As they say in the biz, the show must go on and so it did tonight as Boy Toy Shawn Michaels put up the WWF World Title he never really won fairly against former Ultimate Fighting champion, Ken Shamrock at WWF In Your House: D Generation X.
A show that saw the first ever WWF Light Heavyweight champion crowned.
A show that saw a Toughman boxer and a wrestler put the crowd to sleep.
A show that saw a pathetic Dustin Rhodes (Goldust) further embarrass himself as he read from Dr. Suess.
And a show that saw the Hart family gain a measure of revenge (albeit scripted) on the Boy Toy.
On the last WWF pay-per-view (the Survivor Series) the world watched as Bret Hit Man Hart was robbed of the World Title not by a wrestler but by WWF owner: Vince McMahon calling for the bell to be rung. The verbal pissing match between the two parties has trailed off but the WWF has capitalized on the Hit Man’s departure as a hinge to hang its storylines upon. In Your House: D Generation X continued that trend.
His good pals Chyna and Hunter Hearst-Helmsley getting him disqualified so he could retain the title, Shawn Michaels was blindsided by the Hit Man’s brother, Owen Hart. As the Boy Toy stood somewhat victorious, a street clothed, unshaven Owen kneed The Heartbreak Kid in the back sending him over the top rope and face-first into an announcing table. The announcers selling the attack describing Owen as “mentally unsound”, Bret’s younger sibling pounced on a bloody Michaels delivering machine gun punches to the noggin. Chyna and Triple H came to the rescue and Owen beat a hasty retreat into the crowd where fans congratulated him.
A clear attempt to groom Owen as the next challenger, the WWF can’t overlook a re-match for a burned Ken Shamrock or the fact that Michaels hasn’t defended his WWF European Title belt in the thirty day time limit as stated in the WWF rule book. Repetitious outside interference courtesy of D Generation X hangers-on Chyna and Triple H cost The World’s Most Dangerous Man a world title reign.
Prior to Owen’s Pearl Harbor job, Shamrock had caught Michaels as he tried to land his trademarked Sweet Chin Music finishing maneuver switching it into a spine-cracking belly-to-belly suplex. The batteries ripped out of the Boy Toy, Shamrock curled Michaels into his leg-lock submission hold of which the WWF champ submitted to previously on Monday Night Raw. Triple H and Chyna seeing their meal ticket torn in half rushed into the ring, beat on Shamrock and threw him over the top rope to guarantee the disqualification.
The next WWF pay-per-view is The Royal Rumble on January 18th, 1998..
WWF In Your House : D Generation X results
Brian Christopher Vs Taka Michinoku (WWF Light Heavyweight Title Match)
: Jerry Lawler utters the hilarious…If Taka loses another pound we’ll have to file a missing person’s report.
: At four minutes in Christopher bangs his mouth on a steel ring railing causing his mouth to dribble blood.
: Christopher misses the Tennessee Jam and a quick thinking Michinoku lands the Michinoku Driver.
Winner: …and first-ever WWF Light Heavyweight Champ…Taka Michinoku at 12 minutes even.
Los Boricuas Versus D.O.A.
: Crush is announced as injured so the match will be a six man tag instead of an eight man tag.
: Miguel crashes heavily outside the ring, feigns a leg injury so Savio Vega can take his place on the team. The ref rules against it.
: As the ref is distracted, a now healthy Miguel splatters Skull with a standing moonsault rolling another Boricua on top for the pin.
Winners: At 7 minutes and 58 seconds, Los Boricuas.
Marvelous Marc Mero Vs Butterbean (Boxing Match)
: Boring the audience half to death (after all these years don’t these guys realize boxer versus wrestler matches don’t work) Mero and Butterbean trade shots with Mero cheap shooting Butterbean as the bell rings to end the rounds.
: During round four Mero is knocked to the canvass. Angered, he kicks Butterbean in the lower abdomen then beats him silly with a wooden stool.
Winner: Via disqualification…Butterbean at 10 minutes and 20 seconds.
: Goldust (accompanied by Luna Vachon) comes out and reads Dr. Suess’ Green Eggs And Ham alternating between his normal speaking voice and a stereotyped gay lilt. Luna ends our suffering by dragging Goldust to the back with a chain that is attached to his neck.
The Road Warriors (challengers) Vs Bad Ass and Road Dog (champions) (WWF World Tag Title Match)
: Someone holds up a sign saying…L.O.D is O.L.D.
: Road Dog and Bad Ass kill mucho time running away from the ring until Hawk and Animal drag them in.
: At 5:38, Hawk is clobbered with a Styrofoam cooler to the head. Owie! That’s gotta hurt so bad.
: As the Warriors prepare to launch The Doomsday Device, Henry O. Godwinn nails Animal with a steel bucket. Hawk goes mental and beans everyone disqualifying his team.
Winners: …and still WWF World Tag Team Champions…Bad Ass Billy Gunn and Road Dog at 10 minutes and 32 seconds
Triple H Vs Sgt. Slaughter (Boot Camp Match)
: Slaughter calls Triple H a puke during his interview.
: Someone holds up a sign saying…Who booked this?
: Slaughter takes command early on whipping, beating and choking Triple H with his rider’s crop.
: At 8:57, Chyna slips Triple H a chain which he uses to pound on Slaughter.
: Slaughter locks on The Cobra Clutch at 14:09 but Chyna interferes and rakes his eyes. The Sarge fires back by throwing powder in her eyes.
: At 15:49, The Cobra Clutch is again locked on but Chyna hoofs Slaughter between the legs and Triple H Pedigrees him on a steel chair.
Winner: At 12 minutes and 39 seconds, Triple H.
Jeff Jarrett Vs The Undertaker
: Jeff Jarrett’s entrance music has a voiced-over ring introduction done by himself.
: At 5:14, the lights go out and Kane comes down to ringside. Jarrett encourages Kane to punk The Undertaker. Annoyed, Kane chokeslams Jarrett then slaps The Undertaker.
: The match is called because of Kane attacking Jarrett. Jarrett tries to put The Undertaker in the Figure Four but is slammed again.
Winner: Via disqualification, Jeff Jarrett at 8 minutes and 40 seconds.
: For all you who’ve been holding your breath, Mark Henry announces in an interview that he will be returning to the ring in a few short weeks.
Stone Cold (champion) Vs Rocky Maivia (challenger) (Intercontinental Title Match)
: Austin drives his pick-up truck to the ring.
: The Nation pounds on Austin before the bell rings.
: Austin hurls D-Lo onto the windshield of his truck and Stone Cold stuns him on the roof. Kama takes out Faarooq accidentally with a steel chair then misses Austin and ploughs into the truck. The Nation is down.
: At 5:04, Austin mistakenly Stuns the referee. Maivia pulled out a pair of brass knuckles. Austin dodges the punch and Stuns Maivia.
Winner: …and still WWF Intercontinental Champion…Steve Austin at 5 minutes and 28 seconds .
Ken Shamrock (challenger) vs Shawn Michaels (champion) (WWF World Heavyweight Title Match)
Winner: Ken Shamrock via disqualification at 18 minutes and 27 seconds.
According to the WWF rules, a championship belt can’t change hands on a DQ, therefore, Shawn Michaels retains the title belt .
Total event time: 2 hours and 52 minutes.