Reviews of every WWE “B” PPV event from 1997 including “Canadian Stampede”

Let’s discuss the WWE “B” PPV events from 1997. By this point, WWE was still struggling against the WCW brand but start to show signs of momentum.

In Your House 13: Final Four (February 1997)

This event revolved entirely around the main event — a Four Corners Elimination Match to crown a new WWE Champion after Shawn Michaels vacated the title.

Bret Hart won, but only held the belt for one night. Vader was busted open badly, and the match itself was fantastic. Also notable for the debut of Chyna as Triple H’s bodyguard.

In Your House 14: Revenge of the Taker (April 1997)

The standout match here was Undertaker vs. Mankind — another excellent battle in their legendary feud. The match featured Paul Bearer being set on fire, leading to the storyline reveal that Undertaker had a brother — Kane.

Austin vs. Bret Hart was disappointing due to Hart’s real-life injury, and the show suffered from multiple DQ finishes.

In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell (May 1997)

A mixed bag. Historically interesting, with The Rock (as Rocky Maivia) vs. Mankind — a match that would become iconic just a year later. At the time, though, the crowd didn’t care.

Ken Shamrock made his pay-per-view debut against Vader in a No Holds Barred Match, bringing the concept of “tapping out” into WWE culture.

The main event saw Undertaker defeat Steve Austin — a solid match that set the stage for their future Attitude Era battles.

In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede (July 1997)

This was one of the best WWE pay-per-views of this period—one of the best ever, period. Probably the best In Your House pay-per-view, in fact. I’d go as far as to call it the best In Your House show. Only four matches, but no weak points.

You had Mankind vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley ending in a double DQ. Not their best match, but still a solid opener. Great Sasuke vs. Taka Michinoku was something completely different for the WWF—a match style you didn’t see in that era. This was Taka’s first big WWF pay-per-view appearance, and he’d later win the Light Heavyweight Title. A really good match and unique for its time.

Undertaker vs. Vader for the WWF Title was a good match, and the main event was tremendous—an absolute must-see. This was the peak of the USA vs. Canada storyline, where Bret Hart was a heel in America but a babyface in Canada.

The Hart Foundation (Bret, Owen, Bulldog, Pillman, and Jim Neidhart) vs. Steve Austin, Ken Shamrock, the Legion of Doom, and Goldust was incredible. The crowd atmosphere in Calgary was electric—Bret was a hero, and Austin got booed out of the building. After the match, chaos erupted with the entire Hart family celebrating in the ring, Austin getting arrested, and flipping everyone off. One of the best WWF matches of the 1990s. If you haven’t seen it, go watch it. The whole show is a solid two hours of top-notch wrestling.

In Your House: Ground Zero

This was a significant show for several reasons. It was the first In Your House to run three hours as WWF raised prices and made all pay-per-views full-length. It was also the last In Your House to feature the traditional house set.

This marked a turning point toward the Attitude Era. Brian Pillman wrestled Goldust in what would sadly be his final pay-per-view match.

You had a big moment where Steve Austin had to relinquish the Tag Team Titles with Dude Love due to injury. Austin confronted authority, threw the belts down, told Sgt. Slaughter to “drop and give me 20,” and then stunned him. The crowd went absolutely nuts. You could tell Austin was becoming the guy in the entire industry.

Bret Hart vs. The Patriot was solid, with a good storyline build. Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker wasn’t really a match—just a wild brawl that broke down immediately. It was chaotic but served as the setup for the following month’s show, which was unforgettable.

In Your House: Badd Blood

Tragically, Brian Pillman passed away the night before, and the locker room found out right before the show went on air. You could feel the somber atmosphere—most of the matches suffered as a result.

But the main event, Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels in the first-ever Hell in a Cell match, was an all-time classic. Michaels got destroyed—bleeding everywhere, taking huge bumps including one through a table. Then, the lights went out, and that’s gotta be Kane! Kane debuted, ripped the cell door off, and laid out The Undertaker, allowing Michaels to win.

If you’ve never seen it, stop reading and watch it now. One of the most iconic matches in WWE history.

In Your House: D-Generation X

The final pay-per-view of 1997 wasn’t great overall but significant as the first official Attitude Era pay-per-view—complete with the new scratch logo.

You had a rough undercard with DOA, and a weird Mark Mero vs. Butterbean boxing match. The New Age Outlaws appeared on pay-per-view but weren’t over yet.

Undertaker vs. Jeff Jarrett ended in a DQ due to Kane’s interference—lame. Steve Austin vs. Rocky Maivia wasn’t really a match; Austin just destroyed the Nation of Domination. Still fun to watch.

The main event was Ken Shamrock vs. Shawn Michaels—a placeholder before the Royal Rumble. It ended with outside interference and a DQ. Owen Hart returned one month after the Montreal Screwjob to attack Michaels, which closed the show on a strong note.