Welcome to the sixth, Tybo Talks 1995. We are continuing from In Your House 2, with SummerSlam 1995.
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 Opening video showcases all the ‘grudge’ matches, there are a whole lot of video sideswipes and fade-outs. This package is so 90s it’s unreal.
Dean Douglas is critiquing the show, I’m not sure if this is my thought process because it’s 25+ years later, but I wonder if Douglas was meant to be a take on Dave Meltzer?
(Dean Douglass, formerly Shane ‘The Franchise’ Douglas of ECW is the first wrestler I have seen make the jump from one promotion to another since starting my 1995 look back)
FunFact: This was the first SummerSlam PPV to take place on a Sunday.
123 Kid vs Hakushi (The White Tiger)
Although there is no solid story behind this match, this is a great bout. Feels like they just wanted some great wrestling to start the show. Hakushi is so underrated it’s madness, it’s a huge shame he didn’t get a real long-tern feud or enter into any title pictures.
There are a lot of high-flying moves from both Hakushi and Kid, Kid just does one high-risk move too many and Hakushi capitalizes. Great match, and that sets a great pace for the show.
Winner – Hakushi
Backstage – Doc Hendrix is interviewing King Mabel, Mabel is getting over the fact he is going to be King and WWE Champion.
Hunter Hurst Helmsley vs Bob ‘Sparky Plug’ Holly
At this point, Helmsley is still undefeated, although he has only had a handful of matches on TV. Helmsley works this gimmick to absolute perfection. he takes a long time getting to the ring, and undress then when Holly comes out (to a huge pop) Helmsley works as if he is disgusted at the thought of Holly touching him.
He reminds me of William Regal (which would make sense as they teamed in WCW) when he worked a similar gimmick. This is more of a character-driven match, then you lose the pace a little because of a split screen with The British Bulldog arriving at the arena.
I will take more about why Bulldog is important later, but he recently turned heel.
Back to the match and Helmsley hits a Pedigree (almost out of nowhere) and gets the pin.
Winner – Hunter Hurst Helmsley
There’s a fun video package of a charity event in Pittsburgh called ‘War on Water’ pitting WWF vs Pittsburgh Fire Dept. in a tug-of-war. This is something you never really saw in 1995, kayfabe was alive and well back then.
Jacob & Eli Blu (w/Zebakia) vs Billy & Bart Gunn
Although I have enjoyed the last few matches, this one (like the previous two) just feels like filler, with no real backstory. It’s unfortunate, but these are certainly not Summer Slam worthy. All we needed was a segment with these too arguing over who was the better bother team, and it could have added at least some meat on the bone.
FunFacts: There were actually plans for a match with Bam Bam Bigalow teaming with Lawrence Taylor (his Wrestlemania opponent) but this was scrapped when Wrestlemania’s buys were so low.
That being said this isn’t a bad match. There are plenty of double team moves, and the Smoking Gunn’s flurry at the end and their sidewalk slam/leg drop were great.
It makes me laugh that Vince (the man who hired them) doesn’t even bother to learn which Blu brother is Eli and which is Jacob.
Winners – The Smoking Gunns
Barry Horowitz vs Skip (W/ Sunny)
Amazingly Horowitz has been on a yearlong losing streak but has beat Skip twice in less than a month. This feels like Skip is getting buried far too soon into his first WWE run. During Skip’s entrance, Sunny is cutting a promo about Horowitz not getting another win over Skip. Feels a lot like the best thing about Skip is Sunny.
This again feels like it’s not a Summer Slam calibre match, granted there is a small amount of backstory and build to this one but still…
This is a low standard of a match, it just feels like they are going through the motions. The crowd seem a little more behind Horowitz. Skip starts you get cocky and starts toying with Horowitz. It’s then that Hakushi comes out and distracts Skip, so Horrowitz can get the roll-up pin.
Winner – Barry Horowitz
You would think that Hakuchi causing Skip to lose for the third time would lead to an interesting feud between the two, this was not really the case, they basically had two matches on ‘Superstars’ and one of those was a tag match, that’s about it. A feud that started on the Summer Slam PPV didn’t even make it to Raw?
Backstage (In the Classroom): Shane Douglas reviews the match, he gives the referee an ‘F’. and Horowitz an ‘S’ (for Slacker)
Tom Pettingill is interviewing Shawn Michaels, They show footage of Michaels vs Razor in their Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match. Michaels says he needs this match to prove he can win, the Wrestlemania loss is a black mark he needs to fix.
Women’s Championship
Alundra Blaze (C) vs Bretha Faye
This match starts out far more hard-hitting than I thought it would, it’s actually the closes thing to a proper ‘wrestling’ match I have seen on the card up to this point. Blaze is far better than I remember, they are really working that Blaze is struggling to keep Faye down, really good back and forward.
Out of nowhere, Faye gets the win? This looks like a botches finish, not sure what happened, it ends abruptly.
Winner – Bertha Faye
FunFact: This would be the last Women’s Championship match on PPV until November 1998. Blaze would be released soon after and famously take the title to WCW and drop it in a bin.
On a side note, this is my second favourite Women’s Championship after the Attitude Era title. I always really loved the pale pink strap.
Casket Match
The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) vs Kama (w/ The Million Dollar Man)
Finally a match with a bit of meat on the bone.
This feud goes back to Wrestlemania XI when Kama stole The Undertaker’s urn as a distraction for King Kong Bundy to get the win (he still didn’t win… obviously) Kara then melted the urn down to make a chain for himself. On Superstars (as of writing, this is still not on the WWE Network) Kama attacked an Undertaker ‘disciple’, so (interim) General Manager Gorilla Monsoon made this match a Casket Match.
Pre-match The Undertaker and Paul Bearer cut a classic 90s Undertaker promo to absolute perfection.
Although it’s not something I usually mention the entrances in this match are great, Bearer just makes Undertaker’s entrance next level, and the crowd pop so hard for them. Kama’s entrance is fearless, he shows no fear when looking at Undertaker, this is a great touch with him being billed as the ‘Supreme Fighting Machine’, it then flips when Kama is clearly terrified of the casket.
The match itself starts pretty slow, as you would expect with them both feeling each other out. There are some pretty solid moments in this match. One of the most interesting is just how many shots Kama gets on Undertaker, especially with it being 1995. Back then Undertaker was so protected, it shows they really wanted Kama to get over a huge heel character.
I thought it was interesting that there was a camera inside the casket, I assume this was abandoned when Casket matches became more hardcore.
A great moment with Million Dollar Man Hammering in shots to Undertaker, and an irate Bearer has to be restrained by two referees because he is ready to brawl with a shoe in hand (yes, his shoe)
After a lot of back and forward this one ends with them both in the casket, there is a great shot of Kama crawling out of the casket only to be dragged back in by the demonic Undertaker. It ends with Kama taking a tombstone in the casket. This was a really fun match to watch and was probably one of the better casket matches in the early years.
Winner – The Undertaker
Bret Hart vs Dr Isaac Yankem DDS
FunFact: This would be the first appearance of Glenn Jacob (Kane), in what would be a career spanning 25+ Years.
The video package for this one shows this is all about Hart and Jerry ‘The king’ Lawler, without them having another match, it’s clever when you think about it. The story goes that Yankem is The King’s dentist after Hart damaged his mouth and teeth in their ‘Kiss MY Foot’ Match.
Yankem is introduced by Lawler, and his music is a dentist drill and is instantly annoying. Todd Pettingill has an interview with Hart, where even he gets Yankem over, although he does call him a Tooth Fairy. I think it’s safe to say that WWE had a lot of faith in Yankem right from the start with having his debut, not only into a solid feud but to have his first match at Summer Slam and against Bret Hart. Time tells us that Yankem was destined to be a star…
There is no denying that Yankem is green but he carries himself well and has a great domination look using his size and physique to his advantage.
Yankem (as you would think) spends the bulk of the match manhandling Hart, but after Hart gets a second wind there is a flurry of some great wrestling moves, which was unexpected. This one falls down quickly when Hart ties Yankem up to get at The King, after the numbers get too much Hart ends up getting wrapped in the ropes and basically choked till the referee stops the match and awards Hart the win.
This is a great finish, it makes everyone involved look strong and doesn’t hurt Yankem with a loss in his debut match. Hart look like he had zero quit and Yankem looked like a savage.
Winner – Bret Hart (Via DQ)
Backstage: Todd Pettingill is interviewing Razor Ramon, Razor says history with repeat is self, more interestingly if Razor wins this match he will be the first four-time Intercontinental Champion.
Intercontinental Championship
Ladder Match
Shawn Michaels (C) vs Razor Ramon
Note: After looking into this match more, I realized that there was a rule in the state that made it against the rules to use the ladder as a weapon, this is why the match was so different to the first one. I had not changed what I said when I originally wrote this.
This is their second ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship (the first was at Wrestlemania X), it’s interesting because the first match is very fondly thought of and still stands up today as a great classic ladder match. This match is hardly mentioned, I wonder Why?
In true Michaels fashion, he wants to kiss the title, so it needs to be lowered before the match starts.
This match starts with a great pace, both try their finishers early and both seem coming, right away you can see this match is going to be a fun watch. I think a great thing about this match is that it feels like it’s a long time before either of them even thinks about a ladder. Sometimes these sorts of matches can become complete spot-fests and this one really feels like the ladder is secondary.
The ladders finally come out and so does Shawn’s bare butt, the crowd goes wild for a peak of extra HBK flesh.
There is a clear difference between this match and their last ladder match, it sounds like the commentary team think that every ladder shot is an accident? They never use it as a weapon in the obvious sense. It always gets whipped into it or ‘accidentally’ falls on someone. All I can think is McMahon has told both guys to tone it down in case of blood. Throughout the whole match, the same ladder is used for 99% of it, McMahon even makes reference to using the ‘legal’ ladder?
Razor spends a lot of time working Michaels leg, he hurt it earlier on the barricade, and Michaels sells it like a champ. Razor continues to work on that leg and Michaels plays it as he can hardly stand or walk.
There is a great call-back to Michaels iconic moonsault off the ladder from their first match, but this time Razor sees it coming, great to see development from Ramon.
Honestly, these both do everything they can to make this match reach the expectations going in, and I think they do a pretty solid job of it. They both give everything they have. There seems to be a bit of a botch at the end when Michaels jumps for the title but misses, immediately doing the same, after a tug of war with the championship Michaels finally gets it to release for the win.
Post-Match: Razor snatches the championship from Michaels, teasing a heel turn but instead awards the Championship to him and they both hug. Kliq Rules.
Winner – Shawn Michaels
Backstage: Dean Douglas Report Card – Douglas scored that match B.A.D. Razor came in with a cheap shot. Hopefully, this means the former ‘Franchise’ will be in the ring soon.
WWF Championship
Diesel (C) vs King Mable (w/ Mo)
Durning Mable’s entrance Diesel is interviewed and looks fired up! he’s ‘Gunna get Medieval on Ya!’
Pre-match, Mable steals the championship and parades around as he has won it, Mable is shouting he will be the first black WWF Champion. It’s crazy to think the first black world champion in WWE didn’t happen for a long time after this.
This is a slow match, but they tell a very simple but very effective story. Deisel might be a big man, but Mable is bigger and he will not fall down, no matter what Deisel hits him with.
The real downfall in the match is towards the end when it all but stops, it looks like Mable is so gassed he can barely move, and Diesel really doesn’t look 100%. After this, it all falls down with Mable and Mo beating down Deisel until Lex Lugar runs in to help (I assume) but Diesel knocks him out before he does anything.
FunFact: This is actually the last appearance for Luger on WWE TV, as he made the jump to WCW for their first episode of WCW Nitro.
Then the show hits a real low when Diesel hits Mable with a second-rope shoulder tackle for the win. That’s the finish to SummerSlam, one of the big four PPVs of the year. Madness!
Winner – Diesel
Overall
This is a weird event to rate, as there are some really great moments but overall the card lets itself down a lot. I have to say the first half of the show was really not Summer Slam worthy, the first hour or more felt like an episode of Raw. I funny understand there were things going on behind the scenes in WWF at the time but this is no excuse. This is one of the ‘big four’ when that meant something.
With such a weak opening few matches and then such a weak main event (again) this one seems like a fairly big miss for a SummerSlam.
The Match of the Night would clearly have to go to Razor and Michaels Ladder match, although this feels very different to their Wrestlemania Ladder match, I now know why. This almost makes the match all that more innovative because they had far more restrictions.
The Casket Match was good and added a little flavour to the show. Unfortunately once again Diesel’s WWE Championship match ended on a low. It feels like he is always facing poor opponents. We have seen Sid now Mable who’s next…
SummerSlam – 2/5
Tybometer ’95
(1995 PPV’s scored out of a possible five)
Royal Rumble – 4
Wrestlemania – 2
In Your House – 2.5
King of the Ring – 0.5
In Your House 2 – 3.5
SummerSlam – 2
Look out for the next Tybo Talks 1995, where I shift gears and review the first WCW PPV in the WCW Nitro Era, Fall Brawl (War Games)
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