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.

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