bob_barron 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2009 The whole card got changed around when they decided not to do Bret v. HBK Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Enigma 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2009 When Bret vs. HBK got axed, they decided to change Pillman vs. Austin to HBK vs. Austin. They did Pillman vs. Austin the next night on Raw. I do believe KOTR '97 was the show where Austin gave Pillman a swirlie. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrVenkman PhD 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2009 As I recall from the MNW episodes that aired in 2008 for this time period, it was Bret vs. HBK in a... let's say 15 minute time limit? Anyhow all the Hart Foundation members were supposed to he handcuffed to the ring and if Bret couldn't beat HBK in the time limit, he would leave America. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Psycho Penguin 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2009 I thought it was 10, but it might have changed since I am still on May 24th. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Epic Reine 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2009 It was indeed 10. They ran an angle where Austin attacked Bret right as Raw went off the air and the next week Bret came out and said he was unable to compete at KOTR because of it. HBK got upset at Austin for taking away his match and Pillman, knowing that there was bad blood between HBK and Austin, offered to relinquish his match with Austin at KOTR in favor for HBK/Austin which both men agreed to. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrVenkman PhD 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2009 I almost said 10 but I thought that was a bit short. I knew when I heard it, I thought "wow, what a shitty time limit" but I thought 15 fit in there for two guys that had no falls against each other in an hour. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boner Kawanger 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2009 I've always wondered what the booking of that match was supposed to be and what Shawn would have demanded they change it to and what Bret would have negotiated for...a schmoz, perhaps? EDIT-Is this Todd Pettingzoo's swan song in the WWF? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taxman 0 Report post Posted February 2, 2009 Todd's last appearance was at SummerSlam. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Enigma 0 Report post Posted February 2, 2009 Yes, the deal with Bret vs. HBK was that every Hart Foundation member would be handcuffed to the ring and if HBK could beat Bret within 10 minutes, Bret would never wrestle in the United States again. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bigelow34 0 Report post Posted February 2, 2009 It had to have been a last second addition. I remember watching the show live and being surprised that it was added. It was last second. I went to the show and bought a program and remember being surprised to see it on the card. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter's Torn Quad 0 Report post Posted February 2, 2009 I've always wondered what the booking of that match was supposed to be and what Shawn would have demanded they change it to and what Bret would have negotiated for...a schmoz, perhaps? I expect the idea would have been to debut a member of the Hart Foundation to take out Shawn and give Bret the win. Shawn would have probably demanded they debut two new members and use lots of plunder to beat him up. Vince would have then gone with just one man, as planned, but acquiesced to Shawn and allow him to get knocked out with some foreign object before losing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boner Kawanger 0 Report post Posted February 3, 2009 Makes sense. Perhaps the new member could have been Yokozuna... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Enigma 0 Report post Posted February 3, 2009 The magazines around that time were hinting that Bret possibly recruiting Yokozuna. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
King Kamala 0 Report post Posted February 3, 2009 I don't know if the same rang true for everybody's wrestling rumor mills down at the playground but I think Yokozuna was a rumored new member for virtually every stable (WWF or WCW) from approximately 1996 to 1999. One of my buddies even thought Yokozuna was going to be the third man at Bash at The Beach '96. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Enigma 0 Report post Posted February 3, 2009 When I mention magazines, I mean the official WWF mags. I specifically remember an issue of Raw magazine where they had a picture of the Hart Foundation with a silhouette of Yokozuna behind them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrVenkman PhD 0 Report post Posted February 3, 2009 http://groups.google.ca/group/rec.sport.pr...4236774304a11d4 Here's something that mentions Yokozuna / WCW (and a bunch of other silly shit): http://groups.google.ca/group/rec.sport.pr...2b0cd33dd596370 And lastly, some dude's predictions on KOTR 97: http://groups.google.ca/group/rec.sport.pr...34f7946c5896ae5 Scenario 3 - New NHF member Bret brings in a New NHF member to help him get DQ but also to but a beating on HBK. ... (e) Sunny & Chris Candido - HBK hinted that Bret was having some "Sunny Days" and this would be an opportunity to have Sunny revealed as manager of the NHF and bring in Chris as her real life husband Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Enigma 0 Report post Posted February 3, 2009 " Steve Austin will attack McMahon, Ross or some other high ranking official to get him back over as a heel (WrestleNet) " Good call. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PILLS! PILLS! PILLS! 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2009 When I mention magazines, I mean the official WWF mags. I specifically remember an issue of Raw magazine where they had a picture of the Hart Foundation with a silhouette of Yokozuna behind them. I also had that magazine, but I'm certain that the gist was that Yoko would be opposing the Harts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bigelow34 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2009 KOTR 97 changed so many times over the weeks. We started getting the local ads like 6 weeks before and the original line up was Taker vs. Ahmed and Shawn/Austin vs. Buldog/Owen. Then the tag got broken up and it Austin/Pillman, Legion of Doom vs. Owen & Bulldog and Bret/Shawn in the 10 minute challenge. Then Ahmed got changed to Faarooq and finally the week before, Austin/Michaels got added due to Bret's injury not being fully healed. I thought for sure Ahmed was winning the tournament. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrVenkman PhD 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2009 I have to say, the music in the KOTR 97 video package is pretty ominous and the PPV theme music is pretty cool for being generic (and also ominous after the 'royal fanfare' portion). JR also refers to Crush as being in Demolition, which I guess answers the question I've always had if all the "Crush" characters were supposed to be the same guy in character canon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boner Kawanger 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2009 I've always wondered the very same thing, Venk. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrVenkman PhD 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2009 Ha, I just noticed who the door opening jesters were. That's paying your dues (I believe this was briefly mentioned on the Hardys DVD from last Spring). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Psycho Penguin 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2009 Jeff was one of the guys who carried King Mabel to the ring once. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob_barron 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2009 I thought the Hardyz did the doors at KOTR 95, not 97 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrVenkman PhD 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2009 Yeah maybe... one of the guys looks like Matt but the other doesn't really resemble Jeff. I'm taping this so I couldn't rewind to double check. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PILLS! PILLS! PILLS! 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2009 Jeff was one of the guys who carried King Mabel to the ring once. Hah! I always cringed during that entrance, for fear that somebody would lose their footing or their grip and Mable would topple onto one of the poor slave boys. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Enigma 0 Report post Posted February 5, 2009 Jeff was one of the guys who carried King Mabel to the ring once. Hah! I always cringed during that entrance, for fear that somebody would lose their footing or their grip and Mable would topple onto one of the poor slave boys. Or fall into the crowd. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Danville_Wrestling 0 Report post Posted February 5, 2009 I thought for sure Ahmed was winning the tournament. I remember that I wanted Ahmed to win the tournament but knew that when they put HHH back in that he was going to win, which angered me greatly. I was always a big Ahmed fan, but even as a mark I knew that he was being significantly depushed after losing that gauntlet match to the NoD at IYH: Cold Day in Hell. I thought the 1997 KOTR tournament was absolute garbage as its one of the smallest KOTR fields in history and one of the worst. Top to bottom the field was Ahmed, HHH x 2, Crush, Goldust, Mankind, Jerry Lawler, and Savio Vega. Ahmed was the biggest name in the field, but compared to the other star power the WWF had at the time there were a lot of noticeably absent names. Owen wasn't there, ditto for Bulldog, Shamrock (I know he had just debuted but maybe he could have played a role), Vader, Pillman, etc. The whole tournament just felt cheap to me and compared to other years I didn't care at all for the KOTR. I think as a fan my interest in the entire KOTR concept from 1995 to when it ended on PPV in 2002 was one of declining interest. I liked the 1996 tournament and 1998 was okay, but the 1997 and 1999 tournaments greatly killed the concept for me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gert T 0 Report post Posted February 5, 2009 If UT v. Ahmed was going to happen at KOTR, was it going to be face v. tweener? Or would they have pulled the Ahmed to the Nation earlier and he would have been a full blown heel by the time of the match. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lee_The_Pea 0 Report post Posted February 6, 2009 during the shawn micheals, stone cold match, the guy with downs syndrome falls over the barrier. Vince calls him a "special Olympian", was he or was that Vince being Vince? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
