by Logan Scisco
–Jim Ross and Jerry
“the King” Lawler are in the booth and they are live from Richmond, Virginia.
“the King” Lawler are in the booth and they are live from Richmond, Virginia.
–Free for
All: Rockabilly (w/The Honky Tonk Man)
defeats “The Real Double J” Jesse James with a DDT at 3:10:
All: Rockabilly (w/The Honky Tonk Man)
defeats “The Real Double J” Jesse James with a DDT at 3:10:
Talk about the very definition of a lower midcard
match. This is the continuation of the
Rockabilly-Jesse James feud, which is a feud that seems very out of place by
1997 standards. I caught the clipped
version of this match on YouTube and its very tolerable because it eliminates
some of Rockabilly’s slow offense. The
DDT Rockabilly delivers at the end of the match is vicious. This was a simple squash for Rockabilly, but
it’s not like he was going anywhere with this 1980s-style gimmick. However, I have to ask again: If they were going to push Rockabilly why did
they job him out in his first match a month ago? Rating: ½*
match. This is the continuation of the
Rockabilly-Jesse James feud, which is a feud that seems very out of place by
1997 standards. I caught the clipped
version of this match on YouTube and its very tolerable because it eliminates
some of Rockabilly’s slow offense. The
DDT Rockabilly delivers at the end of the match is vicious. This was a simple squash for Rockabilly, but
it’s not like he was going anywhere with this 1980s-style gimmick. However, I have to ask again: If they were going to push Rockabilly why did
they job him out in his first match a month ago? Rating: ½*
–The Hart
Foundation tells Jim Ross that they have procured front row tickets for
tonight’s event and they bought them from scalpers outside of the building.
Foundation tells Jim Ross that they have procured front row tickets for
tonight’s event and they bought them from scalpers outside of the building.
–Now onto the
pay-per-view…
pay-per-view…
–Opening
Contest: Hunter Hearst Helmsley
(w/Chyna) pins Flash Funk with a Pedigree at 10:02:
Contest: Hunter Hearst Helmsley
(w/Chyna) pins Flash Funk with a Pedigree at 10:02:
The Funkettes had been axed because of budget cuts, but
the storyline explanation was that they were afraid of Chyna and decided not to
show up. Interestingly enough,
Helmsley’s Titantron still shows the lady friends he was bringing to the ring
in 1996. Helmsley’s small feud with Mankind
began the previous night on Shotgun Saturday Night, when Chyna gave Mankind a
low blow to help Helmsley get out of the Mandible Claw. Predictably, Chyna interferes several times
to put Helmsley in control of the match.
Helmsley does a better job mixing up his offense, but the crowd is still
bored until Funk starts flying around on his comeback. Funk goes for the Funky Flash Splash, but
Helmsley crotches him and delivers a brutal super side suplex to set up a clean
victory. After the match, Chyna crotches
Funk on the top rope. A good opener, but
Funk looked much more impressive than Helmsley.
That’s not who got the push, though.
Rating: **
the storyline explanation was that they were afraid of Chyna and decided not to
show up. Interestingly enough,
Helmsley’s Titantron still shows the lady friends he was bringing to the ring
in 1996. Helmsley’s small feud with Mankind
began the previous night on Shotgun Saturday Night, when Chyna gave Mankind a
low blow to help Helmsley get out of the Mandible Claw. Predictably, Chyna interferes several times
to put Helmsley in control of the match.
Helmsley does a better job mixing up his offense, but the crowd is still
bored until Funk starts flying around on his comeback. Funk goes for the Funky Flash Splash, but
Helmsley crotches him and delivers a brutal super side suplex to set up a clean
victory. After the match, Chyna crotches
Funk on the top rope. A good opener, but
Funk looked much more impressive than Helmsley.
That’s not who got the push, though.
Rating: **
–Call
1-900-737-4WWF to hear from the winners and losers of tonight’s matches. It’ll cost you $1.49 a minute!
1-900-737-4WWF to hear from the winners and losers of tonight’s matches. It’ll cost you $1.49 a minute!
–Ross interviews
Ken Shamrock on the Titantron and Shamrock says that although he was attacked
by Vader and Mankind on the Free for All, he isn’t going to be shaken.
Ken Shamrock on the Titantron and Shamrock says that although he was attacked
by Vader and Mankind on the Free for All, he isn’t going to be shaken.
-Todd Pettengill
interviews Rocky Maivia, who admits that success may have come too soon but
says that he has learned a lot. Maivia
says that tonight’s match is about his determination and not his destiny. You can sense more attitude in these promos
from Maivia, which is foreshadowing the Rock character.
interviews Rocky Maivia, who admits that success may have come too soon but
says that he has learned a lot. Maivia
says that tonight’s match is about his determination and not his destiny. You can sense more attitude in these promos
from Maivia, which is foreshadowing the Rock character.
–Mankind defeats
“The Rock” Rocky Maivia with the Mandible Claw at 8:47:
“The Rock” Rocky Maivia with the Mandible Claw at 8:47:
This was supposed to be Sid-Mankind, but like the last
pay-per-view Sid was not available, so Maivia was plugged into this spot to
give us a battle of the future Rock N’ Sock Connection. Mankind was on the verge of a face turn
through the shoot interview segments with Jim Ross that were aired on RAW,
while Maivia was quickly plummeting down the card after a disastrous run as
Intercontinental champion. There’s
another small story behind this match and that is that Mankind eliminated
Maivia from the Royal Rumble in January, so Maivia is trying to get a small
measure of revenge here. The crowd boos
Maivia each time he is on offense, but they do pop for him giving Mankind a
Rock Bottom on the entrance ramp. Both
guys are really trying to raise the status of this match to more than a run of
the mill midcard match, but the crowd is having nothing to do with it. Maivia hits his finishing flying body press,
but Mankind has a great counter by applying the Mandible Claw and gets the
victory. Foley wrote in his book that
after this match he told some guys in the back that the WWF should cut Maivia
loose because he just “didn’t have it”, but I think that isn’t justified if you
watch this match. You can see glimpses
of a future star in Maivia, but he was in desperate need of a repackaging. Rating: **½
pay-per-view Sid was not available, so Maivia was plugged into this spot to
give us a battle of the future Rock N’ Sock Connection. Mankind was on the verge of a face turn
through the shoot interview segments with Jim Ross that were aired on RAW,
while Maivia was quickly plummeting down the card after a disastrous run as
Intercontinental champion. There’s
another small story behind this match and that is that Mankind eliminated
Maivia from the Royal Rumble in January, so Maivia is trying to get a small
measure of revenge here. The crowd boos
Maivia each time he is on offense, but they do pop for him giving Mankind a
Rock Bottom on the entrance ramp. Both
guys are really trying to raise the status of this match to more than a run of
the mill midcard match, but the crowd is having nothing to do with it. Maivia hits his finishing flying body press,
but Mankind has a great counter by applying the Mandible Claw and gets the
victory. Foley wrote in his book that
after this match he told some guys in the back that the WWF should cut Maivia
loose because he just “didn’t have it”, but I think that isn’t justified if you
watch this match. You can see glimpses
of a future star in Maivia, but he was in desperate need of a repackaging. Rating: **½
–Buy your Austin
3:16 t-shirt by calling 815-734-1161 and then paying $20 (plus shipping &
handling)!
3:16 t-shirt by calling 815-734-1161 and then paying $20 (plus shipping &
handling)!
–Crush losing the
gauntlet match to Ahmed Johnson on Raw is shown.
gauntlet match to Ahmed Johnson on Raw is shown.
–Pettengill
interviews Ahmed, who says that he is used to overcoming the odds.
interviews Ahmed, who says that he is used to overcoming the odds.
–Gauntlet
Match: The Nation of Domination defeats
Ahmed Johnson when Faarooq pins Ahmed after a Dominator at 15:45:
Match: The Nation of Domination defeats
Ahmed Johnson when Faarooq pins Ahmed after a Dominator at 15:45:
The stipulation here is that if Ahmed wins the Nation of
Domination will be forced to disband. At
the time, this seemed to be the final blowoff for the never ending Ahmed-Nation
feud. Prior to the bell, WWF President
Gorilla Monsoon throws the Nation of Domination out of ringside and says that
only one wrestler will be allowed in the ring at a time. This shows Clarence Mason’s legal ability has
really been in decline since 1995 because the old Mason would’ve outmaneuvered
Monsoon and forced Ahmed to defeat ten members of the Nation as they surrounded
the ring with billy clubs. Ahmed and
Crush run through a DUDesque encounter that last five minutes, with Ahmed
countering the heart punch with a spinning heel kick and pinning him. Savio gives it a go and the crowd grows
restless about the lack of action ten minutes into the contest. Savio lasts seven minutes in a match that
wouldn’t crack ½* and when it appears that he’s going to lose, he grabs a chair
and wears Ahmed out with it to set up Faarooq’s entry into the match. Faarooq shows that his separated shoulder
injury was a rouse, but Ahmed catches him with a Pearl River Plunge, of which
Faarooq inexplicably kicks out, drawing the biggest heel reaction of the night
thus far. Faarooq quickly recovers and
finishes an exhausted Ahmed shortly thereafter to keep the Nation of Domination
intact. This told a good story during
its last three minutes, with Savio weakening Ahmed and Ahmed being too exhausted to secure a victory, but
it took forever to get there and it made this match a great cure for
insomnia. Rating: ½*
Domination will be forced to disband. At
the time, this seemed to be the final blowoff for the never ending Ahmed-Nation
feud. Prior to the bell, WWF President
Gorilla Monsoon throws the Nation of Domination out of ringside and says that
only one wrestler will be allowed in the ring at a time. This shows Clarence Mason’s legal ability has
really been in decline since 1995 because the old Mason would’ve outmaneuvered
Monsoon and forced Ahmed to defeat ten members of the Nation as they surrounded
the ring with billy clubs. Ahmed and
Crush run through a DUDesque encounter that last five minutes, with Ahmed
countering the heart punch with a spinning heel kick and pinning him. Savio gives it a go and the crowd grows
restless about the lack of action ten minutes into the contest. Savio lasts seven minutes in a match that
wouldn’t crack ½* and when it appears that he’s going to lose, he grabs a chair
and wears Ahmed out with it to set up Faarooq’s entry into the match. Faarooq shows that his separated shoulder
injury was a rouse, but Ahmed catches him with a Pearl River Plunge, of which
Faarooq inexplicably kicks out, drawing the biggest heel reaction of the night
thus far. Faarooq quickly recovers and
finishes an exhausted Ahmed shortly thereafter to keep the Nation of Domination
intact. This told a good story during
its last three minutes, with Savio weakening Ahmed and Ahmed being too exhausted to secure a victory, but
it took forever to get there and it made this match a great cure for
insomnia. Rating: ½*
–A recap is
provided for the issue between Ken Shamrock and Vader.
provided for the issue between Ken Shamrock and Vader.
–Pettengill
interviews Vader, who says that his attack on Shamrock earlier in the evening
was a way to play with his mind.
interviews Vader, who says that his attack on Shamrock earlier in the evening
was a way to play with his mind.
–No Holds Barred
Match: Ken Shamrock defeats Vader by
submission with an anklelock at 13:23:
Match: Ken Shamrock defeats Vader by
submission with an anklelock at 13:23:
The only way to win this match was by knockout or
submission and this was an excellent way to debut Shamrock, since it provided a
transition from his UFC background to the squared circle of the WWF. Vader was also an ideal opponent, since he
was seen as the toughest guy on the roster.
Shamrock doesn’t have his awesome theme music yet and it’s more
befitting a late 1980s jobber than the World’s Most Dangerous Man. Vader always loved stiff matches and he gets
all he can handle from Shamrock, who goes Antonio Inoki on Vader’s legs. Vader counters that with Memphis, as he
continually rolls out of the ring to avoid Shamrock’s offense. Although this is a work, it is a smooth one
and they do a good job mixing in brawling and MMA-style offense with
professional wrestling moves. During the
last couple of minutes, Shamrock just absolutely mauls Vader, which is
something that professional wrestling fans had never seen before and when Vader
tries to pose over Shamrock after knocking him down, Shamrock surprises him
with a takedown and finishes with the anklelock, which legitimately messes up
Vader’s ankle and puts him on the shelf for a couple of weeks. This wasn’t your conventional wrestling
match, but it was a breath of fresh air when compared to other things
on the card. Rating: ***
submission and this was an excellent way to debut Shamrock, since it provided a
transition from his UFC background to the squared circle of the WWF. Vader was also an ideal opponent, since he
was seen as the toughest guy on the roster.
Shamrock doesn’t have his awesome theme music yet and it’s more
befitting a late 1980s jobber than the World’s Most Dangerous Man. Vader always loved stiff matches and he gets
all he can handle from Shamrock, who goes Antonio Inoki on Vader’s legs. Vader counters that with Memphis, as he
continually rolls out of the ring to avoid Shamrock’s offense. Although this is a work, it is a smooth one
and they do a good job mixing in brawling and MMA-style offense with
professional wrestling moves. During the
last couple of minutes, Shamrock just absolutely mauls Vader, which is
something that professional wrestling fans had never seen before and when Vader
tries to pose over Shamrock after knocking him down, Shamrock surprises him
with a takedown and finishes with the anklelock, which legitimately messes up
Vader’s ankle and puts him on the shelf for a couple of weeks. This wasn’t your conventional wrestling
match, but it was a breath of fresh air when compared to other things
on the card. Rating: ***
–Pettengill
interviews Steve Austin, who says that after he defeats the Undertaker he’s
going to go after the Hart Foundation, who will be at ringside for the WWF
title match.
interviews Steve Austin, who says that after he defeats the Undertaker he’s
going to go after the Hart Foundation, who will be at ringside for the WWF
title match.
–Pettengill
narrates some highlights of Steve Austin’s interactions with the Undertaker the
last couple of weeks.
narrates some highlights of Steve Austin’s interactions with the Undertaker the
last couple of weeks.
–WWF Championship
Match: The Undertaker (Champion) pins
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin with a Tombstone at 20:09:
Match: The Undertaker (Champion) pins
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin with a Tombstone at 20:09:
Oddly enough, this is the only title match on the entire
card. WWF history is a funny thing
because a year after this pay-per-view it would be the Undertaker coming to
Austin’s aid in an attempt to help him keep the WWF title. The Hart Foundation comes out and takes their
positions in the front row and Austin has a hard time keeping his concentration
on the Undertaker. Austin wears down the
Undertaker’s legs and the Undertaker responds in kind. The problem with this is that neither guy
really sells the leg damage long enough and it renders a good sixty percent of
the match meaningless. Even Ross is
forced to drop his euphemisms for a boring match. Austin and Hebner have a fun sequence where
Austin flips off Hebner behind his back and Hebner reciprocates when the
Undertaker tosses Austin across the ring.
Austin hits a Stunner after a hot shot, but Brian Pillman hops the
guardrail and rings the bell prematurely and this changes the momentum of the
match to allow the Undertaker to reverse an Austin Tombstone attempt into his
own version and retain the belt. A lackluster
main event that does few favors for the Undertaker, as he receives a mixed reaction
when he’s announced as the winner and he eats a Stone Cold Stunner at the end
of the broadcast. Rating: *½
card. WWF history is a funny thing
because a year after this pay-per-view it would be the Undertaker coming to
Austin’s aid in an attempt to help him keep the WWF title. The Hart Foundation comes out and takes their
positions in the front row and Austin has a hard time keeping his concentration
on the Undertaker. Austin wears down the
Undertaker’s legs and the Undertaker responds in kind. The problem with this is that neither guy
really sells the leg damage long enough and it renders a good sixty percent of
the match meaningless. Even Ross is
forced to drop his euphemisms for a boring match. Austin and Hebner have a fun sequence where
Austin flips off Hebner behind his back and Hebner reciprocates when the
Undertaker tosses Austin across the ring.
Austin hits a Stunner after a hot shot, but Brian Pillman hops the
guardrail and rings the bell prematurely and this changes the momentum of the
match to allow the Undertaker to reverse an Austin Tombstone attempt into his
own version and retain the belt. A lackluster
main event that does few favors for the Undertaker, as he receives a mixed reaction
when he’s announced as the winner and he eats a Stone Cold Stunner at the end
of the broadcast. Rating: *½
–After the match,
the Hart Foundation jumps the guardrail and attacks the Undertaker, but they
leave Bret alone and Austin goes into the crowd, dumps Bret out of the
wheelchair, and clears the ring with one of the Hart Foundation’s crutches.
the Hart Foundation jumps the guardrail and attacks the Undertaker, but they
leave Bret alone and Austin goes into the crowd, dumps Bret out of the
wheelchair, and clears the ring with one of the Hart Foundation’s crutches.
The Final Report Card: The Shamrock-Vader encounter was the most
interesting part of the pay-per-view and it delivered, but the rest of the show
lacked the same “big match” feel. Even
the WWF title match played sideshow to what the Hart Foundation was doing at
ringside and it hurt some of the quality of the main event. Overall, I’m giving this a thumbs down
because although Vader-Shamrock was good, the first two matches weren’t all
that important and the gauntlet match and WWF title match didn’t live up to the
hype.
interesting part of the pay-per-view and it delivered, but the rest of the show
lacked the same “big match” feel. Even
the WWF title match played sideshow to what the Hart Foundation was doing at
ringside and it hurt some of the quality of the main event. Overall, I’m giving this a thumbs down
because although Vader-Shamrock was good, the first two matches weren’t all
that important and the gauntlet match and WWF title match didn’t live up to the
hype.
Attendance:
9,381
9,381
Buyrate:
0.57
0.57
Show Evaluation: Thumbs Down