WWF RAW is WAR (July 21, 1997)

Original Airdate: July 21, 1997

 

From Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and Jerry Lawler

 

Vader v Ken Shamrock: They size each other up for a bit to start, with Ken trying to get in close, but Vader keeping him at bay. Ken tries a cradle for two, so Vader starts throwing shots, and a short-clothesline levels Shamrock. Vader with a few elbowdrops, and a splash gets him two. To the outside, Vader whips him into the steps, but Shamrock blocks a powerbomb on the way back in, and delivers a belly-to-belly suplex. Ken goes for the leg with a grapevine, so Paul Bearer rakes the eyes, and Shamrock takes the bait, going after him on the outside. That allows Vader to recover with a slam as Ken comes back in, and a 2^nd rope splash is worth two. Vaderbomb hits the knees, allowing Ken to come back, but a rana attempt ends badly when Vader dumps him over the top. That draws WWF European Champion Davey Boy Smith out, and he gives Ken a Running Powerslam on the ramp, before disappearing into the night - Shamrock counted out at 7:02. This wasn't good, but it was oddly watchable. ¾*

 

Earlier today, the fans were extremely Canadian

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger Brakkus is coming

 

Vince brings the Hart Foundation out, and oh yeah, that's a hot crowd. Like, you can barely hear them talk over the cheering. So Bret Hart has issued a challenge to any three Americans for a Flag Match tonight, and WWF Tag Team Champion Steve Austin shows up to accept - with or without partners. There wasn't much to this segment, but the heat was unreal

 

SummerSlam ad

 

Over the weekend on Shotgun Saturday Night, Brian Christopher and Jerry Lawler did some father/son bonding by beating up Scott Putski. There are worse ways

 

Brian Christopher v Brian Walsh: Christopher attacks while Walsh is busy waving little mini-Canadian flags around, but Walsh fights him off. Reversal sequence ends in Christopher using a forward full nelson facebuster, and a floatover suplex is worth two. Fistdrop misses, allowing Walsh a bodyslam to set up an elbowdrop for two. Christopher comes back with a bulldog, but Walsh shoves him into the corner to block a second one, and he unloads a ten-punch count. Dropkick connects, but Christopher manages a powerslam during a criss cross, and a flying legdrop ends it at 3:53. This was all over the place. ¾*

 

The Commandant promises that the Truth Commission will be in action next week. Well, it's about time

 

Two years ago, at the first In Your House, the WWF gave away a house. I still don't consider my house a home, and I honestly believe I won't ever unless it's personally blessed by Todd Pettengill

 

Backstage, Sable hypes up the SummerSlam Million Dollar Change giveaway

 

We take a look at Dude Love's journey to the WWF

 

Steve Austin doesn't really give a shit about Dude Love, but he helped get the job done, and that's good enough for him. Though, really, did he? Austin was in control of the match by himself, and he delivered the fatal blow that allowed Love the pin, so maybe Dude Kerkovich Way'd him?

 

The Legion of Doom swear revenge on the Godwinns. But, really, wasn't what happened last week kind of revenge on them for breaking Henry Godwinn's neck in April? When will the cycle of violence end?!?!

 

#1 Contender's Triple Threat Match: The Godwinns v The Headbangers v The New Blackjacks: First fall wins it. Phineas Godwinn, Mosh and Windham start, but not much happens. Tags made all around, and it's more punch-kick stuff, but at least Henry Godwinn busts out a wheelbarrow facebuster on Thrasher for two. Yeah, bring that workrate, pig man! Everybody trades pin attempts off of nothing, until the Godwinns manage to hit Windham with the slop bucket, and Henry scores the pin at 5:24. This was duller than dishwater. DUD

 

Ross brings Shawn Michaels out, and maybe some people were giving Austin some leeway, but none for Shawn. None at all, it's just total heel heat here. So Shawn will be the special guest referee for the main event at SummerSlam, but not before he tries to get everyone in Halifax to kill him. And the deal is that if Shawn doesn't call the match down the middle, he can't ever wrestle in the USA again either, but then he'll just buy the house next to Bret up in Calgary, so it'll be cool. He'll also be the second man in the Flag Match later on. This was pretty great, with Shawn drawing crazy heat, and being naturally entertaining

 

Earlier today, the fans continued to be super Canadian. Can they go five minutes without talking about hockey?

 

Patriot respects the flags of all nations, and genuinely feels like the Canadians could pick much better role models than the Hart Foundation

 

Hunter Hearst Helmsley v Patriot: I get what they were going for with Patriot, but it's like doing the Kurt Angle character without a hint of self awareness. HHH attacks before the bell (drawing a face pop), but he hits boot on a corner charge, and Patriot shoulderblocks him down. Patriot with a headbutt and a powerslam for two, as Ross announces that HHH will face Mankind in a cage at SummerSlam. Patriot with a suplex, as the Hart Foundation show up at ringside, with Bret Hart getting into Vince's face about Shawn being named the referee for SummerSlam. So Bret rants, and Vince tries to calm him down, but Bret instead slaps his headset off. Great reaction from Vince there. Meanwhile, Patriot hits a jumping shoulderblock on HHH, as Bret gets in Vince's face again, and they start going at it! Holy shit, that was pretty different for the time! So Patriot dives to the floor to try and break it up, but gets his ass handed to him by the Foundation, and he's counted out at 3:00. The match was just background for the hot angle. DUD

 

Ross wants Paul Bearer to produce proof that WWF Champion Undertaker's brother is alive, and Bearer wants him to shut up. But he does produce a totem that only Kane would have as proof, though I'm not really sure how that at all proves that he's alive. This was not great

 

Goldust wants Marlena to pick out her best dress for Brian Pillman to wear after he beats him at SummerSlam

 

Goldust v Faarooq: Goldust attacks from behind, and delivers a facebuster, as Vince speaks for the first time since the fight, and he's super awkward (in a good way). Goldust with a powerslam, but a splash hits the knees, and Faarooq suplexes him for two. Faarooq dives off the middle with a clothesline, as Vince leaves his post to go to the back, and he's doing a fantastic job of getting this angle over. Goldust makes a comeback, as Ross announces that Shawn Michaels has been injured backstage, possibly at the hands of the Harts. Goldust with a bulldog, so Kama Mustafa attacks, and though the referee sees it, he chooses not to call it for some reason. That allows Faarooq to hit the Dominator, and NOW the referee is calling for the DQ over Kama's interference at 3:25. Uh, okay. No wonder they needed to go to Shawn with this level of stupidity in their referee pool. DUD

 

Earlier today, even the young fans were extra Canadian

 

Backstage, Shawn Michaels has fallen, and he can't get up. I know they're selling this as an attack, but it looks like just any night on the way back to the hotel for him, right down to the unintelligible slurring

 

Six-Man Tag Team Flag Match: Undertaker, Steve Austin, and Dude Love v Bret Hart, Owen Hart, and Davey Boy Smith: This is capture rules. Bret demands that the Canadian National Anthem be played before the match, and the crowd is just going bonkers here. Undertaker isn't out as the match starts, and he isn't announced as Shawn's replacement. The Americans charge in, but the numbers aren't on their side, and the Harts clean house. They isolate Dude in the corner, so Steve comes in and goes for the flag, but Owen stops him. Owen nails Dude with a leg-feed enzuigiri, and he goes for the flag, but Austin dumps him over the top to cut it off. Bulldog tags in to nail Dude with a hanging vertical suplex, as Undertaker decides to join the match. So weird seeing Undertaker and Mick Foley suddenly on the same team, after over a year of intense feuding. Owen telegraphs a backdrop, allowing the tag to Undertaker, and even the Canadians can't boo him. Undertaker throws Owen around, and a chokeslam connects. Over to Austin to give Owen a turnbuckle smash, but a second one gets reversed, and Owen cross corner whips him - only for Steve to rebound out with a clothesline. Steve adds a vertical suplex, and a snapmare sets up a pointed elbowdrop. The Americans cut the ring in half on Owen for an extended period of time, and no one is even going for the flag, which makes it pretty dull since they can't do traditional nearfalls either. Owen finally fights Steve off long enough to make the hot tag to Bret, and you'd better believe the crowd is into that! Bret tries the ring post figure four, but Love saves, and really, that's a pretty stupid move to try in a tag match. That allows Undertaker to get the tag, and he goes for the Tombstone on Bulldog, but Bret saves, and we have a slugfest. Undertaker recovers first, and goes for the flag, but Owen cuts him off. That allows Bret to climb on the opposite side, and he grabs the Maple Leaf at 16:31. It was a shit match from a workrate perspective, but this was exactly what the crowd wanted. *

 

BUExperience: Running unopposed allowed RAW to score its highest rating since May of 1996, but not the best episode to mark the occasion with. Not to say that there weren't terrific elements here (crowd, Bret/Vince confrontation, Shawn’s interview), but overall it was really light on wrestling, and really heavy on recapping. And what wrestling there was was almost all terrible. I get all the recapping as a strategy to try and hook new/lapsed viewers, but it didn't make great watching for someone who follows every week.

 

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	7/21/97
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	4.1	n/a
Total Wins	17	71
Win Streak		54
Better Show (as of 7/21)	38	47