WWE Vintage Collection Report: January 9th 2011
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund

The “new beginnings” theme continues this week, with a look at Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Bob Backlund, Irwin R. Schyster & Macho Man Randy Savage. We begin with a little “Pedigree.”

From the confines of a private study, Hunter Hearst Helmsley states the WWF has “more than its fair share of riff raff, delinquents and hooligans.” After shuddering at the “revolting” Bushwhackers, rolling his eyes at the Headshrinkers for eating raw fish, Helmsley mocks the Smoking Gunns, declaring he’d only wear a cowboy hat to a dog show. Helmsley summises “it’s high time for all these superstars in the WWF to learn a lesson in class, civility and how to be a gentleman,” before stating “losers work hard to become champions, but for someone like me, being a champion just comes naturally.”

Monday Night Raw: May 22nd 1995
Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs John Crystal.
This is Helmsley’s Raw debut and third WWF bout after making his first in-ring appearance on the April 30th edition of Wrestling Challenge. Portraying a snooty American Blueblood from Connecticut, Helmsley walks in a similar way to William Regal with one hand behind his back. Crystal reverses a hammerlock, Helmsley struggles, but nobly makes it to the ropes. The civility stops there as Helmsley gives Crystal a backhand, an open slap and a series of uppercuts in the corner. Helmsley delivers a spin kick, then rubs a forearm into Crystal’s face. Helmsley bows to the crowd, delivers a suplex, holds a brief chinlock, then catches his foe with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Helmsley stalks Crystal, cupping his face as he gets up. Helmsley ducks an angry swing, hitting a quick RKO (called the Pedigree Pandemonium) for the 1-2-3. The Pedigree we’re accustomed to seeing from Helmsley would come later on in his tenure. Winner: HUNTER HEARST HELMSLEY.

Bob Backlund provides a short narrative. Arriving in 1977 as a Minnesota boy with high aspirations, through hard work and technical skills, he became WWF champion in 1978. Despite being proud of his near six-year reign, it still bothers Backlund that his manager Arnold Skaaland threw in the towel (against Iron Sheik), as he never gave up. Since returning to the WWF, Backlund has been waiting for a special moment to fulfil a dream and become champion again. He challenges Bret Hart, putting him over as a great champion and a man of his word who will accept his challenge. In the end the best man will be WWF champion.

WWF Superstars: July 30th 1994
WWF Title: Bret “Hitman” Hart vs Bob Backlund.
This New Generation vs Old Generation bout is joined in progress. Bret works over an arm until Backlund lands a forearm to the face. Headbutts take their toll on both men. Backlund delivers a piledriver, before Bret reverses a second into a backbodydrop. Bret delivers a slam and a legdrop. Both escape each other’s abdominal stretch attempts. A Backlund waistlock sees both men roll to the outside. Back inside, Bret gets sent to the corner back first. Backlund slams then hoists Bret onto his shoulders. Bret slips down into a backslide for two. Backlund bridges out of a couple of jackknife pins, nearly winning after a backslide of his own.

Bret gives Backlund a backbreaker. Backlund blocks a Sharpshooter, so Bret drives an elbow into the face. Bret gets a side headlock, goes to step over Backlund, but trips after Backlund raises his back. Backlund delivers a back suplex then thinks he’s won after a small package. Bret catches Backlund cold with a small package of his own to pick up the pin and retain his title. An unhappy Backlund extends his hand and embraces the champion. Bret offers his hand again, but Backlund “snaps” slapping the Hitman down and locking him in the Crossface Chickenwing. It takes three officials to prize the screaming Backlund off of Bret. Backlund stares at his hands in disbelief all the way to the back. Winner: BRET “HITMAN” HART. This psycho version of Bob brought his character up to date, and was starting to get over, until Diesel mowed through him in mere seconds towards the end of 1994.

We see the brother-in-law tandem of Mike Rotunda and Barry Windham aka the U.S. Express lose the WWF Tag Team Titles to the Dream Team (Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake) on August 24th 1985. Beefcake drags a lit cigar (passed to him by manager Luscious Johnny V) across Windham’s face to blind him and make him easy pickings for a Valentine pin. After a six-year absence, Rotunda would resurface in the WWF as evil taxman Irwin R. Schyster (IRS).

Sat in his office investigating tax returns of the WWF superstars, IRS claims they’re as dishonest as the rest and are nothing but a bunch of smalltime swindling tax cheats. Despite not naming names, IRS derides Koko B. Ware for claiming bird food as a business deduction and Davey Boy Smith for asking the government to reimburse him for travelling expenses incurred by his Bulldog. IRS says they won’t get away with it while he’s on the case. These guys may be superstars in the WWF, but in his eyes they’re nothing but a bunch of dishonest, dirty flim-flamming thieves.

Prime Time Wrestling: October 28th 1991
IRS vs British Bulldog
We pick this match up in the closing stages. IRS misses a dive in the ropes and goes sailing to the floor. IRS has no intention of re-entering so Bulldog gives chase and sends Irwin into the ringsteps. Back inside, Bulldog catches a float over, but IRS hangs onto the corner to prevent a running powerslam and manages to fall on top of Bulldog for a nearfall. Bulldog sends IRS back to the outside with a backbodydrop. IRS places a tag rope in his pocket, unleashing it to choke Bulldog as he readies for a suplex. Referee Danny Davis lets it slide as we’re near the 20 minute time limit. Bulldog retrieves the rope from the floor to give IRS a taste of his own medicine. IRS escapes with a low blow. Bulldog catches IRS in a small package, but the bell goes to signal a DRAW. Shame, as the match was starting to pickup a little.

Randy Savage’s final WWF TV appearance to date is shown from the October 31st 1994 edition of Raw. He leaves the commentary table to free Lex Luger from Bob Backlund’s Crossface Chickenwing after Tatanka had run-in to cause a DQ in the original match. An upset Vince McMahon referenced Savage leaving the following week on Raw, but unfortunately that clip doesn’t air.

WCW Saturday Night: January 28th 1995
WCW TV Title: Arn Anderson w/Colonel Rob Parker & Meng vs Macho Man Randy Savage
This is Savage’s WCW in-ring debut. Savage has ten minutes to beat AA, or the match turns into a non-title bout. Savage gets distracted by AA’s outside allies, allowing AA to send Savage into the ringpost. AA works over Savage in the ropes and on the floor for several minutes. Savage reverses a suplex, before the two collide after running the ropes.

Back from a commercial break, Savage escapes a chinlock with a jawbreaker. An atomic drop and high knee sends AA out to the floor. Into the final two minutes. Savage lands a double sledge from the top rope. Savage posts AA on the outside, but AA rolls through on a cross body for a nearfall. Savage fails to put AA away after a clothesline and backbodydrop. Into the final minute! Savage holds onto the top rope to block a DDT. Parker distracts Savage on the apron, so Savage spits on him. AA takes advantage to suplex Savage back into the ring. Savage throws AA off the top rope as the ring announcer declares the time has expired. Savage knocks Parker off the apron, then hits AA with his patented flying elbow for the win, but not the title. Winner: MACHO MAN RANDY SAVAGE. After the bell, AA’s cronies Blacktop Bully, Dirty Dick Slater and Bunkhouse Buck run in. Sting and Dustin Rhodes make the save and help Savage clear the ring.

Okerlund promises the “emergence of many more familiar faces in new career roles” next week.

The Helmsley and IRS vignettes were very entertaining. Mike Rotunda came across as very believable in getting the character over. Match wise, Backlund and Bret put on a classic, while the Savage and Anderson was boring until the closing stages. See you next week!

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