Kevin Ridge

After randomly listening to the third show, it was nice to be able to watch the first disk beforehand and then listen to the show after. First disc was fun to just sit down and watch. Video quality is excellent. The use of the promos between some of the matches was a nice bonus. The rap music bits were a bit much for a long show but I'm also not a fan of rap. I've been working on AWA rewatching and I thought I had the wrong disc in and was looking at Jerry Blackwell on my screen but it was Lou Albano. I didn't think Valiant looked all that bad. His early attack of Larry was alright and he had some hop to his kicks. He also put something behind his turnbuckle smashes. Vince and Bruno wearing matching yellow jackets. So Larry is sick of Albano inferring in match against Koloff and takes off the back to return with Tony Garea. I was cracking up when Lou continued to interfere with Garea standing about two feet away and just watching. I was hoping Larry would leave the ring again and come back with somebody else to actual back him up. We need a stop watch to time Albano bolting after this match. Nice work Wizard on that promo. First time for me watching the time limit draw. I knew going that was the result but I have to say it was very good. I do wonder if I would feel the same as Brick after watching it a second/third time. Yes, Backlund can go to the headlock a lot. But I loved the sequence when they were reversing the full nelson back and forth. Maybe if the could have worked in more little spots like this during first half and not relied as much on the headlock. They work the short arm scissor for a while too. Agreed, Valentine on the offense was better. Backlund feats of strength are great to watch. Second half of match is excellent and finish did leave me wanting to see rematch. Count me on the side of people who though the time limit was much better than rematch. Soup makes a good point about McMahon on commentary being able go things solo and do it well. One of the few times he's caught silent, you get to hear that fan yell clearly "do something" when Valentine/Backlund are in rest hold. I bet Vince did that on purpose. I'm mixed about the finish. Generally wrestlers doing stupid things in title matches upsets me a lot. Here, I thought it was dumb what Valentine did but I wasn't full of hate. Enjoyed listening to the show though and am looking forward to disc 2.

Rude knew enough to pause and let the crowd chants resinate. They do not like his turn against their ECW guys.

And this is where ECW starts to tip the scales in the opposite direction. Super heated angle originally with the arrival of Lawler and Cornette. They start to push things off to the Triple Threat being involved in things.

It's no Jim Cornette bed ridden promo but JC Ice promises a return.

No, no please no more. I'd be fine if Scott Hall showed up and took this guy out with the USWA Drop.

Agreed. There is enough psychology between the two and plenty of wrestling moves through out the match. These two are carrying the promotion at this point. Some big kicks out of moves. These guys are the clear of FMW right now.

I really wanted these two to just beat the crap out of each other until they had nothing left. Ogawa is hanging out ringside and I want to see him get beat up too.

Hash back to kick some ass I hope. It is a struggle against Yamazaki though. Good but I'm hoping Hash can get himself through these MMA guys.

Oh my! I wouldn't want to sit through a sixty minute draw here. That's just excessive.

Damn, this must be the first Steiners appearance. NWO runs down to take them out but the Giant makes the save. Doug Dillinger is way ahead of the times by wearing the big beard. NWO take big about taking on the Giant but in the end want nothing to do with him.

Flair is such a dumb shit who is obviously not watching his own product by this point. He still wants Hennig to join the Horsemen when Curt can not be trusted at this point.

I wish I had the guts to show up in a club and pull out Alex Wright's dance moves. He wins the cruiserweight title from Jericho. Chris didn't hold that long.

Arrghhh! Hebner is the worst! Anyways Bret ends up taking a loss to the Patriot! Bret was awesome during 97 but this is part of the year for him that was below par.

Big announcement in that Gorilla Monsoon will name a new commissioner of the WWF. Bret drops his awesome Pittsburgh line that still has be howling after all these years. Pillman loves that. After the fact, Bret was apologetic about this speech but damn did he put Pittsburgh in their place.

Rick Rude agrees to be tag partner of Dreamer and Sandman in cage match. Him wearing street clothes had to tip things off! And he immediately attacks Dreamer. Beulah smacks him but he rams her face first into the cage. Geez. Not as affected as previous ECW segments but we get Rude being all about himself in 1997.

Crazy headbutt dive by New Jack from the top of the cage. These steel cage match tag team stipulations can be very confusing. D-Von escapes the cage but it leaves Bubba Ray alone and he gets pinned. Why escape D-Von?

Going from the early 90's to this without Eddie makes me sad. Doug talks about his brother.

Jerry has himself a WWF action figure. Lance being so offended by JC Ice reading the letter is great. He has been great in this USWA vs ECW feud.

Loss pretty much sums up my point of view on this on the early from the apron spots to the overall progressing from earlier yearbooks to what we are seeing in 1997. Back to back misses on the Tiger Driver leads to a German Suplex win. Another Misawa finish that is off in the end with the execution. Just weak in the end and more of AJPW not being able to hold up the standards of the previous years.

Williams and Albright win the tag titles but it still feels like a promotion going in the wrong way. AJPW is usually near the top for me on these year books but it's been struggling during 97.

Those split screen promos they are doing during matches makes me wish I really took spanish in Junior High School. My gripe on this match up is I felt we didn't get a blow off to the Santo/Casas feud. Maybe, there is more to come on that one? Casas ends up attacking Santo for the DQ which keeps my hopes up for these two squaring off one on one later on set.

Again, Flair gets distracted by Syxx and stops paying attention to match. This was actually Flair taking most of the beating until the end when he tagged in Benoit. Ric doesn't have the tag team partner stuff down.

Konnan is so unlikeable. The luchadores make the save for Mysterio.

Even though Luger got his title shot against Hogan, he still wants to mess him up beforehand.

I hope Richards got a commission in this contract signing of Raven to WCW. Why would Raven do a public contract signing?! The Genius is a much, much better poet than Raven.