WWE Vintage Collection TV Report
August 30, 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 hypes that this episode features rarely shown classic encounters from WWE and WCW. Legends like Ric Flair, Triple H, Sting, and Bret Hart will all be in action. First we get to see two of the greatest IC champions go head to head for the first time ever.

1 – CURT HENNIG (w/Rick Rude) vs. CHRIS JERICHO

This match is from the December 29, 1997 episode of WCW Nitro held in Baltimore, Md. We join the match in progress with Hennig working over a headlock. Hennig misses a running dropkick and Jericho takes him down with a clothesline. Hennig rolls to the outside to talk to Rude. Hennig jumps back between the ropes and destroys Jericho with chops in the corner. Jericho reverses the situation and hits some chops of his own followed by a spin kick. Jericho slams Hennig and runs towards the ropes for a Lionsault. Hennig blocks the move with his knees, but Jericho wasn't able to fully rotate his body springing off the ropes. If Hennig wasn't there to stop Jericho's momentum that could have been a very serious injury (perhaps something like what happened with Hayabusa). Hennig quickly lifts up Jericho and hits the Hennig-Plex for the win. Jericho throws a temper tantrum at ringside and smacks a chair against the ringpost.

WINNER: Curt Hennig in 2:38 of what aired. Way too short.

[Commercial Break]

-A short video package aired on Randy Orton and Legacy.

-Okerlund talked about famous tag teams that consisted of brothers including the Brisco Brothers and the Hardy Boys. The bonds of brotherhood have helped a number of talented siblings rise to the top of the tag team division. Next up is a match most fans thought they would never see.

2 – STEINER BROTHERS (Rick & Scott) vs. HART BROTHERS (Bret & Owen)

This match is from January 11, 1994 and is off the "Wrestlefest '94" Coliseum video release. Scott sends Bret to the outside with a hard shoulder tackle. Back in the ring, both men exchange arm holds. Owen tags in and works over Scott's arm. Scott immediately slams him and tags in Rick. Owen and Rick have an amateur wrestling battle in the center of the ring. Rick catches Owen in midair and brings him down with a powerslam. Rick with a back suplex for a nearfall. Owen flips out of another back suplex attempt by Rick and executes a bridging German suplex for a nearfall of his own. Scott tags back in and The Rocket almost immediately nails him with a spinning heel kick for another nearfall. Owen with a Northern Light's suplex. Both men tag out as Bret & Rick enter the ring. Rick works over the left arm of Bret for an extended period. Bret tosses Rick into the ropes and connects with a knee to the gut. Bret misses an elbow drop allowing Rick to work over the arm some more.

[Commercial Break]

-A short video package aired on Rey Mysterio.

We've skipped ahead in the contest. Scott hits a dangerous screwdriver suplex on Owen. Bret quickly runs in to break up the pin attempt. Bret tags in and starts hitting some signature offense including a back breaker and an elbow off the second rope. Bret starts to lock in the sharpshooter, but Rick breaks it up. The Steiners gain the advantage and Scott hoists Owen on his shoulders for their bulldog finisher. Rick climbs the ropes and gets pushed off by Bret. Owen with a victory roll on Scott for a nearfall. Owen collides with Rick which sends both Rick and Bret to the outside. Scott climbs to the top rope and takes out Bret at ringside with a double axe handle. Owen takes out Rick with a plancha. The ref is confused on who the legal men are and decides to simply count out both teams. Both teams continue to brawl. A bunch of referees had to run out and break it up.

RESULT: Double Count Out in 11:13 of what aired. Ignoring the bad finish, this was an excellent tag team encounter.

[Commercial Break]

-Okerlund talks about Triple H being the "most decorated champion in WWE history." In the next contest, Triple H was at the top of his game as the IC Champion and one-half of the Two Man Power Trip with Steve Austin.

3 – TRIPLE H vs. JEFF HARDY – IC Championship Match

This match is from the April 12, 2001 episode of WWE Smackdown held in Philadelphia, PA. Earlier in the evening Hardy had attacked both Triple H & Austin with a chair. Jeff even went so far as to give Stephanie the Twist of Fate. As a result, Triple H had demanded a match against Jeff that very night. The announcers explained that a furious Austin had left earlier in the evening but not before accusing Jim Ross of making a pass at his wife Debra. Triple H tossed Hardy to the outside. Stephanie watched the action backstage holding her injured neck. Hardy rallies with a flying head scissors and a series of dropkicks. Hardy reverses a Pedigree attempt and hits the double legdrop to the abdomen. Hardy mounts Triple H in the corner, but Triple H tosses him off. Hardy nails the Whisper in the Wind for a nearfall. Both men battle around ringside. Hardy leaps off the apron, but Triple H catches him with a powerslam to the floor. Triple H whips Hardy into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Triple H connects with a knee to the face. Triple H shoots Hardy into the ropes before locking in a sleeper hold. Jeff escapes with a jawbreaker and a Russian legsweep combination. Jeff climbs up to the top rope for the Swanton Bomb. Triple H throws the referee into the ropes to crotch Jeff. After an argument, Triple H decides to shove the referee down. Matt Hardy quickly runs down and smacks Triple H with a chair. Jeff delivers the Swanton Bomb to secure the victory. Backstage Stephanie looked at the monitor in shock.

WINNER: Jeff Hardy in 7:39 of what aired to capture the WWE IC Championship. Yet another entertaining match.

[Commercial Break]

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

-Okerlund talks about the final WCW Nitro from March of 2001 which featured Sting battling Ric Flair in the main event. Sting first challenged Flair for the World Title at the inaugural Clash of the Champions show in 1988 where they fought to a 45-minute draw. Okerlund said that Sting reentered the title picture in 1990 to challenge the Nature Boy again.

4 - RIC FLAIR vs. STING – NWA World Heavyweight Championship

This match is from the Great American Bash held on July 7, 1990 in Baltimore, Md. Ole Anderson is cuffed to El Gigante on the entrance ramp. The rest of the "Dudes with Attitudes" (Steiner Brothers, Paul Orndorff, & JYD) are all at ringside to keep other Horsemen from interfering in the match. Sting overpowers Flair at the onset. Flair chops Sting, but they have no effect. Sting gives Flair a military press slam. Flair begs off and rolls outside onto the entrance ramp. Sting clothesline Flair over the ropes back into the ring. Flair gains control of the match with a thumb to the eyes and follows with a knee drop to the head of Sting. Flair hits an overhead suplex, but Sting pops up and connects with a series of clotheslines. Sting with a crossbody off the top rope for a nearfall. Flair quickly rolls to the outside.

[Commercial Break]

Flair works over Sting by alternating between chops and kicks to Sting's injured knee. Prior to this match, Sting had been out for six months with a knee injury. Sting rallies briefly before Flair steps out of the way of a dropkick. Flair begins focusing his offense on Sting's injured leg. Sting rolls out of the way of a knee drop and sinks in the Figure Four on Flair. Flair quickly grabs the ropes to break the hold. Both men brawl on the outside for a moment. Back in the ring, Sting mounts Flair and punches him repeatedly. Flair gets caught on the top rope and is slammed to the mat. Sting with a backslide for a nearfall. Flair takes down Sting with a wild swat to the injured leg.

[Commercial Break]

-A short video package aired on Shawn Michaels.

Sting no-sells Flair's chops and kicks. Sting takes out Flair with another military press slam. Sting sends Flair head-over-heels into the turnbuckle and clotheslines the champion on the apron. Sting suplexes Flair back between the ropes for a nearfall. Flair flops to the mat after a Stinger Splash. Sting sinks in the Scorpion Deathlock. Ole Anderson tries to do something, but he can't move an inch with El Gigante cuffed to him. The other Horsemen (Sid Vicious, Arn Anderson, & Barry Windham) run down the ramp, but they are cut off by the Dudes with Attitudes. Flair manages to crawl his way to the ropes. Flair attempts to pin Sting with his feet on the ropes, but Scott Steiner pushes Flair's feet off. Sting with a schoolboy on a distracted Flair for a nearfall. Sting with a backslide for another nearfall. Sting whips Flair into the corner and attempts a running knee. Flair moves out of the way which sends Sting's injured knee into the turnbuckles. Flair goes to sink in the Figure Four, but Sting catches him in an inside cradle for the win. The Dudes with Attitudes celebrated in the ring with Sting as fireworks erupted overhead and fans went ballistic.

WINNER: Sting in 12:05 of what aired to capture the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. What can you say about this match? A classic. This was the first time that Sting captured a heavyweight title.

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