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Monday Night War – Raw History: Episode 197 and Reliving Nitro: Episode 75

August 28, 2017 | Posted by Kevin Pantoja
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Monday Night War – Raw History: Episode 197 and Reliving Nitro: Episode 75  

WWF In Your House: Final Four Results
Marc Mero def. Leif Cassidy in 9:31
The Nation of Domination (Crush, Faarooq & Savio Vega) def. Bart Gunn, Flash Funk & Goldust in 6:43
WWF Intercontinental Title: Rocky Maivia (c) def. Hunter Hearst Helmsley in 12:30
WWF Tag Team Titles: Doug Furnas & Phil Lafon def. British Bulldog & Owen Hart (c) def. via DQ in 10:29
WWF Championship Final Four: Bret Hart def. Steve Austin, Vader & The Undertaker in 24:06 (****½)

 Raw History
Episode #197
February 17th, 1997 | Nashville Arena in Nashville, Tennessee

WWF Champion: Bret Hart (4) since 2/16/97
WWF Intercontinental Champion: Hunter Hearst Helmsley (1) since 10/21/96
WWF Tag Team Champions: Owen Hart and the British Bulldog (1) since 9/22/96

Less than 24 hours ago, Bret Hart won the excellent Final Four match to capture his fourth WWF Title. We’re live in Nashville and Bret must defend it to kick off the show. Vince McMahon, Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler handle commentary.

WWF Championship: Bret Hart (c) vs. Sycho Sid
The rematch from It’s Time never got underway, because Steve Austin ran in and jumped Bret Hart. A pissed Sid got in some shots on Austin, while officials tried breaking things up. Austin chop blocked Sid, before Bret took him down and beat on him. The match doesn’t go down, but that was a hot opening segment. [NR]

THURSDAY RAW THURSDAY ~ Shawn Michaels’ “Lost Smile” promo was recapped.

FINAL FOUR ~ Still images were shown from the Final Four match.

Kevin Kelly interviewed Sid, who said nothing will stop him from winning the WWF Title. Not even Steve Austin.

Marc Mero w/ Sable vs. Savio Vega w/ The Nation of Domination
Sable has recently gotten involved in matches, which could combat some of the NOD stuff. Mero brought the babyface fire early with ARMDRAGS galore. He also hit an ugly cross body. It was sloppier than I’m used to from him. He eventually got dumped outside and JC Ice got in some cheap shots. Sable came over to kick him, getting a bigger pop than anything Mero’s done in the ring. Inside, Mero started with a flurry until NOD chased Sable in the ring, resulting in the DQ at 4:16. Nothing much here and it was all just to set up the post-match angle. [*¼]

Back into a corner, Marc Mero protected Sable until Ahmed Johnson ran out with his trusty 2×4. He wore a ridiculous looking red outfit that made me not take him seriously.

Bret Hart was interviewed in the back and said Sid’s just another contender. Lawler believed Bret was overlooking him, but Bret said the title makes him the best and everyone else are merely contenders. They ask about the Undertaker, because apparently, the winner of Sid/Bret tonight faces Taker at Mania. How exactly did they come to that decision? Vader was the MVP of the Final Four match, though I guess Taker was the runner-up.

WWF Intercontinental Championship: Rocky Maivia (c) vs. Leif Cassidy
Rocky got the Charlie Haas pop. Sunny came out for guest timekeeper duties. She stopped to flirt with Rocky, who is all like, “Eww, a girl.” They plugged her appearance on Entertainment Tonight for being the most downloaded celebrity in AOL history. Man, 1997 was a different time. Cassidy lost to Mero last night, but gets a title shot here. Rocky worked the most basic of offense, while Hunter got split-screen promo time. He claimed Rocky got lucky twice and his issues with Goldust aren’t over. Leif took over for some dull heel offense. The cameras went to a split-screen of the commentators and a fan had an ECW Rules sign behind Lawler. JR plugged Raw coming to the Manhattan Center next week and then Germany the week after. Leif made the mistake of going up top and was slammed down. A flying cross body and shoulder breaker got Rocky the win at 9:34. Way too long for their skill level. Leif was boring and drew no heat, while Rocky was green as hell. [*½]

Jerry Lawler grabbed the ECW Rules sign from the fan and said he was sick of those signs. He called the ECW guys a bunch of misfits who couldn’t make it in the WWF. He lost me a bit when saying signs that said his name were taken at WCW shows, so ECW signs shouldn’t be allowed at Raw. Strange. He laid down a challenge for ECW guys to show up at Raw next week. Not the best promo, but a big deal all things considered.

Goldust and Marlena were brought to the ring for an interview. Last night, Marlena was thrown like a ragdoll by the debuting (though unnamed so far) Chyna. Goldust brought up HHH’s indecent proposal towards Marlena, saying it made things personal. Marlena got promo time, confirming that they play games, but Goldust is 100% all man. Hunter showed up to distract Goldust, allowing Chyna to show up and ragdoll Marlena again. Security carried Chyna off. I always thought this was a great way to introduce Chyna. Marlena was tiny enough to look fantastic while getting thrown around. A female bodyguard was also different, which is good.

The Hardy Boys vs. The Headbangers
No “z” at the end of the Hardy Boys yet. During this match, Faarooq got promo time to complain about Ahmed Johnson living a privileged life now. He challenged him to a Chicago Street Fight at WrestleMania. Do you realize this feud technically started last summer? Most of this was the Headbangers getting offense and the Hardys bumping for them. Commentary focused on talking about the Headbangers’ lifestyle more than the wrestling. The Stage Dive ended things at 4:02. [NR]

Sycho Sid came out for the WWF Title match. Instead of getting it, Steve Austin again ruined things by jumping Bret Hart backstage. Sid went after him again. Officials, including Vince McMahon, tried keeping them apart.

After a break, Gorilla Monsoon promised that, unlike other places, they’re going to bring us the match that was promised.

Flash Funk w/ The Funkettes vs. WWF Tag Team Champion Owen Hart w/ Clarence Mason
This has potential to be quite fun. While they worked a fun back and forth exchange, Paul Heyman called in to commentary and promised to be at Raw next week. RAW IS ECW! The funny thing is, Lawler kept saying ECW had a bunch of nobodies, yet he named a bunch of guys. Owen regrouped with Mason, only for Funk to take him out with a dive. British Bulldog arrived to argue with Mason for nearly costing Owen the match. The action got cut a bit short for a Steve Austin promo, saying he should be WWF Champion because he won the Royal Rumble and Shawn Michaels quit. Funk got two on a moonsault and looked to keep the offense going. Bulldog used Owen’s Slammy to crack Funk in the back of the head. A spinning heel kick later and Owen won at 8:37. Fun little match, but it couldn’t reach its full potential due to the extra stuff going on around it. [**¾]

Bart Gunn vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley
Bart’s a charisma vacuum. They replayed Chyna’s attacks before the match. Honky Tonk Man joined commentary, still looking for a client to manage. HHH is on his radar. Bart’s offense consisted of armbars and rest holds. HHH got in some offense before Goldust ran out. HHH scurried through the crowd and was chased up the steps, getting counted out. Not much here and the finish did nothing. [NR]

INJURY UPDATE ~ Dr. James Andrews said Shawn’s leg injury goes back to something that happened five years ago. Other than informing us that Shawn won’t need surgery, he gives no real news.

WWF Championship: Bret Hart (c) vs. Sycho Sid
Their match at the December PPV was solid (***), so I’m hoping for something similar. Bret went after the leg, but got battered by the big man. He’s game to bump for Sid, making him look great. For what might be the first time ever, Bret busted out the awesome ring post figure four. It’s one of my favorite spots ever and I loved it being part of aggressive Bret’s arsenal. After a break, Sid leveled Bret with a clothesline to stop his momentum. The crowd ate up Bret’s hope spots and rallies. He continued to do small heelish things, like tying Sid up in the ropes. That backfired and showed that this new style may not be the best way to go. Austin showed up, only for Sid to lay him out. Bret slapped on the Sharpshooter, and Sid powered up to try and break it. With the referee focused on Sid, Austin cracked Bret over the head with the chair, breaking the hold. Sid planted Bret with the powerbomb and won his second WWF Title at 11:54. That was way better than expected. It’s up there with the HBK match at Survivor Series for Sid’s best match. There were a few issues with his selling at times, but the story aspects of Bret’s continuing heel tendencies and the atmosphere were both positives. [***¼]

The crowd popped for Sid’s win and even chant his name. His celebration was cut short by a gong, as his WrestleMania opponent, The Undertaker, showed up for a confrontation. They came face to face and Sid didn’t back down.

Reliving Nitro
Episode #75
February 17th, 1997 | Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, Florida

WCW World Heavyweight Champion: Hulk Hogan (2) 8/10/96
WCW United States Champion: Eddie Guerrero (1) since 12/29/96
WCW World Tag Team Champions: The Outsiders (1) since 10/27/96
WCW Television Champion: Lord Steven Regal (3) since 8/20/96
WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Dean Malenko (3) since 1/21/97
WCW Women’s Championship: Akira Hokuto (1) since 12/29/96

We opened to a shot of the nWo arriving in a limousine. The group has reached a ridiculous level in terms of numbers, and it will only get worse. In an interesting twist, the group doubled back because one of their members was attacked. The camera doesn’t catch who it is, but how we’ve got a WHODUNIT?

Tony Schiavone and Larry Zbyszko hosted hour one.

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Super Calo
I quite enjoyed their Fall Brawl match last year (***), though this won’t get as much time. Tony Schiavone informed us that we’ll be going to Alcatraz later, because Roddy Piper has locked himself up as part of his training. Calo brought the high spots, including a pretty wild springboard dropkick to the outside. Schiavone continued with the announcements, saying the Steiners won’t compete at SuperBrawl due to a car crash on Saturday. He suspects Hall and Nash. Cameras cut backstage, where Big Bubba is confirmed as the guy who got taken out, and he got ambulance treatment. Rey hit some high spots as well, capping it with the springboard rana to win at 6:02. Fun little opener. They worked the lucha style to get the crowd going and succeeded at it. [**¾]

Hugh Morris vs. Steve McMichael w/ Debra
Where the last match was a high flying battle, this was based around power. They clobbered one another and Mongo brought his football skills to the forefront. Morris got in control, though, killing any potential fun this had. We even got some words from Debra at ringside. Ugh. She was useful in sliding him the briefcase, which he used to block No Laughing Matter and win at 4:21. Kind of a dumb finish because the briefcase should’ve hurt Mongo just as much as Morris. [½*]

RECAP ~ The Piper/Hogan segment with Piper’s son was recapped.

Non-Title Match: WCW Cruiserweight Champion Dean Malenko vs. Robbie Brookside
Malenko got mic time before the match to threaten Syxx, who has his title. He also mentioned how his dad trained Syxx. Brookside is a notable jobber, and currently works as a trainer for the WWE Performance Center. They had some solid counter wrestling early on, more than you’d expect in a match like this. Their fun little exchange ended with a rough looking transition into a Texas Cloverleaf at 2:54. [NR]

Syxx came out for a promo, saying his respect for Boris died with him, because he never liked Dean. He claimed Dean was ducking him since he arrived in WCW. Dean chased him to the back.

Syxx returned with the Outsiders after the break, this time to confront commentary. They’re not happy they’re being accused of the Steiners’ car crash and said they had footage to prove it. Larry Zbyszko nearly got into it with Hall, but the nWo decided against fighting.

The Amazing French Canadians w/ Col. Robert Parker vs. Public Enemy
Public Enemy are part of the SuperBrawl Triangle match. Harlem Heat and the Faces of the Fear, the other teams involved, watched from the audience. A brawl started it before the AFC worked a heat on Grunge. We got the old false hot tag behind the referee’s back spot. It led to an attempted Quebecer Crash, but Grunge avoided it. He made the real hot tag and a table came into play. Jacques accidentally whacked his buddy with Parker’s cane, before Rocco put him through the table. They rolled Pierre inside, where Rocco pinned him to win at 4:46. Solid enough tag. It had a rushed formula, but I understood why. [*½]

Mean Gene interviewed DDP by the stage about Big Bubba’s attack. DDP played innocent, saying he just arrived at the arena and had no idea Bubba was jumped. Gene didn’t quite believe him, but let him go with no further questions.

SATURDAY NIGHT ~ Jeff Jarrett will face Konnan, Ice Train goes against Super Calo and Rey Mysterio takes on Villano IV!

WCW Television Championship: Lord Steven Regal (c) vs. Prince Iaukea
Before the match, Gene got a word with Regal, who put over his title reign. He also threatened Mysterio, his opponent for SuperBrawl. There’s a hilarious note of how old this is when commentary said they couldn’t get the nWo footage quickly because of the kind of VHS tape it is. The technology was too much. Regal jawed with the fans a bunch, killing time. Regal dominated at times, but did a bit too much bullshitting. Iaukea rolled him up and got the surprise three count at 3:32. Well, it was a surprise to us but not to Schiavone, who counted three before the referee. Nothing match and a bad decision, because Iaukea wasn’t ready for this and Regal was doing fine as champion. Horrible decision and match. It was clear they just did this for shock value and maybe to combat Rocky Maivia’s win on TV last week. [DUD]

HOUR NUMBER TWO! Mike Tenay and Bobby Heenan replaced Zbyszko. The nWo stuff that opened the show was recapped here.

Nick Patrick vs. Randy Anderson
Oh, my god, they gave Anderson pyro. That’s my favorite thing Nitro has ever done. If Anderson wins, he gets his job back. The referee handed Anderson a foreign object. Patrick, looking completely like Kenny Powers, acted like a dick until Anderson knocked him out at 0:43. [NR]

Eric Bischoff instantly came out to contest the result. Not only did he reverse the decision, but he also fired the referee who helped Randy, Jimmy Jett. The pop for Randy’s win was great, but now the angle is going on for too long.

Chris Benoit w/ Woman vs. Roadblock
Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was shown in the front row. Roadblock has been one of the more consistently appearing jobbers on Nitro. Benoit was aggressive from the start and Woman even got in a slap. That was to show that she’s not scared to get physical when she’s tied to Jackie at SuperBrawl. Benoit won via flying headbutt at 2:30. [NR]

Time to go to the Outsiders’ video. It’s shot by Syxx, who is in the backseat. Nash drove, while Hall was riding shotgun. They found the Steiners putting gas in their car and decided to follow them. They rear end them, causing the Steiners to flip out. The two cars drive side by side and yell at each other, when the Steiners accidentally drove off road and flipped their car. Why would the Outsiders hand over this footage? They were clearly involved. That’s just dumb.

Mean Gene interviewed Kevin Sullivan, Jimmy Hart and Jacqueline by the stage. Hart talked about the stages of the Benoit/Sullivan feud, Sullivan rambled on about nothing forever and Jacqueline said Nancy has a big butt. THEM IS FIGHTING WORDS!

Kevin Sullivan w/ Jacqueline and Jimmy Hart vs. Doc Dean
Doc Dean has one of the most jobberific names and looks. It’s all bad. He got his ass handed to him by both Sullivan and Jacqueline. The tree of woe and double stomp mercifully ended this at 3:21. [NR]

Jacqueline got in some elbow drops after the match.

WCW United States Championship: Eddie Guerrero (c) vs. Konnan
They had a fun match (***¼) at Uncensored 1996. They started with a quick pace, similar to that outing. Konnan slowed things with a chinlock. Eddie fought out and guess what? Got put right back in the chinlock. Eddie finally rallied and hit a brainbuster, but Konnan cut off the Frog Splash. They fought up top, but Eddie shoved him to the mat and hit the Frog Splash. The Faces of Fear randomly jumped in for the DQ finish at 6:04. Lame stuff. Konnan was clearly just killing time until the finish. [*]

Chris Jericho, Eddie’s opponent for Sunday, ran out and made the save. The tough Dungeon of Doom scattered. We got the clichéd moment where Eddie and Jericho backed into one another.

Can’t go an episode of Nitro without Four Horsemen drama. Mean “BAH GAWD” Gene brought them out for their weekly promo. Flair yelled about nothing, while Arn chimed in regarding subjects he’s not involved in (the nWo and Bischoff). Mongo made a football reference, before saying he would beat Jeff Jarrett at SuperBrawl. Debra killed time, saying the same thing she says every week and bringing nothing to the table. Gene looked ready to drive a spike through his brain. Benoit went last and spoke about Sullivan’s demons. It was a bit weird.

The Giant vs. Johnny Swinger and Top Gun
Swinger would make a small name for himself in ECW in a few years. Top Gun is just a generic masked jobber. Giant chokeslammed both to win at 0:40. [NR]

Lex Luger came out with his medical release signed so he can compete at SuperBrawl. That obviously brought out Eric Bischoff, who said Luger needed that form last week. Luger can’t compete at SuperBrawl, but promised to be there. They chased him to the back to end the segment. This didn’t accomplish much, except to remind us that Bischoff is an ass.

ALCATRAZ ~ Roddy Piper cut a promo from his cell. It’s a wild promo, with Piper whispering and yelling. He called Hogan a phony and said he was “getting mean to the extreme.” Piper will be staying at Alcatraz for a week until SuperBrawl. For a guy who wanted to be home with his kids, he’s not doing a good job of that.

Chris Jericho vs. Jeff Jarrett
Debra came out to cheer on Jarrett, even though he’s her husband’s opponent on Sunday. Jericho held the upper hand until Debra told him not to hurt Jarrett. Mongo showed up too, just as Jarrett put Jericho in the Figure Four. Debra distracted the referee, so Mongo went in and hit Jarrett with the briefcase. Jericho rolled over and covered him a 2:30. Too short to rate. Debra was pissed at Mongo, who innocently claimed he thought that’s what she wanted. [NR]

They’ve officially passed the two hour mark, but it’s Hollywood Hulk Hogan time. He’s with Bischoff, Ted Dibiase and Elizabeth. They bragged about how Hogan will beat Piper and how crazy Roddy is acting. The fans erupted because Sting and Randy Savage arrived on the stage. The nWo didn’t notice them until Sting started walking towards the ring. Savage stopped him and they went to the back. Once they left, the nWo just finished bragging. This was clearly only here to get Sting, Savage and Hogan on the show. It did nothing to advance anything.

Raw Rating: 2.1
Nitro Rating: 2.9

5.5
The final score: review Not So Good
The 411
Raw: More of this, please. They booked this show very well. With Nitro stomping them in the ratings war, Raw needed to hook viewers. The Austin/Hart/Sid stuff did just that, touched upon it against halfway through, and capped off in an exciting and logical way. The Bret/Austin feud is so phenomenal and this show added to it. I didn’t care much for the IC Title match and the opener, but both served their purpose. The Headbangers got shine, the Bulldog/Owen and Goldust/HHH stories were advanced and the promise of ECW coming next week makes this show an easy winner. 8.0

Nitro: This episode felt overly long. I thought the Rey/Calo opener was solid, but most of the other things fell flat. The Outsiders video was dumb, while the referee angle was ruined by forcing it to continue. The Iaukea title switch was pointless and stupid. I also didn’t care much for the Piper interview and definitely didn’t like the ending segment. However, they at least put in some effort to touch upon each match scheduled for SuperBrawl.3.0

legend

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Monday Night War, Nitro, RAW, WCW, WWE, Kevin Pantoja