WWF Thursday RAW Thursday (February 13, 1997)

Original Airdate: February 13, 1997

From Lowell, Massachusetts; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and Jerry Lawler

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Hunter Hearst Helmsley v Rocky Maivia: Feeling out process to start. Criss cross goes Rocky's way with a hiptoss and a dropkick to send Helmsley to the outside, and the champs takes his time regrouping out there. HHH marches right back in and punches his challenger in the face, and a snapmare sets up a chinlock. That was wonderfully decisive. Rocky escapes and uses another dropkick to send HHH over the top, but Maivia misses a clothesline against the post, and Helmsley grabs control with a single-arm DDT on the way back inside. HHH with a kneedrop to the arm, and he works an armbar. Rocky escapes and tries to force another criss cross, but he's battered, and HHH is able to easily drop him with another single-arm DDT for two. Into the corner for some chops, and a swinging neckbreaker gets the champion two, as Honky Tonk Man wanders out to join the commentary team. Hunter with a hanging vertical suplex to set up a kneedrop for two, and a high knee is worth two. Sleeper looks to put it away, but Rocky reverses, so HHH drops into the corner for a quick escape. Rocky's still fired up, however, and he starts throwing right hands to build a comeback. Backdrop leads to a flying bodypress, but HHH rolls through for two, and delivers a kneeling facebuster. Neckbreaker gets him two, and a piledriver is worth two. Wow, you never see that move from him. Vertical superplex still only gets two, so Hunter goes for the Pedigree, but Rocky is so battered that he can't even stay up for the move. HHH tries forcing him through it anyway, but Rocky pops off a quick small package to win the title at 15:18! It draws a good pop, but the reign was ultimately a flop. Afterwards, Dok Hendrix is with Rocky at ringside to get a victory promo, with Maivia dedicating the win to his father and grandfather, before celebrating with the fans. ** ¼

In Your House Final Four ad

The M&M's Slam of the Week is Undertaker Tombstoning Hunter Hearst Helmsley on an escalator in Grand Central Terminal over the weekend on Shotgun Saturday Night. Again, why are these not on the Network already?

The Headbangers v Bob Holly and Aldo Montoya: Sunny acts as the guest ring announcer for this one, and the crowd wants her bad. Headbangers feel like such an ECW gimmick, but still more interesting than the dregs of the New Generation they're facing. Mosh starts with Holly, and a criss cross ends in Bob hitting a rana for two. That draws Thrasher in without a tag, but Bob clotheslines him right back out, and hits a dropkick on Mosh. Armdrag allows Holly to work an armbar, and it's over to Aldo for a flying axehandle. Aldo works an armbar as well, so Mosh tries a whip into the ropes, but Montoya fights him off with a leg-feed enzuigiri. Back to Bob to pound Mosh in the corner, and they have an awkward Irish whip spot that looks like Thrasher was supposed to throw a cheap shot, but forgot. They repeat it with Thrasher hitting his mark, and a 2^nd rope clothesline gets him two. Thrasher dumps Holly across the top rope, and Mosh tags back in for a tandem gourdbuster. The Bangers cut the ring in half, including a neat combo that sees Thrasher drop Mosh with a gourdbuster off the middle rope onto Holly. Thrasher tries a flying moonsault to put it away, but Bob dodges, and makes the tag to Aldo - Roseanne Barr the door. Aldo with a flying bodypress on Mosh for two, but he runs into a cheap shot in short order, and the Bangers put him away with a powerbomb/flying legdrop combo at 5:41. This was generally fine, though not especially interesting. The Bangers had some interesting combos, but the gimmick sucked. * ½

Vince McMahon and President Gorilla Monsoon bring WWF Champion Shawn Michaels out so Shawn can forfeit the WWF Title, having suffered a severe, likely career ending knee injury. Poor Vince looks like he's going to cry. He doesn't, but Shawn does, as this is the famous 'lost my smile' speech, which has been parodied a million times, but is actually a very strong speech as far as heart string tugging promos go. Everyone has their own theories on the real deal here, and I'll add mine. I think Shawn's injury was legit, and that he maybe even thought his career might be over, but he probably still could have went out and dropped the title. He just didn't want what potentially might be his last night in a wrestling ring to be jobbing to either Sid or Bret Hart. The fact that he was having second thoughts about putting over Steve Austin up until match time the following year makes me think there might be something to that. So, anyway, Shawn forfeits the belt, the title is now vacant, and he takes one last lap around the ring, as Ross gives a full eulogy for the career of Shawn Michaels. Yeah, it's all a little over the top, but it totally worked, and I definitely bought it all as a kid. It's just a shame Shawn had to do it in one of the smarkier towns from this era

Undertaker v Savio Vega: Savio tries attacking, but Undertaker quickly shrugs him off, and unloads in the corner. I know this was the least of his problems, but they could have at least gotten Savio some new gear to help establish the heel turn. Didn't they learn anything with Tatanka? Undertaker with a big boot and a legdrop for two, as Lawler makes some weird jokes about Michael Jackson on commentary. He's been at it all night, too. Undertaker with the ropewalk forearm and a backdrop, as the announcers note that tickets are still on sale for this Sunday's In Your House. Considering the final crowd ended up being under 6,500, that's kind of sad. Savio fights Undertaker off with a savate kick, a spin kick, and a spinheel kick for two, but that unfortunately has depleted his entire move set, so now he just chokes and pounds 'Taker for a while. Eventually he goes back to the well with another spinkick for two, and he works a nervehold, as this match drags on for way too long for what they're bringing to the table. Even Clarence Mason looks bored. Well, I assume that's boredom. He might be trying to figure out if Savio is a slimmed down Yokozuna, not sure. Vega with a swinging neckbreaker for two, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and Undertaker nearly kills him with a rocker dropper. Clothesline follows, and a chokeslam finishes at 9:50. I like how he did the big heel turn, and then just goes right back to jobbing for the big stars the next week, not even warranting a Tombstone. Afterwards, the Nation beat Undertaker down, so Ahmed Johnson runs out for the save, but gets beat down as well. I appreciate the callback to last week's show, but I still can't buy into Undertaker and Ahmed as allies. ¼*

In Your House Final Four ad

President Monsoon announces that the Final Four match this Sunday will now be for the vacant WWF Title, and Sycho Sid will get his title shot (which he was supposed to have tonight) against the winner on next weeks RAW

Sycho Sid v Steve Austin: Austin attacks before the bell, and pounds Sid into the corner, but Sid returns fire. Chokeslam, but Steve kicks him in the balls to block, and then adds a stomp down there for good measure. Sid's selling it really well, so I assume Austin really nailed him there, since 'Sid's selling it really well' is not something I think I've ever typed before. They spill to the outside, where Steve reverses him into the post, and then hits a backelbow for two on the way back inside. Austin works a leveraged abdominal stretch next, which looks really odd due to the side difference. Also, tickets still available for next weeks RAW. Meanwhile, WCW was drawing legit sellouts all over the place. Sid tries a sleeper, but Steve quickly escapes with a jawbreaker for two, and he works a front-facelock. I get the strategy, but there's a reason Bret would always stick to the leg while wrestling these big guys. Everything else looks silly. Steve tries to put the big man in a sharpshooter next, but Sid blocks, and starts making a comeback - only for Bret to run in and attack Austin for the DQ at 3:42. It's a shame we never got a proper Austin/Sid match. Not that it would have been any good, but Sid would have certainly made for an interesting and believable challenger for Steve in '98/1999 at some point. Afterwards, Sid gets in Hart's face for costing him the match, and they brawl as well. ¼*

Vader is in our faces

Earlier tonight, Shawn Michaels lost his smile... and found a new way to get out of jobbing a title

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith v Faarooq and Crush: Owen starts with Crush, and he actually gets the better of slugging it out with the big guy, then puts him down with a clothesline. Hart dives with a flying bodypress for two, but a charge ends badly when Crush pop-up flapjacks his ass. Crush adds a press-slam, so Owen hustles to a tag, but Bulldog runs into a piledriver for two. Surprising speed from Crush on that one. He dumps Davey to the outside for Faarooq to send into the steps, and inside, that gets Crush a two count. Tag to Faarooq, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and Bulldog delivers a facebuster, as we cut to a split screen so Bret can talk about Shawn's title forfeiture. You can just see him dying to rip Shawn to shreds here, but holding back. It looks like it's almost physically difficult for him. Meanwhile, Crush holds Bulldog in a nervehold, and a big boot gets him two. Over to Faarooq for a slam, but Davey lifts his knees to block a splash, and man, they're booking Faarooq to look like a total loser tonight, despite being the leader of his group. Crush saves his ass again and keeps working Bulldog over, as the match drags on past it's sell-by date. I get that Owen and Bulldog are playing the babyfaces tonight, but Owen should be doing a lot more good natured cheating than he is. If anyone could get that over, it's him. Instead, it's just Bulldog getting worked over with really dull offense, making the match... really dull. I know, surprising. Smith finally fights off Crush long enough for the tag, and Roseanne Barr the door! Owen with spinheel kicks all around, which you'd think the Nation would have better scouted, considering they have Savio on their side now. Crush manages to dump Hart over the top during a scuffle, but Hart hurts his knee on the landing, and gets counted out at 11:13 - while Crush just stands there like a moron. Well, guess that ends Faarooq's hopes of capturing a tag title. I mean, unless he finds some other big hoss white guy to be his partner someday. But, I mean, how likely is that to happen? ½*

In Your House Final Four ad

Bret Hart v Vader: Undertaker comes out to cut a promo before the bell, though he mistakenly hypes In Your House in 'Nashville,' when it's actually in Chattanooga. Vader attacks before the bell, and dumps Bret to the outside, where Steve Austin is quick to run out and attack, before getting removed. Inside, Vader keeps unloading on the Hitman in the corner, and you can just see Bret absolutely hate being in there with such a stiff worker. Not that I blame him. Vader with a clothesline, but a dive off the middle rope ends badly when Bret catches him in a powerslam. He pounds Vader with right hands and headbutts from there, and a Russian legsweep follows. Bodyslam leads to the Sharpshooter, but Vader blocks, so Bret goes back to punching him in the brain. Side suplex sets up a 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop, and a standard pointed elbowdrop follows. Sharpshooter again, but Vader is immediately in the ropes, though Hart doesn't want to break. The referee forces a break, as Austin shows up in the crowd, distracting Hart enough for Vader to attack. Vader puts him down with a short-clothesline, but the flying moonsault misses, and Bret hooks the leg at 6:39. Didn't really have enough time, but decent enough while it lasted. **

BUExperience: Not a great show, but certainly a historically significant and memorable one. Good episode, and certainly better than that week's Nitro, though they weren't running head-to-head anyway.