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KELLER’S WWE RAW REPORT
SEPTEMBER 15, 1997
TAPED 9/8 IN MUNCIE, IND.
AIRED ON USA NETWORK
Steve Austin’s recent actions against announcers and officials were recapped. They teased that Austin would appear later on the show to address his suspension by Sgt. Slaughter… Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler opened the show. Ross said Vince McMahon was “on assignment”…
(1) Ken Shamrock beat Faarooq at 2:38 after a suplex. After the pinfall, the NOD attacked Shamrock, but the Legion of Doom made the save. During the match when Ross prematurely counted to three, Lawler said, “Don’t be like McMahon and always count to three before the referees”… Ross and Lawler previewed the rest of the show… A new commercial aired for a laser tag game starring Sable and Marc Mero. Sable, according to the episodic commercial, is supposed to use the Lazer tag gun to save Mero who was frozen by the bad guy… Ross and Lawler interviewed Austin. Austin said he doesn’t care what Owen Hart’s big surprise is and promised that Owen had one hell of a payback coming. They aired the segment as if the Austin interview was airing on the TitanTron and they fed post-produced cheers into the segment. The interview lasted less than a minute and basically set up the fact that Austin will be on again later in the show…
(2) Taka Michinoku pinned Pantera at 3:58 after a Michinoku Driver. Ross acknowledged Pantera’s title history in Mexico. He called Taka one of wrestling’s most sought after free agents. The crowd turned on Pantera early as he played into the boos. Lawler talked about what Brian Christopher would be able to do if he faced either wrestler and bragged about how Christopher injured Scott Putski’s knee. Good paced action with some flashy highspots. Pantera was a good opponent for Michinoku to show off his style…
[Q2]… From the broadcast table Ross interviewed The Truth Commission in the locker room. Commandant did all of the talking regarding his men facing the LOD…
(3) Legion of Doom beat Truth Commission (Sniper & Recon, w/Interrogator and Commandant) via DQ at 3:38 when Interrogator interfered. Recon’s legdrop on Animal looked utterly harmless, as if Animal couldn’t handle it if Recon actually made contact with his leg over his chest. Animal hot-tagged Hawk at 2:55 and he powerslammed Recon. Sniper tried to make the save, but Hawk clotheslined him over the top rope. Hawk and Animal hit simultaneous clotheslines and popped the crowd in the process. They then gave Recon their shoulder high top rope clothesline. Interrogator then entered the ring for the save. He then held his own against Animal. Shamrock ran to the ring and gave Sniper a belly-to-belly. Shamrock, though, was unable to even hurt the seven foot Interrogator, who will be getting the big push as a singles, perhaps in a feud against Undertaker. They tried to build Interrogator into a stand out star from the rest of the Truth Commission, but until he wears a different outfit from Recon & Sniper, he’s just going to blend in as another member of a faction…
[Q3]…
(4) Max Mini & Mr. Lucky beat Pirata Morgan & El Torito at 6:51 when Mini pinned Morgan after a top rope headbutt. Sunny paraded out to do ring announcing. Max Mini tried to look up Sunny’s skirt. Sunny acted offended. Sunny danced with Lawler at ringside after the match… A recap aired of the Goldust-Brian Pillman-Marlena angle…
[Q4]…
(5) Brian Pillman (w/Marlena) beat Dude Love via DQ at 4:45. Pillman dragged Marlena to the ring. Marlena was wearing all black clothing and silver chain jewelry and rougher looking make-up. Before the match began Ross interviewed Marlena at ringside. Marlena said she misses her daughter and her husband and just wants to go home. She looked miserable at ringside. As she entered the ring, Pillman snapped her “skirt” and for a second her entire bare butt was visible. VCR freeze-fames were worn out across America. She tried to sneak to the locker room at 1:30, but Pillman chased her down and ordered her back at ringside. Pillman threw Mankind into the ringside steps. The match ended just as Mankind signaled for “shin music” when Dustin Runnels attacked Pillman. Dustin didn’t have any Goldust make-up on. Ross said Dustin had been barred from the arena and actually came through the crowd…
[Q5]… The WarZone opening montage aired to start the second hour… Jerry Lawler interviewed Steve Austin in mid-ring. Lawler said he had to have his smile surgically removed after he gave Ross and Sgt. Slaughter the Stone Cold Stunner. Lawler said the only thing he is waiting for is for Vince McMahon to get it. Lawler said McMahon deserves it. Austin looked to Ross at ringside and said he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but added, “If you sit there in your pathetic little cowboy hat, I won’t do it again.” He said Slaughter shouldn’t be ordering him around either. Austin said if McMahon had been in attendance, he would have given it to him. He then warned Owen he can take him out in one second if he wants. He said the whole Hart Foundation has hell to pay. Bret Hart, Owen Hart, and British Bulldog came out. He called Austin a hoser. Bret sent a man in a suit to the ring with a TRO — temporary restraining order — which says Austin cannot come within 100 feet of Owen. He said if Austin does, he’ll end up behind bars. As Austin read it, Lawler screamed in his ear what the TRO meant. Austin, without taking his eye off the TRO, gave Lawler the Stunner. He then continued to read the TRO as he left the ring. Ross said he doesn’t condone Austin’s actions, but it couldn’t have happened to a nicer man. He asked viewers whether the next victim of the stunner would be McMahon or even “a fan like you”… After a commercial break Jim Cornette joined Ross at ringside, replacing the “stunned” Lawler. They showed Lawler in the back wearing a neck brace getting medical attention…
[Q6]…
(6) Patriot pinned Owen Hart at 10:37. Cornette and Ross speculated what would happen next week when Pillman and Owen faced each other in Raw from MSG in an IC Tourney semi-final match. At 3:45 Austin walked out onto the rampway. Three security officers stood behind him. Cornette acknowledged Ross losing his voice, saying it was residual damage from the Stone Cold Stunner he took two weeks earlier. Ross told Cornette he could be next. The match ended when Austin came to ringside, ripped up the TRO, and distracted Owen. Patriot rolled up Owen from behind for the pin. Afterward Owen told the police over the house mic to arrest Austin. Austin escaped through the crowd…
[Q7]… They went backstage and showed the police looking for Austin… Shawn Michaels came to the ring to his intro music. He said the only title he has yet to win in the WWF is the European Title, so he decided to become the first man ever in the WWF to hold all of the title belts. He then blamed the “powers to be” in the WWF for his problems. He said the WWF begged and pleaded he be a guest referee and he agreed and did one hell of a job. He said he was rewarded by being stuck in a match with Undertaker. He said he went out and gave the fans of the WWF the best match on the PPV because, “Well, I can, and that’s what I do.” He said he got rewarded for that by being “stuck in a cell with death itself.” Michaels said some predict it will be the demise of him in the WWF, but said if he goes down he’s taking everyone with him in a blaze of glory. Pretty scary (like, real life scary, actually). Undertaker interrupted Michaels on the TitanTron. Undertaker said there is no place to hide and no place to run. Michaels said he made Undertaker taste his blood once and he will make him taste it again. That which the WWF was able to actually air showed that Michaels continues to be fantastic behind the mic, but in the process added to the evidence that Michaels is far from a stable person. And no, it’s not a work (where’s the money in it when so few know what’s really going on behind the scenes?)
[Q8]…
(7) The Headbangers beat Bret Hart & British Bulldog at 12:45 via DQ to retain the WWF Tag Titles. Before the match began they showed footage from the previous Saturday of Thrasher bodyslamming the Philadelphia Phillies mascot at a Major League Baseball game. Bret being involved in this match with so little hype beforehand, in a way belittles Bret’s stature. The WWF champs participation in a TV match should come with more fanfare. At 10:00 Bulldog tagged in Bret who continued the heel’s mid-match dominance of offense. Ross observed that Bret and Bulldog hadn’t been cohesive as a team. Cornette said they each have their own agendas and it’s coming across in the teamwork of the match. At 11:00 a four-way brawl broke out, although a pretty weak looking one. Bulldog powerslammed Mosh and scored a three count. It appeared the tag titles changed hands. The ref, though, realized the wrong Headbanger was pinned and ordered the match restarted. Bret complained about the decision. Bulldog wrested an American flag from fans at ringside and used it as a weapon to lead to the DQ. Bret and Bulldog continued to attack the Bangers. Patriot and Vader ran to the ring to make the save, previewing the tag match with the same four as the next pay-per-view. Bret and Bulldog bailed out of the ring as the show went off the air… An average Raw… [WK]
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