Original Airdate: October 27, 1997 (taped October 21)
From Tulsa, Oklahoma; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Jim Ross
Vince brings the Nation of Domination out to start, and Rocky Maivia’s giant ‘R’ t-shirt is definitely a far cry from the $500 silk shirts he’d be wearing a year later. Vince apologies for the vandalism the Nation experienced in their locker room last week, while noting that there’s ‘no racism’ in the WWF, then quickly changing the subject before Faarooq can rebut that statement. Rocky actually gets to cut a promo this week, and he’s settling into his heel role quite nicely. So they challenge the Hart Foundation for next week, and here come the Harts to gladly accept the challenge, while clarifying that they’re not racists. But they’ll still wreck the Nation anyway. The Harts note that it was likely DX that vandalized their locker room anyway, which brings DX up on the TitanTron to rebut ‘grand wizard’ Bret Hart. And the Nation take that bait, attacking the Harts, as DX laugh it up. This was such a step down for the Harts
Triple H v Goldust: So, with Brian Pillman gone, Goldust and Marlena are simply ‘back together again,’ with no additional explanation offered. WWF European Champion Shawn Michaels sits in on commentary for this one, which is always fun. Goldust gets into a shoving match with Chyna before the bell, and then knocks HHH around once they get going. Ten-punch count flops Hunter, and Goldust delivers a low blow to the prone Helmsley. Charge misses, however, and Goldust goes flying over the top - Chyna waiting to nail him on the ramp. She adds a bodyslam out there, and HHH dives with a flying axehandle for two on the way back in. HHH with a high knee for two, and a kneeling facebuster follows, as Shawn rambles at a hundred miles an hour. HHH with a vertical suplex to set up a kneedrop, but Goldust cues up a comeback out of nowhere, as Shawn complains that all he does is throw clotheslines. Shawn’s lucky he wasn’t out there for a Lex Luger match. Bulldog gets Goldust two, and a cross corner whip flips HHH over the top, where Marlena slaps him a few times. But, meanwhile, Chyna knocks Goldust cold with her loaded purse, and HHH delivers a Pedigree at 5:20. This was watchable enough, though Shawn was insufferable on commentary. Poor Ross couldn’t even get a word out during his motor mouth routine. *
Jim Cornette offers more of his unfiltered thoughts, this week zeroing in on guys claiming to be the ‘icon’ of professional wrestling, and specifically targeting the Hulk Hogan/Roddy Piper main event from the previous night’s Halloween Havoc. He’s not wrong in his criticism, though, that match was legitimately horrible. Jim notes that, for his money, an ‘icon’ is a man who has “great ability inside the ring, and professionalism and maturity outside of it.” You know, like Ric Flair. I’ll just leave that one there
Earlier tonight, before we went on the air, there was a special tribute to some local legends, with Jim Ross, Bill Watts, the Brisco Brothers, and Danny Hodge all on hand to accept the honors. Coupled with the similar segment at the Badd Blood show, this felt like such a weird departure from their usual ‘ignore everything but the official WWF canon’ way of doing things
WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Owen Hart v Ahmed Johnson: Owen attacks before the bell, but Ahmed turns the tables on him in the corner, and he unloads. Backdrop and a clothesline send the champion over the top, and Ahmed chases to smash Owen into the steps out there. Johnson with a bodyslam on the floor, and Ahmed rips up the Canadian flag as Owen recovers. Oddly, that draws more boos than cheers, so clearly the fans were ready to forgive and accept the Harts as babyfaces now that they had DX to boo, and that might have been an interesting direction had the group not disbanded a few weeks after this. Between DX and programming them against the Nation, it felt like a natural progression. Owen manages to send Ahmed into the steps as well, and he goes after the challenger’s bad hand. Inside, Hart works a chinlock, wearing Ahmed down for a two count. Owen keeps pounding, but Ahmed starts getting fired up, and he makes a comeback. Spinebuster finds the mark, and Ahmed sets up the Pearl River Plunge, but Steve Austin runs in on him to cause a DQ at 7:23. It’s almost unbelievable how quickly and severely Ahmed dropped off after his injury in 1996. It’s hard to believe it’s the same guy who was showing all that fire and promise just two years earlier. ½*
We kick off the 1997 Karate Fighters Holiday Tournament with Jerry Lawler going over Brian Christopher - complete with Bruce Pritchard doing a Jim Ross impression. Still preferable to Ed Ferrera
Ross brings Mankind out, and he’s cross at Paul Bearer for letting Kane attack him (or, well, attack Dude Love) last week, since he thought they had an unspoken agreement to leave each other alone based on their past relationship. But since Paul broke the pact, Mankind’s just going to have to destroy Kane now to even things up for Dude. That brings Commissioner Slaughter out, just in case we’d forgotten how useless and incompetent he is. And he reminds us in a big way by refusing to sign a Mankind/Kane match, since it might be too violent. Yes, the guy who specialized in the Boot Camp match is worried something might be too violent. And speaking of violence, since Slaughter won’t sign the match, Mankind takes his aggressions out on Slaughter instead - putting him down with the Mandible Claw. This wasn’t a strong segment, but at least it had a purpose and gave characters direction
Jakks action figures ad. And it’s a ladder match set, with Bret Hart, Steve Austin, and Ahmed Johnson figures included along with a ladder. Other than Bret, had any of them even participated in a ladder match at that point in their careers? And even Bret’s was a non-televised one from five years ago that never really got any hype outside of appearing on a random Coliseum tape without any fanfare
WWF Title Match: Bret Hart v Ken Shamrock: Bret’s limping here, following the brawl with the Nation earlier. Feeling out process to start, dominated by the challenger. Shamrock goes to work on the leg, so Bret hides in the ropes to stall him out, as Vince hypes a Survivor Series highlight show, promising that you’ll get to see Hulk Hogan back when he was in his prime, as opposed to the ‘low impact cage match’ he had at Halloween Havoc. Nicely done. Hart clips the leg after a rope break, and he goes to work on the part as well. Ring post figure four wears Ken down, and a DDT gets the Hitman two. Spinning-toehold looks to put the challenger away, but Ken won’t give. Hart keeps working the part, but Shamrock posts him to block another ring post figure four, and Ken follows to the outside to whip the champion into the steps. Ken unloads with mounted punches on the floor, so Bret grabs a chair, but Ken knocks it away from him, and puts Bret on his ass with a big right hand. Rana works, so Bret goes to the eyes, but Ken counters the Russian legsweep with a suplex for two. Cross corner whip, but Bret reverses, and uses a clothesline as Shamrock rebounds. Sharpshooter, but Ken counters to the anklelock, and Hart is tapping, but the referee got bumped during the counter. Shamrock lets off to go revive him, but Bret blasts him with a chair before he can, and the Sharpshooter looks to finish, but Shawn Michaels runs in to Superkick him. Michaels unloads on the Hitman, so Shamrock makes the saves, and the match just kind of stops - eventually getting called a no-contest at 12:05. These two could have likely had a great match at some point, but this wasn’t it, and unfortunately they wouldn’t get another opportunity. Afterwards, the Harts and DX brawl, until officials are able to intervene. ¾*
Backstage, Bret fumes, but is ready for Survivor Series, because after that night, he won’t have to worry about this all anymore. Uh, no
The New Blackjacks v Billy Gunn and Jesse James: Still no team name yet, and Jesse’s opening spiel is still a long way away from their classic stuff. Blackjack Bradshaw throws Jesse around to start. Jesse goes to the eyes to shake him off, and Billy comes in, but Bradshaw just kind of shrugs them both off. Over to Blackjack Windham for stereo backelbows, as Vince sends thoughts and prayers to the gravely ill wife of Gorilla Monsoon, in between cracking jokes about Hogan. Classy. Petty Vince is the worst Vince… but also the most entertaining Vince. The Blackjacks keep squashing them, so Gunn whacks Bradshaw with a chair behind the referee’s back, and Jesse covers at 2:15. Total junk. Afterwards, the Godwinns run in to attack the Blackjacks, until the Headbangers run out to make the save. Apparently this is setting up a Survivor Series match featuring the four teams. I’m guessing that one didn’t make any future clip shows, with or without prime Hogan. DUD
Ross brings Kane and Paul Bearer out, announcing that Kane will meet Mankind at Survivor Series, so I guess Slaughter relented. Bearer’s character certainly was necessary for Kane’s introduction, but he feels super annoying, and was an instant channel changer for me back then. We know that everything worked out fine for the Kane character in the end, but it’s something of a miracle with Bearer’s screeching dragging him down
Jakks action figures ad
DX is hanging out in their locker room, where Shawn looks pilled up to the max. He then offers his thoughts on Bret Hart by mooning the camera, with HHH attempting (and failing) to block it with a giant cartoon ‘x.’ Okay, maybe Petty Vince is the best Vince, but Indignant Vince is pretty great, too
Marc Mero v Flash Funk: A small child in the crowd excitedly holds up a sign pleading with Sable to “wait until I grow up.” Never realized Brock Lesnar grew up in Oklahoma. He really did a great job shedding the accent. Ross hypes up some house shows for the weekend, and boy, were the cards for those depressing. Funk dominates with wristlocks to start, but a cross corner whip gets reversed on him, and Marc delivers a Samoan drop. To the top, but Funk crotches him before he can dive, and Flash tries a rana off, but Mero shoves him down. Flying moonsault press gets Marc two, and a kneelift finds the mark. Mero with some rights and lefts, but Funk wins a criss cross with a kick for two, and he uses a corner splash ahead of a side suplex. Funk goes up with the flying moonsault for two, so Mero goes low, and the TKO finishes at 3:45. ½*
Ross recently did a sit-down interview with Jeff Jarrett, who is quick to complain about his gimmick when he came into the WWF in 1993. But that’s just a warm up for complaining about WCW, of course. His gripes about his character never really developing there are not wrong, but come off as silly, considering he got a US title reign, and was associated with some of their top stars throughout. A lot of better workers didn’t even get that much, especially in the wake of the nWo. Oh, and they’re all in their forties over there, which apparently makes them old, though they’d practically be youngsters in today’s WWE. This was interesting from an insider perspective, like getting to be the fly on the wall for his exit interview or something, but it didn’t do anything for me in terms of making this a character that’s interesting beyond that
WWF Tag Team Title Match: The Legion of Doom v Savio Vega and Miguel Perez Jr: Gunn and James are hanging around at ringside for this one. The challenger’s attack before the bell, and the dust settles on Animal and Savio. Vega dominates, but Animal starts no-selling him, so Perez tags in, but takes more of the same. Hawk tags in with a 2nd rope axehandle, and a big boot. Neckbreaker and a cross corner whip work, but the charge in doesn’t, as Gunn and James steal the LOD’s shoulder pads. The challenger’s get control and work Hawk over for a bit, but Jesse accidentally trips Perez up during a criss cross, and Hawk pins him at 2:49. Kind of funny that they ran that finish just moments after showing him doing the same thing in the finish of the Jarrett/Michaels Intercontinental title match from In Your House in 1995. Anyway, this was pretty terrible, and with a dead crowd, to boot. DUD
Backstage, Ahmed Johnson swears vengeance on Steve Austin. I think
BUExperience: This show marked the 100th head to head matchup between the two Monday night shows, and RAW stands at only 17 out of 100 wins, and they haven’t won one in well over 60 weeks at this point.
This week’s wasn’t a particularly good episode.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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