WWE Vintage Collection TV Report
July 12, 2009
Aired in the U.K. on Sky Sports
Report by Cody Endres, PWTorch contributor

WWE's Vintage Collection show airs in the U.K. and Canada. The show is hosted by Mean Gene Okerlund. They show a varied assortment of older matches every week, similar to WWE's "Classics On Demand" pay subscription service.

-Host Gene Okerlund still has the WWE Cruiserweight title on his desk as he opens the show. This week we will continue to look back at classic cruiserweight action. Okerlund is kicking things off with the always controversial Brian Pillman. Before he was "The Loose Cannon," Pillman was known as "Flyin' Brian." At the '92 SuperBrawl, Pillman attempted to win the WCW Light Heavyweight Championship from Jushin "Thunder" Liger. Which of these exciting talents will walk away with the gold?

1 – JUSHIN LIGER vs. BRIAN PILLMAN – WCW Light Heavyweight Championship Match

This match is from WCW SuperBrawl II held on February 29, 1992 in Milwaukee, Wis. Pillman was the inaugural title holder after winning a tournament in October 1991. In late December, Liger captured the title from Pillman which leads us to this match. Both men reverse some maneuvers and simultaneously attempt dropkicks. Pillman sends Liger to the outside with a head scissors and then a dropkick. Back in the ring, Liger surprises Pillman with a standing moonsault for a nearfall. Liger sends Pillman to the floor with a dropkick and fakes a suicide dive. The crowd applauds. Liger tries to lock in a surfboard, but Pillman gets to the ropes.

[Commercial Break]

Pillman with a springboard flying clothesline. Pillman follows up by suplexing Liger to the outside. "Flyin' Brian" climbs the turnbuckle and dives on Liger at ringside. Pillman misses another dive from the apron and smacks the guardrail. Liger throws Pillman back in the ring. Liger leaps off the top, but Pillman catches him with a dropkick in midair. Pillman comes off the top with a missile dropkick as Liger attempts a dropkick of his own. Both men crash and burn. Both fail again with simultaneous spinning heel kicks. Pillman hits a powerslam for a nearfall. Liger with a bridging German suplex for another nearfall. Liger goes for a superplex, but Pillman throws him off. Pillman with a crossbody off the top for a dramatic nearfall. Liger with a sick powerbomb. Pillman counters a second powerbomb into a huracanrana pinning combination. Pillman catches Liger with a DDT, but Liger grabs the rope. Both men run the ropes and then crash into one another. Pillman climbs up top and Liger crotches him. Liger executes a superplex for a nearfall. Liger misses a flying headbutt. Pillman quickly catches Liger with a bridge pin for the win. Both men hug and shake hands afterwards.

WINNER: Brian Pillman in 11:15 of what aired to capture the WCW Light Heavyweight Championship. Great match. Let's hope sometime in the future they show their match from the first episode of Nitro.

[Commercial Break]

-A video aired hyping the Night of Champions PPV.

-Okerlund talked about how Liger and Pillman created a base for WCW cruiserweight action. However, by 2001, WCW was on the verge of collapse with Chavo Guerrero holding the title. Even during its dying days the cruiserweight division in WCW was still going strong.

2 – CHAVO GUERRERO vs. SHANE HELMS – WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match

This match is from the WCW Sin PPV held on January 14, 2001 in Indianapolis, Ind. This is the infamous show where Sid Vicious had that horrific ankle injury. This is also back when Helms had a decent looking body. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have some sort of intestinal problem, so I feel safe commenting on that. I'll have to keep an eye on Twitter. Helms goes for a Fujiwara armbar early on, but Chavo reaches the ropes. Chavo with some hard knife-edge chops. Helms continues to go after Chavo's arm. Helms hoists up Chavo in a TKO position and then drops Chavo's face on his knee. Chavo clotheslines Helms to the floor. Back in the ring, both men exchange nearfalls. Chavo nails an Alabama Slam and then drops a knee in Helms' crotch.

[Commercial Break]

Both men exchange blows center ring. Helms hits the X-Plex for a nearfall. Helms follows up with his Sugar Smack superkick, but Chavo drapes a leg across the bottom rope during the pin attempt. Chavo dumps the future Hurricane over the top to the floor. Chavo hits a big dive off the top rope. The battle continues in the ring before Helms sends Chavo to the floor with a hiptoss. Helms nails an awesome looking crossbody off the top to the outside. Helms with a sunset flip for a nearfall. Helms tries for the Vertebreaker, but Chavo blocks it so Helms hits the Nightmare on Helms Street instead for another nearfall. Chavo battles out of a second Nightmare on Helms Street attempt and finishes Helms off with a brainbuster suplex.

WINNER: Chavo Guerrero in 9:08 of what aired to remain WCW Cruiserweight Champion. Good match, but I'm not quite sure why it was selected. I guess just to give current fans a look back at Chavo and Hurricane in WCW.

[Commercial Break]

-The "Please, Do Not Try This at Home" video aired.

-Okerlund informs us we're going to head back over to the WWE to look at a light heavyweight competitor who rose to prominence in the '90s despite his small stature. The 1-2-3 Kid was a breath of fresh air in the mid-'90s and fit right in with the new generation of superstars.

3 – BRET HART vs. 1-2-3 KID – WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match

This match is from the July 11, 1994 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw. Hart's entire ring entrance was shown. Before the match started, Owen Hart and Jim Neidhart came out to bicker with Bret. Owen called his brother a scaredy-cat before both men were booted from ringside. Handshake to start. Kid catches Hart in a wristlock, so Hart just slams him to the mat. Kid nips right back up. Both men tie up several times, with Kid always getting the best of the exchange. Hart throws Kid in the ropes and hits a hard back elbow. Kid sends Hart to the floor with a reverse thrust kick.

[Commercial Break]

Back in the ring, Kid works over the arm of Hart. Hart catches his opponent off the ropes with a knee to the gut. Hart puts Kid in the corner and nails some stiff European uppercuts. As Kid crawls across the ring, Hart hits a few elbows to the back of his head. Hart with a swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall. Hart whips Kid across the ring and Kid bounces to the mat like a ragdoll after slamming into the turnbuckles. Kid catches a crossbody for a quick nearfall. Hart drops Kid with a Samoan drop and attempts the pin. The ref counts the pinfall, but Kid had his foot over the bottom rope. Hart refuses to accept the victory and the match is restarted.

[Commercial Break]

-A video packaged aired on Evan Bourne.

Hart misses a clothesline and Kid nails him with a spinning kick. Kid hits his series of kicks in the corner. Kid with a big dropkick in the corner. Kid connects with a crossbody off the top for a nearfall. After a powerbomb, Kid hits a guillotine legdrop off the top for another nearfall. Kid clotheslines Hart to the floor and then hits a flip dive from the top. Back in the ring, Kid dives off the top and hits nothing but canvas. Hart attempts the Sharpshooter, but Kid is right at the ropes. Hart hoists Kid up to the top for a superplex. Kid adjusts in midair and lands on Hart for a nearfall. Moments later, Hart hits a running bulldog. Hart climbs the ropes, but Kid tosses him off. Kid leaps off the top and Hart catches both of his legs. Hart sinks in the Sharpshooter for the submission win.

WINNER: Bret Hart in 14:14 of what aired to remain WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Great match. One of the best in the history of Raw.

-Okerlund recaps the main event. Okerlund said that Kid proved that cruiserweights can be legit world title contenders. Tune in next week for even more cruiserweight action.

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