The Meltzer 4+-Star Match Review Thread
06-23-2015
, 01:42 PM
It's coming. Next up will be a couple of Steiners matches from 1991. Specifically next is Steiners vs. Sting/Luger, which I remember watching and loving though I lack much memory of the specifics of it.
06-28-2015
, 11:56 AM
SuperBrawl '91: WCW Tag Titles - The Steiner Brothers (c) vs. Sting & Lex Luger
Date: May 19, 1991
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31661095
Background: This was a face vs. face encounter, and to try to piece it together it sounds like they were friendly with each other. So I guess just a title match. WCW was never very good at giving background.
The Match: As the Steiners come to the ring, the cameras pan to a sign in the audience that says "LEX AND HIS RACK ARE INCREDIBLE." Okay then. Jim Ross and Dusty Rhodes on the call, Randy Anderson in the middle.
Handshakes all around before things kick off. Rick vs. Lex to open. Rick wrestles him into the corner, stalemate, clean break. Armdrag by Luger after the reset, but no follow. Go-behind single-leg takedown by Steiner. The two continue to engage in the feeling-out process with some chain wrestling.
Action picks up when Rick attempts a flying shoulderblock as Luger comes off the ropes, but Luger gets the better of the collision and leaves Steiner laying and dazed. Follows with a whip into the ropes and a powerslam for an early two-count. I always think that it would be justified to just have wrestlers kicking out on one-counts when it's that early and when there wasn't nearly enough offense in yet to justify even a near-fall. It would help sell actual near-falls too.
Luger comes up empty on a corner charge and then finds himself on the receiving end of a release German suplex and a hard clothesline that also gets two. Backdrop by Steiner, but a follow-up whip into the corner leads Luger to charge straight back out with a clothesline that Rick gives the great inside-out bump to. Lex with a press slam before tagging out to Sting.
Sting enters by clotheslining Rick over the top, then he rares back with a running start and dives over the top to the outside at Steiner. Awesome spot. Back into the ring, Sting bulldogs Rick hard into the mat, and Rick pops back up to a standing position and no-sells. No me gusta. Sting is undeterred and keeps after it, turning Steiner upside down and then slamming him back-first into the corner. Stinger Splash attempted, but Rick escapes and tags out to Scott.
Scott in right away with a butterfly sit-out powerbomb. Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to follow. Great atmosphere, great wrestling so far. Scott celebrates his entrance moves for a moment, then gets reversed on his attempted whip into the ropes, and Sting hangs him across the top with a stun gun. Tag back out to Luger. Suplex by the Total Package, and a tag back out to Sting. Too soon apparently, since Scott promptly hits Sting with an inverted atomic drop to retake some control. Sets Sting up on the top turnbuckle, follows him up, belly-to-belly superplex. Pin attempt gets two and a half.
Again Scott sets Sting up top, takes a running charge at him, but another charge comes up empty. Sting tags out. Powerslam and a cover by Luger for two. Scott escapes a Luger move and then takes him down with something of an Angle Slam. Lex back up quickly, slams Steiner, then signals for the Torture Rack. Heads in and tries to lift Scott up from the side, Scott counters into a Russian legsweep. Both men back up, Steiner with a side headlock, Luger runs him into the ropes and sends him off, but Scott blind tags Rick and Luger's ensuing move on Scott is rendered meaningless when Rick enters with a bulldog off the top on Lex. Again with a cover for two.
As Rick gets back up after the two-count, Sting hits him in the back with a missile dropkick off the top. Scott takes umbrage to Sting entering illegally, enters also, and gets in Sting's face. Jim Ross: "I think we had a tag! Scott's not aware that Sting had a tag!" Uhhh, no. I rewound it, and there's absolutely no chance that Sting had been tagged in. Randy Anderson correctly disallows the non-tag and forces the illegal man out of the ring.
As Sting heads out on referee's orders, Rick clobbers him from behind. Match has turned unfriendly. Luger goes at Rick, the two trade hard rights, they run the ropes, Rick ducks a clothesline and then they have a (designed) sloppy mutual collision in mid-ring. Both manage to tag out, and it's Scott vs. Sting. Blows back and forth between them as well, but Sting manages to grab a hold of Scott and deliver a back suplex. Follows with an attempted backdrop, but drops his head too early and gets clubbed in the back of the neck for his efforts.
Attempted tombstone by Scott. Sting wiggles his legs and reverses into his own tombstone, which he drops hard. Goes for the cover, Rick in for the save. Lex in for the furious "I'm gonna kill you for making a save" charge. The two brawl to the outside and Randy Anderson gets caught in the middle as all three go through the ropes. Sting sends Scott into the corner, hits a Stinger Splash. He's going to follow with a Scorpion Deathlock, but Nikita Koloff comes to ringside lugging a chain. Luger is back up on the apron, oblivious to Koloff, Sting pushes him out of the way of Koloff's charge but then just gets clobbered himself by the chain instead. Not knowing what just happened, Scott heads over and covers Sting for the win.
Result: Steiner Brothers via pinfall (11:09)
Meltzer Rating: ****1/2
My Review and Rating: This was all kinds of elite. Great pace, unpredictable, great crowd, all kinds of fun offense…maybe would have preferred to see a clean finish, but whatever. Definitely in the historic upper echelon of tag matches, and if my grade was any different, it would be higher, not lower. ****1/2
Date: May 19, 1991
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31661095
Background: This was a face vs. face encounter, and to try to piece it together it sounds like they were friendly with each other. So I guess just a title match. WCW was never very good at giving background.
The Match: As the Steiners come to the ring, the cameras pan to a sign in the audience that says "LEX AND HIS RACK ARE INCREDIBLE." Okay then. Jim Ross and Dusty Rhodes on the call, Randy Anderson in the middle.
Handshakes all around before things kick off. Rick vs. Lex to open. Rick wrestles him into the corner, stalemate, clean break. Armdrag by Luger after the reset, but no follow. Go-behind single-leg takedown by Steiner. The two continue to engage in the feeling-out process with some chain wrestling.
Action picks up when Rick attempts a flying shoulderblock as Luger comes off the ropes, but Luger gets the better of the collision and leaves Steiner laying and dazed. Follows with a whip into the ropes and a powerslam for an early two-count. I always think that it would be justified to just have wrestlers kicking out on one-counts when it's that early and when there wasn't nearly enough offense in yet to justify even a near-fall. It would help sell actual near-falls too.
Luger comes up empty on a corner charge and then finds himself on the receiving end of a release German suplex and a hard clothesline that also gets two. Backdrop by Steiner, but a follow-up whip into the corner leads Luger to charge straight back out with a clothesline that Rick gives the great inside-out bump to. Lex with a press slam before tagging out to Sting.
Sting enters by clotheslining Rick over the top, then he rares back with a running start and dives over the top to the outside at Steiner. Awesome spot. Back into the ring, Sting bulldogs Rick hard into the mat, and Rick pops back up to a standing position and no-sells. No me gusta. Sting is undeterred and keeps after it, turning Steiner upside down and then slamming him back-first into the corner. Stinger Splash attempted, but Rick escapes and tags out to Scott.
Scott in right away with a butterfly sit-out powerbomb. Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to follow. Great atmosphere, great wrestling so far. Scott celebrates his entrance moves for a moment, then gets reversed on his attempted whip into the ropes, and Sting hangs him across the top with a stun gun. Tag back out to Luger. Suplex by the Total Package, and a tag back out to Sting. Too soon apparently, since Scott promptly hits Sting with an inverted atomic drop to retake some control. Sets Sting up on the top turnbuckle, follows him up, belly-to-belly superplex. Pin attempt gets two and a half.
Again Scott sets Sting up top, takes a running charge at him, but another charge comes up empty. Sting tags out. Powerslam and a cover by Luger for two. Scott escapes a Luger move and then takes him down with something of an Angle Slam. Lex back up quickly, slams Steiner, then signals for the Torture Rack. Heads in and tries to lift Scott up from the side, Scott counters into a Russian legsweep. Both men back up, Steiner with a side headlock, Luger runs him into the ropes and sends him off, but Scott blind tags Rick and Luger's ensuing move on Scott is rendered meaningless when Rick enters with a bulldog off the top on Lex. Again with a cover for two.
As Rick gets back up after the two-count, Sting hits him in the back with a missile dropkick off the top. Scott takes umbrage to Sting entering illegally, enters also, and gets in Sting's face. Jim Ross: "I think we had a tag! Scott's not aware that Sting had a tag!" Uhhh, no. I rewound it, and there's absolutely no chance that Sting had been tagged in. Randy Anderson correctly disallows the non-tag and forces the illegal man out of the ring.
As Sting heads out on referee's orders, Rick clobbers him from behind. Match has turned unfriendly. Luger goes at Rick, the two trade hard rights, they run the ropes, Rick ducks a clothesline and then they have a (designed) sloppy mutual collision in mid-ring. Both manage to tag out, and it's Scott vs. Sting. Blows back and forth between them as well, but Sting manages to grab a hold of Scott and deliver a back suplex. Follows with an attempted backdrop, but drops his head too early and gets clubbed in the back of the neck for his efforts.
Attempted tombstone by Scott. Sting wiggles his legs and reverses into his own tombstone, which he drops hard. Goes for the cover, Rick in for the save. Lex in for the furious "I'm gonna kill you for making a save" charge. The two brawl to the outside and Randy Anderson gets caught in the middle as all three go through the ropes. Sting sends Scott into the corner, hits a Stinger Splash. He's going to follow with a Scorpion Deathlock, but Nikita Koloff comes to ringside lugging a chain. Luger is back up on the apron, oblivious to Koloff, Sting pushes him out of the way of Koloff's charge but then just gets clobbered himself by the chain instead. Not knowing what just happened, Scott heads over and covers Sting for the win.
Result: Steiner Brothers via pinfall (11:09)
Meltzer Rating: ****1/2
My Review and Rating: This was all kinds of elite. Great pace, unpredictable, great crowd, all kinds of fun offense…maybe would have preferred to see a clean finish, but whatever. Definitely in the historic upper echelon of tag matches, and if my grade was any different, it would be higher, not lower. ****1/2
06-28-2015
, 12:54 PM
Clash of the Champions XV: IWGP Tag Titles - The Steiner Brothers (c) vs. Hiroshi Hase and Masahiro Chono
Date: June 12, 1991
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v32319249
Background: The Steiners wrested these titles from Hase and Chono at a Japanese super show, so this was a stateside rematch.
The Match: I can't see Chono without having traumatic flashbacks to Scott Hall and Kevin Nash referring to him as "MASA 'MY HERO' CHONO HAR HAR HAR" during Chono's later nWo membership. Jim Ross and Scott Steiner calling the match, Nick Patrick calling the shots.
Scott vs. Hase to start. Go-behind by Steiner, into the ropes, clean rope break. Hase attempts a single-leg takedown, but Scott holds his leg up and flips through for a reversal. Couple of leg strikes, whip into the ropes, Hase reverses, leapfrog by Hase, Steiner stops directly past, but ultimately eats an enziguiri from Hase that sends him tumbling to the outside.
Scott back in, chops are traded, Scott whips him into the ropes and then catches him into a stun gun. Multiple pinning attempts by Steiner go nowhere. Both men back up, and Hase catches Steiner with a spinning back kick right in the face. Hase is slow in picking Steiner up, and Scott busts out a release northern lights suplex out of nowhere, then tags his brother Rick in as Hase is stunned. Hase tags Chono in as well.
Rick clobbers Chono with several rights, whips Chono and attempts a backdrop, but ducks his head too quickly, and Chono delivers a swift kick to the chops that breaks Rick's signature headgear. Chono delivers several more stiff-looking kicks, but Steiner stays upright, and manages a running clothesline to stop the onslaught. Tag back out to Scott. Scott picks Chono up overhead in a backbreaker position, tags Rick, Rick in off the top with an elbowdrop out of the double-team move. Rick continues attempting to wrestle with severed headgear on. Dude, just take it off.
Chono shows good resilience, manages amidst Steiner's offense to throw a back elbow that shrugs his opponent off, and he tags Hase back in. Hase for a German suplex, Rick reverses, goes behind, throws a German of his own instead. Whips Hase into the ropes, Hase reverses and hits a fireman's carry slam. Tags Chono while holding Steiner up, Chono enters with a flying shoulderblock. Samoan drop by the challenger, punctuated by Hase entering illegally with a kneedrop off the top. Scott runs in angry about Hase's move; Tony says "Scotty's gotta get out of there." It's a two-way street, Tony.
Nick Patrick gains control and forces both illegal men out temporarily, although Scott and Hase end up brawling outside shortly after as Chono has Rick in an STF in the middle of the ring. Scott suplexes Hase, heads up top for a flying move to knock Chono off the hold, botches and somehow misses the spot by a lot, then just has to awkwardly break it up with an axhandle. The hold gets broken in any case. Scott still isn't legal, Nick Patrick again sends him out, and Chono and Rick hit running clotheslines on each other. Both struggle to get up, both tag out.
Scott back in against Hase, hits the hard clothesline, hits the tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Butterfly powerbomb by Scotty. Sets Hase up on the top turnbuckle, heads up high, hits the belly-to-belly superplex. Steiner for the cover, Chono breaks it up before it can hit three. Scott wastes a moment being mad at Chono, returns his focus and goes for a suplex on Hase, Hase escapes and falls behind Steiner and then delivers a beauty of a dragon suplex that he holds for a pinning combo, and Rick Steiner has to make the save this time.
Chono clears Rick out, and Nick Patrick has lost control as the Japanese team double-teams Scott. They hit one double clothesline, they go for another, the WWE Network stream suddenly turns to total crap for some reason at this point, and Scott ducks the second double clothesline attempt. Off of this missed double clothesline, Rick drags Chono out from the outside, leaving Hase naked, and Scott hits a frankensteiner on the way back for the pinfall.
Dick Slater and Dick Murdoch run in and attack both teams, especially laying a beatdown on the Steiners before the show goes to commercial. Okay.
Result: Steiner Brothers via pinfall (8:14)
Meltzer Rating: ****
My Review and Rating: It was a well-worked match that I enjoyed, but it felt a bit rushed, was formulaic, there wasn't a lot to set it apart. It probably suffers a bit from being viewed right after that last awesome Steiners match, but those are the breaks. Still good, but just not four stars. ***1/2
Date: June 12, 1991
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v32319249
Background: The Steiners wrested these titles from Hase and Chono at a Japanese super show, so this was a stateside rematch.
The Match: I can't see Chono without having traumatic flashbacks to Scott Hall and Kevin Nash referring to him as "MASA 'MY HERO' CHONO HAR HAR HAR" during Chono's later nWo membership. Jim Ross and Scott Steiner calling the match, Nick Patrick calling the shots.
Scott vs. Hase to start. Go-behind by Steiner, into the ropes, clean rope break. Hase attempts a single-leg takedown, but Scott holds his leg up and flips through for a reversal. Couple of leg strikes, whip into the ropes, Hase reverses, leapfrog by Hase, Steiner stops directly past, but ultimately eats an enziguiri from Hase that sends him tumbling to the outside.
Scott back in, chops are traded, Scott whips him into the ropes and then catches him into a stun gun. Multiple pinning attempts by Steiner go nowhere. Both men back up, and Hase catches Steiner with a spinning back kick right in the face. Hase is slow in picking Steiner up, and Scott busts out a release northern lights suplex out of nowhere, then tags his brother Rick in as Hase is stunned. Hase tags Chono in as well.
Rick clobbers Chono with several rights, whips Chono and attempts a backdrop, but ducks his head too quickly, and Chono delivers a swift kick to the chops that breaks Rick's signature headgear. Chono delivers several more stiff-looking kicks, but Steiner stays upright, and manages a running clothesline to stop the onslaught. Tag back out to Scott. Scott picks Chono up overhead in a backbreaker position, tags Rick, Rick in off the top with an elbowdrop out of the double-team move. Rick continues attempting to wrestle with severed headgear on. Dude, just take it off.
Chono shows good resilience, manages amidst Steiner's offense to throw a back elbow that shrugs his opponent off, and he tags Hase back in. Hase for a German suplex, Rick reverses, goes behind, throws a German of his own instead. Whips Hase into the ropes, Hase reverses and hits a fireman's carry slam. Tags Chono while holding Steiner up, Chono enters with a flying shoulderblock. Samoan drop by the challenger, punctuated by Hase entering illegally with a kneedrop off the top. Scott runs in angry about Hase's move; Tony says "Scotty's gotta get out of there." It's a two-way street, Tony.
Nick Patrick gains control and forces both illegal men out temporarily, although Scott and Hase end up brawling outside shortly after as Chono has Rick in an STF in the middle of the ring. Scott suplexes Hase, heads up top for a flying move to knock Chono off the hold, botches and somehow misses the spot by a lot, then just has to awkwardly break it up with an axhandle. The hold gets broken in any case. Scott still isn't legal, Nick Patrick again sends him out, and Chono and Rick hit running clotheslines on each other. Both struggle to get up, both tag out.
Scott back in against Hase, hits the hard clothesline, hits the tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Butterfly powerbomb by Scotty. Sets Hase up on the top turnbuckle, heads up high, hits the belly-to-belly superplex. Steiner for the cover, Chono breaks it up before it can hit three. Scott wastes a moment being mad at Chono, returns his focus and goes for a suplex on Hase, Hase escapes and falls behind Steiner and then delivers a beauty of a dragon suplex that he holds for a pinning combo, and Rick Steiner has to make the save this time.
Chono clears Rick out, and Nick Patrick has lost control as the Japanese team double-teams Scott. They hit one double clothesline, they go for another, the WWE Network stream suddenly turns to total crap for some reason at this point, and Scott ducks the second double clothesline attempt. Off of this missed double clothesline, Rick drags Chono out from the outside, leaving Hase naked, and Scott hits a frankensteiner on the way back for the pinfall.
Dick Slater and Dick Murdoch run in and attack both teams, especially laying a beatdown on the Steiners before the show goes to commercial. Okay.
Result: Steiner Brothers via pinfall (8:14)
Meltzer Rating: ****
My Review and Rating: It was a well-worked match that I enjoyed, but it felt a bit rushed, was formulaic, there wasn't a lot to set it apart. It probably suffers a bit from being viewed right after that last awesome Steiners match, but those are the breaks. Still good, but just not four stars. ***1/2
06-28-2015
, 12:59 PM
SummerSlam '91: Intercontinental Title - Mr. Perfect (c) vs. Bret Hart
Date: August 26, 1991
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31304555
Background: Bret Hart had broken away quietly from Jim Neidhart after they lost the tag team titles at WrestleMania VII and had begun a singles push. There wasn't a big personal grudge here; Bret had just worked his way up to #1 contender status.
The Match: Gorilla, Heenan, and Piper on the call, and my God do they do a hilarious job on this match. Seriously, if this match sucked the commentary would still justify watching it. As stated in my above post, Hennig was working this match pretty badly hurt, but he soldiers through like a true champion and you can really only ever detect an injury in sporadic brief moments even if you're looking for it.
Really hate this Coach guy being in Perfect's way. Perfect had no such need for a cheap heat magnet hanging out in his corner. Anyway, Bret and Perfect circle each other and then enter into a standard wrestling match, side headlock into an Irish whip, Perfect's hiptoss attempt is blocked, Bret Hart succeeds with his hiptoss, and we're off.
Perfect re-enters, Bret surprises him with a crucifix, gets an early near-fall with a two-count. Hart controls a bit of the early offense, but it's mostly mat wrestling rather than high-impact stuff. He gets Perfect's legs split to potentially lock in the sharpshooter, but stomps instead. Sends Perfect into the corner, Perfect gets a foot up, Perfect tries to follow, Bret is able to grab a hold of him with a side headlock and take him over. Perfect donkey kicks Bret down, gets up, Bret knocks him back down, donkey kick again, Bret back to his feet and clotheslines Perfect over the top…this is too fast for me to even keep up with it. Great stuff.
Perfect goes out to confer with Coach, then decides to take a walk and accept a countout. Bret chases him down and throws him back into the ring, breaking one of the straps on Perfect's singlet in the process. Bret wrestles him into a stalemate in the corner; referee Earl Hebner tries to break them apart and Perfect connects on a cheap shot as Hebner attempts to separate. Perfect knocks Bret to the outside, follows him out, hits a vicious chop and then returns to the ring. Bret tries to return, Perfect meets him on the other side of the ropes and slingshots him backwards into the barricade.
This time Bret returns, blocks a punch, lands his own, and gets some momentum back in the match. Runs Perfect into the corner, pulls him back into a rolling cradle pin, only a two-count. Perfect recovers, sends Bret into the corner, Bret takes an even harder bump than usual, this time back-first instead of his usual chest-first bump. Cover, only two. Neck snap, roll through for a pin attempt, only two. Bret reverses a whip into the ropes, then drops his head and gets kicked in the face. Perfect sends him to the outside, then from one side of the corner he starts to head to the top. At the second rope, Bret meets him, and two slug back and forth. Perfect gets the better of the exchange and knocks Bret off. Perfect falls off as well but onto Bret for a pin, but still only a two-count.
Perfect goes for the humiliating slaps on Bret in the corner, then grabs him by the hair and throws him across the ring by it. Picks him back up, into the ropes, applies a sleeper. Bret's arm doesn't drop on three because of course it doesn't, Perfect never wins via sleeper despite increasingly using it more and more. Bret works his way back to his feet, attempts to surprise Perfect with another crucifix pinning attempt, but Perfect reverses into a Samoan drop. One more cover, one more two-count. Bret back into the corner, this time for the hard chest-first bump.
Perfect in control, gets Bret to the middle and successfully executes the Perfectplex, but Bret manages to kick out at two. Perfect bitches to the ref, allowing recovery time for Bret. Bret with the atomic drop, then he returns the "throw him across the ring by the hair" favor. Suplex, pin, two-count. Small package by Bret, two-count. Russian legsweep, pin, two-count. Backbreaker, second-rope elbow, still just a two-count. This was the birth of Bret's five moves of doom; they weren't known as signature moves yet.
After the last two, Bret gets to arguing with the referee, Perfect rolls him up, but again just a two-count. Bret kicks Perfect's leg out twice, then goes to apply the Sharpshooter. Coach gets up on the apron and distracts Bret away, allowing Perfect to blindside him. Perfect splits Bret's legs then stomps him low.
Splits them again and tries to drop a leg, but Bret catches his leg on the way down, blunts any impact, and then goes to work applying a leglock. He turns from his back, reversing it into a Sharpshooter, Perfect immediately submits, and the torch is passed.
Bret heads out to the crowd and hugs his family. Great moment.
Result: "…and NEW Intercontinental Champion," Bret Hart via submission (18:04)
Meltzer Rating: ****
My Review and Rating: Obviously this is a classic in the careers of both men and one of the best WWF matches of the early 90's in general. I'm surprised that Meltzer can only find a flat four stars for this. ****1/2
Date: August 26, 1991
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31304555
Background: Bret Hart had broken away quietly from Jim Neidhart after they lost the tag team titles at WrestleMania VII and had begun a singles push. There wasn't a big personal grudge here; Bret had just worked his way up to #1 contender status.
The Match: Gorilla, Heenan, and Piper on the call, and my God do they do a hilarious job on this match. Seriously, if this match sucked the commentary would still justify watching it. As stated in my above post, Hennig was working this match pretty badly hurt, but he soldiers through like a true champion and you can really only ever detect an injury in sporadic brief moments even if you're looking for it.
Really hate this Coach guy being in Perfect's way. Perfect had no such need for a cheap heat magnet hanging out in his corner. Anyway, Bret and Perfect circle each other and then enter into a standard wrestling match, side headlock into an Irish whip, Perfect's hiptoss attempt is blocked, Bret Hart succeeds with his hiptoss, and we're off.
Perfect re-enters, Bret surprises him with a crucifix, gets an early near-fall with a two-count. Hart controls a bit of the early offense, but it's mostly mat wrestling rather than high-impact stuff. He gets Perfect's legs split to potentially lock in the sharpshooter, but stomps instead. Sends Perfect into the corner, Perfect gets a foot up, Perfect tries to follow, Bret is able to grab a hold of him with a side headlock and take him over. Perfect donkey kicks Bret down, gets up, Bret knocks him back down, donkey kick again, Bret back to his feet and clotheslines Perfect over the top…this is too fast for me to even keep up with it. Great stuff.
Perfect goes out to confer with Coach, then decides to take a walk and accept a countout. Bret chases him down and throws him back into the ring, breaking one of the straps on Perfect's singlet in the process. Bret wrestles him into a stalemate in the corner; referee Earl Hebner tries to break them apart and Perfect connects on a cheap shot as Hebner attempts to separate. Perfect knocks Bret to the outside, follows him out, hits a vicious chop and then returns to the ring. Bret tries to return, Perfect meets him on the other side of the ropes and slingshots him backwards into the barricade.
This time Bret returns, blocks a punch, lands his own, and gets some momentum back in the match. Runs Perfect into the corner, pulls him back into a rolling cradle pin, only a two-count. Perfect recovers, sends Bret into the corner, Bret takes an even harder bump than usual, this time back-first instead of his usual chest-first bump. Cover, only two. Neck snap, roll through for a pin attempt, only two. Bret reverses a whip into the ropes, then drops his head and gets kicked in the face. Perfect sends him to the outside, then from one side of the corner he starts to head to the top. At the second rope, Bret meets him, and two slug back and forth. Perfect gets the better of the exchange and knocks Bret off. Perfect falls off as well but onto Bret for a pin, but still only a two-count.
Perfect goes for the humiliating slaps on Bret in the corner, then grabs him by the hair and throws him across the ring by it. Picks him back up, into the ropes, applies a sleeper. Bret's arm doesn't drop on three because of course it doesn't, Perfect never wins via sleeper despite increasingly using it more and more. Bret works his way back to his feet, attempts to surprise Perfect with another crucifix pinning attempt, but Perfect reverses into a Samoan drop. One more cover, one more two-count. Bret back into the corner, this time for the hard chest-first bump.
Perfect in control, gets Bret to the middle and successfully executes the Perfectplex, but Bret manages to kick out at two. Perfect bitches to the ref, allowing recovery time for Bret. Bret with the atomic drop, then he returns the "throw him across the ring by the hair" favor. Suplex, pin, two-count. Small package by Bret, two-count. Russian legsweep, pin, two-count. Backbreaker, second-rope elbow, still just a two-count. This was the birth of Bret's five moves of doom; they weren't known as signature moves yet.
After the last two, Bret gets to arguing with the referee, Perfect rolls him up, but again just a two-count. Bret kicks Perfect's leg out twice, then goes to apply the Sharpshooter. Coach gets up on the apron and distracts Bret away, allowing Perfect to blindside him. Perfect splits Bret's legs then stomps him low.
Splits them again and tries to drop a leg, but Bret catches his leg on the way down, blunts any impact, and then goes to work applying a leglock. He turns from his back, reversing it into a Sharpshooter, Perfect immediately submits, and the torch is passed.
Bret heads out to the crowd and hugs his family. Great moment.
Result: "…and NEW Intercontinental Champion," Bret Hart via submission (18:04)
Meltzer Rating: ****
My Review and Rating: Obviously this is a classic in the careers of both men and one of the best WWF matches of the early 90's in general. I'm surprised that Meltzer can only find a flat four stars for this. ****1/2
Forgot about that. I wouldn't give the 93 5* fwiw. Probably ****1/2 but been a couple years since I've seen. I should go watch that match...
06-28-2015
, 03:10 PM
Clash of the Champions XVII: WCW Tag Titles: The Enforcers (Arn Anderson & Larry Zbyszko) (c) vs. Dustin Rhodes & Mystery Partner Ricky Steamboat
Date: November 17, 1991
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v32317133
Background: The mystery here was whether Barry Windham could tag with Dustin Rhodes, as the two had been aligned but Windham had been injured by Arn and Zbyszko when they slammed a car door on his arm. Dustin was just billed as challenging alongside a mystery partner.
The Match: Champs out first, though that makes sense when the challengers get a mystery partner. Dustin comes out with Barry Windham, Windham is wearing a cast on his injured arm and says that he can't wrestle tonight. He points to the dressing room to call out Dustin's partner for the evening. Someone in a lengthy dragon costume comes out from the back, and eventually Dustin goes out and lifts the large dragon mask off to reveal Ricky Steamboat, who gets a monster pop.
Steamboat had been midcarding in WWF for a bit (stupidly stripped of the name "Ricky Steamboat" during this period), so this was a genuine surprise mystery partner. Anderson and Zbyszko are livid to see the Steamboat reveal.
Steamboat starts right off against Arn. Wouldn't it make more sense to make the audience wait for him to receive a hot tag? Anyway. Anderson wrestles Steamboat into the ropes, Steamboat viciously fights his way off with punches and chops. Arn slows him down with an eye gouge, Steamboat gets caught in the wrong corner and begins to get double-teamed, but the Dragon actually takes on both Enforcers, Dustin comes in to clean one of them up, and we have a chaotic brawl. Steamboat and Rhodes end up clearing the ring. Great early energy from this crowd, who is all about Ricky Steamboat.
Match resets with Steamboat taking on Zbyszko. Side headlock by the Dragon, releases and bounces off the ropes, floors one-half of the champions with a shoulderblock. Keeps Larry Z under control as he tags Dustin Rhodes in. Bodyslam attempt by Larry gets reversed into an armdrag. Tag back out to the Dragon, who re-enters with an axhandle off the top on Larry's arm. Drags Larry face-down toward the corner, then posts that same now-injured arm twice. Tag back out to Dusty's boy.
Dustin with an armbar on Larry, but Larry is able to work his way back toward his own corner from this move to tag Arn anyway. Arn with a series of rights. Whips Dustin into the corner, Dustin reverses, but comes up empty on a corner charge. Dustin gives him his own medicine a moment later though, as Arn sends him into the corner and then eats Dustin's knee on the way in. Rhodes with a flurry of offense, and it sends Arn scrambling for a breather.
Arn returns, tags Larry, Larry comes in and demands that Steamboat tag back in. Dustin obliges and tags in the Dragon. Dragon wins the initial exchange, leveling Zbyszko with a back kick to the midsection. Larry slaps Steamboat then quickly bails as he baits the Dragon into chasing him around the ring. As Steamboat returns, he gets blindsided by Anderson. Dustin is in to clear out Anderson, but the damage was done to Steamboat to put Zbyszko in control of the match. Suplex by the Living Legend gets two. Steamboat tries to chop his way back into the match, but his comeback falls short, as Larry puts him down and then tags Arn back in.
Again Steamboat tries to chop his way back into the advantage, and it looks to be working, but a low blow by Arn slows that down as well. Steamboat goes for a sunset flip on Arn, but before Arn goes down he manages a blind tag to Larry that nullifies the subsequent pinning attempt and allows Larry to come in and attack Steamboat from behind. Kneedrop by the Legend gets followed by an abdominal stretch. Tag back out to Arn, who gets whipped into the ropes but promptly blows up Steamboat's backdrop attempt and then delivers a back suplex.
The heat segment continues for a decent bit, as Steamboat keeps trying to fight his way over for a tag but the Enforcers keep finding a way to keep him in the ring and under control. Frankly this heat segment is too long, too repetitious. Larry applies a Boston crab, Steamboat fights his way toward his own corner while still in it, actually makes a tag, but Anderson had Nick Patrick distracted and the tag doesn't count. Steamboat manages an atomic drop, but it sends Anderson into the corner, who bounces back off and collides the back of his head against the front of Steamboat's. Anderson is able to get up first and attempts a move off the top, but Steamboat gets his boots up, and finally gets enough of an opening that he is able to make the hot tag to Dustin.
Dustin in, cleans house on both Enforcers. This devolves into four-man chaos, amidst which Steamboat gets tagged back in and heads up top. Hits a flying cross-body on Anderson, Dustin cleans up Larry, and Nick Patrick counts to three. New champions.
Result: Dustin Rhodes & Ricky Steamboat via pinfall, new champions (14:46)
Meltzer Rating: ****1/4
My Review and Rating: Meh. Started off really awesome given the crowd atmosphere surrounding Steamboat's return, then turned pretty boring. As I said during the writeup, the heat segment just started to feel like it was going on for an eternity, and not much of interest happened during that whole time. Wasn't really impressed by this. **3/4
Date: November 17, 1991
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v32317133
Background: The mystery here was whether Barry Windham could tag with Dustin Rhodes, as the two had been aligned but Windham had been injured by Arn and Zbyszko when they slammed a car door on his arm. Dustin was just billed as challenging alongside a mystery partner.
The Match: Champs out first, though that makes sense when the challengers get a mystery partner. Dustin comes out with Barry Windham, Windham is wearing a cast on his injured arm and says that he can't wrestle tonight. He points to the dressing room to call out Dustin's partner for the evening. Someone in a lengthy dragon costume comes out from the back, and eventually Dustin goes out and lifts the large dragon mask off to reveal Ricky Steamboat, who gets a monster pop.
Steamboat had been midcarding in WWF for a bit (stupidly stripped of the name "Ricky Steamboat" during this period), so this was a genuine surprise mystery partner. Anderson and Zbyszko are livid to see the Steamboat reveal.
Steamboat starts right off against Arn. Wouldn't it make more sense to make the audience wait for him to receive a hot tag? Anyway. Anderson wrestles Steamboat into the ropes, Steamboat viciously fights his way off with punches and chops. Arn slows him down with an eye gouge, Steamboat gets caught in the wrong corner and begins to get double-teamed, but the Dragon actually takes on both Enforcers, Dustin comes in to clean one of them up, and we have a chaotic brawl. Steamboat and Rhodes end up clearing the ring. Great early energy from this crowd, who is all about Ricky Steamboat.
Match resets with Steamboat taking on Zbyszko. Side headlock by the Dragon, releases and bounces off the ropes, floors one-half of the champions with a shoulderblock. Keeps Larry Z under control as he tags Dustin Rhodes in. Bodyslam attempt by Larry gets reversed into an armdrag. Tag back out to the Dragon, who re-enters with an axhandle off the top on Larry's arm. Drags Larry face-down toward the corner, then posts that same now-injured arm twice. Tag back out to Dusty's boy.
Dustin with an armbar on Larry, but Larry is able to work his way back toward his own corner from this move to tag Arn anyway. Arn with a series of rights. Whips Dustin into the corner, Dustin reverses, but comes up empty on a corner charge. Dustin gives him his own medicine a moment later though, as Arn sends him into the corner and then eats Dustin's knee on the way in. Rhodes with a flurry of offense, and it sends Arn scrambling for a breather.
Arn returns, tags Larry, Larry comes in and demands that Steamboat tag back in. Dustin obliges and tags in the Dragon. Dragon wins the initial exchange, leveling Zbyszko with a back kick to the midsection. Larry slaps Steamboat then quickly bails as he baits the Dragon into chasing him around the ring. As Steamboat returns, he gets blindsided by Anderson. Dustin is in to clear out Anderson, but the damage was done to Steamboat to put Zbyszko in control of the match. Suplex by the Living Legend gets two. Steamboat tries to chop his way back into the match, but his comeback falls short, as Larry puts him down and then tags Arn back in.
Again Steamboat tries to chop his way back into the advantage, and it looks to be working, but a low blow by Arn slows that down as well. Steamboat goes for a sunset flip on Arn, but before Arn goes down he manages a blind tag to Larry that nullifies the subsequent pinning attempt and allows Larry to come in and attack Steamboat from behind. Kneedrop by the Legend gets followed by an abdominal stretch. Tag back out to Arn, who gets whipped into the ropes but promptly blows up Steamboat's backdrop attempt and then delivers a back suplex.
The heat segment continues for a decent bit, as Steamboat keeps trying to fight his way over for a tag but the Enforcers keep finding a way to keep him in the ring and under control. Frankly this heat segment is too long, too repetitious. Larry applies a Boston crab, Steamboat fights his way toward his own corner while still in it, actually makes a tag, but Anderson had Nick Patrick distracted and the tag doesn't count. Steamboat manages an atomic drop, but it sends Anderson into the corner, who bounces back off and collides the back of his head against the front of Steamboat's. Anderson is able to get up first and attempts a move off the top, but Steamboat gets his boots up, and finally gets enough of an opening that he is able to make the hot tag to Dustin.
Dustin in, cleans house on both Enforcers. This devolves into four-man chaos, amidst which Steamboat gets tagged back in and heads up top. Hits a flying cross-body on Anderson, Dustin cleans up Larry, and Nick Patrick counts to three. New champions.
Result: Dustin Rhodes & Ricky Steamboat via pinfall, new champions (14:46)
Meltzer Rating: ****1/4
My Review and Rating: Meh. Started off really awesome given the crowd atmosphere surrounding Steamboat's return, then turned pretty boring. As I said during the writeup, the heat segment just started to feel like it was going on for an eternity, and not much of interest happened during that whole time. Wasn't really impressed by this. **3/4
06-28-2015
, 03:27 PM
World Championship Wrestling: Submit or Surrender Match - Cactus Jack vs. Sting
Date: November 23, 1991
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRjZNvuya-o
I just fired this up and discovered that the quality is so wretched that I would basically be watching a series of blurry pixels move around the screen.
Next.
Date: November 23, 1991
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRjZNvuya-o
I just fired this up and discovered that the quality is so wretched that I would basically be watching a series of blurry pixels move around the screen.
Next.
06-28-2015
, 03:49 PM
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xz8...wer-hour_sport
11/19/91. Got to be the same match though. Very good match.
haha didn't notice this before linking it but this is actually my upload
11/19/91. Got to be the same match though. Very good match.
haha didn't notice this before linking it but this is actually my upload