WWF RAW 2/3/1997

Written By: Bob Colling

World Wrestling Federation presents RAW
Date: 2/3/1997
From: Sky Dome Toronto, Canada

Vader is on his way down to the ring.

We go to the Royal Rumble clip with the controversial elimination that allowed Steve Austin to win the Rumble.

Back to RAW, Vader is getting warmed up in the ring. Bret Hart is pacing backstage getting ready for a interview after the match.

RAW Opening Video

Pyro goes off and RAW is ready to start!

Vader defeated Steve Austin by disqualification in 5:31: Before the match even starts, Bret Hart comes down and attacks Steve Austin. Vader proceeds to attack Bret. This is crazy to kick off the show. Austin attacks Bret before he can leave. Austin gets the advantage on Vader early on, but turns his back, allowing Vader to club away on Austin. Ref bump when Vader sends Austin into the referee. Austin with a scoop slam and a forearm drop from off the middle rope for a near fall. Austin gets annoyed by the referee.. So he STUNS the referee. **
After the match, Austin and Vader brawl on the floor. Both men go into the ring steps.

Hype for a special Thursday RAW.

Savio Vega defeated Flash Funk in 4:21: Jim Ross meets up with Vega on the entrance way. Vega says that he doesn’t care about the fans. He only cares about the Latin American fans. They will be proud of him. Vega has control for the most part. That is until Funk comes back with a back drop. Funk connects with a turning in mid air big splash. He just glides in the air. After the near fall, Funk leaps onto D’LO Brown on the outside. Funk misses an moonsault. Vega goes for the cover and picks up the win. *1/2
After the match, Farooq gives Vega a hug.

Vince interviews Peta Wilson, actress from “La Femme Nikita” on USA. They just really hype up the show itself. Which includes sex, and her asking if she should kill some fellow. Wilson jokingly says its “for the family” sort of thing…

Commercials

Jim Ross is standing in the ring and introduces Sid Vicious to a pretty decent pop. Ross asks what Sid think about the WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels. Sid says it’s a “friendship on the edge of madness”. Sid says that evil may have shown up at the Royal Rumble for Shawn Michaels.

Commercials

WWF World Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and British Bulldog are standing backstage. Vince quickly mentions how Owen eliminated Bulldog at the Royal Rumble. Both men begin to argue. Owen doesn’t want to be called an idiot. Bulldog knows that Owen eliminated him on purpose.

Commercials

We see highlights of Owen using his Slammy during his matches, or Bulldog’s matches. Both instances against Furnas and Lafon.

Doug Furnas & Phil Lafon defeated WWF World Tag Team Champions Owen Hart & The British Bulldog by Count Out in 11:31: Nice series of moves between Lafon and Owen. A few reversals. Apparently Furnas has the flu. So Jim Ross wonders how well he will compete. Furnas then comes in and takes Owen down with a clothesline. Seems to be fine. Furnas offense soon ends, as the champions manage to double team Furnas. Owen with a nice spinning heel kick. Furnas manages to have Owen covered, but the referee is distracted by the Bulldog. Furnas soon has Bulldog pinned, but this time Lafon has the referee distracted. Owen wants the tag, but Bulldog is showing off his body to the fans, Furnas sends Owen into Bulldog and Furnas nearly wins with a rollup. Owen and Bulldog begin to argue again. Lafon is trying to get the crowd into rooting his partner on, to no avail. Lafon eventually gets a tag and displays a few good suplex’s on Owen. Lafon gets a three count after a DDT, but Owen’s foot was on the ropes. Bulldog accidentally backdrops Owen to the floor, thinking it was Lafon. Owen being the legal man is counted out. ***

After the match Bulldog and Owen seem to argue, but shake hands.

Highlights of Ahmed Johnson hitting Farooq with a 2×4 at the Royal Rumble.

We now go to an interview with Ahmed Johnson. Johnson says that we haven’t seen anything yet. This is just beginning. Johnson says that he has something for everyone, even Jim and Vince! Johnson says that Vega will pay for what he has done. Johnson freaks out. Near the end of the interview, Undertaker comes over and grabs Johnson’s throat. Taker says “if you go now, your along.. If you wait, we bury them together”. Taker pushes the camera down.

Commercials

Crush defeated Goldust in 8:26: During the match HHH comes down to the ring and is trying to get the attention of Marlena. This distracts Goldust and Crush continues his offensive attack. Crush is in COMPLETE control during this match. At least since the distraction by HHH. Goldust comes back with a DDT to even the odds. Goldust was going to go for the Curtain Call, only for Savio Vega to come and connect with a spinning heel kick. Crush with the heart punch, its over. DUD

Blackjacks promo

Commercials

Vince is in the ring and calls out WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels to mostly cheers. Vince wants to know if Shawn thinks Sid is right if the “evil is brought out of you”. Michaels agrees with Sid. He says that the belt has brought out the worst in several wrestlers, including himself. “If bad is what you have to be to be the World champion, then I will be as bad as I need to be” Bret Hart is seen watching the interview on the jumbo screen backstage. HBK doesn’t care about being popular anymore, he is more interested in being number one. HBK says that Bret can call himself whatever he wants to, but he will not call himself the “World Champion”. Right after that statement, Bret Hart comes down to the ring. Bret finds it harder and harder to find a way to like HBK. Bret agrees calling HBK a degenerate. He also calls HBK a “jackass”. Bret believes HBK is nothing more than a “punk”. Steve Austin comes running down and tackles Bret Hart from behind. They brawl on the floor. HBK does nothing. HBK is watching, and Sid Vicious comes down to the ring. We comeback from commercial with Sid and Austin already gone. HBK lays down the title and stares Bret Hart down. HBK goes to pick up the title, but Bret prevents him by stepping on the title. Bret drops the belt, making HBK pick it up, and then flips him off. Very good segment.

We see Tiger Ali Singh singing his WWF contract before the show. Bret Hart was in the ring showing support. We see footage of Sable kicking Undertaker on the ribs on Super Stars. Thus, both Curtis Hughes and Sable have been barred from ringside for the championship match

WWF Intercontinental Champion Hunter Hearst Helmsley defeated Marc Mero to retain the title in 10:50: Back and forth early on, with the two going to the floor where Mero sends HHH into the ring post. HHH gets his knees up when Mero attempts a splash off the apron back into the ring, to gain control. Mero soon comes back with a nice rollup for a near fall. His offense doesn’t last long. Mero fights back with a spinning head scissors. Mero with a few knees and right hands on HHH. Mero with the “Wild Thing” somersault plancha on the floor on HHH. Mero with the leg drop off the apron back into the ring for a near fall. Mero with a hurricanrana off the top rope for a near fall. HHH comes right back with a back breaker. HHH takes off the turnbuckle pad, but isn’t able to use it. Mero with a Samoan Drop, and a impressive moonsault off the top. Mero blocks the attempted whip into the turnbuckle. HHH grabs a pair of brass knuckles for the win. **1/2

Now time for a Royal Rumble highlight where King was in the match for about five seconds. King actually continues his sentence he left off with, and acts like he didn’t just get eliminated.

The Undertaker & Ahmed Johnson defeated Farooq & Mankind in a no holds barred match in 7:46: Undertaker and Mankind brawl on the floor, while Farooq battles Ahmed in the ring. Taker soon comes back into the ring to help Ahmed beat on Farooq. Ahmed goes to the floor and battles Mankind. Crush and Vega come down to the ring right before the commercial. Mankind has Taker in the mandible claw. Johnson comes in and connects with Pearl River Plunge. Farooq with the Dominator on Ahmed, Taker breaks up the count. Mankind has a chair and charges towards Taker, and Taker big boots the chair into the face of Mankind. Ahmed is brawling with the Nation members on the floor. Taker with the choke slam on Mankind in the ring. Ahmed chases the Nation to the back with the 2×4. Ahmed makes his way into the ring with the 2×4 and whacks Farooq with it. Ahmed continues to hit Farooq all the way to the backstage area. Vader comes down to the ring and big splashes Undertaker. Mankind grabs Taker and Vader whacks Mankind with the steel chair. Vader hits Taker to no affect. Undertaker tombstones Mankind on the steel chair for the three count. **1/2

End of Show

My Take: This was a pretty damn good RAW. 4 out of the 6 matches were either decent or good. The segment with Bret and HBK seems to be leading to a Wrestle Mania encounter one would think. Nicely done. The tension between Bulldog and Owen is progressing nicely. Crush/Goldust was really bad. The lighting of the arena came off as if it were a house show, and not a television show. Wasn’t too appealing if you ask me.

Thanks for reading.