#2: FAROOQ (w/ Nation of Domination) vs. BART GUNN.
Unlike the previous two weeks, this edition actually had a fantastic opening segment followed by a spectacular match for a weekly RAW.
So, that’s good, right?
Son, in the WWF you never know when a Monday Night RAW takes an instant dip into the trash.
Well, maybe I am exaggerating a bit but don’t get me wrong, this match certainly wasn’t one of the highlights of the show.
Gunn is about 6’4”, 6’5”- 270 pounds and chiseled like a bronze statue. If there was one interesting thing to point out (other than Bart Gunn’s features) it would be the ‘clashing of attitudes’ (as I like to call it) between these two.
We have Nation of Domination, a stable with just the right attitude to qualify for this company’s upcoming upsurge. On the other hand, there’s Bart Gunn, a character that certainly does not fit with the trashy attitude, and comes off as regressive that belongs to WWF’s Golden Era.
Not that there’s anything wrong about The Golden Era. It’s just that WWF in the 80’s simply does not work in 1997. Also, I can’t blame Bart Gunn too, he pulls off some quick moves during the beginning, but this pairing is doomed to fail (and bore).
Just before the ad-break, Lawler goes— “Wait a minute, is that McMahon back there?” JR plays along by saying that he’s not sure, but also encourages the viewers to stay tuned in order to find out!
I mean, that’s such an efficient commentary trick that they don’t use these days. We know McMahon’s not ‘back there’. It’s just silly and entertaining.
N.O.D members surrounding the ring are like a “pack of dogs waiting to pounce”, as JR puts it.
The southpaw (Bart Gunn) makes his comeback with standard elbows and clotheslines and finishes this sequence with a running bulldog. Gunn is slowly gaining momentum.
However, the ending follows a very common Professional Wrestling trope. The baby-faced, Bart Gunn decides to risk the opportunity by going after N.O.D’s stable members which gives the heel, Farooq an opportunity to recover in time.
As expected, Farooq turns the tables by executing ‘The Dominator’ (one of the best finishers at that point of time) which is enough to keep Bart Gunn down for a three count.
N.O.D celebrate their victory and head for the backstage area. What follows is a neat connection between two segments as Vince McMahon and Gorilla Monsoon come out to reveal a major announcement and pass by all members of the Nation on the ramp.
The representation of certain events so far feels so interconnected. Even though several superstars are embroiled in separate feuds, Vince McMahon starts to seem more like some sort of a nexus that binds this industry together.
The audience doesn’t know it yet, but there is a lot more to Mr. McMahon than what meets the eye.
RESULT: Farooq wins the match.
