Goody Bag XXIX: Second Looks

 

Loser Leaves Town Match: Ric Flair v Mr. Perfect: From Monday Night RAW on January 25 1993 (taped January 18) in New York. They size each other up a bit to start, each trying to get a psychological edge at the bell. Perfect manages a drop-toehold, and then gets in a cheap shot before Flair can do it do him first, and Ric bails to the outside to regroup. Back in, Ric tries a hammerlock, but Perfect reverses, so Ric tries a drop-toehold into a front-facelock, but Perfect counters right back to the hammerlock. Flair gets annoyed and throws an elbow to shake him off, then tries cracking him with chops in the corner, but Perfect turns the tables! Flair is very cautious from there, trying to avoid getting grounded by Perfect. He goes to the eyes to take control, and immediately capitalizes by tossing Perfect over the top, but the referee prevents him from using a chair out there. Back in, Ric cross corner whips Perfect, with Perfect taking a great bump over the top off of it. Wow, for a guy with a bad back, he wasn't shying away from that one. In, Ric unloads in the corner, and this time Perfect is battered enough that Flair is able to get some traction. Another cross corner whip triggers a somersault sell from Perfect, and it looks like he's busted open! Flair goes back to the well with another cross corner whip, but Perfect reverses this time, and somersault cradles him for two. Ric throws a right hand downstairs to try and cut Perfect off, but a hiptoss is countered with a backslide for two. Perfect with a corner whip to setup a backdrop, and Flair is actively begging off, but Perfect ignores him with a ten-punch count in the corner! Ric gets out of it with an inverted atomic drop (triggering an uncharacteristically subdued sell from Perfect), and a schoolboy gets him two. Perfect fires back with a vertical suplex for two, so Flair goes downstairs, and grabs a sleeper! Perfect manages to drop into the turnbuckles before he fades, so Flair whips him into the ropes for another sleeper, but Perfect reverses before Ric can apply it! He gets Flair down to a horizontal base right away, but Ric fights free with a side suplex. It's weird how few actual pin attempts have been made thus far. Figure Four is successfully applied, with Ric using the ropes for leverage, but he gets caught. A lot of damage has been done though, and Ric pounds the knee. Snapmare sets up a trip to the top, but Perfect slams him down, so Flair pulls out an foreign object, and knocks his former executive consultant out. Not exactly a golden parachute, is it? Ric adds an elbowdrop, but Perfect has a foot in the ropes at two. Flair responds by hooking the leg, but Perfect still kicks out at two, so Ric decides to punish him by hammering on his cut. Into the corner for chops, but Perfect responds in kind, and he backdrops the Nature Boy! Perfect with a corner whip to flip Flair onto the apron, so Ric hustles to the top rope - only to get nailed coming down for two. He begs off, and tries a leveraged pin as Perfect advances, but gets busted by the referee - allowing Perfect to counter into a cradle for two. Ric tries a backdrop from there, but Perfect counters with the Perfect-Plex, and we're done at 23:00. Still really great, but felt like it never quite got to that next level, and the finish was totally uninspired. *** ¾ (Original rating: *** ½)

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Shawn Michaels v Marty Jannetty: From Monday Night RAW, July 19 1993 in New York. Shawn sneak attacks, but Marty lands on his feet during a backdrop attempt, then back flips out of a backslide to hit a clothesline for two! Rollup gets two, so Shawn tries one of his own, but Jannetty drops down, and Michaels crashes out of the ring! The champion stalls out there, then tries to slow it down with a headlock (on hunger?) on the way back in. Marty whips him into the ropes to escape, and forces a criss cross, but it ends in a stalemate when both guys duck each other’s stuff. Shawn is looking really puffy here. He tries a charge in the corner, but Marty dodges, and adds a pair of armdrags, then a bodyslam for two. He grounds Michaels in an armbar, but Shawn powers to a vertical base in the hold, and whips Marty into the ropes for a backelbow. He capitalizes with a corner whip, but another charge in ends badly, and Jannetty delivers a 2^nd rope flying clothesline. He goes to the top for a flying fistdrop, but Michaels dodges, so Marty reroutes - landing on his feet, and sneaking up with a DDT for two. Marty thinks he had it, but he didn't notice Shawn's foot on the ropes. They spill to the outside to slug it out, then back in, Marty hits a vertical suplex for two. Backbreaker gets two, so Marty slaps on a sleeper, but Michaels manages a side suplex to escape. He throws a high knee to send Marty to the outside to buy himself some recovery time, but Jannetty beats the count, and a criss cross results in a collision - Marty down on the mat, and Michaels down on the outside! That was a cool bit of psychology, as Shawn could have very easily collapsed in the ring, but made the choice to fall to the floor, as he'd retain in the event of a countout. He fights Marty off and hits a flying axehandle for two, then grounds the challenger in a chinlock. Jannetty slugs free, so Shawn cuts him off with a knee, then grounds him again with a front-facelock. Is that Francine (of later ECW fame) in the front row? Shawn uses the ropes to keep a sparky Jannetty down, but Marty crotches him on the top rope to escape (those who live by the sword...), and pops off a jumping backelbow for two. Backdrop, but Michaels counters with a powerbomb, so Jannetty counters back with a rana into a cradle for two! Corner whip hits, but a stinger splash misses, and Shawn tries a flying bodypress - Marty rolling through for two! Rocker dropper connects, and a woozy Michaels is left tied up in the ropes. Jannetty helps him free with some right hands, but a bodypress misses, and Marty takes a wild bump over the top! Diesel 'helps' him right back in, allowing Michaels to cover for the pin at 23:00. I don't know if this was the Match of the Year for 1993, but I do know that I certainly underrated it the first time out. And, looking at my ratings for matches in 1993, it's certainly a strong candidate. **** ¼ (Original rating: *** ¼)

Bret Hart v Hakushi: From Monday Night RAW, July 24 1995 in Louisville Kentucky. Hakushi Pearl Harbor’s him on the outside, and sends the Hitman into the steps, then the guardrail. In, Hakushi puts the boots (well, if he wore boots) to Hart, and a bodyslam sets up a 2^nd rope pump-splash, but Bret lifts his knees to block! Hart with an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline, and he hammers Hakushi in the corner. Backbreaker and a pointed elbowdrop connect, but Hakushi reverses a cross corner whip, and Hart takes a wild sliding bump into the post! Hakushi follows up on it with a baseball slide into the sandwiched Hitman, then stands him up in the corner for a handspring backelbow! Bootchoke follows, and Hakushi clobbers Hart with a bronco buster. Pair of short-chops hit, but Hart escapes a third with a Russian legsweep, so Hakushi cuts him off with a spinkick. Gutwrench backbreaker gets two, and a cross corner whip is delivered with authority. Hakushi goes up with a flying headbutt to the lower back for two, and a snapmare sets up a nervehold. Bret escapes, and tries a rollup, but Hakushi drops his weight, and sends the Hitman crashing out of the ring. He looks to follow-up with a dive off the top, but the referee blocks him, so Hakushi changes things up with a space flying tiger drop! That would still be a wild spot even today! Bret fights him off and hits his own unique dive with a pump-splash to the floor, then back in with a backbreaker to setup a 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two! Bulldog gets two, and an inside cradle is worth two. Hakushi ducks a wild haymaker, and delivers a side suplex, but the flying headbutt misses, and Hart vertical superplexes him! Sharpshooter, and that's all she wrote at 13:31! Just great, as Bret once again, busts his ass to try and make Hakushi. *** ½ (Original rating: ***)

Bret Hart v Jean Pierre Lafitte: From Monday Night RAW, October 2 1995 (taped September 25) in Grand Rapids Michigan. Slugfest right away, but Lafitte controlling, and hammering Hart down. Cross corner whip and a clothesline connect, as does an elbowdrop, and Jean slaps on a chinlock. Bret quickly fights free, so Lafitte cracks him in the mouth with a backelbow, then cross corner whips him, but an avalanche misses, and Jean takes a bump over the top. Bret is hot on his tail with a crazy bodyslam ONTO the steps, then back inside for a pointed elbowdrop. Cross corner whip is reversed, but Hart blocks the follow-up charge again, and delivers a 2^nd rope flying clothesline for two. Criss cross ends in Lafitte press-dropping him across the top rope, however, earning a standing ovation from Jerry Lawler out on commentary. Lafitte works another chinlock, so Hart tries a hiptoss, but gets countered with a short-clothesline. Lafitte with a bodyslam to setup a flying splash for two - the high impact move leaving ladies in the front row covering their mouth in shock. I love it! Straddling ropechoke connects for two, and a stinger splash follows. Clothesline gets ducked, and Hart tries for a flash pin with an inside cradle for two, but Lafitte cuts him off with a clothesline, then adds a legdrop for two. Sidewalk slam sets up a flying legdrop, but Hart rolls out of harms way, so Lafitte throws a jumping forearm smash for two. They spill to the outside, where Bret tries a whip into the steps, but Lafitte reverses, and Hart fights to beat the count. Jean with a vertical suplex, so Bret counters with a rollup, but Lafitte blocks. Bret keeps coming with an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline, followed by a Russian legsweep for two. Backbreaker sets up a 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two, but Lafitte counters a leapfrog in the corner with a rolling fireman's carry slam for two. Backdrop, but Bret blocks with some right hands, so Lafitte cuts him off with a side suplex. Jean goes up, but Bret crotches him, and brings him down to earth with a vertical superplex, and the Sharpshooter wraps things up at 14:00. ** ¾ (Original rating: ** ½)