Monday, October 6, 1997

Raw Deal - Raw recap for October 6, 1997

Vince McMahon starts the show with the announcement of Brian Pillman's passing in his hotel room in Bloomington, Minnesota yesterday, and that the WWE Superstars have put aside their personal differences at this time for a ten-bell salute to Pillman.

Michael Cole interviews "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, who is accompanied by Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Chyna. Shawn has sixteen stitches to his head from the events of last night's Hell In A Cell, when he was busted open. Shawn decides to give Michael Cole an official welcome from "the clique" by giving him a wedgie, then states that any hopes and dreams of putting him to an end at Badd Blood have been crushed, saying he is here and The Undertaker is not as he proved to the world that he is simply the very best sports entertainer in the world today and that last night was the proof. His status as Superstar in the WWF has been elevated to "the one true icon in the World Wrestling Federation." He says that the term "icon" has been thrown around loosely, and says that he is not "one of those fossils" and that he is "one of those icons who can still go." Helmsley states that what Shawn has states is "the everloving truth," and when he asks who is the man, the showstopper, the main event, Shawn says it is him. When asked who the greatest force in professional wrestling is, Shawn say it is "The Kliq." Shawn then asks the producers to show "some of the fine performance of The Heartbreak Kid" on the TitanTron, which takes a while to do due to technical difficulties. All of a sudden, the May 19th, 1996 footage from Madison Square Garden (otherwise known as "The Curtain Call"), and Helmsley and Shawn make fun of it before the footage vanishes off the TitanTron and Shawn and Helmsley head to the commentary table and give Vince a hard time by saying his father is spinning in his grave from the event and that they made an ass out of him. This continues into the commercial break, and when the show comes back on, The Hart Foundation (Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart) show up and says Shawn has no respect for anything or anybody and is a disgrace to professional wrestling. Hart says he is a second-generation wrestler who has paid his due, and calls Shawn the lowest form of scum he's ever come across and a degenerate, and calls both Shawn and Helmsley "a homo," saying that Helmsley barebacked his way to the main event and that he makes more money than Helmsley, Shawn and Chyna combined. Bret doesn't care what Shawn says until he takes the WWF Championship away from him. He says that he ran Razor Ramon and Diesel out of town and that he'll do the same with them, starting with Helmsley, and offers Helmsley a challenge to step in the ring with him. Shawn asks Bret if he wants Helmsley to wrestle him, and Bret says he wants Helmsley as he has Shawn at Survivor Series, when he will kick his scrawny little ass. Shawn has two words for Bret: suck it. He then says Bret makes more money, but he doesn't have more money as he works 24/7 to get his money and the business needs him, Helmsley, Chyna and "Ravishing" Rick Rude, who is seen at ringside. He then says the only way to get into the main event at Survivor Series is to wrestle him; otherwise, Bret Hart is a paper champion and just support on his pay-per-view matches. He then says he and The Kliq will continue to rule the World Wrestling Federation from now until when he decides differently, and that Bret didn't destroy The Kliq as he has confused expansion with destruction (a reference to Razor Ramon and Diesel heading to WCW). Shawn finishes by saying that The Kliq will own Bret.

We see the inside of Brian Pillman's home as we learn that Brian's wife Melanie Pillman will be interviewed later tonight.

The Headbangers (Thrasher and Mosh) beat The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) in a lumberjack match after all the lumberjacks get in the ring and fight each other.

Jim Cornette is seen in the back with his microphone being set up, telling someone not to get a heart attack when he gets to Eric Bischoff as he has a lot to say tonight and that he is going to have some fun.

In footage from earlier today, Miguel Perez of Los Boricuas says he is up against Marc Mero, and that he will finish him in two minutes.

Marc Mero - now with a new attitude and appearance and no longer called "Wildman" - beats Miguel Perez with a new finisher, which is as yet unnamed.

Jim Cornette starts off by saying that the following is his opinion and is not necessarily that of his employers. Cornette says a lot of things in wrestling makes him cranky this way, especially how some people such as "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson and "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair are treated by fans and promoters, but also Mick Foley and The New World Order. He says The New World Order are like a bunch of guys hanging out in the backyard in a clubhouse in a tree, who have the easiest job in the world and just have to be themselves - childish, obnoxious adolescent guys with a case of severe arrested emotional development and a fixation on trying to act macho. He says Kevin Nash has six moves, no mobility, and enough timing to make up for some of it. He also calls Nash a manipulator, saying that WWF pushed him to star status only to head to WCW for a big contract. He says Scott Hall is a good wrestler but couldn't put three asses in a set for ten years and left for WCW a big contract much like Nash did. He mentions Sean Waltman (also known as The 1-2-3 Kid and Syxx), who he says is only employed because the other guys think it is funny when he gets drunk and throws up all over himself, and that Sean is the only man "since this whole wrestling war started" that was released from a valid contract from one company to go to the other, saying that this shows how valuable Sean is. He says that Nash, Hall and Waltman all have the push they have gotten thanks to Eric Bischoff, the boss of WCW, and mentions that Bischoff's name is on the credits of every pay-per-view and that he likes to throw millions of dollars around just like water to hire guys he likes to hang out with. Cornette calls Bischoff a "mark" for himself as well as for "big, studly guys with long hair and beards who like to smoke cigars and ride Harleys so some of that can rub off on his pansy-ass frame," and says he hires them to "prove his Johnson is bigger than everybody else's." He says it is about time for the fans and promoters recognize guys like Anderson, Flair and Foley who bust their ass and have ability and talent to get where they are instead of guys who hang around with the boss and suck up to him.

The British Bulldog beats Rocky Maivia. After the match, Faarooq whips at The Hart Foundation (Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, Owen Hart, Bulldog, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart) with his belt, starting a brawl between The Hart Foundation and The Nation of Domination (Faarooq, D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa, Maivia) that is quickly broken up.

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

We see footage from yesterday of a packed entrance to the Kiel Arena in St. Louis, Missouri prior to the events of Badd Blood.

Vince McMahon interviews "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in the ring. Vince tells Austin he hopes that he has made the right decision, and Austin says he hopes so too or else he'll whip Vince's ass. Austin says he struck Faarooq with the Intercontinental Championship because he does what he wants when he wants, and if he doesn't want to answer Vince's questions, he doesn't have to and he doesn't care if Vince owns the World Wrestling Federation or not. Vince sees that Austin is not carrying a doctor's certificate that medically clears him, and Austin says he hasn't seen the doctor and therefore doesn't have on. Vince says he has a release from absolving World Wrestling Federation of any and all liability in his hands, and all Austin has to do is sign it. Austin says Vine is telling the truth when he calls him "the toughest S.O.B. in the WWF," but if he were to sign his piece of paper, he'd be "the dumbest S.O.B. in the WWF, and that ain't true." Austin says he'll sign the form if Vince signs a contract giving him a match against Owen Hart in a match for the Intercontinental Championship at Survivor Series. Vince says he's got his match and offers to shake his hand, but Austin tells him to put his hand down and tells him to show him the contract. All of a sudden, Faarooq shows up on the TitanTron, saying he will kick Austin's ass for thinking that running around with tattoos makes him tough and that his ass is his for sticking his nose in The Nation of Domination's (Faarooq, D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa, Rocky Maivia) business. Austin tells Faarooq he'll take the entire Nation on after his legal troubles are over, saying it's not a race thing, it's not a color thing, it's a "me kicking your ass" thing and that nobody can stop him. On his way out, Austin kicks Jerry "The King" Lawler's crown into the crowd.

Road Warrior Hawk says Owen Hart and The Hart Foundation (Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, Owen, The British Bulldog, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart) are like a loogie he can't seem to expel, and that Owen will be the shortest-reigning Intercontinental Champion that ever was as it takes one good hock to get rid of the loogie.

13,245 people are in the crowd tonight, setting a new WWF Kansas City, Missouri record.

Before the next match, Owen Hart says he can't wait to see "Stone Cold" Steve Austin reinstated so he can get his hands on him after what happened last night. He says he is not scared of Austin, and if Austin wants to get back in the ring, all he has to do is get back in and take his best shot.

Owen Hart retains the WWF Intercontinental Championship against Road Warrior Hawk. During the match, The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) and Uncle Cletus show up, and nearly cost Road Warrior Hawk the match by hitting him in the back with the slop bucket. Road Warrior Animal shows up and fights off The Godwinns, but Uncle Cletus distracts the ref and allows Henry O. Godwinn to get a cheap shot on Hawk with Uncle Cletus' horseshoe to give Owen the win.

Vince McMahon interviews Melanie Pillman via satellite from Walton, Kentucky. Melanie says that there was a problem with his heart, which was put under a lot of stress and caused him to die of a heart attack in his sleep, though the results are still inconclusive. It is mentioned that Pillman has had to take prescription medication due to the car accident that he was in in recent years. Melanie says things were harder for Brian after the accident, and feels it would have been a matter of time before a reliance of pain medication would claim someone's life and that life was unfortunately Brian's and it could be anybody next. Melanie says that his youngest son doesn't understand why his dad isn't coming back, but her adopted daughter Brittany understands after losing her biological parents. When asked what she will do to support her five children, Melanie says she has no idea and that the outpouring of support from the fans is helping her go on. She wants Brian to be remembered as one of the most compassionate, loving men ever and the greatest father in the world who also loved and lived and died for the business, and she hopes nobody else has to die.

We see a video tribute to the life and times of Brian Pillman.

The Hardy Boyz (Jeff and Matt Hardy) are about to face The Truth Commission (Recon, Sniper, The Interrogator) when Kane and Paul Bearer show up. Kane choke slams the Hardys before tossing Matt out of the ring and tossing Jeff right into Matt. Paul Bearer dares everyone to laugh at him, saying everyone should be laughing at The Undertaker as the proof that Kane is still alive is here. He says the people saw The Undertaker's face when he saw Kane for the first time in 20 years and knew it was him, and calls this the stop side on his highway to eternity. He says that he and Kane will destroy every Superstar in the WWF until they reach The Undertaker, and tells him that Kane will be behind his shoulder and that he will think of the fire every time he goes to sleep. Paul Bearer then welcomes The Undertaker to his worst nightmare.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley - now officially known as Triple H - beats Bret "The Hit Man" Hart by count-out. During the match, "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels shows up and sticks Bret's Canadian flag in his left nostril, and Owen Hart and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart show up soon after. When "Ravishing" Rick Rude arrives, he goes after Owen and The Anvil with the briefcase, allowing Shawn to hit Bret with a superkick after Chyna keeps Bret from putting the Figure Four Leg Lock on the ring post on Helmsley.

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