WWE: The Kliq Rules
Three-Disc Set
Released: 7/28/2015

DISC THREE
MORE MATCHES AND EXTRAS

• WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels (w/Jose Lothario) vs. Diesel – No Holds Barred (In Your House 4/28/96)

This is the swan song for Diesel as he’s leaving for WCW along with Ramon, so he’s looking to leave on an absolute high note. Diesel tosses Vince his leather vest as a goodbye present, I’m assuming. Mad Dog Vachon is in the front row. That becomes important later. Shawn has to clear the ring of Diesel in order to take off his chaps. HBK levels Diesel with a baseball slide and follows him out with a moonsault press off the top to the floor! Ha, Shawn takes a boot off one of the SAT guys and comes down on Diesel with it from the top rope for two. Diesel reverses a whip for the Flair Corner Flip and knocks Shawn off the apron onto the guardrail. Back inside, Diesel punishes Shawn with the usual stuff. He hits the Side Slam and unties his wrist tape to CHOKE OUT THE REF! WHAT. With ref Earl Hebner choked down, Diesel loosens Hebner’s belt to whip Shawn. Now that is cool. Diesel goes as far as to wrap the belt around Shawn’s throat and pulls back while he’s got his foot in Shawn’s back. Like you would in a strap match, Diesel flips him over the top rope and ties him to the middle rope to go get a chair. While the ref tries to get Shawn loose, Diesel kills him with a chair shot. In the ring, we see another chair shot to Shawn. He begs off into the ropes and ducks another chair shot as the chair bounces off the top rope back into Diesel’s face! Now Shawn has the chair, but Diesel low-blows him real good. Big backdrop from Diesel gets two. Shawn fights out of a neck wrench, but Diesel knocks him out to the floor. With Shawn out on the floor, Diesel slowly comes down and POWERBOMBS SHAWN THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE. Not the SAT either – Vince and King’s table. Such an insane bump at the time because a spot like that had never been done before in the WWF quite like that. Diesel has the belt in the ring and puts it around his waist while Shawn regroups. As he crawls over to the ring, Shawn pulls out a fire extinguisher from under the ring and shoots it off in Diesel’s face to push him back! With Diesel blinded, Shawn hits the Flying Forearm. Now Shawn brings the chair back into the ring and KO’s Diesel. Oh, but just when Shawn looks like he’s in control, he ducks low off a whip and takes a Big Boot to the face. Here comes the JACKKNIFE! No! Shawn punches out and hits the Flying Elbow Drop! Diesel catches Shawn’s foot during SWEET CHIN MUSIC and spins Shawn around for a clothesline. Back on the floor, Diesel hotshots Shawn on the guardrail. After he tosses Shawn back in the ring, Diesel goes over and pulls Mad Dog Vachon from the front row and pulls off his prosthetic leg! Back inside, Diesel looks to bash the artificial leg on Shawn’s head, but Shawn answers back with a low-blow. Shawn winds up with Vachon’s leg and blasts Diesel. He tosses the leg back to Mad Dog and finishes off Diesel for good with SWEET CHIN MUSIC. (17:54) You have to love Shawn’s big time emotional celebration afterwards. Not only had he never beaten Diesel, but the win gives him the confidence to know that his title reign is FOR REALZ now in his first big title defense. Well, at least in terms of the ‘boyhood dream’ storyline. Innovative stuff here for the WWF and one of my all-time favorite matches as both guys just absolutely tore the house down. ****¾

• Non-title match: WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels (w/Jose Lothario) vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley (RAW 5/13/96)

Vince says he wants the silhouetted lady claiming Shawn Michaels is a homewrecker to come to WWF studios for more questioning. Since we have the luxury of hindsight, this is certainly an interesting contest. Hunter gets the best of Shawn to start, causing Michaels to let down his hair and send us into commercials. When we come back, Shawn is clotheslining Helmsley out to the floor. He even goes over and flirts with HHH’s girl for the evening, which just works as bait to draw Hunter over for a punch to the face. Back in, HBK brings Hunter into the ring with a headlock and drops him face-first on the mat when the ref calls for a break. Helmsley fights out of a headlock and avoids a corner charge. A big punt sends Michaels crashing on the floor. Next thing we know, Mr. Perfect is standing in the aisle getting a closer look at this match. We get some guardrail action with Hunter in control as we take another commercial break. AND WE’RE BACK! Helmsley hits a High Knee for two. Shawn escapes a chinlock and counters a back suplex by landing on top of HHH for two. Hunter lays in some vicious elbows in the corner. Swinging neckbreaker scores another nearfall as we take ANOTHER commercial break. When we return, Shawn fights out of a chinlock and counters a Pedigree with a catapult. Flying Forearm and Flying Elbow gets 1-2-NO! Helmsley tries a powerbomb (!), but HBK counters with a headscissors, and Helmsley rolls through to gain a nearfall on Shawn! Helmsley tries the Pedigree again, but this time Shawn backdrops him over and lands SWEET CHIN MUSIC for 1-2-3! (13:07 shown) Mr. Perfect says nothing and returns backstage. Certainly a match that showed promise for the future. Even with all the commercial breaks, it’s a pretty good match. Definitely the best match on Raw in a couple months. ***¼

MSG Curtain Call (Madison Square Garden 5/19/96)

The footage filmed by Mani Modhati of the infamous MSG Curtain Call of the Kliq that broke kayfabe and caused all sorts of trouble for Hunter Hearst Helmsley over the next year. I wonder whatever happened to that guy.

• WCW World Tag Team Championship: Rick & Scott Steiner (c) (w/Ted DiBiase) vs. The Outsiders (w/Hollywood Hogan) (WCW Monday Nitro 1/12/98)

Odd to see Hogan out here. Michael Buffer calls this a title unification match. Tony announces that Ric Flair has been fined for his attack on Jim Neidhart. No amount is given though. Steiners are hot to start. Hall bumps around for Scott. Nash tries to save his partner and winds up taking a double-team suplex. While the nWo regroups on the floor, Randy Savage makes his way to ringside to stir up trouble. Hogan tries to play mediator here and keep Savage from doing anything to Nash. Back in the ring, Nash tags in and slows things down with knees in the corner and the regular Nash offense on Rick Steiner. Nash gets caught with a comeback flying shoulder block and a powerslam from the DFG. Tag to Scott, Nash puts him down with a short-arm clothesline. Hall takes over and delivers a chokeslam to Scott. He mocks the Giant and turns around into a sweet belly to belly overhead suplex. Cover, 1-2-NO! The Steiners start working on legs. Nash tries to fire back with the Snake Eyes, but Rick shoves him off into the corner. Rick looks for the Flying Bulldog, but Hogan trips him up top. Scott Steiner and Hogan get physical for a moment or two. Nothing that would signify they have an issue to settle. Meanwhile, Hall is working over Rick and the crowd wants Sting. Fallaway Slam gets two. Nash hits the Side Slam for a nearfall as well. Hall peppers Rick with slaps on the head as he’s been known to do. That wakes up Rick as he fires back on Hall, but then Nash nails Rick as he comes off the ropes into a clothesline from Hall for two. Heel miscommunication fails as Nash boots Hall into the ref and Scott Steiner. Steinerline to Nash! He powerslams Hall and covers him, but no ref. Nash low blows Rick (off camera) and covers him. HEY WAIT. Savage is on the top rope looking to drop a MACHO ELBOW on Nash, but Nash moves at the last second and Rick gets nailed. Hall and Nash then both dogpile Rick and the half conscious ref counts three. (11:17) We’ve got new tag team champions. Savage seems beside himself here. Hogan tries to keep the peace, but there doesn’t look like there’s going to be any peace tonight. Anything with Hall was fine, but the Nash stuff was just lazy and dull. Definitely not deserving of the tag belts tonight. *½

• Kevin Nash vs. Scott Hall (WCW Halloween Havoc 10/25/98)

This is the era when Big Sexy’s buddy Scott Hall is drinking too much and needs to be taught some “tough love”. You never do see addicts taking side slams and powerbombs on that show Intervention. Maybe they should have. People would have probably watched it more. Hall throws a clear alcoholic beverage in Nash’s eyes to start. It’s a dick move and it allows Hall to throw those wonderful punches of his. He takes Nash to the floor for some ringside violence. With Nash down and getting medical attention, Hall cuts a promo asking Nash how the world looks through foggy eyes. He then tells Nash to leave because he’s through messing with him, but of course Nash rolls back in the ring. Hall lays in more punches and slams the big man. He calls for the Outsider’s Edge, but Nash shoves him into the corner. There’s more punches, but it’s effective storytelling. Nash tells him to “bring it on”. He whips Hall from corner to corner to corner and hits a Side Slam. They trade shots on their knees and fight up to their feet. Nash buries a knee and punches Hall down. Now he wants the Jackknife, but Hall retreats to the floor. Back in, they lock up and Nash shoves Hall to the mat. Hall tries to pound the shoulder and twists the arm, but Nash pulls him into a short-arm clothesline. Nash starts smashing on the back and lands the Bossman straddle. How about one more. Ref Mickey Jay asks Hall if he wants to continue. Nash hits the knees and the elbow in the corner. He’s running out of moves here. Over to another corner, Nash asks Hall if he wants another drink while he’s driving in those knees. He brings Hall to the center of the ring and keeps beating him up. Hall is out on his feet. His punches have no power. Nash lays in the Big Boot and DOWN COMES THE STRAPS. Time for the JACKKNIFE POWERBOMB. He lays Hall out with one more, gives him a crotch chop, and heads for the exit sign because he doesn’t want to pin his friend. (14:19) This was going fine until Nash stopped working within the confines of the story and started hamming it up for the Las Vegas crowd. Even though they were digging him, he wasn’t supposed to be enjoying beating up his alcoholic friend this much. It made him look like a jerk instead of showing any conflicted feelings about what he felt he had to do here. It was a strange match. *½

• Triple H (w/Chyna) vs. X-Pac (Backlash 4/25/99)

From Kyle’s Backlash recap. This rivalry started at WrestleMania when HHH and Chyna reunited at WM, but then they double crossed X-Pac. Since we all know Russo uses WrestleMania to build the smaller shows. HHH dominates most of the match. X-Pac hits the referee by mistake with a dropkick so there’s no one to count when he hits the X-FACTOR. Chyna sneaks in and hits X-Pac with a reverse DDT. She then puts Hunter on top of X-Pac. Kane comes out to get revenge on Chyna. Kane chokeslams both HHH and Chyna. He puts them both in the corners. X-Pac pops up and hits the Broncobuster on Helmsley and Chyna, but HHH recovers and nails the PEDIGREE for the win. (19:19) Wow that was really, really, really long. The match would have been okay if it was cut in half, but they had a 10 minute match and dragged it out to 20 minutes. HHH dominated way too much of this match and X-Pac didn’t look credible at all. This match gets tons of praise, but I couldn’t get into this. **½

• Kevin Nash, Scott Hall & X-Pac vs. Hulk Hogan, The Rock & Kane (Smackdown 3/28/02)

We’re ten days removed from WrestleMania x8 when the Outsiders turned on Hollywood Hogan and he’s still wearing the black and white. There is brand split talk from Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler as that just happened for the first time ever on the previous episode of RAW. Rock and X-Pac start this match. Rock armdrags X-Pac around and grabs an armbar. X-Pac fights out and roundhouse kicks Rock down to tag out to Hall. Rock gets the tooth pick in the face (and throws his head back), but spins Hall around in the corner for tons of punches. Hall catches Rock for a Fallaway Slam though for two. Tag to Nash, here come the knees and elbows in the corner. Back to Hall, he wins a slugfest with the Rock, but charges into a Spinebuster. Hot tag to Hogan, he cleans house on the nWo. Three punches, Big Boot, and the LEGDROP to Hall! Nash saves the day with an elbow drop. Nash tags in and Side Slams Hogan for two. We see Hall has some color on his forehead. X-Pac chops and kicks Hogan down. Back to Hall again, he grabs a sleeperhold. Hogan shakes his finger and battles out with a back suplex. Hot tag to Kane, he hits Hall with the Flying Clothesline. He nails X-Pac and Nash. Side Slam to Hall. Nash boots Kane down, but in comes Rock to punch Nash to the floor. X-Pac tags and goes for the Bronco Buster on Kane, but gets goozled and takes a CHOKESLAM for the win. (6:38) As a big fan of six-man tags, this peaked my interest. It’s not bad, but it’s short and meaningless. **

• World Heavyweight Championship: Triple H (w/Ric Flair) vs. Kevin Nash (w/Shawn Michaels) (Judgment Day 5/18/03)

This is from a period where I had actually stopped watching RAW, so I’ve never seen this match before and don’t know much of anything about the backstory. Nash must be really mad because he meets Triple H in the aisle to start beating him up. Ric Flair tries to help, but Shawn Michaels is right there to keep Flair at bay. Refs and agents try to contain them while Nash beats HHH to ringside for some ringside violence. In the ring, the bell sounds and here we go. Nash delivers his knees in the corner and HHH bails after a backdrop. Helmsley tries to sucker Nash into getting posted, but Nash puts on the brakes and sends Hunter into the steel instead. Back inside, Nash lands the Big Boot and slams him for a TRIFECTA of elbow drops. Helmsley goes to the eyes and Hebner gives him the riot act. Triple H shoves him down and Hebner threatens to DQ him. Nash telegraphs a backdrop and receives a swinging neckbreaker. Nash reverses a whip in the corner and clotheslines the champ. He mounts Triple H for some punches and Hebner pulls him off HHH by his hair. KNOCK IT OFF. Helmsley baits Nash to the floor and back inside the ring. He comes off the ropes for a clothesline, but Nash ducks and Hebner gets wiped out. Oh boy. When Nash no-sells a kick to the chops, Helmsley does the Ric Flair sell and kicks Nash in the nards. He exposes the turnbuckle, but Nash fires back and hits the Side Slam. More elbows in the corner followed by a Big Boot. Nash tries to give Triple H the Snake Eyes on the exposed turnbuckle, but Hebner stands in his way and gets knocked to the side. Helmsley slips off his shoulders and smashes Nash’s face on the steel. Nash staggers up into the PEDIGREE. Hebner crawls over to count 1-2-NO! He wants another Pedigree, but Nash backdrops Triple H to the floor. Getting desperate, Helmsley grabs his TRUSTY SLEDGEHAMMER to whack Nash. Hebner tries to stop him and gets blasted for the DQ. (7:25) After the bell, Nash gives Helmsley the Snake Eyes on the exposed turnbuckle and delivers the JACKKNIFE. As refs and agents try to help the champ, Nash beats him over to the announce table which is over by the entrance ramp. Flair comes out and tries to stop Nash, but gets drilled. He won’t listen to Shawn Michaels either. With nobody left to stop him, Nash gives Helmsley a JACKKNIFE through the announce table. Nash just doesn’t work for me as a pissed off babyface. He’s much better as a pissed off heel and as a sarcastic babyface to me, but maybe that’s because that’s all he’s ever done. *½

• WWE Unified Tag Team Championship: Jeri-Show (c) vs. DX – TLC Match (TLC 12/13/09)

JERI-SHOW! One of the most unlikely likeable tag teams of all time. HHH and Show pair off while Shawn battles Jericho. Out on the floor, Show whips Triple H into the barricade, but misses a charge and winds up in the front row. They brawl up the aisle way while Jericho and Shawn fight over a suplex through a table. Back inside, Shawn hits the Flying Forearm, but the Flying Elbow hits knees! Jericho brings a chair with him to save Show. Out of nowhere, Shawn comes out through the curtain wielding a chair of his own! How did he get over there so fast? He jabs Jeri-Show with the chair, but takes a headbutt from Show. DX stops a chase at the titles and gives a ladder a suplex onto Jericho. After Show stops DX from climbing the ladder, Jericho baseball slides a ladder into Shawn to send him out, leaving HHH alone with Jeri-Show. They lean a ladder in the corner and essentially put HHH in a LADDER TREE OF WOE. In comes Shawn to try and save, but Show whips him into his buddy. Triple H whips Jericho into the ladder, which sends him flying out to the floor. Helmsley comes back on Show with the Facebuster and slams him in the face with the ladder. While Jericho is walking around ringside, HHH chucks the ladder at him. Chokeslam to Triple H is countered to a DDT. Here comes Shawn with the Flying Elbow. He “tunes up the band”, but Jericho stops Sweet Chin Music with the CODEBREAKER. Triple H hits him with the AA Spinebuster, but Show wipes him out with the spear. That leaves Show alone with the tag belts. HHH tries to bring him down with a chairshot to the back, but Show NO-SELLS and gets down to PUNCH THE CHAIR INTO TRIPLE H’S FACE. DX ends up turning the ladder over on Show. HHH delivers the PEDIGREE that sends him bouncing out to the floor. Shawn heads up the ladder, but Jericho turns it over, sending Shawn flying down on top of Show. HHH has some trouble getting down off the ladder, but finally takes him down with a powerbomb. Show brings down HHH with a CHOKESLAM. DX gets sandwiched in between the ladder. Jericho hits the ladder with a chair while Show slams the ladder shut on them. There’s a broken ladder. Show takes DX outside and throws Shawn into HHH to put them both through a table. Since the ladder is broken in two pieces, Jericho walks across the ring on Big Show’s shoulders trying to reach the belts. That’s just brilliant. However, it also leaves them in a very compromising position. SWEET CHIN MUSIC to Big Show causes Jericho to fall out over the top rope onto the table below in a nasty fall. DX clotheslines Big Show out of the ring with half the ladder, leaving nobody around to stop them. HHH holds up the broken piece of the ladder    while Shawn climbs and we’ve got NEW tag team champs. (22:32) Unless he comes back (and I don’t think he will), this was Shawn’s final championship. Fun match with some great bumps. Loved the innovative finish. Anytime Big Show punches things, I’m all about it. ***¼

Final Thoughts: Some interesting match choices here. You got to see almost every combination of the Kliq wrestling one another in different situations throughout the 90s (and 2009). The last match was a little bit of a headscratcher choice for a DX match, but illustrated that they were still trucking fifteen years later. If you’re a fan of these guys, I don’t see why you wouldn’t have fun with this set. Slight thumbs up for the Kliq Rules. Pick it up if it’s cheap.