Welcome to the ninth, Tybo Talks 1995. We continue from In Your House 3 and go straight into In Your House 4.
We have officially rolled into the ‘Monday Night Wars’ Era…
With the ease of access to pretty much all of WWE’s back catalogue on the WWE Network I thought it would be cool to change it up a bit and do some classic reviews (with a twist). As some of you may know I have already done this with WWE in 2002 and 2003, but this time I’m doing it a little different.
In the past, I have reviewed all the PPV (from the year) but watched all Raw and Smackdown episodes too. This time as it’s 1995 I’m watching all PPV but in between, I’m watching WWE Raw, ECW’s Hardcore TV and WCW Nitro (when it starts in September)… Wish me luck!
The PPV opens with Joanie Wilson singing ‘Oh Canada’
FunFact: Wilson is billed as an ‘international singing sensation’, but if you google her name, literally nothing comes up. (not one thing) I’m not sure what she did before or after this appearance but it was neither international nor sensational.
Interim GM Gorilla Monsoon starts the show explaining that because of Shawn Michaels’ concussion he will not be competing tonight. This means Michaels will forfeit the Intercontinental Championship and Monsoon will be awarding it to Dean Douglas, Although Douglas will immediately defend it against Razor Ramon.
Always thought this was an odd way of doing things as it would make more sense to vacate it and have this match for the new champion?
Fatu vs Hunter Hurst Helmsley
Fun Fact: Fatu comes to the ring wearing a ‘BSK’ hat, this is the group he was in with wrestlers like The Undertaker and Yokozuna, Undertaker even has a ‘BSK Pride’ tattoo on his stomach.
The reason for this match is pretty weak but basically, Helmsley sprayed Fatu with perfume. Fatu attacks Helmsley right out the gate, Helmsley doesn’t even get his jacket off, this is a great starting pace to the opening match.
Fatu ends up getting his head wrapped up in the ropes, if this was a spot it was really cool but I couldn’t really tell if it was actually intentional. Still, it looked cool. It’s from then on that Helmsley takes advantage. It’s funny that when Fatu is on the comeback he just becomes Rikishi. After a missed high-risk move Helmsley keeps his undefeated streak alive and wins with a pedigree.
Winner – Triple H
Post-Match: The King catches Helmsley to talk about the match, Helmsley comes out with a fake post accent that sounds like Matt Hardy when he is ‘Broken’.
Backstage: Doc Hendrix is interviewing British Bulldog. It’s crazy to think tonight will be Bulldog’s first-ever WWF Championship match. Bulldog is boasting already pinning Diesel two weeks ago on Raw.
Tag Team Championships
The Smoking Gunns (C) vs 1-2-3 Kid & Razor Ramon
The match starts fairly quick with Kid and Billy in the ring. There has been an on and off the rivalry between Kid and Razor over the last few weeks so it looks like this could either make or break them.
It’s crazy how over Razor is, the crowd pop big for him just getting in the ring. The match seems to slow down, but this only shows just how rapid Kid is with his moves. It’s easy to forget just how impressive Kid is in the ring.
It looks like Kid and Ramon are working as the heels in this one, they are really working the tags and working great together. It even looks like they are going to win after Ramon hits the Razors Edge, but Kid wants the pin. After getting tagged in and then rolled up, The Gunns win. The kid is clearly angry, maybe a heel turn in the future.
Winners – The Smoking Gunns
Marty Jannetti vs Goldust
After being teased for months this is Goldust’s debut match or his ‘premier’ as it is referred to. This feels like a big thing, I think it’s mainly because I have been watching all the Raw shows in between the PPV so I have seen all the video packages Goldust has done. The whole gimmick and presentation are great, almost perfect, it feels so thought out.
Jannetti seems to be going for the poor man’s Ultimate Warrior look with tassels everywhere. It’s interesting that JR mentions that Jannetty has been gone from WWF due to fighting some ‘personal demons’ I didn’t think it was something WWF did this early on, with everyone being larger than life characters.
The main takeaway from this match is that the crowd slowly started to turn on Goldust, he does start to show a more vicious side and that helps with the reaction, it’s almost like the crowd doesn’t know how to take Goldust as if they have a hard time processing what he is. Goldust does look incomparable in his gear, this is possibly why it went through so many changes.
Goldust ends it with a really nice looking front face suplex.
Winner – Goldust
King Mable vs Yokozuna
Before the match, they show a video package of Mable from two weeks ago when he broke The Undertaker’s face (Undertaker is currently out with a broken orbital bone, he wouldn’t return until Survivor Series)
JR mentions that their combined weight is over 1200lb, this has to be kayfabe, right?
With Mable beginning to be more unsafe, and Yokozuna clearly past his prime, I was almost worried about this match. They would both do one or two moves and then stop because they were both gassed. It’s a very short match as they both get counted out. They both get back in the ring and are face-two-face then hug. wasn’t expecting that! Weird?
Intercontinental Championship Relinquishment
Doc Hendrix introduces Dean Douglas who is going to be awarded the Intercontinental Championship as Shawn Michaels is injured and unable to defend it. Michaels comes to the ring and looks clearly upset and unwell. After a lot of Michaels uncertainty, Douglas snatches the title and acts as if he won it.
If I’m completely honest I forgot Dean Douglas is classed as a former Intercontinental Champion. I don’t understand why they did it this way and not just have the title vacated if Douglas would defend it straight away?
FunFact: This is the second time Shawn Michaels has lost the Intercontinental Championship without defending it. in September 1993 he was stripped of the title for not defending it within 30 day. In reality, he was suspended for testing positive for steroids.
Intercontinental Championship
Dean Douglas (C) vs Razor Ramon
There is no rest for either man in this one as Douglas just had that ‘hard fought’ title win… and this is Ramon’s second match of the night.
FunFact: This is the first time someone has won the Intercontinental Championship via forfeit.
This match starts fairly slow, slower than I was expecting with a lot of rest holds. I think I have mentioned this before but it feels like Ramon and Douglas have little to no chemistry. Maybe this is down to Douglas still finding his feet in WWF but he isn’t a rookie, he is a former ECW Champion.
The best part of this match is the end which adds a little more meat to the bone. Ramon is hardly covering Douglas for the pin, which means Douglas’ leg is under the ropes without the referee seeing. Douglas is still pinned for the three and we have a new Champion. This is something that adds more to the feud, and Douglas is the angry heel.
Winner – Razor Ramon
FunFact: Razor Ramon is the first-ever four-time Intercontinental Champion.
Bret Hart is set to join the commentary table for the main event. The King bails after a pretty funny scuffle with Hart. This was a fun little moment to keep their feud alive. There was a great moment between Vince and Bret with a side hug, both looks genuinely happy to see each other.
WWF Championship
Diesel (C) vs The British Bulldog (w/Jim Cornette)
Doc Hendrix catches up with Diesel before he comes out to the ring. Diesel says ‘I’m feeling funky’ What?! Ha! Diesel basically says anything he wants.
There are some big power moves straight off in this one, there is no real build-up it’s just all power. Bret Hart really does add some great insight to the match. It’s strange that Bret Hart has never done any commentary after he retired, I think he would have been great. It is mentioned that Hart would be facing the winner of this match at Survivor Series.
Bulldog is working on the knee of Diesel, a lot (even Cornett is on the sly) Now, I understand the psychology of Bulldog one body part this much and the story they are telling, but it doesn’t make for a very interesting match to watch, working the leg is one thing but working on it exclusively is something different when there is nothing but holds.
Although the end of the match does pick up slightly it all falls down when Bulldog takes a swipe at Hart, causing him to attack Bulldog and cause Diesel to get disqualified.
Winner – The British Bulldog (via DQ)
Diesel remains WWF Champion
Diesel is clearly annoyed that Hart cost him the match and both end up brawling in the ring, both men end up being pulled apart by wrestlers, officials and referees.
Overall
This PPV is pretty much what you would expect from an ‘In Your House’ that is leading into a major PPV (Survivor Series). You’re not expecting a five-star event but even this wasn’t the best. Interestingly the first hour of the show was better than the second, which is usually not the case with In Your House.
If it was my decision I would have pulled the trigger on British Bulldog becoming WWF Champion. Even if it was only for a few weeks leading into Survivor Series. The idea of a heel Bulldog going up against Bret Hart for the WWF Championship is a far more interesting story than Diesel vs Hart (even if this is the rubber match). The idea of family feuding over the title, and the extended family getting involved would be a far more interesting story to me.
As for Match of the Night, this is tough as there is no real stand outmatch. It could have possibly been the main event if the title changed hands, or Bulldog did more. I will say Goldust vs Marty Jannetty would take it, but this is purely based on the Goldust character being teased for so long and it feels like a big thing to finally see him wrestle. This was the match I had been most looking forward to even before the PPV started and was the most interesting thing on the card by a long way.
In Your House 4 – 1.5/5
Tybometer ’95
(1995 PPV’s scored out of a possible five)
WWF Royal Rumble – 4
WWF Wrestlemania – 2
WWF In Your House – 2.5
WWF King of the Ring – 0.5
WWF In Your House 2 – 3.5
WWF SummerSlam – 2
WCW Fall Brawl: WarGames – 2.75
WWF In Your House 3 – 3.25
WWF In Your House 4 – 1.5
Look out for the next Tybo Talks 1995, where I shift back to WCW and review Halloween Havoc 1995.
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