WWF Shotgun Saturday Night (May 10, 1997)

 

Original Airdate: May 10, 1997 (taped May 5)

From Green Bay, Wisconsin; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Brian Pillman

Hunter Hearst Helmsley v Mankind: HHH beats him down to start, but wastes time gloating, and gets nailed. “I wonder what Paul Bearer’s condition is right now?” Pillman asks. “Obese?” suggests Ross. Mankind works him over in (rather dull) fashion, but Chyna prevents him from using a chair, and Hunter suplexes Mankind on the floor. Helmsley sends him into the post before taking things back inside, where he unloads in the corner. HHH uses a snapmare to set up a kneedrop for two, and he grabs a chinlock. Mankind escapes, so HHH clotheslines him for two, and then goes to the eyes when Mankind still won’t simmer down. Hunter with a corner whip into the Pedigree, but Mankind blocks. He tries a catapult into the corner, but HHH blocks, so Mankind just puts him in the mandible claw instead. Things are looking grim, but here’s Chyna with a low blow for the DQ at 5:35. This was their first ever match. And it was not good. They’d have much better ones later on, of course. ¼*

Owen Hart v Sonny Rogers: The WWF Intercontinental title is not on the line, and Owen has the entire Hart Foundation with him for this. Pillman claims not to be part of the group, despite literally wearing their t-shirt. Owen with the Sharpshooter at 3:34. DUD

And speaking of guys who would have better matches later on, it’s time for an Undertaker/Steve Austin hype video

Austin 3:16 t-shirt ad

The New Blackjacks v Crush and Savio Vega: Ahmed Johnson shows up, wanting to make this a six-man, if Faarooq is game to enter the fray. Faarooq is not game to enter the fray. Blackjack Windham starts with Vega, and it’s mostly posturing from them. Windham manages to dropkick Savio to the outside, and Windham chases him to continue the attack out there. Inside, Blackjack Bradshaw gets a blind tag in, and Savio eats a lariat. Tag to Crush, and he manages to hammer Bradshaw into the corner, but a cross corner whip gets reversed. Bradshaw adds a dropkick and a big boot, so PG-13 trip him up, and Crush clotheslines him over the top. That turns the tide, and the Nation work Bradshaw over, as Ahmed learns the subtleties of banging on the mat to get the crowd behind the babyfaces. Windham finally gets the hot tag, and Roseanne Barr the door! Windham hits Savio with a powerslam for two, so Faarooq jumps him, but Ahmed chases him off. That gets Savio and Crush involved, and the Nation are counted out at 8:31. This dragged on for way too long. Bradshaw taking an extended heat segment is not something you see often, though. ¼*

Leif Cassidy v Jesse James: Who would have guessed that, just a year or so later, these would be two of the most over acts in the promotion? Jesse works a headlock to start, but Cassidy forces a criss cross, and delivers a hiptoss. Back to the headlock, but Cassidy starts to escapes, so Jesse bodyslams him. Corner whip, but Cassidy rebounds with a clothesline, and he puts the boots to James. Cassidy with a power facebuster, and he drops a pair of knees, ahead of a bow-and-arrow. Backdrop, but Jesse hooks a sunset flip for two, so Cassidy baseball slides him, and takes it back to the bow-and-arrow. Suplex, but James hooks an inside cradle for two, so Cassidy clotheslines him to cut off a comeback. Cassidy goes up, but Jesse slams him off, and makes a proper comeback. Cassidy manages to throw a knee to buy time, and a bodyslam allows him a flying moonsault, but Jesse dodges. That allows James to hit the pumphandle-slam at 6:55. ½*

Sunny is out to host Sunny Undercover, and it’s the usual pointless gossip stuff to fill time. Only this week, with Vader coming out, and breathing on her. How are they still running these things? Vince would usually scrap stuff right away if it wasn’t working, sometimes even dumping already taped segments before they ever made air, but this is somehow still getting time, week after week?

BUExperience: I don’t expect much from this show, but this was pretty bottom of the barrel stuff, even with that in mind.