Why 1997 Was The Greatest Year In Wrestling History

Friday Night's Main Event

August 29th 1997
WWF Friday Night's Main Event aired on the USA Network when Raw was preempted on the weeks of August 29 and September 5 in 1997, due to USA's coverage of the US Open. 
This program averaged a low 1.5 rating.
The main event was Bret Hart defending his WWF Championship against Vader.

Pro Wrestling Illustrated Cover of the Week

1997 

The Year In Wrestling and Achievement Awards

10 Fascinating WWE SummerSlam 1997 Facts

August 3rd 1997

Continental Airlines Arena

East Rutherford, NJ

Results

No.	Results	Stipulations	Times[2]
1	Mankind defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley (with Chyna)	Steel Cage match	16:13
2	Goldust (with Marlena) defeated Brian Pillman	Singles match	07:17
3	The Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal) defeated The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I.)	Tag team match	09:15
4	The British Bulldog (c) defeated Ken Shamrock by disqualification	Singles match for the WWF European Championship	07:29
5	Los Boricuas (Savio Vega, Miguel Pérez Jr., Jose Estrada Jr., and Jesús Castillo) defeated The Disciples of Apocalypse (Crush, Chainz, 8-Ball, and Skull)	Eight-man tag team match	09:08
6	Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Owen Hart (c)[3]	Singles match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship	16:16
7	Bret Hart defeated The Undertaker (c)	Singles match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship with Shawn Michaels as special guest referee	28:10

10 Fascinating WWE Facts About King Of The Ring 1997

10 Fascinating WWE Facts About WrestleMania 13

PPV Poster of the Week

The first WCW Souled Out PPV

January 25th 1997

Cedar Rapids, IA

No.	Results[1]	Stipulations	Times
1	Masahiro Chono (nWo) defeated Chris Jericho (WCW)	Singles match	11:08
2	Big Bubba Rogers (nWo) defeated Hugh Morrus (WCW) (with Jimmy Hart)	Mexican Death match	09:03
3	Jeff Jarrett (WCW) defeated Mr. Wallstreet (nWo)	Singles match	09:22
4	Buff Bagwell (nWo) defeated Scotty Riggs (WCW)	Singles match	13:51
5	Scott Norton (nWo) defeated Diamond Dallas Page (WCW) via count-out	Singles match	09:39
6	The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott) (WCW) defeated The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) (c)(nWo)	Tag team match for the WCW World Tag Team Championship.	14:43
7	Eddie Guerrero (c) (WCW) defeated Syxx (nWo)	Ladder match for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship[2]	13:48
8	Hollywood Hogan (c) (nWo) fought The Giant (WCW) to a no contest	Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship	10:52

WWF RAW Magazine Cover of the Week

September/October 1997

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin

IWGP Champion

Kensuke Sasaki 

5  time IWGP Champion

1997 - 216 days defeated Shinya Hashimoto

2000 - 279 days defeated Genichiro Tenryu

2001 - 72   days defeated Kawada (tournament final)

2004 - 16   days defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan

2004 - 64   days defeated Kazuyuki Fujita

Pro Wrestling Illustrated Cover of the Week

Today in Pro Wrestling History (February 17th)

February 17th 1997

Monday Night RAW

Nashville TN

Sycho Sid

vs

WWF Champion

Bret Hart

Sycho Sid defeats the "Hit Man" for his 2nd and final WWF Heavyweight Title reign.

He would hold the belt for 34 days before losing the belt to 

The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 13 in Chicago IL 

(March 23rd 1997)

WCW PPV Poster of the Week

Starrcade 1997

Results[edit]

No.	Results[8]	Stipulations	Times[2]
1	Eddy Guerrero (c) defeated Dean Malenko	Singles match for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship	14:57
2	Scott Norton, Vincent and Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) defeated The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott) and Ray Traylor (with Ted DiBiase)	Six-man tag team match	11:06
3	Bill Goldberg defeated Steve McMichael	Singles match	5:59
4	Saturn (with Raven) defeated Chris Benoit	Raven's Rules match	10:50
5	Buff Bagwell defeated Lex Luger	Singles match	16:36
6	Diamond Dallas Page defeated Curt Hennig (c)	Singles match for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship	10:52
7	Larry Zbyszko defeated Eric Bischoff (with Scott Hall) by disqualification	Singles match with Bret Hart as special guest referee, if Bischoff won, he would get complete control ofWCW Monday Nitro, if Zbyszko won, he would face Scott Hall at Souled Out.	11:12
8	Sting defeated Hollywood Hogan (c)	Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. The match was restarted by Bret Hart due to an alleged fast count by official referee Nick Patrick.	12:53
(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match

PPV Poster of the Week

Survivor Series 1997

(night of the infamous Screwjob in Montreal)

The Hart Foundation 1997

PPV Poster of the Day

IN YOUR HOUSE

FINAL FOUR

February 16th 1997

UTC  Arena

Chattanooga,  TN

Results[edit]

No.	Results	Stipulations	Times
Dark	The Godwinns (Henry and Phineas) defeated The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher)	Tag team match	Unknown
1	Marc Mero (with Sable) defeated Leif Cassidy[1]	Singles match	09:30
2	The Nation of Domination (Faarooq, Crush, and Savio Vega) (with Clarence Mason) defeated Bart Gunn, Goldust, and Flash Funk[1]	Six-man tag team match	06:42
3	Rocky Maivia (c) defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley[1]	Singles match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship	12:30
4	Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon defeated Owen Hart and The British Bulldog (c) (with Clarence Mason) bydisqualification[1]	Tag team match WWF Tag Team Championship	10:30
5	Bret Hart defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin, Vader (with Paul Bearer), and The Undertaker[1]	Four corners elimination match for the vacant WWF Championship	24:05
(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match

SummerSlam in 60 Seconds - 1997

Results

No.	Results	Stipulations	Times[2]
1	Mankind defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley (with Chyna)	Steel cage match	16:13
2	Goldust (with Marlena) defeated Brian Pillman	Singles match; as a result of his loss, Brian Pillman had to wear Marlena's dress until he won a match.	07:17
3	The Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal) defeated The Godwinns (Henry and Phineas)	Tag team match	09:15
4	The British Bulldog (c) defeated Ken Shamrock by disqualification	Singles match for the WWF European Championship	07:29
5	Los Boricuas (Savio Vega, Miguel Pérez, Jr., Jose Estrada, Jr. and Jesús Castillo) defeated The Disciples of Apocalypse (Crush,Chainz, 8-Ball and Skull)	Eight-man tag team match	09:08
6	Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Owen Hart (c)[3]	Singles match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship	16:16
7	Bret Hart defeated The Undertaker (c)	Singles match for the WWF Championship with Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee	28:19
(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match

Match of the Night (WWF Tag Team Titles)

WWF Tag Team Title Match

Monday Night RAW

May 26th 1997

The British Bulldog and Owen Hart

WWF Tag Team Champions

vs

Shawn Michaels and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin

In Your House - Final Four

Looking back on the "good old days" of the WWF and some great PPVs with the IN YOUR HOUSE series, here from February 1997.

IN YOUR HOUSE 13

"FINAL FOUR"

February 16th 1997

UTC Arena

Chattanooga, TN

1	Marc Mero (with Sable) defeated Leif Cassidy[1]	Singles match	09:30
2	The Nation of Domination (Faarooq, Crush, and Savio Vega) (with Clarence Mason) defeated Bart Gunn, Goldust, and Flash Funk[1]	Tag team match	06:42
3	Rocky Maivia (c) defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley[1]	Singles match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship	12:30
4	Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon defeated Owen Hart and The British Bulldog (c) (with Clarence Mason) bydisqualification[1]	Tag team match WWF Tag Team Championship	10:30
5	Bret Hart defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin, Vader (with Paul Bearer), and The Undertaker[1]	Four corners elimination match for the vacant WWF Championship	24:05

Survivor Series 1997 (The Montreal Screw Job) Full PPV

Ok, lets try this and see how long its allowed to stay up.  This is the full PPV from Survivor Series 1997,
with the infamous "Montreal Screwjob" finish to the WWF Title Match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.
Its fun to see a crowd that seemed to be so close to rioting the entire night and was into the entire show from beginning to end.  Love how the WWF cultivated this canadian hatred to build to a blow off PPV like this one.

The Undertaker - Streak (6-0)

The Undertaker takes his Wrestlemania unbeaten streak to 6-0 against Sycho Sid and this time it was for the WWF Title.

Wrestlemania XIII

March 23  1997

Rosemont Horizon

Chicago,  IL