WWF in Your House 16: Canadian Stampede

Take 5 Americans, 5 Canadians, put them in a Calgary Saddledome full of rabid Canadians and what do you get? The best WWF PPV ever.

Even though this is only a four match event it still ranks among the best ever. The matches range from good to excellent and encompass a range of styles from crazy American brawling to Jap-Lucha to a typical US big man match. New fans who have been weaned on HHH and Stone Cold (yes I know they were both on the card) really out to check this out and see how good this is.

This wrestling event is still talked about today and many wrestling magazines over the world still rate this card as one of the best of the 1990's.

It may have only had four matches but isn't it better to have four good matches on a card than dozens of meaningless and pointless matches?

Rising star Hunter Hearst Helmsley had a wild brawl with the deranged Makind. Japanese stars Taka Michinoku and The Great Sasuke had a dazzling match. The Undertaker defended his WWF Title against Vader in a sensational match.

The main event was fabulous. At the time the WWF were promoting a storyline featuring Canada VS The United States. On American soil the American wrestlers were the good guys (obviously) but this event took place in Calgary, Canada so paradoxically the good guys became the bad guys and vice versa. In Canada, Bret Hart and his team battled Steve Austin and his team in one of the best WWF matches ever. This match was amazing which was typical for the WWF of 1997.

Singles: Hunter Hearst Hemsley vs Mankind Rating: ***1/2 Thoughts: Pretty good match. The ending was stupid but I liked it. It was a very good brawl. I like the idea of Triple h exploiting Mankind's knee injury after it hit the corner of the ring steps during the match.

Singles: Taka Michonoku vs Great Sasuke Rating: **** Thoughts: A very athletic and awesome match. These two went at it. The high risk moves were incredible. The ending was amazing. Taka Michonoku is a great wrestler. Great Sasuke isn't bad either.

WWE championship: Vader vs undertaker(c) Rating: ***1/2 Thoughts: A very good match for the WWE championship. Vader and Undertaker worked there butts off. Vader had a lot of near falls. Undertaker had a lot also. This was a brutal, barbaric brawl.

Ten man tag: Team Austin (Goldust, Ken Shamrock, Road Warrior Animal, Road Warrior Hawk and Steve Austin) vs Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Owen Hart, British Bulldog, Jim Nied Hart and Brian Pillman) Rating: ****1/2 Thoughts: An incredible ten man tag match. They really want at it from the minute the bell rang to the very end. I thought Owen and Steve's injuries were a good inclusion into the match. Its an eye for an eye like they always say. Owen did a real good job. Team Steve was a very bizarre tag team but they somehow were able to co exist.

Final Thoughts: A very good pay per view. One of the most if not the most best pay per view in WWE history.

With the hindsight of what was to come in the weeks months and years ahead. This event feels so much more important than it probably did at the time. Bret Owen Jim Dave Boy and Brian pillman joined by stu hart and all the family feels like a fitting send off. As wrestling and the hart family would change forever from this point. Take all that away and you are still left with some great matches and some brilliant wrestling mankind Hunter's never ending match. Featuring a brilliant moment when Earl Hebner grabbed a man in the crowd. Who try's to take a cheap shot at a wrestler about 26 minutes in. Vader v Undertaker with talk of taker have a brother Kane beginnings of one of the best storylines in wrestling. Then there's team American Stone cold Hawk and Animal Golddust and Ken shamrock. Add to that a fired up Canadian crowd with stone cold working the crowd til it's final moment. Best House show of the year.

Before Brock Lesnar The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin Was Good their was Hart

Bret Hart

at the Time when WCW was winning the war With the WWF/E

the Main Storyline was Austin vs Hart USA vs Cananda and Heading into this PPV a 10 man Tag

It was not a long PPV Like the 4 Hours Wrestlemaina's like Today but the Wrestling Was Good 3 Undercard Maitches Dilever HHH vs Mankind Taka Michinoku vs Great Sasuke WWF Title Maitch Undertaker vs Vader

and the night Main Event Delever in a Big war Stone Cold Steve Austin Ken Shamrock Goldust and LOD vs Bret Hart Owen Hart Jim Nighthart The Bulldog and Brian Pillman

Over all with a Hour 4 Maitch event it was one of the Top Events of 1997