7 Secret Versions Of Classic WWE Matches
6. The Rumble In The Garden
[A previous version of this article was written before I discovered/watched the YouTube upload - Sidgwick]
Held just prior to the 1994 Royal Rumble pay-per-view, itself an unforgettable intersection of all that was awesome and naff at the precipice of the New Generation Era, the 'Rumble In The Garden' saw Owen Hart triumph ahead of his legendary heel turn.
Owen was a massive bumper of incredible stamina and cheeky ingenuity; a lengthy stint in a venue that demanded talents lace up their working boots, even without the presence of TV cameras, virtually guaranteed a superb performance from one of WWE's greatest in-ring wizards. At one point, he slid out of the ring, causing Johnny Polo to tumble over the ropes, before eliminating him with a crunching flying headbutt.
A less heralded but almost equally spectacular babyface worker in Marty Jannetty almost stole the final third; he and former Rocker rival Shawn Michaels pelted each other's brains in to molten MSG heat in a moment that powers through the cheap VHS grain to become vibrant in its heated star power.
Crush was handed an elimination spree ahead of his major match against Randy Savage at WrestleMania X in the same venue - this company once treated continuity more carefully on house shows than on television - but Bret Hart ended his watch before staying ringside to urge his brother to victory. The knowledge that it exists, albeit outside of canon and in dire quality, enhances Owen's heel turn in retrospect. What a little sh*t he was to betray Bret after that show of support.
What a magnificent little sh*t.