WWF RAW is WAR (July 7, 1997)

Original Airdate: July 7, 1997

 

From Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and Jerry Lawler

 

Vince brings Bret Hart out to start, and his rantings about America are certainly not getting booed up here in Canada. This was pretty interesting, with Bret cutting a full on babyface promo like he was doing a few years before, only it would get him booed out of the building if it was in the States. So after promising to win the WWF Title from Undertaker, Bret introduces WWF Intercontinental Champion Owen Hart, who will be defending against Steve Austin at SummerSlam. Next up is WWF European Champion Davey Boy Smith, who will be defending against Ken Shamrock at the show. They all soak in some cheers, and decide to enjoy a rendition of the Canadian National Anthem, which draws Austin out to attack them all with a chair, though he's certainly not getting cheered for his antics like he does in America. Solid opening segment, though Vince then offering an apology for Austin interfering with the anthem in hushed tones is fine of laughable considering years of guys attacking Sheik and Volkoff

 

Great Sasuke v Taka Michinoku: Brian Christopher sits in on commentary for this one. Taka charges and pops him with a few shots to the throat to start, but Sasuke throws a spinkick to knock him to the outside, and he follows up with a somersault suicida. Back in, Sasuke tries a wristlock, but Taka reverses, so Sasuke uses a takedown, but Taka is ready with a cradle for two. Sasuke ties him up in a half-crab, but Taka gets to the ropes, so Sasuke starts popping him with kicks to put him on the outside. Taka responds with a springboard missile dropkick to put Sasuke on the outside, and he tries following up with a springboard dive, but ends up slipping, and wiping out right into Sasuke. Luckily, they made that look like it was intentional. Taka then adds a springboard flying moonsault press on the floor, and a reversal sequence on the way back in ends in a Taka suplex for two. Michinoku Driver sets up a flying moonsault, but Sasuke dodges. Sasuke tries a springboard moonsault press, but Taka dropkicks him out of the air, only to get backdropped over the top on a charge. Sasuke dives after him with the space flying tiger drop, though he takes the landing badly, and both guys are left down. Both manage to beat the count, and another reversal sequence ends in Sasuke using a bridging German suplex for two, followed by a powerbomb for three at 5:44. Much spottier than the pay per view match from the night before, but also more fun. ***

 

Crush v Savio Vega: Savio attacks and pounds Crush down right away, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and eats boot. Crush with a big boot next, and a backbreaker is held into a backbreaker submission, but Savio won't quit. Crush pounds on the back, but misses another big boot, and Vega knocks him to the outside with a spinheel kick. His crew roll Crush back in, so Savio snapmares him over, but misses another spinkick, and Crush clotheslines him to the outside. Cue an attack from the DOA, and both gangs brawl for a double countout at 2:42. Nothing to this one, and these two factions are not really getting over. DUD

 

Backstage, Paul Bearer refuses to back down from his claims that WWF Champion Undertaker is a murderer. No, but I hate to call the guy a liar. Maybe he's just a time traveler that got sent back a decade and is accusing the wrong guy

 

Next week, WWF Tag Team Champion Steve Austin and a partner of his choosing defend against the winners of the tag tournament, but Steve still hasn't really even given any thought to who his partner is going to be

 

#1 Contender's Tournament Final Match: Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith v Faarooq and D-lo Brown: Finally, the exciting conclusion of this terrible tournament. Owen, of course, is in all his glory getting to play a beloved babyface again here. Owen dominates a criss cross with D-lo to start, so Brown throws a backelbow to win a second one, but then misses an elbowdrop. Tags all around, and Faarooq suckers him into a pose down, and then attacks when Davey takes the bait. Bulldog quickly fights him off, so Brown takes a cheap shot from the apron, and the Nation double up on Davey. They work him over for a bit, and it's kind of interesting seeing Bulldog take the heat segment. In both of his major tag teams, he was usually the hot tag guy. Not that it doesn't work, it's just unique. And speaking of hot tags, Bulldog fights Faarooq off long enough to make one, and here comes Owen! This leads to a brawl between the Hart Foundation and the Nation at ringside, but Owen is smart enough to stay in the ring while Faarooq and Savio get counted out at 6:45. That was kind of a cute finish, though would it kill them to let D-lo eat a pinfall? Afterwards, Mankind shows up in an Austin 3:16 shirt, trying to get himself placement as Steve's partner for next week. Might want to petition Steve, not the Harts, but then Mankind's taken a lot of hard blows to the head, so it's understandable why he's confused. *

 

Speaking of Steve, he's facing Hunter Hearst Helmsley later, and he has no qualms about hitting a woman if Chyna gets involved. Well, that certainly proved to be true

 

Steve Austin v Hunter Hearst Helmsley: I guess HHH is the defacto babyface here? Lots of posturing to start, and it spills to the outside, where Steve drops him across the guardrail. Austin tries a suplex back in, but Helmsley counters with a rollup for two, so Steve fires off a clothesline for two. Steve grounds him with a front-facelock, but HHH fights to a vertical base, so Austin takes it upstairs for a superplex, but Hunter blocks. Helmsley dives, but lands on Steve's raised boot, and Austin cross corner whips him - only to charge into Helmsley's raised boot. HHH with a kneedrop for two, and yep, the crowd is definitely responding to him as the babyface. Austin hits a Thesz-press and starts making a comeback, so Chyna trips him up, and Helmsley attacks before Steve can make good on his promise to beat her. Hunter grabs a chair to finish the job, but here's Mankind with a distraction, and Steve hits the Stunner at 8:04. Not much doing here, but it was solid. Afterwards, Austin thanks Mankind for the assist by offering him the spot as his tag partner next week, which of course Mankind is more than happy to accept. And then Steve gives him a Stunner just to make sure that he understands that this doesn't make them friends, or anything. * ½

 

Brian Christopher v Eric Shelley: Sunny acts as the guest ring announcer for this one. Christopher suckers him into accepting a handshake, which he turns into a short-clothesline to start. Brian grabs a headlock, but Eric forces a criss cross, and manages a monkeyflip. Eric with an armdrag into an armbar, but Christopher counters to a headscissors, and uses a full-nelson/forward legsweep combo. Brian with a northern lights suplex, but Eric reverses a cradle on him for two, and sends Christopher over the top with a standing dropkick. Eric tries a dive, but badly misses, and Christopher rolls him back in for a 2^nd rope flying dropkick. Eric fights him off again, but misses a corner splash, allowing Christopher an inverted DDT to set up a flying legdrop at 3:48. Shelley looked like he had some potential, but was certainly nowhere near ready for primetime at this point. And it looks like he wrestled exactly one more WWF match that November, and then just worked Canadian indies before leaving the business entirely by spring 2001. *

 

Vince brings Austin back out, and he's certainly got a lot on his plate tonight. But what he wants to talk about isn't the tag title, or HHH, it's his Intercontinental title shot against Owen at SummerSlam. And, in fact, Steve is so confident that he'll win the title that he offers to kiss Hart's ass right in the middle of the ring if he doesn't. And, in fact, that ended up become an official stipulation in that match

 

Backstage, Goldust auditions for the role of 'horny dog'

 

Bret Hart v Goldust: Bret takes him to the outside to beat on in front of his adoring public to start, and he delivers an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline as they take it back inside, as Ross notes that Goldust's dad is surely watching at home. They mention Dusty Rhodes a lot on these shows, were they thinking of bringing him in, or something? Hart with a 2^nd rope axehandle and a pointed elbowdrop, followed by a headbutt drop to the groin. He ties Goldust in a tree of woe for some abuse, and apparently that's like catnip for bikers, because the DOA shows up. The distraction allows Goldust to knock Bret to the outside, and the Foundation head out to watch his back, as Goldust works a chinlock. He dumps Bret back to the outside, but loses an exchange out there this time, and Hart uses a backbreaker on the way back in. 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop gets two, as I spot a 'Malenko rules' sign in the crowd. That guy must have been really disappointed when he realized this wasn't a Nitro. Hart with a Russian legsweep for two, but Goldust starts making a comeback, and uses a pointed elbowdrop for two. Back to the chinlock, and now Ken Shamrock and the Legion of Doom show up to add even more bodies at ringside. Good thing there isn't a weight limit. Goldust with a jumping clothesline for two, and another sign in the crowd lets Arn Anderson know that he's missed. Seriously, was there a mix up at the box office? Hart with a vertical suplex, as now Austin shows up as well. That one poor guy is probably on the edge of his seat waiting for Malenko to come through the curtain. Goldust tries a sunset flip, but Bret counters with a cradle at 9:31. This wasn't a terrible match, it just felt like they had way too many distractions going on, and it kind of got lost in the shuffle. And then, oddly, no altercations happen... Bret just celebrates with his group, and the show ends. Okay then. * ¼

BUExperience: A fun show this week, with a great crowd dynamic, and lots of direction for the next pay per view right off the bat. They barely even mentioned a lot of the goings on of the previous night’s PPV, however – with stuff like the fact that the world champion retained his title only mentioned in passing – which is kind of weird.

 

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	7/7/97
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.5	3.4
Total Wins	17	70
Win Streak		53
Better Show (as of 6/30)	36	47