Mega Powers Running Wild!

The legendary 'Macho man' Randy Savage teams up with 'The Immortal' Hulk Hogan to take on Ted Dibiase and Andre The Giant in the first ever WWF Summerslam!

Shawn Micahels vs. Mankind

The Heartbreak Kid defends the WWF Championship against Mankind in a thrilling main event at WWF In Your House: Mind Games.

The Birth of the nWo

From Hulk Hogan's shocking turn at WCW Bash at the Beach 1996 to the addition of Ted Dibiase, THe Giant Syxx and more, relive the very beginning of the New World Order.

Austin 3:16 Says I Just Kicked Your Ass

It's one of the most famous promos of all time; Stone Cold Steve Austin wins the 1996 King of The Ring and serves notice on all the WWF superstars. Check it out in our complete review

Wrestlemania 12 Review

The boyhood dream comes true as Shawn Michaels battles champion Bret 'The Hitman' Hart in a classic 1-hour iron man match. Plus, Diesel vs. Undertaker and more.

WCW Fall Brawl 1996 Review

Was Sting in cahoots with the New World Order? Would Lex Luger be able to get along with the Four Horsemen as they faced the nWo in War Games? Find out in this review

Sunday, 22 February 2015

PPV REVIEW: WWF In your House 4 - Great White North

WWF / WWE - In Your House 4 - Great White North - Event poster
October 22, 1995,
Winnipeg Arena, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

As the World Wrestling Federation began to march towards the end of 1995, Diesel Power alone was proving not to be enough to sustain the company in the emerging war with World Championship Wrestling. Having ploughed over lumbering giants like Sycho Sid and King Mabel in a string of lackluster main events, reigning champion Kevin 'Diesel' Nash was reaching the end of his reign, though not before meeting The British Bulldog and enjoying his finest performance as a headliner since he and Shawn Micahels clashed back at Wrestlemania 11

Speaking of the Heartbreak Kid, the shenanigans and backstage politics we've all heard about where never more evident than they were on this cold night in Winnipeg, with the Intercontinental Champion set to forfeit his title.





But more of that later. For now, here's what went down when the WWF presented their first PPV to take place in Canada since 1990's Wrestlemania 6.

Sunday Night Slam
Much as with September's In Your House 3: Triple Header, our friends at Coliseum Home Video saw fit to treat us with a full Sunday Night Slam, in which the ever-present Todd Pettengill gave us a full run down of what was in store tonight.

WWF / WWE - In Your House 4 - Great White North - Todd Pettengill and his bitches
First up, our buddy Todd went through the relatively short rivalry between Diesel and The British Bulldog. To refresh your memory, it was back in August of 1995 when Davey Boy Smith turned his back on the champion and powerslammed him into the mat on an episode of Monday night raw.

Cutting his hair short and aligning himself with Jim Cornette, Bulldog announced that he was fed up of being thought of as a 'nice guy' and being overlooked for championship matches. Having had has as much as he could stand, the Bulldog -who also declared that he would no longer be known as Davey Boy Smith- was setting his sights squarely on the champion.

For all intents and purposes, it was a smart career move for the man from Wigan. Having shone at In Your House 3, the former intercontinental champion went on a roll, even scoring a pinfall victory over Big Daddy Cool in a six man tag team match, clips of which we saw about a thousand times throughout the course of Sunday Night Slam. 

The Bulldog's rise to prominence was driving the champion to distraction, so much so that, on an episode of Superstars in which Bulldog cost Diesel a match (via countout) against Waylon Mercy, Big Daddy Cool proceeded to beat poor old Mercy to smithereens.

WWF / WWE - In Your House 4 - Great White North - Jim Ross questions WWF President Gorilla Monsoon about the status of the Intercontinental Championship
Elsewhere, we went live to the arena where Jim Ross caught up with Gorilla Monsoon to discuss the status of Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels. According to all reports, Michaels had been the victim of a real-life ass-kicking outside a nightclub in Syracuse, New York, and was thus in no fit state to defend his championship.

As such, Monsoon declared that the Heartbreak Kid would need to surrender his title on tonight's show. Still, as the People's President, Gorilla insisted that we would definitely see the IC title on the line tonight in a match against Dean Douglas, and another wrestler yet to be determined.

Joined at this point in the show by two random women who spent the rest of the show eating pizza, Pettengill gave us the low down on Yokozuna vs. King Mabel, the upcoming tag team championship match between The Smoking Gunns and the combination of Razor Ramon and the 123 Kid, and the impending debut of The Bizarre One himself, Goldust.

Yes indeed, back before the days of elaborate facepaint and kicking people in the balls, the man formerly known as Dustin Rhodes was a simple -if still completely weird-Hollywood movie buff with bland gold and smudges of black around the lips and eyes.

Still, there was time for all that later. For now, it was on to the show.

Welcome to the Great White North 
Our show tonight began with a stirring rendition of the Canadian National Anthem courtesy of 'upcoming singing sensation' Joanie Wilson. Fireworks exploded, we went straight to the World Wrestling Federation - The Revolutionary Force, in Sports Entertainment intro, before Gorilla Monsoon reminded us that tonight, he'd be taking the Intercontinental Championship from Shawn Michaels and handing it to Dean Douglas. 'However,' continued the Prez, Douglas would have to defend his new title against none other than Razor Ramon.

Cue our opening video package, in which the In Your House theme played over clips of fans buying tickets, merchandise and hot dogs, and from that, it was down to the arena.

Early audio difficulties put something of a dampner on Vince McMahon's 'Welcome Every-Wan!' though what he lacked in volume, the Chairman made up for in enthusiasm. McMahon introduced us to his fellow commentators, Jim Ross and Jerry 'The King' Lawler, and with that, it was right down to our opening match.

Fatu vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley 
WWF / WWE - In Your House 4 - Hunter Hearst Helmsley faced Fatu in the opening match
Taking a leaf from the pages of Rick Martel's Guide to Arrogance, future COO Hunter Hearst Helmsely had recently sprayed future hall of famer Fatu (then in his much-maligned Make a Difference gimmick), cause enough for the two to meet in tonight's first contest.

Understandably irate, Fatu wasted no time in attacking the Greenwich Blue Blood, barely giving Hunter a chance to take off his riding jacket and shirt and pounding him around the ring.

Helmsley fought back with a piledriver, and continued to dominate for much of the match. Like most of those early In Your House bouts, this was decent enough for what it was, but would hardly have any long term impact. Nor will it likely make any fans' must-see list.

Not too surprisingly, Hunter pedigreed the former Headshrinker to pick up the win.
Your Winner: Hunter Hearst Helmsley

Post match, Jerry Lawler caught up with Hunter for an interview that was rudely interrupted by the arrival of Henry O. Godwin. Terrified of the ominous slop bucket, Helmsley first hid behind Lawler before running away from the hog farmer, a move which would ultimately lead us to the infamous Hog Pen match. Say what you want about The Game, he certainly paid his dues.

A Word with the Bulldog
WWF / WWE - In Your House 4 - Great White North - Doc Hendrix interviews British Bulldog
Backstage, Doc Hendrix caught up with number one contender British Bulldog, and his manager, Jim Cornette.

'Big Daddy Cool, you think you can hide in this fifty-below hell hole? Well think again!' snarled the Bulldog. 'I beat you on Monday Night Raw, and I'm going to beat you again tonight.'

Looking for all the world like the biggest threat Big Daddy Cool had faced to date, the former Intercontinental Champion was certainly impressive, not to mention believable, in this short little promo.

World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Championship match:
WWF Tag Team Champions The Smoking Gunns (Billy & Bart Gunn) vs. Razor Ramon and 123 Kid
Before we go any further, a retraction of sorts from my last review. Having discussed the ending of the Razor/Douglas match at In Your House 3, I mentioned that the alliance between The Bad Guy and The Kid would end shortly after.

Of course, it would come to an end, but not before the two tried to put their differences aside and challenge new champions The Smoking Gunns for the belts Billy and Bart recently reclaimed from Owen and Yoko.

Before they did, the two friends -adorned in matching purple and gold outfits- cut a pre-match promo in which they praised the Gunns for putting up a fight, but promised that it wouldn't be enough to stop the tag team belts changing hands.

WWF / WWE - In Your House 4 - Great White North - Razor Ramon and 123 Kid challenged The Smoking Gunns for the tag titles
Not that the dynamic between the two hadn't changed in that time. Still teasing a heel turn (remember when wrestlers still did that?), the Kid was more aggressive, more cocky, more arrogant in his attempt to wrestle the titles away from the Brothers Gunn.

Squaring off which future DX team mate Billy Gunn in the opening moments of the match, 123 Kid looked better than he had for a while, but it was The Bad Guy who fans were really behind. As over as he'd ever been, Razor had the crowd in the palm of his hands as he tug in for a battle of power against Bart Gunn.

From there, things settled into a nice groove, with the Kid continuing to heel it up despite his partner wrestling fair and square against the champions.

It was this change in attitude that was to be the challengers downfall. After Ramon landed the Razor's Edge, the Kid begged for the tag and eventually -following much crowd-baiting- got it. Making the cover, the youngster was rolled up and pinned, bringing a pretty enjoyable tag match to a close.
Your Winners and STILL WWF Tag Team Champions: The Smoking Gunns 

Visibly pissed, Kid attacked the victors, ppummelingboth Billy and Bart and temporarily stealing the tag team titles until Razor returned to the ring and calmed things down.

Goldust vs. Marty Jannetty
WWF / WWE - In Your House 4 - Marty Jannetty vs. Goldust
Not seen in a WWF ring since he teamed with his father, Dusty Rhodes in a match against Ted Dibiase & Virgil at the 1991 Royal Rumble, Dustin Rhodes donned the wig and makeup to make his debut as Goldust in a match that was given a surprising amount of time.

Taking on another recent returnee in the form of Marty Jannetty, Goldust looked to make a big impact in what Ross, Lawler and McMahon referred to as his 'Premier,' and to that end, he mostly succeeded.

For over 11 minutes, Goldie and Jannetty put on a solid effort, battling in and out of the ring and keeping the Winnipeg audience on their feet with fast-paced, hard-hitting action.

With The Curtain Call finishing move not yet assigned to the new superstar, Goldust ended this entertaining match in disappointing fashion, using -of all things- a front facelock suplex to pick the victory.
Your Winner: Goldust 

Prior to the next bout, Vince McMahon reminded us why King Mabel and Yokozuna were about to meet in the ring. It all harked back to that six-man tag match on Raw, in which the two big men had worked in unison to put The Undertaker on the shelf. For some reason, that made them dislike each other, and thus we had ourselves a match.

As the King of the Ring Winner was carried to the ring by a bunch of jobbers, we went to a cut screen, with McMahon questioning Yoko's spokesman, Jim Cornette, about the upcoming contest. According to Jimmy, the only reason Monsoon had booked this match was to prevent Mabel and Yoko teaming up and bringing about the destruction of the World Wrestling Federation.

Yokozuna (w/ Jim Cornette & Mr. Fuji) vs. King Mabel (w/ Sir Mo)
WWF / WWE - In Your House 4 - Great White North - Yokozuna prepares for his match against King Mabel
The Winnipeg crowd were a lot more into this battle of the behemoths as you might think. For whatever reason, the two over-sized giants squaring up to one another at the start of the match had the audience on the edge of their seat, where they stayed throughout the duration of this short affair.

In all honesty, the crowd reaction wasn't all that surprising given what took place. In just five minutes, the understatedly talented Yokozuna carried Mabel to the best match he'd had all year (if not ever).

Trading blows, the two eventually took one another off their feet, each missed a leg drop apiece, then brawled to the outside. A ten count later, and this one was over.
Double Countout.

Though not quite. Following the bell, both men returned to the ring for another face off. Yet just when it looked like they'd come to blows once again, Yoko opened his arms and embraced the Man on a Mission, much to the disgust of the live audience.

Shawn Michaels forefeits the Intercontinental Championship
And so it came to this. Rather than drop the title in a match against the Kliq's arch-nemesis, Dean Douglas, Michaels was forced to surrender the belt as a result of injuries he'd sustained at the hands of some Syracuse thugs.

Doc Hendrix kicked off proceedings, first introducing fans to Gorilla Monsoon before calling The Dean to the ring. From there, it was Michaels turn to head to ringside. The Heartbreak Kid remained silent, looking glum, if otherwise completely healthy as McMahon tried desperately to explain how a a man who had been beaten up so badly that he couldn't wrestle showed no physical signs of said ass-kicking.

Douglas snatched the belt from Michaels who -in an almost identical reenactment of Hulk Hogan stealing The Ultimate Warrior's thunder at Wrestlemania- hammed it up all the way to the back and ensured that Douglas' celebration went largely unnoticed.


Aww, poor Shawn. Or perhaps I should say poor Dean, who probably enjoyed the briefest IC title run in history.

World Wrestling Federation Intercontinental Championship match
WWF Intercontinental Champion Dean Douglas vs. Razor Ramon
Already suggesting that he might just possibly become a four-time champion as he made his way to the ring, Ramon went right after the defending champion, beating Douglas to the outside and continuing the assault for the remainder of what was essentially an extended squash match.

WWF / WWE - In Your House 4 - Great White North - Razor Ramon defeated Dean Douglas for the Intercontinental Championship
Showing no signs of fatigue despite wrestling in one championship match earlier in the show, The Bad Guy captured his title with very little effort in a disappointing match.
Your Winner: Razor Ramon

There was controversy surrounding the finish however, as Dean Douglas had his leg under the bottom rope whilst the referee counted to three. Not that it mattered. Soon after, Douglas would be gone, off to spend the rest of his career bitching about The Clique in shoot interviews.

The Hitman runs off The King
Scheduled to face the WWF Champion at Survivor Series 1995, Bret 'The Hitman' Hart made his way to ringside to commentate on our main event. Before he could do that however, there was the small matter of playing cat-and-mouse with long-time rival, Jerry Lawler. Several times, The King attempted to attack The Hitman, only for Bret to get the upperhand and eventually chase Lawler all the way to the back.

World Wrestling Federation Championship match:
WWF Champion Diesel vs. The British Bulldog (w/ Jim Cornette)
Before making his way to the ring, reigning champion Diesel told Doc Hendrix that he was feeling funky, then strolled to the ring for the best match he'd had in months, courtesy of The British Bulldog.

With The Hitman putting in a decent effort at the commentary table, discussing the pros and cons of having to face either man at Survivor Series, the challenger heeded the advice of his brother-in-law and went to work on Big Daddy Cool's long legs.

WWF / WWE - In Your House 4 - Great White North - Doc Hendrix speaks to WWF Champion Diesel
For the best part of 20 minutes, Davey Boy took his opponent to the limit, and despite completly messing up a sharpshooter attempt on no less than two occasions, looked pretty good as the aggressor.
Alas, the title was not to be his on that cold night in Canada. As we staggered towards the finale, Bulldog found himself on the outside and took out his frustrations on The Hitman. That brought Bret into the ring to extract revenge, giving the Bulldog the win via disqualification.
Your Winner by DQ: The British Bulldog (Diesel retains the WWF Championship)

As Davey Boy left with his tail between his legs, Hart next turned his attentions to the champion. The two men who would square off at Survivor Series went at each other in a flury of fists, prompting the likes of the Smoking Gunns and Aldo Montoya to rush ringside, breaking up the brawl as the show went off the air.






A much better show than it may sound on paper, In Your House 4: Great White North wasn't exactly a history making event, but for a filler pay per view, it was at least reasonably entertaining. Next time, we head to the Survivor Series. Until then, feel free to come and say hi on Twitter @Retropwrestling 

Wednesday, 11 February 2015

PPV REVIEW: In Your House 3 - Triple Header

September 24, 1995,
Saginaw Civic Center, Saginaw, Michigan

If ever proof were needed of the influence wielded by backstage power-players The Clique, you only had to look at the late summer of 1995. Despite a couple of abysmal main events against the like of Sid and King Mabel, Big Daddy Cool Diesel was still riding high as our WWF Champion, whilst his buddy Shawn Michaels had just picked up another Intercontinental Championship reign.

Not content with that, tonight, they'd face the WWF Tag Team Champions in a first-of-its-kind match in which every WWF title was on the line as the company pressed on with its still relatively new In Your House concept.

Here's what else went down:

Sunday Night Slam
For reasons best left unsaid, our journey into the epicentre of the New Generation begins with a pre-PPV episode of the short lived Sunday Night Slam, hosted by your friend and mine, Todd Pettengill. 

Live (or not) from the same Stamford studio this writer remembers fondly from the days of WWF Mania, the Toddster gave us a run down of tonight's main draws.






WWF / WWE - In Your House 3 - Triple Header - Sunday Night Slam logo
After a brief look at the aforementioned Triple Header match, an interesting concept in which fans were guaranteed to see a title change, Pettengill focussed his presentation on the rivalry between Dean Douglas, Razor Ramon and the 123 Kid.

Our story -which would give Douglas enough shoot interview fodder for years to come- began in back at Summerslam 1995, when the Dean's critique of the Intercontinental Championship ladder match between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon was met with a harsh slap from The Bad Guy.

Over the coming weeks, Ramon and Douglas would continue to butt heads, the latter bringing the former's good friend, 123 Kid into the mix, and playing both against each other in an attempt to infuriate his In Your House opponent.

Elsewhere, we got a look at the seemingly never-ending rivalry between Bret 'The Hitman' Hart and Jean-Piere Lafitte. 


WWF / WWE - In Your House 3 - Triple Header - Todd Pettengill hosted the In Your House preshow
Having lost to the Hitman at In Your House 2, the former Quebeccer had spent the intervening time stealing Bret's jacket, and plucking his glasses from the heads of young ringside fans. That was enough to give us not only a match, but an unbelievably childish promo from The Hitman in which he referred to Lafitte as a 'big smelly pirate.'

Somewhere in Massachusetts, John Cena was taking note.

From there, we got a replay of the verbal sparring between Owen Hart, Jim Cornette (along with the mostly silent Yokozuna and Mr. Fuji) and the Two Dudes with Attitudes combo of HBK and Big Daddy Cool.

With all that out of the way, it was on with the show.

Welcome to In Your House
I'm not entirely certain of this, but I'm fairly sure that our opening introduction today was a soul rendition of the same country-infused song that kicked off In Your House 2. What is for certain, is that we were greeted by Vince McMahon's second best catchphrase after 'You're fired!' in the form an impassionately growled Welcome evvvvvveryone!!!

Tonight, McMahon was joined at the commentary table by future Hall of Famers Jim Ross and Jerry 'The King Lawler, making for the first pay per view appearance of the three-man announce team that would become a familiar staple of WWE programming throughout the mid-90s.

WWF / WWE - In Your House 3 - Triple Header - Jerry Lawler, Vince McMahon and Jim Ross commentary team
In our opening gambit, both Lawler and Ross predicted that Shawn Michaels would lose his Intercontinental Championship in tonight's main event. They differed however, on who would become our new IC champion; The King was behind Owen, whilst Ross had his money on big Yoko.

Savio Vega vs. Waylon Mercy
Making his way to the ring for his first -and ultimately only- WWF pay per view match, Waylon Mercy recieved a pretty lukewarm reception from the Michigan faithful, and this despite a seemingly decent push on then-recent episodes of Superstars.

Savio Vega on the other hand, was treated to a pretty big pop from a crowd who remained well behind their man in what was a fairly uneventful opening match.

In fact, it was so uneventful, that McMahon and Lawler spent as much time debating what Vega had shaved into the back of his head (it was his hand-gesture thing) than they did calling the action. Jim Ross, for his part, remained mostly silent.

Providing the only highlight, Doc Hendrix popped up at one point with the breaking news that Owen Hart, co-holder of the WWF Tag Team Championship, and one quarter of tonight's main event, was not in the building. Oh dear.

Back to the action, or lack thereof, the popular Savio Vega ended Mercy's undefeated streak in a seven-plus minute snorefest.
Your Winner: Savio Vega

WWF / WWE - In Your House 3 - Triple Header -  Doc Hendrix interupted the Savio Vega/Waylon Mercy matchBackstage, Hendrix barged into the tag champs locker room, where Jim Cornette was found arguing with WWF President, Gorilla Monsoon.

'You're not some Johnny-come-lately, you know what time your boys are supposed to be here,' Monsoon told Cornette, going on to insist that come hell or high-water, we'd have our Triple Header main event tonight.

Sycho Sid (w/ Ted Dibiase) vs. Henry O. Godwin
You've probably blocked this from your mind, so here's a quick reminder, courtesy of a pre-match recap:

In brief, then-heel Henry O. Godwin had been  contracted by Ted Dibiase to do a couple of things, all of which had somehow gone wrong. That led to a face-turn for the hog farmer, a couple of incidents of Ted Dibiase and Sid getting 'slopped' and a match here tonight.

The match itself was...Well, it was a match between Henry Godwin and Sid, so you can probably tell that this wasn't exactly a classic.

Nor was it necessarily terrible, either.

Both big men did the best they could in a passable, if somewhat slow-paced, brawl, all leading to big Sid's first pay per view win of 1995 courtesy of a big legdrop and a power bomb.
Your Winner: Sycho Sid

Not that the fun and games ended with a three-count. In the post-match, Sid and his manager, Dibiase, began arguing over who would dump the slop bucket over a prone Henry O. Before they could reach an agreement, Bam Bam Bigelow rushed to the ring to beat up on his former Million Dollar Corporation buddies. The attack was shortlived, Kama made the save for Sid and Dibiase, before Henry revived himself long enough to dump the bucket right on Dibiase's head.

More from Monsoon and Cornette
Back in the locker room, Doc Hendrix stood by with a microphone and a perplexed look on his face as he gave Jim Cornette a couple of options:

If Owen Hart no-showed, Cornette could either have Yoko defend the tag team titles solo in a 2-on-1 handicap match against Diesel and Michaels, or he could find a replacement for Owen. That replacement, as per the rules of the match, would be a one-night-only tag team champion, and would have the same opportunity to become the new IC or WWF champion that Owen had.

WWF / WWE - In Your House 3 - Triple Header -  British Bulldog wrestled in two matchesBritish Bulldog vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
Time for a true story. Back when I was still an eleven year-old mark, my weekend ritual consisted of spilling my wrestling figures all over the living room floor and sitting down to watch shows like Mania, Superstars  and WWF Challenge. 

One particular weekend, in the summer of 1995, I sat and watched on in horror as a man from my hometown, Davey Boy Smith, turned his back on my then-hero, Big Daddy Cool Diesel. I was irate, so furious, so heartbroken at Smith's betrayal of my favourite WWF wrestler that I promptly attacked my British Bulldog action figure and somehow managed to snap his head clean off.

I can laugh about it now, and mostly think of it as a positive. If the goal of pro wrestling is to illicit those kind of reactions from its target demographic, then to that end, we can probably call the Bulldog's 1995 heel turn a resounding success.

Building momentum here towards an eventual pay off match with the champion, Davey Boy clashed with Bam Bam in a surprisingly good match. Showing Henry O. and Sid just how a big-man-match could be done right, the two put on a strong showing before the Bulldog powerslammed his way to victory around the 12 minute mark.
Your Winner: The British Bulldog


WWF / WWE - In Your House 3 - Triple Header -  Razor Ramon vs. Dean Douglas
We cut next to former two-time champion and presidential candidate, Bob Backlund making his way to the ring. A dictionary-wielding Backlund chastised the fans for being stupid (or something), drawing heat by bombarding them with big words in an otherwise nonsensical promo before introducing Dean Douglas.

Dean Douglas vs. Razor Ramon
For his part, Douglas sucked up to Backlund and gave Ramon his own introduction. Forgoing his usual slow, confident stroll to the ring, Ramon charged headlong into a mediocre effort against the Dean.

In the non-too-spectacular opening moments, we got another split screen, this time showing the action on one side and, on the other, Jim Cornette trying to convince Yokozuna and King Mabel to coexist as a team in tonight's main event.

Back in the ring, Ramon dominated the early going, sending the crowd to sleep by slapping his opponent in an armbar. After taking a beating, Douglas turned the match in his favor, though matched Ramon pound-for-pound in terms of sucking the life out of the Saginaw Civic Center.

Towards the finish, Ramon drilled his opponent with a Razor's Edge, but with the referee having taken a tumble, it wsa up to the 123 Kid to make the three count. Displeased with his friend's interference, The Bad Guy hurled the Kid out of the ring, distracting his attentions long enough for Douglas to regain his composure and sneak in a roll up for the one, the two, and the three.
Your Winner: Dean Douglas


WWF / WWE - In Your House 3 - Triple Header -  Two Dudes With Attitudes - Shawn Michaels and Diesel
Post-match, Ramon and 123 Kid came to blows, and would have likely kicked the hell out of one another had a gaggle of referees and road agents not intervened. That was all she wrote for the Kid/Ramon alliance. Not long after, Kid would officially turn heel and form an oft-forgotten, but randomly entertaining tag team with Sycho Sid. More of that some other time.

Promo time
Backstage, Doc Hendrix interviewed the Two Dudes With Attitudes about our upcoming main event. Laughing, joking, and no-selling the threat that they might be facing a mystery opponent later, Michaels and Diesel feigned confusion over whether the match would actually take place, before using most of the same lines that they'd employed in every promo leading up to this match.

Speaking of repeating promos, Bret Hart gave us essentially the same spiel he'd delivered on Sunday Night Slam, this time likening his upcoming match with Lafitte as akin to Captain Hook vs. Captain Crunch. Hart, so he claimed, would be playing the role of Captain Crunch.

Bret 'The Hitman' Hart vs. Jean-Pierre Lafitte
Seeking to regain his jacket (stolen by Lafitte) and his pride, the Hitman wasted no time in attacking the 'fat, smelly pirate,' taking control in the opening moments and beating Lafitte around the ring.

WWF / WWE - In Your House 3 - Triple Header -  Bret 'The Hitman' Hart vs. Jean Pierre Lafitte
From there, the two engaged in a match that was about a million times better than their first outing at In Your House 2. Continually trading the advantage over the course of sixteen-plus minutes, the two delivered arguably the best match on the card, taking the crowd on a wild ride in the process.

Yet whilst this may have been Jean-Pierre's best match inside a World Wrestling Federation ring, it certainly wasn't The Hitman's. Sure, this was the best match on the card to this point, but there were still times when it began to drag, and when Bret finally locked on the Sharpshooter, I doubt anybody was really clamouring for more.
Your Winner: Bret 'The Hitman' Hart

Afterwards, The Hitman reclaimed his custom ring jacket and wore it around the ring in celebration.

Elswhere, Bret's brother-in-law Davey Boy Smith was announced as Owen's replacement, and lo, we had the main event match we'd been promised all along. The Bulldog even changed his tights to celebrate his first pay per view main event since Summerslam 1992.

Triple Header Title Match (all titles on the line)
Two Dudes With Attitudes (WWF Champion Diesel & WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels) vs. WWF Tag Team Champions British Bulldog & Yokozuna (w/ Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji)
WWF / WWE - In Your House 3 - Triple Header -  British Bulldog was announced as Owen Hart's replacement
To go over the rules once more (as we did countless times on this show), all the belts were on the line here. If Diesel or Shawn pinned either of their opponents, they became the new tag team champions. If one of them were pinned, then the man who pinned them took their title.

Along with guaranteeing that we'd see at least one new champion tonight, it also created an abundance of possibilities, all of which were ignored. Would either Diesel or Michaels refuse to risk tagging in lest they lost their title? Would Bulldog and Yoko prevent one another from winning a title, hoping to claim it for themselves?

Nope, they'd all simply go at it in a fun tag team contest.

The Bulldog provided an early highlight of this one, proving that as much as he could match power with the likes of Bam Bam Bigelow, he could still trade technical with the likes of Shawn Michaels, working through a quick-paced spot with the IC champion that was a joy to watch.

For his part, Michaels kept up the entertainment value by challenging Yokozuna to a sumo wrestling match. Having squared off, the two charged at one another, with HBK using his speed to duck under a swipe from Yoko, only to eat canvas courtesy of the mammoth tag team champion.

WWF / WWE - In Your House 3 - Triple Header -  British Bulldog was announced as Owen Hart's replacement
Much like the preceeding contest, this one lagged in parts, but was otherwise an enjoyable affair which came to an end when Owen Hart finally put in an appearance, leaping off the top rope to attack, only to be caught, Jackknifed, and pinned.
Your Winners and NEW Tag Team Champions...and STILL WWF and Intercontinental Champions: Two Dudes with Attitudes





With all the gold in The Clique fold, Diesel and Michaels celebrated to the end the show, though of course, such celebrations would only be short-lived. The following evening on Monday Night Raw, Gorilla Monsoon would declare that, since Owen had not officially been in the match, the Two Dudes' victory was null and void.

OK, so that sounds pretty stupid, but hey, it gave us a good main event and a nice way to pop the crowd after what had ultimately been a lackluster pay per view.

Yet whilst The Clique reigned supreme, for this writer, the show really belonged to the British Bulldog. Delivering two entertaining performances in two completely different matches on the same show, the former Intercontinental Champion looked set for a good run at the top of the card. Sadly, as a victim of time, circumstance, and a hard-to-understand Wigan accent, said run would be short lived.

Still, we've got more from Davey Boy Smith: Main Eventer in the coming weeks. Til then, thanks for reading, and if you feel so inclined, come say 'Hi' on Twitter at @Retropwrestling

Retro Pro Wrestling

New reviews of classic WWF/WWE events recalling every moment from Wrestlemania 1 - 30. You'll also find reviews of WCW, ECW, TNA and the occasional indie event, along with a look at old school magazines, merchandise and more.