WWE Survivor Series 97'
Montreal, Canada - November 1997
CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Bret Hart is the WWE World Champion, the Intercontinental Championship is held by Owen Hart, and the WWE World Tag Team Champions are The Legion of Doom. Shawn Michaels holds the European Championship, though, at this point, that title was pretty much meaningless.
COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler
The most controversial night in wrestling history kicks off with a rather lackluster start - The Headbangers and The New Blackjacks teaming up to take on The Godwinns and The New Age Outlaws. This match is as dull, predictable, and lame as it looks on paper. The crowd chants "faggot" at the faces, but doesn't get behind the heels either. Barry Windham at maybe his career low point. Half point for at least attempting to put together a decent contest. (0.5/5)
The Truth Commission take on The Disciples of Apocalypse next. Kurrgan the Interrogator eliminates Chainz in impressive fashion early on. What's surprised me on rewatch was that, while Kurgan's 6'11'' frame could never be considered average, put up against the Harris Twins and Brian "Chainz" Lee, who stand at 6'7'', Kurrgan doesn't quite come off as the giant he should be. After his elimination, Don "The Jackyl" Callis joins the commentary team to put over his team, but no amount of hype can cover what is obvious from the match - that there is nothing frightening or awesome about a team of nameless, faceless jobbers and a near-7-footer who can seemingly execute three moves - a punch, a kick, and a sidewalk slam. Another awful, meaningless match. Half-point for not taking up too much time. (0.5/5)
After hearing from some fans, we cut to Kevin Kelly, who is backstage with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Austin says he's not concerned about his damaged neck and doesn't want anyone else to be either.
Back at ringside, Jim Ross cues up a video package highlighting the debut of Steve Blackman. We hear from Team USA next - Vader, Goldust, Marc Mero, and Blackman - who will be taking on Team Canada led by The British Bulldog with Jim Neidhart (whose American), Doug Furnas (whose also American), and Phil LaFon. Team USA comes out to what would be Kurt Angle's music (and what was The Patriot's theme) and get booed, while Team Canada make their way out to the familiar sound of Bret Hart's theme because, well, they're kind of The Hart Foundation and playing Bulldog's music wouldn't have made much sense for a Canadian team. Bulldog gets a big pop for wiping his ass with Mero's Old Glory bandana and then mocks Blackman's karate. A "Sable" chant breaks out, forcing Mero to move her from the babyface corner, and leading to Vader getting tagged in. Phil LaFon comes in for some not-so-smooth sequences with Vader and Mero before tagging in Neidhart. Blackman comes in and the awkwardness continues, the Tae Kwon Do Master delivering his strikes well but looking quite green at the whole selling and positioning part of the wrestling equation. Vader serves as the MVP for his team, scoring two pinfalls for his team in fairly rapid succession. Doug Furnas finally comes in and eliminates Mero, leading to another distracting "Sable" chant as the fans have tired of the in-ring story. Goldust refuses to tag in, pointing out that he has an injured wrist that is preventing him from getting involved in the contest, eventually leading to Vader slapping him in the face and forcing him to enter the fray. The Bizarre One takes a countout loss and the match continues for a minute or so before reaching its logical conclusion. An improvement from the first two bouts, but still not worth seeking out. (1.5/5)
Jim Ross announces the winner of WWE's Super Supper contest, a sweepstakes I don't remember happening at all. We then get a video package highlighting the WWE's newest monster, Kane, and his current rivalry with Mankind. Backstage, Mankind cuts a great promo on Paul Bearer, the man who abandoned him after spending a year by his side.
Kane vs. Mankind is exactly what it needed to be, a showcase of Kane's might and Mankind's never-say-die heart. Before the bell can even ring, Kane tosses Mankind viciously into the steps, the dangerous bump only ruined by the eerie red light that Kane wrestled under. Foley tries to get Kane off his feet but can't do it, getting his butt kicked for most of the match in such entertaining fashion that its not surprising Kane got as over as he did in such a short time. As the match goes on, Mankind is able to land a little bit of offense, including a face drop into the stairs and a piledriver, but Kane won't stay down, eventually launching Foley through a table on the outside of the ring. While that spot wakes the crowd up, one has to wonder if this whole match would've got louder reactions if the audience could actually see the action. Proof that, even in a loss, you can get yourself over by fighting your heart out. A match I definitely forgot being as good as it was. (3/5)
Backstage, Michael Cole asks Vince McMahon straight-up "Who will win tonight's main event?" to which McMahon smiles and says, "I don't know." While the segment probably runs under two minutes, it is definitely a "moment," one of the first times I can recall the WWE almost openly, on their own TV, acknowledge that wrestling is a work. Taking pity on this overall horrid show, I'm going to give that 90 seconds a point. (+1)
The Nation of Domination take on Ken Shamrock, The Road Warriors, and Ahmed Johnson next. I'm not sure if this is Johnson's last WWE PPV appearance, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were. With loads of bells-and-whistles to keep the action moving and the eliminations going, this one surprised me with its watchability. Shamrock is hyped up huge on commentary and despite only being a WWE competitor for under a year, he looks noticeably more comfortable in-ring than any of the other spotlight matches I've watched from him on the Network. The Rock is incredibly over, as are the Road Warriors, which automatically makes this match better than either of the two previous Survivors matches. Solid stuff. (2.5/5)
Cut to a commercial for the next month's DegenerationX pay-per-view followed by a video recapping the career of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin starting with his King of the Ring 96' victory and then his rivalry with the Harts, specifically Owen Hart, who had nearly paralyzed the Rattlesnake at August's SummerSlam match.
The Intercontinental Championship is on the line next - "Stone Cold" Steve Austin making his triumphant return to the ring to challenge Owen Hart. Despite years of antagonizing the Canadian crowd, Austin gets a relatively warm response, quite different than how he was treated at the Canadian Stampede show that spring. As expected, Owen teases a piledriver early, the crowd in a frenzy from the very start (there's even a "Break His Neck!" chant). Also as expected, considering the injury Austin was coming back from, this is more of a brawl with plenty of stalling rather than a true sequel to the more traditional matwork-based SummerSlam match. Owen is terrific as the dastardly heel, choking Austin with a cord and daring the ref to disqualify him (which would mean Owen would retain his title). Austin's comeback draws a surprising amount of cheers as does his Stone Cold Stunner. One wishes this would have gone longer, but Austin was obviously still working at 60% and probably had no right to even be back in the ring by this point. (2/5)
Main event time - Bret Hart defending the WWE World Championship against Shawn Michaels. Is this the most famous World Championship match in WWE history? I wouldn't go that far...but it is certainly the most controversial and maybe the one written about most. Michaels arrives to a fair amount of boos while JR calls him "the greatest athlete in the history of the WWE" on commentary. The Hitman makes his way out next and gets a huge pop from his Canadian brethren, taking his time to seemingly bask in what he knew was to be his last WWE match. On the outside of the ring, Michaels gets into it with some of the fans while Bret stares him down with a face of complete disdain. It really is remarkable how iconic, how emotional, how symbolic every facial expression, every sequence, and every big spot in this match is. Hart dominates early while Lawler notes that the bell has not been rung yet, the combatants making their way into the audience. McMahon and Slaughter show up during the melee as Michaels takes over, slamming Hart into a table and then the steel steps. There's very little by way of actual wrestling on display, though, Hart does deliver a stiff suplex on the arena floor at one point. Michaels' selling (or overselling) will be a favorite thing for his detractors to pick apart, but considering the real life animosity between them, I actually credit for Shawn for "giving" so much to the Hitman, selling his rights and lefts like gunshots and tossing his body over and into barricades and guardrails with reckless abandon. By the time the bell is actually sounded, we've already seen one of the better brawls the WWE had put on in a long time, though, that is largely because the build for this match was so dramatic. HBK hits a flying forearm off the ropes and takes over, stomping Hart and choking him with a Quebecois flag. Between fists to Bret's head, Shawn spits and spews hate towards the fans before landing an impressive front suplex on the steps. Michaels locks in a front headlock in the middle of the ring in one of the first moments of the match when, with the aid of hindsight, it seems there is some confusion between the performers as to where they are going next. Hart gets a huge pop with his comeback, but Michaels cuts him off just as he begins to attack his legs. For the next several minutes, we get a back-and-forth contest that is eerily not dissimilar to their WrestleMania 12 match, both guys going through what could almost be called a fairly typical "mid-match" stretch. After a ref bump that was likely intended to go longer, we get "The Screwjob," the most infamous 10 seconds of wrestling's long history. Shawn looks pissed. Bret looks pissed. Earl Hebner is nowhere to be found. The camera stays on the exiting champion and, as this is the Network version, we don't get to see the post-match highlights of Bret drawing "WCW" in the air, trashing the ringside area, and spitting in Vince's face. Considering how much the WWE profited from those moments in later years, it is surprising they do not feature them here. Its an upsetting omission that prevents me from awarding what I believe to be some of the most fascinating (and, even without the finish, really really good) minutes of wrestling action ever with a warranted higher score. (4/5)
Survivor Series 97' could never be anyone's favorite wrestling event, though it remains one that rightfully deserves to be considered one of the most important shows in the sport's history. The first half lacks anything resembling a good match, but the midcard does pick things up a bit with the underrated Kane/Mankind and Nation of Dominaton/Shamrock and Company matches. The Austin/Owen match, which runs under five minutes, is disappointing but understandably one of those "At Least We Got That Much" matches when you factor in how damaged Austin was (and maybe even how comfortable he felt getting back in the ring with the man that almost legitimately ended his career). The main event remains one of the most interesting 20 minutes of wrestling ever captured on film. It starts as a wild brawl (one of the WWE's best) and then transitions into a tense, stiff, and surprisingly traditional stretch of action that shows how masterful both men are at pacing and building drama, spiking in a few bits of signature offense without beating you over the head with it the way so many of today's wrestlers do. Unfortunately, the finish is what it is - rushed, kayfabe-breaking, and disrespectful to everyone involved, maybe even the fans more than Hart. Its also 15 or so seconds of shocking reality in a genre that's most defining quality is its fakeness. Too bad the WWE-approved Network version opts to cut out the remarkable post-match shenanigans, footage they've had no trouble airing in various specials and video packages to highlight the controversy for financial gain. If you've never seen Survivor Series 97', which earned a rather unremarkable 2.14-out-of-5 on my scorecard, it's required viewing for all wrestling fans...or at least the last hour is. The rest ain't worth your time.
FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand
The Truth Commission take on The Disciples of Apocalypse next. Kurrgan the Interrogator eliminates Chainz in impressive fashion early on. What's surprised me on rewatch was that, while Kurgan's 6'11'' frame could never be considered average, put up against the Harris Twins and Brian "Chainz" Lee, who stand at 6'7'', Kurrgan doesn't quite come off as the giant he should be. After his elimination, Don "The Jackyl" Callis joins the commentary team to put over his team, but no amount of hype can cover what is obvious from the match - that there is nothing frightening or awesome about a team of nameless, faceless jobbers and a near-7-footer who can seemingly execute three moves - a punch, a kick, and a sidewalk slam. Another awful, meaningless match. Half-point for not taking up too much time. (0.5/5)
After hearing from some fans, we cut to Kevin Kelly, who is backstage with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Austin says he's not concerned about his damaged neck and doesn't want anyone else to be either.
Back at ringside, Jim Ross cues up a video package highlighting the debut of Steve Blackman. We hear from Team USA next - Vader, Goldust, Marc Mero, and Blackman - who will be taking on Team Canada led by The British Bulldog with Jim Neidhart (whose American), Doug Furnas (whose also American), and Phil LaFon. Team USA comes out to what would be Kurt Angle's music (and what was The Patriot's theme) and get booed, while Team Canada make their way out to the familiar sound of Bret Hart's theme because, well, they're kind of The Hart Foundation and playing Bulldog's music wouldn't have made much sense for a Canadian team. Bulldog gets a big pop for wiping his ass with Mero's Old Glory bandana and then mocks Blackman's karate. A "Sable" chant breaks out, forcing Mero to move her from the babyface corner, and leading to Vader getting tagged in. Phil LaFon comes in for some not-so-smooth sequences with Vader and Mero before tagging in Neidhart. Blackman comes in and the awkwardness continues, the Tae Kwon Do Master delivering his strikes well but looking quite green at the whole selling and positioning part of the wrestling equation. Vader serves as the MVP for his team, scoring two pinfalls for his team in fairly rapid succession. Doug Furnas finally comes in and eliminates Mero, leading to another distracting "Sable" chant as the fans have tired of the in-ring story. Goldust refuses to tag in, pointing out that he has an injured wrist that is preventing him from getting involved in the contest, eventually leading to Vader slapping him in the face and forcing him to enter the fray. The Bizarre One takes a countout loss and the match continues for a minute or so before reaching its logical conclusion. An improvement from the first two bouts, but still not worth seeking out. (1.5/5)
Jim Ross announces the winner of WWE's Super Supper contest, a sweepstakes I don't remember happening at all. We then get a video package highlighting the WWE's newest monster, Kane, and his current rivalry with Mankind. Backstage, Mankind cuts a great promo on Paul Bearer, the man who abandoned him after spending a year by his side.
Kane vs. Mankind is exactly what it needed to be, a showcase of Kane's might and Mankind's never-say-die heart. Before the bell can even ring, Kane tosses Mankind viciously into the steps, the dangerous bump only ruined by the eerie red light that Kane wrestled under. Foley tries to get Kane off his feet but can't do it, getting his butt kicked for most of the match in such entertaining fashion that its not surprising Kane got as over as he did in such a short time. As the match goes on, Mankind is able to land a little bit of offense, including a face drop into the stairs and a piledriver, but Kane won't stay down, eventually launching Foley through a table on the outside of the ring. While that spot wakes the crowd up, one has to wonder if this whole match would've got louder reactions if the audience could actually see the action. Proof that, even in a loss, you can get yourself over by fighting your heart out. A match I definitely forgot being as good as it was. (3/5)
Backstage, Michael Cole asks Vince McMahon straight-up "Who will win tonight's main event?" to which McMahon smiles and says, "I don't know." While the segment probably runs under two minutes, it is definitely a "moment," one of the first times I can recall the WWE almost openly, on their own TV, acknowledge that wrestling is a work. Taking pity on this overall horrid show, I'm going to give that 90 seconds a point. (+1)
The Nation of Domination take on Ken Shamrock, The Road Warriors, and Ahmed Johnson next. I'm not sure if this is Johnson's last WWE PPV appearance, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were. With loads of bells-and-whistles to keep the action moving and the eliminations going, this one surprised me with its watchability. Shamrock is hyped up huge on commentary and despite only being a WWE competitor for under a year, he looks noticeably more comfortable in-ring than any of the other spotlight matches I've watched from him on the Network. The Rock is incredibly over, as are the Road Warriors, which automatically makes this match better than either of the two previous Survivors matches. Solid stuff. (2.5/5)
Cut to a commercial for the next month's DegenerationX pay-per-view followed by a video recapping the career of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin starting with his King of the Ring 96' victory and then his rivalry with the Harts, specifically Owen Hart, who had nearly paralyzed the Rattlesnake at August's SummerSlam match.
The Intercontinental Championship is on the line next - "Stone Cold" Steve Austin making his triumphant return to the ring to challenge Owen Hart. Despite years of antagonizing the Canadian crowd, Austin gets a relatively warm response, quite different than how he was treated at the Canadian Stampede show that spring. As expected, Owen teases a piledriver early, the crowd in a frenzy from the very start (there's even a "Break His Neck!" chant). Also as expected, considering the injury Austin was coming back from, this is more of a brawl with plenty of stalling rather than a true sequel to the more traditional matwork-based SummerSlam match. Owen is terrific as the dastardly heel, choking Austin with a cord and daring the ref to disqualify him (which would mean Owen would retain his title). Austin's comeback draws a surprising amount of cheers as does his Stone Cold Stunner. One wishes this would have gone longer, but Austin was obviously still working at 60% and probably had no right to even be back in the ring by this point. (2/5)
Main event time - Bret Hart defending the WWE World Championship against Shawn Michaels. Is this the most famous World Championship match in WWE history? I wouldn't go that far...but it is certainly the most controversial and maybe the one written about most. Michaels arrives to a fair amount of boos while JR calls him "the greatest athlete in the history of the WWE" on commentary. The Hitman makes his way out next and gets a huge pop from his Canadian brethren, taking his time to seemingly bask in what he knew was to be his last WWE match. On the outside of the ring, Michaels gets into it with some of the fans while Bret stares him down with a face of complete disdain. It really is remarkable how iconic, how emotional, how symbolic every facial expression, every sequence, and every big spot in this match is. Hart dominates early while Lawler notes that the bell has not been rung yet, the combatants making their way into the audience. McMahon and Slaughter show up during the melee as Michaels takes over, slamming Hart into a table and then the steel steps. There's very little by way of actual wrestling on display, though, Hart does deliver a stiff suplex on the arena floor at one point. Michaels' selling (or overselling) will be a favorite thing for his detractors to pick apart, but considering the real life animosity between them, I actually credit for Shawn for "giving" so much to the Hitman, selling his rights and lefts like gunshots and tossing his body over and into barricades and guardrails with reckless abandon. By the time the bell is actually sounded, we've already seen one of the better brawls the WWE had put on in a long time, though, that is largely because the build for this match was so dramatic. HBK hits a flying forearm off the ropes and takes over, stomping Hart and choking him with a Quebecois flag. Between fists to Bret's head, Shawn spits and spews hate towards the fans before landing an impressive front suplex on the steps. Michaels locks in a front headlock in the middle of the ring in one of the first moments of the match when, with the aid of hindsight, it seems there is some confusion between the performers as to where they are going next. Hart gets a huge pop with his comeback, but Michaels cuts him off just as he begins to attack his legs. For the next several minutes, we get a back-and-forth contest that is eerily not dissimilar to their WrestleMania 12 match, both guys going through what could almost be called a fairly typical "mid-match" stretch. After a ref bump that was likely intended to go longer, we get "The Screwjob," the most infamous 10 seconds of wrestling's long history. Shawn looks pissed. Bret looks pissed. Earl Hebner is nowhere to be found. The camera stays on the exiting champion and, as this is the Network version, we don't get to see the post-match highlights of Bret drawing "WCW" in the air, trashing the ringside area, and spitting in Vince's face. Considering how much the WWE profited from those moments in later years, it is surprising they do not feature them here. Its an upsetting omission that prevents me from awarding what I believe to be some of the most fascinating (and, even without the finish, really really good) minutes of wrestling action ever with a warranted higher score. (4/5)
Survivor Series 97' could never be anyone's favorite wrestling event, though it remains one that rightfully deserves to be considered one of the most important shows in the sport's history. The first half lacks anything resembling a good match, but the midcard does pick things up a bit with the underrated Kane/Mankind and Nation of Dominaton/Shamrock and Company matches. The Austin/Owen match, which runs under five minutes, is disappointing but understandably one of those "At Least We Got That Much" matches when you factor in how damaged Austin was (and maybe even how comfortable he felt getting back in the ring with the man that almost legitimately ended his career). The main event remains one of the most interesting 20 minutes of wrestling ever captured on film. It starts as a wild brawl (one of the WWE's best) and then transitions into a tense, stiff, and surprisingly traditional stretch of action that shows how masterful both men are at pacing and building drama, spiking in a few bits of signature offense without beating you over the head with it the way so many of today's wrestlers do. Unfortunately, the finish is what it is - rushed, kayfabe-breaking, and disrespectful to everyone involved, maybe even the fans more than Hart. Its also 15 or so seconds of shocking reality in a genre that's most defining quality is its fakeness. Too bad the WWE-approved Network version opts to cut out the remarkable post-match shenanigans, footage they've had no trouble airing in various specials and video packages to highlight the controversy for financial gain. If you've never seen Survivor Series 97', which earned a rather unremarkable 2.14-out-of-5 on my scorecard, it's required viewing for all wrestling fans...or at least the last hour is. The rest ain't worth your time.
FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand
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