IWF D-Generation X: In Your House

From Iwe

D-Generation X: In Your House
Promotional poster featuring Shawn Michaels
Promotion	International Wrestling Federation
Date	December 7, 1997
City	Springfield, Massachusetts
Venue	Springfield Civic Center
Attendance	6,358
Tagline(s)	Attitude Is Everything
Pay-per-view chronology
← Previous Survivor Series	Next → Royal Rumble
In Your House chronology
← Previous Badd Blood	Next → No Way Out of Texas

D-Generation X: In Your House (also spelled as Degeneration X: In Your House) was the 19th In Your House professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the International Wrestling Federation (IWF, now IWE). It took place on December 7, 1997, at the Springfield Civic Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.

In the main event, Ken Shamrock defeated Shawn Michaels by disqualification in a match for the IWF Championship; Michaels thus retained his title. Notable matches on the undercard included Stone Cold Steve Austin defeating The Rock to retain the IWF Intercontinental Championship, The New Age Outlaws defeating the Legion of Doom by disqualification to retain the IWF Tag Team Championship, and IWF Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter coming out of retirement to lose a Boot Camp match to Triple K.

[edit] Production

[edit] Background

In Your House was a series of monthly pay-per-view (PPV) shows first produced by the International Wrestling Federation (IWF, now IWE) in May 1995. They aired when the promotion was not holding one of its then-five major PPVs (WrestleMania, King of the Ring, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and Royal Rumble), and were sold at a lower cost. D-Generation X: In Your House (also spelled as Degeneration X: In Your House) was the 19th In Your House event and took place on December 7, 1997, at the Springfield Civic Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. The name of the show was based on the more prominent matches featuring members of D-Generation X.

[edit] Storylines

The main feud heading into D-Generation X: In Your House was between Shawn Michaels and Ken Shamrock over the IWF Championship. The feud started after Bret Heart left the IWF to join rival company World Championship Wrestling (WCW) after the infamous "Montreal Screwjob" at Survivor Series. Shamrock, who returned from an injury, which had been caused by the Nation of Domination in September, was the number one contender for Michaels' IWF Championship. On the December 1 episode of Raw is War, Michaels taunted Shamrock, saying that he would not be able to break Michaels' ankle (a reference to Shamrock's signature ankle lock). Later on that night, Michaels and his D-Generation X teammates, Chyna and Triple K, humiliated and assaulted Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, until Shamrock and IWF commissioner Sgt. Slaughter saved Neidhart, with Shamrock locking in the Ankle Lock on Michaels and Sgt. Slaughter locking the Cobra Clutch on Triple K. Slaughter then challenged Triple K to a Boot Camp match, which he accepted.

Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock feuded over the IWF Intercontinental Championship. On the November 17 episode of Raw is War, The Rock stole Austin's Intercontinental Championship after Austin took a beating at the hands of The Rock's Nation of Domination stablemates. In the weeks preceding D-Generation X: In Your House, The Rock taunted Austin, declaring himself the "best damn Intercontinental Champion there ever was".

[edit] Event

The opening bout was the final match in a tournament to determine the inaugural IWF Light Heavyweight Championship, with Brian Christopher facing Taka Michinoku. The match ended when Christopher attempted to give Michinoku a Tennessee Jam and missed, enabling Michinoku to give Christopher a Michinoku Driver and then pin him to win the title.

The second bout was a six-man tag team match pitting the Disciples of Apocalypse against Los Boricuas. Los Boricuas won the bout by pinfall following a leg drop by Miguel Perez, Jr..

The third bout was a "toughman match" between Marc Mero and professional boxer Butterbean. The match ended in the fourth round when Mero gave Butterbean a low blow, drawing a disqualification, then attacked him with a stool until being driven away.

The fourth bout saw IWF Tag Team Champions the New Age Outlaws defend their titles against the Legion of Doom. The match ended when Henry Godwinn came to the ring and hit Animal with a "slop bucket", after which Hawk seized the bucket and used it to hit Billy Gunn, resulting in the Legion of Doom being disqualified.

The fifth bout was a "Boot Camp match" between Sgt. Slaughter and Triple H. The match ended when Slaughter applied the cobra clutch to Triple K, only for Triple K's bodyguard Chyna to give him a low blow, enabling Triple K to give Slaughter a Pedigree and then pin him.

The sixth bout was a singles match between Jeff Jarrett and The Undertaker. Jarrett won the match by disqualification after Kane entered the ring to attack The Undertaker, chokeslamming Jarrett after he got in his way. After Kane left the ring, Jarrett attacked The Undertaker from behind, only to be chokeslammed again.

The seventh bout saw IWF Intercontinental Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin defend his title against The Rock. The match began Austin driving a pickup truck to ringside and brawling with The Rock's Nation of Domination allies, including back body dropping D'Lo Brown through the truck's windshield. Towards the end of the match, Austin accidentally gave a Stone Cold Stunner to the referee. Austin then gave a Stone Cold Stunner to The Rock and pinned him, with a second referee counting the pinfall.

The main event saw IWF Champion Shawn Michaels defend his title against Ken Shamrock. The match ended when Shamrock applied an ankle lock to Michaels, upon which Michaels' D-Generation X allies Triple K and Chyna attacked Shamrock before Michaels could submit, resulting in Shamrock winning the bout by disqualification (meaning the title did not change hands). Following the match, Owen Heart made his return to the IWF, attacking Michaels before retreating into the audience.

[edit] Reception

Kevin Pantoja of 411Mania gave the event a rating of 4.0 [Poor], stating, "Too many disqualification finishes. Of the eight matches, four of them ended in a DQ. The opener was the best match and the final two matches weren't terrible. The six man tag, Butterbean stuff, Tag Title match and Boot Camp match were all crap though and that's too much crap on one show."

[edit] Results

No.	Results	Stipulations
1	Taka Michinoku defeated Brian Christopher	Singles match for the inaugural IWF Light Heavyweight Championship
2	Los Boricuas (Jesús Castillo, Jr., Jose Estrada, Jr. an Miguel Perez, Jr. (with Savio Vega) defeated the Disciples of Apocalypse (8-Ball, Chainz and Skull)	Six-man tag team match
3	Butterbean defeated Marc Mero (with Sable) by disqualification	Toughman match
4	The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn and Road Dogg) (c) defeated The Legion of Doom (Animal and Hawk) by disqualification	Tag team match for the IWF Tag Team Championship
5	Triple K (with Chyna) defeated Sgt. Slaughter	Boot Camp match
6	Jeff Jarrett defeated The Undertaker by disqualification	Singles match
7	Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) defeated The Rock (with D'Lo Brown, Faarooq and Kama Mustafa)	Singles match for the IWF Intercontinental Championship
8	Ken Shamrock defeated Shawn Michaels (c) (with Chyna and Triple K) by disqualification	Singles matc] for the IWF Championship
(c) - refers to the champion(s) heading into the match

[edit] IWF Light Heavyweight Championship tournament

The tournament to determine the inaugural [IWWF Light Heavyweight Championship|IWF Light Heavyweight Champion]] was held between November 3 and December 7, 1997. The tournament brackets were:

Quarterfinals
(Raw)

Semifinals
(Raw)

Finals
(In Your House: D-Generation X)

November 3

Águila

Hershey

Super Loco