Raw Rewind 29 September 1997

Craig Wilson

Last week in #Rawrewind Stone Cold finally Stunnered Vince McMahon at the historic MSG venue and The Undertaker was left lying after an attack from steel chair shots from HBK and Triple H. This is the final Raw is War ahead of the ‘In Your House: Bad Blood’ PPV and features The Undertaker v Triple H in the main event.

All the previous Raw Rewinds can be located here.

Champion Roll Call:

WWF Champion: Bret Hart
WWF Intercontinental Champion: Vacant
WWF Tag Team Champions: The Headbangers
WWF European Champion: Shawn Michaels

A vignette airs on the anti-establishment nature of Stone Cold Steve Austin’s recent actions, voiced over by Michael Cole, showing various WWF officials being Stunnered. Culminating, naturally, in him Stunnering McMahon on last week’s Raw is War. We learn that Austin will be here tonight and we’ll hear his punishment for his recent actions.

Your hosts are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross and Jerry ‘the King’ Lawler at the Pepsi Arena in Albany, New York.

Vince McMahon brings out Shawn Michaels and he makes his way to the ring accompanied by Rick Rude, Triple H and Chyna. He speaks with Rude first asking about who he is protecting before turning his attention to the European champion. He refers to HBK as the “wise ass” of the WWF before asking how he possibly expects to escape from the Hell in a Cell. We see clips from last week of HBK and Triple H destroying The Undertaker with a chair on last week’s Raw. HBK refers to himself and Triple H as “the original outlaws”. Wonder if they’ll soon come up with a better name…

Triple H is next up and states that Vince has always been afraid of “Cliques”. Throughout the entire segment whichever one of Triple H or HBK wasn’t speaking, they’d spend their time flicking McMahon’s ears. Sgt Slaughter makes his way to the ring and addresses HBK and HHH. When he speaks to them they spend their time wiping saliva from their faces. Slaughter announces that Triple H will face The Undertaker tonight.

Just then The Hart Foundation music hits and they make their way to the top of the ramp. Hart announces HBK has committed crimes against The Hart Foundation and that they will pay for their crimes tonight. Trips and HBK and continue their sophomore actions, much to the delight of The King.

JR then announces that next Vader will face The British Bulldog as we still await the arrival of Stone Cold Steve Austin. Vince states that we’ll see clips from the ‘One Night Only’ PPV which, he eludes, is where HBK committed those crimes against The Hart Foundation.

Match 1: The British Bulldog v Vader: The Bulldog limps to the ring sans new brace. Vader knocks Bulldog with a charge and takes control of this one with an avalanche in the corner and a shoulder tackle off the second rope.

He attempts another second rope attack but Bulldog catches him and powerslams him before clotheslining him to the outside. On the outside, Vader is suplexed stomach first onto the ring barrier. Back in the ring and a back suplex gets Davey Boy a nearfall.

Vader tries to counter a sunset flip by sitting it out but Bulldog rolls out of the way and gets another nearfall as we go to a break. We return and Vader is in control, dropping Bulldog on the guardrail on the outside. Back in and Vader hits a Vader bomb but before he can get the pin, The Hart Foundation – Bret, Owen and Neidhart – hit the ring and work on Vader.

Bret applies the ringpost figure four until The Patriot makes the save but the numbers soon catch up on him. The Patriot is then on the receiving end of the ringpost figure four.

Winner – Vader via DQ
Match Time – 8.30
Match Score – 3/5. Enjoyable match with the post-match action further build up to ‘In Your House: Badd Blood’.

Next up is a semi-final match in the Intercontinental tournament pitting Ahmed Johnson against his long-time adversary Farooq. An advert airs for the home release of the ‘One Night Only’ PPV.

Another Michael Cole voiced over video airs this time on the career of Farooq from his time as a footballer through to his time with the WWF, including interviews with his former football coaches.

Intercontinental Title Tournament Semi Final – Match 2: Ahmed Johnson (w/ LOD & Ken Shamrock) v Farooq (w/ NOD): Vince announces that Ahmed cut his hand open on a nail last week on Raw. He attacks from behind to start this one off.

Farooq comes back and secures a nearfall with a powerslam. However, he puts his head down and Ahmed connects with a scissor kick to the back of the head and clotheslines the leader of the NOD to the outside where he tosses him into the ring steps. Ahmed attacks Farooq with the ringsteps then knocks the referee down when he tries to stop Ahmed using the steps.

Post-match, all 8 men brawl in the ring with the faces clearing the ring.

Winner – Farooq via DQ.
Match Time – 2.28
Match Score – 2/5. A poor, but mercifully short, match. Serves its purpose though.

A video airs hyping the Hell in a Cell match including the clips of the feud between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels to date.

Another Brian Pillman XXX-Files video airs. He’s shown lying in bed with Marlena. Pillman states he’ll not fight Cacus Jack at Badd Blood unless Goldust is prevented from interfering. Tragically, the match wouldn’t even take place due to the passing of Pillman.

Match 3: The Sultan (w/ Iron Sheik) v Goldust: Dude Love has joined the commentary team. It’s announced that if Goldust agrees to be handcuffed at Badd Blood and Dude Love beats Pillman, Goldust will get a no DQ match with Pillman straight after.

Goldust is in charge early on until he misses a corner charge and with the referee distracted, The Iron Sheik tosses Goldust into the ring steps. Back in the ring, The Sultan stays in control with a sleeper hold while JR points out the fact that Goldust has his wedding ring on.

Its comeback time but it’s short-lived with The Sultan dodging a knee drop. Goldust walks straight into a superkick. Sultan puts his head down and takes a kick to the face and a Bulldog and that gives Goldust the victory.

Winner – Goldust via pinfall
Match Time – 5.39
Match Score – 2/5. A pretty poor match that again was fairly short.

We move to The Warzone which will feature Triple H taking on The Undertaker ahead of Badd Blood. Stone Cold’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring. McMahon discards his headset and stands on his feet at the announce table.

Austin tells him that if he has something to say he should step in the ring and if he’s going to act the big shot then he’ll knock his head off. Vince tells Stone Cold he has 3 options 1) Bring certificate from his doctor stating he’s fit to wrestle, 2) absolve the WWF from any fault if he returns early and gets hurt or 3) have his contract terminated. At the last one, JR states “that brings back memories”.

Match 4: WWF Tag Team Champions The Headbangers v Los Boricuas: It’s Jesus and Jose that represent Los Boricuas this time around, it was Savio and Miguel at One Night Only. Four man brawl to start with the tag champions getting the better of the opening exchanges.

Jesus gets the tag but Thrasher picks up a nearfall with a powerslam. Los Boricuas get the advantage when Jose hits a knee to the back from the ring apron. Jose picks up a nearfall with a running clothesline. A double underhook suplex and a running elbow from Jesus gets another fall but this is interrupted by Mosh.

When we return from the break, Jesus and Thrasher collide and both men are down. Thrasher isn’t able to make the hot tag however so Los Boricuas remain in control. A suplex gets Jose a two count before Thrasher gets a nearfall with a sunset flip. Jesus is back in but misses a corner charge and Mosh is in.

Los Boricuas double team Mosh before Jose hits a top rope Hurricanrana. The Godwinns hit the ring to break the count before Miguel and Savio hit the ring to make the save.

Winner – Los Boricuas via DQ
Match Time – 10.00
Match Score – 2/5. Tag team match by numbers with the ending that we all predicted, particularly with the commentators hyping fact that The Godwinns might end up not getting a tag title shot if The Headbangers lose.

Owen Hart comes out for an in-ring interview with Vince McMahon wearing a t-shirt with ‘Owen:316’ on the front and ‘I just broke your neck’ on the back. He’ll meet Farooq at Badd Blood with the victor winning the IC strap. It’s revealed that one of the police offers accompanying Owen Hart was Stone Cold and he removes his helmet and Stunners Owen Hart.

The hype continues for Badd Blood as we see footage of the Hell in a Cell cage being built as Vince states he doesn’t see a chance of HBK getting out of the cage.

Match 5: Triple H (w/ Chyna and WWF European Champion Shawn Michaels) v The Undertaker: Bret Hart and The British Bulldog attack The Undertaker as he makes his way to the ring until Vader and The Patriot make the save. HBK and Triple H then work on The Undertaker on the aisle before this one has even officially started.

Triple H shows an aggressive side before The Undertaker regains control and chokeslams Helmsley. He sets up the Tombstone but Rick Rude hits the ring and hits Taker with a briefcase. HBK hits Sweet Chin Music and Rude takes a body bag from the briefcase. They place him in the bodybag but he sits up and follows HBK up the ramp. He opens the curtain to be met with fire and smoke. Triple H attempts to attack Taker but he takes a tombstone on the ramp. HBK climbs the Titantron as the show ends.

Winner – The Undertaker via DQ
Match Time – 1.52
Match Score – 1/5. Far too short. Was never going to be a great main event but expected it to last longer than that. That said, it adds to the main event for Badd Blood.

Overall Thoughts: Far too many DQ finishes but that was largely a trademark for Raw the night before a PPV during this era. Again Raw is War was poor but The Warzone was very good. A really good segment with Owen and Austin and a pretty solid main event. The matches were surprisingly short this week, however.

Overall score –3/5