Sunday, November 17th, 1996
Madison Square Garden
New York City, New York
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This was one of the shows I actually ordered live. However, the show stopped working after the Austin/Bret match and we got a full refund as a result. I do have fond memories of this show, so I am hoping to see how it holds up 30 years later. It's been at least 5 years since I last watched it but probably more. The intro to the show is actually pretty weak by WWF standards.
British Bulldog, Owen Hart & New Rockers vs. Doug Furnas, Phil LaFon & The Godwinns
Speaking of pretty weak, this is certainly an interesting choice to open the show. We get the Karate Fighters blimp in the arena just in case you weren't sure that this was the 90s. I do always love when they do the short entranceway at MSG here. Funas and LaFon will probably forever go down as one of JR's biggest blunders in his time. Speaking of which, we have the trio of Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross on announcing duties today. While this was not technically the opener (there was a Free For All jobber Survivor Series match), the crowd is not into this one at all right now and that's not great. I do like over half of the competitors in here to at least some degree, but the tag division was anything but hot in 1996. It seems as if the heel JR has at least mostly been dropped by this point. Just as I type that, JR calls Phinneas stupid, so maybe not. Although Vince is laughing, so who knows? Henry hits a Slop Drop on Marty and we get our first elimination. Owen runs right in and hits the spinning heel kick and Henry is gone. There we go, let's keep this up. I'm not really sure why Henry had to go so quickly, but with how little the crowd cares, I don't think it matters. Bulldog hits a running powerslam and Phinneas is now gone. We have to show off the new guys, I get it. The problem is that they look like two generic wrestlers and the fans don't really have a reason to care about them. We get what starts off to be a good sequence and then Funas goes for a dropkick on Bulldog and he kind of no sells it or thinks he jumped over him. I look down for one moment and miss a spot that actually gets a spot. I rewind it and LaFon hits a superplex variant with Cassidy landing face-first and being eliminated. So we're down to basically a regular tag team match, so I think we can guess where this one is going. We get a little bit of a chaotic spot with LaFon doing a crucifix into a roll up and eliminating Bulldog. Bulldog immediately attacks LaFon's knee and then Owen slams his knee into the ring post. Furnas hits a dropkick but Owen is able to kick out. Furnas hits a German suplex and Owen lands face-first and that's enough for the victory. This was all about them establishing their new team and they did get a pop at the end, but it may have just been because the match is over. The match was fine overall, but the crowd only cared when there was a big move.
Match Rating: **1/4
We get a fun, hammy performance from Paul Bearer in an interview and a brief Mankind speaking spot before the match. Even as a kid, I didn't really get why they were fighting again this soon after the Buried Alive match.
Mankind vs. Undertaker
Paul Bearer does not want to get into the cage and JR and Vince make fun of his weight. Undertaker is in bat form and descends from the ceiling. They debut the Cage Cam as they raise Paul Bearer above the ring. It's kind of interesting that he's right over the ring and really not that high up. We get a pretty slow pace here to start out, which is kind of interesting. Based on the reaction from the crowd so far, you would never guess that these two just were the main event of the last show. They get into the crowd and it leads to Mankind charging at Taker, but Taker counters with a back body drop over the guardrail. Some other stuff happens and I just have to say I'm not that into this one. Mankind climbs up top but Taker is there to greet him with right hands. Mankind fights him off though and goes for a double ax handle, but Taker gets the goozle. Mankind counters that with the Mandible Claw. I forgot to mention that Lawler is not at the announce booth now with him having his match up next. The referee starts dropping the arm of Undertaker and he miraculously gets his arm up on the third try. Taker fights back with a chokeslam and breaks the hold. Mankind leaps off the apron and Taker ducks. We get a pretty anti-climatic Tombstone and that's all. What a dud of a match from two guys who have done a lot better than this. After the match, the cage lowers and Taker is waiting for Bearer. Out comes the Executioner to attack him from behind and allows Bearer to get out of the way. Taker fights him off and that's basically it.
Match Rating: *3/4
Sunny's music hits and she is here to join the announce team. Vince gives us a quick glimpse of his terrible dancing here. We go back to Dok Hendrix who is with the heel team. They talk about Mark Henry's injury. This was really uninspired.
Crush, Jerry Lawler, Goldust & Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Marc Mero, Stalker, Rocky Maivia & Jake Roberts
This is the infamous Stalker wearing a WWF shirt looking like he just rolled out of bed moment. After Rocky comes out, Mero grabs a mic and announces that Jake Roberts is the Henry replacement. How is there still nearly 2 hours left in this show? I knew it at the time, but it is still startling how lacking the roster was at this time. Even when they made their comeback against WCW in 1997 and 1998, they were still lacking talent. Sunny exposes how old Windham is here by talking about how she was 4 years old when Windham won the tag team titles. Sadly, he is 7 years younger than I am now but looks like he is 10 years older than I am. Rocky gets a little bit of time to shine and of course it's with Lawler, who understands a thing or two about making a new person look like a million bucks. This match feels pointless already. Jake hits a DDT on Lawler and he's gone. It is somewhat fun to see Windham vs. Rhodes in WWF, but not fun enough to save this match. Goldust eliminates Stalker and no one cares. We're at the abdominal stretch portion of the match now. Mero hits a moonsault on Helmsley and eliminates him. Still in the doghouse. Crush hits his stupid finisher on Mero while they are showing a replay of Mero eliminating Helmsley and he's gone. Crush hits his stupid punch again on Jake and he's gone. Good thing they built up Crush, he went on to do such great things. This of course leaves Rocky to take on two opponents and if you can't see where this is going, well, I don't know what to tell you. Rocky ducks a right hand and Crush hits Goldust. He hits a dive and eliminates Crush. He gets Goldust up and hits a shoulder breaker for the victory. This is where it all started and that's about it. The match was not very good and the story was pretty obvious.
Match Rating: *
We get a hype video for Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart, narrated by Todd Pettengill. Todd then interviews Austin and Bret individually before their entrances.
Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart
The announce team lets us know that the winner of this match will face the champion at the December In Your House. We get mostly mat wrestling to start until Austin hits a Stun Gun to take control. They bring up that Austin will be taking on Vader tomorrow on Raw. Meanwhile, Austin hits an elbow to the throat of Bret. Austin goes for a superplex and Bret shoves him off. Bret hits an elbow drop off the ropes and slowly covers him for a 2 count. Bret goes for a backbreaker but Austin rakes the eyes to get out of the hold. Austin then throws him through the ropes and to the floor. Bret tries to clothesline Austin over the guardrail but it separates, and Bret has to push him over. Austin hits a catapult and it sends Bret onto the Spanish announce table. JR wonders why it seems like it's always the Spanish table. Austin hits an elbow off the apron onto Bret on the table. Austin suplexes Bret back into the ring and goes back to work. JR then uses the phrase "Austin could care less" incorrectly. Bret makes a comeback and hits a piledriver. Bret goes up top and Austin punches him in the gut to crotch him. Austin levels him with a series of right hands and goes all the way to the top to hit a superplex. Bret leans his legs back and is able to get a pinfall but Austin kicks out at 2. Austin hits a Stunner and Bret becomes the first person to kick out of it I believe. Austin tries a couple of more pin attempts and none are successful. Austin puts on a Texas Cloverleaf and Bret is able to will his way to the bottom rope to break the hold. Austin goes for an Irish whip and Bret slides under the ropes and into the ring post. Austin goes for a bow and arrow submission. Bret escapes and goes for the Sharpshooter but Austin gets the bottom rope before he can put it on. Austin puts on the Million Dollar Dream and Bret uses the ropes to kick Austin on his back and counter it into a pinfall to pick up the victory. How ironic that DiBiase is still costing Austin even after he left? This match was hard fought but nowhere near the level of their upcoming WrestleMania 13 match. This truly did put Austin on the map, even though he was headed towards stardom whether or not this match ever happened. Bret gives high fives to the fans around the ring and includes Vince.
Match Rating: ****
JR states that he doesn't think either Sid or Shawn Michaels could have beaten Bret tonight with how he just performed. We go to Dok Hendrix and he is with Sid. Sid says he will walk out tonight as the WWF Champion. Lou Albano comes out and JR is all salty and makes fun of him for talking about his book 100 times at the Hall of Fame ceremony last night.
Faarooq, Fake Razor Ramon, Fake Diesel & Vader vs. Savio Vega, Yokozuna, Flash Funk & Jimmy Snuka
JR wonders why people are booing the fake Razor Ramon since he's younger, stronger and better looking than the original person who played that character. Sure, JR. The mystery opponent is Snuka. It's hard to top a murderer as a surprise entrant. Was OJ Simpson unavailable? Snuka was 53 years old here. This is also Flash Funk's debut. His career did not have the same trajectory as Rocky Maivia's. I forgot to mention that Jim Cornette joined the announce table for the match. Funk hits a nice moonsault to the floor onto Vader. Well, I mentioned that JR's heel announcing was toned down, but he is feisty in this one. JR says that if he was managing Vader, he would be champion and Cornette says that JR couldn't manage a Wendy's. Funk does look good here, but the crowd is dead because a lot of these guys don't matter. Fake Diesel looks terrible because he's Glenn Jacobs. Faarooq hits a nasty looking spinebuster on Funk after a nice little sequence. Snuka finally comes in and actually moves better than I remember. He hits a body slam on Vader with Vader doing most of the work there. Savio is in and sort of hits Diesel with a spin kick. Vader pulls the rope down and Savio falls to the floor. Faarooq then takes him and slams him into the ring post and throws him into Diesel. Diesel hits the Jackknife and Savio is eliminated. That has to be one of Savio's more embarrassing moments in his career. Fake Razor is really a terrible wrestler. Snuka goes up top and hits the Superfly splash and Razor is gone. Then we get a brawl that starts with Diesel hitting people with a chair. Everyone is in the ring and that wakes up the crowd, but the match is over. The first part of the match wasn't as bad as I thought it was but that ending is so stupid.
Match Rating: *1/4
We now get the hype video for Sid/Shawn, again narrated by Todd.
WWF Championship Match
Sid vs. Shawn Michaels
Both guys get the backstage camera before their entrances, which is always a nice touch. Both guys get good ovations. We get a fun opening sequence that leads to Sid having Shawn ready for the powerbomb and Shawn rolling out of the ring before that happens. Shawn is able to get the Figure Four on until Sid reverses and rolls to the ropes. Sid is able to throw Shawn shoulder-first into the ring post, and both men are feeling it. Sid is able to clothesline Shawn over the top and to the floor with a loud roar from the male attendees. He throws Shawn into the ring and then a press slam onto the guardrail. Michaels tries to make a comeback by leaping off the top but Sid catches him and hits a backbreaker for a 2 count. They start trading right hands again and Shawn actually gets the better of it this time. He goes off the second rope and Sid gets the leg up. The longer this match goes, the more the vocal males are getting behind Sid. Sid slaps on a sleeper hold and Shawn is fading. Shawn gets out and runs into a chokehold and Shawn blocks it. Shawn goes for Sweet Chin Music and now Sid blocks that and hits the chokeslam this time. Sid sets him up for the powerbomb and Shawn gets an inside cradle for a 2 count. Shawn nips up and runs right into a clothesline and that also gets a 2 count. Sid grabs a camera from the ringside cameraman and then uses it to hit Jose Lothario. Shawn hits Sweet Chin Music, although he doesn't get all of it. Shawn checks on Jose instead of pinning Sid. While Shawn is yelling for someone to come out and help Jose, Sid throws him back in the ring. Shawn goes for a reverse crossbody from the second rope, he hits the referee. Shawn goes back outside and checks on Jose again and Sid hit Shawn with the camera in the back. Back in the ring, Sid hits the powerbomb and the referee slowly counts to 3 to a huge pop. Sid is your new WWF Champion and also probably just had the best match of his career up to this point. I'm sure someone can think of a better one, but this is definitely his shining moment. The match was good and the crowd was invested in it. The whole Jose thing probably could have been left out, but it didn't hurt the match.
Match Rating: ***1/2
This is a tough one to rate. The two matches that you paid to see both delivered, particularly with Sid winning the title being a big moment. The rest of the show does feel pretty pointless though and some of the matches were really long for no reason. I have a little bit of a soft spot for this show, so perhaps my rating will be a little higher than most.
Overall Rating: 62%
