Vader, Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith vs. Shawn Michaels, Ahmed Johnson & Sid (WWF In Your House 9: International Incident) Review

Vader, Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith vs. Shawn Michaels, Ahmed Johnson & Sid (WWF In Your House 9: International Incident)

So, it's been years since I have seen this match TBH and I always remember it being rather good. The Ultimate Warrior was due to be in the match, but was suspended for missing dates, so was replaced by Sid. Considering the time frame of this match, I'm kinda glad. Earlier on in the night, Cornette and Lothario had a debate in the ring, which resulted in Corny trying to whack Jose with the racket and Vader/Shawn having a pull apart face off, to add even further heat to the match.

Nice slide in by HBK there.

So the faces are actually labelled as 'The People's Posse'

LOL

Should be interesting given the recent history between Sid and Shawn over the past year and all involved have been going at it with each other for the majority of the year too TBH. HBK is out first, to a big pop too in Canada. The fans are that excited, they fall over the barricade

Lawler's laugh on commentary is funny during this. Already interesting that the faces are the ones to come out first in this and not the heels. Ahmed Johnson is out next with the 'People's Intercontinental Championship Belt'. Got a feeling this is going to take a while to actually start lol. You know who that leaves; SID, and he's next out to that iconic music and a pop of his own.

“THE MAN IS HERE”

The heels are next out and they all come down together with Jim Cornette. Vader/Owen/Davey. Just on paper that is a fucking great team. So it looks like this is finally ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNN. Owen has a cast on his arm for this, still recovering from his 'broken wrist'. Wonder if that'll come into play.............

Vader and Ahmed look to start this off, but Vader points at Shawn and demands he's in with him (yeah, I bet HBK is relishing this). Ahmed tags him in and it's Vader/HBK off the bat. They both lock up and HBK is like “Bring it” (now are you SURE??). Shawn pounds away with hard rights at Vader, but this doesn't face the big man one bit and Vader just nails Shawn with a big strike to the throat to knock him down.

Yup Shawn, maybe think again on that one. Shawn though gets up and ends up hitting a Hurricinrana on Vader followed by a flying crossbody. He runs at Vader with another crossbody, knocking both of them to the outside. Shawn gets back in the ring and nails Vader with a baseball slide, followed by yet another flying crossbody, this time over the top rope, right onto Vader. HBK using his high flying skills to try and keep the Mastodon down. He goes to the well one too many times though, as he jumps off the apron, but Vader moves and HBK ends up face first off the guardrail.

Both back in the ring now and Vader has HBK just where he wants him; in the corner. He pancakes away at him with hard rights to the face and body (yeah, bet Shawn is loving this, eh). Crowd are chanting for SID, SID, SID at this point. Vader tries for an atomic drop, but Shawn flips right over Vader and makes the hot tag to...............SID!! Crowd ERUPTS.

Sid and Vader finally going to go at it. Sid comes in and starts landing some big fucking strikes on Vader, followed by some quick kicks to the gut and a clothesline to knock Vader down.

Owen and Davey fly in to try and help out, but Sid just fucking cleans house and throws all three of them over the top and to the outside. Fuck Sid is grand when he's like this. All the faces are now in the ring celebrating and Sid and HBK do a chest bump to demonstrate this

Hot start to the match. Owen tries to blind-side Sid, but ends up eating a clothesline and Sid tags Ahmed in. He takes Owen to

BOTCH SUPLEX CITY BOTCH.

I assume they are supposed to be German's rather than a side suplex TBH. Didn't look great.

Ahmed then goes for a big elbow, but Owen moves out of the way and tags Davey in. He takes control straight away and starts with big clubbing hands to the back. He flings Ahmed off the ropes, but he reverses it and plants Davey with a spinebuster. He follows this up with the Pearl River Plunge

But Vader makes the save. Vader gets Ahmed in the corner and starts slapping him around. Crows are still chanting loudly for SID lol. Ahmed turns it around and clubs Vader with some whirlwind right hands. Vader does the old 'thumb in the eye', sends Ahmed into the opposite corner and gives him a BIG VADER SPLASH. He then keeps him there and starts pounding away at him with Vader fashion with big right hooks to the face and body. Vader then runs at Ahmed and tries for another VADER SPLASH, but Ahmed uses his power and catches Vader into a powerslam for a nearfall pin.

Vader manages to get up first and tags in Owen, who immediately starts kicking away at Ahmed, before hitting him with a spinning heel kick. Ahmed turns it around as he whips Owen hard into the turnbuckle before using his power and lifting Owen up high for a big body slam. He then tags Sid in (crowd fucking love this guy lol). He levels poor Owen with a BIG BOOT, before sending him back first into the turnbuckle. I loved the bump Owen took here as he tagged Davey in straight away

The powerhouse is in now; Davey. Sid sends him off the ropes, but Davey kicks Sid in the face and puts him high up for a great extended, standing suplex

Great power by the bulldog. Vader takes this opportunity to pop in and drop an elbow on Sid as Davey distracts the ref. Sid then kicks out of a pin attempt in emphatic style. Vader now back in and it's another round of Sid/Vader :mark: Crowd are still chanting SID, SID, SID. Vader takes him down with a big standing body splash, before tagging Davey back in. Good team work here with these quick tags to try and get at Sid. Davey tries nailing Sid with some punches, but Sid is having none of it. He no sells these and plants Davey with a big right hand, before going over to tag HBK in.

He immediately hits Davey with a elbow off the top rope and straight into a 2 count. He slings Davey back first into the turnbuckle and tries to follow it up with a running shoulder barge, but Davey moves and HBK goes shoulder first into the post. He hits HBK with a headbutt and a couple of strikes, but ends up getting slung into the ropes where Vader is standing, knocking the big man over. Owen then breaks up a pin attempt by HBK, who tosses Owen over the top rope and tries again, but only gets a 2.

Davey then tags Owen in, who has his back to the ring, so HBK flings him over the rope and back into the ring. The two then get involved in a game of rolling pin attempts, as Earl tries to keep up

Always good to have Owen and HBK share a ring though. We get an excellent segment of various flips and rolls by them both in pin attempts, just showing just how well these two work together. Owen ends up solving this by hitting HBK with a hard clothesline for another nearfall. He tags Davey back in, who immediately sends HBK over in a back body drop and a leg drop for a quick nearfall. He follows this up with a powerslam and into another nearfall. He then tries an elbow, but HBK moves out the way to possibly seize his chance of a comeback.

Davey sends HBK to the ropes and immediately into Owen, who takes this opportunity to cheapshot HBK over the head with his damn cast. Doesn't get any better for Shawn, as Vader is now tagged in. Crowd are still chanting Sid, Sid, Sid. He puts HBK into the corner and pounds away with big right hooks again. Not a place you want to be again, Shawn. He's picking him apart here and he sends HBK into the opposite corner and into a big bump

Vader gives Sid a cheap slap to distract the ref as Owen goes to the outside and kicks away at Shawn and flings him back into the ring. Vader nails Shawn with a short clothesline. HBK really in trouble here. Vader decides to punish HBK and puts him in a choke/bearhug. 

A fucking FAN tries to jump into the ring at this point lol

As Vader is in there? Are you crazy or have a damn death wish? Ahmed and Davey 'team up' to chase him away. Vader continues to apply this bearhug as he also pounds away with punches to the midriff. HBK tries a mini comeback with some punches of his own to Vader, but is quickly shit down and placed firmly back into the hold. Vader is the ever so clever heel here, as he yanks on Shawn's hair as the red can't see. Then when the ref goes to the back of HBK to check, Vader starts choking Shawn via his Adam's Apple. Great, subtle work there.

HBK really in trouble here and desperately needs to make a tag. He starts hammering away at Vader, but is caught again with a big standing Vader Splash. Vader follows this up with a body splash off the ropes. Ahmed decides he's had enough of this shit, and flies in and nails Vader with a clothesline. Shawn is fucked as he climbs over Vader in an attempt at finally making a tag. Vader does get a tag though, and Davey jumps in and just about stops HBK from making that elusive tag. HBK keeps trying to get up, but keeps getting knocked right back down again by Davey's punches to the head. Davey gets HBK up, looks like a piledriver, but ends up putting him into a backbreaker. Shawn tries to counter this, but is knocked back down with a Samoan Drop.

Davey whips HBK into the corner, he follows it up, but Shawn moves out the way and Davey goes head first into the ring post.

OUCH.

This is HBK's chance now, he has to take it.

Davey manages to tag Owen back in and he and HBK start exchanging punches. Owen flies off the ropes as HBK turns around and they end up colliding with one another and knocking each other over. They are both down on the mat. Davey gets tagged in and sends HBK back to the mat with his finishing running powerslam. THIS IS IT!!!! He goes for the cover but Sid breaks it up, by deciding that a simple blow to the head won't suffice, I need to give Davey a big leg drop lol. HBK has been in there a loooooooooong time now.

Davey tags Vader in and FINALLY, HBK GETS THE HOT TAG TO................AHMED..................but blind Earl didn't see the fucking tag. Vader/Owen/Davey take this opportunity to kick the shit out of HBK as Earl is busy trying to back the faces off. Davey/Owen are now double teaming HBK and Owen tries a missile drop kick, but HBK moves and he hits Davey instead. Shawn has to make the tag now FFS.

YES IT IS, HE HOT TAGS IT STRAIGHT TO..................SID. Crowd go expectedly nuts as Sid flies in and nails Vader with a clothesline and CHOKESLAM. Owen comes in and he eats one too. Oh and ditto for Davey too. Sid is cleaning fucking house. He tags Ahmed in and they double team on Vader and take him down with a double clothesline. HBK gets on the top turnbuckle as Sid picks him up and throws him onto Vader, but Davey comes in to break the pin attempt up.

All hell is now breaking loose as Owen/Davey are lamping Ahmed on the outside, as Sid goes over to help. Meanwhile, Cornette makes his first appearance as he's on the apron and HBK is choking him as Vader picks up the TENNIS RACKET. Shawn turns around in time and punches Vader before picking up the racket, and whacking Vader right over the head with it.

1............2......................WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT, KICK OUT BY VADER!!!!!!!!

HBK goes into the corner and signals for 'Sweet Chin Music' to finish this thing, but Cornette grabs his damn foot as the ref's back is turned and Vader runs over and squashes Shawn. Vader then gets up on the second rope and hits

VADERBOMB

1...........2................................3. Camp Cornette wins. Sid/Ahmed are obviously not happy about this, and attack Owen/Vader as they are celebrating. Poor Davey ends up eating a Sid Powerbomb at the end of this. He's probably sick of these bumps by now lol. Owen also eats one too for good measure.

POWERBOMB FOR VADER TOO????!!! Nah, Sid tries but Davey pulls Vader out the ring just in time. Vader doesn't quite escape though, as Shawn runs and flies over the top rope and hits Vader with a Plancha.

After not watching this thing in years, this certainly holds up as an excellent, kind of forgotten/overlooked, WWF match TBH. HBK has a really good FIP segment, Vader does some good, stiff shit. Sid is over as fuck and is also good in his quick spurts. Owen/Davey work hard and bring the flash from the heel side. Ahmed is........Ahmed. Sloppy at times, but he was only briefly in the match so he didn't really detract anything from it. Good finishing stretch and ending too that helps set up the Vader/Shawn match at Summerslam. Really good transitions in this match too, with both teams having a chance to shine with varying offense.

A top tier multi man match form the WWF here.

Recommended.