The Roadie and Jeff Jarrett were all over this show - then they walked out on the company
Listen to our July 1995 podcast, reviewing In Your House 2, and talking about the Jarrett/Roadie walk out
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Subscribe to the podcast via: iTunes | RSS Feed | Email Newsletter
How could the WWF follow up on the abomination of King Of The Ring 1995? There wasn’t much to speak of going into the show – Shawn Michaels and Jeff Jarrett had a hastily put together program setting up their title match, Diesel and Sid were going at it again and King Mabel and “Sir Mo” would face off against Razor Ramon and Savio Vega which ties into the story from the last pay per view. Bret Hart and The Undertaker “sat out” this show (i.e. appeared in post-show dark matches).
The 123 Kid vs The Roadie
Two guys who would go onto be better known as “X-Pac” and “Road Dogg”, and anyone who discovered the match wouldn’t go home disappointed as both men worked hard in a match legitimately better than anything from King Of The Ring. We end with Roadie doing a backwards walking piledriver from the second rope – dangerous as all hell for what it was, especially on a man who had neck issues not long before. Thankfully, no lasting damage.
Men On A Mission (King Mabel and Sir Mo) vs Razor Ramon and Savio Vega
A little surprised at this, they kept Mabel in the ring for just about as long as he could last before either boring the crowd to death or just blowing up, and the match just finished early enough not to outstay its welcome. That being said this match being better than I expected it to be is where the praise ends, Mabel hits a belly to belly on Razor and picks up the win.
Jeff Jarrett sings “With my Baby Tonight”
Some effort this. Jarrett does a stellar job lip-syncing to Roadie’s pre-recorded tune – fantastic effort that I think had a lot of people believing. We also had Roadie doing Jarrett's introduction and it was pretty evidence that he had something on the mic even by this stage.
Henry ‘O’ Godwinn vs Bam Bam Bigelow
We debated on the podcast whether this was a demotion for Bam Bam (originally he was set to face King Kong Bundy in this spot). Ultimately it was just short enough where it could be claimed as a squash match. Very little to write home about, Godwinn falls off the turnbuckle going for a headbutt and Bam Bam picks up the win. In a parallel universe he’s facing Diesel as a heel in the main event.
Shawn Michaels vs Jeff Jarrett (w/The Roadie) for the Intercontinental Title
A lot of stalling and showboating early on, which fits both characters down to a tee, but this turned into a damn fine match, and easily the best from the company in 1995 to date. Shawn at his athletic best getting frequently cut off by Jarrett and The Roadie. The crowd were into Micheals, a lot, particularly when he went to the top. Eventually, after surviving a crossbody, Roadie turns his back and trips Jarrett (rather than Michaels, as planned), Jarrett stands up into a superkick for the win.
WWF Tag Team Title Match - Yokozuna and Owen Hart (w/ Mr Fuji and Jim Cornette) vs The Allied Powers (Lex Luger And The British Bulldog)
I'd be overdoing it praising the star power in this match, but this highlights the virtue of having name wrestlers in important spots – something that King Of The Ring just didn't have. The match was nothing special, nor did it have the time to be, but all four men got in their fair share of the action before Yokozuna drops a leg drop over Luger for the victory.
WWF Title Lumberjack Match – Diesel vs Sid
A week earlier at Bash At The Beach, WCW had done a lumberjack ("Lifeguard") match of their own, they had ten wrestlers surrounding the ring. This match had three times as many. The result meant a chaotic mess of bodies on the outside that could do very little to cover the fact this series of Diesel and Sid matches were actually getting worse. Barring a Michaels crossbody spot, and a Diesel dive, this match achieved very little of note.
Score Rating: 6/10
Overall Thoughts: Had this followed a stronger run of shows, this show wouldn't have been seen as well as it was, but this was probably the companies best PPV effort of 1995 to date. Michaels vs Jarrett was excellent, as was the Jarrett/Roadie angle. I wouldn't be going out of my way to watch anything else, though.
The 123 Kid vs The Roadie
Two guys who would go onto be better known as “X-Pac” and “Road Dogg”, and anyone who discovered the match wouldn’t go home disappointed as both men worked hard in a match legitimately better than anything from King Of The Ring. We end with Roadie doing a backwards walking piledriver from the second rope – dangerous as all hell for what it was, especially on a man who had neck issues not long before. Thankfully, no lasting damage.
Men On A Mission (King Mabel and Sir Mo) vs Razor Ramon and Savio Vega
A little surprised at this, they kept Mabel in the ring for just about as long as he could last before either boring the crowd to death or just blowing up, and the match just finished early enough not to outstay its welcome. That being said this match being better than I expected it to be is where the praise ends, Mabel hits a belly to belly on Razor and picks up the win.
Jeff Jarrett sings “With my Baby Tonight”
Some effort this. Jarrett does a stellar job lip-syncing to Roadie’s pre-recorded tune – fantastic effort that I think had a lot of people believing. We also had Roadie doing Jarrett's introduction and it was pretty evidence that he had something on the mic even by this stage.
Henry ‘O’ Godwinn vs Bam Bam Bigelow
We debated on the podcast whether this was a demotion for Bam Bam (originally he was set to face King Kong Bundy in this spot). Ultimately it was just short enough where it could be claimed as a squash match. Very little to write home about, Godwinn falls off the turnbuckle going for a headbutt and Bam Bam picks up the win. In a parallel universe he’s facing Diesel as a heel in the main event.
Shawn Michaels vs Jeff Jarrett (w/The Roadie) for the Intercontinental Title
A lot of stalling and showboating early on, which fits both characters down to a tee, but this turned into a damn fine match, and easily the best from the company in 1995 to date. Shawn at his athletic best getting frequently cut off by Jarrett and The Roadie. The crowd were into Micheals, a lot, particularly when he went to the top. Eventually, after surviving a crossbody, Roadie turns his back and trips Jarrett (rather than Michaels, as planned), Jarrett stands up into a superkick for the win.
WWF Tag Team Title Match - Yokozuna and Owen Hart (w/ Mr Fuji and Jim Cornette) vs The Allied Powers (Lex Luger And The British Bulldog)
I'd be overdoing it praising the star power in this match, but this highlights the virtue of having name wrestlers in important spots – something that King Of The Ring just didn't have. The match was nothing special, nor did it have the time to be, but all four men got in their fair share of the action before Yokozuna drops a leg drop over Luger for the victory.
WWF Title Lumberjack Match – Diesel vs Sid
A week earlier at Bash At The Beach, WCW had done a lumberjack ("Lifeguard") match of their own, they had ten wrestlers surrounding the ring. This match had three times as many. The result meant a chaotic mess of bodies on the outside that could do very little to cover the fact this series of Diesel and Sid matches were actually getting worse. Barring a Michaels crossbody spot, and a Diesel dive, this match achieved very little of note.
Score Rating: 6/10
Overall Thoughts: Had this followed a stronger run of shows, this show wouldn't have been seen as well as it was, but this was probably the companies best PPV effort of 1995 to date. Michaels vs Jarrett was excellent, as was the Jarrett/Roadie angle. I wouldn't be going out of my way to watch anything else, though.
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