Next up - Fake Diesel and Fake Razor Ramon challenging the WWE World Tag Team Champions, Owen Hart and The British Bulldog. When people talk about how lame the Fake Diesel and Fake Razor Ramon gimmicks were, they often undersell just how terrible this entire angle was. See, the Fake Diesel and Fake Razor weren't just bad gimmicks that came out a couple times - they were featured. They challenged for the Tag Team Championships on pay-per-view. The Fake Diesel went far in the 97' Rumble. This match gets 10+ minutes despite being a heel/heel encounter. Granted, Owen and Bulldog are subtly working as the babyfaces, but the crowd certainly isn't all-the-way behind them and pops pretty loud when Austin runs in to attack the Bulldog (the story goes that Austin/Bulldog was set for WrestleMania XIII before Michaels pulled out of the show in February). I liked the finish and Owen and Bulldog were competent enough to keep this moving, but this was just not anything that should've been paid for. (1/5)
Next up, a pretty cool segment featuring Ahmed Johnson and the Nation of Domination. This is a great example of Vince not having any idea what direction the WWE should be going in and just throwing everything against the wall. Earlier in the show, its Flash Funk and the Funkettes. Later on the same show, Farooq is backed by a group that splits the difference between the Nation of Islam and New Jack City and calls out Ahmed Johnson as an "Uncle Tom." And speaking of Ahmed Johnson, his promo before Farooq shows up is bad ass and crazy. A year earlier, the hype around Johnson was that he could potentially be a mega-star for the company, but watching a segment like this makes it clear how absurd that notion really was. Still, this was still bonkers in the best way. (+1)
The Intercontinental Championship was on the line next as Hunter Hearst Helmsley defended the title against "The Wildman" Marc Mero in a rematch from a few weeks prior. The air was really let out of the balloon in this feud when Mr. Perfect left the company after helping Helmsley win the title on Raw. Mero's run in 96' was not as successful as McMahon clearly hoped it would be and within the next year I believe he'd be turned heel. This is a good match, but just feels lifeless because, a bit like in the opener, the gimmicks and characters are just too corny. I might enjoy this version of Helmsley more than I do most of his main event work as he's basically cherry-picked the best spots of a half dozen all-time greats - Perfect's bumping, some of Regal's offense, early-90s Shawn heeling - and while none of it is very original, its all well-executed. I liked Mero better in WCW, maybe because he wasn't over-pushed or over-hyped? The finish of this match sees Goldust getting involved and essentially turning face by going after Helmsley (who had hit on Marlena). This same angle happening even just a couple years later would've led to a triple threat match, but those were ultra-rare in the US (the WWE wouldn't feature one until June 97' according to the internet). Not a bad match, but nothing super special. (3/5)
The Undertaker took on The Executioner in an Armageddon Rules match next, which basically followed the rules of a Last Man Standing (though you had to pin your opponent before the ref would start the 10 count). Considering Terry Gordy's ability at the time, the match's stipulations, and the Executioner's corny gimmick/appearance, this was a real test to see if The Undertaker could turn chicken shit into chicken salad. This is certainly no mat classic, but its not nearly as terrible as one might think. Taker - and whoever else produced this match - were smart enough to realize that they'd have to use a bunch of smoke and mirrors to keep fans engaged. And so we get Mankind coming down and getting thrown through the In Your House set (he ultimately ends up in a straightjacket too), Paul Bearer getting involved, and The Executioner getting tossed into the Gulf of Mexico (?). Its a busy 11 minutes and is successful in hiding how much of a flop The Executioner character was. (1.5/5)
Main event time - Bret Hart challenging Sid for the WWE Championship with Shawn Michaels on commentary. What's most surprising about this, watching 20+ years later, is how heelish Bret Hart's character already was by this time. In his pre-match promo, he comes across as completely obsessed with Shawn Michaels and almost arrogant about his ability to defeat Sid. He comes across as whiny in a way that I just didn't appreciate or really consider when I was a Hitman mark in 96'. Michaels doesn't exactly come across as super likable on commentary either, though, which leads me to believe that he too saw the writing on the wall for his own status as the top babyface and maybe the emerging star power of Austin? In the ring, Bret goes to work on Sid's lower back and has a clear strategy but also undoes the top turnbuckle early on, a very, very heelish thing to do. The psychology works because Bret had said he was willing to do whatever it took to regain the WWE Championship, but its still a noticeable change in moral character. I wish this was as good in the physicality and exchanges as the Bret/Diesel matches, but Nash was a better seller with a touch better offense too. Austin makes an appearance towards the end of the match and clips Bret's knee, but gets chased off by Bulldog. Again, because Bret hadn't really been fighting all that valiantly and was actually in control for much of the match, this doesn't really elicit sympathy as much as it might've had Bret actually made Sid look more dominant. Back in the ring, Bret uncharacteristically botches one of the big false finishes when Sid dumps him into the unprotected corner and Bret hits the bottom rope instead of the top. They repeat the spot because I'm guessing Bret thought it was integral to the match, but in the big picture, it really wasn't as the actual finish comes minutes later when the action spills to the floor, Sid pie-faces Shawn, and then Shawn gets up on the apron and ends up in a collision with Bret. Its a really well-executed sequence of events, but its not the most original finish in history and doesn't do Sid any favors. The post-match is fun too as we get even more Bret/Shawn drama. Its a shame these two didn't square off at WrestleMania XIII as the tension was absolutely there and I'm curious how it would've been booked from a heel/face perspective as neither guy was 100% supported by the fans but also not outright heels. (2.5/5)
As a time capsule, It's Time is a more interesting show than I remembered it being. Though its Kwang Score - a measly 2.3-out-of-5 - would suggest a show that is below average in the wrestling department, that belies some of the unique elements of the show. Bret Hart's heel work in the main event was something I completely forgot or, maybe more realistically, failed to see in my fandom back when I watched this as a 12 year old Hitman devotee. The Undertaker/Executioner match isn't good, but almost seems like essential viewing for any real Freebirds fan curious to see just how much the once-great Terry Gordon had deteriorated. The Ahmed Johnson/NOD segment is bonkers, but shows how much the WWE was already inching towards its Attitude Era facelift a full year before McMahon's famous speech. While this show isn't going to wow you with its wrestling, for fans curious about or even just nostalgic for the WWE's murky transitional phrase between the New Generation Era to the Attitude Era, this show is worth checking.
FINAL RATINGS - High Risk Maneuver
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