Monday Night Raw – June 16, 1997: Austin Needs Help

Monday Night Raw
Date: June 16, 1997
Location: Olympic Center, Lake Placid, New York
Attendance: 2,773
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jim Ross

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Tournament First Round: New Blackjacks vs. Owen Hart/British Bulldog

Rating: C-. This could have been far worse and it was nice to see Owen and Bulldog fight a regular team instead of whatever makeshift combination of main eventers they had thrown at them. The division could use a tournament like this to go somewhere, as Owen and Bulldog cleaned the thing out for so long that no one has any real stature.

We recap the Nation crumbling last week. Faarooq has promised a new Nation tonight and will be debuting his newest member in a tag match against Undertaker/Ahmed Johnson.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Phineas Godwinn

Chris Candido vs. Brian Christopher

Sunny is guest ring announcer and Paul E. Dangerously is on commentary. This is ECW vs. USWA as Christopher (Grand Master Sexay) was a top heel down in Memphis. Thankfully Paul points out that Candido used to wrestle in the WWF. Candido jumps him to start but Brian counters with an atomic drop and an enziguri.

Tommy Dreamer runs in for the save with a chair. This feud is interesting when you look back at it, but most wrestling fans probably had no idea who these people were or why they were on Raw.

We get some house show ads, followed by clips from a Toronto house show where the Harts were just crazy over.

Goldust vs. Jim Neidhart

Austin says he has Pillman where he wants him. After that, Ken Shamrock wants him to enter his world? How about Austin rocks it instead?

First hour recap and hour number two opening sequence.

Steve Austin vs. Brian Pillman

Rating: C+. This was good stuff when you consider the horrible condition Pillman was in at this point. He could barely move but was still able to have a totally watchable brawl before the DQ. Austin had to actually fight these guys at some point so having a match against Pillman was as fine a place as any to start.

Bobby Fulton vs. Tommy Rogers

Mero comes out to drag Sable to the back.

Tag Team Tournament First Round: Headbangers vs. Jerry Lawler/Rob Van Dam

Undertaker/Ahmed Johnson vs. Faarooq/???

A double clothesline drops Undertaker and Ahmed holds his arm out despite Undertaker being about ten feet from him. Undertaker busts out a Fameasser of all things to put Faarooq down but Kama prevents the tag. Brown gets in some shots on the floor and we take a break. Back with Undertaker scoring with a chokeslam on Faarooq but Kama is there for the save.

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