Raw Deal - Raw recap for October 27, 1997

Vince McMahon interviews The Nation of Domination (Faarooq, D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa, Rocky Maivia) in the ring. Faarooq wants to know why there is racism in the World Wrestling Federation, and Vince apologizes on behalf of the World Wrestling Federation. Faarooq tells Vince he can't apologize just like that, as he can't apologize for 400 years of slavery and antagonizing and that The Nation handles apologies with fists. Vince says racism will not be allowed under any circumstances, but Faarooq tells Vince to ask Rocky Maivia is there is any racism in the WWF. Vince McMahon hands The Rock the microphone, and The Nation tells Vince to leave, which he does. Maivia tells The Hart Foundation (Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart) they have crossed a line they should have never crossed, because now this is a black and white thing. He goes on to say he has dealt with discrimination his entire life, and every time he was knocked down, he got right back up. He plans to show The Foundation what it's like to deal with discrimination all their lives, but when they get knocked down, they won't get back up. Faarooq says it started with a boat ride and that it will end with a Black fist to the side of their face, and challenges them to a match next week. It doesn't take long for The Foundation to show up, and Bret immediately accepts any challenge they want to make to them, but tells them he comes from a country where there is no racial prejudice and that his country loves people for what they are inside, as the United States is riddled with racial prejudice and that he doesn't have to start an argument with him to get him to agree. Bret then says that Faarooq's problem is that somebody is messing with him, and that D-Generation are the ones responsibility for what's going on between The Nation and The Foundation. D-Generation X ("The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, "Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna, "Ravishing" Rick Rude) shows up on the TitanTron, and Shawn says Bret is blaming him for his problems, saying that Bret is racist to the core and vandalized The Nation's locker room last week, and that he accepts the fact that America was created on the back of a Black man. Shawn says that it was The Foundation all along, that Bret is in denail and worried about his image. Helmsley says The Foundation's first choice for uniforms were white sheets and hoods, that Bret was one of the Ku Klux Klan that recently appeared on The Jerry Spiringer Show, and that The Foundation used the N-word when they switched spray paint cans. This leads to The Nation fighting The Foundation, and referees and officials rush in to break up the brawl. During the fracas, Bret hurts his ankle.

"The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels guests on commentary for the next match.

Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley beats Goldust after Chyna hits Goldust with Marlena's purse as Marlena slaps Triple H, distracting the referee. Before the match, it is announced that Marlena will take about what it was like to spend 30 days with the late Brian Pillman on next week's show. After the match, "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn tells Vince McMahon and Jim Ross to "suck it" before giving them the crotch chop.

Jim Cornette is sick and tired of wrestlers calling themselves wrestling icons, saying that "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels is one of the single greatest talents inside of the ring but is an adolescent, obnoxious jerk who takes his tights and goes home if he doesn't get his way outside of it. He says that Bret "The Hit Man" Hart is also a great talent, but says that if he screwed by the WWF as often as he says he was, he'd have struck oil by now. He says "Macho Man" Randy Savage is a legend, but asks how many records Frank Sinatra sold last year. He then focuses on the steel cage match between "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper last night at WCW Halloween Havoc, saying the match was only the greatest in three weeks since Badd Blood's Hell In A Cell Match and that it included a 46-year-old bald movie star wanna-be who looks like Uncle Creepy with a good build (Hogan) and a guy with an artificial hip who hasn't wrestled a full schedule in ten years (Piper), calling it a tribute to the massive egotism of both men and an indictment of WCW's promotional policies that this match even took place, much less be in the main event, when the card for Halloween Havoc was probably the best of what WCW was capable of having. He says that both Piper and Hogan were so winded after the ten-minute mark that the first three rows died of oxygen deprivation, which would be funny if it wasn't so sad. Cornette says he is tired of men claiming they're the icon, especially from guys who didn't know when to quit, stating that Piper was his idol when he was a teenager...which was twenty years ago. He calls Hogan in his best years "50% media creation" and that those years are long gone. He calls the match a slap in the face to every wrestler who takes pride in his profession, and no one man is bigger than the sport. He says that if there really is an icon, it would be a man of great ability in the ring, and professionalism and maturity outside of it. He calls for the "I make more money than you B.S." to be left outside with the hat check girls and calls for a focus on talent and attitude. He says The Undertaker, "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin have never claimed to be icons, which makes them prime candidates to be just that - icons. He then tells Hogan that he is a household word, but so is garbage, and it stinks when it gets old, too.

Earlier tonight, Oklahoma professional wrestling legends "Cowboy" Bill Watts, The Brisco Brothers (Gerry and Jack Brisco) and Danny Hodge were honored before the show.

Ahmed Johnson beats Owen Hart by disqualification after "Stone Cold" Steve Austin jumps out of the crowd and hits Ahmed with the Stone Cold Stunner before retreating back into the crowd. The Nation of Domination (Faarooq, D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa, Rocky Maivia) shows up during the match, and referees stop them from going after Austin. Owen Hart retains the WWF Intercontinental Championship.

Jerry "The King" Lawler beats "Too Sexy" Brian Christopher in the first round of the 1997 Karate Fighters Holiday Tournament.

Jim Ross interviews Mankind in the ring. After we see footage of Kane's attack on Dude Love last week, Mankind says Dude Love just wanted to make people smile and have fun, and make the world a happier place. He tells Paul Bearer that what he did was take an innocent kid and ruin him, and left him here to pick up the pieces. What disturbs him is that they parted ways without a single cross word and that he thought they had an unspoken truce. What Bearer did to Dude Love last week bothered him a great deal, and has led him to make his life a living hell. If Bearer thinks he can roll through everyone in the WWF, then he just ran into one hell of a roadblock. He tells him to remember the Boiler Room Brawl, and tells Bearer he'll take on Kane or die trying. He asks why Bearer would take Kane, who has spent 20 years in a would-be grave, and give him the opportunity to return so soon, as he will take him on, saying he'll find a way to beat Kane even if he is impervious to pain. WWF Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter shows up and says he can understand why he wants to wrestle Kane, but looking at Mankind unstable mental condition and seeing that Kane is not a rational human being, he cannot and will not sanction or approve the match. Mankind says "please," but the match is denied despite Slaughter appreciating the request. Mankind says he had terrible things planned for Kane, but in order to do those things, something bad will have to happen to Slaughter. He drives the Mandible Claw into Sgt. Slaughter's throat, and he lets go as referees and official get in the ring to get him to release the hold.

The intro to the show is replayed to signal the start of War Zone.

"The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock vs. Bret "The Hit Man" Hart for the WWF Championship ends in a no-contest, and Bret "The Hit Man" Hart retains the WWF Championship. It is announced during the match that Survivor Series Flashback is airing tomorrow night at 8 PM Eastern on USA Network, which replays some of the greatest moments in Survivor Series, including Hulk Hogan vs. The Undertaker (which also gives Vince McMahon the opportunity to take verbal potshots at Hogan, all of them aimed at his movie career, his career in WCW and his recent steel cage match with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper at Halloween Havoc). During the match, Bret knocks the referee out during the Sharpshooter, but Shamrock turns it into an Ankle Lock Submission. Bret taps, but the referee is down. As Shamrock gets the referee up, Bret hits Shamrock in the back with a steel chair. Bret locks in the Sharpshooter, but "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels rushes in and hits Bret with Sweet Chin Music before punching him in the face. Shamrock notices Shawn and snaps, and beats him down before referees and officials try to get him to cool off while "Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Chyna check on Shawn and Bret. The British Bulldog and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart run in to check on Bret, then Shawn and Bret go at it and have to be pulled apart. Chyna pushes down Pat Patterson, then Shawn and Bret briefly go at it again. "Ravishing" Rick Rude shows up to get Shawn to the back with the help of Triple H and Chyna while The Hart Foundation (Bret, Bulldog, Neidhart) stand tall in the ring.

Bret "The Hit Man" Hart says the rivalry between him and "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels is leading to Survivor Series, as every time he turns around, Shawn attacks him from behind and he's back to where he started from, complaining about him. He says that this will end at Survivor Series, as he knows that no matter what happens, he'll get his hands around his little scrawny neck and it will be the end of Michaels once and for all as his fellow Canadians will have his back and that Shawn won't be able to run for the border fast enough as he will be excellently executed.

Before the next match, Road Dog says that he and "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn will climb one more rung up the ladder to the tag team titles.

Road Dogg and "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn beat The New Blackjacks (Blackjack Windham and Blackjack Bradshaw) after Billy Gunn leaves the ring and hits Bradshaw in the back with a steel chair. During the match, Vince McMahon well-wishes Maureen Marella, the wife of WWF President Gorilla Monsoon, who is currently ill and in a Philadephia, Pennsylvania hospital. After the match, The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) show up and attack The New Blackjacks, and Road Dogg and Billy Gunn destroy The Blackjacks' hats. The Headbangers (Thrasher and Mosh) show up carrying a boombox blaring out Marilyn Manson's "The Beautiful People," and go after The Godwinns, who retreat.

Before the break, the camera zooms in on a fan in a Hogan mask, and Vince says "Oh, my goodness! Another bad movie! Please, no!"

It is announced that Mankind will officially face Kane at Survivor Series, as per WWF Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter.

Paul Bearer and Kane are interviewed in the ring by Jim Ross. Bearer tells Jim Ross to keep his nose out of his business or else he will embarrass him in front of his entire hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He then says Mankind is just a pebble in Kane's path to destruction, and tells The Undertaker that Kane is here to make his a living hell and that he doesn't have a clue of what living in hell is, as Kane has burned in Hell's flames due to the house fire from when he and 'Taker were kids, and that The Undertaker will live in Hell until he steps up, faces Kane and meets his judgement day.

The King of the Iron Rungs Action Figure Set, featuring "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is available at Target from Jakks Pacific.

D-Generation X ("The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, "Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna, "Ravishing" Rick Rude) is in the locker room. Rude says that if Shawn wanted to speak to Vince McMahon, he'd reach in his back pocket and squeeze the words out of his scrawny chest. Right now, however, he wants to speak man-to-man to Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, and says that actions speak louder than words. Shawn then gets up, turns around, pulls his pants down and moons the camera while Chyna and Helmsley hold up signs saying "D-Gen X" as Shawn jumps over the "X" sign and shows his bare bottom while Shawn and Hunter make butt jokes.

Marc Mero beats Flash Funk with a low blow before hitting the TKO.

Jim Ross interviews Jeff Jarrett, who says that there is a fine line between confident and cocky, and that he is positive that he is confident. Jarrett says he was prepared for the big time in the WWF, but when he got there, Vince McMahon had a vision of what he wanted him to be. He succeeds in spite of Vince, but Vince placed limits on him and made him "Double J." He asked Vince to let him be himself, but when that didn't happen, he packed his back and walked out. Jarrett calls that one of the greatest nights of his life, as he told Vince he would no longer run his life. He signed a contract with World Championship Wrestling, but WCW gave him no opportunity as he wasn't one of Eric Bischoff's boys and didn't have enough stroke. He says he can a match between him and "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels up against any other match anywhere and that it can still be better. and says that one's true in-ring ability does not count in WCW. He says that when you go to a WWF house show, there is action from bell to bell for two-and-a-half hours. In WCW, they don't have much excitement from bell-to-bell and while they have their moments, all their top wrestlers are in their 40s while only one of the top wrestlers in the WWF is in that age range, and that wrestling is a young man's game.

"Road Dogg" Jesse James and "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn watch the next match from ringside wearing the top of The New Blackjacks' (Blackjack Windham and Blackjack Bradshaw) torn-up hats on their heads while wearing the brims around their necks. Jim Ross tries to interview them, but they aren't telling him a thing. After the bell rings to start the match, Billy Gunn steals The Legion of Doom's (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk) shoulder pads and proceed to make fun of them at ringside.

The Legion of Doom (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk) beat Los Boricuas (Savio Vega and Miguel Perez) after "Road Dogg" Jesse James trips up Miguel Perez, then both teams chase after "Road Dogg" Jesse James and "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn after the match.

The WWF Light Heavyweight Championship Tournament begins next week! Also next week: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin!

Ahmed Johnson tells "Stone Cold" Steve Austin that he has entered his zone by putting his hands on him. He says his zone is like an end zone, as when he is in the zone, he scores. He says Austin scored on him, and now it's his turn and he's coming to get him.