WWF Royal Rumble 1995 (Version II)

Original Airdate: January 22, 1995

From Tampa, Florida; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler

Opening WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Razor Ramon v Jeff Jarrett: Jeff tries a sneak attack, but Razor is wise to him, and slugs his challenger down. Jarrett tries a bodypress, but Ramon catches him in a fallaway slam, and adds a chokeslam - Double J bailing to the outside before the beating can continue. Back in, Jarrett slows things down, and they feel each other out. Jeff taunts him with struts after every takedown, but that just pisses the Bad Guy off, and he clotheslines Double J over the top. Roadie gives him some water out there, and Jeff comes back in calling for a test-of-strength. That doesn't go very well for him, however, and Ramon grounds him in an armbar. Jarrett fires off a series of three dropkicks to shake Razor off, and a straddling ropechoke follows. Jumping clothesline gets two, and he corner whips the champion a couple of times, then dodges an elbowdrop for two. Chinlock, but Razor escapes with a backslide for two, so Jarrett throws a clothesline for two. Sunset flip, but Razor blocks with a right hand, so Jeff throws another dropkick for two. Sleeper, but Ramon quickly escapes, so Jeff drops him with a swinging neckbreaker for two. Jeff tries whipping him into the corner, but Ramon slides to the outside, and crotches Jarrett on the post to block. Back in with a 2^nd rope flying hangman's clothesline for two, but a charge misses, and Razor takes a bump over the top. He bangs up his knee on the landing, and as he's trying to walk it off, Roadie sneaks up from behind - clipping the leg! That leaves the champion down in the aisle, and we've got a shitty countout finish at 11:14. Well, that's a shame, but at least Razor keeps his belt. And Jarrett knows that, so he calls Ramon out on the microphone, challenging him to re-start the match. Razor can barely stand, but he agrees anyway. That's not surprising. I mean, just take one look at that hairdo - this obviously isn't a guy known for making good decisions. He hobbles back in against the referee's advice, and manages to dodge a charging Jarrett into a schoolboy for two. Small package gets two, but Jeff is able to hit the leg, and a kneebreaker puts Ramon down. Jeff keeps after the leg, but gets shoved over the top while trying to springboard onto the knee. Unfortunately for Razor, he can't mount a follow-up, and Jeff slaps on the Figure Four! Razor sells it like fresh death, but manages to slug himself free, and he hobbles his way through a comeback. Razor's Edge looks to finish, but the leg gives out in the process, and Jarrett is able to cradle for the title at 17:34. Not some all time classic, but a perfectly solid title change, which served to get Roadie over in his new role. I definitely remember taking him seriously as a threat following this back in '95. ** ½ (Original rating: ***)

Undertaker v Irwin R. Schyster: IRS tries to keep his distance in the early going, but runs into a big boot after trying to sucker Undertaker into a chase. Undertaker with a pair of cross corner whips, and the ropewalk forearm follows, so Ted DiBiase hops up on the apron to protest. That leads to Irwin trying a sneak attack, but Undertaker sidesteps, and tosses IRS over the top. Schyster strategizes with DiBiase out there, and Ted decides to bring in the reinforcements - signaling two druids down to ringside. Given how thin the roster was at this point, I can only imagine what low level JTTS are under the hoods. Undertaker ignores them, and tries another ropewalk, but one of the druids shakes the ropes, and he falls. No matter, Undertaker ignores that as well, and keeps after IRS, but gets clotheslined over the top. He lands on his feet, and starts engaging the druids, but Irwin comes off the apron with a flying axehandle, then sends 'Taker into the steps. The druids get in their cheap shots before rolling Undertaker back in, and Schyster slaps on an abdominal stretch. This may be the one and only time I've ever seen freakin' UNDERTAKER in an abdominal stretch. And there's a reason for that shit. Undertaker escapes, so IRS throws the Write Off at him, then adds a pair of elbowdrops, followed by a legdrop. Truly cutting edge offense here. Splash misses, however, so the druids get involved again to give IRS a two count. Undertaker fights them off, but that allows IRS to come at him with another Write Off. No cover, however, and Undertaker chokeslams him for the pin at 12:20. I like how IRS hit his finisher twice, but didn't even get a single nearfall out of it. Really makes him look like a star, doesn't it? Boring stuff here. ¼* (Original rating: DUD)

WWF Title Match: Diesel v Bret Hart: Diesel overpowers him to start, so Bret starts shooting at the leg, and that quickly breaks down into a slugfest. Hart with a bodypress, but Diesel catches him in a bodyslam - only to miss an elbowdrop following. They trade clotheslines from there, and you can guess who gets the better of that - Bret getting knocked over the top. The Hitman tenaciously hops right back up onto the apron to slug it out with the champion, but that ends badly as well, so Bret decides to sweep him down, and bash Diesel's leg against the post a few times. That allows Hart to climb in without getting hit, and he goes to work on the leg. Figure four is applied, but tall Diesel is able to make the ropes. Hart doesn't want to let off, however, and milks the full extent of the referee's leniency before he does - then slaps another figure four on as soon as he does release! Diesel again gets the ropes, so Bret starts stomping the knee instead, until the big man rolls to the outside to get away from him. Hart dives right after him with a tope, then sends the champion into the post, but a whip into the steps is reversed. Diesel rolls him back in for a cross corner whip, and a few elbows against the turnbuckles set up a sidewalk slam for two. Straddling ropechoke connects, and Diesel applies a backbreaker submission. Bret gets out of it, so Diesel hammers him in the corner again, and hits a cross corner whip. Bret is just doing a marvelous job of selling here, which is perfect, since his earlier aggression bordered on losing him sympathy from the crowd. Diesel with an overhead backbreaker submission, but Bret escapes that as well, so Diesel big boots him down for two. Charge in the corner, but Hart dodges, and dives with a 2^nd rope flying clothesline. He hustles to the top to follow-up, so Diesel tries to slam him off, but Hart rakes the eyes, and topples him for two. Again, masterful control of the audience, as Hart walks that thin line - keeping his sympathy, while also playing a heel. To give you an idea of what he's working with, literally the entire front row are Hart fans, but he's making Diesel look like the hero. Hart bails to the outside again, and when Diesel tries to pull him back in, Bret sweeps him down in the corner, then uses his wrist tape to tie the big man's legs together! That leaves Diesel prone for Bret to stomp, and he adds a pointed elbowdrop before the referee can free Big Daddy Cool! Hart with a bulldog for two, and a Russian legsweep gets two. Backbreaker sets up the 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two, but Diesel grabs the ropes before Bret can even think about the Sharpshooter. Hart responds by clotheslining him over the top, but at attempt at a plancha is stopped when Diesel catches him, and rams his challenger into the post. Back in, Diesel lands the Jackknife, but Shawn Michaels runs in to break up the count at two, causing a DQ at 15:18. It's worth noting that the crowd popped pretty big for Shawn attacking Diesel there. However, the referee decides not to call for the bell, instead clearing Shawn out, and ruling that the match must continue. Both guys are down for the count, but both manage to stagger to their feet at the same time. Diesel tries cornering the Hitman, but Bret is able to fire off some kicks at the leg to stop that particular effort, and he works the leg again. Figure four, but the ropes are a long way away this time, so Diesel starts clubbing at the ribcage to break himself free. Bret keeps after the leg to prevent a comeback, but gets hammered in the corner while wrapping Diesel's leg around the middle rope, and the champion hits a gutwrench suplex for two. Bootchoke in the corner follows, but trying to charge with a big boot against the buckles misses, and Hart bashes the knee against the post. He ups the ante by using a chair on the leg next, testing the referee's patience. Sharpshooter is successfully applied, but now Owen Hart runs in to break up the hold for the DQ at 22:13. He doesn't get a massive pop like Shawn did, however. The referee again doesn't call for the bell - instead ejecting Owen and allowing the match to continue - but not before Owen manages to expose a top turnbuckle, and whip his brother into it! Unlike the last interference, Bret isn't moving as quickly as Diesel, and the champion staggers over to make the cover, but only gets a dramatic two. Diesel tries ramming him into the exposed buckle, but Bret manages to reverse - nicely sold by the champion. Hart capitalizes by drilling the dizzy Diesel with right hands, and he manages to knock him down, but that just inspires Diesel to get right back up and hammer Bret with fists of his own! Hart ends up falling out of the ring, so Diesel grabs a chair, but Bret manages to get away from him before he can use it. Bret fakes a knee injury as Diesel climbs back in, using the distraction to hook a small package for two. Rollup, but the referee gets bumped in the process, and everyone ends up down. That brings Shawn and Owen back out - this time with Bob Backlund, Jeff Jarrett, and Roadie all in tow! A massive beat down commences, but the referee has had enough, and rules the match a no contest at 27:26. Even with the non-ending, this was one hell of a match, with both guys working hard and working aggressively, and Bret doing everything in his power to try and get Diesel over in his new role. **** (Original rating: ****)

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka v 1-2-3 Kid and Bob Holly: This is a tournament final for the vacant belts. Only a year earlier, Bigelow and Tatanka were doing battle at the Rumble. Tatanka and Holly start, and Tatanka hits a sidewalk slam early on, but runs into a headscissor takedown, and Bob adds a bodyslam ahead of a pair of dropkicks. Tag to Bigelow, but he charges right into a drop-toehold, and Kid tags in for a tandem backelbow - only for Bam Bam to brush it off, and take both guys down with a double-clothesline! That was pretty cool! He tosses Kid around with ease, but a pop-up powerbomb is countered with a rana, and Kid throws a spinkick. Bigelow absorbs it, however, and whacks him with an enzuigiri for two. Over to Tatanka to pound Kid with chops, and a pair of cross corner whip rattles the ring. Back to Bigelow, as the heels cut the ring in half on Kid, and he does a bang up job of selling. He manages to send Bigelow over the top with a backdrop, then fights off Tatanka long enough to tag, and both guys dive in with stereo flying bodypresses - only for both to get caught! The heels prep slams, but both end up getting rolled up for two, and Holly dropkicks Tatanka as the dust settles. He goes to work, but Bigelow pulls down the top rope during a criss cross, and Bob takes a bump over the top. That allows them to cut the ring in half on Holly, but both he and Tatanka collide on a simultaneous bodypresses during a criss cross, and Kid gets the tag! He comes in hot with a missile dropkick on Bam Bam, and a somersault plancha on Tatanka. Flying bodypress on Bigelow, but Tatanka saves at two, and Bam Bam press-drops Kid out of the ring! Back in, Bigelow bodyslams him, and he goes up for the moonsault, but Tatanka accidentally knocks him off the ropes in the process! Bam Bam is out cold, and Holly is able to dump Tatanka out for a battered Kid to pin Bigelow at 15:45. I actually found myself getting really into this. I'm kind of surprised that both of these teams didn't do much together besides this tournament, because both were working like much more experienced partnerships here, with all sorts of neat little touches. I'd have enjoyed seeing more of both of these teams than we ended up getting, and honestly, considering how little they had for Kid and Holly in 1995 (not to mention how weak the tag team field was), I'm surprised we didn't. *** ¼ (Original rating: ** ¾)

Main Event: #1 Contender's 30-Man Royal Rumble Match: For the first (and I believe only) time to date, one minute intervals this year. Pamela Anderson sits at ringside, as she will accompany the winner to WrestleMania. Shawn Michaels gets #1, and Davey Boy Smith draws #2. Shawn doesn't bother waiting for the bell to attack, but ends up getting backdropped in the process, and Bulldog press-slams him. Clothesline is sold with a spiral, and a cross corner whip sees Shawn nearly flip out of the ring. He ends up tied in the ropes instead, but a charge from Davey backfires when Shawn lifts his boot, as #3 draw Eli Blu enters. Shawn tries cornering him with a ten-punch, but takes an inverted atomic drop in the process, as #4 draw Duke Droese runs out. As many times as I've been reminded, I always forget Droese was in the WWF this early on. I always seem to associate him with late '95/early '96 in my mind. He backdrops Michaels, and #5 entry Jimmy Del Ray is next. These intervals are so fast and furious that it's not allowing them time to build a story before the next guy is already running in. That said, given the extreme roster depletion they were working with this year, can you blame them for trying to find an angle to make it more exciting. #6 is Sione, as Shawn teases eliminations for anyone who asks, and Bulldog dumps Del Ray. He's quickly replaced with #7 entry Tom Prichard, as Sione and Duke gang up on Smith in the corner, but can't dump him. Doink the Clown is #8, and given the roster, I'm kind of surprised we didn't get Dink in there as well. That would actually be a cute comedy bit to try sometime, as a little person wouldn't be able to reach high enough to eliminate anyone. I haven't seen some of the late 2000s era Rumbles yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if they tried that with Hornswoggle at some point. Kwang is #9, but that goes nowhere. Rick Martel is #10, and he's got mismatched gear tonight - wearing his pink tights, but with the purple pads. Too bad he didn't wear grey boots to get the trifecta. Owen Hart is #11, but Bret runs out to beat him up in the aisle, and he's so loopy after that that Bulldog immediately eliminates him. I get the angle, but what a waste of a good worker in an already weak field. #12 is Timothy Well, and Bulldog immediately eliminates him, just as Shawn backdrops Droese out. Sione tosses Martel and Doink, and Shawn gets rid of Prichard. Kwang and Sione eliminate each other next, and lucky #13 draw Bushwhacker Luke is immediately tossed, as the bodies hit the floor! That leaves Michaels and Smith alone, and Shawn drops a knee, but has a vertical suplex reversed. #14 is Jacob Blu, but he's backdropped out by Michaels almost as quickly as he gets in. #15 is King Kong Bundy, and he mainly focuses on Davey Boy. Mo is #16, but immediately gets backdropped out by Bundy. That allows Shawn and Bulldog to gang up, but Smith stupidly tries to slam him, and gets thumped. Mabel gets #17, and avenges Mo by getting rid of Bundy. #18 is Bushwhacker Butch, and he comes in hammering Michaels, but gets his eyes raked, and he's gone. Lex Luger has #19, and it's goodbye Mabel. Man, guys are just doing super short turns here, aren't they. He press-slams Michaels next, and teams up with Davey to try and eliminate him, but Shawn hangs on. #20 is Mantaur. #21 is Aldo Montoya. And, no, I didn't gloss over any of Mantaur's contributions there. Aldo slugs it out with Shawn, as Bulldog and Luger try to toss Mantaur. #22 is Henry Godwinn, and he goes after Luger and Bulldog. Godwinn is another one that I always forget was in the promotion this early on, since he didn't really do anything of note until much later. Billy Gunn gets #23, and runs at Mantaur like they've got a blood feud going, or something. Dude, don't legitimize Mantaur. #24 is Bart Gunn, and he immediately gets pounded by Mantaur. Was there some shadowy Smoking Gunns/Mantaur feud I've blocked out of my mind, or something? Luger is totally showing off for Pamela here, shooting looks to make sure she's watching between moves on Godwinn in the corner. Bob Backlund gets #25, but Bret Hart attacks him like he did Owen, and Bob is quickly eliminated following the beating. #26 is Steven Dunn, looking like he came here to play lead guitar in an 80s hair metal cover band. And not even a GOOD 80s hair metal cover band. Dick Murdoch draws #27, and looks ancient. You know, having some guys pull double duty would have helped this field a lot. Not like they hadn't done it before anyway. Throw Razor, Jarrett, Undertaker, IRS, Bret, Tatanka, Bam Bam, Holly, and Kid in there, and that's nearly a third of the field right there. Adam Bomb gets #28, and Fatu gets #29, as Luger dumps Mantaur. Crush draws #30 to round out the field, and he tosses both Smoking Gunns on his way into the ring. Well, with Mantaur gone, they were useless anyway. Dunn is done, and the match suddenly slows down to lots of punching and kicking, right at the point when you'd expect bodies to be flying. Shawn, bless his heart, even teases an elimination for 1995 DICK MURDOCH. And now suddenly bodies go flying, leaving us with Michaels, Smith, Luger, and Crush as the final four. That's two years in a row that Shawn and Luger have been in at the end. Lex is the first to go - while trying a ten-punch count on Crush - and Shawn literally pleads with Crush to gang up on Bulldog. Crush agrees, and they go to work, but Crush actually turns on Shawn before Shawn can do the same to him! He tries to press-drop HBK out, but Michaels rakes the eyes, and Smith clotheslines Crush out - leaving us with the same two men that started us off! Bulldog hits him with a kneelift, and Shawn teases several eliminations in dramatic fashion. The most dramatic of which comes last, as Michaels gets clotheslined over the top, but manages to hang on by a thread (with Bulldog thinking he'd won), then sneaking up to knock Davey out for the win at 38:43. Yes, a forty minute Rumble. The one minute intervals thing was flawed, but honestly, they were making the best of a bad situation. Although, I still think having guys pull double duty could have juiced things up a lot. Overall, not a terrible Rumble, as Shawn basically carried the whole thing with his endless elimination teases – including perhaps the best elimination tease in Rumble (or battle royal) history as a finale. ** ½  (Original rating: **)

BUExperience: This one flies pretty well below most people’s radar these days (and pretty much always has), but it’s actually a very watchable show, with an awesome title match, and a solid undercard. The main event is no one’s favorite Rumble, but it’s also better than it’s reputation would have you believe. I’ve certainly seen worse – 1991, off the top of my head. Not a must see, but worth a look.

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