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.

Shawn Michaels vs Sycho Sid (WWF Survivor Series 1996) Review

Shawn Michaels vs Sycho Sid (WWF Survivor Series 1996)

A brief conversation in the cb regarding SID led me to dig out this match again and give it a watch. Apart from Sid winning the title, the other aspect that I'm sure others remember is how the smarky crowd cheered for Sid and showered HBK with quite a few boos. Shawn was having a stellar year in the ring, with plenty of quality matches. So I'll see how it all comes together.

So Sid comes out first and is already met with............cheers, looking mean as fuck and is fist bumping everyone in sight lol

“WHO'S THE MAN?” “WHO'S THE MAN?”

HBK is out next with Jose Lothario and you can already hear the loud 'Sid' chants from the crowd, although he is mobbed by a small section of fans who won't let go, and has to be rescued by security. Match is under way, and Sid hits Shawn in the gut and and big right hook, HBK keeps getting right back up and Sid keeps sending him right back down with big clubs to the head. Shawn attempts a comeback as he baseball slides under Sid and starts smacking him with some punches of his own and a high body press into a pin for the first near-fall of the match.

HBK in control as he puts Sid down on the mat into a headlock. Sid reverses it and tries to put HBK into a head scissors, but Shawn kips up and gives Sid a big slap to the face. Real smart. He gives him another one until Sid says 'fuck this' and kicks HBK in the gut, before taking him down back to the mat. Shawn reverses this, until Sid kips up and gives HBK a taste of his own medicine and slaps him. The stands there with a 'yeah Shawn, what you gonna do' look and they start to trade back and forth blows to the head.

Sid picks up HBK and holds him high above his head for some time,

before Shawn bounces back and whips Sid into the ropes. Sid reverses this and tries to put HBK into the POWERBOMB.

Crowd pop big for this tease btw.

But Shawn gets out of it and bails to the outside. Crowd is giving him some stick at this point and he's not exactly liking it. Eventually Sid goes out ans starts chasing him back into the ring, He sends HBK into the turn-buckle, but Shawn comes right back out and takes Sid out via the knee. Shawn then does the smart thing ans gets to work on that knee.

Crowd not liking this and the boos are high. Their are loud chants of “SYCHO SID, SYCHO SID”

Shawn continues to target the leg of Sid. He seems to mouth something like “Fuck it” to the crowd as he puts on the Figure-Four. Sid is screaming from the effects of this hold. He reverses it into his own Figure-Four, until Shawn gets to the ropes. Shawn stays on the knee of Sid with big, jumping stomps off the ropes.

“BOOOOOOOOOOOO” says the crowd

Shawn tries to reapply the Figure-Four, but Sid kicks him in the arse and sends him shoulder first into the turn-buckle. Sid gets up, but is still feeling the effects of the knee work. He gives Shawn two big kicks to the gut. This is certainly Sid's chance to take over and go to town. Another big kick to Shawn, before the camera gets too close for comfort and Sid has to swat him off

Foreshadowing, perhaps :hmm: He kicks HBK down again with a boot to the face. He continues literally kicking the shit out of Shawn. Sid tries a big running knee, but Shawn moves and Sid just ends up hitting the ropes. Shawn reverses being whipped into the ropes and kicks the bad knee of Sid again and sends him down to the mat.

“BOOOOOOOOOO” The crowd says again as Shawn picks up Sid's leg and smashes it hard on the mat. Sid ends up getting up and gives Shawn a massive clothesline, sending him over the top rope and onto the outside. He follows him out and drags him down the isle, before landing a big punch, picking him up, and planting him face first onto the guardrail.

Sid takes this opportunity to fist bump a fan

This is Sid's pace now and he's in control as he sends Shawn back into the ring. He pins Shawn but only gets a 2 count. He sends Shawn into the ropes and into a big back body drop, before running straight at him with a big boot to the face. He starts clubbing Shawn's back with big hammer fists and another big running boot to the face. This is where HBK always shines when he's up against a bigger guy, in his bumping and selling the ferocity of  Sid's offense. Shawn takes ones of his big back flips over the turn-buckle and onto the apron. Sid tries to choke him out, but Shawn sends him throat first onto the top rope. This could be a comeback for the Heartbreak Kid.

Shawn tries a flying cross body onto Sid, but Sid catches him and the crowd go.........WILD, fuck Sid is oooooovvvvvvver. Sid plants Shawn with a big back-breaker and gets another near-fall with a 2 count. He sends Shawn into the corner and HBK takes one hell of a back bump TBH

Sid in full 'kill him' mode now. He sends Shawn into the opposite turn-buckle for another big back bump. He stands HBK up and starts landing some big blows to his head, but HBK won't go down. Shawn attempts a comeback as he flies some punches of his own onto Sid.

“BOOOOOOOOOOO” says the crowd once again.

They trade blows before HBK body slams Sid and tries to deliver a double ax handle, but Sid puts his leg up and smack Shawn plum in the face, thus getting this great visual:

He's took some shit on this match, lol. Sid puts Shawn into a 'Million Dollar Dream'. HBK is fading as he desperately tries to grab onto the ropes. HBK gets out of it and starts hammering away at Sid, but Sid stops him and tries to chokeslam him but gets a THUMB IN THE EYE from Shawn, who prepares the setup for 'Sweet Chin Music'. Sid blocks the attempt and ends up giving him the big chokeslam, for which of course the crowd lapped up. Sid is fucking feeling it now and gestures to the crowd, who respond, and signals for the Powerbomb. HBK quickly reverses it into a small package and into a very near-fall. This of course pisses Sid off and he stomps HBK right back down again. He sends Shawn into the ropes and delivers a big power slam for a 2 count. Shawn flies off the ropes and gives Sid a running forearm, knocking Sid back. HBK kips up, to the annoyance of the crowd, but Sid just puts him in his place with a BIG CLOTHESLINE

Crowd likes that as Sid gets another close 2 count. Sid then goes into the corner to prepare to run at Shawn, but is again distracted by a cameraman. He ends up taking the camera off him and nailing Jose with it. Now, Earl Hebner;

FOR FUCK SAKE, DO A BETTER JOB AT NOT SEEING THIS, AS YOU FUCKING DID

Earl does a terrible job of not only giving Sid time to do it, but also pretending like he didn't clearly bloody see it. He even sees Sid drop the damn camera. Although Sid took his sweet time finally hitting Lothario tbh.

HBK takes this opportunity to give Sid 'Sweet Chin Music'.

THIS IS IT, HE'S GOING TO RETAIN!!! 

Instead of going for the pin as more boos start to ring out from the crowd, he goes to check on the state of Jose (Oh, now you gives a shit, Shawn), as Jose seems to be having a heart attack. Sid gives no fucks, gets back up, and sends HBK right back into the ring. He flings Shawn into the turn-buckle, who stops and tries a cross body, but Sid ducks and he flies straight into the ref (Oh, this bump may improve Earl's eyesight from now on).

Shawn goes back to check on the condition of Jose. Once again, Sid gives ZERO FUCKS as he follows him, grabs the camera again, and wallops Shawn in the back. Crowd are loving this lol.

NOBODY IS COMING TO THE AID OF JOSE AS HE'S HAVING A SUSPECTED HEART ATTACK, BTW

Sid rolls Shawn back into the ring, by this time Earl is getting back up again. Crowd cheer Sid on as he puts on the POWERBOMB for the 1..............................2.......................................................................3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crowd erupt as we have ourselves a NEW WWF CHAMPION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah, now the bell has rung, the stretcher comes out for poor Jose. Shawn is quickly back up too btw to go and check on him.

“I'M THE MAN”

Plenty more fist bumps for Sid after the match too and hugs from the crowd.

Well, this was another great match from 1996 and yet another one involving HBK No doubt he worked his ass off in a lot of matches that year and in this one too. He bumped all over the place for Sid, who wasn't too shabby himself TBH. This may well be his best overall performance. No real botches, did all the power shit, sold quite well when he had to, too. A really good/great match. The crowd were surreal too, you can't watch this match and not mention them. They were pretty much pro Sid from as soon as the bell rang, and showered HBK with boos pretty much every time he had the chance of some sustained offense. It certainly added another layer to the match.