WWE Vintage Collection Report: 7th February 2010
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund

Welcome aboard. This week we take a look at famous families, with second and third generation superstars in action from years gone by.

A Jack Brisco tribute opens the show. It was the same one that aired on Raw this past Monday. RIP Jack (1941-2010).

Monday Night Raw: July 14th 1997
Ivan & Scott Putski vs Jerry “The King” Lawler & Brian Christopher
Vince McMahon and Jim Ross are announcing. ‘Polish Power’ Ivan Putski was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995 by son Scott, who was feuding with Christopher. Ivan saved his son from a 2 on 1 beatdown to set up this father and son tag match and one-off appearance. Lawler’s playing off that Christopher isn’t his son (he is). Ross notes Lawler hasn’t told the truth since the 70s as the jacked up Putskis get jumped at the start. Scott receives a double backbodydrop before giving Christopher a powerbomb and tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Scott avoids a Lawler dropkick as Christopher takes the hit. The tide turns when Lawler trips Scott from the floor, and Scott showing his inexperience is sucked in for a double team into the ringsteps. Scott is isolated as Christopher gives him a facebuster and northern lights suplex, while Lawler delivers his patented piledriver. Christopher stops the count saying he wants the pin. However, he wastes time showboating and misses a top rope legdrop. Scott and Christopher clothesline each other. Lawler eats a superkick from Christopher which was intended for Scott. Ivan comes in and wastes no time in clocking Lawler with his Polish hammer (double axehandle to the chest) finisher, as Scott sends Christopher into the ringsteps. 1-2-3. Winners: IVAN & SCOTT PUTSKI. Scott would disappear from the WWF only a few months later when, at the September Ground Zero PPV he destroyed his knee early on in a match against Christopher. Aside from a short stint as a WCW Jobber (1998-1999) Scott hasn’t been back on the mainstage.

A short profile piece airs on the Orton family explaining their paths into wrestling, with their family born and bred in the ring. Bob Orton Snr got in after being an usher, Bob Orton Jnr followed by watching his Dad and left Med School after giving it a ‘good old college try.’ Rowdy Roddy Piper puts Bob Jnr over for being ‘so good that the people can’t tell the difference,’ before Bob Jnr says he always did his own thing and moulded his own style. Randy Orton explains how he ate, slept and dreamt about the business that’s in his blood. Randy always knew he would be a wrestler then lists his family as the premiere family because of their history and accomplishments. According to Randy, the Orton name is ‘one you won’t forget and will keep watching for years and years.’ Randy made some bold statements, while coming across as very confident and sure of himself, but not in a dick way. In a play on words Okerlund says the Orton family has an unparalleled ‘Legacy.’

Saturday Night’s Main Event: November 15th 1986
Rowdy Roddy Piper vs Cowboy Bob Orton w/The Magnificent Muraco & Jimmy Hart
Vince McMahon and Jesse “The Body” Ventura cover this bout between two former friends turned enemies. Piper had recently turned babyface. Muraco, wearing a kilt to mock Piper is ejected immediately after being caught on the apron and trying to swipe Piper’s ankle. Piper spits at Muraco then waves him goodbye as officials usher him to the back. Jimmy Hart is allowed to stay, but Ventura blows a gasket citing unfairness. Piper dominates a slugfest, delivers a running bulldog then resorts to biting in the corner. Orton is whipped upside down, poked in the eyes, then given a kneelift. Orton turns the tide with a forearm to thwart a backbodydrop. Orton briefly works over Piper and gets frustrated after a gutbuster isn’t enough to put the Rowdy one away. Hart interjects himself in the match by grabbing Piper. Piper avoids an Orton charge, but Orton puts the brakes on. Piper sledges Orton into Hart to send the Mouth of the South off the apron, before rolling up his staggered former friend for the 1-2-3. Winner: ROWDY RODDY PIPER. Ventura pours scorn over Piper’s victory by saying he won the battle but not the war, warning him he has Muraco and Adrian Adonis waiting in the wings.

Smackdown: April 25th 2002
Hardcore Holly vs Randy Orton
This was Randy’s debut match on TV. The resident bully against the confident rookie. Vince McMahon gave Orton this ‘opportunity’ after catching him coming onto his assistant Stacy Keibler backstage and wants Holly to teach him a lesson. A youthful Orton enters in the white meat babyface role, with only several tattoos, a short hairstyle and blue and yellow shorts with his name on the back. His facials here remind me of Ted DiBiase Jnr in today’s current climate. Michael Cole and Tazz are on commentary. Orton utilises a takedown, armdrag and reverses a hiptoss into a modified bulldog. Holly switches to a more aggressive mode, clotheslining and mauling Orton on the mat with punches. After giving Orton a dick kick in the ropes, Holly pounds away on the back of the neck and chest with punches. Tazz eats it up telling Randy to pay his dues as it’s all about discipline. He’s getting a kick out of watching this, as am I. The referee reprimands Holly enabling Orton to hotshot him across top rope and deliver a standing dropkick. Holly catches Orton going high risk, so Orton pushes him to the mat. Holly rolls through on an Orton top rope cross body for a very near fall. Holly argues the count. Orton ducks under a clothesline, drop toeholds Holly and quickly hooks an Oklahoma roll for the shock 1-2-3. Winner: RANDY ORTON. Orton quickly gets out before a pissed off Holly can strike. Orton smiles as he gets his hand raised on his way to the back. I really enjoyed watching this and looking at how far Orton has evolved during his present near eight year tenure. Holly would gain a measure of revenge by punishing Orton during a stint as guest referee in a future match against Lance Storm.

We switch gears to the Maivia family, in particular, to The Rock (Dwayne Johnson), Rocky Johnson and High Chief Peter Maivia. Rock, Afa, Pat Patterson and Vince McMahon lead the tributes to the High Chief, with Vince calling him a ‘tough S.O.B, likeable guy and unbelievable performer.’ The Rock talks fondly of his father, ‘soulman’ Rocky Johnson becoming the first black WWF Tag Team Champions with Tony Atlas. Jerry Lawler mentions Rocky bringing Dwayne to some of the shows, with talk shifting on how Rock got into the business. After Rock called up Pat Patterson asking him to come and see him train in Tampa, Patterson told Vince that ‘you don’t want him tomorrow, you want him yesterday.’ Rock revealed he was the first third generation wrestler, his father was happy with him using the Maivia name, but he wasn’t. Dory Funk Jnr weighed in that Rock was pushed too hard early on leading the fans to chant ‘Rocky sucks.’ Rock’s mother Ata Maivia revealed the sight of seeing 20-30,000 people chanting ‘Rocky sucks’ led to her wanting to get into the business to take on the whole arena. Rock credits J.R for suggesting the successful name change to the Rock, with Vince putting over his enormous contributions to the business. In closing, Ata loves seeing Rock ‘lay the smack down in movies just like he did in wrestling.’ This was a great piece.

Monday Night Raw: January 13th 1997
British Bulldog w/Clarence Mason vs Rocky Maivia
One week before the 1997 Royal Rumble, this was one of Rocky’s early TV showings, complete with the curly perm and piped in Rocky chants for his ring music. This was changed to a generic theme called ‘Destiny’ (released on the WWF Volume 2 Music CD) a short time later to try and stop some of the fan backlash that was starting to form. Bret Hart (sporting an ankle injury courtesy of a Stone Cold Steve Austin attack) joins Vince McMahon and Honky Tonk Man on commentary. Owen Hart immediately comes out (with slammy) to stand guard and keep Bret from interfering. Bret is disappointed with his brother’s actions after revealing the pair enjoyed a ‘harmonious’ Christmas break. The action in the ring is uneventful. Rocky works an arm until Bulldog sends him to the floor and into the ringsteps. Vince and Bret expose Rocky’s lack of experience as Bulldog pummels him. Rocky gets in a sunset flip and flying bodypress in-between a couple of Bulldog chinlocks and a delayed suplex. After both tackle each other, Rocky channels his Dad with some shuffling punches. A series of clotheslines send both out to the floor, where Bulldog sends Rocky into the guardrail. Stone Cold runs in to clip Bulldog from behind and give him a stunner. Bret gets up, trying to point out to Owen at what’s gone down. Owen initially blocks Bret’s path, believing he’s lying, but soon turns to see what’s happened and follows his brother as he limps after a smiling Austin who goads the Harts all the way to the back. Meanwhile, Rocky slips back in the ring at a nine count to win the bout as Bulldog is sprawled out on the floor. Winner: ROCKY MAIVIA. As Owen comes back out to check on his brother-in-law, Honky buries Rocky’s ‘cheap victory.’ This wasn’t much of a match and an odd choice to show Rock in a supposed good light after the glowing piece just minutes earlier. Rock’s first Intercontinental Title victory over Hunter Hearst Helmsley would have been a better choice of match. Speaking of the Intercontinental Title, it’s up for grabs in our Main Event.

Superstars of Wrestling: December 15th 1990
Intercontinental Title: Texas Tornado vs Mr Perfect w/Bobby Heenan
Clips air of Tornado ending the ‘Perfect winning streak’ at SummerSlam 1990, with an upset and angry Perfect vowing to bring the title back to the Heenan Family. Before this bout, Ted DiBiase pays off Howard Finkel to replace him for ring announcing duties. The commentary team of Vince McMahon, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Honky Tonk Man smell a rat, as do I. Vince links DiBiase’s presence to Tornado coming out to stop him from bullying rookie Dustin Rhodes on a recent edition of the Brother Love Show. DiBiase announces Heenan as the ‘perfect manager.’ Vince is disappointed at Finkel selling out, as Heenan dismisses him to the back and places the Intercontinental belt in DiBiase’s care at ringside. Perfect and Tornado trade slams. Tornado clotheslines his foe over the top rope. Tornado works over an arm, before delivering a Tornado punch to the gut. Perfect avoids a corner charge and Tornado posts himself, prompting DiBiase to get in a cheap shot behind the referee’s back. Perfect sends Tornado out to the floor with a standing dropkick, which allows DiBiase to ram Tornado into the ringpost. Piper laments the three on one odds stacked against Tornado. The referee is inadvertently taken out after Tornado reverses an Irish whip. After sending Perfect’s head into the corner, the Tornado punch connects, but there’s no referee to count. DiBiase knocks Tornado out cold with a belt shot to the back of the head. DiBiase revives Perfect, while Heenan does the same to the referee. One Perfect plex later and we have a new Intercontinental champion, a fact DiBiase reiterates to the fallen Tornado before breaking out into his trademark laugh. Winner: MR PERFECT. Despite being over with the crowd, the plug was pulled on the Texas Tornado push pretty quickly in favour of giving Perfect a second title run. It saddens me that both of these second generation wrestlers passed well before their time.

I enjoyed the return to the mixed bag format of the show as you never know what you’re going to get. Most of the stuff on hand was unique and good viewing. Next week we celebrate Valentine’s Day the WWE way. Sounds dubious, but could be fun. See you next week.

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