Greg McNeish Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 WWF 1997: What Could Have Been Monday, Week 1, November 1997 The WWF world is bubbling with anticipation, as we are just one week away from the 11th Annual Survivor Series, this year coming to you from the Molson Centre, in beautiful Montreal, Quebec, Canada. La Belle Province may never be the same, as heated rivals Shawn Michaels, and Canada's own Bret 'The Hitman' Hart will lock horns for Hart's WWF Championship, in a rematch from last year's epic 1-Hour Ironman match, at Wrestlemania XII. Also on the card, is another rematch, as Owen Hart puts his Intercontinental Championship on the line, against the returning 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. The last time these men met in the ring, Owen Hart broke Steve Austin's neck, with a piledriver. Ever since then, Hart has been bragging about the feat, while Austin has been itching to even the score. Recently, Austin has had run-ins with WWF Owner, Vince McMahon. Austin is anxious to make his return, but McMahon still has questions about his health and safety. He has announced that Austin must sign a waiver, or he'll be barred from competing. Last month, in the first-ever Hell in a Cell, The Undertaker's long-lost "little" brother, Kane, made his stunning debut, ripping the door off the cell, and dropping The Undertaker with a tombstone. At the Survivor Series, Kane will make his Pay-Per-View debut against another demented competitor, Mankind. In the past year, we've seen three different "Faces of Foley", but none has had the level of success that Mankind has experienced. Last, but certainly not least, there will be 4 traditional Survivor Series matches: The Truth Commission will meet the imposing biker gang, the Disciples of Apocolypse. The Legion of Doom will join forces with Ken Shamrock, and Ahmed Johnson to face the Nation of Domination. In a tag team showcase, the New Age Outlaws and the Goddwin Cousins face-off against the Headbangers and the New Blackjacks. Finally, the unlikely grouping of Vader, Goldust, Marc Mero, and Steve Blackman will constitute "Team USA" against "Team Canada", consisting of Hart Foundation-members Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart, and the British Bulldog, and two mystery teammates. Join us this Monday Night, on the USA Network, for RAW is WAR, as everyone looks to make one last statement, before this weekend's huge Pay-Per-View event. OOC: The above card is the actual card from the 1997 Survivor Series, infamous for the Montreal Screwjob. I don't have any announced matches for the first RAW, but following that there will be show previews of upcoming shows, accompanying Heat results. The exception will be PPV weekends, where I'll be treating Heat as a PPV pre-show, that will include story-relevant content. Other Heat episodes will be standard B-show fare, so I won't bore you with full recaps. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg McNeish Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 RAW is WAR Monday, Week 1, November 1997 Verizon Wireless Arena; Manchester, NH (New England) 10,000 (Sellout) TV Intro B+ Ahmed Johnson vs. Kane w/ Paul Bearer Kane started out this match, the same way he leaves ring posts: On fire. He controls Johnson with strikes early on, before moving on to some basic slams. As he starts to escalate his offense, Ahmed Johnson takes advantage of a miscue, and turns the momentum of the match in his favour. He unloads a number of homerun shots on Kane, but The Undertaker's younger brother takes a page from the Phenom's book, and sits up after each move. Kane is able to catch Johnson, as Ahmed goes for the Pearl River Plunge, looking to put the big man down for good. Kane quickly regains his dominant form, and seals the victory with a thunderous Choke Slam. Kane defeated Ahmed Johnson in 7:35 by pinfall with a Choke Slam. C- A taped segment with The Undertaker is shown. He talks about Paul Bearer, and his brother Kane. He says that bringing in Kane is simply Bearer playing mind games. However, Paul should know better than anyone, that The Undertaker is the master of mind games. You can't scare the embodiment of terror. He says that Bearer can goad him all he wants, but that he will not face his own brother. If Paul Bearer gets in his way, though, he will rest in peace. B Crush vs. Steve Blackman Two of the toughest men in the WWF face off, as Crush's shear size and power meets Blackman's deadly martial arts skills. They go back and forth throughout the match, with neither man gaining any lengthy periods of control. Eventually, Crush is able to land a big powerslam, that earns him the three count. Crush defeated Steve Blackman in 7:49 by pinfall with a Powerslam. C- Ahmed Johnson is backstage, recovering from his match with Kane, when he is jumped by the Nation of Domination. They leave him down and out, on the floor. C- The New Age Outlaws make their entrance, for their match against the New Blackjacks. Road Dogg tells the Headbangers to watch closely, because the Survivor Series is starting early. E+ The New Blackjacks vs. The New Age Outlaws The New Age Oulaws used every dirty trick in the book, and a few that weren't, to keep the rough-and-tumble New Blackjacks off balance. Blackjack Bradshaw looked really good out there, but his aggression proved to be his team's downfall, as he got into it with Road Dogg, outside the ring, distracting the referee long enough for Billy Gunn to land a low blow on Blackjack Windham, and grab the roll-up, with a handful of tights. New Age Outlaws defeated The New Blackjacks in 7:49 when Billy Gunn defeated Blackjack Windham by pinfall with a handful of tights. D A video plays, highlighting the history between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. It covers the early days, with the Hart Foundation and the Rockers, before moving on to their first PPV match, at the Survivor Series in 1992. The Iron Man match at Wrestlemania XII is then recapped, focussing on time expiring with Michaels in the Sharpshooter, then hitting Sweet Chin Music during overtime, to make the boyhood dream come true. B+ Bret and Owen Hart make their way to the ring, waving Canadian flags, much to the chagrin of the American audience. Owen starts things off, saying that the Hart brothers are going home to Canada, with gold around both of their waists, and they will leave Canada with the gold, as well. He reminds Stone Cold of their last meeting, when he broke Austin's neck at Summerslam, with a piledriver. He tells Austin that if he's dumb enough to step in the ring with him this Sunday, then he'll be lucky if he ever walks again. Bret Hart then takes over, pointing out the footage that we saw a couple minutes ago. He says that he and Michaels have been crossing paths for years, ever since HBK arrived in the WWF. He says that right from day one, the results were always the same, with the Hitman coming out on top. That is, until Wrestlemania XII, when he was robbed of victory. Everyone knew he had the match won, with the Sharpshooter locked in. When the bell rang, that should have been the end of it, and he should have walked out of Anaheim with his title in tact. Instead, he was screwed out of his championship. Now, he's earned back a championship that he never should have lost, and Michaels is looking to repeat history. This time, one thing is different. This time, Hart will be on his home soil. He promises Michaels, the WWF, and especially Vince McMahon that there will be no screwjob in Montreal. B- Vader is backstage, getting ready to head to the ring, to face the British Bulldog, when Goldust and Luna Vachon appear. Goldust tells Vader that he will be watching very closely, in anticipation of getting more intimately aquainted at the Survivor Series. He says that he hopes Vader will be watching his back on Sunday, because he'll certainly be watching his. As Vader looks ready to explode, Goldust licks his lips, and exits, leaving Vader fuming. B- Vader vs. The British Bulldog Goldust seemed to light a fire under Vader, because the big man came out in true dominant form. He used his size to repeatedly muscle the Davey Boy into the corner, and punish him with massive body shots. The Bulldog, living up to his name, fought back valiantly, and used his impressive speed and agility to evade his larger opponent, and his own considerable strength to dish out some punishment of his own. The two went back and forth, until the brawl spilled to the outside. The two kept right at it, ignoring the referee's count. After failed attempts to regain control, the referee counted them both out. Vader drew with British Bulldog in 12:55 following a double count out. C As Vader and the Bulldog continue their fight up the ramp, Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart blindsides Vader, turning it into a 2-on-1 assault. As the numbers game overtakes the big man, Goldust rushes out to make the save. The Hart Foundation members quickly leave the ring, pleased with the damage they've done. Goldust attends to Vader, who looks none too pleased with having been saved by the gold-painted freak. C- A video is shown, highlighting Steve Austin's injury, at the hands of Owen Hart, and his battle to get back in the ring. It shows him stunning Vince McMahon, before being dragged off in handcuffs. McMahon goes on to announce that Austin would be forced to sign a waiver, in order to compete at Survivor Series. B+ Vince McMahon makes his way out to the ring, wearing a suit. In the ring is a couple lawyers, a few police officers, and a table. McMahon wastes no time, calling out 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. As Austin gets in the ring, the police officers step forward, to keep the peace. Austin paces, staring daggers at McMahon, whom tells Austin to settle down, because no one wants to see him go back to jail. McMahon continues to recap their history, and Austin's injury, before getting to the matter at hand. He lays out the conditions of the waiver, and reminds Austin that he will not be allowed to compete, unless he plays by the rules. Austin grabs a microphone, and starts talking back to McMahon, saying that nobody tells him what he can and cannot do. That said, if signing this little piece of paper is all it takes to get his hands on Owen Hart, then he'll ablige. Austin signs the waiver. Vince McMahon thanks him, and says that he's glad that Austin has decided to play by the rules. He wishes Stone Cold good luck, and offers a handshake. Austin reaches for McMahon's hand, but then pops a two-finger salute up in his face, and exits, leaving McMahon shocked, and fuming. A A taped promo airs, with Mankind talking about Kane's tortured past, comparing it to his own. He says that this Sunday, they'll see who has learned the most from their trials. He tells Kane to have a nice day. B WWF European Championship Shawn Michaels © vs. Ken Shamrock Shawn Michaels was clearly less than thrilled about stepping in the ring, 6 days before challenging for the WWF Championship. Even worse, he had to defend his European Title. Even worse, though, was that he was stepping in the ring with the "World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock. Shamrock was all business, as the match started, but HBK took every opportunity to stall, frustrating the former MMA star. He continued with these tactics, until Rick Rude offered a distraction, and Michaels pounced. He dictated the pace, for the first part of the match, following this, using quick strikes, and technical holds to wear down his opponent. Shamrock made a number of comeback attempts, but they were always cut short, either by Michaels' experience, or Rick Rude's timely interference. Michaels and Rude played off each other quite well, throughout the match, never allowing Shamrock the opportunity to gather any momentum. Eventually, though, Michaels' trademark showboating came into play, and Shamrock was able to capitalize on HBK's over-confidence. From there, he began to work his ground-and-pound style, combined with powerful suplexes and slams. Soon, he was able to lock on the Anklelock submission, in the middle of the ring. Michaels did his best to fight it off, but was clearly fading. Just as it appeared that he would tap out, Rick Rude got up on the ring apron, bringing the referee to him, giving Triple H and opening, to come up from behind, and blast Shamrock with the championship belt. HBK then shook off the effects of the move, and connected with Sweet Chin Music, for the successful title defense. Shawn Michaels defeated Ken Shamrock in 20:59 by pinfall with a Sweet Chin Music. Shawn Michaels makes defence number 1 of his WWF European title. B+ Bret Hart comes out, after the bell, and stares down Michaels, from the top of the ramp. Both men look strong, heading into their huge main event, this Sunday, at the Survivor Series. A ************************************* Final Rating: B ************************************* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg McNeish Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 For anyone that feels the urge, this early in the diary, here's a quick prediction key, for the Survivor Series. HEAT will be up shortly. WWF Championship Bret Hart © vs. Shawn Michaels Intercontinental Championship Owen Hart © vs. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin Mankind vs. Kane Disciples of Apocolypse vs. The Truth Commission The Nation of Domination vs. Legion of Doom / Ken Shamrock / Ahmed Johnson New Age Outlaws / Goddwinn Cousins vs. New Blackjacks / Headbangers Vader / Goldust / Steve Blackman / Marc Mero vs. British Bulldog / Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart / ??? / ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg McNeish Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 Sunday Night Heat Sunday, Week 1, November 1997 Verizon Wireless Arena; Manchester, NH (New England) 10,000 (Sellout) Los Boricuas (Savio Vega, Jesus Castillo Jr, Jose Estrada and Miguel Perez Jr.) vs. Barry Horowitz, Bart Gunn, Bob Holly and Leif Cassidy Jim Ross put over the fact that Los Boricuas had requested this match, since they did not have a match on the PPV, and wanted to prove that they were just as worthy as anyone else that got a spot on the card. They did a fine job of that, dominating their opponents, who clearly couldn't keep up with the teamwork of the Puerto Ricans. Bart Gunn had a good showing, and actually managed to eliminate Miguel Perez Jr., before his team fell apart, leaving him alone, against the three remaining Puerto Ricans. He put up a valiant fight, but couldn't overcome the numbers game, eventually falling to Savio Vega. Los Boricuas defeated Barry Horowitz, Bart Gunn, Bob Holly and Leif Cassidy in 9:33. E+ A video plays, recapping Kane's brief career. Highlights include his debut, costing The Undertaker the first ever Hell in a Cell, to his recent activities with Mankind. A TAKA Michinoku vs. Triple H Triple H looked to build on the momentum that Degeneration-X had, coming into the PPV weekend. He didn't have an easy time of it, though, as he faced off with the talented young super junior, TAKA Michinoku. TAKA looked to set a fast pace, right out of the gate, but Triple H was able to stall him, with a combination of technical skills, brawling techniques, and straight up cheating. TAKA, though, demonstrated that he was comfortable working a slow pace as well, as he switched his strategy to a technically sound approach. After some early success, Triple H was able to use his size, strength, and "resourcefulness" to take control, and dictate the rest of the match. After fending off a brief comeback, Triple H hit the Pedigree, and took the relatively clean victory. Triple H defeated TAKA Michinoku in 7:46 by pinfall with a Pedigree. D- A video plays, hyping the Intercontinental Championship match, a rematch from Summerslam. Austin's quest to return to the ring, including his altercations with Vince McMahon are recapped, as well as Owen Hart's mocking of Austin, with his "Owen 3:16" shirts, and catch phrases. B+ Backstage, officials find a badly beaten Marc Mero, but no signs of who assaulted him. The announcers wonder whether he'll be able to compete later tonight. D- 'Double J' Jeff Jarrett makes his way to the ring, accompanied by the Honky Tonk Man, his new manager. Jarrett says that he's upset that he was left off the Survivor Series card tonight. Although he can't change that, he will not be denied a chance to demonstrate the wrestling abilities he possesses, to compliment his immense musical talent. He issues an open challenge to anyone in the back. When no one immediately comes out, Jarrett starts to say that everyone is afraid to face him, because, as he puts it: "Ain't I great?" His self-promotion is cut short, however, when the lights go out, and The Undertaker begins making his way to the ring. B The Undertaker vs. 'Double J' Jeff Jarrett The Undertaker started the match with a bang, as he spent a couple minutes just lighting Jarrett up. His incredible striking ability were formost in his attack, as he wore away at Double J's defenses. Eventually, though, the Honky Tonk Man created a distraction, which gave Jarrett the opening he needed to get some offense in. They proceeded to build a terrific match, as these two worked fantastically well together. In the end, this match ended as most would have predicted, as the Deadman scooped up Jarrett, dropped him with a Tombstone, crossed the arms, and got the victory. The Undertaker defeated Jeff Jarrett in 12:48 by pinfall with a Tombstone. B The show ends with a final plug to purchase the Survivor Series. A hype video is shown, promoting the night's main event: Bret Hart defending the WWF Championship against DX-member, Shawn Michaels. B+ ************************************* Final Rating: C+ ************************************* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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