‘WWE Vintage Collection TV Report #71 – October 11^th, 2009

Shown on Sky Sports in the U.K.

By Stephen Lyon.

This week: The continuation of a Halloween-themed month of shows. This week’s sub-theme was ‘Super Heroes’. Matches this week included: Bill Goldberg vs Glacier (WCW 1998); Bret Hart vs The Patriot (WWF 1997); The Rock vs The Hurricane (WWE 2003); and Hulk Hogan vs One Man Gang (WWF 1987).

The Show:

1) Bill Goldberg defeated Glacier, in a squash match that lasted 63 seconds. This match was from the February 12^th, 1998 edition of ‘WCW Thunder’, held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Announcers for this were Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Lee Marshall. Goldberg’s entire ring entrance was shown. Glacier jumped him as soon as he entered the ring, throwing punches and kicks. Goldberg no-sold them, then did an impressive-looking standing back flip, before nailing Glacier with a spinning neckbreaker. Glacier tried to fightback, throwing another kick, but Goldberg hit the spear and jackhammer to catch the pinfall win.

From the ‘WWF Ground Zero 1997’ pay-per-view event, Michael Cole interviewed Bret Hart before his match with The Patriot. Bret said that American wrestling fans didn’t know what a super hero was. Elsewhere, Sunny interviewed The Patriot, who vowed to defeat Bret and bring back prestige to the U.S.

2) WWF Champion Bret Hart defeated The Patriot. This match was from the ‘WWF Ground Zero 1997’ pay-per-view event, held in Louisville, Kentucky on September 7^th, 1997. Announcers for this match were Vince McMahon & Jerry Lawler. The masked ‘Patriot’ was Del Wilkes, getting a short-lived major push in the WWF before he tore his biceps, and ending up leaving the company. Of course, years later in 2002, he would hit the headlines for being convicted of prescription forgery for painkillers, and spent nine months in prison. In recent years, he has also been very outspoken about the use of steroids in wrestling, so it was interesting to see them feature him in a match on this show. This match was joined in progress, with Hart working over Patriot’s left leg, using a spinning toe hold, then a figure four leglock around the ring post. Hopefully Cody Rhodes sees this and takes notes on how Bret did this move properly. Back in the ring, Patriot made a comeback of sorts, throwing punches that staggered Bret. Davey Boy Smith came to ringside, to cheer on Bret. Patriot gave Bret a DDT, but when Patriot ran the ropes, Smith tripped him from the outside. As Patriot confronted him, Bret collided with Smith on the ring apron, knocking him down, leading to a roll up and nearfall for Patriot. Wilkes scored another nearfall after an ‘Uncle Slam’ (horrible name given to his uranage or ‘Rock Bottom’ suplex), before Smith prevented another pinfall win. Vader came running down to ringside and nailed Smith from behind, then threw Bret into the ring steps outside the ring.

After a commercial break, Patriot gave Bret a big boot to the face, as the fans began chanting ‘USA!’ Patriot nailed Bret with a flying shoulder block from the second rope. Bret came back into the match, using a running bulldog and hitting an elbowdrop from the second rope. The referee was somehow bumped, leading to Patriot hitting a second ‘Uncle Slam’ (ugh) on Bret and going for a pinfall attempt. The referee finally revived to count the pin, only for Bret to place his foot on the bottom rope at the last second. Patriot sent Bret into the turnbuckles sternum-first, then placed him in the sharpshooter. Somehow, Bret managed to reverse the move and placed Patriot into his own sharpshooter, sitting right back on the move, and causing the referee to award the match to Hart, as Patriot passed out rather than tap out or verbally submit. This was a good match.         

In a segment from the March 10^th, 2003 edition of ‘WWE Raw’, The Rock confronted The Hurricane, in the Rock’s personal locker room. Rock made reference to how the Hurricane and himself had crossed paths in the three prior weeks on Raw, and made fun of the Hurricane’s supposed powers. Rock put over how their match tonight was going to be ‘The Scorpion King vs The Hurricane’, and asked Hurricane what powers he was going to bring to the match. “What are you gonna bring? X-Ray Vision? Night Vision? Heat Vision? Cable Vision? Pearl Vision? You little Hamburglar freak – the Rock thinks you’re a nothing!” Hurricane said that ‘I’m bringing my Hurrapowers, bitch!” Rock changed tack, shook hands with him and wished him well in the match, then suckerpunched and left him laying. Heel Rock was great fun.

3) The Hurricane defeated The Rock. This match was from the March 10^th, 2003 edition of ‘WWE Raw’, held in Cleveland, Ohio. Announcers for this match were Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler. Ross spent most of this match hyping The Rock vs Steve Austin at Wrestlemania 19, which was less than three weeks away. Rock slapped Hurricane, but Hurricane fought back and Rock bailed to the outside. Rock dominated most of this match, making fun of Hurricane, and the announcers played up how much of an upset it would be if the underdog Hurricane were to win. Rock put on Hurricane’s cape and clotheslined him. Hurricane had several ‘hope spots’ of offence, including an exchange of punches and a crossbody block that led to a nearfall on Rock. The finish came when Rock gave Hurricane the Rock Bottom, then ran the ropes to give him the Peoples Elbow. As he was about to deliver the move, Austin’s music played, and Austin came to ringside. As the shocked Rock stared at Austin, Hurricane rolled up Rock from behind and pinned him for the shock victory. The entire focus was all on Austin and the Rock though, as the two stared at each other, as Austin backed all the way up the ring ramp.

A short video feature on Hulk Hogan and ‘Hulkamania’ aired, with lots of soundbite comments from Vince McMahon, and memorable clips of Hogan from over the years. This was the same type of video package that they aired in 2002 and 2003 for Hogan.

4) WWF Champion Hulk Hogan defeated One Man Gang (w/Slick in his corner). This match was from a house show in the Philadelphia Spectrum, Pennsylvania, held on December 5^th, 1987. Announcers for this match were Dick Graham & Craig DeGeorge. This was the standard Hogan match that everyone is familiar with. Hot start by Hogan, struggling to take down the big One Man Gang. Hogan goes for the slam too early and the big man falls on top of Hogan for the nearfall. After a lengthy bearhug and even a 747 splash from the Gang, Hogan kicked out of the pin attempt and Hulked up. Seconds later, after a flurry of punches, a big slam and legdrop, Hogan grabbed the pinfall win. After the match, he beat up Slick, put on his cap, then threw the Slickster out of the ring before posing as his music played. 

Gene Okerlund closed the show by mentioning that next week’s shows’ Halloween theme will be ‘Monsters & Oddities’.

Closing thoughts: Average show this week. Bret Hart vs Patriot was the only good match on the show and most of it aired. Rock was funny in the skit with Hurricane and the finish with Austin coming out was fun, but the match was a throwaway. The Goldberg squash was a good inclusion, but the Hogan vs OMG main event was the same Hogan match that we’ve all seen a thousand times.

Match Results:

1) Bill Goldberg defeated Glacier (‘WCW Thunder Live’ - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: 12/02/98). 

2) WWF Champion Bret Hart defeated The Patriot (‘WWF Ground Zero 1997’ pay-per-view event – Louisville, Kentucky: 07/09/97). 

3) The Hurricane defeated The Rock (‘WWE Monday Night Raw’ – Cleveland, Ohio: 10/03/03). 

4) WWF Champion Hulk Hogan defeated One Man Gang (w/Slick in his corner) – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 05/12/87). 

Please note: I DO NOT sell DVDs or tapes of any of these shows. Sorry!

I hope you enjoyed this week’s report. For other reports like this one, be sure to check it out my website archive at http://www.classicwrestlingreports.com .

It’s no longer updated, but this website carries all of my previous WWE Classics tv reports that have been featured on the old WrestlingObserver.com website.

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Until next week, have a good week.

Stephen Lyon,
St Helens, England, U.K.