WWE Raw Flashback
June 2, 1997
Huntington, W. Va.
Originally Published PWTorch Newsletter #443
Report by Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

The show opened with a recap of the Steve Austin-Shawn Michaels situation, including replaying their tag title win and the Hart Foundation attacking them afterward and Austin attacking Bret's knee... Vince McMahon referred to Undertaker as harboring a deep, dark secret as they replayed his submission to Paul Bearer the week before... The Raw is War opening montage aired, followed by McMahon and Jim Ross introducing the program from ringside. Ross guaranteed the unexpected. Undertaker's music then began to play as he came to the ring. As he approached, Ross compared him to Andre the Giant as a "phenom" and said he is currently the most popular athlete internationally...

(1) Faarooq pinned Ahmed Johnson at 2:30. During intros, they recapped the Faarooq-Ahmed Johnson feud. Ross said Ahmed was abused as a child by his father and joined a gang to find support. He said Ivan Putski found Ahmed at a gym and directed Ahmed to enter pro wrestling. A good, intense opening two minutes. Ross ran down Faarooq's Heisman Trophy placement in college. At 2:00 when Ahmed caught Faarooq with a sidewalk slam, D-Lo Brown, Savio Vega, and Crush walked to ringside. Savio tripped Ahmed giving Faarooq the advantage. Undertaker ran to the ring and attacked the NOD. Undertaker whipped Faarooq toward the ringside stairs, but actually knocked Faarooq into Ahmed, who hit the ringpost. The NOD threw Ahmed back into the ring to get pinned by Faarooq...

Ahmed confronted Undertaker after the match for costing him his match. Undertaker responded by chokeslamming Ahmed, and then he left... McMahon interviewed The Hart Foundation in mid-ring...

(2) Owen Hart beat Bob Holly at 3:12 to retain the IC Title. Ross referred to Holly "having a cup of coffee with the Intercontinental Championship before." Ross said Diana Hart, Owen's sister and Bulldog's wife, would be competing in the Mrs. Calgary competition this weekend. They made reference to the rabid crowd, which was incredibly enthusiastic. In another Ross Tidbit, Ross said Holly was a welder ("a very accomplished welder") before getting into pro wrestling. A good, short match ending with the sharpshooter by Owen Hart...

McMahon asked Michaels if he would face Austin at King of the Ring. Michaels said, "McMahon, first of all I respect your guts for giving me a live mic in the mood I'm in." He then accepted the challenge. He messed up a couple of times during the interview and seemed more self-conscious than usual when he did lose his place...

(3) Goldust (w/Marlena) pinned Hunter Hearst Helmsley (w/Chyna) at 3:52. Goldust opened with enthusiasm, gyrating in front of Hunter in the corner, then placing Hunter hand's on his butt and then gyrated some more. He then kissed Hunter and got a big pop from the fans. He did some traditional Dusty Rhodes moves and scored an early two count at 1:20. Ross said the winner of this match would face British Bulldog for the European Title next week on Raw. Ross said that while Chyna trained with Killer Kowalski, she wrestled in drag (dressed as a man) in order to get opponents in training camp. He added that she is a licensed female boxer. At 3:50, Chyna choked Goldust on the middle rope. Marlena yanked Chyna off of Goldust. Hunter flew toward Goldust, but Goldust ducked and he knocked Chyna off the ring apron. Goldust rolled up Hunter from behind for the pin. Hunter argued with the ref afterward. Chyna threw the ref out of the ring...

McMahon interviewed the Road Warriors from the back. He asked them if they have ever had problems getting along. Hawk denied it, and said that would be the demise of Michaels & Austin.... They showed The Road Warriors capturing the WWF Tag Titles on Aug. 26, 1991 from the Nasty Boys at SummerSlam in Madison Square Garden...

(4) The Legion of Doom beat Shawn Michaels & Steve Austin via countout at 10:14 so Austin & Michaels retained the WWF Tag Team Titles. Austin and Michaels came out to their own ring intro music, Austin coming out second. Ross said Michaels had tag success early in his career with Marty Jannetty and Austin did early in his with Pillman. At 9:30 the Hart Foundation returned to ringside. Animal finally got the hot-tag, cleared the ring of Michaels, who dove over the top rope after getting punched by Hawk. Michaels faced the Foundation. Austin grabbed Michaels by the hair to get him back to the ring. They ended up brawling at ringside and getting counted out...

The third installment aired of Jim Ross's interview with Mankind. Ross began: "The evolution of Mankind. What fuels the insanity?" Ross said Mick Foley wasn't successful until unleashing his alter-ego, Cactus Jack. Mankind explained: "What made Cactus Jack different was he just wanted it a little bit more. He was willing to sleep in a filthy car... to forgo romantic relationships to be the best. He was somebody in an era of bodybuilding physiques who carved out his own niche, said I'm going to make it with my own style. I'm going to be exactly who I am and make it my way." Ross said: "Concerned independent promoters asked him to tame his increasingly brutal behavior. But Mick Foley always did things his way. Instead of compromise, he left the United States to seek satisfaction in a bizarre, sadistic wrestling subculture in Japan." Foley talked about hearing all about those bizarre matches in Japan and considered it his destiny. He said: "It didn't matter how mutilated I was physically because I was fulfilled spiritually. For the first time I was respected. I'll go so far as to say I was loved. People lined up and chanted my name, Cactus Jack, Cactus Jack.' They sure as hell didn't line up like they do here to spit on me, to pee in paper cups and pour it on me. I had my dignity and I'm not sure I've got it anymore." Ross asked Mankind about the scars on his left arm. Mankind quoted Shakespeare. "When I look in the mirror, do you know what I see? I see a life fulfilled, a road map of everywhere I've been." Ross said Mankind's most influential moment came on an airplane. Mankind said: "I'm a coach class person. But they took one look at my wounded face, my scarred and battered arm, my stitched hand, my stitched ear and they bumped me up. The woman sitting next to me didn't quite understand that. She spent the money and ended up moving back to coach to get away from me. She felt that much of me that she couldn't stand to be around me. And not a day goes by that I don't think of her face. I stretched out on her seat and I had the ride of my life. I was the death match champion and I had the ability to make people sick"...

(5) Mankind beat Savio Vega at 3:07 to advance to the finals of the King of the Ring. McMahon pointed out that fans were standing and cheering as Mankind walked to the ring. They brawled on the floor. Savio dove off the top turnbuckle onto Mankind on the rampway. Jerry Lawler told Ross nobody cares about Mankind's bizarre and creepy past. At 2:40 as Lawler called Mankind a freak, Mankind grabbed him and yanked him over the announcers' table. Back in the ring Crush hit Savio by mistake and Mankind scored the pin... After the match Crush showed no remorse for his mistake. Savio shoved him into the ropes. Crush attacked Savio. As they brawled, Faarooq began to walk down the rampway, but then decided to just turn around and return to the locker room area and let Savio and Crush brawl... Ross plugged the line-up for King of the Ring...

(6) Undertaker pinned Sid at 4:46 to retain the WWF Title. Ross brought up Sid's background, saying ten years ago he began wrestling for the small Alabama-based promotion, Continental Wrestling, under a mask as Lord Humongous. Ross added that from what he hears, Sid swings the best softball bat in all the WWF. Both Sid and Undertaker got babyface pops. Sid took early offense. At 1:50 Sid chokeslammed Undertaker for a two count. At 2:20 Undertaker made a comeback with a flurry of punches and a choke in the corner. Undertaker escaped a chinlock and ducked a clothesline and hit a flying clothesline. He quickly followed with a tombstone piledriver for the clean three count virtually out of nowhere. Apparently Sid was paying for his questionable time off from WWF rings and the suspicion that he took time off to avoid doing jobs, a la Michaels. After the match Crush, Savio, and Faarooq attacked Undertaker. Sid tried to make the save, but he was soon overwhelmed by the NOD. WWF officials tried to stop Faarooq from whipping Undertaker. The NOD eventually just walked out on their own.

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

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