In Your House 13: Final Four

Legacy Review

In Your House 13: Final Four

February 16, 1997 from the UTC Center in Chattanooga, TN

Commentary: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler (NO VINCE)

Small bit of history here as this is the first PPV to be called just by JR and the King as Vince was slowly transitioning into his Mr. McMahon on screen character. The classic house set has once again been ditched, possibly for good. I don't remember but we'll find out soon enough. No wasting time either, the show starts right up with Mero's entrance after Cassidy got a jobber entrance.

"Wildman" Marc Mero (w/Sable) def Lief Cassidy in 9:31- They trade slaps after the bell. Badd armdrags. ARMBAR! After some aggressive shoves Cassidy rolls out. He drags Badd down with him and tries to post his knee but Sable stops him. Mero double ax handle off the apron. Slingshot legdrop for 2. Cassidy keeps trying to attack Mero's knee and finally gets somewhere with a couple of dropkicks to the knee. Knee stomps and a leg bar. Mero tries to punch back but Cassidy stays on the knee. Back to the knee bar and Mero gets to the ropes. Snap mare from Cassidy and back to the knee. Mero gets an enzuguri. Magistral cradle for 2. Cassidy hits a kneebreaker. Figure four! Sable helps Mero grab a rope. Cassidy goes outside to have some words with her. Sable slaps him! Mero standing tope suicida! He faceplants Cassidy and runs him into the turnbuckle. Samoan drop. The Wild Thing hits! That gets the pin. Solid enough opener. Cassidy would soon be "traded" to ECW as part of WWF's new partnership with them and while there put together all the pieces that made him one of the most unique stars of the Attitude Era: returning to the name Al Snow, starting the JOB Squad and getting Head. **1/4

The Honky Tonk Man's music plays and he comes out to the ring.....then we quickly cut to the following videos and he's never mentioned again. Weird.

 

Next up is a video recap of the WWF Title situation, so I'll go ahead and get into that now. Shawn Michaels defeated Sid to win the title back at the Royal Rumble. Also that night, Steve Austin won his first Rumble under dubious circumstances (distracted refs didn't see Bret Hart eliminate him). Due to the controversy, Austin's Wrestlemania title shot was taken away, and the new WM challenger would be determined in a four way match on this show between the final four in the Rumble: Austin, Bret, Undertaker, and Vader. Technically Fake Diesel was in the final four, not Vader, but thankfully that character had been retired from TV. But a wrench was thrown into everything on the Raw before this PPV (which was one of those Thursday Night Thursday Raws because USA had something more important to show on Monday night, probably a dog show). Shawn vacated the title and said he was going away for a while, claiming he had "lost his smile" and he was going on a journey of self discovery to go find it again. I'm embellishing that last part a little bit. He also floated the idea of a knee injury, an idea backed up by those close to Shawn, but history has shown pretty definitively that the injury claim was just a cover for the fact that he flat didn't want to go with the current plan of giving Bret his win back at WM so he was, to put it frankly, taking his ball and going home. This was one of the major catalysts for the real life Bret/Shawn drama that would seep in during their on screen feud as the year progressed, leading to an infamous night in Montreal in November. The four way match for tonight was changed to be for the vacant title.

 

Following that is a promo from Sid, who'll be getting his title rematch against the winner of the four way on Raw tomorrow night.

The Nation of Domination (w/more Nation) def Goldust, Flash Funk and Bart Gunn (w/Marlena) in 6:43- Savio Vega has turned heel and joined the Nation, teaming up here with Crush and Nation leader Faarooq. The face team is an....interesting random mishmash. Funk and Goldust seem to be having a bet on who can have the longest entrance. Funk wins. The Nation comes in through the crowd. Faarooq takes a mic to say something but Goldust attacks him from behind! Early 3 on 3 action and the faces clear the ring. Funk hops up top and dives on all three Nation wrestlers! They all get up very quickly and Vega and Crush attack Funk from behind while Faarooq works over Goldust in the ring. Goldust counters a backdrop and tags. Faarooq catches a Funk leapfrog and gives him a spinebuster. Corner clothesline from Funk on Vega, then he sets him up top and gives him a hurricanrana! Crush breaks the pin up. A Funk dropkick sends Vega to the floor. Gunn gives Funk a lift into a plancha! The Nation guys no sell/catch him and beat him down on the floor. Funk goes face in peril. Crush shocks everyone by doing a wrestling move, a belly to belly suplex for 2. Faarooq does his super slow beatdown. Funk counters and crotches him. Vega cuts the tag off. Spike piledriver! Funk kicks out! Funk flips over a double clothesline, double clotheslines both guys and tags Gunn. Powerslam on Faarooq and everyone's in again. Gunn hits Faarooq with a top rope bulldog. Crush comes up and legdrops Gunn in the back of the head. Faarooq covers for the pin. OK 6 man stuff, they kept it moving and Funk got his flash (pun intended) in. It also continued the job of getting the Nation over as a cohesive group skilled in gang warfare. *3/4

Very young Kevin Kelley is in the back with Austin. Austin blames the office for holding him back for 7 years (nice WCW callback) and promises to get what's his. You jackass.

 

WWF Intercontinental Championship: Rocky Maivia (c) def Hunter Hearst Helmsely in 12:30- Rocky continued his super rookie rocket ship push by upsetting Triple H for the title on the same Thursday Raw that Shawn vacated, a win that only accelerated the audience backlash against him despite the pop on the night. Little did anyone know at the time but these two would spend the next almost two years off and on making each other stars while feuding for this title, but not before both had complete changes of character. Very little reaction for the new champ on his entrance. Basic start. HHH dodges a drop toe hold and hits his own. He gives Rocky some humiliation slaps on the back of his head. They do some counters and Rocky hits a hip toss, ugly dropkick and armdrag. He returns the favor by slapping the back of HHH's head. HHH stands up and they trade some stiff slaps in the corner. HHH hits some chops. Rocky gets a backdrop and another armdrag. HHH uses momentum to send Rocky over the top to the floor. Baseball slide and Rocky crashes hard into the guardrail. Slam on the floor. Trips is doing his job as the crowd is starting to get behind Rocky a bit. Pillar to post beating back in and a suplex from HHH. Kneedrop for 2. He hooks on a chinlock and plays the rope leverage game with Hebner before getting caught. Rocky ducks clotheslines but runs into a high knee. Small package from Rocky, the same move he used to win the title! HHH *just* gets out in time! The hair tie is off! HHH backbreaker for 2. Rocky does some more dodging and hits a crossbody for 2. His crossbody is so crazy, he tries to stretch all his arms and legs as absolutely far as they can possibly go. It looks like he's posing instead of doing a wrestling move. HHH dodges a dropkick. Rocky catches a kick, spins, but eats a HHH clothesline. HHH comes off the top but Rocky catches him with a gut punch. Inverted atomic drop. Trips flip! He lands in the ring. Rocky powerslam and crossbody (again with the pose) for 2. HHH begs off. Rocky mounted punches. HHH uses the position to drop Rocky on the top buckle. He tries a leverage pin for 2. Rocky hits a horrible DDT. I mean awfully timed. Cover for 2. HHH eye poke and facebuster. Neckbreaker. Goldust, whose beef with Trips was not over, is out. HHH yells at him. Rocky comes from behind, gets a back suplex with a bridge, and gets the pin. A variation on Generic Raw Finish 1A, the distraction roll up. Call it 1B, distraction but the win wasn't with a roll up. Rocky's inexperience showed but HHH ring generaled him into something mostly decent, which showed how far he's come over the past couple of years. **

Trips and Goldust continue jawing at each other. A HUGE woman attacks Marlena from the crowd! Security hauls her away. She's not named yet, but that was the debut of Chyna, who would change Triple H's career forever.

 

WWF Tag Team Championship: Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon def "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith and The Slammy Award Winning Owen Hart (c) (w/Clarence Mason) by DQ in 10:30- The champs, who are nearing 6 months on this title reign, have had some tension lately, exacerbated by Owen "accidentally" eliminating Bulldog in the Rumble. Owen grandstands Bulldog a bit on their entrance. Furnas and LaFon were a really good team known for their run in All Japan but didn't really get time to get traction in WWF. Their more technical wrestling style didn't mesh well with where the company, especially the tag division, were going. Bring them in 5-6 years later when teams like the Guerreros and Team Angle were going strong and they probably could have had a hell of a run. Owen and Furnas start. JR talks football! He really does have full control of the reins in the booth now. A mat wrestling stalemate is followed by a speed run and Furnas hip toss/armdrag combo. Owen monkey flips LaFon into a cover, triggering a nice near fall counter run. LaFon gets a leg takedown into a legbar. Commentary talks about Owen feigning a knee injury vs Shawn's completely legit don't let anyone tell you otherwise knee injury which is pretty funny. LaFon gets a flippy sunset flip on Bulldog. He slips out of a Bulldog suplex and hits a spinning heel kick for 2. Owen kicks LaFon from the apron to send him face in peril. Heel double team and choke. Owen gets a springboard crossbody that LaFon reverses for 2. Owen eye rake and gut wrench suplex for 2. Backbreaker. LaFon gets a sunset flip proper on Bulldog but the ref is distracted. Clothesline from Bulldog and he does his show off flip. LaFon fights off Owen's Sharpshooter. Bulldog lifts LaFon up in a suplex, and Owen floors him with a crossbody off the top for 2! Cool double team. LaFon counters a backdrop with a small package but the ref is distracted again. Bulldog rolls Owen on top in the small package. When the ref is getting him out Furnas puts LaFon back on top! Owen kicks out. Owen and Bulldog argue! LaFon resolves it for the moment by giving them a double noggin knocker. Bulldog trips LaFon from the floor. Owen accidentally spinning heel kicks Bulldog! And they're arguing again. Owen slaps Bulldog! Bulldog clotheslines Owen! LaFon takes advantage and splashes Owen off the top! Bulldog makes the save. For the titles, not Owen. Furnas tags in. Dropkick on Owen for 2. Belly to belly for 2. Face double backdrop and LaFon hits a northern lights suplex for 2. Furnas Frankensteiner! Bulldog makes another save. The faces hit a really cool combo flurry with a superkick, DDT and ledgrop. Owen kicks out again. Owen enzuguri! Both sides tag. Bulldog dropkick and clothesline. LaFon crucifix and roll up for 2. DONNYBROOK! The heels are run into each other! Bulldog drops LaFon on the top turnbuckle and sets up the powerslam. Before he can hit it Owen comes in and hits LaFon with his Slammy for the cheap DQ! Bulldog is furious. He refuses to take the belt. He grabs Owen's Slammy, tosses it aside and it breaks! HE BROKE OWEN'S SLAMMY! Mason tries to make peace and Bulldog gets in his face, but eventually calms down enough to take his tag belt and leave with his teammates. Right after this show Bulldog defeated Owen in the tournament final to crown the first ever European champion, one of the best matches ever on Raw. That could have been Bulldog's face turn, but instead it started to get the air cleared between the two and both would join Bret Hart's heel Hart Foundation stable soon after. This was the best tag title match WWF had put on in a long while. ***1/4

 

Four Corners Elimination Match for the Vacant WWF Championship: Bret "Hitman" Hart def Vader (w/Paul Bearer), "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Undertaker in 24:06- Since this is coming off what happened in the Rumble a rule has been added to allow over the top rope to the floor eliminations as well as pinfall and submission. Basically New Japan Rambo rules. After being the first two out Vader and Austin tell each other they're #1 and JR apologizes for it. Gonna become a regular thing very soon. Cautious start as all four guys try to position, then they pair off, Bret with Austin and Taker with Vader. Taker hits the flying clothesline then attacks Bret. Old school on Austin. Vader belly to belly suplex on Taker. Taker sits up. Vader pushes him to the floor through the ropes and starts laying in the potato shots. Vader pushes Fink out of the way and takes his chair! Taker dodges the chairshot. Bret bump in the ring. Taker big boots the chair into Vader's face, then whips Vader into the stairs. Vader is bleeding from his eye, and I mean it's gushing. I think something happened to the repairs that had to be made to his eye after it famously popped out during a match with Stan Hansen in All Japan when the chair hit him. All this time Bret and Austin have been going back and forth in the ring. All four guys are back in. Austin jawbreakers out of a Bret sleeper. Taker choke slams Vader. Stunner on Taker! Vader tackles Bret. Austin and Taker go back and forth while Vader and Bret take it to the floor. Vader gives Bret a chair shot. A closeup shot shows how much Vader is bleeding. It's not pretty but he's still going. Everyone swaps positions. Taker backdrops out of an Austin piledriver on the aisle. Bret's on the apron and Taker suplexes him back in. Vader lifts the stairs but Austin blocks the shot, then runs Vader into the stairs and drops them on him, right on his hurt eye too! Vader potatoes Austin and drops him on the guardrail. Bret's doing some work on Taker's knee in the ring. Austin whips Vader on the floor and he crashes into the timekeeper! Austin beats him with the belt! Vader punches back and hits Austin with the bell! Vader's clearly still bleeding. Austin gets crotched on the top rope by Taker. Vader and Bret go up the aisle. Vader gets whipped over the rail into the crowd! Taker gets Austin over the top onto the apron. Austin clothesline off the top for 2. Vader tries to put the Sharpshooter on Bret on the floor but he gets buried under all the fighting. Bret and Taker double team Austin for a bit. Austin Thesz Press on Vader! That got blood everywhere. All four guys are in the ring again. Vader tackles Taker. Bret piledriver on Austin for 2. Vader sets Taker up for a Vader bomb. No, Paul Bearer is telling Vader to go all the way up. VADERSAULT! Taker dodges! Austin low blows Bret. Taker and Vader take turns choking each other with a TV cable. Austin almost gets Bret over the top but Bret fights him off. Vader covers Taker for 2. Bret elbow off the second rope on Austin for 2. Austin rolls Bret up for 2. Bret/Vader slugfest. Bret low blows Vader! Austin posts Taker's knee. Bret Russian leg sweep on Vader. Taker tosses Austin over the top but he lands on the apron. Bret lifts Austin in a fireman's carry, and gets him over the top to the floor to eliminate him! The refs definitely saw it that time. Vader pounds Bret with corner potatoes. Taker avalanche on Vader. Vader clips Taker's knee. He and Bret double team....until Taker rolls to the floor and they go at each other. The mask is off! Bearer hits Taker with the urn. Vader suplexes Bret and goes up top. Bret pops up and joins him. BRET SUPERPLEXES VADER! Sharpshooter! Taker attacks Bret from behind and he goes under the ropes to the floor. Austin runs back out and attacks Bret! Vader sets Taker up for a Vader bomb. Situp! Taker punches Vader and he falls over the top rope to the floor! Vader's gone! It's down to Bret and Taker. The crowd, who have been pretty quiet this whole show, are going absolutely ape shit now. The hard camera is even shaking. Taker fights Austin off. Choke slam on Bret! Taker calls for the tombstone. Austin grabs Bret's foot as Taker lifts him up! Austin almost gets Bret over the top but Bret falls back in the ring. Bret rolls Taker up for 2. Both guys continue to fight Austin. After Taker gets Austin off the apron again Bret clotheslines Taker, and he goes 360 and out! Bret wins! There's no bell because the bell was destroyed earlier in the match. That's hilarious. Bret wins the title for the fourth time, one shy of Hogan's record. What a match. All four guys were at the top of their game, but Vader was definitely the glue that held this together, even after busting his old eye injury open. It's probably his best WWF match and the closest he got to his old dominant WCW form as his body was starting to break down. What I really liked was unlike modern four way matches where all the focus has to be on one thing happening everyone kept wrestling regardless of where the camera focus was, giving it a more chaotic and realistic feel. That needs to come back. ****1/2

During Bret's celebration Sid comes out and they jaw in the ring while the show ends. Bret's title run would be short lived as Sid won it back the next night (with help from Austin) to carry it to WM as the card was reshuffled with Shawn bailing. Bret's one day reign would be the second shortest for the WWF Title to that point, only longer than Andre the Giant trying to give the title to Ted DiBiase 5 minutes after he won it. But with Attitude Era hotshotting on the horizon things like that will become more common.

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- A serviceable undercard, a good tag title match and a tremendous main event make this a damn solid show in that usually hard to succeed in gap between the Rumble and Wrestlemania. JR and Lawler being by themselves also instantly elevates everything. We make fun of JR as the cranky old man now, but in his prime he truly was the best.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B