CONTACTABOUTFACEBOOKTWITTERPODCAST IPHONE APPANDROID APPAMAZON APPRSS
Pro Wrestling Torch
Pro Wrestling Torch Reaches The Most Wrestling Fans Every Week: #1 in iTunes • #1 on iPhone and iPad • #1 on Android • #1 on Kindle
GOT THE PWTORCH APP YET?
iPhone & iPad
Android
Amazon Kindle
Windows Phone
PWTorch Phone App
THE SPECIALISTS
APR. 14 IN HISTORY: This 1997 Raw episode captures why WWF/E was struggling against WCW

Apr 14, 2014 - 8:47:42 AM
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO BOOKMARK US & VISIT US DAILY


Rock_Wide_GG_7.png



This Day In Wrestling History - April 14

Date: April 14, 1997 (17 years ago)

Feature: Coming out of WrestleMania 13, WWF was struggling to find the right mix of talent to keep up with WCW in the Monday Night Wars. The Rock had yet to become The Rock (he lost to Savio Vega this week), Triple H had yet to form DX with Shawn Michaels, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was one year away from winning the WWF Title at WM14, The Sultan was still a featured act, and the main event was Ahmed Johnson vs. Crush. ...

Torch Back-Issue: PWTorch Newsletter #436.

Not a VIP member? Find out how to access over 1,000 PWTorch Newsletter back-issues right now by CLICKING HERE - PWTorch.com/GoVIP.

WWF Raw Results
April 14, 1997
Taped in Muncie, Ind. and Johannesburg, S.Africa
Report by Wade Keller, PWTorch editor


The show opened with the fireworks show "back in the U.S." (taped last week in Muncie, Ind.). Vince McMahon & Jim Cornette introduced the broadcast team in South Africa where some matches on the program would be taking place. Jim Ross & Honky Tonk Man introduced themselves as they panned the South African crowd...

(1) The Godwinns beat The Road Warriors at 9:00 thanks to interference from Owen Hart & British Bulldog. Bulldog nailed Animal on the back of his head with the tag title belt... They went back to South Africa with Ross and HTM. They understandably didn't bring the superscreen and the rest of the Raw set to South Africa despite taping Raw there...

(2) Hunter Hearst Helmsley beat Jesse James at 14:52. Honky Tonk Man said he will never be able to forgive and forget what James did to him. He said when he gets upset, he gets on a roll. Late in the match, as James pounded on Hunter in the corner, HTM left the broadcast table to distract James. After he grabbed James's leg, Hunter gave a distracted James the Pedigree. Chyna distracted the ref. After the match James challenged HTM to a fight. HTM said James will have to wait until Sunday for his neck to be broke by his protege, but then his temper got the best of him and he climbed to the ring apron. The fan heat intensified, but after teasing entering the ring, HTM chose to return to the broadcast table...

(3) Savio Vega pinned Rocky Maivia at 17:35. An inset interview took place with Ahmed Johnson who praised the fans of South Africa but promo'd his match later on Raw. Late in the match Maivia scored a series of two counts. He hit a DDT, kipped up, and then hit his top rope bodyblock. Rather than pin him, he played to the crowd and set up a shoulderbreaker. Savio escaped the shoulderbreaker and surprised him with a schoolboy and a yank on the tights for a three count. The NOD stormed the ring and attacked Maivia. Ahmed made the save and cleared the ring...

Vince McMahon interviewed Steve Austin. McMahon told Austin he has the match he wants against Bret Hart. Austin complained about McMahon and Gorilla Monsoon holding him back. McMahon said, "With all due respect, talent can't be held down." Austin said Bret may complain about being screwed by McMahon and Monsoon, but he hasn't been screwed yet because he hasn't been screwed by Stone Cold. He said win, lose, or draw it doesn't matter because he will "beat the living hell out of Bret Hart." (Sounds like Austin is doing the job against Bret, huh?) Austin began to shoot a bit on Bret, saying Bret is copying him, his gimmick, his walk, and the skull design on his trunks, but concluded that Bret may try to imitate him, but he will whip his ass nonetheless...

(4) Goldust beat Sultan (w/Iron Sheik) at 13:00. Goldust sported a new face-paint pattern. At 7:25 Hunter ran into the ring and attacked Goldust. Chyna joined in. Hunter and Sultan spike-piledrove Goldust. Sultan then applied the camel clutch as Hunter punched away at him. Sultan then bashed Goldust with the flag. WWF officials came to the ring to stop the attack. The heels eventually just left on their own as the fans booed... They showed the animated Bret Hart visiting the Simpsons and plugged the airing of that show on Fox... They showed Bret Hart in Kuwait insulting the United States and hyping his match against Steve Austin. Given how heavily hyped the Bret interview was, it didn't turn out to be much...

(5) Mankind & Vader beat The Head Bangers at 5:45. After the match Mankind couldn't see well and he applied the Mandible Claw on Vader, not realizing it was his partner. Paul Bearer pried Mankind off of Vader and scolded him... They went back to Ross and HTM in South Africa. The lights at the stadium went out and Undertaker spoke over the p.a. system promo'ing his match at the PPV. He did not show up, though, and they cut to a commercial as the camera panned to the sky...

(6) Ahmed Johnson beat Crush (w/The NOD) at 11:30. During the match Ross hyped IYH by saying the WWF has done PPV longer than anyone and better than anybody. Savio Vega came to the ring late in the match. Later Crush choked Ahmed with a strap as the NOD distracted the ref. Crush set up the heart punch. Ahmed came back with a spin kick and rolled him up for the three count. After the match Faarooq challenged Ahmed. He said if Ahmed could beat him, Savio, and Crush on one night, he would relinquish (huh?) the entire NOD... Throughout the show it seemed Ross was trying to get viewers to stay tuned through sheer will, but given this lackluster show it couldn't have worked.

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]


We suggest these recent related articles...
10/5 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Natalya vs. Paige, Owens vs. Cara, Stephanie McMahon, Sasha Banks, Xavier Woods
COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: The History of Foam Hands in Pro Wrestling
9/28 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Kane's Split Personality, Divas Revolution, Heyman & Big Show, Reigns vs. Wyatt
prowrestling.net
CLICK HERE FOR EVEN MORE PW.NET HEADLINES


CLICK TO EMAIL THIS ARTICLE
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAIN LISTING

NEW! SIGN UP FOR FREE PWTORCH BREAKING NEWS EMAIL ALERTS
BECOME A PWTORCH VIP MEMBER
-FORMER MEMBERS LOGIN HERE TO RENEW
-NEW MEMBERS CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
SELECT BY ARTICLES CATEGORY
SEARCH PWTORCH.COM



CLICK HERE FOR LIST OF UPCOMING PRO WRESTLING EVENTS
MORE HEADLINES AT AFFILIATE SITES
MMATorch
LATEST HEADLINES - CLICK TO READ CLICK HERE FOR MORE MMATORCH HEADLINES


PWTORCH POLL - VOTE NOW!
RAW POLL 10/12: Vote on Monday's show
 
pollcode.com free polls


RAW POLL 10/12: What was the Best Match on Raw?
 
pollcode.com free polls
MCNEILL LIVECAST POLL: TNA will have a 32-person tournament to determine a new Hvt. champion - your thoughts?
 
pollcode.com free polls
CENA POLL: If John Cena takes a year-end break, who should win the U.S. Title from Cena?
 
pollcode.com free polls
VOTE IN OR SEE RESULTS OF PREVIOUS POLLS



LATEST HEADLINES - CLICK TO READ CLICK HERE FOR EVEN MORE INC HEADLINES

_
LATEST FREE AUDIO SHOWS - CLICK TO LISTEN VIEW MORE PWTORCH LIVECAST EPISODES
DOWNLOAD PWTORCH LIVECAST APP
SUBSCRIBE TO PWTORCH LIVECAST IN ITUNES


ABOUT US

THE TORCH REACHES MORE COMBAT ENTERTAINMENT FANS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

PWTorch editor Wade Keller has covered pro wrestling full time since 1987 starting with the Pro Wrestling Torch print newsletter. PWTorch.com launched in 1999 and the PWTorch Apps launched in 2008.

He has conducted "Torch Talk" insider interviews with Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Steve Austin, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Eric Bischoff, Jesse Ventura, Lou Thesz, Jerry Lawler, Mick Foley, Jim Ross, Paul Heyman, Bruno Sammartino, Goldberg, more.

He has interviewed big-name players in person incluiding Vince McMahon (at WWE Headquarters), Dana White (in Las Vegas), Eric Bischoff (at the first Nitro at Mall of America), Brock Lesnar (after his first UFC win).

He hosted the weekly Pro Wrestling Focus radio show on KFAN in the early 1990s and hosted the Ultimate Insiders DVD series distributed in retail stories internationally in the mid-2000s including interviews filmed in Los Angeles with Vince Russo & Ed Ferrara and Matt & Jeff Hardy. He currently hosts the most listened to pro wrestling audio show in the world, (the PWTorch Livecast, top ranked in iTunes)


REACHING 1 MILLION+ UNIQUE USERS PER MONTH
500 MILLION CLICKS & LISTENS PER YEAR
MILLIONS OF PWTORCH NEWSLETTERS SOLD
PWTORCH STAFF

EDITORS:
Wade Keller, editor
(kellerwade@gmail.com)

James Caldwell, assistant editor
(pwtorch@gmail.com)

STAFF COLUMNISTS:
Bruce Mitchell (since 1990)
Pat McNeill (since 2001)
Greg Parks (since 2007)
Sean Radican (since 2003)

We also have a great team of
TV Reporters
and Specialists and Artists.

PWTORCH VIP MEMBERSHIP

PWTorch offers a VIP membership for $10 a month (or less with an annual sub). It includes nearly 25 years worth of archives from our coverage of pro wrestling dating back to PWTorch Newsletters from the late-'80s filled with insider secrets from every era that are available to VIPers in digital PDF format and Keller's radio show from the early 1990s.

Also, new exclusive top-shelf content every day including a new VIP-exclusive weekly 16 page digital magazine-style (PC and iPad compatible) PDF newsletter packed with exclusive articles and news.

The following features come with a VIP membership which tens of thousands of fans worldwide have enjoyed for many years...

-New Digital PWTorch Newsletter every week
-3 New Digital PDF Back Issues from 5, 10, 20 years ago
-Over 60 new VIP Audio Shows each week
-Ad-free access to all PWTorch.com free articles
-VIP Forum access with daily interaction with PWTorch staff and well-informed fellow wrestling fans
-Tons of archived audio and text articles
-Decades of Torch Talk insider interviews in transcript and audio formats with big name stars.


**SIGN UP FOR VIP ACCESS HERE**

CONTACTABOUTFACEBOOKTWITTERPODCASTIPHONE APPANDROID APPAMAZON APPRSS
VIP SIGN-UP
VIP LOGIN
THE TORCH: #1 IN COMBAT ENTERTAINMENT COVERAGE | © 1999-2013 TDH Communications Inc. • All rights reserved -- PRIVACY POLICY