World Wrestling Federation presents Shotgun Saturday Night
Date: 3/1/1997
From: New York, NY
Matches:
1.) Crush & Savio Vega defeated Goldust & Miguel Perez Jr.
2.) Henry Godwinn defeated Blackjack Bradshaw by reverse decision
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Legion of Doom cut a promo in the crowd saying that they hope to be at WrestleMania in Chicago and Hawk says that they like who they are, but nobody else likes them.
2.) Perez punches Vega several times in the corner while Goldust brawls with Crush on the floor. Perez splashes Vega in the corner as Goldust sends Crush into the ring post. Goldust legally tags into the match and kicks Vega into the corner. Goldust leg drops Vega on the arm and keeps arm control for a moment. Vega eye rakes free and tags in Crush in the corner. Crush pummels Goldust with several strikes. Crush misses a clothesline and Goldust drops down to strike Crush followed by a clothesline for a two count. Perez tags into the match and kicks Crush in the ribs and yanks on the left arm a few times. Crush carries Perez to the corner and delivers several strikes to the midsection. Vega returns to the match and tries for a hip toss, but Perez counters hitting a hip toss and dropkicks Vega to the floor. Perez hits a somersault dive to the floor. Perez pummels Vega with right hands in the corner, but Vega drops Perez over the top turnbuckle. Crush and Vega double team Perez while the referee is distracted. Perez blocks a strike, but Crush delivers a headbutt and hits a belly to belly suplex for a two count.
Crush dumps Perez to the floor where Vega sends Perez into the ring steps. Crush tries for a cover, but Perez gets hit boot on the bottom rope. Vega rams Perez into the corner and delivers a few elbow strikes. Goldust tries to get involved, but Vega nails Perez with a flurry of kicks in the corner. Vega sends Perez into the corner back first and delivers a snapmare to choke Perez on the mat. Vega rams Perez into the corner and tags in Crush. Crush decks Perez with a strike, but Perez hits a sunset flip for a two count. Crush stomps Perez on the mat several times to keep control. Crush leaps off the middle rope to strike Perez on the mat. Goldust leaps off the apron to go after the Nation on the floor. Crush big boots Perez coming off the ropes as the show goes to commercial.
Crush puts a nerve hold on Perez in the middle of the ring, but doesn’t get a submission. Perez elbows Crush to break free from the nerve hold. Crush counters a backdrop attempt by spiking Perez with a piledriver, but Goldust makes the save on the cover. Vega enters the match and backdrops Perez. Vega stomps on Perez several times, but Perez responds with an overhand chop. Perez continues with strikes in the corner, but runs into a boot in the corner. Vega chokes Perez on the mat. Crush returns to the match and delivers a headbutt to the ribs. Crush press slams Perez followed by a leg drop for a near fall. Crush tries for a suplex, but Perez counters with a DDT and both men are down. Goldust gets the hot tag and hits a clothesline on Vega and a scoop slam on Crush. Goldust sends the Nation into each other. Perez gets in the ring and all four men are brawling in the ring. Goldust drives Vega face first down to the mat, but Crush enters with a chair and whacks Goldust over the back. Vega is put on top of Goldust and gets the three count. (**. It’s a decent tag match and I honestly was left impressed by Miguel Perez. Perez worked well as a babyface and his dive to the floor led to the action picking up. Nation winning shouldn’t be a surprise since Goldust and Perez are a makeshift tag team. I am surprised that Goldust ate the pin, though.) After the match, Perez cleans house with a chair hitting the Nation members.
3.) Kevin Kelly is in the ring and calls out the Undertaker for an interview. Kelly says WrestleMania 13 will be the biggest night of Undertaker’s career. Kelly asks for Taker’s thoughts about wrestling Sid at the event. Taker tells Kelly to reference WrestleMania as WrestleMania the 13th. Taker promises it will be unlucky for Sid. Taker has sat back and allowed the guys like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels have their day of glory. Taker has represented causes instead of titles. Taker is now coming for the WWF World Championship. Taker says that Sid may be the most physically intimidating athlete, but he’s laid giants to rest his whole career. Taker wants Sid to understand something. Taker has no remorse for what he’s got to do and wants Sid to know he’s got to do it. Taker proclaims that he will be Sid’s master and the master of the dark side. Taker will be more than willing to lay any challengers to rest. Taker promises that Sid will rest in peace at WrestleMania the 13th. (Undertaker’s wording could confuse the causal viewers thinking the show takes place on March 13th and not March 23rd.)
4.) Bradshaw shoulder blocks Godwinn to kickoff the match. Godwinn shoulder blocks Bradshaw and hits a belly to belly suplex for a two count. Bradshaw big boots Godwinn coming off the ropes. Bradshaw continues with a knee lift and clothesline in the corner. Bradshaw is kicked over the ropes to the floor. Godwinn nails Bradshaw with a clothesline. Bradshaw kicks Godwinn to block a backdrop attempt. Bradshaw clotheslines Godwinn followed by an elbow drop for a two count. Bradshaw tries for a suplex, but Godwinn counters with a vertical suplex and both men are down. Bradshaw keeps Godwinn on the mat with a nerve hold. Bradshaw misses a clothesline and they collide on stereo clotheslines as the show goes to commercial.
Godwinn hits a powerslam for a two count. Godwinn elbows Bradshaw for a two count. Bradshaw hits a side Russian leg sweep for a near fall. Bradshaw misses a clothesline and Henry hits the Slop Drop, but Blackjack Windham decks Henry with a strike. Windham rolls into the ring to replace Bradshaw while the referee is distracted. Windham gets an inside cradle and pins Henry for the win. The referee ends up reversing the decision. After the match, the Godwinns are attacked, but they fight back with clotheslines. (**. Not bad of a match. I wish they hadn’t reversed the decision, though.)
Final Thoughts:
I thought this week as a solid overall episode with both matches being entertaining for what they were. I’m digging the fact that Shotgun is getting guys like Sid and Undertaker exclusive promos to help with star power on the program.
Thanks for reading.