WWF SummerSlam 1997

With the Attitude Era getting off the ground, but still well behind WCW in the rating wars, the WWF pushed its annual SummerSlam spectacular hard – filling the show with gimmick blowoff matches centering on the Hart Foundation angle. While not breaking any records, the show drew well, actually managing to outdraw that years WrestleMania – though that feat had more to do with the underwhelming nature of WrestleMania 13 than the strength of the promotion.

From East Rutherford, New Jersey; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and Jerry Lawler.  


Opening Cage Match: Mankind v Hunter Hearst Helmsley: Mick Foley had recently unveiled his Dude Love persona, though it's Mankind who steps into the steel with Triple H here. Mankind cautiously enters the cage, and Hunter immediately dives for the door as Mankind gets situated. Mankind drags him back, so HHH runs up the side of the cage, but he hasn't done near enough damage (any, actually) to soften Mankind up, and gets pulled down. Mankind rams him into the cage before unloading a flurry of right hands in the corner, and he follows with a running kneesmash on the slumped over HHH. Wedgie-piledriver, but Triple H valet/dom Chyna blocks the door, so Mankind puts her man in the Mandible Claw. Chyna reaches through the cage with a belt to choke Mankind out (sadly, he doesn't jerk off while she does it), but HHH can't sway the momentum, and gets clotheslined. Mankind climbs, but Chyna meets him at the top of the cage to blow him low, and Hunter superplexes him off. He goes for the door, but changes his mind mid-way, and decides to abuse Mankind with the cage a bit first. Bad strategy, but the poor guy had to go to the back with Chyna after the match - you can't blame him for taking his time. Hunter with a pair of kneedrops, and he gives Mankind a series of hard headsmashes into the bars. He climbs, but Mankind pulls him down, only to have Chyna reach through the bars and nail him again. Mankind retains the momentum with an inverted atomic drop, and suplexes Hunter into the cage - hanging him from the top in what can only be described as a Tree of Whoa. He brings him down hard for some more abuse, but a charge ends with him getting backdropped into the steel. Helmsley climbs, but Mankind meets him for a slugfest on the top rope - won by ramming HHH's head into the steel, and crotching him on the way down. Hunter gets tied in the ropes as he tends to his nuts, so Mankind goes for the door - only to have Chyna slam it in his face. She tosses Hunter a chair to Pedigree Mankind onto, but Mankind counters into a slingshot - knocking Chyna off the cage in the process. Double-arm DDT onto the chair, and Mankind climbs up and over - but then the wheels start turning, and he climbs back to the top of the cage. Just like his hero 'Superfly' Jimmy Snuka (whose Superfly Splash off the top of the cage on Don Muraco at Madison Square Garden in 1983 inspired Mick Foley to become a professional wrestler), Mankind bares his chest, and dives off with his own super-splash in the form of a Cactus Elbow. Now properly satisfied, Mankind climbs, so Chyna runs in to pull Helmsley though the door - but Mankind wins the footrace at 16:25. Fun match, with Chyna's interference adding a nice flavor, and both guys bumping and selling well for each other. Good opener. ** ¼

Goldust v Brian Pillman: In the first of several stipulation filled matches involving the Hart Foundation on this show, if Pillman loses, he has to wear a dress on RAW the following night. Pillman jumps Goldust at the bell, and unloads a few chops, but gets caught with a 2^nd rope backelbow during a cross corner whip. Goldust with a ten-punch count, so Pillman counters with an inverted atomic drop, but Goldust ends the sequence by kissing him. Well, that's certainly one way to end an argument. Pillman uses his time on the floor to chase Goldust valet/pimp Marlena, but gets caught with a clothesline from Goldust, and rolled back in. Inside, Pillman tries to turn the tide with a snap suplex, but gets crotched as he goes to the top rope. Brian uses Marlena as a distraction to pull off a DDT on the floor, and now Goldust is properly dazed for him to hit a flying clothesline. Chinlock, but Goldust fights out into a backslide, so Brian levels him with a lariat for two. Slugfest goes Goldust's way, but a bulldog doesn't, and he gets thrown to the floor while trying it. He manages a sunset flip back in (badly botched, but nicely saved by having Pillman struggle for the ropes instead of go with it, and get nailed by Marlena) for the pin at 7:16. Botched ending aside, it wasn't either guys best night, but decent, and well paced. ¾*

The Legion of Doom v The Godwinns: All four get into a staredown before a slugfest breaks out, and the LOD clean house. The dust settle on Animal starting with Phineas Godwinn, but he quickly misses a blind charge, and Phineas passes to Henry Godwinn. Animal manages to take them both out before tagging Hawk in, and he continue to casually destroy Henry until he tags Phineas back in. He has a little better luck with a headbutt, but a hangman's neckbreaker can't get a submission, and Hawk tags.  Animal continues to dominate, but a cheap shot from Phineas on the apron turns the tide, and the Godwinn's cut the ring in half. Animal manages to tag Hawk after Phineas misses a 2^nd rope clothesline, and he's a house of arson! Hawk pretty easily manhandles the Godwinns two-on-one, and a spike piledriver finishes Henry at 9:51. Really dull, one-sided match - almost squash territory. DUD

WWF European Title Match: Davey Boy Smith v Ken Shamrock: If Davey Boy (another Hart Foundation member) loses, he has to eat a can of dog food. Shamrock goes ballistic on him at the bell, and a belly-to-belly suplex sends Smith to the outside. Shamrock follows to stomp him, and rolls back in for a grapevine, but Davey's in the ropes. Clothesline gets two, and Shamrock puts him in the corner for a few body shots, but Davey charges out with a lariat. Hanging vertical suplex gets two, and Davey hooks a chinlock, but Shamrock fights to a vertical base, and hits a sunset flip for two. He can't sway the momentum, however, and gets caught with another lariat, and held down with another chinlock. Ken again powers up, so Smith throws him into the post to put the action on the outside, and a whip into the steps follows. They do a sloppy, botch-filled brawl on the floor before rolling back in for Davey to unload closed fists on him. Back to the floor, Davey slams him, and throws a handful of dog food at him. Shamrock snaps over it, and starts a dog food fight, and that gets him disqualified at 7:27. Disqualified for throwing dog food? Afterwards, Ken beats the hell out of Davey until a gang of WWF Officials can break it up, so he takes his frustrations of on them instead. Good booking to allow Shamrock to go over while Davey keeps the title, but they seemed to be having a lot of trouble cooperating at points, and the match fell flat. ½*

Eight-Man Tag Team Match: Los Boricuas v The Disciples of Apocalypse: Gang Warz! Yes! Eight-way brawl goes the DOA's way, and they dominate, but Skull gets caught in the wrong corner, and the Boricuas go to work. That draws the Nation of Domination out to observe, and a big brawl allows Nation member Ahmed Johnson to Pearl River Plunge Chainz on the floor to allow Miguel Perez the pinfall at 9:06. Energetic, but nothing more. This match provided me time for a bathroom break back in 1997, and I'm happy to report that I didn't miss a damn thing. DUD
  
WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Owen Hart v Steve Austin: With Bret occupied in the main event, rival Steve Austin redirected his attention to Bret's brother and number two man in the Foundation, Owen. In addition to the title being on the line, if Austin loses, he has to literally kiss Hart's ass. Owen jumps him while Austin wastes time posing from every corner during the entrances, and goes right after the bad knee - posting it.  Austin uses closed fists to slow Hart down, and a Thesz press allows him to mount the champion with punches. Owen take a chest-first bump off of a cross corner whip, and a clothesline gets two. He goes after Owen's wrist, and counters Harts flip-flop escape attempt with a simple (but effective) eye rake. They exchange hammerlocks, until Austin counters a somersault counter by letting Owen drop to the mat. Hart manages a backelbow out of the ropes, but Austin has the presence of mind to roll to the outside, and break the momentum. Owen follows to bash Steve's wrist into the steps, and inside he goes to work on it - even biting at his fingers to try and disable the hand. A blind charge allows Austin to hit a stungun, and a powerbomb sends Hart out to the floor. He decides to head to the back and retain with a countout loss, but Austin chases him up the aisle, and drags him back into the ring. Owen comes back with a well executed belly-to-belly suplex, and a swinging neckbreaker gets two. Bodyslam sets up a flying elbowdrop for two, and he hooks a headvise to work the neck. Another eye rake breaks for Austin, but an attempt at locking the Sharpshooter fails, and Hart levels him with a lariat for two. Owen with a 2^nd rope bodypress, but Austin rolls through for two, only to get caught in a German suplex for two. Owen shifts right into a camel clutch before Austin has a chance to regroup, but Steve slugs free, so Owen drops him back on his neck with a DDT for two. Chinlock (which is fine in context, since he's been working the neck), but Austin forces a criss cross and hooks a sleeper. Hart reverses, so Austin stuns his way free, and goes for a 2^nd rope axehandle - running into Hart's fist on the way down. Owen with a Russian legsweep for two, and he ties him back up on the mat in another chinlock - using the ropes for additional leverage. The referee forces a break after catching him, but Owen makes the mistake of arguing with the Official, allowing Austin to whip him into the ropes for a tombstone. Hart reverses, but he lands wrong during the execution, and legitimately breaks Austin's neck in the process, leaving him paralyzed on the mat. Immediately realizing something is wrong, Owen backs off for the referee to check on him, under the guise of playing to the crowd - very obviously terrified. Austin manages to fight off that whole 'paralysis' thing, and crawls over to roll Hart up (which looked horrible, but given that he was doing it with a BROKEN NECK I think we can forgive him) at 16:17. That was scary, though at the time I (along with many others) assumed it was a work, especially because it was so reminiscent of Owen's similar angle with Shawn Michaels in 1995. Unfortunately, it was very real, nearly ending Austin's career, and forever changing his wrestling style post-recovery. It also makes you stop and think 'what if,' because the WWF was getting routinely destroyed by WCW at this point, and had Austin been unable to recover, they wouldn't have had the Attitude Era's Hulk Hogan to help carry the promotion to the top. As for the match, it was well worked and psychologically sound throughout, and has become one of the more historically significant matches in wrestling history, as well as a testament to Steve Austin's bravery. *** 

Main Event: WWF Title Match: The Undertaker v Bret Hart: Shawn Michaels acts as the guest referee, and since it's the main event, they go stipulation crazy: if Hart loses, he can never wrestle in the United States again (even Alaska and Hawaii!), and if Shawn favors the Undertaker, he can't wrestle in the US again - though fate would have that happen to both of them within only a few years. Hart steals the title belt from Michaels as he displays it before the bell, and whacks 'Taker with it before unloading a series of right hands in the corner. Undertaker catches him with a clothesline to put Hart on the floor, and he follows by ramming his challenger into the guardrail and ringpost. He props Hart against the post for a clothesline, but Bret sidesteps him, and whips the champ into the steps before rolling in to break the count. He tries jumping off of the apron at the Undertaker, but gets caught, and rammed into the post before they go back into the ring. Undertaker fires off forearms and axehandles at the back, and hits/hooks a backbreaker submission. Bret won't give, so 'Taker tries a headbutt, and hugs him like a bear. Hart goes to the eyes to break, but is still dazed, and gets blasted with a big boot. Another one gets ducked, however, and Bret starts firing off kicks at the leg to try and remove the vertical base. With the Undertaker down, Hart starts jumping on his knee like a trampoline, and hooks a leglock. That doesn't get the results he's looking for, so Bret switches to a figure four, and that get's his attention. While in the hold, Paul Bearer (not aligned with the Undertaker at this point, for those Bearer-tracking) strolls down to ringside to observe. Meanwhile, Undertaker reverses the hold, but Hart's in the ropes, so 'Taker starts taking his own shots at the knee. He lets off to go after Paul Bearer on the floor, but that allows Hart to dive after him with a chopblock to the bad knee, and hook the ringpost figure four. Shawn forces a break, so Bret rolls him in to keep after the knee, as Owen Hart and Brian Pillman wander down to ringside. Undertaker again loses focus to jump outside and go after the Hart Foundation, but this time he manages to chokeslam Bret before he can clip the knee. Unfortunately, Michaels is busy dealing with the Foundation at ringside, and doesn't notice Undertaker covering for the pin. That allows Bret to schoolboy him for two, but Undertaker decks him, and tells Michaels to wake up. To the outside, Bret railroads the champion into the ring apron a couple of times, and slams him into the ringpost for good measure. Shawn (bastion of honor) gets in his face about it, so Hart rolls 'Taker in for a 2^nd rope axehandle to the back. Backbreaker gets two, and a suplex sets up the 2^nd rope elbowdrop for two. DDT gets two, so Undertaker busts out a stungun for a two count of his own, and starts headbutting Hart. A few swift shots to the back slow the champion down, and a Russian legsweep allows him a legdrop. Sharpshooter, but Undertaker grabs him by the throat to break, and tries a chokeslam - but Hart kicks at the knee. 'Taker responds with a jumping clothesline out of a criss cross, and whips Bret into the corner chest-first for two. Big boot sets up a leaping legdrop for two, and Hart bails to break the momentum - but Undertaker catches him on the ring apron, and chokeslams him back in for two. Ropewalk forearm, but Bret shakes the ropes to crotch him, and goes up to super-duperplex him off, but 'Taker's bad knee gives out, and he nearly falls to the floor. Wanting the title, Hart holds him firm to complete the move, and now he's able to lock the Sharpshooter. 'Taker manages to power out (Hart selling it by falling all the way to the floor), and by the time Bret's able to capitalize, 'Taker clotheslines him. Tombstone, but Hart slips free, and hooks a ringpost version of the Sharpshooter. 'Taker thrust off sends Hart crashing into Shawn Michaels, so Bret comes back in with a chair. He manages to use it as Shawn recovers on the floor, but it's only good for one dramatic two count. Frustrated, Hart stomps a mud hole in the champion, but Shawn notices the chair, and starts investigating. Hart plays dumb, but Shawn's no fool when it comes to heel tactics, and gives him an earful. Hart responds by spitting in his face (so many WWF pay per views ended that way in 1997), so Shawn wildly swings the chair, and ends up bashing the Undertaker with it. Hart covers, and Shawn reluctantly counts the fall at 28:08. Really good, long, psychologically sound match, with everyone playing their roles well, and a memorable ending. *** ¼

BUExperience: A really good main event and a memorable, historically significant Intercontinental title match (Austin’s injury one of the (many) things that changed the wrestling landscape in 1997) all on top of a fun undercard, with a lively atmosphere make for a good show. Though certainly oversaturated in stipulation booking, it doesn’t hurt the card overall, and the show holds up quite well – something many later Attitude Era shows have trouble doing. ***