IYH: Mind GamesReview

Im writing this review at the same time as seeing this ppv for the first time. The main event is highly praised and is still considered one of the best IYH matches ever. McMahon Jr and Perfect on commentary.


Free For All

Marty Jannetty w Leif Cassidy Vs Savio Vega

Standard Raw match. Savio gets a suprise pin 5 minutes in then gets beat up by Bradshaw again. 1 1/2 star.


Match #1

Carribbean Strap Match

Savio Vega Vs Bradshaw

Savio pulling overtime tonight. Typical strap match. The best thing is Paul Heyman, Sandman and Dreamer are at ringside representing the home crowd ECW gyuys. They cause a disturbance when Savio and Bradshaw fight outside the ring. Both guys fight to touch all 4 corners but it's Savio who eventually prevails after 7 minutes. 1 1/2 star.

Savio gets beat up again tonight this time by "Razor Ramon" and "Diesel" With ideas like this WCW didn't have to go 100% to win the ratings war.


Match #2

Managers Fight

Jose Lothario Vs Jim Cornette

Lothario beats Cornette in under a minute. Dud. Next.


Pillman, Owen and Austin tear down Bret Hart for not coming back.


Match #3

Tag Team Title Match

The Smokin Gunns Vs The British Bulldog Daveyboy Smith and Owen Hart

Gunns are about to break up. Billy is more concerned with hanging out with Sunny and Bart is kinda left by himself. Clarence Mason tricks Cornette who is in the infirmery to sign over managing rights of Bulldog/Owen. So he gets to be at ringside as manager. Best part in this match is when Sunny unveils her giant poster from Summerslam and Owen and Bulldog defaced it:) Gunns hit the sidewinder but Mason distracts the ref from the possible pinfall and Owen gives Billy to a shot to break up the pin attempt. It all falls apart for the champs when Bart accidently runs into Billy who shoves Bart for no good reason and Bulldog powerslam and pins him to win the titles. Crowd errupts. Sunny the *beep* that she is fires the Gunns and storms out. 2 stars


Match #4

Singles Match

Jerry The King Lawler Vs Mark Henry

Henry"s debute match. Why did this guy get a 10 year deal? Henry squash Lawler in 5 minutes. Hunter and The New Rockers attempt a run in but are quickly ejected by Henry. 1/2 star.


Match #5

Singles Match

The Undertaker Vs Goldust w Marlena

Taker/Goldust TAKE 4!!! These two have fought at 4 of the past IYH ppvs this year. Taker won all of them by countout or dq. This time only pinfalls count. This is their best of the series I think. Taker flying solo in his first ppv since Bearer left. Goldust gets quite a bit of offense but it fails when Taker chokeslams him off the top rope then tombestones him 10 minutes in to win. 2 stars.


Match #6

World Championship Match

Shawn Michaels Vs Mankind w Paul Bearer

The Druids bring Mankind to ringside in a casket. Mankind starts with a quick backdrop and Cactus clothesline, he pulls up the floor mat, but Shawn dropkicks him and he's trapped under the matting, Shawn stomps on him. Michaels goes for chin music early but Mankind runs to the outside like he was ejected and has a bit of a fit. Shawn gets annoyed and shoves the ref at one point, vintag a$$hole Shawn 1996. Mankind pulls the Spanish table out, but Shawn jumps over the table onto him and they brawl at ringside. Shawn suplexes him onto the stairs, right on his knee. Shawn clips Mankind’s knee on his way back into the ring, then drops him on the casket knee first. Shawn gets a figure-four, for a moment. Shawn dropkicks the knee again and uses a Hennig kneebreaker, drawing protest from Mr. Perfect himself at ringside. Shawn sunset flip gets two, but Mankind blocks a rana and drops him throatfirst on the top rope. Shawn gets dumped to the floor, then back in for the running knee to the face. Mick rams him into the mat a few times, but Shawn hits a quick backdrop suplex to awaken himself. Another slugfest ends with Shawn getting whipped to the corner and flipping into the Tree of Woe. Outside Mankind charges but hits the stairs again. He gets up and Shawn hits a drop-toehold, sending Mankind face-first to the stairs. Shawn gets back in first and they fight over a suplex on the apron. Mick wins, but Shawn lands on the apron. Mick charges him and crashes into the ringpost. Back in the ring, Shawn gets a powerslam for two. Mankind gets his head caught in the ropes on a blind charge but Shawn goes after him, he gets the Mandible Claw out of nowhere! Both men collapse to the floor. Shawn uses a chair to try and break Mankinds claw hand. Mankind backdrops Shawn to the floor then drops the elbow from the apron, then slides out again and hits a swinging neckbreaker on the concrete. Shawn crawls in and Mankind legdrops him on the ropes as he comes in. Double arm DDT gets two!! Pulling piledriver gets two!! Perfect plex style pin!! Gets two. Mankind gets REALLY frustrated, pulling out his hair and tossing chairs into the ring. He tries to roll Shawn into the casket for some reason, but Shawn comes back. Flying forearm knocks Mankind down and a flying bodypress gets two. He goes up again but gets crotched. Mankind suplexes him off the top, through that Spanish table. Mick grabs a chair and climbs to the top, but Shawn dropkicks it back in his face!!! Crap!! Here comes Vader to run interference. Sid comes down to fight him back to the dressing room and Bearer pops Shawn in the back of the head with the urn and Mankind slaps on the mandible claw but Shawn wins by DQ 25 minutes in thanks to Vaders interference. Undertaker goes Daviv Copperfield and pops out of the casket and beats Mankind up the walkway. This match saved the ppv obviously. Still one of the best IYH ppvs EVER. Stupid finish though. Im going 4 stars.


Overall Opinion: Undercard was pretty weak as typical of IYH events and once again saved by the main event like Seasons Beating and Good Friends Better Enemies. Also, that cgi floating head thing they used as the ppv's logo was pretty freaky


Final Score: From 1 to 10. Im going 3.7. The main event qualifies for about 85-90% of that score.