WWE In 1997 | Wrestling Timelines

21. April 20 | Revenge Of The ‘Taker

Undertaker Mankind In Your House: Revenge of The Taker
WWE.com

In Your House: Revenge Of The ‘Taker follows the typical 1997 formula: awful undercard, cracking top-level business. “Cracking” might be a stretch here, because the two main events are diminished returns. The Undertaker goes over Mankind mainly because he’s a guaranteed excellent opponent, even if by April ‘97 it’s a bit familiar and uninspiring, and Steve Austin’s disqualification win over Bret Hart is closer to good than great and well below the expected standard. Austin always prided himself on being a great mechanic. Austin will imminently draw comparisons to Hulk Hogan, through his blinding star power, but he’s closer spiritually to Hart and Shawn Michaels. He prides himself on being great at wrestling, a “hell of a mechanic”, but in Rochester, New York, Austin doesn’t yet grasp what his new devotees want from him.

The relatively bland quality of the match doesn’t matter; they click yet again a mere 24 hours later…

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!