No real reason for this one except that it was the next IYH following Canadian Stampede and I don’t have Summer Slam 97 so this was next by process of elimination.
We’re in Kentucky
You’re hosts are Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross
Indecent Proposal
Goldust w/ Marlena Vs Brian Pillman
If Pillman wins he gets Marlena for 30 days. Pillman also said that Goldust’s child Dakota was his love child which was wonderfully tasteless on all levels. If Pillman loses though he has the leave the WWF. Goldust attacks Pillman on the ramp but Pillman chokes him with a cable and gets some chops. Goldust fights back with an inverted atomic drop and then a clothesline. Pillman takes a 20 punch in the corner and starts begging off. Pillman chokes Goldust with a T-Shirt as Lawler makes some funny jokes about Marlena and her supposed sluttiness. Pillman elbows Goldust down and chases Marlena around the ring but gets sent face first into the steps. Pillman and Goldust trade chops inside and Goldust counters a Bulldog by dropping Pillman crotch first on the top rope. Pillman bails down the ramp but Goldust follows and suplexes him on it to a big pop.
Goldust throws Pillman back inside and crotches him on the ring post. Goldust goes after Pillman’s knee and gets a couple of near falls. Pillman throws Goldust off on a bulldog attempt and gets a big back body drop which leads to some choking. God Pillman really went south wrestling wise towards the end. I remember his classics against Steamboat and Douglas with Austin. Pillman is a perfect example of how wrestling chews you up and spits you out. Pillman goes to a camel clutch but Goldust powers up, to a big pop, and gets an electric chair drop. Goldust runs into an elbow in the corner but crotches Pillman on top, that’s about the 5th ball shot he’s taken in this match, and then launches him off the top onto the guardrail below. Marlena gets some slaps in on the outside and Goldust sets Pillman up on the top rope for a Superplex. Pillman counters that by throwing Goldust off but he misses a missile dropkick and the ref gets bumped. Goldust gets the Curtain Call but the refs out. Pillman steals Marlena’s purse and nails Goldust behind the refs back with it and that gets the three count.
WINNER – BRIAN PILLMAN
**14 – Quite a good match actually but it was saddening to see Pillman’s deterioration as a worker. Pillman was found dead around a month later in a hotel room before the Badd Blood pay per view. Pillman bags Marlena in a car and drives off as Goldust tries to chase. He then smashes up his locker room. Man this was heavy stuff for the Goldust character
Light Heavyweight match
Scott Puski Vs Brian Christopher
I loved the joke with Lawler and Christopher denying they are father and son when they clearly are. Putski is built like a brick shithouse and definitely doesn’t look like your typical Junior Heavyweight. Putski gets some right hands to start and a big clothesline in the corner followed by a dropkick that sends Christopher outside. Christopher gets a side headlock but Putski fights out with an arm drag. Christopher gets a clothesline to retain the advantage but he meets fist when he tries a top rope axe handle. Putski gets a rana for two but Christopher fights back with a Full Nelson Face Crusher for two. Christopher gets a release German Suplex and follows him out with a tope. That move actually injures Putski legit and the ref stops the match
WINNER – BRIAN CHRISTOPHER
No Rating – Never really got going. It was hardly a match.
Footage is shown of the faction wars between The Nation of Domination, D.O.A and Los Borricuas. I actually liked the Borricuas but I was in the minority. They were like a less cool version of the lWo.
Savio Vega Vs Faarooq Vs Crush
Crush gets a big pop seeing as we are in The South and the fact he’s a racist biker which no doubt half the crowd can understand. Crush gets double teamed to start and is pounded down but fights back with a double clothesline. Faarooq does some whipping with his belt but Crush grabs it and uses it himself. They all break each others pins up and Crush gets knocked outside meaning Faarooq can get two from a Spine Buster. Crush comes in for some choking on Savio and a Power Slam on Faarooq. We have a three way slug fest which leads to Crush getting a noggin knocker. Savio gets a big spin kick on Crush and then unloads with some chops in the corner on Faarooq. Savio takes some raised knees on a splash attempt but Crush saves at two. Crush chin locks Savio which J.R smartly points out isn’t wise in a three way dance and indeed Faarooq comes off the top to break it up for two.
Faarooq yells at the crowd allowing Crush to slowly get him up for an electric chair drop. Ahmed Johnson would do that in his matches with Faarooq. Faarooq starts choking Savio but puts his head down on an Irish Whip and takes a swinging neck breaker but Crush saves at two. More choking and punching follows until Faarooq and Crush decide to double team Savio and convince themselves to join the others faction. That ends in tears as they start fighting again allowing Savio time to recover. Savio keeps coming in to make the save and then he teams up with Crush leading to a Spike Piledriver. That alliance ends soon after and Crush Heart Punches Faarooq allowing Savio to sneak in with a spin kick for the three count.
WINNER – SAVIO VEGA
* – went on for too long but there were some decent moments buried underneath the choking
El Torrito Vs Max Mini
They do the usual mini sequences to start and Max gets a number of head scissors and a dive to the outside. Back in Torrito gets a boot to the back on Max’s head as Lawler really starts busting open the midget jokes. Max gets a wrist lock but Torrito counters by biting his derriere. Max stays on the arm and then starts arguing with the ref and bites his arse. He then goes outside and sits on Lawler’s lap and wears his crown. Okay that was pretty funny. Back inside Torrito takes Max apart with some kicks but Max fires back with a big rana for two. Torrito gets a big power bomb and a rolling prawn hold for two. Torrito nearly takes Max’s head off with a big clothesline but Max fights back with some arm drags sending Torrito outside where he gets an Asai Moonsault. Back in Torrito misses a charge in the corner allowing Max to get a flying rana and a sunset flip for the win
WINNER – MAX MINI
** – Was maybe a tad too long but it was good fun
The Owendriver story is recapped where Austin had his neck broken when Owen Hart accidentally dropped him on his head in a Tombstone attempt. SGT Slaughter then ordered that Austin had to forfeit his Tag Title and be suspended until he got medical clearance. All that leads to this part in the show where Austin has to hand over his title. Dude Love comes out and says he doesn’t want to be a tag champion without Austin. Austin insults J.R, this was before they were “best buddies”, and insults everyone else within earshot, as the crowd cheer him on. Austin then Stunners J.R to a huge pop. J.R totally oversells it and has to be helped to the back. That was a great segment.
Dok Hendrix is backstage with Owen Hart and British Bulldog and he asks Owen if he’s afraid of Austin. Owen says that Austin should be suspended and that J.R didn’t deserve that Stunner. Bulldog concurs.
Fatal Four Way Match
Headbangers Vs Owen Hart and Bulldog Vs LOD Vs The Godwinns
This is for the vacant tag titles and is also elimination rules. Thrasher and Phineous start out and that goes nowhere so Henry comes in and pounds away. Thrasher tags in Phineous so The Godwinns have to face each other but that doesn’t pan out so Mosh comes in gets some arm drags followed by an arm wringer. Thrasher comes off the second rope on Phineous and tags in Animal who drops an elbow and The Godwinns bail. Henry comes in and clubs away on Animal but Animal no sells a shoulder block, yes I know I’m shocked just like you are, and throws him off on a suplex attempt. Mosh gets tagged in and gets Power Slammed by Animal. Hawk comes off the top with a big clothesline on Mosh and follows that with a Gorilla Press Drop. Hawk tries to entice Bulldog into the ring and went he won’t he tags him in instead.
Bulldog and Phineous do a test on strength which doesn’t really go anywhere and Owen comes in instead and promptly gets Press Slamed for two. Owen fights back with an enzuiguri and tags in Animal who ends up on the outside. Animal gets double teamed for a while by the Godwinns but he makes the tag to Hawk but Animal uses the slop bucket on the Godwinns leading to a DQ. Aw man that was such a cheap way to eliminate the LOD. Mosh gets a slam on Phineous and Thrasher suplexes him down onto him. However, Thrasher gets isolated by The Godwinns for a while but gets a sunset flip out of nowhere to eliminate them. Owen comes in with some right hands on Thrasher and now they double team him. Bulldog comes in with a hanging suplex but Mosh makes the save.
Owen comes off the top with a missile dropkick on Thrasher for two and Thrasher gets a cross body for two. Owen gets a neck breaker for another two count and tags in Bulldog for a wishbone leg splitter. Thrasher gets something on Bulldog, it was really sloppy whatever he intended it, and Mosh gets the hot tag and is the House en Feugo. A little bit of heel miscommunication leads to Bulldog getting knocked outside. Bulldog and Thrasher fight outside distracting the ref allowing Austin to come out and Stunner Owen giving Mosh the win
WINNERS – THE HEADBANGERS
The actual 4 way part was about ½* but when it was Just Owen and Bulldog Vs The Headbangers with was **ish so I’ll go *1/4. The Headbangers celebrate in the crowd post match.
J.R is backstage bitching about Austin Stunning him
Sunny, looking mighty f*ckable I might add, is backstage with The Patriot and he says he has to beat Bret for the title tonight.
WWF Championship
(C) Bret Hart Vs The Patriot
Patriot was an All American super hero who had Kurt Angle’s music and beat Bret Hart in a non title match setting this up. Wrestling pretty much destroyed his life but it does that to a lot of people. Bret is with Michael Cole and he says he wants to hurt The Patriot to hurt the fans, that’s just cold. Bret jumps The Patriot with right hands to start and a back suplex. Bret sets Patriot up in the tree of woe and gets some stomps in. Fans start a “USA” chant to rally Patriot and it works as he fights back with a clothesline and a big dropkick. Clothesline sends Bret tumbling to the outside where he stalls for time. Bret uses the ropes to hold Patriot off but runs into some arm drags and an arm bar. Patriot works the arm over and sends Bret shoulder first into the turnbuckle. Bret goes to the eyes to try and break the arm lock but the Patriot holds on and drops some knees on the arm to weaken it further.
Bret gets to the ropes and tries to shake some blood back into his arm but Patriot stays on him. Bret starts kicking the knees of Patriot and then zones in on them like a shark smelling blood in the water. Bret drops an elbow on the knee, with the arm Patriot was working on which is a little annoying but excusable seeing as Patriot didn’t really work it over too severely but I wish he wouldn’t just start acting like its fine straight away. Bret drags Patriot into the corner and gets the ring post Figure Four. Patriot does a great sell job of the leg, barely being able to stand, an Bulldog joins us at ringside. Bret gets a Canadian Leg Sweep for two and a side back breaker. Patriot counters a snap suplex with one of his own and gets a sunset flip for two. DDT gets two for Patriot and he clotheslines Bret down but is tripped by Bulldog.
Bret rolls Patriot up for two and Patriot sends Bret into Bulldog and rolls him up for a really close two. Man the fans thought it was over there. Patriot gets his Uncle Slam move but Bulldog pulls him out at two so Vader comes down to even the odds. Bulldog and Vader are taken backstage as back inside Patriot slams Bret and heads up for a big shoulder block for two. Patriot gets an atomic drop and back suplex for two. Bret drops Patriot throat first on the second rope and gets a bulldog setting up the second rope axe handle for two. Patriot hammers away at Bret in the corner but the ref rakes a stray elbow dazing him. Patriot gets Uncle Slam again but Bret gets his foot on the rope at two. Big “USA” chant starts again as the fans start to believe he can win the title here. Bret gets an inside cradle but Patriot shifts his weight to get a two count. Patriot sends Bret into the corner at a 100 miles an hour and gets the Sharpshooter but Bret counters it to his own and the ref stops the match to give Bret the win.
WINNER – BRET HART
***1/2 – That match was amazing because Bret had the fans believing he was vulnerable and ripe for the picking but still came out of the match with his credibility and Patriot had gained some afterward. Bret chokes Patriot with the American flag post match to annoy the crowd. I think Patriot should have gone over here and jobbed the belt back the next night or something because the building would have erupted.
Bret is backstage and says that all Americans are losers and that fans in Canada and the UK respect great wrestlers. Damn straight we do!
Shawn Michaels is backstage and he says he won’t rest in peace for anybody.
Shawn Michaels Vs The Undertaker
Michaels cost Undertaker the WWF Title at Summer Slam and busted him open with a chair so Undertaker is very pissed and wants payback. Shawn’s pyro doesn’t go off properly during his entrance providing unplanned humour for me. I love it when these really wealthy companies botch something as easy as a pyro display. Undertaker still had his explosion when raising the lights here; you can chart his coolness by how long he had that for. When he stopped doing that I became less enthused with his act. This period was probably the only time I was a huge fan of Undertaker’s work. Before and after this I just like him but during this time I thought he was awesome and was at his peak for in ring ability.
Seriously, if anyone from WWE production is watching this bring the explosion when raising the lights bit back. Taker nails the ref to start so Shawn bails but SGT Slaughter sends him back at which point Undertaker throws the ref over the top on Shawn. Shawn tries to run away but Undertaker stalks him and press slams him on the steel ramp near the IYH set. Taker sends Shawn tumbling down the ramp to the ring. That was some top class bumping from Shawn. Taker chokes Shawn with a cable at ringside and sends him into the guardrail for good measure. Undertaker throws Shawn onto the French commentary table and then back inside where he stomps away. Shawn eats some turnbuckle and gets clothesline down. Taker drops some elbows and makes a pin but there’s no ref to count.
Taker hammers away in the corner and sends Shawn so hard into the corner that he tumbles to the outside. Earl Hebner comes down to ref the match and as Taker stalks him Michaels clips the leg and goes for a 10 punch in the corner but Taker keeps shoving him away. Shawn blocks a Choke Slam with some kicks to the gut but is sent outside with a clothesline. Michaels tries a sunset flip but Undertaker picks him up and choke tosses him across the ring. Shawn is bumping like a pinball for Taker here. Taker crotches Michaels on the top rope and shakes it for good measure. Taker goes for the arm weakening it for the rope walk but when he tries it Michaels crotches him on the top rope and gets a baseball slide. Michaels tries a body press to the outside but Taker catches him and sends him into the ring post spine first a few times.
Back inside Taker continues to batter Shawn mercilessly and gets some forearms to the back. Shawn gets some major air time on a back body drop and Taker gets a two count from it. Shawn gets a swinging neck breaker but Taker sits up and Shawn bails outside where he grabs a chair. A big boot stops a chair shot and Taker grabs the chair but the ref won’t let him use it. Shawn dropkicks Taker into the ref and gets a running forearm. Shawn pounds Taker down and heads up top his Elbow Drop. Shawn lands another and goes for a pin as Rick Rude comes down to ringside. Taker kicks out at two so Rude sends Shawn brass knuckles. Shawn uses the power of the punch to floor Taker and another ref runs down for a two count. Shawn knocks the ref out in frustration as HHH and Chyna come down to ringside.
HHH gets some right hands in on Taker and teams up with Chyna to send Taker into the steps knees first. Inside Shawn helps the ref up, only to knock him down again, and keeps hammering away at Taker. Taker mounts a comeback with some right hands but Shawn sends him outside where HHH and Chyna get more cheap shots in. Shawn chokes Undertaker with a cable and HHH gets some stomps in for good measure. Taker goes for a Tombstone but Michaels flips out and tries some Sweet Chin Music. Taker catches Shawn’s foot and grabs holds on the knucks to send Shawn down for a two count. Taker Choke Slams the ref as this match has just lost control. Another ref runs down and throws the match out. Meanwhile, Taker Choke Slams HHH into Michaels. Michaels ties Taker up in the ropes and goes to it him with a chair but Undertaker kicks the chair in his face to counter.
WINNER – NO CONTEST
**** – That was a brilliant fight. HHH takes a Tombstone post match as the locker room empties to try and calm Taker down. Taker gets an insane dive into about 10 guys on the outside allowing Shawn to run away. This would lead to Hell in a Cell at the next show.
The Inside Pulse
Well this show is pretty average but the last two matches are definitely worth watching. If you can get it cheap somewhere I’d recommend it.
