[1995-04-17-WWF-Monday Night RAW] Owen Hart & Yokozuna vs 1-2-3 Kid & Bob Holly

[Superstar Sleeze]

WWF World Tag Team Champions Owen Hart & Yokozuna vs 1-2-3 Kid & Bob Holly - WWF RAW 4/17/95

Set up last week by Holly pinning Owen in a 6-man tag. Good first title defense for Owen & Yoko against the plucky, underdog tag team champions.

Really enjoyed the opening matwork by Owen & Kid. I would say the best opening matwork I gave seen in any WWF 93-95 match. It felt like NWA Championship wrestling. I thought Kid landing on his feet after monkey flip at the end of the really well done chain wrestling was a really good punctuation mark. Also liked Kid drop kicking Owen after double Kip ups but Owen was caught celebrating. Owen/Holly also had some really good old school exchanges. Don’t know what got into Owen but he really wanted to do classic championship style wrestling and I loved it. Kneelift brings in the big man, Yokozuna.

Surprisingly Holly snaps the gargantuan Yokozuna down by the hair on an earlier set by the big man. Owen pulls down the top rope and Holly goes careening to floor. Owen drives Holly’s back hard into the post. This sets up a very compelling heat segment on Holly. I am usually not into long heat segments especially ones that include multiple nerve pinches but Holly peppered in enough hope spots and Owen’s character work kept this fresh. Like when Holly gets a backslide out of the surfboard Owen slams him into Yoko’s head and brings Yoko in. When Holly looks poised to mount a comeback Yoko throws him over the top, picks a fight with Kid to distract the ref and Owen does more damage. When Holly gets a small package on Owen, Owen goes to the eyes. There is a great weight reversal by Hollybon a super plex. Love the enziguiri by Owen. Owen and Holly knock heads on a collision. Each tag out. THE BEST POSSIBLE 1-2-3 KID HOT TAG ON YOKO! Kid just fucking let all hang it for a minute. The best lightning head rocking kicks on both Yoko and Owen. SICK TORNEO ON OWEN!!! Mind-Blowing in 1995. Just like when your toddler gets zoomies right before a nap. Yoko catches Kid off too and SQUASHES him with a belly 2 belly. 1-2-3! Perfect finish.

I still like Kid & Jannetty more than Kid & Holly but two of the best non-Bret,  non-Shawn matches of 1995 don’t lie, they should have kept them together. I have this at the same level as the excellent Gunns match. Gun to my head, I am going Gunns, but this is really good. One interesting finding for me in all this is I significantly prefer Kid in tags than singles. *** 3/4