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Don't recall him singing out to the ring on this one. Though I know the song so I might have simply mentally blurred it out if it did happen. I think the singing was back after he split with Jarrett and they feuded over who really sang the terrible song that was a "hit", which was awhile before this. James is using the "real JJ" gimmick but they've abandoned the song thing by this point.
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In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell
May 11, 1997
Richmond, Virginia
-we kick off with the Free-for-All pre-show. That, in turn, kicks off with Honky Tonk Man leading out Rock-a-Billy. They show some recaps of Billy being naughty in recent weeks, then cut to the match against Jesse James which is already underway. Forgettable. Then we get a promo from the Hart Foundation, who have bough front row seats to attend the event. Bret's in a wheelchair.
-we start out the pay per view proper with Flash Funk versus Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Funk is a blue and silver bodysuit, a white pimp hat, white fur wrap, and knee-high silver boots. This man clearly has class and style. Shockingly, Chyna gets involved for Triple H but there is plenty of in-ring action. After the win by Triple H, Chyna shows her strength by lifting Funk and dropping him crotch-first onto the top rope. Pretty decent opening match.
-next up is a fun-looking match-up of Rocky Maivia and Mankind. Rocky is six months into his WWF career and he cuts a sorta-awkward promo backstage before his entrance. His mannerisms on the way down to the ring seem a bit heelish, to be honest. No more bouncing smiles on the way down to the ring like debut Rocky. After a pretty solid match, Mankind wins with the Mandible Claw. Its nothing overtly memorable, especially when compared against some of their later work.
-the “awesome” Nation of Domination versus Ahmed Johnson feud continues with a gauntlet match. Always enjoyed later NOD but not a real big fan of Ahmed. Besides being extremely oiled up, he doesn't bring a lot to the table. In a quick pre-match interview, he is indeed very oiled up. It takes awhile for things to kick off, as Gorilla Monsoon gets the rest of the Nation away from ringside before the first gauntlet match between Ahmed and Crush can begin. And yes, for anyone who has forgotten, Crush was part of the Nation of Domination. Two of the “big” spots in this one are a missed elbow and a clothesline from the second rope. After that mat classic ends in an Ahmed victory, we get him taking on Savio Vega. I think stuff happened during this part but I was kinda distracted by the fact that Ahmed's trunks turned into a half-thong and his right ass cheek was hanging out... Not the kind of thing I really wanted to notice... What has been seen cannot be unseen. Savio uses a steel chair to beat down Ahmed for a bit so then Farooq comes in for the third match, despite an injured shoulder. Farooq wins and the Nation doesn't have to disband. Which is good, because they were fun in '98. Does the loss mean Ahmed Johnson has to disband? Because that would be kinda awesome.
-our semi main event for the evening is Vader versus Ken Shamrock. Its Vader Time!... in a No Holds Barred match. This is pretty early in Shamrock's WWF career and I'm pretty sure this is his first PPV match. He is shredded and intense. They work some cool realistic submission spots. A bit odd to see Vader going for submissions. Shamrock takes the victory when he forces Vader to tap out to the ankle lock. Strong way to get Shamrock and his submission over early in his WWF career. Enjoyed this one more than I expected. Did not enjoy Lawler on commentary – he annoyed me more than normal, though still well below the levels of Vince at his worst.
-and that leaves just our main event... the WWF World Heavyweight champion The Undertaker facing some guy from Austin. No, wait... named Austin. Whoever. Before the match gets underway, the Hart foundation make their way down to the ringside seats. Totally guessing here, but they may play a role in this match. They work a few “rest hold” spots but they work into the psychology of the match, with Austin trying to wear down the big man. The match is entertaining. Quality. Not five-star level or amongst the best between the two, but I really liked it. Austin hits a Stunner but as he goes for the pin, Pillman rings the bell and interrupts the refs count. Taker then goes for a Tombstone but Austin reverses and looks to hit a piledriver of his own, but that's reversed by Taker for the win. The Hart Foundation hit the ring afterward. Loved that finish. As the rest of the Foundation go after Taker, Austin tips over the wheelchaired Bret and uses the crutch on some Foundation members.
-quite enjoyed this one as a whole. The Ahmed Gauntlet match dragged it down a bit but the other matches made up for it. I am definitely looking forward to In Your House 16...
Results
Hunter Hearst Helmsley d. Flash Funk
Mankind d. Rocky Maivia
The Nation of Domination d. Ahmed Johnson (Gauntlet Match)
Ken Shamrock d. Vader
The Undertaker (c) d. Steve Austin for the WCW World Heavyweight championship
Recommended:
Vader vs Ken Shamrock
The Undertaker vs Steve AustinComment
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Either Austin wasn't as buried as I thought he'd be running out of WCW's door or we went back in time for a "Stunning" Steve Austin/"Mean" Mark Callous match.The Undertaker (c) d. Steve Austin for the WCW World Heavyweight championship
For real though, thanks for the write-ups.
Brings back some memories.Comment
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In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede
July 6, 1997
Calgary, Alberta
-a four-match card? Terrible? Its in Calgary? Even worse? I might as well skip this one...
-Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross, and Vince “I am Terrible Commentator and Human Being” McMahon are wearing “cowboy” gear. They look retarded. The first undercard match is the Godwinns (oh lord) against the Blackjacks. Sorry, its the New Blackjacks. They are already showing the Hart family at ringside... that didn't take long... The Godwinn's steal a win and I don't care.
-the show is underway with a fun intro. The first match is Hunter Hearst Hemsley versus Mankind. Sweetness. I enjoyed the shit out of this match. Not their best work together but entertaining. It ends in a draw when they get counted out brawling in the crowd. And into the penalty box. Fun spot.
-we get a nice video about the WWF taking part in the Calgary Stampede. Don't know how much most reading this would know about the Stampede, but its a renowned annual rodeo slash exhibition that, shockingly, takes place in Calgary. It always draws some celebrity types and has a huge reputation for partying. Now you know.
-the second match is Taka Michinoku versus The Great Sasuke. The match is delayed by Hunter and Mankind appearing once again, still brawling. The light heavyweight match is interesting as a special attraction. Its not the best super junior match I've ever seen – or even top twenty – but its solid. The fans seem relatively into it. Sasuke wins with a backslide and Taka can't get the win that would be a pretty big upset back home in Japan.
-at the midway point of the show, we get more brawling between Hunter and Mankind. Or still is perhaps the better word. They are outside the arena, with Hunter now bleeding. They beat the hell out of each other.
-the semi main event is the world title match. Its Vader challenging The Undertaker. I expect it to be a hard-hitting brawl and they deliver. Its not the best work of either man but like the previous two matches, its just enjoyable. Vader kicks out of two choke slams but succumbs after a Tombstone pile driver.
-the intro to the main is long. We get Farmer's Daughter – a Canadian musical trio – sing the Canadian national anthem. Then we get introductions for the premier of Alberta and the Hart family as well. I enjoy seeing the likes of Bruce Hart more than most likely would.
Personal aside – I grew up in the touring territory of Stampede Wrestling. So I not only watched the TV growing up but attended a number of house shows as well. I have fond memories of Bruce teaming with Brian Pillman as Bad Company. Whenever Papa Papa and I watch some wrestling together, we usually end up talking about that old stuff. He went to a lot more house shows than I did, going back into the 70s. Stories like going to a show that Harley Race was supposed to be headlining but he had a sinus infection. Or being an auction sale with Dan Kroffat – the guy who was in the very first ladder match way back in 1972. I prefer to discuss that stuff than have him ask me what Diamond Dallas Page is doing three weeks in a row while watching Raw...
-the main event creates such an interesting dynamic. You have the heel Hart Foundation who are loved massively by the Calgary fans. That would have been the case anywhere in Canada but none moreso than Calgary, where every one of them got their start. There Hart clan is at ringside too, and you know they are going to get involved... which they do. The team Austin has assembled is pretty random, yet it works with the storyline that he is perfectly willing to face the Foundation himself... He proves that with a post-match brawl that has the ring full of people.
As for the match... its great. A personal favorite. I've seen it more times than I can count and I always enjoy it. Great crowd, great feud, and some great action. Its about as good of a 10-man tag match as you find in WWE history. Have there been better Survivor Series matches? Maybe but none jump to mind immediately. If you have never seen this match, or haven't seen it in a long time, its worth checking out. I can upload the event if anyone wants.
I really enjoyed this event as a whole. It is really starting to feel like the Attitude Era proper.
Results
Mankind vs Hunter Hearst Helmsley – Draw
The Great Sasuke d. Taka Michinoku
The Undertaker (c) d. Vader for the WWF Championship
The Hart Foundation d. Steve Austin, Ken Shamrock, Goldust, and the Legion of Doom
Recommended:
The whole event but especially the 5v5 tag main eventComment
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Only thing that comes to mind in comparison to the 5 on 5 main was around 2000 or 2001 on RAW...the one where Kane returned. But this clearly is one of the best matches/environments of the period in WWE.
The last time the entire family (young Harry Smith, Nattie Neidhart and Teddy Hart are ringside, too) was ever on TV.
Of course, Bruce tried to get himself over during the match, at least according to the way Bret talked about it in his book.
Comment
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I'd love to go back in time and attend one of those classic Stampede shows.Comment
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One of my favorite In Your Houses ever (pretty obvious though). It was just top to bottom a top-notch show, unbelievably hot crowd and really not a bad match at all. Taker/Vader had an awful Royal Rumble match earlier in the year and this one was everything their match should have been. It was just a great brawl. Taka/Sasuke goes without saying, top notch. Even HHH/Mankind while pretty basic was still really good.
Something I do miss about those IYH is how quick the show was. They didn't try to pack in a bunch of filler matches, they had 2 hours so they put their four best matches on there and called it a day. Really in some ways, as a viewer, wish we had those 2-hour B PPVs back, but I'd hate to take pay out of people's checks, so its okay.
Love this PPV, it's a must-watch for anyone. Even if you've seen it before, just watch it again dammit. Thanks bpapa, always good stuff.Comment
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Thanks guys. And I'll have to give that Raw match a check, Empire - seen it but not for a long time.
You know, I've often had the same thought about a number of other territories. Stampede had some awesome stuff... but in truth it wasn't all awesome. I think its a pretty typical "good" territory in that sense. There were some amazing wrestlers, obviously, but plenty of mediocre ones. Some of the "aw lawd" stuff that sticks out in memory is a manager who had some kind of Nazi gimmick, the Viet-Cong Express (which included Hiroshi Hase), and Jason the Terrible, which was a Jason from the Friday the 13th gimmick... hockey mask, machete, the whole deal. Even better, I recall them turning Jason face at one point...Comment
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In Your House 17: Ground Zero
September 7, 1997
Louisville, Kentucky
-I made the mistake of looking at the match card for this one before firing it up. Not a great idea. I also realize partway through that this is the first three-hour In Your House pay per view. I was actually quite enjoying the compact nature of the shows so not certain if that's good or not... likely not...
-we start out with Brian Pillman versus Goldust. Its career versus wife. I forgot all about this feud. Pillman was claiming that Goldust's young daughter is actually his. Because Marlena is a slut, as The King points out throughout the match. Diabloical. If Goldust wins, Pillman will leave the WWF. If Pillman wins, he gets a month with Marlena. Marlena was the original AJ.
The match is plenty entertaining. A solid opener and the crowd is definitely into it. I kept waiting for Marlena to get involved, thinking she might turn on Goldust... even though I was pretty sure she didn't. After the ref takes a bump, she does get involved, trying to hit Pillman with her purse but he blocks it. He then uses it on Goldust, knocking him out and getting the win. Pillman grabs Marlena and bolts, into a waiting Lincoln. We later find out the purse contained a brick. Poor Dustin Rhodes.
-next up is a light heavyweight match between “Lawler's Kid” Brian Christopher and Scott Putski. The son of Ivan Putski. Who is fucking shredded. And who proceeds to break himself. He catches Christopher on a dive and dislocates his kneecap. He is done. Gets counted out. Awkward few minutes as officials come help him. Lawler and Christopher show class by mocking him while he lies outside the ring. Heel heat is heel heat, I guess. I don't recall seeing Putski prior to this and don't think I've seen him since. Guess he should have spent a bit more time on the basics instead of lifting. Or maybe it was purely bad luck.
Looked it up and this wasn't the end of Putski's career. He wrestled in WCW in 1998 and 1999. Had a few matches. I don't recall any of them. I have a feeling this is the most “memorable” match of his entire career.
-this is where the card starts to fall apart for me. At least I expect it to. The third match is a Triple Threat match between Farooq, Savio Vega, and Crush. Its not terrible. Just forgettable. A TV match moreso than a pay per view match. Savio steals a victory and I've already forgotten how as I type this.
-next up is some super light heavyweight action. Midgets! Midgets? Midgets! Its Max Mini taking on El Torito. I dig Torito, the “Mini Bull” who keeps trying to gore everyone with his horns. Max Mini is 83 pounds. The match is ridiculously fast-paced fun... but it seems an odd inclusion on a pay per view. It goes almost ten minutes before Mini wins. I'd gore the WWF for including it on a two-hour pay per view... but its not a two-hour PPV. Plus the fans seemed into it, so whatever...
-the WWF World Tag Team championships have been vacated as Steve Austin in injured. We get a lengthy angle where the background is explained, then Sgt. Slaughter brings Dude Love down to the ring, then Austin. Stone Cold throws down his belt and ends up giving a Stunner to Jim Ross, who is trying to interview Austin. The crowd loved it. Great angle. I loved stuff like that back in the day and it still holds up pretty well.
-now that the belts are vacated, we need new champions. So we get a four-team elimination match. It features the Legion of Doom, The Godwinns, The Headbangers, and Owen Hart and The British Bulldog. I'm an old school Warriors mark, but Owen and Bulldog are a fun team too. The Legion get disqualified for using the Godwinns slop bucket as a weapon. Boo. Stupid Godwinns, slopping up the tag team division for so fucking long... They get eliminated by the Headbangers. Austin uses a distracted referee to get into the ring and hit his nemesis Owen with a Stunner to allow the Headbangers to win. They actually get a pretty big pop when they win, but I think its more the crowd reacting to the Austin interference, because I don't recall the Headbangers being that over back in the day...
-our semi main event is an “extraordinary title match” between champion Bret Hart and The Patriot. The masked Patriot is Del Wilkes. He pinned the Hitman in a tag match during the buildup and we get a hype video, which includes an interview with 1980 Heisman winner George Rogers. We also get some footage of Wilkes in Japan – hey, its Misawa, Akiyama, and Kobashi! KOBASHI! They show interview segments with Wilkes, only partly showing his face. He's also interview pre-match by Sunny's breasts. And Sunny, too. He also steals Kurt Angle's music... a couple years before Angle debuts. Crafty, this Patriot.
This is a pretty typical Bret Hart match. He makes his opponent look like a million bucks, with the champ having to work for the victory. I would be shocked if this isn't the best match Wilkes ever had. When Bulldog starts to get involved, Vader comes down to help out the Patriot. It goes a solid 20 minutes before Hart forced the Patriot to tap out. He then assaults the challenger and disrespects the American flag... Heel heat FTW!
-our main event is The Undertaker versus Shawn Michaels in a Hell in a... not yet. Soon though. Its a regular match between HBK and the Deadman. We get a hype video and a pre-match HBK promo... then they focus on a chubby redhead lady who loses her shit when Michaels appears to do his stripper routine down to the ring.
The match doesn't really start, as Taker drills the ref and HBK is trying to leave before it even begins, but he's blocked by Sgt. Slaughter. Then Taker throws the ref at Michaels. Literally HBK makes it to the top of the stage, but the door that is part of the In Your House stage set is apparently locked. They brawl for almost ten minutes before the match finally gets underway proper. We get a war. Rick Rude tosses HBK a pair of brass knuckles but that isn't enough to keep the Undertaker down. Hunter and Chyna get involved as well. Taker mounts a comeback but chokeslams the ref, resulting in another ref calling for the bell. Its declared a No Contest somehow, with a big brawl afterward that culminates in Taker doing his dive over the top rope onto amass of people outside the ring. The Undertaker stands alone in the ring after the match as his music plays... despite not winning...
Really quite enjoyed that match. Its not on par with the very best between the two men, but its better than I expected, especially for being such an overbooked mess. One does wonder how much of this feud and all of its non-finishes are down to Michaels' apparent desire to “not do jobs anymore”...?
-the show is better than I expected as whole. Not anywhere near the level of Canadian Stampede but for having several matches that looked and kinda felt like filler, it entertained.
Results
Brian Pillman d. Goldust
Brian Christopher d. Scott Putski
Savio Vega d. Crush & Farooq
Max Mini d. El Torito
The Headbangers d. The Legion of Doom, The Godwinns, & Owen Hart & the British Bulldog for the WWF Tag Team Championship
Bret Hart (c) d. The Patriot for the WWF Championship
Shawn Michaels & The Undertaker Draw
Recommended:
The Patriot versus Bret Hart
The Undertaker versus Shawn MichaelsComment
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Always remembered the Putski injury. Ouch.
The main was good (from what I recall from awhile back when I saw it) even with the nonfinish...plus it plays into HELL IN A CELL.
The historic PPV is next!
Comment
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Badd Blood: In Your House
October 5th, 1997
-the 18th iteration gives us one of the most iconic matches of the wholes series. The very first Hell in a Cell match. Boom!
-we start out with a promo video centering on Michaels. It always makes me a bit sad that Rick Rude doesn't get more recognition for his role as the Degeneration-X “insurance policy”.
-the first match is the Nation of Domination taking on the Legion of Doom. Its a handicap match since Ken Shamrock is too injured to participate, so its 3 versus 2. Not surprisingly, Rocky and D'Lo and Kama control most of the action. The Legion end up losing when Farooq comes down to ringside and creates a distraction.
-they talk about Pillman being found dead. Vince actually discusses with some degree of levity as he explains the situation and that the mach up next is a filler for the match that was supposed to occur between Goldust and Pillman.
-the filler match is a mini tag team match between Tarantula and Mosaic against Max Mini and Nova. Its less enjoyable than the mini match from the last In Your House. Seems sloppier too. Ah well. Given the circumstances involved, hard to really fault the E for anything here.
-they then have Sunny out to introduce the tag team title match next. Couldn't care much about the match but I do enjoy me some Sunny. Its the Godwinns versus the Headbangers. Uh... more Sunny please. He moves really slowly, which annoys me... but a fast-paced match between these two teams is hardly an appealing idea either. The Godwinns are victorious after a very forgettable match and Sunny announces them as the new tag team champions... So Sunny and her nipples were at ringside the entire time and they never bothered to show her? For shame.
-we get a video showing the feud that the injured Steve Austin has going on with WWF owner Vince McMahon. That ones seems like it might be going somewhere...
-next up, is a segment with JR about the history of the St. Louis wrestling scene. We are introduced to Gene Kininski, Jack Brisco, Dory Funk Jr, Harley Race, Terry Funk, Sam Muchnik, and Lou Thesz, with some background on each. Neat segment. And Sunny was in the ring, so its extra-win. I am a sucker for the history of pro wrestling so I enjoyed the shit out of this. It felt a bit like filler but enjoyed it more than the mini tag match.
-after an update on Pillman – foul play not suspected – we get a match between Farooq and Owen Hart, the final of the tournament to crown the new Intercontinental championship, which was vacated by Stone Cold's neck injury. Is Austin going to get involved? Well, the match doesn't even start yet before the music hits and Austin comes out. He gets sat down at ringside, rings the bell, then takes over commentary. Something tells me that this match will be mostly about him. After Austin molests the Spanish announce team and the French announce team, we get some actual wrestling. Then Jim Neidhardt comes out to ringside, which allows Austin to nail Faarooq with the belt. Owen wins the title
-next up is the Disciples of Apocalypse taking on Los Barricuas in an 8-man tag. This is widely considered the best match of 1997 in the world of professional wrestling and I have seen it rated as high as 8 stars on a 5 star scale. Okay, that might not be entirely true. It may have only been 7.5 stars out of 5. The awesomeness of this match is only emphasized by the WWF crowd clearly giving no fucks. A few fans near the front seem to be napping through much of the action. Key moment – Savio selling a turnbuckle to the face by turning leaping pirouettes. DOA wins and a few fans celebrate, but its not clear if they are celebrating the victory or simply that the match is now over.
-our semi main event for the night is a flag on a pole match between the Canadian team of Bret Hart and The British Bulldog facing the American team of Vader and The Patriot. Its a flag match that can also be won by pinfall. I am amused by the Bulldog being Canadian, by Vader dropping a “bullshit” in his pre-match promo, and The Patriot coming out to Kurt Angle's music. Typical American thief. The American team attack and lay out by Canadian team members before the match even begins. At one point, The Patriot counters the Sharpshooter in a Sharpshooter of his own, a reversal I don't recall see many times, if ever. After a lengthy brawl, Bret ends up countering the rollup pin attempt by The Patriot to get the victory. So the flags played a fairly minor role in the match after all. Solid match but nothing that particularly stands out in the grand scheme of Bret Hart matches.
-plenty of lead-in for the Hell in a Cell main event and its all focused around Michaels. Man, they sure catered to his ego back then. After HBK comes to the ring with his entourage, the cell begins to descend and then Undertaker comes out. I don't know if that much description of the match is necessary, as its pretty blood famous. And bloody good. The first Hell in a Cell match. The first appearance of Kane. 5 stars from Meltzer. Love the psychology of HBK attacking the cameraman so that the door gets unlocked. In a sense, it defeats the purpose of using such a structure but its done in a smart way. Taker brutalizes Michaels, including the infamous drop off the edge of the cell. Not as famous as Foley going off, but still pretty ridiculous and painful-looking. Michaels may have been an asshat dickheat backstage during this era, but he was a ridiculously talented performer. Michaels gets a cheap win after Kane comes down, rips the door off, and Tombstone's his brother.
-overall, its a fun that is pulled together by a really really strong main event. If you have never seen that match, watch it. Right FUCKING now.
-I actually watched this event back in '97, I don’t really recall much about it except that I know I watched the Hell in a Cell match and debut of Kane. The rest of the show is pretty forgettable.
Results
Nation of Domination d. The Legion of Doom
Max Mini & Nova d. Tarantula & Mosaic
The Godwinns d. The Headbangers for the WWF Tag Team titles
Owen Hart d. Faarooq for the WWF Intercontinental championship
Disciples of Apocalypse d. Los Boricuas
Bret Hart & The British Bulldog d. Vader & The Patriot
Shawn Michaels d. The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match
Recommended
The Undertaker versus Shawn Michaels in a Hell in a CellComment
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-so this one almost got skipped. Not that I particularly have anything against D-Generation X or anything like. I had somehow overlooked obtaining this one. Whoops. Jim came through and I managed to watch it before moving into 1998 prematurely. I'm quite eager to get into the 1998 PPVs, simply because I have watched through the whole of that WWE relatively recently, so there is a stronger familiarity with it all.
-the card for this one does not look all that enticing. Austin versus Rocky? Ugh, totally not gonna be any good.
-we start out with the final of the WWF Light Heavyweight championship tournament. Its Brian Christopher against Taka Michinoku. It definitely has to be better than Christopher versus Scott Putski from a couple shows ago. Was the “he's not my son” dynamic they play up constantly in the commentary awesome back in the day? Because it gets annoying really quickly now. The match is okay. There are some slow moments as Christopher wastes times to heel it up but it never feels boring. Taka wins and becomes the first WWF Light Heavyweight champion. They have a bit of a ceremony with the title presentation.
-the second match on the card is the epic six-man tag encounter between Los Boricuas and The Disciples of Apocalypse. The term “epic” might a bit of a misnomer here. The Boricuas win and I'm sure there were some things that happened during the match. But in all honesty, I watched the first part of this PPV twice and zoned out during this match both times. If this is shockingly a great encounter, I'm sure someone will be kind enough to let me know and I can go back to zone out a third time.
-the backstage interview prior to the next match might be more entertaining than the match itself. Some wormy-looking geek interviews Sable, only to be interrupted by Marvelous Marc Mero, who doesn't want his valet interviewed. Spicy. This leads up to the epic tough-man contest between Marc Mero and Butterbean. Overuse of epic? Indeed. Shockingly, Mero heels it up and cheats. The “fight” ends in a DQ when Mero throws a lowblow, then hits his opponent with the corner stool. Heelish! This match had a lot of jiggly mammaries... unfortunately, they were not Sable's....
-Goldust. Pink lingerie. Weirdness. Dr. Seuss. Luna might be most normal part of this promo/angle/thing...
-always been a Legion of Doom mark. They were amazing back in the 80s when I was a kid. I won't say I don't enjoy their Attitude Era presence at all but its definitely below their earlier work for me. Against the New Age Outlaws, it felt like a fairly standard LOD match culminating in interference from a Godwinn and a disqual win for the tag champions. Eh.
-its a good thing I don't have try to feign excitement for some of these, because I doubt I could manage it for the Boot Camp between Sgt. Slaughter and Hunter Hearst Helmsley. The match is a bit better than I expected as its a dirty brawl, slow moving and with a decent bit of Chyna. Trips wins and we move on.
-Jeff Jarrett gets to take on The Undertaker. The white doublet that Double J wears makes him look like a thinner Mr. Perfect. Which makes me like him less, if that is even possible. Kane makes an appearance with Paul Bearer and simply stands before his “brother”, costing Taker the match. Jarrett heels by Pearl Harboring The Undertaker after the match, only to get the sloppiest chokeslam I've ever seen Taker deliver. This one is a winner all the way around.
-now we get to the match I am mostly looking forward to – Rocky Maivia against Stone Cold Steve Austin. We get plenty of lead-in to the match – a backstage interview with the champion Rocky, an entrance with the full Nation, and then Austin drives his Stone Cold pickup down the to ring. But the Nation attacks before the match starts – oh noes! Austin ain't gonna take that and he delivers a Stunner to D'Lo on the roof of the truck. The match finally starts, more interference, and then Austin does what no one else seems to think of doing – getting the fuck out of the way of the People's Elbow. After accidentally Stunning the ref, Austin wins the belt when another ref runs in. What a fucking short match.
-our main event for the night is Shawn Michaels defending the WWF World Heavyweight championship against Ken Shamrock. Know how this one turns out. Its just a month removed from the Montreal Screwjob and Michaels ain't jobbing for no one! There is plenty of involvement from Triple H and Chyna at ringside. They do a good job of selling Shamrock as a legit threat to HBK's title. The match ends in a disqualification in Shamrock's favor when Triple H and Chyna jump in as soon as the contender has the ankle lock locked in. Decent main event match but nothing specifiable by HBK's standards. Owen Hart attacks after the match and then disappears through the crowd.
-all in all, it feels like a fairly forgettable pay per view. First Light Heavyweight champion and first PPV encounter between Rocky and Austin... yet it feels meh. A couple of gimmick matches and a pair we know can put on a great match ends up being really short... Still, this absolutely feels like a pure Attitude Era show to me. From Butterbean “match” to everything around the Austin-Rocky match, I enjoy it more than it really lends itself to. Hence, no actual recommendation.
Results
Taka Michinoku d. Brian Christopher for the WWF Light Heavyweight championship
Los Boricuas d. The Disciples of Apocalypse
Butterbean d. Marc Mero in a Toughman match
The New Age Outlaws (c) d. The Legion of Doom for the WWF Tag Team championships
Triple H d. Sgt. Slaughter in a Boot Camp Match
Jeff Jarrett d. The Undertaker by disqualification
Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) d. Rocky Maivia for the WWF Intercontinental championship
Ken Shamrock d. Shawn Michaels (c) via Disqualification for the WWF World Heavyweight championshipComment
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-we (and be “we”, I mean I) have hit an interesting point in our (my) really slow journey through the In Your House series. For quite awhile, I've been gradually watching through all of WWF 1998. That's been a slow process – to the point where I could have relived 1998 several times in real time - so while I have watched all of the IYH shows from '98, it hasn't been that recently. But what I like is that all of the storylines will make much more sense... which assumes I actually remember watching the episodes of Raw and Sunday Night Heat. There is an inherent issue with watching only PPVs like I have been here, as you don't always know the whole storyline behind a given feud.
-we start out with a nice hype video for the main event. And thank you, Western Union, for bringing me this fine event.
- first match is Marc Mero and Goldust taking on the Headbangers. Sable gets a huge pop and Mero is a dickbag. Goldust is in full Marilyn Manson-esque glory here. The crowd is hot. Mero kicks Sable out from ringside before the match starts. The action is decent and the fans are into it. The Headbangers win cheap after Sable returns to ringside to attack Luna. Catfight! Mero leaves Sable in the ring after they argue.
-we get a quick backstage segment with Kevin Kelly and the “Emotional Terrorist”, aka The Jackyl. They are hyping the mystery partner for Degeneration-X against Austin's team. Then wormy Michael Cole interviews Owen Hart about the same thing.
-Sunny comes out in a pink stripper one-piece outfit. I've seen that same outfit on a few different strippers and Sunny wears it awfully well. She is the guest ring announcer for Pantera versus Taka Michinoku. I miss Sunny. The Pantera involved in this match is not the heavy metal band, unfortunately – as awesome as it would be to see Dimebag Darryl attempting a hurricarana on Taka Michinoku. Despite the lack of a Vulgar Display of Power in this match, its decently entertaining. Not on the level of what the WCW cruiserweights could produce at their peak, but good. Sunny announces the winner and we get more of her pink stripper outfit.
-next up... The Qubecers! Taking on the Godwinn's! Big Papa fighting the urge to skip this one! It is a battle of epic proportions! The urge to skip through it, I mean. Nothing really against the Quebecers, in truth, but I don't see a ton of redeeming qualities in the Godwinn's. The unredeeming Godwinn's win despite my disinterest and the true losers in this one were the fans.
-Jeff Jarrett is with his manager Jim Cornette and his goofy costume for a quick backstage interview before he heads to the ring to defend his NWA North American Heavyweight championship. Justin Bradshaw is the challenger and he's in full cowboy mode. Camp Cornette gets tossed from ringside and Bradshaw uses his leather chaps to whip Jarrett. A decent brawl leads to Cornette getting involved and Jarrett using the tennis racket on Bradshaw, which results in a disqualification and the rest of Cornette's NWA contingent attack, only to be chased off by the Road Warriors.
-Triple H gives a backstage interview with Wormy Cole, saying that no one is worthy of helping D-X in the main event and they will accept it being a handicap match.
-next up is a quick interview with the Nation of Domination before they head down for their match against Ken Shamrock, Ahmed Johnson, and DOA. That is a whole lot humanity in one ring. We get a decent match before things breakdown into a brawl, then Shamrock taps out Rocky. Kid is a pussy. Fun match but felt kinda like a TV match moreso than PPV.
-our semi main event for the night is Vader taking on Kane. We got a nice hype video for Vader before it starts. Which means he's likely losing. I enjoy the sheer physicality of this one as the two huge men brawl. Vader hits his moonsault but Kane no-sells it. Kane then gets blasted in the face with a fire extinguisher and then takes a power bomb, but he no-sells all of those too. A Tombstone finishes off Vader, after which he gets clobbered with a big wrench. They have Vader taken out on a gurney after that.
-the main event is a “non-sanctioned” four versus four tag match. Except Degeneration-X are down a man since Michaels it out. Joining Triple H and the New Age Outlaws is... Savio Vega. No, seriously. For real. Savio Vega. Yeah, that Savio Vega. Savio Fucking Vega. Well that sure lived up to the hype. The other team is Owen Hart, Chainsaw Charlie, Cactus Jack, and some Austin guy. This could be fucking fun, despite the searing disappointment of Savio Vega being involved. Team Austin brings a cartload of weapons into the match. Literally. The match is chaos off the start, then Austin goes toe-to-toe with Trips, viciously hitting him over the head with the bristle end of a broken broom. Chainsaw Charlie delivers some good moments, too. Its probably ten minutes into the match before the teams are actually on the ring apron in the own corners rather than battling everywhere. The wrap up poor fucking Mick Foley in barbed wire. Austin clears house and pins Road Dogg after a Stunner. Then he hits one on Billy Gunn. He event hits one on Chyna after some celebration. I enjoyed the piss out of this match.
-its a pretty forgettable event as a whole until the last two matches. I also really enjoyed Sunny.
Results
The Headbangers d. Goldust & Marc Mero
Taka Michinoku (c) d. Pantera for the WWF Light Heavyweight championship
The Godwinns d. The Quebecers
Justin Bradshaw d. Jeff Jarrett (c) via Disqualification for the NWA North American Heavyweight championship
Ken Shamrock, Ahmed Johnson & DOA d. The Nation of Domination
Kane d. Vader
Steve Austin, Owen Hart, Cactus Jack & Chainsaw Charlie d. Triple H, Billy Gunn, Road Dogg & Savio Vega
Recommended:
4v4 Main Event (even with Savio Vega in it)Comment
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-so I almost missed this one. Started to watch Over the Edge and seemed like I was missing something. Just an entire pay per view. Apparently I'm just inept. At least I realized it before I got the next one watched and posted.
-this is post WrestleMania XIV, so Michaels is done. He still appears occasionally but I don't think it was for awhile after Mania. Go back a year before this and I would think that it would have been tough to imagine the WWF being without both Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. Not just without them, but thriving without them.
-I believe that I read that this was the first WWE PPV where they used the scratch WWF logo. Attitude indeed.
-we start out with an ominous intro video, talking about the feud between The Undertaker and Kane. With passages from Dante's Divine Comedy. Awesome. I do have to wonder how many people would recognize the source, especially since they just reference “Inferno” and “Canto”.
-our night kicks off with a six man tag built on Rocky's takeover of the Nation. Faarooq teams with Ken Shamrock and Steve Blackman to take on three members of the Nation of Domination. Poor Shamrock – from main event to opener in just a few months. Gotta say that Faarooq, Shamrock, and Blackman make a helluva intimidating trio as they make their way down to the ring. I enjoy the hell out of this match, especially D'Lo and his antics. That Rocky has something to offer, too. But he gets pinned after Faarooq hits his Dominator finisher. Quick ringside interview by Wormy Michael Cole and we move along.
-an “unscheduled” appearance by Austin, where he drags the timekeeper into the ring and warns the mega-wormy guy about helping Vince screw Austin in the main event.
-Chyna will be unable to assist Triple H in his defense of the WWF European championship... she will be in a cage. This is a rematch from WM between Trips and Owen Hart, where Chyna was cuffed to Commissioner Slaughter and still managed to help Triple H win. Can a cage contain Chyna? Nope. She breaks out and the cage gets lowered. But its interference from X-Pac that allows Trips to get the win. I enjoyed most of the match between Triple H and Owen Hart, and this one is no different, even with the shenanigans. Owen Hart throws down a “bullshit” in the post-match interview with Wormy Cole.
-our next match is part of the “NWA crossover” deal that the WWF did in early 1998. The New Midnight Express are Bombastic Bob and Bodacious Bart (Bob Holly and Bart Gunn) and they put their NWA tag titles on the line against the Original Midnight Express. Who don't get much of a reaction from the fans. The match is kinda fun, with Cornette coming in and trying to fight referee Tim White, then hiding in the corner with his tag team. Shockingly, Ricky Morton ends up playing the babyface in distress but some shenanigans result in the New Express hanging onto their belts. The crowd gives zero fucks.
-our next “match” is an evening gown faiir between Sable and Luna. We get a backstage interview with Luna and Goldust. There is a sign in the crowd offering Sable a free tongue bath. How salty. Sable loses due to Marc Mero, then strips Luna in revenge. They head under the ring and Sable comes out with the bits that Luna still had on. Goldust wraps Luna in his robe and carries her to the back. Quality wrestling entertainment.
-Vince cuts an in-ring promo to tell the fans in North Carolina that he was born there. Then he addresses “rumors that he will screw Steve Austin”. He rejects any responsibility for what occurs in the main event. The reaction from the fans is pretty meh.
-the New Age Outlaws face LOD 2000 next. I am seriously looking forward to this match. Primarily because it features Sunny in a great stripper outfit (sans the plastic fringe skirt... WTF?). Tag belts are on the line. The challengers actually control a lot of the action until they take out Animal's knee, then keep working it over viciously. Hawk gets the hot tag but the Outlaws use the tag belts, with Road Dogg accidentally hitting Billy. Hawks gets the pin with a bridging suplex that he doesn't bridge, so after a brief celebration by the “new” champions, Jack Doan confirms that the Outlaws won since Hawk's shoulders were down on the pin and the Outlaws are still champs. This leads to referee Doan getting a Doomsday Device.
-our next match is Jeff Jarrett versus sucking. And Jarrett loses in an absolute squash! Its actually a concert segment, with Jeff Jarrett singing along with Sawyer Brown. I won't lie – I skipped this. I've seen it before and have absolutely no need to watch it again. Steve Blackman attacks afterward, attempting to steal some of Jarrett's charisma but getting clobbered with a guitar for his efforts.
-our semi main event for the evening is The Undertaker and his brother Kane throwing down in an Inferno Match. Its been a few months since the Kane character debuted and he's been pretty dominant, losing to Taker at WrestleMania but looking strong in doing so. I remember the whole idea of a match surrounded by flames being pretty epic back in the day. After a back and forth battle, Kane gets thrown out of the ring but Taker can't get through the flames to follow. Vader shows up to keep Kane from walking away. Taker does a top rope dive, then ends up attacking Paul Bearer. Kane ends up with a flaming arm and loses the match.
-Steve Austin defends the WWF World Heavyweight championship against Dude Love in the main event. Foley turned heel heading into the match but that seems overshadowed by the “will McMahon screw Steve Austin?” dynamic that is heavily focused on. To the point we get cut-screens of the time-keeper looking at Vince, who is ringside. The match is good. I enjoy the shit out of it. Vince takes an unprotected chair shot from Austin when he attempts to help up Foley at ringside. Austin counts out his own three and somehow that makes him the victor. This is later reversed, making Dude Love the winner via Disqualification, so obviously not the new champion. They go full-on with selling the McMahon injury, including putting him on the board and immobilizing him.
-even with a couple of rather forgettable elements – notably the NWA tag match and the lengthy Jarrett singing – this was a fun pay per view.
Results
Faarooq, Steve Blackman, & Ken Shamrock d. the Nation
Triple H (c) d. Owen Hart for the WWF European Championship
The New Midnight Express (c) d. The Rock n' Roll Express for the NWA World Tag Team championship
Luna Vachon d. Sable in an Evening Gown match
The New Age Outlaws (c) d. LOD 2000 for the WWF Tag Team championships
The Undertaker d. Kane in an Inferno Match
Dude Love d. Steve Austin (c) via Disqualification for the WWF World Championship
Recommended:
Owen Hart vs Triple H
The Undertaker versus Kane
Steve Austin versus Dude LoveComment
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That Austin/Dude Love match was great and exactly what you think of when you think 'ATTITUDE ERA'
A red hot crowd, Stone Cold could do no wrong, McMahon and his henchmen acting like complete buffoons and Foley working like a boss.
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