Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan are in the booth, still broadcasting from Springfield, Massachusetts.
What the World Was Watching: WWF Wrestling Challenge – December 8, 1991
Phil LaFon
Owen & Bulldog vs. Furnas & LaFon vs. The Godwinns vs. Faarooq & Crush (and other Dream Matches!)
You know it’s 1997 WWF when THESE two show up!
Welcome back to more Dream Matches! This week, we have a wild assortment, as I found another Bowl Match from the WWF! A sequel to the “RAW Bowl” where everyone was in football gear, this one is classic 1997, as it’s Owen Hart & British Bulldog vs. The Godwinns vs. Doug Furnas & Phil LaFon vs. Faarooq & Crush in a 4-way elimination tag match!
A weird mish-mash bout from 1993 WCW sees a young BABYFACE Steve Regal take on The Barbarian! More of Devon Storm and Ace Darling as they form “The Extremists” and hit WCW as a pair of jobbers against The Public Enemy! A palette cleanser from that as babyface Kona Crush takes on “Dream Matches” MVP, Blake Beverly! And we end things with a great example of the Dragon Gate style as CIMA, Dragon Kid & Susumu Yokosuka invade Pro Wrestling NOAH to face Naomichi Marufuji, Ricky Marvin & Ippei Ota!
BOWL MATCH (4 corners elimination tag, anyone can tag and must accept tags):
OWEN HART & “THE BRITISH BULLDOG” DAVEY-BOY SMITH vs. THE GODWINNS (Henry O. & Phineas I. Godwinn, w/ Hillbilly Jim) vs. DOUG FURNAS & PHILIP LAFON vs. THE NATION OF DOMINATION (Faarooq & Crush, w/ Clarence Mason, PG-13 & Flunkies):
(WWF Superstars, Jan. 26th 1997)
* Wait, they ran ANOTHER Bowl? All I remember was the RAW Bowl! Where they all wore football uniforms and it was actually pretty dumb! This is another from the next year, with a smattering of oddball tag teams from the era- Owen & Bulldog are the tag champs, with Furnas & LaFon (in matching blue trunks) brought in from Japan as charisma-free challengers in an attempt to combat WCW’s perception as the “workrate promotion”, probably. The Godwinns are a fading act at this point (and oddly both in matching red shirts), while the Nation are rising stars, without Savio yet, I think.
Eddie Guerrero & Essa Rios vs. The Hardy Boyz (and other Dream Matches!)
The before-time, when Lita was introduced to the WWF audience as ESSA RIOS’ manager!
Welcome back to more Dream Matches! This time it’s a bunch more WCW stuff, but I throw in more Los Cowboys! We start off with an early Hardy Boyz match as they take on Eddie Guerrero & Essa Rios! Then it’s Yuji Nagata on his Western excursion as he takes on WCCW star Chris Adams, popularizer of the Superkick! A FAT MAN STAND-OFF as the One Man Gang takes on P.N. News!
Then come see Los Cowboys (Silver King & El Texano) as they take on the guys from last week- Doug Furnas & Phil LaFon! But as masked heel wrestlers in Mexico! Then it’s popular late-stage WCW act 3-Count (Shane Helms, Shannon Moore & Evan Karagias) oppose three jobbesr… including ELIX SKIPPER AND SONNY SIAKI, who yeah- were late WCW guys! Late WCW is more like Early TNA sometimes. And finally, as I have some space to fill, here’s the debut of the legendary HORSHU in WCW, as he faces poor schmuck Joey Maggs on the D-show.
EDDIE GUERRERO & ESSA RIOS (w/ Chyna & Lita) vs. THE HARDY BOYZ (Matt & Jeff Hardy):
(WWF RAW, April 17th, 2000)
* Here’s one recommended by Steve Austrian, with strangeness abounding as Lita leads a team AGAINST the Hardy Boyz, because when the former Miss Congeniality of ECW debuted (and had the mandatory surgery), she was the manager of the former Aguila. They barely even tried with Essa Rios, as he barely ever got mic time or any big wins, and quietly vanished. He’s in white tights with red, while Lita’s in a red bodysuit with cut-outs instead of her iconic gear. Eddie, meanwhile, is studying for his GED in an angle I don’t remember, and wearing a “VaChyna” t-shirt. Jeff’s got a black shirt and Matt has his best “2000s club guy” velvety blue shirt on.
Shinjiro Ohtani & Koji Kanemoto vs. The American Males (and other Dream Matches!)
![1999 BBM Pro Wrestling - [Base] #17 - Shinjiro Otani](https://img.comc.com/i/Wrestling/1999/BBM-Pro-Wrestling---Base/17/Shinjiro-Otani.jpg?id=a1cec85c-26a6-4a4a-90d6-69b6b1ae993d&size=zoom)
Shinjiro Ohtani: If disdain was a person.
Welcome back to more Dream Matches! This one features a true wild one for me, as we see two of New Japan’s top Juniors… in WCW, taking on the American Males! Koji Kanemoto & Shinjiro Ohtani vs. Bagwell & Riggs! Plus, four of the most disparate guys you can imagine end up in one match- ’80s tag legend Bobby Eaton, ’90s failed Power Plant grad Kenny Kaos, never-was failed ’90s hire Bobby Duncum, Jr., and former Beverly Brother Mike Enos have a tag match on Saturday Night! And I’m pretty sure the ending is buggered!
Then ANOTHER possibly buggered ending, as that weird Late-96, Early-97 WWF era where they’re just throwing EVERYTHING at the wall to see what sticks rears its head, as we have Mexican legends Pierroth & Cibernetico taking on All Japan top team Doug Furnas & Phil LaFon! But check that weird ending!
Also, come see Lex Luger & The Giant take on two roided Power Plant guys I’ve never heard of in “The Power Company” (here called the Power Team)! And did you know that ELIX SKIPPER got his TV start in WCW? It’s true! Come watch him get some showcase as a job guy for Billy Kidman! Plus a random mess of a match as Barry Horowitz is left trying (and failing) to wrestle a lucha-style match against Silver King!
KOJI KANEMOTO & SHINJIRO OHTANI (w/ Sonny Onoo) vs. THE AMERICAN MALES (Marcus Alexander Bagwell & Scotty Riggs):
(WCW Worldwide, Dec. 2nd 1995)
* Oh YES!! Two of the best New Japan Juniors and they go to WCW and end up stuck with the Power Plant pretty boys! Now THAT’S a weirdo “WTF? This happened?” match! Ohtani in particular is THE SHIT, famous for the sheer amount of disdain he holds for every opponent. Kanemoto I’ve seen less, but he was the third Tiger Mask and I’ve seen a LOT of **** ratings thrown his way. The Males are still in the midcard at this point, and OH MY GOD they’re so ’90s. I love Buff’s bouffant hair and Riggs with his dirtbag semi-mullet. They have hideous black & white-striped singlets and jean shorts on, while Ohtani’s in his trademark plain black trunks, and Koji’s dressed like Bruce Lee with a white belt. Curiously the size difference is nowhere near as prominent as I was expecting- Bagwell isn’t any taller than Ohtani from the looks of things.
What the World Was Watching: Monday Night Raw – January 6, 1997
by Logan Scisco
Last week a plurality of readers wanted to move onto 1997, so that’s where we are headed. According to Jim Cornette, 1997 is the year that laid the foundation for the late 1990s boom period, which allowed the WWF to regain its place as the top wrestling promotion in North America. Some of the Nielsen ratings for these Raw’s are not great, but the storylines improve throughout the year and as Cornette attests, created a new product that revolutionized the business. So, let’s start reviewing the 1997 season of Monday Night Raw.
–Vince McMahon and
Jerry “the King” Lawler are in the booth and they are taped from Albany, New
York.
Jerry “the King” Lawler are in the booth and they are taped from Albany, New
York.
-Opening Toughman
Contest: Mankind pins Owen Hart
(w/Clarence Mason) with a stump piledriver at 7:02 shown:
Contest: Mankind pins Owen Hart
(w/Clarence Mason) with a stump piledriver at 7:02 shown:
Owen is subbing for the British Bulldog in this contest
and he and Mankind have an interesting battle between Owen’s Slammy and
Mankind’s chair. Just so you know, the
Slammy wins. It’s hard to tell who’s
side the crowd is on, since they hate both guys. Owen takes a brutal shot to the head with a
cooler near the end of the match and a blind charge allows Mankind to hit a
piledriver for the finish. These two had
some nice chemistry and the transitions between technical wrestling and
brawling were very smooth. Rating:
**½
and he and Mankind have an interesting battle between Owen’s Slammy and
Mankind’s chair. Just so you know, the
Slammy wins. It’s hard to tell who’s
side the crowd is on, since they hate both guys. Owen takes a brutal shot to the head with a
cooler near the end of the match and a blind charge allows Mankind to hit a
piledriver for the finish. These two had
some nice chemistry and the transitions between technical wrestling and
brawling were very smooth. Rating:
**½
–Jose Lothario and
Shawn Michaels are backstage and Lothario says that Michaels is going to win
the WWF title back at the Royal Rumble.
Jose’s son Pete reiterates that and Michaels says that he’ll be doing
guest commentary for the Bret Hart-Vader main event tonight.
Shawn Michaels are backstage and Lothario says that Michaels is going to win
the WWF title back at the Royal Rumble.
Jose’s son Pete reiterates that and Michaels says that he’ll be doing
guest commentary for the Bret Hart-Vader main event tonight.
–Footage of Ahmed
Johnson’s altercation with the Nation of Domination on Shotgun Saturday Night
is shown.
Johnson’s altercation with the Nation of Domination on Shotgun Saturday Night
is shown.
–The Honky Tonk Man
joins McMahon and Lawler for commentary.
Honky is in the midst of scouting talent for someone that he can manage.
joins McMahon and Lawler for commentary.
Honky is in the midst of scouting talent for someone that he can manage.
–Doug Furnas &
Philip LaFon defeated The Fake Razor Ramon & The Fake Diesel when Furnas
pins Ramon after a modified Doomsday Device at 9:02 shown:
Philip LaFon defeated The Fake Razor Ramon & The Fake Diesel when Furnas
pins Ramon after a modified Doomsday Device at 9:02 shown:
With the tag team division in flux, this sort of
functions like a number one contenders match for Owen and the Bulldog’s
belts. The Fake Diesel is clearly the
star of the Fakes, as he brings some much needed energy to the contest after
the Fake Razor puts the crowd to sleep with armbars. Unfortunately, the crowd isn’t into Furnas
and LaFon at all here and they have very little sympathy for them when the
Fakes do their beat down. This was one
of those matches that you watch that you want to see end, but it just kept
going and going. Rating: **
functions like a number one contenders match for Owen and the Bulldog’s
belts. The Fake Diesel is clearly the
star of the Fakes, as he brings some much needed energy to the contest after
the Fake Razor puts the crowd to sleep with armbars. Unfortunately, the crowd isn’t into Furnas
and LaFon at all here and they have very little sympathy for them when the
Fakes do their beat down. This was one
of those matches that you watch that you want to see end, but it just kept
going and going. Rating: **
–Hunter Hearst
Helmsley throwing Goldust into Marlena on last week’s show is shown. Marlena flashing the Sultan on Shotgun
Saturday Night is also shown.
Helmsley throwing Goldust into Marlena on last week’s show is shown. Marlena flashing the Sultan on Shotgun
Saturday Night is also shown.
–Bret Hart tells
the announce crew that if Shawn Michaels wants to interfere tonight he can go
right ahead because he’ll be ready for it.
He also says he’s ready for Vader and then gets angry when Sid’s music
starts during his interview time.
the announce crew that if Shawn Michaels wants to interfere tonight he can go
right ahead because he’ll be ready for it.
He also says he’s ready for Vader and then gets angry when Sid’s music
starts during his interview time.
–Jim Ross
interviews WWF Champion Sid, who says that he was born the man and he’ll
overcome the odds and defeat Shawn Michaels at the Royal Rumble. Shawn Michaels
comes out to do color commentary and starts dancing and stripping on the
announce table. This leads to some
unintentional hilarity as Sid starts smiling at his dance and nodding his head. I think you can find a .gif of this sequence on the Internet.
interviews WWF Champion Sid, who says that he was born the man and he’ll
overcome the odds and defeat Shawn Michaels at the Royal Rumble. Shawn Michaels
comes out to do color commentary and starts dancing and stripping on the
announce table. This leads to some
unintentional hilarity as Sid starts smiling at his dance and nodding his head. I think you can find a .gif of this sequence on the Internet.
–Call
1-900-737-4WWF to find if Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin could co-exist as tag
team partners.
1-900-737-4WWF to find if Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin could co-exist as tag
team partners.
–Dok Hendrix hypes
the next Madison Square Garden card, where Sid will defend the WWF title
against the Undertaker, Shawn Michaels will face Mankind, Goldust collides with
Steve Austin, Bret Hart squares off with Vader, and Ahmed Johnson and Savio
Vega challenge Faarooq and Crush.
the next Madison Square Garden card, where Sid will defend the WWF title
against the Undertaker, Shawn Michaels will face Mankind, Goldust collides with
Steve Austin, Bret Hart squares off with Vader, and Ahmed Johnson and Savio
Vega challenge Faarooq and Crush.
–Ahmed Johnson
giving the Pearl River Plunge to a member of the Nation of Domination on a car
on Shotgun Saturday Night is the Starburst Fruit Twists Rewind segment.
giving the Pearl River Plunge to a member of the Nation of Domination on a car
on Shotgun Saturday Night is the Starburst Fruit Twists Rewind segment.
–Vader pins Bret “the
Hitman” Hart with a Vader Bomb at 8:03 shown:
Hitman” Hart with a Vader Bomb at 8:03 shown:
Jim Cornette is not at Vader’s side, nor will he be from
this point forward, because the Undertaker Tombstoned him on WWF Superstars. I’m really surprised that they would waste
this pay-per-view caliber match on free TV, but that shows you what kind of
booking funk Vader has been in since SummerSlam. We get a very physical match in the early
going, with Bret using the stairs, but Vader using his girth in flying at Bret
to generate an advantage. Bret is able
to block a Vader Bomb and take control, but when the action spills to the
floor, Sid comes and grabs a camera man.
Steve Austin comes out and gives Bret a Stunner, which the camera fails
to catch, and Vader uses that interference to pick up his biggest victory in a
while. The victory gives Vader some
needed momentum heading into the Royal Rumble and also continues the
Bret-Austin feud. This match was also a
little refreshing because Bret tended to win big matches like this on Raw. This match could’ve been better, but they did
what they could with their limited TV time
Rating: **½
this point forward, because the Undertaker Tombstoned him on WWF Superstars. I’m really surprised that they would waste
this pay-per-view caliber match on free TV, but that shows you what kind of
booking funk Vader has been in since SummerSlam. We get a very physical match in the early
going, with Bret using the stairs, but Vader using his girth in flying at Bret
to generate an advantage. Bret is able
to block a Vader Bomb and take control, but when the action spills to the
floor, Sid comes and grabs a camera man.
Steve Austin comes out and gives Bret a Stunner, which the camera fails
to catch, and Vader uses that interference to pick up his biggest victory in a
while. The victory gives Vader some
needed momentum heading into the Royal Rumble and also continues the
Bret-Austin feud. This match was also a
little refreshing because Bret tended to win big matches like this on Raw. This match could’ve been better, but they did
what they could with their limited TV time
Rating: **½
–The camera
backstage shows Sid beating up Pete Lothario and powerbombing him on a table
before Michaels can get backstage.
backstage shows Sid beating up Pete Lothario and powerbombing him on a table
before Michaels can get backstage.
The Final Report Card: The first Raw of 1997 had some good wrestling
and showed that 1997 was going to have more “attitude” than 1996. The feuds that the WWF was building had
multiple dimensions and the tangled web that encompassed Shawn Michaels, Bret
Hart, Sid, and Steve Austin would help carry the company to an entertaining
year. This show is an easy thumbs up
because of the good work during the main event and the opener.
and showed that 1997 was going to have more “attitude” than 1996. The feuds that the WWF was building had
multiple dimensions and the tangled web that encompassed Shawn Michaels, Bret
Hart, Sid, and Steve Austin would help carry the company to an entertaining
year. This show is an easy thumbs up
because of the good work during the main event and the opener.
Monday Night War Rating: 2.1 (vs. 3.0 for Nitro)
Show Evaluation: Thumbs Up