25 Best Wrestling PPVs Ever
14. WWF One Night Only 1997
Best Match: Bret Hart Vs. The Undertaker
Worst Match: Legion Of Doom Vs. The Godwinns
UK-exclusive WWF Pay Per Views weren't great, on the whole. Because UK fans weren't inundated with live events like their American counterparts - and because the events themselves had no significant bearing on the popularity and reputation of the league - those presented during the Attitude and Ruthless Aggression eras were relatively lacklustre. The roster didn't phone it in, necessarily, but the announce tables and staging areas were free from wreckage.
With One Night Only, however, they made an auspicious start. The novelty engendered a raucous atmosphere, which reached a bizarre crescendo during the WWF title match semi-final - a significant upgrade on the SummerSlam '97 main event, in which Bret Hart, as if infuriated by the mixed reaction from the British fans he expected to cheer for him en masse, laid into 'Taker's knees with a palpable and detestable degree of viciousness. 'Taker's selling was first-rate, adding up to a genuinely believable whole.
The show ended on a sour note. The British Bulldog had promised to retain his European title in honour of his cancer-ravaged sister Tracey, only for Vince McMahon to nix the plans ahead of a would-be return match which, as a result of the Montreal Screwjob, never materialised.
The stellar undercard compensates for the ending on repeat viewing, though.