In Your House 17: Ground Zero

In Your House 17: Ground Zero was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which took place on September 7, 1997 at Louisville Gardens in Louisville, Kentucky. This was the first three-hour In Your House pay-per-view, and also the first that featured the "In Your House" name as the subtitle rather than the main title.
Seven professional wrestling matches were scheduled on the card. One of the main event matches saw Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker wrestle to a no contest in their first ever one-on-one match in the WWF. In the other main event match, Bret Hart defeated The Patriot to retain the WWF Championship. The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher) won the vacant WWF Tag Team Championship in a Four-Way Tag Team Elimination match and Brian Pillman defeated Goldust. Due to prior stipulations, Goldust's manager/wife (storyline and real-life) Marlena was required to become Pillman's personal assistant for 30 days.
==Background==
In Your House 17: Ground Zero featured professional wrestling matches involving different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted |feuds, plots and storylines that were played out on WWF Monday Night Raw and other World Wrestling Federation television programs. Wrestlers portrayed a villain or a hero as they followed a series of events that built tension, and culminated into a wrestling match or series of matches.
The featured rivalry heading into the event involved The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. While he was guest refereeing the WWF Championship match between Bret Hart and The Undertaker at SummerSlam, Michaels attempted to hit Hart over the head with a steel chair after Hart had spit in his face. Bret ducked and Michaels hit Undertaker, knocking him out. Bret covered Undertaker as Michaels appeared reluctant, but made the three count causing the Undertaker to lose the title. Michaels had stated that the chair shot was unintentional, though some didn't believe him. On the August 18 Raw, however, Shawn deliberatly struck Undertaker over the head multiple times with a chair during a tag team match. The shots didn't keep him down and, with blood covering his head, tried to go after Michaels but he quickly retreated towards the locker room. Michaels continued to cause problems for Undertaker by interfering in his match against Hunter Hearst Helmsley on the September 5 edition of Friday Night's Main Event.
A predominant feud entering the event featured The Patriot and WWF Champion, Bret Hart. In response to the reformation of The Hart Foundation (this time as an anti-American stable) The Patriot debuted on the July 14 edition of Raw to stand up against Hart and defend America. The Patriot pulled off a surprise win against Bret Hart on the July 28 edition of Raw in a match which Shawn Michaels distracted Hart from ringside while doing guest commentary. On the following Raw, Sgt. Slaughter was introduced as the new Commissioner of the WWF and ordered Hart to defend the WWF Championship against The Patriot at Ground Zero: In Your House.
Another rivalry heading into event was the continuation of battle between Brian Pillman and Goldust. Goldust defeated Pillman at the previous pay-per-view, SummerSlam, and as a result, Pillman had to wear Marlena's dress until he won a match. After SummerSlam Pillman continued to take verbal shots at Goldust, who in turn interfered in several of Pillman's matches, causing him to lose, which meant he must keep wearing the dress. This angered and embarrassed Pillman; as a result he challenged Goldust to one more match. He declined but Marlena jumped in and accepted the challenge on his behalf. The stipulations of the match were as follows: If Pillman lost, he would leave the WWF forever, however, if Goldust lost, Marlena would become Pillman's personal assistant for 30 days.
==Results==
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*Brian Pillman defeated Goldust (w/ Marlena) (11:05)
*Brian Christopher defeated Scott Putski by countout (4:40)
*Savio Vega defeated Crush and Faarooq in a Triple Threat match (11:39)
*Max Mini defeated El Torito (9:20)
*The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher) defeated The Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal), The Godwinns (Henry and Phineas), and Owen Hart and The British Bulldog in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match to win the vacant WWF Tag Team Championship (17:15)
:*LOD were disqualified when Animal hit both Godwinns with a slop bucket (9:54)
:*Thrasher pinned Phineas with a Sunset Flip (12:12)
:*Mosh pinned Owen after Steve Austin interfered and hit Owen with a Stone Cold Stunner (17:15)
*Bret Hart defeated The Patriot to retain the WWF Championship (19:20)
*Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker ended in a no-contest (16:03)
==Other on-screen talent==
;Commentators
*Vince McMahon
*Jerry Lawler
*Jim Ross
;Interviewers
*Dok Hendrix
*Michael Cole
*Sunny	
;Ring announcer
*Howard Finkel
;Referees
*Earl Hebner
*Jack Doan
*Mike Chioda
*Tim White
==See also==
*List of WWE pay-per-view events
*WWE Event History
*In Your House
==DVD release==
* In Your House 17 on DVD
==External links==
* on WWE Network
* In Your House 17 at CAGEMATCH.net
* In Your House 17 at Online World of Wrestling
Category:World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view events
Category:In Your House
Category:1997 pay-per-view events