Forgotten Gems: Part 2

[PsychoBlack]

Now in this second edition of forgotten Gems we have the fatal four way from IYH: Final Four. This match featured Vader, Bret Hart, The Undertaker, and SCSA battling it out for the vacant WWF championship to defend against Sid the next night on Raw. This match was elimination style and competitors could be eliminated by pinfall, submission, or being thrown over the top rope.

From start to finish this match was non stop action and these guys beat the shit out of each other. This match was unique to me because often times in elimination matches competitors leave in rapid fire but that was not the case here, no one was eliminated from this match until after the 20 minute mark. I think that is a smart way to do things because thats how long it would take to beat them in a normal match, so why change it up here? Vader and Austin were the first ones to be eliminated but Austin being Austin was pissed off that Bret had eliminated him so he came back and did his best to sabotage his chances of winning but he did not succeed as Bret put Austin and Taker over the rope to win his 4th WWE championship.


This match is forgotten for some odd reason. It had everything there intensity, high spots, story telling, and an excellent work rate. Is this match a classic? Why is it forgotten? I want to know from you guys.

 

[The Brain]

I think this is forgotten because the result was kind of meaningless. This was only about a month before WrestleMania 13 and as you said was for the vacant world title. After a long and brutal battle Bret Hart won his fourth WWF title but immediately lost it the next night on Raw. If the winner of this match actually held the title for a little while and actually went to mania with it, the match might be better remembered. The title match for mania is usually set up at the Royal Rumble or at least right after it. That year Austin won the rumble and HBK regained the title at the event. Neither of those guys were in the title match at mania. Instead it was Sid defending against Taker in what was probably the most poorly hyped mania main event ever. HBK losing his smile threw the booking in turmoil and this match just got lost in the shuffle.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Brain pretty much nailed why it is forgotten, but it is quite an awesome match. I just re watched it recently as it was featured On Demand recently and it was pretty fucking sweet. Vader's eye being busted open was fucking gruesome but kudos to him for continuing to work through it. Everyone busted their ass to in that match. Austin could flat out go back then. You know, before his neck and knees were shot.

I remember this match taking place as a kid when I didn't have cable and I could only watch the Saturday morning shows. I remember waiting a whole week to find out who won and though I really want Bret to win, I was so disheartened when I found out that Sid won it the next night.

Awesome match, though.

 

[PsychoBlack]

I noticed that a lot of matches from this period are forgotten. That might be what the criticism on Bret and Shawn is about ratings. Those guys were always super over but never had the great ratings that the Hulkamania and Attitude era's that it was stuck in between had.

 

[Iversen]

I just watched it, hadn't seen it before, at least that I can remember, and really enjoyed it. Watched the Bret Sid match the day after as well and I would assume that thats played a major role. Matches tend to only be remembered if theres a memorable storyline as well. While there was the memorable story of Bret Austin to an extent this was more just setting it up than an integral part of it. With it obviously being remembered for WM 13.

 

[jabberwocky1612]

Thank you for bringing up this match! I loved it when I watched it live on PPV and my fondness for it continuous until this day. A definite sleeper classic. Like previously stated, the quick title change the next night and the epic Austin/Hart match from WrestleMania 13 really took away from the significance of the FINAL FOUR match. The WM submission match has gone down as one of the greatest matches in history. It isn't hard to understand how another match was overshadowed. Kudos to your memory and appreciation!

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

This match is forgotten for the same reason that the match you put in your last example( HBK vs Mankind) was forgotten. It was happened at a bad time for the WWF as WCW was totally running amok in the ratings department. Furthermore the match is meaningless not only because of what happened the next night but because it was basically a way to further Bret vs Austin. That feud had already been furthered by two awesome match namely Bret vs Austin at Survivor Series 1996 and the Royal Rumble match of 1997. Also possibly the greatest match of all time was to follow at WrestleMania 13. This match gets somewhat sandwiched between all these great matches and that is also a reason why it is forgotten. Remember, that this match took place at an IYH while all the other great matches took place at a "Big Four" PPV.

Regardless of the fact, it is an awesome match and a precursor to the Fatal Fourway matches. I liked how everyone was eliminated over the top rope in this match even though I believe that a vicory via pinfall was an option. It made everyone look good. Austin was phenomenal in this match. He performed some very extreme moves in this match which we did not see much after his neck injury. Vader was also busted open pretty bad here. Good work by all four men here.

 

[RManske2]

First time I think I've seen that match but that was pretty good, plus watching Vader go for the moonsault (although he missed it) was impressive for a guy his size.

 

[MMK]

I think the main reason it's been largely forgotten is because there were so many "In Your House" ppv's from 95-97, that it's hard to remember which was which. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe there were a total of 19 In Your Houses within a span of less than 2 and 1/2 years. That's INSANE. And most of them were all terrible. So this match has sort of gotten lost amongst all the crap that took place at all of these generic In Your HOuses.

Another reason this match has been forgotten over time, is due to the last minute booking that was going on in WWF during this period. Austin had won the rumble controversially and was supposed to face Bret at In Your House in February to see who was the true Rumble winner. Original plans were for Bret to beat Austin and go on to face Shawn at Wrestlemania in a rematch from the year before. But all that was scrapped at the 11th hour when Shawn "lost his smile" and vacated the title. In reality he just flat out refused to do the job to Bret at mania due to their bad blood. So basically, this Fatal 4 Way match was slapped together at the last minute with very little build up. So many things were changing at such a hectic pace due to Shawn's abrupt decision to take a leave of absence from the company, that this 4 Way match just got lost in the shuffle.

 

[redmethod09878]

probably because the next night on RAW was more memorable when Sid beat Bret for the WWF Title which was the first time the title changed hands on RAW

 

[TheMaskedNewton]

I am not aware of the wrestling history prior to Austin-Rock era hence I do not even know about this match. But it seems interesting, 4 of the best wrestlers of the time, I will check it on the youtube! Thanx for the recommendation!

 

[theHeadliner]

I think the main reason it's been largely forgotten is because there were so many "In Your House" ppv's from 95-97, that it's hard to remember which was which. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe there were a total of 19 In Your Houses within a span of less than 2 and 1/2 years. That's INSANE. And most of them were all terrible. So this match has sort of gotten lost amongst all the crap that took place at all of these generic In Your HOuses.

Another reason this match has been forgotten over time, is due to the last minute booking that was going on in WWF during this period. Austin had won the rumble controversially and was supposed to face Bret at In Your House in February to see who was the true Rumble winner. Original plans were for Bret to beat Austin and go on to face Shawn at Wrestlemania in a rematch from the year before. But all that was scrapped at the 11th hour when Shawn "lost his smile" and vacated the title. In reality he just flat out refused to do the job to Bret at mania due to their bad blood. So basically, this Fatal 4 Way match was slapped together at the last minute with very little build up. So many things were changing at such a hectic pace due to Shawn's abrupt decision to take a leave of absence from the company, that this 4 Way match just got lost in the shuffle.

Shawn was scheduled to drop the belt to Sid at the special Thursday night RAW where he "lost his smile" so he wasn't going to even be champ going into WM13. That's been documented numerous times. The refusing to drop the belt to Bret story not correct.

 

[BTLion1990]

How did Vader end up in the match? I may be wrong but wasn't the final four to the Royal Rumble that year Bret Hart, The Undertaker, Stone Cold and Diesel? I remember the match, and didn't see the point in having Bret drop the title a day later, but I remember it being a great match at the time, simply because the entire Rumble angle with Austin re-entering after elimination to screw Bret was genius.

 

[byrnside]

How did Vader end up in the match? I may be wrong but wasn't the final four to the Royal Rumble that year Bret Hart, The Undertaker, Stone Cold and Diesel? I remember the match, and didn't see the point in having Bret drop the title a day later, but I remember it being a great match at the time, simply because the entire Rumble angle with Austin re-entering after elimination to screw Bret was genius.

The reason this particular final-four happened was because at the end of the Rumble match in '97, Austin was eliminated but the referees didn't see it due to Terry Funk and Mankind brawling at ringside. Bret Hart then eliminated Diesel and simultaneously Austin had slipped back into the ring eliminating The Undertaker and Vader and then eliminating Bret Hart. I think the next night on RAW, or over the coming weeks, Gorilla Monsoon [or whoever was "President" at the time] said because Austin eliminated them illegally the only way to settle the score was in a Final Four Match. Hence the main event from said In Your House.

On to the match itself and why I think it's forgotten..

The match was good and as a hardcore Royal Rumble fan, I loved it. I think the reason why it was forgotten was because, as Brain said, the next night on RAW Bret lost the title to Sid. Also at the time Stone Cold and Bret Hart's feud overshadows a lot of what happened in the WWF at the time. Not to mention Shawn losing his "smile" and all of that.

Furthermore in regards to Shawn losing his "smile, "I have to add that Shawn had a knee injury. If you watch The Heartbreak and Triump DVD he says that his mother had made a comment about him losing his smile and instead of coming out and saying he had a knee injury, he went with that. And yes, I know it's a WWE manufactured documentary, bla bla bla.