We’re nearing the end of 1997 as we enter November on Into the Vault. That means it’s time for WWE Survivor Series 1997 featuring the controversial WWE Championship match between Shawn Michaels and champion Bret Hart
The Best of WWE Survivor Series 1997
Three matches in we get our first truly decent and the best Series match featuring Team Canada (British Bulldog, Jim Neidhart, and the team of Furnas and LaFon) against Team USA (Goldust, Vader, Marc Mero, and Steve Blackman). “The Lethal Weapon” would make his actual debut with the WWE a week prior saving Vader from The Hart Foundation.
So, this was one of those Survivor Series bouts with a little beef behind it and those are my favorites. Mind you, this is not one of my favorite Series matches as it was just a notch above being middle of the road. It had some excitement, there were some thrills, and I was actually into it. Also, the expected team won since this was a PPV in Canada but it was kind of up in the air as most of The Hart Foundation were about to bounce for WCW.
I enjoyed Kane taking on Mankind. The match was brief for a Kane who was still in his Undertaker season one mode of being a masked horror movie monster. So, we have this fun monster versus ghoul match that didn’t have a freakshow or horror approach to it.
This was just a regular smegular match but it was damn solid. Kane did his thing as the dominant “Big Red Machine” and Mankind made the guy look dangerous as hell without looking utterly weak. I really dug this match.
The main event between WWE Champion Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels is obviously the match that everyone remembers because of the controversial ending and the impact it would have. However, with the historical aspect removed, the majority of this match was really good and exciting.
It had everything to make this the best match to punctuate the fall of 1997. We had two of the company’s biggest stars in a straight-up one-on-one bout sans gimmicks. There’s a lot of athleticism, action on the outside, and truly exercised referee discretion.
That last part would become a trademark of main events in WWE during the Attitude Era as evidenced by Steve Austin’s wanton use on the camera cable outside the ring in most of his bouts. The one thing that was a damper on the match was, of course, the finish.
The Rest
To be honest, this was not a good Survivor Series for the most part as a lot of the show was meh at most but squarely in bad territory. The first two Survivor Series matches just weren’t worth PPV time. I will say of the two, the better match was the first which pitted The Godwinns and The New Age Outlaws against The Headbangers and The New Blackjacks.
Now, the second match saw The Truth Commission faction take The Disciples of Apocalypse which just didn’t seem like a match anyone would want to see at all but there it was. Again, if I had to pick one, the first was more watchable but if the second could go under ten minutes, there’s no excuse for the first one going fifteen when no one was clamoring for that one either.
I’ll say that the fourth and last Survivor Series bout on the card was the second-best of the Series matches. This one Ken Shamrock, Ahmed Johnson, and the Legion of Doom face off against the Nation of Domination.
It was a watchable match that had its moments. The main problem is that it ran way too long and could feel like it dragged at many points. I wouldn’t say it was plodding so much as just when it dragged, it really dragged.
When you look at the time for the Austin-Owen Intercontinental title match, you just know that unless they’re going all-out, this wasn’t going to be on to watch. Given that their last IC bout ended in injury for Austin, you shouldn’t really expect thrills and spills. There was a little drama here but overall, it wasn’t anything to write home about.
Actually, for a PPV it’s too short to actually rate fairly but it’s there.
WWE Survivor Series 1997 Verdict: Bronze Medal (2.21/5)
Overall, this wasn’t an exciting PPV from start to finish and not the kind of show you’d want for your big fall show but it had its moments where it was enjoyable. Unfortunately, you had to sit through stuff that could be boring or just lengthy and bad.
You can’t really expect every Series match to be good and usually, you got some random showdowns at this PPV over the years but each of them could’ve been much better than they were. There weren’t any that I’d say was good or great but the Team Canada versus Team USA bout was the best Series match.
The best bout of Survivor Series 1997 was the main event title match without a question.
SUBSCRIBE NOW: Get The Overtimer’s Hottest Stories, Breaking News and Special Features in your email, CLICK HERE!
Remember to stay up to date with the latest news on TheOvertimer. Don’t forget to visit ScreenJuicer for great videos, news, and gameplay!
