A Cure for the Common Podcast: A WWF 1997 Retrospective

After seven years of carefully dissecting the year that was 1997 in the WWF, Tom and Kellen and ready to make their proclamations of the very best, worst, and most interesting wrestlers, matches, and promos of the year. Following that they announce their next, much shorter wrestling review project.

The final week of 1997 shows why Faarooq's grip on The Nation of Domination is weakening thanks to The Rock (and his own questionable management). Meanwhile, mystery boxes abound, and Owen Hart tries to get his revenge on D-Generation X!

Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon's run on Shtogun continues in a match that the ring simply could not contain. Meanwhile, on Monday Night Raw, there's a special Christmas episode, and Shawn Michaels is in a very giving mood as he is forced to defend the European Championship against HHH. Kellen and Tom review Shawn's championship history in despair.

After taking some time to discuss the then-current passing of Hana Kimura, Kellen and Tom review an interesting week of programming, featuring Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon vs Jeff and Matt Hardy on Shotgun in the dream match you never realized you wanted. On Raw, Vince McMahon explains why Kellen and Tom named the podcast as they did, and Steve Austin encourages The Rock to take up a new hobby.

Bow bow, are you ready? It's the final PPV of the year, D-Generation X, and that means we have Shawn vs Shamrock, Austin vs Rock, the real Vince McMahon, The Blackheart, The Bootcamp, Butterbean, and blue-eyed Babyface Jim Cornette. Also Jeff Jarretts new music, a 20-minute detour into the history of TNA, and Don Callis giving some really bad advice. And if you think that description was all over the place, just wait until you hear about this week with New York, Free for All, the PPV, and Raw.

On the final week before the D(e)-Generation X pay-per-view, we scramble to fill out the card and actually get some build. The semifinals for the Light Heavyweight Championship tournament, kind of. Ken Shamrock continues his rivalry with Shawn Michaels, kind of. And Stone Cold Steve Austin drives The Rock absolutely berserk. That one is actually really awesome, and you should hear what Kellen has to say and what Tom had to miss out on.

D-Generation X recruits two of their most unlikely members ever, Goldust continues to be on the mend, Steve Austin becomes the greatest stage tech in the history of wrestling, and The Rock reminds us that beepers were once a thing. Meanwhile, our opening contest serves as another big step towards the Attitude Era as The Legion of Doom defend their Tag Team Championships against The Road Dog, Billy Gunn, and new entrance music.

On Week 46, Vince McMahon sits down with Jim Ross to say "Bret screwed Bret." How will Kellen and Tom side on the matter? (If you've listened to us before you probably know.) Meanwhile, The Rock and Stone Cold continue to make each other's acquaintance, and Rick Rude manages to be in two places at once.

It's official! This is the last time anyone anywhere ever will talk about Montreal! Who was right? Who was wrong? Was it a shoot? Bret, Vince, and No. It's the 1997 Survivor Series all decided right here for all time! You won't want to miss this! Also featuring other stuff: New York, Raw, and the first Rock v Austin segment.

Tom and his roommate Chris live in Bristol, England. Kellen and his wife Jen live in Madison Heights, Michigan, USA. It only makes sense that the first place they would meet in person is Tokyo, Japan. Tom and Kellen discuss their simultaneous vacations with a heavy emphasis on their shared experiences at Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling's TJP '20, as well as both nights of New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 14 in Tokyo Dome and New Year's Dash.

On the final week before Survivor Series, we see surprisingly little of champion Bret Hart while Shawn Michaels takes on Ken Shamrock. Ahmed Johnson begins (and ends) his quest for revenge against Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Vader stoops to desperate levels to find a last-second replacement for an injured member of Team USA.

Prepare for trouble, and make it double. To protect the world from devastation. To unite all peoples within our Nation. Its Week 43 of The Cure, and the Nation of Domination are seeking revenge on the Harts for a racist attack, Bret is challenged by Ken Shamrock for the title, Mankind pledges revenge on Kane, and The Boricuas get their rightful main event spot. Oh, and Shawn Michaels tries to ruin everything. Team Rocky blast off at the speed of light, surrender now or prepare to fight!

Not one, but two fantastic matches on Raw is War as Taka Michinoku takes on Yoshihiro Tajiri and Shawn Michaels and Owen Hart go one-on-one in a Winner Takes All match for the Intercontinental and European Championships. The Road Dogg and Billy Gunn have their first two proper matches as a tag team, and Jeff Jarrett makes his re-debut with the WWF and promptly (and repeatedly) buries himself on a live mic.

After a soft launch a few weeks back, we finally see Jesse Jammes and Rockabilly change names and form a tag team on Shotgun. (One name sticks, one is quickly forgotten.) Meanwhile on Raw, Shawn Michaels and friends take another crack at naming their little group. Wonder if it sticks this time. All this excitement, the merciful end of Sable's Laser Tag advertisements, and Kellen marking out over another fighting game in the ad breaks.

Tragedy rocks the WWF as Brian Pillman suddenly passes away. Tom and Kellen discuss his career and how the WWF handled his death in the week's program. On a more positive note, this show features coverage of Badd Blood: In Your House, featuring the legendary inaugural Hell in a Cell match between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker.

Shawn Michaels is running for his life as his Hell in a Cell encounter with The Undertaker draws near. Meanwhile on Shotgun, Vader and The Patriot join forces against The Godwinns, and Raw sees Faarooq and Ahmed Johnson do battle one more time in the semifinal of the Intercontinental Title Tournament.

A PPV from Manchester, England and the first ever weekly TV show to emanate live from the World's Most Famous Arena are the highlights of Week 38 of A Cure for the Common Podcast. The dos and don'ts of how to handle a popular wrestler's homecoming, the match Bret Hart has deemed his last great WWF contest, the continuation of the worst tournament in the history of professional wrestling, and something about Vince McMahon and Steve Austin you might have heard about are all covered this week.

Shawn goes into business for himself, Bret verges on losing his professional edge, Taker is trapped in a steel cage of his own making, and Austin is doing Looney Tunes skits with King. And the Pillman storyline is messed up. What can save us this week? Any wrestler under 200 pounds. Have fun with this as we discuss whether we had fun with this!

Friday Night's Main Event, Shotgun Saturday Night, Free for All, Ground Zero: In Your House, Raw is War: it takes a lot of time to cover all of this. Steve Austin takes target practice at top WWF officials, Undertaker finally gets his hands on Shawn Michaels, a match featuring two newcomers and no build almost steals the PPV, and Savio Vega develops a crippling addiction to triple threat matches. And that's just the tip of the iceberg as Kellen and Tom review one of the busiest weeks of the year.

A special double episode sees the WWF go into a holding pattern as its regular flagship program is preempted. Taking the place of Raw Is War is Friday Night's Main Event, featuring Vader vs Bret Hart for the WWF Championship, and the unexpected debut of a future ECW and ROH World Champion as the WWF stays in a holding pattern on its way to Ground Zero: In Your House.

On Monday Night Raw, Rocky Maivia cuts his first promo as a heel, and in the main event two first-time pairings collide as The Undertaker and Mankind face Shawn Michaels and Hunter Hearst Helmsley. What seemed like such an inconspicuous week at the time, in fact, laid the groundwork of the wrestling industry for years to come and Tom and Kellen break it all down.

On Monday Night Raw we see the rematch of one of the best matches of 1996 as Shawn Michaels makes his in-ring return to Raw (for the second time in three months) against Mankind! Bret Hart makes his heroic return home as champion, and in a match that somehow is far more notable than it should ever have any right to, Faarooq takes on Chainz.

We have come to one of the greatest subtitled major Pay-Per-Views of all time: Summerslam: Hart & Soul. Come for the continued dominance of Los Boricuas in the Gang Warz, stay for the supremely performed final minutes of the Bret Hart v Undertaker, then get kind of awkward as we go over the terrible aftermath of the Owen Hart v Steve Austin Intercontinental Championship clash.

"If you were going to give the United States of America an enema, you'd stick the hose right here in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania!" Yes, this week Raw emanates from the Steel City as the build to SummerSlam continues. Sable finds herself next to a stack of cash as Vince struggles to connect with his audience, Shotgun is missing and presumed miss-able, the Godwinns are in a real love / hate situation, and we catch up with The Undertaker at home prior to his match with The Hitman.

Halifax, Nova Scotia is the latest battleground in the WWF's Canada / USA conflict featuring Bret Hart, Owen Hart, and The British Bulldog taking on any three Americans in a Flag Match. In addition, the Patriot wrestles his first-ever WWF match in Canada. All this, plus: what happens when local jobbers clearly aren't local, and how will Kellen and Tom cover a missing episode of Shotgun Saturday Night?

Get a lottery ticket and keep an eye out for lightning because the Disciples of Apocalypse / Los Boricuas feud may have generated the most genuinely entertaining part of the week. In addition, we finally resolve the Tag Title situation with Owen Hart and British Bulldog taking on Steve Austin and a partner of his choosing. Will it be Shawn Michaels, Ken Shamrock, Sycho Sid, the debuting Patriot, Mankind, or somebody else entirely?

The WWF invades The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth with In Your House: Canadian Stampede from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Widely regarded as one of the greatest PPVs in history, there is no surprise that the show holds up from top to bottom in the eyes of Kellen and Tom. What may surprise many, however, is that one of the hosts posits that the legendary main even of The Hart Foundation v Steve Austin, Ken Shamrock, Goldust, and The Legion of Doom may actually be the worst match on the show. All this, a terrible Truth Commission match on Shotgun, a follow-up Raw is War to start the build to SummerSlam, and much more in this jam-packed episode.

Manbeast v Mantaur: In the real main event this week we have The Clash of the Century as these natural rivals lock horns. On the undercard we have the equally illustrious debuts of both Michael Cole and the latest gang in the wars, Ahmed attempts to cut a promo under the influence of surgical medication, Undertaker goes full on Batman, Paul Bearer calls him a goddamned murderer, we have Pokemon references up to the eyeballs, and Kellen and Tom achieve a freaky psychic link. Trust me, this is a fun one.

Ahmed Johnson explains why he joined The Nation and hypes up his PPV Title match. He then gets injured and has to relinquish it. Owen Hart, HHH, and Goldust square off (or would that be triangle off?) in the first ever televised Triple Threat Match for the Intercontinental Championship. The tag team tournament continues, and Sabu faces Flash Funk on Raw in Week 25 of A Cure for the Common Podcast.

It's time for a bigger, badder Nation to debut, but who is going to take the plunge and join? The tag tournament kicks off, but what kind of man might Austin pick to replace Shawn Michaels as his partner? Why does Savio insist he wasn't fired when we all saw it live on TV? And finally, the biggest unanswered question of all is revealed; the paternity test is in and Dr. Heyman is all set to reveal who Brian Christopher's father really is! It's mystery week here on Shotgun and Raw, and Kellen and Tom are all set to investigate.

Kellen and Tom discuss the biggest match of the weekend, and it never aired on television or pay-per-view. After months of buildup, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels finally throw down backstage in the locker room, for real, before Raw goes live on air. Oh, and on the actual wrestling side of things, there's the King of the Ring, Steve Austin v Shawn Michaels, and The Nation of Domination implodes.

With only a week to go until King of the Ring, it's time for the injury bug to get rid of half the card. Will the WWF be able to save the PPV? Meanwhile, in-ring this week we see the return of the missing Sycho Sid and a Wrestlemania rematch against The Undertaker in the main event, as well as Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels defending their tag team titles for the first time against The Legion of Doom.

While Shotgun is paint-by-numbers, Raw is War provides one of the most captivating episodes of television of the year. Amazing storytelling, focus on great young wrestlers, one of the most shocking promos of the year, more of the epic History of Mankind, and the saga of the $71 inflatable chair. Top it all off with one of the best matches of the year as Owen Hart and The British Bulldog defend against the unlikely duo of Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin.

It's dark days for The Undertaker as his secret is threatened, Mankind's cloudy disposition intimidates interviewers on both Shotgun and Raw, lightning strikes for Bob Holly, Dakota Runnels brightens up the ring, and a chance of Sunny Days sets Bret and Shawn on a collision course.

It's a big episode for week 19 as Kellen and Tom cover In Your House: A Cold Day in Hell, featuring Undertaker v Steve Austin for the WWF Title and Ken Shamrock damn near crippling Vader. Also, on Monday Night Raw we see the son of a WWF Hall of Famer as well as a future Hall of Famer make their debuts, the 1997 King of the Ring tournament kicks off, part two of the Goldust interview, Paul Bearer threatens to reveal Undertaker's secret, and the Legion of Doom squash to end all Legion of Doom squashes.

They seek him here, they seek him there, The Harts they seek him everywhere. Is he under a truck, or a barrel lid? That damned elusive Heartbreak Kid! Also featuring Goldust coming out of a closet, a trap for Ahmed Johnson, and some strapping young jobbers all on Shotgun and Raw.

WrestleMania 32 left a lot of wrestling fans shaking their heads and feeling like they needed to vent. Tom and Kellen were feeling that way themselves, and, joined by The Tranquil Tirades' Damien Wilkens, they pick apart this year's edition of the seven-hour Showcase of the Immortals.

Shotgun Saturday Night sees both one of the nastiest injuries in wrestling in a Legion of Doom / Godwinns match, but also a surprisingly good match pitting Crush, Savio Vega, and the debuting D'Lo Brown against the future ECW team of Aldo Montoya, Freddie Joe Floyd, and Steve Corino. From there Raw is War steps things up with Brian Pillman at his Loose Cannon best, Bret Hart cuts one of the best promos of his life, Owen Hart v Rocky Maivia for the Intercontinental Title, and Undertaker v British Bulldog.

This week we sink in to the supposed traditional post-Mania slump, but could Revenge of The Taker buck that trend and be a hot contender for best PPV so far? Austin v Bret comes to the boil, Undertaker and Mankind have a blistering encounter, and Tiger Ali Singh gets a tepid response. Also featuring a show that's a shell of its former self in Shotgun Saturday Night, and the Monday Night War comes under fire from a Loose Cannon.

Look at that photo. We can type in this space that Sunny Undercover was one of the most entertaining edition yet (for all the wrong reasons). We can tell you that Ahmed Johnson has one of the most "I'm out of my depth here" moments all year. We can tell you Raw was broadcast from three different countries. We can tell you that the WWF doesn't seem to realize Apartheid has ended, but all you really want to know is what the heck happened to Goldust. Click the link to find out.

While Mankind puts in a contender for promo of the year and most dangerous spot of the year in a match against Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels steals the show by taking his real hatred of Bret Hart in front of the camera. The change from Bret and Shawn not liking each other to hating each other is in Week 14 of A Cure for the Common Podcast.

While Shotgun is the general weekend fare, Raw has plenty to write home about. Owen v Bulldog in a rematch for the European Title, Rocky Maivia v Bret Hart for the first (and only) time for the Intercontinental Title, Mankind and Undertaker take their feud up a notch, Stone Cold explains what a tweener is, Road Warrior Hawk ascends to Ahmed Johnson levels of microphone greatness, and Vince Russo inspires the creators of Battlefield Earth.

Ooh, ooh, Wrestlemania! Yeah this is our life! It's finally here, the biggest week ever of this podcast. Weighing in at over four hours, this show has it all, from Owen Hart's unforgettable antics at The Slammys to the blood soaked canvas that launched the biggest draw in wrestling history. Plus japes, jokes, Shotgun, Superstars, Free for All, the post-Mania Raw, and plenty of Sid and Ahmed Johnson promos, what's not to love? Join us for the granddaddy of the all!

"Frustrated isn't the Goddamn word for it. This is Bullshit!" And just like that we realize that the Attitude Era may be closer than we think. On the final episode of A Cure for the Common Podcast before Wrestlemania, Shotgun retools once again with Brian Pillman on commentary and the highly hyped debut of Sunny Undercover, while on Raw we have our final build to Wrestlemania, including a steel cage match between Bret Hart and Sycho Sid. That is, if The Undertaker doesn't destroy the cage first.

Wrestlemania is fast approaching, and we're starting to feel the heat. Ahmed reveals his tag partners, Austin cusses out Shamrock, Paul Heyman debates Jerry Lawler, and our main event features Bearers Buddies versus Undertaker and Sid; can they work together long enough to survive? All this on Shotgun Saturday Night, the final episode in our review of Superstars, and the long-awaited first appearance of Raw is War.

While Shotgun and Superstars continue their "one show, two names" phase, Monday Night Raw makes its way to Berlin, Germany with a fabulous main event between Owen Hart and The British Bulldog for the European Championship. Also: Sycho Sid v Mankind, Bret Hart v Hunter Hearst Helmsley, and an Ahmed Johnson promo.

"Your challenge has been accepted! ECW is in... the... hooooouuuse!" Yes that's right, it's a very special week for the show as the spotlight is shared between WWF Superstars and a notable local promotion with a diehard attitude and a rabid fanbase. We have Shotgun, Superstars, and a unique edition of Raw from the Manhattan Center in New York City.

What may be the biggest week of the year sees a legend win the Intercontinental Title for the first time, Shawn Michaels losing his smile, a last second PPV card shakeup, multiple title changes, an overlooked classic PPV main event, and the start to the build to Wrestlemania. Join Kellen and Tom as they cover Thursday Raw Thursday Live!, In Your House: Final Four, and Monday Night Raw.

Choosing to not cover the 1997 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Kellen and Tom are left with a short week, which features Shawn Michaels' hilarious fashion sense on Superstars, and the final live episode of Shotgun with the famous Escalator Tombstone.

As we role into Week 5, we see one of the members of the Final Four main event jerk the curtain on all three shows. Shotgun makes a long-awaited homecoming. Marc Mero tests his potential main event acumen against The Undertaker on Superstars. And Raw begins the two-hour format with a major show from Toronto's Skydome, featuring: two title matches, a potential Match of the Year, and a confrontation between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. On top of all that, Kellen gets an injury update wrong, which he will mea culpa in a later episode.

Week 4 of the Cure sees the WWF simultaneously build to two big shows with In Your House: Final Four and the ridiculously titled Thursday Raw Thursday Live, both announced for Week 7. With these two shows ready to set the table for Wrestlemania 13, we see the World Title scene muddled with all six people in the title hunt featured in a mass interview on Raw. Shotgun emanates from the Webster Hall, featuring Bret Hart v Mankind. And it all coincides with that evening's Super Bowl Superstars and four teams compete for the first (and last) annual Superstars Bowl.