WWF RAW is WAR (May 19, 1997)

Original Airdate: May 19, 1997

From Mobile, Alabama; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler for hour one, and joined by Vince McMahon for hour two

We open with all the stuff that happened after RAW went off the air last week, with Shawn Michaels Superkicking Bret Hart, but then getting jumped by the Hart Foundation before Steve Austin made the save

 

Speaking of Austin, Jim Ross brings him out for an in-ring interview about last week, and some idiot in the crowd has a sign spelling 'WCW' out as 'Weird Captive Wussies.' Wow, really cut deep there, man. So Austin could care less about Shawn Michaels, he just wanted to beat up on the Hart Foundation, and any excuse to do that is welcome. That draws Shawn out, looking like he's auditioning for a rap video. It's a hard knock life. So they get in each other's faces, which quickly turns into a fist fight, with the gang of officials running out to break it up. The Foundation appear on the TitanTron, which cools these guys down, since the enemy of my enemy is my friend

 

Back at In Your House, Ken Shamrock beat up Vader so badly that Vader is out of the King of the Ring tournament. Really? The guy who once lost an eye during a match and popped it back in is too hurt?

 

Gerald Brisco appears backstage, noting that Hunter Hearst Helmsley has filed legal action against the WWF, since he was told he could only be eliminated from the KOTR tournament by pinfall or submission, and that wasn't the case last week. So HHH will take Vader's place to avoid legal issues. Why is Brisco announcing this? At this point he's nothing but a nameless official who breaks up fights. Where's Gorilla Monsoon?

 

King of the Ring Tournament Quarterfinal Match: Crush v Hunter Hearst Helmsley: It's so weird seeing 1997 Crush immediately after seeing 1992 Crush. HHH manages to pound him into the corner early on, and a swinging neckbreaker connects. Charge ends badly when Crush catches him with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, however, and a backbreaker follows. Crush with a spinebuster to set up a 2^nd rope fistdrop, but Hunter dodges, and tries making a comeback, but Crush cuts him off by going to the eyes. Cross corner whip sets up a press-gutbuster for two, but HHH counters a vertical suplex with a kneeling facebuster. Another neckbreaker follows, and it's Pedigree time, so Savio Vega hops onto the apron. That distraction allows Crush to recover, but now the referee is distracted by Chyna, and Savio's interference ends up backfiring - Vega kicking Crush in the head, and HHH covering at 4:05. They were trying, but they just had no chemistry, and almost everything looked awkward. Afterwards, Crush and Vega nearly come to blows, but Faarooq shows up to calm things down. ¾*

 

Earlier today, various people wished hometown boy Bob Holly luck in his match with WWF Intercontinental and Tag Team Champion Owen Hart tonight. That segues into an interview Lawler got with some locals, and it's something else. I hope those poor folks were actors, but given the t-shirt the kid was wearing, I doubt it

 

Owen Hart v Bob Holly: Owen's WWF Intercontinental title is not on the line. Criss cross ends in Holly hitting a rana for two right away, and a dropkick follows for two. Bob pounds him into the corner, and then throws a big clothesline for two as Hart staggers out. Another criss cross goes badly, however, and Hart puts him down with a spinheel kick. Owen with a corner whip and a backbreaker, then another corner whip. Bodyslam sets up a 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two, and he works a chinlock, but Holly fights to a vertical base. He comes at Owen with a big charge, but Hart sidesteps, and Bob takes a bump over the top. Owen tries pulling him back in, but Bob fights him off with a slingshot sunset flip for two. Hart quickly tries to cut him off with the Sharpshooter, but Holly counters with a cradle for the pin at 3:16. Big hometown pop for Holly there, and he bails into the crowd as the rest of the Foundation chase him off. The replay pretty clearly shows Owen feeding Holly the counter, so why bother replaying from such a terrible angle? This was a pretty famous moment, as Owen wanted to put Bob over in his hometown, and it was pretty great. Sadly it didn't really go anywhere, and Holly didn't really do anything else of note until forming the New Midnight Express with Bart Gunn in 1998, before finally getting over as Hardcore Holly in '99. *

 

Backstage, Sunny squirts all over Jim Cornette

 

Backstage, Shawn Michaels is thinking about asking Ken Shamrock to be his tag partner in challenging the Hart Foundation for the belts

 

Just as he did with Goldust, Jim Ross recently sat down with Mankind to learn the true story of the man named Mick Foley. We look back at Foley's childhood, and get our first look at Dude Love, as well as the first mention of Cactus Jack in the WWF. Mick does a great job here, as supposedly we're shattering kayfabe, but instead he's doing it totally in character, and using his real history as a way to build backstory for the character. Good stuff, I liked this much more than the Goldust stuff

 

Leif Cassidy v Scott Taylor: Lawler is bitching that Paul Heyman won't release Rob Van Dam, since he'd rather keep him in a bingo hall rather than let him become Mr. Monday Night. Cassidy dives at him with a plancha during the entrances, and this shitty referee actually rings the bell to start the match. Even the ECW referees knew better. Taylor fights him off on the way inside, and a dropkick puts Cassidy on the outside. Taylor dives after him, and a flying bodypress gets him two. Scott with a poorly executed leg lariat, and a snapmare sets up a seated dropkick for two. Backdrop, but Cassidy blocks, and throws a clothesline. Cassidy with a whiplash and a gourdbuster, but Taylor counters a second one with a cradle at 2:40. What is this, jobber appreciation night? They were selling this as Taylor's debut, though he'd worked as an enhancement guy under the same name for years. Afterwards, Cassidy flips out over the loss again, ranting and raging at everyone. *

 

Backstage, Steve Austin is also looking for a tag partner, but instead just engages in some light sexual assault of Sable

 

Backstage, the Hart Foundation are strategizing

 

We take another look at the Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels angle from last week

 

The Hart Foundation join us, and supposedly this week we're going to find out what the 'big surprise' Bret was promising last week will be. What was up with both Bret and Shawn going all in on Simpsons t-shirts in 1997? At least you could consider it promotion for Bret. Hart tears into all the 'rednecks' here, complete with mocking the accent, while noting that he has a right to free speech. Somebody in the crowd must be behaving really rudely, because both Bulldog and Owen can't stop glaring at the same person. Sadly, we don't get to see what's going on. Anyway, the surprise is that Bret will be returning to action at King of the Ring, and he wants to challenge Shawn Michaels to a match at the show. And if he can't beat Michaels in under ten minutes, he'll never wrestle in the USA again. What is it with them booking Hart/Michaels matches with arbitrary time constraints? Shawn shows up on the TitanTron to respond, and notes that at WrestleMania XII Bret couldn't beat him in sixty minutes, so why the hell does he think he can beat him in ten? But now Bret's got a gang, so if Shawn's going to accept the challenge, he wants the remaining Foundation members each handcuffed to a ring post to keep them out of it. Oh, and Bret may have had some 'sunny days' lately, but he can't last ten minutes there either. This is about where the relationship between Hart and Michaels really started to sour, as Shawn was pissed that Bret ran long last week (thus cutting off before he could throw the Superkick), and so he responds with the 'sunny days' crack, and they'd be trading real blows backstage within days, derailing the King of the Ring match

 

Goldust v Rockabilly: Goldust brings his young daughter with him, since I guess he took 'babyface turn' a little too literally. Maybe Ross can do a special interview with Rockabilly too, because he's certainly not getting over. Goldust slugs him into the corner early, and unloads with a ten-punch - Lawler not missing an opportunity to note that he's surprised the Mobile crowd can count to ten. Goldust plants a kiss on Rockabilly, which Vince notes will make his dad proud. Goldust works an armbar, but Rockabilly escapes with a rocker dropper for two, as Lawler makes some really personal cracks about Goldust's daughter. I know it's a show, but back off dude, you're not even working a program with the guy. Rockabilly with a bodyslam to set up a dive off the middle rope, but Goldust lifts his boot to block, and starts making a comeback. He uses a bunch of moves made famous by Dusty Rhodes, which Lawler notes is making Dusty 'roll over in his grave.' Bulldog gets two, so Honky Tonk Man comes in with the guitar, but Goldust blocks. He steals the weapon and bashes Honky with it, but in full view of the referee, and that's a DQ at 4:02. The crowd was actually really in to Goldust here. ¼*

 

Backstage, Ahmed Johnson is sick of Faarooq being a racist, but he thinks he has a point anyway... why hasn't there been a black WWF Champion?

 

Backstage, Austin is trying to talk Harvey Wippleman into being his tag partner. Harvey is scared, so Brooklyn Brawler offers up his services, but gets violently rebuffed

 

Replay of Sunny squirting on Cornette earlier. Could they not record another version? It's literally the same exact thing. I mean, couldn't she squirt on Bret or Shawn? They might be interested

 

Rocky Maivia v Faarooq: The announcers get into a really awkward conversation about why there hasn't been a black WWF Champion yet, and it's cringe inducing. Rocky pounds him down at the bell, and uses a powerslam for two, so Faarooq fights him off with a chincrusher. Irish whip, but Rocky rebounds with a bodypress for two, and a uranage gets him two. Vince kindly sets Ross up to run down their football stats, and he's ALL over that. Rocky with a floatover DDT, but a trip to the top ends badly, and the Dominator finishes at 2:47. This was barely a match. Afterwards, the Nation comes in for the beat down, but Faarooq calls them off. ¼*

 

Backstage, the Foundation kick the crap out of Bob Holly in response for his victory earlier. I dig the mafia crew vibe they have going here

 

WWF Champion Undertaker is here to respond to Paul Bearer's threats from last week, and also to remind us that he's still world champion of this promotion. I'd honestly forgotten. But it's not the time to talk about Bearer's threats. Then why the fuck are you here? Bearer appears on the TitanTron, and he gives Undertaker one more week to come back into the fold, or the secret is out

 

Steve Austin v Jim Neidhart: Neidhart charges for a slugfest right at the bell, as Brian Pillman shows up to sit in on commentary. Austin gets control with a snapmare to set up a 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop, but Neidhart blocks a sharpshooter attempt. Steve keeps it going with a clothesline anyway, and he ropechokes Jim down for a straddling ropechoke. Backdrop, but Neidhart blocks, and throws a clothesline of his own. Steve bails to the outside, but less to get away from Neidhart than to go after Pillman. He drops Brian, but Neidhart saves, and the action goes back inside for another slugfest - only for Pillman to run in and break a crutch over Steve's back, drawing a DQ at 1:53. Hey, Steve started it. The rest of the Foundation quickly run in to put a beating on Stone Cold, but Shawn Michaels is back with his trusty chair to make the save. This was just an angle dressed up as a match. But at least it was a good angle. Afterwards, Ross comes in, and apparently President Monsoon has called in, and ruled that Austin and Michaels will be forced to team against the Harts for the tag title next week, like it or not. And 'not' is apparently it, as they brawl, while the Harts watch from the aisle. Well, at least this decision came from the top, not Gerald fucking Brisco. DUD

 

BUExperience: The wrestling was terrible, and most of the stuff they were building for King of the Ring fell apart before they made it to the show anyway… but the episode felt lively! And that’s something.

 

What’s up with Lawler being so mean spirited this week, though?

 

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	5/19/97
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	3.1	3.6
Total Wins	17	63
Win Streak		46
Better Show (as of 5/12)	32	45