WWE Vintage Collection TV Report
August 2, 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., Canada, and Australia. 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.

-Gene Okerlund opens the show with a vintage Summerslam sign hanging above him at WWE Studios to start our annual look back at the PPV. For over 20 years now, Summerslam has played host to some of the most memorable events in WWE history. This year should be no exception says Gene. I'm not so sure about that.

1 – BIG BOSS MAN (w/Slick) vs. KOKO B. WARE

Our first match is from the first ever Summerslam event held on August 29, 1988 at Madison Square Garden. We join the action in progress. Boss Man attempts a pin after a clothesline, but he lifts Koko up to beat on him some more. Slick is wearing an awesome red hat. Boss Man chokes Koko on the second rope. Koko rolls out of the way of a top rope splash, but Boss Man makes it to his feet first. I'll blame it on some sort of miscommunication between the two. Boss Man misses a splash in the corner and crotches himself on the top rope. Koko scores with some punches and hits a missile dropkick from the top. Koko follows up with a jumping splash for a nearfall. Moments later, Boss Man executes the Boss Man Slam for the win.

WINNER: Big Boss Man in 3:27 of what aired. Still hard to fathom that Koko is in the Hall of Fame.

[Commercial Break]

-Clips were shown from the June 23, 1990 edition of Superstars featuring the debut of Demolition as a three man team (Ax, Smash, and Crush).

-Sean Mooney interviewed tag champs Demolition before their match at Summerslam 1990. The Hart Foundation seems to be at a disadvantage since Demolition won't reveal which two members will actually be competing in their match. Mooney asks about The Legion of Doom and Crush refers to them as second rate imposters. Gene Okerlund interviews The Hart Foundation before the match. Neidhart did some of his maniacal laughing. Hart said they were going to turn Demolition into flat-liners and quoted a Phil Collin's lyric about two hearts beating as one.

2 – DEMOLITION (Crush & Smash) vs. THE HART FOUNDATION (Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart) – 2 out of 3 Falls for the WWE Tag Team Championship

This match is from Summerslam held on August 27, 1990 in Philadelphia at The Spectrum. We also join this match in progress. Neidhart hits the ropes and Crush cheats by kicking him from the apron. Neidhart clotheslines Crush and makes the tag. Hart takes on both members of Demolition. Hart whips Smash across the ring which sends Crush to the floor. Hart with a Russian legsweep for a nearfall. Hart attempts another pin after an elbow drop from the second rope, but Crush breaks it up. Demolition teams up on Hart and finishes him with the Demolition Decapitation to win the first fall.

[Commercial Break]

Demolition make frequent tags and work over Hart. Hart surprises Smash with a flying clothesline and makes the hot tag. Neidhart dominates both members of Demolition. Neidhart with a powerslam on Smash for a nearfall. The Hart Foundation gives Smash the Hart Attack, but Crush jumps on the referee during the pinfall attempt. Demolition is disqualified and The Hart Foundation takes the second fall. Before the third fall, Crush shoves Hart out of the ring. With everyone distracted, Ax runs down the aisle and hides underneath the ring.

[Commercial Break]

Hart with a sunset flip from the apron on Smash for a nearfall. Neidhart slams Hart onto Smash for another nearfall. Smash rolls out of the ring and switches places with Ax. The fresh Ax takes control of the match with a clothesline on Hart. Ax sends Hart chest first into the corner with a whip. Crush with a backbreaker on Hart. Neidhart gets frustrated and enters the ring to brawl with Crush. Meanwhile, Ax & Smash pummel Hart on the floor. Ax and Smash switch places again. The Legion of Doom run out and pull Ax out from underneath the ring to cause a ruckus. Neidhart slingshots himself from the apron and hits Crush with a shoulder tackle. Hart immediately rolls up Crush for the win.

WINNERS: The Hart Foundation in 11:03 of what aired to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. Good match. The work picked up a great deal when Ax joined the match.

[Commercial Break]

3 – THE HONKY TONK MAN (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR – WWE IC Title Match

This is also from the first ever Summerslam held on August 29, 1988 at Madison Square Garden. Honky Tonk Man's complete entrance is shown. Surprisingly, he wasn't carrying a bottle of "Gatorade." Honky grabbed the microphone and challenged anyone. The Ultimate Warrior answers the challenge. Warrior runs into the ring and hits the champion with a few punches. Warrior slams Honky and then hits a flying shoulder tackle off the ropes. Warrior connects with a clothesline and follows up with a jumping splash for the win.

WINNER: The Ultimate Warrior in 0:32 of what aired to win the WWE IC Championship. Did anyone really want to see a long match between these two?

-Okerlund welcomed us back to the studio. Okerlund talked about Honky having the longest IC Title reign in history. He quickly sent us to a video package on The Ultimate Warrior and Rick Rude.

-Footage aired from Royal Rumble 1989 of the infamous pose-down between Warrior and Rude. Rude attacked Warrior with a metal workout bar. Fast forward to their singles match at WrestleMania V. Manager Bobby Heenan held Warrior's foot down during a pin attempt to allow Rude to capture the WWE IC Title. Next, footage aired from the July 24, 1989 episode of Superstars. Rude was trying to kiss some girl from the audience when Warrior ran in and attacked him. Finally, footage was shown from the Superstars show leading up to Summerslam 1989. Heenan distracted Warrior so that Andre the Giant could come up from behind and choke Warrior.

-Backstage at the Summerslam 1989 event, Okerlund interviews The Ultimate Warrior. Warrior shouts something about straight jackets, planets, and the gods above. Okerlund also interviews Rick Rude and Bobby Heenan. Rude said he would prove that Warrior is the ultimate liar and that he is the ultimate IC champion. Heenan said they would break the rules to keep the title. Heenan said Warrior wouldn't have to paint his face anymore since Rude would leave him with a blue eye and a black eye.

[Commercial Break]

4 – RICK RUDE (w/Bobby Heenan) vs. THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR – WWE IC Title Match

This match is from the Summerslam event held on August 28, 1989 in East Rutherford, N.J. We join the action already in progress. It's always weird to hear Tony Schiavone announcing anything but WCW. Rude is trying to keep at a distance. Warrior press slams Rude to the floor and the fans go crazy. On commentary, Jesse Ventura calls Warrior a lunatic. Warrior rams Rude into the guardrail at ringside and hits him with the title belt. No DQ apparently. Warrior with a suplex on the floor before shoving Rude back into the ring. Warrior decides to fling Rude over the top rope to the outside again. Back in the ring, Warrior connects with a double axe handle off the top for a nearfall. Warrior hits a reverse atomic drop and then grinds to mock Rude. From behind, Warrior hoists Rude up into the air and just drops him on his ass. What was that? Warrior climbed up top again, but Rude crotches him on the turnbuckle.

[Commercial Break]

Rude has a sleeper hold locked in. Warrior battles out with a jaw breaker. Both men collide with shoulder blocks and the referee gets knocked down as well. Warrior no sells chops and punches before hitting Rude with a back body drop. Warrior with his series of clotheslines. Warrior with a powerslam, but the referee can't make the count. Warrior with a piledriver and a pin attempt, but Rude manages to drape his foot over the bottom rope. Warrior picks up Rude and executes a running powerslam. Rude lifts his knees up when the Warrior tries his signature jumping splash. Rude with a nasty piledriver that could have went very wrong for a nearfall. Rude nails Warrior with a fist drop off the second rope for another nearfall. Rowdy Roddy Piper walks out to ringside while Rude hits another piledriver. Rude grinds for Piper in the ring so Piper lifts up his kilt and flashed Rude his behind. Rude climbs onto the second rope and hollers at Piper. Warrior runs up from behind and hits a German suplex. Warrior follows with his running shoulder tackle, press slam, and jumping splash for the win.

WINNER: The Ultimate Warrior in 12:50 of what aired to capture the WWE IC Title. A good match mostly due to Rude serving as a bump-machine for Warrior.

-Okerlund recapped the fact that Warrior won the IC Title for the second year in a row at Summerslam. Tune in next week for more Summerslam action!

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