#1: OWEN HART & THE BRITISH BULLDOG (w/ CLARENCE MASON) vs. DOUG FURNAS & PHIL LAFON.
Just before this match starts, we are reminded that around 60,525 fans were present during the 1997 Royal Rumble PPV in the Alamodome. However, as I quickly surf back through my notes, I realize that the WWF revealed 60,477 fans to be in attendance just before the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match took place.
Just saying.
Anyways, Owen Hart & The British Bulldog are in their corner, teaming up against Furnas & Lafon. Owen had ‘accidently’ eliminated the Bulldog during the Royal Rumble match last night. But as we all know, the slow-motion footage revealed a different story entirely.
However, to summarize this controversy, JR points out that it looks as if ‘they have calmed their rough seas…’
The non-title match (Owen & Davey Boy Smith/British Bulldog are the WWF Tag Team Champions) begins, but good ol’ Jerry Lawler is more interested about what happened to Vince McMahon.
He says— “Where is McMahon? This is great”. Lawler even goes on to comment that he is happy this situation took place.
Fortunately, Lawler’s hateful ponderings did not distract me enough from this bout, because ladies and gentlemen- this match is GREAT!
Both of these teams’ chemistry as partners is too good. Furnas delivers a belly-to-belly suplex to Owen Hart, and the latter responds with a perfect spinning heel kick.
The match is fast-paced, and unlike the charisma-less six-man tag match on last night’s PPV, the audience is digging it this time around. Furnas & Lafon manage to double team The British Bulldog, but Owen Hart delivers a flying dropkick from the top-rope to Doug Furnas.
No team has a definite lead throughout this contest.
Hart performs an Enzuiguri, and the crowd pops real hard. As I pointed out during the 1997 Royal Rumble PPV, Enzuiguri seemed to be a huge deal back then.
But then again, our own much respected Jerry Lawler cannot be prevented from ranting about Mr. McMahon and Bret Hart. However, I have to applaud Jim Ross here.
JR manages to call the shots with great excitement, whilst also plugging the main-event and all other technical stuff very efficiently. He is the right man to take over the commentary table. Michael Cole manages to plug the technical stuff correctly, but the ‘excitement’ part seems quite manufactured coming from him.
You always need that one commentator for plugging the sponsors and all the other things that come along with it- but JR always does (did?) it best.
Nevertheless, a crossbody, spinning heel kick, the armbar, snap-suplex- you name it, this match has it all.
The match ends with Owen hitting Lafon on the head via a Slammy award. The referee does not see it, and the Bulldog hits the Bulldog Powerslam to win this contest.
This shows that no matter how good the Harts are in the ring, they always need that little ‘something’ to win the match.
A great match ending with a twist that fits the Harts’ character description very well.
RESULT: Owen Hart & The British Bulldog win the match.
Teddy Long snaps when Swerve Strickland's race is brought up HERE
