Hall’s WWE In Your House: Canadian Stampede Review

In Your House #16: Canadian Stampede
Date: July 6, 1997
Location: Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Attendance: 12,151
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Vince McMahon

We’re in Bizarroworld, as this is the Hart Foundation’s grand homecoming to the land where they are loved. The Harts are the undisputed top heel act in the company…at least in the United States. That won’t be the case here though, as this is all about a different kind of fans. They’ll be seeing a ten man tag as the Hart Foundation faces the unofficial Team America (never called that but close enough), which should make for a heck of a fight. Let’s get to it.

The opening video talks about how everything around here has changed, with good and evil becoming the same. A hero like Bret Hart is becoming the villain because of a stone cold killer like Steve Austin. Tonight, it’s time for two teams of five to fight it out as Canada faces America. This doesn’t give the match the gravitas it deserves, as this is the Harts’, and in particular Bret’s, grand homecoming after standing up for the country and its values against the evils of the United States and Steve Austin.

Commentary, all in cowboy hats (Lawler’s don’t fit, Vince’s is white and JR’s is…well it’s JR’s hat), preview the show.

HHH vs. Mankind

HHH has Chyna with him and this is a rematch from the King Of The Ring finals where Chyna helped HHH win. Mankind charges in to start fast and hits some slams into a legdrop. A double arm DDT connects but HHH is right back with the facebuster. That just earns him a backdrop out to the floor and there’s the running apron elbow. They fight up the ramp, with HHH being dropped onto the ramp, followed by a right hand to knock him off the apron.

Chyna offers a distraction though and Mankind charges at her, only to get slammed leg first into the steps. The referee is distracted so HHH gets in a chair shot to stay on the leg. HHH drops down onto the leg and goes with the required Figure Four. The referee catches him holding the rope though and breaks it up, allowing Mankind to make the comeback. That includes countering a Pedigree and falling down into a low blow (must be from the Sting feud).

Mankind pounds away in the corner and grabs a Texas piledriver for two. The Cactus Clothesline takes them to the floor where Chyna takes a chair away from Mankind. That lets HHH get in the chair shot, followed by a clothesline from Chyna. Back in and Chyna has to break up the Mandible Claw by crotching him against the post (How did the referee not see that?). They fight back out to the floor and go into the crowd where it’s a countout at 13:12.

Rating: B. This was a good brawl with both of them looking like they wanted to take the other out. That’s what it should have been as they hated each other, which would only get better in the coming weeks when Mankind morphed into Dude Love and ultimately Cactus Jack. These two always had great chemistry together and it worked well.

Post match they brawl into the crowd, with Helmsley being thrown into a penalty box.

We look at the Calgary Stampede parade, with the Hart Foundation included. There were some other events throughout the city, with Bret hart being crazy popular of course.

The Hart Foundation are ready when Steve Austin tries to interrupt, only to be held back by security.

Taka Michinoku vs. Great Sasuke

Hold on though as Mankind and Helmsley are still brawling through the crowd. They fight under some steps and are gone again, I’m sure for the rest of the night. Anyway the bell rings and Sasuke takes him to the mat by the arm, followed by a spinning kick to the chest to take Michinoku down.

The chinlock and headscissors go on but Michinoku fights back up. Sasuke is back with a spinning kick to the face to knock Michinoku silly but he palm strikes Sasuke right back down. A basement dropkick hits Sasuke but he knocks Michinoku outside for a dive, followed by some nasty kicks to the head in the corner. Michinoku fights back with some dropkicks to the leg, with Sasuke heading outside.

That means an awesome looking dive from Michinoku, followed by a hurricanrana back inside. A missile dropkick and the Michinoku Driver get two (you can guess for whom) so Michinoku goes up again, only to get dropkicked out of the air. Sasuke’s springboard moonsault sets up a powerbomb and a tiger suplex for the pin at 10:04.

Rating: B. This worked because it was different than anything else that you would see taking place in the company at this time. No it wasn’t as good as the WCW cruiserweight division, but this gave the fans something to get excited about, you didn’t see it taking place all of the time. Michinoku would go on to have a very nice WWF career, even if the division didn’t take off.

HHH and Mankind are now brawling outside and have to be split up. Again.

Ahmed Johnson is injured (shocking) and Vader is replacing him against Undertaker.

Paul Bearer, with Vader, again accuses Undertaker of murdering his family. It’ll be just like at the Royal Rumble where Vader beat Undertaker. You know, the murderer. Oh and something about Undertaker having a brother who was still alive.

WWF Title: Undertaker vs. Vader

Vader, with Paul Bearer, is challenging. Undertaker wastes no time in knocking him down and the big legdrop gets an early one. Some shots to the shoulder set up Old School for two but Vader is right back up to run him over. Undertaker is right back with the jumping clothesline so Vader grabs a headlock. That’s broken up and Undertaker hits a pair of big boots to put Vader on the floor but he’s fine enough to whip Undertaker knees first into the steps.

Bearer gets in some stomping but Undertaker gets up, drops Vader, and goes after after Bearer, which can’t end well. Naturally Vader catches him from behind, allowing Bearer to get in some shoe shots. Back in and Vader goes with the general assortment of pummeling, with a splash connecting for two.

The right hands in the corner wake Undertaker up though and he gets to slug away at Vader for a change. The Tombstone doesn’t work as Vader is too big, but he can’t get Undertaker up either, with Undertaker landing on him for two. Vader’s standing splash (that always looked cool) sets up the Vader Bomb but Undertaker casually goes low and hits a great looking chokeslam for two more. Another chokeslam gets another two and the Tombstone retains the title at 12:41.

Rating: B-. I mean, it’s Undertaker against a monster who can move around. What else do you need here? The chokeslam off the top looked great and the Tombstone was pretty impressive given Vader’s size. Undertaker was doing well at this point, but everything was about to change for him in an even bigger way. I’m assuming Johnson wasn’t going to win the title here had it been him instead of Vader, but it certainly would have been a big change if it happened. You know, assuming Johnson could go more than four days without getting hurt.

We look at more of the fans loving the Hart Foundation.

We recap the main event. Basically the company is going nuts with violence and carnage, complete with so many people joining factions. All of those battles are nothing compared to Steve Austin vs. the Harts, with Bret Hart blaming Austin and his partners for ruining everything. It’s different in Canada though because the Hart Foundation stand for tradition and everything that is good.

Team America (Austin, the Legion Of Doom, Ken Shamrock and Goldust) are ready to fight. They’re talented stars and they’re trying but they’re walking into a buzzsaw and it’s obvious. Also, as good as they might be, it’s Austin and four warm bodies.

Farmer’s Daughter sings O Canada.

The Premiere of Alberta is here.

Stu and Helen Hart are here, with some of the family near them.

Team America vs. Hart Foundation

One fall to a finish. Goldust, Ken Shamrock and the Legion Of Doom get negative reactions, but it is bordering on hatred for Austin. Naturally, Austin knows EXACTLY how to revel in this and flips the fans off over and over. With that out of the way, it’s time for the incredible part of the show, as the fans literally literally rise to their feet for the Harts’ entrance. Brian Pillman is out first and gets a heck of a welcome, which only gets louder for Jim Neidhart

It’s loud enough that you can’t understand the Fink (who is in his white cowboy hat to be extra festive), and the British Bulldog gets an even louder reaction. Owen Hart makes it even better and it’s finally Bret to cap off the team and blow the roof off of the place. Bret stops to pose with the team on the stage and it’s an amazing sight with him standing next to his family before heading to the ring. Naturally Helen gets the sunglasses as commentary mentions a documentary about Bret being filmed at ringside.

Bret and Austin start things off (like it could be anyone else) and you can feel the energy pick up as the bell rings. Bret knocks him into the corner but Austin is back with right hands of his own and flips off the crowd, only to get clotheslined down to a ROAR. Bret rakes the eyes across the top and the fans are right along with him, only for Austin to get in a low blow.

The Million Dollar Dream (oddly called a cobra clutch by JR) has Bret in more trouble but Austin misses the running crotch attack in the ropes. Neidhart comes in and Austin gives him the Thesz press before handing it off to Shamrock. The ankle lock is loaded up but Pillman, with the biggest grin, comes in for the save (and the fans love it). Pillman comes in and rakes the eyes before a backbreaker gets two. Shamrock gets in the belly to belly to break out of trouble so it’s off to Owen vs. Goldust.

Owen takes over so it’s off to Hawk for the slams and big jumping punch. Owen is right back up with a Sharpshooter attempt so a save has to be made, allowing Bulldog to come in. The delayed suplex gives Bulldog two and it’s back to Bret (with that little sit he would do on the middle rope when he got inside) to face Goldust in what could be interesting. Goldust gets taken into the wrong corner and the pummeling is on, with the fans somehow getting louder.

Owen comes back in and charges into the post but is right back with the spinwheel kick. Animal plants Owen with a powerbomb and powerslam into the Doomsday Device, with Neidhart making the save. Everything breaks down and Austin uses the chance to wrap Owen’s leg around the post. A chair shot has Owen and Bret’s brother Bruce grabbing at Austin, allowing Bret to get the chair away from Austin.

Neidhart is smart enough to draw Owens over to the corner or the tag before going inside to face Austin. Owen is helped up the ramp and the Harts are down by one. Austin gets taken into the corner but fights out, setting up the Stunner to Pillman. Bret pulls the leg out and wraps it around the post, followed by some fire extinguisher shots. That’s enough for Austin to go to the back as well, leaving Neidhart and Animal to get in a test of strength. With that going nowhere, it’s off to Bret vs. Shamrock, with Bret seemingly going low.

That doesn’t do much good as Shamrock sends him chest first into the buckle and considers going low, only to let him up instead. Hawk gets taken outside and sent into the steps as Bulldog comes in to hammer Shamrock down. JR is absolutely on fire here, screaming about what a great sequence it is, at least until Shamrock gets in a low blow. It’s back to Goldust but Pillman is right there to cut him off, meaning bulldog hits a top rope superplex for two.

Austin limps back to ringside and gets the tag…as does Bret. They slug it out with Austin stomping him into the corner but Bret knocks him right back down. The middle rope elbow connects and Bret grabs a sleeper, with Austin jawbreaking his way to freedom. Austin blocks a Sharpshooter attempt and tries one of his own (Lawler: “WHAT?”) but here is Owen for the save. Owen comes back in and gets clotheslined outside, where Austin gets to stomp away. The Hart Brothers jump the barricade, allowing Owen to roll Austin up and grab the trunks for the pin at 24:30.

Rating: A+. This is a great example of a match that is elevated by the crowd and the action is actually secondary to the reactions. The fans are just rabid for the Harts and hate everything about Austin. Those entrances alone are incredible and something I’ll throw on every so often just to feel the energy. You do not see something like this happen very often but it worked incredibly well here. It’s an all time wrestling spectacle and the fans carried it up that much further.

Post match the war is on with the hart Family coming in to take out the losers. Austin goes to leave…and charges back into the ring, for one more hot, only to get beaten down by the entire family, with Bret unloading on him (that’s the kind of thing that made Austin a star, as he just would not give up). Austin is handcuffed by security and taken out as the Hart Family gets inside. Stu Hart is in there, along with complete unknowns Natalya (14) and Tyson Kidd (16). The celebration continues to end the show.

 

Results
Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Mankind went to a double countout
The Great Sasuke b. Taka Michinoku – Tiger suplex
Undertaker b. Vader – Tombstone
Hart Foundation b. Team America – Rollup with trunks to Austin

 

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9.5

The final score: review Amazing

The 411

When the worst match on the show is something that would have been perfectly good on any card, you know you’re looking at an all timer. There is nothing close to bad on the whole thing and they mix it up with a variety of stuff. The first two matches are very good in their own right, but this was all about the main event and that was an absolute home run. Definitely check this out if you haven’t seen it before, but pay close attention to that main event as it doesn’t get much better.