Because the first one had various mistakes and the thread still had my first draft of it. Here's the new thread with it all together.
In Your House: Beware of the Dog, May 28th, 1996:
As the match reached its crescendo, the two athletes worked back and forth to gain an advantage and were getting close to exhaustion point. One referee had already been knocked outside to the ground, his body lying prone while another had rushed to the ring to proceed over events. The speed and agility of Shawn Michaels was matched in kind by the power and technical prowess of the British Bulldog. The crowd was on its feet, soaking in the sight of the two men battling it out so much that they didn’t notice Earl Hebner, the first referee, try to rise to his feet only to crack his head on the edge of the ring, falling back down with a slight concussion.
The match ended with a crushing German Suplex on Shawn Michaels that handed Bulldog not only the victory but also the WWF Championship. As the crowd voiced its dissent, Bulldog triumphantly held the title belt high over his head, celebrating his victory over his opponent. Michaels was quick to protest the result as the song Rule Britannia throughout the stadium but for naught, the Championship had changed hands without a doubt. Drunk on victory, Bulldog shoved the referee out of his way to flaunt his newly won Championship in Michaels’ face. Furious at seemingly being cheated, Michaels launched an attack on the Bulldog, leaping at him and started to beat him down with furious strikes.
The bell rang out at this blatant attack and the referee managed to pull Michaels off, creating another argument as the ex-Champion bickered over the result. Taking this chance while Michaels was distracted, Bulldog managed to get up; belt in hand as he wrapped it round his arm and gave Michaels a devastating blow to the back of the head with the golden plate of the belt. The sheer shock of the strike knocked Michaels to the ground senseless while Bulldog retreated up the ramp, holding the belt in celebration. The pay-per-view ended with the referee calling for medics to aid a badly injured Shawn Michaels.
Monday Night Raw: May 29th, 1996:
The night’s proceedings opened in a low mood as the announcement was heard that due to head injuries sustained during his bout against the British Bulldog, Shawn Michaels had to take a leave of absence from the WWF for the foreseeable future. This was followed by none other than the Champion himself walking down the ramp to the ring with Jim Cornette, Vader and Owen Hart by his side and a microphone in hand. After waiting for some moments for the jeers and boos to subside, Cornette raised the microphone to his mouth and started talking.
“Last night, you all saw the well deserved victory of WWF’s greatest athlete!” The jeers that answered this statement put some doubt to its validity. Ignoring the outburst from the crowd, Cornette went on “Now you people have no choice but to acknowledge that the better man won and Davey Boy is the supreme wrestler in all of the WWF!” Bulldog smiled smugly at the praise and indicated for the microphone to pass to him which Cornette graciously did.
Overlooking the howls of derision from the crowd, Bulldog merely took on a look of obscene smugness, before he started speaking “I’d just like to thank the people who helped me win this title, mainly Jim Cornette and my good brother-in-law, Owen Hart. These two men have helped every step of the way, not only in becoming Champion but helping me retire that good for nothing philanderer, Shawn Michaels!” The crowd screamed down its dismay at those words, not wanting them to be true that the arrogant man before them had managed to put Michaels out of action. Bulldog ignored them and went on “And as my first part as Champion, I will gladly let anyone who wants to challenge me for the title do so to prove that I am...”
Davey Boy’s words were cut short however when Vader stepped right in front of him, his fierce eyes looking deep into the Champion’s. Vader quickly snatched the microphone away from Bulldog as he asked a simple question “You’ll let... anyone challenge you? Even me?” The question shot through the other men like a lightning bolt and Cornette quickly jumped in, screaming at Vader to get back in line, saying the last thing the faction needed was them splitting over the belt.
Before the shell shocked Bulldog could give a firm answer however, a familiar, thudding, pounding music struck around the arena and the crowd leapt up as the Ultimate Warrior ran to the ring, his usual motions of shaking the ropes forgone as he simply walked up to Bulldog and took the microphone from Vader’s hands “BULLDOG!!” The Warrior shouted “You dare call yourself a Champion?! You claim that you have beaten all there is to beat?! You have not! You may have beaten a heartbreaker and you may have beaten a hitman, but you have never beaten a Warrior!”
His eyes bulging, Bulldog shook his head, trying to head off where this conversation was going but Warrior ignored him and went on “You want to face all comers Bulldog? You want to prove that you are the true Champion of the WWF then go against one who has also held the title! The Warrior challenges you Bulldog to hold that title in a match!”
The crowd roared with delight at the idea before Vader once more snatched the microphone away “Who do you think you are, coming down here and demanding a title shot?! Your time has long passed Warrior! If anyone gets to challenge Bulldog, it should be me!”
Both Warrior and Vader faced off from each other, both looking to spill blood before another figure walked down the aisle, this time it was Gorilla Monsoon who held his own microphone “No one here has the authority to determine the number one contender except me.” He said getting into the ring “However, since you two are so determined and there are no other viable contenders, tonight’s main event will see Vader face off against you Ultimate Warrior for a shot at the Championship at King of the Ring!”
The crowd erupted into cheers at the suggestion of the match while the Cornette faction instantly leapt up to protest the decision, all except Vader who hadn’t stopped his death glare of the Warrior, eager to get to grips with his opponent. As was the Warrior who met Vader’s stare with his own.
The night continued with an enthusiasm for the main event that hadn’t been felt for some time, a former Champion from the WWF’s hey-day taking on its greatest monster. When match time came, the Warrior made his usual bombastic entrance while Vader came out flanked by the rest of Camp Cornette who looked ready for business. They quickly got into position around the ring as Vader and Warrior squared off, testing each other’s strength before finally locking up and the match beginning proper.
Vader got the upper hand soon enough as his own brand of madness and strength forced the Warrior back into a corner, leaving himself to blow after blow from Vader’s fists that was followed by an Irish whip and a body splash that sent the former Champion to the ground. Vader kept up his advantage, beating the Warrior all round the ring, only stopping when Cornette started to shout up, telling him to finish the Warrior off. Vader made a reluctant pin only for the Warrior to kick out at two. Cornette started shouting up at Vader, telling the big man to make another pin, only for Vader to shout down at his manager, refusing until he had weakened Warrior some more. This was all that was needed for Warrior to gain his second wind during the distraction and he jumped Vader while his back was turned.
As Warrior started to give Vader a taste of his own medicine, Camp Cornette started to panic. As Jim Cornette jumped up onto the apron, Bulldog and Owen slipped under the ropes into the ring, the belt in Bulldog’s hands. Owen quickly fell to a clothesline from the Warrior while Bulldog brought up his belt to clobber the challenger, only for the Warrior to duck and the belt instead smacked right into the face of a recovering Vader. Looking down in shock, Bulldog was vulnerable to Warrior throwing him over the ropes onto the ground below. Looking to secure his victory, Warrior then smacked Jim Cornette off the ring apron and gave Vader a Big Splash, pinning the monster and getting a three count.
The crowd roared with delight at the victory and Bulldog was the only one of Camp Cornette left standing as he looked up, terrified of both his new challenger and the threat of having to face the wrath of Vader.
Excerpt From ‘The Rise and Rise of the WWF’ (2003):
“... Idea which was to provide the WWF with its saving grace as the late 1990’s dawned came from an unexpected source. Smith, while not known for being the sharpest knife in the drawer, was the one who cooked up the idea of being an anti-American heel, and played it up quite well in his reign as Champion. The question would be brought up as to why James Hellwig was to be given a second chance after frequent clashes with the WWF over scheduling.”
“The kayfabe excuse of Michaels being concussed was to cover his real incident of being suspended after hurling abuse at Earl Hebner for his screw up, almost physically assaulting him if Mark Calloway hadn’t stepped in. Feeling he had been screwed over somewhat, Michaels let his frustrations out on a nearby glass window, almost severing major arteries. Rushed to the hospital, Michaels was told he’d be out of action for some months, leaving the WWF almost rudderless without a major face. Until Smith suggested the future storyline, July was coming up so why not a patriotic endeavour with him and the Hart Foundation being a new heel stable? There were suggestions that Smith came up with the idea as it was born from the desperation of a man who was about to lose his job. The tricky part was bringing Bret Hart back to the WWF but with both pleading from Smith and his brother Owen, along with a long term contract that guaranteed multiple main events throughout the year and a healthy amount of money, Bret was eventually persuaded in time to reappear for the run up to King of the Ring.”
“With Bret Hart back as a main challenger and heel, build up was needed for the angle, McMahon gave the push to Hellwig as he was one of the few faces left that were physically on par with Smith and prepared to build it up as a powerhouse vs. powerhouse match. In the meantime, the shift of Allen White and Steve Austin to faces began as the need for a way to oppose the faction as a credible force. Knowing Hellwig wasn’t the pull he once was, the push would end at some point soon, the decision being made to bring him into a feud with White, both to turn White face and build up anticipation for SummerSlam. Hellwig managed to settle some of his differences with the WWF as the promise of a major angle and some quality matches soothed over various problems, in the short term at least.”
Monday Night Raw, June 17th, 1996:
After several weeks, Bulldog had earned himself the spot of the most hated man in the WWF. Not only had he proudly boasted of him ‘ending’ the career of Shawn Michaels and stating his athleticism rose above that of the poor showing of the American wrestlers, but had also ambushed Ultimate Warrior at every opportunity he could, often with Owen Hart in tow as they battered the challenger with fists, tables and chairs to weaken him before the title bout. No retribution could be taken as wherever he went; Bulldog was escorted by Camp Cornette, Vader having toed the line after being promised the King of the Ring title that assuaged his rage for the time being.
As he entered the ring for the main event of Monday Night Raw in a non-title match against Marc Mero, the crowd screamed abuse at Bulldog and Camp Cornette for their actions. Something that was to only grow as the match with Mero went on, Bulldog taking every opportunity to stretch the rules to breaking point with a rake in the eyes, choking against the rope and even strike across the head from Owen Hart as the referee was distracted. Finishing it all off with a Running Powerslam, the victory went to Bulldog.
Rule Britannia rang out once more in victory throughout the arena, a triumphant Bulldog holding his title aloft, smug amongst the shouts of displeasure from the crowd. That vanished however as the chords of his own music were cut off and the opening notes of another competitor were heard, Bret Hart. The crowd were surprised as both Bret and the Ultimate Warrior walked down to the ring together but cheered as both men walked down just the same. When they reached the ring and the music and cheers died down, Bret was the first to speak “So this is your reign as Champion is it?” He asked “For the last few weeks, you’ve been the most arrogant, cheating low down punk I’ve ever seen!”
The crowd popped at this, voicing their approval of such an accusation while Bret quickly went on “I was at home, getting some relaxation, hoping to get some peace and quiet when I saw you win the title. Now at first I thought, good for Davey Boy, he always had the talent, the ability to go far in this business. But then I saw what you were doing. What a stain you were bringing to that belt. And what that short piece of crap has got you doing! And quite frankly Davey Boy, I got sick of it!”
Taken aback by Bret’s condemnation, Bulldog tried his best to defend himself “I’m the WWF Champion! Who do you-?”
His words were cut short however as Bret got right into his face, a snarl etched across his mouth “A Champion? You? The Davey Boy I once knew wouldn’t have called you a Champion. The Davey Boy I knew worked his way up, inch by inch, working the best tag team matches this industry ever saw! Where’s that Champion now Davey? Where’s the Champion who put on the tag best matches with Dynamite Kid? Where’s the Champion who once put away guys twice his size? Where’s the Champion who gave me the best damn match of my career at Summerslam and took my Intercontinental title? I don’t see him here Davey! All I see is an arrogant little limey who can’t even beat another man in a fair match anymore! If you’re half the Champion you think you are, you’ll agree to fight Warrior fairly. And I’ll be there to make sure it happens!” Bret reached out his pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper and passed it over to Bulldog “This is a special order from Gorilla Monsoon for the match this Sunday; it allows me to take on the role of referee, and orders the rest of your little gang away from ringside. It’ll be a clean match Bulldog, I guarantee it.”
Smith read the paper in silence while Jim Cornette had a fit beside him, almost screaming out his protests for all to hear. Finally, Bulldog raised his hand to silence Cornette and signalled for a microphone to give his answer “You want to be there Bret? I know you think I’m no Champion but I beat the man you couldn’t, the man who sent you up north with your tail between your legs!” The crowd booed at this, not seeing his victory over Michaels in quite the same way. Smith then raised a finger at Bret, glaring at his brother-in-law “And after I beat the Warrior, even with you in his corner, I’m coming after you Bret and I will prove that I am a true Champion! I’ve done it before and I will do it again!”
The crowd roared its appreciation of the idea of Bret refereeing the match between the two bringing three legends of the WWF together for one night. Merely nodding his assent at the suggestion, Bret turned to leave, not seeing Bulldog bring his belt up to strike him across the head with it. Acting quickly, Warrior leapt forward and rammed Bulldog down to the ground while Bret quickly smacked his brother down to the ground as he ran towards the Warrior. Soon both Bulldog and Owen were sent sailing out of the ring, Cornette scrambling after them while shouting at Vader to attack both Warrior and Bret. The large man merely stood in the corner, smirking in his usual mad fashion before pointing at the Warrior, shouting that they would finish their business properly, whether he was Champion or not after King of the Ring.
King of the Ring, June 23rd, 1996:
The pay-per-view that promised to put a seal on the split between the Hart Family with Davey Boy not only having to contend with Ultimate Warrior but Bret as special guest referee and no Camp Cornette in his corner began in earnest. The title match was only one match in the event that people wanted to see however, the run up in the King of the Ring Tournament had brought Steve Austin to the fore with his brazen attitude and rough style of wrestling. Vader was another key favourite in the Tournament with his almost insane frenzies and sheer strength that pushed him to key victories.
The Tournament throughout was a highlight with the semi-finals being a brutal match between the big Van Vader and Justin Bradshaw starting things off. The following match was a good show of Vader’s strength and tenacity over Bradshaw’s knowledge of how to break the rules. Vader dominated the match throughout, working Bradshaw over with slams, Irish whips and clotheslines that struck the cowboy hard to the mat. With Jim Cornette on the ringside, cheering on arrangements as Vader pummelled his opponent. Uncle Zebekiah also remained on the outside, looking on nervously as bit by bit; Bradshaw was dissected in the ring. Feeling overly-confident, Cornette went over to the opposing manager and taunted him, causing Zebekiah to grab Cornette’s tennis racket and attempt to pull it away from him. The commotion brought the attention of the referee who didn’t notice the low blow by Bradshaw to give himself a breather. Seeing his manager in trouble, Bradshaw walked over to the ringside and stuck his head between the ropes to bring an end to the argument, only for Cornette to finally pull away with his tennis racket, slip and strike Bradshaw right in the face with it, causing the referee to signal the disqualification, giving Bradshaw the victory. As Vader rose to his feet, he saw he had lost and glared down at Cornette, stalking the smaller man as he fled from ringside, pleading with Vader to stop.
The second semi-final match was between Steve Austin, a man rising up and wanting to make a name for himself against a former WWF Champion, Yokozuna. Despite the overwhelming size and weight advantage the Sumo man enjoyed, he met his match in the form of Austin’s sheer belligerence in a fight. Every time the Texan was knocked down, he got back up again to carry on the fight, only to be stopped with a tremendous body splash into the turnbuckle by Yokozuna that sent Austin to the ground, his ribs seemingly crushed. Despite protests from the referee, Austin insisted on continuing the match, fighting on despite Yokozuna taking every advantage he could in wrecking Austin’s ribs with punches, strikes and even a full body splash that came within a hair’s breadth of getting a three count. Frustrated, Yokozuna picked up his erstwhile opponent to deal further damage only to receive a surprise kick to the gut and Stone Cold Stunner for his troubles. Still clutching his ribs in agony, Austin nevertheless managed to make the pin over his opponent, gaining the spot in the finals.
Other matches followed with the Smokin’ Gunns earning a hard won victory against the Godwinns and Mankind managing to knock out the Undertaker with his Mandible Claw, cementing the Deadman’s need for vengeance. The final match before the Tournament final was to crown a new Intercontinental Champion in the form of Ahmed Johnson who defeated Goldust in a convincing victory.
The Final of the King of the Ring Tournament saw a beaten and battered Austin, bandages still round his ribs after refusing to see them be taken care of. In his match against Bradshaw, the Texan was brutalised in every manner possible as his opponent took every opportunity to strike at the weakness before him, laying out a string of rib breakers, shots to the ribs and abdominal stretches that only worsened Austin’s condition. But he fought back though; with everything he could manage Austin clawed his way to bring Bradshaw’s attacks to a standstill and even brought his opponent down to his back with a quick kick and clothesline combo. Bradshaw once more attacked the ribs however to weaken Austin and brought him to his knees. Rather than pressing his advantage however, Bradshaw raised Austin to his feet to seal the deal on his victory. Pausing to play to the crowd, Bradshaw then lunged forwards with a clothesline... Only to miss as Austin ducked, twisted around and then planted a kick and Stone Cold Stunner on his opponent, giving him the three count.
With Bradshaw left in the ring, Austin went to the Throne, refusing to be helped despite every step betraying his agony from his ribs. After finally reaching the gilded chair, Austin motioned for a microphone so he could speak to the audience “Take that piece of crap from out my ring!” He started, pointing at Bradshaw who was being harangued by Uncle Zebekiah for his loss over an opponent with such a disadvantage “A Texan boy like him should know better than to mess around with a rattlesnake like me. Here’s a tip for ya boy, when you’ve got someone down, don’t be dumb enough to help them back up again!”
Taking a few moments to get his breath back, Austin continued “Now there’s only one more thing before I head to the back and grab some beers, and that’s that no good little piece of limey garbage we’ve got as Champion!” This was enough to swing the crowd more to Austin’s favour, his refusal to submit and victory over Bradshaw had warmed them up considerably and this was setting the cherry on the cake “Now I ain’t what you call traditional Champ material. Hell, the suits in the back are probably crapping themselves now that Stone Cold’s got this tournament under wraps. But I’m damn sure that I can do a better job of it that Bulldog. And if Warrior can’t put him away tonight, you can bet everything you’ve got that I’ll be right after him, gunning for that belt of his!”
Now with the Tournament out of the way, there was only the title bout left, the match between the British Bulldog and Ultimate Warrior with the special guest referee Bret Hart. Bret Hart was the first to make it to the ring, dressed in a striped black and white shirt. After him came the Champion, Bulldog giving Bret a glare as his fists and boots were checked for foreign objects. The Ultimate Warrior’s music soon followed and ran to the ring amid cheers, shaking the ropes before facing his opponent, briefly allowing Bret to check his feet and hands, much like Bulldog. Satisfying his need to make sure no cheating would take place; Bret gave the signal for the bell to ring and the match to start.
It started with a lock up between the two, Bulldog being forced back as his own famous strength proved little match for the Warrior’s. The Warrior soon held up his advantage, throwing Bulldog round the ring and dominating him, Bret showing no favour to his brother in law as he received his beating. A rake across the eyes brought Bulldog a brief moment of respite and a harsh warning from Bret before the Bulldog launched his own assault on the Warrior, beating him down, wearing the larger man down to the mat before stomping on him. No strategy or finesse, just sheer beat downs to the challenger. After a long standing suplex, Bulldog rose and gave a signal to the crowd; he was ready to finish this. He picked Warrior up, hoisted him onto his shoulder and ran from one corner to the other, slamming Warrior down to the ring with an impact that shook the structure.
Bret, keeping his reputation as a fair official got down onto his knees and made the count of two before the Warrior not only kicked out but threw Bulldog right off him and two feet across the ring. Quickly getting to his feet, Warrior got his customary second wind and began to shake the ropes, making the crowd go wild. Having been prepared beforehand for this though, Bulldog reached into his tights and pulled out a set of brass knuckles. Just before he could use them however, Bret twisted Bulldog round and grabbed the knuckles from him, getting in his face for attempting to break the rules. Before he could protest, Bulldog was twisted around once more, given a stunning punch to the head before being lifted up by the Warrior in preparation for a Gorilla Press Slam.
It never came. As he held Bulldog above his head, Warrior was powerless to defend himself as Bret slipped on the knuckles and gave a shuddering blow to Warrior, causing him to collapse with Bulldog falling on top, accidentally getting a pin and a very fast three count from Bret. The crowd was shocked at this turn of events, until Bret grabbed the Championship belt and held up Bulldog’s hand, signifying his victory and they viscously turned on their old favourite, sending down verbal scorn as the two celebrated their tainted victory in the ring.
As Warrior got up to his feet shakily, Bret unloaded another blow with the brass knuckles, sending Warrior to the floor. It was followed by Bulldog stamping on him, picking the former Champion up and then throwing him over the ropes, leaving him crumpled in a heap. As King of the Ring faded out, the final image was that of Bret and Bulldog, reconciled and standing triumphant in the ring.
Every Dog Has His Day
In Your House: Beware of the Dog, May 28th, 1996:
As the match reached its crescendo, the two athletes worked back and forth to gain an advantage and were getting close to exhaustion point. One referee had already been knocked outside to the ground, his body lying prone while another had rushed to the ring to proceed over events. The speed and agility of Shawn Michaels was matched in kind by the power and technical prowess of the British Bulldog. The crowd was on its feet, soaking in the sight of the two men battling it out so much that they didn’t notice Earl Hebner, the first referee, try to rise to his feet only to crack his head on the edge of the ring, falling back down with a slight concussion.
The match ended with a crushing German Suplex on Shawn Michaels that handed Bulldog not only the victory but also the WWF Championship. As the crowd voiced its dissent, Bulldog triumphantly held the title belt high over his head, celebrating his victory over his opponent. Michaels was quick to protest the result as the song Rule Britannia throughout the stadium but for naught, the Championship had changed hands without a doubt. Drunk on victory, Bulldog shoved the referee out of his way to flaunt his newly won Championship in Michaels’ face. Furious at seemingly being cheated, Michaels launched an attack on the Bulldog, leaping at him and started to beat him down with furious strikes.
The bell rang out at this blatant attack and the referee managed to pull Michaels off, creating another argument as the ex-Champion bickered over the result. Taking this chance while Michaels was distracted, Bulldog managed to get up; belt in hand as he wrapped it round his arm and gave Michaels a devastating blow to the back of the head with the golden plate of the belt. The sheer shock of the strike knocked Michaels to the ground senseless while Bulldog retreated up the ramp, holding the belt in celebration. The pay-per-view ended with the referee calling for medics to aid a badly injured Shawn Michaels.
Monday Night Raw: May 29th, 1996:
The night’s proceedings opened in a low mood as the announcement was heard that due to head injuries sustained during his bout against the British Bulldog, Shawn Michaels had to take a leave of absence from the WWF for the foreseeable future. This was followed by none other than the Champion himself walking down the ramp to the ring with Jim Cornette, Vader and Owen Hart by his side and a microphone in hand. After waiting for some moments for the jeers and boos to subside, Cornette raised the microphone to his mouth and started talking.
“Last night, you all saw the well deserved victory of WWF’s greatest athlete!” The jeers that answered this statement put some doubt to its validity. Ignoring the outburst from the crowd, Cornette went on “Now you people have no choice but to acknowledge that the better man won and Davey Boy is the supreme wrestler in all of the WWF!” Bulldog smiled smugly at the praise and indicated for the microphone to pass to him which Cornette graciously did.
Overlooking the howls of derision from the crowd, Bulldog merely took on a look of obscene smugness, before he started speaking “I’d just like to thank the people who helped me win this title, mainly Jim Cornette and my good brother-in-law, Owen Hart. These two men have helped every step of the way, not only in becoming Champion but helping me retire that good for nothing philanderer, Shawn Michaels!” The crowd screamed down its dismay at those words, not wanting them to be true that the arrogant man before them had managed to put Michaels out of action. Bulldog ignored them and went on “And as my first part as Champion, I will gladly let anyone who wants to challenge me for the title do so to prove that I am...”
Davey Boy’s words were cut short however when Vader stepped right in front of him, his fierce eyes looking deep into the Champion’s. Vader quickly snatched the microphone away from Bulldog as he asked a simple question “You’ll let... anyone challenge you? Even me?” The question shot through the other men like a lightning bolt and Cornette quickly jumped in, screaming at Vader to get back in line, saying the last thing the faction needed was them splitting over the belt.
Before the shell shocked Bulldog could give a firm answer however, a familiar, thudding, pounding music struck around the arena and the crowd leapt up as the Ultimate Warrior ran to the ring, his usual motions of shaking the ropes forgone as he simply walked up to Bulldog and took the microphone from Vader’s hands “BULLDOG!!” The Warrior shouted “You dare call yourself a Champion?! You claim that you have beaten all there is to beat?! You have not! You may have beaten a heartbreaker and you may have beaten a hitman, but you have never beaten a Warrior!”
His eyes bulging, Bulldog shook his head, trying to head off where this conversation was going but Warrior ignored him and went on “You want to face all comers Bulldog? You want to prove that you are the true Champion of the WWF then go against one who has also held the title! The Warrior challenges you Bulldog to hold that title in a match!”
The crowd roared with delight at the idea before Vader once more snatched the microphone away “Who do you think you are, coming down here and demanding a title shot?! Your time has long passed Warrior! If anyone gets to challenge Bulldog, it should be me!”
Both Warrior and Vader faced off from each other, both looking to spill blood before another figure walked down the aisle, this time it was Gorilla Monsoon who held his own microphone “No one here has the authority to determine the number one contender except me.” He said getting into the ring “However, since you two are so determined and there are no other viable contenders, tonight’s main event will see Vader face off against you Ultimate Warrior for a shot at the Championship at King of the Ring!”
The crowd erupted into cheers at the suggestion of the match while the Cornette faction instantly leapt up to protest the decision, all except Vader who hadn’t stopped his death glare of the Warrior, eager to get to grips with his opponent. As was the Warrior who met Vader’s stare with his own.
The night continued with an enthusiasm for the main event that hadn’t been felt for some time, a former Champion from the WWF’s hey-day taking on its greatest monster. When match time came, the Warrior made his usual bombastic entrance while Vader came out flanked by the rest of Camp Cornette who looked ready for business. They quickly got into position around the ring as Vader and Warrior squared off, testing each other’s strength before finally locking up and the match beginning proper.
Vader got the upper hand soon enough as his own brand of madness and strength forced the Warrior back into a corner, leaving himself to blow after blow from Vader’s fists that was followed by an Irish whip and a body splash that sent the former Champion to the ground. Vader kept up his advantage, beating the Warrior all round the ring, only stopping when Cornette started to shout up, telling him to finish the Warrior off. Vader made a reluctant pin only for the Warrior to kick out at two. Cornette started shouting up at Vader, telling the big man to make another pin, only for Vader to shout down at his manager, refusing until he had weakened Warrior some more. This was all that was needed for Warrior to gain his second wind during the distraction and he jumped Vader while his back was turned.
As Warrior started to give Vader a taste of his own medicine, Camp Cornette started to panic. As Jim Cornette jumped up onto the apron, Bulldog and Owen slipped under the ropes into the ring, the belt in Bulldog’s hands. Owen quickly fell to a clothesline from the Warrior while Bulldog brought up his belt to clobber the challenger, only for the Warrior to duck and the belt instead smacked right into the face of a recovering Vader. Looking down in shock, Bulldog was vulnerable to Warrior throwing him over the ropes onto the ground below. Looking to secure his victory, Warrior then smacked Jim Cornette off the ring apron and gave Vader a Big Splash, pinning the monster and getting a three count.
The crowd roared with delight at the victory and Bulldog was the only one of Camp Cornette left standing as he looked up, terrified of both his new challenger and the threat of having to face the wrath of Vader.
Excerpt From ‘The Rise and Rise of the WWF’ (2003):
“... Idea which was to provide the WWF with its saving grace as the late 1990’s dawned came from an unexpected source. Smith, while not known for being the sharpest knife in the drawer, was the one who cooked up the idea of being an anti-American heel, and played it up quite well in his reign as Champion. The question would be brought up as to why James Hellwig was to be given a second chance after frequent clashes with the WWF over scheduling.”
“The kayfabe excuse of Michaels being concussed was to cover his real incident of being suspended after hurling abuse at Earl Hebner for his screw up, almost physically assaulting him if Mark Calloway hadn’t stepped in. Feeling he had been screwed over somewhat, Michaels let his frustrations out on a nearby glass window, almost severing major arteries. Rushed to the hospital, Michaels was told he’d be out of action for some months, leaving the WWF almost rudderless without a major face. Until Smith suggested the future storyline, July was coming up so why not a patriotic endeavour with him and the Hart Foundation being a new heel stable? There were suggestions that Smith came up with the idea as it was born from the desperation of a man who was about to lose his job. The tricky part was bringing Bret Hart back to the WWF but with both pleading from Smith and his brother Owen, along with a long term contract that guaranteed multiple main events throughout the year and a healthy amount of money, Bret was eventually persuaded in time to reappear for the run up to King of the Ring.”
“With Bret Hart back as a main challenger and heel, build up was needed for the angle, McMahon gave the push to Hellwig as he was one of the few faces left that were physically on par with Smith and prepared to build it up as a powerhouse vs. powerhouse match. In the meantime, the shift of Allen White and Steve Austin to faces began as the need for a way to oppose the faction as a credible force. Knowing Hellwig wasn’t the pull he once was, the push would end at some point soon, the decision being made to bring him into a feud with White, both to turn White face and build up anticipation for SummerSlam. Hellwig managed to settle some of his differences with the WWF as the promise of a major angle and some quality matches soothed over various problems, in the short term at least.”
Monday Night Raw, June 17th, 1996:
After several weeks, Bulldog had earned himself the spot of the most hated man in the WWF. Not only had he proudly boasted of him ‘ending’ the career of Shawn Michaels and stating his athleticism rose above that of the poor showing of the American wrestlers, but had also ambushed Ultimate Warrior at every opportunity he could, often with Owen Hart in tow as they battered the challenger with fists, tables and chairs to weaken him before the title bout. No retribution could be taken as wherever he went; Bulldog was escorted by Camp Cornette, Vader having toed the line after being promised the King of the Ring title that assuaged his rage for the time being.
As he entered the ring for the main event of Monday Night Raw in a non-title match against Marc Mero, the crowd screamed abuse at Bulldog and Camp Cornette for their actions. Something that was to only grow as the match with Mero went on, Bulldog taking every opportunity to stretch the rules to breaking point with a rake in the eyes, choking against the rope and even strike across the head from Owen Hart as the referee was distracted. Finishing it all off with a Running Powerslam, the victory went to Bulldog.
Rule Britannia rang out once more in victory throughout the arena, a triumphant Bulldog holding his title aloft, smug amongst the shouts of displeasure from the crowd. That vanished however as the chords of his own music were cut off and the opening notes of another competitor were heard, Bret Hart. The crowd were surprised as both Bret and the Ultimate Warrior walked down to the ring together but cheered as both men walked down just the same. When they reached the ring and the music and cheers died down, Bret was the first to speak “So this is your reign as Champion is it?” He asked “For the last few weeks, you’ve been the most arrogant, cheating low down punk I’ve ever seen!”
The crowd popped at this, voicing their approval of such an accusation while Bret quickly went on “I was at home, getting some relaxation, hoping to get some peace and quiet when I saw you win the title. Now at first I thought, good for Davey Boy, he always had the talent, the ability to go far in this business. But then I saw what you were doing. What a stain you were bringing to that belt. And what that short piece of crap has got you doing! And quite frankly Davey Boy, I got sick of it!”
Taken aback by Bret’s condemnation, Bulldog tried his best to defend himself “I’m the WWF Champion! Who do you-?”
His words were cut short however as Bret got right into his face, a snarl etched across his mouth “A Champion? You? The Davey Boy I once knew wouldn’t have called you a Champion. The Davey Boy I knew worked his way up, inch by inch, working the best tag team matches this industry ever saw! Where’s that Champion now Davey? Where’s the Champion who put on the tag best matches with Dynamite Kid? Where’s the Champion who once put away guys twice his size? Where’s the Champion who gave me the best damn match of my career at Summerslam and took my Intercontinental title? I don’t see him here Davey! All I see is an arrogant little limey who can’t even beat another man in a fair match anymore! If you’re half the Champion you think you are, you’ll agree to fight Warrior fairly. And I’ll be there to make sure it happens!” Bret reached out his pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper and passed it over to Bulldog “This is a special order from Gorilla Monsoon for the match this Sunday; it allows me to take on the role of referee, and orders the rest of your little gang away from ringside. It’ll be a clean match Bulldog, I guarantee it.”
Smith read the paper in silence while Jim Cornette had a fit beside him, almost screaming out his protests for all to hear. Finally, Bulldog raised his hand to silence Cornette and signalled for a microphone to give his answer “You want to be there Bret? I know you think I’m no Champion but I beat the man you couldn’t, the man who sent you up north with your tail between your legs!” The crowd booed at this, not seeing his victory over Michaels in quite the same way. Smith then raised a finger at Bret, glaring at his brother-in-law “And after I beat the Warrior, even with you in his corner, I’m coming after you Bret and I will prove that I am a true Champion! I’ve done it before and I will do it again!”
The crowd roared its appreciation of the idea of Bret refereeing the match between the two bringing three legends of the WWF together for one night. Merely nodding his assent at the suggestion, Bret turned to leave, not seeing Bulldog bring his belt up to strike him across the head with it. Acting quickly, Warrior leapt forward and rammed Bulldog down to the ground while Bret quickly smacked his brother down to the ground as he ran towards the Warrior. Soon both Bulldog and Owen were sent sailing out of the ring, Cornette scrambling after them while shouting at Vader to attack both Warrior and Bret. The large man merely stood in the corner, smirking in his usual mad fashion before pointing at the Warrior, shouting that they would finish their business properly, whether he was Champion or not after King of the Ring.
King of the Ring, June 23rd, 1996:
The pay-per-view that promised to put a seal on the split between the Hart Family with Davey Boy not only having to contend with Ultimate Warrior but Bret as special guest referee and no Camp Cornette in his corner began in earnest. The title match was only one match in the event that people wanted to see however, the run up in the King of the Ring Tournament had brought Steve Austin to the fore with his brazen attitude and rough style of wrestling. Vader was another key favourite in the Tournament with his almost insane frenzies and sheer strength that pushed him to key victories.
The Tournament throughout was a highlight with the semi-finals being a brutal match between the big Van Vader and Justin Bradshaw starting things off. The following match was a good show of Vader’s strength and tenacity over Bradshaw’s knowledge of how to break the rules. Vader dominated the match throughout, working Bradshaw over with slams, Irish whips and clotheslines that struck the cowboy hard to the mat. With Jim Cornette on the ringside, cheering on arrangements as Vader pummelled his opponent. Uncle Zebekiah also remained on the outside, looking on nervously as bit by bit; Bradshaw was dissected in the ring. Feeling overly-confident, Cornette went over to the opposing manager and taunted him, causing Zebekiah to grab Cornette’s tennis racket and attempt to pull it away from him. The commotion brought the attention of the referee who didn’t notice the low blow by Bradshaw to give himself a breather. Seeing his manager in trouble, Bradshaw walked over to the ringside and stuck his head between the ropes to bring an end to the argument, only for Cornette to finally pull away with his tennis racket, slip and strike Bradshaw right in the face with it, causing the referee to signal the disqualification, giving Bradshaw the victory. As Vader rose to his feet, he saw he had lost and glared down at Cornette, stalking the smaller man as he fled from ringside, pleading with Vader to stop.
The second semi-final match was between Steve Austin, a man rising up and wanting to make a name for himself against a former WWF Champion, Yokozuna. Despite the overwhelming size and weight advantage the Sumo man enjoyed, he met his match in the form of Austin’s sheer belligerence in a fight. Every time the Texan was knocked down, he got back up again to carry on the fight, only to be stopped with a tremendous body splash into the turnbuckle by Yokozuna that sent Austin to the ground, his ribs seemingly crushed. Despite protests from the referee, Austin insisted on continuing the match, fighting on despite Yokozuna taking every advantage he could in wrecking Austin’s ribs with punches, strikes and even a full body splash that came within a hair’s breadth of getting a three count. Frustrated, Yokozuna picked up his erstwhile opponent to deal further damage only to receive a surprise kick to the gut and Stone Cold Stunner for his troubles. Still clutching his ribs in agony, Austin nevertheless managed to make the pin over his opponent, gaining the spot in the finals.
Other matches followed with the Smokin’ Gunns earning a hard won victory against the Godwinns and Mankind managing to knock out the Undertaker with his Mandible Claw, cementing the Deadman’s need for vengeance. The final match before the Tournament final was to crown a new Intercontinental Champion in the form of Ahmed Johnson who defeated Goldust in a convincing victory.
The Final of the King of the Ring Tournament saw a beaten and battered Austin, bandages still round his ribs after refusing to see them be taken care of. In his match against Bradshaw, the Texan was brutalised in every manner possible as his opponent took every opportunity to strike at the weakness before him, laying out a string of rib breakers, shots to the ribs and abdominal stretches that only worsened Austin’s condition. But he fought back though; with everything he could manage Austin clawed his way to bring Bradshaw’s attacks to a standstill and even brought his opponent down to his back with a quick kick and clothesline combo. Bradshaw once more attacked the ribs however to weaken Austin and brought him to his knees. Rather than pressing his advantage however, Bradshaw raised Austin to his feet to seal the deal on his victory. Pausing to play to the crowd, Bradshaw then lunged forwards with a clothesline... Only to miss as Austin ducked, twisted around and then planted a kick and Stone Cold Stunner on his opponent, giving him the three count.
With Bradshaw left in the ring, Austin went to the Throne, refusing to be helped despite every step betraying his agony from his ribs. After finally reaching the gilded chair, Austin motioned for a microphone so he could speak to the audience “Take that piece of crap from out my ring!” He started, pointing at Bradshaw who was being harangued by Uncle Zebekiah for his loss over an opponent with such a disadvantage “A Texan boy like him should know better than to mess around with a rattlesnake like me. Here’s a tip for ya boy, when you’ve got someone down, don’t be dumb enough to help them back up again!”
Taking a few moments to get his breath back, Austin continued “Now there’s only one more thing before I head to the back and grab some beers, and that’s that no good little piece of limey garbage we’ve got as Champion!” This was enough to swing the crowd more to Austin’s favour, his refusal to submit and victory over Bradshaw had warmed them up considerably and this was setting the cherry on the cake “Now I ain’t what you call traditional Champ material. Hell, the suits in the back are probably crapping themselves now that Stone Cold’s got this tournament under wraps. But I’m damn sure that I can do a better job of it that Bulldog. And if Warrior can’t put him away tonight, you can bet everything you’ve got that I’ll be right after him, gunning for that belt of his!”
Now with the Tournament out of the way, there was only the title bout left, the match between the British Bulldog and Ultimate Warrior with the special guest referee Bret Hart. Bret Hart was the first to make it to the ring, dressed in a striped black and white shirt. After him came the Champion, Bulldog giving Bret a glare as his fists and boots were checked for foreign objects. The Ultimate Warrior’s music soon followed and ran to the ring amid cheers, shaking the ropes before facing his opponent, briefly allowing Bret to check his feet and hands, much like Bulldog. Satisfying his need to make sure no cheating would take place; Bret gave the signal for the bell to ring and the match to start.
It started with a lock up between the two, Bulldog being forced back as his own famous strength proved little match for the Warrior’s. The Warrior soon held up his advantage, throwing Bulldog round the ring and dominating him, Bret showing no favour to his brother in law as he received his beating. A rake across the eyes brought Bulldog a brief moment of respite and a harsh warning from Bret before the Bulldog launched his own assault on the Warrior, beating him down, wearing the larger man down to the mat before stomping on him. No strategy or finesse, just sheer beat downs to the challenger. After a long standing suplex, Bulldog rose and gave a signal to the crowd; he was ready to finish this. He picked Warrior up, hoisted him onto his shoulder and ran from one corner to the other, slamming Warrior down to the ring with an impact that shook the structure.
Bret, keeping his reputation as a fair official got down onto his knees and made the count of two before the Warrior not only kicked out but threw Bulldog right off him and two feet across the ring. Quickly getting to his feet, Warrior got his customary second wind and began to shake the ropes, making the crowd go wild. Having been prepared beforehand for this though, Bulldog reached into his tights and pulled out a set of brass knuckles. Just before he could use them however, Bret twisted Bulldog round and grabbed the knuckles from him, getting in his face for attempting to break the rules. Before he could protest, Bulldog was twisted around once more, given a stunning punch to the head before being lifted up by the Warrior in preparation for a Gorilla Press Slam.
It never came. As he held Bulldog above his head, Warrior was powerless to defend himself as Bret slipped on the knuckles and gave a shuddering blow to Warrior, causing him to collapse with Bulldog falling on top, accidentally getting a pin and a very fast three count from Bret. The crowd was shocked at this turn of events, until Bret grabbed the Championship belt and held up Bulldog’s hand, signifying his victory and they viscously turned on their old favourite, sending down verbal scorn as the two celebrated their tainted victory in the ring.
As Warrior got up to his feet shakily, Bret unloaded another blow with the brass knuckles, sending Warrior to the floor. It was followed by Bulldog stamping on him, picking the former Champion up and then throwing him over the ropes, leaving him crumpled in a heap. As King of the Ring faded out, the final image was that of Bret and Bulldog, reconciled and standing triumphant in the ring.