Would You Go To This Show? Volume Six

The sixth installment of Would You Go To This Show sends us to Madison Square Garden as the World Wrestling Federation holds a show on January 10th 1998. This is around the time the product was starting to heat up. Would the show be worth going to? Bob and Aaron take a look at it!

Introductions:

Aaron George: Ok so a show at MSG feels like it should be an automatic yes. Then you put it in the hottest period in professional wrestling history. Then you put it the day before my birthday!!! How can I possibly turn this down??? I will do my best to convince myself to NOT go to this show.

Bob Colling: The product had really started to turn around in the summer of ’97 and with an MSG show it will be difficult to pass up. But, let’s see how the card shapes up.

Match #1: WWF Lightweight Champion Taka Michinoku defeated Brian Christopher to retain the title

Aaron George: I cannot stress how much I really can’t stand this incarnation of Brian Christopher. The Memphis stalling, the weird strutting, the cackling laughter it all just turned me off. Taka was an exceptional talent and would be really cool to see live. Here’s the thing with Taka: I’m of the belief that there are wrestlers who can do great moves and there are wrestlers who put on great matches, there are very few who can do both. Taka falls into the category of a guy who’s got great moves but I have never seen a match of his that I would consider great. HOWEVER, there are so few chances in one’s life to see a WWF light heavyweight championship match so this one is a go. 1/1

Bob Colling: Brian Christopher is one of the most annoying wrestlers to ever compete. Taka was a really great worker at the time, and probably still is in Japan somewhere. It’s not a bad opener to start the show with at all. These two had a little rivalry going on as well, so there would be a reason for interest. YES.

Match #2: The Godwinns defeated The Headbangers in a country whipping match

Aaron George: No on principal to the Godwinns. Fuck them. 1/2

Bob Colling: Just reading this match brought a scowl to my face. Not a match that has any interest from me whatsoever. NO

Match #3: Tom Brandi defeated Marc Mero by disqualification

Aaron George: “Marvelous” Marc Mero versus “Jobber” Tom Brandi. So was this the first uttering of the word jobber on WWF television? What a feud this was! You would have never thought that Sal Sincere had it in him to convert to the house of fire that was Tom Brandi. And nothing puts a hot up and coming babyface over like him being kicked in the nuts for a victory. I’m SHOCKED he didn’t jump on the highway to Hell and fight Austin at Summerslam. I love heel Marc Mero though and if he gave Brandi a beat down after the match or emotionally abused Sable in any way this would be an easy yes. I’m sure he probably did both. 2/3

Bob Colling: Sure Mero was doing a good job with his new heel role of being jealous of Sable’s popularity but his recent knee injury changed the way he worked. I don’t believe Brandi has ever provided any kind of entertainment for me. So, this gets a NO from me.

Match #4: Ken Shamrock defeated Faarooq

Aaron George: I like both these guys, although at this point Farooq was useless in his matches. Shamrock was such an interesting guy to watch back then. He was still a little behind on his ring work but more than made up with it with his intensity. It’s a shame PG-13 was gone at this point because I would love to rap along with them and 15000 people. Although I feel if anyone had said they would ball-rush Shamrock’s mother they’d need the Undertaker to come and get them. 3/4

Bob Colling: Personally, I found Faarooq to be rather boring. His major feud, or only feud, was really against Ahmed Johnson. I did like Shamrock, but a match between these two doesn’t catch my interest all that much. NO.

Match #5: The Undertaker & Legion of Doom defeated WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels & WWF World Tag Team Champions New Age Outlaws in a steel cage match after Owen Hart prevented Michaels from leaving the cage.

Aaron George: What a segue! I’ve been conditioned through years of watching the WWF to feel extremely privileged to see the Undertaker live. I’ve also been conditioned to slit my throat whenever The Road Warriors would come on my screen in 1998. But the inclusion of the original version of Degeneration X cancels all that out. Shawn Michaels was a beast during this period, so edgy and ahead of the curve. The Outlaws were becoming better with each and every appearance they made. I think I would pay just to see this match. 4/5

Bob Colling: What a huge match right here. A great idea to put these six men in a steel cage. I can’t imagine the crowd not being red hot for this match. An obvious YES and a huge surprise it’s not the main event for this show.

Match #6: Vader defeated TAFKA Goldust

Aaron George: I’m not sure if I’m in the minority here but I enjoyed TAFKA Goldust. I like the tweaks to his music and I thought it was an interesting place to go with a character that had really run its course. While we’re at it why was in necessary to call Vader “The Man They Call Vader”? Was Vader not enough? And who is they? And why is it so hard to find something negative to say about this card. 5/6

Bob Colling: I liked both men and they have had some good matches previously in WCW. These two on the undercard to this show is not offensive and would be an effective match. YES.

Match #7: Kane defeated Chainz

Aaron George: The DOA was such an exciting part of the WWF during this period. I mean every time they rolled their way out the crowd would lose their collective shit. Who needs WCW with their stupid cruiserweights flying around everywhere? We have bikers! With vests! I’m sorry I mean to say cuts. Hey is this where Sons of Anarchy got the idea from? What innovators the WWF are! They make movies! remember???? Huh pal???? Huh???? Un-be-lievable!!!!! I was at Survivor Series 1997 and the god damned red light hurt my eyes then and it can only be worse without Mankind in the match. 5/7

Bob Colling: Yeah, a two minute squash with Kane wouldn’t make want to go to this show. NO

Main Event: Steve Austin & Cactus Jack defeated WWF Intercontinental Champion the Rock & D’Lo Brown in a falls count anywhere match

Aaron George: Pffff. This is the main event they put on? Where’s the star power? Bah! What can you say about this one? Three of the biggest starts of all time and Cactus Jack would get my money any day of the week. This match just shows how spoiled we were in the 90’s for wrestling talent. The atmosphere for this one must have been off the charts as Austin was rocketing up the card and the Rock was really finding his groove. If the idea of this match at this time, with these guys in this building doesn’t excite you, you should take a long hard look at your life choices. 6/8

Bob Colling: Well, it’s kind of surprising that D’Lo Brown is in the main event for this match, but he was a good worker and wouldn’t hurt the match quality wise. It would be a fine way to close the show with three of the most popular guys in the company at the time. Easily a YES from me.

Final Thoughts:

Aaron George: So would I pay to see this show. Christ I feel like building a time machine just to go back and see this show. This was such an exciting time to be a fan, and I think this is one of the reasons that people are so hard on the current product. It’s not that what they do now is so bad, it’s just that we know how good it CAN be. It’s the hope that they can get back to a place like this again that keeps us as fans, and it’s what also keeps us perpetually disappointed… Great now I’m sad…

Bob Colling: While half the card doesn’t exactly catch my eye, the half that does involves all the top talent. I mean, we would get a steel cage match and a falls count anywhere match on the same card. Taker and Michaels in a cage with tag teams in a major feud. The atmosphere would make up for the poor stuff on the card as well. I’d go to the show.

There you have it, both Aaron and Bob would go to this show. Would you attend the show? Let us know below!

Thanks for reading.