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WWF Capital Carnage



Date: December 6, 1998
Attendance: 10,441
Location: London Arena in London, England
Announcers: Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler

Random Fact: Jim Ross suffered his second Bells-Palsy attack on-air during this show and would not call another match until Wrestlemania 15.

Bash's match rating system:
5 stars - Perfection
4 stars - Above average
3 stars - Average
2 stars - Below average
1 star - Trash

We get the awesome "Cap cap Capital Carnage in the Lon Lon London arena" intro. Crowd is hot. Someone has an air horn and blows it throughout the entire show.

Match 1: Al Snow vs. Gangrel
Gangrel is representing The Brood while Al Snow is representing the J.O.B. Squad. Match starts off hot. Guys are moving quickly to get all their sh*t in. I always loved the Gangrel character and didn't "get" Al Snow as a kid. Now, as an adult, I love head. I remember seeing a Gangrel-style shirt at a Hot Topic store around 1999 and almost purchased it because I thought it looked cool on him. E&C come out while the action continues to move quickly in the ring. Snow botches a Tornado DDT from the corner. Christian distracts the referee long enough for Edge to hit a Missile Dropkick on Snow which leads to Gangrel getting the pinfall victory.

Rating: 2 stars. Too short to be anything more.

Backstage boiler room interview with Mankind. I love Foley promos. He mentions the boiler room being cold and hypes the Fatal 4 Way Match for later in the night before throwing in some London references.

Match 2: Legion of Doom (Animal & Droz) vs. Headbangers
This is right in the middle of the drunk/suicidal Hawk storyline and they show a clip from Raw of Hawk falling from the Titantron. I never liked Droz in LOD. Nobody else did either. Why didn't they just call him "Puke" like they had teased in Beyond the Mat? Droz certainly looks the part but isn't going to get over in that role. In fact, did anybody ever get over from the Droz/Hawk storyline? Anyway, the match happens. Thrasher rolls up Droz for the victory. It was supposed to show how Droz was inexperienced and wouldn't listen to Hawk/Animal. The two partners end up brawling after the match. Nobody cared. I wanted Sunny.

Rating: 2 stars. There was no structure to this match. It just sorta happened.

We cut to a clip from Raw backstage of Undertaker who is trying to get a "knocked out" Kane to be placed in an insane asylum. Austin enters the room and takes out Taker with a shovel who is then taken away by ambulance. Austin and Kane then lift a manhole cover and shove Paul Bearer down into the sewer.

Michael Cole is backstage with Undertaker and Paul Bearer who suggest for Cole to pray for Austin's soul. I wonder if Austin is saved? Taker has his eyebrow pierced here and it looks ridiculous.

Match 3: Val Venis vs. Goldust
Sign in the crowd says "Sable is my Viagra". Excellent! The Tower of London and The Big Valbowski have a lot in common. Not really. One is British and the other is Canadian. They show a clip of Terri Runnels stating she had an affair with Venis and got pregnant. Terri is near the peak of her hotness here. Venis is upset about the pregnancy and announced he had a vasectomy. The clip then shows that Terri tried to get back with Goldust but he rejects her also. Terri and Jacqueline then team up and form P.M.S. after coming out half naked and attacking Goldust and Marc Mero. Finally, it's match time. Goldust vs. Venis pretty much writes itself, IMO. It doesn't need the extra soap opera drama stuff. Goldust from 1996 would've just came out on Raw and said "Val, I've seen your movies now give me that huge dick." Ross says both are fan favorites. Lawler says he once tricked a girl into marrying him by telling her she was pregnant...ok. Third match in a row which moves at a very accelerated pace. Both guys get all their sh*t in which includes a damn good Perfect-Plex from Venis. Goldust attempts the "Shattered Dreams" in the corner but Venis pulls the referee in front of him which causes enough distraction to roll Goldust up for the victory. Goldust attacks Venis after the match and hits the "Shattered Dreams" which kills Venis.

Rating: 3 stars. It wasn't bad. Average match with some good crisp moves.

Cut to Michael Cole narrating over clips of Vince McMahon visiting Oxford University. Vince is wearing that bull sh*t 90s sport coat and turtleneck outfit made popular by Val Kilmer in Batman Forever. Segment ends awkwardly.

Vince, Shane, Patterson and Brisco are out next to no entrance music. Patterson announces the card line-up has changed. The Rock was scheduled to face "Hunter Hearst Hemsley" (yeah, Hemsley, not Helmsley) but will face X-Pac instead. Meanwhile, Hemsley (yeah, Hemsley) will take on Jeff Jarrett. Vince walks back into gorilla during the middle of Patterson's promo and grabs a cup of tea which is weird. Brisco's up next and talks about Mr. Mack-Man giving everyone a surprise here tonight in regard to soccer star Vinnie Jones. Crowd chants "ass hole". Shane's turn as he talks about Vinnie Jones being George Michael's boyfriend. I love that homosexual humor was still hot in 1998. Shane makes dick jokes in regard to Jones being a "hard man". Finally, Vince gets handed the mic and says tea time is a pile of crap. Little kids are shown in the crowd yelling "ass hole" and doing "suck it" gestures. You gotta love the Attitude Era. Meanwhile, Vince dumps on England. Typical cheap heat BS. Lawler fake laughs and pretends to have a clue as to what Vince is rambling on about. Vince talks about America taking over Britain. Yawn. This went way too long and sucked ass.

Match 4: Tiger Ali Singh vs. Edge
Tiger's music is almost as cool as Muhammad Hassan's theme. Tiger's gimmick is a rich Indian guy and he cuts a promo about dedicating the match to his forefathers who suffered under oppression from the British empire. They have now spent 15 minutes sh*tting on England. WWF tried for years to get Tiger over but it never worked. I liked when Tiger and Babu would get people from the crowd to do stupid stuff for money. Edge is still in silent rage mode here and enters through the crowd. Edge hits an ARM-DRAG followed by a second ARM-DRAG. Edge hits a couple big moves from the top rope but gets caught and hit with a HORRIBLE body slam by Tiger who puts his feet on the ropes for the advantage and pins Edge. Tiger tries to attack Edge after the match but it backfires and Edge throws him out of the ring.

Rating: 2 stars. Edge tried but this one sucked.

Michel Cole is in the ring with Vinnie Jones. I only know him from his role in Gone in 60 Seconds where he has one line in the entire movie. Jones is wearing Paul Heyman's long leather jacket. Jones says he wants to fight and puts over England after Vince spent 15 minutes dumping it. Cole announces Jones will be ringside for the Fatal 4 Way later. Cole then whispers Jones his line. "We are British! We are British! Tonight, it's going to be emotional!" - Jones. Wow that was brutal.

Match 5: Marc Mero & Jacqueline vs. Christian & Sable
Clip from Raw is shown where Jacqueline tripped Mero by mistake thus costing him a match against Big Bossman. Mero then fires Jacqueline. A second clip shows Mero saying he would quit if he lost to Dwayne Gill which he did after Blue Meanie interfered. Ross states Mero is here to fill his "last contractual obligation" before leaving WWF. Another clip is shown from Survivor Series where Sable defeated Jacqueline for the Women's title. Jacqueline attacks Mero before the match and the two are separated by the referee. Christian gets a badass smoke & candlelight entrance. Huge pop for Sable and the loudest so far. Mero and Christian start. I swear, Christian looks to be about 150lbs here. Jacqueline runs from Sable (lol) before Mero comes in and has his pants pulled down and is kicked out of the ring by Sable. Most of the match is Mero vs. Christian with some double teams moves with Sable thrown in. Sable hits a "Sablebomb" on Mero who tries to leave but is attacked on the ramp way by Christian. In the ring, Sable pins Jacqueline with the TKO. Jacqueline attacks referee Tim White after the match and Sable rips her top off revealing Jacqueline's gigantic fake boobs.

Rating: 2 stars. Should be lower but crowd was into it and Mero was on his way out.

Kane is backstage and is PACING!

Match 6: Intercontinental Championship - Ken Shamrock (c) w/Big Bossman vs. Steve Blackman
I always liked Corporate heel Shamrock. Blackman has the personality of one of my chicken curry farts. Ross really wants us to care about Blackman but nobody does. For the 6th match in a row, the guys go right at it and immediately start brawling and slamming each other around. Crowd doesn't care about the match at all and instead chant crap at Bossman who is standing outside. This match has received the most time thus far in the show. Pretty good back and forth, hard hitting stuff. Blackman goes after Bossman with a baseball slide who then returns fire and hits Blackman in the back with his nightstick. Shamrock gets the ankle lock and Blackman taps for the submission victory. Bossman beats on Blackman after the match. Blackman no sells and is up on his feet before Bossman can get out of the ring.

Rating: 3 stars. Decent match but the crowd didn't buy Blackman as a legit threat to Shamrock's IC title and neither did I.

Michael Cole is backstage with The Rock who is stuffing his face with an apple. Rock sh*ts on Cole and refers to X-Pac as a "bony jabroni". Rock then jokes about past wrestler's catchphrases before ending it with "if ya smell what The Rock is cookin'". Good stuff.

Match 7: Jeff Jarrett w/Debra vs. Triple H w/Chyna
Debra's legs look incredible here. Puppies look good too although her hair is a mess and her forehead looks huge. I always thought Debra was a bit of a butterface but her body is rockin' tonight. Jarrett is wearing his hilarious "Don't Piss Me Off" shirt. I loved how the Jakks figure had "Don't Tick Me Off" written on the shirt and "Don't Make Me Mad" on the guitar accessory. Good pop for HHH. The crotch chop pyro f*cks up and is out of sync of course. Chyna looks rough and is still 6 or 7 surgeries away from being Playboy material even though she's wearing ass-less leather chaps. Match starts with a HEADLOCK! Commentators still refer to Debra as "Debra McMichael" which is weird to hear. Match pace quickens as both guys hit their signature stuff. Jarrett locks in a SLEEPER which may be the first rest hold of the entire show. Referee raises HHH's arms (why don't they do that spot anymore) but he comes alive at 2. HHH botches a really weird slingshot spot and tries to make it look intentional. Debra comes in and distracts HHH while Jarrett tries to hit HHH from behind with a chair which is taken away by Chyna. HHH then hits the Pedigree on Jarrett for the pinfall victory.

Rating: 3 stars. This was fine.

Michael Cole is backstage with Stone Cold who is pissed because he just had to watch a Jarrett match however he's excited about the possibility of beating up Debra someday. Austin doesn't care about Vince's surprise and is gonna beat three asses. Austin says there is no love affair with he and Kane because his ass is on the line also. Austin finishes the interview by telling Cole he's in a bad mood (surprise) and throwing him out of the locker room.

Ross and Lawler introduce a D'Lo Brown vignette and Ross' face looks a lot worse than it did at the beginning of the show. The vignette consists of D'Lo walking around London and making witty comments about British stuff. I liked it.

Match 8: Tag Team Championship - New Age Outlaws (c) vs. D'Lo Brown & Mark Henry
NAO get a great pop. D'Lo and Henry have a Nation of Domination Titantron if it matters. They show clips from Raw of Mark Henry taking Chyna out on a date. Mark dances for Chyna, she gets wet (or hard), they end up fighting with two guys in the bar and the date ends. D'Lo is wearing his ridiculous chest protector gimmick. It's hard to believe Henry was signed in 1996 and is still with WWE. Gunn hits an impressive gorilla press slam on D'Lo. *It should be noted I made some homemade vanilla pudding during the course of this match and it's damn delicious*. Gunn and Henry almost do a test-of-strength spot until Gunn realizes it's stupid and kicks Henry before being placed in a bear hug. Crowd is really into NAO. *Editor's Note: Why didn't Road Dogg ever go to the gym?* NAO hit a double Dropkick before D'Lo and Henry alienate Dogg and work on him for a while. Gunn gets the lukewarm tag and beats ass (pun intended). Match keeps going back and forth until Gunn pins D'Lo after a piledriver. Ending came out of nowhere just as the match was getting good.

Rating: 3 stars. It could've been much better if given more time.

Ross and Lawler introduce a video package of how The Rock joined The Corporation and became WWF Champion at Survivor Series. HE SWERVED US ALL! Really cool video package with some awesome background music. Basketball highlights #27, I believe.

Match 9: WWF Championship - The Rock (c) vs. X-Pac
Pac is actually the European Champion and they show a clip from Raw 2 weeks ago where Pac also challenged Rock for the WWF title before being hit in the head with a chair from Commissioner Shawn Michaels who turned on him and joined The Corporation. I never cared for Commissioner HBK. My cousin's favorite wrestler at the time was X-Pac so we were pretty excited to see him get a title match. Pac is in his black & red attire which made a cool looking Jakks BCA figure. Ross shoots on WCW and says WWF isn't a "retirement home". Match starts with two ARM-DRAGS! Crisscross spot leads to Pac taking Rock's head off with a clothesline and then he hits another ARM-DRAG! Pac is beating Rock's ass here with spin kicks and sends him out of the ring. Damn. You would never see that happen 2 years later. Rock grabs a mic and says he's going to walk out of the match. Rock is stopped halfway up the ramp by HHH and Chyna before Pac beats him back into the ring. Pac misses a Bronco Buster but thankfully doesn't blow out his ass hole. Rock is finally dominating the match now. Match goes outside where Pac tries to fight back but is outsmarted by Rock. The pace slows down with multiple headlock spots by Rock with some signature moves thrown in. Crowd is LOUD for Pac. Rock hits the "Corporate Elbow" followed by a lazy pin which allows Pac to kick out. Back to head locks by Rock. Crowd pumps up Pac who fights out and goes for the X-Factor but it's reversed by Rock who attempts a Rock Bottom. HHH hops up on the apron to distract the referee while Chyna low blows The Rock! Pac rolls up Rock for a 2 count! So close! Pac hits a spin kick. Another 2 count! Pac hits a cross body but Rock rolls through and tries to pin Pac with his feet on the ropes. 2 count! Pac is thrown in the corner and sandwiches referee Earl Hebner. Rock decks HHH and grabs the title belt. HHH returns fire by taking out Rock in the ring. Pac covers Rock for a 2 count! Pac hits the Bronco Buster. Rock rolls outside the ring and shoves Chyna before being jumped from behind by HHH and X-Pac which leads to a disqualification. Rock retains the title! Rock grabs a mic but is attacked by HHH and Pac after the match which brings out Shamrock. HHH and Pac clear the ring and stand tall.

Rating: 3 stars. It would've been 4 with a clean finish and without being quite so overbooked. I enjoyed the match and they really made you believe Pac was going to win the title on several occasions. Good stuff here!

Tony Chimmel announces the rules for the Fatal 4 Way and introduces Shane McMahon as the guest ring announcer. Shane announces Pat Patterson as the guest timekeeper, Gerald Brisco as the guest referee, Vince McMahon as guest commentator and Hardcore Champion Big Bossman as the special enforcer. Ugh. As if 4 guys in the match isn't enough for a clusterf*ck. BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! Chimmel introduces Vinnie Jones. Jerry Lawler asks "For what?" and Jim Ross doesn't have an answer because there isn't one. Crowd chants weird soccer sh*t. Jones shoves Bossman out of the ring and he dead sells it. Vince gets pissed. Brisco "red cards" Jones and ejects him from the ring for hooligan actions. Ok.

Match 10: Fatal 4 Way - Mankind vs. Kane vs Undertaker w/Paul Bearer vs. Stone Cold
Pretty big pop for Kane who was actually my favorite wrestler at the time. Kane and a Mankind immediately start brawling before Taker and Austin eve come out and the bell rings for the match to start. Well that's stupid. Taker is out next and chokeslams Mankind with ease before tossing him out of the ring. Taker then tosses Kane out. Lame. Glass breaks and the crowd goes bonkers! Taker meets Austin on the rampway and we're off! All four guys are brawling outside. There are so many people ringside that everyone is in each other's way. Austin and Taker go at it in the ring while Kane and Mankind continue to brawl outside. Kane's hair dries out and is quite blonde which is weird to see. They switch as Austin and Kane fight in the ring while Taker and Mankind are outside. Taker chokes Mankind with a cable, Kane chokes Taker and then Austin chokes Kane. None of them lose their job. All four guys finally get into the ring at the same time. Various brawling and double teaming spots take place which are actually pretty cool. Mankind eventually brings in a chair and everybody takes turns getting whacked. Brisco refuses to count for Austin. Stunner on Kane! Brisco doesn't count and instead checks the match time. Austin kills Brisco! Chokeslams for Austin and Kane by Taker! Another Stunner on Kane! Earl Hebner is here and he counts the 3! Austin pins Kane! Austin stuns Brisco! Vinnie Jones is back. He punches Bossman. Stunner on Bossman! Earl Hebner kicks Bossman out of the ring and flips him off! Beer bash with Austin, Jones and Hebner! Vince is pissed.

Rating: 3 stars. The Final Four Match this wasn't. It was very ok. Nothing special. Not bad though either.

Overall thoughts: As s kid I really liked this show but watching it back now it doesn't hold up very well. The matches are too short to really mean anything and it just ends up feeling like a three hour Raw. I would not recommend this one unless you're just looking for a show from 1998 you maybe haven't seen before. Catch Rock vs. X-Pac if you can. Everything else is a pass.

@bashcrashwiley; love the review. Dig the little comments that you made like the one about the Sable sign or about Kane PACING! Fun stuff, hoping to see you do more.

Rebellion 2001 review might be up this weekend, I'm about halfway through.

I love that this is already a popular thread and that more and more people are doing reviews.

Vengeance 2001


It always bugged me that HHH was on the poster even though he wasnt on the event.

The show starts with a video saying there has never been an Undisputed Champion.

Mr. McMahon enters the ring and cuts a promo about how nobody can make him kiss anybody's ass. He says "he who laughs last laughs loudest."
Ric Flair interupts him and says the croud came to see a show called Vengeance and that it starts now.

Test and Christian vs. Scotty 2 Hotty and Albert
Christian is the European Champion.
This match is kinda boring IMO. Scotty gets taken out and Christian tries to for the Worm but gets stopped by Albert. Scotty lands the Worm on Test. Scotty was over as hell. Albert hits a Baldo Bomb on Christian for the win.
★★ out of 5

Interview with William Regal
Coach says Regal has been successful but his methods are questionable. Regal says Americans are distrusting. He said Edge is an incredible athlete but he has been wrestling since he was 15 years old and has the advantage. He calls Coach a silly pillock.

Intercontinental Championship match
Edge (c) vs. William Regal
Edge enters first. His entrance music is awesome and fits him perfectly. Edges asks the ref to check Regal for brass knuckles. The match starts. A pretty good match IMO. They brawl on the outside for a while. Regal has brass knuckles hidden in the steel steps. Edge hits him with a spear before he can hit him. Edge gets the pin.
★★★ out of 5

Flair is on the phone and Kurt Angle enters the room. He says he will be the Undisputed Champion. He says that while Ric might be a "14" time world champion, Angle has one thing Flair never will: an Olympic gold medal. Flair says Kurt will be the man if he can pull it off.

A backstage segment with Matt Hardy and Lita. Lita says she is calling everything down the middle and that she is trying to be as fair as possible. Matt says when he wins they could make it a Matt and Lita night.

A video package about the Hardys growing up wanting to be in the WWE. Winning the titles and how the split came to be. WWE had some great video packages.

Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy
Guest Refferee Lita
Lita enters first. Both Hardys enter with the same song. This match sucks IMO. Its so boring. The crowd really isnt in to it. They kinda pop for high flying moves. I used to be a huge Hardys fan when I was younger and now I cant really stand Jeff.
Jeff hits a Swanton Bomb for the pin. Matt has his foot on the ropes but Lita doesnt see it. Jeff wins.
★ out of 5

Trish Stratus enters the Rocks locker room and says he's awesome for standing up to Vince. She kisses him on the cheek for good luck. The Rock tells her to stay and the only thing he's focused on is winning the Undisputed Championship. He says after Vengeance there will be plenty of time to "Smell what the Rock is cookin."

World Tag Team Championship
The Dudleys w/ Stacy (c) vs. Kane and the Big Show
Stacy looking hot as hell out there. Kane starts out with the DVon. Bubba is now the legal man without getting tagged in. Kane tags in Show. Bubba wants to tag DVon in but DVon doesnt want to. Kane and Big Show dominate this match. Show pulls Stacy into the ring, pulls her skirt down and spanks her. The crowd goes crazy. The Dudleys take off the turnbuckle pad and hit Big Show with a 3D into the exposed turnbuckle for the win.
★★★ out of 5

Lita tells Matt she is sorry. Matt leaves the arena angry.

A video package showing the feud between RVD and the Undertaker

Hardcore Championship
RVD (c) vs. The Undertaker
Taker enters on his bike. Gets a pretty good pop. RVD gets a good reaction too. It starts off in the ring. RVD gets some moves in. UT throws him over the top to the outside. Slams him into the steps. RVD throws UT into the steel post. He knocks UT into the crowd. They fight in the crowd for a while. RVD climbs to the side entrance and jumps off into the Undertaker. They fight behind the stage. Undertaker hits a Last Ride off the stage onto some tables for the pinfall and the Hardcore Championship.
★★★ out of 5

Flair is in his office talking to Y2J. Y2J says tonight is all about him.

Womens Champion
Trish Stratus (c) Jaqueline
Not much to say here. There was a botched spot. Trish looks sexy tonight. Trish wins by pinfall. They shake hands afterwards.
★ out of 5. Theres just not alot to go off of. Im sure if they had more time they could have put on a good match.

A replay of Smackdown where the Rock shoves Vinces face into Rikishis ass. His nose was buried in that ass crack.

A promo by Rikishi telling everyone that he cant wait to back that ass up again.

Another video package about the Undisputed Title. Of all the videos on this PPV, this is my favorite.

WWF Championship
Steve Austin (c) vs. Kurt Angle
Austin works on Kurts shoulder for most of the match. Kurt goes for an ankle lock but Austin reverses. Angle wraps Austins knees arounf the ring post. Austin hits 5 German suplexes on Angle. Angle goes for the Stunner but Austin throws him off into the ropes and hits a Stunner for the win.
★★★ out of 5.

WCW Championship
The Rock (c) vs. Chris Jericho
Y2J doesnt really get any kind of reaction. No boos or cheers. This match starts off as fast paced. Its pretty fast paced thoughout actually. These 2 have great chemistry. Y2J hits the lionsault and gets a 2 count. They go outside the ring. There on the announce table and Y2J tries to hit a Rock bottom on the table but The Rock reverses and hits a DDT. It breaks the table. They go in the ring and Y2J tries to hit the Peoples Elbow but the Rock reverses into a Sharpshooter. Jericho reverses that into a Sharpshooter of his own. Rock breaks out and rolls Jericho up for a 2. He hits the Rock bottom. He goes for the pin. Mr. McMahon comes out while the Rock is trying to pin Y2J. The Rock knocks Vince off the apron and hits the Peoples elbow on Jericho. Y2J hits a low blow on the Rock followed by a Rock Bottom. Jericho gets the pin for the WCW Title.
★★★★ out of 5. Match of the night.

Undisputed Championship
Chris Jericho (WCW) vs. Steve Austin (WWF)
Austin comes out immediately. Jericho looks stunned. Angle comes in and hits Austin with a chair. The Rock hits Jericho with a Rock Bottom and chases Angle out of the arena. Y2J goes for the pin and gets a 2 count. Jericho gets Austin into the corner and the ref pulls him off. Austin dominates now. They brawl outside. Austin is kicking Jerichos ass. SCSA is pulling up the outside mats and Y2J slams him onto concrete. SCSA knocks him off the announce table. They go back in the ring. Y2J throws SCSA into the ring post. Jericho gets some offense in. Austin gets control back. Y2J tries to vheat by putting his feet on the ropes. The ref catches him. This crowd is pretty dead. Jericho locks in the Walls. Austin gets to the ropes. SCSA moves while Jericho runs at him and he takes out the ref. Jericho hits another low blow and then a Stunner. Vince comes back out with ankther ref. Flair comes out and stops the ref from counting and knocks him out. Vince knocks Flair out and SCSA takes Vince out. Austin goes in the ring and locks in the Walls of Jericho. Y2J taps but theres no ref. Booker T runs in and hits Austin with the WWF title. The refs back in and Jericho pins Austin for the win to become the 1st Undisputed Champion ever!

Jericho and Vince celebrate as confetti falls down.

I thought this was an ok show at best. Jericho and the Rock had match of the night IMO. That match is worth checking out. Thanks for reading.

Which PPV should I do next? Judgement Day 2004 or Backlash 2006? Im leaning more toward Judgement Day

Do Judgment Day 2004. I remember Backlash 2006 more so I'd rather see JD. Also, watched the opener of Halloween Havoc '98 and am free all day tomorrow so that review should up then JokerFC.

WWF One Night Only



Date: September 20, 1997
Attendance: 11,000 (estimated)
Location: NEC Arena in Birmingham, England
Announcers: Vince McMahon, Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

Fun Fact: I'm reviewing this off WWE Network which is the VHS release version and has several matches omitted including a match between WWF Champion Bret Hart and The Undertaker.

Bash's rating system:
5 stars - Perfection
4 stars - Above average
3 stars - Average
2 stars - Below average
1 star - Trash

This PPV was only available in England and Canada. I really miss the 1997 "worldwide leader in sports entertainment" intro. We start with a video package highlighting Davey Boy Smith. Say what you want but the guy looked good and could go in the ring when motivated. They cover his IC and Euro title wins. PYROMANIA IS RUNNIN' WILD! Vince is waaaaaaaay too excited to be here. I usually only see him this excited when HBK is around and dry humping stuff. And we're off right away!

Match 1: Hunter Hearst-Helmsley w/Chyna vs. Dude Love
Ring announcer is British which is a nice touch. HHH has his "ohhh wee ohh we oh oh oh we oh wee oh wee oh wee" song. They cut to Dude Love cutting a weird ass promo where he sounds like Austin Powers. Dude looks like he's having fun. However, Chyna isn't unless she's getting DP'd on video. We are 30 seconds in and I've seen 5 Irish whips (why don't they call it that anymore) into the ropes by Dude to HHH. Dude is wrestling a COMPLETELY different style of match than he would as Mankind or Cactus Jack which is a nice touch. A lot of his offense consists of slaps and crowd pandering. Crowd is hot! We have another air horn blowing fan. Dude works HHH's arm. Cool spot where Dude out-wrestles HHH by dodging a drop-toe-hold and hits one of his own. Dude working a ground based match here. HHH takes the Flair bump in the corner and ends up in the tree-of-woe where Dude does the 10 count spot while slapping HHH's ankle which looks terrible. HHH dodges the "Sweet Shin Music" and leads Dude outside where Chyna takes his head off! HHH locks in the abdominal stretch and grabs the top rope for extra leverage which is also a spot they don't do anymore. HHH shoves referee Mike Chioda who shoves him back!! Crowd popping HUGE for Chioda! HHH had been feuding with different variations of Foley all summer. Arm drag from the top rope by Dude followed by the Sweet Shin Music and Double Arm DDT! Chyna saves the match by putting HHH's foot on the ropes. Dude is distracted by Chyna, Pedigree by HHH! 3 count!

Rating: 3 stars. Not bad at all. Completely different from what you would expect to see in a Cactus Jack or Mankind match.

Cut to random fans interviewed earlier in the day about who they think will win the European title match between Bulldog and HBK. Second clip shows Steve Austin costing Owen & Bulldog the tag team titles to The Headbangers at Ground Zero.

Match 2: WWF Tag Team Championship - Headbangers (c) vs. Los Boricuas (Savio Vega & Miguel Perez)
Weird there are only two Boricuas here. Miguel is one hairy beast. Like....more hairy than Albert. Crowd digging Headbangers who hit some good double team moves. Crowd actually chanting "Head-Bang-Ers". Thrasher and Miguel trade holds. Savio hits some KWANG-style karate sh*t. I love that both teams have matching attire. Savio and Miguel with constant tags to isolate Thrasher. Boricuas dominating this match. Miguel completely misses a springboard move. Looked awful. Vince even sounded pissed after seeing it. Tag made to Mosh but referee doesn't see it. Boricuas still destroying Thrasher. Hot tag to Mosh! Finally! Beaver Cleavage cleaning house! Mosh with a hurricanrana off the top rope! Savio takes a nasty back body drop on the outside. Miguel hits the worst looking powerbomb of all time on Thrasher. Mosh with the Stage Dive on Miguel! 3 count!

Rating: 2 stars. It was very slow paced and any exciting stuff was sloppy in execution.

Jim Ross interviews Bulldog backstage about defending his European title in his home country. Bulldog mentions his sister battling cancer whom he dedicates the match to along with his mum, dad and brother. Bulldog says he's dropped 28 lbs. to increase his speed. I'm assuming it was because he stopped the steroids. Ross talks Bulldog into saying this will be the biggest match of his career. It won't.

LOD cuts a short promo on The Godwinns. They yell.

Match 3: Godwinns vs. Legion of Doom
I always enjoyed this version of The Godwinns who were straight up heel hillbillies after LOD broke Henry's neck on Shotgun Saturday Night after a bad Doomsday Device bump. Pop for LOD isn't nearly as loud as I expected. LOD looks pissed which means they are probably not going to win this match. "Henry has about as much technique as Animal" - Vince. True. Typical inbreeding/uneducated Godwinn jokes from Lawler and Ross. Announcers talk about Godwinns' foul body odor. Animal isolated because he actually sells. Hot tag to Hawk because he doesn't sell. Slop Drop by Henry to Hawk. Stalled cover and a kick out. This is slow. Announcers giving bad jokes and history lessons because they are bored. HAWK IS SELLING! That just bumped this match up a star. Animal gets tagged in and takes charge. Doomsday Device to Phineas. Cover and a pinfall victory.

Rating: 2 stars. I couldn't get into it.

Lawler is having a bad hair day. Ross invites Shamrock to the ring for an interview. Shamrock was scheduled to face Owen Hart but is unable to compete after he allegedly suffered internal injuries from a Spinebuster by Faarooq on Raw. Shamrock talks and Rockabilly comes out. Yup...remember Rockabilly? Rockabilly slaps Shamrock who beats his ass in return and puts him in the Ankle Lock. Rockabilly taps out even though this isn't a match so it's meaningless.

Cut to more fans giving their opinion on the European title match.

Match 4: Vader vs. Owen Hart
F*CK YES! VADA TIME! Poor Owen, I bet Vader's ring attire smells like vomit. Good pop for Owen. 'Dis gon' be good! Barricade almost falls over from fans trying to touch Owen. No joke. Owen waves the Canadian flag ringside which hits Vince in the head. Awesome! Vince compliments Owen on his new haircut. Vader looks to be in decent shape here and would continue to lose weight into 1998. Vader overpowering Owen at the start. Vader has a 200lbs weight advantage over Owen. Announcers don't talk like that anymore. Owen using his speed to hit a hurricanrana on Vader! Owen goes for Sharpshooter but Vader overpowers. Vader reverses a crucifix attempt by Owen into a Samoan drop. Vader hits a splash from the second rope. Owen kicks out! Vader doing badass Vader stuff here. Ross says Vader "humiliated and embarrassed the WWF in Kuwait". No he didn't, he was protecting the business. Vader dominating with power moves and submission holds. I love Vader offense. Owen tries to slam Vader twice but can't make it happen. Vader tries a Powerbomb but Owen reverses into an enziguri! Sharpshooter on Vader! Rope break. Owen finally slams Vader!!! Third time is the charm. Vader Bomb blocked by Owen. Missile Dropkick! Spinning heel kick! 2 count. Flying body press reversed into a power slam by Vader! 3 count! Vader wins.

Rating: 4 stars. It was good. It was believeable. I really enjoyed this match. Both guys were motivated.

Backstage promo by HBK. He seems sober here. Vince interrupts him mid-sentence for some reason. Promo goes flat.

Match 5: WWF European Championship - British Bulldog (c) vs. Shawn Michaels
Female fans love HBK who kisses and motorboats them before shoving a Hasbro Bulldog figure down the front of his tights. True story. Bulldog out now to a huge reaction! His sister walks out with him. Pyro scares her. She sits with Diana and the rest of the Smith family. I would've done Diana. HBK goes off on Vince about something at ringside. Vince doesn't address it so it must have been a legit temper tantrum and not kayfabe. HBK was probably pissed Vince interrupted his promo. Loud "Bull-Dog" chants to start. HBK walks out of the ring and points at his ass. Matches starts with some shoving back-and-forth. Bulldog has a HUGE knee brace on his right knee. Bulldog tosses HBK around while Shawn bumps his ass off. Referee Earl Hebner blocks Bulldog from Gorilla Pressing HBK out of each side of the ring in a neat display of strength spot. HBK takes a nasty back body drop over the top rope to the outside. HBK outsmarts Bulldog to get the advantage for a short period of time until Bulldog reverses a hurincanrana into a powerbomb. Bulldog with the surfboard submission! Hebner counts Bulldog's shoulders down and Bulldog calls him a "Son of a bitch" in return. Stalling suplex by Bulldog! Here comes Rick Rude. Vince keeps calling him "the insurance man". Allstate or Geico? Rude distracts Bulldog and shoves him into the turnbuckle post. HBK with a flying double axe handle outside the ring on Bulldog. Rude now shoves Bulldog into the ring apron. Where are the Harts? HBK controlling the match now. Ross mentions Dynamite Kid to my surprise. Bulldog reverses a arm lock and lifts HBK up using only one arm. Cool. Here comes HHH & Chyna now. Where are the Harts? Bulldog kicking ass now and tossing HBK around like a rag doll. HBK back on offense after a Bulldog goes shoulder first into the corner post. Two flying elbows by HBK. Bulldog reverses Sweet Chin Music into the Running Powerslam spot but Rude holds his legs so he can't hit it. Match goes outside. Bulldog slips while trying a Running Powerslam on the floor and gets hit with Chin Music. HHH then hits a Pedigree to Bulldog on the outside! Bulldog thrown back in the ring. Where are the Harts? HBK takes off Bulldog's knee brace and locks in the Figure Four. Bulldog is screaming! HHH and Chyna giving HBK leverage by holding his arms. Bulldog goes for the ropes but Rude punches him. Where are the Harts? Referee Earl Hebner stops the match. The crowd sh*ts! Crap is flying into the ring. HBK is the new European Champion! Diana is in tears. Diana jumps into the ring while DX beats Bulldog's ass. Chyna grabs Diana. FINALLY the Harts come out as DX bails. Chyna actually smiles and kisses HBK. Harts are pissed.

Rating: 3 stars. Match wasn't bad but booking was just as bizarre as Bulldog in a Royal Rumble here. Why didn't the Harts come down earlier to help?

Bonus post-match interview with Bulldog talking about letting his fans and family down but says he never quit. Show ends.

Final Thoughts: Good show. I guess Bulldog was originally slated to win the match but it was changed to HBK last minute. Bret mentions it in his book. I'm fine with HBK winning as Bulldog had the belt for months and him losing in England was a big deal. Plus, the Harts won on PPV in Canada the previous month. I can see more evidence here as to why Bret didn't want to drop the WWF title to HBK at Survivor Series in Canada though since HBK defeated Bulldog in England just two months prior. Catch Owen vs. Vader and Bret vs. Taker (available on Bret's documentary DVD). Decent show, hot crowd.

Summerslam 2012
August 19, 2012 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California

Chris Jericho def. Dolph Ziggler: I'll never know why Jericho won, especially by submission and given he was about to go on tour with Fozzy again, it really didn't make sense for him to get the victory. I guess for him to go out on a high and come back stronger, anyway it was a good opener, crowd were into it and there was some good psychology with Dolph working over Chris injured ribs. Codebreaker gets the three. 2.5 stars. 

Daniel Bryan def. Kane: Some crisp kicks from Bryan and the crowd are lively once again. Decent match given how protected a wrestler Kane is while facing a small wrestler like Daniel. Small package for the finish. Enjoyed the aftermath too with Kane going crazy which further added to an enjoyable storyline between the two. 2 stars.

Intercontinental Championship The Miz def. Rey Mysterio: Not much to say on this one. 1.5 stars. 

World Heavyweight Championship Sheamus def. Alberto Del Rio: Not a great match maybe needed a few more minutes which of course the guy singing the theme song later on took up. Stupid finish as Sheamus hits Del Rio with Ricardo's shoe, he had tried to give it to Alberto then Sheamus gets the pin but the foot was on the rope and the champion knocks it off Ref didn't see. 1 star.

Tag Team Championship Kofi Kingston and R-Truth def. The Prime Time Players: I think this is the PPV after Prime Time Players manager was fired which pretty much killed any hopes the team had of going anywhere. If anything this match simply should how stale R-Truth and Kofi's characters were even two years ago. 1.5 stars.

WWE Championship CM Punk def. Big Show and John Cena: False finish where Phil submits Paul, but John is also pinning Mr Wight and then AJ restarts the match was pointless and actual finish made it look like a fluke on Punk's part. Cena hit the AA and went to pin but CM pushed him off and he got the pin instead. Big Show controlled the majority of the match which I also didn't like. 1.5 stars.

Brock Lesnar def. Triple H: This match had almost everything: story, psychology, selling, the two wrestlers focused on a specific body part Brock works the arm and Hunter works the stomach, really liked how HHH found Lesnar's weakness half way into the match but at that point a lot of damage had already been done to The Game and maybe it was too late. Only problem was crowd wasn't great. Paul is tapped out with a Kimura lock. But really good main event. 4 stars. 

Overall I will give this a 5/10, some mediocre matches and a really good main event which saves the pay per view, it's a average show.