In Your House: A Cold Day in Hell

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

In Your House: A Cold Day in Hell

May 11, 1997

Richmond Coliseum

Richmond, Virginia

News & Notes: After Revenge of the Taker, Stone Cold and Bret Hart had a Street Fight on RAW. Austin attacked Bret’s knee with a chair and put him in the Sharpshooter again. Then the WWF officials loaded Bret into an ambulance. But Austin was in the driver’s seat. He attacked Bret a second time. They did this to write Hart off of TV. He needed knee surgery. Bret returned in the following weeks. He was wheelchair bound, so he needed more backup. The Hart Foundation added two new members.

First, Brian Pillman aligned himself with the group. He swore he wasn’t an official member. Brian was simply there for moral support. This involved praying for Bret Hart’s recovery. But these prayers were creepy and mean-spirited toward the Hart Foundation’s enemies. Those enemies included Shawn Michaels. He came to Austin’s aid because Michaels hated The Hart Foundation. Bret put Shawn in a ring post Figure Four on a previous episode of RAW.

The second new member is the returning Jim Neidhart. The Anvil returned to save Bret from another beating. He’s also the reason Hart returned to TV so soon after his surgery. Bret felt the WWF wouldn’t hire Jim if he wasn’t there to vouch for him. Vince had apprehensions about rehiring The Anvil. Neidhart completes the group. So they are stronger than ever. This led to Owen Hart defeating Rocky Maivia for the Intercontinental championship. (Does this mean Prince Iaukea will now lose his TV title on WCW TV?) Owen finally has two belts to match his two Slammys!

Now, Stone Cold gets his WWF title match. He won the right at Revenge of the Taker. However, the Hart Foundation promised they’d sit ringside for the bout. Bret bought five tickets from a scalper. He claimed they couldn’t trust the WWF’s front office anymore. (Oh, if he only knew.) Austin and Taker’s focus is elsewhere. But they confronted each other on RAW. Stone Cold gave Taker a Stunner and flipped him off. So Taker grabbed Austin by the throat and hit a chokeslam.

The Undertaker isn’t afraid of being on the edge of Armageddon. There is no mercy or remorse. Austin believes someone will get their ass whipped. It will be one hell of a fight. Nothing can keep Austin from tearing Taker’s ass to hell. Will Austin rest in peace or will Taker have the coldest day in hell? Call the WCW hotline to find out! (I’m kidding, of course.) This was a rather intense promo for a match that has little build. Both Taker and Austin have bigger feuds. They filled the video with weird music. It sounds like Enigma if they went goth. The video also contains amusing imagery, such as Austin’s face on the moon.

Jim Ross welcomes everyone. It’s Mother’s Day in the Richmond Coliseum. JR and Lawler speak about the matches. Lawler hopes Shamrock hugged and kissed his mother, wife, and kids. Because he may never see them again after facing Vader. Jerry also thinks Ahmed Johnson won’t win against The Nation. (Vince isn’t on commentary. A family friend named Rose Anderson passed away. He attended her funeral.)

Hunter Hearst Helmsley (w/ Chyna) vs. Flash Funk

Notes: They announced this bout on Shotgun Saturday Night. But it doesn’t have a build. Hunter wrapped up his feud with Goldust on RAW. Then he faced Mankind on Shotgun. It ended in DQ when Chyna gave Mankind a low-blow. This sets up Helmsley’s next feud. For now, he faces Flash Funk. There are no Funkettes. The WWF released them as a cost-cutting measure. JR explains their absence by saying they’re afraid of Chyna.

The Match: Flash catches Hunter with dropkicks, arm drags, and shoulder blocks. He also does a cartwheel and dropkicks Helmsley out of the ring. Funk follows with a springboard clothesline. But Chyna uses a ref distraction to attack Flash. She does this twice, while Hunter nails a face crusher and a high-knee. Then Triple H wears down Funk with suplexes and holds. He even knocks Flash off the apron and onto the ramp! However, Flash boots Hunter in the face when he tries an axehandle. Funk then rallies with a twisting leg drop, a springboard crossbody, and a corner heel kick. Next, Flash heads to the top. But Triple H crotches him and lands a release super back suplex. Hunter follows with The Pedigree for the win.

Thoughts: This wasn’t too bad for an opener. They had some cool spots. The crowd reacted well to it. It was a bit basic. But I enjoyed it. It’s a shame the match had no build. These In Your House shows have filler, but I get it. Hunter’s next feud is long. They don’t want to overdo it. This was a good win for him.

Winner: Hunter Hearst Helmsley (10:05)

Chyna lifts Flash Funk and crotches him on the top rope. Hunter laughs his butt off at it. Lawler calls it a class act. He also wants to see Chyna lift Ross like that.

Then JR gets on the house mic. He points out the empty seats the Hart Foundation bought. Next, Ross introduces UFC footage of Ken Shamrock. It doesn’t impress Lawler. This leads to JR interviewing Ken Shamrock. Ross asks Ken if Vader & Mankind’s attack affected him. Ken says he’s focused and in the zone. Mankind & Vader won’t shake him from his zone. When that bell rings, it’s knuckle-up time! Ross thanks him for his time. He promises not to bother Ken again. (It sounded like the promo disappointed JR.) Lawler says Vader will knock Shamrock into the twilight zone.

Mankind enters the arena for his match. Then Todd interviews Rocky Maivia. Todd shows Rocky footage of his debut and his Intercontinental title win. But Todd also reminds Maivia he lost the belt. Todd asks if success came too soon. Rocky says it did. He surprised himself with the success. Rocky also hell—a lot—learned a hell of a lot on the way up and the way down. (Well said, Rocky.) But this isn’t about his destiny. It’s about his determination. (Again, you see that frustration on Rocky’s face. That heel turn can’t come soon enough. He needs it.)

Mankind vs. Rocky Maivia

Notes: The original plan was Sid vs. Mankind. Sid prevented Mankind from using a blowtorch on The Undertaker. The WWF changed their plans after Sid missed shows because of an injury. Rocky Maivia is Sid’s replacement. Meanwhile, JR mentions he’ll interview Mankind over the coming weeks. It will be a great insight into the life and story of Mankind. (I’ll give more details in future reviews.) Ross also recaps what happened to Paul Bearer. They haven’t seen him since Revenge of the Taker. Bearer is recovering from his burns.

The Match: Rocky avoids Mankind’s attack and knocks him out of the ring with clotheslines. They brawl on the floor and back into the ring. Rocky uses a powerslam, an elbow drop, and some hammerlocks. But Mankind sends Maivia through the ropes. He then gives Rocky a cannonball off the apron and a running knee in the corner. After a double-down spot, they fight to the ramp. Rocky nails the uranage on the metal! When they return to the ring, Mankind collapses on an Irish whip. So Rocky capitalizes with a belly-to-belly, a clothesline, and a shoulderbreaker. Next, Maivia performs a flying crossbody. But Mankind catches him with the Mandible Claw! Rocky passes out, so the ref calls for the bell.

Thoughts: I liked the action. But the crowd couldn’t care less about this bout. They’re tired of Rocky. Some even cheered Mankind’s victory. The finish was nice, and some spots were great. But these two have much better matches in the future. This was good but forgettable.

Winner: Mankind (8:46)

Next, Ross recaps the build for the Gauntlet Match. Crush had his own gauntlet on RAW. He dispatched two jobbers without an issue. Faarooq calls for the third victim. A man in a Packers jacket and a stocking over his head arrives. He hits a Pearl River Plunge and pins Crush. Then he removes the stocking to reveal Ahmed Johnson.

The Nation enters the arena before we go to Todd with Ahmed. They originally planned to space Ahmed’s matches throughout the night. But that changed. On the Free for All, Johnson agreed to face The Nation in succession. Pettengill thinks they stacked the odds against Johnson. Ahmed says it’s always that way. He dares Faarooq to start the match. It’s all about the two of them. But if he brings his goons to the party, they might as well dance. Tonight, somebody’s going to the end! Meanwhile, Gorilla Monsoon orders the Nation to stand on the ramp. They have to wait there until it’s their turn.

Gauntlet Match: Faarooq, Savio Vega, & Crush (w/ The Nation of Domination) vs. Ahmed Johnson

Notes: Ahmed went on a rampage after accepting Faarooq’s challenge. He attacked The Sultan with a 2×4. (This gave The Sultan a real injury. Vince put an end to the 2×4 shenanigans after this. Ahmed hurt too many people.) Vince then asked Ahmed what his deal was. Johnson said The Nation is a gang. They want to kill him. What does Vince want him to do? Ahmed knows how to deal with gangs. He used to be a member of one. One way or another, someone will meet their end in this Gauntlet Match. He may be right. The Nation is working hurt. Faarooq has a separated shoulder, Crush has the flu, and Savio has a twisted ankle. Or is it a ruse?

The Match: Ahmed gives Crush punches, a scissor kick, and a slam. Crush counters with a boot to the head, a diving clothesline, and nerve holds. Then they exchange suplexes. Ahmed drops Crush on his face. But Crush answers with a sleeper hold. When Johnson breaks free, Crush calls for help. He doesn’t get it. Crush then nails a piledriver and calls again. The Nation still doesn’t oblige. So Crush tries for a Heart Punch. Ahmed counters with a heel kick to pin Crush.

Savio is next. He limps to the ring, but Ahmed sends him to the floor. Vega answers with a corner heel kick and attacks Johnson’s kidneys. He also rams Ahmed into an exposed turnbuckle and grabs a double nerve hold! Ahmed breaks free again, but he misses a diving headbutt. However, Savio misses a corner splash. This allows Ahmed to nail a back suplex and a powerslam. He then signals for the end. So Savio rolls outside and grabs a chair. He gets himself disqualified, but he does damage to Johnson.

A delighted Faarooq removes his sling and enters the ring. He slaps Ahmed and stomps him. But Johnson answers with a roll-up. He also catches Faarooq with a spinebuster and nails the Pearl River Plunge. Faarooq kicks out! Ahmed complains to the ref about it. So Faarooq gives Johnson a chop block. He follows with The Dominator for the victory.

Thoughts: It was slow. But I liked the storytelling, especially in the closing moments. Faarooq hitting a Dominator on Ahmed is impressive. He doesn’t land that move often. I’m also fine with The Nation winning. They have a lot left. Disbanding them now would be a mistake. But they need a new feud. The Johnson rivalry is going on for too long.

Winners: The Nation of Domination (13:25)

Then JR recaps the Vader/Shamrock storyline. We see Ken doing commentary on a Vader match. After Vader wins, he taunts Shamrock. Ken tells him to shut up. So Vader dares him to enter the ring. He even spits on Ken. This is enough. Ken storms the ring and they roll around on the mat.

Next, Todd interviews Vader. He shows footage of Vader & Mankind’s attack on the Free for All. Pettengill asks what Vader was thinking. Vader says he was playing with the boy. ABC calls Ken the world’s most dangerous man. But they said nothing about the World Wrestling Federation. Todd then asks for Vader’s strategy. It’s pain. Vader says Ken knows nothing about Vader’s pain game. It’s Vader time! He yells and leaves the room. So Todd sends it back to JR and Lawler.

No Holds Barred Match: Ken Shamrock vs. Vader

Notes: Shamrock called out Mike Tyson on RAW. He didn’t get him. But he got a bout with Vader. The WWF booked this, knowing Vader could handle Ken’s stiff style. They wanted to teach Shamrock to lighten up. Vince saw Vader as the best person for the job. Plus, it’s a slight punishment for the Kuwait incident. Vader and Shamrock had confrontations on TV. Shamrock gave Vader a belly-to-belly suplex. But Mankind attacked Ken. Then Mankind and Vader attacked again during the Free for All.

Before the bout begins, they explain the rules. You can only win by submission or knockout. There are no disqualifications or count-outs. And there’s a standing eight count. Wait, what’s that? I stand corrected. There are no standing eight counts. JR corrects the graphic. It says otherwise. (Did Vince change his mind at the last second and not fix it?)

The Match: Shamrock hits takedowns and hard kicks. Vader answers with an avalanche attack, but Ken nails a back suplex. Vader keeps rolling to the floor for a breather after more kicks and submissions. (You hear Vader yell, “EASE UP!”) Ken doesn’t listen. He throws more forearms and kicks. Vader counters with a short-arm clothesline and an armbar. Shamrock turns it into an arm drag and a triangle choke. But Vader lifts and drops him. He also suplexes Ken over the ropes.

They brawl on the floor and return to the ring. Vader uses an anklelock and a choke. Shamrock escapes both. Vader then uses a corner avalanche and attempts a moonsault. Ken—moves? (He almost didn’t get out of the way. Vader clipped him.) Then Shamrock continues with more knees, kicks, and slams. He also uses submissions, but Vader reaches the ropes. Vader finally has enough of Ken’s stiff strikes. He CLOBBERS Shamrock in the face.

But Ken catches Vader in an anklelock, and Vader taps out.

Thoughts: This wasn’t great, but it was a spectacle. It was two men beating the crap out of each other. If you want a violent brawl, watch this. The encounter isn’t pretty. However, it’s worth watching out of curiosity. There was a miscommunication between them. Shamrock thought Vader rolled out of the ring to sabotage the match. Vader wanted a moment to recover. Ken laid in his shots because he was pissed. Vader ended up with a broken nose and injured legs. He had issues walking for days.

Winner: Ken Shamrock (13:21)

The officials help Vader to the back. He can’t walk on his own. Vader shoves the ring steps in frustration. JR says it was an intense and stiff match. He then points out the empty seats in the front row. The Hart Foundation still isn’t there.

Todd interviews Stone Cold. He too mentions the seats. But Austin doesn’t care about that. It means the Hart family will be closer to him. After he whips Taker’s ass, he’ll send the Harts back to Calgary in wheelchairs. Then Austin asks if The Undertaker checked the weather. Hell is about the freeze over and that’s the bottom line! Austin leaves, but Todd had more to say. He looks disappointed. It doesn’t stop Todd from showing footage of Austin giving Taker a Stunner. Stone Cold flipped him off. But Taker grabbed Steve by the throat and hit a chokeslam. Todd calls it a Tombstone because he doesn’t know the difference. He also confused a kick to the gut for a knee. (Great work, Todd.)

WWF Title Match: The Undertaker (c) vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Notes: During Austin’s entrance, JR says he has the disposition of a rattlesnake. (I have a feeling that analogy will stick.) Ross & Lawler also spot a fan’s sign. It says Steve Austin for president. Lawler says the national bird would be the finger if that happened. When The Undertaker arrives, Austin gets in his face. But The Hart Foundation appears on the ramp. They take their front row seats. Pillman threatens some fans with Bret’s crutches. Then Austin notices Taker is distracted and jumps him.

The Match: They trade punches until Austin rolls outside. Steve pulls Owen Hart over the railing and attacks him. Then Taker rams Stone Cold into the steps and hits Owen as well! When they return to the ring, Taker nails a jumping clothesline and Old School. But Austin answers with headlocks. Next, Austin focuses on Taker’s leg and taunts The Hart Foundation. Steve rams Taker’s leg into the post and the apron. He even uses an STF until Taker reaches the ropes. Taker then returns the favor on Austin’s leg and uses a Half Crab. They trade leg work back and forth and Taker tries another Old School. Austin crotches him.

Then Taker blocks a superplex and grabs a sleeper hold. Austin counters with a jawbreaker and a low-blow. Hebner warns Stone Cold, so Austin flips him off. But Taker returns the low-blow favor. Austin complains, so Hebner flips him off in return! Taker then gives Steve a chokeslam. But Austin rolls to the apron and lands a hotshot. He follows with a Stunner and covers. However, Pillman distracts everyone by ringing the bell. This allows Taker to grab Stone Cold. They reverse through a Tombstone until Taker hits it for the win.

Thoughts: Most of this bout was slow. I liked the storytelling, and the finish was good. But it wasn’t thrilling. I found this slightly disappointing. Austin and The Hart Foundation were entertaining enough to make it decent. I didn’t hate it. However, it fell a little flat. These two never gel together the way you’d expect. Most of their encounters are lackluster.

Winner: The Undertaker (20:06)

The Hart Foundation jump the guardrail and attack The Undertaker. Austin sees Bret Hart is alone in the crowd. So he jumps him and dumps Bret out of his wheelchair. Steve then takes a crutch and clears the ring. Taker gives Owen Hart a chokeslam. This leaves Austin and Taker alone in the ring. The Fink announces Taker as the winner. So Austin gives Taker a Stunner and flips him off. Stone Cold then chases The Hart Foundation up the ramp with the crutch. Taker grabs his belt and follows them.

JR wishes everyone a happy Mother’s Day. He sends his condolences to the family of Rose Anderson and says goodnight.

The Good:

• Triple H/Flash was solid.

• The show had some good storytelling.

• Vader/Shamrock was an interesting spectacle.

The Bad:

• Filler matches.

• The main event was slightly disappointing.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Vader for taking the beating he did. I felt bad for him. It was like watching a car wreck.

Final Thoughts:

I’d call this show above average. It didn’t set the world on fire, but it wasn’t bad. Nothing was terrible. It set up good things going forward. This was your typical In Your House show. They used it to further storylines and set the stage for the bigger shows. Plus, it was nice seeing Austin get his first one-on-one WWF title match. This was a glimpse of the future.

Thank you for reading. My next review is WCW’s Slamboree ’97. Look for it next Sunday!