In this WWF Summerslam 1995 review, Diesel defends the WWF title against King Mabel in the main event, Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon square off in a Ladder Match rematch, and much more.
Let’s jump in!
- Show: WWF Summerslam 1995
- Date: August 27, 1995
- Location: Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, PA
– Todd Pettingill hypes up the main event between Diesel and King Mabel. And then we get hype for Bret Hart vs. ISSAC YANKEM. Incredible. Plus, it’s the Undertaker vs. Kama, and Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon in a Ladder Match. Well, at least one of those sounds good.
– Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler welcome us and Dean Douglas is in his classroom. He’s going to be conducting SUMMER SCHOOL on SummerSlam. What a concept.
The 1-2-3 Kid vs. Hakushi
Barry Horowitz had just pinned Hakushi on the Action Zone, so he’s clearly on a roll. Lawler tries to explain the tattoos on Hakushi, and I think there was one time where he said it was Hakushi’s grocery list. Good counter sequences early on, and Vince is so excited he calls it SUMMERSLIME. Hakushi hits an awesome springboard move to the outside and this is why I enjoyed Hakushi’s work in this era. Vince’s commentary trope of “1-2-HE GOT ‘EM….NO HE DIDN’T” never gets old. Kid goes up for a high-flying move and hits it. Then the action moves backside, and Kid goes for a spin kick but Hakushi catches him into a side slam for the win. Solid opener between two workhorses.
- Blake’s Rating: ***
– Doc Hendrix with King Mabel. He calls Diesel “Big Daddy Fool” and does the King mannerisms.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Bob Holly
These two certainly changed character directions pretty quickly. Probably a good thing they did, huh? Some stiff shots from these two, as Holly hits a BRUTAL elbow to Helmsley’s face. Vince is making every car joke he can because of course he is. Helmsley uses an Irish whip on Holly and it was quite a ricochet. Vince tells us the British Bulldog has arrived at the arena, and they play up him interfering in the main event. Then we get the footage of Bulldog walking in. Helmsley with a hip toss to Holly over the top, and we’ve got more car jokes from Lawler. Helmsley and Holly go back and forth, but just as Holly gains the momentum, Helmsley hooks the arms and hits the Pedigree for the victory.
- Blake’s Rating: **
– We see highlights from a tug-o-war contest between WWF superstars and Pittsburgh firefighters. The WWF got the win.
The Blu Brothers (w/Uncle Zebekiah) vs. The Smoking Gunns
Vince is already confused as to which one is Jacob and which one is Eli, so we’re off to a good start. Billy Gunn hasn’t aged in about 40 years, though he has more hair in this match. All Blu Brothers to begin the match until Bart gets the hot tag and starts slamming everyone. Jacob or Eli (even I’m confused now) hits a big boot, but it’s the Gunns regaining control and hitting their finisher for the win. The crowd loved them some Gunns.
- Blake’s Rating: **
– Pettingill narrates a video package of Horowitz’s losing streak and how he got the better of Skip on multiple occasions.
Skip (w/Sunny) vs. Barry Horowitz
Horowitz’s entrance music is something. So is his wrestling gear. Horowitz runs wild right off the bat, but eventually, Skip gains the advantage. However, Horowitz suplexes Skip to the outside, then Sunny tries to stop the match by throwing in the towel. Earl Hebner won’t have any of that. Sunny grabs Horowitz’s foot to give the momentum back to Skip. The fans start a big “Barry” chant to which my dog, named Barrie, approves of. Vince also makes a pitch for Siskel and Ebert to have a one-on-one match in the WWF. This match is still going, and having not remembered it, I figured it would be rather short. Double dropkick sends both men to the mat, then Horowitz hits a dropkick to rack Skip on the top. Skip back in control and he hits the flying headbutt but pulls up Horowitz before Hebner can count three. Sunny gets involved again and racks Horowitz, with Skip hitting a suplex off the top. Hakushi comes down the aisle and leaps over both men in the ring, and Horowitz uses the distraction for the small package on Skip for the win. This was long.
- Blake’s Rating: **
– Back to Dean Douglas in his classroom. His word of the day is vivify and he shows highlights of the match we just saw and gives it an ‘F’ grade. This show gets an ‘F’ grade thus far as well, so they have that in common.
– Pettingill is with Michaels. He says he has everything to lose and nothing to gain from his match with Razor.
Bertha Faye (w/Harvey Whippleman) vs. Alundra Blayze
Lots of weight jokes from both Vince and Lawler to start things off, which should come as no surprise. Bertha uses her power to take control as Alundra tries to fight back. Alundra finally gets some offense going, but Whippleman distracts referee Tim White. Alundra delivers a flurry of offense, but Bertha moves out of the way of a third dropkick off the top. Bertha then slams Alundra for the surprising victory. It looked like Alundra got her arm up but we’ve got a new champion.
- Blake’s Rating: **
– Jim Ross interviews Bertha and Whippleman. They taunt Alundra.
– Video package for Taker’s feud with Kama.
Kama (w/Ted DiBiase) vs. The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) – Casket Match
Kama doesn’t even get an entrance, so that’s not ideal for his chances at winning this match. I liked the Kama character. He was a true badass. The coffin cam was a nice touch from a presentation standpoint, and Kama sold it like a champ. They go back and forth, and DiBiase makes the save for Kama. Vince lets us know Alundra is on the superstar line which was an interesting experiment in the wrestling business. Both men wind up in the casket and fight their way out. Taker chokeslams Kama, then hits the Tombstone and rolls him in for the win. The crowd went wild for this, but that’s about the best thing you can say about it.
- Blake’s Rating: **
– Video package hyping the ongoing feud with Bret and Lawler, with Lawler bringing in Issac Yankem as his mercenary.
– Pettingill with Bret. He’s gonna beat up a dentist.
Issac Yankem vs. Bret Hart
Yankem’s entrance music is Right to Censor levels of annoying. Just brutal. This is certainly a choice for Bret’s Summerslam opponent, but it made sense in the context of the storyline. Plus, it’s the WWF in 1995, so it’s not like there were a lot of great options. They go back and forth to kick things off, and Bret pretty much controls a good portion of the match. Yankem uses his power to regain momentum, and be continues to work on Bret. But Bret reverses things with a dive to the outside and he gets a few near falls on Yankem. Lawler gets involved, with Yankem throwing Bret into the steel steps. However, Yankem decides to go up top for some reason, and Bret capitalizes. He wraps the camera cables around Yankem’s feet in another smart Bret move. Then he gets his hands on Lawler, but Yankem comes off the top with a shot to Bret’s back. Lawler interferes again, and they basically hang Bret in the ropes. The ref calls for the DQ, and Bret sells the beating. Bret carried this match, but the finish did them no favors.
- Blake’s Rating: **1/2
– Doc Hendrix with Razor Ramon. He hypes the Ladder Match.
Razor Ramon vs. (c) Shawn Michaels – Ladder Match for Intercontinental Title
This is the WrestleMania X rematch, and it’s gonna be hard for these two to top that. It was obviously noticeable in other matches, but when these two squared off, their incredible charisma was even more prominent. Just terrific chemistry in terms of playing off each other’s expressions. A full sprint early on with lots of action. Vince reminds us Sid will meet the winner on an upcoming edition of Raw. Turns out I’ve actually already reviewed that show (read it here). The ladder comes into play, and it wouldn’t be a WWF show in this era unless Shawn showed his ass. Pretty sure that also happened on the aforementioned Raw episode. Razor tries to pull him off the ladder by his trunks, so it’s free ass for everyone in the crowd. Razor focuses on Shawn’s leg for most of the match, including tipping the ladder over on it before giving an innocent shrug. Razor was awesome.
One of the big spots in Michaels hitting a suplex on Razor off the ladder. Vince and Doc are pushing “Pitbull” as Shawn’s nickname. Not sure that one quite stuck. Moonsault from Shawn gets the crowd rocking, but he misses a splash off the top of the ladder. Great back and forth, then they rack themselves after falling off the ladder. Razor brings in a second ladder, so business has officially picked up. Razor then hits the Razor’s Edge, and boy, the crowd is losing it. What a fun atmosphere. They set up both ladders next to each other, and Shawn knocks Razor off before diving for the belt. He misses and lands on one of the ladders. Ouch. Once again, the crowd is on the edge of its seat. Shawn sends Razor outside, and he manages to climb the ladder to try to grab the belt. He can’t quite do it the first time, so he has to climb again and successfully pulls it down for the win. After the match, Razor grabs the belt away from him before handing it back. They hug and Shawn celebrates. It may not be as good as the WrestleMania match, but on the rewatch, it’s close.
- Blake’s Rating: ****1/4
– Back to school with Douglas. He explains the definition of “bad,” and here comes a frustrated Razor, who hauls off on him. Douglas rakes his fingers on the chalkboard. He should be fired for that.
– Pettingill with Diesel. He yells about getting medieval on Mabel.
King Mabel (w/Mo) vs. (c) Diesel – WWF Title
A pretty infamous main event here. I haven’t watched it in a good while, so let’s see if it’s as brutal as most remember it being. Spoiler alert: It is. Perhaps it wouldn’t be that offensive on its own, but the fact that it has to follow Shawn/Razor makes it way more lackluster by comparison. There’s very little reaction from the crowd even when Mabel goes for a pin or submission. I doubt anyone truly thought Mabel would win the title, which also hurts the match. Mo gets in on the action after the referee is knocked to the outside. But here comes Lex Luger. Diesel clotheslines him over the top for some reason? Mabel and Mo double team Diesel outside the ring, and the crowd is indifferent. Luger runs off Mo, then Mabel hits a belly-to-belly suplex for a near fall. The crowd did pop for that one. Diesel hits a clothesline off the top to retain the title. Again, far from the worst match ever, but for a main event on one of the biggest shows of the year, it certainly did nothing for Diesel.
- Blake’s Rating: **
BLAKE’S TAKE ON WWF SUMMERSLAM 1995
This was a one-match show, though the undercard wasn’t as bad as you’d think given the wacky characters. Shawn vs. Razor is spectacular, and it’s worth your time if you haven’t seen it in a while. As for Diesel, his title reign continues, but a win against Mabel only added to the creative frustration.
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