On Brand Segunda Caida: Dan Severn in WWF

Here's some Sunday Severn for all the beasts: 

Dan Severn vs. Savio Vega WWF Raw 5/4/98

ER: This was like a short, to the point, Dan Severn Bloodsport match, cruelly not even giving us 2 minutes. Severn had split with Cornette the week before, so this was a showcase for the newly on his own force Severn. It's a lot of cool standing grappling, and it looked good because it looks like Severn was trying as hard as he could to take Vega down with double legs while Vega fought his hardest to neutralize them. There were two big belly to belly suplexes from Severn, and Savio was going to be taking those suplexes the easy way or the hard way. Savio looks unhappy that he's out there just to get plowed under, so he hops right to his feet after the second suplex and starts hammering Severn with clubbing forearms. It was pretty clear that Vega wasn't going to be getting much here, some nice corner chops and a hiptoss, before Severn started muscling back. As he's trying to hold Vega down, Severn starts doing these kind of cool uppercut shoulder shrugs from one knee, into Vega's gut, then powers him over with an extremely cool shoot jackhammer before tapping him out. They were trying to get over a new submission for Severn, where he has an arm barred while shoving the opposite way on Vega's jaw. It's same sub he put on Cornette the week prior, and it's a great looking submission. More finishers should just be someone's big hand palming a guy's jaw.

Dan Severn vs. Owen Hart WWF Raw 5/25/98

ER: This was the first time Owen used his new theme music that all my friends in high school made fun of. "Well ENOUGH is ENOUGH and it's time for a CHANGE!" felt like the soundbite you would only use to make fun of someone. He could not have come off whinier and it made us laugh every time. We could never pinpoint if he was supposed to be coming off as a whiny heel or a tough loner who was coming off whiny. One thing is clear: it's tough to try to break out of the pack and be your own man, and also be immediately put into a singles match with Dan "The Beast" Severn. Severn is going to shove you and throw you around the ring against your will, and that's what happens here. Severn keeps taking Owen down with double legs and fireman's carries, slapping him around from the mount. It's tough to look like a guy standing bravely on your own when a huge mustachioed man is smothering you. Severn gets a cool half grapevine rolling cradle that Owen breaks by punching Severn in the eye, and it's probably smart strategy to work Severn as if you're escaping a shark attack. Owen hits a nice gutwrench suplex and punts Severn in the balls when the ref wasn't looking, but weirdly decided to go for a double leg takedown to mount Dan Severn. Severn easily sweeps and promptly resumes smacking Owen around. Severn hits a nice waterwheel takedown into a Fujiwara armbar, and the Nation has to run into save Owen from further humiliation. Severn really gobbles guys up in the ring and they probably should have found someone else to put Owen up against, but I really liked the pairing a lot. Guys that force Owen to grapple and wrestle bring out a cool and underutilized side of him, one I wish we got more often.