[suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] Tonight, will be a night of firsts.
For the first time, two reigning Tag Team Champions
will put their gold aside to wage war against one another.
But this is no ordinary tag team, and these are no ordinary combatants.
Both men are looking for respect from an unlikely source, a partner.
For the first time, we may see an African-American as WWE Champion.
But Faarooq is not going into battle alone.
He has the support of a Nation.
A nation he is manipulated into believing its existence
is predicated solely on this victory.
A victory that must come at the hands of a vulnerable Undertaker,
whose haunting past has forced an unlikely reunion with Paul Bearer.
For the first time, one of these men will become King of the Ring
and to victor will go the spoils.
Tonight, will be a night of firsts as Super Soaker presents
the 1997 King of the Ring.
[soft music playing]
[firework blasting]
[audience cheering]
[audience chatter]
-[drumming] -[audience cheering]
[Vince] Welcome everyone to Providence, Rhode Island.
Welcome to the Providence Civic Center.
Welcome to the King of the Ring.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] A passionate crowd is on hand,
and they are ready for action, enthusiastic as always.
There's never a crowd
like a World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view crowd.
[Jim] I tell you what, folks,
the atmosphere here is just like at Super Bowl,
if you've been to a Super Bowl game,
if you've been in person to a World Series,
you know how we feel right here, right now in Providence, Rhode island.
Welcome everyone, Vince McMahon along with good old JR here
to call the action right on down the line.
By the way over here, Mr. Cameraman, we got Tito Santana.
All right. In Spanish, Carlos Cabrera.
Over there, Raymond Rougeau, Jean Brassard.
We are pumped, and here we go,
here comes Ahmed "Get in your face" Johnson.
[bell ringing]
[Howard] Ladies and gentlemen, this is a three-title bout
in the 1997 King of the Ring tournament scheduled for one fall.
Coming down the aisle from Pearl River, Mississippi,
weighing 305 pounds, Ahmed Johnson!
[audience cheering]
["Pearl River Rip" playing]
[Vince] Ahmed Johnson, yeah, the Pearl River Powerhouse.
Perhaps the odds on favorite of becoming the King of the Ring here tonight,
live in Providence, Rhode Island.
[Jim] I'll tell you one thing, if Ahmed doesn't win it,
it's a toss up between the other three athletes.
But this man is big. He is nasty.
[Vince] And he is all business.
Ahmed Johnson, here he go. Yeah.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Yeah, like intensity unrefined raw power.
[Vince] Ahmed Johnson, semi-finalist.
[Jim] And Ahmed has… Uh-oh, here we go. He has faced this man before.
["Ode To Joy" playing]
[Howard] His opponent to be accompanied from the aisle by Chyna,
from Greenwich, Connecticut,
weighing 246 pounds, Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
[Vince] Hunter Hearst Helmsley accompanied by his bodyguard, Chyna,
chiseled out of granite.
And Chyna certainly one of the reasons why Mr. Helmsley
has been as a successful as he has been as of late.
[Jim] No doubt about that, she's a 197 pounds.
The woman has a 320 pound bench press,
she dead lifts 400 pounds, a licensed boxer.
She is definitely a physical threat, but I'll tell you one thing,
Chyna will not intimidate Ahmed Johnson.
[Vince] Nothing can intimidate Ahmed Johnson, ladies and gentlemen, yes.
Let's take a look at the brackets.
Here we go, Ahmed against Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
Later on, Jerry "The King" Lawler
will face Mankind in our two semi-final matches.
[Jim] Ahmed Johnson and Helmsley met in the first round
of the King of the Ring tournament.
Ahmed won that match by disqualification, but due to an officiating technicality,
Helmsley was put back in the tournament and Helmsley advanced over thrust.
[Vince] Chyna's sexy, huh? To some people, I'm sure she is.
She has really put together Hunter Hearst Helmsley,
sort of an American royalty if you can fathom that,
sort of an American blue blood if you would from Greenwich, Connecticut.
So, he has some idea of what royalty is all about.
[Jim] Well, when you live in a community
where the average price home is about $900,000,
you know, you got to be worth some bucks. Well, look at those eyes.
[Vince] Yeah, and you couldn't get further apart culturally
or in any other way than these two combatants,
Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Ahmed Johnson.
They're almost like, their worlds apart,
and listen to the response for Ahmed Johnson.
[Jim] Ahmed Johnson one of eight kids, Hunter Hearst Helmsley an only child.
Ahmed Johnson's mother raised those eight kids.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley had a mom, a dad, a butler,
all kinds of servants growing up.
[Vince] And don't forget that silver's spoon.
[Jim] That's right.
[Vince laughs]
[Jim] Ahmed Johnson left home at the age of 13 looking for acceptance.
He wanted to belong to something, to have a family at 13,
and he joined the street gang known as the Bloods.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley had a wrestling tutor.
Helmsley, of course, and Chyna
both trained by WWE Hall of Famer, the legendary Killer Kowalski.
[Vince] And there's a display of the power and strength of Ahmed Johnson.
-[audience cheering] -[Vince laughs]
[Jim] Chyna certainly keeping her eye on the activity,
specifically on Ahmed Johnson.
And as long as this match is competed
in what we would term a more deliberate pace,
Ahmed will have a huge, huge advantage.
[Vince] Standing side headlock on Hunter Hearst Helmsley,
though in all likelihood will have to resort…
-[grunting] -[thuds]
…to tactics other than what we are seeing now.
[inaudible].
[audience cheering]
[Jim] As we said when we came on the air, there is nothing like seeing the WWE live.
There's nothing like a WWE pay-per-view.
But for Helmsley to survive, not just win, but to survive,
that man Hunter Hearst Helmsley has to use science.
He has to use leverage.
He has to use in other words, his brain, to upset the brawn of Ahmed Johnson.
[Vince] Helmsley, certainly knows the technical aspect of the game,
but thus far has been somewhat thrown up.
I think Helmsley in a bit of a machismo effort on his part here,
he's trying to show he's every bit the man Ahmed is.
Oh, no, and that just let up Ahmed.
Helmsley made a mistake.
[audience cheering]
Reversal, and, oh, to the buckle, out and… Oh, forget about it.
And Helmsley goes up.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Raw power of gorilla slam and a military press.
-[thuds] -[audience cheering]
[Vince] Oh, Helmsley is a long way from Greenwich Avenue right now.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Ahmed Johnson thus far very much on his game,
and as you mentioned earlier on, JR, if Ahmed can maintain his pace,
Helmsley will pay the price.
[Jim] Helmsley has got to use his speed and quickness,
and again, that science, the leverage, the knowledge that Helmsley possesses.
Helmsley has got to factor all that in, but the pace has got to quicken.
If nothing else, somehow, someway,
Helmsley has got to destroy Ahmed's vertical base.
I don't care how big and how strong you are,
when you're vertical, when you're horizontal,
it's a different ball game.
[Vince] All right. Let's see now if Helmsley can…
Oh, there's a wreck in the face.
In this country if you're Hunter Hearst Helmsley,
you can risk being disqualified
because whatever else you've been doing thus far hasn't worked.
Helmsley, work on that Johnson to the… Johnson comes firing out of there.
[Jim] More power by Ahmed Johnson,
giving it very deliberate, very, very basic.
The only thing these two men have in common,
they were both trained by WWE Hall of Famers.
Killer Kowalski trained Helmsley, Ivan Putski trained Ahmed Johnson.
[Vince] Off the rope Ahmed and, oh… No, nobody home.
[grunts]
[Vince] You wonder the kind of pressure that put on the elbow
as Ahmed was trying to drive the elbow down through Helmsley's chest.
[Jim] Ahmed getting a little over anxious as he is prone to do with his emotions.
Nobody's more intense than Ahmed Johnson in the WWE,
and Helmsley now, he's gonna try to dent the armor of this 305-pound warrior.
-[Vince] Hunter Hearst Helmsley with a… -[thuds]
-Oh, no. -[audience chatter]
[Vince] Oh, he may have done more than dent the armor with that maneuvering.
[Jim] Well, remember Helmsley can advance by a countout
as well as a disqualification of pinfall,
of course, or a submission, and Chyna almost smiling.
[Vince] Yeah, almost.
[Jim] Helmsley will take a countout right here.
[Vince] Gladly take one.
Looks like he's not gonna get it. Look out, Helmsley with a slide.
[Jim] Both these men former Intercontinental Champions,
and certainly now, Helmsley has the advantage
once Ahmed Johnson is back in the ring, let's see what Helmsley can do
to put together a succession of offensive maneuvers
and may be the eventual pinfall.
[Vince] Oh, wait a minute, here we go, high-risk maneuver
on the part of Hunter Hearst Helmsley, he'll take it upstairs and yes!
Well, a pay off for Helmsley. We have a cover.
And, well, a substantial kick out there by Ahmed Johnson.
[Jim] Ahmed Johnson's overwhelming upper body strength coming into play there.
Helmsley would have been better served
if he would have had the ability to grapevine the leg.
[audience] Ahmed! Ahmed! Ahmed!
[Vince] You can hear this capacity crowd.
[audience cheering]
-[groans] -[thuds]
-[Vince] And Helmsley leveled. -[audience cheering]
Helmsley is intimated by Ahmed Johnson.
Here go Ahmed, coming up the rope, and oh, forget about it,
right in the base of the spine.
[Jim] Ahmed Johnson scissor kick, caught Helmsley low in the kidneys,
and Ahmed Johnson knows all about kidney injuries.
Faarooq lacerated Ahmed's kidney last year
that almost ended Ahmed's career here in the WWE.
[Vince] And back body drop.
So now, Ahmed Johnson is systematically taking Helmsley apart.
If anything, we thought it might be the other way around.
Ahmed with Helmsley now, off the rope, and there we go.
[Jim] The beginning to the end here,
the spinebuster normally followed by the Pearl River Plunge.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] And I think we're just about ready to see it.
[Vince] Ahmed Johnson… [Jim] Wait a minute.
[Vince] …setting up Hunter Hearst Helmsley, and…
Oh, come on. Chyna just said something to Ahmed.
And Ahmed's concentration has been broken by Chyna, the bodyguard.
Look out, Helmsley driving a knee!
[Vince] Hey, wait a minute, Hunter Hearst Helmsley with the Pedigree.
Oh, no!
[Jim] Helmsley drilled a Pedigree, and it's over.
-[audience cheering] -[bell ringing]
[Jim] What an upset.
[Howard] Here is your winner, Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
["Ode To Joy" playing]
[Jim] There goes Ahmed Johnson!
[Vince] Well, Ahmed Johnson, what a surprise that was,
defeated by Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
Mr. Helmsley next to Chyna in part whatever Chyna said to Ahmed,
obviously was a bit confrontational.
Here we go, the next semi-final matchup.
[bell ringing]
[Howard] This semi-final match in the 1997 King of the Ring tournament
is scheduled up for one fall.
Coming down the aisle, weighing 287 pounds,
Mankind!
["Schizophrenic" playing]
[Vince] Mankind walking out to a relatively positive reception, JR,
which is something he's certainly is unaccustomed to.
[Jim] But I think he better get used to it.
It seems like his popularity suddenly seems to be growing.
[Vince] All right. Let's take a look at the way Mankind, ladies and gentlemen,
advanced, yes, Mankind with a victory over Savio Vega,
and Jerry "The King" Lawler was there to do the color commentary.
Let's get out there and interview the freak now [inaudible].
-Get inside the ring. -Get back in the ring.
[Vince] Jerry "The King" Lawler wanted to get into the action,
Mankind there with the Mandible Claw on Savio Vega, and crushed on,
I believe he was trying to help his Nation of Domination member, Savio,
but nonetheless, here's a victory for Mankind.
As uncle Paul gone…
[Vince] Uncle Paul.
…I would like this to be the biggest moment
of my wrestling life,
but apparently, Paul Bearer has more important things to do.
But I'm not about to let that stop me on my quest
to be the King of the Ring.
[audience cheering]
You see, throughout history, there have been cruelties
who have kept their subjects down.
There have been benevolent kings who help their people up.
What kind of a king would you like me to be?
[Vince laughs]
[audience chatter]
What kind of a king would you like Mrs. Foley's little boy to be?
[audience chatter]
You see, Jerry Lawler can surround himself with royal robes,
but as far as I'm concerned, the emperor has no clothes.
[Jim] That's not a pleasant thought.
Jerry Lawler is not a king.
He's is a pawn in Mankind's game.
And as the emperor with no clothes,
there is only one sight more sickening that I can think of
than Jerry Lawler walking around stark naked,
and that would be me walking around stark naked.
-[audience cheering] -[Vince laughs]
[Mankind] Amen!
[audience cheering]
-[Jim] Oh, little bang bang. -[Mankind] King Lawler,
I told you what R-E-S-P-E-C-T would mean to me,
so why don't you step on down and suck it to me, suck it to me,
-suck it to me now. -[audience cheering]
[Jim] Let's take you to Todd Pettengill, ladies and gentlemen.
I believe with The King.
Listen, The King, before we get your response to that,
let's take a look at how you advanced to this evening here against Mankind.
You were matched up against Goldust, and you did what you do best,
-you cheated. -[King] What?
[Todd] You're feet are on the ropes obviously there,
you get the win, then you rolled right out.
Victorious there was "The King" Jerry Lawler,
but then at the top of the ramp, you went roll,
roll, roll, roll, roll, roll, roll, rolling all the way home.
And to add insult to injury, Marlena stepped right on top of you, King.
Now, let's get your reaction exactly what Mankind had to say,
-[Todd] how about the emperor has… -I guess you think you're on a roll,
don't you, Pettengill? Give me that microphone.
I'm not answering anything for you. Do you get paid for this?
You moronic idiot, I don't need you.
And I don't need any of this morons here at Providence, Rhode island.
All I need to do is make my way down to this ring right now
and take care of the little business.
["The Great Gate Of Kiev" playing]
I'm here to show you idiots, you peons, what a King really is.
I want all of you peons to bow down
and kiss my royal feet, do you understand me?
Take a look at these idiots.
Hey, look at her.
Take a look at her right now. I'm surprised to see.
Was the massage parlor closed today, huh?
-[Vince] My goodness. -[King] Look at these idiots. Oh, boy.
Look at this guy. Look at this guy right here.
Hey, does your parole officer know you're out this late?
Oh, Mankind. Mankind.
Mrs. Foley's little boy, there it sits right there.
Well, we've had to listen, thanks to that bogus Jim Ross,
we've had to listen to all of your history.
You're talking about the history of kings.
Well, we've heard about your history, Mankind,
and we've all decided that we hate the fact
that your parents even ever met, do you understand me?
You ugly freak of nature,
or can you even hear me with that half a ear you got?
[King] Let me tell you something, man, 'cause… Hey.
Don't get froggy, if you feel froggy, you just jumped on a real king.
Let me tell you something right now.
You wanna know something about his childhood?
I'll tell you about his childhood.
You know, when he was born, his mother took one look at his rear end
and one look at his face, and she said, "My God, Siamese twins."
[laughing]
[audience chatter]
Let me tell you something, he's the…
You better be happy, McMahon, that Mankind is here.
You better hope nothing ever happens to him
because if he dies, then you're gonna be the ugliest man on earth.
But I'm fixed to do this right now.
If it's possible, I'm gonna make him even uglier than he already is.
[Vince] Well, look out.
[Jim] I didn't think this is a beauty contest, but I could be wrong.
[Vince] Mankind in the ring, and you sort of wonder…
[bell ringing]
…how Mankind will react to those negative…
-[Jim] Oh, my God. -[audience cheering]
[Vince] Mankind [inaudible] and Jerry "The King" Lawler.
-[Vince] Mankind… Oh. -[Jim] Good grief.
Come on. Get in the ring.
[Vince] Mankind versus King… Oh, no.
[screaming]
My face.
[Vince] Mankind ripping and snorting here,
and Jerry "The King" Lawler already is paying the price. Uh-oh.
Mankind comes up right after him.
[King groans]
The safest place for the King may be in the ring.
[Jim] Yeah. I'll tell you something,
Lawler has been in the ring with everybody you can name,
the people he's defeated, reads like a who's who in the last 20 years,
but I don't know that Lawler has ever been challenged
by anyone as unpredictable as deranged as Mankind.
[audience chatter]
[Vince] And the King… And it's Jerry "The King" Lawler,
self-professed king backing off at that, he's cornered.
And look at this, Mankind letting him out in a semi-final matchup,
our second semi-final match.
Of course, Hunter Hearst Helmsley is watching this match, no doubt,
wondering which one of these two he will face for the final encounter.
[Jim] Mankind looks to be setting for the Mandible Claw.
-[Vince] Here we go. -[Jim] Oh, and the King takes off.
As we said, Lawler, certainly the King of the USWA,
the King of Memphis over 20 years experience.
We talked about Lawler was discovered by wrestling announcer, Lance Russell,
when Lawler was a disc jockey in the radio,
and then Lawler was trained by the legendary Jackie Fargo
down on the Smoky Mountain area down at Tennessee. Look at Lawler.
-[Vince] He knows all the tricks, JR. -[Jim] He's got a PhD in cheating.
[grunts]
[Vince] Jerry "The King" Lawler hammering at…
Certainly up here from our vantage point that he has some sort of an object
stuck down in his tights.
[Jim] Mankind certainly has a high threshold of pain.
Some speculate that he even likes a little bit of pain.
-[thuds] -[grunts]
[Jim] Oh, Lawler with a bulldog headlock.
[Vince] Jerry "The King" Lawler,
his specialty, of course, is the piledriver.
You wonder if whether or not you're gonna see any of those.
[grunting]
[Vince] Oh, no.
[Jim] Lawler, everybody's long time fans certainly remember Jerry Lawler's ordeals
with the late Andy Kaufman.
[audience cheering]
[grunts]
[Vince] And Lawler certainly taking advantage of every opportunity. No.
Come on back it off!
[Vince] Lawler coming right on Mankind. Got on the steel steps.
[indistinct chatter]
[grunts]
[Vince] Lawler, and a kick to the back of the head.
Hey, [inaudible], did you see his ear?
Come on.
[Jim] Mankind, of course, has only half of one ear, he lost that in the ring.
That's on the right side of his head.
[Vince] And look out exactly where Lawler's going.
[Jim] Somewhat offers a bull's eye on the half ear
or whatever is remaining on Mankind.
And Lawler is focusing on that body part right now.
-[screams] -[Referee] One, two, three!
-[Jim] He's biting it. -[Referee] Come on!
Come on! Get off of him!
[Vince] And the King risking disqualification,
although I think again,
if he were disqualified, he might be just as happy
because he wants to get out of here unscathed,
although Jerry "The King" Lawler would very much like to officially
be a King here in the World Wrestling Entertainment.
[Jim] Well, I had the privilege of being in the first King of the Ring
on pay-per-view on '93.
That was the year that Bret Hart won it,
and Jerry Lawler made an impact that night by attacking Bret Hart after the event.
So, Lawler has made a habit of making his presence felt
in this King of the Ring events.
And again, Lawler going deep into his tights
where apparently some sort of foreign object
he had in his right hand.
-[Mankind groans] -One, two, three, four, five!
[Vince] Jerry "The King" Lawler, the master of chicanery,
and there you look at the relatively disfigured
head and shoulder area of Mankind.
Imagine an individual enduring pain just to be accepted, just to be liked.
-[Vince] That's Mankind. -[Jim] All Mick Foley ever wanted.
Mick Foley being Mankind ever wanted was to be in the WWE.
All he ever wanted to be was a wrestler, that's been his lifelong obsession.
He is here now looking for this great opportunity
for the biggest night of his life in the WWE,
and Mankind just fights back no matter how much he hurts,
no matter how much his body is wrecked with pain.
I don't think you'll ever see Mankind quit in any contest.
[Vince] Mankind just wants to be accepted,
and he could very well take his first step in terms of acceptance here tonight.
He just wants to be loved.
Nothing wrong with those wants. Oh, no.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] Mankind spent 11 years as Cactus Jack, and certainly a…
Oh, head first into the steel steps.
Mankind took an unwarranted chance there and rammed his head.
He may have jammed his neck.
Mankind may have just suffered a neck injury on that move.
[Vince] Jerry "The King" Lawler, no doubt will attempt to capitalize.
Oh, no!
Did you see Mankind's head snap back as it struck the retaining barrier?
[audience chatter]
[Vince] Lawler sending Mankind pell-mell.
No!
[Jim] Mankind's head, the noise you hear is Mankind's skull striking the steel.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Watch this.
[thuds and grunts]
That was earlier on.
[Jim] Mankind may have suffered some sort of cervical spine or something.
Lawler with the piledriver.
[audience chatter]
[Vince] And if there was damage to the neck earlier on,
there's even more damaged after that,
and Jerry "The King" Lawler will take the count-out.
If Mankind can make his way in, Lawler will be very happy
for Mankind to be counted out.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] Mankind exerting a great deal of energy
to get himself back up on the apron.
[Vince] A dropkick by Jerry "The King" Lawler.
[Jim] Mark that one down on your book,
you won't see too many dropkicks by the King.
[Vince] It was effective, I can tell you that.
Mankind has to get himself together,
has to mound an offense if he has one left.
[Jim] Mankind holding his neck, and if he's holding a body part,
you know, it's really hurting this man.
[Vince] Oh, wait a minute, here we go. Here we go.
Jerry "The King" Lawler, if he hits this, this is over.
Lawler piledrives Mankind.
[audience cheering]
Lawler, here we go with the cover up, this time, Jerry "The King"…
No. Not quite.
[Jim] Lawler so arrogant and so lax in that cover.
[Vince] Here's that dropkick, effective earlier on,
and Jerry "The King" Lawler must be upset
over the fact that he just piledrove Mankind,
and Mankind kicked out.
[Jim] Lawler obviously with that foreign object.
At least I don't have to call it an international object.
[Vince] Jerry "The King" Lawler continuing with the chicanery,
continuing with his trickery here against Mankind.
And now, for quite some time, this has been Jerry "The King" Lawler
and his offense, although, maybe Mankind can still turn it around.
[Jim] Lawler's not gonna overpower anybody,
he's gonna beat you at technique and savvy.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Mankind holding his head.
You got to believe that Mankind may have suffered
some sort of neck sprain or a jammed neck.
I'm not really sure.
But I could tell, you look at the scars on Mankind's arms,
on his head, his missing half an ear.
We've heard the stories about the matches on thumbtacks
and then rings encased in barbwire.
If he's hurt, you can tell it,
and I think Mankind is really hurting now as is The King.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] And Mankind driving the knee into the kisser,
the cranium area of Jerry "The King" Lawler.
[Jim] Mankind with no Paul Bearer here.
We heard Mankind speak about that before the match started.
[Vince] And no Paul is here in an attendance.
Paul Bearer, as Mankind said, had better things to do,
that is of course to make sure that The Undertaker as best as possible
retains the WWE Championship,
so Mankind not at all that interested in this matchup,
and I would suggest that is likely to hurt Mankind's feelings.
[Jim] Paul Bearer's priorities are The Undertaker.
As reluctant as it may be for The Undertaker,
who certainly despises Paul Bearer, but that's another story.
[Vince] Now, Jerry "The King" Lawler has turned things back around in his favor.
-The King, on target. -[thuds]
[Jim] Right on the ear.
Lawler using that right hand from the ropes,
a vintage Lawler maneuver right on that ear, the right ear of Mankind.
-[Vince] Well, what's left of it? -[Jim] Whatever is left, yeah.
He has a hard time wearing shades.
[Vince] Another… No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
-[thuds] -[audience chatter]
[Vince] And set for the… There it is. There it is, the Mandible Claw.
The Mandible Claw.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Good night, King.
All the King's men and all the King's women
couldn't wake Jerry Lawler up again.
[bell ringing]
[Vince] Mankind gets the victory.
[Howard] Here is your winner, Mankind.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] And if Mankind is listening
or looking at this very appreciative crowd,
they're actually cheering him.
They actually are happy here in Providence, Rhode Island
that Mankind has become victorious.
Mankind will now advance of course and face Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
That will be, there you see it, the final match.
Either we will see King Helmsley
or King Mankind crowned here tonight, live.
Todd Pettengill is gonna give us the lowdown I believe on Brian Pillman,
back in Mr. Pillman's locker room.
Vince, thank you. I guess, Brian,
the first question is whether or not you feel somewhat responsible
for the matchup we're gonna see here tonight
between "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels?
Responsible? Hell yes!
I reeled that sucker right in, but it was Bret who inspired me
when he whispered in my ear.
[giggles]
Well, then why are you here tonight?
I'm here to give my support for the family,
and I'm here to watch that boy toy violate that rat's ass
so I could see what's gonna be left for me tomorrow night.
It's been a long time, Steve.
But I was told, "Seek and you shall find."
[audience chatter]
[Vince] Oh, no, look at this!
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin sneaking in behind Brian Pillman.
Oh! Oh, God.
[inaudible].
How the fuck? Seek and you shall find [inaudible], huh?
Seek and find that, huh?
Tell me what you found then, you piece of garbage. You suck.
You know what, you've always had, and you always will.
[Vince] Unbelievable!
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin, ladies and gentlemen,
has given Brian Pillman, I guess the… You call that a swirly, JR?
[Jim] I don't know. I don't know what you call that.
A smelly situation for Pillman. I hope he shampoos his hair.
[tense music playing]
[bell ringing]
[Howard] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, representing The Nation of Domination,
weighing 282 pounds, Crush.
[Vince] All right. Crush of the Nation of Domination
here to lock up with Goldust.
Clarence Mason, originally Crush's attorney,
and then Clarence Mason become the manager of Record,
but Crush and of course, Clarence,
then onto manage any number of individuals,
and of course, his association with Faarooq,
the proposed WWE Champion is his highest accolade to date.
[Jim] It certainly is. The legal counsel for Faarooq is Clarence Mason.
That man, Crush, certainly, a former member of the tag team here
in the WWE known as Demolition,
and I found out that that tattoo on his forehead
is a Hawaiian symbol for the declaration of war.
[tense music playing]
[Vince] There you have it, Crush of the Nation of Domination,
conspicuous by their absence, Savio Vega as well as Faarooq.
And now, here we go.
-["Gold-Lust" playing] -[audience cheering]
[Howard] His opponent, to be accompanied down the aisle by Marlena
from Hollywood, California, weighing 260 pounds,
Goldust.
["Golden" playing]
[Jim] These fans are putting a little smile on Marlena's face,
and there is the bizarre one.
You can call him the Natural.
You can call him Dustin Runnels,
but we prefer to call him here in the WWE, Goldust.
[Vince] And this man has been through hell and back,
just to be a star, and he had become just that,
the price this man has paid is extraordinary.
[Jim] Goldust, of course, a son of the legendary American dream,
Dusty Rhodes, the Stardust himself,
and Dustin was trained by a real tough man,
Skandor Akbar, down in Dallas.
Goldust, a two-time Intercontinental Champion,
and I wonder where little Dakota is.
["Golden" playing]
[Vince] Marlena assisting Goldust.
[Jim] They're not exactly Ozzie and Harriet of one generation.
-[Vince laughs] -[Jim] They're not the Brady Bunch.
[Vince] And it's raining gold dust, ladies and gentlemen,
at the Providence Civic Center.
[Jim] Maybe they're more like the Bundys,
not King Kong Bundy, but Al and Peg.
[audience chatter]
[Vince] Well, whatever it is, it's working for them, Goldust,
"The Bizarre One."
[Jim] Once the fans could really understand this young man,
what his motivation was, what his motivation is,
they've grown to love him and respect him, respect is the keyword.
[Vince] And you wonder whether or not Crush has any respect for Goldust.
Look at him.
[Jim] I don't think Crush has respect for anyone.
Certainly with his police record, he has no respect for authority.
[Vince] You talk about respect.
What sort of respect did we just see a few moments ago?
And Brian Pillman's lock and load, imagine Brian Pillman,
what kind of shape psychologically he has in
after "Stone Cold" Steve Austin came up behind him,
and, well, sort of, at a face to face in that stall.
[Jim] Well, words of tiny bald men where you need him.
I hope Pillman gets a shower and maybe it will cool him off a bit,
but I know Brian Pillman as well as anybody in the WWE.
I've known him his entire career.
Pillman right now is probably near suicidal and certainly maniacal.
[audience cheering]
[audience] One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
[Vince laughs]
[Jim] This crowd here in Providence, Rhode Island
deep in the heart of New England are on fire here tonight.
This is WWE country.
And that will give us something to think about.
[Vince] Again, despite knowing who Goldust is nuts,
still he'll throw you off guard.
Psychological advantage, and that's not enough to put Crush away.
[Jim] I never had a man six foot six give me a kiss.
[Vince] I guess not.
[Jim] But I don't know how I would react, probably not to favor it.
[Vince] Oh, neckbreaker.
[Jim] Swinging neckbreaker. I'm not sure that Goldust got all of it,
but he's going for the cover.
Come on now.
[Vince] Goldust wanting a little faster count as Marlena looks on.
[Jim] The young lady used to do the make up of Larry King down in CNN.
-He probably tried to marry her. -[Vince laughs]
[Jim] Between wise, 19 and 21 somewhere…
[Vince] There you go.
[Jim] Good old Larry, bless his heart.
[Vince] Goldust and Crush giving the go, ladies and gentlemen,
at the King of the Ring.
Oh, my goodness!
[Jim] A lot of power, tremendous torque on a very elementary Irish sweep.
It's got us talking about putting your spine in realignment.
[Vince] Crush now with the advantage on Goldust
and sends him to the buckle on the other side
and look out [inaudible]
[Crush screams]
Crush putting it together from Kona, Hawaii.
[Jim] It has been well documented that it's not been a bed of roses
to be around Faarooq
since he was named the number one contender for the WWE title.
We have seen the ascension in the ranks of the Nation of Domination.
We saw Crush and Savio fight last week,
and then come back together and come back out
and assist Faarooq in attacking The Undertaker.
It has been a roller-coaster ride for those within the Nation of Domination.
[Vince] And Crush right now continuing to dominate.
[Jim] Right in the kidneys, very vulnerable spot right there,
and Crush who has perfected that Stan Stasiak-like heart punch
using that right hand deep into the kidneys as Mrs. Goldust very…
Oh, she's a little bit concerned and rightfully so.
[Vince] Goldust down with an uppercut.
Goldust back up on his feet and another shot.
Oh, Goldust, here we go, scoops up Crush. No, not enough.
[Jim] Goldust, his body vest just…
His back, his lower back cannot hold Crush in that slam
and from the pounding that Goldust is sustaining.
[Vince] And here's more damage to the back area.
Crush, systematically trying to take Goldust apart,
into a cover, has the leverage, and no.
Yet, another kicked out by Goldust.
[Jim] Goldust certainly would be living his American dream
with a victory here in Providence at the prestigious King of the Ring,
the fifth annual King of the Ring on pay-per-view.
[Vince] It all started not far from there in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
First ever King of the Ring.
[Jim] That was in 1986.
[Vince] Eddie Andelman in the Sport Center.
A little something to do with putting it up together
along with another group of promoters.
[Jim] I wanted to come to that event,
but Cowboy Bill Watts wouldn't give me a day off.
[Vince laughing]
[Vince] Some time ago,
nonetheless it has become an annual pay-per-view attraction
here in the World Wrestling Entertainment.
And we're very pleased that you have joined us tonight, ladies and gentlemen,
on pay-per-view with the 1997 WWE King of the Ring.
[Jim] Even though such great cities as Dayton, of Baltimore,
Philadelphia, and of course last year in Milwaukee
have hosted this event, it really has its origin and its home
here in New England from '88 to '91, the King of the Ring Tournament
took place right here in this arena.
Of course, not on pay-per-view at that time.
[Vince] And Crush down into the back area of Goldust.
-[Jim] I'm impressed by Crush's game plan. -[Vince] I am, too.
[Jim] He's focusing on the lower back. It is smart strategy.
Goldust, a little quicker of the two athletes.
But certainly in this position as I mentioned earlier,
when you're horizontal, the ball game changes.
[Vince] And Goldust in obvious pain, which I'm sure pleases Crush.
[Jim] We certainly wanna send our best wishes to WWE president,
Gorilla Monsoon, who is watching at home.
Gorilla had been a little bit under the weather lately
and our hearts, our prayers and our thoughts are with you,
Gorilla, right now.
[Vince] Nonetheless, he is vigilantly by the phone
in the event that we need some sort executive order.
Ironically, the WWE president watching on pay-per-view as all of us are.
And again, Marlena looking on and Goldust better mount an offense
or this one is gonna be over very quickly.
[Jim] The human anatomy cannot withstand the punishment and the pain
from a man this big, this strong as Crush is.
Goldust has got to… He's got to counter.
Somehow, someway, Goldust has to counter, get back on his vertical base,
and begin to use quickness, strike and move, strike and move.
It's a lot easier said than done.
[Vince] Especially against a 300 plus pounder
that we have in Crush, oh, no!
[Jim] Well, that's a counter, if you will.
[Vince laughing]
[Vince] Crush back to his feet. Can Goldust capitalize now?
The Nation upset.
Goldust with a succession of right hands.
One to the back of the head.
Crush set up for the ride, reversal now.
And a collision now.
Oh, no, trouble for Goldust.
Look at that, look at his power, the strength of… No!
[Jim] A gorilla slam right into a gutbuster by Crush.
-That should be enough. -One, two!
[Vince] And… No.
-One, two… One, two, shoulder up. -Come on.
[Jim] This kid is chip off the old block, certainly will not quit,
great competitive spirit.
I saw this young man play high school football.
He was quite the defensive lineman, covering sideline to sideline
going a hundred percent, full speed, no, never down.
[Vince] Goldust now, catches an elbow, and Crush continuing to assert himself.
[Jim] Again, we talked about pace and timing.
Crush has slowed it back down.
This is Crush's ball game to win right here.
[Vince] And again, Marlena looking on.
Crush with a great deal of support around ringside,
sure Goldust has Marlena,
but Crush has almost the whole Nation out there.
-[thuds] -Oh!
[Vince] A clothesline, the big man is down.
Come on!
[Vince] Goldust trying to get himself up.
[Goldust] Whoa!
[Vince] Uh-oh, look at this, Goldust with the succession, look out,
and I know that's right.
Ho, ho!
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Goldust with the advantage, and Goldust with an opportunity.
[Jim] Oh, wait a minute.
[Vince] Look, see, just as soon as Goldust gains the advantage.
That was the plan all along.
They're gonna try to distract Goldust or take Marlena out of there.
Bulldog!
[Jim] The Bulldog headlock by Goldust.
[Vince] Goldust has spotted what's going on.
And D'Lo over there along with Clarence, and here comes Goldust.
Behind you.
Goldust. Watch out. Behind you.
[Vince] And look out behind Goldust.
Again, that's what they do, they set you up.
And there's a little inkling of what we could likely see later tonight
with the entire Nation out here
when Faarooq attempts to be the WWE Champion.
[Jim] The Nations, certainly masters of the diversionary tactics.
[Vince] Oh, he got him. He got him. It's all enough to put him away.
-[Vince] Yeah. -[bell ringing]
["Golden" playing]
[Howard] Here's your winner, Goldust.
["Golden" playing]
[Vince] Goldust stands victorious.
[Jim] And with a little hug there from Marlena.
Yeah, it could be European gold tomorrow night.
[Vince] Goldust, his next challenge, JR, will be tomorrow night
when he attempts to become the European Champion
at the expense of the British Bulldog.
[Vince laughing]
[Vince] They are husband and wife.
All right, let's go back and show you
some of that that's leading up to Goldust's victory.
What a sensational victory here today.
All right. Watch this.
Here you see D'Lo in one side, that's D'Lo Brown, his big and his bad.
On the other side, Clarence Mason.
[Jim] Clarence Mason trying to play Johnnie Cochran here.
Wanna have a sidebar with Marlena,
but Goldust took care of business, and the DDT.
["Golden" playing]
[Vince] All right. Thanks a lot, guys.
[Dok] You know tonight, your opponents, The Hart Foundation
are a very close knit unit, and the best I know
this is the first time ever the three of you
have ever been in the tag team together,
but I would imagine there's a lot of revenge factor
for the Hart Foundation as far as the Legion of Doom is concerned.
Well, revenge is a dish best serve cold,
and by diddly-do-squat, we're serving the coldest dish in town.
You know, you're talking about a tightened unit.
Every fan in the World Wrestling Entertainment knows
there's not a tighter tag team than the Legion of Doom,
the Road Warriors,
the one you got to worry about is you, are you gonna be there for a tag?
Listen, you don't worry about me, because when it comes to me, brother,
I am the man and the ruler of the world.
And I don't have to worry about the Hart Foundation,
because tonight I think we all could agree on one thing.
Tonight is gonna be the worst night for the Hart Foundation.
[laughing]
[Vince] All right. Let's go to my twin brother from another mother,
Todd Pettengill standing by with the Hart Foundation.
Thank you very much, obviously, LOD, Sycho Sid,
looking for a little revenge, and this time, Bulldog,
Sycho Sid is in their corner.
You know what, we beat Legion Of Doom fair and square
and in your house in April, and tonight, there's no reason
why history shouldn't repeat itself right here at the King of the Ring.
That's right, Bulldog, here hold this, Pettengill,
-hold it up high, show all the people. -Show.
Now, LOD, you walkout there with the pretty make-up on your faces
and your fucking little Halloween costume, that doesn't cut it
here at the Hart Foundation because we are family.
It takes a hell of a lot more than make-up on your faces to beat us,
and you got Sycho Sid in your corner,
you can't trust each other, how can you even trust him, right, Anvil?
You know, and speaking about Sycho Sid,
if you think you're crazy, big man, you haven't seen anything yet.
[laughing]
["Road To Destruction" playing]
[bell ringing]
[Howard] The following Six-Man Tag Team Match is scheduled in for one fall.
Coming out in the aisle, at a total combined weight of 761 pounds,
members of the Hart Foundation,
Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart,
The European Champion, the British Bulldog,
and two-time Slammy Award winner and Intercontinental Champion,
Owen Hart.
[Vince] The big and black attack is back.
["Road To Destruction" playing]
[audience cheering]
[Jim] And "The Hitman", [inaudible] who just joined us,
"Hitman" Bret Hart said that earlier on in the Free For All.
He was gonna come out and sit right between yours truly and JR,
and color-commentate
during the "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels matchup.
-["What A Rush" playing] -[audience cheering]
[Vince] Listen to this.
[Howard] And their opponents in a total combined weight of 830 pounds,
introducing first from Chicago, Illinois, root for your heart,
Road Warriors Animal, The Legion of Doom.
["What A Rush" playing]
[audience cheering]
["Psycho Dance" playing]
[audience cheering]
[Howard] And their tag-team partner from West Memphis, Arkansas,
Sycho Sid.
[audience cheering]
["Psycho Dance" playing]
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Here he comes, ladies and gentlemen, six feet nine,
I remember 300 pounds, he is back in action,
Sycho Sid.
["Psycho Dance" playing]
I love it. I love it. I love it.
[Jim] We talk about impressive, statuesque.
Sycho Sid is a two-time WWE Champion.
[audience cheering]
And the Legion of Doom, the Road Warriors
will psyche you out, Sycho Sid, what a…
They love him in Providence, Rhode Island,
they love him all over the World Wrestling Entertainment
a great competitor Sycho Sid,
Sid and LOD together.
[Vince] The late Kerry Von Erich once said to Sycho Sid
was the toughest man that he ever faced.
And you can feel the pace stricken here
-at the King of the Ring. -[bell ringing]
[audience chatter]
[Jim] Sycho Sid is so massive, six-nine,
313, 317, he is all man, no doubt about that.
And that the question the Road Warriors had was,
can they depend on Sycho Sid?
Sid has been known in his career to be very unpredictable.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] All right. Here we go. Standing sidelock, starting things off.
Owen Hart, ladies and gentleman, and, Animal, Animal,
has [inaudible] himself from the get-go.
[Jim] Folks, a quick reminder that Goldust, Marlena and Crush
are on the WWE superstar line.
You'll hear from the winners and losers all night tonight
on the WWE superstar line, no matter if you're in the States,
the United Kingdom or in Canada.
-[thuds] -Oh!
[Vince] And nobody home.
Broadcasting all over the world, ladies and gentlemen.
Now, psychological tactics with a pause there on the part of Owen Hart.
[Jim] It surprises me that Owen Hart is the leader of man for this trio
but Owen Hart won't allow his team to set a fast pace.
To use their technical expertise,
and the Harts had more technical expertise than their opponent.
But not more power, not more strength.
[Vince] And look out, Owen Hart is headed the wrong way.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] And Owen Hart in a world of hurt from the other side. Big power.
No, and Owen Hart able to kick out.
But The Anvil I think have little something to do with that.
[Jim] Owen Hart is not a small man, he's 227, 230 pounds,
but he's the smallest man in this match,
and this is good strategy by this big trio
of the Road Warriors and Sycho Sid to isolate Owen Hart if possible,
that's why I was a little surprised that Owen Hart started it off here.
[Vince] But when it comes to strategy, surely you can't take nothing away
from the British Bulldog and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart.
Well, for that matter, Owen.
They know all about strategic maneuvers,
and all about how to begin and end a matchup
because again, we all recall,
Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, a Tag Team Champion for many years
whipped Bret "The Hitman" Hart who is watching this matchup.
And I'm not so sure that Bret would not have some degree of influence
as to the strategy the Hart Foundation would use.
[Jim] Well, a tag made now to powerful British Bulldog
who if anybody in the WWE can matchup power wise with Sycho Sid certainly,
one would assume it would be the British Bulldog,
the reigning European Champion, the pride of the United Kingdom.
He's so proud of his heritage from Manchester, England
and rightfully so.
[VInce] And the Bulldog wanting to test Sycho Sid in the strength department.
That's not exactly what he wanted. Here we go.
That's exactly what the Bulldog wanted now.
Sid up and Sid in trouble.
[Jim] Oh, my, a lot of power.
[Vince] And look at Sid, he got right up from a…
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Sycho Sid takes the vertical suplex, comes right back up
to a full six foot nine and nothing but power.
-[Vince] And here comes Hawk. -[grunt]
[Jim] This may be quite a rush for the British Bulldog
who tags in his brother-in-law Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart.
Neidhart and Bulldog are married to the sisters of Bret and Owen Hart.
[Vince] And now, all six members of this matchup have had action.
And here we go with a wreck in the face of the big rhino,
Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart.
[both grunt]
[groans]
[Jim] These two guys collide is like a Mack Truck
and a Peterbilt running face to face head on.
[Vince] Succession of forearms to the chest.
And Hawk for the ride. Hawk to the buckle. Uh-oh.
And Hawk trying to maul Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart.
Here we go, to the outside.
All the way upstairs down. Onto the clothesline.
Is that enough to put him away? No.
[Jim] Neidhart had attended UCLA on a track scholarship.
At one time, he was a world class shot putter.
Even had a try-out for the Dallas Cowboys
even though Neidhart have never played amateur football.
Neidhart won the anvil toss at the Calvary Stampede.
He is all athlete, a pure athlete.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] [inaudible] crowd here in Providence, Rhode Island,
and join the 1997 King of the Ring, we certainly hope you are as well.
Look at this. Behind the official's back.
[Jim] The political science major from UCLA
being a little bit hammered by three adversaries here.
[Vince] And Hawk trying to slow things down.
And The Anvil won't have it. Back up on his feet.
The powerhouse Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart.
Hawk off the ropes, and nobody goes anywhere
except The Anvil after the dropkick.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] Legion of Doom certainly have developed a great rivalry
with the Hart Foundation here in the WWE.
LOD wanting to leave as the uncrowned tag-team champions.
[Vince] And they are.
[Jim] Where else Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels
may have a little bit to say about that, but be that as it may, it…
[Vince] You did say uncrowned. Oh, wait, look at this.
Oh, devastating. Wait a minute. Look at this!
A cover. Is it over? No, a kick out.
Earlier, we saw Sid. I mean, come on.
LOD and Sid, how pumped are they, JR,
to be able to kick out a big powerful maneuvers like that?
[Jim] Well, they're all… Oh, no!
Spinning heel kick by Owen Hart, and the baby boy of Stu and Helen
with a great offensive move there.
-Oh, no. -[thuds]
[Jim] Neidhart is going nuts out here at Animal.
[grunts]
[Jim] The referee did not see that
or we would have been hearing the bell by now.
[Vince] Well, the official busy with Sid.
-And… Uh-oh. -[thuds]
Snap suplex, [inaudible] into the Dynamite Kid. No.
Count of two is all you can get on the big Animal.
[Vince] And look out, a slingshot and, yes.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Neidhart around 300 pounds like a missile.
Animal's foot on the rope there, interrupting the count.
[Vince] Here's a, look at that, spinning heel kick by Owen Hart.
Watch this on the replay.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Back to live action.
[Vince] Oh, come on, ref, turn around, look at the Bulldog.
Look at the Bulldog masterfully distract the official.
Oh, come on, you saw that.
[Jim] The Hart Foundation is playing this referee like a Stradivarius,
and the music for this fans here.
To the LOD and Sycho Sid, it's not very sweet.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] And LOD. Uh-oh.
Animal trying to make the tag, but, no. He's in no man's land now.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] Owen Hart, the Intercontinental Champion
is really opening up here on Animal
with some assist by the European Champion, the British Bulldog and The Anvil.
[Vince] And again Hawk risking disqualification as well.
I think neither team really cares.
They wanna come out of this match whole.
[Jim] Owen Hart
certainly counting Butcher Vachon, Dory Funk Jr. and Billy Robinson
as role models in his early career.
Looking great here.
[Vince] And the Bulldog, the legal man.
Can the power of the Bulldog match up with that of Animal?
We're about to find out.
Will Animal go for the ride off with a powerslam?
Oh, Davey "Boy" Smith. Oh, no, look at that.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] The Bulldog from Manchester, England,
who turned pro at the age of 15 finds himself in a lot of trouble.
[Vince] No, he's back in control, and fans watching live
in the United Kingdom, very proud of the Bulldog.
[audience cheering]
-And the Bulldog has pulled it off. -[Jim] No, he hasn't.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Not yet anyhow.
[Jim] The Bulldog is married to Diana, formerly Hart, now Diana Smith,
obviously who's competing in the Mrs. Calgary contest
on this very night.
[Vince] Big Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart in there now.
[grunting]
[Vince] And Animal obviously the powerhouse of his team,
but slowly but surely they are sapping the power of Animal.
[Jim] Animal has been in the ring a long, long time,
and if there's one thing the Road Warriors may have as a deficiency,
and it's only speculation might be their stamina,
their cardiovascular condition.
And we've seen multiple tags by the Hart Foundation
isolating Animal from his tag-team partners.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] And Animal trying to maneuver,
driving the elbow to the midsection, repeatedly
finding a hole that is broken.
Oh, and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart lifting that knee right into the abdominal area.
[Jim] Neidhart trained six years in Calgary
under the tutelage of the masters Stu Hart.
[Vince] And look at this. Owen is a battering ram.
Tag was made, and Owen Hart is the legal man,
and Owen Hart with the cover.
[Vince] And the left shoulder up.
[Jim] This is getting to be textbook by the Hart Foundation
who next month will be in their hometown of Calgary
for a gigantic pay-per-view broadcast from the Saddledome.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Yes, that's Canadian Stampede, ladies and gentlemen.
We hope you will join us in July,
the 6th of July to be exact, more on that later on.
Off the rope now, and Animal's in big time trouble.
He just missed the tag by a hair.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] Animal really trying to suck in that oxygen,
but right now, Owen Hart has got the sleeper applied.
The carotid artery has been cramped.
The goal is to render your opponent unconscious,
and that's exactly what Owen Hart is trying to do.
[Vince] And Animal, look at this, somehow back up on his feet,
and now the tag was made anyhow.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Animal now watching the Hawk slams Owen Hart.
Hawk climbing upstairs, and nobody there.
Tag is made, here comes Bulldog.
[Jim] A smart tag by Owen Hart.
A great tag by Owen Hart, getting the Bulldog in.
The Bulldog can quicken the pace and still give you a power,
but he couldn't find the mark there.
[Vince] And look at how quick [inaudible] is the ankle twisted.
[Jim] Oh, no. Make a wish.
[Vince] And it looks like Bret Hart's wish is gonna come true.
Bret Hart watching this matchup. Uh-oh.
From the other side, double clothesline.
[audience cheering]
And here comes Sid.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Sycho Sid is mowing bodies down, right and left.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Owen Hart, the legal man knocked outside.
[audience cheering]
[thuds]
[Vince] Oh, wait a minute, that's Owen Hart.
Owen Hart with Sid.
[audience cheering]
[bell ringing]
["Road To Destruction" playing]
[Howard] Here are your winners, the British Bulldog,
Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart and Owen Hart.
[Vince] You talk about stealing a victory,
and getting out untouched as quickly as you can.
Nonetheless, it's a victory.
["Road To Destruction" playing]
[Vince] Yes, there you have it,
the Hart's victorious from Calgary, Alberta.
["Road To Destruction" playing]
[Jim] Well, what a summer, ladies and gentlemen,
right here in the World Wrestling Entertainment.
-What a King of the Ring event thus far. -[audience cheering]
And just who will be crowned the King?
Will it be Mankind
or will it be Hunter Hearst Helmsley? What do you think, JR?
[Jim] I'll tell you something, I thought it was gonna be Ahmed Johnson all along
but Mankind's my sentimental favorite, so I'm gonna lay my money on Mankind.
Nonetheless, it's likely to change the course of events for whomever it is
that will be the 1997 King of the Ring just as it changed the course events
for a gentleman by the name of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
who just last year became the King of the Ring,
and ever since then he has been something else.
Let's take a look.
As the King of the Ring,
I'm serving notice to everyone of the WWE Superstars,
I don't give a damn what they are,
they're all on the list and that's Stone Cold's list
and I'll fix to start running through all of them.
[inaudible].
Austin 3:16, says, "I just whipped your ass."
[Jim] Oh, there it is. There it is. It's over.
And that's the bottom line because Stone Cold said so.
[Todd] Last year, at the King of the Ring spectacular,
that's where it started for "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
Mankind, you are one step away from becoming King of the Ring for 1997,
the only thing that stands in your way, Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
Well, I may not feel like a million bucks. How do I look?
But I'll tell you this much,
Hunter Hearst Helmsley better be driving the train
and better be willing to run me over because I'm not going down for anyone.
And there's a line from a movie I once walked by
and I feel very strongly about it right now,
it says, "I just can't wait to be King."
Have a nice day.
-Back to you guys. -[Vince] Thank you very much.
Oh, my, what a match up this is gonna be, ladies and gentlemen. Here he comes.
[bell ringing]
[Howard] Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final match
to determine the 1997 King of the Ring,
scheduled for one fall.
Coming down the aisle, weighing 287 pounds,
Mankind!
[Vince] Mankind victorious earlier on. We're gonna take a look at it now.
Jerry "The King" Lawler, looked like he was in control until…
[Vince laughs]
[Jim] The most debilitating maneuver in the entire WWE,
the deadly Mandible Claw.
And can you imagine that claw,
that covering must just reek with odor.
How would Helmsley react to have his gullet fill with Mankind's fist?
[Vince] Actually, I don't think he ever thought about that.
Nonetheless, we could be looking at the next King of the Ring in Mankind.
However…
Here we go.
["Ode To Joy" playing]
[Howard] His opponent, accompanied by Chyna,
from Greenwich, Connecticut,
weighing in 243 pounds Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
[Vince] All right. Hunter Hearst Helmsley victorious in his first outing
and in an upset with Ahmed Johnson,
and Chyna distracting Ahmed
what then led Hunter Hearst Helmsley on to victory. Here we go.
Earlier tonight.
[Jim] Well, Ahmed Johnson, I thought had the match won.
Chyna, the distraction, Chyna, the diversion,
and then the Pedigree, and nobody,
not even Ahmed Johnson is going to recover from the Pedigree.
[Vince] Take a look.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley's bodyguard, 200 pounds, Chyna.
[Jim] Helmsley is a blue blood, Mankind has lost blood all over the world
and he's proud of it.
[Jim] Helmsley probably feels that this is his birthright
to be the King of the WWE.
But on the other hand, Mickey Foley also known as Mankind,
this, without a doubt, would be the biggest pure thrill of his life
and I'm not so sure, Vince, that this guy, Mankind,
he's got to be hurting with that neck.
He's reacting too much to his neck for it not to be injured.
And this is what it's all about, the finals here at the King of the Ring.
[bell ringing]
[Vince] Helmsley might even think that it's beneath him
to have to wrestle a man like Mankind, battered, scarred, bleeding.
And you brought out earlier on, in all likelihood with an injured neck
as a result of a, what we saw earlier on.
[Jim] I don't know which is harder to fathom,
King Mankind or Queen Chyna.
[Vince laughs]
[Vince] There she is.
[audience chatter]
[Vince] Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
You can make fun all you want of his snootiness if you would
or his arrogance but you can't take away his athleticism.
[Jim] Helmsley is, he's a magnificent athlete.
He was taught well, Killer Kowalski, as we mentioned trained Helmsley.
Helmsley is a thinking man's wrestler, but for that matter,
at least in my estimation, Vince, so is Mankind.
He's much… He is an incredibly high IQ does Mankind.
[Vince] And an incredibly high threshold of pain.
Top wristlock.
This is a match I'm sure that earlier today,
Mankind was thinking, "What a great night it would be for Dude Love."
If good old Dude Love could just be here now.
An alter ego, of course, of Mankind.
[Vince] But if Mankind can pull him off,
just imagine the support he will garner from WWE fans all over the world.
I don't know if they'll know how to react to it quite frankly, JR.
[Jim] I think win, lose, or draw, Mankind is on his way to overwhelming popularity.
And when you hear the guy's story, we'll continue to tell the story.
This Monday night on Raw is where the final installment.
It's a… Well, it's just been an amazing eye-opening experience
certainly for me to have the opportunity to talk to this man.
[Referee] One, two, three!
[Vince] Hunter Hearst Helmsley being mauled somewhat by Mankind.
As Mankind sets him up.
Oh, he was going for it right there, JR, that Mandible Claw.
[Jim] Dr. Sam Sheppard perfected that maneuver
about three decades ago it would seem.
Mankind kind of brought it back out of the closet, so to speak,
when he came to the WWE.
Boy, these guys are about as stark contrast in their,
in their home life, in their youth, in their upbringing
as you could ever imagine.
Helmsley, the rich, affluent,
born with a silver spoon in his mouth, blue blood
and of course Mick Foley was hitchhiking to Madison Square Garden
when he was in junior high just to see the WWE Superstars.
[Vince] Yes. But they both have been students of the game
and continued to be although obviously very different styles.
[Jim] Has Helmsley ever tried to buy the WWE?
-[Vince] I don't believe so. -[Jim] It's not for sale, is it?
[Vince laughs]
[Vince] All right. And Mankind is in control at the moment.
[Jim] If it breaks down into a slugfest,
you know, Mankind got to be the overwhelming favorite.
[Vince] I agree with that.
[Jim] When you're outside here surrounded by steel and concrete,
you're in Mankind territory.
This is not the Russian tea room in New York City.
This is not [inaudible] on British Avenue.
[Vince] Oh, no. It's the Providence Civic Center,
the site of the '97 King of the Ring.
And Chyna is starting to slowly make a move.
And she is not above getting physically involved in Mr. Helmsley's matches.
[Jim] Several weeks ago on Shotgun Saturday Night,
these two men met.
And Chyna to say she made her presence felt will be a gross understatement.
[Vince] Mankind against Helmsley.
The winner is the King of the Ring. And Mankind…
The last time that these two men met, Chyna with some low blows,
Mankind was talking like Kerri Strug,
the little Olympian for about two or three days after that low blow from Chyna.
In other words, his voice was rather high pitched.
[Vince] I got it, JR, thank you.
[Jim] You know where I'm going here with that.
[Vince] Mankind's neck snapped right backwards
that came off and struck that buckle.
Cleaver maneuver on the part of Hunter Hearst Helmsley,
Helmsley with the advantage and he wants to keep it, I can tell that.
The pace quickens here.
Here we go, Helmsley now, off the rope and neckbreaker again,
more damage to the neck.
[Jim] Helmsley certainly reminds me of some of the great veterans,
some that are still competing these days that are masters of the game,
again thinking man's wrestler.
So technically sound.
Helmsley has those traits and for a guy in his mid 20s.
I mean, the sky is the limit for someone
with the cerebral abilities of Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
[Vince] Not withstanding, he does have a slight advantage,
psychologically and physically sometimes
with that female bodyguard on the outside, Chyna.
And again, more damage to the neck.
Helmsley, really going to work on Mankind
and you can bet as we outlined earlier on
in a match up with Jerry "The King" Lawler,
Helmsley was watching every second.
Helmsley is a student.
[Vince] He'll pick your apart, won't he, JR?
[Jim] Oh, yeah, no doubt out it.
Helmsley is a man that studies videotapes,
certainly prepares diligently as diligently as anybody here.
But when it comes down to a fist fight, how do you prepare for that?
And quite frankly how do you prefer for the unpredictable nature of Mankind?
[Vince] I don't know that you can.
[thuds]
[Jim] You know, from my conversations with Mankind,
you think you know where you're going with a line of questioning,
but it seems like you never get there
because I'm not so sure Mankind fully understands how to express himself.
He has so many unique experiences in his life.
[Vince] But then again he's actually quite eloquent
once he begins talking to you in a different environment.
[Jim] Well, yeah. He's very well-read, he's quoted Shakespeare.
He's a very unusual person to put it nicely.
I don't know if I call him a renaissance man, but maybe…
[Vince] Oh, look at this, right in front of Chyna.
Oh!
[audience cheering]
[Jim] When you can bench press 320 pounds,
you know those right hands have some meaning and so does that heel.
Way down low one of those Golota's, Andrew Golota.
[Vince laughs]
[Jim] And luckily for Mankind,
the referee did not see that real infraction.
[Vince] That would've been an automatic disqualification
but right now Mankind certainly with the presence of mind
and know exactly what to do.
Presence of exactly where the official was…
Uh-oh, look out. No, no, no. Mankind!
[Jim] Oh, good Lord, he's hung. Mankind is hung.
-And not for the… -[audience cheering]
[Vince] Mankind, his mask came right off and he puts it right back on.
And caught in those ropes a devastating, imagine.
[audience cheering]
Imagine how much pressure was on the face and maybe even that damage ear.
Oh, no. And look at this, Mankind trying to get back in.
Mankind… Oh, no. Did you see his head, again right into the barrier.
[Jim] Mankind's skull has struck the steel several times tonight
in the first match with Jerry Lawler and here with Helmsley.
-[thuds] -[Vince] Oh, no!
[Jim] And again the head, the trauma to the head and the neck
of Mankind may become simply overwhelming.
[audience chatter]
[Vince] Chyna looking on…
as Mankind almost helpless thrown into the ring.
Let's see now if Hunter Hearst Helmsley can capitalize
on the damage done to the head and neck area of Mankind.
[audience chatter]
Helmsley now drops right in the back of the neck again.
Drops the knee.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Great moves there by Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
A highly raised knee drop right to the back of the head, again…
[Vince] And another one.
[Jim] That concussion, that impact on Mankind's head and neck.
[Vince] The official there to ask Mankind if he wants to give it up.
Oh, and a rake to the face there by Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
[Jim] I think Helmsley was trying to twist that neck some more.
[Vince] Could've been.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] Helmsley is so smart, so well-schooled.
I don't think you'll see Helmsley attempt anything
but upper body moves specifically on the head and neck.
[Vince] And Mankind, no!
[audience cheering]
[groans]
[Vince] Oh, yes, Mankind driving Hunter Hearst Helmsley into the ropes,
and those ropes just snapped Mr. Helmsley's back,
and that is probably enough to get him.
Right shoulder barely up.
[Jim] Both these men are physically hurting right now.
This is second match tonight for both of them.
This is the finals of the King of the Ring.
[grunts]
Mankind with a hotshot dropping Helmsley south on the ropes.
-[Vince] Here we go and… -[Jim] Oh.
[Vince] Mankind, what will he do now with Hunter Hearst Helmsley?
[Jim] You got to think Mankind just looking for the opportunity
for the Mandible Claw.
[thuds]
[Jim] Double leg takedown of Mankind's
either his equilibrium or the pain was so riveting
that he couldn't maintain control of Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
[Vince] Yeah. And it almost turned into a DDT there from Helmsley.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Mankind back to his feet, again,
not a lot of fancy maneuvering here, Mankind.
Here, that's what he does best. Look what he's doing now.
[audience cheering]
[grunts]
[Vince] Wow, very effective!
Mankind holding the back of his neck.
Mankind with Hunter Hearst Helmsley now,
both men back to their feet, and it looks like Helmsley is.
Uh-oh.
Oh, look out.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Mankind hurt himself, I think.
[Jim] Helmsley tied upside down, got the brunt of the blow,
but the impact alone has re-injured
or continue to injure and pain Mankind.
[Vince] Mankind now with Hunter Hearst Helmsley
and Helmsley through the ropes to the outside.
-Look out. -[grunting]
[Jim] Mankind going for a baseball slide. And now again, they're in no man's land.
[audience cheering]
No mats, no padding.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Concrete floor.
[grunts]
[Vince] Mankind, I think I have an idea what he might be doing here.
And watch this, JR. Mankind, here we go and watch it.
[audience cheering]
-[grunts] -[audience cheering]
[Jim] Both men are hurt
from that kamikaze-like high-risk maneuver.
[audience chatter]
[Vince] Mankind with Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
Let's see if he can throw him in the ring and polish him off now.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] Somebody's probably sitting in someone's living room saying,
"But they know how to fall."
How do you learn how to fall on concrete?
[Vince] Here's another look at it.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Impact, as we go back live now.
-Oh, that should do it. -[Jim] A double arm DDT.
Mankind's got the pin, Chyna's got the referee distracted.
[Vince] Oh, the shoulder apparently came up.
[Jim] Once again, Chyna has prevented Helmsley from losing.
[Vince] Just as Chyna distracted Ahmed Johnson…
and got involved in the first match up, now she's involved in this one.
-[Vince] Uh-oh. -[Jim] Pedigree time.
-[Jim] No. -[thuds]
[audience cheering]
[Vince] There it is. There it is.
[Jim] Mandible Claw. The Mandible Claw. It'll be all over.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Chyna just pulled him straight out over the official's head.
What did you do?
[audience chatter]
[Vince] Maybe we have another look at it.
Chyna reached right out and pulled Mankind.
Here we go, watch this out.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] As Chyna continues to look on
and become more and more involved in this match now.
[Jim] A neckbreaker right off the ropes and Mankind falls, limp to the floor.
A neckbreaker, a tremendous maneuver,
and remember, Helmsley can win this thing via count out.
[Vince] But yet, Mankind somehow has backed up on his feet.
[grunts]
[Jim] Well, he says he's the king of the death matches.
[Vince] Well, let's hope that the…
[Jim] And that's the environment we have here.
And off comes the mask.
[Vince] Oh, look at this.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] There it is. There it is. There's the claw. There's the claw.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] A thumb right to the eye, it would seem, right there
that causes the separation.
Helmsley again gets a reprieve, inverted atomic drop.
[Vince] Mankind with Helmsley, what's he gonna do with him?
Helmsley is in a world of hurt, here's the cover.
And a kick-out by Helmsley.
Helmsley wants to be the King of the Ring just as badly as Mankind.
[audience chatter]
[Vince] Here we go. Both men over.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Both men on the outside. That had to take it's toll on both men.
[Jim] You have to wonder what would happen if both men were counted out here.
A man… Look at Mankind fight?
His body's gotta be a wreck with pain. He's got to be hurting from head to toe.
Oh, no.
Chyna pulled Helmsley out of the way
and Mankind missed the reverse elbow
and struck his head on the steel railings for the umpteenth times.
[audience chatter]
[Vince] And no!
[Jim] Head first. Head first smashed right into the steel steps.
Get her out of here.
[Vince] Hey. What do you think you're doing?
[Jim] What are you doing?
[Vince] And right out in front of us, no, wait a minute.
[Jim] Wait a minute. What are you? Don't do that.
Get him off the table.
[audience cheering]
[grunts]
[inaudible].
[Jim] I don't know if this is working or not.
[Vince] And I'm back with you, JR., I don't know if mine is or not either.
Unbelievable.
Mankind, but look at him, he's back, no!
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Chyna just shattered a steel scepter
on the back of the head of Mankind.
She just shattered it, yet he's still up on his feet somehow.
Mankind wants to win this.
[grunts]
[Vince] A photographer got knocked down and I don't…
Tom Buchanan, a photographer was just nailed by Mankind.
As Mankind went flying out. And look at this.
What kind of carnage…
can possibly continue as Chyna looks on.
[audience cheering]
This capacity crowd very much…
[Jim] They're cheering for Mankind
but they're maybe nothing left of Mrs. Foley's baby boy.
[Vince] There can't be. No!
[Jim] I can't believe it. I can't believe that.
[Vince] How can Mankind do what he is doing?
The kind of pain this man has endured and here we go.
Helmsley sets him up with the Pedigree.
Is that enough to beat him?
It is.
[bell ringing]
[Howard] The winner of this bout and new King of the Ring,
Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
["Ode To Joy" playing]
[Jim] Now Mankind is gonna have some… We need help out here for Mankind.
My God, look at him. He looks like he's been on a car wreck.
He looks like he's gone to the windshield.
[Vince] Hunter Hearst Helmsley victorious
and now pointing over to Todd Pettengill.
["Ode To Joy" playing]
All right. Let's take a look at the scepter
that was used by Chyna behind the official's back. Watch this.
[All] Oh!
[Vince] That's a metal scepter.
-[Jim] She's a Jezebel. -[Vince] And then of course the Pedigree.
Wait a minute, let's get it back up, live,
Todd Pettengill was just brought into the ring.
Oh, look at this.
Pettengill was reluctant to come into the ring
and do the coronation because of Mankind's presence
and Chyna just hurled Pettengill right into the ring.
[Jim] Well, that's uncalled for, tasteless, absolutely tasteless.
Ladies and gentlemen.
I got to straighten it out. -[Jim] Is somebody gonna help Mankind?
Your royal robe…
[audience chatter]
[Jim] You know the hell with the coronation.
-We got a man hurt here. -[audience cheering]
[Vince] In front of Mankind, look at this. How much humiliation as Helmsley…
Your scepter was destroyed
but here is your crown.
[Vince] And Hunter Hearst Helmsley, ladies and gentlemen, crowned.
Here he goes, no!
And Helmsley with that crown just hammering into the back of Mankind.
[Jim] Has Helmsley lost his mind?
That is sick!
[Vince] Mankind was inching towards Helmsley.
[Todd] Ladies and gentlemen, the 1997 King of the Ring,
Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Look at this.
["Ode To Joy" playing]
[Vince] I don't know how but somehow, JR,
we're gonna have to get used to the moniker of King Helmsley
and I would suspect Queen Chyna.
And Mankind, look Mankind is starting to move.
[Jim] Oh, no. That's amazing.
He's crawling on his hands and his knees and will not quit.
[Vince] Mankind still wants to go, he's up on his…
He still wants to go.
And Helmsley is restraining Chyna, it looks like, to get her back.
["Ode To Joy" playing]
[Vince] Mankind crawling to get back up.
I think he wants to have more up of Hunter Hearst Helmsley,
he'll have to wait for another day.
[Jim] This is so sad. It's literally heartbreaking.
How much more could this guy give?
[Vince] All right. Let's take you now, ladies and gentlemen,
to some of the footage
that led us up to the Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold individual matchup
as we take a look at Mankind here.
[narrator] For nearly four months,
an injury kept Shawn Michaels
from fully showcasing his athletic prowess,
but it did not thwart him from serving notice
that he was still a force in the WWE,
still no one could've imagine
that his restless efforts during that period
would facilitate upon with the most unlikely of candidates.
[Jim] Shawn Michaels back in action on wrestling.
[narrator] But on the night of his celebrated return,
the Heartbreak Kid officially albeit
reluctantly join forces with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
in an effort to eliminate a mutual foe.
[Jim] Can he co-exist?
[narrator] Through a single-minded purpose,
it appeared these two would temporarily put aside their differences
in hopes of dismantling the Hart Foundation.
[Vince] Uh-oh, look at Michaels going right after him.
Here comes Stone Cold.
Michaels was electric, right back from the frying pan into the fire.
Ring rust, circus by hurricanrana.
[narrator] Their tag team effort was nothing short of impressive.
Punishment department.
And while Shawn Michael was back in full stride,
his effort and that of Austin's
were overshadowed by the mere image of them as partners.
Reality, however, found its way into the picture with Bret Hart.
Clearly his plan was to welcome Shawn Michaels back to the WWE
in his own fashion
and certainly not to witness his camp fall victim to this hated odd couple.
[audience cheering]
[narrator] So it came as a little surprise
when mayhem replaced celebration at the conclusion of this bout.
[bell ringing]
[Vince] Look at this, the Hart Foundation.
-[Jim] Oh, he's hurt. -[Vince] It's all over Shawn Michaels.
[bell ringing]
[Jim] And Austin is not helping Shawn.
[narrator] But even the biggest skeptics
of the Stone Cold, Shaw Michaels combination watched in horror
as Austin abandoned Michaels and zeroed in on his personal prize.
[Vince] No, no!
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Austin is taking Bret Hart apart!
[narrator] Obligated to continue their unlikely partnership
controversies substituted for camaraderie.
Okay, what's your problem?
-[Austin] What's your problem? -[Michaels] Come on, here we go again.
You and me, we got a match tonight or will [inaudible] fix streak.
You wanna take out these two guys or you wanna take out each other?
-I'll take you out and we… -Why don't we take out these two
and [inaudible].
[narrator] And now, one must wonder if the foundation of this showdown
was carefully crafted by Bret Hart.
[Vince] Look at this. Into a brawl, all four men…
[narrator] Spectacular in sequence,
Michaels and Austin are now paradoxically pitted to face one another.
The once plotted demise of the Hart Foundation
had twisted into a mano-a-mano contest of can you top this.
[Vince] I'm telling what's gonna happen.
[Jim] Shawn Michaels and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin are,
it's a street fight out here.
[Vince] What a match up, ladies and gentlemen, that's gonna be.
Obviously, you see the results of the,
our table here as Mankind was pummeled right through it
with that devastating maneuver of Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
And… But now… What's the significance of the matchup we are about to see.
I wonder if you'd care to comment on the courage we saw of Mankind.
I tell you, in 25 years of doing this great sport,
I don't think I've ever seen the courage and the determination of any athlete
and there such adverse conditions as we saw with Mankind.
Obviously he has hurt and obviously we'll keep you apprise
as the information made available to us.
[Vince] Yes. Again, we will give you an update as soon as…
JR said the information is available to us.
["Hitman" playing]
[Vince] And here we go with The Hitman, I supposed.
["Hitman" playing]
[Howard] Introducing, led by "The Hitman" Bret Hart,
the Hart Foundation.
[Vince] And "The Hitman" Bret Hart to join us for commentary,
allegedly, that's what he said during the Free For All.
As we are about to experience
the Shawn Michaels, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin matchup.
But quite frankly our equipment is so damaged out here, JR,
we don't even have another spare headset, I don't believe.
[Jim] Well, I tell you, Bret Hart sitting this close
to Shawn and Stone Cold is not a healthy situation anyway.
[Vince] Although he, matter of fact, maybe I should give him my headset
and the two of you can finish off the show.
[Jim] Thanks a lot.
[Vince] Let's try to get to Todd Pettengill, try to get upstairs.
[Todd] Calgary's finest in the ring.
[Vince] Bret Hart has summoned Todd Pettengill.
Get out of here.
[audience chatter]
Just do me a big favor and shut up for a couple of seconds.
[audience cheering and booing]
It's just about that time.
The time has come that I'm no longer an invalid,
at least not much longer.
No longer will I be a cripple.
Not somebody that can be bullied and jumped
while he's in a wheelchair and on crutches.
The time has come or coming
for a little retribution.
I've surrounded myself with the best
that the World Wrestling Entertainment has to offer.
Men that I would take with me to the mouth of hell,
to fight the devil himself.
I have Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, the British Bulldog,
the great Brian Pillman,
my damn good brother, Owen.
We are the Hart Foundation.
And I would allow these men to pump their blood with my heart.
July 6th, The Canadian Stampede.
I think that would be an appropriate time for me
to make myself available and the rest of the Hart Foundation.
So, we want to issue a challenge
to any five wrestlers
in the World Wrestling Entertainment
that would cross that border and come into my hometown,
five wrestlers with the guts
to take the Hart Foundation on…
in The Canadian Stampede
because I think that it's payback time.
Now, don't be surprised if you don't get
about 20 or 25 wrestlers coming up with sore knees
and pulled quad muscles and lower back spasms.
But the fact is, The Hitman is coming back,
July 6th in the Calgary Saddledome at in your haze,
in your house pay-per-view
and payback time is coming for all you good American wrestling fans.
[audience cheering and booing]
[Jim] There you have it. ladies and gentlemen,
-a challenge issued by Bret Hart. -[Bret] There's no way back forever.
Now, I'm gonna sit down and make myself a nice little seat here
and do a little color commentating.
[Vince] I don't know where, Bret, unless you want mine or JR's.
[Jim] He can have mine if he wants it.
-[Jim] I don't know. -[Vince] Look at this.
[Jim] There's nothing but trouble anyway.
Gentlemen, look, we're in trouble here. We don't have another headset, Mr. Hart.
-[Vince] We don't have another headset. -[Jim] What are you doing?
Don't be a stupid. I'm trying to talk here.
Where have you been? It's been out here anyway.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] This is not gonna work.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] This is not gonna work.
Get out of here.
[audience chatter]
-[Bret] What freedom of speech you have. -[Jim] Police are out here.
This is freedom of speech.
-It's over with. You have to… -What do you mean it's over with?
I'm sorry, Mr. Hart. All you…
[Jim] I don't think Bret is gonna be out here.
These officials have finally made a good call.
[indistinct chatter]
-You're gonna get suspended. -Spotlights on you.
[Jim] Well, its chaotic out here.
[indistinct chatter]
[Vince] Hey, come on, don't start. Come on.
[Jim] Take them to jail. Arrest them.
We don't have anything. We don't have…
-Come on. -[inaudible] trouble like that.
[audience chatter]
[Vince] I supposed a wise decision in the part of WWE officials…
[Jim] I bet Gorilla Monsoon made a phone call.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] I don't know but obviously, that would've been a volatile situation.
[audience chatter]
[Vince] Well, it looks like Bret Hart will not be offering his services
as a color commentator.
Again, I don't know if we have the equipment or not anyhow.
I think we're getting accustomed build headset. I don't know.
[Jim] Well, under the circumstances, it doesn't break my heart.
No pun intended for Bret to stay out here.
[Vince] All right, standing by now, ladies and gentlemen, Dok Hendrix.
-[Jim] Dok, can you hear us? -[Dok] I sure can, Vince, thanks a lot.
[Dok] Stone Cold, to state the obvious, Bret Hart and the Hart Foundation
are probably hoping you and Shawn Michaels annihilate each other,
take each other out of the mix, so to speak.
I don't think it's any secret that you and Shawn Michaels
are not best friends, probably won't ever be best friends.
But you are WWE Tag Team Champions that is putting green in your jeans.
And I know you wanna prove a personal point to each other.
But where do you draw the line for proving a point
or hurting each other and hurting your chances
of staying WWE Tag Team Champions?
In my opinion, the point has already been proved.
Shawn Michaels knows that I am indeed the captain of the tag team.
You damn right you make more money if you got some belts around your waist.
I won't deny that fact.
Do I wanna go out there and cripple Shawn Michaels?
You damn right… No, on second thought.
I don't wanna do that because I'll keep him around
to keep the belts around our waist.
But Shawn Michaels, you hear this,
you forced me to turn up the violence factor.
You can damn well bet I'll do it and that's the bottom line
because Stone Cold said so.
[Dok] All right, Vince, back to you.
[Vince] All right. Ladies and gentlemen, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, here he comes
on his way to the squared circle.
He has a competitor, no doubt about that.
Although again, it puzzles me as to why he has become so popular
considering his propensity to cheat.
He's… Wait a minute.
His propensity as well to be somewhat braggadocios.
Nonetheless, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is…
The Harts… Oh, no.
[Indistinct chatter]
[Vince] Oh, no.
[Indistinct chatter]
[Austin] Here you go, right there. Yeah. I'll see you in a minute.
Huh? I'll whip your ass when I get back.
[audience chatter]
[Vince] "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, here he comes.
-[audience cheering] -["I Won't Do What You Tell Me" playing]
[Vince] I don't know why he has become such a favorite, but he has.
[bell ringing]
[Howard] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Approaching into the ring, from Victoria, Texas,
weighing 252 pounds,
the co-holder of the World Wrestling Entertainment
Tag Team Championship, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
We saw him in action, so to speak, earlier on.
Brian Pillman was being interviewed. Brian Pillman was actually bragging.
They are scheduled to clash in individual competition tomorrow night.
But Austin just couldn't resist the temptation.
And "Stone Cold" Steve Austin…
[Jim] Pillman's career flushing right before his very eyes.
[Austin] Are you sure you want me dead? [inaudible].
[Vince] Stone Cold Steve, I…
And you just can't trust that man. I don't care if he's right or he's not.
[Jim] He's got a personality of a rattlesnake.
Standing by right now Dok Hendrix.
-[Vince] Dok? -Okay. Vince. Thank you very much.
Shawn, I'll post the same question I just threw to Stone Cold.
You both wanna prove a personal point to each other.
But will the end justify the means?
Will the point be worth proving if you end up hurting your tag team
and do exactly what Bret Hart and the Hart Foundation
wanna see you two do to each other.
Well, see, you know, the only thing I can think of is that's the only key.
The Hart Foundation wants Steve Austin and the Heartbreak Kid
to tear each other apart. Ordinarily we do it.
Since they want it, I can't help but to say I don't wanna do it.
The whole world is expecting a classic of a lifetime.
Is it gonna happen? I don't know.
I'm in a tag team right now, I got my opponent,
but I got my belt to worry about.
You tell me, what's the answer, I don't know.
All right. Back to you guys.
This is the craziest King of the Ring I've ever been involved with.
[Vince] I have to agree with you there, Dok
Anything can happen and we've seen a number of things happen tonight.
It was supposed to be a night of first and that's possibly…
["Sexy Boy" playing]
[Vince] Here we go.
[Howard] His opponent, from San Antonio, Texas,
weighing 225 pounds,
the co-holder of the World Wrestling Entertainment
Tag Team Champion,
The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels!
♪ I'm just a sexy boy ♪
♪ Sexy boy ♪
♪ I'm not your boy toy ♪
♪ Boy toy ♪
♪ I make them hot I make them shiver ♪
♪ Their knees get weak Whenever I'm around ♪
♪ They see me walk They hear me talk ♪
♪ I make them feel Like they're on cloud nine ♪
♪ I'm just a sexy boy ♪
♪ Sexy boy ♪
♪ I'm not your boy toy ♪
♪ Boy toy ♪
♪ I'm just a sexy boy ♪
♪ Sexy boy ♪
♪ I'm not your boy toy ♪
♪ Boy toy ♪
♪ Eat your heart out girls ♪
[Vince] Here he comes, he's back in action!
♪ Hands off the merchandise ♪
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Shawn Michaels.
♪ Sexy boy ♪
♪ I'm not your boy toy ♪
♪ Boy toy ♪
♪ I'm just a sexy boy ♪
♪ Sexy boy ♪
♪ I'm not your boy toy ♪
♪ Boy toy ♪
♪ I'm just a sexy boy ♪
♪ Sexy boy ♪
♪ I'm not your boy toy ♪
♪ Boy toy ♪
[Vince] Shawn Michaels, ladies and gentlemen.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] And he is beloved by so many, many fans
and unquestionably, one of the great treasures
here in the World Wrestling Entertainment.
Michaels back in action. You may not like him.
You may not like a pierce navel.
[Jim] I'm not too fond of it.
[Vince] Nonetheless, that's Shawn Michaels.
But no one can compare to Michaels
-when it comes to sheer entertainment… -[bell ringing]
…in that squared circle.
No one can compare to him when it comes to athleticism.
[Jim] This should be…
[Vince] He's in a league all by himself, JR.
[Jim] Well, there's no doubt that, he is a phenomenal athlete.
Very few have ever competed on Shawn Michaels plain.
But this should be a wonderful match up.
These men are tag team partners. They are not personal friends.
They do not… They don't like each other, but they make one hell of a tag team.
I think the best tag team in the world today
anywhere you wanna look.
[Vince] It's a first on pay-per-view, ladies and gentlemen,
two Tag Team Champions against each other.
[Jim] Both men are native Texans.
[Vince] Michaels is gonna be on his horse, no doubt about that.
No one can move as quickly
and perhaps with as much agility as Michaels.
But if "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is on his game Michaels… Whoa.
And that's exactly what we're talking about right there.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Steve Austin, at 255 pounds
has about a 30 pound weight advantage approximately over Shawn Michaels.
And I guess Steve just told Shawn
that Shawn is indeed number one or maybe number 11,
I'm not really sure.
[Vince] "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
And there is Shawn Michaels in the corner. And Mr. Austin looking down.
Hey!
[Vince] And Shawn coming over, this match has stopped.
There's Michaels over with a, I believe…
a mentally challenged individual.
Uh-oh. And Austin is taking it to Michaels.
Michaels was helping that young man.
Michaels was helping that special Olympian
and Stone Cold saw an opportunity to capitalize.
[Jim] He's not… Oh, one arm takeover.
The quickness, the lightning quickness of Shawn Michaels
would play out, take a huge part in this match up.
And Michaels has so much more big match experience
here in the WWE than does Stone Cold.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] And Shawn Michaels with a bit of a retort.
We apologize for those of you who are offended
but certainly within the vast majority of our audience over some of the actions.
And again, Michaels goes right back over
with the special Olympian on the other side of the ring.
And Michaels is now helping that gentleman out. Look at this.
[Jim] If you're wondering how that little fella got inside the railing,
I think he fell over the railing.
And obviously he's a big Shawn Michaels fan.
[Vince] And Shawn has come over to protect him and here comes,
I believe the gentleman's mother.
[Jim] Anything can happen when it's live. And we're as live as live can be.
[Vince] And Shawn Michaels showing a side of humanitarianism
that not too many people knew he had.
And look at Austin holding the ropes for Michaels.
Austin wants to get it on again.
-[Vince] Would you trust him? -[Jim] No.
[Vince] Exactly. And neither does Michaels.
[Jim] Do I wanna have dinner with my ex-mother-in-law?
-[Jim] No. -[Vince laughs]
[Vince] Well, now, wait a minute.
[Jim] I thought you're gonna say which one?
[Vince] All right. Here we go.
Austin lining up Shawn Michaels, yanks him right back up. Look at that.
Almost yanks the shoulder right of its socket.
[Jim] It almost gets cliché, but again it's about pacing.
Yes, Michaels is quicker, he is faster. That's what Shawn must do.
Austin lacks that deliberate pace, the methodical,
will take a lot of chance's pace.
[Vince] And a takedown by Michaels.
[Jim] Michaels, a member of the elite WWE triple crown club,
Shawn's done it all here in the WWE.
Multiple time WWE Champion, he's been Intercontinental Champion,
and he's certainly been a WWE Tag Champion.
[Vince] And it all began for Stone Cold last year of the same time
when he became the King of the Ring.
[Jim] That's when Austin 3:16 was born.
[Vince] And since then, Austin has been on a roller-coaster ride
one way straight up to the top.
[Jim] And since then, the WWE sold a lot of those shirts.
[Vince] I know, that's right.
[Jim] Good Lord, the way he looks, Austin 3:16.
[Vince] Michaels now rolling over.
Michaels back on his, oh!
[Jim] Remember, these men are the WWE Tag Champions.
This is so unusual, so strange for Tag Champions to face each other.
It has never happened on a WWE pay-per-view.
[Vince] And Stone Cold mocking his tag team partner,
Shawn Michaels, just a moment ago.
And this likely to be a non-stop action all the way,
how about that escape on the part of Shawn Michaels?
That was clever.
[Jim] Both these men are trained by great wrestlers.
Shawn Michaels, as we know by Super Sock himself, San Antonio's own, Jose Lothario.
What a great gentleman, what a great athlete he is.
And certainly, Steve Austin's trainer was the gentleman, Chris Adams.
[Vince] All right.
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin trying to make his move now on Shawn Michaels.
[Jim] Both these men has strong father figures in their life.
Shawn Michaels' father, a very highly decorated retired Air Force colonel.
And Steve Austin's dad, as a matter of fact,
played for Rice University
the last time they were in the Cotton Bowl.
And that's been awhile back.
[Vince] Shawn Michaels hanging on with that standing side headlock.
And you wonder just how nasty, just how dirty if you look
this match is gonna wind up being.
[Jim] You gotta wonder if Michaels and Austin would push it over the line.
They got a hell of a lot to lose here if one them gets seriously hurt
namely, The Tag Team Title.
Michaels is going for a Lou Thesz press
and it's countered into an inverted atomic drop.
[Vince] Oh!
Austin is going right after his tag team partner, Shawn, oh!
[Jim] You know, it's a great weekend for horse racing to final [inaudible]
Triple Crown was yesterday.
And here you got two great horses,
you got a thoroughbred in Shawn Michaels who's won a lot of races.
And then you got that quarter horse, that thick, heavily muscled quarter horse,
that's what Steve Austin is and, yes, he's gonna win his share of races as well.
[Vince] No doubt about it.
And "Stone Cold" Steve Austin sets up Shawn Michaels now.
And in comes Michaels.
Oh, oh, unbelievable.
[Jim] If Shawn Michaels wins this match up and there is a great drop toehold,
it's gonna because of his quickness and his resourcefulness.
If Austin wins it, I think it's gonna be by knock out.
Stone Cold Stunner is what Austin is looking for.
[Vince] And we certainly know that Mankind
and we have the report on Mankind that he has refused medical attention.
He will not allow professional medical attention in his locker room.
[Jim] I guess it's surprising, does it?
[Vince] No. But hopefully, that means that it's not too bad.
But that man there, Stone Cold likewise can absorb
unbelievable sums of punishment and still keep coming right back at you.
A little psychology employed now on the part of Stone Cold.
[audience chattering]
[Jim] The very first night these two men joined forces
and yes, it was very reluctantly.
They won the WWE Tag Titles.
These two men have been the WWE Tag Champions
for a couple of weeks now.
[Vince] And it was the first time
that Shawn Michaels had returned to action approximately four months.
We thought we might see ring rust. We saw none of that.
Although this is the first occasion in which Michaels
has been challenged in individual competition.
[Jim] Well, I'll tell you something.
I've had the privilege of seeing a lot of great athletes as have you, Vince,
in the last couple of decades.
I've never seen one more purely athletically gifted,
a natural athlete than Shawn Michaels,
but right now the pure athlete is in trouble
because Mr. Intensity is all about business.
Ask him if he [inaudible].
[Vince] "Stone Cold" Steve Austin would like to prove
his superiority here tonight.
Likewise, Michaels would like to do the same.
[Jim] Last year in Milwaukee, Austin have to had about 20 or 30 stitches
whatever it was in his lip.
That was between his semi-final match up and the finals
if my memory serves me correctly.
In any event Austin went to the hospital or refused to go to the hospital
and band-aid… What do you call them, not the stitches
but the other thing, close him up as best they could and he kept competing,
swallowing blood all night long but he didn't care.
[Vince] Austin. Oh!
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Listen to this crowd.
[Vince] Oh, and there, Austin uses his quickness.
Oh!
And Austin knocking the cameraman right off the ring.
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin will knock anybody off.
He doesn't care.
If his grandmother was out there it'd be the same thing.
[Jim] I feel like I'm in a demolition derby right in the backseat.
With bodies flying around here, the photographer is knocked down,
the cameraman.
Just watch out for those announcers from Oklahoma, they bruise easy.
[Vince] And Shawn Michaels in control with the arm bar.
And Michaels is thinking about his next moves.
[Jim] He's probably thinking about his next three or four moves for that matter.
[Vince] Yeah.
Michaels still in control. Look at him, quick as a cat.
From one side of the ring to the other.
Oh, till it stops right there.
[Jim] A Thesz press and now nothing but fists for Stone Cold.
And this crowd is loving this new generation of the WWE.
Two men in their prime and folks, they are getting it on for you.
[Vince] Look out. He's gonna get the victory.
[Jim] No, he's not. Whoa.
[Vince] Here we go. Austin driving to Shawn. Oh, no.
-One, two. -Whoa!
[thuds]
-One, two! -[grunts]
[Vince] Look at the power of Michaels.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Absolutely amazing as Shawn Michaels…
Well, look at that Rattlesnake. Look at that test tough SOB get it on!
[Vince] Oh.
[audience cheering]
[audience chattering]
[Jim] I don't think I've heard a crowd get into something
as much as these folks are here tonight in a long, long time.
[Vince] I must say this is a match I thought we would never see here
in the World Wrestling Entertainment
but I'll tell you what, the competitors certainly not shy to get it on
even if they are Tag Team Champion, even if they are partners.
[Jim] No. This is not a scrimmage. This is not a workout.
This is full contact.
These two men are serious about what they do for a living
and they're turning it up a notch right here tonight, one on one.
[Vince] Handful of hair by Stone Cold now.
And Shawn Michaels… Uh-oh, snapped off the top rope.
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin unrelenting just as Shawn Michaels is
-when he has the advantage as well. -[Referee] One, two!
[audience chattering]
[Vince] Michaels in trouble.
Look out. Oh.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] JR, you talked about that man there
who can absorb great sums of punishment.
We have to also give credit where it's due to Shawn Michaels
because I don't believe anyone can take the kind of pummeling.
Oh, no. This is uncalled for.
Now, this is where I don't think it should go.
This is gonna change the whole complexity of the match.
[Jim] I think you're right.
Austin exposing the concrete floor.
What is in store for Shawn Michaels?
Whatever it is ain't gonna feel good. Oh.
[audience cheering]
Get inside right now.
[Vince] And the official having great difficulty maintaining order
in this match from both men, but right now from Stone Cold.
For the good of the Tag Team Championship team,
it might be well serve for Austin to settle for a count out victory,
but I don't know that Austin or Shawn Michaels
would be satisfied with that.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] And thank God so far…
[groans]
…we haven't seen the Hart Foundation again.
[Vince] Well, why should we?
They're sitting back somewhere loving every second of this.
These two men had started out in somewhat of a scientific match
although… Oh, no, don't… No.
[grunts]
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Michaels' body struck the concrete floor.
You could hear the smack.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] How bad does Austin wanna win this thing?
He's been cheered by some, booed by others.
[Jim] And he don't give a damn what any of them do.
He could care less if he was wrestling in an empty building
as long as he was getting paid and he had a chance to beat somebody up.
[audience chattering]
[Vince] Shawn Michaels back in the ring
and Stone Cold will capitalize on every single opportunity.
[Jim] Well, you've always said Shawn Michaels was resilient.
He's gonna been tested here.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Michaels going for a clothesline and Austin had a so well scouted
that Michaels didn't find contact.
A great move by Austin to avoid contact
and now Shawn Michaels is having another gut check.
Back in the ring, it's small package. One, two and…
[audience cheering]
[Vince] A cover, a count in.
[Vince] Near fall. On top of near fall.
[Jim] Well, we know Shawn Michaels can go the distance.
He went almost 65 minutes at WrestleMania XII
when he won the WWE title from The Hitman.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] And Stone Cold finds his mark and that should do it.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Shawn Michaels bringing that shoulder up, maybe it was instinctive.
[Vince] Stone Cold fans, Shawn Michaels fans.
Don't matter who you are a fan of, we are being treated
to a magnificent matchup here in the World Wrestling Entertainment.
[Jim] You look wherever you want folks.
You're not gonna see two superstars at the top of their game
like Shawn Michaels and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
anywhere else in the world today.
If I was starting a ball club, Vince, that'll be draft choices
number 1 and 1A right there.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] And you have to wonder, Austin getting closer to the ropes
and Austin, you better watch that forearm, referee
because it'll slide right underneath the chin.
And "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels
are giving it a go here tonight.
Two Tag Team Champions going at it and there you see
getting additional leverage.
Now, the ropes are shaking, the official looks up and he's got a…
What does he think is shaking those ropes up,
a bird flying through the arena?
[Jim] Maybe he thinks it's windy in here.
You think Austin is gonna tell him the truth?
Well, then again he might, he may say, yeah,
I have my foot on the ropes, what are you gonna do about it?
[Vince] Yeah. But Austin doesn't wanna be disqualified.
Stone Cold is here to prove a point and so is Shawn Michaels.
[audience chattering]
And the referee is getting into the face of Stone Cold.
[Jim] The more Austin cheats, the more he is revered,
the more he is loved for some bizarre reason.
And now it's a fist fight.
They're partners, they're holding Tag Team Gold,
a lot of money rest on this matchup if you look at injuries
but they're hooking it up.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] I don't think Austin was hurt by that.
He may have been.
[Jim] Austin fans have got that rather high pitched squeal…
Shawn fans, I mean.
Oh, Austin's fans got a little bit more bass in their voice.
In any event, thousands upon thousands are struck right down in the middle here.
[Vince] I can tell you whether you're booing or cheering,
they're enjoying this match.
And so, too enjoying this match must be Bret Hart and Brian Pillman,
the whole Hart Foundation.
Here we go now, we've got Austin out there and we've got… Uh-oh.
On the inside is Shawn.
Austin comes up swinging.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Shawn Michaels building momentum using that quickness we talked about.
[Vince] And it's getting close.
It's getting close to time
to hear and see over those sweet chin music, I think.
[Vince] Oh!
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Shawn Michaels thousands of fans here gasping.
Steve Austin's fans cheering
when Michaels' shoulder struck on the ring post.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] One, two, and…
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Good Lord. Oh, what a clothesline. What a match. What a battle.
And what a near fall.
[Vince] And Michaels, oh, no.
On his feet, Michaels with the reversal.
Oh, right back into the official.
[Jim] Referee Tim White butted heads with Austin, I think.
[Vince] No, going for some sweet chin music,
that was Michaels…
-[Vince] There's the stunner. -[Jim] Stunner. Stone Cold stunner.
Austin did it. Austin did it.
Austin did it. It's over. It's over.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] The referee is nowhere insight.
[Vince] Stone Cold, inadvertently running into the official, now
trying to get him to come over and make the count,
meanwhile Michaels is moving.
[Jim] Austin had the match won.
Oh, no. Oh, no, my God.
Austin just stunned, he just stun… Oh, the superkick.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] The referee is down. Austin is down.
Michaels has the cover and here comes another referee.
[Vince] Who goes over to check on the first referee.
Meanwhile, Michaels had Stone Cold covered.
Both referees now, discussing what's going on.
Who will remain the official referee?
[Jim] Oh, my God, good grief.
[audience chatter]
[Vince] That's the original referee, one, two and no.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Both referees have been hammered.
Tim White, the assigned official is down. Here comes the third referee.
[indistinct chatter]
[Jim] A senior referee, Earl Hebner.
[indistinct chatter]
[Jim] Oh, this is not… This is not a popular decision.
The referee is stopping this match.
Look out.
[audience chatter]
[Howard] The referee has disqualified both men,
ruling this bout a double disqualification.
[Vince] Both men are losers.
Look out!
[Jim] Michaels trying to cheap shot his own partner, oh, Austin did, I'm sorry.
[Vince] Now, they're gonna beat each other with their own championship belt?
The Hart Foundation must be loving this.
[Jim] These two men may be suspended, well, certainly be fined,
one would assume for their actions against these officials here tonight.
[Vince] Both men in the heat of combat, attacking officials.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Well, both men disqualified.
[Jim] Well, that's kind of like kissing your sister as they say.
But if there's any saving grace,
Austin, at least, is able to walk out of here
so he will be able to take on Brian Pillman tomorrow night on RAW.
[Vince] And so is Shawn Michaels able to walk out… Let's listen up.
[indistinct chatter]
It wouldn't count.
-The referee is a jackass. -Everybody here is a jackass.
[Vince] Austin turned his back on Michaels and says, no, you go ahead.
Neither men trust the other one.
-[Jim] Oh, they're leaving together. -[Vince] Nonetheless.
[Jim] And that's kind of surprising in itself.
[Vince] If anything has been learned here tonight,
I think both men respect each other. And that's about the best you can say.
[audience cheering and booing]
[Vince] Todd Pettengill is ready, ladies and gentlemen,
with the entire Nation of Domination, so we understand.
That's right, Vince. And tonight, history could be made
before we talk to Faarooq about his match up with The Undertaker,
let's take you back to Raw Is War last week
and show you the aftermath of what went down.
The Undertaker, as you can see, being attacked from behind,
lead by Faarooq, the undisputed leader of the Nation
and then the rest of the Nation following suit and just pummeling
the World Wrestling Entertainment Champion, The Undertaker.
Tonight, Faarooq, you have a chance to become the first African-American
World Wrestling Entertainment Champion,
obviously, the mind games have already begun,
the Nation attacking The Undertaker,
you're moments away from what could be a historic night.
Chances for old folks and fools, history will be made here tonight.
What you are looking at all you Hicks out there,
you can punch in the record books right now
because you are looking
at the World Wrestling Entertainment's first black champion.
Undertaker, don't worry about Paul Bearer's blackmail,
you worry about this black man. It's all me.
Nation of Domination, getting ready,
World Wrestling Entertainment Title is on the line.
[Vince] Indeed it is, Todd, Faarooq.
[Howard] Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest
scheduled for one fall
is for the World Wrestling Entertainment Championship.
♪ We are the Nation of Domination ♪
[Howard] About to come down the aisle, it's the challenger,
weighing 270 pounds,
the leader of the Nation of Domination, Faarooq.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] And there you see the entire Nation, Faarooq.
[Vince] By any means necessary, that's their motto
and there's certainly strength in numbers.
♪ We are the Nation ♪
[Vince] And you sort of get the feeling, JR,
I got that feeling that I had in the pit of my stomach here
that with all of this outside the ring
and with the mental state of The Undertaker,
this blackmail that Paul Bearer is holding over The Undertaker.
You really sort of get the impression that the WWE title
more than likely could change hands here tonight.
[Jim] I don't know how The Undertaker could prepare for this in earnest
because of this blackmail business by that heinous Paul Bearer.
How could the champion concentrate on Faarooq?
And, folks, let me tell you, Faarooq is a load.
[Vince] Oh, yeah, he is that.
Standing by now, ladies and gentlemen, Dok Hendrix, Dok?
[Dok] Okay. Thank you, Vince.
Undertaker, first of all, I think it's important to say
that I don't think there's anybody in the world that doesn't know
that you're back with Paul Bearer because it's against your will,
you've been blackmailed into this situation,
but from a personal perspective
and I think I speak for millions around the world,
I think it's important that you do know that we have always loved you
and we will always love you no matter what this horrific secret is.
But how has this changed your mental preparation for tonight's title match?
-Dok… -Zip it, Lazarus.
And you, Mr. Microphone, you keep your nose out of my business.
Let me reiterate one more thing,
as long as I have that secret above your head, Deadman,
you'll do what I say when I say it and anytime that I say it.
And tonight's a very, very important match and you're gonna do what I say,
you'll do what I say, you'll do what I say.
[Vince] All right. Thank you very much.
Dok Hendrix there with a little overzealous, I think,
and in terms of his comments, speaking for himself only
as it relates to The Undertaker.
A lot of people are concerned about The Undertaker
except, or maybe mostly, that man.
["Rest In Peace" playing]
[audience cheering]
["Rest In Peace" playing]
[Howard] His opponent to be accompanied to the ring by Paul Bearer,
from Death Valley, weighing 328 pounds,
the World Wrestling Entertainment Champion,
The Undertaker.
[audience cheering]
["Rest In Peace" playing]
[Vince] Imagine how trouble The Undertaker must be,
he stated recently that when he passed on,
he probably wouldn't be going to hell because he's living it now.
The Undertaker
to defend the World Wrestling Entertainment Championship.
["Rest In Peace" playing]
[Vince] And Faarooq could very well become the first African-American champion.
Others have had chances but Faarooq confident
that he will be the first
World Wrestling Entertainment Champion of color.
And he has played the race card, make no mistake about it.
The Nation of Domination members in the ring,
all of them awaiting The Undertaker.
["Rest In Peace" playing]
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Look at Faarooq having a huddle for this man.
The former four time all American at Florida State University,
a man who finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting,
having a conference with his men.
[Vince] Meanwhile, in the ring Paul Bearer giving The Undertaker an earful.
[Jim] The Undertaker must hate this.
[Vince] What do you think that slot Paul Bearer
is holding over Undertaker's head?
[Jim] My God, I don't know but it must be true.
That's what I'm… That's what scares me.
It must be so terrible but in the same respect,
it must be so true.
[Vince] Look out from behind.
[bell ringing]
[Vince] Paul Bearer outsmarted himself.
And a tie right there by The Undertaker, he left off on The Undertaker's back
and Faarooq took advantage from the get-go.
[Jim] Faarooq is at a hundred percent after suffering the separated shoulder,
the punctured lung at WrestleMania 13 at the hands of Ahmed Johnson.
He's a hundred percent now, he's a challenger.
[Vince] Uh-oh.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Look at The Undertaker manhandling Faarooq,
upstairs, downstairs, looks at those fist fly.
[Jim] Not since Andre the Giant has there ever been a phenom
that even compares to The Undertaker in the WWE in my book.
[Vince] Certainly not as far as dominance is concerned.
-[Vince grunts] -[audience cheering]
[Vince] Yet, with the trouble experienced by The Undertaker as of late,
that could be the Dominator.
I know it's the finishing maneuver, the hold applied by Faarooq
that could take him on to victory.
[Jim] The Undertaker's got to focus on Faarooq.
He's got to… He's got express himself
with all that hate and venom he has for Paul Bearer.
The Undertaker must direct that toward this man, Faarooq.
[Vince] And the first cover of the match, to no avail.
There were several years there at Florida State
where his name then was Ron Simmons,
but Faarooq was the most dominating defensive linemen
in all of college football.
-[Vince] And again… -All he's got to do is hook his leg,
one, two, three.
[Vince] Paul Bearer giving instruction as though he has been a participant.
-[Jim] Powerslam. -[Vince] Into hooking the leg.
[Jim] The Undertaker is six-ten, weighs 328 pounds.
Get out of my face.
[Jim] And my point in that is that how strong is Faarooq.
Faarooq took The Undertaker over like the Undertaker was a light weight.
[Vince] Faarooq and Ahmed Johnson have had some wars.
Oh, no. Behind the officials back like a pack of wolves.
[Jim] Officiating is so important in this matchup
and I'm surprised that WWE officials are allowing the Nation
to stay out here and mess.
I won't wanna be wearing the stripe shirt right now on the WWE.
-[Jim] They have not had a great night. -[Vince] No, indeed.
I would suggest that we are luckily by tomorrow
is Gorilla Monsoon convalescing,
nonetheless, on duty watching this matchup
is likely to handout some substantial fines
and/or suspensions tomorrow.
Oh!
[grunts]
[Jim] With that foot right to the jaw of the challenger Faarooq
by the WWE Champion, the man from Death Valley, The Undertaker.
[grunts]
[Vince] Undertaker winding up Faarooq.
[Jim] Wanna see some agility from a six-ten and half athlete.
Take a look.
[Vince] Oh, did you see that?
[Jim] The Undertaker with that crossbody, that plancha,
off the top on four or five men, Savio's knocked down.
[Vince] Undertaker dominating the Nation on the outside.
But now, Faarooq, spinning The Undertaker around.
Oh, no!
[Vince] Let's take another look.
All right. Here we go. Replay action. Watch this.
On the left side on your screen then.
He goes rolling over like a bunch of bowling pin.
[Jim] You know, [inaudible]
near seven footers use the plancha off the top rope.
The entire Nation almost seceded from the Providence Civic Center.
[Vince] Here we go again.
-[Vince] Oh! -[Jim] Oh, God.
[Vince] And it backfires.
[Jim] A difference maker, that move is a difference maker.
[Vince] And the Nation, what they did, JR, they split themselves.
Some of the Nation members on the far side of the ring
distracted the official,
other Nation members over on the near side.
[Jim] Savio Vega and Crush high-fiving each other.
I saw on the far side of the ring. The game plan is obvious here.
[Vince] Suplex, no denying. The athletic credentials of Faarooq.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] We've got Faarooq and a half dozen others
with one thing in our mind
and that's to beat The Undertaker any way they can
and more specifically, to leave here with the WWE title.
[Vince] And Paul Bearer continuing to yell at The Undertaker, to shout instructions.
[Jim] Paul Bearer, he ain't no Joe Torre.
He ain't no Jimmie Johnson.
He's a big pain in the fanny over here, distracting his own man.
[Vince] And to a cover.
[Vince] Again, the officiating…
[Jim] Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
[Vince] Come on. Has been brought in to question justifiably so
a number of times tonight and continues to be.
[Jim] I don't care how big and strong you are
when someone robs you of your oxygen,
you're gonna get in trouble
and you're gonna stay in trouble as long as it happens.
[Jim] I think we need two referees out here.
[Vince] Well, I think we need four or five.
Oh, no.
[Jim] Those are steel steps.
-[audience cheering] -[thuds]
[Jim] Right back, right back and through his jaw.
He may have lost some teeth on that one.
[Vince] By any means necessary,
that's the motto of the Nation of Domination.
They will take the WWE title by any means necessary
and you brought up, JR, some time earlier tonight
that there has been dissension in the ranks with the Nation of Domination
and that is true but nonetheless, Faarooq has galvanized them
for one night, for one match, they are all together here
and they all, thus far, certainly
have had some degree of input in this match.
[Jim] Look at this right here, right back in Faarooq's face, the steps.
A big old amount for that steel, that certainly is hard to digest.
[Vince] On his feet, Faarooq, off the rope.
Uh-oh, no.
[grunts]
[Jim] A piledriver!
Faarooq, if he could capitalize now, he's the new champion.
[audience chatter]
[Vince] And Faarooq with a cover.
-Oh. -Two!
[Jim] The Undertaker gets that shoulder up.
We got a near fall situation here.
The WWE title on the line, over 10,000 fans on hand
in Providence, Rhode Island
and we're happy you're with us wherever you are on pay-per-view.
Our fans in the UK staying up for this night.
We're live in the UK. We're live in North America.
That huge arm of Faarooq,
you know, the retired is Jersey number 50 of Florida State.
If he wins tonight, they might name the stadium after this guy.
[Vince] And Faarooq with his foot on the bottom rope there,
trying to gain additional leverage.
And we've got that forearm there close underneath The Undertaker's chin
and Paul Bearer is looking on.
And Paul Bearer could get that sinking feeling just as we had before.
Paul Bearer could get the feeling when he's watching The Undertaker,
slowly but surely being taken apart by the whole Nation,
not just the Faarooq.
[Jim] Well, Paul Bearer maybe a big old temple
on the rear end of the world,
but here's the last thing he wants to have happen,
is for The Undertaker to lose that WWE title.
The WWE title means a money, it means a lot of money
for the wrestler and for the manager.
[audience chatter]
[Vince] And thus far all of the offense as of late
has been supplied by Faarooq and company,
but now The Undertaker, starts to make a move.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] Faarooq with so much upper body strength,
this reverse chin-lock is can, with that kind of power,
turns into an elementary maneuver to one very, very strenuous,
-very, very playful. Oh! -[thuds]
[Jim] And almost a version of the Stone Cold stunner
by The Undertaker used as a counter on Faarooq.
[Vince] And that may have hurt The Undertaker as much as it did Faarooq.
Off the rope. Undertaker now.
[Jim] An airborne Undertaker is not good at this stage of the match.
Deadman airways just got grounded.
[Vince] And Paul Bearer on the outside pleading with The Undertaker,
Faarooq on the inside taking care of business.
Undertaker set up now by Faarooq.
[Jim] A gut wrench, going for another piledriver.
[Vince] Trying to get him up and can't. And the reversal, front suplex.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] And now… And if The Undertaker loses the WWE Championship tonight,
you can bet that Paul Bearer tomorrow will spill the beans.
[Jim] There's no doubt about that. That's a very good point.
Paul Bearer is gonna be quiet as long as The Undertaker has the title.
I think that's a very good sound analogy.
-[Vince] Undertaker, reverse again. -[thuds]
-[grunts] -[Vince] Oh!
[Jim] Powerslam by the champion,
the WWE Champion turns the table again on the challenger Faarooq.
[Vince] Paul Bearer on the outside of the ring.
Again, shouting instructions.
[Vince] And as long as they keep this match in the ring,
The Undertaker will have as much of an advantage
certainly as Faarooq does and once it goes outside the ring,
where all the Nation of Domination members are,
that's when it turns around.
Oh, Undertaker got nothing but air.
[Jim] Faarooq was, had that move well-scouted?
That was a patent vintage Undertaker offensive maneuver,
leaving his feet, delivering the clothesline.
We've seen this so many times.
[Bearer] You got to get up.
You can't be sitting on your butt. Get up there.
Get up. Get up. Get up.
[Vince] Paul Bearer, screaming at The Undertaker.
How much of that abuse can he take?
[Vince] Paul Bearer attempting to humiliate The Undertaker.
[Jim] Wait a minute.
Clarence Mason just got pushed down by Crush and now Savio's…
What the hell is going on?
[audience chatter]
[Vince] And Faarooq.
[indistinct chatter]
[Vince] Undertaker scoops up Faarooq.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Tombstone.
The tombstone, The Undertaker wins.
-He wins. He wins. -[bell ringing]
[Vince] Wait a minute. Savio Vega just came in.
["Rest In Peace" playing]
[Vince] And Crush goes up and down.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] The Nation seems to be crumbling.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Seemingly disintegrated.
[Howard] The winner of this bout
and still World Wrestling Entertainment Champion,
The Undertaker.
[audience cheering]
[Vince] Well, The Undertaker has pulled it off
and I might add against great odds with the Nation of Domination.
Wait a minute, Paul Bearer… [Jim] Paul Bearer is demanding.
-[Vince] What's he demanding? -[Jim] He's demanding…
[Vince] Look at Paul Bearer getting right it out on The Undertaker's face.
[audience chatter]
[Vince] Would you love to see The Undertaker
tombstone piledrive Paul Bearer?
[audience chatter]
[Jim] What is Paul Bearer doing?
[audience chatter]
[Jim] Paul Bearer is humiliating The Undertaker,
who just went through a war to retain the WWE title.
[audience chatter]
[Vince] Paul Bearer demanding that The Undertaker…
-[Vince] Now, this is getting ridiculous. -[Jim] Yeah.
[Vince] How much damage must you do to a competitor?
They may not agree but Faarooq, nonetheless,
he gave everything he had here tonight.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] If The Undertaker doesn't do what Paul Bearer tells him,
and, you know, Paul Bearer will get the microphone
and let the world know what that secret is.
Paul Bearer's getting on The Undertaker's head.
[Vince] I got to tell you, whatever it is,
you really have to question whether or not The Undertaker should be doing this.
[indistinct chatter]
[Vince] Wait a minute. Wait a minute!
What did you do that for?
[Johnson inaudible].
[inaudible].
[indistinct chatter]
[inaudible]
Use this! Get it together! Get it together!
I'm talking to you. I'm talking to you.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] What the heck? What in the…
[Vince] Paul Bearer can't believe it.
Ahmed Johnson came down to try to talk some sense into The Undertaker.
Ahmed was trying to explain to The Undertaker,
don't listen to Paul Bearer.
What's the matter with you? What are you doing to Faarooq?
What are you doing to that man?
[audience chatter]
[Jim] But I think more importantly,
why, Undertaker, are you listening to Paul Bearer?
What choice does The Undertaker have? Hell, he's being blackmailed.
["Rest In Peace" playing]
[Vince] And The Undertaker is disgusted with himself.
Go ahead!
Go ahead.
["Rest In Peace" playing]
[Vince] But in the end, Paul Bearer still holds the dark crown,
the secret above the head of The Undertaker.
So long, everybody. We certainly hope you've enjoyed the 1997 King of the Ring.