Badd Blood: In Your House

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

Badd Blood: In Your House

October 5, 1997

Kiel Center

St. Louis, Missouri

News & Notes: There’s a lot to discuss, so let’s get started. I’ll begin with the elephant in the room. On the day of this show, the authorities found Brian Pillman dead in his hotel room. Jim Cornette called the hotel when Brian never arrived at the arena. The man at the front desk put him on hold. So Jim thought Pillman was ribbing him. It wasn’t the case. They initially believed it was a drug overdose. But the autopsy revealed it as heart failure because of a defect. Vince learned the news minutes before the Free for All began. He announced it during the pre-show. They booked a match between Dude Love and Pillman. It would see Goldust handcuffed to the ringpost. If Dude won, Goldust would face Pillman in a No DQ Match. This means the WWF had to compensate for two missing matches on the card. Also, I should talk about the next night. Vince interviewed Melanie Pillman live on TV. It was the most uncomfortable and tasteless thing Vince did in years. Why didn’t anyone tell him not to do it?

Now, let’s talk about lighter matters. Stone Cold’s antics continued on RAW in a special episode from MSG. Steve attacked Owen after his tournament match. The cops came to arrest him, but Vince wanted a word first. He pleaded with Austin to see reason. They wanted to help Steve for his own good. Why couldn’t he see that? Vince told Stone Cold people cared about him. Austin said he appreciated that. But he also appreciated how Vince could kiss his ass! Then Steve gave Vince the Stunner! The cops arrested Austin, and JR believed he was fired. However, Vince gave Steve three options the following week. He could get a doctor’s clearance to wrestle, which wouldn’t happen. Or Steve could sign a waiver that absolved the WWF of any liability in his wellbeing. The third option was Vince would fire him. Austin said he’d think about option two. But if Vince fired him, he’d kick Vince’s ass on live TV. Then Owen Hart stirred the pot. A confident Owen came to the ring with a SWAT team to defend him. He wore his new Owen 3:16 shirt. The back of the shirt read, “I just broke your neck.” Owen also debuted new theme music. It started with an ambulance siren. Vince warned Owen about poking the hornet’s nest, and he was right. A SWAT team member unmasked to reveal Austin! He gave Owen a Stunner and escaped into the crowd.

Another memorable moment occurred at the MSG RAW. They planned a Dude Love vs. Triple H Falls Count Anywhere Match. But that’s not Dude Love’s bag, baby! A video aired of Dude interviewing Mankind with the help of some camera tricks. Mankind loved the idea of beating up Helmsley. However, he knew someone else who wanted it more. Dude asked if Mankind was thinking what he thinks he’s thinking! Mankind replied, “I think I am thinking what you think I’m thinking!” Cactus Jack is back! Jack made his first WWF appearance and defeated Triple H in the bout. The three faces of Foley are complete!

Pride, confidence, talent, arrogance, conceit, and self-adulation are the essence of Shawn Michaels. This master antagonist unleashed a war of destruction on the phenom of the WWF. He made him taste his blood once and will do it again. Shawn’s pack of allies came, saw, and kicked the Dead Man’s ass! But now the cocksure tormentor becomes the tormented in a specially made cell. There will be no Helmsley, Chyna, or insurance policy to save his soul. Shawn has no way out and no way to stop the carnage! It’s Badd Blood: In Your House!

Vince welcomes everyone to a sold-out Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri. He’s with Lawler and JR. The Nation of Domination music interrupts them. So they yell over it. JR says this will be a physical match to open the show. Lawler speaks about the Hell in a Cell. Jerry claims Vince and the WWF officials belong in a cell for doing this to Shawn Michaels. Then Vince informs the viewers who didn’t watch the Free for All about Pillman’s death. They have little information and Vince promises not to belabor the point. But he’ll give updates as they get them.

Next, they show a recap of Faarooq injuring Ken Shamrock. JR says Ken made the injury worse in a match with Vader in Japan. So he won’t wrestle tonight. The Legion of Doom enters the arena and Hawk grabs a mic. Hawk calls their opponents The Nation of Abomination. He also says Shamrock is spitting up blood. That’s real cute! But if the Nation thinks the LOD will back down from the three of them, they’re deadly wrong! Hawk yells, “Let’s get it on!” (Will he sing the Marvin Gaye song?)

Handicap Match: Rocky Maivia, D’Lo Brown, & Kama Mustafa vs. The Legion of Doom

Notes: This feud began when Shamrock saved the LOD from a Nation beating on Shotgun. The LOD returned the favor when Faarooq attacked Ken after their tournament match. But the damage was done. Faarooq injured Shamrock with a spinebuster. Ken punctured a lung and coughed up blood. However, he still fought by the LOD’s side. Then the LOD faced Faarooq & Kama in a bout. It ended with a wild brawl until Ahmed Johnson came to the rescue. The LOD also returned that favor. They stood in Ahmed’s corner for his tournament match with Faarooq. But don’t expect Johnson to take Ken’s place. Ahmed sliced his hand open on a loose nail. It required surgery. (This guy can’t catch a break.)

The Match: Hawk and D’Lo trade headlocks and knockdowns until Brown regroups. He tags Rocky, who demands Animal. But Maivia regroups when Animal keeps knocking him down too. Rocky uses the time to jaw with the fans. The LOD maintains control through strikes, knockdowns, and more holds. They also nail an enziguri and a powerslam. However, Rocky DDTs Animal when the ref isn’t looking. The Nation uses more ref distractions to attack Animal outside the ring. They cut the ring in half and beat on him in their corner. Then Rocky lures Hawk into the ring and gives Animal a low blow. Animal tags Hawk, but the ref misses it. So the Nation’s beating continues. D’Lo lands a Low Down (Frog Splash) while the ref deals with Hawk. But Animal finally tags after a double clothesline. Hawk hands out punches, a powerslam, and a neckbreaker. The LOD almost gets Rocky in a Doomsday Device. But Faarooq distracts them. This allows Kama to kick Hawk into a Rock Bottom for the win.

Thoughts: This was a solid opener. It had good tag work from The Nation. I liked the simple storytelling. Plus, it’s fun seeing The Rock evolve as a heel. You can tell he’s more comfortable in this role. It also helps the crowd was into it. Rocky got great heat. Hawk’s tag got an appropriate reaction. The match did everything it needed to do. And I liked the finish.

Winners: The Nation of Domination (12:20)

Vince sends it to Sunny in the Superstar Line room. She reminds McMahon Dok Hendrix is there too. Dok tells fans to join them for post-match interviews with the winners and losers. They’re waiting for The Nation and The LOD. Then Sunny invites Dok out for drinks after the show. Hendrix says, “As long as you remember me and they forget me, it’s alright with me!”

Then Vince talks about Pillman’s death. He offers his condolences to Brian’s family and promises more updates. We were supposed to get Pillman vs. Dude Love next. But they scrambled to offer the fans a replacement. Vince believes the viewers will appreciate this attraction.

Max Mini & Nova vs. Mosaic & Tarantula

Notes: This is the first of two replacement matches because of Pillman’s death. There’s a bit of irony involved in this. Max’s partner Nova is the former Mascarita Sagrada. If you recall my introduction of Max, these two have a history. It’s water under the bridge now. Their opponents are Mosaic & Tarantula. Mosaic wrestled as Octagoncito. And Tarantula worked as Espectrito II and Mini Mankind. Also, Max worked a few RAW matches with a pirate-themed mini. His name is Piratita Morgan. Sunny announced one bout. Max used his diminutive stature to look up Sunny’s dress. She wasn’t amused.

The Match: Nova takes advantage of miscommunications. Tarantula runs into his partner with a clothesline and a running chop. Nova answers with arm drags and leg sweeps. Mosaic tries to regain control by tripping Nova and pulling him outside. But Max’s team retakes control with more arm drags, dropkicks, and backdrops. Then Nova hits a flying splash and a sloppy victory roll. Max makes up for it with a nice hurricanrana. Next, Mosaic & Tarantula take control with a double big boot and their own flying splash. They also kick Max around and take him to the floor. Tarantula press slams Max onto the announce table. So Lawler laughs in Max’s face. However, Mosaic misses a corner charge. Nova answers with some sloppy arm drags and a springboard dropkick. When Tarantula misses another corner charge, Max nails a flying crossbody. He continues with more rough arm drags and a crucifix pin for the victory. Tarantula’s shoulder is off the mat, but the ref counts anyway.

Thoughts: This was a mess. It had some fun moments. I laughed at the Lawler stuff. But the match was sloppy. I can excuse it because this was a last-minute bout. But you could tell Vince wasn’t happy. He asked what was that multiple times during the action.

Winners: Max Mini & Nova (6:43)

Then Vince introduces the Spanish and French announcers. But we miss Nova dropkicking Tarantula out of the ring. They follow this with a commercial for Stone Cold’s new t-shirt. Plus, Vince announces the attendance numbers. He thinks it’s a record, but he isn’t sure. (My, how times have changed. Nowadays, they’d call it a record no matter what.) Next, Sunny comes to the ring to introduce the tag title match. She runs, so Sunny is out of breath when she begins. JR jokes about Sunny marrying Brian Christopher and becoming Lawler’s daughter-in-law. (No, Jerry’s more likely to marry her.) Ross also says it’s a good thing Sunny doesn’t look like Ned Beatty because The Godwinns are staring at her.

Tag Team Title Match: The Godwinns (w/ Uncle Cletus) vs. The Headbangers (c)

Notes: The Godwinns called The Headbangers’ win at Ground Zero a fluke. Henry & Phineas beat up the jobbers the Headbangers were supposed to face and called them out for a fight. The Godwinns won the non-title bout when a bearded man in overalls hit Mosh with a horseshoe. Everyone thought it was a fan until Henry vouched for him. His name is Uncle Cletus (the former TL Hopper). Henry called him one of the dirtiest men around. (This is a reference to his old wrestling name, The Dirty White Boy.) Then The Headbangers defended the belts against the other half of Los Boricuas. But The Godwinns interfered to protect their title opportunity.

The Match: Both teams brawl until the Godwinns regroup. Then Phineas and Mosh have another spitting contest. This leads to Mosh sending Phineas outside with a hurricanrana. Thrasher gives him another one off the apron. After a springboard clothesline, The Headbangers give Phineas a double flapjack. However, Phineas thinks it’s a backdrop and tucks. He lands on his head! (Lawler asks why everyone wants to break the Godwinns’ necks.) Henry then tags and trades knockdowns and pin attempts with Thrasher. Phineas returns when Henry can’t get the advantage. The Headbangers double-team him. Thrasher superplexes his partner onto Phineas. But The Godwinns take control when Cletus attacks. They pull Thrasher to the floor and nail him with clotheslines. The Godwinns also use ref distractions and a wheelbarrow slam. However, Phineas misses a corner charge. This allows Thrasher to hit a back suplex and tag his partner. Mosh hands out punches, stomps, and corner splashes. Then Thrasher powerbombs Mosh onto Phineas, but Henry breaks the count. Mosh follows with a flying seated senton. But Phineas turns it into a rough powerbomb for the victory.

Thoughts: It was basic but decent. There were a couple of messy spots. But I didn’t hate it. I found it hard to care. Seeing the tag belts on the Godwinns again does nothing for me. I still don’t understand why The LOD didn’t win them. The tag division is weak at this point. However, a team is about to form that will somewhat revitalize it. (On a side note, this is Cletus’ only appearance. He doesn’t last long.)

Winners: The Godwinns (New Champions) (12:17)

The Godwinns celebrate by attacking The Headbangers. Cletus nails Mosh with a horseshoe, and Henry hits a Slop Drop. They continue kicking them. So the ref orders them to leave. If they don’t, he’ll strip them of the titles. Henry threatens The Fink for making the announcement. Jim Ross tells them to go take a shower and drink some moonshine.

Next, they recap Stone Cold Steve Austin’s past month. We see Austin stunning JR, Slaughter, Lawler, and Vince. Michael Cole narrates the video. He says Austin is a rattlesnake by definition. Vince pleads with Austin to listen to reason. But it fell on deaf ears. The cops arrested Austin when he stunned McMahon. JR thought Vince would fire Steve. But he gave him three options instead. He can get a doctor’s note, absolve the WWF of liability, or Vince will fire him.

Michael Cole says Vince will decide tomorrow on RAW. Stone Cold won’t speak to Cole, but Owen Hart will. Owen is tired of hearing about Austin. Stone Cold won’t do anything but hand the Intercontinental title back to Hart. And the officials better keep Austin off him or there will be a lawsuit! Owen asks Michael if he can spell or say lawsuit. Cole proves he can and looks proud of himself. Then Owen says he’ll do his job if the officials do theirs!

Then JR introduces various St. Louis wrestling legends for a special presentation. First is Canada’s greatest athlete, Gene Kiniski. (At least he’s not the guest ref in the main event.) Sunny teleports into the ring while they show Gene’s vignette. Next, Ross introduces the most scientific wrestler in history, Jack Brisco. Jack’s old rival Dory Funk Jr. follows him. He also defeated Kiniski for the NWA title. In fact, almost all the honorees feuded with each other. Harley Race is next, and he gets a great reaction. They show newspaper clips featuring Ric Flair. That’s a nice touch. But the next guest [Terry Funk] eclipses Race’s reaction. Vince acknowledges Funk’s ECW run, and JR calls Terry the original rattlesnake. Then the final two men arrive together. Lou Thesz helps promoter Sam Muchnick to the ring. Sam established St. Louis as one of the great wrestling cities of the 20^th century. He also served as the NWA president for over twenty years. (JR and Jim Cornette pushed for this segment. It won’t be the last time Cornette pushes for NWA involvement. But we’ll get to that.)

Meanwhile, Dok Hendrix is with Faarooq and The Nation of Domination. Dok doesn’t mean to disrespect Faarooq’s athletic abilities. But he believes Faarooq has a trump card in Steve Austin. Faarooq doesn’t know what Dok means. Austin couldn’t hold a candle to where Faarooq came from. He’ll kick Owen’s ass around the ring and Austin means nothing to him. Hendrix apologizes for upsetting Faarooq. But The Nation left the room. They don’t care about his apology.

Next, Vince gives an update on the Pillman situation. The authorities don’t believe foul play was involved. But it may have been a drug overdose. Vince says this is a problem in all professional sports and entertainment. They won’t get the toxicology report for a few days. So that’s the extent of his update. (So much for not belaboring the point! Vince is trying to absolve the WWF of any liability.)

Before the next match, Stone Cold arrives. He’s there to present the Intercontinental title to the winner. Slaughter confronts Steve and takes a seat next to him. But it doesn’t stop Austin from having some fun. Steve rings the bell. He joins the commentary table and steals Vince’s headset. Stone Cold even grabs a walkie-talkie from security and has a chat. Later, Austin joins the Spanish announcers. Santana calls him loco, so Austin threatens him. Oh, and there’s a match in the ring. So let’s get to that.

Intercontinental Title Tournament Finals: Owen Hart vs. Faarooq

Notes: Owen escaped the first round because Goldust got disqualified. He wouldn’t stop low-blowing Hart. Then Owen almost received a forfeit win over Pillman. Brian claimed he broke his arm in the shower with Marlena. But Slaughter had none of this ruse. He forced Pillman to wrestle. Owen won when Goldust interfered to get Pillman disqualified. Meanwhile, Faarooq lost his first-round match to Shamrock. However, he received a second chance when Ken went down to an injury. Faarooq defeated Ahmed because they disqualified Johnson. (That’s a theme in this tournament.) Ahmed tried to break Faarooq’s arm with the ring steps. On a side note, I should point out a return because he appears during this bout. Jim Neidhart reappeared on TV during a Hart Foundation attack. So he’s back in the company. He never shaved his goatee.

The Match: They shove each other and Faarooq knocks Owen down with shoulder blocks. Owen tries a headlock. But Faarooq throws him around the ring again. However, Owen takes control by working Faarooq’s leg. He uses leg grapevines, legbars, and strikes to the knee. Faarooq answers by whipping Hart around the ring and nailing axehandles. But Faarooq misses a diving leg drop. So Owen returns to the leg and attempts a Sharpshooter. Faarooq blocks it and lands a powerslam. This draws out Jim Neidhart. He distracts the ref after Faarooq does a spinebuster. But it’s Austin who uses the opening. Stone Cold grabs the IC title and clocks Faarooq with it. Owen covers for the victory.

Thoughts: It wasn’t much of a match. But the Austin antics at least made it an amusing segment. This was heel vs. heel, so it needed some bells and whistles to keep the audience interested. I didn’t mind it. This got them where they needed to go. It’s fine. The commentators acted confused by Austin’s actions. But it’s obvious. Steve wanted Owen to win so he could beat him for the belt. I like the story.

Winner: Owen Hart (New Champion) (7:12)

A confused Owen celebrates with his belt. Neidhart congratulates him. But Owen & Anvil leave when Faarooq complains. Owen looks at the camera and says, “I did it all by myself!” (I love Owen.)

Then they recap the Hart Foundation’s attack on Vader & The Patriot. Bret put both men in the ringpost Figure Four. And The Hart Foundation draped Canadian flags over their opponents. JR says they insulted Vader & The Patriot’s American pride. This leads to Vince and JR discussing changes to the Flag Match rules. Vader has injuries, and The Patriot had the flu. So the match can end in pin, submission, or by capturing the flag.

The Disciples of Apocalypse vs. Los Boricuas

Notes: This is the second replacement bout. Los Boricuas had some tag title shots. But the DOA has done nothing in the past month. Vince says they’re scrambling to give us the best they can. I’m unsure this fits the bill. You can tell the DOA weren’t expecting to wrestle. They didn’t bring their motorcycles. It’s shocking how little reaction they get without them. (On a side note, Lawler says something interesting during this bout. He calls The DOA’s aggression WWF attitude. Something tells me that phrase will stick. But it’s odd the phrase debuted in this match of all places.)

The Match: The DOA controls the bout with punches, elbows, clotheslines, and a powerslam. Then Crush & Chainz use big boots, a belly-to-belly, and a press slam. Los Boricuas fire back with eye-rakes and choking. But it’s a ref distraction that gets the job done. Jesus clotheslines Crush to the floor and Los Boricuas jump him. Everyone takes turns nailing corner clotheslines on Chainz. Savio ends with a corner wheel kick. Los Boricuas also switch without tagging and use chinlocks. In fact, they slow the pace with multiple chinlocks. Chainz finally absorbs the shots and avoids a corner splash. He tags Crush, who cleans house with clotheslines, punches, and a big boot. It leads to a wild brawl. Jesus gives Crush a DDT. But Chainz clotheslines Jesus from the apron. It knocks Jesus into Crush’s tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for the win.

Thoughts: This was dull and uninteresting. Why do chinlocks in a short 8-man tag? There are enough men to keep it moving. I get this was a last-minute bout. But this wasn’t good. They botched nothing, but they also did nothing noteworthy. It was filler.

Winners: The DOA (9:11)

Michael Cole is with Bret & Bulldog. Cole says the American flag could fly in the Kiel Center. Their opponents have a home-field advantage. Bret tells Cole he’s dreaming. Americans are dreamers. But tonight they’ll make an example of Vader & The Patriot, whether fans like it or not. Then Bret leaves, so Bulldog finishes the promo. He says the Canadian flag will fly tonight because he and Bret will win. It will happen right here in St. Louis—right here. (Well said, Bulldog. But to be fair, their thoughts are elsewhere tonight.)

Bret & Bulldog enter the arena before they go to Vader & The Patriot for an interview. Dok tells them they have the home-field advantage. But the pressure is on! The Patriot promises to settle this thing once and for all. He gives Vader his word he’ll do whatever it takes. Then Vader quotes Bret’s catchphrase and calls it bullshit. Vader also says he doesn’t have much in common with The Patriot. But they both don’t like big-mouthed Canadians. Tonight they play the pain game. It’s Vader Time! (Vince and JR apologize for Vader’s comments.)

Flag Match: Bret Hart & The British Bulldog vs. The Patriot & Vader

Notes: Bret faced Vader in a No Holds Barred Match on RAW. It devolved into a brawl, so The Patriot came to Vader’s aid. Then The Patriot defeated Owen Hart when Stone Cold distracted Owen. Vader & Patriot also saved The Headbangers from a Hart Foundation beating. Next, The Patriot wrestled Bulldog. But this time The Hart Foundation got the better of Vader & The Patriot. Both men fell victim to ringpost Figure Fours. The Hart Foundation then draped Canadian flags over their bodies. But Vader & The Patriot got a measure of revenge. They attacked when The Hart Foundation jumped Taker later in the episode. Meanwhile, both teams come to the ring with more flags and use them as weapons. The official flags hang on tall poles. I see why they changed the rules. Those poles are way too big for these guys.

The Match: A brawl erupts before the bell. Both teams attack with flags until the ref restores order. Then Vader & The Patriot control the bout. They use shoulder blocks, punches, clotheslines, and avalanche attacks. Bret & Bulldog stop them from getting the flag with low-blows. However, Vader returns that favor and sits on Bret during a sunset flip! Next, The Hart Foundation uses ref distractions. They choke their opponents, and Bret does a ringpost Figure Four on The Patriot. Vader stops it. Then Bret and Patriot trade Sharpshooters! Even Vader tries the Sharpshooter on Bret. Everyone is doing it tonight! Frustrations lead Vader & The Patriot to ignore the rules. They switch without tags. Then Vader goes for a moonsault. Bulldog moves, and Vader almost lands on his feet! The match then devolves into another brawl on the floor. Bret uses the ring bell and shoves Vader into the post. It’s not enough, and neither is Bret’s DDT. Then The Patriot returns and nails an Uncle Slam. But Davey breaks the pin. Vader also lands a Vader Bomb, but Bulldog takes him outside the ring. Next, The Patriot does an O’Connor Roll. But Bret reverses with a handful of tights for the victory.

Thoughts: This wasn’t terrible. But it was slow and way too long. The Flag Match stipulation was pointless. It’s a shame the WWF champion is in a throwaway bout on PPV. It had a couple of nice spots. Vader almost landing on his feet on the moonsault was good. However, this was a disappointing waste of time. (Also, this is the end for The Patriot. He tears his triceps and later retires from wrestling.)

Winners: Bret & Bulldog (23:13)

A frustrated Patriot attacks Bret after the bell. He stomps Hart and rams him into the corner. So Bret rolls out of the ring and The Hart Foundation retreats. Lawler calls The Patriot a sore loser, and he has a point. Some fans throw trash and wave a flag in Bret’s face. Bret grabs the flag and throws it down the aisle. Vince says Bret will get a better reception in Montreal at the Survivor Series.

This leads to a commercial for the event. We see black and white footage of the various factions in the WWF. The narrator says it’s not about senseless aggression. It’s also not a search for identity or the need to belong. For these men, it’s a matter of survival! Milton Bradley Karate Fighters presents Survivor Series: Gang Rulz. If you send in your cable bill, you can get dog tags!

Then the Hell in a Cell lowers while the announcers explain it. There’s nowhere to run. They will lock the door. Lawler compares it to prison. Next, Vince sends it to either Michael Cole or Dok with Shawn Michaels. He isn’t sure which one. (It’s Dok.) Hendrix says it’s all on the line in moments. Only one man will walk out of the cell. Shawn replies there’s good news and bad news. The good news is his coveted European title isn’t on the line. (An obnoxious Shawn acts relieved at this fact. He already treats the belt as a joke. It makes One Night Only worse.) But the bad news is they’ll lock him in the cell alone. His athletic prowess and the fact he’s the man and the showstopper will get him through this. Plus, he’s the only man crazy enough to do this gig. Shawn promises to show why he’s the number one guy in the business today. Triple H also tries to speak, but they cut him off.

Next, they show a recap of the Shawn/Undertaker feud. Shawn basked in the bright lights of superstardom. Image isn’t everything for Shawn, it’s the only thing. Shawn says he likes to stir the pot and ruffle feathers. Given the choice, he won’t do the right thing. They drive this point home with clips of Shawn attacking Taker with a chair. Now Shawn stands in a different light. It casts a harsh glare on Shawn’s once-cherished image. Shawn accused everyone of dumping the events of SummerSlam in his lap. But he doesn’t give a damn what anybody thinks of him. His actions spoke louder than his words. Both were ferociously delivered toward The Undertaker. Shawn called out Taker’s dead ass. The ultimatum will be answered in a horrific fashion.

Meanwhile, Slaughter and Earl Hebner check under the ring for anyone hiding. Once they’re satisfied, they call for the cage to lower. Shawn enters the arena with Hunter & Chyna. Rick Rude follows behind them. After Shawn poses for fireworks, the cell lowers the rest of the way. Hunter, Rude, & Chyna leave, so Shawn looks worried. He freaks out when Taker raises the lights and Shawn realizes he’s alone. Michaels spots Hebner locking the door and asks him not to do it. Slaughter makes Shawn’s entourage leave.

Hell in a Cell Match: Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker

Notes: After the chaos of Ground Zero, the WWF devised a new match. It combines the old Memphis cages with The Last Battle of Atlanta cage. This is a large cell that encompasses the ringside area and has a roof. There’s no way in or out. The door is locked. A cocky Shawn promised he’d take Taker with him if he’s going down in the cell. Shawn said this while wearing nothing but a tight pair of bicycle shorts he stuffed with a sock. The WWF had to edit this promo because of Michaels’ immature antics. (Vince wasn’t there, so Shawn went wild.) Then the WWF upped the anti. The winner of this bout will face the WWF champion at Survivor Series. Shawn took exception to this. He should already be the #1 Contender! So Michaels promised to be one step ahead of everyone. He proved this by luring Taker into a trap. Shawn’s entourage attacked him. The next week, Slaughter forced Hunter into a match with Taker. But Shawn’s crew attacked again. They tried to put Taker in a body bag. He ripped through it and chased HBK to the stage. However, Shawn found his path blocked by a mysterious red light. (Hmm, what’s that about?) He climbed the titantron instead.

The Match: Taker begins a methodical pace of beating up Shawn. He nails a big boot, whips Shawn around the ring, hits Old School, and backdrops Michaels. Shawn’s feet scrape the ceiling as he flies! Shawn climbs the wall. But Taker whips him from pillar to post and into the wall again. When Michaels bounces off the cage, Taker clotheslines him. But Shawn gets an opening when Taker misses a charge into the wall. Shawn attacks with the steps and gives Taker a piledriver on them! (He then shoves a cameraman out of the way.) Next, Michaels ties Taker in the ropes. But Taker breaks free and boots Shawn in the face. Then Taker backdrops Shawn over the ropes. HBK lands on the cameraman and attacks him out of frustration. Slaughter arrives to help the injured cameraman out of the cage. Meanwhile, Shawn nails a flying elbow and Sweet Chin Music. However, Taker rises immediately. A frightened Shawn spots the door is open and runs for it!

Taker follows and catapults Shawn into the cage. It bloodies Shawn’s face, so Taker rams Shawn’s head into the mesh multiple times. Shawn then climbs the cage to put some distance between them. But Taker follows. Shawn tries a piledriver on the roof, so Taker backdrops him. He then rakes Shawn’s face on the roof. Blood drips onto the cameraman below and he yells, “Aw, shit!” Taker follows with a press slam. So Shawn climbs onto the side of the cell. Taker meets him. He stomps on Shawn’s hands until Michaels crashes onto the Spanish announce table! Then Taker joins Shawn and throws him onto the French table! Next, the fight returns to the ring. So Slaughter locks the door again. Taker places Shawn on the top rope and nails a super chokeslam! He then grabs a chair, and it’s payback time. Taker clobbers Shawn’s head with it and signals for the end. But then…

The lights go out and organ music plays. Paul Bearer emerges with a large masked man. Fire erupts behind them as Vince says, “That’s gotta be Kane!!” Kane rips the door off the cell and throws Hebner into the wall. He then steps over the ropes and confronts Taker. When Kane raises and lowers his arms, fire shoots out of the ringposts. Then Kane grabs Taker and gives him a Tombstone. (He turns a few times to find the hard camera.) A satisfied Kane leaves the ring. And HBK crawls out of a pool of his own blood. He drapes his arm over Taker and Hebner makes a slow three count.

Thoughts: I loved this. It’s the perfect blend of storytelling, violence, and drama. You saw Taker dismantle Shawn for most of the bout. He got his physical comeuppance. But Shawn squeaked out a victory. Plus, Kane’s debut is great. This is as close to a flawless match as you can get. Everything was well executed. Sure, the next Hell in a Cell is more memorable. But this has the better quality.

Winner: Shawn Michaels (29:59)

Hunter, Chyna, & Rude arrive to help Michaels out of the ring. Shawn is a bloody mess and has no clue where he is. They drag him down the aisle and Hunter does crotch chops at the fans. JR says Shawn defeated The Undertaker. But Vince corrects him. Kane beat The Undertaker. JR says it doesn’t matter. Shawn’s music is playing, and he’s going to Survivor Series to face the WWF champion. Lawler says everyone knows Paul Bearer wasn’t lying. Kane is alive! Vince hopes everyone will enjoy Survivor Series. He thanks fans for tuning in and says goodnight.

The Good:

• Hell in a Cell was amazing.

• Kane’s debut.

• The opener was fun.

• The Austin stuff was amusing.

The Bad:

• The dark cloud of Pillman’s death.

• The Boricuas/DOA match.

• The Flag Match was too long.

Performer of the Night:

It’s Shawn Michaels. He took some rough bumps and bled like crazy. This is one of his best performances. He was a jackass around this time. But you can’t deny his ability.

Final Thoughts:

This is a one-match show. But it’s one hell of a contest. The quality can be excused because they had to rebook two of the bouts an hour before the event. So I’ll give them a pass. They did the best with what they had. Plus, the main event more than saves this. If you haven’t seen the Hell in a Cell Match, watch it!

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