Monday Night Raw
Date: January 22, 1996
Location: Stockton Civic Auditorium, Stockton, California
Attendance: 2,904
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler

We’re done with the Royal Rumble and that means Shawn Michaels is (shockingly) enough on the way to Wrestlemania for a WWF Title shot against Bret Hart. That’s in about two months though and we have one more pay per view on the way. Either way, this is going to be all about Michaels for a bit so let’s get to it.

Here is the Royal Rumble if you need a recap.

We open with a long Royal Rumble recap.

Opening sequence.

Vader vs. Savio Vega

Vader, who debuted last night, has Jim Cornette with him. Vader powers him into the corner to start and hammers away to drop Vega in a hurry. Vega is back up with some chops and a superkick to the floor, where Vader drops him onto the barricade. Back in and a corner splash into the Vader Bomb finishes Vega at 3:01.

Rating: C. That’s pretty much exactly what it needed to be, as Vader smashed through someone the fans knew and looked like a killer. That’s entirely the point of Vader, who had already made an impact in the Royal Rumble but needed to do the same in a regular match. He’s the ultimate monster and that was on display here.

Post match Vader keeps up the beating and takes out some referees. President Gorilla Monsoon gets in the ring and yells at Vader before announcing that Vader is suspended indefinitely (read as until he’s healed from shoulder surgery). Vader slaps Monsoon on the back so Monsoon chops away, getting physical for the first time in well over ten years.

That earns Monsoon a beating, including the Vader Bomb, with Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon running in for the save. Monsoon is taken out on a stretcher. I know it couldn’t be done given Monsoon’s age and health, but sweet goodness the business they could have done with Monsoon having one more match with Vader over all of this.

Post match Vader declares war on everyone in the WWF and beats up a trashcan as Jim Cornette tries to calm him down. Vince doesn’t think Vader belongs around here (how true that would wind up being).

Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Razor Ramon

We get a quick insert interview from the 1-2-3 Kid and Ted DiBiase, who promise to give Ramon a bottle and change his diaper (yes, Jim Cornette was working on the creative team at this point). Helmsley hammers away in the corner to start but gets caught with a clothesline. Ramon misses a charge out to the floor though and we take a break. We come back with Helmsley crotching him on top as Lawler sucks up to Helmsley’s valet. A running knee to the back puts Ramon down again and here is the 1-2-3 Kid with a bottle. Ramon fights back but opts to chase the Kid, earning the countout at 8:02.

Rating: C+. The ending was the right way to go as Ramon was starting to change sides a bit, but he was still obsessed with the Kid. Let him go after that issue for a bit and make him easier to care about, which is coming sooner than later. For now though, it’s enough to have him do his usual stuff against a villain.

Post match Helmsley has to escape the Razor’s Edge and run off.

It’s off to Billionaire Ted’s Wrasslin War Room. They’re tired of stealing ideas but can’t think of a new one. The voiceover talks about not accepting imitations.

We then cut to Doc Hendrix and the Raw Band, because having a house band on a show airing at night is a 100% original idea.

Here is Shawn Michaels to brag about his win in the Royal Rumble. He’s on his way to Wrestlemania but there is someone to deal with on the way. There is someone who is bragging about taking Michaels out, and while that would be nine guys in Syracuse, New York, Owen Hart is doing a lot of bragging.

Cue Jim Cornette, who says if Michaels wants Hart, he’ll have to go through Cornette, who signs Hart’s contracts. The match isn’t going to happen, but Michaels says he’ll do anything to get his hands on Hart. Cornette says Hart might be interested if the WWF Title shot at Wrestlemania was on the line, with Michaels eventually agreeing. Then he throws Cornette over the top, because that’s the kind of thing that happens to Cornette. That’s what this needed to be and they set up Michaels’ next big match.

Bret Hart vs. Goldust

Non-title and Marlena is here with Goldust. We get some chest rubbing before Hart takes him into the corner and we take a break. We come back with Hart working on the arm but Goldust reverses into a hammerlock of his own. That’s reversed with a quick trip out to the floor and we take a second break. This time we come back with Goldust working on the arm until Hart fights up. Goldust tries to leave but Razor Ramon throws him back in as we take a THIRD break. We come back again with Hart grabbing the Sharpshooter for the submission at 10:59.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure why we needed so many breaks in there but it was distracting from a match which was…well it was pretty much just ok at best. Hart is on his way to Wrestlemania (ok more than likely at least) so giving him some wins is a good idea, though I’m not sure if that needed to be against the Intercontinental Champion. At least it was a loss to the WWF Champion, but there was no better option here?

Post match Hart says Undertaker deserves a rematch and wants Diesel in a cage.

Overall Rating: C+. Michaels instantly makes this better, as he’s the biggest star in the company and there is no way around it. We’re pretty clearly in the countdown to his inevitable title win at Wrestlemania, but the fans are behind him all the way there. Now just make it work for the next few months and everything should be fine. That and maybe don’t have your Intercontinental Champion lose the night after he wins the title.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: January 15, 1996
Location: Bob Carpenter Center, Newark, Delaware
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler

It’s the last Raw before the Royal Rumble and last week’s show might as well have been subtitled “Shawn Michaels Is Going To Win”. They aren’t really bothering to hide that this is a Rumble with one possible winner, so the question is more how Michaels is going to do it. Other than that, we’ve got Undertaker ready to challenge Bret Hart for the WWF Title and he has quite a big match of his own. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with the tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. for his namesake day.

Opening preview.

Opening sequence.

Owen Hart vs. Marty Jannetty

Jim Cornette is here with Hart. Feeling out process to start with Jannetty’s front facelock not lasting long. Instead Jannetty hits a running clothesline for two and slaps on the chinlock. That’s broken up rather quickly and Hart stomps away, only for Jannetty to come back with a spinning middle rope crossbody.

This time it’s Hart grabbing his own chinlock but it’s too early for the Sharpshooter. Hart suplexes him down and we take a break, coming back with Jannetty managing a faceplant. A middle rope flipping faceplant and a powerslam have Hart in more trouble, followed by a clothesline out to the floor. Back in and Hart slips behind him into a rollup for the fast pin at 9:12.

Rating: B-. As usual, taking two talented wrestlers and letting them do their thing for a few minutes works out well. Jannetty might have been an all time screwup, but he could work well in the ring with just about anyone. Hart was starting to come into his own as a singles star here and it’s no surprise that this worked.

We’re off to the Slam Jam, featuring the announcement of the Free For All show, which will feature a match for the #30 spot in the Royal Rumble, with the loser getting the #1 spot. The names involved will be the ones who draw blanks in the Royal Rumble drawing, so nice job of keeping a mystery. As for the Rumble itself, Diesel is ready to win and we get the same Vader workout video. The Jeff Jarrett vs. Ahmed Johnson match gets a quick look too.

Ringmaster vs. Matt Hardy

Non-title and Ted DiBiase is in (the debuting) Ringmaster’s corner. Ringmaster (that name is already getting annoying) hammers away to start and stomps away in the corner. Some knee drops give Ringmaster two and a gordbuster gets the same. Hardy (With HV on his tights, either for High Voltage or perhaps….HARDY VERSION?) gets choked on the ropes and the Million Dollar Dream finishes for Ringmaster at 4:35.

Rating: C. There is something so fascinating about an all time star making his debut and having such a basic match which showed absolutely nothing. Throw in the fact that he was in there against a future legend in his own right and it’s quite the historical curiosity. To say Austin would get better is an understatement, but this was a good start.

Video on Shawn Michaels, who is returning at the Royal Rumble, including his recent health issues.

Smoking Gunns vs. Spiders

Non-title and we’re actually joined in progress with Billy getting two off a small package. Bart comes in with some dropkicks and the Sidewinder finishes at 1:02 shown.

It’s off to Billionaire Ted’s Wrasslin War Room, where Ted is mad that he can’t buy the WWF.

Here is Goldust for a chat, with Vince McMahon accusing him of preying on homophobia. Goldust: “Mr. television announcer, is that another microphone in your pocket or are you just excited to see me?” He promises to make Ramon and everyone else remember his name.

Ramon arrives (with about twenty minutes left in the show) and is looking for Goldust.

Undertaker vs. Isaac Yankem DDS

Paul Bearer is here with Undertaker. They stare each other down to start (like long lost…never mind) and Undertaker takes over with a slam. Yankem scores with a clothesline out of the corner but has to slip out of a Tombstone. They go outside with Undertaker hammering away and getting in a posting, only for Lawler to go after the remains of the urn. Undertaker isn’t having that and chases Lawler off but Yankem drives him into the post.

We take a break and come back with Undertaker fighting out of a half crab. A bearhug doesn’t last long either as Undertaker fights out and does the situp. Yankem knocks him down again and tries his own Tombstone (like that could ever work), which is reversed into the real thing to give Undertaker the pin at 8:35.

Rating: C. This is one of those things where you could see the idea on paper, just because it was so rare to find someone of Undertaker’s size who could move like Yankem. The problem though was that again, Yankem was a wrestling dentist and that was only going to get him so far. The key was finding out how to use the talent, which is one of the keys to good booking. Once they figured that out, it was off to the races. Eventually.

Goldust is ready to face Bret Hart next week but gets jumped by Razor Ramon. The brawl is on and Goldust hits him low to escape.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Royal Rumble rundown.

Ramon jumps Goldust again and chases him outside. They brawl in the snow until Goldust rams him into a truck and gets in his car to escape and end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This is definitely one of those shows where the historical impact wouldn’t become apparent for a good while, but dang it’s fascinating to see the future right there in front of your eyes. You have Austin’s in-ring debut and the first battle of the Brothers Of Destruction. That’s a heck of a Raw and while it would mean more later, it winds up being a completely decent show on its own, with the Michaels announcement being a needed boost.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: January 8, 1996
Location: Bob Carpenter Center, Newark, Delaware
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler

We’re getting closer to the Royal Rumble and that means we’ll be seeing some more names added to the card. In addition, since it’s the holiday season and the company didn’t want to tape too much, we’re getting another match from the most recent In Your House, which is certainly a way to fill in time. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a preview of the show, promising more from Billionaire Ted. Of course.

Opening sequence.

Jeff Jarrett vs. Hakushi

Jarrett teases playing the guitar and singing for us but opts to just not instead. An early slam lets Jarrett strut but Hakushi sweeps the leg. A top rope shoulder drops Jarrett again and we pause for him to tease walking out. Back in and Jarrett hits the running crotch attack in the ropes and we take a break.

We come back with Hakushi fighting out of an abdominal stretch and hitting a jumping spin kick. Jarrett knocks him back down for two more and we hit the chinlock. Hakushi fights out but his springboard splash hits knees, allowing Jarrett to get the Figure Four for the win at 9:19.

Rating: C. I always feel bad when I see Hakushi falling further and further down the ladder. He really was a different kind of star and could have been a bigger deal if he was given the chance. It doesn’t help when he lost to the perfectly capable but terribly uninteresting Jarrett. While Jarrett is far from bad, it’s not exactly easy to get behind him in any meaningful way. That was the case again here, as this was just a step above a squash.

We go to Slam Jam, which serves as the Royal Rumble control center. We look at various Rumble entrants, including a video on Vader Finally, “Scheme Gene” makes a cameo which, believe it or not, isn’t funny.

Ahmed Johnson vs. Jeff Brettler

Johnson throws him around to start and hits a kick to the head. A spinebuster and the Pearl River Plunge finish at 1:51.

Post match Jeff Jarrett tries to sneak in with a guitar shot but hits the buckle instead. Johnson scares him off and breaks the guitar.

Next week: Undertaker vs. Isaac Yankem.

And now, the Brother Love Show, because that was brought back in 1996. The guest is Ted DiBiase, who is unveiling his new Million Dollar Champion: THE RINGMASTER! DiBiase presents him with his title, with the Ringmaster sticking his hand out to the screen so fans can reach out and touch greatness. He’s already in the Royal Rumble so he can go on to Wrestlemania and win the WWF Title, but it doesn’t compare to the Million Dollar Title. And that’s Steve Austin’s WWF debut.

Earl Hebner defends not stopping Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog due to Hart’s blood loss. Geez the jokes write themselves.

Goldust vs. Aldo Montoya

Goldust takes his time getting rid of his wig and then takes out Montoya for daring to start fast. The slow beating is on, including a running kick to Montoya’s chest. Montoya fights up and hits a clothesline, only to walk into the Curtain Call for the fast pin at 2:10.

It’s another Slam Jam, this time looking at Shawn Michaels’ press conference from earlier today. He is officially in the Royal Rumble and he’s going on to Wrestlemania to win the WWF Title. Scheme Gene pops in to say he has a hot name for the Royal Rumble but call his hotline to find out who it is. IN CASE YOU DIDN’T GET THE JOKE!

Various wrestlers give their thoughts on Shawn Michaels coming back.

From In Your House V: Seasons Beatings.

WWF Title: Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog

Hart is defending and Jim Cornette is here with Bulldog. Feeling out process to start with Bulldog showing off the power, leaving Hart to go after his arm. Back up and a knee to the ribs cuts Hart down for two and we’re already in the chinlock. That’s broken up so Cornette gets in a cheap shot with the racket, meaning the chinlock can go on again. The hard whip into the corner gives Bulldog two and yep, it’s time for another chinlock.

Hart finally fights out and hits a monkey flip, followed by a bulldog to Bulldog. A quick piledriver gives Hart two and the middle rope elbow connects as we take a break. We come back with Hart getting crotched on the top and knocked outside, with Bulldog driving him hard into the post. Hart is busted open BAD and there is a bunch of blood on the floor. Bulldog gets two off his own piledriver and the not so delayed suplex is good for the same.

A top rope headbutt to the back gives Bulldog two more and he grabs a bow and arrow. Hart’s quick counter into the Sharpshooter is broken up and Bulldog shoulders him hard out to the floor. Back in and Hart slips out of a suplex to grab a German suplex for two and they’re both down. Hart manages to send him outside for a slingshot dive but another is countered into the running powerslam on the floor.

We take another break and come back again with Hart crotching him on the barricade and hitting a clothesline. The backbreaker gives Hart two and he whips Bulldog hard into the corner for a change. A top rope superplex gets a delayed two and a rollup, ala Summerslam 1992, is reversed to give Hart two more. With nothing else working, Hart grabs la majistral to retain at 21:09.

Rating: B+. As usual, these two have some great chemistry together. It felt like Hart was having to struggle to survive against an aggressive power guy and that is where Hart tends to thrive. Bulldog could work well with almost anyone and tended to do best against someone Hart (or Shawn Michaels) sized, so the formula was firmly in play here. Great match and worth a look if you have time.

Undertaker is ready to take the title from Bret Hart at the Royal Rumble.

A woman has won the Royal Rumble sweepstakes.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

We wrap it up with Billionaire Ted’s Wrasslin War Room, with the board trying to come up with a better slogan. The Huckster and Nacho Man are happier about avoiding steroid tests. Young Vince Russo can be seen as one of the people around the table.

Overall Rating: B-. I’m not sure what it means when the best match is from a pay per view, but I’ll take that over the usual mess that we got around this time. Other than that, it was a bunch of short, uninteresting matches and an all time important debut, even if there was no way of knowing that at the time. Shawn Michaels really needs to get back already, as they’re only going to be able to use matches from pay per views for so long.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: January 1, 1996
Location: Bob Carpenter Center, Newark, Delaware
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler

It’s a new year and we have a special edition of the show, featuring the Raw Bowl. That means a football themed tag team elimination match, which should be at least interesting. Other than that, we are less than a month away from the Royal Rumble and Shawn Michaels might be on his way back from injury. Let’s get to it.

The opening video hypes up the Raw Bowl, complete with a marching band, cheerleaders, and Lawler in a Cleveland Browns jersey.

Smoking Gunns vs. Yokozuna/Owen Hart vs. Razor Ramon/Savio Vega vs. Sycho Sid/1-2-3 Kid

The Gunns’ Tag Team Titles aren’t on the line. This is an elimination match and the teams have a time out each. They all have jerseys with special numbers (Vega is Uno, the Kid is 1-2-3, Yokozuna is 641 etc) and the ring has a green mat. As a bonus, commentary is making every football reference they can think of because we have a theme going here. Bart and Hart start in three point stances, with Bart drop toeholding him down.

Billy comes in and, since they have to make contact with each other, Bart tries a hiptoss but Billy sticks the landing. The two of them tag in Hart and Yokozuna, the latter of whom drops him with a shoulder. Vega comes in to face Yokozuna and gets dropped as well, so it’s off to Vega vs. Kid. The running spinwheel kick gives Vega two and Ramon comes in to drop Hart with a right hand. The fast tags continue as Sid and Bart come in for a less than thrilling staredown.

Bart actually takes over and hits a suplex before handing it off to Vega. Hart enziguris Vega and Yokozuna comes in to hammer away as we take a break. We come back with Vega still in trouble as Sid comes in to stomp him down. Vega fights back on the Kid and brings in Ramon, but the Kid calls time out. Since we’ve never actually established what calling time out means, Ramon gives Kid the Razor’s Edge anyway.

Ted DiBiase gets on the apron and gets a flag as a result, which again doesn’t seem to have any meaning. Sid uses the distraction to deck Ramon and put Kid on top for the elimination at 13:25 (as the referee didn’t see Vega calling time out). We take another break and come back with Sid hammering on Bart before Hart gets to do the same. Hart misses a top rope splash though and it’s Billy coming in to clean house.

Everything breaks down and Yokozuna accidentally Banzai Drops Hart, giving Billy the pin at 21:04. Sid stomps away on Billy and Kid adds a running kick in the corner for two. Billy fights out of the chinlock but gets booted in the face. A small package gives Billy two on Sid and the comeback is on with some right hands. Sid cuts that off with a chokeslam (Lawler: “Intentional grounding!”) so Kid goes up, only for Ramon to come back and shove him off the top. Billy steals a rollup pin at 25:33.

Rating: C-. This is a good example of a match that might have been a unique concept but it wasn’t the best execution. At the end of the day, this was quite the mess with too many people running around and the football jokes getting old fast. It’s also not a good sign when one of the rules isn’t really explained, with the timeouts not making a ton of sense. The action was ok, but dang this was an idea that needed another draft.

We get a halftime show, with Michael Hayes saying this is a two minute drill. Jim Ross has a word from (not with) Diesel, who promises to beat up Mabel. Hayes talks about the Royal Rumble and runs down the card, again with the football metaphors.

From In Your House: Season’s Beatings.

Henry Godwinn vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley

This is a Hog Pen Match, meaning the first to throw the other into a hog pen (with hogs) wins. Hillbilly Jim is the guest referee (that doesn’t seem fair) and Godwinn misses the early throw of the slop. Back in and Godwinn takes over, even tying Helmsley in the ropes for some slop to the face. Helmsley takes over and we take a break, coming back with Godwinn being whipped into the hog pen gate.

Helmsley is backdropped onto the edge of the pen but gets back down and drops Godwinn again. They head back to the ring where Godwinn charges into a boot in the corner. A wheelbarrow faceplant gets Godwinn out of trouble and he whips Helmsley over the corner. We take another break and come back with Godwinn hitting a Slop Drop up near the pen. Helmsley is right back with a backdrop into the pen for the win at 8:58 (the original time, which was heavily extended on this broadcast).

Rating: C-. Yeah do you get the concept here? This was supposed to be Godwinn’s specialty match, despite never seeing it before or after this time. At the end of the day though, this was all about who could backdrop the other one into the mud. The idea of seeing Helmsley get dirty was fun, but I’m going to need a bit more than that. Or a lot more really.

Post match Godwinn throws Helmsley into the pen as well, which can’t be good as Helmsley’s back is cut open.

Diesel vs. King Mabel

Diesel whips him into the ropes, hits a big boot, and gets the pin at 8 seconds. Better than Summerslam!

Post match Diesel Jackknifes Sir Mo and poses for his pyro. Diesel leaves with Miss Raw Bowl.

The Brooklyn Brawler gives the Smoking Gunns….the Lombardi Trophy. Ok that’s funny. The Gunns give him a Lipton ice tea bath.

We run down some Royal Rumble participants, including the debuting Vader.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

We wrap it up with Billionaire Ted’s Wrasslin War Room, with the Huckster and Nacho Man saying they can’t do any of these new moves. They can however, POSE!

Overall Rating: D+. Other than avoiding the threat of having to see another long Diesel vs. Mable match, this was a pretty bad week for Raw. The Royal Rumble is coming up and that should help a lot, but there is only so much that can be done when the feature match was a long football themed mess. They were trying something new here, but that doesn’t mean it was a good idea.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: March 25, 1996
Location: Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 9,364
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler

It’s the last Raw before Wrestlemania and the big question is what kind of jokes can the WWF make about Ted Turner. That’s been the last big thing we’ve seen over the last few weeks at the end of the show so we must need to see it again here. Hopefully they have time to talk about Wrestlemania a bit here too. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Shawn Michaels vs. Leif Cassidy

Marty Jannetty is here with Cassidy so Michaels debuts his official manager: Jose Lothario. After some generic comments from Lothario about how Michaels is going to Wrestlemania and an enthusiastic handshake from Cassidy, Bret Hart comes out for commentary. Michaels takes over on the arm to start before a running crossbody gets two. Back up and Cassidy grabs a sitout spinebuster for two before grabbing a surfboard.

We take a break and come back with Cassidy grabbing a chinlock but getting reversed into an exchange of rollups. Cassidy superplexes him for two but Michaels is back with a top rope clothesline. Jannetty trips him down though, with Hart getting up for the save. The superkick finishes for Michaels at 11:18.

Rating: B-. Cassidy was a good choice to put in this spot as he could wrestle a nice technical match against just about anyone and you know Michaels can work well in that spot. The Jannetty connection at ringside was a nice choice and they even teased a bit of drama with Hart. The main event of Wrestlemania is carrying the show and that’s going to need to be the case given the rest of the card.

Post match Michaels thinks Hart tripped him but Lothario calms things down. Hart says he’s ready to give Michaels a beating like he’s never received at Wrestlemania.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Aldo Montoya

Montoya starts fast and slams Helmsley, who gets his knees up to block a splash. Back up and Helmsley hits a jumping knee into the curtsy. The knee drop gives Helmsley two and a clothesline gets three more near falls. Montoya fights back and hits a dropkick, followed by a high crossbody for two. The Pedigree gives Helmsley the fast pin at 4:43.

Rating: C. Not much here as Helmsley isn’t going to have trouble against someone like Montoya. At the end of the day, Helmsley is ready for a high profile match at Wrestlemania and Montoya is Montoya. That doesn’t leave much room here and the match was about what you would have expected.

We see Goldust in a Hollywood back lot, where he gets rather close to a Roddy Piper mannequin, which he then destroys.

Next week: Mankind.

Here are Undertaker and Paul Bearer for a chat. Bearer recaps the feud with Diesel, including Diesel attacking Bearer two weeks ago. This led to Diesel seeing himself in a casket in quite the creepy moment. Undertaker says Diesel caused this to happen and promises to make him rest in peace at Wrestlemania.

We get one more Shawn Michaels training video.

Video on Hart vs. Michaels, with Hart talking about his plans to capitalize on Michaels’ mistakes.

Owen Hart vs. Ahmed Johnson

Jim Cornette is here with Hart as Vince goes on some rant about how the WWF makes sure that you get your money’s worth around here. Johnson powers him down to start and then does it again as the British Bulldog comes out to watch. Hart tries to pick up the pace but charges into a bearhug. Bulldog offers a distraction though and Johnson gets knocked to the floor as we take a break. We come back with Bulldog loading up the Pearl River Plunge but Bulldog comes in for the DQ at 5:34. Not enough shown to rate but it was just a way to get to the post match brawl.

Post match the beatdown is on, with Vader, Jake Roberts and Yokozuna coming in for the big brawl.

We wrap it up with a big music video on Bret Hart, either inspired by or set to You Start The Fire by Billy Joel (not the biggest music fan so that’s likely wrong).

Overall Rating: C+. The opener was the best part here but what matters the most is that we’re finally to Wrestlemania. That’s a show that has been needing to happen already, as the Hart vs. Michaels match is taking up so much TV time. It makes sense as it’s such a big chunk of the card, but dang that makes for some rough TV. They did well enough here, but it’s hard to find a more one match Wrestlemania card.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: March 18, 1996
Location: Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 9,364
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler

We are less than two weeks away from Wrestlemania and you can see most of the card from this far out. The matches are either already made or are close enough to being made, with a few more possibly being confirmed this week. Other than that, I’m sure we’ll get some more Bret vs. Shawn stuff, which should be fine as well. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening preview.

Opening sequence.

Jake Roberts vs. British Bulldog

Jim Cornette is here with the Bulldog. Roberts works on the arm to start and Bulldog bails straight to the floor. The threat of a DDT has Bulldog backing off again but he starts hammering on the back to take over. Bulldog’s legdrop misses and the DDT connects but Cornette grabs Roberts’ leg. Roberts gets the snake and gives chase, earning the countout at 4:52.

Rating: D+. Nothing to this one, as it’s just part of the preview for the six man tag. The problem is that Roberts is little more than the DDT at this point and that isn’t enough to carry him through the match. Bulldog was a bit better, but not quite better enough to make this work.

Just like last week, we see a Shawn Michaels training video. At least it’s a different package.

Likewise, we get a similar Bret Hart training video, this one from Calgary.

Goldust vs. Fatu

Marlena is with Goldust and I don’t think the Intercontinental Title is on the line here. Goldust is wrestling in a kilt and Fatu starts fast by sending him into the corner and mocking the deep breath. A possibly low blow connects as Roddy Piper calls in and we take a break. We come back with Fatu missing a Superfly Splash, allowing Goldust to rub his chest. The Curtain Call finishes at 4:41 as Piper rants about being dangerous. Not enough shown to rate but it was more of the last minute push towards Goldust vs. Piper.

Video on the Ultimate Warrior.

Here is Camp Cornette, with Jim Cornette agreeing to a six man tag with Ahmed Johnson/Jake Roberts/Yokozuna at Wrestlemania. The villains are ready to go, with Cornette seemingly writing Mr. Fuji off TV by saying he hurt his knee in a fall. Hold on though, as Roberts and Yokozuna pop up on screen to say that if their team wins, Yokozuna gets five minutes with Cornette. Panic ensues as Yokozuna beats up a Cornette doll.

We look at an MSG house show over the weekend, with Diesel turning on Michaels. This led to Michaels promising to “kick his seven foot a**”, which was the setup for their In Your House match after Wrestlemania.

Diesel vs. Barry Horowitz

Diesel hammers away to start but here is Paul Bearer, wheeling a casket to ringside. Horowitz actually fights back but gets booted in the face for two. Instead a right hand finishes Horowitz off.

Post match Diesel grabs the timekeeper’s hammer and goes to the casket, which contains….Diesel. Oh dear.

Ted DiBiase throws a camera out of the locker room.

Bret Hart vs. Tatanka

Non-title. Tatanka strikes away in the corner to start but gets dropped with a quick clothesline. Hart goes after the arm, with a knee to said arm setting up an armbar. Back up and a crossbody gives Hart two and it’s right back to the arm. Cue the 1-2-3 Kid as Tatanka is back with a clothesline. Hart stays on the arm but gets dropped by another clothesline as we take a break. We come back with Hart fighting out of a chinlock and grabbing the Five Moves Of Doom. The Kid’s distraction doesn’t work though as Tatanka is sent into him by mistake, allowing Hart to grab a rollup for the pin at 8:40.

Rating: C+. It really is amazing how Tatanka went from someone interesting to this in the span of a few years. That heel turn killed everything he had, as there was nothing to him after the change over. He was just a guy in trunks who used to have a big undefeated streak but was now Tatanka: Heel Who Happens To Be Native American. Where was that supposed to go?

We get another Billionaire Ted skit, this time parodying A Few Good Men with Ted talking about how he needs to use predatory practices. We also get the contact information for the FTC in case you’re worried about the idea of Ted Turner getting to merge his company with Time Warner. Perhaps spending time on this week after week is why Wrestlemania feels so weak?

Overall Rating: C-. Remember how the last two weeks were good? Forget all of that for this week, as it was another boring show with mostly bad action and little that would make me want to see Wrestlemania. Hart had a mostly nothing main event and it felt like little changed for the pay per view. Building towards a pay per view shouldn’t be this hard but they are managing to mess it up fairly well.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: March 11, 1996
Location: Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 9,364
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler

We’re less than three weeks away from Wrestlemania and this time around we’re in Shawn Michaels’ hometown. That sounds like it has quite a few makings for some Michaels excellence, though the rest of Wrestlemania could use some attention of its own. It’s not going so well thus far, but with a one hour match on the card, there is only room for so much else. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening preview.

Opening sequence.

Savio Vega vs. Steve Austin

Austin, with Ted DiBiase, is now officially STONE COLD. Has a nice ring to it no? I’m not sure on the white boots though. Austin shoulders him down to start and grabs a headlock but Vega is right back with a crossbody. Back up and Vega misses a kick to the head, allowing Austin to hit an ax bomber of all things.

Some choking on the ropes and a suplex give Austin two and he fires off shoulders in the corner. As the beating ensues, we see a former Olympian named Mark Henry sitting in the front row. We take a break and come back with Austin dropping a leg to the back of the head for two. Vega is right back with a hiptoss into the running spinwheel kick in the corner. They brawl out to the floor and it’s a double countout at 9:51.

Rating: B-. These guys always worked well together and it was good to see Austin getting the chance to be out there with someone so talented. Vega really was an underrated in-ring star and Austin has praised his work over the years. At the same time, it’s cool to see Austin starting to develop into the superstar he would become, as it’s quite the game changing effort.

Post match the brawl stays on, with Vega clearing the ring to set up their rematch at Wrestlemania.

We see a clip from during the break of Mark Henry muscling Lawler around.

Here are Goldust and Marlena, plus Roddy Piper, for a chat. Piper calls him a transvestite and mocks Goldust’s “movie” from last week. He accuses Goldust of just trying to get attention. Piper beat up Adrian Adonis with a baseball bat and declares himself a lesbian. Goldust’s attempts at playing the bagpipes doesn’t bother him but turning the Intercontinental Title into a joke bothers him. Not even Freddy Kruger comes into Piper’s nightmares but Goldust says he wants a piece of Piper and drops to his knees.

Goldust invites him to his back lot as he slowly crawls around Piper. He lifts up the kilt and asks for a sneak preview, which is too far for Piper. Goldust licks his (own) lips and slaps Piper, who slaps him back. The challenge is accepted, with Piper promising to make a man out of him. To call this not good would be an understatement, but there is only so much that they could do with Piper being brought in as a last second replacement for the suspended Razor Ramon.

Godwinns vs. Jerry Meade/Alex Porteau

Henry clothesline Meade down to start and it’s off to Phineas, who fights out of the corner. House is quickly cleaned and Henry gives Porteau the Slop Drop for the pin at 1:52.

Shawn Michaels was in his hometown of San Antonio earlier with Jose Lothario and we look at their training regimen.

Meanwhile, Bret Hart is training in Calgary, meaning a lot of cardio and working with Stu Hart. Bret agrees that Michaels is good, but he isn’t the best.

Video on the Ultimate Warrior.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Vin Grier

Helmsley, who is facing the Warrior at Wrestlemania, starts fast with a suplex. The quick beating doesn’t take long as Helmsley finishes with the Pedigree at 1:52.

Scheme Gene previews the Huckster vs. the Nacho Man, which involves the Huckster being old and the Nacho Man having a bald spot. At least this was a bit better than mocking Ted Turner to no end.

Yokozuna/Undertaker vs. Owen Hart/British Bulldog

During Undertaker’s entrance, Diesel doesn’t seem to be impressed. Undertaker and Yokozuna tease a brawl before the bell but wind up taking out the other two instead. Yokozuna drops the big leg on Bulldog and Undertaker takes Hart outside as Diesel comes in for a cheap shot on Paul Bearer. That’s enough for Undertaker to give chase and we take a break. We come back with Hart dropping an elbow for two on Yokozuna, who fights up anyway. Cue Vader to jump Yokozuna for the DQ at 5:20.

Rating: C. This wasn’t much of a match and was more about advancing/likely setting up stuff for Wrestlemania. That’s a good enough way to wrap up the show as Wrestlemania needs some more build outside of the main event. Undertaker vs. Diesel is the second biggest match on the card and Diesel going after Bearer is as good of a way to go as any.

Post match Ahmed Johnson and Jake Roberts run in for the save and brawl to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This show was about building towards Wrestlemania and that’s a good sign with just a few weeks to go before the pay per view. A bunch of the matches were advanced in the span of an hour, with the big angle at the end likely setting up a six man tag. Good, efficient show here and that’s what Wrestlemania needed.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: March 4, 1996
Location: Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio
Attendance: 8,500
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

We’re less than a month away from Wrestlemania and Shawn Michaels is the star of the show. Michaels is on his way to the main event against Bret Hart for the WWF Title but he needs to be built up a bit more on the way there. That could mean some good matches along the Road To Wrestlemania so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a preview of the show.

Opening sequence.

Shawn Michaels vs. 1-2-3 Kid

Yeah this should work. Kid charges at Michaels before the bell and gets backdropped outside, even as the music is still playing. Michaels mocks the martial arts pose and gets taken down with a headlock as we officially start. A headlock takeover out of the corner brings Michaels down and Kid gets in a kick for two more. Back up and Michaels sends him to the floor and skins the cat, followed by a rare gorilla press slam.

We get a split screen interview with Bret Hart, who says he wouldn’t let Michaels get away with this stuff. Michaels grinds away on a headlock of his own but Kid is back up with a spinwheel kick for a breather. Kid sends him outside and hits a big dive, which has Lawler rather happy. Michaels’ head is rammed into the floor, which Hart doesn’t like as he doesn’t have any personal animosity against Michaels (A-HUH).

Back in and Kid kicks him down for two more and we take a break. We come back with Kid grabbing a chinlock until Michaels gets up, only to be kicked in the face for two more. Michaels fights up and hits the forearm as it’s already time for the comeback. Back up and Michaels head fakes him on a crossbody, setting up a top rope standing moonsault press for two instead. The top rope elbow connects but Kid bails from the threat of a superkick. Kid gets back in and manages a slam, only to miss a guillotine legdrop. Now the superkick can finish for Michaels at 13:36.

Rating: B. I for one am shocked that this was a good match as you had two talented stars getting some time to really make things work. It was one of the better matches you’ll see on Raw around this time, and the fact that they were friends behind the scenes is just a coincidence of course. Either way, heck of a match here.

Post match a kid gets in the ring to dance with Michaels. Eh sweet enough.

We get a Goldust film called Piper’s Pit, which is Goldust, with Marlena, on the set of, well, Piper’s Pit. He talks about the fantasies he had as a teenager from watching Roddy Piper on the set of the show. Stuff like the coconut bursting on Jimmy Snuka’s head you see. And the skirt, which had Goldust thinking about various things. Goldust picks up the bagpipes and isn’t very good at them. Yeah I think we get the idea here as they weren’t exactly pouring on the subtlety.

We look back at some great Ultimate Warrior moments, because he’s back at Wrestlemania.

Roddy Piper (WWF President at this point) is watching Raw in Hollywood and he needs to talk to Vince McMahon.

Hakushi vs. Justin Bradshaw

Uncle Zebekiah is here with Bradshaw, who is played to the ring by…Michael Hayes and the Raw Band. Which is actually a real thing. Ok then. Bradshaw starts stomping away as Vince talks to Piper, who says that he’ll announce Ultimate Warrior’s Wrestlemania opponent next week.

As Bradshaw kicks Hakushi in the face and drops a leg, Piper talks about how he fought Adrian Adonis so he knows what kind of mind games Goldust is playing. Hakushi fights up but charges into a boot to the floor, with Bradshaw hitting a dive to take him down again. Back in and another big boot sets up the lariat to finish for Bradshaw at 4:10.

Rating: C-. Well that seems to be it for Hakushi, who was more or less squashed here as the match was a backdrop for Piper talking about Goldust. Bradshaw is a fine choice for a Stan Lariat clone (minus a lot of the talent and charisma) but it’s not like this is going to get him very far. Not much to see here, and that’s a bad sign for Hakushi’s future.

Post match Hakushi gets hogtied and branded.

Mankind is in a very dark room (we can’t see his face) and talks about how he has dealt with evil for years and now it is time for others to face it as well. No one will have a nice day.

Bret Hart vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley

Non-title and we get a clip of a fan being moved to tears by getting Hart’s sunglasses at a recent live event. That’s awesome. Helmsley sends him into the corner to start but charges into a boot, allowing Hart to hit a clothesline. Hart hammers away and grabs an armbar for some cranking. Cue Shawn Michaels with a chair to watch at ringside and we take a break.

We come back with Hart taking him down by the arm again and working on a hammerlock. Helmsley gets up and rakes the eyes, allowing him to send Hart outside. Hart is fine enough to knock a dive out of the air as Vince thought Helmsley and Michaels might be in cahoots together (make your own jokes).

Back in and Helmsley hammers away in the corner, setting up a rather hard whip into the corner for two. We take another break and come back with Hart hitting a bulldog into the backbreaker. Naturally the middle rope elbow follows for two but Helmsley rolls him up for the same. Helmsley goes up and dives right into the Sharpshooter for the submission at 17:21.

Rating: B-. Helmsley wasn’t up to the next level yet but Hart was there to carry him far enough. It helps that the point of this match was to tease tension between Michaels and Hart, who are building towards one of the biggest matches of the year. Helmsley being in this kind of a match is a good sign for him, though he has a lot of work to do.

Michaels applauds Hart and leaves without incident.

And now, Tee Vee Trivia, which is a game show parody, featuring various quotes from Ted Turner, because this is a thing that had to happen for months on end. The one funny bit: we’re asked where the Huckster (Get it?) is and we cut to an empty arena, where he is still handcuffed to the ring, as he was to close Nitro. As usual, it’s just petty nonsense from the WWF, as they keep insulting Turner for daring to try to have something of his own and it went very badly for them for a good while.

Overall Rating: B. Yeah you can’t argue with a show like this, as you had two long matches, both of which went well. It helped set up Wrestlemania, but there is only so much on the card outside of Hart vs. Michaels. Piper vs. Goldust isn’t exactly working and there is a good chance it’s only going to get worse. The stuff that worked did so rather well though and that’s a great thing to see after some less than thrilling shows.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Monday Night Raw
Date: July 28, 2025
Location: Little Caesars Center, Detroit, Michigan
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

It’s the last show before Summerslam and that means we’re likely in for a mixture of talking and tag matches. At the same time, there is always the chance that we are going to get a lot more tributes to Hulk Hogan, as there was only so much time to get things ready on such short notice last week. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

The roster is on the stage for the ten bell salute to Hogan.

We get another tribute, different from the one that aired on Smackdown. To be fair, you could go on for a long time with famous moments from his career.

Here is Jey Uso for a chat but Paul Heyman interrupts. Heyman doesn’t think much of Uso, but is smart enough to get out of the ring from that look in Uso’s eye. He also backs up, saying “I know that you can dive really fast.” Heyman can’t believe that Uso has accepted Roman Reigns’ offer to team with him against Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. And he’s doing this in the name of family.

Where Heyman comes from, family is always going to let you down. That’s not a prediction but rather a prophecy. Heyman asks if Uso’s mother said Santa Claus left the presents under the tree. That means your mother lied to you, just like everyone’s mother here. Did Uso’s father (Rikishi) tell Uso that he wanted him to be more iconic than him? Rikishi lied! Reigns didn’t pick Uso to be next in line as Tribal Chief. How did that work out for the family? Heyman is saying this out of love for Uso, just like family. YEET!

Uso says his family is why he’s here and Heyman needs to keep them out of his mouth. The reality is the family has done things together and Heyman’s family is nowhere to be seen. Heyman and company have cost them all kinds of things and at Summerslam, Heyman is paying. This was an interesting idea, but it’s feeling like they have no idea where this is supposed to go and they’re just saying things to fill in time before the match.

AJ Styles/Kabuki Warriors vs. Judgment Day

Asuka kicks Rodriguez down to start and hands it off to Sane for some kicks of her own. A high crossbody is pulled out of the air and it’s off to Perez for a headscissors. Sane grabs….I think a running Blockbuster (didn’t quite work but it could have been far worse) but Mysterio pulls Perez out of the way of a charge in the corner.

We take a break and come back with Perez hitting a moonsault for two but Sane gets in a shot in the corner. Rodriguez pulls Asuka to the floor though and the distraction means the referee doesn’t see the tag to Styles. Back up and the tag brings Styles in a few seconds later, meaning house can be cleaned. Perez gets in the way of the Phenomenal Forearm though, leaving Styles to launch Sand onto Rodriguez. The Phenomenal Forearm finished Mysterio at 11:46.

Rating: B-. Perfectly fine way to go here as Styles gets the win before he likely loses the title match at Summerslam. It’s still a good setup for the showdown though and that’s all it needed to be. At the same time, you have the Kabuki Warriors coming after the Women’s Tag Team Titles and that makes as much sense as anything else.

Sheamus is happy with his win over Rusev last week. Grayson Waller and New Day interrupt, with Waller making the mistake of challenging Sheamus, meaning the match is set for later tonight. New Day suddenly disappears.

Sheamus vs. Grayson Waller

Sheamus powers him into the corner to start and hits the big powerslam. The Dublin Smile has Waller in more trouble and the Regal Roll on the floor makes it worse. The ten forearms to the chest rock Waller but Rusev pops up on the apron for a distraction. Waller rolls him up for two, only for the Brogue Kick to finish at 4:10.

Rating: C. The only way Waller was going to win here was if Rusev cost Sheamus the match so they had a fine enough tease. At the same time, we are probably coming up on a big rubber match between Sheamus and Rusev, so there was no reason for Sheamus to lose here. Granted there is pretty much no reason for him to lose to Waller most of the time.

Post match Rusev beats Sheamus down with the shillelagh. The Accolade leaves Sheamus laying.

Naomi isn’t worried about defending the title in a triple threat match because she can fly high too.

Various wrestlers talk about Hulk Hogan’s star power.

Paul Heyman talks to Bronson Reed, saying with Seth Rollins on the shelf, they are a group without a leader. Bron Breakker comes in to say Reed is going to crush Jey Uso and the team will reestablish dominance over WWE. Reed leaves and Breakker says he has a plan. Heyman is confused.

Here is Lyra Valkyria for a chat. She has her Becky Lynch stopping shoes on (they’re rather elevated) and recaps her issues with Lynch. Cue Lynch’s music and she pops up behind Valkyria, who takes her out with a dropkick through the ropes. Valkyria beats her down with the kendo stick and Lynch runs off. Well that was quick.

Earlier today, Sami Zayn was doing a sitdown interview about Karrion Kross, when Kross and Scarlet interrupted. Kross said he could attack Zayn again, but he didn’t because he is all about making people show their true colors. Zayn won’t do it though, and it’s starting to tick Kross off. That’s why after Kross beats him at Summerslam, Zayn is going to admit that Kross told the truth and then he can go on to become World Champion. Zayn agrees, but when he beats Kross, he wants this to end. See you at Summerslam. Kross smiles as Zayn leaves.

Bayley is upset that she’s missing Summerslam, just like she missed Wrestlemania. She isn’t sure where she’s going from here.

Naomi/Chelsea Green/Secret Hervice vs. Iyo Sky/Rhea Ripley/Nikki Bella/Stephanie Vaquer

Naomi and Ripley start things off, with Naomi getting knocked out to the floor. It’s off to Bella, who clotheslines Green down to take over. They head outside before Fyre gets in a superkick to drop Bella. Niven adds a bottom rope elbow for two and we take a break. We come back with Bella getting in a kick to the face, allowing the tag to Sky. A backflip splits up a double clothesline attempt so Green kicks Sky in the face for two instead.

Naomi’s hanging Pedigree plants Sane and Fyre hits her Swanton as everything breaks down. Niven Boss Man Slams Ripley but Sane and Fyre knock each other down. Vaquer comes in to clean house and Bella adds the Bella Buster, which has Naomi walking out. Sky sends her back in for a springboard dropkick and Ripley gives Niven Riptide. The SVB finishes Green at 14:35.

Rating: B. I had a heck of a time with this one, as they were all out there going nuts for a good while. At the same time, it’s about as perfect of a use of Bella as you can have. She gets to do her big entrance, get the pop, do her stuff, and then pose at the end. That’s a fine way to go and the fans still love her, so let her do her stuff in small spurts.

Finn Balor gives Judgment Day a pep talk, telling them that they can get past the loss earlier. Perez gives Dominik a new gaming system to play WWE2K25 and Raquel Rodriguez isn’t impressed.

The winning team from the 8 woman tag celebrates but Sky stops Ripley for a chat. Sky says Ripley has never beaten her and never will. Ripley says they’ll see about that.

Tag Team Titles: LWO vs. Judgment Day

The LWO is challenging. Wilde takes Balor down to start and hands it off to del Toro for a slingshot sunset flip. That’s rolled through into a basement dropkick and McDonagh comes in to send del Toro into the corner. The champs take over, with a springboard moonsault giving McDonagh two. Del Toro gets up and brings Wilde back in for the big dive to the floor as we take a break.

We come back with Wilde still in trouble but he catapults McDonagh into Balor on the apron. The tag brings del Toro in to clean house, including a triangle dropkick to knock Balor off the apron. Everything breaks down and a phoenix splash gets two on Balor. Cue El Grande Americano so here is Dragon Lee to pull him off the apron. Del Toro kicks McDonagh (with a belt) off the apron and Wilde hits a heck of a flip dive to drop him again. Cue another El Grande American to pull del Toro off the top so Balor can hit the Coup de Grace and retain at 11:16.

Rating: B. This got some time and I’m interested in where the ending goes, as having a second El Grande Americano makes for a curious twist. If nothing else, it could open a door for someone who doesn’t have anything else going on (Butch or Tyler Bate could be interesting) and there is always room for a good masked man mystery. Other than that, the action worked well with the LWO being their usual good selves, though there was no reason to believe the titles were changing hands.

Here is Gunther for a chat. He calls last week’s exchange with CM Punk a clean victory for him because he went face to face with the best talker in the business. The fans remind Gunther that he tapped out until Gunther says he left Punk speechless…and here is Punk to interrupt. Punk says he was more dumbfounded than anything else. He doesn’t want to be World Heavyweight Champion but rather he needs it like he needs air. Or like the Red Wings need a 12th Stanley Cup.

Wrestling is his addiction and he wants to hold the title above his head as a thank you to the fans. Punk is the best in the world and he’s ready to prove that at Summerslam. This isn’t apples to apples and he puts his hand over the mic when Gunther tries to cut him off. There are levels to this, and Gunther will find that out at Summerslam. I wasn’t quite feeling this one, but the match should be good.

Summerslam rundown.

Jey Uso vs. Bronson Reed

Uso walks through the entrance rather than going through the crowd, which makes sense as doing two of those a night sounds exhausting. Reed is back up with a knockdown of his own and it’s time to choke on the ropes. The World’s Strongest Slam plants Uso again and we take a break. We come back with Uso slugging away to knock Reed outside. The dive drops him again but here is Bronson Reed to spear Uso for the DQ at 7:01.

Rating: C. This didn’t have time to do much, though I do always appreciate the big plan being “and then I hit the guy”. I’m also glad that we didn’t see anyone lose a fall here, as you don’t want to do that so close to a major Summerslam match. Not much of a main event, but it feels like they have something else in mind.

Post match the beatdown is on but here is Roman Reigns for the save so the good guys can clear the ring. Stereo spears are loaded up but Reed and Breakker actually knock them down (points for the surprise there). The big beatdown is on, with Uso getting Tsunamied and reigns getting clotheslined from the apron over the announcers’ table (Breakker jumps from the floor to the table to pose to show off). Back in and another Tsunami crushes Reigns as Breakker shouts that everyone here works for him. Breakker spears Reigns and Uso through the barricade and Reed STEALS REIGNS SHOES to end the show. This was better than the opening segment and got me a lot more into the match.

Overall Rating: B. Good action, a nice build towards the pay per view, and decent enough talking to get us to Summerslam. I liked the ending a good big and the eight woman tag was a lot of fun. They covered a lot of stuff here and it made me more interested in seeing Summerslam than I was coming in so I’ll call this a rather successful show.

Results
AJ Styles/Kabuki Warriors b. Judgment Day – Phenomenal Forearm to Mysterio
Sheamus b. Grayson Waller – Brogue Kick
Nikki Bella/Rhea Ripley/Stephanie Vaquer/Iyo Sky b. Secret Hervice/Chelsea Green/Naomi – SVB to Green
Judgment Day b. LWO – Coup de Grace to del Toro
Jey Uso b. Bronson Reed via DQ when Bron Breakker interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Monday Night Raw
Date: June 24, 1996
Location: Brown County Expo, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Attendance: 4,660
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler

We’re done with the King Of The Ring and that means King Austin, who gave what would wind up being one of the most important promos in wrestling history. Other than that, Shawn Michaels has vanquished the British Bulldog and needs someone else to come after him for the WWF Title. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Ahmed Johnson vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley

Johnson’s newly won Intercontinental Title isn’t on the line. Johnson works on the arm to start and shoulders Helmsley down. A headlock grinds Helmsley down and a clothesline drops him even harder. Helmsley avoids a charge though and Johnson is sent outside, where he gets sent into the steps. Johnson gets posted and then ax handled in the back as we go split screen to Goldust and Marlena. Goldust is mad about losing his title and he’s ready to bury Undertaker in his own casket. Helmsley’s chinlock goes on and we take a break.

We come back with Johnson fighting out of the corner but missing a charge into a different corner. Johnson pulls him out of the air for an atomic drop, setting up the gorilla press for two. Helmsley backdrops his way out of a Pearl River Plunge attempt and they both get a breather. Back up and Helmsley tries a backdrop, which is reversed into a Pearl River Plunge to retain the title at 13:04.

Rating: C. Johnson was someone who was at his best when he was able to go out there and showcase his incredible athleticism and that wasn’t really the case here. At the same time, it was all about Johnson getting over as a force as the new champion and this worked well enough, though having it be a non-title match doesn’t make a ton of sense.

Post match Johnson says he is proud to be the first African American Intercontinental Champion (geez that took awhile) and is ready to beat up Goldust again.

Bodydonnas vs. Brooklyn Brawler/Jerry Fox

The Bodydonnas debut Kloudy, their new manager, who is rather large and tattooed. Sunny, on commentary, is not pleased in the slightest. Zip hiptosses and slams the Brawler to start but Brawler is back up with a headlock. Skip comes in for a running neckbreaker to Fox, who gets taken into the wrong corner. Zip’s gutwrench powerbomb gets two and a top rope seated senton finishes at 3:53.

Rating: C. Good enough here, as the idea behind Kloudy is pretty clear right from the start. Unfortunately the other thing that is obvious is how one note that the whole thing is and I can’t imagine it going well. The team was only so good in the first place and having Kloudy going after Sunny (I’m sure you get the HILARIOUS play on words) is only going to get them so far.

Post match Kloudy chases Sunny off.

We look at the history of Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jannetty.

Kloudy chases Lawler off too.

Vader/Owen Hart/Davey Boy Smith vs. Aldo Montoya/Savio Vega/Barry Horowitz

Jim Cornette and Diana Smith are here with the villains. Horowitz hiptosses Hart to start and it’s quickly off to Vega vs. Bulldog. Vega takes him over with an armdrag but Vader comes in to hammer away. A nice spinning kick to the face drops Vader and it’s off to Montoya for some dropkicks. Hart kicks him in the head though and Vader comes back in for a chokeslam. The Sharpshooter makes Montoya tap at 4:20.

Rating: C+. Pretty much a squash here, with Vega’s kick to the face being a highlight for the losing side. I do often wonder how these people feel in kayfabe when they find out they’re teaming with Horowitz. Montoya isn’t great in the first place and Vega is just ok, so they’re already in trouble and then they have Horowitz as a partner. That can’t be the most encouraging feeling.

Here is Brian Pillman on crutches for a chat. Pillman talks to Vince, saying he doesn’t need to get in the ring to make an impact.

Undertaker vs. Steve Austin

Paul Bearer is here with Undertaker and this is a big deal for the new King. Undertaker slugs away to start and of course that’s fine with Austin, who punches right back. Austin kicks him in the face but gets dropped as Lawler is going after Bearer, which can’t be a good idea. The fight heads outside, with Austin being sent into various steel objects.

They get back in and Austin is knocked to the floor again, only to get back inside for another shot to the face. Austin gets a whip into the corner but charges into a boot as we take a break. We come back with Undertaker hitting Old School but Austin gets smart by kicking at the leg. Austin wraps it around the post and the middle rope elbow gets two.

We go old school with a spinning toehold to keep Undertaker down as Goldust and Marlena come to ringside. Undertaker fights up but a chop block takes him right back down again as we take another break. We come back again with Undertaker missing a running clothesline but hitting a chokeslam. The Tombstone is loaded up but Goldust throws something in Undertaker’s eyes for the DQ at 15:34.

Rating: B-. This was a rare good match between the two of them, with Austin working on the leg, though much like the recent Undertaker vs. Bulldog match, it felt more like we were waiting around for the screwiness. That’s not the best feeling and while it’s nice to see Austin getting in the ring with a big name, having him beat a big name would have been better. Still though, I’ll take a nice match which gets some time.

Post match Austin beats on Undertaker, who reverses to knock Austin outside. Bearer loads up the urn but is hesitant to hand it to Undertaker. Lawler wants Bearer to explain why he cost Undertaker last night against Mankind (by hitting Undertaker with the urn), but Undertaker chases him off to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. With King Of The Ring out of the way, it’s time to reset things a bit with Austin and Johnson as some bigger names. That’s not a bad way to go, but seeing Undertaker vs. Goldust isn’t exactly inspiring. They’re still in the weak summer period, but at least they have something to build on after the pay per view. Just do something interesting and get Michaels a better challenger.

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