Today I have a double feature of tag team matches from Unforgiven 1999. The first of which I originally reviewed back in June.
WWF Unforgiven (26th September 1999)
THE ACOLYTES VS. THE DUDLEY BOYZ
Upon rewatch: It wasn't pretty, it wasn't technical but it was a nice introduction to The Dudley Boyz resilience. Farooq ignored Bradshaw being covered twice, which could be a confidence thing but it didn't make sense to me. The 3D got a reaction and was able to stay protected thanks to Bradshaw and Acolyte Stevie taking out Bubba and D-Von respectively. It just stayed in first gear throughout and it was basic, giving it a low ceiling WORKRATE: 2/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT: 2.25/5 OVERALL: 4.25/10
NEW AGE OUTLAWS © VS. EDGE &CHRISTIAN
(WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS)
Edge and Christian enter through the crowd as JR explains how we got here, The New Age Outlaws reuniting on Smackdown to beat the Rock `n' Sock Connection, then Edge & Christian's sudden challenge earlier tonight on Heat. Lawler says it was nice getting used to not hearing the New Age Outlaws theme. Chris Jericho put Road Dogg out of action with a back injury on the debut episode of Smackdown 5 weeks ago, that explains the reunion. Jerry Lawler hates Road Dogg's prematch stuff, but the crowd's really into it. Edge and Christian beat The Acolytes to become #1 contenders, so JR says they definitely deserve the title shot.
Edge and Billy Gunn start for their teams. They lock up and Gunn backs Edge into the corner, Edge quickly switches positions and breaks cleanly, but Gunn shoves him. Edge is like "OK, that's cool... Let's go again" and he wrenches Gunn's left arm. Billy Gunn counters into a side headlock and Edge sends him off the ropes but Gunn easily drops him to the mat with a shoulder block. JR says E&C have the momentum due to Road Dogg's injury, they've been teaming up whilst he's been out. Billy Gunn crosses the ring, Edge goes over and under before sending Gunn to the mat with a hip toss. Edge keeps the momentum going with arm drags and a drop toe hold before slowing it back down in a side headlock on the mat. Billy Gunn counters, getting to his feet and hitting a back suplex on Edge. Billy Gunn gets the tag as JR reminds us Rebellion, a UK Exclusive Pay-Per-View is this Saturday, October 2nd.
Billy Gunn holds Edge in place for a kick to the gut. Road Dogg grabs a hammerlock before rolling Edge up for an early nearfall. They get back to their feet and Road Dogg has Edge in a headlock. Edge backs Road Dogg into the ropes and gets a blind tag, he sends Road Dogg across the ring and Road Dogg is alerted of the tag, running into a standing dropkick from Christian. Christian hits a second standing dropkick before taking Road Dogg down with an arm drag. Christian applies an armbar but Road Dogg gets to his feet, they trade arm wrenches before Road Dogg stops the silliness with a right hand. He sends Christian off the ropes and Gunn pulls his hair from the apron. Gunn avoids a shove from Christian, who turns around into a boot from Road Dogg. Billy Gun gets the tag and Road Dogg holds Christian for a punch to the gut. They both send Christian off the ropes and he turns into a double elbow to the gut. Both Outlaws sledge him on the back before Billy Gunn locks in a camel clutch. Christian tries to get to his feet so Billy Gunn drops him with an elbow to the top of the head. Gunn sends Christian into Road Dogg's boot and makes another tag.
Billy Gunn sends Christian into the corner hard and he bounces back. Billy Gunn shows his strength, lifting Christian overhead and dropping him onto Road Dogg's knee for a gutbuster. Jimmy Kordaras warns the Outlaws about the 5-count before Road Dogg gets a nearfall. Road Dogg sends Christian off the ropes as Lawler makes another Mae Young and Fabulous Moolah joke. JR thinks someone's helping him with them. Road Dogg ducks too early, allowing Christian to kick him in the face and slam him back to the mat. Giving him time to make a tag. Edge brings Road Dogg to his feet for a standing dropkick and sends Gunn down to the floor. He sends Road Dogg off the ropes but Road Dogg ducks a clothesline and stops his momentum. Shake, Rattle & Roll jabs send Edge to the mat and Road Dogg hits a funky knee drop. Christian breaks up the cover before it can go anywhere and taunts Gunn, bringing him into the ring. Gunn has the referee's attention whilst Edge & Christian send Road Dogg over the top rope.
Christian sends Road Dogg into the ring steps and Edge begins to work on Road Dogg's back, driving him into the ring apron. The referee still only gives a damn about Billy Gunn. Edge sends Road Dogg in the ring and gets the tag just as the referee turns back around to see it. We get a shot of Billy Gunn and he just can't believe it. Christian uses Edge as a platform for a running cross body onto Road Dogg's back before hitting a backbreaker, but Road Dogg kicks out at two. Christian keeps the pressure with a chinlock on the mat but quickly forces his knee into Road Dogg's back, pulling back on his chin. Road Dogg gets a second wind and elbows his way free on his feet. Road Dogg ducks a clothesline and a back elbow before they meet in midair with cross bodies sending both men to the mat. Billy Gunn and Edge play cheerleader and Christian gets the tag first. Edge sends Billy Gunn off the apron and brings Road Dogg back to their corner.
The referee is too focused on Billy Gunn again as Edge & Christian double team Road Dogg in the corner. Edge chokes him with the boot as we see a replay of the cross body collision moments ago. Christian gets the tag and they hit a double team move but Billy Gunn finds his chance to save the championships. Edge gets another tag and kicks Road Dogg in the ribs.Road Dogg crawls to the corner but Edge chokes him over the middle rope before sending him across the ring. Road Dogg drops to the mat and Edge makes another tag, taking his time. He sends Road Dogg back across the ring and this time he hits chest-first. Christian uses Edge as a platform again, but Road Dogg turns around with a right hand! Edge catches Road Dogg before he can build momentum and he's sent off the ropes. Road Dogg counters a double front slam into a DDT! We get a replay of Christian flying into a right hand as Billy Gunn gets the crowd behind Road Dogg. Edge gets hold of Road Dogg's ankle but can't stop the hot tag!
Billy Gunn comes in with right hands for Edge & Christian, as many as they like! Edge is sent off the ropes and runs into a back elbow, sending him into the corner. Christian is dropped with a clothesline, before getting sent off the ropes and caught with a scoop powerslam. Billy Gunn covers but Edge breaks it up. Road Dogg is back to even the odds sending Edge into the corner and it breaks down. Christian avoids a suplex and hits Gunn with an inverted DDT, but Road Dogg sets him up for the Pumphandle slam, Christian is able to avoid it but Road Dogg elbows out of what Christian attempts, meanwhile, Edge is in position for a spear which he hits on Road Dogg. Christian is pulled out of the ring by Gangrel who for some reason is out here with The Hardy Boyz. Matt Hardy and Gangrel beat on Christian on the floor as Jeff Hardy hits Edge with a missile dropkick, that we miss. Billy Gunn hits the Fame Asser and New Age Outlaws retain the gold.
Edge and Billy Gunn start for their teams. They lock up and Gunn backs Edge into the corner, Edge quickly switches positions and breaks cleanly, but Gunn shoves him. Edge is like "OK, that's cool... Let's go again" and he wrenches Gunn's left arm. Billy Gunn counters into a side headlock and Edge sends him off the ropes but Gunn easily drops him to the mat with a shoulder block. JR says E&C have the momentum due to Road Dogg's injury, they've been teaming up whilst he's been out. Billy Gunn crosses the ring, Edge goes over and under before sending Gunn to the mat with a hip toss. Edge keeps the momentum going with arm drags and a drop toe hold before slowing it back down in a side headlock on the mat. Billy Gunn counters, getting to his feet and hitting a back suplex on Edge. Billy Gunn gets the tag as JR reminds us Rebellion, a UK Exclusive Pay-Per-View is this Saturday, October 2nd.
Billy Gunn holds Edge in place for a kick to the gut. Road Dogg grabs a hammerlock before rolling Edge up for an early nearfall. They get back to their feet and Road Dogg has Edge in a headlock. Edge backs Road Dogg into the ropes and gets a blind tag, he sends Road Dogg across the ring and Road Dogg is alerted of the tag, running into a standing dropkick from Christian. Christian hits a second standing dropkick before taking Road Dogg down with an arm drag. Christian applies an armbar but Road Dogg gets to his feet, they trade arm wrenches before Road Dogg stops the silliness with a right hand. He sends Christian off the ropes and Gunn pulls his hair from the apron. Gunn avoids a shove from Christian, who turns around into a boot from Road Dogg. Billy Gun gets the tag and Road Dogg holds Christian for a punch to the gut. They both send Christian off the ropes and he turns into a double elbow to the gut. Both Outlaws sledge him on the back before Billy Gunn locks in a camel clutch. Christian tries to get to his feet so Billy Gunn drops him with an elbow to the top of the head. Gunn sends Christian into Road Dogg's boot and makes another tag.
Billy Gunn sends Christian into the corner hard and he bounces back. Billy Gunn shows his strength, lifting Christian overhead and dropping him onto Road Dogg's knee for a gutbuster. Jimmy Kordaras warns the Outlaws about the 5-count before Road Dogg gets a nearfall. Road Dogg sends Christian off the ropes as Lawler makes another Mae Young and Fabulous Moolah joke. JR thinks someone's helping him with them. Road Dogg ducks too early, allowing Christian to kick him in the face and slam him back to the mat. Giving him time to make a tag. Edge brings Road Dogg to his feet for a standing dropkick and sends Gunn down to the floor. He sends Road Dogg off the ropes but Road Dogg ducks a clothesline and stops his momentum. Shake, Rattle & Roll jabs send Edge to the mat and Road Dogg hits a funky knee drop. Christian breaks up the cover before it can go anywhere and taunts Gunn, bringing him into the ring. Gunn has the referee's attention whilst Edge & Christian send Road Dogg over the top rope.
Christian sends Road Dogg into the ring steps and Edge begins to work on Road Dogg's back, driving him into the ring apron. The referee still only gives a damn about Billy Gunn. Edge sends Road Dogg in the ring and gets the tag just as the referee turns back around to see it. We get a shot of Billy Gunn and he just can't believe it. Christian uses Edge as a platform for a running cross body onto Road Dogg's back before hitting a backbreaker, but Road Dogg kicks out at two. Christian keeps the pressure with a chinlock on the mat but quickly forces his knee into Road Dogg's back, pulling back on his chin. Road Dogg gets a second wind and elbows his way free on his feet. Road Dogg ducks a clothesline and a back elbow before they meet in midair with cross bodies sending both men to the mat. Billy Gunn and Edge play cheerleader and Christian gets the tag first. Edge sends Billy Gunn off the apron and brings Road Dogg back to their corner.
The referee is too focused on Billy Gunn again as Edge & Christian double team Road Dogg in the corner. Edge chokes him with the boot as we see a replay of the cross body collision moments ago. Christian gets the tag and they hit a double team move but Billy Gunn finds his chance to save the championships. Edge gets another tag and kicks Road Dogg in the ribs.Road Dogg crawls to the corner but Edge chokes him over the middle rope before sending him across the ring. Road Dogg drops to the mat and Edge makes another tag, taking his time. He sends Road Dogg back across the ring and this time he hits chest-first. Christian uses Edge as a platform again, but Road Dogg turns around with a right hand! Edge catches Road Dogg before he can build momentum and he's sent off the ropes. Road Dogg counters a double front slam into a DDT! We get a replay of Christian flying into a right hand as Billy Gunn gets the crowd behind Road Dogg. Edge gets hold of Road Dogg's ankle but can't stop the hot tag!
Billy Gunn comes in with right hands for Edge & Christian, as many as they like! Edge is sent off the ropes and runs into a back elbow, sending him into the corner. Christian is dropped with a clothesline, before getting sent off the ropes and caught with a scoop powerslam. Billy Gunn covers but Edge breaks it up. Road Dogg is back to even the odds sending Edge into the corner and it breaks down. Christian avoids a suplex and hits Gunn with an inverted DDT, but Road Dogg sets him up for the Pumphandle slam, Christian is able to avoid it but Road Dogg elbows out of what Christian attempts, meanwhile, Edge is in position for a spear which he hits on Road Dogg. Christian is pulled out of the ring by Gangrel who for some reason is out here with The Hardy Boyz. Matt Hardy and Gangrel beat on Christian on the floor as Jeff Hardy hits Edge with a missile dropkick, that we miss. Billy Gunn hits the Fame Asser and New Age Outlaws retain the gold.
WINNERS: NEW AGE OUTLAWS (STILL WWF Tag Team Champions)
It was your basic Attitude Era tag team match. The work was good, the crowd was into it and Edge & Christian got to look like slimy heels. It continued the story of the Hardyz/Edge & Christian leading into their match at No Mercy next month. Edge & Christian really looked like they belonged in the title hunt and only lost through The Brood interfering but New Age Outlaws only had hours (if that) to prepare for them at any rate. It even showed how Matt Hardy was the less risky Hardy brother in those 30 seconds at the end. – WORKRATE: 3.25/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT 3/5 OVERALL 6.25/10
Due to this going out later than planned, 1999 will be the last in this anthology. Tomorrow I should have a Required Rewatch of NXT Takeover: Fatal Four Way. After which begins my Road to 250 Wrestlers Project.
No comments:
Post a Comment