THE BACKSTORY
1997 may be heralded as one of the greatest years of mainstream professional wrestling in the United States. This year was the build for some of the most memorable moments in WWF history.
So we (hi steve) have taken it upon ourselves to re-feel the feelings we had as 11 year olds (10 year olds for the first half of the year), when Stone Cold Steve Austin won the Royal Rumble and set up the Final Four main event, when Shawn Michaels lost his smile, when Bret Hart shoved Vince McMahon onto his rear end, and the infamous Montreal Screwjob.
Or how about Austin vs. Bret at WM13? Or the beginning of D-Generation X? The rise of The Rock? The debut of (THATS GOTTA BE) KANE?!
There are countless moments from 1997 that are worth rewatching - but rewatching them IN CONTEXT of the entire year's worth of programming? Now THAT is an odyssey.
To rewatch every Monday Night RAW, every Shotgun Saturday Night, and every Pay-Per-View Event put on by the World Wrestling Federation in the year of 1997.
THE PARALLELS
The timing of this odyssey couldn't be more perfect. Watching Bret Hart "shoot" on Vince McMahon about being screwed by everybody (1997), only to tune into RAW to see the conclusion to this epic thirteen year story (2010) is fucking crazy.
Even watching RAW from '97, seeing what they were broadcasting in competition to WCW's nWo... then tuning into Impact to see The Band get back together, is madness in it's own right.
What's even more interesting is comparing the difference between what the WWF was then to what the WWE is now. Be it comparing production values (the grainy, call-it-as-we-see-it presentation of RAW IS WAR vs. the HD, action-entertainment style of RAW today), matches (the unpredictable, old-school, lengthy contests of '97 vs. the short, watered-down style of 2010), or feuds (the edgy, reality-based, emotional feuds of yesteryear vs. the ADHD, belt-hotshotting, scripted drama of the now) - the gap between the F and the E is much easier to take in when you follow both one week at a time.
ON DECK FOR TONIGHT
WRESTLEMANIA 13
We are already three months deep in our odyssey. Given that there's enough time, we'll be watching the biggest WWF PPV event of the year, and seeing how the event itself, as well as the build for it, stacks up against the WrestleMania that's set to take place 14 years later (a.k.a. 6 weeks from now).
Here's the card (no 13 year old spoilers here!):
FREE-FOR-ALL
Billy Gunn vs. Flash Funk (with Tracy and Nadine)
FATAL FOURWAY ELIMINATION TAG TEAM MATCH
The New Blackjacks (Windham and Bradshaw)
vs.
The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher)
vs.
The Godwinns (Henry and Phineas, with Hillbilly Jim)
vs.
Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon
WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Champion Rocky Maivia vs. Challenger The Sultan (with Bob Backlund and The Iron Sheik)
SINGLES MATCH
Goldust (with Marlena) vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley (with Chyna)
WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Champions Owen Hart and The British Bulldog vs. Challengers Mankind and Vader (with Paul Bearer)
SUBMISSION MATCH
SPECIAL REFEREE: Ken Shamrock
Bret "Hitman" Hart vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
CHICAGO STREET FIGHT
The Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal) and Ahmed Johnson
vs.
The Nation of Domination (Crush, Faarooq and Savio Vega, with Wolfie D, J.C. Ice and Clarence Mason)
MAIN EVENT: WWF CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Champion Sycho Sid vs. Challenger The Undertaker
So be prepared for the potential of a dual Monday Night RAW review coming each Monday. One from today, one from thirteen glorious years ago.
Great idea boys. I have one question to ask you though? would you like to watch the 97 wwf episodes on VHS? Cause i have the technology.
ReplyDeleteand do you think Bret is gonna be ok?
I thought you were coming over for the jerry springer show Mike?
ReplyDeleteMy prayers go out to Bret Harts leg. The car really crashed his leg out of his leg.
^ classic. i loled.
ReplyDeleteI'm pulling for Bret, just like John Cena said.
... WHO SAYS THAT. I'm pulling for you, Bret - as if you are about to die at any second. Of leg bruising.