JEFF JARRETT VS. SHAWN MICHAELS

The Roadie comes out to prepare everyone for Jarrett's entrance. Michawels makes his way down to the reaction a hometown hero should get, but we're in Jarrett's home town. Jim Ross, Jerry “The King” Lawler and Vince McMahon are on commentary for this match.

JEFF JARRETT © VS. SHAWN MICHAELS (WWF Intercontinental Championship)

WWF In Your House 2: The Lumberjacks (23^rd July 1995)

Jeff Jarrett's crowd boo him again, we miss Michaels making a bee-line and Jarrett scurrying out of the ring for crowd shots. Shawn Michaels checks out his reflection in the belt as Jarrett gets back in the ring, making sure the referee is out of the way before they lock up. Michaels is backed into the corner, Jarrett hits a right hand but Michaels replies with one of his own. They lock up for the second time and Jarrett sends Michaels over with an arm drag, strutting to celebrate. Jeff Jarrett wrings the arm but Michaels counters, Jarrett uses the hair to back Michaels into the corner but Michaels ducks a right hand, hitting one of his own. Jeff Jarrett catches himself before he hits the corner and floats over Michaels, hitting him with a right hand and causing him to roll out to the floor.

Shawn Michaels gets back in the ring, getting caught in a headlock. He brings Jarrett back to the ropes, sending him across the ring and they each block a hip toss, Jarrett tries to get some leverage but Michaels pokes him in the eye. Jeff Jarrett blocks a hip toss so Michaels flips over for leverage, Jarrett tries to cut him off but Michaels lands a right of his own. Shawn Michaels is sent into the corner but he floats over, hitting Jarrett with a right hand. Shawn Michaels finally hits a hip toss and clotheslines Jeff Jarrett out of the ring, skinning the cat on his way back in and strutting himself. Jeff Jarrett tries to walk out of the match, keeping his title. Shawn Michaels begins to count him out with the referee so Jarrett breaks the count at 9 before regrouping with The Roadie at ringside. Jeff Jarrett stops the referee counting him out for the second time and then Michaels follows and brings him back into the ring.

Jeff Jarrett cuts Michaels off from the top rope and cannon balls him against the middle rope. Jeff Jarrett sends Michaels off the ropes but Michaels holds on, leaving Jarrett to dropkick the air. Jeff Jarrett reverses an irish whip and The Roadie gets on the apron, but Michaels stops his momentum, poking Roadie in the eye. The Roadie drops to the floor as Michaels turns around to send a charging Jarrett over the top rope to join him. Shawn Michaels dives from the top rope on to them both, hitting a baseball slide to Jarrett as we see the replay. Jeff Jarrett scrambles away as he's brought back into the ring. Jeff Jarrett reverses the irish whip but Michaels lands on the middle rope. Jarrett tries to duck a crossbody but Michaels fakes him out before coming off the middle rope with a victory roll. Jeff Jarrett is able to stay on his feet but Michaels moves out of the way of the right hand. Shawn Michaels charges Jarrett in the corner but is sent over the top rope to the floor. Jarrett whips Michaels into the ring steps and sends his head into them before breaking the count, then brings it back into the ring anyway, hitting a suplex into a facebuster for a 2 count.

Jarrett stomps on Michaels as Lawler roots for his Statesman. Michaels is sent into the ropes but Jarrett was too close setting up the abdominal stretch, making it look awkward. The referee misses Jarrett using the ropes for leverage but catches The Roadie offering assistance and kicks his hand away, Michaels hip tosses Jarrett and sends him into the ropes but ducks too early on a backdrop, getting caught with a DDT. Jarrett rolls over to cover but only gets 2. Jarrett chokes Michaels on the ropes as Vince's microphone breaks down, leaving The King to do solo commentary and making his whole year. The referee is brought over to the other side of the ring whilst the champion explains he has a 5-count on the ropes. The Roadie assists, carrying on the choke on Michaels but we almost miss it. Jarrett holds on to another choke for 4, this time Michaels drags The Roadie into position for Jarrett to cannonball onto his assistant.

Michaels rolls Jarrett up for another nearfall and sends him into the corner. Jarrett reverses an irish whip, sending HBK back over to the floor. Jeff Jarrett climbs to the top rope, but the referee stops him for..... Reasons? Was Bill Watts in charge or something? Anyway it allows The Roadie to his Michaels with a clothesline from the apron. Jeff Jarrett decides he'll take the count out win and celebrates with The Roadie, but Michaels is back in at 9. Jeff Jarrett climbs to the top rope unopposed this time, hitting a crossbody but Michaels rolls through with another nearfall. Shawn Michaels reverses an irish whip into the ropes, but Jarrett climbs into a crucifix before transitioning into a victory roll, but Michaels socks him and sits down so they can exchange nearfalls. Jeff Jarrett hits a beautiful dropkick for a 2 count. Shawn Michaels is sent into the ropes, ducking a clothesline and a back elbow before getting caught in the sleeper hold. At some point before this McMahon's mic came back on, but I missed it. Michaels fades, going down to his ass then almost getting caught in a pin before he gets his shoulder up at the last second. Shawn Michaels makes it back to his feet and counters with a back suplex, leaving them both down.

Shawn Michaels starts to stir at 8 so the referee stops the count, he crawls over for the cover, but Jarrett gets his shoulder up at 2 ½. Jarrett tries to use the ropes for momentum, but Michaels blocks the right hand, hitting one of his own. Jarrett's second attempt is met with the same fate and Michaels hits the running forearm, kipping up. Jarrett is knocked down with rights and another backs him into the corner, he gets sent off the ropes into another forearm shot and Michaels stomps at his throat as he makes his way to the top. Shawn Michaels turns 180 degrees to hit the ax handle for a close nearfall. Michaels slams Jarrett in place for the elbow drop but still can't get the win. He sends Jarrett into the corner, then across the ring to the opposite turnbuckles. Jarrett gets his boots up but Michaels baseball slides out of the ring to avoid it, tripping Jarrett and pulling his groin into the ring post. Jeff Jarrett calls for a time out, so The Roadie shakes the top rope as Michaels climbs the turnbuckles, crotching him on the top.

Jeff Jarrett hits a superplex on Michaels but a figure four attempt is countered into a small package for 2. Jarrett hits the shinbreaker and attempts another figure four, but Michaels kicks him off, sending him into the referee. Michaels gets to his feet first, measuring Jarrett for a superkick, but The Roadie chop blocks him from behind before reviving the referee. Well, he wouldn't do it before interfering. The referee wakes up to see Jarrett flying off the top rope with another crossbody, but Michaels gets his shoulder up at the last second. Vince McMahon's really pushing the “He got him!” for each pinfall in the match. Jarrett tries to sends Michaels into the ropes, but it's reversed and The Roadie unknowingly trips the person he's trying to help. Jarrett shouts at The Roadie before turning around into a Sweet Chin Music and losing his title.

WINNER: SHAWN MICHAELS

Vince's commentary on the nearfalls began to grate on me a bit near the end of the match, with Lawler's solo commentary somehow becoming a highlight. I wasn't sure about this match on paper but Jarrett looked like he was really in Shawn Michaels' league. It's also interesting in hindsight seeing the future Road Dogg get one up on a legend like Michaels in the match. Speaking of Roadie, he did just enough in the match to not become a bad distraction to me.– Objectively, I would say it's a **** match, but personally I'd rate it 3/5