WWF SummerSlam 1995

For 1995, with business at the lowest point in the promotions history and rival WCW breathing down their necks with stars like Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage, the WWF’s direction veered wildly as they tried to steady the ship. With WWF Champion Diesel’s title reign nine months strong and still underperforming, they elevated midcard tag teamer Mabel to main event level, hoping to build intrigue in the vein of Hulk Hogan’s battles with big men like King Kong Bundy, Andre the Giant, or Earthquake.

Unfortunately, the fans did not respond (myself included, thinking that they were stretching it more than Mabel’s waistband with that feud – and I was only ten), and the show achieved one of the lowest buyrates in the promotions history to that point (and became the least commercially successful SummerSlam to that point).

From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler.


Opening Match: The 1-2-3 Kid v Hakushi: Both guys spend time sizing each other up before going into trading hammerlocks - with flippy floppy counters. Criss cross ends in a stalemate when they both kip up simultaneously, and another ends in a stalemate when they both try somersaults to counter the other mans offensive move. Hakushi has enough, and smacks him into the corner, but Kid counters a powerbomb with an armdrag. Into the ropes to follow-up, but Hakushi catches him with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, and a handspring elbow. Now overcome with emotion at being hit with the hold of his future lover, Kid slumps in the corner, so Hakushi takes him deeper into his future with a bronco buster. His mind now completely blown, Kid just crawls around the ring - Hakushi following him around with swift kicks. Vaderbomb gets two, so he takes Kid into a nervehold. Kid powers up quickly, so Hakushi backdrops him, and spinkicks him to the floor for a Space Flying Tiger Drop - leaving the crowd in awe. He hits a flying shoulderblock on the way back in for two, but a flying headbutt misses, and Kid throws a dropkick to knock Hakushi to the floor. He follows out with a springboard bodypress, and rolls him in for a slingshot legdrop. Flying splash gets two, but a spinheel kick gets countered into a modified side suplex for the pin at 9:29. Hakushi was filled with innovative, well worked spots here, but his transitions were horrible and plodding. Still, a good opener, as it got the crowd going. * ½

Hunter Hearst Helmsley v Bob Holly: This was still very early into Triple H's WWF run - this serving as his pay per view debut. Helmsley stalls Holly, but makes the mistake of getting too close to him, and gets bodyslammed. He wisely hides in the ropes after that, and counters Holly with a stungun as he charges. HHH pounds him in the corner, and gives him a hard cross corner whip. Suplex sets up a kneedrop for two, and he hooks a rope-assisted abdominal stretch. The referee catches him to allow Holly to reverse, so Hunter casually hiptosses him over the top rope to break. Well, that'll do it. Hunter tries a backdrop on the way back in, but Holly counters with a DDT and a dropkick hits. He can't capitalize, however, so HHH charges with a clothesline, but Holly instinctively counters with an inverted atomic drop. Another dropkick, but he puts his head down for a backdrop, and gets Pedigree'd at 7:10. Nothing to see here - just a TV match to put over Triple H. Hunter was still very green and getting comfortable with his character, but luckily they gave him a chance to develop (the thin roster likely worked in his favor) because he got much better. ½*

The Smoking Gunns v The Blu Brothers: Billy Gunn starts with Jacob Blu, and gets quickly overpowered. Tag to Eli Blu (his twin brother, who today would likely be named ‘Ray’) for a bodyslam, but Jacob gets caught in a (still unnamed) fameasser to allow the tag to Bart Gunn. He hooks Jacob in an armbar, but Eli fires off a cheap shot from the apron, so Bart passes back to Billy before they can follow-up. He gets quickly overwhelmed in a double-team, however, and Eli hangs him in a tree of woe as the Blu's cut the ring in half. He manages to take Jacob down with a facebuster to allow the tag to Bart, and he's a barn of fire! The Blu's try some twin magic, but Eli gets caught in the Sidewinder at 5:40. Another TV match. DUD

Skip v Barry Horowitz: This was the blowoff to a great angle, as career jobber Horowitz managed to pin Skip on TV (shocking even ten year old marks like me, who still thought the matches were 'real,' but knew certain guys were just losers), and setting up this rematch. And Horowitz is pumped, charging in with a flurry of right hands and a backdrop. Chincrusher sets up a legwhip, and a clothesline puts Skip on the floor. A slingshot brings him back in the hardway and Horowitz sends him right back out by suplexing him to the floor. Manager Sunny runs in to beg for mercy, the distraction allowing Skip to takeover with a clothesline, and a snap suplex. 2^nd rope elbowdrop hits, as does a 2^nd rope fistdrop, but Skip wastes too much time showboating, and misses an elbowdrop. Barry throws a pair of shoulderblocks for two, and a sunset flip gets two, but he walks into a clothesline. Skip ties him up on the mat in an abdominal stretch, and hits a powerslam as the crowd chants for Horowitz. Skip with a series of sliding legdrops for two, but both guys throw simultaneous dropkicks for a stalemate. Skip recovers first, but gets crotched on the top rope, but Barry fails to suplex him off, and Skip manages a flying headbutt for two. Piledriver, but Barry backdrops free and dropkicks him. To the top, but Sunny shakes the ropes to crotch him, and Skip superplexes him off. That draws Hakushi out, and the distraction allows Horowitz to cradle Skip for the pin at 11:15. Solid back-and-forth match, and the crowd was majorly into Barry, but unfortunately they didn't go too much further with him after this. Of course, their decision to dress him up like an extra from Magic Mike and give him 'Hava Nagila' as theme music probably didn't help. * ¼

WWF Women's Title Match: Alundra Blayze v Bertha Faye: Faye had put Alundra out of action with a kayfabe injury to set this up. And Blayze is pissed, unloading with lightning kicks and an enzuigiri at the bell. That fails to faze Faye, however, so she takes her down with legsweep, and fires off more kicks. She makes the mistake of trying to match power with the much larger Bertha, and gets slammed around. A pair of legdrops (one for each tit) gets two, but a 2^nd rope splash misses, and Blayze hooks a victory roll for two. Faye quickly regroups by spearing the champion, and bodyslams her for two. Blayze with a series of hairslams, but Bertha manager Harvey Wippleman gets involved, and lures the champ into a chase. She still manages a crucifix for two, and a rana gets two. Pair of 2^nd rope dropkicks hit, but a third one misses, and Faye hits a sitout powerbomb to win the title at 4:40. Blayze tried her darndest, but Faye was horrible (Yokozuna with smaller tits), and couldn't be carried. DUD

Casket Match: The Undertaker v Kama: This is the blowoff to the epic(ly stupid) feud that saw Kama steal the Undertaker's urn, and melt it down into a necklace. Undertaker doesn't appreciate the remains of his parents being turned into costume jewelry (no sense of humor, that one), and destroys Kama at the bell. A Stinger Splash sets up the ropewalk forearm, but Kama quickly escapes an attempt to stuff him into the casket, and hits a flying clothesline on the way back in. Undertaker shrugs him off for another Stinger Splash, but gets caught coming in this time, and powerslammed. Kama goes for the casket, but ends up getting reversed into it with a headscissors, but fails to get the lid closed when Kama manager Ted DiBiase distracts him with the necklace. That allows Kama to unload on him in the corner, and he clotheslines the Undertaker onto the lid of the casket. He heads out there to post him, and then suplexes him onto the casket for good measure. Unfortunately, with 'Taker lounging on the lid, Kama can't open the casket to stuff him in, so he tries to piledrive him through the damn thing - only to get backdropped into the ring. Kama tries a powerslam as 'Taker heads back in, and hooks a chinlock after getting frustrated that the referee won't count. Yeah, damn pre-agreed upon rules. You show 'em, Kama! That goes on for far too long before 'Taker hits a belly-to-belly suplex to break, and a jumping clothesline follows up. Cactus Clothesline sends them both tumbling into the casket, and a Tombstone allows Undertaker to close the lid at 16:26. Too long for the punch-kick stuff they were doing, but at least it satisfyingly blew off the feud. This was effectively the end of Kama until 1997, when the WWF needed black people for the Nation of Domination angle, and brought him back. DUD

Bret Hart v Isaac Yankem: Another ridiculous feud here, as Jerry Lawler recruited his dentist to get revenge on Bret Hart after Hart stuffed Lawler's filthy foot in his own mouth at King of the Ring. Bret doesn't even bother wearing his leather jacket out for this bullshit. Hart tries a go-behind early, but Yankem tosses him off, and chokes him into the corner. Yankem leaves Hart slumped after a barrage of forearms, and slams him - the crowd not responding at all. A missed blind charge allows Bret an inverted atomic drop, and he clotheslines Yankem to the outside. He follows with a plancha, and rolls the dentist in for a 2^nd rope clothesline. Sharpshooter, but Isaac blocks, so Hart blows him low and hooks him in a backslide for two. Bodypress, but Yankem catches him in a press slam onto the top rope, and whips Bret into the corner chest-first. Yankem with a chokeslam, and he pulls Bret into a nice hangman, but Hart counters into a cradle for two. He can't turn the tide, however, and Yankem clotheslines him to the floor. Yankem rams him into the post out there, and hangs him over the ropes on the way back in for a flying legdrop. Whoa! My dentist only ever pulls off flying elbowdrops. Crazy! That gets two, and a short-clothesline for two, but Hart catches him with a tope as it spills to the floor. Into the steps, and he rolls Isaac in for a bulldog. Russian legsweep gets two, and a backbreaker sets up the 2^nd rope elbowdrop. Sharpshooter, so Jerry Lawler hops up from his seat at the announce table, and helps his dentist to the ropes to break. Both guys spill to the floor for Isaac to whip him into the steps, and he goes to the top on the way back in - only for Hart to slam him off. Ten-punch count, and he sweeps Yankem off of his feet, then ties his legs around the ringpost with some electrical wire. That allows him to stomp, but Lawler gets involved again, and Yankem dives after Bret with a flying axehandle. He ties Bret in the ropes (Foley in German style), but Lawler can't keep his nose out of it, and Yankem gets disqualified at 16:08. Bret Hart worked hard to carry Yankem to a solid, well paced match, and Hart built drama well (the crowd went from sitting on their hands to shrieking when Yankem was on offense), but it felt like a waste of time and talent. The DQ ending didn't help either, but they were sort of in a corner, since you don't want to book a guy to lose his first match. Unfortunately, things wouldn't get too much better for Bret from there, as he kept getting saddled with silly feuds (his next feud involved a pirate stealing his jacket) until the Austin era. **

WWF Intercontinental Title Ladder Match: Shawn Michaels v Razor Ramon: This was originally scheduled (and announced) as the blowoff to Shawn's feud with Sid (his former bodyguard, who attacked him the night after WrestleMania XI, and turned Michaels face), but fan interest was so low going in that they booked this instead - promising a show stealing WrestleMania X rematch. The Officials have some trouble getting the title belt properly set up, with Michaels looking about ten seconds away from a full freak out. The staredown quickly turns into a criss cross, and Shawn tries for the Superkick right away, but Ramon holds on to the ropes to dodge him. He in turn tries for the Razor's Edge out of the next exchange, but Michaels hits the deck to block. Slugfest goes Michaels' way, but Ramon reverses a cross corner whip, and he goes flying to the floor. Razor goes for the ladder, but Michaels dives on him in the aisle to stop the effort, and tries to suplex him in, but Razor reverses - Michaels banging his ankle on the guardrail on the way down. Inside, Razor tries for the Edge again, but Shawn counters into the Superkick, and they end up in a double knockout. Razor takes him to the top rope for a blockbuster superplex, and with Shawn good and dead, heads back for the ladder. He manages to get it to ringside, so Shawn tries to baseball slide it into him the way he did last time, but Ramon dodges. He climbs for the belt, but Shawn tips the ladder over to stop him. That allows Shawn to grab the ladder for a shot, and he climbs, but Razor tugs the tights down to stop him. Shawn kicks him off to resume his climb, so Razor gets more direct, and shoves the ladder for Shawn to fall - and the ladder to fall on Shawn's ankle. Razor wedges his ankle between the ladder's two sides for some stomps, and then sweeps Shawn off his feet with the ladder as a broom. Slam onto the ladder (ankle first), and Razor props the ladder up in the corner to whip Michaels into - but Shawn's ankle is so bad he can't get across the ring. Razor responds by stomping the ankle some more, and tries a spinning toehold, but Michaels counters by shoving him into the ladder. He can't turn the tide, however, and Razor throws him ankle first into the ladder in the corner. He drags Shawn to the ropes for some springboard dives onto the ankle, and then drags him to the post for a couple of swings. Drop-toehold sets up an anklelock, and Razor grabs the folded up ladder to casually tip onto Michaels' ankle. He climbs for the belt, but Shawn limps up the ropes and knocks him off with a desperation flying axehandle. Razor beats him to a vertical base, but Shawn counters a running powerslam with a shove into the ladder. He still can't properly capitalize, however, and Ramon climbs first, so Shawn follows him up with a side suplex to the mat. That's enough to allow Shawn to whip him into the ladder, and he props it up in another corner to do it again. A diving forearm follows, and a bodyslam allows Shawn to climb the ladder with a flying moonsault. Up again for a flying splash from the tiptop of the ladder (with the nice added touch of crossing himself first), but Razor rolls out of the way - again demonstrating he comprehensively studied their first match. Both guys are down after that, and slowly start climbing opposite sides of the ladder to get into a slugfest at the top. Ramon wins it with a headbutt, so Shawn quickly hooks the ladder on his way down - causing them both to crotch themselves on the ropes. They both end up staring up at the lights from the floor, and Razor recovers first to find a ladder under the ring (in the days before ladder matches were a guarantee of multiple ladder, and before pulling weapons from under the ring became a staple) - but while he's busy with that, Shawn is climbing the first ladder. Razor stops him with the Edge, and sets up his nice fresh ladder for a climb, so Shawn sets his own up (tipping it into position while still on the mat), and they meet at the top for Shawn to Superkick Ramon off. He isn't properly lined up with the belt, however, and his leap for it leaves him badly missing, and crashing back down onto the bad ankle. Ramon takes advantage with another Edge, but Shawn backdrops him to the floor this time, and climbs - but the title belt doesn't unhook, and he crashes down again. He loses his shit over it, but manages to get himself together long enough to climb again, and this time unhooks the belt for the win at 24:58. Just fantastic. These two had a considerable task in trying to follow (and top) themselves, but this more than delivered: a psychologically sound war of attrition, with great selling from both men - particularly Michaels. While the original is certainly better remembered and more influential, this is another classic from the two - with Ramon working one of his most intelligent and psychologically sound matches (from the ankle work, to learning from his mistakes in the original), though it did suffer a bit from having to follow the other match - especially because both guys seemed to have it hanging over their heads more than the belt. ****

Main Event: WWF Title Match: Diesel v Mabel: Big slugfest to start - won by Mabel with his fat. He takes Diesel down again with a shoulderblock, but a cross corner clothesline gets reversed, and Diesel adds a second for good measure. Bodyslam, but he can't lift the big challenger, so he regroups with a diving shoulderblock to knock him to the outside. Diesel with a plancha to follow out to the floor, but a whip into the ringpost gets reversed, and Mabel whips him into an exposed turnbuckle for two. Buttsplash onto the back sets up a poorly executed reverse chinlock, but he abandons that for a bodyslam shortly after. Elbowdrop misses, so Sir Mo hops in to help the challenger pound away, and that draws Lex Luger out to evict Mo (in his last WWF appearance before showing up on the première episode of WCW Nitro the next week - and fire the first shot of the Monday Night Wars). Meanwhile, Mabel retains control with a belly-to-belly suplex, but it only gets two. 2^nd rope splash misses, and Diesel staggers up to the 2^nd rope himself for a flying forearm to retain at 9:15. This was a blatant attempt to plug Diesel into the 'Hogan formula' (down to the failed bodyslam at the start of the match), but fell completely flat - drawing silence throughout. Both guys put in a good effort, but this had no business following the last match, let alone headlining the second biggest show of the year. DUD

BUExperience: The last major WWF show before the Monday Night Wars, a big issue with it is that they were still booking 80s-style (down to the main event) when star/star matches were reserved only for pay per view or Saturday Night’s Main Event. In the RAW era, however, star/star matches were a regular occurrence, and filling a pay per view with TV matches really weighed down the card – an issue they would have for years before adjusting in the late 90s.

This one easily ranks as my least favorite SummerSlam (despite the classic ladder match, I find lesser shows like the 1990 or 1993 versions more entertaining), though it has enough good stuff on it to avoid being technically horrible – which isn’t exactly a glowing recommendation. *