Back in 1995, the WWF was offering five PPVs Rumble, WrestleMania, KOTR, Summerslam and Survivor Series at $30 apiece. The idea behind the concept was that a shorter (2 hours compared to 3) and cheaper ($15 to start with) PPVs in months without a major event would give them an edge over the increasing WCW threat. You may notice that the earliest PPV included was in February 97, despite the first event being held almost two years prior. The problem was that, although some of the main events were exceptional, the overall cards were poor because the WWF didnt have a brilliant roster. The fact that the WWF seemed obsessed with stipulations at the time didnt help Razor Ramon vs. 1-2-3 Kid in a Cry-baby Match comes to mind. IYH: Mind Games is a perfect example. Shawn Michaels defended the WWF Championship against Mankind, in a brilliant thirty minute bout. While the main event was excellent, the undercard was awful. Savio Vega beat Justin Bradshaw in a Caribbean Strap Match, Jose Lothario beat Jim Cornette (two managers), Hart and Bulldog bested The Smoking Gunns (two men who dressed like cowboys), Mark Henry beat Jerry Lawler and Undertaker defeated Goldust in a Final Curtain bout. The difference between a good PPV and a great one is often the undercard. It wasnt really until 2000, when the WWF could boast an exciting tag team division and a mid-card featuring Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero, that consistency became less of an issue. The WWF had fantastic main event matches like Michaels vs. Undertaker in the first Hell in a Cell, Diesel vs. HBK or Camp Cornette vs. The Peoples Posse, but the PPVs were let down by awful undercards. Here are the top four In Your House PPVs.
4. Final Four
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G58S8Y25VDI Marc Mero vs. Leif Cassidy, Flash Funk, Bart Gunn and Goldust vs. The Nation and Rock vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley are all nothing to write home about. The Tag Team Championship bout between Owen and the Bulldog and Lafon and Furnas is surprisingly good, but it suffers from a poor finish. Bulldog is seconds away from hitting Lafon with the Powerslam, but, for some reason, the Black Hart charges in and smacks Lafon with his Slammy award, meaning the match ends in DQ. The main event is something rather special. Shawn Michaels had just dropped the WWF Championship because he had lost his smile and wanted to take time off rumours persist that he was happy enough to take the belt from Sid in San Antonio, but didnt want to lose to the Hitman at WrestleMania. In a match for the vacant belt, Undertaker, Hart, Vader and Steve Austin met in a four way over the top battle royal. The Rattlesnake was eliminated by Hart after 18 minutes. A few minutes later Vader attempted a pump splash, only for Undertaker to push him over the top rope. Austin tried to drag out Hart, inadvertently distracting The Deadman, who Hart eliminated. The Excellence of Execution lost the belt to Sid the following night, which played a large part in his eventual heel turn.