Since we're talking about it and it seems like the perfect tribute to "Mad Dog" Vachon's passing, let's load up that Diesel-HBK brawl from 1996's "Good Friends, Better Enemies" IYH. I saw this about six months ago and it's still Nash's best match IMO and one of a series of great matches from HBK during his babyface title run.
Nash, in his podcast with Austin, said that Vince asked him to lay three times before his departure to WCW. First to the Undertaker at Wrestlemania XII, then here to HBK and finally to Warrior. You can guess which one he wasn't keen on doing.
Enjoy this one again or for the first time.
Nash, in his podcast with Austin, said that Vince asked him to lay three times before his departure to WCW. First to the Undertaker at Wrestlemania XII, then here to HBK and finally to Warrior. You can guess which one he wasn't keen on doing.
Enjoy this one again or for the first time.
Probably one of the most unusual and memorable finishes in WWF history. I saw this after the fact and had forgotten the finish. Totally marked out. One of the few matches that I vividly remember watching non-live for the first time.
ReplyDeleteThe whole Jose Lothario thing was jsut uber lame.
ReplyDeleteI love how wrestlers lie their asses off and change stories a million times. For the longest time, Nash said on his way out that he told Vince he was laying down for Taker & HBK on the way out.
ReplyDeleteNow he's making up Warrior stuff? God bless old wrestlers.
One of the best pre-Attitude Era brawls the WWF did. Even without the benefit of being online and into the smark crowd, I don't think anyone believed Nash was winning this one, but neither of them seemed to be phoning it in, even Mad Dog seemed into it, and it created an amazing match.
ReplyDeleteAs for jobbing to the Warrior... I wouldn't do it either in the Spring of 1996. That's just not what's best for business.
lol the king mentioning syracuse.
ReplyDeleteNash's run from Survivor Series 95 through this match was great stuff. His "I don't give a fuck" attitude was different from anything WWE was doing at the time. If he had been able to play that kind of character when he was champion his title reign would've been much better.
ReplyDeleteJesus...Nash really sold the heel thing here. He hanged HBK AND the ref like they were Steamboat, apparently threatened VKM (watched while at work, so no sound), did a nut shot, peformed a powerbomb through the table when this just wasn't done in the WWF, held up the belt during the match and trying to get the ref to strap it on him, stole the prosthetic leg (I'm guessing Vachon had to agree to it beforehand, but with wrestling, do dafuq knows?)...I'd say it was his best match by far, and if he ever worked a better one, I'd love to see it.
ReplyDeleteHBK was...well, HB fucking K.
Good to see this again, and hell yes, it holds up. Only strike is the bad camera angle just before and as Shawn delivers his finisher.
Was Shawn calling anyone in particular out at the end? Looks like he started to do a Hogan pose and changed his mind.
Fantastic stuff.
LOL @ Shawn trying to look tough with his peace sign earrings and having an old man give him a massage.
ReplyDeleteI love Vince pleading with Michaels after he was put through the table. This match is one of Vince's better commentary performances. Diesel-Warrior could've drawn in 1996, but the Warrior's 1996 run is VERY forgettable.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was really sad. Diesel's character at this time was sort of a preview of what Austin would do later on.
ReplyDeleteThe story he told was Vince asked him, not he told Vince (which doesn't make sense...you ain't telling Vince anything) to lay down to Taker at Wrestlemania which he said was an honor. And to do the quick turnaround with Shawn, which obviously he wouldn't have an issue with because they were best friends. And put Warrior over on RAW and he said (accurate quote) "if he can take one on me it's his". Whatever that means but Vince (allegedly) aborted that one. Sort of doesn't make sense he would put that on RAW anyway.
ReplyDeleteIf they had run that one RAW they probably could have beaten Nitro that night.
ReplyDeleteThe Kevin Nash" Not a single fuck was given" tour was in full effect.
ReplyDeleteIn 1996 I wonder how that match would turn out. It would be historic in one sense or the other...either a historic power match or a historic train wreck.
ReplyDeleteWarrior in 1996 was hot garbage though. I just watched that IYH six-man where they replaced him with Sid and man that was such a better choice. Warrior just didn't want to work at that time. He was there to promote his comic book and Warrior University and he was doing half his promos without his face paint, which he couldn't get away with IMO (Sting could because he didn't wear he paint unless he was wrestling whereas Warrior wore it all the time in his first run.).
I remember the segments with Lawler and it was all just bad stuff.
to nash's credit very few guys on the way out put on near 5 * matches...
ReplyDeleteOuestion: Did HBK throw Hebner out of the ring after he gave him the belt at the end of the match? (Watch the 23:04 mark)
ReplyDeleteI went to a TV taping (not sure which shows were done, but the tickets were around $11.25 and my friend and I were there for 4 hours) shortly after WM12, and Michaels got a *huge* pop the first time he came out. I was not a smark at the time, and had not one bit of "inside" info. I honestly wondered why HBK won the belt from Bret; the crowd reaction gave me some insight.
ReplyDeleteThen it was fucking dwarfed by the response Warrior received before, during, and after his appearance.
He had a match against Goldust, and I'm guessing one or both of them were injured, because I believe there was a total of 2 bumps taken by Dustin. The rest involved some prancing and posturing by both guys, Warrior taking the director's chair and cigar from Marlena, setting them up in the ring, and pretending to enjoy it and side with Goldust. Then he smacked Dustin and the heels ran off. It was reasonably entertaining, but the crowd reaction was INSANE.
But, we all know how that run went.
Warrior wasn't back until Wrestlemania and Nash was gone after the next pay per view, so there really wasn't any other time to do Diesel/Warrior aside from a Raw. Maybe the live Raw after the pay per view but that sort of diminishes the brutality of the Shawn match the night before, and it makes more sense for him to lose to Shawn in his last match.
ReplyDeleteI wondered if he was calling someone out as well. He was very animated at the end.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but read the post I put up about the reaction he got at a show I went to right after WM12. It may have been an isolated thing, but the man was over in a huge way. Granted, I couldn't give you an example of what I would now consider to be a good Warrior match outside of WM6, but it's not like the character relied on ring skills for its appeal.
ReplyDeleteI remembering wondering why they were sticking him in such a shitty program with Lawler...from a kayfabe aspect, Warrior should squash him in about nothing flat.
But, now we know it was because Vince didn't really trust him, and of course, Hellwig just might have been less than sane.
Oh, and I bought 2 of the 3 Warrior comics that became available around 98 or so, mainly out of curiosity. Not sure if I still have them somewhere; probably not. They were about as good and intelligible as his promos.
I've wondered why they saw the need for that.
ReplyDeleteIt was during the whole "boyhood dream" phase.
ReplyDeleteit was goldust who was injured and the match was painful! (no pun intended)
ReplyDeletewasnt the curtain call in late may?? idk if there was a ppv or not before that though.
ReplyDeleteOh, I don't have any doubt he was running his mouth at someone; I am very curious about who it might have been.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I remember. I don't know why that translates to previously unknown mentor at ringside.
ReplyDeleteDid it air on TV, or were you at the same taping? Or did they do the same thing at a number of shows?
ReplyDeleteUsing Vachon's prosthetic leg has got to be one of the best uses of a 'foreign object' in pro wrestling history.
ReplyDeleteDuring his babyface title or titles run - I still can't look past what he did to Vader....
ReplyDeleteAccording to HBK's book. Nash was real creative and needed to do different things in the ring. If he had an opponent that brought that out of him he was fine.
ReplyDeleteIt surely looks that way. Good catch.
ReplyDeleteI was also amused by HBK *furiously* throwing his gum at Nash a few seconds before that. Never noticed before.
Vader should have gotten a title run of ANY kind in the WWE.
ReplyDeleteLothario trained him initially and he wanted him to train him for his big moment. He should have ditched him after he won though.
ReplyDeleteCurtain Call was May 19. Nash claims he gave his 90-day after the February IYH (Feb. 16). The May IYH (Beware of Dog) was held twice due to the weather issues.
ReplyDeleteAssuming Nash gave his 90-day the week of Feb. 17-23, he would have been clear by the May IYH so yeah it would have had to be a RAW but knowing Nash he would have taken a one-time check to job at the May IYH instead like Jeff Jarrett did when he jobbed the I-C title to...Chyna (??)
Agreed, understood his inclusion through Wrestlemania but that should have been the end of it.
ReplyDeleteOk, meaning Lothario wanted to train him in terms of kayfabe/story, or legitimately? and yes, he should have gone away after WM, but it's not like he and HBK had any kind of acknowledged history prior to the WM12 build that I recall. I didn't, and don't, think he was necessary.
ReplyDeleteNash had a bad string of opponents. He began with Bret and HBK and ended with Bret, so those were easily his best matches. In between it was Sid, Davey Boy and Mabel.
ReplyDeleteThose weren't guys to break from the script often and they needed guys to take bumps in order to make a watchable match. Who the fuck comes up with Nash-Mabel, especially after Mabel almost killed Rikishi earlier that year with his sloppy leg drop. Anyway who hurts a Samoan shouldn't be near a ring.
Mabel almost put out the Undertakers eye too.
ReplyDeleteBret said that Davey Boy was in the biggest match of his career and he had to carry him for multiple reasons, and Sid matches are always best if kept simple.
You are right, those three are not bump machines, but they filled the McMahon dynamic: They were all big.