WWE embraced the spirit of Canada in this satisfying PPV event, featuring Vader's final WWE Championship match, a very well done 10 man tag main event, and Mankind seeking revenge on recently crowned King of the Ring, Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
The night began with the two men who had wrestled in the King of the Ring final a month earlier, Mankind and Hunter Hearst Helmsley, going at it in a spirited opener. Chyna accompanied Triple H to the ring and interjected herself several times, the match eventually ending in a double count out as both men brawled outside. A fun match to start the night.
Next it was time for Taka Michinoku, who would be used to this by the time his WWE tenure came to an end a few years later, to get beaten, in a pretty long match for what it was, by The Great Sasuke. Fun in parts and certainly not awful, this was part of the WWE's attempts to compete with WCW's very strong cruiserweight division. It never really caught on, and although the WWE kept a small man's title of some sort until 2007, it was mainly used as a joke, unless Rey Mysterio was holding it.
Next came the big WWE title match which saw the Undertaker successfully retain the title against Vader. Taker and Vader had been feuding on and off since Vader had arrived in the WWE a year and a half earlier. Both on their own were good wrestlers, but they had no chemistry together and put on a string of poor matches. This was no exception. Vader's loss here marked the end of his title aspirations in the WWE. Near the end of the year he'd make an unsuccessful transition to a fan favourite, lost a bunch of matches, and didn't see out 1998.
Out comes the Farmer's Daughter to sing O Canada. I never could remember the words to that song.
Now came a big time Main Event match with the beloved home town heroes (who were booed throughout America, but were fan favourites in Canada) The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog, Brian Pillman and Jim Neidhart) taking on the arrogant, hated Americans (Steve Austin, Ken Shamrock, Hawk and Animal) in one of the best 10 man tag matches ever to happen in the WWE. The big rivalry throughout 1997 had been Bret Hart vs Steve Austin. Austin had cost Hart victory in the Royal Rumble, then cost him the WWE Title a month later. Fans had turned on Hart after he defeated Austin at Wrestlemania 13, so Hart re-established the Hart Foundation as an anti-American, and more to the point, anti-Austin group and they cost Austin the title at the "Cold Day in Hell" PPV in May. So here it was time to get it on, and they certainly did. Owen Hart eventually won the match by pinning Austin who was being distracted by some of the Hart brothers at ringside. Austin had only himself to blame: he'd tried to attack them in their seats.
So there you have it. Canadian Stampede was a tremendous show, and a grand end to the two hour In Your House spectaculars. From here In Your House would be three hours in length. In May 1999, the final In Your House PPV was held, but the real ending was here, where the original two hour concept was abandoned. The two hour shows had produced some great cards, some horrendous cards and some in between, but had played their part in transitioning WWE into a monthly PPV schedule.
The night began with the two men who had wrestled in the King of the Ring final a month earlier, Mankind and Hunter Hearst Helmsley, going at it in a spirited opener. Chyna accompanied Triple H to the ring and interjected herself several times, the match eventually ending in a double count out as both men brawled outside. A fun match to start the night.
Next it was time for Taka Michinoku, who would be used to this by the time his WWE tenure came to an end a few years later, to get beaten, in a pretty long match for what it was, by The Great Sasuke. Fun in parts and certainly not awful, this was part of the WWE's attempts to compete with WCW's very strong cruiserweight division. It never really caught on, and although the WWE kept a small man's title of some sort until 2007, it was mainly used as a joke, unless Rey Mysterio was holding it.
Next came the big WWE title match which saw the Undertaker successfully retain the title against Vader. Taker and Vader had been feuding on and off since Vader had arrived in the WWE a year and a half earlier. Both on their own were good wrestlers, but they had no chemistry together and put on a string of poor matches. This was no exception. Vader's loss here marked the end of his title aspirations in the WWE. Near the end of the year he'd make an unsuccessful transition to a fan favourite, lost a bunch of matches, and didn't see out 1998.
Out comes the Farmer's Daughter to sing O Canada. I never could remember the words to that song.
Now came a big time Main Event match with the beloved home town heroes (who were booed throughout America, but were fan favourites in Canada) The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog, Brian Pillman and Jim Neidhart) taking on the arrogant, hated Americans (Steve Austin, Ken Shamrock, Hawk and Animal) in one of the best 10 man tag matches ever to happen in the WWE. The big rivalry throughout 1997 had been Bret Hart vs Steve Austin. Austin had cost Hart victory in the Royal Rumble, then cost him the WWE Title a month later. Fans had turned on Hart after he defeated Austin at Wrestlemania 13, so Hart re-established the Hart Foundation as an anti-American, and more to the point, anti-Austin group and they cost Austin the title at the "Cold Day in Hell" PPV in May. So here it was time to get it on, and they certainly did. Owen Hart eventually won the match by pinning Austin who was being distracted by some of the Hart brothers at ringside. Austin had only himself to blame: he'd tried to attack them in their seats.
So there you have it. Canadian Stampede was a tremendous show, and a grand end to the two hour In Your House spectaculars. From here In Your House would be three hours in length. In May 1999, the final In Your House PPV was held, but the real ending was here, where the original two hour concept was abandoned. The two hour shows had produced some great cards, some horrendous cards and some in between, but had played their part in transitioning WWE into a monthly PPV schedule.