A Brief History of the WWE: Random Thoughts on the "In Your House" PPV Series

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • Bigpapa42
    Junior Member
    • Feb 2009
    • 3185

    A Brief History of the WWE: Random Thoughts on the "In Your House" PPV Series




    Intro

    Way back in 2009, I borrowed the Summer Slam DVD boxed set from a friend and watched through them all. While I did so, I made some notes and turned them into a “Random Thoughts” thread on a wrestling forum. I have been tempted to take on another such project for some time.

    I am going to be going through the WWE “In Your House” pay per view series, starting with the very first one. This will not be full reviews, where each match gets recapped and graded. Rather, it will be “random thoughts”, with my thoughts and impressions of various things. The approach is equally inspired by Hunter Thompson's gonzo journalism and Bill Simmons' running diaries for sporting events. I claim little in the way of originality. It will hopefully be entertaining to read and at least a bit amusing... though I make no promises of being actually funny.

    As I will explain below, some of these are from periods where I didn't watch that much. So I will be blissfully ignorant of certain things. As a reader, feel free to correct me, point something out I miss, disagree with my assessment, whatever. These kind of projects are always more fun with some interaction.

    What is “In Your House”?



    In Your House” was a pay per view series held by the WWE (then WWF) from May of 1995 to April of 1999. There were 28 events in total. They were used to fill the months between the “major” pay per view events (Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, King of the Ring, Summer Slam, and Survivor Series). The IYH series was numbered, with some events getting sub-titles. The sub-titles would eventually become the key part of the and a number of them would provide the names for the annual monthly events when the WWE switched.

    In Your House pay per views started out at 2 hours and a slightly lower price-point than the “major” ones. This was back when Raw was just an hour weekly. The IYH events would eventually become full three hour pay per views.

    Why “In Your House”?


    Probably the toughest part of this project was picking what to cover. My tastes are pretty diverse and I wasn't limiting myself to a “good” era or product. I strongly considered the 1999-2000 WCW period just for the sheer maschocist job of . Going through the 1997-1999 WWE period was also very seriously considered, as I have all the shows from that period and have been watching through 1998. I gave some thought to early early TNA or perhaps the Invasion. A full history of one WCW pay per view – likely Starrcade – was one idea I was given that I really liked.

    Someone suggested the In Your House pay per views. I already had most of them downloaded, which is a plus. They cover a very interesting swath of WWF history – starting in early 1995 when they were at a relative low-point to mid 1999, when they were at an all-time high. Despite being the smaller events, there are some really good matches (or so I'm told). It was was enough to sell me and here we are.

    Note - I have downloaded all of these pay per views. If people are interested in watching them themselves, I can upload them and post the links.

    A Brief History of Big Papa the Fan


    Does this matter? Probably not. But I'll provide it regardless. My genesis as a fan was as a kid in the mid to late 80s. I watched the WWF and Stampede Wrestling (grew up in their touring territory) as much as possible. I was aware of other promotions, due to wrestling magazines, and always saw a special certain mystique in the NWA – created by or exacerbated by being able to watch it very rarely. I watched on and off through the late 80s and early 90s.

    I started university in 1997 and we watched wrestling pretty frequently. That meant some WCW but moreso the WWF. By about 2000, my viewing had become more sporadic. I watched somewhat in 2002 and 2003, then watched only a bit in the 2004 to 2007 period. Even when I wasn't watching with much regularity, I still had some idea of what was going on. I was aware of the newer stars like Lesnar, Cena, Orton, Batista, Edge, etc. Aware of some of the bigger happenings and storylines.

    I got back into watching it full-time in early to mid 2008 and have watched consistently ever since. I have now gone beyond the WWE and even TNA, so that I pay attention to ROH, the indy scene, and I've become pretty well-versed with puroresu. I watch a ton of older stuff when I can find the time. I like to think my tastes are pretty diverse and open, and my knowledge of the history of the business isn't too bad.

    Shows
  • EmpireWF
    Giants in the Super Bowl
    • Mar 2009
    • 24082

    #2
    IYH, at least the early shows (say from 1995 through 97) were a mixed bag with some stuff that was just meh to some matches which were fanfuckingtastic (Bulldog/Bret, Shawn/Diesel, Austin/Vega, some lucha guys even).

    A little bit of everything.


    Comment

    • Bigpapa42
      Junior Member
      • Feb 2009
      • 3185

      #3
      Originally posted by EmpireWF
      IYH, at least the early shows (say from 1995 through 97) were a mixed bag with some stuff that was just meh to some matches which were fanfuckingtastic (Bulldog/Bret, Shawn/Diesel, Austin/Vega, some lucha guys even).

      A little bit of everything.
      The first ones that I've watched through so far were a very definite mixed bag. A couple of really good matches and then crap. Sycho Sid versus Diesel headlines the first couple and that tells you a lot.

      Comment

      • Bigpapa42
        Junior Member
        • Feb 2009
        • 3185

        #4



        WWF In Your House 1
        May 14, 1995
        Syracuse, New York

        -I didn't actually look up the card for this one before I began watching it. Which is a good thing. As I was musing over how cartoonish the “In Your House” logo now looks, they start out by announcing the main event. Diesel versus Sycho Sid. Oh my god. Also gracing the card - Mabel versus Adam Bomb. Holy hell, what did I get myself into? Bret Hart involved in not just one, but two matches? Okay, now we're talking. Oh, and they're giving away a house on the show. Awesome. Because contests from 17 years ago always make for captivating viewing today.

        -the commentary team is Vince McMahon and Dok Hendrix. That's not good. There was a time when Vinnie Mac wasn't so bad on commentary. That time was much before the mid 90s. I recall all too well from the Summer Slam and Survivor Series boxed sets that by this point, he oversells everything hard. He's shouting out the count for every pin attempt then dramatically over-emphasizing the “No!” I get that he's attempting to sell the drama... but its just done really poorly. Its kinda like when the TNA commentary crew declare another new match “the greatest thing ever!” every week.

        -seeing that the opener is Bret Hart versus Hakushi puts a smile on my face. "The Hitman" also has a later match scheduled against Jerry Lawler (ah, the awesome feud that saw Lawler involve his "dentist"). Watching through the Summer Slam boxed set reminded me of just how damned good Hart was, as he consistently had the best match on the card pretty much every SS he was in. Having Hart in at least one match means there should be some quality on this card. In this case, his opponent interests me too.

        Hakushi is Japanese wrestler Jinsei Shinzaki. I have only seen so much of his work but he intrigues me. That is at least part due to his "look". He has apparently always used a "Buddhist monk" gimmick. During his WWE, that meant small Japanese tattoos covering his entire upper body and head to go along with the all-white garb. Even almost 20 years later, it's still an awesome look in my opinion. And he's a solid worker from what I've seen. He spent most of his career in Japan with Michinoku Pro, so most of what I've seen of his work has been when he worked in New Japan upon occasion. Of note, he only debuted in June 1993, so he has less than two year's experience in his match with Hart.



        Hakushi and awesome fake tattoos

        Hakushi's manager Shinja (Akio Sato with a white suit and white face that is a decidedly less-awesome look than the wrestler) gets involved a fair bit. Hakushi hits a springboard moonsault to the outside that is really nice. The Japanese wrestler looks good enough that I was surprised to discover afterward that he only had two years' experience.

        I have to say that I really like the booking in this one. It's relatively simple but very effective. Hakushi gets to look good. He doesn't look absolutely fantastic but he makes a former world champion (and a guy who is still a star for the WWF at the time) really work for the win. It wasn't the kind of match would make an immediate star of Hakushi but it certainly would elevate him. Yet he apparently ended up being put into a feud with perennial jobber Barry Horowitz and Bodydonna Skip, then left the WWE after he was "branded" by Bradshaw. Given that he seems like a solid worker and had the awesome look, that's pretty disappointing. But that doesn't take away from what was a great way to start off the first In Your House pay per view.

        -Hart twists his knee jumping out of the ring after the match and limps away. Oh no! He has another match tonight! This is disastrous! If this event wasn't 17 years ago, I might be calling the WWE and demanding my money back.

        -okay, its only one match into this card and Vince is seriously annoying me. The way he oversells everything is absurd. And endlessly annoying. Its like Michael Cole at his annoying worse. Much like with Cole, I'm tempting to turn down the volume and turn on some music while watching. But I'm dedicated viewer so I gut it out. For you, readers. For you.

        -next up is a handicap match – Razor Ramon taking on Jeff Jarrett and The Roadie. The Roadie is Jarrett's roadie and better known as Road Dogg (or BG James). The background here is that 1-2-3 Kid was involved in the feud but got injured (legit, I think) and couldn't wrestle in the tag match, so it became a handicap match. This is apparently Roadie's first actual match in the WWF. The match itself is solid. Nothing special but decent. Ramon wins after a quarter hour – which doesn’t say a lot for IC champion Jarrett. JJ and his cohort gang up on Razor afterward (though Razor did start it), which brings out Aldo Montoya and then an “unidentified” Latino wrestler... who is Savio Vega (sorry if I ruined the surprise for you).

        -I have to say that Dok Hendrix isn't that terrible on color commentary. Maybe its just because when he's talking, I don't have to listen to Vince. Whatever the reason, I think I'm enjoying him more on this show than I ever have before.

        -there is a promo video for Sycho Sid. I assume it's supposed to remind me of how awesome the big guy is. Instead, it reminds me of how sloppy he was in the ring. The release point on his power bomb seems so high that it looks sloppy as hell, like he's loses his grip on them as he throws them down rather than he's actually throwing them down with full force.

        -next up is Mabel versus Adam Bomb. This is a match that has the potential to be life-altering, and not in any good way. I presume this is the start of Mabel's push that saw him become 1995 King of the Ring. This is actually a KOTR qualifying match and our commentary team point out that Mabel is more intense, not singing or dancing. So the only remotely entertaining aspect of Mabel is gone? Fantastic. Mabel attacks Mr. Bomb before the bell, and once the match starts, its over in about two minutes. Which makes me eternally grateful, because the thought of these two in a 15-minute match is kinda horrifying. Let's move along. Quickly.

        -the reigning tag team champions are Owen Hart and Yokozuna. They put their belts on the line against the Smoking Guns. Always kinda liked the team of Owen and Yoko - I think I've always been a Hart family mark and Yoko was a great big man in his day, though he's just a big mess by this point. I liked the Guns when they had Sunny but otherwise, not so much. The Guns were maybe the 7th or 8th best team Billy Gunn was in through his career. But enough on that. A match happens. It's short. The champions retain.

        -before the semi main event, Lawler has his "mom" in the ring, which is really an attractive young lady. Oh WWF, you so funny. Lawler still wants to wrestle Hart despite the knee injury. Then Bret Hart reveals he was just kidding about the hurt knee. He trolled Lawler! Of course, revealing it before the match is a bit stupid as it could've been a really effective ruse in the match itself. Though I guess playing up the fake hurt leg would be kinda heelish.

        -once Hart versus Lawler gets underway, Hakushi and Shinja come down to ringside. The ref gets tangled in the ropes, allowing Hakushi to help Lawler. That allows Lawler to score the win. The match is 5 minutes long and less than half of that is actual one-on-one action. So one really good Bret Hart match and one virtual non-match. Fair enough then.

        -just prior to the main event, we get a promo from Sid. He's right up in the camera, very sweaty, and whispering. He is a graduate of the Ultimate Warrior Promo School – very intensely saying nothing of substance or anything that really makes sense. “Sycho” isn't just a nickname for Sid – its a state of being.

        -random aside... I found a “buccaneered” copy of a Sid shoot DVD a couple years back. It was interesting. Out of character, the guy is fairly well spoken and comes across pretty well. He spent most of the shoot putting himself over as a great guy and easy to work with, always willing to put the good of the company or the business ahead of himself. Which is kinda funny, since almost everything I've ever read on the guy is that he's a selfish, pain in the ass dickhead backstage. Which is kinda backed up by his sordid history and the fact that he stabbed Arn Anderson with a pair of scissors. I'm tempted to try to find it again, just for giggles. But I have more “In Your Houses” that need watching.

        -then main event time. Sycho Sid. Diesel. Two legends... One night only! This potential horror-show of a match begins well enough, with the reigning WWF world champion unleashing some heavy "big man" offense that looks pretty good. Diesel charges hard into the corner and it looks impressive... ish. Sid has a weird way of selling. He just kinda looks stunned by everything, not so much hurt. The match slows down a bit. After about ten minutes, the megastar known as Tatanka interferes and gets Sid disqualified. Dastardly. Then Tatanka and Sid attack Diesel, and when Sid is about to deliver one his super-sloppy powerbombs, Bam Bam Bigelow hits the ring to help Nash out. Yes! Bam Bam is easily my favorite flamed pajama wearing and head-tattooed guy in wrestling history. As far as main events go, it's rather poor, but it's not outright terrible. There have been plenty of those through the years, including the same two guys facing off in WCW.

        -although that was the end of the actual pay per view, the Colosseum Home Video I watched had two more matches, which took place afterward as dark matches. The second was Bam Bam taking on Tatanka. That one is notable only for a terriboo drop kick that Bam Bam delivers and Tatanka sells by bouncing out of the ring, despite Bigelow not getting with two or three feet of him. The first dark match was The Undertaker beating Kama. Kama is better known as "The Godfather" and he's not that much smaller than Taker. Plus, they gave him a pretty awesome nickname - "The Supreme Fighting Machine". The match itself is mediocre and nothing really notable – had it been on the main card and part of the pay per view, it wouldn't have dragged the PPV down but it certainly wouldn't have improved it much either. Wikipedia tells more there was also a third dark match - The British Bulldog wrestling Owen Hart to a time-limit draw in a King of the Ring qualifier - which sounds like it could have been good, but it wasn't on the video as it was taped for Raw. I could probably track down that Raw... but I'm lazy so I won't.

        -overall, it's not a bad kickoff for the In Your House series. It does feel short compared to a more typical pay per view. Yeah, the main event was rather forgettable but Diesel didn't have a ton of great matches unless he had a top-level opponent, from what I recall of his world title reign. Hart vs Hakushi is very good and very much worth checking out. Nothing else really is. Nothing is terrible, though, with the worst of the lot (Mabel versus Adam Bomb) being short enough that it's inoffensive.


        Results:
        Bret Hart d. Hakushi
        Razor Ramon d. Jeff Jarrett & The Roadie
        Mabel d. Adam Bomb
        Owen Hart & Yokozuna © d. The Smoking Guns – WWF World Tag Team titles
        Jerry Lawler d. Bret Hart
        Disel © d. Sycho Sid – WWF World Heavyweight championship

        Recommended:
        Bret Hart vs Hakushi

        Comment

        • CrimsonGhost56
          True Blue
          • Feb 2009
          • 5981

          #5
          great stuff papa, will be following. i always like recounting the days of when i was a wrestling fanatic with these old events.

          Comment

          • Warner2BruceTD
            2011 Poster Of The Year
            • Mar 2009
            • 26142

            #6
            Hart vs Hakushi was very good. This was during the second period where Hart was taking on "all comers" (he did the same gimmick in 1992 when he won the title from Flair, when he faced people like Virgil on Superstars & Wrestling Challenge every week), like Jean Pierre Lafitte, and always delivering very good matches.

            Comment

            • IamMedellin
              Everything Burns...
              • Nov 2008
              • 10910

              #7
              I remember the Hakushi/Hart matches[ I remember he had another one with hart months later after he;d been squashed by every1], Hart always made him look formidable, Bret actually talks him up a lil in his book and dvd


              those were fake tattoos!?!? ouch....my childhood...




              Comment

              • Bigpapa42
                Junior Member
                • Feb 2009
                • 3185

                #8
                I've seen a couple of Hakushi's other WWE matches. He was good enough that I was honestly shocked to discover he only debuted in mid-1993. He just doesn't seem like a guy two years into his career. And sorry to ruin things for you, IM.

                Here's what he looks like "normally". Don't think he ever had the tattoos while working in Japan.

                Comment

                • IamMedellin
                  Everything Burns...
                  • Nov 2008
                  • 10910

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Bigpapa42





                  Comment

                  • Warner2BruceTD
                    2011 Poster Of The Year
                    • Mar 2009
                    • 26142

                    #10
                    He does the tats when he does the Hakushi gimmick. He's like Keiji Muto, 'Hakushi' is the alter ego, like 'Great Muta'. Otherwise, he just works as Jinsei Shinzaki.

                    Comment

                    • Bigpapa42
                      Junior Member
                      • Feb 2009
                      • 3185

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Warner2BruceTD
                      He does the tats when he does the Hakushi gimmick. He's like Keiji Muto, 'Hakushi' is the alter ego, like 'Great Muta'. Otherwise, he just works as Jinsei Shinzaki.
                      So does he use the Hakushi gimmick in other promotions? I don't watch much Michinoku Pro. I know he ended up working with a lot of other promotions for short spells but I've seen a limited amount of that even.

                      Comment

                      • Warner2BruceTD
                        2011 Poster Of The Year
                        • Mar 2009
                        • 26142

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Bigpapa42
                        So does he use the Hakushi gimmick in other promotions? I don't watch much Michinoku Pro. I know he ended up working with a lot of other promotions for short spells but I've seen a limited amount of that even.
                        Yes.

                        Just like Muto, he does the 'Hakushi' monk gimmick for big/special matches, and wrestles as himself the rest of the time.

                        I have no idea how he got hooked up with WWF originally. Somebody must have saw him doing the gimmick and thought it looked cool or something.

                        Comment

                        • Warner2BruceTD
                          2011 Poster Of The Year
                          • Mar 2009
                          • 26142

                          #13
                          This match was a really big deal in Japan at the time, on the undercard of Hashimoto/Takada in the Tokyo Dome. I didn't think it was very good, but it was designed to be a brawl.

                          <object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UaQtpJDawlY?version=3&feature=player_detailpage">< param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UaQtpJDawlY?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></object>

                          Comment

                          • Bigpapa42
                            Junior Member
                            • Feb 2009
                            • 3185

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Warner2BruceTD
                            Yes.

                            Just like Muto, he does the 'Hakushi' monk gimmick for big/special matches, and wrestles as himself the rest of the time.

                            I have no idea how he got hooked up with WWF originally. Somebody must have saw him doing the gimmick and thought it looked cool or something.
                            That's kinda what I figured.

                            I'll have to check out the match with Muta. Even if its not that great, it does intrigue me.

                            Also, for anyone who wants to see these, I am going to try to upload each after I review them. I have In Your House 1 uploaded to Rapid Share. Its not my rip but its my upload. Its big as its only one file - about 1.5 GB. If anyone wants it, PM me and I'll send you the link.

                            Comment

                            • Bigpapa42
                              Junior Member
                              • Feb 2009
                              • 3185

                              #15



                              In Your House 2: The Lumberjacks
                              July 23, 1995
                              Nashville, Tennessee

                              -we kick off with a custom In Your House country song. Fantastic. I'm shocked it wasn't a hit. If there is one demographic I always felt the WWF encompassed, it was the pure southern cowboys... That was sarcasm, BTW. Jerry Lawler is in full cowboy garb, including a mini longhorn skull tie clip. The crowd in Nashville looks bigger than the previous event, but Wikipedia tells me it was actually smaller. Do they have everyone on one side of the arena or something?

                              -the show kicks off with the 1-2-3 Kid. He is facing The Roadie. This is apparently a grudge match since The Roadie helped Jarrett injure The Kid. Its an all-DX pre-DX battle. They cut away for a good minute or longer so we can see Jarrett in his dressing room ignoring the match on a tiny 8-inch tube TV. Ah, crappy old technology tickles. Wait, there's a match. I kinda forgot since apparently what Jarrett is doing is more important. A bit later, we go to a split screen to see JJ talking to his backup singers. The Roadie wins.

                              -you know, if I ever manage to meet Vincent Kennedy McMahon, there is a very good chance that I take that moment to tell him that he was fucking atrocious on commentary by the mid-90s. In perhaps the lowest and least profitable period in WWE history, when they had less overall talent than any other time since the start of the 80s... and yet listening to him do his over-selling is the worst thing about going back and watching this stuff. I feel he would want to know this. Perhaps even needs to know this. Let's move on.

                              -dressing room promo with the Million Dollar Corporation, talking about the main event – Sid against Diesel in a lumberjack match. Everyone talks except Sid. I miss most of what's said because I can't get over what a random stable it is – Ted DiBiase leading it, Sid the star, with Tatanka and Kama as the random muscle. Is there something that links them beyond DiBiase?

                              -King Mabel and Sir Mo – aka Men on a Mission – take on Savio Vega and Razor Ramon next. “The Bad Guy” gets a solid reaction but has taped ribs. The tape is taken off before the match starts... Wuh? Bonus points for Lawler calling Savio Vega “Chevy Vega”. The Lawer lulz moment is probably the highlight of the match.. Mabel pins Razor clean. Guess they are serious about this push.

                              -we get an interview with the lumberjacks who will represent Diesel in the main event, then move on Jeff Jarrett's concert. Every logical fiber in my being told me this should not be watched or listened to, and that my life would be more complete for skipping it. But no, for you readers, I fought that urge and continued my viewing. I am not exaggerating when I say I've heard better singing at random karaoke nights... and I haven't been to many of those. The song sucks and the singing sucks. The segment sucks and the angle sucks and the storyline sucks. What we have here is a perfect storm of suckitude. That Jeff Jarrett is at the center of it should surprise no one. He spent years trying to achieve this level of suckiness in TNA.

                              -Bam Bam Bigelow facing Henry Godwinn. Hog farmer... a championship-level gimmick if there ever was one. Bam Bam wins and the match is promptly forgotten by everyone single person who ever viewed it.

                              -Bob Backlund is running for some kind of office. President, perhaps? Hulk Hogan would steal that idea for WCW just a few years later. Then an interview with Shawn Michaels, who has hijacked the wardrobe from a male stripper somewhere.

                              -as we get ready for the Intercontinental title match between Jarrett and HBK, some kid at ringside has a sign that reads “Double J Jerk Jarrett”. Someone expended some serious braincells on that one. If you were that kid and are somehow now reading this, know that I feel you really could have done better there. “Jerk Jarrett” comes out first and his outfit also could have been stolen from a male stripper. Quite the IC match we're in for.

                              The match is really good. Michaels is damned good at this point in time, selling things so well, and Jarrett is probably near to his best. There is a lack of flow to the early going but the match builds nicely. After The Roadie botches his interference, Michaels ends up winning and claiming the Intercontinental title. HBK wins this battle of the male stripper outfits.

                              I have to say, its not quite a fantastic match either. The pace seems off to me and there wasn't that much build right before the finish. Its not likely to make a list of the top IC matches of all time. Still, its likely to be an easy pick for best match of the night, and could be one of the better IC matches in 1995.

                              -after the match, they go backstage where Dox Hendrix has just seen something. It must be something big cuz Dox is in the midst of having a seizure. He is shouting every word. Is there a fucking hurricane backstage and he needs to be heard over it? Okay, I do get that certain things just don't stand up over time... but I have to think this segment was patently ridiculous even back in 1995. When I see something like this, I end up wondering how it happened. Who came up with the idea that the man once known as “Pure Sexy” should shout at the top of his lungs for the entire segment? Was it something he came up with on his own, cuz hey, its something different? Or did someone in creative – whether Vince or someone else – really convince him that it would add drama to the situation if he acted like he had just seen his grandmother kidnapped by anal-probing aliens who were attacked by a Sasquatch before they were all eaten by Godzilla?

                              And the purpose of this freakout? Jeff Jarrett and The Roadie argued and JJ got knocked down by his love slave... or whatever The Roadie is supposed to be. Of note, this is an early battle between two men who would be lesser members of two of two of the most important stables in wrestling history – the New World Order and D-Generation X.

                              -next up is Owen Hart and Yokozuna, the current tag team champions, against “The Allied Powers”, which is sadly not a new version of “The Mega Powers” team of Hogan and Savage. Instead, its Lex Luger and The British Bulldog. The challengers have enough juice in their systems to power a small town, if you know what I mean. Yoko, the biggest Japanese star in WWF history but who is not actually Japanese, looks to have put on a few pounds since IYH1. The match a nice early sequence between Owen and Bulldog, with the Brit showing nice agility and movement for a big dude. They tease dissension between Owen and Yoko but they pull it together. The end comes rather quick but its not a bad match. Not a good one, but not entirely bad.

                              -we get a lengthy video recapping the feud between Sid and Diesel before we get the main event underway. Shockingly, its a lumberjack match. This one has a much slower start than their match at In Your House 1. The lumberjacks are involved early, which is predictable but means things don't move that quick. King Mabel gets involved. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this match is all the WWF talent at ringside – reminding me who was on the roster at that point but not working the PPVs. I spot King Kong Bundy, Erik Watts, Bob Holly... Sid has a couple chances to win and stupidly does stupid things instead, like high-fiving “his” lumberjacks. Nash wins, all the good guy lumberjacks celebrates and it appears the epic, classic, all-timer feud between Diesel and Sid has come to a conclusion.

                              -we get a dark match between Bret Hart and Jean-Pierre Lafitte (aka Carl Oulette). Gorilla Monsoon is on commentary – fucking yes! Oulette and his eye-patch (not a pirate gimmick but a legit eye-patch) are undefeated in the WWF. Early on, Hart gets a standing crucifix and rolls it into a pin for a nearfall... Holy fuck, when do you see something like that now? Lafitte controls much of the action before Hart manages to grab a quick pin with a victory roll. Really solid match. Lafitte got to look great despite losing. If this was actually on the pay per view, it would be tough to pick between this and JJ-HBK for the match of the night.

                              -and the second dark match is a rematch between The Undertaker and Kama. Its a casket match this time. My interest in this one is not strong, but I push myself through it. Gorilla still on commentary helps. My favorite part of the match was Kama working a bear hug for a couple of minutes in the middle. Taker wins. This one is closer to bad than it to good.

                              -which brings to a close our second In Your House pay per view. The reign of Diesel continues. The rise of Mabel continues. Things can only get better from here. Actually, I have no idea if that's true, but I really really hope it is.

                              -now, you might feel the need to ask me which of these two relatively obscure, forgotten pay per views I prefer. Well, you didn't actually ask me and you probably don't care but you're reading this so I'm going to tell you. I find myself leaning toward the first one. Both had only really good match but I just prefer the Hart-Hakushi match slightly, despite JJ-HBK having more “historical significance”, as a title did change hands. The tag team title match on IYH2 was better, but the main event of the first was notably better.


                              Results

                              The Roadie d. The 1-2-3 Kid
                              Men on a Mission d. Razor & Savio Vega
                              Bam Bam Bigelow d. Henry Godwinn
                              Shawn Michaels d. Jeff Jarrett © - Intercontinental championship
                              Owen Hart & Yokozuna © d. the Allied Powers
                              Diesel © d. Sycho Sid - World Heavyweight championship

                              Recommended:
                              Jeff Jarrett vs Shawn Michaels

                              Comment

                              Working...