WWF SummerSlam 1997 (Version II)

Original Airdate: August 3, 1997

 

From East Rutherford, New Jersey; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and Jerry Lawler

 

Opening Cage Match: Hunter Hearst Helmsley v Mankind: Opening with a Cage match was always kind of a weird choice to me, but I get why they did it from a logistical standpoint. HHH goes right for the door, but he's starting on the opposite corner (and with Mankind starting at the corner with the door), so you can guess how that goes. He tries climbing next, but Mankind obviously easily stops that as well, because come on. I mean, at least try hitting him first. Like, even once. Mankind unloads on him in the corner, and a piledriver allows him to go for the door, but Chyna is standing guard. Mankind responds by putting Hunter in the Mandible Claw, but Chyna reaches through the bars to choke him with her belt, and Helmsley is able to escape the hold. Hunter wraps the belt around his fist to pound Mankind with, but a criss cross ends badly when Mankind fires off a clothesline. Mankind climbs, but Chyna comes up the side to meet him with a low blow at the top, and HHH brings him off with a vertical superplex. That allows Hunter to go for the door, and he seems to have it won, but decides to turn back to beat on Mankind some more instead of stepping out. He chucks Mankind into the cage a few times, and a pair of kneedrops connect. More abuse with the cage, and now HHH wants to escape, but a climb attempt ends badly when Mankind meets him at the top with fists. HHH manages to knock him back down to the mat, but Mankind pops back up to save again, and this time he manages to pull Hunter back inside. Mankind with a cross corner whip, and he uses the cage, so Chyna runs interference again. That allows Hunter an inverted atomic drop, but Mankind powers through, and hits one of his own. Backdrop, but Helmsley counters with a kneeling facebuster. Hunter tries a vertical suplex, but Mankind reverses, and HHH ends up in a tree of woe from the top of the cage! The execution was a little awkward there, but cool spot nonetheless. Mankind throws him into the cage a few times, but a big charge goes south when HHH backdrops him into the steel. HHH climbs for the escape, but Mankind meets him at the top rope, and a slugfest ends in Hunter getting crotched across the top rope. That allows Mankind to crawl for the door, but Chyna viciously slams it into his face to block, and then beats up the referee when his ass protests! Chyna tosses a chair in to Hunter, and he sets up a Pedigree onto it, but Mankind counters with a catapult into the cage - sending HHH flying right into Chyna! That takes her out of the game, and Mankind capitalizes with a double-arm DDT onto the chair. He climbs, so a recovering Chyna slides in to drag Hunter towards the door, but he's dead weight. Something looked messed up there, she gave up way too quickly. Mankind gets up and over, and he seems to have it won... when he decides to turn back. Instead of jumping down to the floor, Mankind turns back, climbing to the top of the cage, and diving with a flying elbowdrop in a tribute to Jimmy Snuka! That was a great payoff after the Jim Ross interviews over the summer identified Snuka as his childhood idol. So, with that done, NOW Mankind is good to climb out, but here comes Chyna to try and drag Hunter again. Ah, okay, she must have jumped the gun on the finish the first time. So she drags, but Mankind is too quick, and he makes it to the floor first at 16:25. As usual during this period, HHH's heat segments were pretty dull, but Mankind was willing to bump around for him (shocking, I know) to keep things interesting. I also liked Chyna's constant interference serving as a roadblock for Mankind throughout, as well as showing why they needed the cage to begin with. To me that's so much better than 'well, it's in a cage because that's the gimmick this month.' Their matches together just keep getting better and better, too. *** ¼ (Original rating: ** ¼)

 

Goldust v Brian Pillman: If Pillman loses, he must wear a dress on RAW the following night. Brian attacks from behind before the bell, and he gives him a pounding, but a cross corner whip backfires when Goldust uses a 2^nd rope backelbow. Goldust with a ten-punch in the corner, and Brian bails following a liplock. Brian with a cheap shot on the way back in, allowing him a whip into the ropes to set up a backelbow. He goes to the outside to sexually harass Marlena a bit, but Goldust saves. Back in, Goldust tries a backdrop, but Brian blocks, and uses a vertical suplex. Pillman goes up for a dive, but Goldust chucks him off the top, with Brian crotching himself on the top rope before bumping to the floor. Goldust chases, so Pillman uses Marlena as a shield, and then DDTs Goldust on the floor. Pillman with a flying clothesline for two on the way back inside, and he works a chinlock, but Goldust escapes with a backslide for two. Brian cuts him off with a clothesline for two, but a criss cross ends badly when Goldust nails him with a jumping clothesline. Goldust makes a comeback, but Brian blocks the bulldog, and Goldust ends up on the outside. Goldust tries a slingshot sunset flip on the way back in, but they badly botch it, and just keep trying to make it happen, despite it collapsing horribly. Finally, Marlena whacks Brian with her purse, allowing Goldust to stop biting Pillman's ass (his 'save' of the botch), and finish the cradle at 7:16. Okay, I get that it was the finish, but they should have just shaken it off, and figured something else out, because that looked legitimately horrible. Brian was really broken down by this point, and it looked like every move he made pained him, but he was working hard here. The match was decent enough, though certainly slower than it would have been had Pillman been healthy. ¾* (Original rating: ¾*)

 

The Legion of Doom v The Godwinns: The LOD clean house to start, and the dust settles on Animal and Phineas Godwinn. Animal pounds him into the corner, but a charge misses, and Henry Godwinn tags in for a double team, but Animal fights them both off to clean house again. The dust settles on Hawk and Henry next, and Godwinn manages to pound him into the ropes, but a guillotine legdrop misses, and Hawk chucks him into the steps. Inside, Hawk uses a snapmare to set up a pair of legdrops for two, and Henry tags out. Phineas with a hangman neckbreaker, and it's back to Henry, but they fail to cut the ring in half, and Hawk tags out as well. Animal grabs an armbar, but a criss cross ends badly when Phineas throws a cheap shot. That allows Henry to clothesline Animal over the top, and the Godwinns send Animal into the rail to follow up. Animal beats the count, so Henry welcomes him with a bodyslam for two, and the Godwinns cut the ring in half. Phineas misses a dive off the middle to allow the tag to Hawk (in a spot that looked terrible), and Hawk comes in hot - Roseanne Barr the door! At least Hawk is moving like a rocket here, he definitely wasn't on any downers that night. Doomsday Device looks to finish Henry, but Phineas cuts them off, so they dump Phineas, and finish Henry with a spike piledriver instead at 9:44. It felt kind of all over the place, but it was mostly fine. * (Original rating: DUD)

 

WWF European Title Match: Davey Boy Smith v Ken Shamrock: If Bulldog loses, he must eat a can of dog food. Slugfest to start, won by Shamrock. He uses a belly-to-belly suplex to send Bulldog bailing for the outside, but Ken is right on his tail, and Smith eats the post and steps. Back in, Shamrock uses a takedown into a grapevine, but Bulldog is in the ropes immediately. Shamrock shrugs that off by throwing a clothesline for two, and he unloads on the champion in the corner, then drops him with a kneelift. Cross corner whip works, but Shamrock is too slow on the follow-up, and Bulldog fights him off. Bulldog delivers a hanging vertical suplex for two, and he works a chinlock. Ken escapes and tries a sunset flip for two, but Bulldog quickly cuts him off, and goes back to the chinlock. Ken won't give, so Davey chucks him into the post to send the challenger to the outside, then follows to whip him into the steps out there. Bulldog tries a suplex on the floor, but then badly botch it, and collapse in a heap. Lots of that going around tonight. At least they didn't keep trying with it, quickly abandoning it, and moving on. Inside, Davey works a chinlock again, but Ken fights to a vertical base, so Smith dumps him to the outside again. Bulldog with a bodyslam on the floor, and he shovels some dog food in Ken's face, but that backfires when the challenger blows up. Shamrock beats him with the can of dog food, but the referee isn't having it, and calls for the DQ at 7:36. This was pretty weak, with lots of chinlocks, and a bad finish to boot. ½* (Original rating: ½*)

 

Eight-Man Tag Team Match: Crush, Chainz, Skull, and 8-Ball v Savio Vega, Miguel Perez Jr, Jose Estrada Jr, and Jesus Castillo: Big brawl to start, with all eight guys, won by the DOA. The dust settles on Skull and Jose, and Jose does some quality overselling for him. Savio tries coming in without a tag, but this isn't lucha rules, so that shit goes nowhere. 8-Ball tags in to hit a sidewalk slam, and it's over to Crush for a tandem backelbow. Crush adds a pair of legdrops for two, but Perez gets the tag in. Crush hits him with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two, but he manages to pas to Jesus... who promptly gets killed by Chainz. I wish they did some vignettes at least explaining the crazy gang nicknames these guys have. Like, I assume Chainz really likes his neck chain. I assume 8-Ball is really good at billiards. I don't know. I'm also not clear who the heels are supposed to be in this thing. Like, they split off from the Nation, which was a heel faction, but no one ever really turned babyface. And speaking of the Nation, they show up at ringside as the Boricuas start cutting the ring in half, so I guess they're the heels. Vega misses a corner splash to allow the hot tag to Chainz, and Roseanne Barr the door. It doesn't take long for the Nation is get involved there, and Ahmed Johnson gives Crush a Pearl River Plunge on the floor. That allows Perez to drop an elbow on the way back in, and he scores the pinfall at 9:06. This felt like it went on forever, and no one in it was over. ¼* (Original rating: DUD)

 

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Owen Hart v Steve Austin: If Austin loses, he must literally kiss Owen's ass. Hart attacks before the bell, going after Austin's bad knee. He bashes it against the post a few times before Steve can even get his vest off, but a criss cross ends badly when Austin jumps with a Thesz-press. Cross corner whip rattles the champion, and Austin grabs him by the hair for a pair of matslams. Straddling ropechoke, but Hart dodges, so Steve just clotheslines him down for two instead. Steve with a stomp to the groin for two, and he works a knucklelock. Owen tries a fancy escape, so Austin simply pokes him in the eyes to block. They trade hammerlocks, won by Austin with a hammerlock slam, and he grabs an armbar. Hart whips him into the ropes and throws a jumping backelbow, so Austin bails, and sweeps Owen's legs from the floor. He tries crotching the champion on the post, but Owen reverses, and he works a knucklelock of his own on the way back inside. Owen ties him in the ropes for some abuse, but a charge ends badly when Steve catches him with a stungun. Hart tries a rana, but Steve counters with a powerbomb, and a clothesline sends the champion over the top. Hart tries walking out on the match, but Steve chases him down, beating him all the way back into the ring. Hart begs off, so Austin offers him mercy... and then stomps the crap out of him anyway. Ha! Owen manages to fight back with a belly-to-belly suplex, however, and a neckbreaker sets up a legdrop for two. Bodyslam sets up a flying elbowdrop for two, and Hart works a headvice, cranking on the neck. Austin escapes, so Hart tries a cross corner whip, but Steve rebounds at him with a lariat. Sharpshooter, but Owen blocks, and clotheslines his challenger down. That allows Hart a legdrop for two, but Steve reverses a corner whip, so Owen rebounds with a 2^nd rope bodypress - only for Austin to roll through for two! Bodyslam, but Hart counters with a bridging German suplex for two, and he traps the challenger in a camel clutch. Steve slugs free, so Owen forces a criss cross, and drops him with a DDT for two. Hart grabs a chinlock, but Austin escapes. Steve tries a sleeper, but Hart quickly reverses, so Austin shakes him off with a jawbreaker. Steve tries a 2^nd rope axehandle, but Hart throws a gutpunch to block, and he uses a Russian legsweep for two. Yeah, he should definitely leave that one to big brother Bret. Back to the chinlock, this time using the ropes for illegal leverage, but he gets busted. Owen argues with the official, allowing Austin to recover. He tries a tombstone, but Hart reverses, and... oh no. He move connects, and something is very immediately very wrong, as Steve is not moving at all. Owen stalls for time by working the crowd, and the whole thing almost feels like another take on the famous enzuigiri angle with Shawn Michaels in 1995. Unfortunately, it's not an angle, and Austin is all fucked up. Somehow, he manages to actually crawl over and muster something resembling a schoolboy to put Hart away at 16:20. The finish is unique in that it was horrendous, but also incredibly impressive given the circumstances. Not sure if there are any other finishes in all of history that really compare. I really wonder what else they had in store for us here if not for the botch, as they were clearly still building up to the third act, and the match was already really good (according to Dave Meltzer they were booked to go about another eight minutes). Definitely one of the most historically significant matches in history, as it not only changed the trajectory of Steve Austin's career, but of the entire wrestling business, leading to a more brawl oriented main event style that became the norm for years to come. *** ¼ (Original rating: ***)

 

Main Event: WWF Title Match: Undertaker v Bret Hart: Shawn Michaels is the special guest referee here, and if he shows favoritism, he will never wrestle in the United States again. And if Bret loses, neither will he. Bret attacks before the bell, pounding Undertaker with his own title belt to kick start the match. Undertaker fights him off, and a cross corner whip rebounds Bret into a clothesline, and the Hitman bails. Undertaker is on his tail for a trip into the guardrail, and Hart eats the post as well for good measure, but a clothesline misses, and Undertaker hits it. Bret capitalizes by whipping him into the steps, and he wisely backs off to avoid a countout, but that backfires when Undertaker recovers, and rams him into the post a few times. Back in, Undertaker works a backbreaker submission, followed by a bearhug, as the announcers try to get updates on Steve Austin's condition. Undertaker continues working the back, but a big boot misses, and Bret starts swiping at the leg. Hart works the part, and slaps on a figure four to try for the submission, as Paul Bearer makes his way down to ringside. Undertaker escapes the hold and goes to the outside to beat on Bearer, but that just allows Hart to clip the leg to take control again. He puts Undertaker in the ringpost figure four, but Shawn threatens a DQ, and the challenger is forced to break. Back in, Hart stays on the leg, as Owen Hart and Brian Pillman show up at ringside. Poor Owen looks like he'd rather be anywhere else in the world at the moment, and who can blame him. Oddly, Pillman looks like he's having the time of his life, despite his real life best friend on the verge of paralysis. Undertaker fights Bret off long enough to attack the Foundation on the outside, and somehow that results in Michaels ejecting them. Why? They're the victims here. Undertaker with a chokeslam on Bret, but Shawn is busy ejecting the Foundation, and no count. That earns him some trouble from Undertaker, and Bret recovers with a rollup for two. They spill to the outside, where Bret rams him into the apron a few times, and then back in with a backbreaker for two. Vertical suplex sets up a 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two, and a DDT is worth two. Bret looks for a follow-up, but Undertaker is ready with a hotshot into the top turnbuckle for two. He tries coming back, but Hart quickly cuts him off with a Russian legsweep, setting up a pair of legdrops. Sharpshooter, but Undertaker grabs him by the throat to block, and he corner whips his challenger. Chokeslam, but Hart kicks at the leg to shake him off, so Undertaker throws a flurry of lefts and rights to stay in the game. Criss cross allows the champion a jumping clothesline, and a corner whip is worth two. Big boot sets up a legdrop for two, and Shawn is doing a great job of blending into the background here. Undertaker with a chokeslam for two, but an attempt at the ropewalk forearm gets him crotched, and Hart vertical superplexes him off. They nearly botched it, but it didn't look horrible, since the way it went could easily be covered by saying Undertaker's bad leg gave out. Sharpshooter is applied, but really, is anybody buying Undertaker actually submitting? Undertaker powers out, so Bret tries a whip into the ropes, but gets reversed, and eats a clothesline. Tombstone, but Hart slips free, and puts him in a weird ringpost Sharpshooter variation. Luckily that one didn't make the regular rotation. Shawn gets bumped during the break, allowing Hart to grab a chair, and he bashes the champion with it while Michaels isn't looking. Cover, count, but Undertaker gets the shoulder up at two. Now THAT was a believable nearfall. Hart unloads in the corner, as Michaels discovers the chair on the mat, and he wants answers. Bret responds by literally spitting in his face, and Shawn sees red. He swings the chair, but Hart ducks, and Michaels ends up braining the Undertaker! Hart makes the cover, and Shawn is livid, but he has to make the count - a new champion crowned at 28:09. This was psychologically sound, but the first half felt long and slow, and certainly not as hot as it should have been. The third act and finish WERE hot, though, and extremely well done, and the finish is about all anyone really remembers about it these days anyway. This was probably stretched out to fill time due to the Austin injury, and it shows. ** ½ (Original rating: *** ¼)

 

BUExperience: I liked this one. Some of the matches weren't that good, but because they were all well developed on TV leading up to this, it felt like the show delivered regardless. Plus, you've got the historical significance of Austin's injury and Bret's final WWF Title win on top of things.

 

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