Original Airdate: October 20, 1997
From Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and Jerry Lawler
Rocky Maivia and Kama Mustafa v Ahmed Johnson and Ken Shamrock: WWF Tag Team Champions the Legion of Doom are in Ahmed and Ken’s corner for this one to counteract the Nation of Domination on the other side. And you’ve gotta know exactly where that one’s going. I don’t get how Ahmed is a babyface at this point. He turned heel, joined the Nation, and now all the other babyfaces are just supposed to accept him again because his gang kicked him out? Like, he turned bad! Just because his fellow bad guys were jerks to him doesn’t make him good again! All eight men brawl to start, despite this not being an eight-man tag. Dust settles on Rocky and Ahmed after a bunch of posturing, as DX show up on the stage with lawn chairs and offensive signs to observe. I get that they’re heels, but some of these are pretty blatantly racist and terrible. Meanwhile, literally nothing is happening in the ring, and we’re over two minutes deep with this. Finally, Shamrock shows some fire with a suplex on Kama, and a leg lariat on Rocky before he cleans house. Dust settles on Kama and Ken, so Rocky takes a cheap shot to allow Kama to gain control. Rocky tags in to deliver an early (and heatless) version of the People’s Elbow for two, but a criss cross ends badly when Shamrock comes back with a rana. Ken awkwardly tries a suplex as Rick Rude negotiates something with Faarooq at ringside, which hopefully includes some reminiscing about their WCW days. Shamrock with a suplex on Rocky, and he goes for the anklelock, but Maivia has the ropes. The Nation keep working him over, since apparently Shamrock never learned how to make a proper comeback during training, until Rocky misses another elbowdrop, and Ken delivers an awkward one of his own. He eyes a comeback, but Faarooq slips in to bash him with Rude’s briefcase, and Rocky pins him at 6:44. Shamrock looked especially terrible here, like he was too green and clumsy to even take a heat segment properly, and Ahmed barely even made contact with anyone. WWF European Champion Shawn Michaels celebrates the decision by mooning the camera, as the Nation attack Ahmed, while LOD just stand around like a couple of useless idiots. And then THEY get attacked by the Godwinns, since we need to get every single angle on the books out there during one segment, or the TV will explode. ¼*
Bret Hart v Faarooq: Bret's WWF Title is not on the line tonight. This is scheduled for later, but apparently the Nation’s dressing room has been vandalized, and they’re blaming the Hart Foundation, so Faarooq wants the match right now. I think they originally showed the locker room, but it’s cut out on the Peacock version. Bret actually gets a pretty good pop here, which makes sense, since they’ve really toned down the anti-American stuff, and keep programming him against bigger heels like the Nation and DX. Faarooq unloads at the bell, but Hart escapes a sleeper, as DX show up again, this time so Shawn can rant on commentary. Hart delivers a headbutt drop to the groin, but sees Shawn over at the announce position, and abandons the match to go after him. He gets cut off by the Nation, however, and Shawn escapes. Back to the match, as Faarooq tries a dive, but Bret throws a gut-punch to block, and the Hitman goes after the leg. He tries the ringpost figure four, but the Nation jump him to block, triggering a brawl with the Foundation on the outside. And then Steve Austin runs in to, drop Faarooq with a Stunner, allowing an oblivious Hart the pin at 7:49. Wow, people say that Hart’s 1995-1996 title reign made him look weak, but he was being booked like 80s Hulk Hogan compared to this one. He’s a total afterthought here, not even the main focus of his own matches or angles anymore. And what a terrible match it was. DUD
Jeff Jarrett hits the ring, making his unexpected WWF return. He’s dressed in street clothes, and apologizes to Vince for coming out ahead of schedule. I totally forgot about this, I don’t remember him coming back before the December In Your House. So Jeff complains that he got lowballed by WCW, and when he refused, they buried him on Nitro last week. So, basically, he’d rather be in WCW, but they wouldn’t pay his quote, so he’s back in the stinky old WWF. Because that’s basically what he’s saying here, and I’m surprised Vince would allow it on his show. But, hey, desperate times. So Jeff moans about the culture in WCW (addressing Eric Bischoff directly the entire time), as it goes over the dumbfounded crowd’s heads. But then he turns it on Vince, who apparently wasn’t any better since he booked him horribly, too. Kind of a weird gripe, considering he got the Intercontinental title, and parlayed his run into a WCW run that probably wouldn’t have even happened if it wasn’t for his WWF fame. And speaking of which, who is he to complain about ANYTHING that happened to him in WCW? He was booked pretty strongly the entire time he was there, won the US title, and was working with guys like Ric Flair. Could’ve been a lot worse, kid. This was kind of fun in the same way it might be to see a waiter yell at a terrible client, but it didn’t work at all in terms of connecting with the crowd, or getting us interested in seeing Jarrett back. I mean, you might enjoy the waiters ranting, but would you want him serving you your dinner afterwards?
Marc Mero v Brian Christopher: The announcers hype up all the articles in the local papers about the WWF, like one titled ‘WWForever,’ which prominently features two guys who wouldn’t even be with the promotion anymore a few months later. I guess ‘forever’ is a fluid concept. Christopher wants to box with Mero at the bell, but that goes badly for the kid. Marc grabs a headlock, but Christopher forces a criss cross, so Mero hiptosses him. Mero with a drop-toehold, and a series of jabs puts Christopher on the mat, so Lawler goes over to try and mess with Sable. That distraction allows Brian to get control, and he suplexes Mero, before unloading in the corner. Marc turns the tables, but bails to the outside to get in Sable’s face about talking to Lawler. That’s some victim blaming shit right there. Christopher attacks from behind, and a forward Russian legsweep connects. Corner splash, but Mero dodges, and it’s more Golden Gloves stuff. Pop-up flapjack and a kneelift bring Lawler onto the apron to try another distraction, and Brian rakes the eyes. Piledriver, but Mero goes low to block, and the TKO finishes at 4:11. These two did not work well together at all, and the action felt repetitive. ½*
WWF Intercontinental Title v WWF European Title Match: Owen Hart v Shawn Michaels: DX continue to act like everything (and everyone) else in the promotion are beneath them. Big criss cross to start, won by Owen with a right hand. Spinheel kick and a clothesline send Michaels over the top, but Shawn manages to dodge a baseball slide, and he drops Hart across the guardrail. HBK with a piledriver on the floor, but a flying axehandle on the way back in misses, and Owen turns him inside-out with a corner whip. Hart with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex for two, so he pounds Shawn in the corner, then tries to put him away with a sleeper. Michaels uses a side suplex to break free, allowing him some mounted punches, and a nice cross corner whip rebounds Hart into an equally nice dropkick for two. Shawn may have been horrible to be around both on and off camera during this period, but man, when he turned it on in the ring, it almost made everything else worth dealing with. Shawn tries a chinlock, but Owen escapes, so Shawn corner whips him to set up another dropkick, but Hart dodges this time. Hart with a corner charge, but Michaels dodges, and Owen hits the post. That allows Michaels a bodyslam to set up a flying elbowdrop, but the Superkick misses, and Hart delivers a leg-feed enzuigiri. Shawn is out cold, but here comes Austin to attack Owen! The referee cuts him off, so Steve drops him with a Stunner, and the distraction allows Shawn to hit the Superkick. He likely has it won, but the official is still out, and Bret Hart takes the opportunity to rush in and tackle HBK. He unloads until DX can save, and this whole thing is ruled a no-contest at 8:46. This was pretty good before the non-finish, but at least the non-finish was building something, and actually gave Bret some momentum for the first time in a while. ** ¼
Undertaker is in the shadows somewhere, sad that he doesn’t see love in Kane’s eyes. How can he see anything in Kane’s eyes? Between the mask and all the dark makeup, that’s honestly impressive. He should be really proud of that right there
Davey Boy Smith v Dude Love: No match, as Dude gets to play Kane’s whipping boy dujour, when Kane shows up before Bulldog’s entrance, and wrecks him. I get this gimmick, but were all the Gang Warz guys too essential to play this role? Did we really need to sacrifice a real talent like Mick Foley?
The Headbangers v Billy Gunn and Jesse James: So after making nice last week, we have a new team, though they aren’t called the ‘New Age Outlaws’ yet. The rest of it is already there though, like the ‘you better call somebody’ entrance rant, the ‘Road Dogg’ and ‘Bad Ass’ nicknames, and the general look. Mosh and Gunn start, and an ugly criss cross ends in them messing something up. Billy stays on track with a press-drop, and he passes to Jesse for a clothesline for two. They work Mosh over, until Gunn misses a corner splash, and Thrasher gets the hot tag - Roseanne Barr the door. The Headbangers control with combos, but Billy blasts Thrasher in the face with a stereo (in a great visual, with the thing just exploding on contact), and James pins him at 3:35. Luckily for them the division and promotion were in terrible shape at this point, allowing them the necessary time to get this over without the bookers giving up on them. I mean, it may not have been an egg, but it was what they needed in those trying times. ½*
Last Thursday, Taka Michinoku signed his WWF contract
Taka Michinoku v Tajiri: Sunny is the guest ring announcer for this, back to kinda sorta courting Taka again, I guess. Could they really not find anything more substantial for HER to do? She literally hasn’t done anything but random ring announcer/referee/commentator in, like, a year. Taka tries blitzing Tajiri at the bell, but Tajiri is ready with kicks, and a handspring backelbow puts him on the outside. Tajiri dives with a springboard moonsault press into the aisle, but Taka manages to land a flying spinheel kick on the way back in. Dropkick follows, so Tajiri bails, but Taka is on him with a springboard flying bodypress into the aisle. Tajiri beats the count, so Taka welcomes him with a snapmare, followed by a seated dropkick. Bodyslam sets up a flying moonsault, but Tajiri dodges, and he delivers a nice sitout powerbomb for two. Rana into a cradle is worth two, so Tajiri sticks him with a roundhouse kick, but hits boot on a corner charge. That allows Taka to dive with a missile dropkick, but Tajiri counters the Driver with a suplex for two. Rana, but Taka counters with a powerbomb for two, and the Driver finishes at 2:54. This was a hell of a ride for the few minutes it lasted, and I’m surprised Tajiri didn’t get a deal out of this, too. ***
Jim Cornette is in the studio for his weekly venting session, back in the days before he could do that sort of thing on YouTube or a random street corner. This week’s target is once again Phil Mushnick, as these segments get increasingly intolerable and pointless
Jakks Tag Team Figures ad. How long has it been since we’ve even seen the New Blackjacks, but they had figures made for them? And why did I buy them?
The Godwinns v Skull and 8-Ball: The DOA gang up on the Godwinns before the bell, so the Truth Commission run in to even the odds (or, well, give the Godwinns superior odds), and everyone just brawls without the match ever happening. Normally I hate bait-and-switch non-matches (especially when we already saw one earlier), but honestly, it’s preferable to having to watch this match. So no complaints from me
Mankind is in the boiler room, and seeing Dude Love getting destroyed by Kane has taken him to a very dark place. Both literally and figuratively. Not just one or the other. Just to be clear
BUExperience: No real developments this week, but it was a watchable episode, especially with DX’s antics kept mostly to a minimum.
Meanwhile, Nitro hit their highest ever competitive rating against this episode, so while it was clear that there were a lot of interesting things going on with the WWF, they still hadn’t won over the audience with it yet.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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