Todd Grisham is our host and he introduces us with some bland spiel.
North American Heavyweight Title Ladder Match
Stampede Wrestling
Calgary July 1979
Jake Roberts vs. Big Daddy Ritter
Ritter (JYD) is down as we join this match in progress, its not like a modern ladder match, its a very tall ladder that doesn't stand alone, you lean it against the balcony at the top of the arena and climb for the belt and the money. JYD takes Roberts off the ladder and then attempts to climb himself he gets half way when Roberts reaches up and gives him a gut punch sending him off the ladder. Roberts tries to climb and meets with the same fate, decent bumps from both men. JYD unloads with an uppercut before he throws Roberts head first into the ladder. JYD tries to climb but Roberts grabs the foot and crotches him on the ladder and pulls him hard groin first into the ladder. Roberts then uses the ladder to gayly stomp on JYD's mid section. Roberts tries to escape but he's pulled down the ladder in a wheel barrow motion. JYD hits Jake in the throat with his boot. Jake recovers however and hits JYD with the boot as he climbs. They do the double shoulder block spot. Roberts is on the apron and they both swing widly but Roberts misses and losses his balence and ends up hung up in the ropes and JYD quickly climbs the ladder for the win.
Slow and plodding but quite revolutionary at the time, they were trying something new but played it very safe. (3/4*)
WWE Intercontinental Title Ladder Match
Shawn Micheals w/Sherri Martel vs. Bret Hart
WWE 1992
This was the first ever ladder match in the WWE. They lock up and Shawn gets the advantage unloading on Bret in the corner. Bret blocks a hip toss and Shawn flips out but Bret is waiting for him with a pair of closelines. Bret scores with a back body drop, Bret floors Shawn with a hard irish whip. Bret follows up with an uppercut and Shawn pulls out his first monster oversell. Bret looks to go for the ladder but Shawn jumps him from behind and stomps him down. HBK follows up with the kitchen sink and he goes to get the ladder. Bret catches Shawn as he approaches the ring and whips him into the ringpost. Bret rolls Shawn in the ring gives him a head butt and fetches the ladder, Sherri distracts Bret and Shawn almost manages to get the belt before Bret recovers and pulls him down. Bret attempts to climb the ladder but Shawn leaps and knocks him off. Shawn picks up the ladder and ramns it into the guts of Bret Hart, he tries one big spea but Bret moves and Shawn nails the ringpost with the ladder. Shawn goes for a backbody drop but Bret kills him with a boot and it draws a monster sell from HBK. Bret goes for an irish whip but HBK reverses it and Bret eats the ladder. Shawn climbs the ladder but Bret pulls him off and the ladder lands right on top of Shawn in a nice spot for the time. Shawn recovers and stomps down Bret, they battle over the ladder so Shawn closes it and rams Bret into it face first. Shawn runs into the corner and eats a big boot and Bret follows up with a diving second rope closeline. Bret Hart catapults Shawn into the ladder and Shawn does the big cartoon over sell. Bret nails a back breaker in the centre of the ring and Bret nearly has the belt but Shawn takes him down. Then its the double shoulder block spot and both men are down. Both men climb alternate sides of the ladder and both men slug each other down. Shawn and Bret slug each other and Sherri grabs Bret's foot allowing HBK to hit the Sweet Chin Music and the back suplex. Shawn climbs the ladder but Bret recovers shoves the ladder over sending Shawn to the outside and Bret climbs the ladder for the win.
Good effort from both men, you can tell they were treading new water, and despite being clunky in places it was a solid effort with some nice moments. (**3/4)
WWE Intercontinental Title Ladder Match
Shawn Micheals vs. Razor Ramon
SummerSlam 1992
Both men exchange a little trash talk in the centre of the win leading to a shove off before Razor unloads with the big rights and lefts. Shawn leap frogs Razor a couple of times and goes for the Sweet Chin Music but Razor holds onto the ropes to avoid it. Shawn tries and leap frog in the corner but Razor reads it and goes for the Razor's Edge but Shawn scrambles to the the ropes. Razor then gets a hard irish whip and Shawn does his monster flip bump in the corner to the outside. Razor goes for the ladder but Shawn runs and dives on Razor to stomp him. Shawn tries to suplex Razor into the ring but Razor reverses suplexing Shawn out of the ring and Shawn takes a nasty bump with his leg smashing the guard rail. Back in, Shawn slides out of the Razor's Edge but then misses the Sweet Chin Music and its a double closeline spot and both men are down. Razor hits a pair of Hard Irish whips and then the punt spot in the corner followed by the second rope fallaway slam. Razor gets the ladder to ringside but Shawn goes for the baseball slide but Razor sees it coming pulls the ladder out the way and kills Shawn with the uppercut. Shawn recovers however and knocks Razor off the ladder sending him into the top rope. Shawn the hits Razor hard in the gut with the ladder. Shawn climbs the ladder and Razor does the pulling the trousers down spot before Shawn is shoved from the ladder with his foot trapped in the rungs. Razor then works over Shawn's leg stomping the ladder shut oh his leg. Razor then slams Shawn's knee down hard on the ladder, Razor then gives Shawn a brutal chopblock with the ladder. Razor the scoop slams Shawn hard led first on the ladder. Razor sets the ladder up resting on the middle rope and tries to whip Shawn but his leg gives out and Razor continues working over the leg. Shawn manages to kick Razor off sending him rip first into the ladder. But Razor is pissed off and comes straight back with a knee breaker onto the ladder, great spot. Razor continues to Work the leg in the ropes but Shawn kicks him over the top rope when he's bouncing. Razor doesn't loose the momentum and begins working Shawn's leg over on the ringpost. Back in the ring and Shawn unloads but Razor counters with a droptoe hold into a lovely Indian Death lock, brilliant leg work here from Razor. Razor then casually lets the ladder fall on Shawn's leg in a nice spot. Razor climbs the ladder but Shawn comes off top with a flying axe handle to knock Razor off the ladder. Shawn slips out of a back body drop and shoves Razor into the ladder. Razor tries to climb again but Shawn back suplexes him off the ladder. Shawn and Razor keep reversing irish whips but Shawn wins and Razor goes into the ladder and over the top rope. Shawn brings him back in and whips him staight into the ladder. Shawn follows up with a Moonsault press off the ladder and a flurry of punches on Razor, Shawn tries to follow up with a big splash from the very top of the ladder but Razor rolls out of the way and Shawn crashes down hard. Both men are weary and climbing alternate sides of the ladder and they brawl atop the ladder. Shawn knocks the ladder over and both men crotch themselves on the top rope, Shawn does a really great sell. Shawn tries to charge Razor on the apron with the ladder but Razor low bridges Shawn and he crashes through the ropes hitting himself on the ladder. Shawn returns to the ring with the ladder but Razor gets his own ladder from under the ring. Shawn climbs the ladder but Razor catches him and gives him the Razor's Edge off the ladder. Both men set up there own ladder and begin to climb, both men are clawing at the belt but Shawn decides to kill Razor with Sweet Chin Music accross the ladders but Shawn can't reach he dives for the belt but crashes and burns. Razor tries the Razor's Edge but Shawn back body drop out of the ring. Shawn goes for the belt but can't get it down even with all his body weight on it and crashes and burns. Shawn is pissed but second time he gets it.
Very strong match up, not on a par with the first one, as the pacing and execution just made it the perfect match. This however was a very good effort, the leg work from Ramon was brilliant and its a real shame nobody does that any more. There were some very nice inventive spots and the selling and timing of both men was impecable as ever. However there were a couple of clumpsy spots, but in the context of the match they seemed natural. An excellent sequal with a different pace to the first. (****1/4)
WWE Intercontinental Title Ladder Match
Triple H w/Chyna vs. The Rock w/Mark Henry
SummerSlam 1998
Slugfest to start, Rocky gets a shoulder block but Triple H comes straight back with a diving closeline and he follows up with a facebuster. Rock goes for a Rock Bottom out of nowhere but Triple H counters with ease. Tripper goes for a pedigree but gets back body dropped over the top rope to the outside. The two men brawl by the entrance way taking turns sending each other into the barracade. Back in the ring Rock unloads with some big rights but Triple H cuts off his high momentum with the high knee. Triple H goes for the ladder but Rock shoves him down. Rock rests the ladder against the side of the ring and whips Triple H hard into it and when he bounces back he floors him with a closeline. Rock sets up the ladder and climbs for the title but Tripper comes diving off the top rope with an axe handle to take him down. Triple H swings the ladder and floors Rock and then brings it down on the Rock's ribs. Tripper climbs the ladder but Rock pulls him off by the leg and Tripper does a nice sell and bump highlighting the leg injury. Rock now works over the leg with elbow drops and stomps. Rock traps Tripper's leg in the ladder and stomps it down, he then gets a chair and swings that into the leg and ladder. Rock then works over leg on the ringpost. Rock then sets up the ladder on the barracade and steps and gives Hunter the knee breaker on the ladder. Rock climbs the ladder but Tripper shoves him down hard. Tripper sets the ladder up against the barracade but Rocky counters and catapults him hard into the ladder. Triple H comes back in the entrance way whipping Rock into the wall and follows it up with a closeline. Tripper goes for the pedigree on the ladder but Rock reverses sending Tripper hard onto the ladder. Henry slides Rock a new ladder and the Rock begins to climb, Tripper slugs down Henry and shoves Rock off the ladder and to the outside through the middle rope, in a cartoony moment and a silly bump. Triple H then baseball slides the top of the ladder into Rock's face in a brutal spot. Tripper climbs the ladder but Rock whose pussy blading takes out the ladder and Tripper takes a nice bump. Rocky counters a whip into a DDT and both men are down. Rock begins incredibly slowly climbing the ladder and Triple H joins him. They brawl atop the ladder and it becomes over sell city as Tripper is shoved off one ladder face first into another, and he bounces back and knocks Rock off who falls onto the top rope and does a cartoony over slell. Chyna gives Hunter a chair and he nails Rock who is attacking with a ladder making it crash down ontop of him. Both men brawl, Rocky body slams Hunter onto the ladder and Rock scores with a awesome People's Elbow. Triple H recovers and comes off the ladder with a closeline which Rocky counters nicely into a Rock Bottom. Rock attempts to climb the ladder but Tripper pulls him down and hits the Pedigree. Just as Triple H is about to capitalise Mark Henry throws powder in Triple H's eyes. Triple H slowly makes his way up the ladder, Rock joins him but Chyna low blows Rock and Triple wins the match.
That wasn't pretty, not bad in places, good in others but it was clear that Rock was leap and bounds ahead of Triple H at this stage in there developement. Clunky and unimaginitive but not bad. (**3/4)
Terri Invitational Tournement Final
The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge & Christian
No Mercy 1999
Edge gets a hip toss on back and Christian gets a back body drop on Jeff to start. Its a spear in the corner by Christian on Matt and a Closeline in the corner by Jeff. The Hardyz get the double back elbow and the senton fist drop combo. Edge back body drops Jeff to the outside and Matt then closelines Edge to the outside, Christian the comes off top with a body press onto Matt. In the Ring Edge pulls Jeff down hard off the ladder. Christian spears Jeff with the ladder and run up the ladder dropkicking Jeff in the corner. Christian whips Matt into the ladder in the corner and Edge tries to follow up with a cross body but Matt dodges and he eats ladder. Christian then gives Jeff a diving reverse DDT off the ladder and Matt gives Christian a back suplex off the ladder. Edge Powerbombs Matt off the ladder and then Jeff torpedo dropkicks Edge off the ladder. Jeff then scores with a Swanton Bomb onto Edge onto the ladder. The Hardyz then give Christian poetry in motion against the ladder and then closeline him down with the ladder. Jeff then scores with the leaping ladder leg drop on Christian. Matt then gives Christian a second rope Moonsault onto the ladder. Edge then comes in with the second ladder and kills both the Hardy Boyz. Edge is about to reach the money when Matt throws the ladder an takes him down. The Hardyz try to set up a ladder closeline but Christian comes off top cross bodying the ladder onto them. They then baseball slide and crotch Matt with the ladder, they give Jeff ten slams inside the ladder followed by their double team press. Matt is then flapjacked face first into the ladder by E & C. Jeff gives Christian a twist of fate, Edge then gives Jeff a downward spiral off the ladder. Matt then gives Edge a neck breaker off the two ladders. Christian gives Jeff a hip toss off the ladder. Edge kills Matt with the ladder and he takes a brutal bump to the outside. Jeff counters a tower of doom and gives Matt and Christian the legendary See Saw Spot. All Four men climb the ladders and all four men crash and burn into the top rope, Christian does a brilliant sell crotching himself. All four Men climb the ladders, Matt is shoved off and he bounces off the ropes into Jeffs ladder he transfers from Ladder to ladder knocking Edge and Christian down taking the win.
Fast paced spotfest, they didn't let up, but it was nothing more than a spotfest, no real physchology, no long term selling, just a series of moves thrown out, good effort, with two real innovative spots. Not nearly as good as people remember, but still pretty good fun. (***1/2)
Interestingly just as they opted to highlight the first HBK-Razor match for obvious reasons, they oddly decide to leave out the triangle ladder match.
WWE World Tag Team Title TLC Match
Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. The Dudley Boyz
SummerSlam 2000
Brawl to start and the Hardyz clear house with the chairs, throwing a chair at Bubba, but Ray throws the chair back at Jeff hard when they attempt poetry in motion. E & C hit the stinger splash in the corner. Ray bounces the ladder off the ropes into Edge and then gives Christian a DDT. The Hardyz then powerbomb Ray off the ladder. Edge then Russian legsweeps both D-von and Matt Hardy off the ladder. Ray gives Christian a Bubbabomb off the ladder. Edge shoves Matt Hardy off top into the See Saw spot on Jeff. Edge and Christian miss the Conchairto on Jeff allowing Bubba to clean house with the ladder. The Dudleys then get the Wazzzup drop on Edge off the Ladder and its time to get the tables. Christian is then promptly 3Ded through the table. The Dudleyz then stack four tables ontop of each other. Edge breaks up a power bomb attempt killing everyone with the chair. Matt gives Edge a Twist of Fate and follows it up with a leg drop off the lader and Jeff Follows suit with the leap frog leg drop. Matt then puts Edge in the ladder and then press slams Christian off top onto Edge. Jeff on the outside goes for the monster Swanton of the mega ladder through two tables but Ray dodges and Jeff is dead. Matt sets up the twenty foot ladder and everyone climbs up. Christian gets the reverse DDT off the ladder on Matt and D-Von and Edge crash and burn onto the top rope. Ray climbs to the ladder but you can clearly see his eyes eyeing the spot to come as the ladder is shoved over and he crashes and burns through four tables, granted it was a silly set up but it was a cool spot. E & C are about to win the belts when Lita runs out and shoves the ladder over crotching E & C. Matt is alone but D-Von recovers and Matt goes backwards out of the ring through two tables, big spot. Edge then hits a spear on Lita. Jeff and D-von Reach the top and hand from the belts D-von falls and Edge and Christian use the ladder to swatt Jeff adn they win the match.
That was about as good as a spotfest can get with the two mega spots. It was still very silly and overly set up in places but make no mistakes this is about as good as a random collection of stunts can be, ludcriously inconsistant selling aside. (****)
WCW Crusierweight Title Number One Contender Ladder Match
Three Count vs. Jung Dragons vs. Jamie Noble & Evan Karagias
WCW Starcade 2000
Okay they appear to have tag in and out rules bizzarely. Moore flips out of Kaz suplex and then they totally fuck up a spot landing on their back of their heads. They then sloppily do a crusier weight sequence. 3 Count get a ladder but the Young Dragons shove them off into the ropes. Yang dropkicks the ladder onto Noble and Evan and then Kaz shooting star presses onto the ladder. Noble drop toe holds Kaz into the ladder. they then royally fuck up a spot where one thinks its a backbody the other a flapjack and Moore lands head first because of it. Noble and Evan argue allowing Yang to dropkick the two of them into each other. Yang whips Noble hard into the ladder, Yang blocks a top rope Cross Body with a gut buster and then hits Yang Time off the ladder onto Moore. Helms then hits a diving cannon ball onto Evan, Then its Kaz's turn for a twisting Plancha then a springboard moonsault plancha from Moore onto everyone and then Yang shoves Noble off the ladder to the outside onto everyone. Yang creates a ladder bridge between the ladder and the ropes. Evan is walking on the ladder bridge and Helms dives in but gets powerslamed off the ladder in mid air. Moore then botches a reverse ranna spot. Helms then gets a nice neckbreaker off the ladder bride. Two ladders are set up and Yang and Moore battle up the ladder, there joined by Helms and Noble but Noble powerbombs Helms off the ladder. Moore Hits a neckbreaker off the two ladders. Noble is about to win but Leia takes him down off the ladder. Evan hits a back breaker on Kaz, but Yang recovers and the Dragons give Evan a Criss Cross Bomb of the Ladder. They create a three ladder bridge and Three Count send Yand and Kaz head first into it. Noble gets a tombstone on Moore. Kaz is knocked off the ladder face first, Jimmy kicks Evan off the ladder Bridge taking a monster bump. Shannon gets a skin the cat headscissors off the bridge taking Yang out and then Helms throws Noble off the bridge and 3 Count take the prize together.
Some Inovative Spots but generally horrible, just a indy level spotfest. (**)
WWE Intercontinental Title Ladder Match
Chris Benoit vs Chris Jericho
Royal Rumble 2001
Jericho socres with a back elbow and a running forearm to start and he begins laying the boots in. Benoit tries to take Jericho down with Crossface but Jericho counters to the Walls but that's blocked. Benoit throws Jericho shoulder first into the ringpost. Benoit scores with a nice shoulderbreaker, he goes for another but Jericho slips right out the back. He tries the springboard dropkick but Benoit dodges and Jericho goes flying to the outside. Benoit whips Jericho shoulder first into the ringpost. Jericho tries a baseball slide but Benoit dodges and sends him hard into the ringsteps. Benoit climbs the ladder but Jericho takes him off with a electric chair drop. Jericho gets a corner closeline and picks up the ladder and he charges it straight into Benoits face. Jericho then spears Benoit in the gut with the ladder. Benoit reverses a whip and sends Jericho head first into a ladder and over the top rope. Benoit goes for a suicide dive but Jericho abosultely kills him with a chair shot to the head, brilliant spot. Jerich front suplexes Benoit onto the guard rail. Jericho takes to long doing a ladder rider and he hits hard into the barracade. Benoit then nails Jericho with the ladder, and follows with a chair shot to the back. Benoit follows up with a hard closeline. Benoit back in the ring, gives Jericho a snake eyes into the ladder. They climb up the ladder in the corner and Jericho backsuplexes Benoit off the ladder. Benoit dropkicks the ladder back in Jericho's face and follows up with a back suplex. They set the ladder up sticking out off the top turnbuckle and Jericho reverses and Irish whip sending Benoit face first into it. Jericho then uses the top rope to see saw it hard into Benoit's face in a brutal spot. Jericho then throws the ladder to Benoit and follows up quickly with a missile dropkick, nice spot. Jericho tries to climb the ladder but Benoit picks him off the ladder and back suplexes Jericho over the top rope to the outside, inventive spot. Benoit nearly has the belt but he turns to kick Jericho off and is given the Walls of Jericho ontop of the ladder but just as Jericho is about to win the gold Benoit manages to kick the ladder over with his foot and sends Jericho hard into the ropes, great stuff. Jericho runs down Benoit with a ladder, Jericho tries to come off the ladder with a closeline but Benoit reverses it into a crippler crossface and Jericho is tapping out like mad but of course than means nothing. Benoit throws Jericho shoulder first into the ring post but Jericho comes back flapjacking Benoit hard into the ladder. Both men climb the ladder in the corner of the ring. Benoit blocks a suplex and sends Jericho crashing down, then in an amazing visual Benoit missess a Swandive headbutt from the very top of the ladder. Jericho climbs the ladder above Benoits body but Benoit recovers pushes the ladder and sends Jericho hard into the turnbuckle. Jericho catches Benoit climbing the ladder and nails Benoit with two chair shots and shoves Benoit off the ladder and too the outside. Jericho then climbs the ladder for the win, Benoit cartoony sells trying to get back in the ring.
Excellent match up, the execution was uniformally flawless and there were some truely brilliant visuals, the suicide dive, Walls of Jericho and the Swandive Headbutt were sights to behold, its just a shame that Benoit ruined his own legacy in the most shamefull way imaginable. It didn't have the pacing of the original HBK-Razor match up but is certainly the best effort since the origianl 1995 effort. The ending seemed a let down due to the high quality action and the general creativity of the body of the match it seemed unimaginitive by comparison. (****1/2)
Final Thoughts: Unsuprisingly a good start, the first two matches are hardly world beaters but are important historically and help give an idea of the evolution of the match. The WCW match inculsion is an odd one, not becuase its WCW but more because its so crummy and unproffessional. Triple H-Rock isn't exactly brilliant but its interesting seeing them back at that stage of their careers and was a key match for both men. The rest is strong, for the casual fan the Hardy Boyz spotfest will wow, and the Micheals and Jericho match will appeal to the more discerning viewer.
Average Star Rating: ***
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