How To Watch The WWE In A Focused, Fun Manner, Whether You're New Or A Long Time Fan, 3: Everything Cliqs

2/27/2022

Hey, yo. This is the season of The Cliq. A heartbreaker, a bad guy, a big sexy, an upstart kid, and the future son-in-law of the owner first cement themselves on the main event scene in WWE, and then split up and take over WCW as well. And the WCW is already full of WWE's aging castoffs taking up valuable headlining real estate while an amazing crop of up and comers get buried. Oh, and then the buried up and comers go to WWE.

At the same time, ECW comes to promenence, and most of those undercard WCW players put on some excellent headlining matches there.

The star pupil of this season though, is Mrs. Foley's baby boy, who wrestles as Cactus Jack in WCW, then becomes the massively over Cactus Jack in ECW, then becomes megaheel Mankind in WWE. His mic skills and his willingness to destroy his body is like nothing from the previous two seasons. And it's a joy to watch him become one of The Guys in the industry.

Season Three:
Everything Cliqs

Starring: Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Undertaker, Ric Flair, Sting, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, Vader, Vince McMahon, Shane Douglas, Taz, Sandman, Sabu, Triple H, Tommy Dreamer, Raven, Sting, Rey Mysterio, Bull Nakano, The Big Show, Paul Heyman, Eric Bischoff, and Randy Savage

300. FMW: Ring Of Torture, 1990s

Our pre-season teaser is violent madness. The Japanese version of ECW, FMW features a few American hardcore legends like Mick Foley, Terry Funk, and Mike Awesome, but it's mostly some amazing Japanese wrestlers. There's not a lot of high flying in this federation, as the ropes are usually made of barbed wire, and set to explode.

1. The Shark, Bad Marriage, and Miwa Sato vs Combat Toyoda (as Mother-In-Law) and Megumi Kudo in an Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match

2. Mike Awesome vs Bad Leather
3. Atsushi Onita vs Terry Funk in an Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match
4. Hayabusa (FMW Champion) vs Masato Tanaka
5. WING Kanemura vs Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) in an Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match

6. Atsushi Onita, Katsutoshi Niyama, and Mr. Gannosuke vs Hideki Hosaka, Mr. Pogo and Mike Awesome (as The Gladiator) in an Exploding Barbed Wire Dynamite Pool Match

7. Megumi Kudo vs Combat Toyada in an Exploding Barbed Wire Retirement Death Match

301. Everything Old Is New Again, 1994 1995

While ECW gives us some new faces, and some intriguing new gimmicks for some of the 70s and 80s wrestling stars, WCW buys the contracts of WWE's biggest names and uses them to buffer its roster. And, sure enough, we start off with their biggest grab, as Hulk Hogan arrives and immediately begins feuding with Ric Flair.

Announcers: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, Jesse Ventura, Gene Okerlund, Mike Tenay, Gary Michael Cappetta

1. Steve Austin (WCW US Champ) vs Ricky Steamboat
3. Ric Flair (WCW Champ) vs Hulk Hogan
4. Steve Austin (WCW US Champ) vs Jim Duggan
5. Vader vs Sting vs Big Boss Man

302. The Great Undertaking, 1994

WWE is about to go from slight creative problems to a massive drought so we start this sort of understated WWE part of the season with holdover storylines from last season. basically, a bunch of Bret Hart matches, and some matches from Raw, ending with The Undertaker's revenge for last season's casket match.

Announcers: Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler, Randy Savage, Gorilla Monsoon, Jim Ross, Todd Pettengill, Howard Finkel

1. Scott Hall (as Razor Ramon) (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Jeff Jarrett
2. Bret Hart (WWE Champ) vs X-Pac (as 1-2-3 Kid)
3. Alundra Blayze (WWE Womens Champ) vs Bull Nakano
4. Bret Hart (WWE Champ) vs Owen Hart in a Steel Cage
5. The Million Dollar Corporation (WWE Tag Team Champs) X-Pac (as the 1-2-3 Kidd) and Bob Holly

6. The Undertaker vs Yokozuna in a Casket Match

303. November To Remember, 1994/1995

ECW! ECW! The underdog wrestling federation doesn't have a ton of good storylines but the matches from this era are just chock full of talent with very little gimmicry.

Announcers: Paul Heyman, Joey Styles, Matt Dematt, Tod Gordon, Bob Artese

1. Dean Malenko vs Taz
2. Shane Douglas (ECW Champ) vs Farooq
3. Dean Malenko (ECW TV Champ) vs Taz
3. Public Enemy (ECW Tag Team Champs) vs Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) & Mikey Whipcrack
4. Dean Malenko vs Ray Odyssey
5. Chris Benoit vs Hack Meyers
6. Tommy Dreamer vs Stevie Richards
9. Chris Benoit vs Al Snow
10. Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) vs Sandman in a Texas Death Match
11. Public Enemy (ECW Tag Team Champs) vs Taz & Sabu

304. No Jacket Required, 1994/1995

The Bret Hart grudge over a stolen jacket is one of my favorite short term rivalries in WWE history. PCO will then disappear from our radar for Decades before resurfacing as a powerhouse in other promotions. The other matches are high quality wrestling, minimal storytelling as WWE was at one of its creative nadirs at this point with McMahon being distracted by all the time he had to spend in court for his various crimes against humanity.

Announcers: Vince McMahon, Gorilla Monsoon, Jerry Lawler, Todd Pettengill, Howard Finkel

1. Razor Ramon (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Owen Hart
2. Shawn Michaels vs British Bulldog
3. Bret Hart vs Hakushi
4. Kevin Nash (as Diesel) (WWE Champ) vs Shawn Michaels
5. Road Dogg (as The Roadie) vs X-Pac (as 1-2-3 Kid)
6. Bret Hart Vs PCO (as Jean-Pierre Lafitte)
7. Jeff Jarrett (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Shawn Michaels

305. Uncensored, 1995

Much of this era of WCW was centered around making Hogan, Flair, Savage, Jim Duggan, The Nasty Boys, and Brutus Beefcake the Kings of The Assisted Living Facility. We're skipping those matches. Apart from Savage/Flair who continued to have a fantastic feud, the 1980s WWE guys were just lumbering bores with silly storylines. Sting was fun to watch. I'm going to try and get as many undercard people in as I can here, though, as they were putting on the better matches. before they were inevitably fired and popped up in WWE. Oh, The King Of The Road Match isn't good but it is wildly different and doesn't feature a wrestler on Medicare. Plus, both particpants were fired for this match, allowing Dustin Rhodes to go to WWE and become Goldust.

Announcers: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, Mike Tenay, Gary Michael Capetta, Michael Buffer

1. Sting & Randy Savage vs Earthquake & Big Boss Man (as Big Bubba Rogers)
2. Smash (as The Blacktop Bully) vs Goldust (as Dustin Rhodes) in a King Of The Road Match

3. Nasty Boys vs Harlem Heat in a Falls Count Anywhere Match
4. Sting vs Big Boss Man (as Big Bubba Rogers) in an Unsanctioned Match
5. Hulk Hogan/Randy Savage vs Ric Flair/Vader
6. Alex Wright vs Brian Pillman
7. Ric Flair vs Randy Savage
8. Sting (WCW US Champ) vs Haku (as Meng)
9. Ric Flair vs Randy Savage in a Lumberjack Match

306. In Your House, 1995

It's fairly dim days for the WWE. They expand their pay-per-views so that they're monthly "In Your House" events, but apart from The Cliq (Shawn Michaels, Kavin Nash as Diesel, Scott Hall as Razor Ramon, and XPac (as the 1-2-3 Kid), and the Hart Family, none of their superstars or supervillains really connect with their audience. These matches are from three separate In Your House shows, a couple of Raw episodes, plus the 1995 Summer Slam. The highlight match is Shawn Michaels and Scott Hall having their second ladder match because, well, the first one was really good, why not?

Announcers: Vince McMahon, Michael Hayes (as Dok Hendrix), Jerry Lawler, Tod Pettengill, Jim Ross, Mr Perfect, Howard Finkel

1. Alundra Blayze (WWE Womens' Champ) vs Bull Nakano
2. Bret Hart vs Hakushi
3. Kevin Nash (as Diesel) (WWE Champ) vs Sycho Sid
4. Hakushi vs 1-2-3 Kid
5. Alundra Blayze (WWE Womens' Champ) vs Bertha Faye
6. Shawn Michaels (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Scott Hall (as Razor Ramon)
7. The Body Donnas vs The Underdogs
(Rad Radford, Skip, The 1-2-3 Kid & Tom Prichard vs Barry Horowitz, Bob Holly, Hakushi & Marty Jannetty)

8. Diesel (WWE Champ) vs Bret Hart

307. Hardcore Heaven, 1995

More violent fun from Paul Heyman's House Of Bouncing Checks!

Announcers: Paul Heyman, Joey Styles, Joel Gertner, Tod Gordon, Bob Artese

1. Shane Douglas (ECW Champ) vs Tully Blanchard
2. Raven vs Tommy Dreamer
3. Terry Funk vs Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack)
4. 2 Cold Scorpio (ECW TV Champ) vs Eddie Guerrero
5. Terry Funk vs Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) King Of The Deathmatch Japan
6. 2 Cold Scorpio vs Taz
7. Stevie Richard & Raven (ECW Tag Team Champs) vs Tommy Dreamer & Luna Vachon
8. Stevie Richards vs Luna Vachon in a Steel Cage
9. Public Enemy vs The Gangstas

308. Seasons Beatings, 1995/1996

The monthly pay-per-views were really saturating the product, but there were some fun moments near the end of 1995, including a What Might Have Been glimpse of the women of New Japan teaming up with the top two women in the WWE for a Survivor Series Match. Plus, Dustin Rhodes (always billed as Goldust) jumps from WCW to WWE and puts on the gold onesie and the wig for the first time and Vader arrives to utterly destroy the previous biggest monster in the WWE.

Announcers: Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, Mr Perfect, Jerry Lawler, Todd Pettengill, Howard Finkel

1. The Whipplewomen vs House Of Blayze
Bertha Faye, Aja Kong, Tomoko Watanabe, Lioness Asuko vs Alundra Blayze, Kyoko Inoue, Sakie Hasagawa, Chaparita Asari

2. Triple H vs Henry Godwin in an Arkansas Hogpen Match
3. Bret Hart (WWE Champ) vs British Bulldog
4. Scott Hall (as Razor Ramon) (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Goldust
5. Vader vs Savio Vega
6. Shawn Michaels vs Owen Heart
7. Vader vs Yokozuna

309. World Cup American Show, 1995/1996

While the WWE's Kliq Days are numbered, over in WCW (and, simultaneously, ECW), we start to see the rise of The Radicalz, some of the best wrestlers to come out of the 90s WCW. This episode focuses mainly on the future WWE Radicalz taking on Japanese wrestlers, though we do see two more Savage/Flair matches, and a Japanese match where Hakushi, a Japanese wrestler who spent time in WWE, battles The Great Muta, a Japanese wrestler who spent time in WCW. It's a cool metaphor match where Hakushi is a monk who traveled to America and has returned to Japan to destroy the demon, Muta, who is bent on destroying Japanese wrestling.

Announcers: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, Dusty Rhodes, Steve McMichael, Gene Okerlund, David Penzer

1. Bull Nakano & Akira Hokuto vs Cutie Suzuki & Mayumi Ozaki
2. Jushin Thunder Liger vs Chris Benoit
3. Koji Kanemoto (IWGP JR Heavyweight Champ) vs Alex Wright
4. Shinjiri Otani vs Eddie Guerrero
5. Nasty Boys vs Public Enemy in a Hardcore Match
6. Marc Mero (as Johnny B Bad) (WCW TV Champ) vs DDP
7. Konan (WCW US Champ) vs One Man Gang
8. Dean Malenko vs Brian Pillman
9. The Great Muta vs Hakushi (as Jinsei Shinzaki)

310. Transitional Era, 1995

What a great time to be an ECW fan. A ton of the most talented, hungriest, WCW wrestlers were getting passed over in order to continue shining the spotlight on Hogan, Savage, Flair, Sting, and the rest of the aging 80s superstars. But the WWE wasn't yet convinced that they were future superstars so Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Mick Foley, Dean Malenko, and Steve Austin all mix it up with ECW's homegrown talent like Tommy Dreamer, Sabu, and Mikey Whipwreck (I think Raven belongs to Everywhere since he has bounced back and forth between every major promotion in the late 20th/early 21st century.) Some of ECW's best ever matches take place here, and we end on one of their only ever 5 Star matches, which really belonged on the last show, but I like it as the closing match here.

Announcers: Paul Heyman, Joey Styles, Joel Gertner, Rick Rude, Tod Gordon, Bob Artese

1. Rey Mysterio vs Psicosis
2. Mikey Whipwreck (ECW Champ) vs Steve Austin
3. Sabu vs Hack Meyers
4. Tommy Dreamer/Terry Funk vs Raven/Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack)
5. Rey Mysterio vs Psicosis in a Mexican Death Match
6. RvD vs Axl Rotten
7. Eddie Guerrero (ECW TV Champ) vs Dean Malenko

311. Tony Stark's Favorite Episode, 1996

There's a weird 80s resurgence in the WWE here as Roddy Piper and The Ultimate Warrior weigh down the rises of Steve Austin, Savio Vega, and JBL. I've left out the Warrior matches because they were awful but the Piper match was the first ever WWF cinematic match. Is it unproblematic? No. But none of Piper's feuds were without a bit of bigotry. Most importantly here, though is our first glimpse at the future of WWE: Steve Austin.

Announcers: Vince McMahon, Mr. Perfect, Jerry Lawler, Michael Hayes, Todd Pettengill, Howard Finkel

1. Bret Hart (WWE Champ) vs Kevin Nash (as Diesel) in a Steel Cage
2. Roddy Piper vs Goldust in The Backlot Brawl
3. Steve Austin vs Savio Vega
4. Undertaker vs Kevin Nash (as Diesel)
5. Bret Hart (WWE Champ) vs Shawn Michaels in an Iron Man Match

312. Slamboree, 1996

Eric Bischoff showing up as an announcer is one of many hints that things at WCW are about to get edgier. The second major shot in the Monday Night Wars (the first was when WCW launched Monday Nitro, and Lex Luger, who was one of the top guys at WWE showed up at the end of the first episode, clearly ready to be inserted in the WCW title scene) opens the show.

Announcers: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, Dusty Rhodes, Eric Bischoff, Gene Okerlund, Lee Marshall, David Penzer, Michael Buffer

1. Eddie Guerrero vs Ric Flair
2. Randy Savage (WCW Champ) vs The Big Show (as The Giant)
3. Konnan (WCW US Champ) vs Eddie Guerrero
4. Finlay (as The Belfast Bruiser) vs William Regal
5. Ric Flair & Randy Savage vs Arn Anderson & Eddie Guerrero
6. Sting & Booker T (WCW Tag Champs) vs Legion Of Doom (as The Road Warriors) in a Chicago Street Fight

7. Konnan (WCW US Champ) vs Jushin Thunder Liger
8. Big Show (WCW Champ) vs Sting

313. Good Friends, Better Enemies, 1996

What seems like just a decent pay-per-view event with some epic matches is actually a Massive Turning Point for the wrestling industry as we see the final 90s Scott Hall and Kevin Nash matches in the WWE, Bret Hart takes six months off, and Steve Austin starts to become a commodity. The Monday Night Wars are about to get Very Interesting. Oh, and we also see the WWE debut of Mrs. Foley's baby boy!

Announcers: Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler, Mr. Perfect, Michael Hayes, Tod Pettengill, Howard Finkel

1. Mick Foley (as Mankind) vs Bob Holly
2. Vader vs Scott Hall (as Razor Ramon)
3. Undertaker vs JBL (as Bradshaw)
4. Shawn Michaels (WWE Champ) vs Kevin Nash (as Diesel) with No Holds Barred
5. Undertaker vs Mick Foley (as Mankind)
6. Shawn Michaels (WWE Champ) vs The British Bulldog
7. Shawn Michaels, Sycho Sid, and Ahmed Johnson vs Camp Cornette

314. Just Another Night, 1996

Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, RvD, and Mick Foley show why they're the future of wrestling.

Announcers: Paul Heyman, Joey Styles, Joel Gertner, Tod Gordon, Bob Artese

1. Chris Jericho vs Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack)
2. Rey Mysterio vs Juventud Guerrero 2 Out Of 3 Falls Match
4. Sabu vs RvD
5. Taz vs Joe Hartgood
6. Brian Pillman vs The Audience
7. 2 Cold Scorpio (ECW TV Champ) vs Sabu
8. Mick Foley vs Mikey Whipwreck

315. The Outsiders, 1996

WCW's undercard (which was also the best part of the ECW roster) continues to be fantastic, but to freshen up the Senior Citizen Headliners, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash form The Outsiders along with The Third Man, as the preliminary to the rise of the NWO (which, you know, eventually destroyed WCW, resulting in it being purchased by the WWE). We've also seen ECW take some digs at WCW this season, well, they get a brief laugh back here as Rey Mysterio and Psicosis cross to their side of the line to put on some absolutely killer matches, and don't worry Juventud isn't far behind.

Announcers: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, Eric Bischoff, Dusty Rhodes, Mike Tenay, Gene Okerlund, Lee Marshall, Michael Buffer, David Penzer

1. Sting vs William Regal
2. Dean Malenko (WCW Cruserweight Champ) vs Rey Mysterio
3. Big Show (as The Giant) (WCW Champ) vs Lex Luger
4. Dean Malenko (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Disco Inferno
5. Rey Mysterio vs Psicosis
6. Randy Savage/Sting/Lex Luger vs The Outsiders & The Third Man

316. 3:16, 1996

We start this off with the King Of The Ring tournament that essentially kicks off the WWE's Attitude Era as Steve Austin gets his first two catchphrases. Also, we see the end of Vader's rise in WWE, as most of The Clique may be gone, but Shawn Michaels still gets to bury the peope he doesn't like working with.

Announcers: Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, Mr. Perfect, Owen Heart, Mark Henry, Michael Hayes, Tod Pettengill, Howard Finkel

1. Steve Austin vs Marc Mero
2. Jake Roberts vs Vader
3. Mick Foley (as Mankind) vs Undertaker
4. Steve Austin vs Jake Roberts
5. Mick Foley (as Mankind) vs Undertaker in a Boiler Room Brawl
6. Shawn Michaels (WWE Champ) vs Vader

317. Buried Alive, 1996

The Attitude Era starts to bubble up through The New Generation as Vince McMahon realizes he's going to have to get a bit edgier if he wants to squash the WCW.

Announcers: Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Jim Cornette, Mr. Perfect, Michael Hayes, Todd Pettengill, Kevin Kelly, Howard Finkel

1. Steve Austin vs Triple H
2. Shawn Michaels (WWE Champ) vs Mick Foley (as Mankind)
3. Sycho Sid vs Vader
4. Marc Mero (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Goldust
5. Bret Hart vs Steve Austin
6. Undertaker vs Mick Foley (as Mankind) in a Buried Alive Match

318. The Royal Screwjob 1997

The tables are turning in WWE (while they burn and are being crashed through in ECW). Long time faces are forced to turn heel as antiheroes become the new faces of the company. This is really leading us towards the Attitude Era and the Montreal Screwjob. But first, a lesser screwjob that really strengthens one of the best feuds of 20th century wrestling. But first, we begin the episode with The Undertaker, buried alive in the last episode battling Hakushi, who was kayfabe killed by The Great Muta earlier this season, battle in the afterlife for the right to return to wrestling.

1. The Undertaker vs Hakushi
2. Steve Austin vs Mick Foley (as Mankind)
3. Bret Hart vs Owen Hart
4. Mick Foley (as Mankind) vs The Undertaker
5. Steve Austin vs Vader
6. Triple H (as Hunter Hurst Helmsley)(WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs 2 Cold Scorpio (as Flash Funk)

7. Royal Rumble

Crush, Ahmed Johnson, Fake Razor Ramon, Phineas I. Godwinn, Steve Austin, Bart Gunn, Jake Roberts, The British Bulldog, Pierroth Jr, Rikishi (as The Sultan), Mil Máscaras, Triple H, Owen Hart, Goldust, Cibernético, Marc Mero, Latin Lover, Faarooq, Savio Vega, Road Dogg, Bret Hart, Jerry Lawler, Kane (as Fake Diesel), Terry Funk, The Rock, Mankind, 2 Cold Scorpio (as Flash Funk), Vader, Henry O. Godwinn, The Undertaker

319. Shawn Michaels Loses His Smile, 1997

While The Nation of Domination becomes a thing, and fake Razor Ramons and Diesels litter the landscape, The Heartbreak Kid gets a big sad-on and announces his retirement for neither the first nor the last time. He takes the prestige of The New Generation with him, as this is really the final pay-per-view before The Attitude Era really kicks off. You can tell it's coming because both Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler are on commentary for this one.

Announcers: Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross, Michael Hayes, Todd Pettengill, Howard Finkel

1. Owen Hart & The British Bulldog (WWE Tag Team Champs) vs Doug Furnas & Phillip LaFon

2. Four Corners Match to determine new WWE Champ
Bret Hart, Steve Austin, Undertaker, Vader

3. Goldust vs Triple H
4. Bret Hart (WWE Champ) vs Sycho Sid
5. ECW Invasion
6. Goldust vs Triple H
7. Sycho Sid (WWE Champ) vs Undertaker

320. Hog Wild, 1996

And while the WWE gets ready to go All Attitude, WCW is about to go All-In on the NWO experiment, as the conclusion of this episode sees Hollywood Hulk Hogan deface the WCW belt to make it the property of wrestling's newest fad.

1. Lex Luger vs Big Boss Man (as Big Bubba Rogers)
2. Alundra Blayze (as Madusa) vs Bull Nakano
3. Chris Benoit vs Dean Malenko
4. Ric Flair (WCW US Champ) vs Eddie Guerrero
5. The Outsiders vs Sting/Lex Luger
6. The Big Show (WCW Champ) vs Hulk Hogan

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