Monday Night Raw
Date: December 30, 1996
Location: Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, New York
Attendance: 6,855
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jim Ross

It’s the last show of the year and we are closing in on the Royal Rumble. In this case that means we have a live show to close out 1996, which should be a decent one. Shawn Michaels is still after the WWF Title and Sid, but he doesn’t think much of Bret Hart either. I’m sure nothing will come of that so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Michaels and Hart’s recent issues, including at It’s Time.

Hart wants to see Michaels face to face.

Michaels says Hart is out of excuses.

Opening sequence.

Faarooq/Steve Austin vs. Jesse Jammes/Savio Vega

Hold on though as Austin jumps Jammes in the aisle (apparently not a fan of his singing). Vega slugs away at Austin and is willing to go it alone but can only get so far. Faarooq plants him with a spinebuster but walks into the spinwheel kick as we see Hart watching in the back. Austin stomps away in the corner and hits a running clothesline for two. Vega fights up again and rolls over for the tag to Jammes, who has managed to get back to his feet (if that wasn’t clear).

Jammes gets knocked out to the floor and Austin beats him up even worse, apparently injuring him. Cue Hart in street clothes to take Jammes’ place (which apparently he can just do) as we take a break. We come back with Faarooq holding Vega in a chinlock as Jammes has been taken to the back. Austin comes in for his own chinlock and cuts off the comeback with a shot to the face.

Faarooq plants Vega for two more and then does his cannonballs down onto Vega’s back. Vega manages to reverse into an electric chair and Hart comes in to clean house. The Sharpshooter is loaded up on Faarooq but the Nation Of Domination comes in for the DQ at 13:30.

Rating: C. Well it was kind of a mess, but it felt like another case of “hey, you need to keep watching to see what is going on”. That’s a nice thing to see after so much dull stuff, though that doesn’t really mean this was good. Hart was only involved at the end and the DQ saved Faarooq, who needs something to do at the moment.

Post match the beatdown is on but Ahmed Johnson, in some very striped pants, makes the save.

Intercontinental Title: Flash Funk vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley

Funk, with the Funkettes, is challenging. We get a pre-match interview from Helmsley, who says Goldust doesn’t deserve to be in the same ring as him. He’ll be showing Marlena what a real man does. Speaking of Goldust and Marlena, here they are to watch in the crowd, just like last week. Helmsley jumps him to start but Funk takes him with a quick rollup.

A backdrop and right hand have Helmsley in more trouble but he ducks a spinning crossbody. Helmsley sends him outside as Goldust and Marlena don’t look impressed. Back in and Helmsley stomps away before grabbing the reverse chinlock. We take a break and come back with Funk hiptossing his way out of an abdominal stretch but getting suplexed down.

A middle rope fist drop gives Helmsley two and he knocks Funk outside again. Back in and Funk grabs a belly to back suplex so Jerry Lawler gets off commentary to mock Goldust. Funk connects with a moonsault for two so he goes to yell at Lawler. That’s enough for Helmsley to get in a belt shot for the win at 12:13.

Rating: C+. Another nice win for Helmsley here, as he’s getting protected more often than not. What matters the most is that he is getting a nice boost and becoming a bigger deal. There are wrestlers who want the title and that’s only going to make the championship feel that much more important. Keep doing that kind of thing and see where it goes.

Post match Funk beats Helmsley up and crushes him with a 450.

Here are Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels for a face to face chat. Jim Ross brings up that Hart is facing Vader next week, with Michaels saying that he’ll be on commentary. Michaels mocks the idea of getting the first question, saying “the almighty” Hart can go first. Hart says that attitude is what he finds disrespectful. When Jose Lothario cost Michaels the WWF Title, he apologized the next day. When Michaels cost Hart the title at It’s Time, there was no apology at all.

Hart brings up the Playgirl shoot and suggests it doesn’t have much of a female audience. So whose man is Michaels? That’s enough for Michaels to take off his jacket as Hart threatens to kick his “a**”. Cue Sid, who wants competition, so cue the Undertaker. Vader comes out to jump Undertaker from behind but it’s broken up, with Undertaker stalking Vader to the back. Sid and Michaels get into it as well and Pat Patterson, with that amazing sweater, tries to break it up.

Goldust vs. Jerry Lawler

Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Honky Tonk Man are on commentary. We’re joined in progress with Helmsley distracting Goldust so Lawler can get in a cheap shot from behind. Lawler chokes away on the ropes but Goldust fights up with a running clothesline. Helmsley gets up to kidnap Marlena but Marc Mero cuts them off. This leads to a big crash and the countout at 2:49.

Marlena is hurt to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Definitely a somewhat better show this week, with the focus being more on the titles. If the WWF and Intercontinental Titles are treated as a bigger deal, the whole show is going to feel more important. That’s what we need to be seeing here, especially with the Royal Rumble coming up so soon.

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: December 16, 1996
Location: Ice Palace, Tampa, Florida
Attendance: 2,925
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

We’re done with It’s Time and Sid is still the WWF Champion, having defeated Bret Hart. That means we are off to the Royal Rumble next month, which happens to be in Shawn Michaels’ hometown of San Antonio, Texas. I’m sure that won’t lead anywhere special so let’s get to it.

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

Here is Bret Hart to get things going. Hart isn’t going to make excuses, but there is no good reason for him not being the WWF Champion. Things have changed since he came back and you don’t know who your friends are right now. There are no rules around here and that’s fine by him. Shawn Michaels, “you little pu**y”, has been out for Hart since the beginning and Hart will do everything to get back on top. He’s officially entering the Royal Rumble and now he’s going to join commentary.

Steve Austin vs. Vader

This could be interesting and Jim Cornette is here with Vader. This is also a toughman match, which basically means anything goes. Austin yells at Vader to start and is promptly hammered down in the corner. Vader knocks him down again and then does the standing splash but Austin hits the Thesz press. Austin slugs him down to the floor and we take a break.

We come back with the two of them slugging away on the floor until Vader sends him over the barricade. The violence is fine with Austin, who wins the brawl in the crowd and sends him back to ringside. Vader gets in a shot of his own but the Vader Bomb is broken up with a low blow. A backdrop sends Austin to the floor and Hart grabs the Sharpshooter on him for the DQ at 8:03.

Rating: B. These guys beat the fire out of each other and it made for a good fight. It’s not much of a surprise that these two worked so well together, as Austin is more than capable of having a brawl with anyone and Vader knows how to fight with the best of them. This was a lot of fun and a nice upgrade after recent weeks.

Post match Hart and Vader get into it before Hart puts the Sharpshooter on Austin again. It’s broken up and Austin crawls away.

We go back to last night where Ahmed Johnson yelled about the Nation Of Domination, who interrupted him, earning a bunch of shouting from Johnson.

Diesel/Razor Ramon vs. Godwinns

Ramon and Phineas start things off with Phineas knocking him out to the floor in a hurry. Back in and Ramon gets dropped again, with Henry slamming Phineas onto him. It’s off to Diesel as JR continues singing their praises as much as he can. The Godwinns take turns working on Diesel’s arm until Ramon gets in a cheap shot. Ramon’s armbar has Henry in some trouble but he manages to make a quick comeback on Diesel. Phineas comes in to clean house as everything breaks down. The Slop Drop puts Ramon down but Diesel is back in with a not so great jackknife to Phineas for the pin at 6:26.

Rating: D. They’re not any good. I’m not sure why the WWF keeps insisting on putting these guys out there over and over but it gets worse and worse every single time. Then you move on to Ramon and Diesel, who continue to be one of the worst ideas they’ve ever had, which is impressive even by the WWF’s standards. Another bad match, which you have to expect from these two….things.

Sid says no one can beat him and he has no doubt that he’ll beat Shawn Michaels again at the Royal Rumble. Jose Lothario better stay at home.

Michaels is ready to get the title back and warns Sid not to disrespect Lothario. He won’t be crying like Bret Hart though and he’ll lay it all on the line at the Royal Rumble. And Hart is still not him.

Doug Furnas/Philip LaFon vs. TL Hopper/Dr. X

We’re joined in progress with Furnas snapping off a suplex to Hopper before grabbing a triangle choke. That’s broken up so it’s off to LaFon for a faceplant, followed by a doctor bomb from X (who is pretty clearly Tom Pritchard). Everything breaks down and a cobra clutch suplex finishes Hopper at 3:16.

Rating: C-. You can’t get very far with something like this, as Furnas and LaFon were a talented yet not so interesting team. You can only get so much out of having them squash a random team, even if they were hitting some of their bigger stuff. I can go with a different kind of team, but Furnas and LaFon need something better than this.

Billy Gunn is ready to prove he’s the top gun.

It’s time for Jerry Lawler vs. Sable in the Karate Fighters Tournament final. Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Marc Mero are the seconds here, because we need those in something like this. Sable wins but Lawler accuses her of cheating and the brawl is on. Mero gets beaten down until Goldust makes the save. Goldust clears the ring and Lawler gets on him for being mad at Helmsley for making a pass at Marlena. Lawler tries to suggest that Goldust is….different….before flat out saying he’s a “qu***.” Goldust says no and decks Lawler. Well that didn’t go well.

Classie Freddie Blassie conducts a WWF choir who sing a WWF version of O Tannenbaum (O Powerbomb, featuring lyrics about Sycho Sid).

Billy Gunn vs. Bart Gunn

Bart clotheslines him down to start and we take a break about fifteen seconds in. We come back with Billy hammering away in the corner and grabbing a chinlock as Vince talks about the various replays of It’s Time due to some technical difficulties in the original broadcast. Billy neckbreakers him into another chinlock but Bart fights up with a hot shot…and Billy hurts his neck. The match is stopped at 6:44.

Rating: C. So this was the WWF’s version of trying to do something shocking to end the show, as the Attitude Era style is starting to come together. There is only so much that you can get out of the Smoking Gunns coming to blows though, and having the ending be so obvious didn’t help either. Nothing to this one, which shouldn’t be the biggest surprise.

Post match Bart is distraught as their wives come in to freak out. After a break, Billy is loaded onto a stretcher to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. Austin and Vader were trying but there is only so much you can do with that short of an amount of time. Other than that, it’s the fallout from a boring pay per view and the very long away start of a build towards the Royal Rumble. It’s going to take some time to get that show ready and it’s not like things are overly interesting around this point anyway. Not a good show, but Austin and Vader is worth a look.

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: July 31, 1995
Location: Louisville Gardens, Louisville, Kentucky
Attendance: 4,181
Commentators: Jerry Lawler, Vince McMahon

We’re still on the way to Summerslam and unfortunately it seems that means King Mabel is coming after Diesel and the WWF Title. There is nothing good that can possibly come from that but it’s what we’re getting due to reasons of it’s 1995. Shawn Michaels continues to feel like the biggest star in the company, but Bret Hart got to remind us of how good he was last week. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at Razor Ramon and Savio Vega getting ready to challenge for the Tag Team Titles.

King Mabel vs. John Barberry

Sir Mo is here too and I feel for the people who have to carry Mabel and the throne to the ring. Mabel runs him over to start as you would expect and the beating is on to start. They actually go outside with Barberry getting crushes again. Back in and Barberry avoids a legdrop and hits a dropkick but gets splashed in the corner. The belly to belly suplex finishes for Mabel at 3:13.

Rating: D+. Hey did you know that Mabel is really big? I’m not sure if they made that clear enough, because it’s all that Mabel had at this point. Literally, what else is there that is supposed to get my attention about him? This was another dull squash as we continue the horrible march towards Summerslam.

Post match Mabel wants to be the WWF Champion.

Fatu is still trying to make a difference.

We look back at Jerry Lawler and Shawn Michaels arguing last week.

Lawler and Michaels have a face to face meeting in the back, with Lawler saying fans want to see Sid beat Michaels up at Summerslam. Michaels thinks that sounds like a challenge and some poking ensues, seemingly setting up a match.

Goldust is still coming.

Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Bob Cook

Bigelow knocks Cook to the floor to start and sends him flying for a bonus. Cook actually gets in a shot, only to be suplexed down for his efforts. The chinlock goes on as we hear something about America Online. Bigelow slams him down and drops the top rope headbutt for the pin at 3:20.

Rating: C. Nothing much to see here, though it really is amazing to see how Bigelow had this kind of a career resurgence in 1995. He headlined Wrestlemania and King Of The Ring but then just fell away shortly thereafter. Nothing to see here as usual, save for the always good looking headbutt.

We go to the Report Card, where Dean Douglas agrees that Bam Bam Bigelow is indeed a beast, who looks like a walrus. He gets an F based on looks alone.

Jim Cornette talks about cars to suggest that Owen Hart and Yokozuna will retain the Tag Team Titles.

Skip vs. Major Yates

Sunny is here with Skip and insults the crowd before the match. Skip takes him into the corner to start and fires off some forearms. Yates comes back with a wristlock but gets hit in the face for his efforts. A sunset flip gives Yates two so Skip gives him a running clothesline. Skip hits a top rope superplex for the pin (and some pushups) at 2:20.

We go to the Summerslam Insider, focusing on Mabel vs. Diesel, with the latter saying he gets respect. He’ll earn respect from Mabel at Summerslam. Other than that, Jerry Lawler and Isaac Yankem look at a patient’s teeth (or a camera) and find what they see as disgusting as Bret Hart. Finally, Shawn Michaels is ready for Sid. Uh, yeah.

Next week, Diesel vs. Sir Mo. Sweet goodness somebody get my medicine.

Merchandise shill.

Tag Team Titles: Owen Hart/Yokozuna vs. Savio Vega/Razor Ramon

Hart and Yokozuna, with Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji, are defending. Vega and Hart start things off with Vega taking him into the corner to chop away. They trade wrist cranks and chops before it’s off to Ramon for an arm twist of his own. Hart gets knocked to the floor and holds his jaw as we take a break.

We come back with Hart getting beaten up some more but getting knocked over to the corner for the tag to Yokozuna. Ramon gets shoved down off to Vega, who manages to knock Yokozuna outside. Vega is smart enough to avoid being taken into the corner before it’s off to Hart for a spinwheel kick. Yokozuna drops the big leg and Vega is in trouble in a hurry. The nerve hold goes on and we take a break.

We come back with Vega making the tag and Ramon comes in with a middle rope bulldog. Everything breaks down and a double clothesline drops Yokozuna. The Razor’s Edge hits Hart for the pin and the titles at 15:49. And never mind as Hart wasn’t legal so the match has to restart. The match restarts but Cornette is ejected for arguing too much.

Ramon hammers at Yokozuna and throws Hart onto him for a bonus. Vega comes in for a rollup on Hart and we take a third break. We come back again with Yokozuna missing a big elbow and Ramon crotching Hart on top. Hart reverses the belly to back superplex into a crossbody for two and they’re both down. Ramon gets back up…and we’re out of time at 21:49 with the match still going. Well that’s certainly an ending. More on this next week I’d assume.

Rating: C+. Well it certainly wasn’t short. I’m not sure I’d call it good, but just seeing a match get this much time was nice to see. Ramon and Vega were a fine enough team and maybe even a better fit than Ramon and the 1-2-3 Kid, at least in the ring. Other than that, you had your usual sluggish Yokozuna match, but thankfully the other three were doing most of the work.

Overall Rating: C. The main event was the big focal point here, but the problem is that we’re closing in on Summerslam, meaning King Mabel is going to be around that much more. For the life of me I do not get what Vince McMahon saw in him other than he’s a big guy, but that’s what we’re getting at the moment. Just move on from it already and find anyone else, because it almost can’t be worse.

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: July 17, 1995
Location: Danville High School, Danville, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 2,700
Commentators: Jerry Lawler, Vince McMahon

It’s the last Raw before In Your House and the big story is still Sid, who may or may not be scared of Diesel. Other than that, there is a lot of focus on Jeff Jarrett around here, which can’t be the best idea. We might get something else added to the show this week, though the card seems pretty full. Let’s get to it.

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

IRS says Shawn Michaels is going to learn what it’s like to pay the tax man.

Shawn Michaels doesn’t seem worried.

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Titles: Yokozuna/Owen Hart vs. Gus Kantarrakis/Jim Dimitre

Yokozuna and Hart, with Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette, are actually defending here for some reason. Hart works on a wristlock to start and then flips out of Gus’ version. A clothesline and dropkick put Gus down and it’s off to Yokozuna for a wishbone. Hart trips Gus for the big leg from Yokozuna and the Sharpshooter finishes Jim at 2:57.

The In Your House Control Center runs down the card and focuses on the lumberjack match. The rest of the show gets some attention as well.

Jean-Pierre Lafitte vs. David Thornberg

Lafitte knocks him against the ropes to start and splashes him in the back. They head outside to keep up the beating, followed by a Cannonball for the pin at 2:31.

Fatu is back where he grew up and now he wants to make a difference. Sweet goodness what a lame gimmick. It’s a perfectly nice idea, but they couldn’t have been more ham handed with it if they tried.

For the third straight week, here is the With My Baby Tonight video.

Shawn Michaels vs. IRS

Ted DiBiase is here with IRS. Michaels, in the always awesome looking black trimmed with red, takes IRS down to start and works on the arm to send him outside. Back in and IRS bails to the floor again, with Michaels grabbing the tie. A headlock takeover lets Michaels grind away a bit, and it works so well that he does it a second time. IRS finally manages to send him over the top for a crash out to the floor and the pace slows down a bit. Sidenote: I know it happens a lot, but IRS is so drenched in sweat that I thought he was in a light blue shirt. My goodness man that’s insane.

Michaels’ comeback doesn’t last long as he misses an elbow, allowing IRS to grab a chinlock. We take a break and come back with the chinlock continuing, as it tends to do. Michaels fights up and slugs away but gets dropped with a clothesline. Back up and the superkick finishes for Michaels out of nowhere at 12:14.

Rating: C. It’s not a good sign when the part of the match that stands out the most is IRS’s sweating. As usual, IRS isn’t interesting in the slightest but he’s perfectly fine from a technical standpoint. That was the situation again here, with Michaels just shrugging off whatever was thrown at him and kicking IRS in the face for the pin.

Merchandise shill.

Isaac Yankem DDS, again with Jerry Lawler in his office, pulls out a child’s tooth, which is censored due to the pain involved.

Kama Mustafa vs. Billy Mack

I wonder if he’s related to Willie Mack. Mustafa, with Ted DiBiase, hammers away to start but spends too much time yelling at the crowd, allowing Mack to hit a missile dropkick. That’s it for the comeback, as Mustafa hits him in the face for the win at 2:02.

Vince McMahon brings in Diesel to introduce his lumberjacks. First though, Diesel insults Sid and suggests he’s a CHICKEN. He insists he’ll keep the title and brings out the midcarders extraordinaire as his lumberjacks. Some of them say what they have planned for Sid if he goes outside, including Shawn Michaels promising a little chin music (for some reason, I’ve remembered the way he said that line for thirty years). Sid comes out for the staredown but walks away. The lumberjacks and Diesel celebrate (for some reason) to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. What was the big draw here? Michaels had a perfectly watchable yet uninteresting match and then….here are the midcarders who will be watching the main event of the pay per view? That’s about it, and I’m going to need more than that to make the show worth a watch.

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: July 10, 1995
Location: Danville High School, Danville, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 2,700
Commentators: Jerry Lawler, Vince McMahon

We’re less than two weeks away from In Your House II and that means we are firmly in the Sid Show. Sid is on his way to challenging Diesel for the WWF Title again, this time in a lumberjack match. Other than that, Shawn Michaels is ready to go after Intercontinental Champion Jeff Jarrett, who feels more than in over his head. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video recaps Sid vs. Diesel, which is somehow about to headline its third straight pay per view.

Sid is rather menacing.

Opening sequence.

Roadie vs. Jerry Flynn

Jeff Jarrett is here with Roadie. Flynn grabs an armdrag into an armbar to start before Flynn strikes away in the corner. An enziguri misses though and Roadie pulls him into a half crab. Roadie gets caught holding the ropes, so instead he settles for countering a hurricanrana into a powerbomb for the pin at 2:39.

Jeff Jarrett shows a rather large man around some country music offices but gets thrown out. This was stupid.

Now it’s off to Las Vegas, where Jarrett is with a rather flamboyant man and goes in to see Paul Anka.

Just like last week, here’s the With My Baby Tonight video. That’s four straight segments featuring Jarrett if you’re counting.

The Allied Powers are ready for Tatanka and Henry Godwinn.

Merchandise shill.

Savio Vega vs. Mike Khoury

Vega wins an early battle over arm control to start and gets in a slam. Back up and Vega hits a running corner clothesline, followed by some hard chops in the corner. A rollup (actually what Orange Cassidy would call the Mouse Trap) finishes for Vega at 1:47.

The WWF was at the Special Olympics. Still cool.

Here is Sid, with Ted DiBiase, for a chat. DiBiase insists that Sid is NOT a coward and we meet the lumberjacks (the midcard villains of course). Diesel is going to find out that he can’t run and hide, but a DIESEL chant cuts DiBiase off. Sid hits the catchphrase and we get an extreme closeup of his face (that is some serious nostril flaring).

We look at Barry Horowitz beating Skip over the weekend in one of the biggest upsets in company history.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Matt Hardy

Helmsley takes him down for a knee to the back as Vince talks about all of the fans comments on the “internet” after King Of The Ring. I’m sure they were entirely positive of course. A suplex drops Hardy again but he gets a boot up in the corner. Hardy misses a moonsault though and the Pedigree (good one too) finishes Hardy at 3:03.

Rating: C. The Pedigree alone makes this work, as Helmsley took his time with it and cinched it in much more than would become his norm. Other than that, it was just a squash with commentary ignoring the whole thing. That’s a running theme around this time and that’s not the easiest thing to sit through, but what else are you supposed to do?

In Your House Control Center so we run down the card and look at Mabel beating up Razor Ramon at King Of The Ring, setting up a tag match with Ramon and Savio Vega vs. Men On A Mission.

Allied Powers vs. Tatanka/Henry Godwinn

Ted DiBiase is here with the heels. They start fast and Tatanka gives Luger a DDT to put him in early trouble. The stomping ensues before it’s off to Godwinn for a slam out of the corner. Godwinn chokes away and we take a break. We come back with Luger still in trouble and getting elbowed in the face for two.

The big elbow misses for Godwinn though and Luger makes the tag as Vince goes on about how safe the WWF is compared to wrestling in general. Everything breaks down and Godwinn trips Bulldog from the floor to cut off the comeback. Back up and Bulldog hits a quick powerslam for the pin out of nowhere at 9:19.

Rating: C-. Nothing to see here again, but what were you expecting? The Bulldog can work with anyone and Tatanka isn’t bad, but the other two are just big guys who work power styles. That doesn’t make for an interesting match and yet somehow it would have been worse under the original plan of King Kong Bundy rather than Godwinn.

We get a quick Isaac Yankem DDS vignette, as Jerry Lawler talks about Bret Hart while Yankem does some painful dental work to end the show. This stuff scared the heck out of me when I was a kid. Today it still scares me, but for entirely different reasons.

Overall Rating: D+. Bleh. I’m very quickly remembering why this time was sup bad and it’s not getting any better every week. At the end of the day, the wrestling is bad, the characters are worse, and the stories just aren’t there. While there are a few interesting people on the show, they’re not around enough to carry things and the lack of depth is showing very badly.

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: July 3, 1995
Location: Danville High School, Danville, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 2,700
Commentators: Jerry Lawler, Vince McMahon

So we’re a few weeks removed from the Royal Rumble and unfortunately that means we are dealing with the reign of King Mabel. There is pretty much no good way around that, but thankfully we do have another In Your House coming up at the end of the month. That gives them something to build towards so it shouldn’t be nearly such aimless TV. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at last week’s Jeff Jarrett vs. Savio Vega match, with Shawn Michaels running in for the save. Tonight, we see what happened after the show went off the air.

Sid is ready for Bam Bam Bigelow.

Bam Bam Bigelow is ready to set Sid on fire. One of these promos is more intense than the other.

Opening sequence.

1-2-3 Kid vs. Mike Bell

Kid backs him into the corner to start and Bell is already accusing him of a hair pull. That doesn’t work for Kid, who hits a crossbody but bangs up his neck. Bell sends him into the corner and grabs a chinlock, which apparently hurts the neck more than the chin. Back up and Kid knocks him to the floor for a running seated senton off the apron. A spinwheel kick and an Oklahoma roll finish for the Kid at 3:02.

Rating: C. Watching these Kid matches back is making me think more of Rey Mysterio, who was much smaller than just about everyone else but learned to wrestle a unique style. It worked well here for the Kid, with the martial arts making for a good offense. Not much of a match of course, but more proof that the Kid was really good at what he did.

We go to the In Your House Control Center, headlined by Sid challenging Diesel for the WWF Title in a lumberjack match. We even hear the lumberjacks! Moving on, we get a clip from after last week’s Raw, with Jeff Jarrett saying he wanted to face Shawn Michaels, who easily beat up Jarrett and the Roadie. This set up Michaels getting an Intercontinental Title shot at the pay per view. The rest of the card gets a quick look.

We get Jeff Jarrett’s music video for With My Babe Tonight, which is absolutely on my wrestling playlist.

Bob Holly vs. Brooklyn Brawler

Brawler actually knocks him down to start but gets caught in a quick wristlock. Holly drop toeholds him into an armbar, followed by a dropkick. The high crossbody finishes Brawler at 2:53. Not much here.

Next week: Allied Powers vs. King Kong Bundy/Tatanka. Is that an advertisement or a warning?

We look at Adam Bomb and Henry Godwinn brawling to a double countout but Bomb got slopped anyway.

Henry Godwinn vs. Barry Horowitz

They’re bringing out the quality jobbers here. Godwinn powers him up against the ropes to start and chokes a lot, followed by an elbow for two. The middle rope elbow hits Horowitz as well but he avoids a charge into the corner. That doesn’t make much of a difference as the Slop Drop finishes for Godwinn at 2:59.

Merchandise shill.

Sid, with Ted DiBiase, comes out for the next match and DiBiase signals something to Henry Godwinn.

Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Sid

Ted DiBiase is here with Sid. Godwinn blocks Bigelow’s entrance but security breaks it up. They take their time to start, with Sid waiting over a minute before driving him into the corner. Bigelow is right back with some running shoulders and Sid misses a charge. Sid knocks him off the top though and hammers away on the floor, followed by a kick to the head back inside.

Bigelow’s enziguri misses though and Sid boots him down as we take a break. We come back with Bigelow knocking him down but charging into a boot in the corner. The powerbomb is blocked though and Bigelow goes up, only for Godwinn to shove him off the top. Sid gets the pin at 9:02.

Rating: D+. This wasn’t the best idea, as the point of someone like Sid is to showcase the power. That doesn’t work against a monster like Bigelow and since Sid is rather one dimensional, it was only going to go so well. Throw in the lame ending and there really wasn’t much hope for this one.

Post match Sid gives Bigelow a powerbomb, which goes as well as you would expect.

The WWF was at the Special Olympics. Nothing wrong with that.

Waylon Mercy vs. Jeff Hardy

This is Mercy’s Raw debut and he shakes Hardy’s hand, then mauls him at the bell. An overhead belly to belly and faceplant have Hardy in trouble to start. Hardy is sent hard into the corner as we’re told that Henry Godwinn is taking Bundy place in next week’s tag match, which is an improvement…I think? A sleeper finishes Hardy at 2:58. It didn’t help that they were both wearing white, making it look like a couple of house painters got in a fight.

Earlier today, Jerry Lawler went to the dentist and threatened a kid with his personal dentist beating up Bret Hart. Dang I hope that kid is a wrestling fan, because otherwise that’s the weirdest thing he’s ever seen. Almost as weird as the man who would become Kane with curly blond hair.

We run down next week’s card and look at Sid vs. Blgelow again to wrap up the show.

Overall Rating: C-. It’s rarely a good sign when the most interesting thing is a future legend makes a cameo, but that’s about all you had here. It’s a really dark time for the company as we’re in one of their worst years ever, but even worse is that it’s the worst time of that year. Just nothing to see here, and that isn’t going to change for the time being.

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: September 30, 1996
Location: Hersheypark Arena, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 3,923
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Kevin Kelly

Things got stupid last week as Jim Ross brought back the fake Razor Ramon, which makes me wonder how long it’s going to be before we meet the fake Diesel. Thankfully we have something a bit more interesting, with Undertaker and Mankind set for a Buried Alive match next month. That should work well so let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at the return of Razor Ramon.

Opening sequence.

Steve Austin vs. Jake Roberts

Jerry Lawler has a mini bottle of booze for Roberts as this is still going. Roberts drives him into the corner to start and then does it again, where Austin gets in a shot to the face. Austin’s headlock is countered with a shot to the face and he bails out to the floor. Back in and the threat of a DDT sends Austin right back to the floor, leaving Roberts to go after Lawler. Roberts cuts off a cheap shot from Austin, who takes over without much trouble back inside.

Austin slowly hammers away, including some driving shoulders in the corner. Roberts’ comeback is cut off rather quickly and a kick to the face gives Austin two. We take a break and come back with Roberts sending him into various buckles. Austin gets crotched on top but the DDT is blocked.

Austin gets two off a rollup with feet on the ropes, only for the DDT to get the same thanks to one of the same feet being on the ropes. Lawler takes some of the booze and spits it into Roberts’ face, which is enough for the Austin to hit the Stunner (minus the kick to the ribs) for the pin at 12:14.

Rating: C. My goodness how long is this Lawler vs. Roberts feud supposed to go? Roberts isn’t even talking to keep the feud going and Lawler already beat him once. It’s one of those feuds that just keeps going for whatever reason and that’s not a good sign. At least Austin got to win and feels important, even while being momentarily associated with this.

Post match Austin and Lawler beat on Roberts but Savio Vega runs in with a strap for the save.

Mankind is digging a grave as Paul Bearer approves.

Here is a ticked of Hunter Hearst Helmsley to call out Mr. Perfect for a fight. More on this later I guess.

Godwinns vs. Grimm Twins

The Twins are better known as the Harris Brothers and Hunter Hearst Helmsley is on commentary. Jason clotheslines Phineas down to start but Phineas is right back with a clothesline of his own. Jared comes in and gets shouldered by Henry and we go split screen with Mr. Perfect, who accepts the challenge. He’ll even give Helmsley a few weeks to get in shape. Jared is back with a quickly broken chinlock as Henry fights up and hits a clothesline. Phineas comes in and cleans house, including reversing a side slam into a Slop Drop for the pin at 4:24.

Rating: C. Pretty standard ordeal from the tag division at this point, with something else getting the focus while a boring match breaks out. There’s no reason to care about what the Godwinns are doing because they’re such one note characters that the interest doesn’t last long. Other than that, the Grimm Twins could have been find as a monster team, as it isn’t like they needed any kind of a gimmick to make their act work.

Remember how last week it was revealed that Jeff Jarrett didn’t sing over a year ago? It was really the Roadie singing and his name is Jesse Jammes. This is a thing that was seen as worthy of television time.

Razor Ramon vs. Savio Vega

Jim Ross explains that he never said Scott Hall would be here so he wasn’t lying. Gorilla Monsoon is on commentary to get on Ross for the whole thing as Ramon takes over in the corner. Ross and Monsoon get in an argument over whether this is really Razor Ramon when it’s not Scott Hall, with Ross saying he wasn’t going to bring Kevin Nash back either. Monsoon thinks it’s an embarrassment, sending Ross going into a rant about how embarrassing it was when he got fired.

Ramon works on the arm but Vega fights out of the armbar. A clothesline cuts him off as Dok Hendrix joins us, saying he’ll be trying to get an interview with Diesel. Ramon misses an elbow as Ross is still going on about being fired. Hendrix can’t find Diesel and we take a break. We come back with Ramon working on a chinlock as Ross WILL NOT SHUT UP about how great he is at his job. Apparently he is NOT responsible for stupid things like Doink, but here is Diesel to low bridge Vega to the floor for the DQ at 9:27.

Rating: D. So not only did they actually continue this story, but they actually gave it almost ten minutes of television time. That’s where the next big problem comes in, as Bognar is rather terrible in the ring. The real Ramon was talented and had a natural charisma to him that couldn’t be faked and that was obvious here, as the fake version was a disaster. And then fake Diesel, who at least looks a bit like the real thing (from behind at a distance if you squint), comes in for the DQ. Because they need to keep this story going as it’s just getting started you see.

Post match Ramon and Diesel wreck Vega. Ross: “Now the WWE knows how it feels to be embarrassed!” This is earning every single bit of its terrible reputation.

Undertaker promises to dig Mankind’s grave and bury him alive.

Faarooq and Sunny have split. Can he split from the gladiator gear too?

Jim Cornette/Vader vs. Jose Lothario/Shawn Michaels

Michaels and Vader start things off as Ross is still complaining about things with Diesel. Michaels slugs away but gets dropped with a single shot to the face. The running splash in the corner crushes Michaels as Lawler wants to beat on him…with a hammer. Well that’s violent. The powerbomb is countered with a hurricanrana and Michaels hammers away, setting up a top rope seated senton.

Vader sends him outside in a heap though and that means it’s time to pose. Back in and Vader runs him over a few times so it’s off to Cornette. That takes too long though and it’s off to Lothario, who drops Cornette with a single right hand. Vader comes in and goes after Lothario so Michaels comes back in to take over. The top rope elbow connects but Vader drops him again with a hard clothesline.

We take a break and come back with Vader thinking about the moonsault but trying the Vader Bomb instead, allowing Michaels to get his feet up. Michaels manages a slam but tries it again and goes down, allowing Vader to hit the powerbomb. The Vader Bomb gives Vader the pin at 9:31.

Rating: C+. Maybe it’s just how uninteresting or bad everything else has been, but I will absolutely take this for what it was worth. This was a simple story of the monster heel going after the champion and the managers being in there for their side feud. It’s not something embarrassing and it’s not something that makes me wonder why I’m wasting my time watching the whole thing. I’ll take that after everything else as as this is easily the best thing on the show.

Post match Vader goes after Michaels again but Sycho Sid runs in for the save. Goldust (facing Sid next week) runs in as well and it’s a big brawl to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. The main event helped a bit but at the same time, this show was focused on one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen on Raw. As is often the case for this period, it’s Shawn Michaels and just about no one else, with the tease of Undertaker vs. Mankind in a big gimmick match only having so much steam. Just stop doing stupid stuff and be amazed at how much better these shows can be.

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: September 16, 1996
Location: Wheeling Civic Center, Wheeling, West Virginia
Attendance: 4,903
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

It’s the last Raw before Mind Games and the big story is of course Mankind challenging Shawn Michaels for the WWF Title. Other than that, Goldust and the Undertaker are having a Final Curtain match, which doesn’t sound overly interesting. Finally there’s the Intercontinental Title tournament, which is only so special in the first place. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at the tournament, with the semifinals tonight. Plus Razor Ramon, Diesel and Bret Hart might be returning.

Opening sequence.

Jake Roberts chases Jerry Lawler off commentary to start really fast.

Jake Roberts vs. The Sultan

This is Sultan’s debut and he has Bob Backlund and Iron Sheik with him. Backlund sits in on commentary and praises Sultan and Sheik but doesn’t want to be bothered tonight. Sultan hammers away in the corner and the threat of a DDT is quickly escaped. Roberts keeps glaring at Lawler though, leaving Lawler to suggest Roberts is drunk. Lawler offers another distraction though and Sultan gets the camel clutch for the win at 3:05.

Rating: D+. The Roberts vs. Lawler feud is pretty horrible to say the least and that’s not just due to the pretty horrible subject matter. At the same time, you have the Sultan, who would have felt dated fifteen years before this, coming in and having a dull match. As usual, it doesn’t help to see someone’s debut lose its focus to another feud, which should tell you what to expect from the Sultan.

Post match Backlund is in a bit of a trance at the sight of the camel clutch.

Owen Hart, Brian Pillman, and now Steve Austin are looking forward to Bret Hart’s return at Mind Games. Jim Ross thinks something is afoot.

Bob Holly/Alex Porteau vs. Smoking Gunns

Non-title and Sunny is here with the Gunns. Billy gets knocked outside to start as Camp Cornette comes out to watch. Bart cuts off Porteau with a raised boot in the corner as commentary, again, talks about everything they can think of outside of the match. Bart knocks Porteau down again but pulls him up at two before handing it back to Billy. Camp Cornette’s distraction lets Porteau get a small package for two and it’s back to Holly to clean house. That’s cut off and the Sidewinder connects but Camp Cornette offers a distraction. Holly rolls Billy up for the fluke pin at 5:47.

Rating: C. This was more about advancing Camp Cornette vs. the Gunns and that’s not a terrible idea. I’m not sure which of the two I’m supposed to cheer for, but Holly and Porteau stealing a fluke win is a good way to give the title feud some more steam. It’s not like Holly and Porteau are going to mean anything, but I’ll take this for a little change of pace.

WWF President Gorilla Monsoon makes it clear that Kevin Nash and Scott Hall will NOT be here next week because they are under contract to another company. That sounds like covering themselves from a potential lawsuit.

Here is Jim Cornette, with Vader, for a public workout before hit match against Jose Lothario. Vader has been coaching him recently so he has wrestler Tony Williams here for an exhibition. Cornette does some basic stuff but Williams keeps reversing them and even works on the leg. That’s enough for Cornette to send Vader after him and Williams gets tied up in the ropes for yelling and slapping. You knew what this was going to be.

Intercontinental Title Tournament Semifinals: Owen Hart vs. Marc Mero

Sable is here with Mero and Pat Patterson (who will be refereeing the finals) is on commentary. Patterson also confirms that Razor Ramon and Diesel will be here next week. Mero starts in on the arm and gets Hart down into an armbar. That works so well that Mero does it again but Hart fights out and hits a spinwheel kick. The chinlock keeps Mero down as Gorilla Monsoon pops in to again say that Jim Ross is wrong and that Kevin Nash and Scott Hall will NOT be here next week. Ross insists that he’s right and that Razor Ramon and Diesel (note the difference) will be here next week.

Hart knocks him down again and we hit another chinlock. This time Mero suplexes his way to freedom but Hart knocks him outside. Ross goes on a rant about how Hart’s wrist is fine and the cast he has been wearing is completely unnecessary as we take a break. We come back with Mero fighting back, including sending Hart outside for a running flip dive. Back up and they collide so Hart takes the cast off to knock Mero silly…for two. Hart argues with the referee, allowing Mero to get in a cast shot of his own for the pin at 9:26.

Rating: C+. The match was what you would have expected from these two and Mero gets a win (albeit a screwy one, with the referee again somehow not seeing the obvious shot), but the commentary brought it back down. This stuff with Ross about Ramon and Diesel is killing the show, as not only is it not that interesting, but Ross’ rants are derailing everything going on. Just shut up about it already and save that nonsense for in between the matches, because otherwise it’s one heck of a distraction.

We look at the recent tour of South Africa. During the tour, Bret Hart wrestled what might have been his final match and he calls Brian Pillman and Owen Hart liars because he has not agreed to be at Mind Games. He isn’t sure about his future in the WWF and he hasn’t made up his mind yet.

Intercontinental Title Tournament Semifinals: Sycho Sid vs. Faarooq

Sunny is here with Faarooq, who actually knocks Sid down to start. A powerslam does it again but Sid is right back up with a knockdown of his own. Faarooq gets a belly to back suplex for two and we go to a split screen to hear Ahmed Johnson swear revenge when he gets back. The chinlock goes on as Jim Ross is STILL going on about Razor Ramon and Diesel being here next week.

Faarooq goes up but dives into a powerslam for two, leaving both of them down. Faarooq misses a sitdown splash to the back and we take a break. We come back with Sid slipping out of the Dominator and hitting a chokeslam. That’s enough for Sunny to get on the apron for a distraction, allowing Faarooq to chair Sid down for two. Sid gets up and chairs Faarooq in the back so hard that he knocks him four feet across the ring (by that I mean there was a REALLY obvious edit and yeah apparently this was filmed twice) for the DQ at 10:29.

Rating: D+. There’s only so much you can get out of these two and that was fairly obvious coming in. Faarooq gets to go on to the finals, where he kind of had to be for the sake of the story, and Sid gets an out without losing before he goes into the main event scene in a few more weeks. Not a good match, but it was all they could have done.

Undertaker swears vengeance on Goldust but it’s just a stop on the way to Mankind and Paul Bearer.

We run down the Mind Games card.

Mankind and Paul Bearer are ready for Shawn Michaels. That will make Mankind the new sexy boy and women will want to rub his ear!

Overall Rating: D+. The tournament stuff is dull enough, but the bigger issue here is this Razor Ramon/Diesel nonsense, as it’s dragging down everything around it. Ross as a heel isn’t something that adds any positives to the show, especially when you already have Lawler as a heel commentator. As bad as it already is though, it’s only going to get worse.

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: September 9, 1996
Location: Wheeling Civic Center, Wheeling, West Virginia
Attendance: 4,903
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

We’re back to the regular Monday schedule and less than two weeks away from Mind Games. Therefore Mankind is already coming after Shawn Michaels and that isn’t going to end well. Other than that, Razor Ramon and Diesel are apparently on their way back to the WWF and I’m not looking forward to this. Let’s get to it.

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

We get a quick preview for the show.

Opening sequence.

Intercontinental Title Tournament First Round: Faarooq vs. Savio Vega

Sunny is here with Faarooq, who is still in his blue period here. A headbutt staggers Vega to start and a shoulder runs him down. Lawler won’t shut up about Sunny, at least until Faarooq cuts off a crossbody and throws him down in Sunny’s direction. The spinwheel kick gives Vega two but he walks into a spinebuster for two. A snap suplex gets two more and we take a break.

We come back with Faarooq holding a chinlock, with Sunny getting in some choking from the floor. Vega gets up and grabs a victory roll for two, only to get caught in another chinlock. Faarooq grinds away even more but misses a middle rope headbutt. Back up and Vega hits a running boot to the face, with the fans greatly approving. That’s cut off as well and the chinlock is right back on. Vega fights up again but gets caught with what would become known as the Dominator for the pin at 13:38.

Rating: C. Faarooq was not exactly lighting up the ring at this point and there wasn’t much that could be done about it. His look wasn’t helping him either, as the whole blue gladiator deal never worked. Vega’s better days were behind him too, making this far from the most interesting match.

Post match Sycho Sid, Faarooq’s opponent in the second round, comes out for the pull apart arguing.

Some wrestlers with Ahmed Johnson well. Some of them like the idea of hurting him even more though.

Here are Shawn Michaels and Jose Lothario for a chat. Before Michaels talks about Mankind, he wants to talk about Camp Cornette. Michaels has taken out everyone in Camp Cornette except Cornette himself, but Lothario will deal with him at Mind Games. Lothario rants in Spanish a bit before Michaels moves on to Mankind. While Mankind has been running roughshod over the WWF, it all stops at Mind Games. Undertaker is going to deal with Paul Bearer and while Michaels might not be Mankind’s mommy, he’ll be his daddy. Don’t hunt what you can’t kill. Michaels liked that line.

The Stalker vs. TL Hopper

The Stalker is better known as Barry Windham and this is his first match in the WWF since 1989. We go split screen to talk to Owen Hart and Brian Pillman, who promise that Bret Hart will be back at Mind Games. Back to the match, Stalker hits a clothesline as Ross says that mentioning Razor Ramon and Diesel’s return has led to a snag in negotiations but they’re still coming. Stalker takes him into the corner and hits the superplex for the win at 3:29.

Rating: D+. The fact that this was Stalker’s big debut and they IMMEDIATELY went to the split screen and then commentary talked about everything else told you everything you needed to know about his future prospects. It doesn’t help that he was the Stalker rather than plain old Barry Windham, which would have been an upgrade. Rather lame debut, with neither side helping matters here as the match was nothing to see either.

We recap Mr. Perfect stealing Hunter Hearst Helmsley’s valets.

We recap Mark Henry agreeing to face Jerry Lawler at Summerslam.

Crush vs. Freddy Joe Floyd

Clarence Mason is here with Crush and sits in on commentary. Crush hammers him into the corner to start and then throws him back out of said corner. Make up your mind dude. A gorilla press and elbow get…nothing actually as Crush pulls him up. Floyd pulls the leg and hits a crossbody, only to get dropped onto the top rope. A big boot sets up the Heart Punch to finish Floyd at 2:40. Total squash.

We look at Bob Backlund bringing back the Iron Sheik. By that I mean we just show most of the segment.

Undertaker vs. Salvatore Sincere

Undertaker doesn’t have his usual entrance gear and, by his standards, hustles to the ring to start hammering away. Sincere gets planted in a hurry and Undertaker hammers away in the corner. Back up and Sincere gets in a few shots of his own, followed by some shoulders to the ribs. A clothesline gives Sincere two as the idea is Undertaker is banged up and distracted. Sincere gets two off a Russian legsweep as we get an insert interview from Goldust and Marlena, where they quote the Untouchables.

Sincere’s chinlock doesn’t last long and a side slam gets two. The chinlock goes on again and we actually take a break. We come back with Ross talking about Diesel and Razor Ramon progressing in their negotiations to return. Sincere knocks him down again but Undertaker pops up and hits the jumping clotheslines. The chokeslam and Tombstone finish for Undertaker at 9:57.

Rating: C-. So the idea here was that Undertaker was all ticked off and wrestling differently without Bearer….but it was Salvatore Sincere. There is no logical way under which it should take Undertaker about ten minutes to beat him. Even a half speed and distracted Undertaker should have been able to take him out in short order, but we got this for so long instead.

Overall Rating: C-. This tournament isn’t exactly must see television and some of the other stuff wasn’t much better. It’s just such a dead period for the company as the NWO is still white hot over in WCW and the WWF has absolutely nothing (outside of Mankind vs. Michaels, which sounds great) to counter. It feels like that is going to be the case for a long time to come and hopefully Raw can boost itself up a bit. Otherwise, we’re in for some rough television.

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: September 6, 1996
Location: Wheeling Civic Center, Wheeling, West Virginia
Attendance: 4,903
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Jim Ross

We’re a few weeks removed from Summerslam 1996 and due to the US Open tennis tournament, this show is airing on a Friday. It’s Raw Championship Friday and we are going to be having a series of title (related) matches, including parts of the Intercontinental Title tournament. Shawn Michaels is defending the WWF Title against Goldust as well so let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at Shawn Michaels vs. Goldust.

Opening sequence.

Intercontinental Title Tournament First Round: Sycho Sid vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley

The title is vacant due to Ahmed Johnson’s latest injury. Sid shoves him outside to start and cuts off an early comeback attempt. A swinging neckbreaker gets Helmsley out of trouble though and a knee drop gets two, with Sid sending him flying on the kickout. Back up and some right hands into a chokeslam set up the powerbomb to finish Helmsley at 3:35.

Rating: C-. Nothing to see here, with Sid almost squashing Helmsley. It’s still so weird to see that being the case but Helmsley didn’t mean nearly as much back then. Sid wrecking people is always fun to see though as he knew exactly how to do that kind of a match. The hand under the arm chokeslam always looked nice too.

Cue Mr. Perfect to escort off Helmsley’s escort.

We get a medical update on Ahmed Johnson. Things are bad, but they’ve gotten a bit better. Johnson promises he’ll be back, with his doctor saying he could be back at 100%.

Intercontinental Title Tournament First Round: Steve Austin vs. Marc Mero

Brian Pillman, still on a crutch, is on commentary and Sable is here with Mero. Austin doesn’t have wrist tape on here and it’s a rather weird look. They take turns powering each other into the corner until Mero armdrags him down. A dropkick gets two and sends Austin bailing out to the floor for a breather. Pillman promises that Bret Hart will be at Mind Games later this month while JR keeps promising some big story later tonight. Mero grabs some rollups for two each and we take a break.

We come back with Mero charging into a Stun Gun (hot shot), only for Austin to miss a rather Bret Hart style middle rope elbow. Mero hits a backdrop and a top rope ax handle connects for two. Back up and Austin pulls the referee into Mero’s shoulder to the ribs, which is enough for Mero to get the DQ win at 8:40.

Rating: C+. The ending was a nice enough touch as Austin loses without taking a fall, which is the right way to go. At the same time, Mero gets to look like a potential new star, which is often the point of a tournament like this. They only had so much time here and it wound up working fairly well, so we’ll call it a success.

Post match Austin gives Mero a Stunner and they have to be held apart.

Jerry Lawler is in the ring to talk to Mark Henry. Lawler mocks Jake Roberts’ efforts at Summerslam and brings up Henry cutting off the whiskey that Lawler was about to pour down Roberts’ throat. Henry doesn’t like Lawler, who wants to wrestle Henry, because he doesn’t know how to wrestle. Henry says he isn’t trained enough to wrestle yet, but Lawler calls him a coward. It turns out that this is a bad idea with the World’s Strongest Man, who grabs Lawler by the jacket and accepts the challenge. Henry really shouldn’t have been on television yet.

Mankind vs. Alex Porteau

Paul Bearer is freshly with Mankind after turning on Undertaker at Summerslam. Mankind hammers away as JR drops his big news: Diesel and Razor Ramon are returning to the WWF. Oh geez that’s what I was afraid it was going to be. Apparently Mankind is going to be challenging Shawn Michaels at Mind Games and he hits a running knee in the corner. A swinging neckbreaker connects as Ross talks about an amateur wrestler meeting with WWF officials. Some guy named “Kurt Angle”. Mandible Claw finishes at 2:08.

We go to a Special Olympics event in Toronto where Sycho Sid and some Special Olympians won a tug of war with an elephant. Nothing wrong with that. There was a big event that night as well, with Roddy Piper making a surprise appearance.

Bob Backlund plans to bring back the WWWF (yes WWWF) Championship and he has a trainer for his future champion. He has some “abomination” for this man: the Iron Sheik. The Sheik brags about their careers and commentary cuts him off as he keeps rambling.

WWF Title: Shawn Michaels vs. Goldust

Goldust, with Marlena (countering Jose Lothario for Michaels), is challenging. During his entrance, we get an insert interview from Undertaker, who is ready to end Goldust. Michaels isn’t having any of this jump start and knocks Goldust to the floor as we hear about Michaels in Playgirl Magazine. Michaels goes up top but gets knocked out of the air, only to come back with right hands in the corner.

Goldust hits a clothesline and then drops Michaels throat first across the top rope to take over. It works so well that Goldust does it again over the barricade, allowing Marlena to blow some cigar smoke in Michaels’ face. A suplex gives Goldust two and we take a break. Back with Michaels fighting out of a chinlock but getting pulled right back down into the same thing.

We go split screen as Mankind is promising a surprise for Michaels. The comeback lets Michaels get in a double knockdown and the flying forearm connects. Goldust rolls through a high crossbody and we take another break. We come back with Marlena breaking up Sweet Chin Music but Michaels slips out of the Curtain Call. The moonsault press retains the title at 11:55.

Rating: C+. You pretty much know what you’re going to get from a match between these two and it went perfectly well. Goldust was fine for a thrown out there challenger, which is what all he was supposed to be. Michaels was gearing up for Mankind and needed some more reps and it went well for a one off TV match.

Post match Mankind runs in but Michaels splits between them and escapes in a smart move.

Overall Rating: C+. I’m not sure how much this felt like a show dedicated to championships, but at least they had a nice title main event and checked off a few of the tournament matches. It was also a show that needed to help set the stage for Mind Games and it did that at the end, with Mankind vs. Shawn Michaels being the only thing that is likely to matter at that show. Give us one more match in the next few weeks everything should be ok.

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