WWE Vintage Collection TV Report
August 23, 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.

-Okerlund welcomes us to the last show looking back at Summerslam. Specifically, we're looking back at the event from 1997-2000. Our main event features a three way battle between The Rock, Kurt Angle, & Triple H.

1 – THE GODWINS (Henry & Phineas) vs. L.O.D. (Hawk & Animal)

This match is from the August 3, 1997 Summerslam PPV in East Rutherford, N.J. Henry sacrifices himself and takes Animal to the floor with a clothesline over the top rope. For some reason Capt. Lou Albano is watching this match at ringside. Animal climbs up on the apron and Henry knocks him down into the guardrail. Phineas works over Animal with a bearhug. Animal clotheslines Phineas as he leaps off the second rope and makes the hot tag to Hawk. Hawk goes insane on The Godwins including hitting decapitating clothesline on Phineas. Hawk targets Henry's injured neck with a hangman's neckbreaker for a nearfall. L.O.D. double teams Phineas and hits a spike piledriver for the win.

WINNERS: L.O.D. in 4:46 of what aired. Some really ugly looking spots occurred between Animal & The Godwins. Hawk looked great in the ring.

[Commercial Break]

-One of the old "You Think You Know Me" Edge videos aired.

-Okerlund explained how Edge started his WWE career as a "tortured soul." The future Rated R Superstar made his Summerslam debut in the summer of 1998 as the mystery partner of Sable.

2 – EDGE & SABLE vs. MARC MERO & JACQUELINE

This match is from the August 30, 1998 Summerslam PPV held in Madison Square Garden. We're entering the attitude era and the old scratch logo, so get ready for some blurriness. Seriously, the way they edit out the scratch logo is god awful. It looks like the Vaseline smudges used under landspeeders in the old Star Wars films. Sable throws down Jacqueline and punches her. Sable with a series of kicks in the corner before she runs over and pops Mero in the jaw. Mero confronts Sable who responds by kicking him in the crotch. Sable attempts a Sable Bomb on Mero, but Jacqueline breaks it up. Sable hits the TKO on Jacqueline and goes for the cover, but Mero pulls Sable to the outside. Edge tags in, runs across the ring, and leaps over the top rope to take out Mero at ringside to wake up the crowd. Edge whips Mero into the steps and screams. Edge reprimands Jacqueline with a spanking. Edge connects with a crossbody off the top rope onto Mero for a nearfall. Mero catches Edge with a Samoan drop and climbs to the top rope. Edge crotches Mero on the top rope and tags in Sable. Sable takes him down with a huracanrana. The crowd starts a "Sable" chant. Edge hits Mero with the downward spiral and then throws Sable on top of Mero for the victory.

WINNERS: Edge & Sable in 5:45 of what aired. Probably better than you'd expect. Some of the Sable and Jacqueline exchanges could have been edited off to include more of Mero & Edge at the beginning of the match that we didn't get a chance to see.

[Commercial Break]

-A commercial aired for this year's Summerslam event.

-Footage from the August 2, 1999 episode of Raw aired where D-Lo Brown defeated Jeff Jarrett to become a double champion by retaining the European Title and capturing the IC Title.

3 – D-LO BROWN vs. JEFF JARRETT – European & IC Title Match

This match was the opening contest from the Summerslam PPV held on August 22, 1999 in Minneapolis, Minn. Debra accompanied Jarrett to ringside, but he sent her to the back. Backstage, D-Lo talked Debra into accompanying him to ringside. D-Lo connects with a flying forearm and moments later hits a powerslam for a nearfall. Jarrett jumps up for a leapfrog, but D-Lo catches him with a modified sky high for another nearfall. D-Lo reverses a sleeperhold into a suplex. D-Lo leaps off the ropes and catches an elbow from Jarrett. Jarrett hollers at Debra before tossing D-Lo into the steel steps.

[Commercial Break]

Jarrett takes out D-Lo with a tornado DDT on the arm off the second rope. The crowd begins chanting for puppies. Lawler joins in on commentary. D-Lo rallies and hits Jarrett with the running Liger bomb. Both men are down as the ref begins to count. Both men manage to get to their feet. D-Lo executes a tilt-a-whirl slam and his signature legdrop for a nearfall. D-Lo jumps off the top with a frogsplash, but Jarrett rolls out of the way. With the referee focused on breaking up an argument between Debra & Jarrett, Mark Henry runs in. Henry turns on D-Lo and smacks him with a guitar. Jarrett makes the cover for the cheap win. Debra celebrates with Jarrett afterwards.

WINNER: Jeff Jarrett in 5:51 of what aired to capture the European & IC Titles. Very entertaining match, albeit weird to see WWE feature Jarrett on a show.

[Commercial Break]

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

-A video package aired hyping up the Rock vs. Triple H. vs. Kurt Angle match including footage of the kiss between Angle & Stephanie on SmackDown.

4 – THE ROCK vs. TRIPLE H vs. KURT ANGLE – WWE Championship Match

This match is from the August 27, 2000 Summerslam PPV held in Raleigh, N.C. This would be Angle's first shot at the WWE Championship. Triple H makes his entrance and immediately begins brawling with Angle. Triple H knocks the referee down in frustration. Angle catches Triple H with a running clothesline. Angle connects with another clothesline that sends both men to the floor. Back in the ring Angle charges at his opponent, but Triple H tosses him to the floor instead. Triple H clears the Spanish announce table in order to pedigree Angle on it. As both men tense up to deliver the move, the table collapses suddenly sending Angle's head violently to the floor. We would learn in the future that Angle suffered a severe concussion. Angle looks to be in really bad shape. Triple H grabs a sledgehammer from underneath the ring as The Rock makes his entrance. Rock enters the ring and assaults Triple H. Angle is sitting up on a chair as medical personnel talks to him. He looks completely out of it. Triple H gains the upper hand and stomps Rock in the corner. Angle is loaded on a stretcher and taken to the back. Triple H hot shots Rock on the top rope and tosses him to the floor.

[Commercial Break]

Triple H focuses his offense on Rock's ribs. It was edited off this broadcast, but Triple H had hit Rock with the sledge hammer to set this up. On the floor Triple H lifts up Rock and rams him back first into the steel post. Triple H stomps on Rock's ribs back in the ring. Rock surprises Triple H with a neckbreaker. Triple H cuts off the rally with a knee to Rock's gut. Triple H climbs up to the top rope. Rock cuts him off and sends him down to the mat with a superplex. Backstage Stephanie pleads with Angle (still on the stretcher) to return to the ring to help Triple H. Angle said he'd do it for her.

[Commercial Break]

-A commercial aired for this year's Summerslam event.

Stephanie leads a zombie-like Angle to ringside. Angle trips up Rock as he hits the ropes. Triple H follows up with the pedigree, but Angle breaks up the pin and throws Triple H into the ring steps. Angle crawls into the ring for a nearfall on Rock. Angle follows up with a back elbow for another nearfall. Lawler explained that Angle was being fueled by his love for Stephanie. Angle catches Rock coming off the ropes with an overhead belly to belly suplex. Stephanie is shocked at ringside and hasn't even checked on Triple H. Rock scores with a DDT on Angle for a nearfall. Triple H manages to climb onto the apron. Rock whips Angle into the ropes and sends Triple H flying into the guardrail at ringside. Rock takes out Angle with the Rock Bottom, but Triple H breaks up the pin. Triple H orders Stephanie to get the sledge hammer. Stephanie slides it into the ring, but Angle grabs hold of it. Triple H attempts to punch Angle, but accidentally nails Stephanie in the face. Angle knocks out Triple H with a sledgehammer shot, but Rock breaks up the pin. Rock sends Angle to the floor with a huge punch. Rock hits the People's Elbow on an unconscious Triple H for the win.

WINNER: The Rock in 11:04 of what aired to retain the WWE Championship. Great main event. I'm sure Vince was enamored with Angle after his performance following the concussion.

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