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On the previous episode (February 24th, 1997) ECW managed to overshadow WWF on their own 2-hour flagship show.
You can keep track of all the 1997 RAW recaps by clicking here.
The March 3rd, 1997 edition of RAW emanates live (not really) from Berlin, Germany. Welcome to the FINAL episode of WWF Monday Night RAW in the 90’s (more on that later). The show itself essentially encapsulates the Best & Worst of The New Generation Era, whilst also placing itself amidst a transitional period which would change this company’s legacy forever.
Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Let’s begin!
MATCHES-
1) Bret Hart vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
2) Rocky Maivia (c) vs. Vader (w/ Paul Bearer) {WWF Intercontinental Championship Match}.
3) Flash Funk vs. The Sultan.
4) Psycho Sid (c) vs. Mankind (w/ Paul Bearer) {WWF World Heavyweight Championship Match}.
5) Owen Hart vs. The British Bulldog {Winner becomes the first-ever WWF European Champion}.
Stone Cold Steve Austin And His Toilet Vows
MATCH #1: BRET HART vs. HUNTER HEARST HELMSLEY
German fans in the audience should probably serve a traditional Fränkische Bratwurst with sauerkraut & a little sprinkle of Bret Hart on the side- That is how much they love him, maybe except for one single fan holding a “Forget Bret” poster in the crowd.
Meanwhile, arriving at our WWF Studios on a snowy New England night is none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin. He orders the cameraman to “get the hell outta’ here. Looks like we will see more of him later on in the show.
Coming back to the match, Bret Hart is one step ahead of HHH. However as expected, Hunter turns the tables & slows the match pace down considerably.
Jerry Lawler is not on commentary during this week’s show. Instead, we have The Honky Tonk Man, Vince McMahon & JR calling the action. Except, you certainly cannot see JR physically present at the commentary booth alongside his peers. So why can I still hear his voice despite him NOT being there? The wonders of post-production audio trickery still amaze me to this date.
So, Bret Hart manages to escape Hunter’s hold & yields a massive crowd reaction just by performing a simple side-headlock takedown. It seems as if every little thing that Bret does, the audience cheers (even when he does a Headbutt).
The Honky Tonk Man points out that Bret delivers an illegal headbutt, everybody at home saw it & so did Vince “MaacMaan”. When asked to explain why so, here is what HTM had to say—
“It’s because he’s really sneaky in the ring. He does things so fast & so quick that the referee REALLY CAN’T SEE IT, but I’m watching Bret Hart & I know what you’re doin’!”
Towards the climax, both of these superstars reverse each other’s respective finishers, up until a point where Bret Hart gets frustrated. This leads to Bret breaking his personal code of honor by refusing to let go of HHH in the tree of woe. Therefore, the referee has to stop the match immediately & this automatically means that Hunter wins via DQ.
You can clearly see that the Hitman is getting increasingly agitated the more & more we head towards WrestleMania 13. Out of nowhere, a ‘LARGE BIONIC WOMAN’ (as stated by the commentators) or Chyna enters the ring & shields him away from HHH.
Security has to escort her backstage. But this time around, both HHH & Chyna head back together. It becomes quite clear that there is something more to these two than what meets the eye…
This match could have been way better if we fast-forwarded to Triple H in his prime versus a Bret Hart who was actually not phoning his matches in.
Result: HHH wins via DQ.
It looks like we are going to have a sit-down interview with Steve Austin live from the WWF studios back in the U.S.
Oh.
But something seems odd. Austin is nowhere to be seen.
Where is Austin? My ponderings are interrupted as we hear someone flushing a toilet in the background!
A Rock N' Sock Connection Paradox Without 'The Rock' Or 'The Sock'
MATCH #2: ROCKY MAIVIA (c) vs. VADER (w/ Paul Bearer) {WWF Intercontinental Championship Match}
I know that Rocky Maivia is going to bore countless constant readers away until he becomes The Rock. But guess what, this match was actually going well!
The storytelling involved here is quite classic. Rocky is the underdog & Vader is the big grizzly monster whom our protagonist has to overcome. There was even a point when Vader’s mask comes off just when Rocky delivers a DDT.
The Mastodon just went “f*ck it” & decided to keep wrestling without his mask.
But hey, this is the WWF. So we have three options at stake here- Option A) Let Rocky overcome the odds. Option B) Eh. Rocky sucks. Just let Vader go over this time around. Option C) The match ends in a disqualification involving our two competitors.
Choose your option folks. Done?
Well, as it turns out, the match is indeed going to end in a disqualification, but here comes Option D) Mankind rushes in & hits Rocky on the head with an urn to save a friend who did not need saving in the first place.
This was probably the first onscreen interaction between two future members of The Rock N' Sock Connection (without the charisma). Vader gets so pissed, that he drags Rocky back into the ring & busts him around nevertheless.
Since we’re in Germany, here’s a phrase that perfectly sums up Vader’s WWF Run in a nutshell—
Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof (Life is no pony farm.)
Result: Rocky Maivia wins via DQ.
"Let's Just Stink Up The Entire Arena..."
MATCH #3: FLASH FUNK vs. THE SULTAN
Speaking of the best & worst moments regarding mid-90’s WWF seeping its way into early ’97- Sultan vs. Flash Funk definitely ranks among the worst.
Therefore, let’s just get right into the Jerry Lawler part already. You see, Lawler is on the phone despite being conspicuously absent from this show, perhaps due to some “passport problems”.
He sends out a personal invitation to ECW again! Next week, if Paul E & his boys decide to show up, RAW is going to be WAR. Do you see where I am going with this?
Meanwhile, it’s not just me who is having a hard time concentrating in this match. Looks like The Honky Tonk Man is in the same boat as everyone.
HTM: “It’s hard for the Honky Tonk Man to watch the match now…we got some pretty girls over here in Germany.”
McMahon: “Look at that smile on your face. Look at that!”
HTM: “They wanna see the Honky Tonk Man shake, rattle & roll!”
It’s Paul E on the phone now. He won’t guarantee that ECW will be invading RAW next week. Heck, they could even invade the Madison Square Garden if they want to.
McMahon tries to wrap it up, but Paul E makes sure to plug in the next ECW PPV on April 13 before hanging up. Vince must be going in his head like— “Yeah, you’re not invading the Garden. I might have to stop representing Jerry Lawler if this keeps on happening.”
What else? Oh yes, Sultan wins the match.
Germans are known to eat everything on their plate. But if this match were food, even the wisest German would be obliged to leave it completely unattended…
Result: The Sultan wins via submission.
Psycho Sid Poses Like A Messed Up Snapchat Filter & Ahmed Johnson Invents A New Language
It’s time for a Psycho Sid promo!
“Listen to me Mankind, I can hear you versed up on your German language! But what you should’ve done…you should’ve gotten ready for the game. ‘Cause the game we play is simple! Two men enter & one man survives!”
He goes on to say that Mankind will just be another symbol on the Road to WrestleMania 13 because Sid is currently the master & ruler of the world.
But it is what happens next that kept many viewers awake for several nights. Sid laughs maniacally in the end, & flashes a creepy smile that looks like a messed up Snapchat filter right out of a 2018 Horror movie titled “Truth or Dare” (As seen in the picture above).
They totally ripped him off, didn’t they?
Later, Ahmed Johnson comes out to the ring. He is here to respond to Farooq’s Street Fight challenge for WrestleMania 13.
Ahmed should’ve taken notes from Steve Austin here. Why? Well, because Austin is going to cut one hell of a promo later on, but he didn’t come all the way over to Germany in order to do that.
A German ring announcer is going to be translating Ahmed’s words for the audience. Viewers over in the USA need some translation too! Ahmed’s way of English Speech is one of a kind.
Here is me paraphrasing how Ahmed accepted Farooq’s challenge—
“Faroo? You wannoo’ stree fight? Okha, we stree fight. I’ll come! But I won’t comb myself.”
How in the bloody Bratwurst do you translate that into German?
Mankind Joins The "Let's Make Sid Look Good" Task Force As The Night Finally Gets Better...
MATCH #5: PSYCHO SID (c) vs. MANKIND (w/ Paul Bearer) {WWF World Heavyweight Championship Match}
Mankind cuts a promo in German before the match goes underway. Sure, Mankind is not the most popular character in WWF right now, but it still goes on to show how smart Mick Foley really is. Mankind is trying to make the most of what he is provided with, which also includes signing himself on board as a part of the “Let’s make Sid look good” task force.
As for Sid, the master & ruler of the world is currently on top of the world. His momentum going into every match is quite impressive. Therefore, it is pretty evident that Sid is currently one of the top babyfaces in the company whilst also being one of the top heels at the same time.
At one point into this bout, Vince McMahon takes a clever dig at WCW by mentioning that the athletes currently on your television sets are definitely “not past their prime”.
Mankind shocks the audience by kicking out of Sid’s chokeslam, which probably made everyone go like—
“Heiliger Strohsack! Ich glaub mich knutscht ein Elch!” (Holy smokes, I can’t believe it!)
A few seconds later, Sid drops Mankind for good by delivering an impressive looking Powerbomb. Sid retains his title, drawing an unbelievable crowd reaction.
Result: Psycho Sid retains via pinfall.
Looks like we are heading back to the WWF Studios one more time. Let’s hope that Austin doesn’t have a bad case of diarrhea again…
They recap how Austin stuck his nose in during The Final Four, and as well as the time when he cost Bret Hart his title on RAW a few weeks ago.
As Austin is sitting in the comfort of his chair back in the USA, Vince asks him a simple question— “Do you show any remorse for your actions whatsoever?”
Austin: “The only remorse I got is that I didn’t hit him (Bret) harder with that steel chair! Bret Hart runs around talkin’ about everybody screwin’ him. Hell, for the past seven years I've been screwed & it’s the same old song. How come when Shawn Michaels hurts his knee you make a video out of him? How come when Shawn Michaels gets sick you tell the whole world that he’s got the flu? Well, when I went into the Final Four I was sick as a dog & I had a blown out knee, let me ask you a question…
…How many one-legged people could go 25 minutes with three of the top wrasslers’ in the world? NONE! Stone Cold Steve Austin went out there & did just that. And I ain’t makin’ fun of no one-legged people, I’m just sittin’ here tryna’ make a point, & as far as I’m concerned- I truly am the World Wrestling Federation Champion & can’t nobody tell me any different…Not you, not anybody!
As far as the submission match (at WrestleMania 13 goes), it’s a buncha’ BULL! Bret Hart is supposed to be the big technician, the sharpshooter…BIG DEAL! I don’t know a whole lotta’ couple a’ submission moves, but it doesn’t matter. ‘Cause I’ll beat the hell outta’ Bret Hart!
And as far as Ken Shamrock says on TV the other day— ‘Oh, I don’t know, Bret Hart’s a better technician, but Stone Cold ain’t got no ‘quit’ in him’— Well, you hit the nail right on the head son, because I ain’t got no ‘quit’ in me at all & you can bet your bottom dollar that Stone Cold AIN’T gonna look at the referee & say- I QUIT! I SUBMIT! I’VE HAD TOO MUCH! There ain’t nobody in wrasslin’ who can make me quit…And that’s the bottomline ‘cause Stone Cold said so!”
McMahon: “Why are you so bitter? Why this bitterness?”
Austin: “You treat me like a dog & you expect me to smile…YOU REMIND ME OF A JACK*SS.”
No wonder why Stone Cold Steve Austin became so popular…
One Of The Best Singles Matches To Ever Take Place On RAW
MATCH #5: OWEN HART vs. THE BRITISH BULLDOG {Winner becomes the first-ever WWF European Champion}
Constant readers might recall the tension escalating to higher lengths between Owen Hart & The British Bulldog week-by-week.
Davey Boy Smith a.k.a The British Bulldog is driven mad by Owen’s shenanigans & it just so happens that both of these competitors are facing off in the finals of a tournament (highlights were shown in the UK) for the brand-new European Championship.
Whenever it comes to Europe, The British Bulldog somehow transforms into Kenny Omega before it was even considered ‘cool’ to be called Kenny Omega.
I am not going to break down each & every move/sequence involved in this matchup. This is because I encourage the readers to go see it for themselves. Owen Hart vs. The British Bulldog on the 3rd March 1997 edition of Monday Night RAW is an instant classic. It is arguably one of the best (if not the best) singles matches to ever take place on RAW during the 90’s.
Not just the 90’s, but if we compile a Top 20 list of best singles matches to ever take place on RAW, then this contest would certainly rank well among the others.
This match has everything- Storytelling, moves, execution. We have two family members venting out their frustrations against each other in the ring- Emotion. The bout is very technical, & depends a lot on performances instead of false-finishes & spot-fests.
Even the ending is perfectly executed, as Owen Hart goes for the same roll-up pin he used to defeat his brother Bret during WrestleMania 10, but Bulldog counters it into a leverage pin of his own- an instant reminder of how Bulldog used it to defeat Bret during SummerSlam 1992.
The British Bulldog wins the match and becomes the “first-ever” European Champion in a very prestigious & memorable manner. Of course, the title itself saw a lot of downfalls in the future, but at least it had an honorable inauguration.
What’s even better, is that Owen does not attack his brother-in-law from behind after the match like his character should be accustomed to, no, Owen realizes the importance of this moment, shakes hands with Davey Boy Smith, flashes him a good ol’ thumbs up & calls it a day. After all, both of them are still the WWF Tag Team Champions & nothing else can change that.
Nostalgia, memories, storytelling, execution & emotion- All under 17 minutes of wrestling. What more could you ask for?
Result: The British Bulldog wins the match & becomes your inaugural WWF European Champion.
Now comes the moment where I have to explain my one single statement during the introduction of this recap. Is this the FINAL episode of Monday Night RAW in the 90’s? Of course, it’s not, everyone knows that but…
…this is going to be the last time we’re going to call it Monday Night RAW. Somewhere in between during our main-event, Vince McMahon goes— “By the way ladies & gentlemen, next week, imagine this, yes, live from Worcester, Massachusetts, RAW IS WAR!”
The rest is history…
So that was the whole show. The whole point of it was to stick around for the main event. Interestingly, despite the main-event, this particular edition of RAW drew the lowest TV Rating of the entire year (1997). Autsch! Zur Hölle damit!
Roddy Piper was returning to Nitro on the same night, so the WWF had to obviously better their game on foreign turf.
But they didn’t. The matches were very decent (excluding the main event). However, there were no huge takeaways from the show itself for the most part. Jerry Lawler's absence on commentary was felt throughout the night. It was just one match after another like a house show with a great Steve Austin promo embedded in between.
It’s still a shame that RAW couldn’t reel more viewers in despite the fact that Roddy Piper’s return over at Nitro labeled itself as one of the most atrocious WCW moments ever.
GRADE: C+
Join me next ti as I recap the March 10th, 1997 edition of Monday Night RAW RAW IS WAR! Until then, you can check out the previous recap by clicking here. You can also follow me here to stay updated. Send me interesting stuff/picture edits/facts/feedback regarding the old-school recaps or anything Pro-Wrestling related at E-Mail: [email protected].
Thanks for reading this recap, leave your thoughts in the comments section & stay tuned for more...
