 — Big Boss Man vs. Barbarian, Royal Rumble 1991
2.5 — WWE Title Tournament, first round, Greg Valentine vs. Ricky Steamboat, Wrestlemania IV (1988)
2.5 — The Royal Rumble (1989)
2.5 — WWE Tag Titles, best-of-3 falls: Demolition vs. Hart Foundation, Summerslam 1990
2 — WWE Title Tournament, final, Ted DiBiase vs. Randy Savage, Wrestlemania IV (1988)
2 — WWE Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant, Wrestlemania 3 (1987)
2 — WWE Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Paul Orndorff, The Big Event (1986)
2 — WWE Title Tournament, Greg Valentine vs. Randy Savage, Wrestlemania IV (1988)
2 — Elimination Match: Dusty Rhodes, Koko B. Ware & Hart Foundation vs. Ted DiBiase, Honky Tonk Man, Greg Valentine and Mystery Partner (Undertaker), Survivor Series 1990
1.5 — Submission Match: Greg Valentine vs. Ronnie Garvin, Royal Rumble 1990

You really think HBK/Razor gets more points for historical importance than Savage/Steamboat does? I'd say they were equally revolutionary.

I'd even say that Savage/Steamboat holds up today and is a helluva a story. My last watch of the ladder match, I didn't make it halfway through. I remember ordering WMX though and it was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. just doesn't hold up today.

I actually thought the ladder match held up pretty well. BUT (and this is a big but) ... I haven't watched any of the TLC matches or anything of that ilk in at least a year, so that helps me.

Yes, I think the ladder match was more revolutionary than Savage/Steamboat, because of what it brought into play.

One other thing that helped me with the ladder match was that, for the last six weeks, the only wrestling I've watched at all was what I reviewed for this chronology. When that's what you've been inundated with, the ladder match sure looks better than if, say, you've watched a lot of the more modern classics.

KING OF THE RING (1994)
Location: Baltimore Arena



WWE Title: Bret Hart © vs. Diesel
(Go to 1:18:15 on video.)

* Most people remember Bret's win over Diesel at the 1995 Survivor Series, but apparently this match wasn't bad, either (average rating: 3.75 stars). I certainly don't remember it, and it was apparently title vs. title, too (only the WWE title was up for grabs). But hey, I don't remember what I ate five minutes ago, so, yeah. Please enjoy the announcing talents of Art Donovan, one of Vince's all-time worst ideas (and that's saying something). Gorilla and Savage spent most of the PPV blatantly ignoring him. Bret has Jim Neidhart in his corner to counteract HBK in Diesel's. Bret goes behind with a waistlock and Diesel works him into a corner and starts blasting away. Bret fires back but obviously loses the battle. Diesel charges and misses a big boot as Bret dodges. Bret pounds away before slinging Diesel off the ropes onto the mat. Bret takes Diesel down and drops a headbutt into his gut. Diesel reverses a whip to the ropes, but Bret counters a slam attempt and rolls him up for two. Bret tries a crossbody, no chance as Diesel slams him. Diesel misses an elbow drop. Bret rams him into the turnbuckle three times, then Diesel pokes him in the eye. Diesel pounds away and whips Bret to the corner, but Bret dodges a high knee and Diesel rams it into the turnbuckle. Bret goes to work on the leg before applying a figure four. Diesel gets to the rope. Bret kicks Diesel's leg out again, drops an elbow across it, then drapes it across the rope and drops down on it. He uses a spinning leg lock, but Diesel kicks him off and through the ropes to the floor. From there, Bret pulls Diesel's leg out from under him and drags him to the corner to wrap his leg around the post twice. HBK runs over and clotheslines Bret out of his boots, and Anvil goes after HBK, who eventually cuts across the ring. Anvil follows but gets cut off by the ref, and this allows HBK to beat on Bret outside some more, nicely done. Diesel pulls Bret up on the apron, but Bret drives a shoulder into his gut, then climbs to the top. He leaps off and Diesel's supposed to catch him in a bearhug but instead Diesel falls and it becomes a Thesz Press by accident. Diesel powers Bret back up for the bear hug and slams him into the corner, then reapplies the bear hug. Bret bites Diesel to get out of it, then hits a running dropkick to Diesel's back to sent him partway over the top rope, with Bret throwing him the rest of the way out. I think the dropkick was supposed to send him completely out, so two half-botches in two minutes. Bret goes for a slingshot suicide dive over the top to the outside, but Diesel dodges and Bret turns a front flip and splats on the floor. Diesel picks Bret up and rams him into the post, then slides him in the ring. Diesel pounds away on Bret's back and whips him hard into the corner. A big side suplex gets two. Diesel hits a backbreaker and keeps Bret across his knee as he pushes on Bret's chin and knee, nice move. A big elbow drop gets two. Diesel chokes Bret across the second rope, then runs across and drops his weight on Bret. HBK slaps Bret from the outside. Bret fires back on Diesel but gets whipped chest-first into the corner for two. Bret hits a surprise rollup for two. Diesel hits a short-arm clothesline for two. A backbreaker gets two but Diesel looks a little gassed. Diesel looks like he's going for the jackknife, but instead keeps Bret up on his shoulder in a backbreaker (which doesn't make much sense given he can just finish the jackknife in theory). HBK loosens the turnbuckle padding. Bret's arm drops twice before he works his way out of the backbreaker and applies a sleeper. Diesel takes Bret to the corner to escape, then whips Bret into the corner but eats a boot charging in. Bret climbs to the second turnbuckle and jumps off with another sleeper, but Diesel again takes Bret into the corner. Bret gets whipped into the referee (I think that was actually unintentional, odd). HBK distracts the ref while Diesel removes the turnbuckle pad. He tries to pound Bret's head into it, but Bret blocks and slams Diesel's head. Bret pounds away, hitting a 10-punch in the corner. One last shot drops Diesel. A series of three clotheslines takes Diesel down again for two. Russian leg sweep leads to a second-rope elbow for two. Bret comes off the second turnbuckle with a bulldog that Diesel sells awkwardly (rolling through it), and Bret goes for the sharpshooter. HBK hops up on the apron, Anvil reacts by hopping up on the other side, and Bret walks over and slugs HBK. Bret goes to the second turnbuckle again and hits a clothesline for two. Diesel reverses a whip to the ropes, but Bret reverses a hip toss attempt into a backslide. Diesel's too strong to go down to it, so instead Bret uses the turnbuckle to backflip over Diesel and hits a small package for only two (thought that might be it). Bret tries to whip Diesel to the corner but for some reason Diesel stops running so Bret pounds away. Diesel reverses a whip to the corner (maybe that was what was supposed to happen the first time) and Bret tries to leapfrog over Diesel coming in, but Diesel catches him. He goes for snake eyes, but Bret slides out the back and shoves Diesel into the corner. Bret runs off the ropes and right into a big boot. Diesel calls for the jackknife but Bret pulls his legs out and works him into a modified sharpshooter but Diesel grabs the rope. Bret dropkicks Diesel over the top rope to the floor. Anvil creeps over for no real reason, and Diesel nails him and slams him into the post. HBK enters the ring while the ref watches the stuff outside and nails Bret with the IC belt. Diesel drops an elbow but gets only two. Diesel calls for the jackknife again and hits it, but Anvil slugs HBK outside, then enters the ring and attacks Diesel for the DQ, then vacates ringside. HBK and Diesel pummel Bret after the match. Anvil later says he saved Bret's title so Owen could win it, heel turn! So I know why I didn't remember this match, it wasn't anything super special, but it was really solid without any boring stretches. I'm gonna give it 3.5 stars.

Semifinals: Owen Hart vs. 123 Kid
(Go to 2:02:30 on video)

* Despite only lasting about 3 1/2 minutes, this averaged 3.25 stars. One guy called it the best sub-four minute match ever. Not sure about that. The good thing about a sub-4 minute match is I won't write War and Peace about it. Maybe. OK, you're right, it makes no difference. Kid is selling his injuries from his first match, and as he gets to ringside, Owen blasts him with a ridiculous sliding dropkick, ouch! Owen then dives through the ropes with a suicide dive that only clips the Kid's head as Owen goes flying over him. Owen tosses Kid inside and goes up top for a flying headbutt and a two. Kid reverses a whip to the corner and Owen takes it chest-first. Kid goes up top facing the crowd and hits a sweet twisting crossbody for two. Kid rolls Owen up in a pinning combination for two (the la magistral cradle, perhaps? I should know this but don't). Owen reverses an armringer with gymnastics and pulls Kid down by the hair. Kid kips up, does his own gymnastics, reverses the arm ringer and unloads with kicks, knocking Owen down with a spinning leg lariat for two. Owen reverses a whip to the ropes, then hits an enziguiri for two after Kid catches his first kick. Owen drops his head early and gets kicked, then Kid hits a nice bridging Northern Lights suplex for two, with Owen's foot on the rope. Owen tries to take a break outside but Kid launches himself with a fantastic slingshot somersault dive onto Owen. That guy might be right! Kid pounds away before rolling Owen inside. Kid whips him off the ropes and goes for another spinning leg lariat but Owen counters with a bridging German suplex for two. Owen hits a great belly-to-belly suplex for two. Kid counters a suplex and hops up on Owen's shoulders for a victory roll for two before Owen counters that with his own pin for two. Kid reverses a whip to the ropes and tries a hurricanrana but Owen powerbombs him and applies the sharpshooter for the win. That was awesome, easily better than Perfect/Owen at Wrestlemania V. I want to give it 4 stars but 3.75 feels more correct.

Bret didn't beat Diesel at the '95 Rumble.

Er, OK, whatever 1995 PPV it was. Obviously I mis-remembered.

I remembered Bret/Diesel, but I'd forgotten all about Owen/Kid. That was something special.

Art Donovan was special too, but in a completely different sense.

SUMMERSLAM (1994)
Location: United Center, Chicago



WWE Women’s Title: Alundra Blayze © vs. Bull Nakano
(Go to 47:45 on video.)

* It’s a women’s title match! OK, so I fudged on this one just a little bit, as this only averaged 2.75 stars. But it got a couple 3+ star reviews and I decided to give this a chance. A handshake doesn’t go over well as Nakano whips Blayze gets whipped into the corner, then clotheslined. Nakano goes for a powerbomb but Blayze slips out the back and hits a dropkick. Nakano dodges a second dropkick, then sends Blayze spinning across the ring with a hair throw, ouch! She does it again. Then she does a more basic hair throwdown. Nakano hits a clubbing clothesline and drops a leg for one. Nakano applies a rear chinlock and Blayze scoots to the rope. Nakano throws her down face-first to the mat and covers with her foot for two. Blayze hits a hurricanrana for two. Blayze hits a spinning leg lariat, but Nakano ducks a second one (I’m sensing a trend) and lifts Blayze off the mat with a two-handed choke before slamming her down. Nakano applies a sloppy modified Boston Crab (both legs tucked under one arm) with Blayze’s knees barely off the mat. Nakano lets go just before Blayze gets to the rope. Nakano then applies a sweet combination sharpshooter/surfboard submission, that’s freaking awesome, but a hair pull leads to the ref breaking it up. Luna Vachon gets involved, choking Blayze across the top rope before slingshooting her to the mat. Blayze hits a rollup out of nowhere for two. Nakano applies a cross-arm breaker (which no one is familiar with at the time, so it gets no pop at all). Blayze works her way into a pin for two. Blayze gets whipped off the ropes but hits a nice clothesline/reverse facebuster variation, then does it two more times to get a two. She goes for a piledriver but gets nowhere and Nakano backdrops her. Nakano slams Blayze for two. Nakano ducks a clothesline and hits her own stiff clothesline. Nakano sends Blayze to the corner but she climbs the first two turnbuckles, jumps over Nakano and hits a backslide for two, thought that might do it. Blayze goes for another hurricanrana (that trend again!) and Nakano powerbombs her for two. Nakano slams Blayze and goes to the top but misses a legdrop. Blayze kicks Vachon off the apron and hits a nice bridging German suplex on Nakano for three. Other than the terrible boston crab, that was pretty good! Definitely worthy of at least 3 stars and I’m going to give it 3.25.

IC Title: Diesel © vs. Razor Ramon
(Go to 1:02:00 on video.)

* This match averaged 3 stars on the nose, and I’ll be honest, I’m somewhat skeptical. Diesel’s of course in the middle of his super-push that winds up with him beating Bob Backlund in the blink of an eye for the WWE Title a couple months from now. Walter Payton accompanies Razor to ringside. He looks mostly out of it. Razor hits Diesel with his toothpick, then ducks a punch and pounds away. A discus punch drops Diesel and he winds up on the floor, where HBK coaches him up. Back inside, Diesel scores with a knee lift, then pounds away to the back. Razor hits a couple punches, then applies an arm ringer that lasts about .13 seconds before Diesel hits a short-arm clothesline, nice move. Diesel misses a big boot and Razor hits a clothesline, then another in the corner. He whips Diesel to the other corner but Diesel hits the charging Razor with an elbow. Diesel does his trademark foot choke in the corner with HBK pulling Razor’s hair. Razor reverses a whip to the ropes but Diesel sends Razor face-first to the mat. Diesel applies a sleeper! What?!? I wouldn’t have guessed that was coming in 1,000,000,000,000,000 years. Razor counters with a back suplex, nice. Diesel then sidesteps a Razor charge and tosses him well over the top rope to the floor. HBK removes the top turnbuckle pad with the ref distracted (we’ve seen this before). HBK and Payton have a confrontation, with HBK luring the ref to deal with Payton so HBK can run across, jump off the steel steps and clothesline Razor, a sweet spot. Razor makes it in at nine and Diesel takes him to the corner and punds away. Diesel starts to whip Razor toward the corner with the exposed turnbuckle but the ref sees it and jumps in front of the corner. HBK jumps on the apron to distract the ref and Diesel executes the whip with Razor hitting hard back-first. Diesel then hits a monster side suplex but gets just two. Diesel hits snake eyes, then drapes Razor across the second rope for a choke and, with HBK’s assistance, drops his weight across Razor. Diesel shoves Razor to the mat. He drops an elbow into the lower back and covers for two. Diesel apllies a rear chinlock and Razor rallies but eventually runs right into a big boot for two, with Razor getting his foot on the rope. Diesel applies an abdominal stretch and uses the rope for more leverage before the ref catches it, with Payton pointing it out. Diesel tries to apply it again but Razor reverses and applies it instead. Diesel powers out of it with a hiptoss (his facial expressions were fantastic). Diesel goes for another snake eyes but Razor slips out the back and sends Diesel crashing into the corner, then rolls him up for two. Diesel whips Razor to the ropes but ducks early and Razor lifts a knee. Diesel misses a clothesline and Razor blocks punches and lands his own. He whips Diesel to the corner, then charges and slides under Diesel (who lifted his legs) and to the floor before yanking Diesel’s legs out and crotching him on the post. Kind of an odd spot given why on Earth would Razor slide out of the ring in the first place? Razor goes to the second turnbuckle and hits a sweet bulldog for a long two, great false finish. Razor slams Diesel for two. Razor knocks HBK off the apron but Diesel catches Razor with an axehandle. Razor ducks a clothesline and sets Diesel up on the turnbuckle for his super back suplex, but Diesel elbows Razor away. Diesel calls for the jackknife but gets backdropped. Razor calls for the Razor’s Edge. HBK gets on the apron again and distracts Razor, and Diesel catches him from behind, then whips him off the ropes and hits a flying shoulderblock. HBK grabs the IC belt and starts to get in the ring, but Payton grabs an end of the belt and has a tug-of-war battle, ultimately winning it. The ref goes outside to get in Payton’s face, while HBK gets in the ring as Diesel holds Ramon and goes for sweet chin music, but Razor moves and Diesel gets cracked instead. Payton then chases HBK, who tries to get back in the ring but is pulled out. Razor gets over to Diesel and drapes an arm across him for the three. So much for my skepticism, this was a really nice match. Both guys worked hard, had good chemistry, and HBK’s heel antics at ringside added a lot to the match. I enjoyed it. 3.5 stars for me.

I'll get to the Bret/Owen cage match another day (hopefully tomorrow).

Young Nash really could pull of entertaining matches as long as it was against great workers.