In Your House: Buried Alive

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

In Your House: Buried Alive

October 20, 1996

Market Square Arena

Indianapolis, Indiana

News & Notes: The first ever Buried Alive Match headlines this event. There is no WWF title match on the card. Shawn Michaels gets the night off. (He does commentary for the #1 Contender Match.) The WWF wanted to see how a show could draw without Shawn on top. Plus, the Undertaker/Mankind feud was the primary focus of this show. To win a Buried Alive Match you must place your opponent in a grave and cover them in dirt. They built a makeshift grave in the entrance. The Undertaker and Mankind hyped this bout through a series of vignettes. They showed both men digging graves. Mankind opted to use his hands instead of a shovel. He dug in the dirt while muttering, “If I dig it, he will come!” Mankind also expressed his fear of being buried. Paul Bearer assured him that wouldn’t happen.

Meanwhile, a shocking development happened the night after Mind Games. Jim Ross turned heel. He told the story of his time in the WWF. Jim revealed how Vince McMahon fired him after his Bells Palsy attack. He claimed Vince tried to ruin his life. JR left a good job in Atlanta and the WWF treated him like crap. Ross implied he’s the reason many wrestlers left the company in ‘96. He did it as revenge on Vince. Then Ross made good on his promise. He introduced Razor Ramon. But it was an impostor. The fans booed the fake Razor. This was a man named Rick Bognar. He was first noticed in ECW for doing an amusing Razor Ramon parody named Slice & Dice Ramirez. Ross later introduced the fake Diesel. He’s played by the former Isaac Yankem and future Kane, Glenn Jacobs. The idea is the WWF owns the trademarks, so they recast the roles. You can call this Razor & Diesel the Coy & Vance of the WWF. (Let’s see how many people get that reference.) The sad part is, Vince thought he’d be the sympathetic one in this story. Fans hated the fake Razor & Diesel, but they felt bad for Ross. The crowd booed Vince for firing him. The WWF trudged on with the heel turn despite this. It spilled over into their new live call-in show, Livewire. On the show, Vince McMahon and Vince Russo tried defending the decision to fire Ross. It made them look worse. Now, the Ross/Vince rivalry continues on this PPV.

Before we begin, I also want to discuss two returns and a debut. First, Crush is back in the WWF after a stint in prison. They turned the incarceration into his gimmick. He returned with an edgier look and a temporary prison tattoo on his forehead. Clarence Mason manages him because Clarence is his legal counsel. The other return is The Roadie. Jeff Jarrett signed with WCW, so Vince went into petty revenge mode. They resurrected the Double J is a fraud storyline. The WWF revealed The Roadie sang “With my Baby Tonight” at In Your House 2. They also changed his name to The Real Double J, Jesse James. Jesse sings “With my Baby Tonight” during his entrance in lieu of theme music. Then we have a debut. Barry Windham joined the company under a new gimmick. He’s The Stalker! (No, he’s not going after The Undertaker’s wife.) His character is a hunter. He stalks his prey in camouflage clothes and face paint.

The show opens with a dramatic and spooky video about the Undertaker/Mankind feud. Taker says his whole existence is death, darkness, and the destruction of Mankind. (Whoa! Take it easy, buddy. What did we do? Oh, wait. I get it.) Meanwhile, Mankind has visions of The Undertaker begging for mercy. He sees soil filling Taker’s lungs. Both men threaten to bury each other alive. Taker sentences Mankind to eternal damnation.

Then “O Fortuna” plays while Vince welcomes everyone to Indianapolis and Buried Alive. He’s with Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross. Jerry says he wouldn’t want to be involved in the Buried Alive Match. But he can’t wait to see it. Ross complains he doesn’t have a microphone. Vince graciously gives JR his mic and heads to the desk. Ross tries speaking, but Triple H’s music interrupts him.

During Hunter Hearst Helmsley’s entrance, Kevin Kelly interviews Stone Cold Steve Austin. Kelly asks about Austin’s game plan for his new opponent. (The match was originally Austin/Vega, but Savio has an injury.) Stone Cold says nothing changed. He has a list and everyone is on it. But he gives Hunter Hearst credit for stepping into the ring with him. He also accuses Savio of faking his injury. Then Austin turns his attention to Bret Hart. Bret returns the next night on RAW. Austin hopes Hart will announce his retirement. Otherwise, Austin will make him retire. Next, Austin has words for people who don’t appreciate his colorful language. They can kiss his ass. They punctuate his final point with the sound of breaking glass. (This is the debut of Stone Cold’s iconic theme. They retired the old Ringmaster music. The transformation is almost complete.)

Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley

Notes: Triple H is a last-minute replacement. There’s no build for this encounter, but Hunter has his own issues. Mr. Perfect keeps stealing Helmsley’s valets. He walks to ringside and whispers in their ears. The women then leave with Perfect. (I wonder what he said to them. I bet he said, “Free pot pies and Mountain Dew in my trailer.”) Vince says Mr. Perfect will return to the ring and face Helmsley on RAW. (That doesn’t happen.) Triple H has a blonde woman with him, but they don’t name her. Meanwhile, Jim Ross has technical issues during this bout. His mic cuts in and out. He blames it on McMahon.

The Match: They trade takedowns, slaps, and holds. Austin gets the advantage, so Hunter regroups. Both men argue with a large boisterous fan. (Lawler thinks he’s a woman until Vince corrects him. This makes Lawler cackle.) Then they fight back and forth and trade chinlocks and sleeper holds. Austin breaks free with a jawbreaker and gives Hunter a Stun Gun. Triple H fires back with a high-knee and fist drop. But both go down to a double-clothesline. This draws out Mr. Perfect. It annoys Hunter and Austin. Stone Cold throws a drink in Perfect’s face. However, Perfect leaves with the valet when the fight continues. Hunter attempts a Pedigree. But he stops when he spots Perfect leaving. Austin meets Helmsley and they fight on the floor. Hunter hits a suplex. Austin answers by catapulting Trips into the post. When they return to the ring, Helmsley avoids a running knee attack. Austin bounces off the ropes, flips off the crowd and Hunter, and nails the Stunner for the win.

Thoughts: It started slowly, but turned into a solid match. It was a backdrop for the JR and Mr. Perfect storylines. But that’s fine. The action was still good. Plus, I enjoyed that finish. It was a good first meeting. These two will have better matches in the future.

Winner: Stone Cold Steve Austin (15:30)

Next, they recap the saga of The Smoking Gunns and Sunny. Billy was smitten with Sunny. But she helped them win the gold. However, Billy’s feelings came between the Gunns. Owen & Bulldog’s prank at Mind Games got under Sunny’s skin. This distracted Billy. Then a miscommunication cost them their titles and their manager. Now, Billy wants to regain both.

Dok Hendrix interviews The Gunns. He asks Billy if he can refocus without Sunny around. Billy thinks Sunny will return when he defeats Owen & Bulldog. Bart reminds his brother he’s not the only person in the match. It’s we, not me. (Bart Gunn is a communist. This confirms it!) Bart then tells Billy to forget it. They must focus on the gold. (Bart is still bland on the mic. This wasn’t great.)

Tag Team Title Match: Owen Hart & The British Bulldog (c) (w/ Clarence Mason) vs. The Smoking Gunns

Notes: Sunny fired The Gunns at Mind Games. She told them she will return if they can defeat Owen & Bulldog in a rematch. Billy Gunn clung to that hope, much to his brother’s chagrin. Sunny remains backstage and watches the match on a monitor. (She views it from that unnatural angle only WWF wrestlers use.) Lawler reacts whenever they show her. He asks for a wink and gets it. Also, Ross’ microphone troubles continue. He grows more and more frustrated.

The Match: Owen and Billy exchange holds and takeovers until Owen & Bulldog double-team him. The Gunns answer with cheap shots and their own double-teaming. Bulldog throws shoulder blocks. Bart answers with a powerslam. But Bart misses a flying crossbody. Then Owen & Bulldog take advantage of some miscommunication between The Gunns. Bart runs into Billy because Billy is busy taunting Bulldog. However, The Gunns recover and nail a Double Russian Leg Sweep. They also use neckbreakers and cut off Owen’s tag attempts. Billy & Bart follow with a tandem corner splash and try the Sidewinder. But Billy pauses to get Sunny’s attention. Bulldog sneaks into the ring and pulls Bart back at the last second. (He waited forever. Did Bart not notice Davey’s hand down the back of his pants?) Owen uses the opening to nail a heel kick for the win.

Thoughts: This was okay. The action was decent, but that finish was weak. It took too long to set up. Plus, the focus was on Sunny again. She overshadows the tag teams themselves. Also, they’re setting up a Gunns split. Does anyone want to see The Smoking Gunns explode? It’s not a thrilling story.

Winners: Owen & Bulldog (9:17)

Then we see Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Ray Rougeau on the Superstar Line. Mr. Perfect is on the other side. They don’t show him, but you can hear him. Triple H looks pissed.

While Vince speaks about Ahmed Johnson and Faarooq, JR grabs a mic and enters the ring. Jim says Vince’s butt-kissers turned off his microphone. He then promises Bret Hart will be on RAW. Vince can’t believe Ross took credit for it. Ross says he went to South Africa to speak with Bret, not Vince. Ross claims Bret is coming with a shovel to bury people, including McMahon. (Vince pretends not to know what he means.) Next, JR calls Vince egotistical. He says McMahon speaks out both sides of his mouth, so he needs two microphones. Ross tosses the mic to Vince and leaves. McMahon misses the catch and says, “Nice catch, Vince.”

Then Vince finishes his thoughts about Faarooq and Ahmed. Johnson isn’t cleared to wrestle, but he’s at the arena. They air clips from the Free For All. McMahon speaks over it. Faarooq claims he will do anything to get the job done. Ahmed says he didn’t even know Faarooq. But Faarooq attacked him and cost him the title. Ahmed will get his revenge. He doesn’t know where or when. That proves false because Ahmed attacked Faarooq later in the pre-show. We see the aftermath. Ahmed stands over a fallen Faarooq. He wields a 2×4. (Somewhere, Jim Duggan cries gimmick infringement.) WWF officials convince Johnson to back away. (They did this to explain why Faarooq isn’t on this show. He’s injured.)

During Goldust’s entrance, they go to Marc Mero for comments. Lawler butts in because he has questions for The Wildman. Jerry says Faarooq has back troubles, but Mero has foot problems. He asks if Marc has cold feet about facing Goldust. Marc says he doesn’t have time for Lawler. His eyes are too focused on the match. He then calls Faarooq’s situation unfortunate, but he will defeat Goldust. Jerry points out Marc lost to him every time they faced. Mero counters by saying, “I’m the champ and you’re the chump!” (He sure told him!)

Intercontinental Title Match: Wildman Marc Mero (c) (w/ Sable) vs. Goldust (w/ Marlena)

Notes: Marc Mero won the Intercontinental title tournament. He defeated Faarooq in the finals. This was originally a rematch of that encounter. But Faarooq suffered a hamstring injury. (It’s minor. He returns next month with a new gimmick.) Goldust took Faarooq’s place. I should also point out Mr. Perfect joins commentary for this bout. He speaks with Jim Ross in the entrance. Perfect says he’s onto McMahon. Ross told him about the microphone problems. Perfect is there because he helped Mero win the title.

The Match: Mero ignores Goldust’s machinations and catches him with takedowns and holds. Goldust answers with chops and punches and spits on Marc. This fires up Mero. He nails a head scissors and a backdrop. Then he sends Goldust to the floor and lands a somersault plancha. Mero follows with a slingshot leg drop. But Goldust catches Marc on the ropes and powerbombs him. He then cuts off Marc’s comebacks and wears him down with clotheslines and chinlocks. However, the crowd gets to Goldust. He threatens to kiss each of them if they don’t shut up. This allows Mero to rally with a suplex and a moonsault. He also counters a Curtain Call with a rolling prawn hold. But Goldust sends him to the floor. Mr. Perfect tries helping, so Triple H arrives. Perfect blocks a Goldust attack and runs off Hunter. Back in the ring, Mero lands a Samoan Drop and nails The Wild Thing for the victory.

Thoughts: This wasn’t too bad. The action was solid, especially for a last-minute match. However, it played second fiddle to the Mr. Perfect angle. (This happens a lot on this show. Vince had trouble focusing on the in-ring action. There’s too much extracurricular stuff.) I enjoyed it, despite the extra stuff. Mero looked good, and Goldust was amusing.

Winner: Marc Mero (11:38)

Then they show Jim Ross in the AOL room with the fake Razor & Diesel. Two WWF employees type what they’re saying. We can’t hear them, but Ross has a lot to say.

Next, they recap the Vader/Sid feud. Kevin Kelly asks who is the master of the powerbomb? They show footage of both men performing the move. Sid has the height advantage, but Vader has the power. Cornette complains about Sid stealing Vader’s move. Jim calls Vader the irresistible force. Then they interview Shawn Michaels about their powerbombs. He calls them equally effective. Both men knocked him out with them.

#1 Contender Match: Sycho Sid vs. Vader (w/ Jim Cornette)

Notes: Vader pinned Shawn on RAW in another tag encounter. But Gorilla Monsoon booked a #1 Contender Match between Sid and Vader. The winner faces Michaels at Survivor Series. Cornette questioned the necessity. Vader already defeated Shawn more than once. Cornette also accused Sid of stealing Vader’s powerbomb. This is the pairing WCW wanted for Starrcade ‘93. But then the scissor incident happened. Now we finally get it. On a side note, Shawn Michaels joins the commentary team for this bout. He shakes hands with Sid. But he taunts Vader. Cornette yells at him about it, so Michaels blows his nose on Jim’s handkerchief.

The Match: Sid knocks down Vader early and hits a leg drop. But Vader answers with punches, a short-arm clothesline, and a corner splash. Sid regroups, but Cornette hits him with the racket. Then Vader and Sid meet at the ropes. Sid uses a slingshot sunset flip! (Where did that come from!?) But Vader sits on him. He follows with more short-arm clotheslines. Sid counters with a back suplex, boots, and a flying crossbody! (Is this really Sid!?) However, Vader catches him in a powerslam. Vader then nails two splashes from various heights. He covers, but Vader pulls Sid up from the pin. Cornette is furious. Vader then tries a Vader Bomb, but Sid raises his knees. Cornette prevents a powerbomb, so Sid crotches Jim on the ropes. Then Vader uses his own low-blow, but he can’t powerbomb Sid. Sid recovers and gives Vader a chokeslam for the win.

Thoughts: This was surprisingly good. They kept it the right length. Sid busted out moves you wouldn’t expect. My only gripe is we didn’t see a powerbomb. They made a big deal, and it didn’t happen. It appears I’m in the minority in liking this. Jim Ross ripped into it on his podcast. But I enjoyed this bout.

Winner: Sycho Sid (8:00)

Shawn says he cheered for Sid, but now he has to take him down. He enters the ring to speak with Sid. They talk, but we can’t hear them. Sid looks serious, but they shake hands. Sid then poses with fireworks. They follow with a commercial for both Survivor Series and the Hall of Fame ceremony. The PPV takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Dok Hendrix is excited about the event. He almost devolves into hyper toddler mode, but he controls himself. (His character has mellowed since ‘95.) Vince interrupts Dok’s rant to plug the phone number for Survivor Series tickets. Then Dok welcomes Sycho Sid for an interview. However, Jim Ross interrupts. He doesn’t want Dok to ask Sid softball questions. (I see what you did there, JR. Well played.) Ross brings up Sid’s past with Shawn Michaels. He asks if he powerbombed Shawn. He also asks if Sid will break Shawn’s back to win the title. Sid yells his answers. He says, “I will do anything I have to—um—buh—my destiny. And make my conquer!” (Oh, Sid. You almost had it. What happened?) JR then thanks Sid and sarcastically tells Dok he did a good job. (Poor Sid. He flubbed this promo.)

Then they recap the Undertaker/Mankind feud. We see Mankind’s various attacks on Taker. Mankind locks Taker in a casket and beats it with a pole. They also show Taker’s retaliation and Paul Bearer’s betrayal. We then get examples of their mind games. Taker speaks about the demise of Mankind. Mankind says he has no shame in what he’s done. It’s about time someone did it to The Undertaker. Both men promise to bury each other alive. They show Mankind digging a grave, but it’s not deep enough for Taker. The entire video has color filters over it. Someone in production discovered them and went overboard.

Buried Alive Match: The Undertaker vs. Mankind (w/ Paul Bearer)

Notes: While Mankind enters the arena, Vince says this is the first unsanctioned match in WWF history. (Is that true?) Vince and Lawler also mock Paul Bearer. Vince calls him bulbous. Jerry says Bearer’s parents used him as a jack-o-lantern. Mankind holds the urn and rocks back and forth. Then Taker enters. He glances and the burial mound beside the entrance. The only way to win is to dump your opponent into the grave and cover them in dirt. The match begins in the ring, but they fight to the grave.

The Match: They throw each other around the ring until Taker sends Mankind head-first into the rail. Taker then nails a flying clothesline to the floor! They head to the grave. Mankind hits Taker with a shovel handle and they take a roll down the hill. Next, they fight around the ring with the steps and microphone cables. Taker whips Mankind over the railing and hits a jumping clothesline over it! Taker follows with Old School. But Bearer crotches him on the ropes. Paul then hands Mankind a pen. He jabs Taker with it until Taker takes it away. He returns the favor. Mankind tries a chair next. He nails Taker while Bearer distracts him. Then they return to the grave and fight in the hole. Mankind throws dirt in Taker’s eyes. But Taker hip tosses him off the mound. When they return to the ring, Mankind lands a pulling piledriver. The ref reminds him there are no pins, so Mankind pulls out his own hair. Mankind follows with a Double-Arm DDT on the chair. Taker rises. He then leg drops the chair onto Mankind’s head! Mankind exposes the concrete next, but that backfires. Taker capitalizes with a Tombstone and takes Mankind to the grave. Mankind tries rallying with a Mandible Claw and the urn. Neither work. Taker chokeslams him into the grave and covers him in dirt for the win.

Thoughts: The gimmick was over the top, but that fits this feud. The action was great. Mankind was his usual intense self. Taker did things we’ve never seen him do. Both men did their best to overcome the silly premise. It was enjoyable. The fans reacted well to it. The only gripe is Hebner called for the bell when Mankind was half-buried. It made the finish a little weak.

Winner: The Undertaker (18:25)

Earl Hebner tells Taker that’s enough. But Taker doesn’t want to stop. He shoves the officials and keeps shoveling dirt. But then a mysterious man in a black mask breaks a shovel over Taker’s back. Paul Bearer directs him to dig Mankind out of the grave. (This is Terry Gordy under a mask. They call him The Executioner. Gordy is a shell of his former self. He suffers from short-term memory issues because of a drug overdose. It makes it hard for him to remember spots in matches. The WWF hired him as a favor to Michael Hayes.) The Executioner retrieves Mankind and puts Taker in the grave instead. Both men shovel dirt onto him. It’s taking a while, so other heels join the fun. Triple H, Crush, Bradshaw, and Goldust help with the burial. They use lightning and thunder effects in the arena. Fans grow impatient with the scene. (It takes forever.) They throw trash into the grave. Paul Bearer gloats and says Taker is gone forever! The sound of thunder fills the arena, so the other heels retreat. But Mankind continues. Once they bury Taker, Mankind sticks a shovel into the dirt. But then lightning strikes the grave stone!

Taker’s gloved hand emerges from the grave. He reaches blindly into the air while the thunder continues. Vince says Taker is alive as the show ends. (That was silly, but it’s a cool visual.)

The Good:

* The main event was unique and intense.

* The opening match was solid.

* Vader/Sid was surprisingly good.

The Bad:

* Some of the matches took a backseat to other storylines.

* Sid’s promo.

* The audio issues with Jim Ross were annoying.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to The Undertaker. This feud with Mankind made him step up his game. We’re seeing moves we never saw from him. This rivalry is exactly what he needed.

Final Thoughts:

This show is above average, but not outstanding. It doesn’t contain anything bad, but nothing set the world on fire. The Buried Alive Match is a unique and fun spectacle. It’s a decent PPV with an interesting premise. The presentation is over the top, but that’s wrestling. I don’t mind it. The theme fit for an October event.

Thank you for reading. My next review is WCW’s Halloween Havoc ‘96. Look for it next Sunday!