the Undertaker

The Undertaker vs. The Goon (and other Dream Matches!)

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Also a weirdo mishmash of Giant Kimala II & Headhunters vs. Johnny Ace, Johnny Smith and a Virtua Fighter character!

Welcome back to more Dream Matches! This time we start off with The Goon’s biggest challenge, as he faces the Undertaker during his feud with Vader! Also the time All Japan ran Johnny Ace/Johnny Smith/Wolf Hawkfield vs. a Kamala knockoff and the Headhunters! If you haven’t had enough Wrath from last week’s column, here he is in the “Post-Nash” part of his career, wrestling an Olympic bobsledder! Also a request from Maffew, as Mabel & Doink the Clown wrestle Bam Bam Bigelow & Jeff Jarrett on a Fancam house show!

As always, WWF stuff isn’t okay to post on the blog, but is readily available on YouTube.

THE UNDERTAKER vs. THE GOON:
(WWF, 1997)
* Yes, they really pit these two legends against each other on FREE TV. Can you believe that? I do find it hilarious how much like a 1990s hockey player Bill Irwin actually looked, what with that big hockey hair and his silhouette. I mean, props. Gorilla Monsoon on commentary suggests he needs to be “Ostracized from the World Wrestling Federation”. The canned heat here is ridiculous, keeping things at a long drone at the exact same volume- they’re not even trying.

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Mike Reviews – WWF Monday Night Raw 17th March 1997

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Hello You!

Seeing as we’re approaching WrestleMania later in the month, I decided to go back and review the go-home show for WrestleMania 13, seeing as it features quite a famous show closing moment. Mania 13 isn’t always well regarded, but it’s got a couple of good matches buried in amongst the early 97 malaise, along with an excellent match between Bret Hart and Steve Austin. I’ve actually reviewed it before and you can read what I thought if you like by clicking right HERE.

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What the World Was Watching: The Super Bowl of Wrestling (1995)

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This show took place on Friday, August 4, 1995 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum in Knoxville, Tennessee.  According to Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer, the show drew a crowd of 5,000, with 4,600 fans paying, thereby creating a gate of $37,500.  That made this the best-attended card in the history of the promotion.  The show is provided courtesy of a fan cam.

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What the World Was Watching: Smoky Mountain TV – July 29, 1995

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Chip Kessler and Les Thatcher call the action from the Jellico High School tapings.  Kessler has been trying to channel Vince McMahon to kick off each program by screaming “Neexxtt” but he just ends up sounding like he is grunting on the toilet.

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What the World Was Watching: Smoky Mountain TV – July 22, 1995

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Chip Kessler and Les Thatcher call the action, which is still from the Jellico High School tapings.

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What the World Was Watching: Smoky Mountain TV – July 15, 1995

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Chip Kessler and Les Thatcher are in the booth and they are broadcasting from a new set of television tapings from Jellico High School in Jellico, Tennessee.  According to prowrestlinghistory.com, the tapings took place on July 6, but no attendance figures were reported.

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What the World Was Watching: Smoky Mountain Wrestling – June 24, 1995

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Chip Kessler and Les Thatcher are handling the broadcasting duties and they are taped from Sevierville, Tennessee.

Thatcher interviews Commissioner Bob Armstrong and Armstrong’s Avenger.  Armstrong says he has faith in the Avenger against SMW Champion Buddy Landel.  He promises a surprise.

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What the World Was Watching: USWA Championship Wrestling – June 24, 1995

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Lance Russell returns to today’s broadcast alongside Dave Brown and they are broadcasting from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Russell interviews Brandon Baxter, who is upset that he is not being treated like a star in the USWA like he was in the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF).  Baxter demands that Russell tell him who Bill Dundee is going to have as his mystery partner for an upcoming match and that brings Dundee out.  As expected, that leads to Doug Gilbert and Brian Lee backing up their manager, but PG-13 make the save.

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What the World Was Watching: Smoky Mountain TV – April 15, 1995

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Chip Kessler tells the audience that today’s broadcast will recap the events of the Bluegrass Brawl where fans were turned away in Pikeville, Kentucky.

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What the World Was Watching: Smoky Mountain TV – April 8, 1995

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Jim Ross and Les Thatcher are in the booth and they are concluding the television tapings in Council, Virginia.  Tonight is the big Fright Night card in Johnson City, Tennessee, so Ross spends a lot of the match hyping it.

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What the World Was Watching: Smoky Mountain TV – April 1, 1995

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Jim Ross and Les Thatcher are doing commentary and they are still in Council, Virginia.

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What the World Was Watching: Smoky Mountain TV – March 18, 1995

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Jim Ross and Les Thatcher are tasked with commentary and they are kicking off a new set of tapings in Council, Virginia.  According to prowrestlinghistory.com, the shows in this new round of tapings were held on March 6 and drew 425 fans.

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What the World Was Watching: Sunday Blood Sunday II

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Like Super Saturday Night Fever, this card was taped from a fan in the crowd.  According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the show drew 1,100 fans to Knoxville’s Civic Coliseum.

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Review of WWE Untold: That’s Gotta Be Kane! (WWE Network Special)

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A new episode of WWE Untold aired on WWE Network on Sunday night that told the story of Kane’s WWE debut at the Badd Blood 1997 pay-per-view. I am watching on-demand on WWE Network in their “Originals” section.

Here’s the synopsis from WWE Network: “That’s Gotta Be Kane! In Your House: Badd Blood was a pay-per-view that changed WWE forever. Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Kane and more reveal behind-the-scenes stories from that night’s main event: the very first Hell in a Cell Match and the debut of The Big Red Machine, Kane.”

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TJR Retro: WWF Raw Deal 07/03/00 Review

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The WWF in 2000 reviews are back. I took the month of July off from writing these reviews because I needed a bit of a break. I figured if I stopped at the midway point it would be a good time for it. Here is the synopsis for this episode on WWE Network:

“Shane McMahon goes one-on-one with The Rock for the WWE Championship in the main event. While Triple H’s quest for the WWE Championship is put on hold, he is given an opportunity at Rikishi’s Intercontinental Championship. But when Chris Jericho makes presence felt at The Game’s expense, Y2J finds himself in a Handicap Match. Kurt Angle in action.”

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TJR Retro: WWF Raw Deal 06/19/00 Review

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This was the go-home edition of Raw heading into the King of the Ring PPV on Sunday, June 25, 2000. Due to that, they had six King of the Ring second round matches on this show.

The synopsis for this episode on WWE Network is: “As the King of the Ring tournament continues, CEO Linda McMahon makes an announcement regarding Triple H’s WWE Championship at Judgment Day.” They screwed up the synopsis. It should say “King of the Ring” at the end, not Judgment Day.

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What the World Was Watching: WCW Main Event – July 2, 1995

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–Gene Okerlund and Bobby Heenan are at their desks in the studio for today’s broadcast, headlined by Randy Savage against Big Bubba Rogers.

–Okerlund hypes the Dungeon of Doom as a threat and how they are sending Vader out on a roadkill tour before Bash at the Beach.  Heenan says Vader could show up at any major sporting event to beat people up.

–A video package recaps the Hulk Hogan-Vader feud going back to Clash of the Champions in January.  Some footage from the USWA is spliced in as well, where Vader beat up some preliminary wrestlers in Memphis.

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What the World Was Watching: WCW Main Event – June 25, 1995

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–Gene Okerlund and Bobby Heenan do their usual studio duties.  They hype Bash at the Beach, namely the Hulk Hogan-Vader main event.

–Okerlund says that Diamond Dallas Page was recently looking for a house in Malibu.  Heenan refutes the rumor floating around WCW that the Diamond Doll won the money that Page is spending as his own.

–Heenan openly wonders why the Nasty Boys are so popular when they do a move like the Pit Stop.

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