WWF 1997.05.19 - Monday Night Raw

Location: Mobile Civic Center, Mobile, Alabama

Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross

This event was broadcast live.

This week's edition of Raw begins with Jim Ross interviewing Steve Austin. He says that he wasn't helping Shawn Michaels last week, he was just attacking the Hart Foundation when he had a chance. Nevertheless, he says that Shawn should be thankful that he was there.

Shawn Michaels comes out and says that he didn't need help from Steve Austin last week. He says he's been falling off stages, ladders and other high places long before Steve was in the WWF. The two wrestlers begin to fight and have to be separated by the ring officials. Owen Hart speaks from the Titantron, mocking them, saying it's typical that two Americans can't even get on with one another. He issues a challenge: he says that if Steve and Shawn can make up, he'll give them a shot for the tag team championship next week.

Steve says that he won't team up with Shawn. He'll find a 75 pound weakling in the locker room to be his tag team partner. Shawn also says that he won't team up with Steve, because he can find a better partner in the locker room. The two start fighting again, and the officials can barely pull them apart.

Match 1. Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs Crush

Today there should have been a match between Vader and Crush in the King of the Ring tournament. The doctors have deemed Vader unfit to compete because of injuries sustained in his match against Ken Shamrock at the PPV a week ago. His replacement is Hunter Hearst Helmsley, who was eliminated last week. Jerry says that the referee Tim White made a mistake. Wrestlers can only be eliminated from the tournament by pinfall or submission, so Triple H has the right to stay in the tournament.

It's a tough match with interference from Chyna and the Nation of Domination. Savio Vega attempts to kick Triple H but misses and kicks Crush in the face, allowing Triple H to pin him.

Match 2. Owen Hart vs Bob Holly

This is a non-title match.

Bob Holly has been in the WWF since 1994, but he rarely appears on television, despite having had a short reign as Intercontinental Champion in 1995. Is he lacking the charisma to make him a television star? He needs to find a gimmick, because he's obviously a skilled wrestler. Today he's been given a chance because he's from Mobile, Alabama. He's the hometown hero.

Bob pins Owen Hart after a short match. This enrages Owen. It should have been a title match, making Bob Holly the Intercontinental Champion for the second time.

And now for a word from our sponsors! Sunny demonstrates the Super Soaker CPS 2000.

Jim Cornette asks Sunny to sign a new contract when she'd rather go to the beach.

She pulls out her Super Soaker CPS 2000 and goes to war.

"Have you had enough, Jim?"

"Stop, stop! I'm soaking wet! How do I explain this to my wife?"

"Wetter is better!"

Shawn Michaels asks Ken Shamrock to be his tag team partner against British Bulldog and Owen Hart. Ken accepts the offer.

Match 3. Leif Cassidy vs Scott Taylor

Scott Taylor is a young man who hasn't been signed up by the WWF. Yet. He's obviously too skilled to be used as a jobber. This match is a try out for the WWF, to see whether he has the charisma to win over the fans. I would say he has it. He's having great fun in the ring, and it shows.

Scott pins Leif Cassidy in a short match. Leif goes crazy and threatens Jim Ross again, just as he did last week.

Steve Austin goes to Sable's locker room and asks her to be his tag team partner. She turns him down, and she's angry that he burst in when she was half naked. She needs a Super Soaker to defend herself. But at least she has a good T-shirt.

Bret Hart comes to the ring with the Hart Foundation to make an announcement. He's no longer in a wheelchair, he's walking on crutches. In the ring he's even able to stand without crutches. His announcement is that he intends to wrestle at next month's PPV, even if he has a bad knee. He wants to wrestle Shawn Michaels. He says that if he can't defeat Shawn in less than 10 minutes he promises never to wrestle in America again.

Shawn Michaels replies over the Titantron. He accepts Bret's challenge, under one condition. He doesn't want interference from the Hart Foundation, so he insists that the four members (Owen Hart,  British Bulldog, Jim Neidhart and Brian Pillman) be handcuffed to the four corners of the ring. Bret accepts. 

Match 4. Goldust vs Rockabilly

Before the match begins, Goldust presents his daughter Dakota to the crowd.

Everyone is charmed by her, except for Jerry Lawler. He says she's an ugly brat, and he hopes there aren't any more at home like her. He has no idea what he's talking about. She's a beautiful little girl, and one day she'll be as stunning as her mother Terri. (Marlena is her stage name).

Rockabilly comes to the ring accompanied by Honky Tonk Man. Goldust is in control for most of the match. Honky Tonk man enters the ring to hit Goldust with his guitar. Goldust grabs the guitar and hits Honky Tonk Man over the head with the guitar. Goldust is disqualified.

What? That's one of the biggest mistakes ever by a referee. Tim White should know better. Why should a wrestler be disqualified for hitting a non-participant? That doesn't make sense.

Vince McMahon interviews Ahmed Johnson in the locker room. He asks his opinion about Faarooq's remarks about a black man never being the WWF Champion. Ahmed has his opinions on the subject, but he doesn't want to talk about it. He wants to have fans of any race and nationality, so he won't play the race card. Ahmed swears that he'll become the WWF Champion one day soon.

Harvey Wippleman is a wrestling manager, not a wrestler, but Steve Austin asks Harvey to be his tag team partner. All he has to do is stand in the corner while Steve is fighting. He agrees to be his partner because he's too scared to say No

Match 5. Rocky Maivia vs Farooq

Rocky Maivia comes to the ring first. Faarooq comes next, accompanied by the Nation of Domination. Faarooq encourages Rocky to do a black power salute, but Rocky refuses. The advantage goes back and forth, but Faarooq wins by pinfall. The other Nation of Domination members want to beat up Rocky after the match, but Faarooq stops them.

Meanwhile, the Hart Foundation is beating up Bob Holly in the backstage area.

The Undertaker comes to the ring to be interviewed by Vince McMahon. Vince asks him if he knows what secret Paul Bearer has threatened to reveal, but the Undertaker ignores the question. He says that Faarooq has played the race card, but that's irrelevant to the Undertaker, because he's not white or black, he's the reaper of wayward souls. When the King of the Ring PPV is over and Faarooq is sitting in the locker room asking why he's not the WWF Champion, it won't be because he's black, it'll be because he couldn't beat the Undertaker.

Vince asks the question again, and the Undertaker openly refuses to answer because it's not the right time. Paul Bearer appears on the Titantron and says he'll reveal the secret tonight if the Undertaker doesn't return to him. The Undertaker says he needs time to think about it, so Paul Bearer says he'll wait seven days, no longer.

Match 6. Steve Austin vs Jim Neidhart

Brian Pillman comes out as a guest commentator.

It's good to see Jim Neidhart back in the ring. He's a good wrestler, but we rarely see him fight. But Steve Austin has the advantage from the start. Steve jumps out of the ring and attacks Brian Pillman before returning to the ring. Brian Pillman climbs in the ring and hits Steve Austin on the back with Bret Hart's crutch, so Jim Neidhart is disqualified. The Hart Foundation runs into the ring to attack Steve Austin. Shawn Michaels arrives with a chair and beats the Hart Foundation, who flee for cover.

Steve Austin is about to attack Shawn Michaels, when Jim Ross comes to the ring. He says that Gorilla Monsoon has ordered Steve and Shawn to be tag team partners next week. This makes them angry, and they start fighting. The officials try to separate them, but they're still fighting as the broadcast goes off air.