Raw Deal - Raw recap for January 20, 1997

Bret "The Hit Man" Hart shows up unannounced with something to say to Vince McMahon. He says that when he came back to the WWF, Vince promised him an opportunity to fight for the WWF Championship. Vince put him in the ring with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and said that if he could beat Austin, he would be #1 contender. Hart, however, finds it convenient that Shawn is at ringside on commentary as he faces Sycho Sid and doesn't think it's a coincidence that "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels was there costing him the WWF Championship and forcing him to partake in the Royal Rumble match to get his title shot there. Hart says he is the true winner of the Royal Rumble match and that he should be the one getting a shot at the WWF Championship. Instead, he has been screwed by Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, the WWF and Vince McMahon. As Vince McMahon paces back and forth, Bret realizes he won't get an opportunity at the WWF Championship, and quits. Hart drops the microphone, and as Vince tells Bret not to do this, Bret leaves through the crowd. Suddenly, Steve Austin shows up, and tells Bret Hart he can belly-ache and complain with the best of them and that all he has done is cry since he returned, and that when the going gets tough, the Harts get going back home. He tells Bret Hart to go back to Canada as the only person he can beat is his own father in the Hart Dungeon. Austin counters Bret Hart saying he's been jerked around by the WWF by saying that he's been jerked around for seven years, and that he's found out through WWF President Gorilla Monsoon that Sycho Sid is out with a concussion and that he won't be able to compete. Austin says Sid has a yellow streak down his back, while Monsoon has a bunch of bananas and that he knows where Monsoon can stick each and every one of them. He wants a match with The Undertaker, as he tossed him over the top rope at the end of the Royal Rumble match last night and he'll do it again tonight. Vince McMahon heads to the back.

It is announced that Royal Rumble had a record crowd of 60,525 people in attendance last night.

The encore for Royal Rumble is tomorrow night at 8 PM Eastern, 7 PM Central.

Owen Hart and The British Bulldog beat Doug Furnas and Phillip LaFon. During the match, it is announced that The Undertaker has been fined his entire Royal Rumble purse for choke slamming a WWF official last night. Also, when it is announced that back-to-back episodes of La Femme Nikita will air after Raw, Jim Ross brings up the idea of "putting Nikita in the ring with Robin Hood" and saying that WWF doesn't "bait and switch" their viewers in a shot at World Championship Wrestling for the end of last week's Nitro, when TNT showed the main event during commercial breaks as the season premiere of The New Adventures of Robin Hood aired.

Faarooq beats Bart Gunn after Bart Gunn attacks J.C. Ice and Wolfie D of the Nation of Domination for placing Faarooq's foot on the rope during a pinfall attempt, which leads to Faarooq hitting Bart Gunn from the apron to the outside before finishing him with the Dominator. Vince McMahon and WWF President Gorilla Monsoon show up after the match.

Vince McMahon and WWF President Gorilla Monsoon are in the ring. Monsoon admits a real travesty occurred in the Royal Rumble match, and while the referee's decision is final, he has created a four-man no-disqualification elimination match, with the winner facing the WWF Champion at WrestleMania 13. The four participants are three men illegally eliminated by "Stone Cold" Steve Autsin: The Undertaker, Vader, and Bret "The Hit Man" Hart (assuming he accepts Monsoon's invitation) as well as Austin himself. Austin shows up, grabs the microphone, and tells Monsoon he can't have a four-way match because Hart walked out. He also asks Monsoon if WWF has the "instant replay rule," before telling Monsoon he calls himself "the Gorilla" when he "hee-haws his way out like a jackass." Austin then tells Monsoon he'll "toss [his] carcass around the arena" after he wins the four-way match. Vince confronts Austin when Austin gets in Monsoon's face, and Bret "The Hit Man" Hart shows back up through the crowd. Hart gets in the ring, grabs the microphone, tells Monsoon he accepts and says that they don't have to wait until February because he and Austin can get it on right now, which they do. Officials have to break Hart and Austin up as they brawl in the aisle. Hart is escorted to the back after the commercial break while Austin stays in the ring to square off against The Undertaker. Before the match, however, Hart and Taker start brawling, and when Hart is escorted to the back, Austin tries to attack 'Taker from behind only for 'Taker to fire back, starting their main event match early.

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. The Undertaker ends with Vader, who is now being managed by Paul Bearer, getting into the ring only to be choke slammed by The Undertaker. During the match, Jerry "The King" Lawler tries to get Austin's attention by telling him to work on The Undertaker's broken ribs. Also, Vader and Bret "The Hit Man" Hart are both seen backstage being held by officials before another brawl can take place. Vader gets choke slammed, then Bret "The Hit Man" Hart shows up and evens the numbers with 'Taker and Hart fighting off Austin and Vader as officials rush to the ring to separate all four men. Austin retreats, but Hart leaves the ring to fight Austin yet again as 'Taker and Vader continue to fight inside the ring.