[1997-06-02-WWF-Raw] Hart Foundation, Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Bret is still on crutches. The Hart Foundation is in the ring and Austin and Shawn are both on the Titantron by split screen. The storyline is that Bret was re-injured by Austin the previous week and Bret is not be able to make it to King of the Ring now. Funny to watch Austin and Shawn stand there on the Titantron while Bret whines at both of them. God, Bret is amazing.

 

Shawn cuts a fired up promo on Austin and blames him for reinsuring him Bret and costing him this match when Shawn could have made sure he never wrestled in the U.S. again. Austin doesn't give a rat's ass, of course. Things get heated and Shawn has enough of Austin's mouth and finds him elsewhere in the building and gets in his face. This side of Shawn is really good and what I wish we could have gotten from him more.

 

In reaction to all of this, Bret silently plots in Pillman's ear -- Pillman gives up his spot to Shawn at KOTR and now Shawn vs Austin is set. I'm guessing the real reason this match didn't happen is because had Bret gotten his hands on Shawn, he might have killed him.

[Kevin Ridge]

A rare interview of Bret by McMahon. Bret brings up Canadian athlete Donovan Bailey winning against USA’s Michael Johnson. Bret won’t be able to wrestle Michaels at King of the Ring because of the knee.

 

Michaels is upset at not being able to rid of Hart for good in the USA. Austin doesn’t care about that which of course the fans pop big for. Michaels ends up confronting Austin backstage but they don’t come to blows. Ever the gentleman, Pillman gives up his spot at King of the Ring for Michaels to face Austin instead. Austin is quick to accept.

[soup23]

We get the big three factions going against each other in an angst ridden promo. All things considered, the audible to Austin vs. HBK worked for me.

[PeteF3]

I don't think Bret had jumped Shawn backstage just yet--the reason for the KOTR change was Bret was legitimately still not ready, at least according to the Observer (I'm not reading ahead). Shawn is at his most tolerable here because most of his aggressions are towards Austin and he's out to get the storylines over without any shooty stuff to worry about. Austin and HBK decide not to throw down backstage as they have a tag title match later with LOD, but Bret and Pillman propose that they face each other at King of the Ring. Austin agrees, then promises to take care of Pillman's crippled, raspy, hoarse-voiced ass the next night on Raw.

[Exposer]

Really good segment. Bret is awesome. He runs down both Austin & Shawn while their on split screen. Bret creates the wedge between Austin & Shawn even more by saying it's Austin's fault that he can't compete at King of the Ring. Shawn agrees & starts bickering with Austin. Austin challenges Shawn to come find him & do something about it so Shawn does & they argue in face-to-face. The HF confer & Pillman will agree to drop his KOTR match with Austin & be replaced with Shawn (so they can settle their differences as Pillman says) as long as he can get his match with Austin shorty after. Austin agrees & wants the Pillman match for next Monday. Pillman & Owen's reactions to Austin's promo are great. Bret is the cherry on top as he looks completely satisfied with Austin & Shawn tearing each other apart at KOTR.