Shawn Michaels vs Mankind (WWF Championship) (WWF In Your House: Mind Games) Review

Shawn Michaels vs Mankind (WWF Championship) (WWF In Your House: Mind Games)

So, I was going through my In Your House DVDs, deciding on a match to watch. Despite the IYH series getting some derision over the years, the events still produced some good/great matches in between some of the dross. This match is an obvious stand out and is one that I haven't seen in a while and my mind was made up as soon as I came across it, as this was the match I really wanted to watch again.

Can HBK go toe to toe with the maniacal Mankind and retain his WWF Championship? Or will he not be able to compete with the toughness and madness that the deranged one brings? We shall see.

Paul Bearer is out first with some druids, who push along a coffin to ringside. Mankind already playing 'Mind Games'. I have a slight feeling this will come into play later on. :hmm: The casket pops open and Mankind rises up

The WWF Champion out next, with of course Jose Lothario. I sure hope he's ready for this.

Shawn quickly outs Mankind in a side headlock to start this one off. He whips him off the ropes, but Mankind catches him with a vicious elbow, sending HBK right down to the mat. Mankind starts kicking HBK and hits him with a chop to the throat. Mankind in control early as he whips HBK off the ropes and sends him straight into a back body drop. He follows this up with a big running clothesline, which sends them both over the top rope to the outside.

“ECW, ECW, ECW” chants can be heard from the crowd.

Mankind rips the outside mat up and exposes the concrete. Just as he lifts it up though, HBK catches him with a drop-kick and follows this up with two double foot stomps onto Mankind.

Shawn already knowing what he may have to do to win this thing.

HBK gets onto the turn-buckle and hits Mankind with a flying cross-body He runs straight back at Mankind and yanks his head straight onto the exposed concrete. He sends him back into the ring and hits him with a double axe handle off the top rope. HBK starts hitting Mankind with some big right hands before clotheslining him down onto the mat. He picks him up and slams him back down to the mat, before climbing onto the top turn-buckle

He hits him with a Savage like flying elbow. HBK seems to think this is it as he goes into the other corner and gets ready to tune up the band. Mankind quickly gets up and realises this and just runs and flies through the middle rope to the outside to avoid this.

Bearer hands him the infamous urn as it looks like Mankind is going to need some divine guidance here as HBK is really bringing it. Paul is screaming at Mankind with a pep talk and 'it's about the championship'. Back in the ring and Mankind/HBK start exchanging punches in the corner. Mankind sends HBK to the turn-buckle, but Shawn reverses this and seems to try a cross-body, but Mankind is too far away. So HBK goes off on one of his tantrums and start berating Mankind.

DID SOMEONE SAY WORKED SHOOT???

He kicks Mankind in the gut, who immediately responds with a slap to the face to HBK. Who in turn starts punching the shit out of Mankind. He tries to take HBK down to the mat, but HBK continues to hit some snarly right hands. THIS IS A GOD DAMN BRAWL.

HBK seems to try and hit Mankind with a bulldog, but it's reversed and Mankind takes him down into a submission hold. He's got HBK on the mat and is effectively choking him out. He's got HBK in a snap-mere takedown, but HBK starts fighting out of it with some punches to the face. Mankind still has both his legs wrapped around HBK's waist though as Shawn tries to hit him with some elbows to try and get out of it. He does finally break out of as he relentlessly punches the shit out of Mankind.

All of a sudden, Mankind turns around and fucking NAILS Shawn with one of his own right hands to the face.

GET THE FUCK DOWN INDEED

He sends HBK flying out the ring and onto the outside. Mankind grabs the Spanish announce table and starts dragging it into a position, but just as he does, HBK comes flying over it and hits Mankind with a flying elbow.

He wails Mankind's head off the casket. He then suplexes him off the steel steps and it catches Mankind's leg sweet as a nut, which the sound of comes across as loud as hell.

NASTY

Mankind gets back up and in the ring, but as soon as he does, HBK takes him straight out via that damaged knee and he slides out the ring again and lies on top of the casket. Shawn takes this ample opportunity to slam Mankind's knee hard off the casket. Shawn taking a leaf out of Bret's book here and continues to target the leg of Mankind with some kicks.

HBK realises what he has to do and how far within himself he has to search to take this new found aggressiveness to Mankind.

He stamps on the knee, which doesn;t please Earl Hebner and HBK really tries his luck here and slaps Earl.

Careful now Shawn.

Mankind starts fighting back and hits Shawn with a short flurry of punches. Mankind tries to kick HBK, but gets taken down with a leg drag to the mat. Shawn then goes for the leg again and puts Mankind into a figure four leg-lock

Mankind quickly gets out of this though by nailing HBK with a punch to the face. He whips Shawn off the ropes, but HBK hits a drop-kick straight to the heavily damaged leg of Mankind. HBK now seemingly tying to break his damn leg and is not letting up as he locks Mankind's leg up and stamps hard on it. He then puts him into a sort of one legged sharpshooter to further target the bad leg. Mankind manages to grab the ropes but it takes nearly up until the full count of 5 for HBK to finally release the hold.

HBK really is learning what he has to do and how far down he has to dig to win this thing.

Mankind though catches him with a chop to the throat, He goes towards HBK, but Shawn quickly jumps on his back and flings him over for a pinfall attempt, and gets a close 2 count. The first of the match insidently.

HBK comes off the ropes towards Mankind but gets flung over and dropped face first off the opposite top rope

Some rest bite for Mankind here and his chance for some revenge maybe.

Bearer hands Mankind some kind of instrument as Mankind starts stabbing his own leg multiple times, seemingly to try and get the feeling back and help him to turn this match around, now he knows HBK is hurt. He goes straight after HBK and starts choking him out on the ropes. He whacks Shawn's head off the casket and sends him to the outside.

This has been a war of attrition and is still far from finished.

Back in the ring and Mankind immediately starts hammering away at Shawn with some stiff shots in the corner before running at him and delivering a vicious knee to HBK;s face with all his weight. Mankind now fully in control as he plants HBK face first onto the mat, not once, but twice. BK manages to gets some adrenaline from somewhere though as he hits Mankind with a back suplex. Both men slowly get back to their feet and Shawn lands a couple of punches before being taken down with a boot to the gut and a headbutt by Mankind.

Mankind whips Shawn off the ropes, but HBK slides under his legs and takes him down via his legs. He then goes straight for Mankind with some more slugfest type right hands. Mankind though sends HBK into the corner and Shawn takes his big flying back bump and is now hanging upside down as Mankind comes flying over and nails him with an elbow.

Mankind follows this up with another flying elbow to Shawn, whilst he's still tied in the corner. HBK is now lying face first on the mat as Mankind hits him with a legdrop right onto the back of his head. He's still on offense as he gives HBK a big boot, sending HBK over he top rope and narrowly avoiding hitting the casket.

Those damn caskets.

He follows Shawn to the outside and runs at him, but HBK moves and it sends Mankind flying into and over the top of the steel steps. Both of them make their way to their feet and HBK quickly goes to Mankind and drop toe hold's him face first back onto the steps. Shawn now back in the ring as is probably thankful of the rest at this stage, however brief it may be.

Mankind gets back on the ring apron and they both take it in turns trying to suplex one another. Mankind wins this battle, but HBK manages to land on his feet. Mankind then runs at him on the apron, but Shawn moves and Mankind goes head first into the ring post.

Steel steps, ring posts; Mankind is taking a fucking battering, here.

Both on their feet again and Mankind gives HBK and elbow before running at him, but Shawn catches him and plants him down with a powerslam and gets a nearfall 2 count.

Jim Ross - “WHAT MATCH. WHAT A WWF CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH WE ARE SEEING RIGHT HERE” - You are bang on there, J.R.

HBK sends Mankind into the ropes, then throws him over the opposite ropes and Mankind ends up getting stuck in the ropes

Careful now, you don't want to lose another ear, here

Mankind and the ref try and get his free, but as Shawn comes over, Mankind quickly puts on the

MANDABLE CLAW

Luckily for HBK, he kicks Mankind free of the ropes and out of the ring. Both men are now down.

Shawn then goes to the outside, but just as he gets near, Mankind again puts on the

MANDABLE CLAW

But HBK quickly pulls Mankind right into the guardrail, knocking over a Spanish announcer at the same time.

HBK then picks up a chair, as Mankind throws a punch, he instead hits the chair with his hand. Shawn follows this up with a chair strike to the legs and a shot to the hand of Mankind.

Stop the hand that could claw you to death. HBK drags Mankind back in the ring and starts

BITING MANKIND'S DAMN FINGERS!!!!!!

He takes Mankind down and goes about trying to destroy his hand by slamming it against the mat. He starts stomping on them and twisting them. Shawn jumps off the ropes multiple times straight landing on the fingers of Mankind.

Really excellent psychology and work here by HBK I have to say.

Shawn then runs at Mankind, but instead gets thrown over the top rope and takes a big bump onto the outside. Mankind gets onto the ring apron and flies at Shawn with a flying elbow. Mankind then baseball slides out the ring and hits Shawn with his patented neck-breaker HBK starts to get back into the ring, but just as he has his head through the middle ropes, Mankind plants him back down with a leg drop.

He follows this up with a double arm DDT onto the champion.

He goes for the cover and gets a 1,2......................2.9 

HBK KICKS OUT.

Mankind doesn't let up though as he nails HBK with a Piledriver

Remember those?

Again he goes for a cover and gets a close 2 count. He tries again by hooking the leg, but again, HBK kicks out at a close 2.

Mankind is frustrated now and is having a fit in the corner, pulling his own hair out and going ballistic. He goes over to the announcers area and starts grabbing and throwing chairs into the ring. He opens up the casket and tries to put HBK in it for some reason, but Shawn fights his way out. Both back in the ring and HBK hits Mankind with a flying elbow.

HULK..............OH FUCK I MEAN KIP UP

by Shawn.

He gets Mankind into the corner and starts wailing at him with stomps. He slams him sown to the mat and climbs up onto the top turn-buckle He hits Mankind with a flying cross-body and goes for a pin, but can only get a close 2 count. HBK again goes up top, but Mankind is back to his feet and hits the ropes, sending HBK onto the turn-buckle via his crown jewels.

Mankind gets up on the apron, grabs HBK and tries to

BACK BODY DROP HIM THROUGH A TABLE

'HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT'

HBK though seems to reverse it mid air with a cross-body Bearer has the ref distracted on the outside as Mankind gets inside the ring with a steel chair. He gets on the turn-buckle, but as soon as he does, HBK runs at him, off another standing chair that is also in the ring, and kicks the chair straight off his face

SWEET CHIN MUSIC!! SWEET CHIN MUSIC!!

Awesome spot.

HBK then goes for the pin, but gets a 2 before he gets up as here comes

VADER

And of course the bell rings. Vader must have been slow to do the run in here, as when Shawn pinned Mankind, Earl had to count very slowly to wait for the run in to happen lol.

Shawn ends up hitting Vader with a flying elbow, sending him over the top rope. Just as HBK is standing in the ring, Paul Bearer comes up behind and nails with with the urn.

J.R - “The referee didn't see it”

Well Jim, doesn't matter now does it as he's already rung the bell for the DQ before this happened :p

Just as Vader is about to get back into the ring

SYCHO SID arrives and goes straight for him. They both start wailing on each other down the isle as multiple referees starts running towards the ring. HBK is dead on the floor as Mankind slowly starts to make his way to his feet. Shawn gets up and is immediately hits with the

MANDABLE CLAW

He asks Bearer to lift the casket lid up, Just as he does,

THE FUCKING UNDERTAKER IS IN THERE!!!!

And goes straight after Mankind.

He sends him over the top rope and follows and stalks him and Bearer down the isle. Finally, back in the ring, HBK is declared the winner via DQ and retains his WWF Championship.

Well, until I rewatch Bret/Austin from Survivor Series, as of this writing, this is the WWF MOTY and the probable MOTY for the whole of the US. It's a perfect mix of this style as you can get out of a wrestling match, DQ finish excluded of course. This is also one match that the finish doesn't hurt the match IMO. Vader/HBK/Sid/Taker/Mankind were all involved in storylines with each other, so it was not a surprise.

Both Mankind and HBK came out of this looking like a million dollars each too. Shawn showed a real aggressive side pretty much straight from the off and this match showed how far down he had to delve to not only match Mankind for his physicality, but also how to actually beat him. He does some really great leg work during the first half and then even getter in the second once he starts going after Mankind's fingers so he can't put on the claw. Shawn's main offense was also spot on here, esp his punches, which I thought looked really good. I loved how they both mixed up both traditional wrestling, brawling and well placed, but not overdone, high spots. Foley took his obvious fair share of bumps, but they both worked hard in getting intensity and nastiness of the match over.

This match didn't happen on a Wrestlemania, or a Summerslam.......it happened on a freaking In Your House PPV. It's as good, if not better, than anything else that year. We know HBK had a pretty consistent year in '96 and this match is just the crowning glory of it all.

Don't need to say recommended as OF COURSE IT FUCKING IS

A stunning piece of work and one of the great title matches in the company history.