Original Airdate: September 22, 1997
From New York, New York; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and Jerry Lawler
WWF Intercontinental Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match: Ahmed Johnson v Rocky Maivia: Commissioner Slaughter boots the Nation of Domination from ringside, and we get an announcement that Ken Shamrock has gotten injured, so Faarooq advances to the Semifinals, despite losing to Shamrock in a Quarterfinal match last week. Their booking was such a terrible mess in 1997, with some of the most unfortunately timed injuries imaginable throughout the year. Rocky attacks before the bell, but Ahmed fights him off with a powerslam, and he clotheslines Maivia over the top. Ahmed keeps throwing him around on the way back inside, but a corner charge misses, and Rocky drops him with a floatover DDT for two. Captain Lou Albano shows up at thing point, wandering around ringside like some homeless, as Rocky dodges another charge, and Ahmed sails over the top. Rocky follows to whip Ahmed into the steps out there, and Johnson's hand is cut open hard way. That guy could get injured taking a shit. Inside, Rocky hooks a magistral cradle for two, which may be the only time he ever busted out that particular move. Ahmed fights back with a spinebuster, and the poor guy looks like he's badly blown up. This guy fell so hard so fast. And he hadn't found the bottom yet, sadly. Johnson with the Pearl River Plunge at 4:59. This was pretty bad, with Ahmed looking terrible, and Rocky not the kind of worker who could finesse something out of him. ½*
Steve Austin appears in the crowd, and he wants to beat someone's ass tonight, and he doesn't seem picky. What is someone waving around a Confederate flag in fucking New York?
Laser Tag ad. Directed by David Lynch, by the looks of it
Vince brings Undertaker out to hype up the Hell in a Cell against WWF European Champion Shawn Michaels at Badd Blood, and Shawn shows up on the ramp to bitch and moan about how unfair his situation is. Which is especially funny considering he's also gloating about being the first ever Grand Slam winner at the same time
The Legion of Doom v Faarooq and Kama Mustafa: Sunny acts as the guest ring announcer. It's been, what, a year since she's done anything even remotely interesting? How hard is it to find a meaty role for someone like her? I mean, I know she had issues, but that was hardly exclusive to only her in that locker room. Animal starts with Kama, and he dodges a superkick during a criss cross, dumping Kama over the top. Kama hustles back to in jump him, but Animal fights the attack off with a jumping shoulderblock, and he adds a powerslam. Both men tag, and Hawk clips Faarooq with a clothesline, but a corner charge hits boot, and Faarooq dives with a 2nd rope shoulderblock. Hawk fights back with a matslam and a fistdrop for two, so Faarooq passes back to Kama for a double team in the corner. Kama with a bodyslam to set up a legdrop, but Hawk dodges, and Faarooq tags back in. Hawk drops him with a neckbreaker for two, so Kama runs in, but Animal cuts him off. That allows the LOD to hoist Faarooq up for the Doomsday Device, but D-lo Brown runs in for the DQ at 2:31. The flow was kind of wonky, but it was energetic. Afterwards, the Nation beat the LOD down, but Ahmed returns to make the save. Ahmed and LOD versus the Nation? What a fresh program! ¾*
Madison Square Garden Moment: October 17 1983, Jimmy Snuka dives off the top of the cage on Don Muraco. They referenced that one so much that year that when I finally got around to seeing the match a few years later, I thought it was going to be some insane classic. And it just isn't. And wasn't
WWF Intercontinental Title Tournament Semifinal Match: Brian Pillman v Owen Hart: Pillman doesn't want to wrestle his fellow Hart Foundation member, and comes out with his arm in a sling, ready to forfeit. But Slaughter has rented SummerSlam '93, and he's not falling for it, ordering his to wrestle despite having a broken arm. Both guys protest, but really, just drop and let Owen pin you if you so strongly object to the match. They do some really basic feeling out stuff to start, with Lawler doing a great job of going crazy for each hammerlock or collar-and-elbow like they're piledriving each other on the concrete, or something. Things get a little more heated once Marlena gets involved, however, and Owen gets pissed enough to whip Pillman into the steps. Inside, Brian manages to get control with a clothesline for two, and a chincrusher follows. Criss cross sees both guys throw a bodypress at the same time for a double knockout spot, and Goldust runs in on Owen to cause the DQ at 6:06 - before then attacking real target Pillman! This was sad, especially considering the caliber of the workers involved. Afterwards, Owen dedicates his victory to brother Bret Hart, but his victory speech is interrupted by Austin - giving Owen the beating he promised would come to someone tonight. It's immediately broken up by the cops, however, and Vince hits the ring, losing his cool, and shouting at Austin like an angry, frustrated parent. McMahon comes into the ring, and he understands why Austin is upset about everything that's happened to him over the last few months, but that's no excuse to break the law! He's just not thinking! He's wasting his potential! Steve, of course, brushes off Vince's impassioned (and logical) arguments, and decides to drop McMahon with a Stunner! The first of many, of course. This was a great segment, with Vince making what would have come off as a babyface plea for Austin's health and safety in another era, but which instantly turned him into a heel, and got Austin over even bigger as a babyface. Watching back in '97, I was totally on Vince's side though, thinking Steve was a complete asshole. And he is! But you can't help by cheer the asshole! ½*
Dick 'Bulldog' Brower tribute
Lawler talks to Rhonda Shear at ringside, since apparently she lives at Madison Square Garden
Falls Count Anywhere Match: Hunter Hearst Helmsley v Cactus Jack: This is scheduled as HHH against Dude Love, but Dude shows up on the TitanTron, and thinks there might be someone else better suited, giving us the WWF debut of the Cactus character. HHH tries going right at him in the aisle, but Jack is wielding a trash can, and knocks him down with it. Jack pulls up the mats for a swinging neckbreaker on the concrete for two, and they head into the ring - only so Jack can send them back out with a Cactus clothesline. Chyna attacks to buy HHH time, clotheslining Jack into the crowd, where a recovering Helmsley follows. They brawl into the backstage area, where HHH bodyslams him on the floor for two, but Jack finds a fire extinguisher, and blinds him. Jack whips into the guardrail so hard that the entire section collapses, and they go into the ring so Jack can launch him back out again - this time via cross corner whip. Nice bump from HHH there. Jack dives off the middle rope for an elbowdrop on the floor, but HHH moves, and Cactus lands on the trashcan. That allows Chyna to send him into the steps, and HHH finds a mop to beat on him with as we head back in. He snaps Jack's throat across the top rope to knock him back to the outside, and he sends him into the post a few times, but Jack mule kicks him to fight back. That allows Cactus a sunset flip on the floor for two, and he adds a backdrop out there, so Chyna attacks with a chair. Jack no-sells, so Hunter attacks with a high knee from behind, knocking Jack right into Chyna, and both into the steps. HHH hooks a crucifix cradle on the ramp for two, and he adds a side suplex for two. Hunter bashes his brains in with a trashcan for two, and a nasty matslam on the entrance stage follows. Hunter sets up a table on the stage for a piledriver, but Jack reverses him through it for the pin at 11:20. This was a really fun brawl, and the perfect way to introduce the Cactus character to the WWF audience, especially in New York where he was guaranteed to get a welcome reception from all the smart fans. ***
Shawn comes back out to talk more shit about Undertaker, but this time Undertaker doesn't want to wait until In Your House, and comes out to do some ass kicking - only for Helmsley, Chyna, and Rick Rude to back Shawn up, and they beat 'Taker down
Madison Square Garden Moment: Andre the Giant bodyslamming Big John Studd at the first WrestleMania
Bret Hart v Goldust: Bret's WWF Title is not on the line here, but Goldust is still all worked up, and gets him into the corner for a ten-punch right away. Clothesline gets him two, so Bret starts going after the leg, and manages to pound Goldust into the corner. Goldust is too pissed off to deal with that, however, and he goes to the eyes, but Bret just stays on the leg to cut him off. The Hitman works the part, and Shawn Michaels shows up as he has Goldust in the ring post figure four, observing from the ramp. Hart stays focused on Goldust with a headbutt drop to the groin, and he keeps on the leg, but Goldust reverses a vertical suplex on him, as the fans chant 'faggot' at Shawn. Well, at least it wasn't at Goldust for once. Bret cuts him off by going after the leg again, and he's just working it in the dullest fashion imaginable tonight. Goldust dumps him over the top to buy time, and he manages to smash Hart into the steps out there, en route to a comeback. Bulldog gets him two, but Hart lifts his boot to block a corner charge, and the Sharpshooter finishes at 11:22. This was really boring, with Bret turning in a notably lazy performance. Shawn runs in to attack the moment the bell sounds, but the Foundation make the save. That draws HHH and Rude back out, but this time Undertaker is here, and it's a big brawl to end the show. ¾*
BUExperience: This got killed in the ratings, but it was a great episode, one of the most famous ever.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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