WWF In Your House 8: Beware of Dog Results
May 26, 1996
Florence, South Carolina (Florence Civic Center)
Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler
Results by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
“The World Wrestling Federation: for over fifty years, the revolutionary force in sports entertainment.” The WWF video leads us into the show.
Video: A recap of the very personal feud between WWF Champion Shawn Michaels and The British Bulldog is shown. Michaels has been accused of trying to proposition Diana Smith, the Bulldog’s wife, claims which Michaels denied. Michaels says it is character assassination, and he’s damn tired of it.
Video: The In Your House: Beware of Dog video graphic plays.
Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler welcome us to Florence, South Carolina. McMahon pays tribute to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, so they have the privilege of coming In Your House tonight. Lawler says Shawn Michaels’ mission, should he choose to accept it, is to prove he’s not a womanizer.
Replay: This past weekend on WWF Superstars, Bob Backlund attacked “Wildman” Marc Mero. Hunter Hearst Helmsley then ran in and attacked Mero with a Pedigree, much to Sable’s chagrin.
Backstage Interview
Dok Hendrix is backstage with “Wildman” Marc Mero and Sable. How will Mero avoid being hit with the Pedigree again? Mero says today is the dawning of a new day. It’s time to answer the call of the wild. Mero says to Helmsley, “Welcome to the jungle.”
Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. “Wildman” Marc Mero w/ Sable
Referee: Jack Doan
As Mero gets in the ring, they immediately begin brawling. Mero punches away at Helmsley as the bell rings. Helmsley quickly bails out of the ring and runs back in as Mero chases. Helmsley attacks Mero as he gets in the ring, but Mero quickly spins him around and punches him over the top rope. Mero then hits him with a scary plancha. Mero slides Helmsley into the ring and hits a slingshot leg drop for a two-count. Mero signals for a big right hand, but Helmsley thumbs him in the eye. Mero reverses a whip to the corner, and Helmsley rolls up the turnbuckles. Mero flattens him with a big left hand for a near fall.
Mero punches Helmsley in the corner and whips him to the opposite corner. Mero charges, but he hits the ring post shoulder-first when Helmsley moves. Mero holds his shoulder in pain. Helmsley grabs him and drives his shoulder back into the ring post. Mero falls out of the ring. Sable checks on him as Helmsley poses in the ring and does a Blueblood Pose. Mero slowly gets in the ring and tries to punch Helmsley. Helmsley sends him into the ropes, kicks him in the midsection, and hits an arm breaker. Mero writhes around in pain. Helmsley stomps him and chokes him in the corner.
Vince McMahon mentions that there are some bad storms happening outside the arena. If they experience some technical difficulties, it won’t be for long, and they will be back. Helmsley punches Mero down before sending him into the ropes for a leaping high knee to the face for a two-count. Helmsley wrenches the arm and drives his knee into it. Mero fights up, but Helmsley attacks the arm. Mero surprises him with a roll-up for a two-count. Mero goes for a backslide pin, but his arm is too injured. Helmsley quickly capitalizes, taking Mero down. Helmsley drags Mero to the corner, points at Sable, and slams Mero’s shoulder off the ring post. Helmsley slams the shoulder off the ring post a second time before getting in the ring. Helmsley punches Mero and ties his arm around the top rope for a few moments. Helmsley lets go before being disqualified and stomps away at him. Mero drives the shoulder into the top turnbuckle and applies an arm wrench to take him down. Helmsley goes for a cross-arm breaker. Mero fights it, but Helmsley eventually applies it. Mero screams in pain and reaches for the bottom rope, but Helmsley pulls him away. Mero’s shoulders are down for a two-count. Mero eventually manages to grab the bottom rope to necessitate a break of the submission.
Helmsley continues to attack Mero, driving his face into the canvas. Helmsley drops a knee onto Mero’s injured arm. There is a fan in the crowd who is obnoxiously screaming at everything. Mero tries to fight back, but Helmsley quickly cuts him off. Helmsley continues to twist away at the injured arm before applying a hammerlock and driving him into the turnbuckles. Mero quickly flips through a back suplex and rolls him up for a near fall. Helmsley quickly pops up and clotheslines Mero down for a two-count. Mero grabs at Helmsley, but Helmsley continues to attack the arm. Helmsley leans Mero over the top rope and snaps his arm off it. Helmsley heads to the top rope and hits a diving ax handle before applying an armbar. Helmsley uses the rope for leverage and releases before the official catches him. Helmsley does it again and again without getting caught. Helmsley drives his knee into Mero’s injured arm before applying a hammerlock and hitting a scoop slam. Helmsley heads to the top rope, but Mero crotches him up there.
Mero punches Helmsley in the head and heads to the top rope for a super hurricanrana. Helmsley is soon up and sends Mero into the ropes, but Mero catches him with a head-scissor takeover. Mero holds his arm in pain. Mero gets to his feet and hits a knee to the face. Mero sends Helmsley into the ropes for a back-body drop using his good shoulder. Mero goes to the top rope and hits a diving sunset flip. 1… 2… Helmsley kicks out. Mero dropkicks Helmsley over the top rope. Mero goes for a somersault senton, but Helmsley moves. Mero tries to stick the landing, but his knee gives out.
Helmsley sees Mero grabbing his knee in pain and gets him in the ring. Helmsley sets up for a Pedigree, but Helmsley stops and beats him down instead. Sable is turning away from this, so Helmsley goes outside the ring and grabs her. Helmsley tells her to watch what he does to Mero. Helmsley gets in the ring and slaps Mero in the face. Helmsley sets up for a Pedigree, but Mero sweeps his feet and catapults him into the corner. Helmsley sails over the turnbuckles and smashes his face against the ring post. Helmsley collapses to the mat, out cold. Mero crawls over and covers for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: “Wildman” Marc Mero
“Wildman” Marc Mero and Sable celebrate in the ring as Hunter Hearst Helmsley lies unconscious.
Mike’s Thoughts: This was a pretty good match that was brought down a bit by a finish that didn’t exactly put Marc Mero over strongly. The week before this, Hunter Hearst Helmsley participated in the controversial Curtain Call incident at Madison Square Garden and was poised to take the brunt of the punishment for it, since Shawn Michaels was at the top of the company, and Kevin Nash and Scott Hall were done. With Helmsley ready to start eating crow, it’s amazing to me that they didn’t have Mero beat him clean with his finish.
The calling card of Mero’s “Wildman” character is that he does, you know, wild things, like dives off and over the top rope. Why not have him win his first pay-per-view match in such a fashion? To be honest, Mero has been a bit of a disappointment in his first two months with the company. As the first wrestler in WWF history to have a guaranteed money deal, he hasn’t lived up to it. His promos are cringeworthy, he looks small next to the average WWF Superstar, and he’s been sloppy with his signature moves. The dives to the floor in particular look reckless at times. I’ve seen it where the difference between the ropes in WCW and WWF threw him off (cable vs. actual rope), but after two months and a bunch of house shows, he hasn’t figured out how to work around that? They’re not going to give up on him just yet, particularly with Sable as his manager, but it’s not totally working out so far. And wins like that, where it looks like he slipped on a banana peel instead of winning decisively, don’t help at all.
Backstage Interview
Mr. Perfect is backstage with Jim Cornette, a very beat-up Clarence Mason, The British Bulldog, Diana Smith, Owen Hart, and an unidentified man. Perfect says Cornette has a big bombshell. Cornette says there will be many bombshells. He won’t reveal the big bombshell until later, or Shawn Michaels will be able to prepare for it. Michaels has made his bed. He tried to get Diana into it, but he’ll have to sleep in it himself. Cornette says he’s busy with Yokozuna taking on Vader, so he wants The British Bulldog to have a dedicated manager. Cornette spoke with South Carolina’s athletic commission and secured Owen Hart an official manager’s license. Hart will be Bulldog’s manager tonight.
We hear the music of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, but the show cuts to a graphic of the In Your House intro video.
And… It’s time for the main event.
History Corner: The lights go out in South Carolina
Ok, so you might be thinking, “Wait, what?” During the Mero vs. Helmsley match, Vince McMahon mentioned on commentary that there is a terrible storm in the area, which could cause technical difficulties. Well, lo and behold, it absolutely did. Right as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Savio Vega was about to get started (you could hear Austin’s music playing in the background during the Jim Cornette interview), the power completely cut out in the arena, cutting the PPV feed off as well.
What followed was a whole bunch of nothingness for at least half an hour for the viewers at home. Some service providers gave just a black or blue screen. Others had a message saying the broadcast would be right back. After a while, a video popped up of Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler at the commentary table with some really poor lighting in the arena (as a fun side note, The Fabulous Moolah and Mae Young were seated behind them in the crowd). McMahon informed viewers that matches were still underway, and they hoped to have power fully restored soon. He then told everyone to tune in to Monday Night Raw to find out how to watch the matches they’re missing right now.
To their credit, they did have their full slate of matches. It was a poor experience for the people in attendance, who could barely see anything. They ran the operation using battery-powered cameras, a low-power generator to have a spotlight on the ring and power some equipment, and no ring introductions. Since the footage looked so bad, they decided to redo the three matches that weren’t seen on Tuesday, May 28, which was also a WWF Superstars taping.
Before the main event, Savio Vega defeated “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in a Caribbean Strap Match to avoid becoming Ted DiBiase’s chauffeur (imaging having to redo a Strap Match!), Yokozuna defeated Vader (some conflicting reports say Vader won), Goldust defeated The Undertaker in a Casket Match to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship following interference from Vader, Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Isaac Yankem, and Steve Austin (presumably done to protect the finish of the match when it was redone on Tuesday), and in a match to kill time as the power came back on, Jake “The Snake” Roberts defeated Bradshaw in 30 seconds.
The feed would be restored just in time for the main event, but some cable providers never came back. The only match some people saw all evening was Mero vs. Helmsley.
In any event, this contributed to one of the more unique PPV experiences in company history. Every now and then, something interesting happens on a live show. I remember that one episode of Raw when the show was briefly delayed because the pyro set the stage on fire. Another show was piecemeal because the wrestlers were delayed in Europe because of a volcano. Things happen, but this is definitely an interesting situation.
Ok, back to the show.
Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler are standing at ringside. The lighting is still a little wonky over them. McMahon thanks everyone for their patience as they navigated a tremendous storm.
The British Bulldog heads to the ring with his wife, Diana Smith, and his brother-in-law and temporary manager, Owen Hart.
History Note: Hart has a cast on his left wrist from being dropped incorrectly by The Ultimate Warrior at the May 19 WWF House Show at Madison Square Garden.
Backstage Interview
Dok Hendrix is backstage with WWF Champion Shawn Michaels and José Lothario. Is HBK focused, and is he concerned about the bombshell Jim Cornette is going to drop? Michaels says anything can happen in the World Wrestling Federation. He’s still focused. All of this stuff could make a great storyline on Melrose Place, but it doesn’t hang with The Kliq. He doesn’t have to Beware of the Dog. They have to beware of The Kliq.
Michaels and Lothario walk off and head toward the entrance area. As they do, Michaels bumps into Mr. Perfect. Michaels looks at him before walking off.
WWF Champion Shawn Michaels heads to the ring with José Lothario. Vince McMahon announces a special encore presentation of In Your House on Tuesday, May 28, featuring all the matches that were missed.
Before the match begins, Clarence Mason shows up. He’s in a neck brace and using a cane from an attack by Gorilla Monsoon. Mason says Shawn Michaels has attempted to break up the happy home of the British Bulldog and “that precious little budding tulip” Diana Smith. Michaels has singlehandedly tried to destroy the very essence of family values. When the Smiths retained his services, he assured them that his actions would cease and desist immediately. Mason serves Michaels with a summons as a defendant to the charge of “attempted alienation of affection.” They will see Michaels in a court of law, where justice is swift and hard. Michaels is served the subpoena.
WWF Championship
The British Bulldog w/ Owen Hart and Diana Smith vs. Shawn Michaels (c) w/ José Lothario
Referee: Earl Hebner
The bell rings, and Shawn Michaels is still looking at the subpoena he was handed. Michaels holds it up and tears it down the middle. Bulldog attacks him from behind. Bulldog headbutts Michaels to the corner and punches away at him. Bulldog sends him to the opposite corner. Bulldog sends him across the ring, but Michaels slingshots over him. Bulldog takes him down, but Michaels powers him away. Michaels hits an arm drag, but Bulldog soon drops him onto the apron. Michaels slides through Bulldog’s legs and sends him into the ropes for a Sweet Chin Music, but Bulldog avoids it by pulling himself out of the ring. Michaels redirects and hits Bulldog with a plancha.
Owen Hart checks on Bulldog. Hart is Bulldog’s manager for one night only. Bulldog slowly gets in the ring. They lock up, and Michaels applies a side headlock. An “HBK” chant picks up. Bulldog tries to push him off, but Michaels scales the ropes and hits a headlock takeover for a two-count. Michaels starts mouthing off to a fan at ringside as he applies the hold. Bulldog slowly fights up, and they’re just standing around. Michaels flips through a back suplex and goes for a roll-up, but Bulldog holds onto the ropes. Michaels leapfrogs Bulldog, but Bulldog soon catches him in a bear hug. Michaels quickly gets out and hits the ropes. Bulldog drops down, but Michaels stands over him and rolls him up for a two-count. Michaels hits the ropes, ducks a clothesline, slides through his legs, and goes for a kick, but Bulldog blocks it. Michaels counters with an enzuigiri for a two-count.
Michaels applies an armbar. Bulldog gets to his feet and backs Michaels against the ropes before whipping him off. Michaels counters a hip toss and hits one of his own before applying a short-arm scissor. Bulldog’s shoulders are counted down for a one-count. Bulldog tries to fight out of it before rolling Michaels onto his shoulders for a two-count. Bulldog does it again before powering Michaels above his head and slamming him down. Bulldog stomps the WWF Champion before pulling him up to his feet and sending him into the ropes for a back-body drop. Michaels holds his left knee in pain. Bulldog stomps Michaels before pulling him up by his hair and slamming him down. Bulldog flexes his muscles. Bulldog headbutts Michaels down before applying a rear chin lock. Michaels fights up, but Bulldog cuts him off and applies an over-the-shoulder backbreaker submission. Michaels manages to break Bulldog’s grip. Michaels hits the ropes for a crucifix pin, but Bulldog counters with a Samoan Drop. Bulldog hits the ropes and drops a leg for a two-count.
Bulldog goes back to the rear chin lock. Owen Hart is shouting at fans that his brother-in-law will be the next WWF Champion. There is a woman wildly screaming, so Bulldog shouts, “Shut up!” Michaels tries to fight up, but Bulldog keeps him grounded. Michaels eventually fights up and hits the ropes. Michaels ducks a clothesline and hits the ropes. Michaels charges and then flies out of the ring. I’m not sure what happened there. Bulldog immediately goes outside and grabs Michaels. Bulldog drives him into the metal railing. Bulldog grabs him and bounces his face off the apron. Bulldog gets into the ring to break the count before going outside to attack Michaels some more. Michaels soon gets on the apron and shoulders Bulldog back before snapping him off the top rope. Michaels connects with a slingshot clothesline.
Both men are down. Bulldog soon grabs a headlock, but Michaels whips him off. They hit the ropes and clunk heads together, going down in a heap again. Bulldog eventually gets up and sends Michaels into the ropes, but Michaels ducks a clothesline and hits a flying forearm. Michaels then kips up. Michaels connects with a scoop slam before stomping his face. Michaels goes to the top rope and hits a double ax handle for a two-count. Michaels sends Bulldog into the ropes, but he lowers his head and eats a kick. Bulldog hooks a side headlock, but Michaels whips him off and drops down. Bulldog then collides with the referee, sending him FLYING out of the ring!
Michaels hits a scoop slam before going to the top rope for a diving elbow drop. Michaels starts to tune up the band. As he does, Owen Hart attempts to sneak in. Michaels gives him Sweet Chin Music. A new referee, Mike Chioda, comes down to help officiate as Earl Hebner is still down. Bulldog attacks Michaels from behind and punches away at him. Chioda gets in Bulldog’s face. Bulldog lifts Michaels for a Running Powerslam, but Michaels slides off and shoves Bulldog into the turnbuckles. Michaels connects with a bridging German Suplex. Both men’s shoulders are down as the referee counts the pin. 1… 2… 3.
The British Bulldog is announced as the new WWF Champion. Jim Cornette, Owen Hart, and Diana Smith take the WWF Championship and celebrate. Earl Hebner then comes into the ring and raises Michaels’ arm in victory. Howard Finkel begins announcing that Shawn Michaels is still the champion. There’s a lot of confusion here.
WWF President Gorilla Monsoon comes to the ringside and rips the WWF Championship out of Diana Smith’s hands. The two referees are arguing with each other. Monsoon speaks with Howard Finkel. An “HBK” chant fires up. Replays show both men’s shoulders down. Everyone in the ring is furious.
Howard Finkel says, “Ladies and gentlemen, your attention, please. Both officials have counted both athletes’ shoulders to the mat for the count of three. And, after further consultation, World Wrestling Federation President Gorilla Monsoon has declared this bout a draw. However, the World Wrestling Federation Championship cannot change hands as a result of a draw; therefore, pending a rematch for the title between these two athletes, STILL World Wrestling Federation Champion, ‘The Heartbreak Kid’ Shawn Michaels!”
The match ends in a Draw
Michaels angrily takes the WWF Championship back. José Lothario tries to calm Michaels down. Replays barely show Earl Hebner counting from ringside. Michaels does not look happy as he leaves the ring.
Mike’s Thoughts: Woof, that’s about as bad a Shawn Michaels match as you’ll ever find. This was during the time period when Michaels was quite difficult to work with. Between the power going out for nearly the entire event, not knowing whether or not they’d be on the air, and that obnoxious screaming fan, Michaels was not in the mood, and it showed. This wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t great either. In a way, it’s exactly what I figured this match would be: a lot of rest holds, spurts of action, and a garbage finish.
They must have cut a few things out of the video from the live broadcast. Reports from the time talk about Michaels audibly screaming at the woman, while also commenting on how bad his night was. There was one point where the Bulldog shouted at the fan in frustration, and you could see Michaels moving his lips, but you couldn’t hear what he had to say. At the end of the show, after a horrifically bad finish, he then yelled at a production crew member.
Honestly, this finish was all wrong. Yes, I know they have to think about the future and sell another PPV on the back of this exact same match, but after subjecting the audience to a show done mostly in the dark, as well as having a PPV audience waiting over an hour for more action, they should have changed this finish to send everyone home happy. They could have done something where Diana botched some type of interference (or Jim Cornette… or anyone!) and Michaels caught him with Sweet Chin Music out of nowhere for the victory. The next night, they could have said Bulldog shouldn’t have lost by a fluke and should get a rematch, but at least the fans don’t feel completely cheated after all that time. Instead, like they’ve been doing all year as WCW continues to breathe down their necks, they just presented the same old crap that feels less and less rewarding to watch each time. It’s another great indicator of why this company is going to be under WCW’s heel before long.
Quick Match Results
— “Wildman” Marc Mero def. Hunter Hearst Helmsley
— Shawn Michaels (c) vs. The British Bulldog ended in a Draw in a match for the WWF Championship
We’ll have the second half of this show up on May 28, thirty years after it aired! Check out tomorrow’s Monday Night Raw recap!
Email – mike@wrestleview.com
X – @MikeTedescoWV
Thanks for reading!
Part of Wrestleview’s Monday Night War: 30 Years Later series, with weekly Raw and Nitro recaps every Thursday.