The Year That Was 1996 Pt 1

Starting work on the epic set that is 1996. It is 30 4-hour discs that showcase not necessarily the best matches but the most important events that happened throughout the year in chronological order. This is such a huge set once again will just be publishing whatever I watch in a day and not as I finish a disc. Please note that most matches are whole but if a match was not the greatest quality it is joined in progress to show the last 3rd while saving the viewer from the calamity that was the first 2/3rds.

1996 is a very very important year in wrestling. We get to see the close of the New Generation as the Attitude Era slowly starts to materialize in the WWF, WCW's rise to prominence with the NWO storyline, as well as the years highlights in ECW, USWA, Mexico and Japan.

Smoking Gunns vs. Psycho Sid & 1-2-3 Kid vs. Razor Ramon & Savio Vega vs. Owen Hart & Yokozuna (RAW Bowl) (RAW 1/1/96)
This is an interesting concept the WWF came up with, not to say it was a good idea, but it is interesting. This is the Raw Bowl where the wrestlers come out to cut off T-shirts with numbers as if they were a jersey. There is a marching band in the stands and cheerleaders lining the aisles. Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler throw every football term imaginable into this match. This is a regular four corners tag team match, which was an newer idea at the time, the only wrinkle is that each team has a timeout they can use. The Smoking Gunns are the tag team champions and Razor Ramon is the Intercontinental champion. Goldust's usher gives Ramon flowers which naturally upsets the bad guy. The match itself is pretty good. The anyone can tag anyone rule is used early on when both Smoking Gunns are tagged in, they in turn tag Yokozuna and his partner Owen Hart. Match comes down to the tag champions against Sid and The Kid. Razor Ramon runs interference that gives the Gunns the win. I am on board with the recent Billy Gunn love. He is a good midcarder that is very athletic and sells well enough. The right team went over here.



Billionaire Ted Skit (RAW 1/1/96)
I will go on record and say that I indeed hate these skits. They are the product of the end of the New Generation of the WWF and are supposed to put over that the WWE's younger talent are far superior to the aging stars of WCW. They start tame and by Wrestlemania are well over the top. Being 12 at the time they never influenced my loyalties. I was always split between the WWF and WCW liking parts about both. Here we get Billionaire Ted asking the Huckster and Nacho Man whether they can pull off moves like the Pearl River Plunge, Razors Edge or the Jackknife which of course they cannot because they are too old and broken down or set in their ways to try new moves.


Ric Flair (c) vs. Hulk Hogan - World Title (Nitro 1/1/96)
The fans were into this one and deservedly so. You have the two icons of the sport going at it on free TV. I agree with others about giving away big matches on free TV, however they had already had a big money match or two on PPV and this match was never going to have a decisive winner anyhow. By the time Jimmy Hart runs to ringside you know Hogan is going to get screwed somehow. Flair and Hogan wrestle a good TV match where Flair destroys Hogans leg but Hogan makes the big comeback until the Four Horsemen and Dungeon of Doom come in to ruin thing for The Hulk. The ref turns around in time to see Hogan with Arn Anderson's brass knuckles and that is enough for the DQ. The fans were very much into Hogan and Savage destroying the two groups and sending them back to the dressing room. I was actually surprised at just how big the pop was. Listening to some talk about the era you would think the masses despised Hogan and WCW kept shoving him down the fans throats anyway. Good match as WCW is building towards the Hogan and Savage vs The Forces To End Hulkamania match that is ridiculous on many levels.



Koji Kanemoto (c) vs. Jushin Liger - IWGP Jr Heavyweight Title (NJ 1/4/96)
What a match these two have in the Egg Dome. Liger is a wrestling machine and Koji is the smarter of the two coming up with great counters when Liger is about to hit a move that will turn the tide. Kanemoto works Ligers leg in the early going, but that is quickly forgotten. Kanemoto will never be known for lack of heart as he kicks out of three successive powerbombs from Liger. Liger finishes Koji off for the title after a move off the top rope which is not caught on camera that I believe it was a twisting moonsault.