WWF In Your House Results
Jean Pierre Lafitte pinned Bob Holly
Monday Night Raw – 6/5/95: KOTR Qualifying Match: Davey Boy Smith fought WWF Tag Team Champion Owen Hart (w/ Jim Cornette) to a 15-minute time limit draw as Owen had Smith down in a backslide
The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) pinned Kama (w/ Ted Dibiase) with a chokeslam and the tombstone at 13:08 (In Your House)
Bam Bam Bigelow pinned Tatanka (w/ Ted Dibiase) with a sunset flip off the top at 8:50 after kneeing Tatanka as he charged into the corner (In Your House)
Pay-per-view bouts – included Vince McMahon & Dok Hendrix on commentary; featured Stephanie Wiand showing all the entries in the contest for the vacation home in Orlando, FL; included Todd Pettingill & Wiand showing footage of the home, picking one of the entries, and then calling Matt Pompacilli of Henderson, NV to announce he and his family had won:
Bret Hart pinned Hakushi (w/ Shinja) at 14:41 with a reverse roll up out of a waist lock; prior to the bout, Hart dedicated the night’s performance to his mother since it was Mothers Day; during the match, Jerry Lawler was shown watching backstage on a monitor; after the contest, Hart appeared to injure his leg as he jumped to the floor (the end of Hakushi’s 6-month undefeated streak) (The Bret Hart Story: The Best There Is, Was, and Ever Will Be)
Razor Ramon defeated WWF IC Champion Jeff Jarrett & the Roadie in a handicap match at 12:40 by pinning Jarrett with the Razor’s Edge after blocking an attempt at the figure-4 and shoving Jarrett into his partner, knocking the Roadie to the floor; after the bout, Razor attempted the Razor’s Edge on the Roadie but was clipped from behind by Jarrett; moments later, Aldo Montoya attempted to make the save as Razor was caught in the figure-4 but both Jarrett & the Roadie threw him to the floor; an unknown man then ran out and cleared both from the ring before Tony Garea, Rene Goulet, several referees, and two police officers came out to send him backstage; later in the broadcast, Todd Pettingill interviewed Razor and the unknown man in the WWF Hotline room where Razor introduced the man as his longtime friend Savio Vega (Savio’s debut)
KOTR Qualifying Match: Mabel (w/ Mo) pinned Adam Bomb at 1:54 with a powerslam after catching Bomb in a crossbody
WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart & Yokozuna (w/ Mr. Fuji & Jim Cornette) defeated the Smoking Gunns at 5:46 when Owen pinned Bart after Yoko hit a legdrop on the floor; prior to the bout, Jerry Lawler came out wanting to go ahead and have his match with Bret Hart, knowing Bret was hurt, but was sent backstage by Tony Garea and Rene Goulet; moments later, Bret was shown backstage icing down his knee
Jerry Lawler pinned Bret Hart with a double leg roll up at 5:03 when Hakushi interfered and hit three diving headbutts as referee Earl Hebner was tied upside down in the ropes after becoming distracted by Shinja; prior to the bout, Lawler introduced his mother, who was in fact a 20-something model, and wished her a happy Mothers Day before she took a seat at ringside; moments later during a backstage interview, Bret proved that his “injury” was fake (In Your House: The Greatest Matches, Legends of Wrestling Collection, Legends of Wrestling: Jerry Lawler and the Junkyard Dog)
WWF World Champion Diesel defeated Psycho Sid (w/ Ted Dibiase) via disqualification at 11:29 when Tatanka interfered and broke the champion’s cover after Diesel hit the powerbomb; after the bout, Tatanka and Dibiase assaulted Diesel and Sid attempted the powerbomb but Bam Bam Bigelow came out and made the save, clearing the heels from the ring
Skip pinned Aldo Montoya at 4:00
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Vince McMahon & Jerry Lawler on commentary; included Todd Pettingill conducting a backstage interview with Psycho Sid, Ted Dibiase, Tatanka, IRS, Kama, and King Kong Bundy regarding the main event; featured Pettingill speaking with the backup singers, guitarist, and drummer prior to WWF IC Champion Jeff Jarrett’s performance; included Dok Hendrix conducting a backstage interview with the Smoking Gunns, Bam Bam Bigelow, Adam Bomb, and Man Mountain Rock regarding whether Ted Dibiase had bought them off for the main event, with each saying they had turned him down; featured the Roadie introducing Jarrett for his performance of “With My Baby Tonight;” included Pettingill interviewing fans in the crowd about Jarrett’s performance, with some liking it and some not; featured Bob Backlund campaigning for president in the crowd; included Pettingill conducting a backstage interview with Shawn Michaels about his IC title shot later in the night; featured Hendrix reporting Jarrett and the Roadie got in a backstage fight after the IC title match, with Roadie punching Jarrett to the floor; included Pettingill conducting a backstage interview with WWF World Champion Diesel regarding the main event:
The Roadie pinned the 1-2-3 Kid with a piledriver off the middle turnbuckle at 7:27; during the bout, WWF IC Champion Jeff Jarrett was twice shown backstage preparing for his singing debut and talking with his backup singers instead of watching the TV monitor
Men on a Mission defeated Razor Ramon & Savio Vega at 10:10 when King Mabel pinned Razor with a belly to belly suplex after a splash in the corner
Bam Bam Bigelow pinned Henry Godwinn at 5:33 after Godwinn missed a kneedrop off the middle turnbuckle
Shawn Michaels pinned WWF IC Champion Jeff Jarrett (w/ the Roadie) to win the title with the superkick at 19:57 after the Roadie accidentally tripped the champion as he ran the ropes, thinking it was Michaels; during the bout, Vince McMahon’s headset temporarily went out, forcing Jerry Lawler to call the match himself (Jarrett’s last appearance for 5 months; Roadie’s last appearance for over a year) (In Your House: The Greatest Matches, Shawn Michaels: Heartbreak & Triumph)
WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart & Yokozuna (w/ Mr. Fuji & Jim Cornette) defeated Lex Luger & Davey Boy Smith at 10:54 when Yoko pinned Luger following a double axe handle off the top by Owen behind the referee’s back after Yoko sustained a double back suplex from the challengers (Owen: Hart of Gold)
WWF World Champion Diesel pinned Psycho Sid (w/ Ted Dibiase) in a lumberjack match with a boot to the face at 10:06 after throwing IRS, Henry Godwinn, and Tatanka to the floor; lumberjacks included: King Kong Bundy, Kama, IRS, the Heavenly Bodies, Rad Radford, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Tatanka, Men on a Mission, Henry Godwinn, Jacob & Eli Blu, Skip, Jean Pierre Lafitte, Mantaur, Savio Vega, Bam Bam Bigelow, Razor Ramon, Bob Holly, Duke Drose, Man Mountain Rock, Fatu, Techno Team 2000, the Smoking Gunns, the 1-2-3 Kid, Adam Bomb, & WWF IC Champion Shawn Michaels; mid-way through the bout, King Mabel rammed Diesel into the ringpost on the floor and followed with a legdrop; during the closing moments of the match, Michaels hit a double axe handle off the top to the floor onto the challenger; after the bout, Diesel and Mabel locked eyes as Diesel’s lumberjacks filled the ring to close the broadcast
Dark matches after the show:
Bret Hart pinned Jean Pierre Lafitte at 13:26 by countering a waist lock into a reverse roll up (In Your House: The Lumberjacks)
The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) defeated Kama (w/ Ted Dibiase) in a casket match at 14:50 after a chokeslam and a boot to the face (In Your House: The Lumberjacks)
Fatu pinned Hunter Hearst Helmsley
Goldust pinned Bob Holly
Ahmed Williams pinned Skip
The Undertaker pinned King Mabel
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler, & Jim Ross on commentary; included a backstage segment with Dock Hendrix, WWF President Gorilla Monsoon, Jim Cornette, and WWF Tag Team Champion Yokozuna in which Monsoon questioned Cornette about the whereabouts of WWF Tag Team Champion Owen Hart, with Monsoon assuring that the main event match would happen as scheduled; featured Hendrix conducting a backstage interview with Monsoon and Cornette in which Monsoon said the match would happen whether Hart appeared or not, then said Yoko could defend the titles by himself or find a replacement; included Hendrix conducting a backstage interview with WWF World Champion Diesel & WWF IC Champion Shawn Michaels regarding the night’s main event and Hart not being in the match; featured a vignette promoting the following month’s In Your House, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, featuring the Undertaker vs. King Mabel; included Hendrix conducting a backstage interview with Cornette, Yokozuna, Davey Boy Smith, Monsoon, and Mr. Fuji in which it was announced Smith would be Yokozuna’s partner for the main event; featured a closing music video highlighting the show:
Savio Vega pinned Waylon Mercy at 7:06 with a spin wheel kick; during the bout, Dok Hendrix announced backstage that WWF Tag Team Champion Owen Hart was not in the building
Psycho Sid (w/ Ted Dibiase) pinned Henry Godwinn at 7:23 with a legdrop and the powerbomb after Dibiase tripped Godwinn from the floor; prior to the bout, footage was shown highlighting the feud between Godwinn, Sid, and Dibiase; after the contest, Sid rolled Godwinn to the floor like a pig and prepared to slop him until Bam Bam Bigelow made the save; moments later, Kama appeared and helped double team Bigelow until Godwinn made the save and slopped Dibiase
Davey Boy Smith (w/ Jim Cornette) pinned Bam Bam Bigelow at 12:00 with the powerslam after Bigelow hit the corner; prior to the bout, footage was shown of Smith double teaming WWF World Champion Diesel the previous month on Monday Night Raw; during the contest, Jim Cornette was shown speaking backstage with Psycho Sid about possibly joining WWF Tag Team Champion Yokozuna for the night’s main event
Dean Douglas (w/ Bob Backlund) pinned Razor Ramon at 14:53 with a roll up and grabbing the tights for leverage after Razor became distracted by the 1-2-3 Kid in the ring; prior to the bout, Backlund appeared, cut a promo on the crowd, and then introduced Douglas, who cut his own promo on Razor before giving Razor’s ring introduction; moments later, footage was shown of Razor and Douglas’ altercations dating back to Summer Slam; during the bout, Cornette was shown backstage, alongside Yokozuna, talking to King Mabel about possibly joining Yoko for the main event; late in the bout, Razor hit the Razor’s Edge as referee Tim White was knocked down, with the Kid then appearing and counting a pinfall; after Razor realized the referee didn’t make the pin, he shoved the Kid out of the ring to avoid getting disqualified; after the match, Razor pulled the Kid in the ring, with the Kid and Razor trading shoves and slaps until referees and officials broke it up
Bret Hart defeated Jean Pierre Lafitte at 16:37 via submission with the Sharpshooter after both men collided; prior to the bout, footage was shown of Lafitte stealing Hart’s glasses and jacket over the previous month; Lafitte came to the ring wearing Hart’s jacket; after Lafitte’s entrance, Hart cut a backstage interview regarding the upcoming match; Hart made his entrance through the In Your House stage front door instead of the regular entranceway; after the match, Hart regained possession of his jacket
WWF World Champion Diesel & WWF IC Champion Shawn Michaels defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Davey Boy Smith (sub. for WWF Tag Team Champion Owen Hart) & Yokozuna (w/ Jim Cornette & Mr. Fuji) at 15:42 to win the titles when Diesel pinned an interfering Hart with the powerbomb after punching him as he came off the top; Hart appeared ringside during the final moments of the match; stipulations stated all three titles were on the line and that the winner of the fall would earn the loser of the fall’s title; Smith was recognized as one half of the tag team champions for this match only, due to Hart’s absence (Greatest Wrestling Stars of the 90s)
Bob Holly pinned Rad Radford
Henry Godwinn pinned Psycho Sid
Bret Hart defeated Isaac Yankem DDS via submission with the Sharpshooter
Owen Hart & Yokozuna defeated Savio Vega & Bam Bam Bigelow when Yoko pinned Vega
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Vince McMahon & Jim Ross on commentary:
Hunter Hearst Helmsley pinned Fatu at 8:06 with the Pedigree
WWF Tag Team Champions the Smoking Gunns defeated the 1-2-3 Kid & Razor Ramon at 12:46 when Billy pinned the Kid with a crucifix as Kid made a lazy cover following the Razor’s Edge
Goldust pinned Marty Jannetty at 11:15 with the Curtain Call after blocking the fistdrop off the top with a boot to the face (Goldust’s TV debut) (Winter Combat, In Your House: The Greatest Matches)
Yokozuna (sub. for the Undertaker) fought King Mabel to a double count-out at 5:12 when both men began brawling on the floor
Razor Ramon pinned WWF IC Champion Dean Douglas at 11:01 to win the title with a back suplex, even though Douglas’ foot was outside the ring during the cover; immediately prior to the match, Douglas was awarded the championship by WWF President Gorilla Monsoon due to Michaels not being able to defend the title due to injuries sustained in a beating he took outside a nightclub in Syracuse, NY (Winter Combat)
Davey Boy Smith (w/ Jim Cornette) defeated WWF World Champion Diesel via disqualification at 18:14 when Bret Hart, who was doing guest color commentary, climbed into the ring to attack the challenger after the challenger gave Hart a cheap shot on the floor; after the match, Diesel and Hart brawled in the ring before they were eventually held apart by referees as well as the Smoking Gunns, Henry Godwinn, Tony Garea, Rene Goulet, and Gerald Brisco (Winter Combat)
In Your House #5 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Arena – December 17, 1995
Goldust pinned Duke Drose
Barry Horowitz, Hakushi, & WWF Tag Team Champions the Smoking Gunns defeated the Bodydonnas, Yokozuna, & Isaac Yankem DDS
Savio Vega pinned Bob Backlund
Live pay-per-view countdown show – featured Dok Hendrix conducting a backstage interview with Davey Boy Smith & Jim Cornette regarding Smith’s upcoming match against WWF World Champion Bret Hart; included Jim Ross & Todd Pettengill conducting an interview by the hog pen with Henry Godwinn regarding Godwinn’s upcoming hog pen match against Hunter Hearst Helmsley, during which Godwinn went through the pigs and said their names; moments later, Jerry Lawler came out to take his position at the announce table but didn’t want to be anywhere near the hog pen; featured Hendrix conducting a backstage interview with Ted Dibiase, Psycho Sid, & the 1-2-3 Kid regarding their upcoming match against WWF IC Champion Razor Ramon & Marty Jannetty, during which Dibiase said his team would win and go on to become the next WWF Tag Team Champions; during the segment, audio from the arena picked up Savio Vega pinning Bob Backlund in the dark match; included a backstage segment in which Ray Rougeau & Sunny discussed the interviews they could conduct later in the night for the WWF Superstar Line; featured Pettengill conducting an interview in the arena with Paul Bearer regarding the Undertaker’s upcoming casket match against King Mabel; included Pettengill attempting to interview Goldust, with his usher, in the aisle about why he was in the arena, with Goldust refusing to speak to him
Pay-per-view bouts – included Vince McMahon & Jerry Lawler on commentary; featured an opening shot of Santa Claus (Balls Mahoney) & WWF Tag Team Champions the Smoking Gunns giving out gifts to fans in the crowd; included Todd Pettengill conducting a backstage interview with WWF IC Champion Razor Ramon regarding his win earlier in the night and defending the title against Yokozuna the next night on Monday Night Raw; Pettengill then gave Razor the card Goldust passed him, with Razor reading it, throwing it away, and storming off; featured an ad promoting the 1996 Royal Rumble; included footage backstage of Ray Rougeau speaking with Henry Godwinn and Sunny speaking with Hunter Hearst Helmsley following their hog pen match; featured a segment in which Savio Vega and Santa were shown handing out gifts to ringside fans as Ted Dibiase entered the ring, took the mic, and invited Savio and Santa into the ring; Dibiase then addressed Savio, saying he personally didn’t believe in Santa with Vega then saying Dibiase couldn’t buy him off and that he believed in Santa; moments later, Santa attacked Vega from behind with his gift bag, with Dibiase aiding in stomping vega before bragging that everyone had a price for Dibiase, including Santa; moments later, Vega attacked Santa from behind in the aisle, eventually taking off his hat and beard to reveal him as an imposter Santa; referees and Gerald Brisco then broke up the fight and held Vega back as Dibiase and Santa escaped backstage; featured a backstage segment in which Dok Hendrix promoted the WrestleMania Arcade Game for Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and Sony Playstation, as well as the secret code book; included a backstage segment in which Jim Ross recapped footage from Summer Slam 92 before conducting an interview with Jim Cornette, Davey Boy Smith, & Diana Smith regarding Smith’s upcoming match against WWF World Champion Bret Hart, with Cornette stressing that Hart has never beaten Smith; featured Pettingill conducting a backstage interview with Hart regarding the upcoming title defense; included a closing music video recapping highlights from the event:
WWF IC Champion Razor Ramon & Marty Jannetty defeated the 1-2-3 Kid & Psycho Sid (w/ Ted Dibiase) at 12:23 when Razor pinned Sid with a bulldog off the middle turnbuckle; Ramon & Jannetty wore matching leather jackets for the match; Goldust was shown watching on from the crowd alongside his usher; during the bout, Todd Pettengill conducted an interview with Goldust, during which Goldust said he was keeping his eyes on Razor, then gave Pettengill a card to give Razor after the match as he fanned himself with the new issue of WWF Magazine, with Goldust on the cover; after the contest, Razor set the Kid up for the Razor’s Edge but Sid pulled his partner to the floor; moments later, Dibiase and his men were shown joining Sunny on the WWF Superstar Line
Ahmed Johnson pinned Buddy Landell (sub. for Dean Douglas) (w/ Dean Douglas) at the 42-second mark with the Pearl River Plunge; after Landell was introduced early, by accident, Jerry Lawler left the broadcast table, entered the ring, and introduced Jeff Jarrett; moments later, Lawler spoke with Jarrett about his successful tour and CD before unveiling, as a gift to Jarrett, a gold CD plaque to commemorate selling 500,000 copies; Jarrett then said he was finishing up on his second CD, ‘Greater than Great,’ and was throwing his name into the 1996 Royal Rumble match and would win the WWF World Title at WrestleMania 12; Lawler then invited Jarrett to join he and Vince McMahon on commentary; following Douglas’s entrance, he took the mic and said he planned to give Johnson a wrestling lesson of a lifetime but was sidelined with a back injury; Douglas then introduced Landell, who came out to Ric Flair’s WWF theme; after the bout, Johnson spanked Douglas with his own paddle; moments later, Lawler, alongside Jarrett, conducted a ringisde interview with Johnson regarding the win; Lawler and Jarrett began insulting Johnson, with Johnson threatening Lawler until Jarrett knocked Johnson over the head with his plaque; Lawler then held up a steel chair so Jarrett could ram Johnson’s head into it, with Jarrett then continuing to assault Johnson around ringside before running backstage when Johnson brushed off the assault (Douglas’s last appearance) (Jarrett’s surprise return after a 5 month absence)
Monday Night Raw – 1/1/96: Hunter Hearst Helmsley defeated Henry Godwinn at 8:58 in an Arkansas Hog Pen match by backdropping Henry into the hog pen; prior to the entrances, Hillbilly Jim was introduced as the surprise guest referee, with Jim then taking the mic and talking about the match; after the bout, Godwinn hit a gorilla press slam on Helmsley into the slop and then slammed him in it before celebrating with Jim; moments later, Helmsley repeatedly tried to stand up in the hog pen but kept slipping and falling back into it (Winter Combat)
Owen Hart (w/ Jim Cornette) defeated Diesel via disqualification at 4:34 when Diesel opted not to pin Hart after hitting the powerbomb, shoved referee Tim White, said “This is for you, Shawn,” and hit a second powerbomb on Hart; moments later, Diesel motioned that he wanted back the WWF World Title (Winter Combat)
WWF Superstars – 1/6/96: The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) defeated King Mabel (w/ Sir Mo) at 6:11 in a casket match after putting both members of Men on a Mission into the casket; during the match, the Undertaker regained the reminants of the urn; after the contest, Taker motioned that he wanted the WWF World Title (Winter Combat, In Your House: The Greatest Matches, The Undertaker’s Most Dangerous Matches)
Monday Night Raw – 1/8/96: WWF World Champion Bret Hart pinned Davey Boy Smith (w/ Jim Cornette & Diana Hart Smith) at 21:09 with an Oklahoma side roll after kicking the challenger in the face as he ran towards the corner; during the bout, it was announced the Undertaker would challenge for the title at the Royal Rumble; after the match, Todd Pettingill conducted a backstage interview with Taker & Paul Bearer regarding the upcoming title shot; moments later, Diesel interrupted, upset that he wasn’t getting the shot and confronting Taker; the closing shot of the show was the two men nose to nose (Winter Combat, Confirmed Hits, The Bret Hart Story: The Best There Is, Was, and Ever Will Be)
Free for All – featured Dok Hendrix interviewing WWF World Champion Bret Hart backstage about his steel cage title defense later in the show against Diesel; included Hendrix interviewing Shawn Michaels backstage about his match against Owen Hart later in the show; featured Todd Pettingill interviewing Jim Cornette & Vader in the ring regarding Vader’s reinstatement and the fact that Vader would appear in some way later in the show:
Jake Roberts pinned Tatanka (w/ Ted Dibiase) with the DDT at 5:29 after avoiding the Samoan Drop (Terminators 96)
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Vince McMahon & Jerry Lawler on commentary:
Razor Ramon pinned the 1-2-3 Kid (w/ Ted Dibiase) after kicking baby powder into the Kid’s face and hitting the Razor’s Edge twice; pre-match stipulations called for the loser to wear a diaper after the match
Hunter Hearst Helmsley pinned Duke Drose after hitting him with Drose’s own trash can lid
Yokozuna defeated Davey Boy Smith (w/ Jim Cornette) via disqualification after Cornette used his tennis racquet as a weapon; after the match, Smith and Vader handcuffed Yokozuna to the ring ropes and double teamed him
Shawn Michaels pinned Owen Hart (w/ Jim Cornette) with the superkick at 15:57 after avoiding the enziguri; Michaels’ world title shot at WrestleMania XII was on the line in this bout (Shawn Michaels: The Best Hits from the Heartbreak Kid, Greatest Wrestling Stars of the 90s, Owen: Hart of Gold)
WWF World Champion Bret Hart defeated Diesel in a steel cage match at 19:13 by escaping over the top as the Undertaker came up through the canvas and pulled the challenger underneath the ring (In Your House: The Greatest Matches)
Action Zone – 2/25/96 – included Todd Pettingill conducting an interview with Jake Roberts on the interview stage about his return to the WWF in which he for the first time on TV spoke about his past with cocaine and alcoholism, his newfound religious beliefs, and said his new snake was named Revelations
Dark matches after the show:
Henry & Phinneas Godwinn defeated Skip & Zip when Zip was pinned following the Slop Drop
Ahmed Johnson pinned Isaac Yankem DDS with the Pearl River Plunge
The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) defeated WWF IC Champion Goldust (w/ Marlena) via count-out when the champion left ringside after suffering a chokeslam
Free for All – featured Dok Hendrix conducting a backstage interview with the Ultimate Warrior, during which Marlena interrupted with Goldust then blowing goldust into Warrior’s face; Warrior then chased Goldust around backstage, with Goldust falling down and suffering what appeared to be a leg injury; included Sunny confronting Phinneas Godwinn backstage and appearing to flash him; featured pre-taped comments from WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels, in the empty arena, and Diesel about their title match, with Diesel saying he would have a surprise for Vince McMahon during the contest:
Marc Mero (w/ Sable) defeated the 1-2-3 Kid (w/ Ted Dibiase) via disqualification at 7:17 when Hunter Hearst Helmsley interfered and hit the Pedigree on Mero
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Vince McMahon & Jerry Lawler on commentary; included Dok Hendrix conducting a backstage interview with Marc Mero, with Sable, about the attack he sustained from Hunter Hearst Helmsley during the Free for All as well as the announcement Mero would face Helmsley at the following month’s In Your House:
Davey Boy Smith & Owen Hart defeated Jake Roberts & Ahmed Johnson at 13:45 when Roberts submitted to a modified half crab by Smith after Smith repeatedly hit Roberts in the knee with Jim Cornette’s tennis racquet which had been left at ringside; the match was originally scheduled as Roberts vs. Smith in a singles match but was changed after Roberts was forced to take his snake backstage and then returned with Ahmed, to counter Hart who was already in Smith’s corner alongside Cornette & Clarance Mason; Mason took Cornette backstage moments into the match after Roberts scared Cornette with his snake; prior to Roberts’ entrance, footage was shown from the 4/20/96 match in Bayreuth, Germany between Roberts and Hart in which Roberts wrapped his snake around an interfering Smith; Diana Hart Smith was shown watching the match from the crowd
The Ultimate Warrior defeated WWF IC Champion Goldust (w/ Marlena & Bruiser Mastino) via count-out at 7:38 when Goldust & Marlena left ringside after Warrior stuck Marlena’s lit cigar in Goldust’s hand and then clotheslined him out of his director’s char in the ring; there was no contact made in the match aside from what happened at the finish; Mastino was not referred to by name during the match; after the bout, Mastino – acting as Goldust’s bodyguard – attacked Warrior but Warrior fought him off and hit a bodyslam; moments later, footage was shown of Davey Boy Smith trying to get into WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels’ locker room backstage but was stopped by Dave Hebner and Tony Garea
Vader (w/ Jim Cornette) pinned Razor Ramon with a sit-down splash after blocking an attempt at the Razor’s Edge and hitting a backdrop at 14:49; prior to the bout, footage was shown of Vader injuring Yokozuna’s leg three weeks earlier on Raw; after the match, Dok Hendrix interviewed Vader & Cornette at ringside during which he announced Vader would face Yokozuna at the following month’s In Your House, with Vader then arguing with Cornette over the announcement (Scott Hall’s return TV match after a 2-month absence and his last TV appearance for nearly 6 years)
WWF Tag Team Champions Skip & Zip (w/ Sunny) defeated Henry & Phinneas Godwinn (w/ Hillbilly Jim) at 7:16 when Zip pinned Henry with an inside cradle after switching places with Skip, moments after Henry hit the Slop Drop on Skip but the referee was distracted by an altercation on the floor between Phinneas, Hillbilly, and Sunny; prior to the bout, footage was shown of the Body Donnas defeating the Godwinns for the tag team titles at WrestleMania
WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels pinned Diesel in a no holds barred match at 17:52 after landing a low blow, hitting Diesel with Mad Dog Vachon’s prosthetic leg – which the challenger ripped off Vachon as he sat at ringside – and hit the superkick; earlier in the bout, Diesel powerbombed Michaels through the announce table; prior to the match, Michaels was escorted to the ring by Jose Lothario (Shawn Michaels: The Heartbreak Express Tour, Shawn Michaels: From the Vault)
Free for All: The Smoking Gunns defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Henry & Phinneas Godwinn (w/ Hillbilly Jim & Sunny) to win the titles at 4:57 when Bart Gunn pinned Phinneas with a back suplex after Phinneas became distracted by Billy Gunn kissing Sunny on the ring apron; during a pre-match backstage interview conducted by Mr. Perfect, Sunny announced she was the new co-manager of the Godwinns (Sunny, Action Zone)
Bob Holly pinned Isaac Yankem DDS with a top rope move
Pay-per-view bouts – only the first and final bout were shown on TV after the power in the arena went out; featured Vince McMahon & Jerry Lawler on commentary; while the power was out, McMahon & Lawler briefly appeared on television, urging fans to tune into Monday Night Raw for more information about how they could see the matches that wouldn’t be airing due to the outage; during that segment, the Fabulous Moolah & Mae Young were shown sitting in the front row, directly behind McMahon & Lawler:
Marc Mero (w/ Sable) pinned Hunter Hearst Helmsley at 16:23 by reversing an attempt at the Pedigree into a slingshot which sent Helmsley face-first into the ringpost
Savio Vega defeated Steve Austin in a Carribean strap match; after the match, Austin attacked Savio and hung him with the strap
Yokozuna pinned Vader (w/ Jim Cornette) with a Samoan Drop at around the 3-minute mark
WWF IC Champion Goldust (w/ Marlena) defeated the Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) in a casket match at around the 8-minute mark after Steve Austin, Vader, Justin Bradshaw, and Isaac Yankem DDS attacked the challenger
Jake Roberts pinned Justin Bradshaw (w/ Uncle Zebakiah) with a roll up at around the 30-second mark; after the match, Bradshaw attacked Roberts and branded him
WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels (w/ Jose Lothario) fought Davey Boy Smith (w/ Jim Cornette, Owen Hart, & Diana Hart Smith) to a draw at 17:25 when both men had their shoulders down following a German suplex into a bridge by the champion, with second referee Mike Chioda and original referee Earl Hebner each counting one wrestler’s shoulders down for 3; earlier in the night, it was announced that Owen had obtained a 1-night South Carolina manager’s license which allowed him to be at ringside; following a pre-match interview backstage, Michaels had a brief confrontation with Mr. Perfect backstage; prior to the bout, Clarence Mason issued Michaels a subpoena, which the champion then tore up; after the bout, WWF President Gorilla Monsoon came to the ring, regained possession of the title belt from Diana, declared the match a draw, and immediately scheduled a rematch between the two (Shawn Michaels: The Heartbreak Express Tour)
Dark matches after the show:
Ahmed Johnson pinned Jerry Lawler with a sidewalk slam at around the 7-minute mark
The Ultimate Warrior pinned Owen Hart with a series of clotheslines at around the 4-minute mark
In Your House: Beware of Dog 2 – shown live; featured Jim Ross & Mr. Perfect on commentary:
Savio Vega defeated Steve Austin (w/ Ted Dibiase) in a Carribean strap match at 21:26 when Austin pulled Vega into the fourth and final corner after Vega touched the first three corners without Austin knowing; due to pre-match stipulations, Ted Dibiase was forced to leave the WWF; had Vega had lost the match, he would have been forced to become Dibiase’s chauffer; after the bout, Austin stormed off while Vega sang “Na Na Hey Hey” to Dibiase (Dibiase’s last appearance) (The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin)
Vader (w/ Jim Cornette) pinned Yokozuna at 8:54 with the Vader Bomb following an assault on Yoko’s left knee after Yoko failed a Bonzai Drop on an interfering Cornette
WWF IC Champion Goldust (w/ Marlena) defeated the Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) in a casket match at 12:34 when, after Taker hit the tombstone on the champion and prepared to stuff him inside the casket, Mankind came out of the casket, applied the Mandible Claw, forcing Taker into the casket, and then shut and locked the casket shut; after the bout, smoke came out of the casket and once it was opened, the Undertaker was no longer inside
Free For All: Justin Bradshaw (w/ Uncle Zebakiah) pinned Savio Vega at 4:42 by catching Vega in a crossbody, with Zebakiah pushing Bradshaw so that he powerslammed Vega and held his protégé’s foot on the ropes for leverage during the cover; after the bout, Savio attempted to get at Zebakiah but sustained a lariat from Bradshaw and was branded (Free For All)
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, & Jerry Lawler on commentary; Bob Backlund was shown in the crowd campaigning for the 1996 Presidential Election:
Skip & Zip defeated WWF Tag Team Champions the Smoking Gunns (w/ Sunny) in a non-title match when Zip pinned Bart at 13:06 after Skip dropkicked his partner on top as Bart set Zip up for the Sidewinder but Billy was distracted outside the ring; during a pre-match backstage interview, the Body Donnas said Kloudy showed them they don’t need a manager and thanked him / her for helping them
Mankind defeated Henry Godwinn (w/ Hillbilly Jim) (sub. for Jake Roberts) via submission with the Mandible Claw at 6:54 after holding onto the ropes to avoid the Slop Drop
Steve Austin pinned Marc Mero (w/ Sable) at 10:48 with the Stunner after clipping Mero in the knee; earlier in the bout, Marlena & Goldust’s usher came ringside before watching the remainder of the match from the aisle
The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) defeated Goldust (w/ Marlena) via disqualification at 12:07 when Mankind came up through the canvas and drug the Undertaker underneath the ring after Taker hit the tombstone on Goldust; prior to the bout, an Undertaker music video was shown; after the match, the Undertaker came up through the opposite corner of the ring and brawled with Mankind into the boiler room
Vader, Owen Hart, & Davey Boy Smith (w/ Jim Cornette) defeated WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels (w/ Jose Lothario), WWF IC Champion Ahmed Johnson, & Psycho Sid (sub. for the Ultimate Warrior) when Vader pinned Michaels with the Vader Bomb at 24:32 following a splash in the corner as Cornette grabbed Michaels’ foot as the champion attempted the superkick; Cornette gave the live and pay-per-view audience a money-back guarentee if his team was not victorious in the bout; after the match, Sid hit the powerbomb on both Smith and Owen and attempted to do the same to Vader before Vader was pulled to safety; moments later, Michaels dove to the floor and breifly pounded on Vader before all the heels went backstage
In Your House “Mindgames” – Philadelphia, PA – CoreStates Center – September 22, 1996 (15,000; 11,969 paid)
Jake Roberts defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley
Farooq defeated Marc Mero
Psycho Sid defeated Vader
Free For All – included a face-to-face confrontation in the ring between Jerry Lawler and Mark Henry in which Lawler slapped Henry in the face before leaving the ring; featured an in-ring promo by Mankind and Paul Bearer in which Mankind made vague references to his time spent in ECW in an attept to keep his heel reaction strong in the main event
Savio Vega pinned Marty Jannetty (w/ Leif Cassidy) at 3:55 when the momentum of a crossbody off the middle turnbuckle put Vega on top for the win; during the bout, Vince McMahon interviewed Justin Bradshaw backstage from the commentary table with Bradshaw saying he was angry that he had yet to appear on a WWF pay-per-view; after the bout, Uncle Zebakiah came ringside and distracted Vega long enough for Bradshaw to attack Vega from behind with a cowbell ; moments later, Savio issued a challenge to Bradshaw to face him later in the night which was accepted (Free For All)
Pay-per-view bouts – included an in-ring segment in which Brian Pillman interviewed Owen Hart, instead of the previously promised Bret Hart, about why Bret was not at the show; Owen suggested that the reason Bret was not there was because he was scared of Steve Austin; moments later, Austin came out and furhter insulted Bret by saying, “If you put the letter ‘S’ in front of Hitman, you have my exact opinion of Bret Hart”:
Savio Vega defeated Justin Bradshaw (w/ Uncle Zebakiah) in a Caribbean strap match at 7:06 when Bradshaw catapulted Savio into the fourth and final corner; two minutes into the bout, the Sandman and Tommy Dreamer were shown sitting at ringside after Sandman spat beer at Savio; moments later, the two wrestlers from ECW were ejected by WWF officials; Harvey Wippleman was the referee for the bout
Jose Lothario pinned Jim Cornette at the 57-second mark following two punches that knocked Cornette to the mat; Cornette used Vader’s theme music while Lothario used Shawn Michaels’; during Cornette’s entrance, a camera backstage briefly showed footage of Razor Ramon and Diesel attacking Savio Vega backstage in a hallway before running off
Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith defeated WWF Tag Team Champions the Smoking Gunns (w/ Sunny) to win the titles when Smith pinned Bart with the powerslam at 11:00 after Bart collided with Billy on the apron and Billy shoved his partner in retaliation; prior to the bout, a giant poster of Sunny was dropped from the rafters which had been defamed by Owen and Davey; during the opening moments, Clarence Mason came ringside in the place of Jim Cornette, who was still recovering backstage, after Mason stole the contracts of Owen & Smith out from under Cornette; after the match, Sunny grabbed a microphone, fired the Gunns, and stormed off (Sunny)
Mark Henry defeated Jerry Lawler via submission at 5:12 with a backbreaker; after the bout, Henry fought off an interfering Leif Cassidy, Marty Jannetty, and Hunter Hearst Helmsley, eventually gorilla pressing Helmsley onto the two other men on the floor
The Undertaker pinned Goldust (w/ Marlena) at 10:24 with a chokeslam off the top and the tombstone in a Final Curtain match; pre-match stipulations stated that the only way the match could end would be via pinfall
WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels defeated Mankind (w/ Paul Bearer) via disqualification at 26:20 when Vader interfered as Michaels had the challenger covered; moments thereafter, Michaels sent Vader to the floor where Psycho Sid came out and brawled with Vader to the backstage area; Michaels was soon knocked out after being hit by Paul Bearer with the urn and later sustained the Mandible Claw from Mankind; the Undertaker then came out of Mankind’s casket, which was brought ringside before the match, and stalked Mankind backstage (Shawn Michaels: The Heartbreak Express Tour, Mick Foley: Hard Knocks & Cheap Pops, Mick Foley: Greatest Hits & Misses, Shawn Michaels: From the Vault, The History of the WWE Heavyweight Championship)
Free for All – featured a backstage segment in which Ahmed Johnson was seen standing over an injured Farooq with a 2×4 in hand and several referees demanding Ahmed put down the weapon; the following weekend, WWF President Gorilla Monsoon announced he had suspended Ahmed Johnson pending an investigation into what exactly happened backstage:
Barry Windham pinned Justin Bradshaw (w/ Uncle Zebakiah)
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler, & Jim Ross on commentary; included Dok Hendrix conducting a backstage interview with the Smoking Gunns regarding their upcoming WWF Tag Team Title shot, during which Billy claimed Sunny would be back with him once they win the belts back; featured an in-ring promo by Ross, following the tag team title match, in which he claimed McMahon was trying to make him look bad and said he would have Bret Hart on Raw the next night; Ross then addressed McMahon and said if he wasn’t going to give him a working mic then he would leave, with Ross then throwing the mic at McMahon and leaving ringside; included footage from the Free for All pre-show of backstage interviews with Farooq and Ahmed Johnson and of the lockerroom incident in which Ahmed was found standing over an injured Farooq with a 2×4; featured an ad for the WWF Hall of Fame, Nov. 16 at the Mariott Marquee in Times Square, and the Survivor Series the next day; included Jim Ross interrupting Dok Hendrix’ backstage interview regarding his upcoming match with WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series:
Steve Austin pinned Hunter Hearst Helmsley (sub. for Savio Vega) with the Stunner at 15:30; prior to the bout, Kevin Kelly conducted a backstage interview with Austin regarding Helmsley replacing Vega and Bret Hart returning the following night on Raw; mid-way through the match, Mr. Perfect appeared ringside to take Helmsley’s valet backstage; after passing Austin on the floor, Austin confronted Perfect and later threw water in his face before backing off and Perfect leaving ringside with the valet; during the match, Jim Ross’ audio went in and out, which he blamed on Vince McMahon
WWF Tag Team Champions Davey Boy Smith & Owen Hart (w/ Clarance Mason) defeated the Smoking Gunns at 9:17 when Owen pinned Billy with a spin wheel kick after Smith stopped the challengers’ attempt at the Sidewinder; during the bout, Sunny was shown watching the match backstage and, afterwards, applauding Smith & Hart’s win
WWF IC Champion Marc Mero (w/ Sable) pinned Goldust (w/ Marlena) (sub. for Farooq) with a Samoan Drop and Shooting Star Press at 11:37 after Mr. Perfect, who did guest commentary for the match, punched the challenger on the floor as the referee ordered Hunter Hearst Helmsley backstage when Helmsley appeared to confront Perfect at ringside; prior to the bout, the commentary team conducted an interview with Mero, backstage, about his facing Goldust instead of Farooq
Psycho Sid pinned Vader (w/ Jim Cornette) with the chokeslam at 8:00 after ducking a clothesline; due to pre-match stipulations, Sid earned a world title shot against WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels the following month at Survivor Series; after the match, Michaels, who did guest commentary for the contest, and Sid had words and shook hands
The Undertaker defeated Mankind (w/ Paul Bearer) in a Buried Alive match at 18:25; after the match, the Executioner attacked the Undertaker from behind with a shovel – with Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Justin Bradshaw, Goldust, Crush, Mankind, and the Executioner (Terry Gordy) then burying the Undertaker; as the show was about to go off the air, a lightning bolt shot down from the ceiling before the Undertaker’s hand was seen coming out of the dirt (Terry Gordy’s surprise return after a 12-year absence) (Tombstone: The History of the Undertaker)
Dark matches after the show:
Henry & Phinneas Godwinn defeated Marty Jannetty & Leif Cassidy
WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels pinned Goldust (w/ Marlena) with the superkick after kissing the challenger on the lips
In Your House “It’s Time” – West Palm Beach, FL – Memorial Auditorium – December 15, 1996 (5,708; sell out; 4,581 paid)
Brakkus pinned Dr. X (Tom Prichard) with a powerslam
Free For All: Rocky Maivia defeated Salvatore Sincere (w/ Jim Cornette) via disqualification at 6:01 when Cornette entered the ring after Maivia hit the shoulderbreaker; after the bout, Maivia cleared both from the ring (Free For All)
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, & Jerry Lawler on commentary; included footage of Steve Austin speaking on the WWF Superstar Line backstage with Ray Rougeau and Sunny; featured footage of the Nation of Domination taking part in the WWF America Online chat backstage; included McMahon conducting an in-ring interview with Ahmed Johnson in which McMahon announced Johnson would face Farooq at the Royal Rumble; moments later, Johnson said the injury Farooq gave him led to Ahmed losing his girlfriend, car, and house and all he had left was the fans; moments later, Farooq and the Nation appeared in the crowd, called Ahmed an “Uncle Tom,” and said he would end Johnson at the Rumble; Ahmed then led the crowd in a chant of “You’re going down;” featured an ad for the 1997 Royal Rumble; included the announcement the Undertaker would face Vader at the Royal Rumble and that Austin, Rocky Maivia, Mankind, Jake Roberts, Crush, and Savio Vega would be part of the Rumble match; featured a video package recapping the 8-month history behind Marc Mero and WWF IC Champion Hunter Hearst Helmsley; during the segment, Curt Hennig was portrayed as Helmsley’s lackey who Helmsley got rid of after winning the title; included Dok Hendrix conducting a backstage interview with WWF World Champion Psycho Sid in which they reviewed footage from earlier in the day on WWF Superstars of Sid brawling with Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart outside the arena; featured a video package recapping the Undertaker’s feud with the Executioner; included Hendrix conducting a backstage interview with Hart regarding his upcoming match with Sid in which commented on the fight outside the arena earlier in the day, with Michaels’ entrance music eventually cutting off Hart’s comments to Hart’s dismay; at several points in the live telecast, the transmission went out for several seconds:
Flash Funk pinned Lief Cassidy at 10:34 with a back suplex and the 450 splash; prior to the bout, Funk was escorted to the ring by the Funkettes
WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith (w/ Clarence Mason) defeated Razor Ramon II & Diesel II at 10:45 when Smith pinned Razor with a roll over after Hart, the illegal man, hit a spin kick as Razor attempted the Razor’s Edge on Smith; prior to the bout, Kevin Kelly conducted a backstage interview with the champions and Mason regarding their recent problems with Steve Austin; during Smith & Hart’s entrance, footage was shown of Razor & Diesel attacking them earlier in the day during WWF Superstars; during the bout, Cibernetico and Peirroth briefly appeared ringside, with it then being mentioned they would be part of the Royal Rumble; after they went backstage, Austin appeared ringside, with Smith and Austin brawling until referees, Tony Garea, and Rene Goulet swarmed ringside and pulled them apart; moments later, Austin was sent backstage by officials; the champions were cheered in the contest; after the bout, Austin returned ringside and clipped Smith in the back of the knee before leaving the ring
Marc Mero (w/ Sable) defeated WWF IC Champion Hunter Hearst Helmsley via count-out at 14:03 after Goldust appeared ringside, as referee Earl Hebner was knocked out, accidentally struck Mero with the title belt, and then hit the champion in the face with the title belt as both wrestlers were fighting on the floor; after the contest, Mero hit the Shooting Star Press on Helmsley and left ringside with the title belt; moments later, as Helmsley attempted to leave ringside, Goldust knocked him down and verbally berated him before Helmsley was helped backstage by referees
The Undertaker defeated the Executioner (w/ Paul Bearer) in a last man standing match at 11:32 when the Executioner failed to reach his feet by the referee’s standing 10-count after being pinned by Taker’s tombstone; early in the bout, Mankind interfered on behalf of the Executioner, with Taker eventually throwing him through the pay-per-view entrance set minutes later, destroying the front door and window; minutes later, Mankind was maced by several security guards in the ring and had a straightjacket put on him, with Gorilla Monsoon and Tony Garea then appearing to send Mankind backstage; footage then showed Taker knocking the Executioner into the fountain outside the arena
WWF World Champion Psycho Sid pinned Bret Hart with the powerbomb at 17:04 after the challenger collided with Shawn Michaels on the ring apron, moments after Sid shoved Michaels in the face while Michaels provided guest commentary for the match; mid-way through the bout, Steve Austin attacked Hart outside the ring until WWF Tag Team Champions Davey Boy Smith & Owen Hart came ringside; moments later, referees and officials kept Austin, Smith & Hart apart and ejected them from ringside; after the contest, Hart, his nose bloody, punched Michaels to the floor, pulled his shirt up over his head, and landed several more shots until referees forced him away; moments later, after Hart left ringside, Michaels picked up his headset and said he would kick Hart’s teeth down his throat
Dark matches after the show:
Steve Austin pinned Goldust (w/ Marlena) after WWF IC Champion Hunter Hearst Helmsley interfered and hit Goldust with the belt
Shawn Michaels pinned Mankind (w/ Paul Bearer) after superkicking the urn into Mankind’s face
WWF Superstars 2/16/97 – aired live from the empty arena and included interviews with the participants of the night’s main event
Henry & Phinneas Godwinn defeated the Headbangers
Free For All – included backstage interviews and in-ring promos by the four participants in the main event
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler on commentary; included an in-ring appearance by the Honkytonk Man; featured Kevin Kelly conducting a backstage interview with Bret Hart regarding his participation in the Final Four match:
Marc Mero (w/ Sable) pinned Leif Cassidy with a Samoan Drop and the Shooting Star Press at 9:31
Farooq, Crush, & Savio Vega (w/ PG-13, D-Lo Brown, Clarence Mason, and other Nation members) defeated Goldust (w/ Marlena), Flash Funk, & Bart Gunn at 6:43 when Farooq pinned Gunn after Crush hit a legdrop to the back of Gunn’s head as he had Farooq covered following a bulldog off the top
WWF IC Champion Rocky Maivia pinned Hunter Hearst Helmsley with a back suplex into a bridge as the challenger was distracted by Goldust at ringside; after the bout, Marlena was assaulted and choked from behind by an unknown woman while Goldust and Helmsley had words; the woman was eventually pulled away from Marlena by security and ejected from the building; she later became known as Chyna (Chyna’s debut)
Doug Furnas & Phil LaFon defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith (w/ Clarence Mason) via disqualification at 10:31 when Owen hit LaFon with the Slammy as Smith prepared to hit the running powerslam on the challenger; after the bout, the champions argued over the finish, with Smith throwing his tag belt to the mat and breaking Owen’s Slammy, then threatening Mason, but all three men eventually left ringside together
Bret Hart defeated Vader (w/ Paul Bearer), the Undertaker, and Steve Austin in a Final Four match by last eliminating Taker at 24:06 to win the vacant WWF World Title; pre-match stipulations stated that eliminations could occur via pinfall, submission, or by tossing your opponent over the top to the floor; early in the bout, Taker busted Vader’s eye after hitting him in the face with the steel ringsteps; during the bout, Psycho Sid – who would challenge the winner the following night on Monday Night Raw – was shown watching the match backstage; Hart eliminated Austin by throwing him over the top at 18:09; Austin returned minutes later to attack Bret; Taker eliminated Vader at 22:33 by knocking him off the top as he attempted a moonsault on Taker; Hart eliminated Taker with a clothesline after Taker knocked an interfering Austin off the apron; after the bout, Sid interrupted Hart’s celebratory fireworks and confronted Hart in the ring as the show came to a close
Free For All: The Sultan (w/ the Iron Sheik & Bob Backlund) defeated Flash Funk
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, & Jerry Lawler on commentary; included Dok Hendrix conducting a backstage interview with Bret Hart, alongside WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart & WWF European Champion Davey Boy Smith, regarding his match later in the show against Steve Austin:
The Legion of Doom defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart & WWF European Champion Davey Boy Smith via disqualification when Bret Hart interfered at 10:11; the challengers had scored a pinfall earlier in the bout but the decision was overruled since the illegal man was pinned
Savio Vega (w/ Crush) defeated WWF IC Champion Rocky Maivia via count-out at 8:33 after Crush interfered and hit the Heart Punch on the champion outside the ring; after the match, Ahmed Johnson made the save for Rocky against the Nation and accepted Farooq’s challenge to face the three members of the Nation in one night
Jesse Jammes pinned Rockabilly (w/ the Honkytonk Man) (mystery opponent) (the debut of the Rockabilly gimmick)
WWF World Champion the Undertaker pinned Mankind (w/ Paul Bearer) with the tombstone at 17:26; after the match, the champion shot a fireball into the eyes of Paul Bearer, forcing Bearer to be stretchered to an awaiting ambulance backstage (Tombstone: The History of the Undertaker)
Steve Austin defeated Bret Hart via disqualification at 21:09 when WWF European & Tag Team Champion Davey Boy Smith hit Austin in the back with a steel chair as Austin had Bret in the Sharpshooter; WWF Tag Team Champion Owen Hart & Smith escorted Bret to the ring before the match but were ejected from ringside before the bout by WWF President Gorilla Monsoon; during the match, pre-taped footage was shown of a heavily burned Paul Bearer being loaded into an ambulance; late in the match, Owen & Smith came out to break the Sharpshooter but were held back by referees and Monsoon, with Smith then eventually sliding in the ring; after the bout, Bret returned to the ring to attack Austin but Austin gained the upper hand and put Bret back in the Sharpshooter until officials pulled him away; moments later, Bret was helped backstage by Owen & Davey
Dark matches after the show:
Doug Furnas & Phil Lafon defeated Henry & Phinneas Godwinn
Hunter Hearst Helmsley pinned Goldust
In Your House “Cold Day in Hell” – Richmond, VA – Coliseum – May 11, 1997 (9,381; 7,681 paid; sell out)
Free For All – featured a backstage promo by Ken Shamrock regarding his fight later in the night against Vader, with Vader and Mankind then attacking Shamrock; included Jim Ross, from in the arena, speaking with Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Brian Pillman, WWF Tag Team Champions – WWF IC Champion Owen Hart & WWF European Champion Davey Boy Smith in which Bret said the Hart Foundation would be sitting ringside later in the show:
Rockabilly (w/ the Honkytonk Man) pinned Jesse Jammes with a DDT at 3:13; during the match, Todd Pettengill reported from backstage that Ken Shamrock was still focused after being attacked earlier in the evening by Vader and Mankind
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler on commentary; included footage of Ken Shamrock in UFC, with Ross then conducting a backstage interview with Shamrock about his match later in the night against Vader; featured footage from the previous week’s Raw of Crush going through a gauntlet match only to be defeated by Ahmed Johnson; included footage from Raw of Vader confronting Shamrock after beating Goldust; featured Pettengill conducting a backstage interview with Vader about his upcoming match with Shamrock and his jumping Shamrock earlier in the show, with the help of Mankind:
Hunter Hearst Helmsley (w/ Chyna) pinned Flash Funk with the Pedigree at 10:04 after a back suplex off the top; during Helmsley’s entrance, footage was shown of his match from the previous night on Shotgun Saturday Night against Mankind and Chyna’s interference; after the contest, Chyna hoisted Flash in the air, dropped him crotch-first across the top rope, and then knocked him out to the floor
Mankind defeated Rocky Maivia via KO with the Mandible Claw at 8:08 after rolling through a flying crossbody by Maivia; prior to the bout, Todd Pettengill conducted a backstage interview with Maivia regarding his quick success in the WWF but recently losing the IC title, with Maivia saying he learned a lot going up and has learned a lot coming down; during the match, it was noted Maivia was married 7 days earlier; Maivia was booed late in the match and Mankind cheered (For All Mankind: The Life and Career of Mick Foley)
The Nation of Domination defeated Ahmed Johnson in a gauntlet match at 15:29; prior to the bout, Todd Pettengill conducted a backstage interview with Johnson about the odds being against him; following Johnson’s entrance, Gorilla Monsoon came ringside and sent PG-13, Clarence Mason, D-Lo Brown, and everyone else not immediately wrestling in the ring back to the entrance stage so they couldn’t interfere; Johnson pinned Crush at 5:31 with a spin kick and roll up after avoiding the heart punch; Johnson defeated Savio Vega via disqualification at 12:12 when Vega repeatedly hit Johnson with a steel chair; Vega was said to have sustained a sprained ankle the previous night; prior to his ring entrance, Farooq had his arm in a sling but revealed he was not injured once he got in the ring; Farooq pinned Johnson with a clip to the back of the knee and the Dominator; stipulations stated the Nation would have to disband if they lost
Ken Shamrock defeated Vader in a no holds barred match via submission with the ankle lock at 12:10; a graphic before the bout stated the match could be won via a referee standing 8 count but Jim Ross clarified the match could only end by submission or knock out; during the bout, Vader sustained a broken nose following a series of knees to the face (Shamrock’s TV in-ring debut)
WWF World Champion the Undertaker pinned Steve Austin at 20:06 after reversing the challenger’s reversal of the tombstone and hitting it for the win; moments earlier, Brian Pillman prevented Austin from making the pin with the Stunner by ringing the time keeper’s bell, distracting the challenger and the referee; Bret Hart, WWF Tag Team Champions – WWF IC Champion Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith, Pillman, and Jim Neidhart came out following the ring entrances and took ringside seats; immediately after the match, Smith, Owen, Neidhart, & Pillman attacked Taker in the ring, with Austin knocking over Bret in his wheelchair and using one of his crutches to clear the ring; moments later, as Taker was announced as the winner, Austin dropped him with the Stunner and then stalked the Hart Foundation backstage; Taker soon followed as the show ended; just before the show went off, Jim Ross said a Mother’s Day message from the McMahon family to the late Rose Anderson (The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin)
Dark match after the show: The Legion of Doom defeated WWF Tag Team Champions – WWF IC Champion Owen Hart & WWF European Champion Davey Boy Smith via disqualification at around the 6-minute mark when Smith attempted to hit Road Warrior Hawk with the European title belt but accidentally hit Owen instead
Free for All: Henry & Phinneas Godwinn defeated Blackjack Windham & Blackjack Bradshaw at 5:33 when Phinneas pinned Windham with an inside cradle after Henry interfered behind the referee’s back and kicked Windham during an attempted suplex
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, & Jerry Lawler on commentary; included Farmer’s Daughter performing the Canadian National Anthem prior to the main event; Alberta Premier Ralph Klein as well as the entire Hart family sat ringside for the show:
Mankind fought Hunter Hearst Helmsley (w/ Chyna) to a double count-out at 13:09 when the two began a lengthy brawl in the crowd which continued backstage, despite intervention from referees and officials
The Great Sasuke pinned Taka Michinoku at 10:00 with a dragon suplex after a Thunder Firebomb; prior to the match beginning, Mankind and Helmsley returned to the crowd to continue their brawl; after the match, the two battled outside the arena (the WWF debut of both Sasuke and Taka)
WWF World Champion the Undertaker pinned Vader (w/ Paul Bearer) (sub. for Ahmed Johnson) at 12:38 after two chokeslams and the tombstone
Bret Hart, WWF IC Champion Owen Hart, WWF European Champion Davey Boy Smith, Jim Neidhart, & Brian Pillman defeated Steve Austin, Goldust, Ken Shamrock, & the Legion of Doom at 24:30 when Owen pinned Austin with a roll up as Austin was distracted by several of the Hart brothers at ringside; Owen was taken out of the match early on after Austin attacked his knee with a chair; Austin was taken out of the bout moments later after a ring post figure-4 by Bret; both men returned towards the end of the contest; after the match, Austin was handcuffed and led from ringside while the entire Hart Family celebrated inside the ring (Brian Pillman: Loose Cannon, Hart & Soul: The Hart Family Anthology, Owen: Hart of Gold)
This marked the first 3-hour In Your House event; featured Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, & Jerry Lawler on commentary
Brian Pillman pinned Goldust (w/ Marlena) at 11:05 after hitting him with Marlena’s loaded purse; due to pre-match stipulations, Pillman won Marlena for 30 days; had Pillman lost the match, he would have been forced to leave the WWF; after the bout, Pillman forced Marlena into his car and drove off just as Goldust made his way into the backstage area (Brian Pillman: Loose Cannon)
Brian Christopher defeated Scott Putski at 4:40 via referee’s decision when Putski legitly injured his knee as Christopher hit a bodypress to the floor; after the bout, Jerry Lawler celebrated the win with Christopher and verbally berated Putski as he was attended to by medical personnel and eventually taken backstage on a stretcher
Savio Vega defeated Farooq and Crush at 11:39 by pinning Crush with a spin kick to the ear after Farooq sustained the heart punch
Max Mini pinned El Torito at 9:20 with a sunset flip; mid-way through the contest, Mini went to the floor, jumped on Jerry Lawler’s lap, and put on Lawler’s crown
The Headbangers (sub. for Steve Austin & Dude Love) defeated Owen Hart & WWF European Champion Davey Boy Smith, the Legion of Doom, and Henry & Phinneas Godwinn at 17:17 in an elimination match to win the vacant WWF Tag Team Championship; the LOD were disqualified at 9:38 for intercepting and using the Godwinns’ slop bucket; Thrasher pinned Phinneas at 12:42 with an assisted sunset flip; Mosh pinned Owen after Steve Austin interfered and hit the Stunner; prior to the contest, Steve Austin and Dude Love relinquished their tag team championship belts before Austin hit the Stunner on Jim Ross; Ross was quicky attended to by medical personnel as well as Gerald Brisco, Pat Patterson, Commissioner Slaughter, Tony Garea, and Vince McMahon
WWF World Champion Bret Hart defeated the Patriot by reversing the challenger’s Sharpshooter into his own for the submission victory at 19:18; Davey Boy Smith and Vader interfered on the floor during the match but were eventually sent backstage
The Undertaker fought Shawn Michaels to a no contest at 16:02 when each participant beat up a referee and Hunter Hearst Helmsley & Chyna interfered on behalf of Michaels; prior to the match beginning, the Undertaker attacked the referee when he got in the way of Michaels, which led to a several minute chase throughout the ringside area until a replacement referee was sent to the ring and the match officially began; after the match, each man was held back by numerous wrestlers until the Undertaker dove over the top rope onto Michaels and a host of heel wrestlers (Tombstone: The History of the Undertaker)
During the ‘Free for All’ it was announced that Brian Pillman had passed away the night before; included Jim Ross hosting a segment in which the WWF paid tribute to the legends of St. Louis wrestling including Gene Kiniski, Jack Brisco, Dory Funk Jr., Harley Race, Terry Funk, Lou Thesz, & Sam Muchnick
Rocky Maivia, D-Lo Brown, & Kama defeated the Legion of Doom in a handicap match at 12:19 when Maivia pinned Road Warrior Hawk with the Rock Bottom following a kick to the back of the head by Kama after Farooq’s appearance at ringside prevented the Doomsday Device; Ken Shamrock was to have teamed with the LOD but was put on the shelf with a lung injury following bouts with Farooq (9/9) and Vader (9/28)
Max Mini & Nova defeated Tarantula & Mosaic at 6:42 when Mini pinned Tarantula with a crucifix, despite Tarantula’s shoulder being up at the 2-count; this was a substitute for the Brian Pillman vs. Dude Love match, with Goldust handcuffed to a ringpost, which was cancelled due to Pillman’s death
Henry & Phinneas Godwinn (w/ Uncle Cletus) defeated WWF Tag Team Champions the Headbangers to win the titles at 12:17 when Phinneas pinned Mosh by reversing an attempt at the Bombs Away into a powerbomb, as Cletus held Thrasher back from making the save; after the bout, the new champions and Cletus attacked the Headbangers; Sunny was the guest ring announcer for the contest
WWF IC Championship Tournament Finals: Owen Hart pinned Farooq at 7:15 after Steve Austin interfered and hit Farooq in the head with the title belt as the referee and Sgt. Slaughter were distracted by Jim Neidhart, who came ringside moments earlier; Austin sat ringside for the contest to present the new champion with the belt but ended up as the guest timekeeper and did uninvited guest commentary for all three commentary crews
Crush, Chainz, Skull, & 8-Ball defeated Savio Vega, Miguel Perez, Jose Estrada, & Jesus Castillo at 9:11 when Crush pinned Jesus with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker following a blow to the back of the head by Chainz; this bout was also used as a last-minute filler to replace the Pillman / Dude Love contest
WWF World Champion Bret Hart & Davey Boy Smith defeated the Patriot & Vader in a flag match when Hart pinned the Patriot with a roll over at 21:16; prior to the contest, it was announced that due to injuries many of the participants were recovering from, the bout could end via pinfall or submission – as well as capturing the team’s respective flag; during a prematch interview, Vader dropped the ‘BS’ bomb in reference to Bret Hart’s catchphrase; the two teams engaged in a several minute brawl at ringside before the contest officially began; late in the contest, a fan tried to get in the ring but was held back by the Bulldog and the referee; after the bout, a disgruntled Vader & Patriot assaulted their opponents before sending them to the floor
WWF European Champion Shawn Michaels pinned the Undertaker at 29:56 in a non-title Hell in a Cell match after Paul Bearer and Kane came ringside, Kane ripped the door off the cage, and hit the tombstone on the Undertaker before leaving ringside; Michaels was escorted to the ring by Triple H, Chyna, and Rick Rude but all three returned backstage after the cage door was locked shut; midway through the contest, the door had to be unlocked in order to get an injured cameraman to safety (a local indy wrestler) – resulting in the two participants having a lengthy brawl outside and on top of the cage; after the contest, Triple H and Chyna helped Michaels backstage; due to prematch stipulations, Michaels earned a world title shot for the Survivor Series; named Pro Wrestling Torch’s Match of the Year (the 1st ever HIAC; Kane’s surprise debut) (Shawn Michaels: From the Vault, Tombstone: The History of the Undertaker, Hell in a Cell)
In Your House “Degeneration-X” – Springfield, MA – Civic Center – December 7, 1997 (6,358; sell out)
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler on commentary:
WWF Light Heavyweight Title Tournament Finals: Taka Michinoku pinned Brian Christopher with the Michinoku Driver at 12:00 after Christopher failed an attempt at the Tennesse Jam
Los Boricuas defeated Skull, 8-Ball, & Chainz at 7:55 when Chainz was pinned after the Boricuas made an illegal substitution
Butterbean defeated Marc Mero (w/ Sable) via disqualification in the 4th round of a Toughman contest after sustaining a low blow
WWF Tag Team Champions Billy Gunn & the Road Dogg defeated the Legion of Doom via disqualification at 10:29 after Road Warrior Hawk stole Henry Godwinn’s slop bucket and used it as a weapon
Triple H (w/ Chyna) pinned Sgt. Slaughter in a Bootcamp match at 17:36 with the Pedigree after Chyna interfered and hit a low blow
Jeff Jarrett defeated the Undertaker via disqualification at 2:52 when Kane interfered and hit a chokeslam on Jarrett while attempting to get at the Undertaker
WWF IC Champion Steve Austin pinned the Rock at 5:31 (w/ Farooq, Kama, & D-Lo Brown) with the Stunner after accidentally dropping referee Mike Chioda with the move, thinking he was the challenger; upon his entrance, Austin drove a 3:16 pickup truck to ringside; before the match officially began, Austin fought off the other Nation members, eventually backdropping Brown onto the windsheild and hitting the Stunner on him while atop the truck; Austin wrestled in his vest for the duration of the match (History of the Intercontinental Championship, Stone Cold Steve Austin: The Bottom Line on the Most Popular Superstar of All Time)
Ken Shamrock defeated WWF World & European Champion Shawn Michaels (w/ Triple H & Chyna) via disqualification at 18:26 when Triple H and Chyna interfered as Michaels was caught in the ankle lock; after the match, as Triple H and Chyna beat on Shamrock on the outside, Owen Hart made a surprise appearance by knocking Michaels off the ring apron to the floor and pounding on him before escaping through the crowd