WWF Shotgun Saturday Night (February 22, 1997)

 

Original Airdate: February 22, 1997 (taped February 17)

From Nashville, Tennessee; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Jim Cornette

Clips of Chyna attacking Marlena on RAW

Davey Boy Smith v Crush: Clarence Mason represents both men here, and Cornette is quick to stir the pot about that. Some posturing to start, and Bulldog gets control by dropkicking him out of the ring. Crush charges back in, so Davey hooks him with an armdrag into an armbar. That draws the Nation of Domination out, and Crush manages a piledriver out of the deal. Crush hammers on Smith, and a belly-to-belly suplex gets him two. Crush goes to a nervehold, and a backbreaker gets him another two. Bulldog returns fire with a swinging neckbreaker, and a pair of clotheslines connect, as he goes on the comeback trail. Smith with a hanging vertical suplex, but a clotheslines sends Crush over the top. Bulldog tries suplexing him back in from the apron, but Savio Vega sweeps his leg from the outside, and Crush topples for the pin at 9:17. Afterwards, a furious Bulldog fires Mason, though Owen Hart isn’t on board with the decision, and tries to calm things down. ½*

Goldust v TL Hopper: Goldust doesn’t have Marlena with him here, to sell the injury from Chyna. Cornette wastes no time in noting that, while she isn’t here, you can see her ‘golden globes’ in the latest RAW Magazine. Goldust with the Curtain Call at 4:14. DUD

We get exclusive footage of an irate Bret Hart storming around backstage, following his WWF Title loss to Sycho Sid on RAW

Kevin Kelly brings new WWF Champion Sycho Sid out, and he’s ready for Undertaker at WrestleMania 13

WrestleMania 13 ad

The Godwinns v The Headbangers: The Godwinns have Cledus T Judd with them here. Phineas Godwinn and Mosh start, and Mosh manages to pound him into the corner, but a cross corner whip gets reversed. Tags to Henry Godwinn and Thrasher, and Henry wins a criss cross with a clothesline, but the New Blackjacks run in to attack them at 1:16, making their debut. Afterwards, the Blackjacks demand the match with the Headbangers in place of the taken out Godwinns. DUD

The Headbangers v The New Blackjacks: The Blackjacks both attack, and dominate both men. They isolate Mosh, and work him over with double teams. They look for the finish, but the Godwinns run back out to attack them for a DQ at 2:20. DUD

Dok Hendrix is in the studio to hype the return of Monday Night RAW to the Manhattan Center

BUExperience: Not a good episode, but at least it felt like they were trying. This was just a brutally weak period for the promotion.