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KEEPING THE MEMORIES ALIVE

Hello readers and welcome to the debut edition of “Keeping The Memories Alive“. I will be writing this column 1 to 2 times a week on pwinsider.com. The column’s purpose is to review old wrestling events. In the debut edition, I will be reviewing WWF Thursday Raw Thursday. The event was shown live on USA from the Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, Massachusetts on February 13, 1997. This was my pick, however from this point on, its all about what you would like to see. For information on how you can choose what I report about, read the end of the report. I hope you enjoy the debut edition of “Keeping The Memories Alive”. 

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Thursday Raw Thursday opens with its own special entrance video, different than the regular Raw opening. 

As Rocky Maivia makes his way to ringside, Vince McMahon, Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler welcome us to the show. 

Match #1: Hunter Hearst-Helmsley defends the WWF Intercontinental Title against Rocky Maivia.

Tale Of The Tape: Rocky Maivia (275 pounds, from Miami, Florida, 24 years old, former USWA Tag Team Champion).. Hunter Hearst-Helmsley (246 pounds, from Greenwich, Connecticut, 27 years old, on first reign as WWF Intercontinental Champion). 

Vince mentions that Helmsley’s butler (Mr. Hughes) is nowhere to be seen. Strong start by Maivia, nailing Helmsley with a dropkick and knocking him out of the ring. Jim Ross informs us that Shawn Michaels will forfeit the WWF Title later in the evening. Back to the action, Rocky has taken Helmsley out of the ring again but follows him this time and ends up running into the ring post arm first. Hunter now has the match in his favor, applying pressure to Rocky’s arm with an armbar and a single arm DDT. 

Commercial Break. 

Back to the match. During the commercial break, Helmsley stayed in control with a swinging neck breaker. The Honky Tonk Man has now made his way to ringside to join the announce team. Honky is currently on the look out for a new protégé (This protégé would eventually see Billy Gunn become Rockabilly). Hunter now has Rocky in a sleeper hold and is slowly but surely putting the rookie sensation to sleep. Rocky broke free for a moment and put Helmsley into a sleeper hold of his own but Hunter quickly worked his way out. Vince informs us that other action tonight includes the Undertaker taking on Savio Vega and Steve Austin vs. Sid. Rocky has turned the match around now and hit’s a cross body off the top rope but hits it just a little hard and flips Hunter on top of him for a 2 count. Helmsley tries the piledriver but still just a 2 count. Next, Hunter hit’s a superplex but it still is not enough to put away the first ever third generation superstar. Rocky is so out of it that Hunter cannot even get him up for the Pedigree. Finally Hunter does get him up but Rocky hits an inside cradle for the surprise win in about 15 minutes. Rocky Maivia is the new Intercontinental Champion. Dok Hendrix comes out immediately to interview the new champion. Rocky says that he will be the best champion that he can be. Hunter storms back to the dressing room.

Commercial Break. 

The Honky Tonk Man has left the announce table. Sunny makes her way out and says she will be the guest ring announcer for the next match. Before the match we are shown clips of Hillbilly Jim, the Godwinns and Jesse James on Prime Time Country from this past Tuesday. 

Commercial Break. 

Slam Of The Week: The Undertaker Tombstones Hunter Hearst-Helmsley on an escalator from Shotgun this past Saturday night. 

Match #2: The Head Bangers (Mosh & Thrasher) vs. Bob “Spark Plugg” Holly & “The Portuguese Man O War” Aldo Montoya. 

Tale Of The Tape: The Head Bangers (488 pounds, former HWA Tag Team Champions, Mosh 27 years old, Thrasher 38 years old). Bob Holly (235 pounds, from Mobile, Alabama, 34 years old, former WWF Tag Team Champion). Aldo Montoya (225 pounds from Portugal, 23 years old, former RWF Champion). 

The Head Bangers own this match as they are a fairly new team and Montoya and Holly are star jobbers at this point. Holly does manage to get in a hurricanrana. The announcers don’t really pay attention to the match. Instead they talk about Shawn Michaels and plug Duckman. After Thrasher misses a moonsault on Holly, Montoya is tagged in and gets in some offense but the Head Bangers eventually pin Aldo after the stage dive in about 6 minutes. 

Shawn Michaels is shown talking to Gorilla Monsoon backstage.

Commercial Break. 

Gorilla Monsoon and Vince McMahon are in the ring, Vince with a microphone in hand. Out comes the WWF Champion Shawn Michaels. Vince says that Shawn will be undergoing knee surgery and wants Michaels thoughts. Michaels says it feels like he has been here before (Forfeiting the Intercontinental Title to Dean Douglas in the fall of 1995) and many doctors say he should never wrestle again. The entire crowd chant “we want Sid”, forcing Vince to acknowledge the former WWF Champion and say that Shawn Michaels has had the most difficult schedule of any WWF Champion in history. Shawn starts to get teary eyed and says that he has always tried to make the people smile whether he was on the good side or the bad side. The crowd boo’s this. Its 1997 and they are tired of Shawn’s BS. Shawn says if he cannot come back after surgery and perform at his fullest, he will not come back. He says he wanted the tough schedule, the top contenders, the autograph signings. Shawn says that toughness is real big in the current WWF but says all he has is tears. He hands the belt to Monsoon. Shawn then says that he is going to go home and try to find his smile because he has lost it. He also does not care if people make fun of him because he is an emotional guy and 1996 was the most incredible year of his life. He thanks Vince and the fans and even hugs Vince and Gorilla. And the infamous “I’ve lost my smile” speech is born. Shawn Michaels exit’s the ring, hugging many fans and Jim Ross on the way backstage. 

Commercial Break. 

Vince, JR and King say that the WWF owe so much to Shawn Michaels and look forward to his return. 

Match #3: Savio Vega (With the Nation Of Domination, minus Faarooq and Crush) vs. The Undertaker. 

Tale Of The Tape: Savio Vega (248 pounds, from Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, 32 years old, former WWC Champion). The Undertaker (328 pounds, from Death Valley, 34 years old, former WWF Champion). 

Savio is rapped to the ring by JC Ice and Wolfie D before Taker makes his entrance. 

Commercial Break.

Back from the break and the match has already began. Undertaker has total control of the match until Vega nails a low blow behind the referees back. Savio unloads with a series a spin kicks but only gets 2 counts. JR informs us that the reason Faarooq and Crush are not out here is because they are preparing for their match with Owen Hart and the British Bulldog later in the evening. Wolfie D gets some shots in on Taker while he is down. Crowd chants “rest in peace” to try and get the dead man going. Vega hit’s the only move he knows, a spin kick but again only a count of 2.. Savio hit’s a swinging neck breaker but it can’t get the job done either. The phenom retaliates with the chokeslam out of nowhere for the win in about 9 minutes. Suddenly, the Nation jumps in the ring. Taker fights off PG-13 and D-Lo Brown but Crush and Faarooq hit him from behind. Ahmed Johnson has now hit the ring and helps the Undertaker clean house on the Nation. 

Commercial Break.

Backstage Dok Hendrix interviews Gorilla Monsoon. Gorilla says that the Final Four Match this Sunday at In Your House Final Four will now be for the vacant WWF Title. This match will involve Steve Austin, Bret Hart, the Undertaker and Vader with the winner defending against Sid the next night on Raw. 

Match #4: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. “Sycho” Sid. 

Tale Of The Tape: Steve Austin (252 pounds, from Victoria, Texas, 32 years old, 2 time WCW United States Champion). Sid (320 pounds, from West Memphis, Arkansas, 36 years old, former WWF Champion). 

Austin attacks Sid before the bell rings but Sid fights back. Both men are brawling on the floor. This crowd is totally behind Austin. Back in the ring now, Austin has Sid in the abdominal stretch. Sid counters with a sleeper but Austin reveres it into a motivated version of the stunner for a 2 count. Suddenly, Bret Hart enters the ring and attacks Austin, causing Sid to be disqualified in about 4 minutes. Now Sid and Bret are going at it. Referees, Dave Hebner and Gerry Brisco try to break it up as Austin watches on. 

Backstage, Paul Bearer and Vader are standing by. Vader says he has beat all the other participants in the Final Four Match which means he will become the new WWF Champion. 

Commercial Break. 

The announce team discuss what just went down as Jerry Lawler is preparing a Western Union money order for his mother. 

We are shown Shawn Michaels announcement from earlier tonight. 

More PG-13 rapping. 

Match #5: The British Bulldog & Owen Hart defend the WWF Tag Team Titles against Faarooq & Crush (With the Nation Of Domination, minus Savio Vega). 

Tale Of The Tape: Faarooq (270 pounds from Warner Robbins, Georgia, 38 years old, former WCW Champion). Crush (315 pounds from Kona, Hawaii, 32 years old, former WWF Tag Team Champion). British Bulldog & Owen Hart (480 pounds, on first reign as WWF Tag Team Champions, Bulldog from Manchester, England, 34 years old. Owen from Calgary, Alberta, 31 years old). 

Crush and Owen start it out with a pretty even back and forth match. Owen hit’s a cross body off the top rope for a 2 count. Davey Boy and Faarooq are tagged in.

Commercial Break. 

Bulldog and Crush are now the legal men in the ring. Both teams are heels but Bulldog and Owen are playing the baby faces as the Nation are constantly getting away with double team moves behind the referees back. We are taken to Bret Hart backstage during the match. He talks about how much respect he has for Shawn Michaels and thinks he will be back, but his face says screw you Vince for making me say this. Bulldog is on dream street as Faarooq and Crush are making constant tags. The crowd tries to get behind Bulldog as Vince and Lawler talk about how hot La Femme Nikita is. Faarooq now has Davey Boy in a bear hug in the middle of the ring. Bulldog manages to tag Owen but Crush had the referee distracted. True 80s style tag team wrestling. Davey finally hits Crush with an enziguri and tags in Owen who cleans house. Owen gets knocked outside the ring and lands wrong on his leg, causing the count out for his team in about 10 minutes. Owen cannot get back in the ring. Meanwhile, the Nation are beating down Davey in the ring. Bulldog and Owen remain Tag Team Champions. 

Commercial Break.

Promo for Final Four airs and Vader is on his way to the ring. 

Commercial Break. 

Match #6: “The Man They Call” Vader (With Paul Bearer) vs. Bret “Hitman” Hart. 

Before the match starts, the Undertaker makes his way out holding Dok Hendrix by the tie.. He says he gets no respect and will make both Vader and Hart rest in peace this Sunday.

Tale Of The Tape: Vader (450 pounds, from the Rocky Mountains, 39 years old, 3 time WCW Champion). Bret Hart (234 pounds, from Calgary, Alberta, 39 years old, 3 time WWF Champion). 

Commercial Break. 

WWF Rewind: Rocky Maivia winning the Intercontinental Title earlier in the evening.

The main event is finally on the way. Vader has Bret in the corner, unloading with rights and lefts. We are shown a clip from earlier when Bret Hart interfered in Steve Austin and Sid’s match. Vader charges at Bret but misses and goes down. Bret locks in the Sharpshooter but Vader is too close to the topes, forcing Earl Hebner to break the hold. Steve Austin is now ringside and distracts Bret. Vader takes him down and goes for the Vader Bomb but misses and Bret gets the pin in about 7 minutes. Austin continues to taunt Bret from the crowd as the show goes off the air.