WWF LiveWire (December 21, 1996)

 

Original Airdate: December 21, 1996

Your Hosts are Todd Pettengill and Sunny from the control center

From Monday Night RAW, Bret Hart storms out to open the show and complain about what happened at In Your House, and though you wouldn't know it at the time, you can see him planting all the seeds for where the character was going in 1997 here. And it's a very heelish promo, though he does a good job of walking the line without crossing into full heel

Steve Austin v Vader: From RAW on December 16 in Tampa Florida. Bret decides to sit in on commentary for this one, and of course, Austin is calling him out right away. But Bret wants to mind his own business. Vader tries to get Austin cornered early, but Steve keeps slipping away. Vader finally gets him in the corner to unload on, as Vince makes excuses for Shawn Michaels' behavior at In Your House, making Bret come off like a crybaby again, even though he's not wrong. Vader with a short-clothesline, but Steve out moves him on a criss cross, and uses a Thesz-press to put Vader down for mounted punches. Steve just goes to town on him until Vader falls out of the ring, and already you can hear the crowd ready to get behind Austin as a top babyface. To the outside, Vader manages a whip into the steps, and he dumps Austin into the crowd. Vader follows to whack Steve with a chair out there, and back inside, Vader drills him with a shoulderblock. Vaderbomb, but Steve pops up with a lowblow to block, and he unloads in the corner. Vader fights him off with a backdrop over the top, and Bret sees his opening - attacking Steve with the Sharpshooter on the floor for the DQ at 6:35. It's kind of a shame that Vader wasn't at that level anymore by 1998/99, because this was a pretty fun brawl, and they probably could have really torn it up with a proper pay per view match later. **

From RAW, WWF Champion Sycho Sid is feeling pretty good about himself considering he now holds pinfall victories over both Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart in two consecutive pay per views. All things considered, that's incredibly impressive

From RAW, Shawn Michaels is ready to face Sid at the Royal Rumble, and doesn't have time to cry and whine about stuff, like that Bret Hart guy

Mike calls from Florida, and thinks Bret got robbed at In Your House. Todd, of course, defends Shawn

Leroy calls from Louisiana, and he doesn’t appreciate that Sid keeps getting ‘tainted victories’ 

Tim sends in a fax from Nevada, and thinks Bret is out of control, but he ‘knows’ that Hart will win the Royal Rumble. Todd goes on a big rant that no one could know that, so it’s obviously not true, and not something they should hecticly rebook 

Brian calls from Ohio, and he doesn’t think Shawn cost Bret the match, he thinks Sid just kicked his pink and black ass

Royal Rumble ad

The Buzz is a listing of the five largest WWF crowds. The idiot in charge of this messed up ‘WrestleMania VIII’ as ‘XIII,’ and apparently the third biggest crowd was at Skydone for WrestleMania XI

Todd and Sunny announce the first ten names for the Royal Rumble

Vic Venom split screens in to gloat about correctly predicting what would happen in the Sid/Bret match. Vic has more predictions while he’s on this high: Bret will win the Rumble

Rob calls in from Texas, and thinks Shawn has been angry ‘lately,’ and might harness that into beating Sid at the Rumble. Did he just start watching, or something?

Chris calls in the Massachusetts, and thinks Shawn will win the title since it’ll be the last time that Jose Lothario will be in his corner, and it’s a perfect sendoff for the mentor 

Venom with another prediction: Shawn wins the belt back from Sid at the Rumble

Holiday Hell tour ad

Dana emails in, wondering if the WWF will ever bring back Saturday Night’s Main Event. Todd notes that that’s not happening, but there will be something else soon: Shotgun Saturday Night

From In Your House, Vince McMahon is hosting an in-ring interview with Ahmed Johnson, when the Nation of Domination show up to engage in verbal war with him

WWF Christmas songs

The Starburst Fruit Twists Rewind is Sid, Shawn, and Bret brawling outside of the arena before In Your House

Jim Ross calls in to weigh in on the Sid/Bret/Shawn deal

Billy Gunn v Bart Gunn: From the December 16 RAW. Billy attacks before the bell, clotheslining Bart over the top, and the brawl is on on the outside! Bart gets control, and hits a corner whip on the way back inside, followed by a clothesline for two. He goes to the wrist, but Billy gets control in the corner, and the crowd is already dead. Billy works a chinlock, as Vince basically begs you to order the replay of In Your House. Billy with a neckbreaker and a kneedrop, followed by a snapmare back to the chinlock. Billy has no idea how to engage the crowd as a heel here, and Bart isn't exactly doing a great job of building sympathy. Bart manages a hotshot to fight him off, but the referee stops the match at 5:41, since Billy isn't moving. So that draws Billy and Bart's wives out, and Billy may be paralyzed. They're trying to recreate the Shawn Michaels/Owen Hart deal from last year, but no one cares about these characters, and it's just not clicking. Not to mention that Bart is just a horrible actor, and isn't getting it over at all. Billy's wife is pretty cute though, so there's that. So Billy gets taken out on a stretcher, and the crowd is just kinda watching it all, but they don't seem particularly worried and/or interested. I appreciate the effort to integrate more realism into the product, but this wasn't a good fit. DUD

Bart Gunn calls, all broken up about what happened

Shotgun Saturday Night ad

Someone calls in, and thinks Sunny should get involved in this Smoking Gunns beef, given her history with them

Someone calls in, asking when Ultimate Warrior is coming back. They basically laugh it off, but Venom actually gives an answer, saying that Warrior will come back whenever he wants

Another caller wants to know if the WWF will introduce a Light Heavyweight title, which Todd laughs off again, so Venom tells him to stop being an ass and actually answer questions. Too right Vic!

Bill calls in, thinking that 1997 is already shaping up to be a year of ‘pure attitude.’ Talk about a prediction. Bill wants to know who Vic predicts will hold the title when 1997 comes to a close. No hesitation: Shawn Michaels

Superstar Line ad

Clips of Sunny on MTV’s Singled Out, which airs this Friday

Someone calls in, and wants to know about talents like Cactus Jack and 2 Cold Scorpio. Venom decides to rant about AAA wrestlers instead

Santa stops by the studio with a present for Sunny

BUExperience: These are getting less interesting. No one really asks any interesting questions (or, questions, period) anymore, and it’s just kind of becoming another recap show. A high level recap show, but nonetheless.