In February 1997, WWE presented a pay-per-view main event pitting four elite performers battling for the vacant WWE title. Bret Hart, Vader, Undertaker and Steve Austin were among the final four competitors in that year's Royal Rumble match so it was determined that they were most deserving of the golden opportunity. With the weight of the pay-per-view on their shoulders, the four legendary competitors delivered an outstanding main event that not only saw Hart capture his fourth Heavyweight Championship but also single-handedly made the show worth watching. Sure, there's a strong contest between Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and British Bulldog and Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon, and a Marc Mero vs. Lief Cassidy match that was much better than it had any right to be, but the meat and potatoes of the event was that incredible top-liner. For historical purposes, IYH: Final Four did mark the first time in WWE history that a young Rocky Maivia squared off with Hunter Hearst Helmsley on pay-per-view. Of course, in the years that followed, their rivalry would help shape the Attitude Era before culminating in the critically acclaimed 2000 rivalry but here, they were merely upstarts looking to the stake their claim as the future of the industry.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
