In the previous entry, I looked at Survivor Series 1996. It was an amazing PPV with the debut of Mr. Dwayne Johnston. The next PPV was In Your House 12: It’s Time and the main event was Bret “The Hitman” Hart vs. Sycho Sid for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship.
Over the next four weeks, I will review this PPV from the perspectives of a fan looking back at it after two decades as well as my original thoughts as a teenager watching it at the time (though this particular PPV was one I watched in 1998 as my family did not have the channels necessary to watch wrasslin’).
WWF In Your House 12: It’s Time
Sharpshooter vs. Powerbomb
Oh yes, what a tagline. The poster helps, showing Bret on the left and Sid on the right, the two distinct styles of the two men. This isn’t two equals going against each other, it’s a ring technician against a powerhouse and it’s going to be great.
The Big Red WWF title screen goes straight into a polite promo for MB Karate Fighters. Vince McMahon and Jumpin’ Jim Ross with Jerry “The King” Lawler roars hello to the West Palm Beach Auditorium in West Palm Beach, Florida to very little fanfare. Yes indeed, the attendance is a measly 5,708. Our Spanish Colleagues are Hugo Savinovich, Carlos Cabrera and Arturo Rivera, who don’t seem to be mic’d up and they’re bantering but we hear naught.
(Note: Before the PPV began, there was a 30-minute show called Free-For-All, which was the nineties equivalent of the Preshow, full of promos and summaries of recent TV matches. There was an exclusive match on Free-For-All which was Rocky Maivia defeating Salvatore Sincere with Jim Cornette. It ended in a DQ. Before that, there was a Dark Match featuring Brakkus and Dr. X. There were also two dark matches at the end of the PPV after the cameras turned off featuring Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Goldust and Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind with Paul Bearer.)
The first match is introduced and down strolls Leif Cassidy AKA Al Snow, who is looking more like Snow each day. He has the big handlebar moustache and everything. All he needs is head.
Cut to the front and down strolls Flash Funk and his Funkettes, doing a nice little dance as he high-fives the crowd. They reach out and try to touch him but find nothing. One fan has Flash Funk’s name on a sign, written in tinsel. Vince has a wee dance with Flash but JR denies it, saying he came to call a match, not to dance. Fair play. The dance goes on for some time. The bell finally rings.
Flash Funk def. Leif Cassidy via pin in 10:34.
Both the lads are waving to the crowd though Leif is a bit of a heel here, so he is jeering at the crowd more. JR bigs up the fact that this is each competitor’s first singles match. Flash does a little dance and the two lock up, with Leif tinally tossing flash to the mat, rolling about, doing some lovely rolls until Leif is locked in an armbar by Flash. Leif copies and Flash does a lovely almost-Stunner reversal and a standing backflip before rolling into another armbar. Very mat-based just now. Funk botches a jump to the top rope, tries again and botches a lariat! Not great there, Funky. Flash funk, of course, evil twin to Terry Funk. Fact?
Flash seems to botch a head scissors but Leif seems to reverse it into a face-first powerbomb. Leif German suplexes Flash outside and then hits a springboard senton over the top rope onto Flash! Great stuff. In the ring, Leif dropkicks Flash, goes for the pin and gets a two. The crowd are chanting for Flash and he Pele Kicks Leif Cassidy right in the face. Skitter. Leif goes for the powerbomb and Funk escapes, does a dance and knocks Leif down. Leif hits a lovely spinebuster-sit-out-powerbomb-combo to Funk but gets only a two. Leif hits a Bret’s rope moonsault, but misses. Funk takes over, hitting a lovely handspring kick and Leif falls out of the ring allowing Flash to hit the suicide dive over the top rope. Funk hits the bodyslam followed by the moonsault but gets only a two. Cassidy hits the clothesline and the two men trade pin attempts for a while. Funk hits another Pele Kick and a lovely backdrop followed by another jump to the top rope. 450 splash and it’s all over in 10:34.
2016 comments:
Brilliant match from both men. Leif shocked me, I won’t be ashamed to admit. Great, great match. Well done, lads.
1996 comments:
These boys are better on their own than with others.
Grade: A
As the crowd dance and swing about, we have a promo for the 1997 Royal Rumble, which is due on January 19th, 1997.
On the Card will return on December 22 with the second part of In Your House 12: It’s Time 1996.
On The Card 