WWF Monday Night RAW (March 3, 1997)

Original Airdate: March 3, 1997 (taped February 26)

From Berlin, Germany; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and Honky Tonk Man

Bret Hart v Hunter Hearst Helmsley: Bret notes that Helmsley will be 'sorry her ever got mixed up' with him, though I think the opposite proved to be true in the long run. Bret is, of course, hugely over in Germany, to the point where HHH even draws heel heat. Bret takes him down in a side-headlock right away, and Hart is so over that even working a headlock gets him big pops from this crowd. This is like watching Hulk Hogan in spring 2002. Hunter escapes, and backelbows the Hitman down, but an elbowdrop misses, and Bret goes back to the headlock. Hunter forces a criss cross, and this time manages to throw a knee to put Bret down, and that's enough to turn the tide. He chucks Bret through the ropes into the post, and delivers a single-arm DDT for two to work the arm/shoulder. Helmsley goes to an armbar, but Bret fights free, so HHH throws a high knee during a criss cross. Hunter goes upstairs, but Bret brings him off with a vertical superplex, and he adds a legdrop. Russian legsweep gets two, and a backbreaker sets up a 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two. Vertical suplex gets two, but HHH reverses a cross corner whip. He goes for the Pedigree on the rebound, but Hart counters with a catapult into the corner, and it's Sharpshooter time! HHH goes to the eyes to block, but Bret reverses another cross corner whip, and Helmsley ends up in a tree of woe! Bret unloads, so the referee tries to intervene, and Hart just full on shoves him across the ring, getting himself disqualified at 8:56. I get that Bret was teasing the heel turn and his character's general frustration, but he didn't even have an issue with HHH at this point, and it's out of character for him to lose his cool like that. But I guess that's kind of the point, since Steve Austin has rattled him so badly. Afterwards, Bret keeps unloading, until (a still unnamed) Chyna comes in to scare the Hitman back. Bret had it in low gear here. *

Steve Austin is supposed to be in WWF Studios for an interview, but he's busy taking a shit, so we'll just have to wait. No, really

The Full Metal Slam of the Week is highlights from the Undertaker/Faarooq match on last weeks show. That's multiple slams

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Rocky Maivia v Vader: Vader pinned Rocky in a European Title Tournament Quarterfinal match to set this up. Vader immediately puts him down with a right hand, and then it's into the corner for some abuse. You think Rocky ever misses this when he's getting lattes brought to him in his trailer? Vader takes it to the mat with a chinlock, but Rocky fights free, and hooks a schoolboy for two. Vader cuts him off with a clothesline, and a corner whip sets up an avalanche from the challenger. Rocky tries a sunset flip, but Vader blocks with a sitdown splash for two, and he chokes the champion down for another two. Vertical suplex, but Rocky manages to reverse for two, and he comes off the ropes with a few clotheslines. Side suplex gets two, but Vader fights him off, and lands a splash for two. 2^nd rope splash is worth two, so Vader tries a toehold, but Rocky makes the ropes. Vader responds with a slam to set up another dive off the middle, but Rocky catches him in a powerslam this time, worth two. Belly-to-belly suplex gets two, and a floatover DDT leads to the flying bodypress, but no cover. Looked like they miscommunicated there. Rocky uses a dropkick to knock him to the outside, and the champ follows for a brawl, but here's Mankind to attack - drawing a DQ at 7:57. This was generally fine before the nonsensical finish. *

Highlights of the ECW invasion last week, complete with weird blurring over weapon shots or beer drinking. Kind of funny to see, considering the entire promotion would be based on that just a year later

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Flash Funk v Sultan: Jerry Lawler calls in to rant about ECW, and he throws out a challenge for them to show up next week. Sultan attacks before the bell, and works Funk over for a bit, but Flash knocks him to the outside with a dropkick. Funk dives after him, but Sultan grabs a wristlock as they head in, then a sleeper. Funk escapes and dives with a bodypress off the middle, followed by a spinheel kick for two, as Paul Heyman calls in to respond to Jerry's earlier comments. It's hilarious to hear Vince thank Paul for 'all the action' he brought last week. Funk with a rana, and a flying moonsault is worth two, but Sultan blocks a headscissors with a facebuster, and the Camel Clutch finishes at 5:06. This was nothing, and the announcers were barely paying attention to it anyway. ¼*

WWF Champion Sycho Sid does not speak German. Funny, because he looks like the exact guy you'd cast as a Nazi in a World War II movie. Though not in a stage play, obviously

Speaking of people who don't speak languages, the German ring announcer brings out Ahmed Johnson for an interview where he asks the questions in German, but Ahmed answers in English. I think. Anyway, Faarooq's going down, you know the drill

WrestleMania 13 ad

On Shotgun Saturday Night, The Legion of Doom promised to be at WrestleMania, by way of Hawk reminiscing about some of his more exciting hangovers

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WWF Title Match: Sycho Sid v Mankind: Mankind tries attacking before the bell, but Sid fights him off, and they spill to the outside. Sid continues beating on him out there, and sends his challenger into the post, before taking it back inside. Sid grabs a chinlock, then shifts into a fujiwara armbar, as we get a split screen of Austin in the studio, talking about how satisfying his shit was earlier. Well, glad we're taking the time to focus on that. But, hey, if you're going to talk about literal shit, when better than a match featuring Sid against a guy dressed like a large crap? Mankind escapes the hold and throws rights to shake the champion off, but Sid just kind of ignores it after a while, and takes over again with more pounding. I get Sid. I do. I get why promoters got behind him, and pushed him, and I don't think that was a mistake. But putting the top title on the guy and expecting him to carry shows as the main event is just never a good idea. They spill to the outside again, where Paul Bearer tries to give the challenger an assist via urn, but Sid no-sells, and shoves Mankind into the post again. Sid adds a side suplex on the floor, so Mankind snaps his throat across the top rope to buy time on the way back in, and he dives with a 2^nd rope legdrop for two. Chinlock, but Sid slugs free, so Mankind goes to the Mandible Claw to try and put it away. The poor Germans look so bored. Makes sense. I mean, a lot of these people lived through World War II, you think they're going to get worked up about a Sid match? Sid actually escapes the hold, so Mankind drops him with a double-arm DDT for two, and he grabs a sleeper. Sid drops him to escape, and starts throwing right hands to make a comeback. It's kind of sad that Mankind's whole heat segment was limited to restholds because of Sid's limitations. Into the corner for a ten-punch count, so Bearer tries interfering again, but it backfires. Chokeslam gets two, allowing Mankind one last ditch effort to save it, but he runs into the Powerbomb at 12:24. Pretty dull stuff, but Mankind was trying. ½*

9 days ago on Shotgun Saturday Night, WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith fired Clarence Mason for helping Crush win a match over Bulldog, when he's supposed to be representing both men

Backstage, Owen and Davey are each individually warming up for the main event. I love that Owen just stares at the tag belt while doing pushups

We finally get the promised studio interview with Steve Austin, and thankfully we're done talking about his bowel movements. For now. And we're getting full ECW Austin here, as he rants and raves, and generally comes off like the biggest star in the promotion. And also, kinda like Zach Gowen

WWF European Title Match: Davey Boy Smith v Owen Hart: This is a tournament final to crown the first champion. Feeling out process to start, and wow, does anyone else get freaky Tommy Wiseau vibes whenever Vince does his little forced chuckle? Bulldog dominates the various reversals, and catches Owen with a powerbomb, then sends him flying over the top with a catapult. Back in, Bulldog tries grabbing a hammerlock, but Owen counters with a rollup for two, so Davey armdrags him down for a wristlock to keep things grounded. Back to the hammerlock, so Owen tries his rollup counter again, but Bulldog has it scouted this time, and drops him with a hammerlock slam. Crucifix gets Smith two, so he tries the hanging vertical suplex, but Hart slips free. Leg-feed enzuigiri, but Bulldog ducks it, and takes him to the mat again with a surfboard. Owen quickly escapes, leading to a criss cross, won by Bulldog with a monkeyflip. He charges, but Hart is ready with a backdrop over the top, and he holds the ropes open for Davey to climb back in. Bulldog grabs a headlock as he does, but Owen whips him into the ropes for a criss cross, only to jam his ankle on a leapfrog. Of course, he's faking, and he puts the boots to an advancing Bulldog. Sharpshooter, but Davey blocks, so Owen immediately starts acting like the ankle is bad, but Smith is not a moron. That leads to another criss cross, and this time Hart throws a spinheel kick to win it. Hart with a backbreaker and a cross corner whip, followed by a bodyslam to set up a legdrop for two. Chinlock, but Bulldog starts to escape, so Owen throws a knee to the gut to cut him off. He puts the boots to his brother-in-law until Smith falls out of the ring, but Davey comes back at him with a slingshot sunset flip for two, so Hart clotheslines him back down, and drops an elbow for two. Back to the chinlock, but Bulldog fights free, so Owen overhead suplexes him for two, and goes back to the mat with a camel clutch. Bulldog powers out with an electric chair, as Ross rants about how they'll 'stay with the match as long as it takes,' and guarantees a 'new champion crowned tonight.' I get that it's a shot at WCW, but your show is taped, dude. Hart tries a leveraged pin, but only gets two, so he uses a neckbreaker to set up a 2^nd rope elbowdrop for two. Chinlock, as Ross goes into annoying hype man mode again. Hart takes Smith upstairs for a vertical superplex, but Bulldog topples him for two on the way down! Owen tries to keep control with a whip into the ropes, but Bulldog ducks the clothesline, and hits a jumping version of his own. Smith with another pair of clotheslines and a vertical suplex for two, and a cross corner whip rebounds Hart into a press-drop - crotch-first across the top rope! Bulldog with another vertical suplex, but Owen counters with a bridging German version for two. Davey tries for the Running Powerslam, but Hart topples him for two. Hart dives with a 2^nd rope bodypress, but Bulldog rolls through for two, so Owen blasts him with the leg-feed enzuigiri. I like how Davey was able to avoid it earlier, but Owen got him flustered enough to land it the second time. Sharpshooter is applied, but Bulldog makes the ropes, leading to a reversal sequence that ends in Smith hitting the Running Powerslam for two. Another great sequence there, with Smith getting to the move in a way I've never seen him get there before, thus something Hart couldn't scout. He makes the mistake of arguing the count, however, and Owen comes at him with a victory roll for two - only for Bulldog to reverse at 18:22. Great finish, playing up on both men's famous matches with Bret Hart, at SummerSlam '92 and WrestleMania X. I really dug this one, as they were working very hard, cutting loose, and doing a bunch of unique counters and setups that you didn't see from either guy too often. Probably the last great singles match of either guy's career, and maybe Smith's overall best ever. **** ½ (Original rating: **** ¼)

BUExperience: Though the presentation itself looked terrible (just a step above the inky Skydome RAW from February), I actually thought it was an easier watch than the ECW invasion episode from the week before. Of course, it helps when you’ve got an incredible match for your main event. Nevertheless, it absolutely got killed against Nitro, though this would be the last time RAW would ever fall below a 2.2 rating for the rest of the Monday Night Wars.

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	3/3/97
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	1.9	3.4
Total Wins	17	52
Win Streak		35
Better Show (as of 2/24)	24	42