1997 King Of The Ring Review

Haven't watched this ppv in a couple of years. Aside from Michaels/Austin I don't remember enjoying much of anything else on it. McMahon and JR are calling the shots.


Match #1

King Of The Ring Semi Final Match

Hunter Hearst Helmsley w Chyna Vs Ahmed Johnson


Hunter is kinda in between snob and DX and Ahmed is starting his heel turn then going face again but nobody gave a **** by the end of the summer. Shoving to start. Ahmed with obvious power advantage. Ahmed presslams Hunter who scoots outside. Ahmed misses an elbow and Hunter sends him outside. Hunter catches Ahmed with a flying forearm and gets a 2 count. Ahmed starts hulking up and is rallying until Chyna interferes and a pedigree wins it at 7:12 for Hunter. 1 1/2 star.


Match #2

King Of The Ring Semi Final Match

Jerry The King Lawler Vs Mankind


Foley's at the beginning of his face turn here. More and more people are getting behind him. Mankind cuts a promo in the ring that show's he's moving towards the more comical side. Paul Bearer is too busy with The Undertaker to give a crap about poor Mankind. Lawler blabbers on his way to the ring like he usually does on ppv's. Mankind beats him up and Lawler has to go to the tights for some jabbing weapon and gives him a couple of shots in the heck area and the head. Outside Mankind gets thrown into the steps then Lawler bangs the back of his head into the gaurdrail. Lawler gives Mankind a piledriver on the floor and rolls in hoping for a countout. Mankind makes it back in. Lawler gives him another piledriver and a cocky pin means Mankind kicks out. Mankind favoring the neck alot in this match. Lawler tries a sunset flip but Mankind catches him with the mandible claw and wins it at 10:20. Okay match. 2 stars. Lawler even did a dropkick. WTF?!


Pillman does a promo backstage, Austin beats the hell out of him and gives him a swirly.

Match #3

Singles Match

Goldust w Marlena Vs Crush w The Nation Of Domination


Don't remember what or was the storyline here. I guess they wanted to give GD someone to fight on a ppv and Hunter was tied up. Boring match. Goldust gets a ddt for the suprise pin at 9:51. 1 1/2 star.


Match #4

Six Man Tag Team Match

European Champion The British Bulldog Daveyboy Smith, Owen Hart and Jim The Anvil Neidhart Vs Psycho Sid and The Leigon Of Doom


Bulldog and Owen dropped the belts to Austin and Michaels two weeks earlier. Anvil is back in the federation as a member of the Hart Foundation. This was Sid's last WWF ppv so far. Everybody has matching leather jackets with their name on the back. Hawk and Anvil do some clubberin which Hawk wins and catches him with a flying clothesline for 2. Animal gets triple teamed by the heels and he eats steps outside. Anvil with a slingshot from the apron to the inside of a ring gets 2 on Animal. Owen with a missle dropkick gets another 2. Bulldog slams Animal then goes up top and jumps off into a slam by Animal who then after being beat up for 4 minutes doesn't tag, instead he goes up top and gets in trouble again. Hawk hottags then he hotter tags Sid who is still over at this point and the faces clean house. Sid tries powerbombing Bulldog but Owen uses a sunset flip off the top rope and gets the pin at 13:03. Meh. 2 stars.


Match #5

King Of The Ring Match

Hunter Hearst Helmsley w Chyna Vs Mankind


This is typical booking of the KOTR. They usually have the face hurting and beat up face the eventual winner. Owen/Kid in 94. Austin/Jake 96. Mabel got a buy in 95 and fought a guy who already won 3 times. So that means Hunter is gonna win. Hunter beats on Mankinds injured neck. Out on the floor Mankind hits the elbow from the apron to the floor. Back inside a double arm ddt gets two. Mankind gets his head caught in the ropes and loses his mask again. Back outside, my favorite part Hunter hits the pedigree on the announcers table and it actually holds up to the weight unlike the time he almost killed Angle. They get back in the ring and Chyna whacks Mankind with the sceptor then Hunter knocks him off the apron into a cameraman on the floor. Hunter hits a second pedigree to win it at 19:16. Ill go 2 1/2 aside from Mankind getting dropped on the table it was pretty boring. Hunter beats up Mankind postmatch.


Match #6

Singles Match

Tag Team Champion Shawn Michaels Vs Tag Team Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin


Okay this is the match that should make or break the show. Hart Foundation makes their way to ringside and Bret is gonna be commentating. First he issues a challenge to the US guys at the next In Your "Hate" ppv Canadian Stampede. Hart Foundation make pests of themselves and the officials chase them away. Backstage Austin flips them off and we finally get to the match after 5 or 6 minutes of banter. Michaels making his return to action after months of gruely rehab from having his smile reatached. Austin knocks Shawn down and flips him off. Shawn knocks Austin down and flips him off. Vince Russo falls over the barrier and Shawn goes out to help him. Now I would of givin this match an extra bonus star just for Michaels superkicking him. Austin knocks Shawn outside and he's flopping around like he's wrestling Hogan. Shawn knocks Austin outside and hits a baseball slide then a vertical suplex attempt goes into a rope run with Shawn hitting the flying forearm. Austin fights back and stomps a mudhole. He fires Shawn into the opposite corner but Shawn crossbodies out and is rolled over for 2. Shawn irish whips Austin into the corner and the ref gets sandwitched in between. Stone cold stunner without a ref!!! Austin picks up the ref like he's trying to wake him up but stuns him aswell? Shawn superkicks him and another ref runs in to revive White. But Shawn superkicks him and White makes a slow 2 count. One of the Hebners runs in and throws the whole thing out at 22:58. Double DQ. You could hear a fart in the crowd. Both guys threaten to hit eachother with their tag belts and finally leave giving eachother leary glances. Im going 3 1/2 stars.



Match #7

World Championship Match

The Undertaker w Paul Bearer Vs Faarooq w The Nation Of Domination


After using the fireball on Paul, Bearer blackmailed Taker into doing what he said. So he's the temporary manager. Undertaker controls most of the match and Faarooq only gets the advantage when his goons interfere. Faarooq with a sleepr that Taker breaks with a jawbreaker. Taker sends Faarooq into the corner and gets kneed on the run in. Taker runs the ropes and Faarooq drops low and Taker misses the flying clothesline. Crush and Savio argue outside the ring as Faarooq slams Taker then stops to jaw with them. Taker sits up and goodbye Faarooq. Tombestone wins it at 13:44. Crush and Savio would get fired after this match I think. Bleh main event. 1 1/2 star. Bearer orders Taker to beat the **** out of Faarooq and Ahmed runs in to stop him. Taker doesn't listen so Ahmed plunges him. Setting up his eventual turn to the Nation.


Overall Opinion: Didn't like it as much as 96, or 94. Nowhere as good as 93 but better than 95. Michaels/Austin is the only match worth seeing and Austin giving Pillman a swirly is good for a laugh.


Final Score: Im going 4.1 on this show.