ALUNDRA BLAYZE (C) VS. BERTHA FAYE

 Dean Douglas critiques the previous match backstage. He gives us the definition of “vivify” to be renewed with vigor (to paraphrase) before showing us Hakushi distracting Skip in the previous match (here). Horowitz got the upset. He gives the referee an F for not noticing the distraction, Horowitz gets the grade S for Slacker. He tries to throw it to Vince McMahon but we go to Todd Pettingill and Shawn Michaels, who is talking about his Ladder match tonight. We get some terrible Coliseum Home Video footage of Michaels being thrown off the ladder at Wrestlemania X. Michaels says you can’t prepare for a ladder match, there’s only been one (cough) and only he and Razor Ramon can do it (cough). He then says he’ll win and prove he’s the best IC champion of all time.

Bertha Faye and her manager, Harvey Wippleman are already in the ring as the champion makes her entrance. The ring announcer accidentally misgenders her which would break the internet in 2022, but is seen as a genuine mistake back then, thankfully. McMahon corrects him on commentary, just in case.

 This all started way back in April, with a then-unknown to WWF fans Bertha Faye attacking Alundra Blayze and breaking her nose, taking her out of action for a month. Bertha won her Raw debut on the 24^th April and on the 19^th May Alundra Blayze would announce that she is cleared to wrestle. Bertha and Harvey responded on the following Superstars of Wrestling, then it was swept under the carpet until the match was announced on the 7^th August episode of Raw.

Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler are on commentary for this match

 

ALUNDRA BLAYZE © VS. BERTHA FAYE

WWF Women’s Championship)

WWF SummerSlam (27^th August 1995)

  They circle, Alundra Blayze throws a kick but Faye steps back, Blayze connects with a chop and the second kick is caught. She misses the enziguri so Bertha Faye is immediately to her feet.

  They go back to circling. Blayze trips Bertha Faye’s leg but is caught with a kick to the midsection and sent into the corner. Bertha Faye charges into the corner as Blayze gets the fuck out of the way. Alundra Blayze goes back to the kicks. Bertha Faye reverses an irish whip and starts running down the champion before posing. Harvey Wippleman is shown gleefully looking at his woman from ringside as she takes Alundra Blayze down. They do it again, but this time with miscommunication. Bertha slams Blayze and hits a leg drop, she tells Wippleman to wait for a second and hits another, keeping her leg over Blayze for a cover. Alundra Blayze kicks out before 2 and commentary is really focusing on how Bertha Faye looks. Bertha Faye rakes at Blayze’s face as Alundra tries to fight to her feet. Another slam from Faye, she goes to the middle rope but misses the splash. Alundra Blayze goes from the middle rope to Bertha Faye’s shoulders and gets a 2 count with a victory roll.

  Alundra Blayze sets up for the powerbomb but hits the mat hard from the double-leg takedown. Bertha Faye looks pissed off as she brings Alundra Blayze to her feet and slams her for a nearfall. Alundra Blayze bridges out of the cover! She knocks Bertha Faye down with running strikes and Harvey Wippleman is on the apron, the referee is distracted as Alundra Blayze covers. She notices Wippleman and chases him around ringside, Harvey falls over and gets caught (did he really need to for Alundra to catch up?) removing his jacket to escape Blayze. Alundra Blayze gets back into the ring, she tries a german suplex but Bertha Faye laughs it off, but Blayze does get a crucifix for a nearfall. Lawler says Bertha weighed too much for it to be effective, but it was a terrible crucifix too.  Alundra fires off with chops but is sent into the ropes, running into Bertha Faye again and losing. Bertha sends Blayze off the ropes again but is caught with (kind of) a hurricanrana, Alundra Blayze with a lazy cover and Faye kicks out again.

  Alundra Blayze hits a missile dropkick from the middle rope, then another, but Bertha Faye avoids the third, although not in the cool way Samoa Joe does. Bertha Faye hits the Powerbomb and covers for the win.

WINNER: BERTHA FAYE (NEW WWF Women’s Champion)

This was a rough match, they didn’t seem to gel and it was disappointing from what I’ve read of Bertha Faye, Alundra Blayze keeps up her hit-or-miss record in these reviews and the only things that I was please with were the bridge out of the cover and the story between Bertha and Harvey. [DUD] 1/10

Jim Ross tries to get a post-match interview with the new champion, but Harvey tells him to look and not touch. Harvey talks for Bertha saying she finished what she started 6 months ago. Bertha gets some mic time saying she beat Blayze and the belt is around her Slim-Fast waist.