THE MOSS COVERED THREE HANDLED FAMILY CREDENZA
ARTICLE #18
DECEMBER 17, 2001
WWF Ironman Matches: A Comparison
Wrestlemania XII 3/31/96
WWF Title: Bret Hart (c) vs Shawn Michaels (w/Jose Lothario)
Michaels took down Bret early but Bret countered. Bret applied a headlock but Michaels escaped with a takedown. Michaels tried to escape a headlock by taking Bret down but Bret maintained the headlock this time. Bret gained a couple near falls with the headlock as Michaels made several failed escape and counter attempts. The action picked up but Bret then went back to the headlock. Michaels scored a takedown but Bret immediately got on top of him with a front facelock. Michaels armdragged Bret twice and applied an armbar. Michaels continued to attack Bret�s left arm. Bret tried to escape with an armdrag of his own but Michaels maintained the armbar. A series of counters ended with Michaels applying a hammerlock on Bret as he continued to work on his left arm. Bret scored with some punches in the corner but Michaels responded with some blows of his own. Michaels knocked Bret out of the ring with a headscissors takedown. Michaels used a fireman�s carry and went back to the armbar on Bret�s left arm. Bret went to throw Michaels over the top rope but Michaels held on, got back in the ring and reapplied the armbar. Bret fought back with a knee to Michaels�s stomach. Bret legdropped Michaels and applied a chinlock but Michaels escaped with a jawbreaker. Michaels legdropped Bret and applied a Fujiwara armbar. Bret fought back with a spinebuster but failed in an attempt to apply a sharpshooter. Bret clotheslined Michaels over the top rope to the floor. Michaels shoved Bret into the ringpost. Michaels attempted a superkick but Bret moved and Michaels hit the timekeeper. Bret fought back and applied a chinlock for a very lengthy period of time. Michaels fought back with an armdrag and a lariat. Bret scored with a lariat of his own and went back to the chinlock. Michaels dropkicked and armdragged Bret, then went back to an armbar on Bret�s left arm. Bret tried to counter with a headlock but Michaels stayed on top of him and continued to weaken his left arm. Bret fought back with a couple elbows but Michaels recovered and threw Bret hard into the corner with Bret crashing shoulder first into the ringpost. Michaels gave Bret a shoulderbreaker and a second rope double axehandle to Bret�s left shoulder. Michaels gave Bret a hammerlock slam and whipped him left arm-first into opposite corners. Bret fought back with some punches but Michaels gave him what amounted to an armbar DDT. Michaels applied a cross armbreaker on Bret. Bret tried to escape and did when he reached his feet. Michaels continued to attack Bret�s left arm and shoulder. Bret fought back by giving Michaels a stun gun on the second rope. Bret catapulted Michaels into the corner and Michaels hit his head on the ringpost. Bret gained the first near fall of the match at 28:12. Michaels fought back but missed a corner splash and Bret kicked him on the top rope three times. Bret gave Michaels a lariat for a near fall. He gave Michaels a bulldog and went to the top rope, coming off with a knee drive that also sent the ref to the canvas. Michaels powerslammed Bret for a near fall. Bret piledrove Michaels for a near fall. Michaels caught Bret on the top rope and slammed him to the mat. Michaels hit a huracanrana on Bret. He gave Bret a backbreaker for a near fall and went for a superkick but Bret bailed out of the ring. Michaels hit a spectacular plancha for a pop. Michaels hit a flying bodypress but Bret rolled through and gained a near fall. Michaels blocked a backslide attempt and gave Bret a small package for a near fall. Michaels gained a near fall with a cradle suplex and applied a sleeper. Bret tried to back Michaels into the corner but Michaels shoved Bret into the corner. Michaels whipped Bret hard into the corner and went for a corner splash but Bret backdropped him over the top rope to the floor. Michaels took a great bump and nearly took out a cameraman. Bret rammed Michaels back first into the ringpost. Bret whipped Michaels hard into the corner and came off the second rope with an elbow to his weakened back. Bret gave Michaels a backbreaker and a legdrop, and continued to work on Michaels�s back. Bret whipped Michaels into the corner and Michaels took a flip bump. Bret hit a back superplex on Michaels for a heated near fall. Bret applied a modified camel clutch. Michaels fought back and sunset flipped Bret for a near fall. Bret recovered and continued to work on Michaels�s back. Bret gained a near fall with a Russian legsweep. He whipped Michaels into the corner and Michaels, in taking a spectacular fall over the top rope to the floor, kicked Lothario. Bret whipped Michaels into the steps and Michaels again accidentally knocked down Lothario. Bret belly to belly suplexed Michaels for a near fall. Michaels fought back with a series of strikes but Bret continued to attack his back. Bret scored with some forearm strikes. Michaels countered a suplex with a rollup for a near fall but Bret�s momentum upon kicking out sent Michaels clear out of the ring. Bret hit a tope suicida on Michaels. Bret attempted to suplex Michaels back into the ring, Michaels countered but Bret German suplexed him for a near fall. Bret aborted an attempted Michaels comeback and applied a rear chinlock for a lengthy period of time. Both men clotheslined each other at 52:23. Bret gave Michaels a top rope superplex and went for the sharpshooter but Michaels kicked him. Bret applied a half crab instead. Bret gave Michaels a backbreaker and attempted a second rope elbow but Michaels kicked him in the face. Michaels dropkicked Bret and whipped him hard into the corner. Michaels came off the top rope with a flying forearm and hit a flying elbow. Michaels gained a near fall after a top rope double axehandle. Michaels suplexed Bret and hit a top rope elbow for a near fall. Michaels gave Bret a doctor bomb and a moonsault bodyblock for a near fall. Michaels came off the second rope with a sloppy huracanrana for a near fall. Bret caught a diving Michaels and applied a sharpshooter but time expired at 60:00 before Michaels gave up. WWF President Gorilla Monsoon came in and ordered an overtime period with sudden death rules. Bret attacked Michaels�s back and gave him a backdrop. Bret gave Michaels a backbreaker but Michaels recovered and sweet chin music for a pop. Michaels hit sweet chin music again and pinned Bret 1:54 into overtime to win the title. ****1/4
Judgment Day 5/21/00
WWF Title: Rock (c) vs HHH (Special Ref: Shawn Michaels)
The match began with a basic feel-out process. Rock applied a headlock early. HHH fought back with a knee to Rock�s gut and won a test of strength with a wristlock. Rock went back to the headlock. He gained an early near fall with a lariat as well as other near falls with rollups. HHH bailed out of the ring to regroup. HHH applied a headlock and tackled Rock. Rock punched HHH, who again bailed out. Rock went back to the headlock briefly but then the pace picked up. HHH fought back with an elbow and a lariat. HHH worked on Rock�s left arm in the corner. HHH applied an armbar but Rock fought back with punches. HHH aborted Rock�s comeback with an armbar DDT for a near fall. HHH went back to the armbar on Rock�s left arm. Rock punched HHH in the corner but HHH fought back with a knee to the gut. Rock caught a charging HHH and gave him a Rock bottom for the first pin at 10:44. Rock rammed HHH into the barricade twice. HHH fought back but Rock whipped him hard into the barricade as they fought in the aisle. HHH fought back and dumped Rock neck first on the barricade. HHH missed a jumping knee and hit his knee on the barricade. HHH recovered but Rock suplexed him back into the ring for a near fall. Rock rammed HHH�s left knee twice into the ringpost and even gave him a kneebreaker onto the ring steps. Rock continued to attack HHH�s left leg. Rock gave HHH a lariat and applied a figure 4 leglock. Rock gained a couple near falls with that hold, which HHH sold very effectively. HHH turned the figure 4 leglock over on Rock but they reached the ropes. Rock rammed HHH into the Spanish announcers� table. HHH whipped Rock into the barricade and gave him a lariat. HHH dumped Rock into the crowd and took the fight deep into the crowd. HHH backdropped Rock over the railing to the floor at ringside. HHH suplexed Rock and gave him two elbowsmashes for a near fall. HHH continued to gain near falls and assaulted Rock in the corner but Rock fought back, only for HHH to throw him over the top rope to the floor and into the announcers� table. Rock whipped HHH into the steps and attacked HHH�s left leg back in the ring. HHH attempted to mount a comeback but Rock gave him a kneebreaker. Rock attempted a figure 4 but HHH kicked him head first into the corner. HHH gave Rock a pedigree and pinned him at 25:28 to tie the match 1-1. HHH rolled up Rock for another pin barely one minute later to go up 2-1. Rock fought back with punches but HHH pulled him out of the ring. HHH rammed Rock into the barricade. Rock whipped HHH into the entrance set and went for a suplex on the aisle but HHH countered with a suplex of his own. Rock fought back with a back suplex of HHH in the aisle. Rock again rammed HHH into the barricade and backdropped him in the aisle. HHH fought back with a knee to Rock�s head and piledrove Rock for a third pin at 32:28 to go up 3-1. HHH repeatedly stomped Rock in the corner but Rock fought back with a lariat. HHH gave Rock an elbow for a near fall. Rock caught HHH on the top rope and slammed him to the mat. Rock won a slugfest and gained a near fall with la magistral. HHH gained a near fall after a jumping knee on Rock. Rock won another slugfest but HHH applied a sleeper and Rock went down fast. HHH maintained a chinlock for a lengthy period of time and used the ropes for leverage. HHH went for a sleeper but Rock countered with a belly to belly suplex for a near fall at 40:00. After a few counters, Rock DDTd HHH and pinned him at 40:35 to make the match 3-2. Rock took the fight outside the ring and rammed HHH�s head into the steps. HHH rammed Rock�s head into the ring bell. HHH grabbed a chair but Michaels took it out of his hands. Rock fought back and whipped HHH hard into the steps. HHH whipped Rock into the barricade but Rock responded with a swinging neckbreaker on the floor. HHH hit Rock with a chair but Michaels called for a DQ as a result at 43:41 to tie the match 3-3. HHH then pinned Rock with his feet on the ropes to regain the lead at 4-3. Rock was busted open from the chairshot. HHH applied a sleeper on Rock for a lengthy period of time. Rock fought back but HHH re-applied the sleeper and gained a submission fall at 47:28 to go up 5-3. Michaels grabbed HHH by the hair to break the hold and a shoving match ensued. Rock whipped HHH into the corner and in a spot reminiscent of Hart-Michaels, HHH took a flip bump over the top to the floor and collided with a cameraman. HHH fought back and DDTd Rock for a near fall. Rock crotched HHH on the top rope and went for a superplex but HHH knocked him to the canvas. Rock recovered and superplexed HHH for a pop and a dramatic near fall. Rock clotheslined HHH over the top rope to the floor. He rammed HHH into the steps and catapulted HHH into the ringpost at 53:22. HHH whipped Rock into the ring steps seconds later by reversing Rock�s momentum. HHH stripped the monitors off the announcers� table. HHH attempted to give Rock his own Rock bottom through the table but Rock countered and gave HHH a pedigree through the table in a great spot that busted HHH open. Shane, Vince & Stephanie McMahon, earlier sent to the back by HHH, returned to ringside at this point. HHH was counted out at 57:01. Rock lit into HHH and gave him a lariat. Rock DDTd HHH and punched Shane & Vince. Rock hit a spinebuster and people�s elbow on HHH for a pin at 58:04 to tie the match 5-5. Michaels punched out Vince at ringside. HHH whipped Rock into Michaels and Michaels fell off the apron. Rock gave HHH a Rock bottom but was attacked by X-Pac & Road Dogg. Shane hit Rock with a chair. Undertaker made his return and came to the ring as HHH gave Rock a pedigree. Undertaker cleared house as time ticked down. He chokeslammed HHH right before time expired and tombstoned him. As a result, Michaels DQd Rock, which caused HHH to win 6 falls to 5 and thus win the title. ****1/4
NEXT ISSUE: Honorable Mention Vol. 4
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