Nickrj’s rant for Wrestlemania XI
Live from the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford Connecticut on April 2nd 1995. A heavily hyped show as Lawrence Taylor is challenged by Bam Bam Bigelow to get in the squared circle.
Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler with Jim Ross doing interviews in the aisleway.
Some girl from the Special Olmypics sings America The Beautiful to kick things off.
Lex Luger and The British Bulldog VS Jacob and Eli Blu
(With Uncle Zebikaiah)
Jacob and Elu are better know as Skull and 8-Ball for those who care. Damn I’ve got another bad copy skipping away in my VCR right now so my times might be off a little since I’m checking them from another website. Why did WWF Home Video record these in SLP anyway? A 4 man brawl to start things off and the Allied Powers get a double power slam followed by a double clothesline. Bulldog is in with Jacob now and Davey gets a vertical suplex for 2. Eli comes in and Bulldog hits a double clothesline. He is clotheslined from behind by Jacob on the apron. Bulldog gets a small package but Eli interrupts the count. Eli gets the tag and gets a sidewalk slam for 2. The Blus hit a double boot. Bulldog starts fighting back and Jacob hits a kick and an elbow for 2. Jacob runs into a 2 boots and he nails Bulldog and tags Eli. Eli slams Bulldog and he misses a 2nd rope elbow. Lex gets the hot tag and he hits s kneelift followed by an elbow and a powerslam. Luger hits the loaded forearm on Jacob and a 4 man brawl erupts during which Jacob switches with Eli. And Eli kicks out. Eli tries a piledriver but Lex makes a blind tag and Bulldog gets a top rope sunset flip for the pin at 6:34. Blah match but what can you expect from the Harris boys? 1/4*
IC Title Match: Jeff Jarrett (with The Roadie) VS Razor Ramon (with the 1-2-3 Kid)
Jarrett won the title from Razor at the Royal Rumble when the Roadie clipped Razor’s leg and Jarrett took advantage of it after asking for another match. Razor runs into the ring and starts pounding on Jeff. Jeff gets inside and hits a clothesline for 2. Another one for 2. He clotheslines Jarrett to the outside. Jeff complains about a broken tooth and takes advantage of it. Jeff gets a top rope sunset flip for 2. Jeff almost runs into the Roadie and is rolled up for 2. Razor tries the Razor Edge but Roadie pulls him outside the ring. Jeff tries to leave but the Kid puts him back in and Razor rolls him up for 2. Jeff rams Razor backfirst into the turnbuckle and Roadie illiegaly chokes him as Jarrett missesa a butt splash. Jarrett is thrown to the outside again. Jarrett hits a neckbreaker and a dropkick and a butt splash on the ropes and does the strut. He misses an enzuguri and is rolled up for 2. Chinlock follows. Razor gets a backslide for 2. Clothesline by Jarrett for 2. Jarrett hooks the sleeper hold. He backslams Razor and goes back to the chinlock. Razor gets a back suplex. Double KO spot occurs. Razor covers Jarrett for 2. He gets some right hand and catches Jeff and back slams him for 2. Kid tries to intervene but Jarrett pushes him to the railing. Razor misses a bulldog. Jarrett goes to work on the bad knee and he hooks the figure four and gets some leverage from Roadie. Razor turns it over but it is broken. Razor hits his top rope back suplex. He gets up and signals for the Razor’s Edge. He gets Jeff high up but Roadie comes in and clips Razor’s knee fro the DQ at 13:32. Kid tries to help but he is pummeled by Jarrett and the Roadie. Razor makes the save. Decent title match marred by a bad ending *3/4
The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer) VS King Kong Bundy (with Ted Dibiase)
IRS stole the Undertaker’s urn at the Royal Rumble while Bundy manhandled UT so now we have this. MLB umpire Larry Young is the referee in this and that’s probably the only thing notable in this one. Bundy misses an avalanche and UT hammers away. He does the top rope walk and forearm which Bundy no sells. He no sells 2 more clotheslines before going down a third time. Bundy clotheslines UT out and UT gets the urn back to Paul Bearer. Dibiase calls out Kama out and he nails Bearer and steals the urn back UT almost has Kama but is nailed from behind by Bundy. JR interviews Kama and he says that he’s going to melt the urn down to a necklace and put it around his neck. UT is clotheslined outside again. Bundy slowly works over the Taker and is slammed and he hits a kneedrop for 2. He goes to the chinlock. YAAAAWWWWNNNN! He hits the Avalanche but UT no sells. He slams Bundy and hits a flying clothesline for the pin at 6:36 to mercifully end this match -**1/2
Nicholas Tuturro is backstage trying to find Pamela Anderson but he finds LT’s all pro team instead. He then goes into a locker room to find Bob Backlund and Jonathan Taylor Thomas playing chess. Thomas wins and Backlund asks him hard questions and John answers all of em. Whatever happened to John anyway?
Tag Team Title Match: Smoking Gunns VS Owen Hart and ???
The mystery partner turns out to be none other than Yokozuna who brings out Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette with him. He still looks like he’s 568 but it would get worse as time goes on. Billy starts with Owen. Owen gets a slap and Billy retaliates. Bart comes in and bombs the right arm. He gets an eye poke and tags Yoko who slams Bart but misses an elbow. Owen comes in and takes a hiptoss. The Gunns hits a double Russian leg sweep and a double drop kick on Yoko. Billy comes in and they hit a 3-D for 2. Bart sends Owen hard to the turnbuckle and they hit a semi sidewinder for 2. Yoko gets a blind tag and hits a legdrop with Owen hold Billy. Owen rams Billy into the ringpost outside. This skipping factor is getting worse now. Yoko goes to work slowly on Billy with the nerve pinch. Owen missle dropkicks Yoko and Billy gets the hot tag. Bart hits a pressslam followed by a hair pull on Yoko. Billy comes in and Bart is pulled outside while Yoko Belly to Belly’s Billy. Yoko hits the Banzai drop but Bart makes the save. Bart is dropped outside again and Owen gets the pin at 9:42 to become the new tag team champions. Okay match *1/2
Todd Pettingill interviews Bam Bam Bigelow about his match with LT. They show the Rumble when Bigelow shoves LT at ringside. During the Wrestlemania workout at Times Square Bigelow shoves LT again but LT fights back.
Roddy Piper is announced as the referee as this match. Bret hammers on Bob in the corner to start. He tries the sharpshooter but can’t get it. He chokes Bob in the corner. Back in Bret misses the Shooter again but he hooks the Figure Four. Backlund turns it over but they make it to the ropes. Bret works on the right leg. Backlund gets a shot in the eye and misses the Chicken Wing. Bret is rammed back first to the turnbuckle and Bob gets an armbar. He works on it for awhile before he is slammed. Bret hits a backbreaker followed by a 2nd rope elbow and he hooks the sharpshooter but Bob makes the ropes. Bret rams his shoulder in the steel post and Bob hooks the Chicken Wing but Bret reverses it and brings down Backlund and Bob says “Yes.” At 9:34 to win the match. Those restholds were just too long *1/4
WWF Title Match Diesel (with Pamela Anderson) VS Shawn Michaels (with Sid and Jenny McCarthy)
Jonathan Taylor Thomas is the guest timekeeper and Nicholas Tuturro is the guest ring announcer. Pamela was nowhere to be found in the building and when Shawn sees her with Diesel he is so outraged that he attacks Diesel but is backdropped over the top rope. Shawn starts hammering on Diesel but Diesel hits a clothesline. Shawn goes to the right arm and he tosses Shawn around and backdrops him. Shawn is thrown to the outside where he is helped by Sid. Shawn misses a kick and tries the 10 punch count twice but is dropped off. Diesel tries a press slam but is eye poked. Shawn tries a suplex but Diesel reverses. Shawn is to the outside again. He tries a sunset flip insde but is caught and draped over the top rope. Both men are clotheslined outside and Shawn slingshots himself back in and hits a flying bodypress on Diesel outside and a baseball slide. Diesel tries to elbow Shawn but hits his ribs into the post. Shawn kicks him and he splashes him from the ring apron. Diesel gets back in and Shawnstarts hammering away. He hits a 2nd rope bulldog for 2. Shawn knock Diesel down and he hits a 2nd rope elbow for 2. Shawn starts diving some knees and he hits a top rope elbow to the back for 2. Diesel back drops Shawn twice. Diesel catches Shawn but is rammed to the turnbuckle and Shawn hooks the sleeper. He almost puts Diesel out with it but his arm stays up and he backs Shawn in the corner. He starts hitting some clotheslines and he drops him in the turnbuckle. He sends Shawn flying to the outside. Back in Diesel continues to hammer away and Shawn is sent outside again. The ref jumps down from the apron to keep Sid from interfering and he twists his ankle. Shawn hits his superkick but there’s no ref. He finally gets in and gets only 2. Sid pulls the top rope turnbuckle down and Shawn is back suplexed. Shawn covers Diesel for 2. He goes to the 2nd rope but is caught in a sidewalk slam. Diesel slingshots Shawn to the 2nd turnbuckle. He hits a clothesline and big boot and he hits the Jackknife to pin Shawn at 20:35 to retain. Diesel brings John, Nick, Pam and Jenny in the ring to celebrate. Good match ***1/2
Todd interviews an irate Shawn and Sid backstage. The next night on Raw Sid would turn on Shawn by powerbombing him twice. Diesel comes to Shawn’s aid turning Shawn babyface
Salt N Pepa do a rap for LT called What a Man. The Million Dollar Corporation is introduced. King Kong Bundy, Tatanka, Nikolai Volkoff, Kama, I.R.S and Ted Dibiase. LT’s All Pro Team is announced. Ken Norton Jr. Chris Speilman, Rickey Jackson, Carl Banks, Steve McMichael and Reggie White.
This is the match that has been hyped for weeks by the media! LT has been training with Diesel for weeks as well. Bam Bam gets a shove for intimidation. LT retialates and goes to work on Bammer and clotheslines him outside. Back in LT hits a bulldog for 2. He hip tosses Bammer. Both teams try to fight on the outside. Bammer catches LT inside and starts going to work. He slams LT and misses a headbutt. LT with a forearm but is dropped into the corner. He chokes LT on the 2nd rope. Bammer slams down LT and he hooks a Boston Crab. He goes to work on the left leg and LT reaches the ropes. Bammer hooks an ankle lock and LT makes the ropes again. LT hits a back suplex but Bammer hits a headbutt. He hits a moonsault but injures his knee. He covers LT for 2. LT does a Jackknife and covers him for 2. Bammer hits an enzuguri and some headbutts. Bammer goes to the top and hits the headbutt but LT kicks out. Bammer can’t believe it and LT starts hammering on him in the corner and knocks him down with a football clothesline and a forearm. He hits a 2nd rope forearm in the jaw to pin Bammer at 11:42. LT wins the match and it’s a surprisingly decent one! **
Summary: Well a mixed bag overall. Some good stuff and some bad. One match was really atrocious though and most everything else wasn’t too bad. I’ll have to go with NEUTRAL FEELINGS