Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel (No Holds Barred) (WWF In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies) Review

Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel (No Holds Barred) (WWF In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies)

Was just randomly thinking of WWF in 1996 and this match popped into my head as something i'd like like to revisit. So I dug out the HBK: From The Vault DVD and gave it a watch. I've always loved it and it's a highly regarded match of course, some say it's Nash's best one, although I have said that was his match with Bret at Survivor Series, so we'll see on this one. This was also Nash's last televised WWF match before he split for WCW.

These two were best friends, then there was dissension, Nash turned on HBK and they became enemies. It needed a match fitting to the ongoing hatred these two had against each other, and what better way than a 'No holds barred' match? So, here it is.

Diesel is out first and is looking as cool as ever.  He gets in the ring and throws his jacket straight onto Vince at the announce table. He's like “What the fuck is this?”. They show Mad Dog Vachon in the audience. Wonder if he'll come into play in this match

HBK is still in the back, being 'coached' by Jose Lothario, although i'm sure in his head, HBK is probably thinking “I don't need your stinking help, i'm fucking ready for the this shit, i'm the WWF Champion”. He finally makes his way out, and takes his jacket and belt off whilst walking to the ring and just goes running in the ring and straight for Diesel.

This thing is fucking on.

He starts clubbing Nash with some big right hands, but Nash finally says 'None of this shit', and gives HBK a big knee to the gut. He sends Shawn into the corner, but he reverses it and dropkicks Nash over the top and onto the outside. He follows this up with a baseball slide to keep Nash out the ring. He gets onto the top turn-buckle and Moonsaults onto Nash

HBK then, rather randomly, goes to the Spanish announce table and grabs a boot off someone, before getting onto the top turn-buckle again and ramming the said boot onto Nash's head, and goes for the cover for a 2 count. Nash sends Shawn flying into the turnbuckle, which HBK goes into it back first and flips over the ropes onto the apron. Nash then gives him a big sledgehammer shove and sends Shawn face first onto the guardrail. Shawn is dead.

Nash in control now. He goes to the outside and clumps Shawn with a big right hook, before throwing him back in the ring. Nash continues to pound on Shawn with punches and a big clothesline, before delivering classic 'Snake eyes'. Nash takes this opportunity to go and berate Vince some more lol. He puts Shawn into the corner and shouts “Hey old man, this is how we do it in the 90's” at Jose, before putting big knees into Shawn. He picks him up for a big, jumping side slam. Nash in control and fully enjoying this now.

Nash takes his wrist tape off, for which Earl Hebner doesn't like, so Nash strangles him with it  and taking his trousers...........................no no.............belt off. He starts whipping Shawn's back with big
lashes of the belt. Ref is back up and his trousers are still up, so that's good. Not so good for HBK as Nash then uses the belt to strangle him with it, we get a camera close up of Shawn's anguish, which i'm not sure we'd see nowadays TBH. Nash swings HBK around with the belt and hangs him with it, in quite spectacular fashion

“Hang in there Shawn” - Lawler

Nash ties HBK to the ropes with the belt and he's now stuck. Even Vince unintentionally joins in and says “Shawn Michaels, trying to hang on”. Nash then goes over to the announce area and throws poor Howard Finkel off his chair and grabs it. As the ref is trying to untie HBK from the ropes (oh, how nice of him), Nash comes over and wallops him in the back with the chair. Shawn is now untied, but Nash is still in control and holds the chair aloft to show this and whacks Shawn again in the back with it. Nash tries hitting him again with it, but Shawn moves and he hits the ropes with it instead, which cause the chair to bounce back and hit Nash plum in the face.

This is HBK's big chance and the crowd know it.

Shawn picks up the chair himself and goes to hit Nash with it, but before he can, he gets a nasty low blow for his troubles.

'Don't rub them Son, count them'

The ref throws the chair to the outside and both Nash and HBK are flat, down on the mat. Nash is up first, whips Shawn into the ropes and into the big back body drop.  He goes for a pin but only gets a 2 count. He then puts on the old 'twisted skull chrusher thing', man HBK has been through the mill so far. Shawn tries to power out of it, but Nash keeps swatting him with big blows, before one of them sends him to the outside. Nash follows him and signals for the Jackknife, which he does...............onto the announce table where Vince is.

The monitor ends up hitting Vince plum in the face in the process and his damn headset is also still plugged in

Shawn is dead again. Vince tries to tidy up whilst Nash gets in the ring with the WWF belt and poses with it. HBK eventually tries to make his way back up, not knowing where the fuck he is. He does get up and sneakily grabs a fire extinguisher and fires it straight into Nash's face, blinding him. Mind you, it took him two tries, and after the first failed, he seems to say something like “Motherfucker”

Now this has to be Shawn's big chance.

Ash can't see a thing and is throwing wild, blind punches at thin air :shane HBK takes this opportunity and lands some big right hooks of his own, before hitting a big flying forearm. Nash is finally down, HBK 'kips up' and is feeling it now. He goes to the outside and grabs a chair, but it's got a monitor wrapped around it, but he doesn't seem to notice or care as he whacks Nash with the chair. Lawler is like “That is my headset”. He then wallops Nash right in the face and that sends the big man right down onto the mat.

Nash is back up and HBK sends him into the ropes and tries a back body drop, but Nash is having none of it and clubs him in the back. He then gives Shawn a BIG BOOT, which I always love. He then signals again for the Jackknife, which he tries to hit, but HBK reverses it and starts punching the fuck out of Nash and gives him a stamps for good measure. He goes to the top and delivers a Macho Man elbow. He's in command now and stamps the mat and signals for 'Sweet Chin Music', he flies at Nash but it get's blocked and Nash gives him a big clothesline. Both are down on the mat.

Man alive this has been FUCKING GREAT.

They both bet back up, but Nash delivers another clothesline and sends Shawn to the outside. He picks Shawn up and plants him, face first, onto the guardrail, before throwing him back into the ring. Just as Nash is about to follow suit, he stops and walks over to the crowd.  What is he doing? He goes and grabs Mad Dog Vachon and PULLS OFF HIS FUCKING PROSTHETIC LEG, yes you read that right, HE PULLS OFF HIS FUCKING PROSTHETIC LEG

He tries to hit Shawn with the leg, but is instead hit with sweet revenge and he gets a big low blow

'Don't rub them, Son, count them'

Shawn picks up the leg, just typing that makes me smile, waits for Nash to get back up again, and runs over and plants the leg right into the cranium of Nash. That's gotta hurt. He then hits 'Sweet Chin Music' for the win and to retain the WWF Championship.

Shawn then seemed to fire a message to Hogan with “You want a big boy to play with”?

Well, this was just as good as it's ever been. Some big spots that i'd forgotten about TBH, like the table bump HBK took. I just love the pace of the match, the control that Nash has for large proportions of it and the way HBK sells being beat the shit out of. The leg spot if funny, but hey it's a NHB and it added to the match in the end. Just a war, with HBK trying to survive and o what he could, when he could, to come back and make it through. I'd still say Nash's best match was with Bret, but fuck this isn't far off.

A full on, WWF classic, and not the only one of course from this year.

Bret Hart vs Diesel (WWF Championship) (WWF Survivor Series 1995) Review

Bret Hart vs Diesel (WWF Championship) (WWF Survivor Series 1995)

Mr.Perfect joins J.R and Vince on commentary here. This has always been one of my favorite WWF matches, so i'm looking forward to this. This is of course a No-DQ match.

Both Bret and Diesel look great and ready for business. Nash starts out by removing the top turnbuckle pad and throwing it to the outside. Bret just goes 'Yeah, well i can do that too', and proceeds to follow suit, and they're both like "You ready to do this or what?"

They continue to try and psych each other by calmly staring and Bret starts circling the big man, before running Nash into the corner and tries to go for the leg, but Nash has none of it and starts landing big punches onto Bret and clubbing his back. He keeps him in the corner to deliver his big elbow and knee strikes. He won't let Bret out of that corner as he continues to hammer him with big blows.

Bret bails to the outside for a breather but Nash calmly follows him like he's Michael Myers and gives him a big clubbing forearm to the back, before picking him up and planting Bret's head off the guardrail. No count out in this match either. Nash still in complete control of this one. He throws Bret back into the ring, taking his time and methodically hovering over him. Bret tries to bail again to the outside, but Nash is right there again and starts choking him with his big boot.

Bret tries a comeback and starts kicking at Nash's leg, but gets cut off by some punches the the head and a big punch that knocks Bret back onto the outside. Nash keeping that slow pace and he's got the Hitman exactly where he wants him. He slams Bret into the steel steps. Bret taking a hammering atm, as Nash picks him up and slams into the post.

Nash walks over to the bell area, throws a bloke off his chair, right into the camera lol

He then takes that same chair and hit's Bret's back with it. No DQ remember in this one. Nash warms his hands and throws Bret back into the ring and slams him, back first into the turnbuckle, before giving him a powerful clothesline. Nash shouts "Do you know what time it is?", and seems to signal for the Jacknife Powerbomb. He tries, but Bret blocks it and grabs Nash's leg. Nash keeps trying, but Bret won't let go of that damn leg, and starts to BITE Nash's arm lol, before landing some big punches of his own.

This might just be the big Bret comeback.

He then BITES Nash's ear seemingly, before raking his eye, jumping on his back and putting a sleeper/chokehold on. Bret starts kicking at Nash's leg, as he tries right at the start of the match, knowing this is his next strategy. Big knees to the leg and a snapmere to Nash, who holds his leg in pain. Bret isn't letting him off and does a big power squat off the ropes onto his damaged leg. It looks like Bret is going for the Sharpshooter, but ends up putting on a Figure-Four.

Nash is puffing and blowing and is selling the agony here, trying to drag himself to the ropes. The ref tells Bret to release the hold because Nash has the ropes (this is bought up by Perfect on commentary, who points out "What's he (ref) going to do, DQ him?"), but Bret ends up releasing the hold, before going back to the leg with big knee strikes. Nash can't get off the mat as his leg is being destroyed here and Bret is in complete control of him.

He tries to put the Sharpshooter on, but Nash pokes him in the eye, TWICE. Nash then shoves Bret, with his legs, head first onto one of those exposed turnbuckles (the one Nash took off, which was a nice touch if that was intended). He then starts clubbing Bret, this is the big Diesel comeback??!!

Nope, Bret grabs that leg again and slams it into the post, twice. Bret grabs some sort of power cord or lead that is wrapped around the post and ties Nash's leg to it!! But that was frivolous as Nash delivers a big leg drop onto Bret's head. Nash tries to get up, but his leg remains tied to the rope, so Bret gets on the turnbuckle drops an elbow onto him. Nash is flat on his back as Bret then goes to the outside and grabs a chair. He tries to swat Nash with it, who counters and on one leg, delivers a couple of big boots to Bret, knocking him down.

What a battle this has been so far. Nash then tries grabbing the chair, but Bret stands on his hand, grabs the chair for himself, and whacks Nash on the back with it and then back to the leg with some big standing chair shots. Nash is still down and tied to the post lol, as Bret stays in control with some big elbow strikes. Not a single pinfall attempt as of yet either, what a refreshing change eh.

Bret picks him up for a back drop. He's still got that chair, and proceeds to climb to the top turnbuckle with it, but  Nash gets up and hits Bret, knocking him onto his gentlemen's parts

'Don't rub 'em son, count 'em'

Nash then, still tied to that post, throws Bret off the turnbuckle into the middle of the  ring. He then realizes he has to untie himself to do any sort of damage onto Bret. Nash is now free, but is limping, as he should be after the shit his leg has taken. He plants Bret with a side slam before going for the first pin of the match and getting a 2 count.

He rams Bret face first into that exposed turnbuckle (we all know how well Bret can do this). We also get our first instant replay of the match, another refreshing feature here. Nash limps over (good selling here btw) to Bret, before just about landing a big, two legged squat onto Bret at the ropes. He picks him up and carries him over to the corner, still limping here, and delivers Snake Eyes to Bret. He tries to do the same onto the exposed turnbuckle, but Bret blocks it and rams Nash's head straight into it.

Crowd start to come alive now as Bret mounts his comeback with some punches to Nash. He gets Nash down with a big clothesline and goes for another pin, but only gets a 2 again. Bret has the momentum here and delivers a top rope bulldog onto Nash and gets another 2 count. He gives Nash a side Russian leg sweep to keep him down on the mat and gets another 2 count. Both back on their feet and Bret starts laying in some more punches, before clotheslining Nash onto the outside. Bret tries to leap over the top rope onto Nash, but misses and takes a big bump onto the floor.

Nash gets back in the ring to get his bearings back as Bret lays on the outside. Bret tries to get back in the ring, but Nash shoves him off the apron an onto the table (remember when this was refreshing)

Great little moment too as some of the crowd, mostly kids, run over to take a closer look, and i hope lol, see if Bret is ok. Nash goes over, picks Bret up, and clubs him down, Bret still tries to get up and Nash does a 'What the fuck, you still trying to get up?'. He throws Bret back into the ring and signals for the Jacknife. He goes to put Bret int position, but Bret is dead on his feet, and just flops right back down onto the mat.

Nash is too complacent here as he's standing over Bret, and is then shocked to fuck as Bret ROLLS HIM UP FOR THE WIN!!!

Bret Hart is your new WWF World Champion. Nash is like "Motherfucker"

He gives Hebner one hell of a shove and picks Bret up and delivers a Jacknife. Pfft, poor loser. A load of other refs come in and try to stop him, but he just swats them away with big punches and gives Bret another fucking Jacknife Powerbomb. SOMEONE STOP THIS MADMAN.

Nash then spits onto the outside lol and exits the ring.

Well do i still love this? FUCK YES I DO. it is just the perfect big man, little man formula, etched into a  no DQ setting. Nash is on point mostly with the selling of the leg, Bret is great as always on his offense, as is Nash TBH. There are multiple spots that they incorporate the stipulation into and it feels  like a war, with Bret trying to survive, before getting a gameplan together.

I'll have to re-watch their matches at KOTR and RR to see how they compare, but this has always been  the best one IMO and is still my favorite. Nash's best match? Probably still is, although his match with Shawn at IYH would run it close TBH. Just excellent storytelling and psychology, brilliantly executed by both men. Maybe it would have been enhanced if one, or both, of them got some blood to help the narrative and those turnbuckle shots, but that's only a small observation that's not really important TBH