WWF Shotgun Saturday Night (April 19, 1997)

 

Original Airdate: April 19, 1997 (taped April 9)

From Johannesburg, South Africa; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Brian Pillman

WWF Champion Undertaker/Mankind hype video for In Your House

The New Blackjacks v Doug Furnas and Philip LaFon: Blackjack Bradshaw starts with LaFon, and kicks the crap out of him. Bradshaw tries a superplex, but LaFon blocks. LaFon dives off the middle, but gets caught in a bearhug. Bradshaw tries a short-clothesline, but misses, and LaFon capitalizes with a DDT for two. Tag to Doug Furnas, as the announcers keep harping on how ‘boring’ Furnas and LaFon are. Such a weird way to push an act. Furnas with a backdrop ahead of a dropkick, and an armdrag allows him to hold an armbar. Back to LaFon to keep on the arm, but Blackjack Windham gets the tag. Furnas dropkicks him for two, and he and LaFon go back to the arm on their new Blackjack. Bradshaw manages to catch a tag, and the Blackjacks work Furnas over now. He manages to catch Bradshaw with a dropkick to allow the hot tag to LaFon, and he Saito suplexes Windham for two. He tags Bradshaw with a spinheel kick, then bodyslams Windham to set up a flying somersault senton splash, but Bradshaw saves at two - Roseanne Barr the door! LaFon hits Windham with a savate kick for two, so Bradshaw switches off with him, and cradles LaFon at 14:05. This was way too long, and quite dull, but the last few minutes were good, at least. ½*

The Godwinns v The Legion of Doom: From RAW is WAR on April 14 (taped April 7) in Muncie Indiana. Big brawl to start, with the dust settling on Phineas Godwinn and Hawk. Hawk promptly no-sells a bunch of stuff, as Vince calls LOD the 'Road Warriors.' I know they acknowledged both names, but usually Vince was all in on the 'Legion of Doom' branding, so it just sounds weird coming from him. Tags all around, and Animal barrels into Henry Godwinn with a jumping shoulderblock during a criss cross. Henry backs off to regroup, and manages to get control of Animal, and Phineas tags in to hit a chincrusher, as Vince 'Road Warriors' us again. Phineas fails to cut the ring in half, allowing a tag to Hawk, and Vince is positively giddy at Phineas's country charm. This is the most excited I've seen him since Shawn Michaels chased him around with a belt on last week's RAW. Phineas tries a suplex, but Hawk reverses, and adds a fistdrop. Tag to Henry, and it sound like Cornette is getting on Vince's nerves already. Such an odd combination. Cornette works well with Ross, but he and Vince are not a good match. Hawk misses a charge in the corner to allow the Godwinns to take over, and they cut the ring in half, working the arm. Phineas collides with him in the corner to allow the tag to Animal, and Roseanne Barr the door. That draws WWF Tag Team Champions Davey Boy Smith and Owen Hart out, and Animal ends up getting nailed with one of the tag title belts to allow Henry the pin at 7:09. This felt like they were sleepwalking through it here. DUD

A look at Bret Hart’s new heel direction 

Recently, Vader lost his shit on a broadcaster in Kuwait 

Flash Funk v Salvatore Sincere: Sincere slams him down, and grabs a headlock, but Flash forces a criss cross, and wins it with a dropkick. Flash tries a cross corner whip, but Sincere reverses, and follows in with a clothesline. A corner splash misses, allowing Flash a flying bodypress for two, and a dropkick sends Sal to the outside. Flash dives after him with a plancha, but a flying bodypress misses on the way back in. That allows Sincere to dump him front-first across the top rope, and a gourdbuster gets him two. Flash fights him off, but loses a reversal sequence to a northern lights suplex for two. That allows Sincere to hit him with a tornado DDT for two, but Flash fires off a well executed victory cradle for two. Funk adds a superkick and a corner splash ahead of a side suplex, and he goes up with a flying 450 splash at 6:17. They were working way too hard for this shitty show, bless them. ** ½ 

In Your House ad

BUExperience: I think this still qualified as the weekly ‘B-show’ at this point, but, boy, did it feel like the ‘C-show.’ But then, ‘A-show’ RAW was horrible this same week, so what could we really expect here?