WWF In Your House 5: Season's Beatings - December 1995

WWF In Your House 5: Season's Beatings - December 17th 1995 - Hershey, Pennsylvania

Matches

Razor Ramon and Marty Janetty defeated 1-2-3 Kid and Sycho Sid (7/10)
Ahmed Johnson defeated Buddy Landel (5/10) 
Henry Godwin defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley {Arkansas Hog Pen Match} (8/10)
Owen Hart defeated Diesel by DQ (6/10)

The Undertaker defeated King Mabel {Casket Match} (6/10)

Bret Hart defeated British Bulldog {WWF World Heavyweight Title} (8/10)

Moments - Positives

The main event was very good, well built up and a rematch of the Summerslam 1992 main event but this time for the World Title. The opening tag match was also very good and there was a segment with Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Lawler leading to Jarrett attacking Ahmed Johnson which was very well worked and fun. Finally, the Hog Pen match between Godwin and HHH was really good and for that match and the main event, this show is worth a watch!

Moments - Negatives

An average Casket match and an average Diesel/Hart match lower the standard of the event which was very weird as both matches were really well built up and had a great storyline but just did not deliver on the day in my opinion.

Overall Summary

This show was quite up and down with some great moments and great matches as well as some dissapointments. Having said that, this was one of the more solid In Your House PPVs and it truly showed that by the end of 1995, WWF had enough talent and enough ideas to run monthly PPV events! 

SCORE = 7.5

WWF Survivor Series 1995 - November 1995

WWF Survivor Series 1995 - November 19th 1995 - Landover, Maryland

Matches

Skip, Rad Radford, Tom Prichard and 1-2-3 Kid defeated Marty Janetty, Hakushi, Barry Horowitz, Bob Holly (7/10)
Bertha Faye, Aja Kong, Tomoko Watanabe and Lioness Akuka defeated Alundra Blayze, Kyoko Inoue, Sakie Hasegawa and Chaparita Asari (3/10) 
Goldust defeated Bam Bam Bigelow (5/10)
Undertaker, Savio Vega, Fatu and Henry Godwin defeated King Mabel, Jerry Lawler, Isaac Yankem and Hunter Hearst Helmsley (7/10)

Shawn Michaels, British Bulldog, Sycho Sid and Ahmed Johnson defeated Razor Ramon, Owen Hart, Yokozuna and Dean Douglas (8/10)

Bret Hart defeated Diesel {WWF World Heavyweight Title} (8/10)

Moments - Positives

The wild card was in my opinion the match of the night and was well built up. It was a great idea to have faces and heels mixed together as it got the crowd wild hot. It was a risky move by the WWF and not a traditional one but I think it truly worked and made this Survivor Series stand out. The World title match was also excellent, a final, no DQ match between Hart and Diesel after about three matches which ended by DQ over the last year and a half. 

Moments - Negatives

The Women's Title match was truly awful and I have no idea what the Goldust/Bam Bam match was about. Both of these matches really dragged an otherwise very good event. 

Overall Summary

If you can skip the two poor matches, this was one of the most solid Surivovr Series events to date. The score below reflects the good more than the bad and I would recommend that you watch this show and skip the two matches so that it does not put you off the rest of this cracking event.  

SCORE = 8.0

WWF In Your House 4: Great White North - October 1995

WWF In Your House 4: Great White North - October 22nd 1995 - Winnipeg, Manitoba

Matches

Hunter Hearst Helmsley defeated Fatu (6/10)

Smokin Gunns defeated Razor Ramon and 1-2-3 Kid (7/10)
Goldust defeated Marty Jannetty (5/10) 
Yokozuna fought King Mabel to a draw (6/10)
Razor Ramon defeated Dean Douglas {WWF Intercontinental Title} (7/10)

British Bulldog defeated Diesel by DQ {WWF World Heavyweight Title} (7/10)

Moments - Positives

The most important moment of this event which has been replayed by WWF for years and years is HBK giving up his IC title after being unable to complete against Dean Douglas. This was shortly after HBK was beaten up in a night club and he comes down to the ring gutted with black eyes etc. A truly classic moment. Other key features are Ramon winning the IC title, Goldust's debut and a great encounter between Diesel and Bulldog which leads to a Bret Hart interference.

Moments - Negatives

A few poor matches and I thought there was too much reliance on Razor Ramon. The Mabel / Yokozuna match was too long and the tag-team match could have been better. As with previous In Your House shows, the event seemed quite cheap and poor edited. 

Overall Summary

A really good PPV with a underrated main event which showcased Bulldog's ability and potential....too bad he never quite made it. HBK's moment is one of the classic moments in WWF history and Ramon winning the IC title was another big landmark in an otherwise quiet and basic PPV event. 

SCORE = 7.5

WWF In Your House 3: Triple Header - September 1995

WWF In Your House 3: Triple Header - September 24th 1995 - Saginaw, Michigan

Matches

Savio Vega defeated Wayleon Macy (4/10)

Sycho Sid defeated Henry Godwin (6/10)
British Bulldog defeated Bam Bam Bigelow (6/10) 
Dean Douglas defeated Razor Ramon (7/10)
Bret Hart defeated Jean Pierre Lattiffe (6/10)

Diesel & Shawn Michaels defeated Yokozuna & British Bulldog {World, Tag Team and Intercontinental Title Match} (7/10)

Moments - Positives

A few classic moments in this In Your House including a main event with all three WWF titles on the line. This is the PPV in which Diesel and HBK become tag-team champions. There is also a nice storyline on the side about Owen Hart no showing the event and Bulldog taking his place only for Hart to interfere in the main event. Douglas/Ramon match is also very good and the Hart/Lattife feud is pretty good even though it is over a jacket.

Moments - Negatives

The opener is pretty poor and the show feels quite cheap for some reason. Overall though nothing majorly negative about the show.

Overall Summary

This PPV showed the strength of the In Your House shows. A very good main event, a solid midcard and a poor opener were the standard In Your House bookings - for some reason the In Your House 3 show really worked and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not sure if it surpassed In Your House 2 and I have given it the same score but it certainly showed that the WWF could do monthly PPVs and think of innovative feuds to get the public interested! 

SCORE = 7.0

WWF Summerslam 1995 - August 1995

WWF Summerslam 1995 - August 27th 1995 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Matches

Hunter Hearst Helmsley defeated Bob Holly (6/10)

Smokin Gunns defeated Blu Brothers (6/10)
Barry Horowitz defeated Skip (5/10) 
Bertha Faye defeated Alundra Blayze {WWF Womens Title} (4/10)
The Undertaker defeated Kama {Casket Match} (7/10)

Bret Hart defeated Isaac Yankem (7/10)

Shawn Michaels defeated Razor Ramon {WWF Intercontinental Title Ladder Match} (9/10)

Diesel defeated King Mabel {WWF World Heavyweight Title} (5/10)

Moments - Positives

A few classic moments in this one including the debut of HHH which was a landmark in WWF history, a cracking sub-card to the main event of Taker/Kama and Hart/Yankem both of which had great stories to tell and some brilliant feuds to resolve. The Wrestlemania X rematch between Ramon and HBK in a Ladder match was most certainly the stand out match and it is worth seeing the show just for this match (though the Mania X match was better in my opinion).

Moments - Negatives

A really poor Womens title match and a really poor main event kind of destroyed this show and kept it from being a Summerslam classic. The World title match was quite well built up but was very dissapointing and nearly put me to sleep - having said that, I still dont understand why Mabel was being considered a main eventer at this time. 

Overall Summary

One of the better Pay-Per-Views of 1995 but the poor main event really overshadows a rather good card. It is worth watching the show and probably turning it off after the Ladder match to stop the decline. 

SCORE = 7.5

WWF In Your House 2: Lumberjacks - July 1995

WWF In Your House 2: Lumberjacks - July 23rd 1995 - Nashville, Tennessee

Matches

The Roadie defeated 1-2-3 Kid  (6/10)

Men On A Mission defeated Razor Ramon and Savio Vega (6/10)
Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Henry Godwin (5/10) 
Shawn Michaels defeated Jeff Jarrett {WWF Intercontinental Title} (8/10)
Owen Hart & Yokozuna defeated Lex Luger & British Bulldog {WWF Tag Team Titles} (7/10)

Diesel defeated Sycho Sid {WWF World Heavyweight Title Lumberjack Match} (7/10)

Bret Hart defeated Jean Pierre Lattiffe {Dark Match} (5/10)

Undertaker defeated Kama  {Dark Match - Casket Match} (7/10)

Moments - Positives

It was a 100% improvement over the King of the Ring pay-per-view with a very good main event which was well hyped and something refereshing / new. The HBK/Jarrett match stood out at this event and was brilliantly worked and had a great finish to it - HBK as a face was in full throttle in this PPV event. The tag-team title match was fantastic and the Ramon/Vega vs Men on a Mission match was very solid compared to how they worked together at KOTR. 

Moments - Negatives

I didnt quite understand why IYH and IYH2 had dark matches televised. It was a bit silly as the casket match particularly ruins the Summerslam casket match. If it is a dark match - dont televise it! The Bam Bam match was pretty poor too and the event itself seemed a little bit cheaply done. 

Overall Summary

After what I thought was an awful event at King of the Ring, the WWF didnt have to do much to bounce back. A solid main event and an outstanding IC title match did enough to make this event miles better from the previous month. The Sid/Diesel feud was in full swing at this event and it really worked well. A very solid event overall. 

SCORE = 7.5

WWF King of the Ring 1995 - June 1995

WWF King of the Ring 1995 - June 25th 1995 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Matches
Savio Vega defeated IRS {Dark Match} (5/10)

Savio Vega defeated Yokozuna (7/10)
The Roadie defeated Bob Holly (5/10) 
Shawn Michaels drew with Kama (5/10)
Mabel defeated The Undertaker (7/10)

Savio Vega defeated The Roadie (5/10)

Bret Hart defeated Jerry Lawler {Kiss My Foot Match} (8/10)

Mabel defeated Savio Vega {KOTR Final} (6/10)

Diesel & Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Sid & Tatanka (6/10)

Moments - Positives

Very hard to find the stand out moments from this below average event. Mabel shocking the world and winning the KOTR crown was certainly a shocker as everyone expected HBK to win the crown - and he clearly should have! Savio Vega's push was quite a moment - probably his only - to shine in the WWF though it was not exactly "positive". The key stand-out match was the Lawler/Hart encounter with a great storyline (lasting 2 years) and a great match with a funny outcome. 

Moments - Negatives

Mabel winning the KOTR crown - I just dont see, apart from the fact it was shocking, how it was good for the WWF. Savio Vega was good with Razor Ramon but on his own I feel he lacked that spark and to see those two in the KOTR final was painful - infact the whole competiton was pretty poor. The main event was built up well but the match failed to capitalise on the Sid/Diesel feud - a total dissapointment. 

Overall Summary

This, in my opinion, was one of the poorest show since Lex Luger's huge push in 1993 when Hogan's void needed to be filled. Mabel winning the King of the Ring was clutching at straws - I couldnt understand why someone like Razor Ramon, HBK or even Jeff Jarrett were not the ones to win the KOTR. Savio Vega's rushed push was awful and the whole PPV event felt like it was booked the night before. If you want to miss a PPV and not feel like you are missing out on a classic WWF / Wrestling moment - this is the one to miss! 

SCORE = 5

WWF In Your House - May 1995

WWF In Your House - May 14th 1995 - Syracuse, New York

Matches
Bret Hart defeated Hakushi (6/10)

Razor Ramon defeated Jeff Jarrett and the Roadie {Handicap Match} (7/10)
Mabel defeated Adam Bomb (4/10) 
Owen Hart & Yokozuna defeated The Smokin Gunns {WWF Tag Team Titles} (6/10)
Jerry Lawler defeated Bret Hart (7/10)

Diesel defeated Sycho Sid {WWF World Heavyweight Title} (7/10)

Undertaker defeated Kamala {Dark Match} (6/10)

Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Tatanka {Dark Match} (5/10)

Moments - Positives

The event itself is a moment which echoes through history as it was effectively the beginning of the monthly PPV tradition and franchise. It was a classic moment for wrestling historians. Lawler / Hart feud reignited at the event (it has been regniting since 1993) and Hart pretending he was injured was a great moment. Ramon defying the odds and winning the handicap match was a great moment and finally a showdown between Diesel/Sycho Sid - though slightly dissapointing - was a great moment. 

Moments - Negatives

Some poor matches such as the Bomb/Mabel match. The event felt rushed and did not last very long. The video event was extended with two dark matches which were below average if anything. 

Overall Summary

The event is very important and that is why it gets a semi-decent score. Its length and rushed feel look a little bit like an extended Raw show rather than a PPV in itself. It would appear that McMahon transitioned to the monthly PPV format too quickly and did not have the depth in his roster to get away with a show every month. Hence a lot of the initial monthly PPVs seem to have very similar matches and only slight variation. 

SCORE = 6.5

WWF Wrestlemania XI - April 1995

WWF Wrestlemania XI - April 2nd 1995 - Hartford, Connecticut

Matches
Allied Powers defeated Blu Brothers (5/10)

Razor Ramon defeated Jeff Jarrett {Intercontinental Title} (7/10)
The Undertaker defeated King Kong Bundy (7/10) 
Owen Hart & Yokozuna defeated The Smokin Gunns {WWF Tag Team Titles} (6/10)
Bret Hart defeated Bob Bucklund (I Quit Match) (8/10)

Diesel defeated Shawn Michaels {WWF World Heavyweight Title} (8/10)

Lawrance Taylor defeated Bam Bam Bigelow (6/10)

Moments - Positives

Not an overwhelming amount of Wrestlemania highlights. The Lawrance Taylor/Bam Bam encounter was memorable and actually quite decent for a celeb vs wrestler type match. The World title match was also very well built up and quite a landmark as it was the first time a Champion retained the WWF title at Wrestlemania! I also thought that the Hart/Bucklund match was very good but it certainly wasnt one of the greatest Mania moments. 

Moments - Negatives

The opener was pretty poor and I thought it was wrong to have the Lawrance Taylor match as the event's main event. It made it feel cheap and overhyped and really brought down such a landmark event. 

Overall Summary

This was deffinetly one of the worst Wrestlemania's in history. The overall card was solid for the time but not amazing. The Diesel/HBK match had a lot of potential but did not live up to the hype and lost its importance by the fact that it was not the main event. This Mania will certainly not be remembered for any key highlights and so the event itself is quite forgotten in the Mania archives. A solid event but a poor Wrestlemania. Very little difference quality wise when compared to the Rumble or the Survivor Series in 1994. 

SCORE = 7.5

WWF Royal Rumble 1995 - January 1995

WWF Royal Rumble 1995 - January 22nd 1995 - Tampa, Florida

Matches
Jeff Jarrett defeated Razor Ramon {WWF Intercontinental Title} (8/10)

The Undertaker defeated IRS (7/10)
Diesel drew with Bret Hart {WWF World Heavyweight Title} (7/10) 
Bob Holly & 1-2-3 Kid defeated Tatanka & Bam Bam Bigelow {WWF Tag Team Titles} (6/10)
Shawn Michaels won the Royal Rumble (8/10)

Moments - Positives

Jarrett winning his Intercontinental title stands out from this event as I was always a huge Jarrett fan in my time and so this is quite special. Shawn Michaels entering the Rumble at no1 and winning it is also a feat which was unheard of at the time, the ending of the match is also a classic moment in WWF history as Bulldog begins to celebrate and it turns out only one of Michaels' feet hit the floor. Brilliant. 

Moments - Negatives

The World title match kept getting restarted and laster for far too long given the quality of wrestling and could have been better. Some of the spots within the Rumble were not the best and the WWF Tag Team Title match was pretty average. 

Overall Summary

As an event, it certainly was not one of the greatest but it was an important Rumble as it enforced HBK as a fully fledged main event wrestler. It also has a key place in my heart as one of my favourite wrestlers of all time wins the IC title for his first time in Jeff Jarrett. Overall - a solid event!

SCORE = 7.5