8 Best Moments From WWE Shotgun Saturday Night
Originally emanating from New York City’s hottest night clubs at the time, Shotgun Saturday Night featured all kinds of crazy antics that wouldn’t be fit for regular WWE TV programming. To date, the series hasn’t even been featured on any version of the WWE Network.
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After a brief run as what the series was originally envisioned, costs of running in nightclubs would have WWE shift gears and film the series before Raw tapings. But the series has unfortunately become lost to history. That was a shame, because the experiments WWE had on this show ultimately allowed them to figure out exactly what would work for the wildly successful Attitude Era.
8 Ahmed Johnson Destroys D-Lo Brown
Somewhere in an alternate reality of the Multiverse, there’s a world where Ahmed Johnson was able to calm down his act and become the megastar that he looked like he would be. But not in this world. In this world, his story is full of crazy wasted potential and a few memorable moments.
One of those was during Shotgun. During his feud with Nation member Faarooq, he assaulted various men in suits serving the faction. One of these guys was eventually revealed to be D’Lo Brown, who was piledrived practically through a car.
7 Minis Accost Cornette
In the mid-nineties, WWE was looking for all kinds of little things to help them against WCW. Any suggestion was welcome, as long as it was different than what was going on the other show. Hence, The Minis would come into play.
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On the debut episode of the show, from The Mirage nightclub, James E. Cornette accompanied Mini Vader to the ring against Max Mini. But when the little Mastodon lost, Corney went on a tirade, until the Minis assaulted and pantsed the guy. He would wind up tossed out of the club in just his skivvies and have to run around Manhattan in his unmentionables.
6 Pillman’s Ready For The Stampede
Looking back on history, Brian Pillman was the complete package in and out of the ring. By the time he got to the WWE, Cruiserweight action had caught up to what he was doing in the eighties. He of course, reinvented himself as The Loose Cannon and kept everyone on their toes. That meant Shotgun Saturday Night could be his playpen.
He was on commentary on the show heading into the Canadian Stampede PPV and cut a great promo likening The Hart Foundation to serial killers who are going to take out their opponents.
5 Marlena’s Curtain Call
This may be a hot take for fans, but Terri Runnels, aka Marlena was the preeminent Diva of the early Attitude Era. Along with Goldust, the duo were way over the top long before The Attitude Era really got started. At the very first Shotgun, she immediately set the tone for the show.
While Goldust was facing off against The Sultan, she was able to distract him by taking her top off to flash Goldust's opponent. Obviously her back was to the camera, but it still instantly became a big moment for the early raunch of The Attitude Era.
4 Christopher Daniels Vs. Taka Michinoku
While WCW was reinventing the Cruiserweight wheel on Nitro, WWE was trying to catch up, and signed huge Japanese up and comer, Taka Michinoku. During his run as a babyface, he came up across some of the world's most promising up-and-comers.
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On one particular Shotgun, a rookie, Christopher Daniels came up against Taka. Sporting hair that made the guy look like Don Callis, Daniels as able to pull off some of the offense that he would become known for, against the company’s top light heavyweight.
3 Stone Cold Brawls With The Funker
Anything could happen in the WWE, and with a live mic in Terry Funk’s hand, nothing was off the cards. On the night before the 1997 Royal Rumble, the ornery Texan was looking to rumble with anyone.
He called out Todd Pettengill, Pettengill’s mother, McMahon, and guest commentator 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. The two rough and rowdy Texans proceeded to brawl all over the famed Denim And Diamonds nightclub, much to the delight of pretty much everyone that was in attendance.
2 Bret Hart Vs. Mankind
The week after the 1997 Royal Rumble, the WWE returned to the NY nightclub scene, this time coming to the popular dance club, Webster Hall. The ladies were having a blast swinging from the rafters.
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All of that stopped though, when Mankind showed up with only a face Mama Foley could love. It was up to Bret Hart to save them in the pair’s first and only singles match ever. The forgotten gem would end thanks to guest commentator Owen taking out his brother to cause a disqualification.
1 The Undertaker’s Tombstone On Triple H
One of the craziest moments and for a long time one of the most played videos in WWE, was The Undertaker taking on Triple H inside the lobby of New York’s Penn Station. One of the earliest matches between two men who would feud more than once down the line was a made brawl at the train station.
The Phenom delivered perhaps his most famous Tombstone of all time, dropping the Connecticut Blue Blood like a bad habit on the escalator!
