10 Best WWE Matches Of 1997
The pivotal "Attitude" year thrilled between the ropes.
When one thinks of WWE's famed "Attitude Era", they don't necessarily think of high-quality wrestling. Instead, the shades-of-grey characters, uptick in violence and sexuality, and multiple storyline twists take precedent in their memories.
That was especially true when it came to 1998 and 1999, but for 1997, the matches held a little bit more weight.
And why not? Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels were both still around. Sure, once the dust settled on WrestleMania XIV in 1998, neither was in the picture any longer, and it makes sense that the overall match quality would dip. Despite numerous injuries, both had enough of a hand in 1997 to imbue it with their ring mastery. And they did.
It makes sense that seven out of the ten entries on the following list include either Hart or Michaels in some active capacity. While Vince McMahon was inching his company's feet toward the flowing breakers of new WWE waters, he was still counting on his most talented wrestlers to carry the shows with world-class performances.
The year 1997 had more than its share of tremendous bouts, and narrowing the list down to ten was a serious challenge. That only means that what's included among the following picks are pure gold, and should be sought out if you've never seen them.
(After you've read the first, don't forget to check out our exclusive pre-order of Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners And Screwjobs... which is the most comprehensive account of WWF in 1997 that you'll find anywhere... available now at shop.whatculture.com).
10. Triple H Vs. Cactus Jack (Raw Is War, September 22)
What a surprise it was to see Mick Foley don the Cactus Jack attire for the first time in eighteen months. The fans inside Madison Square Garden came unglued at the mere sight of Foley's famous 'face', and roared for each of his weapon-based attacks on Helmsley, who gamely threw his own body around to make Cactus' WWE "debut" all the more special.
The falls count anywhere match managed to keep an already scorching pace going moments after Stone Cold Steve Austin stunned Vince McMahon for the first time ever, combining for well over a half-hour of TV time well spent.
By the time Cactus piledrives Helmsley through a splintering table at the top of the entrance stage, every fan was well aware they weren't watching a typical edition of Raw.