Alright duck! Imagine that said in my best Brummy accent because this show is one night only in Englands second city of Birmingham! There is an action packed show in store that will be main evented by Englands own British Bulldog defending his European title against Shawn Michaels. Michaels has already attacked The Bulldogs knee in the lead up to this, could that help him bring home the only peice of gold in the WWF that he hasn’t held yet? We’ll find out later. No other matches have been advertised so we’ll have to wait and see what’s in store for this show.

We get a Sky Sports Box Office and a cheesy voice over to start things off followed by the “Worldwide Leader In Sports Entertainment” sting. Now we have a video package about The British Bulldog painting him as the homecoming hero. He’s not popular in America but he’s a hero in England. Tonight he defends his European title against Shawn Michaels. This pay per view is in my home city of Birmingham and Vince McMahon WELCOMES EVERYONE to the NEC. There are a couple of Beefeaters on the ramp.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Dude Love

Well Vince McMahon said that Hunter was fighting Owen Hart but he’s obviously changed his mind. Instead we get the fourth installment of Hunter Hearst Helmsley an Mick Foley. This time though, Helmsley won’t be fighting Mankind, instead he gets Dude Love who is actually making his PPV debut. Well, the gimmick is. Helmsley and Foley are tied at one a piece and they’ve drawn one too so this is a bit of a tiebreaker. Chyna is present in Hunters corner. Dude starts well, knocking Helmsley down to the canvas with right hands and elbows.I like Dude Love, I think I prefer him to Mankind. Helmsley takes the advantage with a poke to the eye. Neither of these men fought on the last PPV, Ground Zero. Dude Love hits some right hands and Helmsley retreats to the outside. This is the first UK PPV since UK Rampage 1993. Lex Luger met Jim Duggan in the main event to that one. Back in the ring and Dude Love take Helmsley down and gets a two count. Dude Love works the arm now. Helmsley gets out of an arm bar with some big right hands then goes for a drop toe hold but Dude skips over it and hits one of his own.

Dude locks on an STF now or is it an Indian Deathlock? Jim Ross thinks the latter. Dude hits an Irish Whip and Helmsley ends up upside down in the corner where Dude hammers him with 10 right hands then hits the Tree Of Woe elbow. Dude signals for Sweet Chin Music but Helmsley sees it coming and goes to the outside. Dude chases him around the ring but it’s Chyna that lays out the former Tag Team champion with a clothesline. It’s advantage Helmsley now as he hits some right hands on Dude Love then distracts the referee allowing Chyna to get involved with a punch of her own. Hunter gets a two count. It’s back and forth now until Helmsley hits a knee to the face for a two count. Hunter locks on an abdominal stretch now but he’s suspiciously close to the ropes and it’s not long until he uses them for extra leverage. The referee sees it and kicks his arm from the ropes and we get a shoving match between Helmsley and the official!

This gives Dude long enough to recover and he hits a facebuster for a two count. Helmsley takes the advantage with a spinning neckbreaker. He then goes for The Pedigree but Dude Love gets out of it and slingshots him into the top turnbuckle. The crowd are quite into this one and well behind Dude Love. Dude hits some lefts and rights then smashes his head off all three turnbuckles! This feud has really helped take Hunter Hearst Helmsley to the next level. He hits a boot then heads to the top but Dude meets him up there and arm drags him down to the mat. He then signals for Sweet Shin Music and he hits it! But he’s too close to the ropes and Chyna pops Helmsleys foot on the bottom rope. This distracts Dude Love and he turns around into a Pedigree! Helmsley hooks the leg and gets the three! Hunter Hearst Helmsley wins and I make it 2-1 in the series in his favour. A great way to start the show. This match had a big fight feel.

Rating: 6.25/10

Some vox pops now with peoples opinion on who will win the British Bulldog v Shawn Michaels match. Plenty of Bulldog fans with the odd woman here and there voting for Michaels.

Sunny comes out next as guest ring announcer. She’s wearing some thigh high blue leather boots. Needless to say, she is popular. She announces the next match.

Leif Cassidy vs. Tiger Ali Singh

Well, who knew Leif Cassidy was still around? He’s not been on PPV since February’s In Your House: Final 4 where he lost to Marc Mero. In fact, Leif Cassidy has never won a PPV match, could that change on his 5th time of asking? He takes on Tiger Ali Singh who is making his PPV debut tonight. He’s got his Dad, Tiger Jeet Singh, in his corner. Tiger gets on the mic before the match and says he’s a proud Asian Canadian. He wants the children to stay drug free and gets boo’d. His Dad then speaks in Indian. More boos. Leif attacks Tiger Ali before the bell and it’s back and forth. Tiger Ali hits some right hands in the corner then a belly to belly suplex. McMahon makes a has of commentary and Jim Ross can’t help but rib him. Cassidy gets back into the match with a clothesline. I don’t think we’ve ever seen Cassidy as a face before. It’s back and forth now with no man getting the advantage. Cassidy hits a legdrop then goes to the arm bar.

Tiger Ali hits some right hands to get out of the arm bar then there’s a bit of a botch. Cassidy suplex’s Tiger Ali onto the top rope but Tiger punches him off then hits some sort of bulldog thing from the top. That’s apparently called a Tiger Bomb. Awful match. Something did not click in this one. But a big win for Tiger on his PPV debut none the less.

Rating: 1.75/10

Now we see some footage of how The Headbangers won the WWF Tag Team Championship.

The Headbangers (Mosh & Thrasher) (c) vs. Los Boricuas (Savio Vega & Miguel Perez) – WWF Tag Team Title Match

Big title match up next. First PPV defence for The Headbangers. Savio has been on a great roll recently, beating Crush and Faarooq on the last PPV. He and Miguel attack The Headbangers before the bell but soon get clotheslined out of the ring. The Headbangers and Miguel Perez are all undefeated on PPV up to this point. Mosh starts the match with Miguel where Mosh hits arm drags into an arm bar. Mosh tags Thrasher who hits a big clothesline and suddenly all four men are in. The Headbangers hit a double hop toss on Savio who then gets legally tagged in. Some chain wrestling from Thrasher and Savio now, impressive. Savio tags Miguel back in and Thrasher instantly locks on a headlock. The Headbangers have had two PPV matches before and won both of them. Savio kicks Thrasher from behind to take the advantage for his team. Miguel then tags Savio. Thrasher hits some weak looking right hands but receives a spinning heel kick in the corner.

Savio is somewhat of a veteran on the card now. He’s been on the roster for over two years. Miguel Perez is in an he hits a leg drop on Thrasher then a clothesline. He then draws Mosh into the ring where he and Savio then double team Thrasher. Vega stays in the ring and locks on a nerve hold. Thrasher gets up and out of the hold then hits a cross body for a two but as he gets up he receives a roundhouse kick which Savio gets a two count for. Savio then tags Miguel Perez who hits a slam, a senton splash and a moonsault for a two. Impressive offence there. The crowd are right behind The Headbangers in this one as Perez goes back to the nerve hold. Savio and Mosh get into it on the outside with the official breaking it up. Perez hits a dropkick to the disdain of the crowd. More double teaming from Los Boricuas now before Miguel goes to the sleeper. Thrasher gets out of it but Miguel takes him back down with a knee before tagging Savio Vega. Savio goes for a splash but Thrasher gets his knees up! Both men crawl to their corners now but Savio cuts off Mosh. Savio tags Miguel Perez back in.

Los Boricuas have been working as a classic heel team in this one. Perez locks on a sleeper. Thrasher gets out of it and hits a sunset flip but Savio kicks him, breaking up a cover. Thrasher has been dominated in this one for a long time. He manages to hit a side suplex on Savio Vega and the crowd get right behind him. It’s Savio first up and he tags Miguel then Thrasher manages to tag Mosh! Mosh takes everyone down, dropkicking and clotheslining Savio out of the ring then hitting a hurricanrana from the top on Miguel! He gets a two count when Savio breaks it up and all four men are in there. Mosh hits a powerslam for another two then Savio battles with Mosh to the outside. In the ring Miguel Powerbombs Thrasher but then Mosh comes in off the top! He pins Perez and gets the three! Another big win for The Headbangers who have now won all three of their PPV matches! It was a match Los Boricuas dominated but a first successful defence for The Headbangers. Possibly went on a bit long, especially with Thrasher getting beaten down.

Rating: 5.75/10

Now we get an interview with British Bulldog outside of a shower. Bulldog tells us about his sister who has cancer and he dedicates the match tonight to her. Bulldog has plenty of family and friends here tonight and he’s dropped a couple of stone for his match. Bulldog says that this will be the biggest night of his career.

Flash Funk vs. The Patriot

Two babyfaces fighting in this one although The Patriot get’s boo’d ad he makes his entrance. More boos as he enters the ring and waves his flag around. Flash and Patriot shake hands as the bell rings. The Patriot looks for his first PPV win tonight following his loss to Bret Hart at Ground Zero. Flash locks on a headlock which The Patriot gets out of and reverses into a wristlock. Patriot then knocks Funk down to more boos. Funk hits some arm drags and dropkicks but The Patriot once again knocks down Funk then locks on a headlock. Funk gets out of it and heads to the top where he hits a high cross body for  two count. He then knocks The Patriot down with a clothesline for another two before going to the headlock. The Patriot gets out of it and hits a clothesline on Funk in the corner then a reverse atomic drop into a back suplex. Flash Funk hasn’t been on PPV since May where he lost to Hunter Hearst Helmsley at Cold Day In Hell. Patriot locks on a leg lock now which Flash reverses into a surfboard stretch.

From nowhere Flash Funk hits a spinning heel kick for a two count. He bounces off the ropes but The Patriot hits a powerslam for a two count. This match is back and forth now with Flash rolling The Patriot up for a two then The Patriot hitting his finisher The Patriot Missile! But he just gets a two! Flash Funk is up and hitting right hands and a splash in the corner. He then hits a powerslam and heads to the top where he hits some sort of spinning splash which he gets a two count for. He then goes to the top again and this time goes for a moonsault but The Patriot gets his knees up then hits The Uncle Slam which is enough for a three! The Patriot wins the match to a negative reaction. That’ll teach you to like America. He gets his first win on pay per view. Not a good match though, these two didn’t gel too well.

Rating: 3.75/10

We get an interview with The Legion Of Doom now. They are looking for payback on The Godwinns. Hawk gives us a poem and says tonight it’s over. What A Rush.

The Godwinns (Henry & Phineas) vs. The Legion Of Doom (Hawk & Animal)

This is a rematch from Summerslam when LOD beat The Godwinns. It all goes back to Hawk and Animal breaking Henry’s neck back in April. The Godwinns have the worst PPV record of any tag team ever in the WWF and Phineas still looks for his first PPV win. Hawk and Animal have one of the best tag team records which includes that win over The Godwinns at Summerslam. The crowd are right behind Hawk and Animal in this one. Henry and Animal start things off and Henry hits some right hands in the corner. Animal flies off the ropes and hits a shoulder block causing Henry to retreat. Henry then tags Phineas and Animal tags Hawk. Hawk comes in and hits some big shops and right hands then a clothesline in the corner. He then goes for a shoulder barge in the corner but Phineas gets out of the way. Phineas then locks on a chinlock, taking Hawk down to the mat. There’s a loss of signal for a second and Phineas tags Henry. Henry misses with an elbow and Hawk follows it up with a clothesline.

This feels like a bigger tag team match than the tag team title match we saw earlier in the night. Hawk tags Animal now who locks on a sleeper. Henry get out of it and throws Animal into the ropes where Phineas kicks him from behind. Henry tags Phineas who still looks for his first PPV victory. He hits a Fujiwara arm bar now.He then hits a powerslam and goes to the second rope but Animal gets his foot up and tags Hawk! Hawks takes everyone down, hitting clotheslines, powerslams and a neckbreaker on Phineas for a two. All four men are in now and Henry throws Animal out of there before The Godwinns double clothesline Hawk down. Henry then hits The Slop Drop! Animal gets up on the apron and Henry kicks him off before pinning Hawk who kicks out at 2. With Henry distracting the referee, Phineas chokes Hawk with a flag. Phineas is then tagged in. Only The Undertaker has fought on more consecutive PPVs right now than The Legion Of Doom. Phineas locks on a nervehold on Hawk but Hawk gets out of it but can’t take the advantage.

In comes Henry who gets a two count. Henry tag Phineas who hits Hawk in the ribs. Phineas covers Hawk for another 2. Quick tags now as Phineas tags Henry. But Hawk clotheslines both men down. He then tags Animal who hits dropkicks and powerslams. The Godwinns outnumber Animal though but Animal knocks both men down with a clothesline. Hawk then clotheslines Henry out of the ring and set Phineas up for The Doomsday Device! They hit it and Animal covers Phineas for the three! Another big win for The Legion Of Doom who target the tag team titles! Another loss for The Godwinns who have now lost 7 tag team matches on PPV. More losses than any other team without winning. Decent enough match between two big teams.

Rating: 6.75/10

Jim Ross gets in the ring now and introduces Ken Shamrock. Shamrock comes out in street clothes which suggests he won’t be in action. McMahon confirms this as Shamrock is unable to compete due to injuries he received in a recent match with Faarooq. He was due to fight Owen Hart but is replaced by Vader. We then see the footage of Shamrock getting injured by Faarooq. Shamrock says he has a punctured lung which is why he isn’t fighting tonight but he says he’ll be right back. Suddenly Rockabilly makes his way out. He gets in the ring and says a doctor wrote Shamrock an excuse not to wrestle tonight. Rockabilly then says that Shamrock makes him sick and slaps him. Big mistake. Shamrock locks on an Ankle Lock on Rockabilly much to the crowds enjoyment.

Now backstage to Bret Hart who gets a mixed reaction. Bret says that he will try his best and tonight he fights fire with fire. He puts The Undertaker over saying that he’s the toughest fight he’ll ever have.

Vader vs. Owen Hart

A first time PPV meeting between these two men now. They were stablemates back in 1996 but now they stand on opposite sides of the ring. This is Vaders first PPV match as a babyface. Vader has found himself helping The Patriot in his war with The Hart Foundation. Owen gets a good reaction in Birmingham. Owen then gives McMahon some verbal abuse. Owen Hart was Rookie Of The Year back in 1987 10 years on he finds himself against Vader as a former Intercontinental Champion. Vader gets a mixed reaction. Vader shoves Owen Hart to the mat. All of the “Big 5” are in action tonight. And by that I mean Owen Hart, Bret Hart, The British Bulldog, Shawn Michael and The Undertaker. 5 men who have had more PPV matches than anyone else in history. Vader sends Owen to the outside then receives more boos. Owen gets back in and uses his speed to take the advantage, hitting a hurricanrana. He hits a high cross body for a two count then goes for The Sharpshooter but Vader kicks him out. Owen then goes for a suplex, no chance, Vader reverses it but Owen slips down the back and rolls Vader up for a two. Owen once again goes for The Sharpshooter but Vader gets to the bottom rope.

Owen goes for a crucifix but Vader reverses it into a Samoan Drop. Vader now goes to the middle rope and hits a splash for a two. There were three UK Rampage PPVs between 1991 and 1993 but Owen didn’t fight on any of them. Hart goes for a powerslam but doesn’t get anywhere with that. Vader clotheslines him down then locks on a headlock. Vader looks for his first PPV victory since The Royal Rumble back in January where he defeated The Undertaker. Owen gets out of the way form a splash in the corner then once again tries for a powerslam but fails. Vader takes Owen down and gets a two count. He then locks on a half Boston Crab. Owen gets out of it but only to receive more right hands and a headbutt from Vader. Vader and Owen were on opposite sides of the ring at Wrestlemania 13 when Vader and Mankind took on tag team champions Owen Hart and The British Bulldog. Vader goes for a powerbomb but Owen slips down and hits an enzeguri then locks on The Sharpshooter! Vader gets to the ropes. I have no idea which way this match will go. Owen attempts and this time hits a powerslam on Vader!

But Vader once again takes the advantage. He knocks Hart down then heads for the middle rope, he tries for the Vader bomb but Owen gets his knees up! Owen then heads up top and hits a dropkick! He nips back up and the crowd love it. Hart hits a spinning heel kick for a two count. Owen is up and once again heads to the top but Vader catches him with a powerslam and hooks the leg for a three! Vader wins the match in his first PPV victory since January. A decent enough match this one. It could have gone either way but it’s Vader who picks up the big win.

Rating: 6.25/10

Now to some footage from Summerslam and the match between Bret Hart and The Undertaker. We then get some words from The Undertaker who calls Bret a demon.

Bret Hart (c) vs. The Undertaker – WWF Title Match

This is the third meeting between these two men on pay per view. Bret has won the two previous meetings which were also for the WWF title. Considering how much Bret has been saying recently how popular he is in the UK, he gets a very mixed reaction. Bret and The Undertaker both fought on UK Rampage 92. Bret beat Rick Martel that night whilst The Undertaker lost to Sid Vicious. Bret starts the match well with right hands but Undertaker quickly turns it round and hits some of his own. The crowd are definitely behind The Undertaker in this one. This is Undertakers 18th PPV in a row, more than anyone else by a long way. Whilst The Undertaker intimidates the referee, Bret takes off the top turnbuckle. Bret hits a headbutt and some right hands but Undertaker soon takes control with a clothesline, getting a two count. Undertaker misses with an elbow then Bret goes for The Sharpshooter early but Undertaker kicks him off. It’s advantage Bret now as he hits a headbutt and some right hands before clotheslining Undertaker to the outside. The Undertaker lands on his feet but Bret kicks him into the announce table. There is still smoke everywhere.

Bret goes to the outside but Undertaker catches him and ram him into the steel post. The two men now battle up the ramp but the referee decides not to count them out. Undertaker powerslams Bret on the ramp then takes him back to the ring. Undertaker hits a headbutt dropping Bret down to his knees. The challenger then makes the mistake of lowering his head allowing Bret to hit a DDT. Undertaker sits up but Bret kicks him down and drops a legdrop. Hart then chokes Undertaker with his boot. Bret then tries an Irish whip but Undertaker reverses it and sends Bret chest first into the exposed turnbuckle. It’s all Undertaker now as he drops a couple of elbows and gets a two count. Bret tries for a comeback to boos from the crowd but Undertaker uppercuts him back down. The challenger then hits a backbreaker. Bret takes every opportunity he can to kick away at Undertakers knees. Bret drops elbows to Undertakers knees and ties him up in an leg lock. Bret then pulls Undertaker over to the ring post and smashes his knee into the steel before locking on a figure four leg lock! Only for the five count of the referee though. Bret then locks the figure four on in the middle of the ring.

Undertaker reverses the figure four but Bret quickly gets to the ropes. Undertaker builds some momentum but at a slow pace. Bret cuts him off and locks on  leg grapevine once more but Undertaker gets out of it. Both men get to their feet and Bret hits some headbutts to Undertakers back and a side Russian leg sweep for a two count. Bret then hits a suplex for a two and a backbreaker. He then goes to the second rope as he cycles through his trademark moves but Undertaker gets his foot up! Both men clothesline each other down. Undertaker is first up and hits a legdrop for a two. He then hits another one but Bret wraps up Undertakers legs this time into a Sharpshooter! He has the hold locked on in the centre of the ring bur Undertaker manages to get out of it! Bret is right back up and he hits headbutts to Undertakers groin then tries for The Sharpshooter again but Undertaker grabs him by the throat. Bret gets out of the choke but Undertaker drops him to the mat with rights and lefts.

Undertaker hit a big boot and a leg drop, reminiscent of Hulk Hogans finish but Bret kicks out at 2. Bret rolls to the outside and grabs the ring bell. He goes to hit Undertaker but the dead man hits him with a big boot. Undertaker then grabs the bell but the referee takes it off him. Bret chop blocks him from behind. Bret goes right into the cameraman on the outside, presumably because of The Undertaker. Undertaker then throws Bret into the ring steps before putting him back in the ring. Undertaker twists the arm and heads to the top but Bret Hart pulls him down! Undertaker is up quick but Bret rolls him up for a two. Bret then scoops up Undertaker but Undertaker reverses it into a Tombstone position. Bret grabs the ropes and ultimately gets his head stuck in the ropes! Undertaker hammers away at Bret and the referee calls for the bell. It looks like a disqualification! Undertker chokeslams the referee as Owen Hart and referee untie Bret. Undertaker chokeslams Gerald Briscoe now. Bret has won the match by DQ giving him a 3-0 record over The Undertaker. The crowd boo but I think that’s more for the way this match ended. The Undertaker then goes after the ring announcer who takes off! Bret retains his title tonight.

Rating: 6/10

Backstage to Shawn Michaels now who says that next we get the main event. He says that tonight we will get to see the first ever Grand Slam champion as he will have been Intercontinental, Tag Team, WWF and now European champion.

British Bulldog (c) vs. Shawn Michaels – European Title Match

This is Bulldogs second European title defence. He beat Ken Shamrock at Summerslam by disqualification. And it’s the third PPV match between Michaels and Bulldog. They drew the first and Michaels won the second. Those two were for the WWF title. Bulldog comes out with his sister who does look rather ill, bless her. Bulldog as expected gets a good reaction. A big “Bulldog” chant breaks out as the bell rings. Bulldog has a brace on his knee. Michaels did of course attack that knee on Raw a couple of weeks ago. Bulldog starts well, throwing Michaels around the ring then clotheslining him out of the ring! Michaels is unbeaten on PPV in 1997 so far, winning once and drawing twice. He get reverse suplex’d back into the ring. Bulldog then gorilla press slams Michaels in the middle of the ring after the referee wouldn’t let him throw Michaels out of the ring. Bulldog goes to the abdominal stretch now. Another “Bulldog” chants breaks out but Shawn hiptossese the champion. Michaels runs at Bulldog now but Bulldog ducks and back body drops Michaels to the outside.

Back in the ring and it’s Bulldog with the arm drags and then he locks on an arm lock. Michaels breaks the hold then hits a thumb to the eye. He then goes for a standing hurricanrana but Bulldog counters it into a powerbomb for a two count. Bulldog goes back to the armbar then hits a Samoan Drop. With Michaels down, Bulldog locks on a surfboard stretch. Because his shoulders are on the mat though, he breaks the hold. Bulldog has not only dropped the Intercontinental title to Michaels in the past but also the tag team titles when he and Owen lost to Michaels and Austin. The crowd boo now as “Ravishing” Rick Rude walks down the aisle. Straight away he helps Michaels, stopping a pinfall attempt and grabbing Bulldogs leg. Michaels then shoves Bulldog to the outside where Rick Rude throws him into the ring post behind the referees back. Rude then shoves Bulldog into the ring apron. Back in the ring and Michaels drops Bulldog to the mat before locking on a sleeper.

Bulldog gets out of the sleeper with a side suplex then covers Michaels for a two. It’s Michaels up first though and he hits a hard Irish Whip. It’s all Michaels now as he hits a hiptoss and locks on an armbar. The crowd are still behind Bulldog in this fight between two heels. Bulldog manages to lift Michaels up onto his shoulder and drop him to the mat in a great show of strength. The two men then collide in the middle of the ring. The crowd start to boo against as Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Chyna head to the ring. Bulldog hits a big back body drop and a clothesline then slingshots Michaels into the top turnbuckle for a two count. Where are Bret and Owen Hart to look after Bulldog? Michaels takes the advantage with a powerslam then an elbow off the top. Michaels goes up to the top again and hits another elbow from the top! Shawn then sets up for Sweet Chin Music but Michaels instead gets Bulldog up to his feet and tries for it again but Bulldog ducks ad puts Michaels up on his shoulder but he can’t hit his Running Powerslam because Rick Rude has his leg.

Bulldog manages to fight off Rude and clotheslines Michaels out of the ring. Bulldog joins Michaels outside and fights off Helmsley then goes for The Running Powerslam outside but Bulldog slips and gets his foot caught between the mat and the railing. Michaels hits Sweet Chin Music outside then slides back in the ring leaving Helmsley to hit The Pedigree on Bulldog outside. Chyna then rolls Bulldog back into the ring where Michaels rips off the knee brace and throws it at Bulldogs wife and sister. Michaels then locks on a figure four with Helmsley and Chyna pulling Michaels arms for more leverage! Bulldog manages to turn the figure four but as Helmsley distracts the referee, Rick Rude hammers Bulldog turning the hold back round. Bulldog refuses to quit and Chyna and Helmsley continue to help Michaels. Where are Bret and Owen? We’ve already seen them tonight. Eventually the referee calls for the bell! The crowd boo and trash is thrown in the ring as the announcement is made that Shawn Michaels wins the match! After the bell, Michaels and Helmsley give Bulldogs family some stick. Owen Hart finally comes down to make the save and even Diana Smith is in there. Michaels and Helmsley refer to themselves and Chyna as The Triple Threat. They celebrate all the way to the back with their title.

Rating: 7/10

And that was the WWE’s return to England show. It was 8 matches long which is the the most amount of matches on a PPV show since King Of The Ring 1996. All the big stars were in action so the Brummies would have got their moneys worth. If you were to clutch at straws then the card was missing guys like Goldust, Brian Pillman and The Nation Of Domination but you wouldn’t be asking for a refund. You couldn’t ask for a bigger way to start the night than with Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Dude Love. It might have been their fourth PPV match together in the last 3 months but they do have a lot of chemistry. Helmsley won the match putting him up in their series but not without help from Chyna. This feud has bought both men up to the next level and it was nice to see the Dude Love character.

Next up was an awful filler match. Tiger Ali Singh made his PPV debut and defeated Leif Cassidy who I didn’t realise was still about. Cassidy has had some really good matches in the past with the likes of Flash Funk but this one just did not click. It was a big win for Tiger Ali Singh but I don’t know if he was supposed to be cheered or boo’d. Both men will want to forget that one in a hurry. Then we had a decent enough Tag Team title match between The Headbangers and Los Boricuas. It didn’t feel like the main tag team match of the night but they put on a fairly decent contest. The Headbangers won the match but they were dominated for a long long time by Savio Vega and Miguel Perez. If anything, this match went on a bit long especially with Thrasher being double teamed. I’m not sure who this lines up as the next contenders for the tag titles, maybe The Legion Of Doom? The Godwinns seem the logical choice but they haven’t won a PPV match yet. More on them later though.

Next we had the singles match between Flash Funk and The Patriot. Like the earlier match between Cassidy and Tiger Ali Singh, this one did not click. The Patriot got boo’d because of his erm patriotism, maybe they were expecting that. This wasn’t great though but it gave The Patriot a big win. He continues to feud with The Hart Foundation whilst Flash Funk isn’t up to much. The tag team match that followed some like a much bigger than the tag team match previous. The Legion Of Doom are still really over and The Godwinns are having a rebirth as a heel team. I like the dynamic between the two teams. The tag team titles definitely seem like they’re on hold until LOD win them once more. The next match was Owen Hart against Vader, who was filling in for Ken Shamrock. This was a good match between two good workers. I definitely prefer Vader as a heel but Owen Hart could have a good match with a broomstick. The result was the hardest one to call but both men are in good positions right now.

Then were the two main events. Both were good quality although I preferred the Shawn Michaels/British Bulldog to Bret Hart and The Undertaker. Those four men have had more PPV appearances and matches than any other superstars in the history of the WWF so you would expect decent quality. Shawn Michaels beating British Bulldog was the more surprising result as title changes don’t often happen in the UK. I don’t think I’ve seen a better heel showing that what we saw from Shawn Michaels, he truly was hated. Undertaker losing by disqualification was a bit of a cop out but it keeps him hot going into the next PPV.

Overall an above average pay per view that featured some decent matches and some bad ones. A lot of the show was average or just above but the quality on the roster is a lot better than it has been. The Cassidy/Tiger Ali and Flash Funk/Patriot matches were pretty bad but the Michaels/Bulldog match among others made up for them.

Overall Rating: 54 out of 100 (Ranked joint 35 out of 73)

Match Of The Night: Shawn Michaels vs. The British Bulldog
Worst Match Of The Night: Leif Cassidy vs. Tiger Ali Singh
Surprise Of The Night: Shawn Michaels beats The British Bulldog
Worst Booking Of The Night: Whoever thought putting Flash Funk against The Patriot was a good idea
Superstar Of The Night: Shawn Michaels
One Night Only Will Be Remembered For: Shawn Michaels winning the European title