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The History of the Intercontinental Title: Part Eleven

Your host is Jack Korpela. More like Crapola. I’m sorry, that was completely unjustified.

• WWF Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart vs. The Mountie (w/Jimmy Hart) (WWF Superstars, 11/2/91)
  

No match. This was scheduled as non-title and when Mountie called Bret a coward for not defending his belt, Jimmy Hart threw a bucket of water on Bret as the Mountie began to jab him with the SHOCK STICK! The “Excellence of Electrocution” has arrived.

We skip ahead to the 12/14/91 episode of Superstars where Bret Hart received the ‘Wrestler of the Year’ award. Gene Okerlund interviews the Mountie and Jimmy Hart the next day on the 12/22/91 episode of Wrestling Challenge with his response. It must have been a REAL bad year for the WWF if Bret Hart is the ‘Wrestler of the Year’. Mountie says he will take Bret’s IC title. Bret might be the “Excellence of Execution”, but Mountie is the “Excellence of Electrocution”.

Before the next match, they show us the finish of the Bret-Mountie title change. Roddy Piper attacks Mountie afterwards as we head into the Royal Rumble.

• WWF Intercontinental Champion The Mountie (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. Roddy Piper (WWF Royal Rumble, 1/19/92)
  

Bret dropped the IC belt to Mountie two days earlier at Springfield Massachusetts when he decided to compete against doctor’s orders with a 104 temperature. Apparently, that’s kayfabe code for contractual issues, because that’s the real reason Bret lost. During the post-match celebration, Mountie beat up Bret with the belt and Roddy Piper came to his rescue. When Piper got beat with the belt as well, Piper challenged Mountie for a title shot at the Royal Rumble, so here we are. Piper pretty much squashes Mountie and after some heel miscommunication, Piper slaps on the SLEEPER and uncles Mountie right in the middle of the ring. (5:20) Piper’s first title win in nine years. Afterwards, Piper gets the cattle prod and shocks Mountie’s rear end. ¾*

• WWF Intercontinental Champion Roddy Piper vs. The Mountie (w/Jimmy Hart) (WWF SNME #31, 2/8/92)
  

So Mountie dropped the IC belt at the Royal Rumble to Piper after he beat Bret Hart at a house show while he was suffering with a high-grade fever. So they tell us. Word on the street was, Bret’s contract was about to expire and there was talk of Bret running off to WCW with the IC title to stick it to Vince for having Flair show up on WWF TV with the WCW World title, but the deal never went down. Just imagine if it had though. Who better to bring in and stop the Dangerous Alliance than Bret Hart? Anyways, this is Mountie’s rematch and the winner gets Bret Hart at WrestleMania 8 on April 5. Mountie gets in a cheapshot on Piper to start, but then makes the heel mistake by turning his back away to pose and takes a clothesline from behind. They go to the floor for a Double Noggin Knocker and then back in, Jimmy Hart grabs Piper’s leg for Mountie to stomp on Piper. Jumping back elbow connects, but then Mountie splashes on Piper’s knees! Piper goes for a running bulldog, but Mountie shoves him off into the ref. Mountie delivers a Piledriver to Piper and then gives Piper the Bret Hart Treatment by pouring a cup of water on him and shocking him with the cattle prod. OH SNAP! Mountie is going to retain the-WAIT A MINUTE! Piper NO-SELLS the electric shock, punches Mountie in the face, and jabs him with the cattle prod! Ref wakes up and counts 1-2-3. (3:30) Piper takes off his “Hot Rod” shirt to reveal a shock-proof rubber vest! I know it’s shock proof because it says so right there. So that’s why Piper didn’t go shirtless tonight! Short, but fun while it lasted. **

• WWF Intercontinental Champion Roddy Piper vs. Shawn Michaels (w/Sensational Sherri) (March to WrestleMania VIII, 3/29/92)
  

This is non-title. Piper spanks Sherri to get Shawn all riled up. They trade slaps, but then Shawn counters an atomic drop with a victory roll. That was pretty cool. Slingshot by Piper gets two. Sherri gets on the apron and a huge kiss from Piper. Never mind the commercial break, Shawn clotheslines Piper out and slams his face on the steps. Sherri distracts Piper some more as Shawn comes off the apron with a double sledge. Back in, Shawn grabs a chinlock. Piper fights out into a Superkick. TEARDROP SUPLEX is blocked and Piper starts unloading. Mr. T’s name comes up and Monsoon calls him a bum! Shawn gets crotched on the top rope and goes for a pony ride. As Piper goes for a bulldog, Shawn shoves him off into the ref. Sherri tosses Shawn her boot and Piper gets nailed. Of course the ref is dead. Here comes Bret Hart! He tosses Sherri’s boot to Piper. When he goes for a swing, the ref sees it and DQ’s Piper! (6:52) Awesome finish and now Piper gives Bret an earful. Bret throws Roddy the IC title and walks out. **¼

• WWF Intercontinental Champion Roddy Piper vs. Bret Hart (WWF WrestleMania VIII, 4/5/92)
  

Bret wants his belt back and Piper has it. It’s nothing personal-he just wants his belt back, and he’d go through his mom if that’s what it takes to get it back around his waist. Lots of staring at each other to start. They trade armdrags to one-up each other, which seems customary in big-time WWF matches. Piper tries to outwrestle Bret, but Bret is just too good to lose that battle. Especially to a brawler like Piper. Bret supposedly hurts his shoulder on the way down off a dropkick, so Piper kindly backs off, but it’s just a trick for Bret to sneak in a small package for 1-2-NO! Piper is obviously pissed and slaps the CRAP out of Bret. They go to the floor for a sick bump. Piper’s the first guy back in and actually holds the ropes down for Bret to come back in the ring. But then Piper points out Bret’s boot is untied, and cheapshots him. Running bulldog by Piper busts Bret open. When Piper turns Bret over for a cover, you can see the blood stain, which is a cool visual. Cover gets two. Piper controls with open shots until Bret fires back and comes off the ropes with a diving forearm that puts Piper out on the floor. Back in, we get a double-KO spot. Piper heads up top, but Bret stops that and slams Piper down by his hair on the mat. Inverted atomic drop and a suplex gets two. Russian Legsweep gets two. Bret follows that up with a backbreaker and then goes for the SHARPSHOOTER, but Piper blocks Bret’s foot with his hands. Bret gives him a vertical elbow drop instead and then comes off the middle-rope for another elbow, but Piper gets his boot up. They trade blows on their knees and then they fight up until Piper shoves Bret off into the referee. Piper takes Bret to the floor and slams his bloody face into the steel steps. He rolls the beaten down Bret back in the ring and then grabs the ring bell. He gets back in and has second thoughts about bashing the bell over his head. Piper’s ethics kick in and he decides not to do it and grabs the SLEEPER HOLD instead. Bret then walks over to the corner and kicks off the ropes to fall on top of Piper WHILE STILL IN THE HOLD to get the 1-2-3. (13:52) Just a fantastic story told in that ring. Not only one of Piper’s finest matches, but also one of Bret’s best as well, which is really saying something. Piper looked like he was going to turn on Bret at the end, but he thought better of it and awards Bret with the IC belt. ****

Afterwards, they show a short interview excerpt from the Bret Hart DVD where he puts over Bret as the better man on that night of WrestleMania VIII.

Final Thoughts: I always enjoyed the Roddy Piper title reign and while they could have showcased Bret’s first IC title reign a little better with a decent match, they instead moved his short reign right along into the feud with the Mountie. I had never seen the Mountie attack which was pretty cool even though it’s ultimately just cartoon violence. Another solid episode capped off by a classic match. Thumbs up for episode 11.