WWF In Your House 8: Beware Of Dog

[ShinobiMusashi]

Anybody remember this? HBK vs Bulldog for the title, and Austin vs Savio Vega strap match are the matches that I can remember without looking the show up.

Spring of 96. The lights went out in the arena due to a thunderstorm or something, and they cut the pay per view feed after only 2 matches(the rest of the show went on with barely any light in the arena).

They did a makeup show like two days later.

I remember I got to see the makeup show on pay per view for free, and we didn't even order the one that got cut. I remember I used to watch the opening 5 minutes to all the ppv's on Primestar sattelite at my grandparents house because they would always let you see it to make you want to buy the show. This one though, the show just kept going after the 5 minute freeview, and I got to see the whole show. Probobly the biggest markout moment in my personal experience as a wrestling fan when I realized I was going to get to see this show.

How did I get to see this show? Did they give this away to everyone that had that Satellite service or something? Did anyone else get to see this show for free?

Plus, couldn't they have done something similar to this with the Owen Hart death? Would have been a much more classy move to cancel the rest of the show, and perhaps hold a makeup show on Tuesday night(after the Owen tribute on Raw)?

 

[THTRobtaylor]

This was an average show, but as I remember it was actually supposed to be Davey going over that night until the power cut. The extra few days meant the switch got nixed which sucks donkeys...

It was interesting tho cos it was the first time anything major had gone wrong with a WWE show, I had never really seen a major cock up (or realised it was a cock up) until that point. Now I see them all the time...

 

[Int3rnalhigh99]

I'm pretty sure that after wwf gave away IYH:BOFD2 because they lost so many subscribers to the match....apparently there was only like 180k buys for the ppv so wwf decided to give it away......now to go along with your theme of getting ppvs free here i would like to understand how back in 2000 i was flipping threw the channels at 1am and got summerslam 2000 for free without ordering it....and nothing went wrong at that ppv

 

[theHeadliner]

This was an average show, but as I remember it was actually supposed to be Davey going over that night until the power cut. The extra few days meant the switch got nixed which sucks donkeys...

It was interesting tho cos it was the first time anything major had gone wrong with a WWE show, I had never really seen a major cock up (or realised it was a cock up) until that point. Now I see them all the time...

Davey was not supposed to go over in that match. It was Shawn's 2nd title defense, he wasn't losing it that quick. Maybe interference, DQ, or some kind of farce finish but the title definitely wasn't changing hands. Vince wanted Shawn to be the long term champ. Davey was NEVER going to be the heavyweight champ for Vince... He wasn't over like Bret or Shawn other caliber stars similar to those two.

 

[TLK]

Yeah, my parents ordered this PPV when I was a kid and we got the replay for free due to the blackout. It was weird at the time them labeling it BOD2. I felt like I had missed something and they were almost "retaping" the matches.

And I don't recall hearing Davey was going over. I don't think they'd have HBK lose the title that quickly.

 

[asiatic7]

I remember that! I was so pumped to see the ppv and then it went black. The first match was Savio Vega vs. Stone Cold and then it din't come back on until Shawns match with Davey. I remember on RAW, they showed highlights of wrestlers fumbling around in the dark doing their best to entertain the crowd. The PPV came on for free that Tuesday. I don't think Davey was going over! Shawn had just gone over a departing Diesel a month prior and this was his second PPV since winning the title. You bring back memories.

 

[ShinobiMusashi]

Just looked at the results for the event, and they switched the finish in Vader vs Yokozuna. Yokozuna won in the (literally)dark match, but Vader got the win on the redo. Wierd.

 

[donfryeismyhero]

This was an average show, but as I remember it was actually supposed to be Davey going over that night until the power cut. The extra few days meant the switch got nixed which sucks donkeys...

It was interesting tho cos it was the first time anything major had gone wrong with a WWE show, I had never really seen a major cock up (or realised it was a cock up) until that point. Now I see them all the time...

Your memory is a bit foggy my friend, Bulldog was never supposed to go over in the match. As previous posters have stated, HBK was only on his 2nd title defense and was the face of the company. Plus, that match along with the HHH vs Mero match were the only matches that didn't suffer through the power outage unlike the Vader/Yokozuna, Austin/Savio & Undertaker/Goldust matches. The HBK/Bulldog match aired after the power was restored that night & it was a great match btw for those who haven't seen it.

 

[dman1373]

every one of shawn vs bulldog matches were good. This one was no exception. Great match with an ending that led to an even better match.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

It was only his 2nd defence, but it was also the period that Vince had "promised" Davey the title to keep him... hence the 2nd screwy finish at KOTR and the creation of the Euro title to appease him.

 

[Kliq69]

Bulldog was still tagging with Owen at the time and wasn't even the headliner in Camp Cornette. Vader was. From what I've read and heard from various guys in the locker room at that time with WWE having a complete lack of top tier heels after Nash left, the plan was for HBK to beat Davey at BOD, beat Owen at KOTR (lot of back story there with the head kick), lose to Vader in a tag match in July (which happened), then drop the belt to Vader at Summerslam.

However, HBK wanted a second match with Bulldog after the first show was f'd up and didn't think the Vader character was over enough as a top heel at the time (which in hindsight was probably accurate, no matter how much of a fan I was of the Big Van).

Addition reports suggest Warrior was supposed to take the belt off of Vader at Sur Series or RR and defend it up to Mania where he would lose to the returning Hart (Warrior being the guy Bret was originally supposed to beat for his first strap).

Warrior ended up being fired and Sid was hired back in an attempt to have one top heel in the company. I've always wondered how 96 would have gone if Warrior hadn't acted like Warrior.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

Dude, it wasn't Warrior acting like Warrior. Vince breached his contract by using Warriors slogans from outside wrestling to boost his merchandise sales.

 

[dkeating12]

It was also the PPV where Ted DiBiase's wrestler, at the time, Steve Austin lost and he had to leave WWF, next thing we knew Millionaire Ted became Billionaire Ted and he was the bankroller of NWO

 

[James]

Noooo, Davey wasn't supposed to go over in this match. It was the match between him and Shawn in his hometown where he was supposed to go over. But Shawn, Davey, and Vince talked; Shawn came up with an idea that would make him ubber over heel wise by beating DBS dirty. That's what happened.

 

[justtxyank]

I love Davey Boy Smith and this was a time where I, as an avid WCW fan, watched the WWF rooting for Davey to get the belt. I remember one of the promos where Diana was accusing Shawn of sexual harassment and he dropped the "don't flatter yourself" line and then "I guess we know who wears the pants in the Smith family" or something like that to lead to a brawl. They worked well together.

 

[Defekt]

I watched both parts of the show live. As I recall, we had to order the show again on Tuesday and were charged twice. I think we had TCI Cable.

 

[ih8myusername94]

I had this ppv on vhs tape. Yeah it was kinda confusing how they barely explained why the lights were out and it was shot on different days. As a kid it made no sense at all and the ppv didnt have very charmful matches or finishes. The main event wasnt even that good. I did like watching it though.

Oh yeah, and more info on why you believe Davey Boy Smith was gonna go over?

 

[THTRobtaylor]

OK...

Davey was originally in a big spot in 92... ahead of Bret for the push, but the Warrior got caught with roids... and Davey was "named" so he got fired... Vince got him back in 94 on the promise of a major run with the World belt (having seen the good work he did with Vader in WCW) but it just never happened...

Shawn was a new champ but DBS was seen as a guy who could split it for a month without damaging Shawn, cos the matches would be so good... and they could use the double pin finish to muddy the waters...

Ultimately it didn't happen and DBS got rightfully pissed, so Vince created the Euro title to appease him. Except Shawn fucked that too... and that more than anything destroyed Davey... he told his dying sister he was winning and he lost... she died like 3 days later... Davey got fucked royally... but Vince ALWAYS went out of his way for Davey, cos he had failed to deliver on his promise... go through his runs and you see it... rehabs paid for, big pushes every time he returned... Harry got a big push...

 

[theHeadliner]

Vader was never booked to win the title form Shawn. He was no where near over enough in the WWF to win the title from Shawn when he was only champ for a few months. They wanted Michaels to be a long term champ, and he did hold the belt for 8 months before winning it back in a match that was supposed to propel him (winning from a huge, over guy in his hometown). Anything pertaining to Vader supposedly winning until Shawn politicked to stop it was rumors.

 

[HBsam31]

I remember watching the show and it being in the dark. I was 14 at the time I think. I don't remember seeing the show again for free. It's been a long time so maybe it just slipped my mind. They should have done something similar when Owen died as the wrestler's heads were not in their matches the rest of the night, and rightfully so. It was awesome the WWE gave us beware of the dog 2 for free though even though I don't remember it.

 

[Tor187]

every one of shawn vs bulldog matches were good. This one was no exception. Great match with an ending that led to an even better match.

Except for the One Night Only match, where HBK refused to put Bulldog over in front of his dying sister and the die-hard English fans.

 

[theHeadliner]

Except for the One Night Only match, where HBK refused to put Bulldog over in front of his dying sister and the die-hard English fans.

Shawn didn't refuse. Here's what happened:

This was the time where Shawn was turning heel and joined forces with Hunter with the Insurance policy. They were over in England, and Shawn suggested to the bookers that if you really wanted to get heat on Michaels, have him beat Davey in a dastardly way. It worked, and Shawn got A LOT of heat. The plan was for Shawn to drop the European belt to Davey later in the year, but Shawn became the heavyweight champ so that was scrapped. There is no refusing to do a job unless Vince allows it. Vince liked the idea of Shawn getting all that heat and they went with it. If Vince wanted Davey to win in England no matter what, they would have booked it like that no matter what.