Shotgun Saturday Night was a fun secondary show for WWE that won over most diehard fans of the ‘90s. WWE ran the show at various New York City locations like nightclubs, concert venues, and train stations. It provided a vibe that was unlike anything else in wrestling and aired later than most WWE shows, closer to midnight every Saturday night.
The show never had the importance of Raw or Smackdown. A fan could have missed Shotgun Saturday Night without having to feel they lost in the overall WWE landscape. However, there were some memorable moments that deserve love all these years later. Find out more about Shotgun Saturday Night with ten fascinating things you forgot happened on the show.
10 First singles match between Triple H and The Rock
Triple H and The Rock had one of the most successful rivalries in WWE history. Fans remember their matches for the WWE Championship in 2000 or the faction warfare between the Nation of Domination and D-Generation X in 1998.
However, their first match came on Shotgun Saturday Night back in 1997. WWE always viewed them as future top stars and having them work together was the first sign of their chemistry. Rock won the match by count out the night before the Royal Rumble PPV.
9 Headbangers debut
The Headbangers had a fun stint in WWE as an enjoyable tag team from the Attitude Era. WWE first introduced them with a different gimmick on Shotgun Saturday Night as the Flying Nuns in 1997.
Mosh and Thrasher defeated the Godwinns when wrestling in nun outfits as part of the forgotten gimmick. WWE made the right call by ditching that concept and letting them get over as the Headbangers instead.
8 Marlena flashing The Sultan
WWE started to get a bit more risqué in the late ‘90s with Shotgun Saturday Night playing a huge role in that experimenting. Goldust’s wife and manager Marlena aka Terri Runnels showed that during his match vs The Sultan.
Marlena stood on the ring apron and flashed Sultan for the distraction that allowed Goldust to steal the victory. There were pasties covering her for the fans in the venue, but WWE wanted the audience at home to believe she did flash him on the most unpredictable show.
7 Christopher Daniels wrestled on the show
Christopher Daniels is among the longest-tenured veterans in the wrestling industry today. The early years of Daniels saw him trying to get signed by WWE or another major company when making his name in the late ‘90s.
WWE brought him in for a few matches when booking local talents to put over their stars. Daniels had four matches on Shotgun Saturday Night against various WWE performers. Taka Michinoku had the best match with Daniels on the secondary show.
6 Ahmed Johnson hitting finisher on D'Lo Brown on top of car
The rivalry between Ahmed Johnson and the Nation of Domination saw him facing their members quite often. Johnson was a rising face for WWE and someone who Vince McMahon believed could become a top player.
One memorable Shotgun Saturday Night moment for Ahmed saw him having a brawl with D’Lo Brown outside of the venue. Johnson hit the Pearl River Plunge on Brown on the hood of a car to make it a must-see moment of the time.
5 Only singles match between Bret Hart and Mick Foley
Mick Foley and Bret Hart were two of the most important wrestlers for WWE’s history. Both wrestlers played pivotal roles in the industry changing and WWE realizing their in-ring styles could work on the big stage.
Hart and Foley spent a few years on the roster together, but they only had one televised singles match. Shotgun Saturday Night was the place where Bret defeated Foley by DQ. The match started off with Hart saving the dancers at the venue from Foley’s twisted Mankind persona stalking them.
4 Sunny's tape with Elmo
The risqué appeal of Shotgun Saturday Night made it the first show where WWE tested the potential of more adult-oriented content since it aired so late at night. Sunny played a huge role in the show’s success with segments, promos, and a position on commentary.
The popularity of the Tickle Me Elmo toy at the time saw WWE having a comedic skit planned. Sunny teased having a video to show of her personal time having fun with a partner. The reveal was that Elmo was Sunny’s lover in a segment that did generate some buzz.
3 Brian Pillman's first WWE match
Brian Pillman was a huge signing for WWE as one of the first talents to ever receive a guaranteed contract. The in-ring work and unpredictable mic skills allowed Pillman to become a hot commodity after leaving WCW.
WWE surprisingly had the debut match of Pillman take place on Shotgun Saturday Night against an enhancement talent. The edgier show did have a lot of the elements that are associated with Pillman’s work. It made the show the right place to introduce WWE’s new hot signing.
2 Terry Funk and Steve Austin's brawl
Stone Cold Steve Austin and Terry Funk are two of the most beloved wrestlers of all-time. Both talents made everything they did seem real and added a legitimate fight feel to their segments. They had a memorable exchange on Shotgun Saturday Night.
Austin’s lack of respect upset Funk, leading to them having a wild brawl all over the venue. WWE rarely did anything of note with Funk during his ‘90s run there, but the forgotten show gave him a great brawl against the future top star.
1 The Undertaker piledriving Triple H on an escalator
The most memorable match from Shotgun Saturday Night saw The Undertaker facing Triple H in Penn Station. Fans loved the action of both wrestlers fighting all over the area since it felt so unique and different.
The end of the match was what stood out the most when Undertaker hit the Tombstone piledriver at the top of an escalator. Triple H’s body slowly went down as the escalator moved him down. Undertaker stood tall in a truly captivating moment from the show.
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