The Enlightenment: Stampede Classics Vol. 1 — Wrestling Classics

We shift briefly from South to North. We’re not done with the UWF, though. Don’t worry. The Freebirds, Devastation Inc. and Doctor Death will all be there when we get back.

These are a series of tapes released by Stampede in the early 1990s. They encompass the greatest hits in Stampede over the years.

Most notable for its in-ring action, Stampede thrived throughout the eighties under the guidance of Stu Hart. Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Lance Storm, Brian Pillman, Bad News Brown (Allen), and the Dynamite Kid are just a few of the wrestlers who were vaulted to stardom by Stampede.

In fact, Stampede is still running shows in Alberta, last I heard. You can check them out at Stampede Wrestling.

Your host is the late Ed Whalen who also does color for all the matches.

North American Heavyweight Title: Dan Kroffat vs. “The Stomper” Archie Gouldie.

This is the original Dan Kroffat, not the one you probably know from Japan and the WWE. As with most Stampede matches, we’re clipped to 10:00 in. Kroffat is dominating the Stomper. Stomper hangs Kroffat off the top ropes. Kroffat counters a double ax-handle with a desperation dropkick. Stomper goes to the eyes to maintain control. Kroffat leapfrogs over a backdrop attempt and locks in the sleeper hold. Stomper gets desperate and yanks the referee into Kroffat to break the hold. Gouldie appears to load up his boot and stomps Kroffat in the head for the win. (4:00 shown). **

Bret Hart vs. “The Stomper” Archie Gouldie (w/J.R. Foley).

This is an offshoot from the Stomper’s feud with Stu Hart. They roll around on the mat in a playground fight. Stomper wins that exchange and pounds Bret in the head. Whalen notes that Hart and Gouldie are #2 and #3 respectively in the title rankings. Bret comes back with a bodyslam and slaps on a headlock. Stomper shoves out of it, but Bret rebounds with a flying crossbody for two. We are suddenly (and clumsily) clipped to the 20 minute mark. The ref has been bumped, and Bret grabs a sleeper hold. Stomper makes the ropes, so Bret releases and starts pounding away. The ref wakes up and gives Bret a yellow card warning (for a minor infraction). Bret tosses the ref and goes back to the sleeper. The ref disqualifies Bret and gives him a red card (major infraction = suspension). (7:01 shown) *1/4

Whalen says it was a double disqualification, but that doesn’t make much sense. Oh well.

British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Title, 2/3 Falls: Bret Hart vs. The Dynamite Kid (w/J.R. Foley).

KICK ASS~! We are clipped to the third fall of a 2/3 falls match. Bret has just tied it up around 34 minutes in and is working DK’s arm. Bret turns to the Abdominal Stretch (which got him a second fall win). Dynamite hiptosses Bret, and they both fall to the floor. Back in, the two knock heads for a double KO. Dynamite recovers and dropkicks Bret to the outside. Bret rams DK’s head into the turnbuckle and sends him flying out with an atomic drop. Dynamite just beats the count back in. Bret delivers a swinging neckbreaker, but Kid blocks a second one. Bret slips over a charge and goes for a reverse rollup. Dynamite counters and hit’s a vertical splash for a series of two counts. Bret wins an exchange of uppercuts and grabs a single leg crab. Bret gets a dubious two off a suplex. While Bret argues the count, Dynamite recovers and tosses him in the tree-of-woe. The ref pulls Bret out of trouble. Dynamite gets a sunset flip for two. Bret counters to a jackknife hold for two more. Bret takes the “Bret bump” off a whip to the corner. They slug it out as Whalen reminds us that time is waning. Dynamite has the champion’s advantage, so he can hold out. Bret rolls him up for a close two. Dynamite backdrops out of a piledriver, but Bret German suplexes him. Bret makes the mistake of picking Dynamite up and locking in the abdominal stretch. The crowd is RAUCOUS, cheering for Dynamite to give up. The bell rings, prompting Bret to drop the hold. Oh…but it was evil manager J.R. Foley ringing the bell. The ref throws the match out, while Kid and Foley doubleteam Bret. (11:00 of 44:30 shown). ***1/4

World Mid-Heavyweight Title: Dynamite Kid (w/J.R. Foley) vs. Davey Boy Smith.

The Bulldogs EXPLODE! Smith is listed at 220 lbs! We’re clipped to 15 minutes in, and DK is holding a headscissors. Davey Boy blocks a corner whip, slips through Kid’s legs and gets a Victory Roll for two. That was LIGHTNING fast! Dynamite grounds the match with a chinlock. Whalen notes that evil manager J.R. Foley hales from “Cesspool, England.” Davey charges right into a wicked reverse elbow by the Kid. Kid bounces off the ropes and accidentally takes out Referee Cedric Hathaway. Hathaway, btw, was the “babyface” referee as opposed to Sandy Scott, who always found a way to screw the babyfaces. Dynamite tosses Smith over the top rope and revives Hathaway. Dynamite tries to suplex Smith back in, but Smith slips over his shoulder and DESTROYS him with a backdrop suplex for the win. ***

International Tag Team Titles: The British Bulldogs vs. The Cuban Commandos.

This would be just after the Bulldogs finished their WWF stint in 1988. The Cuban Commandos are Jerry Morrow and the Cuban Assassin (Angel Acevado). Chris Benoit and Lance Idol had a running feud with the Cuban Commandos that resulted in them trading the Int’l Tag Titles back and forth. The Commandos attack at the bell and toss Dynamite. The Cubans go for a spiked piledriver, but Dynamite breaks it up. Smith hits them both with a dropkick and slams their heads together. Clipped to Dynamite piledriving Morrow. Smith hits his powerslam, but Assassin breaks it up. Clipped to Morrow missing a splash attempt. The heels just walk out and take the countout loss. (3:19 shown). 1/2*

North American Title: Owen Hart vs. Jerry Morrow.

After the UWF folded in 1987, the Angel of Death jumped to Stampede with an open challenge. He would give $10,000 to anyone who could beat him in under ten minutes. Owen answered the challenge and defeated Angel, but Morrow — Angel’s lackey — reneged, and Owen got a beatdown from both men. Morrow bragged about it, so Owen challenged him to a fight. That fight went to a double countout, so we get this rematch. See how simple booking used to be? The Cuban Assassin is handcuffed to Bruce Hart to make sure he doesn’t interfere. Morrow ties Owen in the ropes and beats on him. Morrow drops a headbutt and slaps on a Boston Crab. Owen powers up and counters to an enzuigiri. Morrow clips him from behind to maintain control. Owen makes the big comeback and delivers a Bulldog-ish powerslam for two. A suplex and legdrop get two. He charges into a knee, enabling Morrow to go up. Owen catches him with a superplex. Bad News Allen shows up at ringside and trips Owen up. Owen quickly finishes Morrow off with a sunset flip at 7:50 (shown). **

International Tag Team Titles: Bad Company vs. The Midnight Cowboys.

Bad Company is Brian Pillman and Bruce Hart. The Midnight Cowboys are Kerry Brown and Rip Rogers. Clipped to 15:00 in. Pillman destroys both men with dropkicks and nails Rogers with a flying clothesline. Brown is there to make the save. Pillman SPLATS Rogers with a Superfly Splash. Again, Brown makes the save. Brown tosses Brian over the ropes when the ref isn’t looking. Brown gets two off a legdrop. The Cowboys double suplex Pillman for two. More clipping. Pillman SKIES over a double backdrop attempt and hits both men with a body block. Rogers goes up, but Bruce Hart shakes the ropes to crotch him. Pillman makes a blind tag to Hart, who delivers a flying clothesline for the win at 5:45 (shown). *1/2

International Tag Team Titles: Bruce Hart & Davey Boy Smith vs. The Masters of Disaster.

The Masters of Disaster are Kerry Brown and Duke Meyers. Brown and Meyers are dominating Smith as we JIP. Smith looks awfully skinny in there. Brown hits Smith with a foreign object, but Cedric Hathaway was tied up with Bruce. Brown delivers a shoulderbreak and a gutwrench for two. Davey Boy leaps over a backdrop and collides with Brown for the double KO. Meyers cuts off the tag, though. Davey Boy pushes Brown to his corner and makes the much-needed tag. Oh…but Meyers had the ref distracted. Smith finally does get the big tag, and Hart takes on both heels. Hart nails Brown with the Neckbreaker drop, and Davey seems to finish with a splash from the top rope. Dynamite Kid and The Great Gama come in to attack Hart and Smith, drawing the DQ. The other Hart boys and Rob Stewart make the save. **

International Tag Team Titles: Bret Hart & Keith Hart vs. The Kiwis.

The Kiwis are Sweet William and Crazy Nick, better known as the Sheepherders and even better known as the Bushwhackers. We’re JIP 17 minutes in to Bret hitting a desperation dropkick. Bret tags Keith, but of course, the ref didn’t see it. Bret fires back, but William cuts off the tag. Finally, the Kiwis botch a doubleteam, enabling Bret to make the hot tag. The Harts get stereo backdrops, then stereo dropkicks. William slams Keith and goes up top. Keith catches him and slams him off. Keith turns him over into a Boston Crab. Crazy Nick sneaks in and blasts the defenseless Keith while the ref is tied up with Bret. William gets the upset pin at 6:42 (shown). *1/2

Jim Neidhart vs. Neil Guay.

Neidhart you know as Bret’s partner, although you probably wouldn’t recognize him here. Guay is a big guy who had more fame as “The Hangman” and “Super Destroyer III.” Guay works the arm a lot. Neidhart whips him to the corner and splash him for two. Guay goes back to the arm. A slugfest erupts, and Neidhart gets two off a hiptoss. Guay delivers a big boot. A shoulderbreaker gets two for Guay. Neidhart sidesteps a big boot and schoolboys Guay for the win. Pretty bad. 1/2*

North American Title: Jake Roberts vs. Big Daddy Ritter (w/J.R. Foley).

Ritter would go on to fame as The Junkyard Dog. Roberts is, of course, Jake the Snake. JIP to Ritter holding an armbar and cheating to hold on. Every time Jake starts to get out of it, Ritter pulls the tights. Finally, Jake armdrags out of it. Ritter loads up his glove and blasts Jake’s shoulder with it. Jake avoids an elbow and backdrops Ritter over. Jake blocks a punch with his hands, injuring his wrist. Jake grabs a chair and smashes it over Ritter’s head for the DQ. *1/4

13-Man Battle Royal:

Andre the Giant is the main attraction. He goes toe-to-toe with Hercules Ayala and chases Ritter out of the ring. Andre squashes Sakurada and Barrabas in the corner. Jerry Morrow makes the mistake of jumping on Andre’s back. Andre just shudders him off over the ropes. Ritter and Buzz Sawyer get into a slugfest that would carry over into their Mid-South days. Barrabas, Sawyer and Keith Hart go quickly. Luke Savage goes out. Bruce Hart goes. That’s fast. Hubert Gallant goes out. Sakurada does a cut spot where he keeps circling around behind Andre so Andre can’t find him. It comes down to Sakurada, Mr. Hito, Big Daddy Ritter and Andre the Giant. The Japanese grab Andre’s arms while Ritter knocks Andre down with headbutts. Andre gets a big boot on Ritter and slams the Japanese together. Ritter jumps over the top and heads to the back to get away from Andre. Hito and Sakurada try valiantly, but Andre tosses them aside. Andre tosses Sakurada, but Hito jumps him from behind and puts him in a sleeper. Andre rams him into the turnbuckle and sends Hito out with an atomic drop. Not much happening aside from the Andre/Ritter storyline. *3/4

Final Thoughts: Pretty interesting look at some of the big matches in Stampede over the years. The usual complaints still apply — no real backstories to the matches, severely clipped. Still, the clipping gives you a chance to see a wider variety of matches. Dynamite Kid and Owen Hart were especially entertaining, and it’s great to see them before they went off to the WWF.

Thumbs up for Stampede Classics Vol. 1

J.D. Dunn