We’re getting into more WWE 1996 with WWE In Your House 9: International Incident from July 21.
WWE had a few storylines going on here. What was most interesting to me was that the WWE Champion and IC Champion—HBK and Ahmed Johnson—getting a shot at the Tag Team titles the following night on RAW.
Mid-Tier
The opening match was a solid tag bout between The Bodydonnas and The Smoking Gunns. Yeah, they’ve faced each other several times so it was no surprise that this was at least a decent bout.
Mind you, those aren’t always guaranteed but both teams had safe enough styles that it would really take a ring malfunction or accident to throw this one-off.
That said, nothing stood out from the match but Sunny at ringside. Can I get an “Amen”?
Mankind taking on Henry O. Godwinn was a rock-solid brawl. Not particularly boring or exciting but also safe.
Godwinn could brawl with the psychopath while Mankind handled the more exciting parts of the match. The pacing was hindered a bit as this match really seemed longer than it actually was.
Undertaker vs. Goldust was like a longer version of Mankind vs. Godwinn. There were times where the action kind of lulled but both men delivered a watchable match-up.
The aftermath of this match saw Mankind and Undertaker brawl after Mankind showed up and attacked the Deadman, giving him a DQ victory.
After getting pulled through the ring by Mankind, Taker came up through the other side and proceeded to lump him up.
Awesome segment for the show!
Exotic-Tier
Austin vs. Mero was a very good match that was just a bit on the short side. It also could’ve done with a stake of some sort. Of course, all of the gold was occupied.
Just like his King of the Ring ‘96 final, Austin really showed a vicious streak here but Mero got to show off a lot of his agility and athleticism. Love it.
Part of the reason for the six-man main event of WWE In Your House 9 floating into the exotic tier is because of the interviews and promotion that went into this match.
Seriously, the last promo from the team of HBK, Ahmed Johnson, and Sycho Sid was good even with Ahmed’s mumbling. He kept things short and sweet.
This show was in Vancouver with Camp Cornette—Vader, Owen, and British Bulldog—as the heels and the crowd was popping for HBK and company!
Sid even showed to be capable in the ring as a face. Quick bursts and brawling. Ahmed was similar only he was gassed super early. The dude was sucking air as if was here for a limited time only.
There was some really good mat work from HBK and Owen Hart in this match. Bulldog did his thing as did Vader. The weak link here was Ahmed but he didn’t hurt what was a really exciting match with an engaged crowd.
WWE In Your House 9 Verdict: Mid-Tier (6.5/10)
Another solid show from WWE! This New Generation is pulling off stronger In Your House events. Gimmicks are becoming more of a product of the “xtreme 90s” and that’s good for the company.
It shows that WWE is pulling itself out of the cartoonish 80s a little, but they’re climbing out of that pit sure enough.
With former WCW up-and-comers, the seasoned Harts, and a few who came up through WWE, the company has a strong foundation for the next few years.
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