IYH: Final Four Review

We wound up with this ppv setup because Shawn Michaels faked a knee injury the previous Thursday Raw Thursday so he wouldn't have to lose the title to Bret Hart. Originally the final 4 was for the #1 contender spot. Now it's for the vacant world title. Ive only seen this ppv once but the main event is the only thing I remember worth while.


Match #1

Singles Match

Wildman Marc Mero w Sable Vs Leif Cassidy


This would be Cassidies last WWF ppv before he came back in spring 98 as Al Snow and finally found his niche. This is Wildman's last ppv before knee injuries took him out til late 97 and he was repackaged as Maverlous. Not a whole lot going on, feels like an average Raw match. Cassidy works the knee. Mero fights back and uses a samoan drop near the corner then hits the wild thing to pin Cassidy at 9:27. 1 1/2 star.


We have to look at the stupid video package of Michaels loosing his scrotum again. I wonder if those bimbos in the crowd were actually crying in the audience or were they edited into the film. If they were, I hope they know how foolish they looked showing sympathy for this swindler.


Match #2

Six Man Tag Team Match

Faarooq, Crush, and Savio Vega Vs Goldust w Marlena, Bart Gunn and Flash Funk

NOD got the better of the three faces in individual house show matches, so they want a rematch. This match feels and looks like a bunch of guys with nothing better to do tonight. Savio is the newest member of the Nation. Fans still not caring much for Funk. Flash does his high flying stuff which is the only good stuff in the match. Flash gets beat up for a few moments and gets a spike piledriver from Crush and Savio. Eventual breakdown as everybody fights and Faarooq pins Bart after Crush nails him. 1 1/2 star.


Match #3

Intercontinental Championship Match

Rocky Maivia Vs Hunter Hearst Helmsley

This is when the people REALLY started to turn against Maivia. He beat Hunter for the IC title on Raw and the loathing factor went up about 50% in the process. Rocky does his squeaky clean good guy offense. Hunter catches him on a mistake and works him over. A Rocky chant breaks out but that might be piped in, I don't know. Rocky hits a suprise crosssbody for 2. Hunter drops him with a clothesline. Hunter misses the "Harley Race Knee Drop" in the days before JR referenced Race's moveset 5 or 7 times per HHH match. Rocky sends Hunter into a Flair flip in the corner. Building momentum. Rocky up top and hits the flying crossbody for 2. 10 punch in the corner, Hunter takes one step foward and drops Rocky face first into the turnbuckle then gets caught trying to pin Maivia with the ropes. Rocky mashes Hunter with a ddt for 2. Hunter thumbs him in the eye then hits the neck breaker. Goldust wanders out to distract Hunter and Rocky pins him with a german suplex bridge at 12:24. 2 stars. Chyna makes her WWF debute by attacking Marlena then being chased off by security.


Match #4

Tag Team Championship Match

The British Bulldog Daveyboy Smith and Owen Hart Vs Doug Furnas And Philip Lafon


The Bulldog/Hart tension going back to the Rumble has been simmering for awhile. Bulldog was THIS close to going face in early 97 but that was scrapped when Bret went heel and gathered up the family to form one of the WWF's best stables up to that time. Lafon is like the Dean Malenko of the WWF in this time period. The only difference is the crowd doesn't give a **** about the great pin counter on an monkey flip attempt by Owen. Another miscommunication when Owen accidently heel kicks Owen then Bulldog coldcocks Owen, and Furnas almost pins Owen but Bulldog makes the save, match is getting pretty screwey here. Furnas and Lafon win by DQ when Owen smacks Lafon with his slammy award 10 minutes in. 2 stars. Bulldog argues with Owen over getting them DQ'd when he had Furnas pinned after a powerslam.


Match #5

4 Way Elimination Match For The World Heavyweight Championship

Bret The Hitman Hart Vs The Undertaker Vs Vader w Paul Bearer Vs Stone Cold Steve Austin



Winner gets the vacant title. Which despite Shawn's childish way's possibly helped the buyrate a smidge. All 4 guys start in the ring at the same time, there is no Disqualification and you can eliminated someone by pinfall, submission or throw them over the top rope. Hart and Austin pair off and Vader goes after Taker. Vader drops Taker with a belly to belly and he sits up. They brawl outside and Vader goes to hit him with a chair but Taker kicks it back in his face. Bret with a sleeper on Austin who breaks it with a jawbreaker. Vader lowblows Bret and they go outside where Vader pastes him with a chair. Austin tries a piledriver on Taker in the entrance way and gets backdropped. Vader's busted open around the eye and he tries to hit Austin with the steps but Austin nails him then does a sandwitch job with the steel steps on Vader. Taker suplexes Bret back into the ring and Austin and Vader are all wrapped up by the timekeeper table. Sid is watching backstage and he gets the winner in the cage match on Raw. Vader's a mess. Vader and Bret have a punch out and Hart wins it by kicking him low. Definatley a tweener at this point. Bret hits a russian legsweep for 2. Taker throws Austin over the top rope but he hangs on. Taker drops Vader with a short clothesline. BRET HART ELIMINATES AUSTIN!!! With a firemans carry of all things 18 minutes in. Austin leaves without much arguement. I raise an eyebrow to that one. Taker gets knocked outside by Bret and Taker then Bearer smacks him with the urn. Bret superduperplexes Vader then puts on the sharpshooter. Taker knocks him outside and Austin does a run in and beats on Bret. Vader takes down Taker and goes for the Vader bomb but Taker sits up and hits him in the nuts which sends him over the corner and out!!! Crowd goes nuts!!! Bret gets beat on by Austin in the ring, Austin is sent away then Taker chokeslams Bret and the crowd is solidly behind Taker of the 4. Taker goes for a tombestone but Austin mucks it up and all three scuffle by the ropes. In the clustersnork Bret clotheslines Taker out and wins the vacant world title and his 4th belt overall. Crowd is mixed. Lengthy match at 24:03. Im going 3 1/2 stars. Psycho Sid walks out and confronts Bret and they discuss things.


Overall Opinion: If this was just for the #1 contender spot at Mania 13 I would say this ppv would probably be completely forgettable. But since the main event involved the vacant world title and a new champ would be crowned. That's pretty good reason to order the ppv. It's the only match on the card worthwhile.


Final Score: On my scale of 1 to 10. Im going with a 3.1 The main event is soley responsible for the score being that high anyway.