This month of Hidden Gems had some not-so-impressive WWF developmental matches to showcase Mae Young Classic participants, but it also got back to basics with some 1950s Texas wrestling, a 70s MSG match, and a Nitro dark match. Some cool early matches of The Undertaker vs. Triple H are also featured.
The format here is this: I will start with some history, then review the match/event. The star rating at the bottom has little bearing on how awesome or weird the thing was. Read the review for that.
Legends in the Making – Madusa & Meiko Satomura vs. Akira Hokuto & Kaoru w/ Sonny Onno (WCW Worldwide 2/9/97)
In February of 1997 the nWo was running wild, Roddy Piper was leading the charge against them, and Benoit and Eddie and Dean were doing their thing. In the middle of all this, WCW was investing in a women’s division that wasn’t prominently featured but saw a talent agreement with the GAEA ladies organization out of Japan and a Women’s Championship.
GAEA star and absolute legend Akira Hokuto held the championship here, having beat Madusa in a tournament final at Starrcade 1996. The tournament saw Hokuto not just wrestle as herself but under her Reina Jabuki gimmick (where she lost to… Madusa). She’d go on to beat Madusa at The Great American Bash a few months later in a Title vs. Career match, then leave the next day anyways and vacate the title, which also ended the title. WCW!
Madusa had been in WCW for a year after the infamous WWF Women’s Title trash can incident and incredibly never won the Women’s Title. Her second run is vaguely more memorable, as she hung out with Macho Man Randy Savage and held the WCW Cruiserweight Title.
Their partners, Kaoru and Meiko Satomura are both major parts of GAEA and women’s wrestling history. Kaoru, like Hokuto, had started in All Japan Women’s and jumped to GAEA when it began, becoming a key part of the organization and one of its trainers. Satomura, who is the reason this match has popped up as she’s participating over 20 years later in the Mae Young Classic, was 18-years-old and less than two years into her career here. She’d go on to be a major star in GAEA and become an absolute legend herself.
Other matches on this cracking episode of Worldwide were The Faces of Fear vs. The Armstrongs, Ciclope vs. Miguel Perez Jr., Chris Jericho vs. Mr. JL, Eddie Guerrero vs. Psicosis, and this. WHAT A LINE-UP. HOW DID THIS COMPANY FAIL?
It is very cool that WWE can pull from their tape library this match from 1997 of this lady in WCW who just made her debut in WWE this week.Tthe best part of this entire match might be before the bell rings, as Akira Hokuto is beyond decked out in her entrance gear with a big white outfit and white cape and white hair, and is flanked by not just Kaoru but Sonny Onno and what appears to be her goth 9-year-old daughter. Seeing the WCW Disney studio crowd reacting to this is what the WWE Network is all about.
The match is another one of these pre-Women’s Evolution Era uploads that serves a dual purpose: see Mae Young Classic participants earlier work; also take note of how gross male commentators could be. Bobby Heenan calls Kaoru beautiful and Tony Schiavone responds that she is “in her own way, very attractive.”
The match itself only goes a few minutes, which is making me regret how long this intro is. But these Hidden Gems are about the HISTORY, baby. They do some cool wrestling here and there but nothing gets going because they’re just kind of hitting spots and going home. Hokuto pins Satomura to absolute SILENCE. **
The Climb – Victoria vs. Mercedes Martinez (WWE Heat 6/12/06)
Here’s Mercedes Martinez getting a look on TV in a quick match with Victoria.
Martinez had debuted in late-2000 and by 2006 had made a little name for himself, especially in IWA Mid-South where this writer saw her live several times and thought she was just fantastic. Victoria meanwhile had been with WWE for over five years and though she’d be there another few her run was starting to wind down. In June of 2006, she was teaming with Candice Michelle.
Other matches on this cracking episode of Sunday Night Heat were a Murdoch & Cade squash, Matt Striker squash, and Gene Snitsky vs. Rob Conway. Not exactly Worldwide.
Jonathan Coachman and possibly Steve Romero spend the first half of this 4-minute match discussing Torrie Wilson’s Playboy shoot. This is classic tryout stuff – Mercedes gets a big pop off a dropkick and does an awesome Northern lights suplex, otherwise it’s mostly Victoria. Heat matches aren’t Hidden Gems – c’mon guys. *
Legend of the Phoenix – 3-Way Dance – OVW Women’s Title: Beth Phoenix [c] vs. ODB vs. Katie Lea (OVW 10/14/06)
Look – not many people had their classic match in OVW. Or did anything good, really.
These three along with Serena Deeb were the OVW women’s division at this time in 2006. Phoenix had a brief run on the main roster earlier in the year as Trish Stratus’ pal but got injured and went back to OVW before re-debuting in 2007 as The Glamazon.
Lea had been working in the U.K. since early 2000 and was just a few months into her developmental contract. She’d become Paul Burchill’s sister (and maybe more…?) a year and a half later. ODB had also recently joined OVW and just started claiming she was the OVW Women’s Champ, which became an actual thing. A year later she’d join the TNA Knockouts division.
Serena Deeb had won the title from ODB in a Fatal 4-Way Match with these three ladies in September, then a month later lost the title to Phoenix, hence her eventual involvement in this match. Phoenix would lose the title another month after in a Gauntlet Match to Katie Lea, leading to a Ladder Match between the two that’s also on the Network.
In more gross commentary, the commentators discuss Beth Phoenix’s behind and not telling their wives and blah blah blah. The match is not good. It has a lot of Triple Threat dumbassery that doesn’t flow well at all. It makes you appreciate Triple Threat Matches that do flow well actually. There’s a Tower of Doom spot and bad near falls and Serena interferes and nobody’s any better for any of it. 1/2*
Forging a Path – Kaitlyn vs. Rosa Mendes (FCW 1/16/11)
We’re a long way from the Last Battle of Atlanta – or even the Hokuto tag.
Rosa Mendes was the girl that just kept trying. She was a Diva Search finalist who had been on the main roster for three years in a variety of roles – Beth Phoenix’s intern, Carlito’s manager, Zack Ryder’s manager, and after this Primo & Epico’s manager. Kaitlyn meanwhile was less than a year into the territory after living the bodybuilder life and had just won NXT Season 3. She’d have her first SmackDown match a couple weeks after this one.
Also on this show: FUTRUE WWE SUPERSTARS Bo Dallas, Brad Maddox, Damien Sandow, Sin Cara, Jinder Mahal, Percy Watson, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Titus O’Neil, and Xavier Woods all going down in a Grand Royal to CALVIN RAINES, as well as Brodus Clay vs. the future EC3, Abraham Washington vs. Trent Baretta, and FCW Champ Mason Ryan vs. Grand Royal Winner Raines.
Rosa is called “the most dangerous diva we’ve ever seen in FCW” and is the current FCW QUEEN. It has occurred to me that wrestling might be fake. This is such a developmental match. Suplex, bodyslam. At a little under 5 minutes it might be the longest Rosa Mendes match of all-time. I was into her as the Primo & Epico manager, but Competitive Wrestler Rosa Mendes isn’t so good. And she was the vet here! DUD
Thinking on Your Feet – Renee Young Audition Tape (WWE 6/8/12)
In June of 2012, WWE was looking for lady announcers and Renee Paquette had street cred from her work on The Score in Canada. This appears to be one of her tryout videos. She’d be signed in October and go on to do all the stuff we know and love her for – interviewing, JBL & Cole Show, Unleashed, Kickoff Shows, Talking Smack, and now RAW commentary.
This is a two-and-a-half minute clip. John “Big” Gaburick of Tough Enough fame gives Renee instructions, counts down FORTY long seconds, and films as Renee does an infomercial for a pet groomer gadget. YUP. To her credit, she does better than any of the NXT guys did in all those weird promo contests. It’s fun to see knowing what it led to – a cool curiosity.
The Fighting Fifties – 2/3 Falls: Rito Romero vs. Danny Savish (Dallas Wrestling Sportatorium 8/26/52)
I want to have a party where the theme is 1950s Dallas Sportatorium. I love the vibe of these matches any time WWE Network throws one up from their World Class library – black-and-white, refs in white v-necks and khaki pants, wrestlers in velvet robes casually signing autographs for children staring up at them. A very laid back commentator runs down the rules on strangling and hair-pulling and closed fists. It’s beautiful.
Rito Romero and Danny Savish were both Texas mainstays throughout the 40s and 50s. Romero found more success but both held the NWA Texas Heavyweight Title, and Romero even challenged for Lou Thesz’ NWA World Heavyweight Title prior to this. Romero’s name continues to live on in the wrestling world as he was the inventor of the Romero Special.
Other matches on this show were Roy Graham vs. Dutch Hefner, Sterling “Dizzy” Davis beating Duke Keomuka in 4 econds, Dick Raines vs. Karol Krauser, and a Cyclone Anaya vs. Andre Drapp 60-minute draw.
Romero is a lanky man with a bald spot who has an aura of blazing hot credibility and throws a heck of a punch. Savish is his dirtbag opposition who can bump – he does a Rock Stunner sell off a shoulder tackle here, and is not afraid to take a fall to the floor.
The wrestling is from another era and there’s a lot of it that wouldn’t work today but you want it to. They are fighting for holds while doing logical stuff like subtly pulling a guys’ hair to get him into one. Everything is in the mannerisms – Savish is cagey and aggressive and will argue with a lady in a dress, while Rito is incensed with Savish’s bullshit.
The commentary is also fantastic in how understated it is. A story is told of how Savich’s trunks came to be made, while psychology is explained in these terms: “Savich for tonight’s match outweighs Romero by 12 pounds, but Romero has more than held his own because of his superior speed.”
Romero gets so fired up that he just keeps dropkicking Savish off the apron despite the referee’s protest method, which is to stand in front of him and puff his chest out. Towards the end Savish does a wild move where he ties Romero’s head in the ropes and pulls on his legs. He keeps breaking at 4 and going back to it until the referee gets tired of his shit and rings the bell, then socks him. Commentary speculates that the referee might recommend the Commissioner fine Savish.
Match is a little meandering but has some serious highlights and is a total trip. ***3/4
The Pride of Puerto Rico – WWWF World Heavyweight Title: Pedro Morales [c] vs. Blackjack Mulligan w/ Grand Wizard (WWWF MSG 3/15/71)
This is one of Pedro’s first title defenses after he beat Ivan Koloff, who ended Bruno Sammartino’s legendary reign. Pedro would go on to hold the title for nearly three years before dropping it to Stan Stasiak, who a week later dropped it to… Bruno Sammartino. Mulligan was just joining the WWWF and got a big push right away as Pedro’s first major feud. He’d soon have to take off the rest of the year after being stabbed by a fan – though he did kindly lose to Bruno in a minute at MSG for Bruno’s return to MSG in July.
The rest of this show was the sweet hell WWWF 70s undercards usually were, highlighted by a 20-minute midget match, Jose Luis Rivera, and a 20-minute Chief Jay Strongbow draw.
This upload includes the intro/outro for the MSG Network show, which has a very intense drum beat playing while MADISON SQUARE GARDEN WRESTLERS flashes all over the screen. If there’s one thing WWE Network needs more of, its the magic of 1970s video editing.
The upload also has the sound going in and out, by the way – it’s ugly.
Like a lot of Pedro matches, there’s a lot of waiting around but the good stuff is good. Grand Wizard riles up the marks before Pedro storms to the ring. Blackjack teases having a foreign object and they milk it for 5 minutes and the crowd goes wild and it just feels like it’s from such a different era. Which it is – it’s the 1970s. The crowd goes NUTS to an almost jarring degree any time Blackjack grabs his tights. They also go completely apeshit whenever he stumbles.
Also – there are a lot of holds. A lot of ’em. And they are really, really boring.
The best part of this match happens when Mulligan gets Pedro down in a wristlock and a fan throws something in the ring and makes direct contact with Mulligan’s head, which Mulligan proceeds to SELL THE SHIT OUT OF. It’s incredible. Mulligan had such a charm to him, a real classic wrestler – big towering guy who knew how to sell and made it count. Pedro does an ASS SPLASH off the top to win, which is just wonderful.
Seeing Pedro do a 70s post-match celebration is very cool too. He holds up the Puerto Rico flag because that’s what it’s all about right, supporting your countryman in an arbitrary fight over an imaginary victory? ***1/2
Demolishing the Competition – Tito Santana & Mil Mascaras w/ Jose Lothario vs. Demolition w/ Mr. Fuji (WWF 8/28/87)
This match was the second main event on a Retirement Show for legendary Houston, Texas promoter Paul Boesch. The show was WWF-promoted and featured a TELEGRAM delivered from Vice President George H.W. Bush. Also on the show was Bruno vs. Hercules (which included a Bruno vs. Andre tease… imagine), Hogan defending the WWF Title against One Man Gang, Sherri Martel vs. Moolah for the WWF Women’s Title, Terry Funk vs. Chavo Guerrero (!), DiBiase vs. Duggan and this match.
Mascaras had been to the WWF before, from the late-70s to early 80s, but this was a one-time thing. He wouldn’t appear again in the WWF until his infamous elimination at the Royal Rumble 1997. Santana was winding down a bit as a major singles star after his big IC Title run, and just a couple weeks before this had formed Strike Force with Rick Martel (he wears their t-shirt here). Their manager for the evening, Jose Lothario, is there because Houston respects its local legends. He’d go on to a bit more national fame when he appeared in the WWF in 1996 as Lothario’s trainer and mentor.
These Demolition fellas would have their big run the next year, but they’d been in the WWF about 8 months at this point.
Paul Boesch acolyte Bruce Prichard along with Mike McGuirk and THE DUKE OF DORCHESTER are on commentary, and the story here is that after his initial big run Tito Santana was still God-like. Tito and Ax going at it early is AWESOME – two pros whipping a crowd up. He gets caught on a crossbody by Smash and the crowd goes WILD. He takes a beating and the crowd sympathizes. He tags out, waits as Mascaras hits a crossbody or gets choked with Fuji’s cane, tags in and whips the crowd back up again.
Fuji was supposed to trip Tito at the finish but I think Tito expects it early so he just trips by himself. Then Mascaras does a camel clutch and they run the spot again, leading to a DQ. The good guys beat up Demolition, then Fuji to a big pop. The ring announcer reminds fans to stop by the souvenir stand as they leave the arena. ***
Lucha Legend – WCW Cruiserweight Title: Rey Mysterio [c] vs. Super Calo (WCW Nitro Dark Match 9/23/96)
This is a dark match that took place prior to a live WCW Monday Nitro. These two actually faced off for the title a couple weeks prior at Fall Brawl. This Nitro also had a Greg Valentine vs. Randy Savage match, Harlem Heat vs. Public Enemy for the WCW Tag Titles, a Glacier vs. Pat Tanaka DREAM MATCH, Jim Duggan vs. Syxx, Fake Sting in action, and The Outsiders in the main event. Also, the nWo took over Nitro midway through the show.
Rey Rey had joined WCW just a few months earlier and was still very much a fascinating novelty. He beat Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Title in July and was in the middle of his first reign, though he’d lose it back to Malenko in October at Halloween Havoc.
Super Calo debuted in AAA in the early 90s just like Rey and even teamed with him on occasion. Both would join WCW along with many AAA wrestlers around this time.
This match is cool as there are a lot of WWF dark matches on the Network, but to my knowledge no WCW ones. That brings an interesting atmosphere – no commentary, a crowd just getting acquainted to the action, and Dave Penzer doing the “3-2-1” countdown for the first match of the evening.
It’s a little over 5 minutes long and pretty fun stuff – Rey is impressive as always and Calo does a fine job keeping him down, including with a sweet powerslam. They do a powerbomb to the floor too because it was the 90s and nobody thought maybe that wasn’t the best idea. Rey’s comeback run is great and gets the crowd hopping. His leaping hurricanrana from the top rope is the first move where the crowd’s like, “Oh hell yeah we’re at the wrestling matches!”
And then the weirdest thing happens. Calo barely hits a spinning guillotine legdrop and just freezes. Everything pauses as he clutches his elbow and the ref gives instruction to both guys, patting to his elbow for the boys in the back to see. Calo just STANDS THERE as Rey does a springboard hurricanrana, which Calo doesn’t bump for – they just kind of topple over. Rey wraps it up with a split-legged moonsault as Calo stands stiff, holding his elbow. Hey man, it wasn’t on TV – who knew this would see the light of day? **1/2
10. The Kuwait Cup – Kuwait Cup – Semi Final: The Undertaker vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley (WWF Kuwait Cup 5/12/96)
With The Undertaker vs. Triple H “Last Time Ever” match taking place in a week at WWE Super Show-Down, the WWE Network uploaded ALL their matches against each other in a Collection. They also put up some of their earliest work together under Hidden Gems.
Five years removed from the Gulf War, the WWF headed to Kuwait for a series of shows highlighted by the first ever Kuwait Cup tournament. I assume there may have been some Saudi Arabia trickery here? A house show is a house show, but the WWF doesn’t just invent some tournament for nobody.
The Kuwait Cup was spread across four shows and featured such luminaries as Bret Hart, Steve Austin, and Ahmed Johnson. Matches in the earlier rounds included Steve Austin vs. Marty Jannetty, The Undertaker vs. Isaac Yankem, and Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart.
The 5/12/96 show featured the semi finals, which were Ahmed Johnson vs. Owen Hart and this match. Other matches on the show included Yoozuna vs. Isaac Yankem, Savio Vega vs. Steve Austin, Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog, and Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jannetty for the WWF World Title.
I believe this was these guys’ first meeting. Hunter was on his way up in the WWF after debuting a year earlier, though his career took a speed bump as he got wrecked by Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania 12, then took a bigger speed bump when the infamous Curtain Call incident happened just a week after this match. The Undertaker was in the middle of a feud with Mankind and otherwise just being The Undertaker.
The aesthetic of this match is very good – no commentary, Persian rugs on the floor surrounding the ring, and an “I love you HUNTER” sign is raised high. The crowd is hyped – Paul Bearer leads a REST IN PEACE chant complete with cupping his ear early and it is SO awesome.
The match itself is very… kick-based, though the crowd digs the ups and downs and Taker being Taker. Hunter is working the gimmick hard too, just scowling his way to and around the ring. They do a great spot late in the match as the ref gets bumped and Hunter hits Taker with a foreign object, but when he does the bow, Taker sits up in his face. The ref soon DQ’s Taker so Hunter can advance to the finals and lose to Ahmed Johnson. Taker drops him with a Tombstone before he leaves.
The post-match is incredible and outside of the Persian rugs and Paul Bearer’s Rest in Peace chant, the best part of this video. Hunter sells the Tombstone hard and lays down for a LONG time. The ref calls out for help – “He’s OUT COLD” – and eventually has to lift up his dead weight, only for Hunter to fall back down. Earl Hebner eventually comes in and they drag him out of the ring. This Hunter dude has got something.
11. An Escalator Ride to Remember – WWF Intercontinental Title: Hunter Hearst Helmsley [c] vs. The Undertaker (WWF Shotgun Saturday Night 2/8/97)
Shotgun Saturday Night, WWF’s first attempt at going all-in with TV-MA and an attempt to have an edgy late show vibe, had its’ first show just a month earlier in January of 1997. They tried weird stuff like having Vince McMahon and Sunny on commentary and doing stupid stuff like putting “Thinks his pits don’t stink” under Hunter’s name graphic.
Episodes also aired from unique venues like nightclubs, or this one which aired from Penn Station in New York City. This match was bookended by The Nation of Domination vs. The Godwinns and Savio Vega vs. Aldo Montoya.
Hunter was recovering from his de-emphasis after the Curtain Call, though he had won the IC Title from Marc Mero six months prior to this. He’d lose the title a few days later to Rocky Maivia, but do OK for himself when he won the King of the Ring and began teaming with Shawn Michaels. Undertaker was still Undertaker’ing around, and was most recently feuding with Vader and Paul Bearer. He’d soon win the WWF Title at WrestleMania.
Speakig of aesthetics, a wrestling show at Penn Station is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in my life. This is here more than anything for The Undertaker giving Hunter Hearst Helmsley a a Tombstone Piledriver on an escalator, but there is a lot to like and it’s pretty much everything that happened outside of the ring.
A limo pulls up and Hunter storms out onto the streets of New York wearing a robe and the Intercontinental Championship. He cuts a promo highlighted by this line: “You got a better chance of me riding one of these stinkin’ trains than losing the Intercontinetal Title.” He then takes questions from Entertainment Tonight.
The Undertaker’s entrance at Penn Station is AWESOME. The music and the lights are cool, but the best part is when he walks down the escalator (because it’s not going) then fights through the crowd to enter the ring.
The match is punching, kicking, and a referee bump. The Penn Station crowd seems to be completely captivated. Hunter hits Taker with the title, Taker hits Hunter the title, Taker gets caught, DQ.
Then The Undertaker gives Hunter Hearst Helmsley a Tombstone Piledriver on top of an escalator and Hunter just rides down the escalator passed out cold.
It’s a stupid 4-minute wrestling match but what a god damn atmosphere. **
12. Friday Night Fight – The Undertaker vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley w/ Chyna (WWF Friday Night’s Main Event 9/5/97)
The Undertaker had his hands filled here, feuding with Shawn Michaels en route to Hell in a Cell and starting to hear from Paul Bearer about his little brother. Hunter had won King of the Ring 1997, then formed D-Generation X with Michaels, Chyna and Rick Rude.
For two weeks in 1997, Monday Night Raw was preempted by the US Open and aired on Friday as Friday Night’s Main Event. This is from the second of those shows, and featured The Patriot vs. Owen Hart, British Bulldog defending the European Title against Dude Love, a Stone Cold interview on his recent suspension, and a bunch of squash matches from stars ranging from The Legion of Doom to Scott Putski.
This, much like the last match, is a few minutes of TV wrestling bullshit that is more about everything but the in-ring action. Triple H sells punches from The Undertaker, then Rick Rude walks down to give Triple H the advantage, then Shawn Michaels runs in and they all beat up The Undertaker as Chyna blocks the referees from coming in. Michaels seems to be peak zonked out. Agents run in and Gerald Brisco takes a HUGE chokeslam from Taker. **
