UnWrest Focus REWIND: Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel (WWF In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies (4/28/1996)

"You want a war? You're gonna get one."- Scott Hall, WCW Monday Nitro (May 27, 1996)

This one statement started the NWO storyline that revolutionized the wrestling world. But what led to it is what is almost just as intriguing. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash both were nearing the end of their WWF contracts. Hall and Nash both saw that they could make good money working less dates for WCW. When Vince refused to try to match WCW's contracts, Nash and Hall both decided to head to WCW. But before they could do that, they still needed to fulfill their WWF contracts. As such, Kevin Nash (Diesel) spent a few months in a program with The Undertaker culminating in a WrestleMania match. After putting Undertaker over, the end was near and clear for Diesel: a confrontation with newly crowned WWF Champion Shawn Michaels. So, on the first In Your House following WrestleMania XII, the match was set up to help give Shawn Michaels his first big challenge to overcome. With the end not really being in doubt, the question was "How would Nash go out?" (Clearly, Nash would never play politics with one of his best friends, and I don't mean to go there. But match quality wise, could these two rise to the occasion?)

So, for my brother AJ who recommended the match, LET'S DO THIS!

Credit: WWE Network

WWF In Your House 7: Good Friends, Better Enemies
April 28, 1996
WWF Championship
No Holds Barred Match
Shawn Michaels (w/Jose Lothario) vs. Diesel

The history between these two is recapped. Diesel was hired to be HBK's bodyguard originally. But after a year of friendship and teamwork, they broke up. Diesel became WWF Champion and became weathered by the brutality of being champion. Shawn meanwhile worked through a lot of heartache and misery to eventually defeat Bret Hart. Now, Diesel is the man determined to destroy his friend's dream of being the greatest champion ever.

HONK HONK! Here comes Big Daddy Cool, Diesel for his final "big match" in the WWF. (Of course, he's still got a "Curtain Call" to do. Lol.) Jose Lothario is rubbing Shawn's chest in an awkward manner trying to psyche him up. Diesel just threw his jacket down at Vince McMahon on commentary. Lol. And Mad Dog Vachon is shown at ringside. (I think I remember a spot from this match coming up.)

Here comes The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels with Jose Lothario. HBK doesn't bother doing any dances or poses. He just goes into the ring, and the match is on. (Good start to the match already. I hate it when blood feuds start with tie-ups {AJ vs. Joe at SummerSlam 2018}.)
Shawn just starts punching and ducking early on. Diesel just knocks him down with a knee. Diesel gets dumped out to the floor early over the top. (Impressive for a 7 footer to do, by the way.) BIG MOONSAULT OFF THE TOP BY MICHAELS ONTO DIESEL ON THE FLOOR! Shawn gets a boot off of the Spanish Commentator. Diesel eats a top rope boot shot (lol) for a 2 count. Shawn does his Flair corner flip impersonation, and Diesel sends him back face first into the rail!! Ouch.
Diesel now follows Michaels out taking his time to indeed stalk Michaels as McMahon noted on commentary. Diesel now goes slowly back into the ring and again methodically attacks Michaels with continued strikes and clotheslines. Diesel continues to taunt McMahon and Lothario while just abusing Michaels in the corner.

(I like the pace early on here. Michaels came out with so much fire, but the bigger Diesel now tries to dictate the progress of the match by taking his good old time in beating down on the smaller Shawn Michaels. It's only going to make the comeback that much sweeter once HBK starts getting into his groove.)

Sidewalk Slam by Diesel. DIESEL UNWRAPS HIS WRISTTAPE AND CHOKES OUT THE REFEREE! NO DQ! He now takes the referee's belt and WHIPS MICHAELS WITH IT! He's now choking Shawn with it. He now HANGS Michaels over the top with the belt and ties Michaels up on the middle rope with the belt still around his throat!!! Diesel now throws HOWARD FINKEL out of his chair and smacks Michaels in the spine with the chair! Dang! He does it again in the ring! (This is brutal, especially by 1996 WWF standards!) He misses Shawn and accidentally hits himself with it as the rope bounces it up in his face. Michaels goes to use the chair, but LOW BLOW by Diesel. Damn!
Big back bodydrop by Diesel now to Michaels. Only a 2 count. Headlock by Diesel, but Michaels fights out. Diesel keeps forearming Michaels, and Michaels keeps getting up. But Diesel knocks him back down to the floor again. Here comes Big Daddy Cool. JACKKNIFE POWERBOMB TO MICHAELS THROUGH THE ENGLISH ANNOUNCE TABLE BASICALLY RIGHT ON MCMAHON'S LAP! (There's a lot of worked shooting going on in this match. Diesel is making it clear that he doesn't give a damn if the world knows he's leaving, and he's going to destroy McMahon's new favorite "Chosen One" in the progress.) Diesel gets the WWF Championship and puts it on while Michaels continues to pull himself out of the rubble. McMahon tells him "JUST LET IT BE OVER," and Michaels pushes him away to go back to the ring. (Again, there's some good shoot style storytelling going on here that appeals to both the smart wrestling fan and the naive fan alike.)

FIRE EXTINGUISHER DISCHARGES IN THE FACE OF DIESEL! FLYING FOREARM AND KIP UP! And it's on!!!! The fans are going crazy. Michaels gets a chair and smacks the back and head of Diesel with it. Diesel catches Shawn going for a backdrop and knocks him down. Big Boot. Chorus of boos for Diesel. Jackknife avoided as Shawn punches out of it. Big elbow drop! The energy of the crowd is awesome here. The band is being tuned up! Sweet Chin Music caught, and a clothesline for his trouble.
Both men get up, and Diesel knocks Shawn back over the top to the floor. Again, Diesel goes out after him to continue the assault in this war. Big throw throat first into the rail. Diesel rolls him back in the ring. Diesel goes over to Mad Dog Vachon, brings him into ringside, and RIPS OFF HIS PROSTHETIC LEG!!!! (DANG! This is great heel work. I remembered this spot from the only other time I've seen this, and it still works on a basic human level. No one wants to see someone who has been crippled abused like this.) He now takes the prosthetic into the ring. He goes to hit Shawn with it, but Shawn gives him a low blow!!!!  He grabs the prosthetic and SMACKS DIESEL WITH IT!!!! He tunes up the band, and SWEET CHIN MUSIC!!!!! 1-2-3!!!! BIG POP for that finish!

Winner: Shawn Michaels (STILL WWF Champion)
Match Grade: A. This is a forgotten classic here, folks. And what do I like about it? It's short and violent. It doesn't overstay its welcome. No cute gimmicks of backstage shenanigans. No overdramatic storylines brought into the match to spice it up. It's just two great wrestlers going at it for 16 minutes of violence with everything being used around ringside. Nash played up the heel perfectly here by going after WWF officials, low blowing the champion, insulting McMahon, and even ripping a prosthetic off of an injured legend. This was HEEL 101 as he had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. And that's perfect work.

For Michaels' part, I personally liked this match more than the Iron Man match with Bret Hart. He got to wrestle his style of match and wasn't bound to the limitations of an hour long match. He worked up the crowd a lot (as did Nash) to get to that finish and accomplish the goal of putting Michaels on a higher position than he was going in.
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Looking back at Shawn Michaels 1996 WWF Championship run, it's obvious that there were some classic matches in that run  (I reviewed the Mankind match at Mind Games earlier). I look forward to checking out another classic Michaels match later.

Until that time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness. And if you liked this, "Too Sweet" me.