What the World Was Watching: Monday Night Raw - October 13, 1997

by Logan Scisco

-Jim Ross narrates a video package that profiles the Legion of Doom, who have vowed to defeat the Godwinns for the tag team titles tonight or retire.

-Vince McMahon, Ross, and Jerry “the King” Lawler are in the booth and they are in Topeka, Kansas.

-McMahon interviews the Hart Foundation.  Before WWF Champion Bret Hart can start speaking, the Kliq interrupts and Michaels has his antics with the Canadian flag replayed from last week’s show, along with his loss to Triple H.  Bret calls Michaels and Triple H “degenerates” as they continue to run down the Hart Foundation and Michaels runs with it and says that his crew is “D-Generation X” and they are around to break rules.  After DX finishes their promo, the Nation of Domination comes out, thereby depriving Bret of a rebuttal, and this leads into our first match.

-Opening Non-Title Contest:  Owen Hart (Intercontinental Champion w/The Hart Foundation) wrestles Kama Mustafa (w/The Nation of Domination) to a no contest at 4:46:

Before the bell, D-Generation X comes out and Michaels and Triple H take on commentating duties, where they run down Bret Hart’s charisma.  Lawler tries to kiss up to DX, but they just tell him to shut up and give his headset to Rick Rude.  Owen and Kama have a decent match in the ring, but the outside shenanigans eat up camera time and Michaels eventually provokes a battle between the Hart Foundation and the Nation, as DX looks on.  Rating:  *½

-The Legion of Doom discuss the impact of Paul Ellering on their careers.

-WWF Tag Team Champions The Godwinns and Uncle Cletus say that they are willing to face the Legion of Doom tonight because they want to get them out of the WWF.

-Mini Tag Match:  Max Mini & Nova beat Mosaic & Tarantula when Max pins Mosaic with a rollup counter to a powerbomb at 2:23:

This is the same match as Badd Blood, just more proficient as there are no blown spots and the crowd pops for the high spots.  Nova takes a nasty spill to the floor during a suicide dive where he lands head-first onto the arena floor.  He likely ends up with a concussion as he stumbles around aimlessly and the match ends soon after.

-Footage of Flash Funk beating Rockabilly on Shotgun Saturday Night when the Honky Tonk Man accidentally tripped Rockabilly is shown.  This brought the Road Dogg out, where he asked Rockabilly to join forces with him and Rockabilly decked Honky with his guitar.

-We are supposed to see Shawn Michaels-Flash Funk next, which sounds like a great match, but Kane interrupts and destroys Funk.  Topeka pops for Kane, which is likely the biggest reaction Glenn Jacobs had ever received in his career up to this point.  Paul Bearer says Kane will destroy everyone in his path until he gets to face the Undertaker.  After Kane leaves, Shawn Michaels comes out and covers Funk as Triple H counts the pin, Chyna rings the bell, and Rick Rude announces him as the winner.  In retrospect, DX really lost something when Rude left since he gave them an air of authority.

-The Legion of Doom speak about how much they appreciate their fans.

-The Truth Commission, with the Jackal, who has replaced the Commandant, say that the Disciples of Apocalypse’s joyride in the WWF is coming to an end.

-Skull & 8-Ball (w/Crush & Chainz) defeat Recon & Sniper (w/The Interrogator & The Jackal) by disqualification when the Jackyl pulls down the top rope at 3:45:

The feud between these two teams is so exhilarating that McMahon and Lawler discuss the scandals of the Clinton administration, much to the ire of Ross.  The match follows a good formula for Skull and 8-Ball, since it allows the faster Truth Commission to control most of the action and allow the DOA to hit a few high impact moves for pops.  After the match, the Interrogator snaps and attacks the DOA, but the DOA eventually get away and the Truth Commission has to restrain him.  The crowd was into the DOA, so they had some investment in this angle, but McMahon and Lawler’s bantering really killed the match.  Rating:  *¾

-Steve Austin comes out and McMahon says that if Austin signs his medical waiver that he will be cleared to compete on November 9^th at the Survivor Series.  McMahon pulls out his spectacles and authorizes Austin’s match with Owen Hart for the Survivor Series and Austin signs the medical waiver to a huge pop.  Austin offers McMahon a handshake and then pulls him close, where he tells him he could have given him a Stone Cold Stunner.  Faarooq comes out and warns Austin that he messed with the wrong man at Badd Blood, to which Austin challenges the Nation to come after him.  The Nation sends Rocky Maivia and Austin gives him a Stunner before fleeing through the crowd.  Watching segments like this really make you miss this era.

-The Legion of Doom comment on what it was like to wrestle at Wembley Stadium at SummerSlam ’92.

-The Legion of Doom talk about the origins of their characters.

-The Legion of Doom say that tonight they are going to see if they have what it takes to be the WWF tag team champions in the modern age and they don’t want to be washed up like Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage.  A much more subdued LOD promo and a good one at that.

-Light Heavyweight Exhibition:  “Too Sexy” Brian Christopher beats Tajiri with a rollup by using the tights at 5:26:

I will never understand why the WWF waited so long to hold a tournament to crown a light heavyweight champion.  Since July they have had tons of these “exhibition” bouts, although Taka Michinoku is the closest to a #1 seed at this point for a tournament since he has only been beaten by the Great Sasuke.  Christopher’s offense is fine, but Tajiri’s is better.  However, Tajiri is not Lawler’s kid, nor is he a product of a WWF developmental territory, so despite outwrestling Christopher he loses the match.  At least Tajiri kicks Christopher in the face and over the top rope at the end.  Rating:  **½

-Jim Cornette gives his opinion on Phil Mushnick, who wants professional wrestling abolished in the United States and hates the steroid use in the industry.  Cornette also reads some derogatory things that Mushnick has said about wrestling fans.  Cornette takes issue with Mushnick’s recent criticisms of the wrestling industry in light of Brian Pillman’s death.  This is a good rant by Cornette, but hindsight shows that Mushnick’s criticisms were right (and continue to be) about the deaths of too many young wrestlers because of drug and steroid abuse.

-Goldust (w/Marlena) defeats Savio Vega (w/Los Boricuas) after hitting him with Marlena’s purse at 4:16:

Goldust and Marlena are finally reunited, but it is somewhat awkward in light of Pillman’s death and the sudden end of that angle.  The Boricuas get caught tripping Goldust when he runs the ropes and are tossed from ringside.  Considering the awful matches these two have been putting on lately, this one is surprisingly entertaining.  Marlena tosses her cigar into the ring to distract the referee and that allows Goldust to use a foreign object and win.  Rating:  **

-Call 1-900-737-4WWF to hear Jim Ross’s rant against WCW.

-Triple H is supposed to wrestle the Patriot, but as the Patriot comes out, Rick Rude tosses coffee in his face and beats on him with his briefcase.  Commissioner Slaughter comes out and tells Triple H that he will wrestle a volunteer.  This volunteer is Ahmed Johnson, but he’s attacked by the Nation of Domination, who were seemingly sent to attack Ahmed by Rude.  As the Nation beats up Ahmed and does a number on his hand, DX eats popcorn by the entrance.  Eventually, the Legion of Doom and Ken Shamrock come out to break it up.

-WWF Tag Team Championship Match:  The Legion of Doom defeat The Godwinns (Champions w/Uncle Cletus) when Hawk pins Phineas with a flying clothesline to win the titles at 8:44 shown:

In case you didn’t read the recaps of early in the show, if the Legion of Doom lose this match then they are leaving the company.  Considering the tendencies of these teams, it would have made much more sense to make this a no disqualification match, but they didn’t do so and it’s the same plodding battle these teams have had for the last couple of months.  A false tag spot sees the Godwinns whip Animal into the ring steps and seemingly put him out of commission as WWF officials come to take him to the locker room.  Henry gives Earl Hebner a Slop Drop and Animal suddenly runs back into the fray.  Cletus accidentally blasts Henry with a horse shoe and Phineas gets surprised with a flying clothesline when he tries to piledrive Animal and the Legion of Doom win the titles to a massive pop.  The whole story they tried to tell here was way too rushed, but at least this finish sent the fans home happy.  Rating:  *

-After the match, the Godwinns destroy Uncle Cletus and bust his nose up really good.  I guess Tony Anthony’s contract wasn’t renewed.

The Final Report Card:  With more build, the Legion of Doom title win might have meant more.  Instead, it came off as very predictable booking.  Still, it was good to see them with the belts since they were the most over team in the division at the time.  Bret Hart came off as a chump on this show based on the opening segment, but that was the idea since he only had a few more weeks left in the company.  This show was completely carried by D-Generation X’s antics, as they did a great job in the opening segment, had a nice comic bit when Kane destroyed Flash Funk, and were booked as geniuses prior to the main event.  If you were a mark and this show didn’t make you hate DX, I’m not sure what else would have done it.

Monday Night War Rating:  2.3 (vs. 3.8 for Nitro)

Show Evaluation:  Thumbs Up