SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following is Wade Keller’s detailed report on the Sept. 21, 1997 edition of Monday Night Raw, originally published in PWTorch Newsletter #459 (cover-dated Sept. 27, 1997.
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KELLER’S WWF MONDAY NIGHT RAW REPORT
SEPTEMBER 21, 1997
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
AIRED ON USA NETWORK
[Q1: 2.1]…
A three minute feature aired on the rich wrestling history in Madison Square Garden, beginning with an outdoor overhead shot of the arena followed by footage of Hulk Hogan, Superstar Graham, Bruno Sammartino, Andre the Giant and Bob Backlund followed by more recent stars. Jim Ross narrated and told viewers to stay tuned for what could be the “defining moment for the World Wrestling Federation” as Raw invaded MSG… Vince McMahon introduced the show as the camera panned the arena and did a very good job getting across the special atmosphere of MSG…
(1) Ahmed Johnson beat Rocky Maivia at 4:56 with the Pearl River Plunge to advance in the Intercontinental Title tournament. The rest of the NOD came to the ring with Rocky, but Sgt. Slaughter ordered them to the back. Captain Lou Albano, the most annoying man in all of wrestling, showed up at ringside (please, no!) taking notes. The WWF should either do something with him or leave him at home, but quit marching him out every few months only to disappear without explanation. Ahmed scored a clean win to advance… McMahon, Ross, and Jerry Lawler previewed the rest of Raw, showing off their new announcing desks in the process. They look fancy and expensive enough that nobody’s going to be crashing through those anymore… Steve Austin interrupted from the crowd. He said there is no way they can hold a Raw in MSG without him and said somebody is going to get the Stone Cold Stunner…
[Q2: 2.3]…
They showed Floyd Patterson, the head commissioner of the New York State Athletic Commission… Highlights aired of the One Night Only PPV with still shots of Shawn Michaels beating British Bulldog for the WWF European Title… McMahon interviewed Undertaker in mid-ring. McMahon revealed that the winner of the cage match at Badd Blood would face Bret Hart at Survivor Series. McMahon said not only would there be a roof on the cage, but the underside of the ring would be thoroughly searched to prevent anyone from popping up through the floor. Michaels’s music interrupted Undertaker during his clichéd interview. Michaels said, “Is it my imagination or is the WWF once again trying to give the Heartbreak Kid the shaft? First you stick me in SummerSlam as the no-nonsense special referee and everyone comes down on HBK. Then you try to stick me in a match with Undertaker in the hopes that he can bury me alive. Now you stick me in a cage with death itself and then conveniently decide that after that the winner of the match will get a shot at the WWF Champion. Why don’t you just give him a WWF Title match? Just because I’m the only man in the WWF to hold every title in the WWF, you still have the nerve to ask me to earn it? You know who the hell I am? Dead man, I’ve got news for you. Unless you are a real hot mama, which you ain’t, I do not lay down for anybody. And the Heartbreak Kid is looking for a garden party, my friend, and HBK is in the house. And I’ve got news for you, pal. At Hell in the Cell, the Heartbreak Kid is going to do what he always does and that is be one step ahead of you. Undertaker, at Hell in the Cell, I will bring the pain and Dead Man all you got to do is show up.” The camera then abruptly cut away from the interview…
[Q3: 2.4]…
Sunny came out to her entrance music, getting a big pop in the process, and introduced the next match…
(2) The Legion of Doom beat Kama Mustafa & Faarooq via DQ. Before the match began they showed the LOD on the Fox News Channel interrupting the weather forecast. The match itself was typical, ending with a lame run-in leading to a four-on-two. Ross pointed out that Ken Shamrock was not in the arena due to his injury. Ahmed Johnson ran to the ring and immediately reinjured his knee. Just kidding. The NOD soon overwhelmed Ahmed. A half dozen WWF officials ran to the ring to try to restore order as the bell frantically rang. The NOD finally left on their own…Owen Hart came to the ring to new entrance music that had the flavor of Taz’s intro music. Brian Pillman again dragged Marlena to the ring. McMahon announced that to celebrate the end of Marlena’s nightmare at the end of the month Goldust and Marlena would be holding a second a marriage ceremony on Oct. 6. Expect that to be the surprise turn by Marlena on Goldust. Before the match began Pillman made more suggestive comments about what he has been doing with Marlena. He said he slipped in the bathtub while “repositioning himself” with Marlena and broke his arm. He announced he had to forfeit the match. Slaughter then came to the ring and demanded to see X-rays and a doctor’s report. Pillman stammered and said they were in the hotel room. Slaughter threw the mic at Pillman and told him to “think fast.” Pillman caught the mic with his “bad arm.” Slaughter said Pillman would wrestle or else leave the WWF for good…
[Q4: 2.6]…
(3) Owen Hart beat Brian Pillman via DQ at 7:12. Early in the match Owen and Pillman broke clean in the corner. McMahon said it was just a matter of time before they turned on each other. They wrestled very loosely, obviously not to hurt each other. Pretty hilarious. McMahon cut to a commercial in disgust. Upon returning, tempers soon flared. Marlena hit Owen on the back of the head and then blamed Pillman, which set off Owen. At 7:00 they collided in mid-ring with simultaneous bodyblocks (a la Alex Wright vs. Disco Inferno an hour earlier). Goldust then ran into the ring and attacked Pillman, who soon slid out of the ring, grabbed Marlena, and ran to the back. Owen gloated over his apparent DQ win after the match. As he gloated Austin attacked him from behind. The McMahon-Austin angle then played out (see “Cover Story”)…
[Q5: 2.2]…
The Warzone hour opened with brief acknowledgement of the death of Bulldog Bob Brower. Good to see the big two promotions make a policy out of acknowledging the deaths of wrestlers who worked for them in the past… Ross and Lawler reflected on what happened to McMahon… Lawler interviewed Rhonda Sheer from “USA Up All Night” at ringside…
(4) Cactus Jack beat Hunter Hearst Helmsley (w/Chyna) in a falls count anywhere match at 13:40. It was advertised as Dude Love vs. Hunter. Dude appeared on the TitanTron and said a “falls count anywhere” match isn’t his style match. He said, “I know somebody whose bag it is. He’s my man, a cooky kind of cat. Let’s bring him out.” Then Mankind sat next to Dude Love, giving the impression they are two people. They exchanged a few words before revealing that the real king of the “falls count anywhere” match is Cactus Jack. Dude said, “Cactus Jack is back.” Cactus appeared on screen with Dude and Mankind. Cactus then appeared in the entryway and fans popped. Soon a very loud “ECW, ECW” chant broke out. At the start Cactus attacked Hunter with a metal garbage can. A huge “ECW, ECW” chant rang out for a few seconds. Ross said, “Cactus Jack is as hardcore as anybody can be.” Cactus beat on Hunter at ringside, including a neckbreaker on the exposed ring floor. They brawled into the back of MSG in the locker room area. Hunter got a two count. Cactus came back by spraying Hunter in the face with a fire extinguisher. Back in the ring Hunter took a good bump over the top rope to the floor. Cactus went for an elbowdrop off the second rope to the floor, but Hunter moved and Cactus elbowed a garbage can instead…
[Q6: 2.2]…
Upon returning from the commercial break, Hunter was attacking Cactus with a mop. At 10:00 Chyna hit Cactus with a chair. She tried again, but Cactus grabbed the chair. Hunter kicked Cactus from behind shoving him into Chyna, who hit her head on the metal ring stairs and appeared to be knocked out. Cactus and Hunter exchanged moves and two counts on the steel rampway. The bout ended when Cactus piledrove Hunter through a table. After the pinfall Hunter didn’t move and Cactus stumbled trying to rise to his feet… Lawler and Ross plugged the Survivor Series Super Summer Sweepstakes where fans can win a chance to eat with a WWF superstar. At least you know the WWF won’t fix that contest in their favor… An MSG classic clip aired of Andre vs. John Studd (mgd. by Bobby Heenan)…
[Q7: 2.3]…
They replayed the Austin-McMahon stunner and replayed the highlight package from One Night Only… Shawn Michaels came out and Ross said, “We weren’t prepared for this. Shawn Michaels with a live mic.” He called out Undertaker. Rick Rude, Hunter, and Chyna attacked Undertaker…
[Q8: 2.5]…
(5) Bret Hart beat Goldust at 12:50 in a non-title match with the sharpshooter. Before the match Bret talked about facing either Undertaker or Michaels at the Survivor Series. He said after what Michaels did to Bulldog two nights earlier in the UK, their paths would cross eventually. Ross wondered how Goldust could concentrate knowing what Marlena was going through. Lawler opened up the joke book on Marlena. “It wasn’t until Marlena turned 20 that she realized cars have a front seat,” he said. As they cut to a commercial Michaels showed up on the rampway. Bret continued to work over Goldust’s leg as Michaels dodged fan debris being thrown his way. Fans chanted “faggot” at Michaels. Instead of selling it as if he was upset, Michaels encouraged the chants. Bret won with the sharpshooter, but wouldn’t break the hold. Michaels attacked Bret. Hunter, Owen, a limping Bulldog, and Rude all entered the ring. Jim Neidhart came out (yippie!) next and Undertaker followed and chokeslammed both Michaels and Bret… Overall a really good show… [WK]
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