WrestleMania XI: WWF Title - Diesel (c) vs. Shawn Michaels (w/ Sid)
Date: April 2, 1995
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31347211
Background: Diesel and Shawn were BFFs, they broke up at Survivor Series '94, Diesel won the title a few days later, Shawn won the Rumble, and here we are.
The Match: Diesel cuts an unintentionally funny backstage promo where he gets flustered in mid-sentence as he was clearly on the verge of vowing to win the belt tonight, then yells that he'll hold onto it. Shawn was supposed to have Pamela Anderson on his arm for this entrance, but it's Jenny McCarthy instead, who was all kinds of attractive as well in 1995. Diesel stops in mid-entrance and gestures to the entryway, where Pamela Anderson actually comes out to escort him to the ring instead. I'm appreciative that we got two beautiful women instead of one, but doesn't it kill the one-upsmanship that Shawn was just able to shrug and sub in a hottie when the first one defected to Team Nash?
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gif credit to LegitShook.com again)
Michaels tries to charge Diesel before the bell and gets backdropped over the top to the floor for his efforts. What a low-reward bump to take, since the match still doesn't start and we still get music and pyro before the lights come up. Now we're getting going for real, as the bell rings and Shawn opens straight up with some punches and then attempts to use his speed to run circles around Diesel before finding himself running hard into a forearm that he bumps well into.
Diesel abuses HBK in one corner, then sends him into the ropes for a very high backdrop. And a whip into the corner for Shawn's flipping corner bump that sends him to the floor. There are a ton of photographers at ringside, Shawn seems to fall on one, then shoves him hard to the floor in what I’m guessing was a shoot temper tantrum.
Michaels collects himself and tries to catch Diesel off-guard on the way back in, but takes another hard forearm. He backs up, then actually spits at Diesel to provoke him into charging him in the corner, but is quick to escape and Diesel comes up empty.
Michaels halfway through a 10-punch, then gets thrown off. Pops right back up, starts a 10-punch, again thrown off hard. Whip and a military press by Diesel, but Shawn rakes the eyes to escape a press slam. Michaels attempts a suplex, gets blocked, Diesel suplexes him back instead.
After a botched spot, Michaels falls to the outside of the ring. Sid runs distraction on the apron for a bit while Michaels recovers, but he's still resting when Nash pulls him up to the apron. Another eye gouge gives the challenger an opening; he baseball slides through the champ's legs and into the ring, attempts a sunset flip, but Diesel stays upright and then picks him up in a double choke before crotching him along the top rope.
Diesel misses on a big boot, Michaels clotheslines them both over the top rope but skins the cat and gets back in the ring, then heads straight back out via the top rope with a cross-body to the floor.
Back in, and a baseball slide hits Diesel on the floor. Shawn was REALLY busting his ass here. Another baseball slide misses, Diesel slams his face into the mat, and a frustrated Shawn locates a ringside photographer wearing a UW Husky jacket and correctly attacks him as well.
Diesel tries to follow and attack, but ends up elbowing the outside ring post, which he sells as a rib injury. As Diesel lays on the floor agonizing over that blow, the crowd audibly chants for Sid. Michaels heads back out to lay in more damage, then heads to the apron and executes a running splash from there to the floor. Lawler loses his mind over what an amazing spot that was, which is a bit weird since it's about the eighth-best thing that Michaels has done in just this match alone. Diesel continues to lay there and REALLY milks this rest break for all it's worth. I can't imagine that he was legitimately hurt by that earlier spot.
After about an hour, Nash does return to the ring and Shawn starts punching and kicking the newly-injured ribs. Michaels runs a fairly slow series of offense here, methodically picking away and then hitting a bulldog off the second rope for a two-count. Whip into the corner, Diesel reverses, but Michaels jumps to the second turnbuckle on his way in and springboard elbows back into the champ. Another two-count.
Shawn lays in some more knees, working the bad ribs, then heads up top for an elbow that crushes those ribs as well. I don't remember the ribs being a focal point in this match, but I do think it's effective psychology. Michaels goes for a front facelock and Diesel throws him off. Diesel reverses another whip into the corner, Shawn tries to jump back behind him on the corner charge, Diesel catches him but Shawn escapes behind and rams the champ ribs-first into the opposite corner.
Sleeper hold. The big man hits one knee, and then goes down to both as he fades. Arm drops once, twice, but not quite on the third try. I do hate this thing where the guy goes from nearly unconscious to always launching the big comeback right then, but that's what we get again here. Diesel stands all the way up and lurches backward into the corner to break the hold. Couple of elbows by the champ, then a couple of whips into corners and hard clotheslines to follow. Snake eyes, then a legdrop along the ropes. Whip for another HBK flipping corner bump to the apron, then a hard right sends him to the floor.
They return inside and Nash gives him the repeated punch/forearm treatment, which chases him outside. The two brawl on the floor, trade a few blows, and then return inside; meanwhile, Earn Hebner had headed outside to get things under control, and Sid had seemingly caused him to twist his ankle off-camera for something of a ref bump. With the action back inside, Shawn ducks a clothesline and then hits the superkick out of nowhere.
No referee for the count though, as Michaels had the match won but only eventually gets a two-count after a long delay. There's your groundwork for Michaels dumping Sid the next night.
Sid cuts a turnbuckle pad off in one corner. Nash back suplexes Michaels as Michaels sees the new corner, and the two wrestlers both stay down. Michaels is able to roll over first for a cover, but again only gets two. Michaels to the second rope, jumps off from there, Diesel catches him and transitions him directly into a sidewalk slam. Again we wait on the 10-count, but both get back up. Diesel goes for a catapult, Michaels lands face-first into the second turnbuckle (was clearly mean to be the exposed corner) and is laid out. There's more attempted groundwork for the Michaels/Sid split, though it got botched.
Hard forearms and a big boot by Diesel, who then wastes a bunch of time signaling for the Jackknife, then executes it really badly, but all of that still adds up to a three-count. The champ retains, and then celebrates with the whole pack of C-list celebrities in the ring. Shawn cuts an angry backstage promo about how he got robbed when the referee wasn't in place for the three-count.
Result: Diesel via pinfall (20:35)
Meltzer Rating: ****
My Review and Rating: The first half of this match is great, but the second half drags a decent bit more and isn't nearly as interesting. Not a great ending either. I think I've given this four stars in the past, but I have to leave it a bit short upon this viewing. Still, big credit to Shawn for trying and bumping his ass off here. ***1/2