WWF LiveWire (October 19, 1996)

Original Airdate: October 19, 1996

Your Hosts are Todd Pettengill and Sunny from the studio

Two people write in asking why the WWF runs a Light Heavyweight division in Japan, but not on their main shows. They suggest that they start one, and bring in guys like Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, and Chris Candido to compete in it. Sunny thinks Candido (“you know him as Skip”) would dominate. That never happened, but they did indeed start the division a year later

We get clips from the Shawn Michaels/Steve Austin match on this past Monday’s RAW, along with the confrontation between Shawn and Sycho Sid afterwards

Steve Austin storms into the studio, sick of sitting in the green room like ‘some jabroni.’ Austin wants them to set the record straight, he beat Shawn and Sid up single-handedly

Clips of Austin beating up Aldo Montoya. Back in the studio, Austin notes that Aldo brought it on himself for ‘wearing a jockstrap’ on his face 

Steve moves on to ranting about Bret Hart, who will be on RAW this Monday. Steve assumes he’ll be announcing his retirement rather than agree to get into the ring with Stone Cold, since Austin recently went to Calgary, and beat Hart up for thirty minutes in his dad’s basement. “We can’t confirm that,” notes Todd

Eva calls in to tell Austin she ‘really likes his style,’ but thinks all his swearing ‘indicates a lack of imagination.’ Austin responds by literally threatening to kill her

Nick calls in wondering why Steve is ‘so arrogant, despite never winning a title.’ Austin notes that’s because no one wants to put their title up against him. He notes that he beat Marc Mero a bunch of times, but now Marc’s Intercontinental champion since no one would give him a shot. Steve’s kind of making some good points here, and I’m digging this ‘dial-a-promo’ thing we’ve got going on this week 

Someone faxes in backing Austin up, noting all the past King of the Ring winners got WWF Title shots, yet Steve was wrestling Shawn Michaels in non-title action this past Monday. Bret never got a title shot, actually. He won the title, but not until, like, nine months later

In Your House ad

Clips of Austin recently getting in Mr. Perfect’s face, followed by Austin cutting a promo on him in the studio. That would have been a great match at a certain point

Todd hypes Austin’s match with Savio Vega for In Your House, which absolutely did not happen. I actually don’t remember how Hunter Hearst Helmsley got subbed in there, but I think Vega was injured. Which they probably would have known by this point, so why not just announce the new match here? It’s not like anyone was buying the show for that one anyway

Todd hopes Bret will come back because the fans love him so much. Meanwhile, Steve doesn’t care what any of the fans think, and if Bret comes back, Austin will ‘kick the hell out of him’ right in front of all those fans. And, with that, Stone Cold storms off

Back over the summer on the Wrestle Vessel cruise, Bret sat down with Mr. Perfect to talk about his future, and his hair was really feeling that humidity, boy. I never realized that Bret was actually older than Perfect. Hart sounds burned out and fed up here, but he had one great run left in him

The PlayStation Slam of the Week os Vader giving Phineas Godwinn a Vaderbomb on RAW

Someone emails in to say that they could care less about Bret, they want more Austin. Yeah, as if anyone would ever cheer Steve Austin against Bret Hart. As if

Roger calls in and thinks Bret should consider staying retired, since he’s past his prime, and there are ‘bigger and better’ guys now. Todd thinks this dude should back up, because Bret ‘put wrestling on the map,’ which Roger immediately calls bullshit on, noting that it was Hulk Hogan. “Talk about a guy who’s lost his edge,” quips Todd. I kind of see where Roger is coming from given how lackluster and checked out Hart was during his last title reign, though. But then Roger notes that he thinks Mr. Perfect is the guy to lead us into the future, so I’m right back off his side again. Talk about lackluster and checked out!

Someone faxes in wondering if Bret would reconcile with Owen Hart if he came back, but Todd thinks there’s no chance. I dunno, it could happen. Sunny notes that he may retire since he’s a ‘great actor,’ as opposed to Hogan with his terrible movies

Mark calls in to note that Roger is “out of his mind,” and Todd and Sunny flip out that the guy drops the word ‘ass.’ 1996 was such a simple time

Mr. Perfect returns to the ring to face HHH this Monday night on RAW

Sunny hypes up her lingerie photo spread in the latest RAW Magazine, which is something I definitely snuck to the CVS beside my school to get my hands on

Mr. Perfect vignette. Perfect notes that “if Hunter hits the Pedigree it might be all over, but ‘if’ is a very big word.” It’s literally one of the smallest words

Mankind is in a cemetery, getting ready for the Buried Alive match at In Your House. Todd notes that this is the ‘first and only’ buried alive match, and if you miss it tomorrow, you’ll never see it. There’s literally a replay two days later! Why is everyone such a liar?

Undertaker is also in a (presumably different) graveyard, also getting ready. Thi was a good feud, but these promos are so cartoony

Shawn calls in complaining that someone might get hurt in the Buried Alive match. Uh, ya think? ‘Hurt’ would be the least of my worries in a fight to the literal death. Todd notes we are just ‘hours away’ from In Your House. Yes, though many, many hours, you fucking liar. Todd again throws out the complete lie that this match will only air once, and then never again

Nick calls in to say he ‘can’t believe’ someone will get buried alive. Did they screen these calls, like, at all?

Dave calls in to suggest Undertaker wear a mouthpiece to block the Mandible Claw. That would have been a great heel move, did anyone ever try that after Mankind turned babyface later?

BUExperience: More of this, please!