1995 is undoubtedly one of, if not THE, worst years in WWF history. Things started off okay with Shawn winning the Royal Rumble, but after Wrestlemania things went downhill fast. Maybe the most fumbled pay per view that year was the King Of The Ring which went to Mabel. Cough.
The stipulation that year I believe was that the winner of the KOTR would become the #1 contender for the title against Diesel at Summerslam. Hence why Mabel was their choice as Vince was still desperately trying to duplicate the success he had in the 80's with Hogan vs Andre or Hogan vs Bundy or Hogan vs Earthquake. Only this time Diesel was in the Hogan role while Mabel in the fat guy of the month role. Needless to say it flopped in a big big way. Which is why I don't blame Nash for his awful title run. He was poorly booked by Vince just as nearly everyone was in that year.
The big story going into the event was the return of Shawn Michaels from a kayfabe injury angle which saw Sid put him on the shelf back in April after Mania. Shawn would return at KOTR and for the first time was a full fledged babyface while playing the HBK role. This made Shawn the odds on favorite to win. Instead he battled Kama (of all people) to a time limit draw and was done for the night. Here's how I feel it should have gone down...
ROUND 1: Quarterfinals
Shawn Michaels vs 123 Kid
The Heartbreak Kid vs The 123 kid in a face vs face match. As far as I know these two never were given a ppv match and this would have undoubtedly been a great way to kick off the show. Kid takes Shawn to the limit but Shawn emerges victorious.)
British Bulldog vs Lex Luger
(In another face vs face match we see tag team partners Luger and The Bulldog face off against one another. Yokozuna interferes attacking his old rival Lex Luger after a ref bump. Bulldog is on the outside of the ring while this happens and is unaware of Yoko's actions. Bulldog comes into the ring as the ref wakes up and hits the powerslam on Lex for the win. After the match Luger is unconcsious and Bulldog shows concern for his partner.)
Razor Ramon vs Owen Hart
(In what was to be a rematch from last years tournament finals, Owen is scheduled to face Razor Ramon. Razor was legit inured during this event and had to be replaced by Savio Vega. So it's Owen vs Savio instead. I think these two would have meshed well together. Owen gets the win but cuts a promo afterwards saying Razor faked an injury to avoid getting beaten by the King Of Harts for a second year in a row and that Razor can't hide from him forever.
Undertaker vs King Kong Bundy
In a rematch from Wrestlemania 11, Undertaker once again defeats King Kong Bundy this time by Disqualification when the entire Million Dollar Corporation attacks Taker after the match. Sid, Kama, Bundy,Tatanka and IRS all double team the Undertaker and put him out of commission for the night.
ROUND 2: Semi finals
Shawn Michaels vs Owen Hart
Shawn follows up his first round classic with the Kid with another classic against Owen. Yokozuna, Owen Harts tag team partner, attempts to interfere but Diesel prevents it. Shawn wins with the superkick, then smacks Jim Cornette with the tennis raquet afterwards. Owen's reign as King is over and he is none too happy about it.
British Bulldog vs Undertaker
The Undertaker, after a brutal attack at the hands of the corporation is unable to compete thus resulting in Bulldog receiving a buy to the finals against Shawn Michaels.
WWF Championship: Steel Cage
Diesel def Sid
This match takes place between the Bulldogs buy and the finals and gives the KOTR finalists time to rest and prepare. Diesel goes over and brings the battle of the bodyguards feud to an end. I have it as a cage match to keep the corporation from interfering.
KING OF THE RING FINALS
British Bulldog w/Diana Hart Smith VS Shawn Michaels
I love the idea of it all coming down to Bulldog and Shawn as that plays off the final of the Royal Rumble from earlier in the year where Davey and Shawn began the match at #s 1 & 2 and were the last two in the ring when all was said and done.
FINISH: Owen Hart comes to the ring to gain revenge on Shawn, the man who cost him his crown, but the referees make sure Owen doesn't get any further than the apron. While Shawn and the referees are busy watching Owen, Diana, Bulldog's wife, slides a weapon into the ring (most likely a chair, or perhaps something related to the post match ceremony like a Kings scepter). Bulldog proceeds to smash Shawn in the face with the weapon busting him wide open. Bulldog hits the powerslam and the ref counts three. A new King is crowned.
1995 KING OF THE RING: The British Bulldog
Post match: Bulldog cuts a promo while being presented with the crown, cape and sceptor where he talks about how Shawn Michaels screwed him over at the Royal Rumble and it should have been him who went on to Wrestlemania. All these months later the seemingly gentle British Bulldog has been bubbling with rage at the lost opportunity that he believes Shawn Michaels stole from him during the infamous "1 foot" finish at the Royal Rumble. Bulldog feels he was screwed that night and has now righted an injustice.
Bulldog, Owen and Yokozuna three on one Shawn after the match, thus completing Bulldogs heel turn. He's not just a heel, he's also aligned himself with Owen and Yoko. This reveals that Bulldog was well aware of what Yokozuna was doing earlier in the night in his match against Luger. It was a setup all along. Diesel hits the ring to clear the bad guys but the damage is done. As Diesel tends to his fallen friend, Camp Cornette leave up the isle victorious.
Bulldog would turn heel in August of 1995 anyway, but I feel having his heel turn at the KOTR and against Shawn Michales would have made much more sense. Also, as a Brit I feel Davey Boy would have been tailor made for the role as King with Diana as his Queen. Bulldogs win would also keep the King Of The Ring Crown in the Hart Family for the 3rd straight year as both Bret and Owen had won the tournament in the two years prior. They could even start referring to the Harts as The Royal Family.
THE FALLOUT:
Due to Razor's injury he is forced to vacate the IC title. Owen Hart wins the title in a battle royal for the first time in his career. Owen goes on to defend the title against Razor at the July ppv which he wins, then follows that up with another title defense against Shawn at Summerslam in a ladder match. I liked the ladder match between Razor and Shawn at that years Summerslam but there was no way they were ever going to top the first one they had so why not do the match with a new opponent, in this case Owen.
Meanwhile Bulldog is now the #1 contender and will face Diesel for the title at Summerslam instead of Mable. Diesel would retain but I would be open to Bulldog winning the title depending on how over his King gimmick was getting with the crowd.
Also, if they wanted to, months later during the buildup to Wrestlemania 12 between Bret and Shawn, Shawn may throw it out there that he believes Bret Hart was involved in the plot against him at KOTR. The fact that the crown has stayed in the Hart Family three years in a row seems a bit fishy to him and that Bret may have been the mastermind behind keeping Shawn from winning the event as he has always been paranoid that one day Shawn was going to take his spot. Bret can fire back that Shawn's the one who is paranoid and he takes exception to his idiotic and baseless accusations. I think that would add an interesting layer to their rivalry at the time.
Anyway, that's my KOTR 95. Let me know what you think and who you would have chosen to win KOTR that year.
The stipulation that year I believe was that the winner of the KOTR would become the #1 contender for the title against Diesel at Summerslam. Hence why Mabel was their choice as Vince was still desperately trying to duplicate the success he had in the 80's with Hogan vs Andre or Hogan vs Bundy or Hogan vs Earthquake. Only this time Diesel was in the Hogan role while Mabel in the fat guy of the month role. Needless to say it flopped in a big big way. Which is why I don't blame Nash for his awful title run. He was poorly booked by Vince just as nearly everyone was in that year.
The big story going into the event was the return of Shawn Michaels from a kayfabe injury angle which saw Sid put him on the shelf back in April after Mania. Shawn would return at KOTR and for the first time was a full fledged babyface while playing the HBK role. This made Shawn the odds on favorite to win. Instead he battled Kama (of all people) to a time limit draw and was done for the night. Here's how I feel it should have gone down...
ROUND 1: Quarterfinals
Shawn Michaels vs 123 Kid
The Heartbreak Kid vs The 123 kid in a face vs face match. As far as I know these two never were given a ppv match and this would have undoubtedly been a great way to kick off the show. Kid takes Shawn to the limit but Shawn emerges victorious.)
British Bulldog vs Lex Luger
(In another face vs face match we see tag team partners Luger and The Bulldog face off against one another. Yokozuna interferes attacking his old rival Lex Luger after a ref bump. Bulldog is on the outside of the ring while this happens and is unaware of Yoko's actions. Bulldog comes into the ring as the ref wakes up and hits the powerslam on Lex for the win. After the match Luger is unconcsious and Bulldog shows concern for his partner.)
Razor Ramon vs Owen Hart
(In what was to be a rematch from last years tournament finals, Owen is scheduled to face Razor Ramon. Razor was legit inured during this event and had to be replaced by Savio Vega. So it's Owen vs Savio instead. I think these two would have meshed well together. Owen gets the win but cuts a promo afterwards saying Razor faked an injury to avoid getting beaten by the King Of Harts for a second year in a row and that Razor can't hide from him forever.
Undertaker vs King Kong Bundy
In a rematch from Wrestlemania 11, Undertaker once again defeats King Kong Bundy this time by Disqualification when the entire Million Dollar Corporation attacks Taker after the match. Sid, Kama, Bundy,Tatanka and IRS all double team the Undertaker and put him out of commission for the night.
ROUND 2: Semi finals
Shawn Michaels vs Owen Hart
Shawn follows up his first round classic with the Kid with another classic against Owen. Yokozuna, Owen Harts tag team partner, attempts to interfere but Diesel prevents it. Shawn wins with the superkick, then smacks Jim Cornette with the tennis raquet afterwards. Owen's reign as King is over and he is none too happy about it.
British Bulldog vs Undertaker
The Undertaker, after a brutal attack at the hands of the corporation is unable to compete thus resulting in Bulldog receiving a buy to the finals against Shawn Michaels.
WWF Championship: Steel Cage
Diesel def Sid
This match takes place between the Bulldogs buy and the finals and gives the KOTR finalists time to rest and prepare. Diesel goes over and brings the battle of the bodyguards feud to an end. I have it as a cage match to keep the corporation from interfering.
KING OF THE RING FINALS
British Bulldog w/Diana Hart Smith VS Shawn Michaels
I love the idea of it all coming down to Bulldog and Shawn as that plays off the final of the Royal Rumble from earlier in the year where Davey and Shawn began the match at #s 1 & 2 and were the last two in the ring when all was said and done.
FINISH: Owen Hart comes to the ring to gain revenge on Shawn, the man who cost him his crown, but the referees make sure Owen doesn't get any further than the apron. While Shawn and the referees are busy watching Owen, Diana, Bulldog's wife, slides a weapon into the ring (most likely a chair, or perhaps something related to the post match ceremony like a Kings scepter). Bulldog proceeds to smash Shawn in the face with the weapon busting him wide open. Bulldog hits the powerslam and the ref counts three. A new King is crowned.
1995 KING OF THE RING: The British Bulldog
Post match: Bulldog cuts a promo while being presented with the crown, cape and sceptor where he talks about how Shawn Michaels screwed him over at the Royal Rumble and it should have been him who went on to Wrestlemania. All these months later the seemingly gentle British Bulldog has been bubbling with rage at the lost opportunity that he believes Shawn Michaels stole from him during the infamous "1 foot" finish at the Royal Rumble. Bulldog feels he was screwed that night and has now righted an injustice.
Bulldog, Owen and Yokozuna three on one Shawn after the match, thus completing Bulldogs heel turn. He's not just a heel, he's also aligned himself with Owen and Yoko. This reveals that Bulldog was well aware of what Yokozuna was doing earlier in the night in his match against Luger. It was a setup all along. Diesel hits the ring to clear the bad guys but the damage is done. As Diesel tends to his fallen friend, Camp Cornette leave up the isle victorious.
Bulldog would turn heel in August of 1995 anyway, but I feel having his heel turn at the KOTR and against Shawn Michales would have made much more sense. Also, as a Brit I feel Davey Boy would have been tailor made for the role as King with Diana as his Queen. Bulldogs win would also keep the King Of The Ring Crown in the Hart Family for the 3rd straight year as both Bret and Owen had won the tournament in the two years prior. They could even start referring to the Harts as The Royal Family.
THE FALLOUT:
Due to Razor's injury he is forced to vacate the IC title. Owen Hart wins the title in a battle royal for the first time in his career. Owen goes on to defend the title against Razor at the July ppv which he wins, then follows that up with another title defense against Shawn at Summerslam in a ladder match. I liked the ladder match between Razor and Shawn at that years Summerslam but there was no way they were ever going to top the first one they had so why not do the match with a new opponent, in this case Owen.
Meanwhile Bulldog is now the #1 contender and will face Diesel for the title at Summerslam instead of Mable. Diesel would retain but I would be open to Bulldog winning the title depending on how over his King gimmick was getting with the crowd.
Also, if they wanted to, months later during the buildup to Wrestlemania 12 between Bret and Shawn, Shawn may throw it out there that he believes Bret Hart was involved in the plot against him at KOTR. The fact that the crown has stayed in the Hart Family three years in a row seems a bit fishy to him and that Bret may have been the mastermind behind keeping Shawn from winning the event as he has always been paranoid that one day Shawn was going to take his spot. Bret can fire back that Shawn's the one who is paranoid and he takes exception to his idiotic and baseless accusations. I think that would add an interesting layer to their rivalry at the time.
Anyway, that's my KOTR 95. Let me know what you think and who you would have chosen to win KOTR that year.
