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by SamoaRowe

WWF In Your House:
Good Friends, Better Enemies - April 28, 1996

-Live from Omaha, NE. Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler are on commentary.

-Footage from a live event in Germany shows Jake Roberts assaulting Davey Boy Smith with his snake (Editor's Note: that'd be his PET snake).

British Bulldog (with Owen Hart, James E. Cornette, and Clarence Mason) vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts

Roberts rips up Mason’s court order to ban the snake. Roberts unleashes the snake, causing Cornette to faint. The referee orders Roberts to take the snake out back, which he begrudgingly does. Roberts returns after a moment, accompanied by Ahmed Johnson. We now have an impromptu tag match instead.

British Bulldog and Owen Hart vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Ahmed Johnson

Bulldog wants no part of Johnson and forces Owen to deal with him. Johnson effortlessly dominates and tags Roberts. Owen outsmarts The Snake and tags Bulldog. Roberts dodges an elbow drop and tags in Johnson, but Bulldog hightails it. Owen reluctantly accepts a test of strength and gets brutalized. Bulldog jumps in for the save, once Johnson’s back is turned of course. Johnson no-sells some head shots and chokes. Owen tags and gets some shots in before eating a press slam. Roberts tags in and takes a missile drop-kick, setting him up as the face in peril. Bulldog and Hart keep the tags coming to work over poor Roberts. Owen’s frequent cheating is a wonder to behold. Johnson inevitably gets the hot tag and cleans house on Bulldog. Roberts tags back in but Owen thwarts his DDT attempt. Johnson gets in and helps double team. Bulldog grabs Cornette’s racket and pummels Roberts in the knee! Roberts submits to a leg submission at 13:46. Owen and Bulldog tried hard, but Johnson and Roberts just couldn‘t cut it, *¾.
Winners: British Bulldog and Owen Hart

-Marc Mero and the 1-2-3 Kid are arguing on the phone backstage. They will tangle in the future.

-Earlier tonight, Marlena blew cigar smoke into the Ultimate Warrior’s face. That was the right thing to do.

Intercontinental Championship:
Goldust © (with Marlena) vs. The Ultimate Warrior

There is a gangster bodyguard accompanying Goldust as well. Warrior is about a thousand times more over with the live crowd than I would have expected, but I guess they are in Nebraska. Goldust is selling a leg injury and doesn’t want to wrestle. The bodyguard distracts Warrior, and Goldust and Marlena run away. Warrior proceeds to smoke the cigar that Marlena left behind and takes a seat in the ring, with Goldust’s robe draped on the back. Goldust takes a microphone and threatens to kiss each member of the crowd if they don’t lay off him. Warrior offers back the golden robe and the cigar. Goldust is allowed to sit down. Goldust demands that Warrior kiss his finger, instead he gets the cigar shoved into it. Goldust hightails it and the referee finally counts him out at 7:46. Talk about a waste of time, this was all mind games and no wrestling.
Winner by count-out: The Ultimate Warrior

-The bodyguard stays behind and attacks but Warrior easily disposes of him.

-Backstage, the British Bulldog is livid that his wife is in a locker room with Shawn Michaels. Can’t blame him for that.

Vader (with James E. Cornette) vs. Razor Ramon

This could actually be good, so there is still hope for this show. Vader targets the midsection and head early on with hard shots. Razor slugs back, but Vader thumbs the eyes. Razor gets back dropped to the floor but returns faster than Vader expected. Ramon pummels Vader into the corner! Series of clotheslines by Ramon sends Vader crashing to ringside. Cornette distracts on the apron, but Razor is too smart to get blindsided. Vader rebounds with a standing clothesline. Big splash by Vader gets 2. Razor ducks a clothesline and nails a back suplex for 2. Powerslam by Vader and the Vader Bomb, but Razor kicks out! See, this is why Vader’s WWF run didn’t work. Razor fires away, but Vader pummels his way back into control. Razor counters a suplex but can’t get the win. Vader rebounds with a clothesline but Razor counters the Vader Bomb for a close near fall. Bulldog off the turnbuckle by Razor gets 2.5. Vader knocks Razor off his feet and tries the Bomb again, but gets caught in a Razor’s Edge… or would have if Razor’s back didn’t give out. Vader tries again but this time Razor counters with an Electric Chair. Vader blocks the Razor’s Edge and splashes for the victory at 14:48. This was pretty meandering stuff, but it certainly did pick up at the end, **½.
Winner: Vader

-Doc Hendrix informs Vader and Cornette that Vader will be wrestling Yokozuna at the next In Your House. Cornette is furious and cuts a frantic promo about what a mistake Yokozuna is making.

-Paul Bearer and The Undertaker are hanging out in “Cyber Space.”

WWF Tag Team Championship:
The Bodydonnas © (with Sunny) vs. The Godwinns (with Hillbilly Jim)

Skip starts off against Henry. Zip saves Skip from a bear hug and they attempt a double team but each eat a clothesline. Phineas has a bucket of slop at ringside and threatens to toss it on Skip. Zip makes a tag but and blocks a slam. Henry catches him with a Death Valley Driver. Henry slams Zip as Lawler botches a joke about what a slut Sunny is. Phineas tags and tangles up with Skip. Zip pulls the ropes, causing Phineas to tumble ungracefully to ringside. Back to the ring, Skip covers Phineas for only 2. The Bodydonnas have Phineas isolated and wear him down. Phineas fights off both Bodydonnas and finally makes the hot tag to Henry. Meanwhile, Sunny hands Phineas an autographed picture of herself. Henry is distracted by the shenanigans at ringside and misses the Bodydonnas making the old switcheroo. Zip rolls up Henry for the win at 7:16. This totally dragged, *.
Winners and still WWF Tag Team Champions: The Bodydonnas

-Phineas saves the photo of Sunny from the slop bucket and hides it in his overalls.

-Doc Hendrix interviews Marc Mero and Sable. The 1-2-3 Kid unleashed Mero’s wild fury when he messed with Sable. He’s not having a good night, as Hunter Hearst Helmsley interfered in his match during the Free For All.

-Shawn Michaels has accepted that his friendship with Diesel is over. Meanwhile, Diesel is jazzed that they are on live television tonight and has something special in mind.

No Holds Barred WWF Championship:
Shawn Michaels © (with Jose Lothario) vs. Diesel

Diesel tosses his jacket onto Vince during his entrance, undoubtedly sending a not-so subtle shout-out to the smarks out there who knew he was on his way out. HBK storms the ring and wastes no time laying into Diesel. Michaels eats a knee to the gut before dumping Diesel to ringside. Moonsault to the floor by HBK! Michaels steals a boot from a Spanish announcer and drives it into Diesel’s skull for a near fall. Diesel knocks Michaels into the barricade and methodically beats him down. Diesel surprisingly chokes the referee with his wrist tape and whips HBK with the ref’s belt. Diesel brutally hangs HBK with the belt, leaving him tied to the ropes. Diesel fetches a chair and destroys a vulnerable Michaels. HBK craftily dodges a shot but gets hit with a low blow before he can capitalize. The fight heads to the floor, where Diesel powerbombs Michaels through the announce table! HBK desperately fights back with the fire extinguisher. Michaels gets some nice chair shots in. Michaels rebounds from a clothesline and nails the flying elbow drop! Diesel blocks Sweet Chin Music and retakes control. Diesel attacks Mad Dog Vachon at ringside, robbing him of his fake leg. Diesel goes to use the leg as a weapon, but HBK hits a low blow and clocks him in the head with the leg. Sweet Chin Music finishes Diesel at 17:54. The match was lots of fun as Michaels delivered a great underdog performance and Diesel was simply ruthless, ****.
Winner and still WWF Champion: Shawn Michaels

-Doc Hendrix is backstage with The Undertaker and Paul Bearer. Goldust will be defending the Intercontinental title against Undertaker at the next In Your House. Undertaker says it’s time for Goldust to stop living in fantasy and to step back into the dark reality.

-Mr. Perfect interviews Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Mr. Perfect says that he thought the world would never see another perfect wrestler, but they have one in Helmsley. Helmsley says that his issues with Mero have nothing to do with Sable, since women like that are a dime a dozen (amen, brudda).

-Doc Hendrix is talking to WWF President Gorilla Monsoon, who apologizes for Diesel’s behavior earlier. Monsoon puts Michaels over. The British Bulldog storms in and accuses Michaels of sleeping with his wife. Naturally, Bulldog will be Shawn’s next challenger.

Final Thoughts:
This was something of a disaster until that great main event came in to almost save it. The most interesting aspect of this show is that Razor Ramon and Diesel were both on their way out of the company. Razor probably should have put Vader over more decisively (kicking out of the Vader Bomb wasn’t cool) and Diesel was clearly having a ball toying with Vince during the main event. Unless you feel the need to see this show for the historical perspective, you can probably skip this, as the Shawn/Diesel match is available on the Heartbreak and Triumph DVD.

Thumbs down.

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