OWEN HART VS. KEN SHAMROCK (DUNGEON MATCH)

Help out the blog by bookmarking this link to Amazon.

OWEN HART VS. KEN SHAMROCK (Dungeon Match)

WWF In Your House: Fully Loaded (26^th July 1998)

Ken Shamrock won the King of the Ring tournament last month. The next night Ken Shamrock gave credit to his opponent in the finals of the tournament, The Rock. This annoyed Rock's Nation of Domination team mate, Owen Hart and he came out to bash Shamrock. Bringing Shamrock in tangent with the ongoing Nation vs DeGeneration-X feud. Including a triple threat match that night between three King of the Ring winners; Owen Hart (1994) Triple H (1997) and Ken Shamrock (1998). The Rock attacked Triple H during the match, allowing Shamrock to win the match. It was announced a couple of weeks later that Triple H and The Rock would face in a 2 out of 3 falls match for Rock's Intercontinental championship. Another more unique match was made between Owen and Shamrock, a submission only match taking place in the famous Hart Dungeon.

  Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler are on commentary from the arena, Dan Severn has been brought in as the special guest referee for the match. Before the match Mr. McMahon comes out to the ring with Pat Patterson, Comissioner Slaughter and Jerry Briscoe to announce that if The Undertaker doesn't show up tonight, The Brooklyn Brawler will be Stone Cold's partner in tonight's main event. He's the boss, he can do what he wants. Lawler says it's as good a partner as any. From there JR moves on to talking about the Hart family dungeon and the great superstars from WWF that have trained there. We cut to the torturous Dungeon and Lawler's disappointed. JR puts over the bare walls since they have no give, and Stu Hart didn't put much cushioning down in there. Owen's waiting downstairs ready, and we see Shamrock at the top of the stairs, looking intense in contrast to the family's hanging coats around him. He makes his way to the Dungeon area of the basement as JR mentions that Dan Severn doesn't particularly like any of these guys so he will be an impartial referee. As such Severn makes sure both men are ready before telling them to fight.

  They pace around, all three men keeping an eye on each other like a triple threat match, Hart shoots and gets a double leg takedown on Shamrock, but Shamrock uses his leg strength to flip Owen over and mount him. Shamrock lays in some rights before quickly shooting for an arm bar. Owen gets to his feet and forces Shamrock to break, Owen tries a kneebar but Shamrock reverses it. Owen scrambles to his feet but gets kicked into the wall. Shamrock throws Owen over, like an enclosed belly to belly in that small space, and grabs the arm. Owen rolls to avoid being a punching bag but Shamrock sends him into the wall and starts punching him. Owen kicks Shamrock in the balls and hits a spinning heel kick to knock Shamrock down. Owen dives onto Shamrock peppering him with rights, but Shamrock is able to cover up pretty good. King complains about Owen's low blow so JR reminds him it's submission only.

  Owen brings Shamrock to his feet and starts booting him in the chest before sending him into the wall a couple of times. He polishes the wood with Shamrock's face before slamming his head into it, as JR says they had sound difficulties live (it's solved on the Network version) Owen hits a german suplex with a bridge, but has to release it, diving onto Shamrock with rights again, this time Shamrock is able to reverse positions and Owen covers up his head this time, those shots sound brutal on Owen's elbow pad. Owen is brought to his feet and sent into the wall again. Owen sent across the room, but he uses a beam to swing and kick Shamrock into the wall. Owen just about pulls off a Frankensteiner in the confined space, which Lawler calls his "home-field advantage" both men back on their feet and Shamrock hits Hart with body shots. Owen gets sent into the weights against the wall. He picks up a dumbell and Shamrock blocks it, knocking the dumbell out of Owen's hand. 

  Owen gets sent into the weight bench and the wall. Shamrock kicks at Owen and repeatedly kicks his chest in the corner Owen again gets sent into both walls, and Shamrock uses the low beam to squeeze Owen with a headscissors, but Owen powerbombs him to the floor. Owen sends Shamrock into the wall then launches him into the beam. Owen picks Shamrock up and sends his head through the ceiling before locking in a sharpshooter! Shamrock reverses it but can't get a grip for the ankle lock before Owen scurries away. Shamrock sends Owen into both walls again before knocking him down with a roundhouse kick as JR says Shamrock's never submitted. A second roundhouse kick knocks Severn down, and Owen grabs another dumbell, he knocks Shamrock out from behind and Dan Severn wakes up just in time to see Ken Shamrock tapping, but not Owen's assistance.

WINNER: OWEN HART

This match was different... The only problem was it didn't have a different finish, They were very limited in what they could do in that space, the match was a whole lot of throwing into walls and at the end they added the beam into the mix as a "big-time finishing sequence." I can see why there was a bullshit finish (Shamrock's reputation, but Owen Hart's home) but I really didn't like it. Dan Severn wasn't really there, which I get was kind of the point but it's just bringing him in for the sake of it. Wrestling: 1.25/5 Personal Enjoyment: 2.75/5 OVERALL: 4/10