D-Generation X: In Your House

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 World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on December 7, 1997, at the Springfield Civic Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, and was the fifth, and final WWF pay-per-view to be sponsored by Milton Bradley's Karate Fighters. Eight matches were contested at the event.
In the main event, Ken Shamrock defeated Shawn Michaels by disqualification in a match for the WWF Championship; Michaels thus retained his title. Notable matches on the undercard included "Stone Cold" Steve Austin defeating The Rock to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship, The New Age Outlaws defeating the Legion of Doom by disqualification to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship, and WWF Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter coming out of retirement to lose a Boot Camp match to Triple H.
In Your House was a series of monthly professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) events first produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) 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.
The main feud heading into D-Generation X: In Your House was between Shawn Michaels, and Ken Shamrock over the WWF Championship. The feud started after Bret Hart left the WWF to join rival company World Championship Wrestling (WCW); after the infamous "Montreal Screwjob" at Survivor Series. Shamrock, who recently returned from an injury that had been caused by the Nation of Domination in September, was named the number one contender for Michaels' WWF 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 H, humiliated and assaulted Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, until Shamrock and WWF commissioner Sgt. Slaughter saved Neidhart, with Shamrock locking in the Ankle Lock on Michaels and Sgt. Slaughter locked the Cobra Clutch on Triple H. Slaughter then challenged Triple H to a Boot Camp match, which he accepted.
Another major feud heading into the event was between "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock for the WWF Intercontinental Championship. On the November 17 episode of Raw is War, The Rock stole Austin's Intercontinental Championship as Austin was engaged in a brawl with The Rock's Nation of Domination stablemates. In the weeks leading up to the event, The Rock taunted Austin with the title, declaring himself the "best damn Intercontinental Champion there ever was". Stone Cold retaliated with mind games of his own, including driving his pickup truck into the arena during The Rock's match with Vader on the December 1 episode of Raw is War.
The opening bout was the final match in a tournament to determine the inaugural WWF Light Heavyweight Champion, with Brian Christopher facing Taka Michinoku. The match ended when Christopher attempted to give Michinoku a Tennessee Jam, and missed, enabling Michinoku to hit Christopher with the 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 Pérez 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, causing a disqualification. Mero then attacked Butterbean with a stool until being driven away.
The fourth bout saw WWF 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 H, only for Triple H's bodyguard Chyna to give him a low blow, enabling Triple H to hit Slaughter with the Pedigree, and pin him.
The sixth bout was a singles match between Jeff Jarrett, and The Undertaker, with an added stipulation that the winner would become the number one contender for the WWF Championship. 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 choke-slammed again.
The seventh bout saw WWF Intercontinental Champion "Stone Cold" Steve Austin defend his title against "The Rock" Rocky Maivia. The match began with Austin driving a pickup truck to ringside, and brawling with Maivia 's Nation of Domination allies, eventually 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 Rocky, and pinned him to retain the title, with a second referee counting the pinfall.
The main event saw WWF 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 H, 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 Hart made his return to the WWF, viciously attacking Michaels before retreating into the audience.
In 2014, 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."
The tournament to determine the inaugural WWF Light Heavyweight Champion was held between November 3, and December 7, 1997. The tournament brackets were:
Notes: This match aired on November 17. These matches aired on December 1. Christopher won by forfeit after Kane chokeslammed Taylor before he made his way to the ring, leaving Taylor unable to compete.