Winner and NEW IC champion: Chris Jericho via pinfall. Not only that it was a great match with countering and false finishes. ***1/2. Neato.
BACKSTAGE Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff walk! We're going WAY BACK on this next Rewind!
Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff v US Express (Barry Windham/Mike Rotunda)
Volkoff asks we rise and respect the Soviet National Anthem. Still as good as ever Nikolai. I love how it still gets heat like it's 1985. "Russia nummer one. Iran nummer one. USA hack ptooey" Sheik. Awesome. This is a re-match from Wrestlemania. Sheik and Volkoff won that match for the tag titles. We're interrupted by Gillian Hall who wasn't even born when they fought at Wrestlemania. Gillian points out Barry can't afford the rights to "Born in the USA" anymore because they're has-beens. But luckily she's here to sing it for them. Oh boy. Give the mic back to Volkoff! Rotunda gives her the airplane spin SO FAST she loses her shoes. And that's your match. Why even bait and switch that?
HALL OF FAME Mike Adamle runs through the class for this year so far; Flair, Maivia, Rocky Johnson, Mae Young. And
a tag team THE BRISCO BROTHERS. Jack and Gerry. We get clips of the Brisco's holding 20 tag titles. Gerry held a few singles titles but Jack was NWA world champion. Twice. When that meant something. We get a plug for the Brisco Brothers Body Shop in Tampa. JR calls them the greatest brother tag team in wrestling.
SHILL Wrestlemania XXIV (24). The video now has highlights of the feuds going in. 20 days away.
VIDEO We see Big Show's various feats of strength including pressing several wrestlers and slamming Undertaker through the mat. Hill's bump from last week looks worse every time I see it. How'd he not break his hip? We get clips from Wrestlemania 15 and HHH v Kane at that show. Ah, I got the year right. Spoot.
BACKSTAGE Kane looks angry. Randy Orton comes in to see him. He says HHH embarassed Kane over the years and even unmasked him. He's about to refer to Kane as "Triple H's bitch". Kane grabs him by the throat and says he doesn't need a history lesson because he remembers everything. He storms off and Orton gives a tiny smile.
SHILL John Legend will be singing America the Beautiful at Wrestlemania.
Triple H v Kane
Wrestlemania Rewind match from 1999. Kane no sells the opening shots and punches away in the corner. Kane's looking a little doughy these days. He pounds away but runs into a back elbow. H's replies with his own punches but gets whipped over the top. H's gets his face introduced to the announce table but retorts by whipping Kane into the ring post. H's works over the neck. He probably sees this as a tune-up match. Kane with a big boot and a low dropkick of all things. Corner clothesline but following up H's counters into a spinebuster. Facebuster. Kane won't go over. H's wants the Pedigree but Kane backdrops out. Orton is out to look at this. Kane wants a chokeslam. H's counters out and looks for the Pedigree again. This time Orton's presence distracts. Kane with a sideslam but when he comes off the top H's boots him and hits the Pedigree.