25 Years Ago Today - Summerslam 1997

[thecrusherwi]

What are your thoughts on this show? Obviously best known as the show where Austin broke his neck, but I also think it was an important show overall. As a kid, I remember this show feeling like the WWF was starting to turn the corner after a rough 2-3 years creatively. I don’t think it’s a great show but it felt so much more important than the prior two Summerslams and the ending kicked off a wild fall to come.

Also was a weird mix of New Generation and Attitude Era. Seeing the Blue and Orange Summerslam ring skirt with all red ropes is surreal. And I believe this was also Todd Pettingil’s final appearance.

[The Thread Barbi]

Bell to bell the best Summerslam in history for me.

The Triple H vs Foley cage match opener was better than I would have imagined

The blood fueds featuring members of the Hart Foundation with stipulations were meaningful, if not great ringwise.

Owen/Austin was a fantastic workrate match until the botched injury

Bret Hart vs Taker with guest referee Michaels was an amazing match with layers upon layers of storyline.

[jason1980s]

I could tell things were changing in the company with this PPV.

[agent817]

I actually first watched this show five years after it happened. My younger cousin found a tape at my grandma's house that had this recorded on it and he had told me that he was watching it one morning. I then took the tape with me so that I could watch it. I remember thinking that the show was decent for the most part. Sure, there were some flaws, like Los Boricuas vs. DOA.

[Milkman Norm]

Fun fact: Pretty sure I've never watched the compete show.

[Ben Wyatt]

HHH/Foley is a great lesson in having a clear winner yet equally putting both guys over

[dirtyoldman]

This reminds me that we are not far off a 25th anniversary of another ppv with the initials SS

[Deleted]

Early August Summerslam felt wrong in 1997 & it feels even more wrong in 2022 that they did one in July.

[thecrusherwi]

Aug 4, 2022 18:30:14 GMT -5 @mrbonezone said:

Early August Summerslam felt wrong in 1997 & it feels even more wrong in 2022 that they did one in July.

Yeah it was strange. All of the PPVs in 1997 from May on are really early in the month. I’ve never heard an explanation why. Maybe they thought that if fans were only buying one wrestling PPV a month they could skim some from WCW by going first.

[Hypnosis]

Aug 4, 2022 18:30:14 GMT -5 @mrbonezone said:

Early August Summerslam felt wrong in 1997 & it feels even more wrong in 2022 that they did one in July.

I prefer most wrestling PPVs/PLEs being at the end of the month, but SummerSlam in July was weird.

[The Rick Jericho]

Aug 4, 2022 12:03:21 GMT -5 dirtyoldman said:

This reminds me that we are not far off a 25th anniversary of another ppv with the initials SS

Ciampa puts the sharpshooter on Gargano at Survivor Series.

Triple H rings the f****** bell.

[johncasey]

Anyone know why The Patriot wasn't on the show?

He debuted, beat Bret Hart and was facing him for The Title the next month.

I'm guessing he was injured but if not surly he should have squashed someone on that show.

Oh yeah, it'll be the 25th anniversary of Badd Blood, the 1st Hell In A Cell and Kane's debut

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

Taker and Bret low key had some underrated chemistry. The big man gave him quite a bit because Taker wanted to show he could hang with Bret in the ring, and the result was a pretty fun main event even with the screwy chair shot finish.

[theresalwaysanegon]

I was at this show live! I was 7 years old, the Undertaker was my favorite wrestler and I hated Bret Hart so I was was losing my mind during the main event. Also, I distinctly remember the two guys sitting in front of me calling every spot in the HHH Mankind match before it happened, that really confused me! Definitely one of my favorite WWF shows to go back and re-watch.

[Deleted]

I loved 97 WWF but more the TV & my favorite ppv’s that year were in your houses in Final Four & Canadian Stampede. 3 hour ppv’s just didn’t showcase that weak roster in its best possible light. That said Summerslam was a solid show all things considered. The main event dragged for me & I thought it would have been better being cut drastically & done as a raw main event.

If I could only watch 1997 tv from one promotion it would be WWF while I’d rather watch WCW ppv’s that year.

[Deleted]

Aug 5, 2022 11:59:24 GMT -5 johncasey said:

Anyone know why The Patriot wasn't on the show?

He debuted, beat Bret Hart and was facing him for The Title the next month.

I'm guessing he was injured but if not surly he should have squashed someone on that show.

Oh yeah, it'll be the 25th anniversary of Badd Blood, the 1st Hell In A Cell and Kane's debut

That was an era where they didn’t just throw guys on a ppv for the hell of it. If you didn’t have an angle going you weren’t on the show in most cases. His issue was with Bret who’s already on the card as are all the other hart foundation members other than Anvil. You could have thrown Patriot vs Anvil on the free for all but why do that to the fine people of New Jersey?

[XIII]

Aug 4, 2022 12:03:21 GMT -5 dirtyoldman said:

This reminds me that we are not far off a 25th anniversary of another ppv with the initials SS

If they redo that BS Montreal finish yet again there’s no hope. lol

[johnnyk9]

Gorilla Monsoon’s last on air appearance until WM 15

[fg]

Aug 5, 2022 21:10:23 GMT -5 johnnyk9 said:

Gorilla Monsoon’s last on air appearance until WM 15

He made an appearance with the Headbangers while then NJ Governor Chrissy Todd Whitman was being interviewed by Todd Pettingill. Chrissy was responsible for eliminating the tax that prevented televised wrestling shows from be8ng filmed in NJ. All of them are or were NJ natives. (We found out that the Headbangers are from NJ.)

[EZ: Brainy Bae]

One of my favorite shows. Used to have the VHS, wished I had held onto it