In Your House 12: It’s Time - West Palm Beach Auditorium, West Palm Beach Florida, December 15th 1996

A subdued opening video this month which is fair as there hasn’t been much interaction between Sid and Bret ahead of tonight’s title match. 

The commentary trio immediately give their thoughts on tonight; JR thinks Bret will make Sid submit for the first time tonight but Jerry Lawler thinks Sid will smash Bret with ease.

Flash Funk vs. Leif Cassidy

This is a last minute addition to the card mostly to showcase the newcomer Flash Funk. Marty Jannetty’s departure from the company is official as Leif now has a new theme song and a totally different attitude and demeanor. He’s more serious and focused, but still wearing the same ring gear.

Flash is ECW’s 2 Cold Scorpio and is and was known for being an amazing high flyer despite his bigger frame. I’m not sure how I feel about him being dressed as a pimp but Vince loves it and gets up and dances with Funk and the Funkettes. JR and King are having none of it; lighten up lads.

In the opening minutes of this PPV there’s multiple points where the commentary team goes very quiet and when they do speak, Lawler’s audio sounds off; a fan in the front row snatched King’s headset and I’m sure this home video release version of the show has it edited out more carefully than the live broadcast did.

They start with some wrestling exchanges down on the mat with the first big move being Leif countering a headscissors in the corner into a sort of sit down powerbomb sending Flash face first into the mat. That was pretty cool. 

Leif flies out of the ring onto Flash with a springboard somersault flip which also looked great. Leif Cassidy/Al Snow was always a vastly underrated wrestler. 

There’s more back and forth with a side down powerbomb and a massive drive from the ring to the outside where Funk got a LOT of height which he follows up with a moonsault off the top rope. Leif kicks out and that shocks everyone! 

They go back and forth with a string of roll ups - that spot was old hat outside of the WWF but in this era was brand new and got a round of applause from the crowd. 

Flash slams Leif and hits an amazing looking front flip off the top rope; a 450 splash! He picks up the win in a really great opening match. The fans seem pretty into Flash Funk and there’s a few signs and a lot of dancing in the crowd. I enjoyed this a lot.

WWF Tag Team Championships

British Bulldog and Owen Hart © (w/Clarence Mason) vs. “Razor Ramon” and “Diesel”

I’m not sure how the two imposters earned this title match but I suppose after all the fan fare involved in bringing them in, the company had to do SOMETHING with them. Before the match Kevin Kelly interviews Bulldog and Owen and we get the REAL story of this match which is their recent lack of co-ordination and being on the same page, and Bulldog’s feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin. Bulldog stopped Austin from going too far against his brother-in-law Bret and so Austin clobbered him with a steel chair. They’ve been interfering in each other’s matches ever since, including earlier today on WWF Superstars when “Diesel” and “Razor” attacked Bulldog before he was able to jump Austin with a steel chair. Lots of heels feuding with each other here.

As the match begins, two masked Luchadores from AAA come to ringside for a closer look. That doesn’t go anywhere but it's to illustrate the WWF’s recent partnership with AAA down in Mexico. Historically that’s quite funny as in 2025 the WWE purchased AAA outright and now promote it as their own fourth brand. They leave without incident and “Razor” and “Diesel cut off and isolate Owen Hart seeing as he’s the smaller of the two champions. They focus their assault on his lower back. JR is very complimentary of their skills and gameplan.

The match breaks down with Razor and Bulldog as the legal men. On the outside Owen sends Diesel into the ring post and then rescues Bulldog from an attempted Razor’s Edge with a spinning heel kick, turning it over into a roll up. Bulldog wins and they retain the Tag Team Championships. 

This was a pretty nothing match but it had the right outcome; the fake Diesel and Razor SUCK and this storyline is going nowhere. 

Bulldog and Owen get no time to celebrate as Stone Cold comes from behind with a nasty chop block to put down Bulldog. Owen checks on his fallen partner as referees usher the pissed off Austin away from the ring. The fans cheered more for Austin than anyone else in this match. Jim Ross says he smells something fishy with the whole situation.

Backstage the Nation of Domination has taken over the AOL Online room and they seem to have gained a new member in Crush? I don’t know when that happened but then both men (Faarooq and Crush) are managed by Clarence Mason so there’s an easy connection there.

Vince McMahon gets up into the ring and welcomes Ahmed Johnson who is now healed up, unsuspended and ready to get back in the ring at long last. Vince breaks the news that he will finally go one on one with Faarooq at the Royal Rumble and asks him about his health. Ahmed says that the injury cost him his girlfriend, car and house and all he has left is the fans. Faarooq interrupts and, speaking from in the crowd flanked by his Nation he says that “men like Ahmed have held our people back” and now he’s started his own Nation. I have no real idea of what he means but it feels like an oddly charged race comment. The Nation of Domination is pretty clearly a black militant parody but he’s added a few white members to stop people from asking too many questions I guess. Ahmed once again leads the crowd in a “You’re going down!” chant to end the segment.

WWF Intercontinental Championship

Hunter Hearst Helmsley © vs. Marc Mero (w/Sable)

This match gets a video package which is fair given that they’ve been feuding since March! The package also refers to Mr. Perfect as “Curt Hennig” which is something they never once called him on TV. 

Perfect is gone and is on his way to WCW so the package kind of dumps on him a bit, making him seem like an unwitting stooge to Helmsley and having been manipulated and then dumped like trash. That’s fair enough.

Hunter debuts new theme music and a new look. He ditched the red fox hunting jacket and swapped it for a long ring jacket and his plinky plonky aristocratic music has been replaced by Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor. It’s WAY better.

Mero is worked up and goes on the attack. “He’s wound tighter than a 2 dollar watch”. He’s perhaps overzealous and HHH turns the tables with some chops to the chest. They’re evenly matched until a swift hangman dropping Mero face first into the top turnbuckle to slow things down. Mero tries a quick comeback but Hunter uses Sable as a human shield to sucker him in for a sneaky punch and then slams him into the ringsteps. The referee stops him from using a steel chair and forces them back into the ring.

Triple H grinds him down with a long abdominal stretch, holding the ropes for leverage which is something he’s done in every single match with Mero. It’s a good spot but he's caught and gets into a shoving and then yelling match with referee Earl Hebner. JR thinks he’s trying to get himself disqualified but Vince says the referees have been given more power and President Gorilla Monsoon will back them up every step of the way. When talking about Mr. Perfect and how HHH used him, JR refers to Hennig as having an over inflated opinion of himself. That’s a reference to him wanting a LOT of money from the WWF to get back in the ring and then leaving for WCW when they offered it to him; as head of talent relations, Ross would have been the most active person in those negotiations. 

Mero plays a plucky underdog babyface really well and fights back with a flying headscissors, clothesline and then a top rope hurricanrana! 

He sets up the Wild Thing but Helmsley shoves the referee into the ropes to knock his challenger off. His Pedigree is turned into a sling shot up and into the metal ring post which might have knocked him out cold. Big moment but Hunter kicks out again, as he does after Mero’s awesome looking springboard moonsault. He ducks a charge by the challenger and the referee gets knocked down so HHH takes the chance to grab his IC title belt to use as a weapon. Mero avoids it and turns it into a roll up with a visual three count but there’s no referee to count. 

Mero sends HHH to the outside and dives out after him with the referee still mostly out of it, Goldust comes down and hits both Mero and Helmsley with the Intercontinental title belt! He only hit Mero because he was trying to hit HHH so that’s who his issues are with. Mero just barely makes it back into the ring as the referee counts and wins this match via count out; a hollow victory as the title doesn’t change hands. Mero is furious and rolls Hunter into the ring so he can give him the Wild Thing anyway! 

Not a bad match with a lame finish. If triple threats existed in 1996 then that’s what we’d see at the Royal Rumble but instead the focus is on a future singles match between heels Goldust and Helmsley. As the champion tries to leave he’s attacked a second time by Goldust. JR asks what on Earth did Helmsley say to Marlena that has Goldust THIS upset? 

Dok Hendrix interviews WWF Champion Sycho Sid who seems like he’s in a great mood. He asks about being the hunted rather than the hunter and they show footage from this morning’s live edition of Superstars where Shawn Michaels attacked Sid during his interview. He gets serious and tells HBK to stay out of his business. He will squash all the critics tonight by defeating Bret Hart. 

Armageddon Rules match

The Undertaker vs. The Executioner (w/Paul Bearer)

The Executioner doesn’t even get a proper entrance so I think we all know who’s winning this. It does get a video package however that’s focused on The Undertaker’s feud with Paul Bearer rather than the masked man.

The Executioner was played by Terry Gordy who was a few years past his prime in 1996. He was hired as a favour to Michael “Dok Hendrix” Hayes and the idea was that they could put him under a mask so that if her performances were poor his legacy would be protected but if he performed well, they could unmask him down the line. His performances must not have impressed because this is his final WWF appearance. 

The video above also helpfully explains the rules of this match which is basically a Last Man Standing match but you have to pin or make your opponent submit before the referee will begin a 10 count. 

Undertaker has changed his ring gear a little already and it’s no longer leather, it looks more like fabric which is a good thing. He’s basically now dressed exactly as he was for the next few years and I can’t imagine how hot and uncomfortable wrestling in a full leather body suit was. 

The Executioner looks like such a jobber and he’s so slow and clumsy in the ring, misstepping as they reverse each other in and out of the ropes. Undertaker lifts the mats at ringside and wants to Tombstone him on the concrete but Mankind runs down to make the save. They double team the Deadman for a bit but he sits up and shakes it off, fighting off both men and sending Mankind packing. Undertaker looks like a million bucks here fighting both men off with ease. They fight up the entrance ramp and brawl up at the stage until Undertaker throws Mankind through the living room window of the “In Your House” stage, followed by slamming him back out through the front door! That was fun. Undertaker tackles the Executioner into the internal wall and the entire house shifts and moves before the fight back towards the ring, Mankind in tow to keep this as an unofficial handicap match.

Security staff fill the ring and with mace manage to subdue Mankind and return this to being a one on one match presumably on orders of President Gorilla Monsoon. 

Undertaker fights the masked man up the ramp and through the house, all the way backstage and the fight ends up all the way outside of the arena! 

Meanwhile back in the ring, Mankind is forced into a straight jacket and dragged away from the ring at last. He is deranged! Elsewhere, Undertaker sends the Executioner rolling down a concrete ramp into a fountain outside the building! Undertaker comes back towards the ring and with Mankind in a straight jacket and helpless he STILL runs at the Undertaker for a fight. Undertaker has no problem beating him down with his arms bound to his body. This is chaotic! The Executioner finally shambles back to the ring and is spiked with a Tombstone in the middle of the ring. That’s enough for a three count but the match isn’t over and we now need to wait and see if he can get back to his feet and continue the match - he can’t and it’s over. The Undertaker wins in dominant fashion. This was good fun and it had a lot of bells and whistles to distract everyone. 

Before the main event, Dok Hendrix interviews Bret Hart and asks why he was so worked up and angry earlier tonight when he’s normally so cool, calm and collected. His issue seems to be with Shawn Michaels who is trying to “rain on his parade” and involve himself in his big match. Bret says the only thing he’s worried about now is himself. All he’s thought about for 8 months is Shawn Michaels and the WWF Championship but Shawn doesn’t matter anymore. Michaels’ music starts playing and Bret loses his cool. He is SICK to death of Shawn Michaels and everyone bringing him up all the time around Bret. 

Why was Shawn’s music playing? Well because he’s joining commentary to watch this next match as he will face the winner for the gold at the Royal Rumble in his home town. 

WWF Championship

Sycho Sid © vs. Bret Hart

Bret Hart enters first and Shawn Michaels immediately goes on the attack. He sarcastically says hail Bret and says he is a self appointed role model who the rest of us “mere models” must be measured against. He says he tries his best to be obnoxious but even he can’t hang with the Hitman. He’s a bitter, bitter shell of a man. Jesus Shawn, tell us what you really think! 

Sid remains super popular despite his heel antics against Shawn and Jose Lothario last month but I’m not mad at it because as I’ve said before and I will definitely say again, I think Sid is AWESOME! Michaels takes some shots at Sid too and calls him the WWF’s most expensive piece of luggage, needing to be carried by everyone. My goodness. How real is all of this? Very. Michaels had a massive chip on his shoulder about his main event run and how well it was doing at the box office BUT, his real issue is with how much he and Bret Hart had grown to detest each other backstage. Both men had become very vocal about it by this point with Shawn calling Bret bitter and unwilling to let go of his spot, and Bret attacking Shawn as a person with all his partying and ego. It was tense in the locker room in 1996! 

Bret attacks Sid from behind to kick off the match but pays for making this a brawl almost immediately and is overpowered and beat down by the 6”9 300lbs+ WWF Champion. He hammers him down but makes the mistake of exposing the bare concrete at ringside and trying for a Powerbomb. Bret fights out it and drives Sid into the ring apron and then picks him up to drive his back into the ring post. Bret goes right to work and focuses on Sid’s lower back with back breakers and a camel clutch. The action is very crisp and polished but Shawn's commentary is really stealing the show, comparing Bret to people in the past who would reach a high level and then get bitter and judgemental. He’s talking about Hulk Hogan and making the point that Bret should know better given how many problems he had with Hogan himself. He does thankfully move on from these real life comments and analyses the match. He’s good at it, praising Bret’s technical skills and his ability to switch up strategy on a dime to stay in the match. Bret exposed a metal turnbuckle - he’s kind of working heel in this match! - but Sid blocks his attempt to use it. Bret just goes right back to his lower back with punches and a back suplex. 

Bret goes to the top rope for a pin point elbow to the back; he hits the first one but when he tries a second Sid blocks it and brings him flying off the top with a Gorilla Press slam. Sid hits big slam after big slam but Bret kicks out and after avoiding a leg drop, Bret goes for the Sharpshooter. Sid kicks him off and he flies out of the ring which gives Stone Cold Steve Austin an opening to run down and chop block Bret, taking out his leg. He isn’t able to continue the beating as British Bulldog and Owen Hart run down to fight him and chase him to the back. All three men are taken to the back by referees and officials and we get the incredibly odd scenario where Owen Hart is helping Bret! He and Bulldog are there to attack Stone Cold, not help Bret or Sid.

Bret limps around and Sid tries to drive his head into the turnbuckle. There’s a messy botch as Bret was supposed to counter and then be countered into the metal exposed buckle but Bret tripped and made no contact. The two of them quickly repeat the spot and the second time Bret’s head does make contact. The crowd barely reacts because of the botch but Sid gets them back into the match with a chokeslam. Bret Hart kicks out of that and Shawn Michaels takes the chance to say that as much as he doesn’t respect Bret as a person or his opinions, he respects him as a performer. Sid argues with the referee and pays for it when Bret clotheslines him up and out of the ring. He grabs for Shawn’s steel chair (HBK sarcastically says “there’s your role model folks!” but Sid stops him from attacking and shoves Michaels. That upsets the former champion and he hops up on the apron for revenge; Bret is reversed into the ropes and he and Michaels collide knocking Shawn off the apron! Bret turns right into a massive Powerbomb and Sycho Sid retains the WWF title against Bret Hart. I enjoyed this match; Bret pulled a good one out of Sid. 

As Sid celebrates in the ring a frustrated Bret Hart attacks Shawn Michaels pulling his t-shirt up over his head and hammering him with punches until referees drag him away and force him to the back. Michaels had a rough night and doesn’t know whether he wants to go after Bret or confront Sid who he now has a match with at the Royal Rumble to prepare for. Whether he meant to or not, HBK just cost Bret the WWF title.