• OLD SCHOOL HISTORY (June 16, 1996) – WWF Action Zone
On this day in 1996, the World Wrestling Federation aired an episode of their weekly TV show ‘WWF Action Zone’.
This episode featured matches, promos, highlights & storyline segments on the road to the ‘WWF King of the Ring 1996’ PPV.
Here’s the card:
– Jake Roberts vs. Justin Hawk Bradshaw (King Of The Ring Match From Superstars)
– The Smoking Gunns vs. The Hardy Boys (From Superstars)
– Highlights Of The Interview w/ The Ultimate Warrior And Jerry Lawler (From Last Weeks Raw)
– Promo By Jerry Lawler
– Promo By The Undertaker And Paul Bearer
– The Ross Report: Interview w/ Jake Roberts
– Owen Hart vs. Barry Horowitz (From Superstars)
– Can We Golf: They Show Dok & Todd Golfing
• WWF Veteran Recalls Shawn Michaels & Bret Hart’s Backstage Fight, HBK Threatening To Leave
During a recent edition of Something To Wrestle With, Old School WWF Veteran Bruce Prichard recalled a backstage fight between two time WWE Hall of Famers Shawn Michaels & Bret Hart.
Below are the highlights:
On Shawn Michaels & Bret Hart having a fight backstage:
“Cornette and I were in Vince’s office when Shawn burst into the room holding two huge clumps of hair. We’re thinking, ‘What the hell is that? A small animal?’ Shawn went on to talk about ‘unsafe working conditions’ and ‘he’s not going to take it anymore’ ‘he’s gonna go home,’ ‘Bret Hart attacked him.’
I don’t know if there were any witnesses to see how the fight actually started. That’s something that I think only those two really know what happened. Both have told the story that they got into a fight with Bret putting Shawn through a false wall and they fell into a shower and Pat Patterson walked in and got in-between them. I don’t know if there were a lot of punches thrown. A lot of hair pulled out.”
On HBK threatening to leave:
“I think it was Shawn being Shawn. At that point, we had to get through it. Bret and Shawn went back-and-forth all the time. It was another chapter in that story. Vince and Shawn had several meetings where both were unhappy. Those seemed to be ongoing all the time. With Bret too. A lot of ‘the other one is gone or I’m gone.’”
On heat between Bret & Shawn:
“If we had gotten Bret and Shawn together and nipped it in the bud — I don’t think anyone on the outside really understood how far it had gotten. There was animosity and if we really knew it was really that bad — we looked at it as it was much ado about nothing.”
On if there was any punishment for Bret & Shawn:
“I think both guys were reprimanded and scolded but I don’t think there were any monetary fines Vince just want to get beyond it. ‘Move on and get over yourselves.’”
