Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper (Intercontinental Championship) (Wrestlemania 8) Review

Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper (Intercontinental Championship) (Wrestlemania 8)

This is a match that will always hold a special place in my heart, and I'm sure others who were a kid around this time. Bret was my favourite back then and will always be, but I also liked Piper, so it was an interesting match with them both going in as faces and knowing the close history between the two. Been years since I have watched the match too. Piper/Bret apparently planned out the match in a diner somewhere and they both agreed that they'll add a 'surprise' to the match that would fool everyone, including Vince. I'm sure we'll get to that in the match.......

Piper won the Intercontinental Championship back at the Royal Rumble from The Mountie and Bret was the next in line, and a win would be the catalyst for his real big push.

First, I'll post a promo between the two a few weeks before Wrestlemania (IF Vince hasn't took it down yet)

Roddy Piper + Bret Hart (Challenge 3/15/1992)

First of all, Piper looks great here in his street clothes. It's a very good promo from both, but esp Piper, who quickly goes from not so serious, to full on serious. Piper offers not to fight Bret, he respects Bret and the Hart family and doesn't want to lose his friendship. Bret seems to understand this, but at the same time, he wants to win back the title, and if he has to beat Piper to do it, so be it.

The ending to this promo is fantastic by Piper.

So, here we are at Wrestlemania. First of all, we get a pre match promo with Mene Gene along with both Piper and Bret. I love how this starts out with Piper joking around with Bret, then all of a sudden, it's gets real serious.

“Why do it here, when I can have a million people watch me rip your head off” - Piper

Then as Piper turns away, Bret does the fake punch thing, to call back to that above interview on Challenge, to when Piper did that to Bret, Piper fires right back though and pulls out his belt wrapped around his fists. I fucking love Piper's “Bye, bye. Bye, bye” to Bret too. Fuck Piper has been gold so far and we haven't even got into the match yet.

This thing is oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon.

First of all, forgot how huge the Hoosier Dome looked in a wide shot.

The Hitman is out first, looking as cool as ever. Not only is my all time favourite, but he just so happens to have one of my all time favourite themes, too. Piper comes out with a 'mean as fuck' look on his face. Oh he means business, alright.

“I've never liked bag pipe music, it stinks” - Heenan

LOL

They get in each other's faces as the ref lays out the rules.

Piper, physically, looks fantastic here btw. In maybe the best shape of his career.

In this shot, there is a big four horseman banner in the crowd lol.

They both lock up to get this started, and both struggle for control, before Piper wins out and gives Bret an arm drag. Again, they both lock up and struggle for control, but it's Bret this time who wins out and gives Piper the arm drag. Tit for tat to start this.

Lock up again and Piper takes Bret down to the mat with a single leg takedown hold. Bret is struggling to break the hold, so he just makes his way over to the ropes and dumps Piper through the middle rope and onto the outside. Piper is PISSED at this and storms back into the ring, gets in Bret's face, they have a little shove until

PIPER SPITS RIGHT AT BRET

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww shiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

Piper raises his hands and they go for a test of strength. Piper quickly breaks out of this with an armbar, which Bret reverses and starts hitting at Piper's midriff. Piper shoves his hand in Bret's face and gives him a stiff chop to the throat. Bret just won't let go of the arm of Piper, as Piper starts waling away at Bret with wild punches and big slaps. This doesn't work, and Bret outs Piper's other arm into an armbar.

Piper again tries to break the hold by grabbing Bret's head and ramming it into the turnbuckle, but Bret just won't fucking let go. So Piper goes back to chopping the fuck out of him. Piper starts running around the ring, but Bret is hanging on tight and he plants Piper face first into the mat.

Down on the mat now and Bret has still got Piper's arm locked in. Both back up now and Piper whips Bret off the ropes, misses with a clothesline and Bret nails him with a sweet dropkick. Bret seems really hurt though and is clutching at shoulder in pain. Then out of nowhere, he rolls Piper up for a pin attempt

Oh Bret, you little scamp.

Both get up at the same time and Piper looks at the ref like “WHAT THE FUCK” and slaps Bret hard in the face. Both kicking off now as Bret shoves him and they start jawing at each other. Piper whips Bret off the ropes, but Bret comes flying at him with a cross body and, eventually, they both go over the top rope and onto the outside. Bret though was hanging onto the top rope and it was more Piper's momentum in what threw him over. Piper straight up though and gets back into the ring. Bret gingerly makes it to his feet and Piper, rather sarcastically, sits on the middle rope and holds them open for Bret.

So Bret obliges, without ever taking his eyes off Piper though. Piper then goes into his back of heel tricks, as Bret is trying to seemingly tie his boot, Piper nails him with a sucker punch to the face.

Oh, Roddy.

Piper now starts kicking the shit out of Bret, kicking his head and stomping at him. He rams Bret's head off the turnbuckle for good measure, too. He nails Bret with a very closed fist and hits him with a running bulldog.

HOLY FUCK, BRET IS DAMN BUSTED OPEN

JUICE TIME AT THE HOOSIER DOME

Piper goes for the cover, but Bret kicks out. Piper bites him and sends him crashing, back first, into the turnbuckle. Piper now on the assault, as he slaps Bret and hits with with a vicious high knee, before going for another cover, but again getting a 2 count. Piper nails Bret with another closed fist and whips him into the ropes. Bret reverses this into a sunset flip and gets a 2 count. Piper is pissed at this, and starts stiffing Bret with some boxing style jabs to the open wound on Bret's head.

Another 2 count pin follows.

Bret is a BLOODY MESS here as Piper again starts punching his head, but Bret starts to fight back, nailing Piper with a swift punch of his own and hits Piper with a running forearm, sending Piper flying out the ring.

Bret just about manages to get back to his feet as Piper re-enters the ring. They hit each other with clotheslines and now they are both down on the mat.

Crowd are hot now, as Piper goes for a risky move and climbs to the top turnbuckle. Just as he makes it up there, Bret gets up and hits him plum in the midriff, planting Piper right on the ropes.

Playing possum again, eh Hitman

Bret grabs Piper's hair and and sends his head crashing to the mat. He hits him with an inverted atomic drop and a snap suplex. He covers Piper, but again, can only get a 2 count.

Man, this has been some match.

He hits Piper with a neckbreaker and again, goes for the cover, but again, can only get another 2 count.

I know I have said it already, but BRET and STUFFED PIG spring to mind here.

Bret really giving it to Piper now, as he nails a backbreaker. Bret attempts to apply the SHARPSHOOTER, but Piper does everything he can to grab Bret's leg and stop this from happening. He succeeds, but Bret nails him with an elbow. Piper flat on his back now, as Bret climbs to the middle tutnbuckle and and goes to elbow Piper again, but Piper gets his foot up and hits Bret plum in the face with his boot.

This has been a proper back and forth classic.

They are both on their knees and both start hitting each other with big rights.

Both back on their feet, Bret headbutts Piper, puts him in a headlock, but Piper pushes Bret out of it and STRAIGHT INTO THE REFEREE

REF BUMP ~!

He hits Bret with a (sloppy) clothesline and this sends Bret out the ring via the middle ropes. Piper goes after him and whacks Bret's head off the steel steps and dumps him straight back into the ring. Piper then goes over and

GRABS THE STEEL RING BELL

WTF???????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fans are screaming here. Piper stands over Bret's bloody body with the ring bell in hand.

NO RODDY, NO

Bret is on his knees in desperation here as Piper continues to tease whacking Bret over the head. Piper starts looking around and into the crowd.

THAT'S IT RODDY, YOU DON'T REALLY WANT TO DO THIS, SON.

“Use it, use it. You know that old saying; What the hell, use the bell” - Heenan

“Hit him, give it to me, I'll hit him” - Heenan

LOL

Piper finally comes to his senses and throws the bell out the ring.

Bret gets up and Piper gives him a big right hand, Bret tries to retaliate back, but misses and Piper puts him into a sleeper hold. Bret manages to plant his feet onto the turnbuckle and pushes himself onto Piper and into a PIN ATTEMPT

Ref just about gets back up to count. 1,2.....................................3

OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BRET HART IS YOUR NEW WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION.

Crowd are on their feet. What a moment.

The ref gets the belt, but Piper snatches it straight off him. Fuck sake Piper, don't start this again. He puts it onto Bret, holds out his hand, and lifts Bret up.

THIS IS FUCKING EMOTION

This whole match is an emotional roller-coaster. The storytelling and psychology is seriously off the charts here. Piper looked fantastic and I loved the way he slipped into de-facto heel mode for this match to make the dynamic between them even better. Bret getting bloodied up was also such an excellent idea and it totally worked within the context of the match. These two just meshed so well and it came across as two guys going back and forth for, in their minds, the most important championship title belt.

A seminal moment for Bret to take this forward and be the next singles star and credit to Piper for giving it all he could to properly put him over. Both of them came out of this looking great though. It's still a great match that ranks in the one of greatest in the company's history. Both on the quality of the match and the performers and what it set out to achieve.

HIGHLY Recommended.

Jushin 'Thunder' Liger vs. Great Sasuke (Super J Cup 1994) Review

Jushin 'Thunder' Liger vs. Great Sasuke (Super J Cup 1994)

Been in a Liger mood lately. He's one of my favourites and this match was one of the first matches of his I checked out years ago, think one of the Sano matches was the other one, and I was instantly hooked. This match is one of his best and one of the greatest of it's kind. It's been too long since I have last seen it, so decided to dig it out. This whole event is one of the greatest of all time. With a wonderful Sasuke/El Samurai match, then the utterly fantastic finals between Sasuke/Benoit.

They square off first as the ref gets the rules going.

You can already sense this is going to be great. It's one of those matches that you only have to look at the two and you already know you want to see it.

They start off slowly, as they square up to each other and Sasuke starts moving around and circling Liger. They finally lock up and they both fight to try and gain control, both trying to lock in submissions and takedowns. Eventually, they both escape and it's back to a stand off. Liger puts on a reverse surfboard but Sasuke grabs the arm to escape and keeps Liger in an armbar. They quickly both trade mat submissions as Liger tries to hook the leg and Sasuke tries to keep at the arm. Liger puts on a sort of half surfboard as Sasuke screams in agony as Liger attempts to get him fully in the move. Which after a brief struggle, he does.

I do love a surfboard

Liger hasn't only got a normal surfboard on though, he also cranks that up even more by keeping Sasuke in the hold and hooking a dragon sleeper on top of it.

OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCH. It's fucking wonderful, though.

Liger then picks Sasuke up, whips him off the ropes and plants him with a viscous spinning backbreaker, goes for immediately the cover and gets the first two count of the match. Liger is already punishing Sasuke, as he puts him into a camel clutch to really crank the pressure up. Liger just yanks back at his neck and back and really sticks it to Sasuke. He releases the hold and just drops a big elbow, right onto the back of Sasuke. As soon as Sasuke stands back up, Liger hits him with a rolling Liger kick straight to the head.

Sasuke in real trouble already here as he's flat on his back on the mat as the ref is checking if he's still, well alive TBH. Sasuke is down for a bit here, either he is legit hurt or he's selling fantastically. Liger wastes no time in pounding him with a big right hand the second Sasuke is even half back to his feet.

Liger is starting to go into full on fucking dick heel mode, here.

Again, Sasuke is flat on the mat as the ref again checks if he's still on this planet. Sasuke is once again barely back to his damn feet and Liger just nails him with a jumping tombstone.

Does Liger go for a pin, here? No he does not, he puts Sasuke in a nasty cross face chicken wing. Liger is fucking bending Sasuke backwards here and really punishing him and not holding back as he cranks that fucker in further. He eventually releases the hold as Sasuke is left writhing in agony as his arm is torn to shreds. Liger though doesn't really give a shit, as he grabs that arm and starts working on it. He gives Sasuke TWO painful arm breakers. Liger just goes again straight for the arm and rolls Sasuke over into an armbar, and seemingly tries to RIP HIS FUCKING ARM OFF by the looks of it.

I'm surprised Sasuke's arm is still connected at this point. Liger just won't let go of that arm as he continues to punish poor Sasuke. Liger then plants both his legs over Sasuke's arm and just starts pulling at it, IT'S STILL IN IT'S SOCKET SOMEHOW. Sasuke's arm hanging off by a fucking shred here. Liger does let up...........for about one second, as he gets Sasuke up, twists him arm loose and delivers a heavy back suplex.

Sasuke is fucking dead here and Liger goes over and gives him a very sarcastic slap to the face. Jushin really is a dick, here.

He lifts Sasuke up and plants him back down with a powerslam, before climbing up to the top turnbuckle. He jumps off the ropes with a dropkick, but Sasuke somehow manages to get up, and also hits one at the exact same time.

Finally, some rest bite and relief for Sasuke.

Liger rolls out the ring as Sasuke gets on the apron, gives him a kick, and hits him with a

MASSIVE ASAI MOONSAULT

Crowd popped big for this.

After all the shit Liger has done to him so far, this may finally be the time Sssuke gets some of his own shit in.

Both on the floor in agony now, esp Sasuke, who is obviously still clutching at his arm. Sasuke gets back in the ring first, as Liger struggles to get back onto the ring apron. As he does, Sasuke goes straight over and attempts to suplex Liger back into the ring. But this is blocked and they both struggle to suplex each other. In the end, Sasuke says 'fuck this', and sends Liger's head into the ringpost. Sasuke follows this up with a

BEAUTIFUL SOMERSAULT PLANCHA

Now Liger is the one that is just flat dead on his face. Sasuke is also feeling the effects of this and starts grabbing his hip. Sasuke gets back into the ring first again, as Liger just about rolls back in himself. As he does, Sasuke starts hitting him with some big jumping knees. He sends Liger off the ropes and hits him with a spinning wheel kick. He covers Liger, but only gets a 2 count. He plants Liger back down with a piledriver for another 2 count. He picks Liger up and delivers a great 'Razors Edge' type powerbomb and gets a VERY CLOSE 2 COUNT NEARFALL.

WOW

I just love Liger's selling of this. He's flat on his face on the mat and looks to be having some sort of attack. Visually, it's something.

Sasuke is now caring even less as he plants Liger with a double leg drop right on the back of his head. He hits Liger with another piledriver and climbs up to the top turnbuckle. He misses with a Senton attempt, runs straight off the ropes, tries to hit Liger with a clothesline, who ducks and hits Sasuke with one of his own. A quite brilliant transition.

Liger goes straight for the cover but only gets a 2. He picks Sasuke up and hits with a

HUGE ASS LIGER BOMB

This gets another VERY CLOSE 2 COUNT NEARFALL. Crowd are really lapping this up.

Liger sits Sasuke on top of the turnbuckle and hits him with a Rana for a close 2 count but Sasuke immediately reverses this into a nearfall of his own. Just another wonderful transition spot.

Liger starts giving the ref some stick about his own pin count. The now pissed off Liger as he sends Sasuke across the ring with a release german suplex and goes for another cover.

1,2.....................................2.9/ Sasuke again finds the resiliency to kick out.

Liger throws Sasuke off the ropes, kicks him in the gut, and hits with a Fisherman's Buster.

1,2.......................................2.9 again!!!!!!! this gets a big pop from the crowd.

Liger then picks Sasuke up, drags him over to the ropes, and suplexes him straight onto the outside. He gets onto the top turnbuckle and follows it up with a cross body splash onto Sasuke. Liger gets back in the ring and as soon as Sasuke gets himself back on the apron, is hit with another rolling Liger kick. Liger then gives a hand signal to suggest “That is it”.

Sasuke then jumps onto the top rope........................but botches a springboard dropkick

But Liger's reaction to this is FUCKING PRICELESS

THAT IS IMPROVISATION AT IT'S BEST. Some may have just stood there and wondered 'duh, what do I do now' but he turned it into an awesome spot.

Liger starts showing off to the crowd but is suddenly hit with a Rana from Sasuke, straight into a pin.

1,2...................................3 SASUKE GETS THE WIN

Crowd go fucking NUTS.

A million :applause to Sasuke

Think I need a lie down after this. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. Liger very graciously congratulates Sasuke on a monumental effort, survival and win. There's even a bloke in the crowd, crying :proud

As Taka Michinoku helps Sasuke down the isle.

No idea where to even start with this FUCKING MASTERPEICE OF WRESTLING. Liger was esp off the walls great. His targeting offense was perfect and he acted as a dickish heel throughout in taking Sasuke apart. Sasuke deserves so much credit too. He got the living shit beat out of him, but no matter what Liger hit him with, and he hit hi with almost everything, he kept kicking out and coming back and the crowd were right behind him.

The botch at the end was very unfortunate and was pretty much the only glitch of the match, but you know what? Liger turned that right around and into a positive with his wonderful Improvised mocking of Sasuke. I mean if it was more subtle, the botch could have been made into a deliberate act it was covered up that well by Liger and the finish was still a very satisfying one with Sasuke getting the win after all the shit he took in this match.

Sasuke came out of this looking like the epitome of an underdog and was put over so superbly by Liger and was a great way to for him to win and go onto the final. Liger just destroyed Sasuke's arm and went straight into heel mode, making sure to get Sasuke over as the biggest sympathetic babyface he could and it worked like a charm.

Seriously, I cannot recommend this match highly enough. It's as near of a perfect wrestling match as you are going to get. I don't give a shit about the botched finish TBH, as they made it work and didn't make the match any less great.

WATCH THIS SHIT NOW

Vader vs. The Boss (WCW Spring Stampede 1994) Review

Vader vs. The Boss (WCW Spring Stampede 1994)

So, I love a fucking big super heavyweight clash, and when it involves Big Van Vader, it ups the quality ten fold. This match has always been one of my favourites and is one of Bossman's best matches to boot and probably the best thing he did in WCW.

We start off in the locker room with Vader and Rick Rude having a pull apart. Man, Vader/Rude would have been pretty awesome if Rude was healthy and if he had turned face sometime.

Boss is first out. Hard times, you'll be serving hard time..............oh wait, this is WCW. Damn.

He pretty much is The Big Bossman, it's hardly a wonder WWF ended up suing them and forcing them to change his gimmick. The Man; Vader is out next, of course with Harley Race.

Boss doesn't wait until Vader gets in the ring and jumps him on the isle and they start trading blows before Harley grabs Boss and Vader comes running straight for him, but Boss moves and Vader plants his massive frame plum onto Race.

Boss starts stiff punching the fuck out of Vader and clotheslines him over the top rope and finally into the ring. He continues with the palm and fist strikes, before whipping Vader off the ropes and delivering a BIG BOOT. This of course doesn't knock Vader down of course, so Boss just runs at him and with one stiff ass punch, sends him crashing over the top rope. Both on the outside now as Boss still pounds on Vader with right hands. Vader fights back with his own BIG CLUBS to Boos, before crashing him down with a short clothesline.

It's already a big hoss battle with these two.

Vader picks Boss up and slams him back into the ring. He walks back up the ramp and takes a run at the ring and FLIES OVER THE TOP ROPE and onto Boss.

But Boss gets his knees up in time. He continues to be in control as he lands some drop elbows onto Vader, before clotheslining him back out the ring and onto the outside. He whips Vader front first into and over the guardrail

Vader is one big bastard as we know, but fuck did he take some bumps. No wonder he had quite a few injuries in his time.

Boss picks him up again and dumps him back onto the same guardrail. Vader really in trouble as they are both back in the ring and Boss continues to stiff him with strikes, before delivering a big splash clothesline in the corner. He picks Vader up again and powerslams him onto the mat.

Vader is back to his feet and he starts pancaking Boss with his famous clubs to the head. Boss fights back with a thumb to the eye and kick in the gut. He tries to whip Vader off the ropes, but is reversed and Vader sends him onto the top rope, but Boss just manages to grab the top rope, but it still sends him to the outside, where Race gives him a few sly kicks for good measure.

Vader's eye is bleeding now too, probably from the strikes he's been receiving so far.

Boss gets back onto the ring apron and Vader SUPLEXES him over the rope and back into the ring. Vader follows this up with a Vader splash and gets the first 2 count of the match. Vader then gets Boss just where he wants him and every opponent; In the corner. He starts wailing at Boss with some heavy clubs to the head. Vader is like “Have this”

Boss fights right back at Vader though with his own clubs to the head.

IS THERE ANYTHING BETTER THAN TWO BIG BASTARDS STIFFING EACH OTHER

Vader quickly puts a stop to this with a hard right to Boss. Vader goes to put Boss into a headlock,. But Boss picks him up and backdrops him onto the mat. Both men are down now and I assume, fucking drained of energy with the amount of shit they have threw at each other.

Vader really is bleeding from that eye now, as Boss whips him off the ropes and gives him a stiff ass forearm clothesline. Race is shouting “NO PAIN” at Vader, think even Vader is beginning to doubt that at the moment, tbh. Vader catches Boss with a big boot to the jaw and nails him with his own stiff ass clothesline to the mat. Vader then goes to the corner and gets up on the middle rope; possible Vader splash coming up?

But Boss is back up and just grabs Vader and sends him crashing onto the mat.

Boss puts Vader onto the middle turnbuckle and delivers a DDT right off of it!!!! He goes for the cover, but only gets a two count. Vader gets back up, just as Boss climbs onto the top rope turnbuckle and hits Vader with flying shoulder charge and goes for another pin attempt, but Vader has his arm on the ropes. Boss again goes onto the top rope turnbuckle, but this time it's a case of going to the well one too many times, as Vader catches him and powerslams Boss onto the mat.

These two have took some shit, maaaaan.

Race is screaming at Vader now to finish him. Vader drags Boss over towards the corner, seemingly for a Vader splash attempt. He does indeed hit the Vader Splash, so this is it now. He goes for the cover, 1,2..........................NO, BOSS GOES AND KICKS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vader again goes to the turnbuckle, but this time climbs onto the top rope, for a possible Vadersault.

VADER HITS A WONDERFUL VADERSAULT

Surely this'll finish the big man off. He goes again for the cover. 1,2.........................3, yup, Vader gets the win.

Seems like Race and Vader are not finished with Boss yet though. Race goes over and grabs the nightstick and handcuffs. He tries to put them onto Boss, but Boss gets up and starts beating the shit out of Race. Vader doesn't know what the fuck is coming as Boss lamps him over the back with the nightstick. Boss then goes APE FUCKING SHIT on poor Harley with the nightstick and just starts non stop wailing at him with it. He's like a man possessed with the damn thing.

Nick Bockwinkel then comes to the ring to try and get Boss to cease with this shit. Vader then climbs back in the ring and he and Boss have a stand off as Boss still has the nightstick waiving in his hand. Bockwinkel orders Boss to get the fuck out of there. No way is this feud over yet by the looks of it. Race is still down as Vader goes over to the commentary table and screams “WHO'S THE MAN, NOW? WHO'S THE MAN?”

Oh you certainly are, Vader my son.

Backstage, Bockwinkel strips Boss of his handcuffs and nightstick and says he can no longer be 'The Boss'. I guess this is where WWF were really asserting pressure for them to do this TBH.

TWO BIG BASTARDS BEATING THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF EACH OTHER. Vader takes some shit in this I have to say. His eye is fucked up, again, and they both land plenty of snarly shit at each other throughout, too. Bombs are thrown all over the place, not entirely all clean, but they all looked very impressive, esp Boss, who just threw Vader around all over the place. Vader took more than his fair share of bumps, as he very often does, in this match and gave Boss a lot to do and work with. In fact, Vader was insane with the bumps he continued to take. It's still the best Boss ever did in WCW and one of the highlights of his whole career. It's also one of Vader's best ever performances, too.

Just an awesome match that still ranks as one of my favourites.

Recommended.

Randy Orton vs Cactus Jack (No Holds Barred) (WWE Intercontinental Championship) (WWE Backlash 2004) Review

Randy Orton vs Cactus Jack (No Holds Barred) (WWE Intercontinental Championship) (WWE Backlash 2004)

Well, here it is, Randy Orton's 'coming out party'. It's been years since I have watched this match and I have been wanting to watch a Foley match recent;y, so I chose this one. This match had a pretty big build too, with Orton constantly putting Mick down, figuratively and literally. I think he pushed him down some stairs once, called him out for being 'an old timer', spat in his face. Then they met in the Royal Rumble, with them eliminating each other and brawling afterwards, Then they had that mixed Evolution tag at Mania with Orton pinning Foley, a performance that Mick has always said he wasn't happy with. He's also called this his favourite match too, I think.

First I'll post the promo video for this match (if Vince hasn't took it down yet)

Randy Orton vs Cactus Jack - Backlash 2004 Video

Of course this is going to be a No Holds Barred/Hardcore match, for Orton's Intercontinental Championship. So, here we go. Mick is down to around 272 here btw, his best weight since '89 or so? I'm expecting a war, so I hope you're all ready for this. Orton is the 'pretty boy' going into this, so lets see how pretty he is coming out of it. He's the Legend Killer after all.................

“I'm going to tear you apart.............and I'm going to love it” - Foley :mark:

Orton is out first as I carrying a bin full of toys, yeah Randy, you're going to need them. Foley, no CACTUS FUCKING JACK, is out next as is carrying a proper BARBED WIRE BASEBALL BAT and he's got those crazy eyes directed straight towards Orton. Randy has his own barb wire bat, but the wire comes loose as Jack enters the ring, so he picks up the bin to try and protect himself as Jack comes towards him with the real BARBIE. Jack just starts whacking the bit with the bat as Orton is already shitting himself trying to defend himself.

Yeah Randy, this is Cactus Jack's yard and you're in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Orton quickly bails to the outside as Jack follows him out with the bat liked a crazed horror character. Orton just legs it as Jack furiously swings away at Orton. Randy knocks over a cameraman in his attempts to get away and he manages to drop toe hold Jack face first onto the steel steps. Randy picks up Barbie and they have a battle over it to try and grab it. Foley wins this battle, but gets a smack in the head from the bin, not once, not twice, but THRICE

He tries again, but Jack gets his foot up to block and and Orton gets the bin shoved in his face. Jack picks up the bin and hits Orton with some ferocity with it, just wrapping it around his skull. Both back in the ring and Jack in control as he starts kicking Orton in the face. He gives Orton a big knee lift off the ropes and a leg drop off his face and gets a 2 count. Jack just continues to punish Orton with rights to the head before running off the ropes and baseball sliding him unceremoniously out the ring.

Foley does looks great here btw.

Jack again, runs off the rope for a baseball slide to the outside and hits Orton with a spinning neckbreaker. Orton is flat dead on the outside now as Jack goes to the top turnbuckle and signals the 'big elbow'. Orton senses this and scurries away on his hands and knees up the isle. Jack goes right after him and puts him in the claw, but Randy quickly reverses this and backdrops him on the damn steel

THIS CAUSED A MASSIVE THUD SOUND

Naturally, Orton goes for a pin, but Jack kicks out at 2. Orton gets Jack down with a backslide for another 2 count. Randy in control now and he lands some rights on Jack, before slamming his head down back onto the steel. Aspirin for Jack, I think. Another 2 count follows. Orton just pounds away at Jack with punches and an uppercut, before slamming his face off the steel steps. He shoves Jack back into the ring and picks up Barbie

He tries to wrap it around Jack's head, but Jack does his best to block it. He struggles to power out of it so he thinks 'fuck this' and low blows poor Randy.

“Don't rub 'em son, count 'em”

Jack nearly knocks Orton's head off with a big running clothesline before reaching into his shirt and pulling out SOCKO. He starts swinging his arm around in preparation to put it on Orton, but then starts talking to it and pointing at Barbie. GO ON JACK, USE IT.

It's Socko or Barbie and the crowd naturally react to Barbie.

He runs at Orton with the bat and hits him plum in the head with it.

'Oooh, that's gotta hurt' ORTON IS BUSTED THE FUCK OPEN!!!!!!

Jack doesn;t give a fuck though as he runs at Orton again with the bat and drops it straight down back onto his head. Randy is bleeding like a stuffed pig now as Jack just clubs him with big right hands.

See Randy, you really didn't want this, did you?

Orton is just trying to survive now as Jack continues to pound away at him in the corner.

'BANG, BANG'

Jack is in full on sadistic mode now as he runs at Orton with a vicious knee strike, before picking up Barbie again. He goes straight for Orton;s face and rubs the barbed wire right in the open wound. Randy drastically tries to get the fuck out of dodge on his hands and knees and finds Mr.Socko and tries to pick it up, but he's so fucked that he doesn't know what fucking planet he is on

So Jack comes over and reintroduces him to the barbed wire. He rips Orton's shirt off his back, places the barbed wire bat BETWEEN HIS LEGS, and legdrops the fuck out of it

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLY FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK

I want to feel sorry for Randy, but he deserves all the shit he's getting.

Jack then goes out to the outside, looks under the ring, and pulls out a PETROL (GAS) CAN. He fucking douses Barbie in gas and fires up a lighter ready. Just as he does this, Eric Bischoff comes out and tells Jack that if he lights that bat up, he will lose the match and the whole PPV will be shit down.

Fucking spoil sport.

Jack complies and throws both the lighter and the bat to the outside. He instead picks a steel plate and clubs Orton over the head with it. Forget going for a cover here, Jack is really out to maim Orton. He reaches under the ring and pulls out A BIG ASS BOARD FILLED WITH BARBED WIRE

HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT, HOLY SHIT

He picks Randy up off the mat and starts potatoing him with right hands as Orton hovers over the barb wire. He goes for one big swing punch, but Orton throws POWDER IN HIS FACE AND SLAMS JACK ONTO THE BARB WIRE

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD

Orton goes straight for the cover but Jack kicks out, much to the annoyance of Randy, who goes right back at Jack with clubs to the back. Orton picks up the barbed wire board and places it upright in the corner of the ring. You better be sure of this, Randy. He tries to throws Jack into it, Who at this point is bleeding all his arm and God knows where else, but Jack tries in vein to black it, so Orton just starts pounding away at him. Orton finally manages to throw Jack towards the wire, but is reversed

I have to say, as someone who hasn't seen this match in years, this got me

But that is also reversed and it is indeed Jack that 

GOES FLYING INTO THE BARBED WIRE BOARD...............FUCKING TWICE

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Orton then dumps the board right on Jack's arm, which as I said, is bleeding all over at this stage. Jack is fucking practically blind here as Orton goes over to a box in the corner, pulls out a satchel........what could it be...........and throws out a zillion THUMBTACKS onto the ring.

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK

Jack struggles to get to his feet as Orton gets him up and hits him with some right hands. He goes for the RKO ONTO THE THUMBTACKS, but Jack reverses it and sends Orton crashing into them

Revenge is sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

Orton is trembling here as he;s got these thumbtacks all over his back. Jack seizes this moment and goes for a pinfall, but gets a very close 2.9. Orton very delicately crawls to the outside and tries to pick some of the tacks off of him and starts to walk up the ramp. But Jack hasn't nearly finished with him yet and follows him and they both go through the curtain to the back area, but the camera doesn't follow. They both quickly emerge and Jack

THROWS ORTON OVER THE RAMP AND ONTO SOME TABLES LIKE A PIECE OF TRASH

Get the fuck down

EMT's come out to check on Randy. Don't worry guys, he's already dead at this stage. Two refs come over to Jack and back him to the back area, and at first Jack looks like he's complying, but then he just decks the two officials and points at Orton in a 'I'm not finished with you yet, boy'. He fucking runs and hits Orton with a FLYING ELBOW OFF THE STAGE

No point in saying holy shit by now, this whole match is holy shit.

Jack goes for the pin on a seemingly dead Randy Orton and it's 1,2.........................2.9. Orton damn kicks fucking out. Blood all over both their bodies as Jack picks Orton up and starts kicking the shit out of him on the ramp. He dumps Orton back in the ring, yeah where there's still a shit load of tacks. He hits a DDT on Orton and goes for another pinfall. 1,2.........................2.9 AGAIN!!! Orton is showing some fucking balls here kicking out, I guess the bat left something intact down there. Orton manages to climb out the ring as Jack sets up the barbed board again in the corner. Jack goes over and tries to pull him back in, but Orton whacks Jack over the head with Barbie.

Orton picks up Barbie and starts hitting Jack all over with it. Jack though has secretly picked up Mr.Socko and puts Orton in the MANDABLE CLAW just as Orton tries to hit him again with the bat. Orton can't breath as he;s slowly fades down to his knees. He gets out of it by uppercutting Jack and giving him a LOW BLOW.

“Don't rub 'em son, count 'em'.

This hardly affects Jack though as he goes right back and reapplies the MANDABLE CLAW, but Orton quickly reverses this into an RKO

This has to be it for Jack, now. Orton cover for the 1,2..............................2.9

JACK KICKS OUT DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They both stagger to their feet and Orton suddenly hits ANOTHER RKO, this time straight onto BARBIE

He goes for the cover and gets a 1,2................3. Randy Orton is your winner. Flair/Batista come down and help Orton out the ring. Ric must be very proud of all that blood.

Great visual with Jack holding Barbie

Where the fuck do I even start here? This is one of the most hated, heated, nastiest brawls the fucking federation has ever seen. This is how you do one of these matches and this is how you put over a younger, up and coming talent. Orton came out of this, bloodies and fucked up, but looking like a made man. Foley did everything he could to give him everything he had, and then some. Foley looked fantastic here, in great shape. The bumps both he, and Orton, took were just FUUUUUCK. One after another. They both bled like stuffed pigs and went through hell.

You want hate? It was all here.

You want someone coming of age and showing his metal? It was all here.

You want a man's quest for revenge and doing anything to get it? It was all here.

One of the greatest matches in the company's history and I want everyone reading this to go and watch this shit now. We all know Foley is a legend and this just further cements that. Orton though deserves massive credit here too. He took as much shit as Foley and still got through it and came out of looking like a tough S.O.B that can survive something like this.

HIGHLY Recommended.