Welcome to the first Wolski’s Wrestling Rewind! Today we’re going to take a look at a pay per view that was essentially a one-match show, and is the perfect example of the good and bad in 1996 WWE. This is In Your House: Mind Games.

   The main event was a fresh match in the then WWF. The WWF Champion Shawn Michaels defended his title against the deranged Mankind, who had gained momentum by beating The Undertaker in the first Boiler Room Brawl match at Summerslam 1996.

   Although it seemed like a mismatch at the time and was unceremoniously announced on an episode of Raw, it could be considered the best match of Michaels’ eight month reign with the title.

   Elsewhere in the midcard, Triple H was still rich blue blood Hunter Hearst Helmsley, and was still in punishment mode due to the Curtain Call incident earlier in the year. Stone Cold Steve Austin was stomping mudholes in everyone he saw at the time, and continued challenging Bret Hitman Hart to a match.

   But let’s get into the nitty-gritty and review Mind Games.

Savio Vega vs Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw in a Caribbean Strap Match

   Savio Vega is one of those guys that I forget was in WWE for a decent amount of time, and this is his signature match, the Caribbean Strap match. He and Stone Cold had some enjoyable battles earlier in the year, and the future Wall Street dynamo Bradshaw couldn’t produce that same magic with him.

   This is your typical strap match, with both guys beating the tar out of each other with the strap, trying to reach all four corners of the ring in succession. The most notable part of this match is the appearance of ECW superstars, with The Sandman leading the charge by spitting beer at Vega. This is the seeds being planted for an ECW invasion angle which is a lot of fun.

   In the end, Vega touches each corner, with Bradshaw right behind, and after getting close to the fourth, Bradshaw pulls him back and grabs it for himself to win the match.

   Strap matches are always hit or miss but can be a fun affair. This one fell right in the middle, entertaining but nothing I’ll remember in a few months time.

Rating: 3 Zeb Colters at ringside out of 5

Jim Cornette vs Jose Lothario

   This was a short and sweet match between the managers of Vader and Shawn Michaels, respectively. Cornette did some of his usual great heel work in the beginning while sporting an incredibly unflattering outfit. Then Lothario punched him in the face for the quick win. This is what non-wrestlers wrestling should always be like. Not King and Michael Cole getting 20 minutes at Wrestlemania.

Rating: 5 tennis rackets out of 5

   Following this we get a promo with Stone Cold Steve Austin, Brian Pillman and Owen Hart, all talking smack about Bret Hart, whose future in the WWF was unknown at this point in time.

   It’s always fun to see these three interacting, and Austin delivers the iconic line: “If you put the letter s in front of Hitman, you have my exact opinion of Bret Hart.” Great stuff, and even at this point, Austin is head and shoulders above everyone else in terms of having the it factor.

The Smoking Gunns vs Owen Hart and British Bulldog

   Then we get Owen and Bulldog challenging and winning the WWF Tag Team Championships from The Smoking Gunns. Billy Gunn looked like a doofus even before the DX days, and the match was more about Sunny splitting from the Gunns. The match was average, formulaic tag team match that was common during this time.

Rating: 2 Owen Hart WOOOOOOs out of 5

Mark Henry vs Jerry “The King” Lawler

   This was Henry’s much hyped debut, and we’re still in the time period where King occasionally wrestles and constantly annoys and provokes other wrestlers. He plays the slimy heel well, and does a good job of making me want to see Henry destroy him.

   Henry comes out in a US Flag tracksuit and singlet, looking GLORIOUS. The announcers hype up the strength he possesses and how he could end the match with a headlock.

   Anyway, Henry deals with King easily, and makes him tap out. He then fends off attacks from the midcard, such as Helmsley, Marty Jannetty and Leif Cassidy. He then doesn’t wrestle again for months.

Rating: 2 USA singlets out of 5

Undertaker vs Goldust

   I don’t totally remember how this match came about, but Mankind and Goldust had a loose alliance going on during this time, so it probably has to do with that. The context doesn’t matter however, because this is a great hoss fight between two future legends.

   They go back and forth with offense, and the bout ends after a chokeslam and tombstone piledriver. This match was a lot of fun and showed why Goldust was more than a gimmick and that 1996 was arguably Taker’s best year.

Rating: 4 bags of literal Goldust out of 5

WWF Championship: Shawn Michaels vs Mankind

   This match is probably the main reason this pay per view is remembered, and for good reason. Shawn Michaels is in the midst of his “boyhood dream” title run and is seen as kind of a pretty boy.

   In the other corner, Mankind is a deranged maniac who squeals like a hog, rips his own hair out of his head and is a hardcore brawler. These two guys’ styles should not click, but they do, and they create magic.

   These guys go at each other for nearly 30 minutes, and throw their whole arsenal at each other. Foley goes through a table, thrown into the steps multiple times and gets stomped on the concrete a few times for good measure. The action is fast and furious, with Michaels fighting like his life depended on it.

   There was no goofy dancing, no playing to crowd and no lengths he wouldn’t cross to defend his title. At one point he’s gung ho to beat Mankind up with a chair. In this match, Michaels got an edge he never had before, which fit into the story told in this match tremendously.

   Unfortunately, the match ends in a no contest due to interference from Vader, The Undertaker and Sycho Sid. Yet that doesn’t change the fact that this might be the best match from 1996 and Mick Foley’s career. This is one you need to go out of your way to watch if you’ve never seen it.

Rating: 5 painful looking Mick Foley bumps out of 5

   Overall this was a decent show. Nothing special outside of the last two matches, but it’s only two hours and is a nice trip down memory lane. The non-wrestling segments are all worthwhile too.

   In a vacuum, this might seem like a boring show, but while binging 1996 Raws, this was a fun watch. Worth it alone for Taker vs Goldust and the main event.

PPV Rating: 3 gladiator Farooqs out of 5

Henry Wolski
Executive Editor