Raw Deal - Raw recap for March 24, 1997

The Legion of Doom (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk) say they have returned to the WWF for the tag team titles, and they don't care who they beat to get them and become the greatest tag team champs of all time. Hawk is ready to rip some breainstems out, and also says that if they have to bring another kitchen sink, he would prefer something other than stainless steel.

The Headbangers (Thrasher and Mosh) beat Owen Hart and The British Bulldog by disqualification after Bulldog shoves the referee. Owen Hart and The British Bulldog retain the WWF Tag Team Championships. During the match, Thrasher inadvertantly sends The British Bulldog into Owen Hart, who has his back turned to the ring. Bulldog and Owen argue again, and this time, Owen almost walks out on him. Later, The Bulldog helps Owen out again while the ref is distracted with Mosh, and Owen argues with Bulldog again because of it. As they argue, Bulldog shoves the ref. Owen and Bulldog finally come to blows and go at it, and officials have to pull them off each other. Owen then tells Bulldog that he is "sick and tired of [his] crap" and carrying the team, and says he's the only reason Bulldog is a champion and that he could have beaten Bulldog for the European Championship at anytime. He says that he is the captain of the team and that he is the best. He tells Bulldog that is if he is any kind of a man, he would give him a shot for the European Championship at any time, then calls him "a worthless coward." Bulldog says the Slammys mean nothing to him, and that he beat Owen fair and square for the European Championship. Nevertheless, Bulldog gives Owen a shot as the people know that he is the best, and he doesn't care when it happens, but it will be the only shot Owen will get. He then tells Owen to keep himself in line, as they still have the tag titles to defend. Owen says he will put family aside and kick Bulldog's butt.

Mankind is in the boiler room. Mankind says "he" is gone, and that "he" has left him. When asked who "he" is, "he" turns out to be "Uncle Paul," a reference to Paul Bearer. He says his WWF Championship won't mean anything without him, and asks "Uncle Paul" to come back and tells him not to make him find him.

Bret "The Hit Man" Hart is on the TitanTron, and has a message for the American fans. He requests to get all the time that he needs to provide that message later tonight, and tells Vince McMahon that he will not use abusive language.

Hunter Heast Helmsley beats Bart Gunn with the help of Chyna. During the match, Goldust says there are no more words, and that now, there are only actions. Last night, as he carried Marlena back to the dressing room, it was the longest walk of his life. He says that Hunter has silenced the lamb, and that his pain will be deafening. With Chyna banned from ringside in their match next week, there will be no more sequels, as Raw is war. He vows that Hunter will remember the name of Marlena. Also, we see more of Chyna's formidable strength as she scoop slams Bart Gunn outside of the ring as Hunter distracts the referee.

The team of Venum, Super Nova and Discovery beat the team of El Mosco, Hysteria and Abismo Negro. During the match, Bret "The Hit Man" Hart demands to know where the time for his message is. Vince promises Hart he will get plenty of time tonight.

In footage from earlier tonight, Vince McMahon interviews Rocky Maivia and Rocky Johnson. Rocky Maivia says that he will never forget WrestleMania 13, yet reveals that he he has a pact with his father in which his father not intefere in his matches. Rocky Johnson tells him that paid his own way to get there as he reminds Maivia that he carries their family name. At the same time, any man that has feelings for his son will not watch three men try to hurt him, and promises he will never interferes in his matches again.

The Honky Tonk Man guests on commentary for the next match.

Flash Funk beats The Brooklyn Brawler.

Ken Shamrock is on the TitanTron. He stopped last night's Submission Match because "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was in a great deal of pain throughout the match, and that he had to protect him when he went unconscious. Shamrock admits that Austin did not say that he was quit, but he was hired to call the match down the middle and had to end it with Bret "The Hit Man" Hart as the winner as Austin could not protect himself. He says that a lot of pain was dished out, but he had to step in when Hart attacked Austin after the match when it was clear that Hart wanted to end Austin's career. At the end of the day, he admits that he and Austin have traded harsh words in the past and that he doesn't care for him, but he gives credit where credit is due and says that Austin has no quit in him and that he is one of the toughest men he has ever seen.

The intro is replayed to signify the beginning of the second hour.

Bret "The Hit Man" Hart shows up. Hart apologizes to all of his fans throughout the world, but not to his fans for America. He tells the American fans that he apologizes to them for nothing, as no matter how much he tries, especially after "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to a bloody pulp, the American fans treat him he just lost a match. He blasts the fans for cheering Austin after the match like he won. He then says that when the WWF Championship was around his waist shortly before this time last year, it was where it belonged, but when the fans cheered for "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, they allowed Shawn to screw him out of the title. When he found him watching WWF at home in Canada, and when the WWF needed a role model that they could look up to, he says that Shawn did not fit the bill due to his wearing earrings and posing for "a gay magazine" such as Playgirl. As a result, he saw this as a calling to come back and clean up the WWF, and beat Austin at Survivor Series and garnered a little bit of respect. He then faced Sycho Sid, but Shawn cost him the WWF Championship...and nobody cared, saying that the American says didn't do anything about it. At the Royal Rumble match, he had the match won as the last legal man in the ring, but, in his words, the fans turned on him and justified in their minds that Austin won. He says a better man would have quit, and that maybe he should have quit and gone home. He has Vince McMahon and Gorilla Monsoon on their hands and knees, begging him not to quit and to think of his fans. He came back, and when In Your House: Final Four happened, he won. He also states that Shawn faked an injury so he could vacate the WWF Championship and "find his smile." The next night, he put the title on the line, and he had the match won after being booed all through the match by the American fans, only for Austin to smack in the back of the head with a steel chair, and blames the American fans, saying they find this perfectly acceptable. After that, he wanted Steve Austin, and got him in a Submission Match. Before that, he had his steel cage match with Sycho Sid, and The Undertaker ruined his chances of becoming a five-time WWF Championship. He then says that everyone in the World Wrestling Federation "screwed" him and that the American wrestling fans abandoned him. He went into the Submission Match with the plan of giving Austin "an old-fashioned ass whuppin'," and after doing what he said to do, the American fans booed him and cheered Austin. Hart says he's proven himself so many times in the World Wrestling Federation and tried to be everything the fans wanted him to be, but it seems to him that nobody understands what it's like to have dignity, poise, prestige and class, as the American fans would rather cheer for someone like Charles Manson or O.J. Simpson, "as nobody glorifies criminal conduct like the Americans do." Every other country he has been to respects what's right and what's wrong, and tells the American wrestling fans that they don't respect him...and he doesn't respect them, either, as they don't deserve it. From here on in, the American wrestling fans can kiss his ass. All of a sudden, Shawn Michaels shows up, and tells Bret that he can say whatever he wants about him as everyone does, and that he doesn't have to explain to him or the WWF that he would never give up the WWF Championship, as nobody knows better than him or the WWF that it takes a hand-written note "from the Lord almighty" to get the title from him. As he gets in the ring, he tells Bret that just because he chooses to live his life openly and freely instead of putting on a facade like him, does not make Bret a better man. Shawn says that he is aware of his faults, and that he can admit them up and down the line. As far as Austin is concerned, he was there, and Austin did not give up. He admits he is not a fan of Austin, but he knows Austin passed out, and says that Bret has enough "Hit Man" left in him to admit that Austin is "one tough S.O.B." Shawn then says that he has tried to take the high road, but he is tired of Bret acting like he owns the place while he is here because he enjoys wrestling. He reminds Bret that when the fans pay a ticket to come to the arena, they have the right to cheer or boo whoever they want. He says he never got bent out of shape about being both booed and cheered, because the United States has something called the First Amendment, which allows people to live their lives as they see fit as long as it causes harm to no one. Shawn admits that he is in no shape to wrestle, but if Bret wants to go at it with him, they can go at it right now. Shawn then says that there is an old saying in America: "Love it or leave it." Hart tells Shawn that he should go back to the dressing room and out of his face, but Shawn gets in his face and stares him down, then tells him he's not good with authority. He then asks Hart how he knew he was in "that girly magazine," and says Hart couldn't help himself and had to flip through the pages a little bit. Shawn then tosses the microphone in Hart's direction and is about to leave the ring when Hart goes right for his knee and puts him in a Figure Four Leg Lock on the ring post. As officials try to pull Hart off Shawn, Sycho Sid shows up and chases Hart into the ring, daring Hart to fight him. Hart walks up the entrance ramp and heads back to the back, and teases changing his mind and getting back in the ring as Sid calls him a chicken.

Rocky Maivia beats Leif Cassidy. Bret "The Hit Man" Hart shows back up, this time on commentary. When Vince McMahon asks Bret why he has snapped, Bret says he has not snapped and that he has just "opened his eyes," and asks Vince "Why don't you open up yours?" As Bret speaks, we see footage of "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels being helped out of the arena, and Vince tells Bret that he is flushing his legacy down the toilet. Bret doesn't care, saying that every other country but the United States of America has given him respect, and if Vince wants to see bad, he'll show him bad. He does just that by attacking Rocky Maivia from behind, taking his knee out and trying tod estroy the leg. Leif Cassidy gives Bret the thumbs up as he leaves, then Bret flips a kid off as he looks at the fans in disdain as he heads back to the back.

Ahmed Johnson beats Savio Vega by disqualification after The Nation of Domination pull Savio Vega out of the ring. Before the match, it is announced that Faarooq is suffering a separated shoulder and a puncture lung, and is currently in the hospital. It is announced that "Stone Cold" Steve Austin will be back and appearing on Raw next week, and so will Bret "The Hit Man" Hart. After the ring, Ahmed tells The Nation of Domination that this has gone too far, and makes them a deal: if he beats one of them, they have to leave the WWF. The Nation don't seem to give Ahmed much of a response.

Paul Bearer is seen backstage. He is here to speak to someone specific...

The Undertaker in interviewed in the ring by Vince McMahon, who congratulates him for winning the WWF Championship. The Undertaker welcomes everyone to "the dark days of the World Wrestling Federation," and announces that this title is theirs and that he is the knight who will fight anyone who tries to oppose the fans. He thanks Sycho Sid for being a man and having the courage to step in the ring against him, and applauds him for his efforts. When his time is due, he will give him his chance as well. 'Taker says his first reign was short, because he lost his edge, but due to people like Mankind, he must stay sharp. He admits that Mankind is the most dangerous individual in the World Wrestling Federation, and that Mankind has made him a better gladiator. If Mankind applies the Mandible Claw to anyone, they will go down. Suddenly, Paul Bearer walks down the entrance ramp, and Bearer tells The Undertaker that if he still feels the need to beat him up, then he will have to do what he has to do. Nevertheless, Bearer asks 'Taker for a minute of his time, Mankind then appears on the TitanTron, crying out for Bearer as Bearer tells 'Taker that everything he has done, he has done it for him. The show then ends.