WWE King of the Ring 1995 (1995)

Pretty Good

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

1st Match: Savio Vega vs IRS. A dark match that's actually shown on the PPV, strange, but it's a good start. If anything it's less than 5 minutes, so it's pretty harmless. Rating: 3/5 2nd Match: Savio Vega vs Yokozuna. An OK match until it ends via countout. Rating: 2.5/5 3rd Match: The Roadie vs Bob Holly. Interesting to see Bob Holly before his Hardcore gimmick. The match is pretty good, even if I have to put up with Jeff Jarrett for 7 minutes. Rating: 3.5/5 4th Match: Shawn Michaels vs Kama. The match of the night, even though it ends in a time-limit draw. A lot of action crammed into 15 minutes. Rating: 4/5 5th Match: Mabel vs The Undertaker. Strange to see Taker lose this, but they were taking a chance pushing Mabel. Not much to this. Rating: 2.5/5 6th Match: Savio Vega vs The Roadie. Vega had quite a push, 4 matches in one night, and the crowd is with him throughout the whole night. Another decent match here. Rating: 3/5 7th Match: Bret Hart vs Jerry Lawler, Kiss my Foot match. As I've said before, watching a heel Lawler getting beat up is always fun. The match stipulation is pretty gross, but it's at least better than a "Kiss my Ass" match. Rating: 3.5/5 8th Match: Mabel vs Savio Vega. So Mabel wins, and becomes probably the most uninteresting King of the Ring yet. The crowning ceremony goes on way too long, mostly because the crowd isn't buying it at all and throwing garbage at Mo and Mabel. The match is OK, certainly not the worst match I've seen, but it's hard to take Mabel seriously as a threat. Rating: 2.5/5 9th Match: Tatanka and Sid Vicious vs Diesel and Bam Bam Bigelow. A pretty good tag team match to end the show, not as good as Michaels' match from earlier, but as a replacement for a title match, it's a good way to end the show. Rating: 3.5/5 Final Rating: 6 out of 10. Often considered to be one of the worst PPVs WWE's ever put out, I've seen a lot worse. It's not great, but a lot of the matches are less than 10 minutes, so even if they aren't great, they're over and done with pretty quick.

Live from Philly, PAYour hosts are Vince McMahon & Dok HendrixAttendance 16,590KOTR qualifying matchSavio Vega (W/Razor Ramon) Vs I.R.S (W/Ted Dibiase)Vega wins with a spinning heel kick. This is a pre-show bonus match that Coliseum Video gave us. The best compliment I can give this match is that I expected a lot worse. I.R.S would leave the WWF for WCW soon after this.*KOTR quarter-finalsYokozuna (W/Jim Cornette & Mr. Fuji) Vs Savio Vega (W/Razor Ramon)Savio advances by countout after a brawl on the floor. This was a really boring match with hardly any exciting moments. Vega is certainly a decent wrestler, but he can't do much with Yokozuna. The Cinderella story continues for Savio. *A closeup is shown of Jerry Lawler's tattered looking sock over his foot. He promises that Bret will kiss his stinky foot later tonight.KOTR quarter-finalsThe Roadie (W/Jeff Jarrett) Vs Bob HollyHolly leaps off the top towards Roadie, but Roadie gets his boot up in Holly's face, and manages to pin him with that to advance. The effort from both is commendable, but it failed to generate any true excitement. The first minute is awesome with several near falls, but neither could really take advantage of that no matter how hard they worked. It just felt inconsequential. **KOTR quarter-finals Shawn Michaels vs Kama (W/Ted Dibiase)The match ends in a time-limit draw, meaning BOTH are eliminated from the tournament. After the match, Shawn delivers Sweet Chin Music to Kama. It's such a shame that Kama had to bore the place to tears with his crappy offense for most of this match. Whenever Shawn was on offense, the match got better, which is why the last 5 minutes were good. The finish is one of the stupidest booking decisions you'll ever see! Shawn was way over with the Philly crowd and he would have been a great choice to win KOTR.*1/2KOTR quarter-finalsMabel (W/Mo) Vs The Undertaker (W/Paul Bearer)The winner of this match gets a bye into the finals. Mabel wins with a legdrop, thanks to outside interference from Kama. Another crappy match from this PPV. The Undertaker was the last hope the crowd had for somebody good to win the KOR. Mabel beating The Undetaker was simply inexcusable! Kama and The Undertaker would continue their awful feud after this.*1/4KOTR semi-finalsSavio Vega (W/Razor Ramon) Vs The Roadie (W/Jeff Jarrett)Vega wins with a roll-up after failed interference from Jeff Jarrett. Yet, another boring match. The crowd revolted a bit during the match with loud booing. Nobody cared about Savio Vega's Cinderella story and they damn sure didn't wanna see a KOTR final between Vega and Mabel.*Kiss My Foot MatchBret Hart Vs Jerry "The King" LawlerBret wins with the Sharpshooter. Bret shoves his foot in Lawler's mouth after the match. To add insult to injury, Bret forces Jerry's stinky foot with the tattered sock in Lawler's own mouth. I wouldn't exactly call it a good match, but it was fine for what it was. Many people wanted to see Lawler get his comeuppance and this was the perfect way to do it. The crowd enjoyed it and so did I. *3/4KOTR finalsSavio Vega (W/Razor Ramon) Vs Mabel (W/Mo)Mabel wins the King of the Ring with a big splash. This match was so boring that Vince pleaded with Savio to "make a move" during a reverse chinlock.from Mabel. The crowd revolted big time as well with thunderous ECW chants. Mabel winning the King of the Ring is a complete joke in every sense of the word. Awful. Just awful. ½*We get the coronation for King Mabel that nobody gives a rat's ass about. Jerry Lawler literally pukes in the sink from having feet shoved in his mouth, then tries to get the taste out of his mouth by eating toothpaste. Sycho Sid & Tatanka (W/Ted Dibiase) Vs Diesel & Bam Bam BigelowDiesel and Bigelow win after Diesel pins Tatanka with a jackknife powerbomb. Diesel wanted Sid, but Sid bailed. What a dull main event to cap off quite possibly the worst WWE PPV in history. This didn't have a big match feel to it, but you can blame that on the lack of depth in 1995. As much as I like Bigelow, he is not a very good face and he looked out-of-place with Diesel. I also couldn't take Tatanka seriously as a top heel.*1/2Final Thoughts:This might just be the worst PPV in history. I saw it a few years ago and decided to give it another chance. What a mistake that was! This is an agonizing experience and something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. There are so many problems with this PPV. It features some of the stupidest booking decisions you'll ever see. I really don't see how Vince could pass over Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker to make Mabel KOTR. With all due respect, Mabel was a crappy wrestler and he had no business getting this kind of push. Second of all, Savio Vega's Cinderella run flopped miserably. I get that Vince wanted to give Savio the Rocky Balboa treatment, but in order for that to work, people have to actually ROOT for you. Savio got barely any reaction out of his four appearances all night. I could go on, but there is a word limit here. Unless you're a masochist, stay far away from this PPV. Life is too short.

Here are the matches...First round - Savio Vega v Yokozuna: Both show off their flags at the start of the match gaining cheap heat before the Philadelphia crowd and ECW's 'Hatman' sits in the front with his mate in the same seats he always has. Savio squeezed a count-out victory from Yokozuna after Owen Hart interfered and hurt Razor's 'injured' ribs getting him some cheap heat. Savio and Yokozuna battle on the outside but Vega sneaks back into the ring before the 10 count.2/10 Bob 'Sparkplug' Holly v The Roadie: The hardcore legend and one half of the New Age Outlaws start the match with a multitude of near pinfall attempts. The Intercontinental champion Jeff Jarrett is at ringside as Roadie's assistant. I think Holly gets frustrated during the match because he can't seem to get the apathetic crowd to react and would be furious by the time the match finishes because he clearly gets his shoulder up but the referee counts the pinfall anyway. Probably the best match of the night but that really isn't saying too much.5/10 Shawn Michaels v Kama: After his appearance as Papa Shango and before his Godfather days Charles Wright would appear as the rather lacklustre human killing machine Kama. As he arrived to the ring, Shawn tries the crown on but it is too big for him which sends out warning bells that he isn't going to win the tournament. Because the pace is rather slow for a King of the Ring match and nobody seemed interested in going for a pin, we determine early on this is going to the end. As predictable as night and day, Shawn Michaels attempts a sunset flip just as soon as the bell sounds for the time limit and both men are eliminated from the contest. Shawn obviously shouts 'bullshit'. I agree with Shawn but he isn't the poor sod that's watching this. Yokozuna is gone and now Shawn Michaels is eliminated...Things aren't looking so good.4/10 Undertaker v Mabel: This match would epitomise Undertaker's year, the phenom facing and carrying a bloke, often overweight, who had absolutely no talent whatsoever. Apart from an interesting bit where Undertaker gets his foot trapped in the ring ropes, everything else here was lead-paced. Mabel gets help from Kama who distracts Undertaker enough so Mabel can drop his big leg across him for the pinfall.4/10 Semi final - Savio Vega v The Roadie: You've got to wonder what the bookers have been smoking. This match ends when Vega Irish whips Roadie who doesn't see Jarrett on the ring apron but avoids the collision with him. Vega knees Roadie into Jarrett who falls off the apron and rolls Roadie up for a 3 count. Nothing remarkable about this match and the crowd notably get annoyed during it.3/10 Bret 'Hitman' Hart v Jerry Lawler in a 'kiss my feet' match: Lawler, as usual, stalls everything with his cheap heat. During the match Lawler pile-drives Hart no less than 3 times and Bret still kicks out at 2. Lawler takes off his boot to smack Hart in the face. Hakushi comes to the ring and manages to mess up his interference. Bret applies the sharpshooter and gains victory by submission. Not only does Bret ram his foot down Lawler's throat, he manages to bend Lawler's own foot into this throat! Bret was underutilised here which is a massive shame because 1995 was when they needed him the most. Lawler tries his best to work the crowd and, considering how disillusioned the fans are at this point, he doesn't do a bad job of it.5/10 Final round - Savio Vega vs Mabel: There is very little point in talking about the match. Quality-wise it stunk. Vega to his credit tried but Mabel just wasn't interested in entertaining the people. Chants of 'ECW...ECW' ring out and this must have disturbed McMahon at the time. The writing is on the wall when Mabel uses the fall-away slam and splash to become the 1995 king. The crowd are stunned in silence, they are shocked but not in a good way. This is such a mess that the crowd are rabid by the time Mabel and Mo start the coronation.3/10 Once on the throne, Mabel gets hit in the face with a piece of rubbish. I don't think even he was prepared for such hostility. Mo attempts to read the coronation while chewing gum or something - idiot. He takes so long to read it but it is such a WWF moment for all the wrong reasons. Mabel wanted heat and he got it from a merciless Philadelphia crowd.Diesel and Bam Bam Bigelow v 'Psycho' Sid and Tatanka: Bam Bam arrives to the ring with a weird outfit on and some pyrotechnic gloves or something. Diesel damaged his elbow and so therefore does very little during the course of the night. I loved Sid Vicious and was intrigued by Vinnie Vegas in WCW so how did Sid Eudy and Kevin Nash suddenly become useless in 1995? The only man trying in that ring was Bam Bam Bigelow and unfortunately one man does not make a tag match. Sid bailed out on Tatanka in the end and Diesel drops the elbow on Tatanka for the pin. The fireworks go off and nobody gives a toss. What a sad night for wrestling.2/10 Many people say this is the worst WWE PPV of all time. If it isn't it's close. The booking was the pits and Mabel as King is an absolute nightmare because you've got to wonder where such a terrible worker can possibly go from here. Bret Hart tried his best but unfortunately Philadelphia was robbed that night.

King of the Ring was pretty average as far as King of the Ring events go but there was a bit here that could be enjoyed.(SPOILERS AHEAD)The King of the Ring tournament itself was fairly mediocre. The match between Shawn Michaels and Kama was awesome but the rest of the tournament matches were nothing special.Diesel and Bam Bam Bigelow beat Tatanka and Psycho Sid in the main event-it was okay.Bret Hart battled Jerry "The King" Lawler in a "Kiss My Foot Match." Hart and Lawler were bitter enemies (at least on TV)which made this a great match and the ending of the match was great where Bret Hart put his foot in Lawler's mouth before forcing Lawler's own foot into his mouth. Lawler then hurried back to the locker rooms almost spewing up-it was classic WWF comedy at the time.King of the Ring 1995 is worth checking out for the "Kiss My Foot Match" and the Shawn Michaels/Kama match.