WWE Vintage Collection Report: October 14th 2012
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
Welcome to the “Vintage Masquerade Ball.” Okerlund greets us in a flimsy Red Lone Ranger type mask, which looks like something pulled out of a Christmas cracker. Yes folks, this week we’re featuring masked wrestlers. The question is, Who’s on first?
WWF Superstars: August 25th 1996
Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs Who
What do you get when you stick Jim Neidhart under a mask? Who, that’s Who. This Abbott and Costello routine would get tired pretty quickly. Who goes after Jake from the get-go in the corner. Two hard irish whips and a clothesline keep Who in control, as the crowd chant rabidly for the DDT. Who works over Jake until he misses a dive off the ropes. A short-arm clothesline is followed by the DDT to send Who to gimmick heaven. Winner: JAKE “THE SNAKE” ROBERTS.
WWF Over The Edge: May 31st 1998
Mask vs Mask – Vader vs Kane w/Paul Bearer
We join this one in progress. Vader mauls the back of Kane’s head, before knocking him down and dropping an elbow across the thigh. Kane relies on an assortment of clotheslines to take control. The crowd root for Vader during a slugfest. Kane snapmares Vader, tries to pull at the mask, then delivers a chokeslam. Vader pulls out a wrench and does a number on Kane in the aisle. Vader sends Kane to the corner and hits the Big Red Machine with an avalanche. Vader sets up for a Vader Bomb, but opts to go all the way up and misses a moonsault. Kane drops Vader with a tombstone piledriver to pick up the win. Winner: KANE. After Kane removes Vader’s mask, Bearer puts it on and mocks Vader by saying “it’s time, it’s Paul Bearer time.” Vader’s post-match interview where he refers to himself as a “big fat piece of shit,” is edited off. After a few months of jobbing, Vader left the WWF to return to Japan.
WCW Nitro: February 9th 1999
Rey Mysterio Jnr w/Konnan vs Blitzkrieg
Just like Rey, Blitzkrieg was also a masked wrestler and we join his WCW debut mid-match. Rey uses a 619 to stop himself in the ropes. Blitzkrieg comes back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and standing moonsault for two. Rey misses a corner charge and posts a shoulder. Rey quickly recovers to counter a plancha with a dropkick in mid-air. Rey sends Blitzkrieg to the guardrail, before catching him with a guillotine legdrop. A superplex gets Rey a nearfall. Rey grounds Blitzkrieg with a sleeper and headscissors. Blitzkrieg ducks a clothesline, only to run into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Blitzkrieg reverses Rey to the corner, Matrix flips over him and quickly dropkicks. Rey meets a corner charge with a headscissors takeover, followed by a Bronco Buster. Blitzkrieg sweeps the legs to crotch Rey on the ropes. Blitzkrieg misses a corkscrew moonsault. Rey utilises a top rope Frankensteiner to pick up the win. Winner: REY MYSTERIO JNR. Rey was about to lose his mask in an ill-fated tag match with the Outsiders, while Blitzkrieg didn’t last the year, despite dazzling in various Cruiserweight encounters.
WWF No Mercy: October 22nd 2000
WWF Tag Team Titles: Hardy Boyz vs Los Conquistadors
Commissioner Mick Foley had barred Edge and Christian from fighting the Hardys for the titles. Enter the Conquistadors, who, despite an uncanny resemblance to Edge and Christian won a #1 Contender’s Battle Royal to net this match. The challengers give nothing away in a pre-match interview, replying to Kevin Kelly’s questions with “Si Senor” and “Arriba.” The Hardys control the early going. Jeff hits a headscissors out of the corner and a dropkick. Jeff leapfrogs over a charge and the challengers collide. The Hardys hit Poetry in Motion. A drop toehold leads to a Conquistador headbutting the crotch of his hombre in the corner. The Conquistadors come back with a double dropkick, then fake a double plancha, only to get caught on the floor and sent into each other again. Jeff makes the mistake of going for one of the Conquistadors’ gold masks and gets posted by the other one. Jeff gets isolated and worked over until Conquistador Uno misses a somersault senton from the top rope. Both tag out as Matt cleans house. Jeff runs the guardrail to clothesline Conquistador Uno. Conquistador Dos does a springboard dive over the top rope onto Jeff. Hmmm, executed just like Christian. Wink wink. Nudge nudge. Matt goes airborne with a flying dive, which hits Jeff just as much as it does the Conquistadors. Back inside, Conquistador Dos hits a reverse DDT on Matt. A Swanton from Jeff breaks up the pin. Matt gives Conquistador Uno a Twist of Fate. Matt pulls off his mask to reveal another mask. Aye Caramba! Conquistador Dos sneaks up to give Matt an Unprettier. 1-2-3. New Champions! Winners: LOS CONQUISTADORS.
The following night on Raw, Edge and Christian interrupt a Los Conquistadors interview, with Edge high fiving one to prove they’re not one and the same. Later, as Christian presides over which sunglasses to wear, Pete Gas comes in saying Mick Foley wants to see them. Edge goes for the meeting, but returns to see Christian lying under a broken table and clutching his arm. Christian says he was attacked by the Dudleys and says their title match will have to be postponed. Edge says he’ll fight the Conquistadors by himself.
Monday Night Raw: October 23rd 2000
WWF Tag Team Titles: Los Conquistadors vs Edge
A confident Edge tackles and drop toeholds a Conquistador, then smiles as the masked man rolls around on the mat. The Conquistador shocks Edge with a rollup, prompting Edge to yell at him and ask what in the hell he’s doing. Edge shoves the Conquistador, who begs for mercy. Edge smiles and attacks his opponent in the corner, but gets frustrated once more when the Conquistador kicks out of a pin. The other Conquistador tags in. Edge misses a clothesline and gets double-teamed. Poetry in Motion is followed by a Twist of Fate and a Swanton Bomb, as the crowd cotton on to the ruse. Edge is pinned and the Conquistadors unmask in the aisle to reveal themselves as the Hardys. Christian comes out acting confused, before Commissioner Foley comes out to clean things up. Foley shows unseen footage from the interview Edge and Christian thought they had cancelled earlier in the night. Not realising the cameras were still rolling, E & C reveal they wore the masks last night and had hired two jobbers to beat for the belts tonight. Foley reminds Edge and Christian that they violated his mandate banning them from any more title shots against the Hardys, but commends them on their creativity and allows their victory to stand. However, he’s also letting tonight’s victory stand so the “Conquista-Hardys” win.
END
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