WWE Vintage Collection Report: January 22nd 2012
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund

This week, we conclude our new beginnings theme.

NWA/WCW Starrcade: December 26th 1988
The Midnight Express w/Paul E. Dangerously vs The New Midnight Express w/Jim Cornette
The “new” tandem of “Sweet” Stan Lane and “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton clear the ring of “Ravishing” Randy Rose and “Loverboy” Dennis Condrey to start. The crowd are firmly behind Cornette’s men. Cornette gets on the apron to mock Dangerously then serves up racket shots to Paul E’s duo. Both times, Paul E rings the bell, and goes all John McEnroe screaming for a DQ, but referee Teddy Long hasn’t seen it and isn’t feeling it – playa!

The New Midnights retain control as Lane blocks a Rose monkey flip and leapfrogs over Eaton to come down across Rose’s back. The tide turns when Eaton crotches himself in the corner. Condrey hangs Eaton upside down and works him over with knees and an atomic drop on the floor. Eaton eats a couple of elbows and a Condrey short-arm clothesline, as Cornette unsuccessfully chases Paul E around ringside. Eaton survives a couple of restholds and double teams. Rose tags in and heads up top as Condrey delivers a powerslam, but Rose misses a Rocket Launcher splash.

Lane gets the hot tag and channels Daniel Laruso with karate shots galore, before nailing Rose with an enziguiri. Long is tied up with Condrey, which allows Paul E to nail Lane with a shot from the Zack Morris phone. Long counts, but stops at two when he notices the phone, puts two and two together and holds it up. With Rose distracted, Lane and Eaton give him a double goozle (high low clothesline, legsweep combo) for the 1-2-3. Winners: THE NEW MIDNIGHT EXPRESS. Condrey, Rose and Paul E lay waste to the victors with post-match racket and phone shots, until Eaton takes possession of the racket and swings it like Boris Becker to clear the ring.

WWECW: June 13th 2006
Extreme Hardcore Battle Royal
Winner faces John Cena at Vengeance

Featuring: Stevie Richards, Tommy Dreamer, Al Snow, Balls Mahoney, Sabu, Danny Doring, Roadkill, Little Guido, Big Guido, Tony Mamaluke, Big Show. Over the top rope rules apply.

The new “Extreme” Big Show tosses the entire field through the ropes to start. Road signs and baking sheets are used, but ultimately piss off the giant. Sabu sets up a table on the outside. Everyone gangs up on Big Show. Al Snow grabs head, but Show grabs Snow around the throat and shoves him out. Doring and Richards quickly follow suit. Show punches a baking sheet away from Roadkill and sends him back to an Amish paradise, then drops Balls onto a trash can, before sending him packing. Sabu uses Dreamer as a springboard, but Show catches him and dumps him onto the apron. Dreamer gets press slammed through the table. The FBI are next to say arrivederci as Show quickly squashes Mamaluke and Little Guido with a flapjack and chokeslam, tosses them out, then shoves Big Guido out after a brief face to face. Big Guido tries to pull Show out ala Sid Justice/Hulk Hogan at the 1992 Royal Rumble. This allows Sabu to hit a springboard chair shot which finally topples Big Show, and gives him a fluke victory. Winner: SABU. This did nothing but portray the ECW Originals as a joke. Of course, it was the start of Vince’s vision for WWECW, which quickly became a breeding ground for Raw and Smackdown stiffs and castoffs, with the diamond in the rough being the debut of CM Punk.

Speaking of Vince, back in 2002 he congratulates rookie John Cena on his ruthless aggression, despite losing a debut match against Kurt Angle. Chris Jericho however, isn’t impressed and questions Cena, who slaps the first undisputed champion to the floor.

WWE SmackDown! July 4th 2002
Chris Jericho vs John Cena
Jericho is already in the ring as Cena comes out with a purpose in front of his hometown crowd wearing green and white tights. Jericho ambushes Cena in the ring. Cena comes back with a spear and a clothesline puts Jericho on the floor. Inside, Cena telegraphs a dropkick into a slingshot. Jericho staggers into a spinebuster. Jericho suckers Cena to the floor, levelling the rookie with a clothesline, before dropping him across the U.S announce table. Inside, Jericho spikes Cena in the ropes. Jericho goes airborne, only to be surprised in mid-air by a dropkick. Cena fires up with clotheslines and a flying forearm. Jericho stops a backbodydrop with a boot to the head, but runs into a powerslam. Cena nails a corner splash and faceplant. Jericho reverses a sunset flip into the Walls of Jericho, but Cena pulls the hair to hook a cradle for two. Jericho goes to the eyes, floats over a charge, but eats a DDT. Cena misses a second corner splash. Jericho hits a running bulldog and lands on his feet after Cena avoids a lionsault. Jericho gets caught with a sky high spinebuster and schoolboy for two. Jericho counters a back suplex into a sleeper drop called the “Flashback” and pins Cena with his feet on the ropes. Jericho sucker punches Cena after fooling him into a handshake, only for Cena to clear the ring with a spinning side suplex. Cena would upset Jericho in a tag match, gain a DQ win then a clean pin at the upcoming Vengeance PPV. Winner: CHRIS JERICHO.

WWE SmackDown! January 30th 2003
John Cena w/Redd Dogg vs Eddie Guerrero w/Chavo Guerrero
The Dr of Thuganomics had just kicked B2 to the kerb and was now thuggin’ ‘n’ buggin’ with the future Rodney Mack and a pair of baggy pants. Meanwhile, Eddie was one half of the tag champs with Chavo. Cena welcomes us with the following ‘risqué’ rap:

“Right here in Green Bay, you get auctioned on eBay.
“My flow is so hot, you’ve gots to peep the instant replay.
“Untouchable clique and we’re standing tall.
“You eliminated first like fat chicks in dodgeball.
“We go to heavy metal shows just to fight in mosh pits.
“My dog eat you alive. You wind up in dog sssshhhh (it.”)

Eddie pounds away on Cena. Chavo throws Cena into the barricade. Cena turns the tide after a flapjack and Dogg sends Latino Heat into the ringsteps. Cena works over Eddie with a series of suplexes and a side slam. Eddie takes a leg to escape a chinlock, ducks under a clothesline and hits a dropkick. Dogg trips Eddie as he runs the ropes to cause a distraction, enabling Cena to execute a back suplex from behind. Chavo pushes Cena off the top rope as the referee is busy admonishing Dogg. Eddie takes advantage to head up top and land the frog splash. Uno, Dos, Tres. Viva La Raza! Winner: EDDIE GUERRERO. Cena would rekindle his feud with Eddie later in the year over the U.S Title. This culminated in a parking lot brawl, won by Eddie, after Chavo returned from injury to provide an assist.

This is definitely a must-see for all the Cena haters, with John boy doing two back-to-back TV jobs.

See you next weekend with a new theme and helping from the WWE vault.

Any comments or discussion points drop me a line at [email protected].

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