WWF In Your House: International Incident (Version II)

Original Airdate: July 21, 1996

From Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and Jerry Lawler

Opening Match: The Smoking Gunns v The Bodydonnas: The Gunns' WWF Tag Team Title is not on the line here. The Bodydonnas announce that they dumped Kloudy, since they don't need a manager. And also because, you know, it was one of the more embarrassing things in WWF history. It's too bad they didn't have someone better in that role, because another attractive female manager to counter Sunny might have actually been interesting. The Bodydonnas jump Billy Gunn before the bell while Bart Gunn is busy grab-assing with Sunny, allowing them to clean house. The dust settles on Bart and Zip, with Zip dominating with armdrags. The Bodydonnas work Bart's arm for a while, but he manages a tag to Billy, who ends up in trouble with Skip. Skip uses speed to outmaneuver Gunn, but telegraphs a backdrop, and eats canvas via a rocker dropper. Billy with a corner whip, but he misses the follow-up charge, and Skip armdrags him over for an armbar. Billy slugs his way out of that one, and bails to the outside, as Sunny suddenly collapses at ringside. Skip freaks out and rushes over to help her, but of course it was all a trap, and the Gunns clobber him. You'd think he, of all people, would know better. It's not like Sunny wasn't doing the exact same shit on their behalf just a few months prior. Hell, she pulled this exact same trick for them in a match against THIS VERY TEAM back at the Royal Rumble! Anyway, that allows the Gunns to cut the ring in half on Skip, including a funny spot where Billy is trying to leapfrog over Bart for a straddling ropechoke, but fails to get over his shoulders. That looked to be as much Bart's fault as Billy's, as Bart didn't give him enough room to land there. Or maybe it's just Skip's fault for being such a shrimp that his tiny body couldn't create the necessary distance needed for the landing. Either way, it looked terrible. Skip finally catches Bart with a rollup for two, and 2^nd rope flying bodypress, but Bart nails him with a clothesline. Over to Billy, but a dive off the top is stopped with an inverted atomic drop, and that's enough for the hot tag to Zip. Yes, Zip is getting hot tags. That's a sign of a weak tag division if there ever was one. Sadly for freakin' Zip, he gets killed pretty quickly, but the Gunns get into a miscommunication while going for the Sidewinder, and Skip helps Zip topple Bart for the pin at 12:52. And there's why this was non-title, I guess. I usually prefer when they do that on TV to set up a title match for pay per view. These two teams had much better chemistry with the heel/face roles reversed. ¾* (Original rating: ¼*)

Mankind v Henry Godwinn: Godwinn is a sub for Jake Roberts, who is announced out with rib injuries. Lawler, of course, spends the whole night telling us he's actually not here because he's drunk. Mankind blitzes him at the bell, but runs into a powerslam, and Henry clotheslines him over the top. Mankind heads right back in, and goes to the eyes to help take Godwinn down for some biting. Godwinn fights him off with a takedown for some mounted punches, but Mankind mulekicks him, and goes for a choke, but Henry fights him off in the corner. Mankind responds with a corner whip and a two-handed bulldog to set up an elbowdrop, followed by a running kneesmash in the corner. They spill to the outside, where Mankind pulls up the mats for a swinging neckbreaker on the exposed concrete (though his execution basically results in Mankind landing on the floor... with Henry landing on top of him), and they head back inside. Mankind misses a charge to allow Godwinn a comeback, but he gets dumped to the outside again. Mankind prepares to dive after him, but Henry slams him off the apron onto the concrete, and he takes him in for the Slop Drop - only for Mankind to block, and slap on the Mandible Claw at 6:47. It's too bad the Godwinn character didn't carry over into the Attitude Era, because you totally know Vince Russo would have booked Mankind to take a shit in that slop bucket. This just kind of puttered around. ¼* (Original rating: ½*)

Steve Austin v Marc Mero: I actually think Sable was hotter during this period than when she became a big star in 1998. Austin goes at him right away, but Mero hits a bodypress for two as they criss cross, and Marc starts going after the arm. Steve manages to counter to a headlock, and they trade-off on the mat, feeling each other out. Pinfall reversal sequence sees Austin block a backslide with a knee, but Mero starts throwing jabs, and a roundhouse sends Stone Cold to the canvas. Steve bails to regroup, as we see Goldust doing an AOL chat on split screen. They were being crazy liberal with what warrants a split screen during this period. Back in, Mero tries a double-underhook cradle for two, and Austin drops to his hands and knees after kicking out, clutching his mouth (where Mero busted him open with that same move at King of the Ring). It's a ploy, of course, and Austin takes a cheap shot at Mero, then clotheslines him to the outside. Steve follows for a catapult into the post, and he shoves Mero from the apron into the guardrail as Marc tries climbing back in. Inside, Austin snapmares him to set up a 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two, and a well placed backelbow sets up a reverse chinlock. Straddling ropechoke, but Mero dodges, and he drops Steve crotch-first across the top rope to buy some recovery time. Mero with a few turnbuckle smashes, so Steve tries to keep control with a powerbomb, but Mero counters with a rana over the top. Ugly sequence there, but they did their bests to save it enough. Mero adds a somersault senton off the apron, as Goldust's usher shows up with an envelope for Jerry Lawler. Mero with a moonsault press from off of the apron (no springboard), and a slingshot splash gets two on the way back in. Into the corner, Marc unloads a ten-punch count, but an attempt at a rana is blocked when Steve throws him crotch-first into the ropes. Stunner, but Mero blocks, and manages a slingshot legdrop for two. Steve responds by clipping the leg though, and that property sets up the Stunner at 10:46. This desperately needed another five minutes. Good match, though I thought it was a step below the King of the Ring one, mostly because it felt rushed. *** (Original rating: ** ½)

Goldust v Undertaker: Hey, Goldust. Haven't really seen much of him since King of the Ring. He stalls for an extended period at the bell - running around ringside, hiding in the crowd, and even using the referee as a human shield. Meanwhile, Undertaker just kinda stands there. Goldust finally gets close enough that Undertaker can strike him, but that just sends Goldust bailing for the outside again, and it's a whole new run of stalling versus glaring. Goldust tries sweeping Undertaker to the floor, but it backfires when 'Taker chokeslams him onto the steps out there, as the announcers fall over themselves making movie references. Undertaker grabs the stairs to slam down on Goldust, but Marlena shields him, and 'Taker abandons the idea. Inside, Undertaker chokes him in the corner, and a cross corner whip sets up a clothesline. Undertaker adds a legdrop for two, and he takes Goldust back into the corner for some rights and lefts. Ropewalk forearm and a bodyslam set up an elbowdrop, but Goldust dodges, and clotheslines 'Taker over the top. Undertaker sweeps him out after him, but this time Goldust gets the better of it, and hammers him on the apron. He tries dragging Undertaker back in, but gets his throat snapped across the top rope in the process, so he whips 'Taker into an exposed top turnbuckle. Back to the outside, Goldust slams the steps across Undertaker's back, and a bodyslam on the way back in sets up a reverse chinlock. Undertaker fires up a comeback, but they have some miscommunication while trying the Tombstone, and 'Taker is forced to lamely cradle him for two instead. Tombstone hits on the second try, but Mankind bursts through the mat from underneath the ring, and attacks Undertaker with the Mandible Claw for the DQ at 12:06. Worse than Beware of Dog. Even as a kid, this feud felt boring and endless, and time has not changed that at all. Mankind's involvement was pretty much the only interesting thing going on here. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

Main Event: Six-Man Tag Team Match: Shawn Michaels, Ahmed Johnson, and Sycho Sid v Davey Boy Smith, Owen Hart, and Vader: A portion of the guardrail literally collapses as the fans mob Michaels during the entrances. Shawn starts with Vader, and tries matching the big man with fists, but six of Shawn's equals only one of Vader's, and the world champion ends up on his ass. Criss cross sees Michaels hooking a rana, and he comes off the ropes with a jumping clothesline. Bodypress sends them both over the top, and Michaels adds a baseball slide, then a plancha! Shawn's not done though, and tries a dive off the apron next, but Vader dodges that one, and Michaels hits the rail. Back inside, Vader unloads in the corner, but Shawn slips out of a side suplex, and passes to Sid! He comes in hot on Vader, so the rest of Camp Cornette runs in, but Sid cleans house on all three by himself. As usual, Sid pops the house huge. He's kind of stealing Ahmed's thunder too, since their styles are so similar. Dust settles on Ahmed and Owen, and Johnson actually busts out a three-alarm rolling German suplex. The execution wasn't on par with Benoit, but still cool and interesting. He misses an elbowdrop though, allowing a tag to Bulldog, and Davey pounds him on the mat, but runs into a spinebuster! Pearl River Plunge looks to finish, but Vader breaks up the count at two, and tags in to tee off in the corner, but Ahmed turns the tide on him! Vader manages a corner whip to set up an avalanche, but a second one backfires when Ahmed catches him in a slam for two! That takes something out of Johnson as well though, and Vader is able to pass to Owen for a spinheel kick before Ahmed can follow up. Johnson looked like he got knocked a bit loopy on that one, but still manages to press-slam Hart, and Sid tags in to cream him with a big boot. Corner whip sends Owen right into a tag to Bulldog, and he gets Sid up for a hanging vertical suplex, followed by an elbowdrop from Vader for two! Smith keeps hammering, but Shawn tags in, and dives with a flying axehandle for two. Davey dodges a corner charge, but ends up colliding with Vader on the apron, and Shawn covers for two. Tag to Owen, but Shawn brings him in hardway, so Hart hooks an abdominal cradle for two. Bodypress, but Michaels rolls through for two. Suplex, but Michaels counters with a victory roll for two - reversed by Hart for two. Reversal sequence sees Owen block a backslide and hit a clothesline for two, and he passes to Davey to backdrop Michaels to the heavens! Legdrop gets two, and a powerslam is worth two, but an elbowdrop misses. Instead of tagging, Michaels gets drawn into a criss cross though, and Owen whacks him with the cast from the apron to keep Camp Cornette in control. Vader unloads, and a cross corner whip sends Michaels flipping over the top to the floor, where Owen is ready with more abuse. Back in, Vader hits a short-clothesline for two, and he gets a clutch on the world champion - slowing things down for the first time in the match, some seventeen minutes in. That gives some fan the opportunity to jump the rail, and the idiot actually tries to springboard in before getting chased off by Bulldog and Johnson. What an idiot. Of all the holds Vader could have used to build heat here, this clutch looks terrible, and doesn't play up his size. Shawn slugs free, but Vader swats him back down for a splash, so Ahmed rushes in with a clothesline. That allows Shawn to crawl for the tag, but Bulldog gets one first, and cuts him off. Michaels pinballs around for him, but escapes an overhead backbreaker rack, so Bulldog Samoan drops him instead. Stinger splash, but Michaels dodges - only to have the tag cut off, this time by Owen! Criss cross ends in a double knockout, and Davey hits the Running Powerslam, but Sid breaks the count at two (in the most roundabout way possible). That's enough to finally allow the tag to Ahmed, but the referee misses it, and the heels triple team HBK to give Bulldog a two count on him. Owen tries a missile dropkick, but ends up hitting Smith instead, and there's the tag to Sid! He comes in hot on Vader with a clothesline and a chokeslam, and it's chokeslams all around, in fact! Tag to Ahmed for a tandem clothesline on Vader, and Sid sends Shawn onto him with a rocket launcher. That brings Bulldog back in, and Roseanne Barr the door! Vader gets hold of Cornette's tennis racket in the chaos, but it backfires on him, and Michaels covers for two! Superkick, but Cornette hooks Shawn's ankle to prevent the move, and Vader avalanches him! Vaderbomb, and Shawn's flattened at 24:31! Hell of a match here, one that's really been all but forgotten these days. Even by me. I almost never think of this one when I'm reflecting on matches from 1996, but it's a hell of a match, with great pacing and lots of action, and was kind of a pleasant surprise to revisit today. **** (Original rating: ****)

BUExperience: Because these shows are only two hours long, it doesn’t take much to get them over. While there’s nothing earth shattering here, the main event makes up a quarter of it on its own, and there’s a good Austin/Mero match underneath, plus the short runtime keeps things from getting bogged down.

**