WWF Shotgun Saturday Night (April 26, 1997)

 

Original Airdate: April 26, 1997 (taped April 21)

From Binghamton, New York; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Brian Pillman

The Legion of Doom v The Godwinns: Hawk and Henry Godwinn start, and they slug it out. Over to Animal and Phineas Godwinn for more of the same, and the LOD get control. Hawk misses a flying splash, allowing the tag back to Henry, and he bodyslams Hawk to set up an elbowdrop. Ross refers to them as ‘two fan favorites.’ Meaning that each of them has two fans? Because that I could buy in 1997. Henry with a piledriver, but Hawk no-sells, and Animal works a reverse chinlock. Animal with an elbowdrop for two, and everyone tags, Roseanne Barr the door. LOD hit Henry with the Doomsday Device at 5:07. This was a complete mess, and resulted in Henry sustaining a broken neck, to boot. DUD

Goldust v Mike Bell: The announcers are very excited about Ellen ‘coming out of the closet’ here, and how it relates to Goldust. In case you weren’t sure it was 1997. Hunter Hearst Helmsley split screens in here to promise Goldust a beating on RAW. Goldust puts this away at 2:44. DUD

Kevin Kelly brings Mankind out, but Mankind sparks a lighter, and Kelly takes off. Mankind is fuming about Undertaker causing Paul Bearer to fume, and he does a great bit here where he cuts his promo from right at the edge of the guardrail - making his case directly to some little girl in the front row. I can’t believe she didn’t break down crying here. I’d probably break down crying, and I’m a grown man

On Friday morning, Vader held a press conference in New York City, upon returning from his detainment in Kuwait. He’s sorry for nothing, and thinks they were trying to extort him

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Crush, Savio Vega, and D-lo Brown v Aldo Montoya, Freddie Joe Floyd, and Steve Corino: Corino looks like CM Punk’s little brother, or something. He eats the pin from Vega at 5:16. DUD

Flash Funk v Nick Barberri: Ross and Pillman are almost as excited about the Funkettes as they are about Ellen coming out. Which is saying something. Meanwhile, Ross announces that Godwinn has already had a CAT scan, and has been diagnosed with a broken neck. What the hell kind of insurance did he have that he was able to get through an ER waiting room that quickly? It’s been, like, forty minutes since he was in the ring! Funk with a flying 450 splash at 2:20. DUD

BUExperience: Some notable jobbers this week, if nothing else.