New York, New York - WWF New York recap for November 1, 1997

The Headbangers (Thrasher and Mosh) beat The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) after Thrasher scores a pinfall on Phineas with a Victory Roll. After the match, The Godwinns hit The Headbangers with a double Slop Drop.

The WWF will be at Madison Square Garden on November 15th with a special start time of 1 PM.

Recon beats Chainz after a brawl breaks out between the rest of The Truth Commission (Sniper, The Interrogator, The Jackal) and The Diciples of Apocalypse (Crush, Skull, 8-Ball). After the match, The D.O.A. attack The Interrogator, which causes The Interrogator to lose his cool to the point that he has to be held back.

Why has The Undertaker threatened to quit the WWF? Find out on The Ross Report on Option 3 of the WWF Superstar Line!

Sunny is the special guest ring announcer for the next match.

The "Stone Cold" Steve Austin "100% Pure Whoop-Ass" shirt - packaged in its own metal can of Whoop-Ass - is available now for $30 plus $6 shipping and handling!

Bret "The Hit Man" Hart will be on Mad TV tonight at 11 PM on Fox!

Scott Taylor and Taka Michinoku beat "Too Sexy" Brian Christopher and Yoshihiro Tajiri in a Light Heavyweight Division tag team match. Brian Christopher turns on Tajiri after the match.

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 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.

The WWF SummerSlam Super Supper Sweepstakes is here! Your favorite WWF Superstar will come to your hometown and take you and ten of your friends out to dinner! To enter, mail a 3x5 card with your name, address, date of birth, phone number and the name of your favorite WWF Superstar to: Survivor Series Super Supper Sweepstakes, P.O. Box 1429, Carmel, IN 46032. The grand prize winner will be called during Survivor Series.

The WWF "King of the Iron Rungs" action figure set featuring "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is available now at Target from Jakks Pacific!

Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart beats The Patriot by disqualification when The Patriot is caught using Marlena's purse - which contains a brick and is knocked out of The British Bulldog's hands by Goldust - by the referee.

Jerry "The King" Lawler beats "Too Sexy" Brian Christopher to advance to the semi-finals of the 1997 Karate Fighters Holiday Tournament. Get a free limited edition WWF poster with the purchase of any Milton Bradley Karate Fighters game at Toys 'R Us while supplies last! (In-store coupon required.)

We see footage from last Friday night's live show at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island. At Madison Square Garden on November 15th: The Undertaker vs. "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. Bret "The Hit Man" Hart in a Fatal 4-Way Match! The Legion of Doom defend the WWF Tag Team Championships against Owen Hart and The British Bulldog! Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Vader with George "The Animal" Steele in Vader's corner to offset Chyna! Ahmed Johnson vs. Faarooq in a New York City Street Fight! "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock vs. Rocky Maivia in a No Holds Barred Match! Dude Love vs. Miguel Perez!

New York, New York - WWF New York recap for October 25, 1997

The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) - who are wearing Oklahoma Sooners shirts with the words "Texas Longhorns" painted on the front of them - beat The New Blackjacks (Blackjack Windham and Blackjack Bradshaw) after Henry O. Godwinn strikes Blackjack Bradshaw in the back of the head with a ball peen hammer.

This Monday night on Raw: "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock vs. Bret "The Hit Man" Hart for the WWF Championship!

"Too Sexy" Brian Christopher beats Scott Taylor.

An American hero has become pro-Canadian and a sympathizer of The Hart Foundation (Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart)! To find out who it is, just call the WWF Superstar Line and check out The Ross Report on Option 3!

Michael Cole interviews The Legion of Doom (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk). Animal says the WWF has some of the greatest fans in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They put their career on the line and they knew what they had to lose, and they took everything the WWF could throw in their face. They faced The Hart Foundation (Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart), Los Boricuas (Savio Vega, Miguel Perez, Jesus Castillo, Jose Estrada Jr.), The Nation of Domination (Faarooq, D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa, Rocky Maivia) and The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) and beat them, and after all their tactics, they beat The Godwinns for the WWF Tag Team Championships. Hawks says if he were not a Road Warrior, he'd be a Sooner. He says there are a lot of people who want a tag team title shot, but they will beat them because they're good at it, because they like it and he gets a shiver up his spine whenever he hurts someone. Hawk says that between there is great brotherly love between him and Animal, who toughed out a hurt shoulder to secure the tag team titles. Animal says they are not johnny-come-lately, and they have won the tag team titles wherever they've gone, and the tag teams in the WWF are toughest they've ever faced; for that, the WWF tag team titles are very special to them. Hawk says they will face everybody, even if they have to face the cameraman, as they are the type of team who says they will do something and then go out to do it.

WWF Flashback: Survivor Series is this Tuesday night at 8 PM Eastern, 7 PM Central on USA Network!

Savio Vega beats The Sultan.

Jim Cornette says that Phil Mushnick's message board on TV Guide's website has been flooded with comments from outraged pro wrestling fans, and he reads excerpts from a few posts that criticize Mushnick's opinion on professional wrestling. It is announced Mushnick has written that he has "badly overrated the intellect and social graces of most pro wrestling fans as they believe what they want to believe, think what they want to think and have no regard for the truth. Not all but most pro wrestling fans provide what the pro wrestling industry covets: knuckleheads." Cornette finishes by saying that people with similar opinions not only founded the United States of America, but also put a man on the moon. He tells the pro wrestling fans that if they are tired of others giving them the sideways glance, looking down their nose at them, treating them like the guy who runs the Ferris wheel at the county fair just because you like wrestling or anything else, they should stand up and say they are mad as hell and that they won't take it anymore, and to voice their opinion as their opinion makes a difference. Cornette then goes on to say that Phil Mushnick isn't the only target, but he is a fine place to start. Jim Ross then asks fans to send comments to Phil Mushnick to: "Mad As Hell", The New York Post, ATTN: Greg Gallow - Sports Editor, 1211 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10036.

Bret "The Hit Man" Hart is on the set of Ma TV with "Jack." Jack tells "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels that Bret will beat him up at Survivor Series. Bret will be on Mad TV on Fox on November 1st at 11 PM

The hart Foundation (The British Bulldog and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart) beats The Patriot and Goldust after Neidhart hits The Patriot with the British flag as the referee is keeping Goldust out of the ring.

Michael Cole interviews "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock, who says he has done no holds barred for eight years. If someone wants to play his game, they had better get ready to get knuckled up. As for his match on November 15th at Madion Square Garden against Rocky Maivia, The Rock had better be prepared. He doesn't like The Nation of Domination (Faarooq, D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa, Rocky Maivia) for how they bully people, and he will knuckle The Rock up that he will wish he never heard his name.

At Madison ASquare Garden on November 15th: The Underatker vs. "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. Bret "The Hit Man" Hart in a Fatal 4-Way Match! Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Vader with George "The Animal" Steele in Vader's corner to offset Chyna! Ahmed Johnson vs. Faarooq in a New York City Street Fight! Dude Love vs. Miguel Perez! The Legion of Doom defend the WWF Tag Team Championships!

Raw Deal - Raw recap for September 8, 1997

Vince McMahon interviews WWF Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter in the ring. He admits that last night was complete, uncontrollable chaos, and says there will be law and order in the World Wrestling Federation whether the wrestlers, officials and fans like it or not. He says WWF President appointed him to do a job, and he will do it well. He is tired of what is going on, especially after last night. He says "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's actions were completely out of line, and will not be tolerated. Austin is therefore suspended until he is medically cleared to return to the ring. Also, starting tonight, there will be a tournament for the Intercontinental title, with the finals taking place at Badd Blood on October 5th. He commands Austin to be at Badd Blood to deliver the title present it to the winner of the title. Suddenly, Austin shows up, and says he'll break every law he makes and nobody can stop him, making fun of the "And that's an order" line by saying Slaughter has only been ordering cheeseburgers. As for the Intercontinental title, the only thing he's presenting is a can of whoop-ass right to his front door. He then hits Slaughter with a Stone Cold Stunner, then officials and referees rush into the ring. Vince asks Austin if he's lost his mind, then Vince has to be protected from Austin by officials. Austin then gets in Vince's seat on commentary, then tells him to go to the back because he's doing commentary. He then takes the headset off and celebrates on the commentary table before heading to the back.

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin is seen being tossed out of the arena.

Before the next match, Bret "The Hit Man" Hart trashes the city of Cincinnati, Ohio for naming a street after Pete Rose. He then calls Vader a "big, fat, huge piece of human excrement" and says he will take immense pleasure out of kicking the ass of.

Bret "The Hit Man" Hart vs. Vader in a No Holds Barred Match ends in utter chaos. During the match, The British Bulldog shows up, and gets involved when Vader is about to go for the Vader Bomb. The Patriot shows up and fights both Bret and Bulldog, but is attacked from behind by Owen Hart. Bret gets a steel chair outside of the ring as everyone else fights, and use it against Vader and The Patriot. Bret, Owen and The Bulldog are about to piledrive The Patriot into the chair when "Stone Cold" Steve Austin shows up and goes after Bret, Owen and The Bulldog, chasing them to the back.

WWF Commisioner Sgt. Slaughter is seen in the first aid room.

The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) beat up two random wrestlers, then Henry calls out The Headbangers (Thrasher and Mosh), saying that their win last night was a fluke and that they could never beat them again in a million years. Thrasher and Mosh show up, starting an impromptu match.

The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) beat The Headbangers (Thrasher and Mosh). During the match, a slightly smaller man dressed up like one of The Godwinns shows up through the crowd and breaks a pinfall attempt by Mosh with a horseshoe. After the match, we find out that this man is part of the Godwinn clan and is here to watch their backs. His name is Uncle Cletus Godwinn, who has came all the way from Arkansas to take care of Henry and Phineas, and whatever he tells them is money in the bank.

Sunny is the guest ring announcer for the next match. She also brags about being near the men's locker room and getting all the hot scoops everyone wants to hear. Sunny then dances with Dude Love after introducing him, then leaves. Dude Love says he has trouble getting into the groove as he knows that he's got to step inside the ring and face Brian Pillman. He says he needs a friend, and the friend he brings out is here strictly for moral support and not to get physical and beat Pillman within an inch of his life. Nevertheless, he says that Dude Love will never forget the name of Goldust. When Brian Pillman is introduced by the usual ring announcer, his voice is heard through the arena, saying he's calling from home and saying he's not going out there until the WWF can promise him and Marlena a safe environment as he's exhausted from last night. We do, however, see a video on the TitanTron, which he calls "Part one" of "Brian Pillman's XXX Files." We see Pillman in his hotel room wearing nothing but a towel, saying he's exhausted and that we'll find out later. He then says "she" is a machine , then he takes off the towel to reveal a pair of Calvin Klein underwear, saying nothing comes between him and his Calvin Kleins except Goldust's wife Terri. He then asks Goldust if he knows where his wife is, and says Part 2 is going to be live and in technicolor. Pillman's voice is heard through the arena again, announcing he will play Part 2 later on.

The intro to the show replays to signify the start of War Zone.

Max Mini beats Piratita Morgan.

It is announced that at Badd Blood, The Undertaker will take on "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels in a match known as "Hell In A Cell." It is a specially designed cage with a top on it that extends beyond the ring, and the only way in and out is through a door in the cage.

The Undertaker is interviewed in the ring by Vince McMahon. Last night, he and "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels opened the gates of Hell. He felt his fire, and Shawn was burned by his. He says Shawn looked death in the eye and never blinked, but last night was only the beginning as he will never rest until the flesh is rotting from Shawn's bones. As for their Hell In A Cell Match, he calls the match the beginning of the end, and tells Shawn that there's no way out and no way anyone can get in. Shawn will look in the eyes of the reaper and pay for his crimes, as that is when the music stops and the tolling of the bell begins. Suddenly, Shawn shows up on the TitanTron, telling 'Taker to toll his bells someplace else. He says that 'Taker backed him into a corner last night, but he escaped as he is a survivor. At the Hell In A Cell match, he will survive, and tells 'Taker that if he thinks he's bringing him down, he's going into the coffin with him. 'Taker says the only thing Shawn should worry about is that he will rest in peace after the Hell In A Cell match.

Backstage, Sunny interviews Owen Hart, who is also surrounded by Bret "The Hit Man" Hart and The British Bulldog. Owen says he's not concerned about "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, as he put him out of the WWF and will do it again. He will bring Bret and The Bulldog in case Austin shows up again en route to the WWF Intercontinental Championship, which he insists should have been his from the start.

Owen Hart beats Goldust by disqualification after two low blows in retaliation to one received from Owen. Bret "The Hit Man" Hart and The British Bulldog attack Goldust after the match, but "Stone Cold" Steve Austin shows up through the crowd after the match and attacks Owen, Bret and The Bulldog with a broom before daring Vince McMahon to get in the ring with him. He throws the broom at Vince before leaving. After Austin leaves through the crowd, Pillman taunts Goldust through the arena speakers via telephone, and we see Part 2 of "Brian Pillman's XXX Files," where Terri is in the shower and Pillman says he's going to have a hard time getting to sleep tonight.

The Hart Foundation (Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog) is interviewed. Bret wants to know when the WWF will do something about "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, saying that Sgt. Slaughter should suspend him for life. The British Bulldog says the United Kingdom will respect truth and justice on September 20th. Owen says he won tonight, and that he will take the WWF Intercontinental Championship back.

Savio Vega guests on commentary for the next match.

Before the next match, The British Bulldog is attacked by "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels and Hunter Hearst Helmsley before the next match, and Chyna brings out a steel chair so Shawn and Helmsley can re-injure Bulldog's right knee, which he is wearing a brace over. Referees show up, but Shawn pushes one of them and the attack continues. The British Bulldog is unable to compete after this, and Savio Vega ends up taking his place in the match.

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

Hunter Hearst Helmsley beats Savio Vega and The Patriot after Savio Vega accidentally hits the referee with a spinning heel kick and "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels shoves The Patriot into Vega from the apron. After the match, Los Boricuas and Vader show up, and Chyna arms herself, Helmsley and Shawn with steel chairs. The Hart Foundation (Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog) show up as the show ends.

Friday Night's Main Event - Recap for September 5, 1997

The Patriot beats Owen Hart by disqualification after The British Bulldog interferes. Bret "The Hit Man" Hart arrives after the bell rings, and the three of them attack The Patriot until Vader shows up and fights The Hart Foundation (Bret, Owen, Bulldog) off, and throws Bret into The Patriot and into an Uncle Slam. Referees have to restrain The Patriot as Bret rolls out of the ring.

We see a statement from earlier in the week from WWF Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter. Despite doctor's orders and potential paralysis, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin wants to return to the ring. Therefore, it is in the opinion of the World Wrestling Federation, Austin is not allowed back in the ring until he has successfully completely rehabilitation, as Austin has more guts than he does brains. He also suspends Austin and orders him to give up his half of the WWF Tag Team Championships at Ground Zero. We then see footage of Austin, who tells the camera crew that shows up at his house to head back to Stamford, Connecticut, then changes his mind and decides to have the interview, which will be shown later on.

On the WWF Superstar Line, Brian Pillman's plans for Marlena are exposed on The Ross Report on Option 3.

Sunny shows up before the next match.

We see footage of the interview with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. He shows off the get well message he has gotten from WWF, which contains pictures of Jim Ross, Vince McMahon, Owen Hart, WWF President Gorilla Monsoon and former President Jack Tunney. He asks somebody to put the pictures on the target range as that's where he feels they belong. Austin wants to know why he is suspended when he has done nothing wrong, and says he will wrestle any day of the week and that the office is just trying to save themselves from a lawsuit when the last thing he wants to do is own the WWF. He says Owen Hart will get payback for dropping him on his head. We then see the pictures from earlier on a target deer, which he shoots at with a crossbow while making fun of everyone in them. Austin says he's going to be at Ground Zero, saying he'll give the WWF the tag belts if he wants to, but the Intercontinental Championship is staying with him.

Before the next match, Dude Love says he's feeling mighty down due to the vacancy of the tag team titles. The British Bulldog attacks him before he can say anything else.

Dude Love beats The British Bulldog by disqualification after Owen Hart shows up and attacks Dude Love. Owen grabs the microphone and tells "Stone Cold" Steve Austin he will break Dude Love's neck like he did Austin's. The Legion of Doom (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk) make the save before he can do it. Dude Love invites The Legion of Doom to dance, but they decline.

Sunny interviews Brian Pillman. Pillman says Marlena will have to swallow her pride at first, but he thinks everything will be all right as he won't make Marlena do anything she's hasn't already done with him.

Jim Ross interviews Bret "The Hit Man" Hart in the ring. Bret says the American wrestling fans mistake a short memory for a clear conscience, as he remembers when they turned their backs on him and says that they treat their heroes like crap. Bret says he has proved over and over again that he is the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be, but he still can't get the respect he deserves. He tells the American wrestling fans he hasn't forgotten anything, and he plans to destroy their heroes one by one. He tells The Patriot that victory will be his and that this is the moment he's been waiting for. At Ground Zero, he won't see The Patriot; instead, he will see the American wrestling fans, as he says that The Patriot hides his face because he's a hyena just like the rest of the American fans. He says it's time to stop being nice and to start setting an example, and he wants his fans around the world to look away and not judge him as he beats The Patriot so badly he'll be the only guy in Heaven in a wheelchair and he'll wish he never messed with him or The Hart Foundation (Bret, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog). He plans to end The Patriot's career at Ground Zero.

Sunny interviews "Ravishing" Rick Rude. Rude is here because he loves action...and physical attraction. He doesn't say exactly if he will be at Ground Zero (though he will be at the penthouse suite at the Marriott), and says that he is a businessman who sells insurance policy before telling Sunny she needs some protection of her own.

The Undertaker beats Hunter Hearst Helmsley by disqualification. "Ravishing" Rick Rude shows up during the match, and he distracts The Undertaker so that "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels can attack 'Taker. Chyna grabs a steel chair as Helmsley, Rude and Shawn attack 'Taker as referees try to restore order, but 'Taker comes to and choke slams Gerald Brisco and a member of security while attacking a few referees. Shawn and company retreat while 'Taker leaves through the crowd.

Sunny interviews "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, who says he's going to draw first and last blood at Ground Zero.

The Legion of Doom (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk) beats Los Boricuas (Jesus Castillo and Jose Estrada, Jr.) by disqualificaton after The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) show up and attack Hawk after he goes after them. Savio Vega and Miguel Perez of Los Boricuas also show up, as does The Disciples of Apocalypse (Crush, Skull, 8-Ball, Chainz). Los Boricuas and The Disciples of Apocalypse brawl in the ring - with The Disciples of Apocalypse coming out on top - while The Legion of Doom and The Godwinns take it backstage.

We learn about The Patriot's college football career from when he was better known as Del Wilkes. George Rogers, a 1980 Heisman Trophy winner and teammate of Del Wilkes, says that he was a great player on the field and had the talent to become a wrestler, and that the qualities he had in football also worked for him in wrestling. We also learn that The Patriot got his start in wrestling in Japan, where he was a babyface American hero-type character known as The Patriot who was cheered and appreciated by the fans despite being in Japan. The Patriot says that Bret "The Hit Man" Hart has the right to feel how he feels, and that he can't change that, but he couldn't continue to let him trash America. By doing this, he put a big target on his back. He has a one-win advantage on Bret, and knows he can beat him again.

Ahmed Johnson recently showed up at Camp Cool J. It is announced that Ahmed Johnson will be back in action in three weeks.

"The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock beats Salvatore Sincere with the ankle lock.

Scott Putski beats Steve Casey in a Light Heavyweight Division match.

Sunny interviews Paul Bearer, who says Vader needs to understand where his allegience lies: with him, not America. He then says Kane will come, there won't be a fat lady singing, and instead, there will be a fat man, and that's him.

The Interrogator beats Sonny Rogers and Jerry Fox in a 2-on-1 handicap match.

Ground Zero will be the first In Your House pay-per-view to be three hours long. The first 2500 people who purchase Ground Zero and send in their cable bill as proof of purchase will receive a WWF live event program guide and a pop-up piece with "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels on it. Send your cable bill to: WWF Ground Zero, P.O. Box 3857, Stamford, CT 06902.

The show ends with footage of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin firing a shotgun at the target deer with the "Get Well Soon" pictures still tacked to it.

Raw Deal - Raw recap for August 18, 1997

Vince McMahon interviews "Ravishing" Rick Rude. He tells all the "fat, out-of-shape Atlantic City sweathogs" to zip their lips, open their eyes and pay attention to what a real man has to say. He fancies himself an "insurance salesman," whether it be short-term, long-term, life, disability or accidental. "You supply the buck, and I'll supply the bang," he says. When asked who is paying the premium, he says that doesn't matter and says he was paid to get the job done, then says one can never have enough insurance and that Vince could be in need of some more himself. After a play on the Allstate motto - "Like a good neighbor, Rick Rude's always there" - he says that if you're smart, "you'll own a piece of the Rude" and to "Get Rude. It pays." (The two quotes are a play on mottoes from Prudential and Metlife, two more insurance companies.) He tells Vince that to get the premium, you've got to pay the premium, and once it's paid in full, someone's in for a Rude Awakening.

Owen Hart and The British Bulldog tell The Legion of Doom (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk) that tonight will be a preview of In Your House: Ground Zero, and that when they meet in the Fatal Four-Way that night, it will indeed be fatal.

Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter is seen having a heated discussion with "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels backstage.

Owen Hart and The British Bulldog beat The Legion of Doom (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk) when The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) attack The Legion of Doom behind the referee's back. All three teams continue to fight each other while referees and officials try to restore order.

Mankind says his mind has not forgiven and his body has not forgotten. Now, he has to team with The Undertaker, and he will either be the best tag team partner 'Taker has ever had, or the final nail in his coffin, and they will find out together.

"The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels says Vince McMahon and the WWF is still giving him the shaft over SummerSlam, and he is being painted into a corner. He doesn't want to be with The Undertaker until Ground Zero, and doesn't want to tag with Hunter Hearst Helmsley. He accuses Vince McMahon of throwing him to the lions, and says that when he is painted into a corner, someone will get what's coming to them.

Sunny is the guest ring announcer for the next match.

Flash Funk beats "Too Sexy" Brian Christopher in a Light Heavyweight Division match after Jerry "The King" Lawler distracts Christopher by telling him to put Flash Funk in a piledriver, allowing Flash Funk to bounce off the ropes and cause Christopher to land on the top rope by his crotch. Christopher and Lawler argue after the match.

The Undertaker says that patience is a virtue, but when it comes to "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, his has run out. Shawn won't make it to Ground Zero, as he will settle the score tonight. As for Mankind, he never forgives or forgets, and if he gets out of line, he'll take him out just like he will Shawn.

Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter is seen talking to Chyna and Hunter Hearst Helmsley backstage, as it is rumored that Chyna and Helmsley are trying to get out of the tag team main event as well.

"The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock beats The Sultan with the ankle lock after hitting a Belly-to-Belly Suplex on The Iron Sheik and also taking an Iranian flag to the back.

The Nation of Domination (Faarooq, D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa, Rocky Maivia) show up, and request an impromptu interviews with Jim Ross in the ring as the crowd chants "Rocky sucks!" Faarooq tells the fans that Ahmed Johnson is a white man dying to get out of a black man's body who wants to be pretty like "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, and that he couldn't be white even if he was sandblasted twenty times. He also warns everyone to stand on their own two feet, as anything worth getting is worth fighting for and if you're weak like Ahmed, you don't have a place in The Nation. Faarooq goes on to say that he made Savio Vega and Crush, and if they want a street fight with him, they're in for a surprise as he is the streets, and he will grant them their wish and destroy them at Ground Zero. Faarooq then introduces Rocky Maivia, and says the fans soured on him. Rocky then mentions the "Die Rocky Die" chants, saying that this is about respect. He became the youngest Intercontinental Champion in WWF history, and all he got was "Rocky sucks" chants. He says he is a lot of things, but "sucks" isn't one of them. He calls The Disciples of Apocalypse "a racist faction," then says he and The Nation lives, breathes and dies respect, and that they will earn it by any means necessary. As The Nation raises their fists, we see Crush on the TitanTron, who calls them "A nation of constipation," and says the D.O.A. is here to kick ass and take names. He dares them to meet them in the parking lot and meet them face-to-face and fist-to-fist with no WWF Commissioner around if they've got the guts. The Nation run out of the ring and head to the back.

We see footage of Goldust and Marlena earlier today with daughter Dakota at the beach in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley says he's not afraid of The Undertaker or Mankind, and says that when "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels" does the crime, he has to do the time. He then says if Vince McMahon wants a war with him, he's got one.

The Nation of Domination (Faarooq, D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa, Rocky Maivia) and The Disciples of Apocalypse (Crush, Skull, 8-Ball, Chainz) brawl in the parking lot only for Los Boricuas (Savio Vega, Miguel Perez, Jesus Castillo, Jose Castrada Jr.) to steal the D.O.A.'s motorcyles. The D.O.A. immediately give chase after this.

"Double J" Jesse James beats Brian Pillman by disqualification after Goldust and Marlena shows up and Goldust drops an elbow on Jesse James. After the match, Michael Cole shows up and Goldust tells him he wanted to see him one more week in a dress. Brian Pillman grabs a microphone, and decides to call Goldust's bluff by asking him if he wants to see him gone for good. He then challenges him to a match, and if Goldust wins, he will leave the World Wrestling Federation forever. However, if Pillman wins, then Marlena is his personal assistant for 30 days, 24 hours a day. Goldust thinks Pillman is an idiot, but Pillman says Goldust isn't talking tough anymore now that he's thrown in the second stipulation. Goldust rejects the challenge, but then Pillman says that a piece of him is always around Marlena reveals that Goldust and Marlena's daughter Dakota isn't Goldust's daughter and is actually his love child. Goldust goes after Pillman, and Marlena accepts the challenge on Goldust's behalf much to the disappointment of Goldust, who tells Marlena that wrestling Pillman isn't worth it.

Vader says The Patriot's colors are red, white and blue, but they will change to black and blue because it's Vader Time.

The intro to the show replays to signal the start of War Zone.

Bret "The Hit Man" Hart shows up with the Canadian flag as soon as the next match begins, and watches the match from the stage.

The Patriot beats Vader, then Bret "The Hit Man" Hart makes his way down to the ring. As The Patriot is focused on Bret, Vader knocks him off the apron and send shim back into the ring. As referees try to restore order, Bret wraps the Canadian flag over The Patriot, stopping Vader from hitting The Patriot with the Vader Bomb and angerying him to the point that Vader breaks the Canadian flag's pole over his knee. Owen Hart and The British Bulldog rush in and attack Vader, then The Patriot gets back up, fights Owen and Bulldog, and is kept away from Bret as Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter forces a smiling Bret to the back.

We see an interview from earlier today between Jim Ross and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Austin makes fun of the fruit basket that the WWF gave him after he broke his neck. Austin says he's Intercontinental Champion now, and says he couldn't move his arms or legs for almost a minute and was afraid he wouldn't move again, but he's over it. He says Owen Hart has hell to pay when he comes back, and he's really pissed off. He says the doctors have told him he should do something else, but he's not listening to them and he's going to continue wrestling regardless of what they say. He says he's rode around in his four-wheeler while drinking a few beers while thinking about it, and while he plans to take a few days or a few weeks off, he intends to put the black trunks on and get back in the ring as it has taken him eight years to get to the WWF and a piledriver won't stop him from coming to Ground Zero and whipping somebody's ass as he is on a whole new level.

The Undertaker and Mankind beat "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels and Hunter Hearst Helmsley after Shawn hits 'Taker with a steel chair. During the match, Shawn calls "Ravishing" Rick Rude out to the ring, and he almost attacks 'Taker with a steel chair when 'Taker truns around and stop him. After the match, Shawn busts 'Taker open with a steel chair shot to the head as 'Taker confronts Rick Rude, but he gets back up despite being busted open. Shawn does it again, but 'Taker gets right back up again, and Shawn and Helmsley run.

Raw Deal - Raw recap for August 11, 1997

"The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels shows up to start tonight's show. It is announced that Shawn will take on Mankind tonight, and Shawn gets everyone up to speed on what's been happening. Shawn says he had a job to do at SummerSlam, and he did it. If WWF doesn't want to step up and take responsibility for what happened and wants to throw it in his lap instead, he's not worried as he's had plenty in his lap before. He says either you're with him or against him. As for Mankind, he had to find out while he was sitting at home watching Superstars because Vince McMahon didn't tell him over the phone. The crowd chants "Shawn is gay," and Shawn responds by asking "Why don't you ask your sister and your mama how gay Shawn is?" He then tells Mankind he'll see him in a few, then invites The Undertaker to watch him smack Mankind around, and if he can beat Mankind, he can beat him. He then says WWF officials have put him on his private hit list, and have the new Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter calling the shot. He tells Slaughter that if he can stick his chin in his business, he's got another thing coming as nobody steals the spotlight and he wants it all. The crowd then chants that Shawn is gay again. Slaughter shows up and tells Shawn that he's listened to what he has to say, and says he's right about him not wanting his chin in his business, but he's going to put it there anyway. He says he's been in the spotlight so many times Shawn couldn't count them all, then tells Shawn that if he thinks he's here to play games, he's wrong. Anything he says, does or decides is for the betterment of the World Wrestling Federation, not Shawn Michaels. As far as Shawn's match with Mankind is concerned, it's time for Shawn to put up or shut up. Shawn tells him that his life is in danger in the WWF, and that he's got a big insurance policy.

We hear from fans who they think will win between "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels and Mankind.

Road Warrior Hawk gets ready for his Country Whippin' Match against Henry O. Godwinn backstage.

Owen Hart and The British Bulldog guest on commentary for the next match.

Before the next match, Henry O. Godwinn explains the Country Whippin' Match: two men have a leather strap and both men whip each other until one man can take no more. Henry O. says that this is the way matters are settled back home and that he will whip the hide off of Road Warrior Hawk's back.

On the newest issue of WWF Magazine, there is an article about what is going on behind the scenes between The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) and their former manager Hillbilly Jim.

Road Warrior Hawk beats Henry O. Godwinn in a Country Whippin' Match after Phineas I. Godwinn and Road Warrior Animal get involved and Animal sends both Godwinns out of the ring with the Godwinns' slop bucket. During the match, Owen Hart and The British Bulldog argue over which of them will challenge The Patriot to a match.

Inside specially marked packages of Stridex are three limited edition WWF trading cards! There are six in all: "The Heartbreak Kid' Shawn Michaels, Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, Sycho Sid, Ahmed Johnson, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Undertaker.

Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter tells Brian Pillman to wear a dress once again.

Goldust and Marlena guest on commentary for the next match.

Scott Putski beats Tony Williams in a Light Heavyweight Division match. During the match, we see security footage of Brian Pillman's locker room, courtesy of a "golden handicam" placed there courtesy of Goldust and Marlena, where we see Pillman angrily change into the dress only to fail miserably and throw things around in the locker room. After the match, Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter tells Goldust and Marlena to leave, which they do.

The Undertaker tells "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels he will watch his match against Mankind, then tells him that no insurance policy will be necessary at Ground Zero except burial insurance.

Goldust talks about his life and his relationship with his father Dusty Rhodes in the newest issue of Raw Magazine, on newsstands tomorrow.

Flash Funk beats Brian Pillman with an inside cradle when Goldust and Marlena show up and distract Pillman with the "golden handicam" footage of Pillman changing into the dress. During the match, it is announced that Extreme Championship Wrestling's Hardcore Heaven event will air on pay-per-view Sunday night. Also, Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter announces that both Owen Hart and The British Bulldog will both take on The Patriot and a partner of The Patriot's choosing later tonight on War Zone, and that The Patriot's partner will not be announced until the match starts.

We see footage of fans chanting for Dude Love from earlier today.

Vince McMahon interviews Dude Love. We see two of Dude Love's groupies in the front row. Dude Love feels that "Stone Cold" Steve Austin will be coming back soon. As for the Fatal Four-Way for the tag titles, he hopes that their opponents - The Legion of Doom (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk), The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) and the team of Owen Hart and The British Bulldog - have more than one life, if you know what he means. As for who might win between Mankind and "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, he knows both men and if he had to take a guess, he would say Mankind would rock and roll all over Shawn with the Mandible Claw. Shawn appears on the TitanTron, wishing someone would knock Dude Love out so hard he wakes up in the 21st century, and tells him he's not The Heartbreak Kid or himself, for that matter. He says Mankind will see his new insurance policy live and in living color, and he's sticking his foot down Mankind's throat with some Sweet Chin Music. Dude Love quotes John Lennon "I am we, and you are we, and we are all together," and that Mankind will tear Shawn up. Dude Love then parties in the ring with the two groupies.

We hear some more fan predictions on the match between "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels and Mankind.

The Patriot talks to his mystery partner backstage, saying that it's time to take care of business tonight.

The intro to the show replays to signal the start of War Zone.

Before the next match, Owen Hart dedicates the next match to Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, who is watching from backstage.

The Patriot's partner is revealed to be "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock.

The Patriot and "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock beat Owen Hart and The British Bulldog. During the match, Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, who is initially seen watching the match from backstage, shows up to watch the match from the stage. When Bret tries to walk down the entrance ramp, Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter shows up and stops Bret, distracting Shamrock and the referee and allowing Owen Hart to place a steel chair in the ring. This, however, backfires when Shamrock catches Owen sneaking up on him and The Patrio slams The British Bulldog into the steel chair.

On the WWF Superstar Line, option 3 has news on why Ahmed Johnson was booted from The Nation of Domination as well as the future of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

We see footage of Bret "The Hit Man" Hart saying that he is proud to be Canadian right now and that Americans are going to have a harder time accepting that the WWF Champion is not American. We then see footage from Toronto Peason International Airport from last Tuesday where the Canadian fans show their support for Bret as 15,000 fans showed up to see Bret come back from SummerSlam. Bret says that he will carry the WWF Championship with honor for his fans all over the rest of the world.

"The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels is caught backstage talking to someone in a suit who might be his "insurance policy."

The Patriot is here to prove his success in the WWF is no fluke, and says Bret "The Hit Man" Hart is not untouchable. He is suddenly attacked with a steel chair by Bret, and referees have to get Bret away from The Patriot.

Faarooq beats Chainz after referee Jack Doan is accidentally knocked down. Suddenly, Rocky Maivia shows up, checks on the referee and suddenly attacks Chainz. Before the match, it is announced that the rest of The Nation of Domination and The Disciples of Apocalypse have all been banned from ringside for the match. During the match, it is announced that Ahmed Johnson has re-injured his knee. After the match, Rocky Maivia reveals that he has joined The Nation of Domination when he raises his fist along with Faarooq.

Rocky Maivia is seen with The Nation of Domination (Faarooq, D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa) backstage, and the cameraman is kicked out of The Nation of Domination's locker room. Suddenly, The Disciples of Apocalypse (Crush, Skull, 8-Ball, Chainz) try to break into the room.

Sable shows up to be the guest ring announcer for the next match, but that match doesn't happen as The Patriot shows up, grabs the microphone and says he can take any man, one-on-one, face to face, and won't back down from anybody. He tells Bret "The Hit Man" Hart that if he wants to prove he's the man and champ he says he is, then they don't have to wait until September, and that they can do it right now. Bret shows up, Canadian flag in hand, and both Bret and The Patriot brawl. The rest of The Hart Foundation (Owen Hart, The British Bulldog, Brian Pillman) show up and gang up on The Patriot, and referees get into the ring before Bret can lock the Sharpshooter onto The Patriot. As The Foundation covers The Patriot with the Canadian flag, Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter shows up to try to restore order.

Mankind tells "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels that he hopes the insurance policy he talks about is life insurance, because when he thinks about him he gets a lump in his throat from emotion. He then says Shawn will have a lump in his throat, too, but instead of emotion, it will be his liver.

We see another vignette for Brakus.

Mankind shows up before the next match with a trash can and tosses it into the ring. It ends up being used as a weapon quickly by "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, which referee Earl Hebner somehow allows. Mankind - now with the garbage bag over his head and shoulders like a poncho - gets the Mandible Claw on Shawn, but Shawn hits him with a low blow.

"The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels. During the match, Hunter Hearst Helmsley - now in a white T-shirt and black pants - and Chyna are seen walking down the entrance ramp. We later see the man in the suit from earlier, who is now walking down the ramp: "Ravishing" Rick Rude, straight out of Extreme Championship Wrestling. As Chyna distracts the referee, Rick Rude hits Mankind in the head with a steel chair and Shawn hits the Sweet Chin Music for the win. After the match, The Undertaker makes his presence known as Chyna, Rick Rude and Hunter Hearst Helmsley all get on the apron. Paul Bearer is seen on the TitanTron, telling him that his brother Kane is coming and that he will burn in Hell. The last thing we see before the show ends is fire.

Raw Deal - Raw recap for August 4, 1997

The Hart Foundation (Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog, Brian Pillman) show up to start tonight's show and be interviewed in the ring by Jim Ross. Bret "The Hit Man" Hart says he came to SummerSlam and proved that he is the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be against all odds against The Undertaker and "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels. He says he stuck to his word, but as he sees it, WWF is not sticking to theirs as they have not punished Shawn for supposedly showing favoritism. Bret insists that Shawn favored The Undertaker from start to finish, and the only reason he's WWF Champion is because he's a lot smarter than the both of them. He wants to know what the WWWF is going to do, and wants Shawn out of American wrestling and the WWF, whom he says owes him their word. He calls The Patriot's win last week a fluke due to Shawn's outside interference, and tells The Patriot that he is "a missile with nothing in it" and that he means nothing to him. He then commends The British Bulldog for going into battle with "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock, whom he says made a fool of himself and will never get another shot at the European title. As for Brian Pillman, he says the Foundation doesn't wear dresses, as there is a new sheriff is town and Pillman has too much class to lower himself into wearing one. He then calls Owen losing the Intercontinental title "yet another example of American justice," and Owen says he is angry with himself for showing compassion to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and says that he beat himself. He then gloats about hitting Austin with the piledriver that injured Austin's neck, saying he turned Austin into "a crippled freak" and that Austin's career is over and that the only reason Austin won is because he beat himself by showing compassion. He demands Austin return the Intercontinental title to him, or come to the ring and let him beat him up for the belt. We are then introduced to the new Commissioner of the World Wrestling Federation: Sgt. Slaughter. Slaughter shows up and says he is the new sheriff in town, not Bret, and that he makes the rules of the WWF, not him. He immediately makes his first decision as Commissioner: Bret will defend the WWF Championship at In Your House: Ground Zero against The Patrior. When Bret asks who The Patriot beat to get a title shot, Slaughter immediately points at Bret and says "You." Slaughter then tells The British Bulldog he will have another match with Shamrock soon. He also forces Brian Pillman to live up to his agreement and wear a dress tonight or else he will be suspended. He then gives Owen Hart a rematch for the Intercontinental Championship against "Stone Cold" Steve Austin as soon as he is cleared and when Stone Cold says so. Suddenly, Steve Austin shows up, a neck brace in his hand instead of around his neck, and says so. He doesn't care if any doctors have to medically clear him, and he confronts Owen for dropping him on his head, saying Owen was too stupid to cover him when he had the chance. He calls Owen a loser, not because he says so, but because it runs through his veins. He plans to open up a can of whoop-ass and show him what Austin 3:16 means.

We see fan comments from after last night's WWF Championship match.

We see The Nation of Domination (Faarooq, D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa, Ahmed Johnson) backstage, as it is announced that Faarooq will take on Savio Vega and Crush in a Triple Threat Match at In Your House: Ground Zero. Faarooq says The Nation of Domination showed up at SummerSlam to prove they mean business and that they are here to stay. He says that Savio Vega and Crush are crazy to take him on in a street fight as he is a product of the streets, and at Ground Zero, they will both accept their ass-whipping like men. He also promises that Kama Mustafa will take care of "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock and that Ahmed Johnson will take care of Chainz from The Disciples of Apocalypse tonight.

Before the next match, Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter shows up and ejects D'Lo Brown, Faarooq and Ahmed Johnson of The Nation of Domination from ringside to ensure the match is fair.

"The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock beats Kama Mustafa after Miguel Perez and Jesus Castillo of Los Boricuas show up from out of the crowd and attack Mustafa as the ref is dealing with Shamrock.

We see another vignette from Brakkus.

Sunny shows up to be the guest ring announcer for the next match.

Taka Michinoku gets a surprise win on "Too Sexy" Brian Christopher in a Light Heavyweight Division match with a sudden roll-up, handing Christopher his first ever loss in the World Wrestling Federation. Christopher attacks Michinoku after the match as Jerry "The King" Lawler confronts the referee.

Commissioner Sgt. Slaugher shows up at Brian Pillman's locker room and hands him the dress. Pillman refuses, and Sgt. Slaughter ups the ante by telling him that he's wearing the dress every week on Raw until he beats somebody.

Before the next match, Paul Bearer admits he's forgotten more about the business than Chyna will ever know when it is mentioned that Chyna will be the difference maker in the next match, and tells Chyna that he's more of a man than she'll ever be.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Vader wrestle to a double count-out. During the match, Chyna dropkicks Paul Bearer, and after the match, Vader throws the steel steps down in frustration.

Before the next match, The Patriot says he's heard Bret "The Hit Man" Hart bad-mouth America, and while he admits that there are things wrong with this country that need to be corrected, he has decided to stand up and take a stand. He calls Hart being America running down America's people the biggest problem of all, and tells Hart to love America or leave it, and if he doesn't want to go back to Canada, he'll take him back there himself. He tells Hart he had the same opportunity as him last week, and at Ground Zero, he'll prove it's not a fluke. He hopes Hart is watching, as Hart will get a taste of what he will do to him then. The Patriot then shows up for his match, and he and his opponent, The Sultan, wave their respective flags; The Patriot with the American flag and The Sultan with the Iranian flag. As soon as The Patriot turns his back, The Sultan attacks The Patriot from behind.

The Patriot beats The Sultan. After the match, The Hart Foundation (Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog) show up, but Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter shows up and forces Owen and The Bulldog to turn back, unbeknownst to Bret. When Bret looks around for Owen and The Bulldog only to see they are nowhere to be found, The Patriot starts a fistfight that referees and officials have to break up.

The introduction to the show replays to signal the start of War Zone.

Vince McMahon interviews "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels in the ring. He tells Vince that it's just like him, Bret "The Hit Man" Hart and the WWF fans to drop what happened last night is lap and not take accountability for themselves and pass the buck because he doesn't give a damn what anybody thinks about him. Shawn says he went out there last night and did the best that he could and called it down the middle. Vince then asks if Shawn is in cahoots with Bret, which Shawn vehemently denies, saying he knew that Vince was a nimrod, but now knows that Vince is "the dumbest son-of-a-bitch I have ever seen in my life." Vince takes offense to that, and Shawn says he's shuttering in his loafers. Vince then tells Shawn he'll be shuttering in his loafers at Ground Zero when he faces The Undertaker, then hands Shawn the microphone and heads back to the commentary. Shawn tells Vince to "get his ass outta here," then tells the fans what the story is: he is not in cahoots with Bret Hart, and that Bret Hart doesn't like or respect him, but he does need him as he is the only man in the WWF that has beat his ass. He then tells The Undertaker that the two of them have never crossed paths until now. As the crowd chants "Shawn sucks," he tells The Undertaker that he lays down for no one - not The Undertaker, Bret or the fans - then tells the fans to go to hell and tells the Undertaker that the next time he sees him, his superkick is going to be one foot going down his throat. The Undertaker then makes his presence known, and when the lights come back on, Shawn is nowhere to be seen. He says he's not here to tell everyone how bad or mad he is, as he's done way too much talking and that it's time to go back to what he does best: digging holes and making people rest in peace. He tells Shawn he will have to look him in the eyes and pay for his crimes, and that he will rest in peace. As 'Taker is about to leave, Paul Bearer shows up on the TitanTron and calls 'Taker a murderer again before saying he was with Kane last night, announcing that Kane is coming to confront him. As 'Taker leaves, the lights turn red instead of the usual blue.

It is announced in a meeting betwen Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter and a medical doctor that "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is suffering from spinal shock syndrome, which affects his neck, lower brain aspects, upper back muscles and arms. It is strongly recommended that he should not be wrestling, and that he not be competing tonight.

Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter shows up before the next match and ejects the rest of The Nation of Domination and the rest of The Disciples of Apocalypse from ringside.

Ahmed Johnson beasts Chainz when Savio Vega and Jose Estrada, Jr. show up and Savio tries to run away with Chainz' bike, distracting Chainz. After the match, the rest of The Disciples of Apocalypse show up and chase Savio and Jose away, then the rest of The Nation of Domination shows up. As The Nation of Domination raise their fists in the center of the ring, Faarooq suddenly attacks Ahmed and D'Lo Brown and Kama Mustafa follow suit. The Disciples of Apocalypse leap off the apron and head back to the back as The Nation attacks one of their own, much to the shock of commentary. Referees check on Ahmed after The Nation leaves.

The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) beat The Headbangers (Thrasher and Mosh) after Thrasher distracts the referee and Henry O. Godwinn reverses a roll-up from Mosh into a roll-up from Phineas I. Godwinn with a Slop Drop.

Goldust and Marlena, who are not scheduled to be here, make an appearance. After the commercial break, Michael Cole interviews them from ringside where thy are separated from the rest of the fans by arena security. Marlena and Goldust make it clear that they want to see Pillman in a dress, with Marlena joking that Pillman hasn't done well at being a gentleman and that she wants to see how he does as a lady. When Brian Pillman shows up for his match, he has to be forced off the stage by Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter as he is indeed wearing a dress.

Bob "Spark Plug" Holly beats Brian Pillman by count-out when Pillman is distracted by Goldust and Marlena, who wave around a bra to get a rise out of him.

Bret "The Hit Man" Hart forcefully guests on commentary for the next match. Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter comes to the commentary table and tells Bret to watch it.

It is made official that Dude Love will be taking "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's place in the match against Owen Hart tonight.

Dude Love beats Owen Hart. During the match, The British Bulldog shows up, and as Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter keeps him from coming from ringside, Bret "The Hit Man" Hart attacks Dude Love outside of the ring, allowing Owen Hart to lock in the Sharpshooter. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin then shows up to confront Bret Hart, and as officials and Slaughter try to keep Austin away from Bret, Owen is distracted by what is going on at ringside, allowing Dude Love to win with a schoolboy pin after Austin hits Owen with one of his Slammy Awards. Dude Love then celebrates in the ring with two ladies who were seen at ringside before the match.

Raw Deal - Raw recap for July 28, 1997

The Hart Foundation (Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog, Brian Pillman) are interviewed in the ring by Jim Ross. Regarding the potential disciplinary action upon Bret "The Hit Man" Hart for his actions towards Vince McMahon last week, Bret will still get his WWF Championship match against The Undertaker at SummerSlam. However, WWF President Gorilla Monsoon is looking for someone to hire as "WWF Commissioner," and when that happens, the situation will be re-evaluated. When asked what he would like to say to the American fans, Bret says that his talk with Mark Messier opened up his eyes, and says that there is no such thing as justice in America, with the O.J. Simpson trial being an example. He says Americans will do anything to screw you, and when he said that if he wouldn't wrestle on American soil if he didn't win the WWF Championship at SummerSlam, he didn't mean it in a literal sense, he meant it as a figure of speech, and that American will do anything to paint someone in a corner or stack the deck against them. Bret says that in Canada, people stick to their word, and his word is as good as the title that The Undertaker wears around his waist. He says fear and hope are the same underneath, but he hasn't lost hope. He says that even if "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels doesn't call it down the middle, he's still screwed, while Shawn spends the next 10 years at home, looking for his smile. Next week, he will be a five-time WWF Champion. He then tells Shawn to apologize to the Canadian fans for what he said about them last week for his own health and welfare, then says that America is one big toilet bowl, and if you wanted to give it an enema, you'd stick it in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania because it's the pits. He then focuses on The Patriot, saying he has aligned himself with the wrong people and is setting the wrong example, saying his siding with Shawn and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is like Bill Clinton wilking out with The Unabomber and Richard Simmons. He plans to set one more example by adding The Patriot to the list of Americans he will flush down the toilet, and he will flush him down the toilet tonight. He then says The Undertaker will be next, and that he will bring the WWF Championship back to Canada where it belongs.

We see and hear pre-recorded fan predictions from earlier today concerning who will win between The Undertaker and Bret "The Hit Man" Hart at SummerSlam. The American fans shown, not surprisingly, predominantly side with The Undertaker.

The Legion of Doom (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk) beat Los Boricuas (Savio Vega and Miguel Perez) by disqualification when all four members of Los Boricuas get involved. The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) show up, attack Hawk outside of the ring, and pour the bucket of slop on him as he is down while officials try to restore order.

Raw airs next week at a new time: 8:57 PM Eastern, 7:57 PM Central!

Hunter Hearst Helmsley tells Mankind that he's the one who gets the job done while Chyna leaves the calling card, and if he wants him in a steel cage, he'll see just how much of an animal he can be. As for Vader, it's Jenny Craig time for him.

Before the next match can begin, Mankind - dressed as a cameraman - grabs a camera from another cameraman and attacks Hunter Hearst Helmsley with it. When Chyna turns around, she tries to get involved, but Mankind outsmarts the both of them. Officials try to restore order as the brawl spills into the crowd.

The Commandant of The Truth Commission says we will have the privilege of seeing The Commission tonight, and that the truth will hurt.

IBF World Heavyweight Champion Michael Moorer is seen in the front row.

We see another vignette for Brakkus.

WWF President Gorilla Monsoon guests on commentary for the next match, saying that he is hiring a commissioner to rein in some of the more out-of-control Superstars in the WWF. (In reality, the position was introduced as Gorilla Monsoon's health was declining, which led to him no longer making television appearances.) He announces that the executive committee has already been set, and that there is a short list of names considered for the position. A final decision for the position will be made and announced next week.

The Truth Commission (Recon, Sniper, The Interrogator) beat Bob "Spark Plug" Holly, Flash Funk and "Double J" Jesse James.

Ryan Chadick of Liverpool, New York gets his chance at one million dollars and a trip to SummerSlam.

The Patriot says he would never turn down a challenge to defend his country, which he calls every American's duty, and he doesn't like Bret Hart or the things he's said about America. He says doing his duty would be a pleasure, and he accepts his challenge whenever he's ready.

Crush vs. Faarooq ends when The Nation of Domination and The Disciples of Apocalypse fight each other in the ring. Los Boricuas also show up and powerbomb Crush on the entrance ramp before stomping him. Officials force them to the back before heading to the ring to deal with the DOA and the Nation.

We see more pre-recorded comments from fans over who will win between The Undertaker and Bret "The Hit Man" Hart at SummerSlam.

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

Owen Hart and The British Bulldog guest on commentary for the next match.

The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) beat "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Dude Love by count-out after Owen Hart attacks Austin from behind with the Intercontinental Championship. During the match, The British Bulldog challenges "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock to an arm wrestling match immediately after this one. After the match, Austin attacks Owen, then The Godwinns and Dude Love get involve. The Legion of Doom (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk) run in to make the save, then Austin grabs a commentary headset and tells Owen he's going to whip his ass.

"The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock shows up with a small wooden table before the next match.

Devon Storm quickly beats his tag team partner in The Extreme, Ace Darling, in a Light Heavyweight Division match.

Sunny is standing by the coffin filled with one million dollars when Patrick Stevenson of Lafayette, Indiana gets a chance to head to SummerSlam and win a million dollars.

The arm wrestling contest between The British Bulldog and "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock ends when Bulldog headbutts Shamrock just when he is about to lose. He then hits Shamrock repeatedly with a steel chair before opening up a can of dog food from inside of his jacket and shoving it at his mouth. Before the contest, it is announced that One Night Only will be in Birmingham in the United Kingdom on September 20th, and that The British Bulldog will be there.

A mannequin in a gold dress is seen outside of the ring. Goldust grabs a microphone and tells Brian Pillman that he knows he's watching, and that Pillman will be wearing the dress when he beats him at SummerSlam. Marlena then takes the microphone and says that she's had a talk with some single girlfriends as well as her hairdresser and his friends, and that if he were in one of her dresses, he might be "ripe for the pickin'."

Goldust beats Rockabilly by disqualification after Rockabilly gets knocked out by Michael Moorer for slapping him and Brian Pillman attacks Goldust before attacking him with the mannequin and shoving the dress in his mouth. Marlena jumps on top of Pillman and tries to choke him out, and officials have to pull her off of Pillman. Pillman rolls out of the ring and Marlena checks on Goldust.

Vince McMahon interviews "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, who doesn't apologize to anybody for anything. He admits to not being a brain surgeon, but he's a lot safer in the ring than he is backstage. He's not the most popular guy in the WWF, but he's not looking to win any popularity contests. He offers to take Vince McMahon's spot on commentary for the next match.

Bret "The Hit Man" Hart is seen kicking boxes and tossing chairs backstage.

We see even more fan comments concerning Bret "The Hit Man" Hart from earlier today.

Before the next match, Bret "The Hit Man" Hart demands that the Canadian national anthem, O Canada, be played, which it is. Afterwards, The Patriot tells Hart he's had his time, and the American national anthem is played. Hart attacks The Patriot before the anthem is over, however.

The Patriot beats Bret "The Hit Man" Hart after the referee is knocked down and "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels pulls Bret's leg out of a pinfall attempt. Bret kicks the referee for the match out of the ring afterwards, and officials and referees have to keep Bret from not only following The Patriot to the back, but also going after Shawn on commentary. The Undertaker shows up just as time runs out.

Raw Deal - Raw recap for July 21, 1997

It is revealed that last week, Bret "The Hit Man" Hart challenged three American wrestlers to a six-man Flag Match against him, Owen Hart and The British Bulldog.

Vader beats "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock by count-out after The British Bulldog hits Shamrock with a running power slam into the entrance ramp while the referee is dealing with Vader.

We hear from some Canadian fans concerning tonight's main event flag match.

We see a vignette for incoming German sensation, Brakkus (who wouldn't show up in the WWF until the following year and only for a few matches).

Vince McMahon interviews The Hart Foundation (Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog) in the ring to the joy of the Halifax, Nova Scotia crowd. Bret says that it is nice to be home, and that last week, he had a nightmare that he was in San Antonio, Texas where fans spit on him and threw trash at him for telling the truth. He says that the United States of America is shaped like one big toilet bowl because most Americans are just plain full of crap. He says there are all these American wrestlers in the dressing room - as the crowd chants "U.S. sucks" - that are hiding as he made a challenge last week and not one American wrestler stepped up, proving that they're all full of crap. He tells The Undertaker that they don't have to wait until SummerSlam when they can go at it right now. The British Bulldog says all the great Canadian fans just saw him power slam "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock right through the mat, and there's plenty more where that came from, and and tells Shamrock they can go at it tonight, too. Owen Hart says he would have "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in the ring right now as well if Austin was any kind of man, and though he may not kiss his ass, he can definitely suck his toes. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin shows up and calls Canada "a living hell," and that the truth is he'll shove all their toes straight up their asses. He accepts the flag match challenge and leaves.

It is announced that an eight-man tag team match between Los Boricuas and The Disciples of Apocalypse will take place at SummerSlam, and that all members of both teams have been suspended for one week due to their actions from last week.

"Too Sexy" Brian Christopher beats Bryan Walsh (who is booed for being announced as originally from Canada but now from Pawtucket, Rhode Island before the match) in a Light Heavyweight Division match.

The Truth Commmission makes it debut next week on Raw, and they hope to decimate America's Superstars before America's very eyes.

We look back to the very first In Your House, where WWF gave away a house before moving forward to Your SummerSlam Million Dollar Chance. As Sable and "Wildman" Marc Mero show off the casket with a million dollars inside, it is announced that the fourth clue will be announced later tonight.

We look back at Jim Ross' interview with Mick Foley (Mankind's real name) as Mankind, where Mankind talks about "Dude Love," which was shoved to the side where it would rest in the recesses of Foley's mind due to how Mankind's career went from the beginning until now. We then see a recap of the events leading up to last week, when Dude Love finally showed his face and got the adulation and respect he always dreamed of.

In pre-recorded comments from earlier today, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin says he couldn't believe what he saw last week, and can't tell if Mick Foley is crazy or brave. He does know Foley has what it takes to get the job done, even though he still doesn't want a tag team partner.

In pre-recorded comments from after last week's show, Road Warrior Animal calls The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) a bunch of crybabies, and that he and Road Warrior Hawk - The Legion of Doom - will get them at SummerSlam. Hawk says he's been dropped and had people on their backs, but they're still here like the things that wouldn't leave. They broke Henry's neck on accident the first time, but the second time they'll do it on purpose.

The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) beat The Headbangers (Thrasher and Mosh) and The New Blackjacks (Blackjack Windham and Blackjack Bradshaw) in a triple threat tag team match to become #1 contenders for the WWF Tag Team Championships.

Tonight on the WWF Superstar Line: Has Sycho Sid wrestled his last match?

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

Jim Ross interviews "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, who comes out in brown loafers and navy blue shorts is booed by the Halifax, Nova Scotia crowd much like he was booed two weeks ago in Calgary, Alberta. After he salutes the American flag, he addresses how unappreciative the Canadians are to the American people, saying America freed Canada's ferries, heterosexuals, and tranvestites as they're good with everything. Even though the crowd does not appreciate them, he has deep memories of Canada as he got surrendering Canadian army men one morning for Christmas. He then says America keeps from falling into the ocean is because Canada sucks before accepting Bret "The Hit Man" Hart's six-man Flag Match challenge. The crowd "We Want Bret," and Shawn says they'll get Bret and him in the ring for the first time in over a year. He then says he went to the head of the World Wrestling Federation and gives him a way to get into SummerSlam: replacing referee Earl Hebner and becoming a special guest referee. He says he only works the main event, and he will be special guest referee in Bret "The Hit Man" vs. The Undertaker for the WWF Championship. When asked if Bret "The Hit Man" Hart will see this as prejudicial, Shawn doesn't care how he feels, and that if he does not call the match down the middle, he won't be able to wrestle in the United States and would have to move north to Canada and stay there for the rest of his life. He then tells the Canadian fans that he wants them and Bret to know that "If [Bret] can't trust Shawn, who can he trust?" He then dances around and sticks a tiny Canadian flag down the crotch of his pants.

We see more pre-recorded comments concerning tonight's flag match from the Canadian fans.

The fourth clue for Your SummerSlam Million Dollar Chance is "of luxury". The clues are "The Key," "2A," "Life" and "Of Luxury."

Before the next match, The Patriot has nothing against patriotism no matter what country it's in, but when it comes to picking role models, Canada has much better representatives to choose form than The Hart Foundation (Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, Brian Pillman). He reminds the fans to be proud of their country and what it stands for, but not to blind themselves from the actions of some of the people who live in it.

The Patriot vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley ends in chaos. During the match, The Hart Foundation (Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog) show up, and Bret yells at Vince McMahon for allowing Shawn to be the special guest referee for his WWF Championship defense against The Undertaker. Bret slaps the headset off Vince's head, angering Vin, then puts his hands on him and tries to pull at him. A cameraman is knocked down as The Patriot goes after Bret only to be stomped by The Hart Foundation. The bell is rung, and officlas and referees have to keep The Hart Foundation away from Vince and The Patriot. Hunter Hearst Helmsley attacks The Patriot after this.

Paul Bearer says he is not a liar, and that one can tell from The Undertaker's reaction that Kane is definitely alive. He says that Kane and 'Taker share a special bond: they made a statue, cut it in half, took one half for themselves and made a sacred pledge that as long as they both lived, they would keep their part of the statue. Bearer says he has Kane's half of the statue, and hopes The Undertaker has his half. We find out it is a statue of the Grim Reaper, and that Kane's half is charred and burnt. When asked when Kane will be seen, Paul Bearer says nobody will want to see Kane, but if he has to, he will.

Goldust beats Faarooq by disqualification after interference from Kama Mustafa, despite the referee being distracted by Marlena, who is telling him what is going on. During the match, Vince McMahon confirms that "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels has been granted the right to be special guest referee in the WWF Championship match between The Undertaker and Bret "The Hit Man" Hart at SummerSlam, and that Shawn will indeed not be able to wrestle in the United States if he does not call the match down the middle. After saying that he could never picture Bret acting like he did earlier, he gets word from the producers that something bad is happening, and heads backstage. We then hear that Bret was seen coming out of Shawn's dressing room and that Shawn has been injured yet again.

We hear from even more Canadian fans concerning tonight's flag match.

"The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels refuses help from officials backstage.

Before the next match, Bret "The Hit Man" Hart stops his own entrance theme, and says tonight's main event will not go on unless Canada's national anthem, O Canada is played. Is it then played, and the image of a Canadian flag being flown is shown on The TitanTron.

Dude Love shows up to help "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in the next match. Before the commercial break, The Undertaker's entrance music plays, confirming The Undertaker as the third man on the American team.

The Hart Foundation (Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog) beat "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Dude Love and The Undertaker in a six-man Flag Match after Brian Pillman pops out from underneath the ring and stops The Undertaker from taking the American flag off the aluminum pole.