Monday Night Raw
Date: September 15, 2008
Location: FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler

We’re on the way to No Mercy and that means it’s time to start putting the card together. In this case that means figuring out what is coming, though the Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels feud should give you a pretty good idea. First though, Jericho has to get through CM Punk in a steel cage. Let’s get to it.

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

The cage is lowered.

Raw World Title: CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho

Jericho is defending in a cage with pinfall, submission or escape to win. Punk hammers away to start fast and whips Jericho into the corner, allowing Jericho to try a quick escape. That’s immediately cut off so Punk goes up, with Jericho pulling him back down. The running knee and bulldog look to set up the GTS but Jericho makes the rope. Punk is fine enough to send him into the cage and we take a break.

We come back with Jericho holding an ankle lock of all things before switching to the Walls. Punk’s crawl gets his hands and a leg out of the cage but Jericho pulls him back in and slams the door on Punk’s head. The Lionsault hits a raised knee though and Punk kicks him down, only to miss a running knee in the corner.

They fight onto the top of the cage and then crash back down to give Punk two. Jericho sends him into the cage and goes up, with Punk grabbing an electric chair for the big crash back down. Punk goes for the door but Jericho dives at him and winds up on the apron. A headbutt staggers Jericho…and he falls out to retain the title in a bit of a call back to Muraco vs. Snuka.

Rating: B. Good, hard hitting fight here as Jericho escapes again, with Punk basically beating himself. It’s a clever way to keep both of them going, as Punk got his rematch and didn’t so much get beaten as much as Jericho got lucky. At the same time, Jericho gets to move on, likely to his next showdown with Shawn Michaels.

Batista is watching.

Mike Adamle is talking to Kelly Kelly in the back when some annoying guy comes in to introduce himself. Dolph Ziggler or something. With that out of the way, Chris Jericho comes in and Adamle says it’s time to focus on No Mercy. Jericho doesn’t like that and says Adamle needs to take care of him better, even offering to explain it in his office.

Kane is in a mask but explains that he had to remove it. That was for all of the people but it got him nothing. Now people ridicule him and he doesn’t like that. He wants to hurt Rey Mysterio, who doesn’t have the courage to unmask. Everyone wears a mask because they don’t like themselves. When he attacked Mysterio, he was attacking everyone. Evan Bourne comes in and says he wants to see Mysterio beat Kane. That doesn’t seem to bother Kane, who laughs a lot.

Candice Michelle vs. Jillian Hall

Hall sings some Elvis on her way to the ring and after the break, cranking up the shrieking extra high this week. Beth Phoenix is here to watch as well. Michelle grabs a quickly broken headlock to start and is promptly planted hard. Hall pulls on the hair to keep Michelle down and we hit the full nelson. Michelle fights up and jumps over her in the corner, hitting a kind of Edge-O-Matic (nice) for two. The Candywrapper finishes Hall off.

Rating: C-. The Edge-O-Matic was nice and you can see that Michelle is trying, but it’s still only getting her so far. I’ll certainly take someone at least trying to get better though and Michelle is doing just that, which is partially why she’s getting the attention. WWE is trying to find someone new for the women’s division so they might as well try it with Michelle.

Post match Phoenix comes after Michelle and gets dropkicked.

John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Tommy Dreamer

JBL slams him down and drops an elbow, followed by a big boot. Dreamer gets a boot of his own up in the corner and grabs a neckbreaker, only to walk into the Clothesline From JBL for the fast pin.

Post match JBL says he isn’t leaving the ring until he talks to Mike Adamle. Post break JBL is still waiting and explaining that he should be #1 contender but gets Randy Orton instead. Orton talks about his recent champions evaluation, which is why he cost CM Punk the World Title. JBL isn’t much of an upgrade, though Orton’s shoulder is almost better and he’s coming for the title. Then there will be a champion on Raw with some credibility…so cue Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix.

Marella mocks Orton for being hurt all the time, just like his dad. On the other hand, Marella’s father is always healthy! Except for having herpes. Orton: “You expect me to respond to that?” JBL wants an apology from Orton because JBL knocked Batista out cold with one shot last week. Cue Batista to interrupt, quoting Barack Obama to suggest that Phoenix is a pig. Marella says Phoenix squeals but Batista promises to beat all of them up. Marella: “Aren’t you forgetting someone?”

Batista apologizes and offers Phoenix a title shot when he gets the belt back too. Mike Adamle pops up on screen to say he’ll make his official decision on a #1 contender later tonight. Batista takes out JBL and Marella but Phoenix slaps him in the face. That earns her a spinebuster onto Marella

In the back, Orton passes Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase and Manu, with some glares being exchanged.

Kofi Kingston/Jerry Lawler/Charlie Haas vs. Cody Rhodes/Ted DiBiase/Manu

Haas is Jim Ross this week so naturally he’s fat, talks about football, and pitches barbecue sauce. And yes, the fans are quiet for the dumb joke. Kingston headlocks Manu to start before slipping out of a slam and hitting a dropkick. Rhodes comes in and gets dragged into the corner for the tag to Lawler (the fans still like him), who fires off some dropkicks.

Rhodes knocks him down though and grabs the chinlock, only for Lawler to fight up and bring Haas in for some snap jabs. Everything breaks down and Haas hits a splash as everything breaks down. DiBiase avoids a charge into the corner and the cobra clutch Russian legsweep finishes fast.

Rating: C-. Hey did you know that WWE likes to make fun of Jim Ross every single chance they get? It’s the most one note joke imaginable in this situation and that’s not something you want to see. Well unless you’re Vince McMahon of course, which is why this kept happening. The match was just a way to get Lawler on the show, which was fine, though the fans’ lack of a response to Haas as Ross told you all you needed to know.

Smackdown Rebound.

JBL comes in to see Chris Jericho, who cuts him off and brings up JBL costing him the World Title last year. Jericho brings up the impending stock market crash and brags about being the champion. No, he won’t put a good word in for JBL to get the title shot.

Jamie Noble vs. Paul Burchill

Katie Lea is here with Burchill. Noble stomps him down to start fast but gets uppercutted into the corner. Back up and Noble slingshots into a cross armbreaker for the fast tap.

Post match Layla comes out to apologize for last week. She’s so sorry for taking that long to get away from Noble, because now she has found a man worthy of her. This brings out William Regal, who says Layla wanted nobility rather than Noble.

Lance Cade is meeting with Mike Adamle when Batista comes in, wanting to be #1 contender. Cade says Batista isn’t #1 contender and gets slammed into a wall.

Kane vs. Rey Mysterio

Kane throws him into the corner for a right hand to start before pulling a springboard hurricanrana out of the air. Mysterio slips out but is quickly choked on the rope to stop that just as fast. We take an early break and come back with Mysterio fighting out of a chinlock The elbow misses for Kane and Mysterio hammers away in the corner, only to be sent back first into the post.

Kane stomps him down in the corner but misses a charge, allowing Mysterio to hit the sitout bulldog. Mysterio sends him into the corner and hits the enziguri to set up the 619. That’s cut off with a hard clothesline and Kane stomps away in the corner….for the DQ, as Mysterio manages to survive.

Rating: C. This wasn’t some big epic showdown but it wasn’t supposed to be. What matters is having Mysterio back in the ring so he can fight back against Kane, though he’s probably going to need some help. For now though, it’s the start of what will likely be a bigger story, as WWE would never pull the plug on Kane being a monster or anything.

Post match Kane stays on Mysterio until Evan Bourne runs in for the save.

Dolph Ziggler introduces himself to Chris Jericho and Lance Cade but only gets a handshake from the latter.

Here are Jericho and Cade in the arena for the announcement of the next #1 contender. Jericho talks about how neither JBL nor Batista are worthy of a title shot, so they should face off at No Mercy and he gets the winner immediately thereafter. That’s two matches for one of them but that’s how he won the title at Unforgiven. Cue Mike Adamle to say he thinks that’s fair and they will have a #1 contenders match and will face the champion in the future.

Jericho asks what he means by “the champion” because he’ll be the champion. Actually hang on though, as there is someone else who has pitched a title shot, which he will receive at No Mercy. Cue Shawn Michaels, who says they have fought in a variety of matches, so what else can they do to each other? There is one more that he can do and it will allow him to hurt Jericho and win the title. He asks some people to help him out so they bring in a ladder, with Michaels climbing up to make the match official to end the show. Yeah I’d say that works.

Overall Rating: C+. The whole point of this show was setting up a title match at No Mercy and while Michaels was the fairly obvious pick, they did a nice job of setting him up as something of a surprise at the end. Throwing in the ladder matkes it even better and it should be a heck of a match. The rest of the show was the hit and miss stuff you expect from Raw, but the cage match and closing segments made it work well enough.

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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Superstars
Date: September 7, 1991
Location: War Memorial, Rochester, New York
Attendance: 7,000
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Roddy Piper

We’re done with Summerslam and that means it’s time to talk about the big wedding. The real main event of Summerslam saw Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth get married and this week we’ll be seeing what happened at the reception. Other than that, it’s your usual Superstars goodness so let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Roddy Piper goes OFF about Sid Justice being the only one willing to stand up to Jake Roberts and Undertaker. More on this later.

We run down the show.

Texas Tornado vs. Bubba Monroe

Commentary goes into their somber tones about the wedding reception and how horrible things were for Savage and Elizabeth. Piper shifts over to Tornado, who wrestles Monroe down to start. We get an insert interview from Tornado, talking about how Sgt. Slaughter should stay in seclusion after turning his back on his country. Tornado punches him in the ribs and hits the Tornado….we’ll call it a strike of some sort in the head region as it certainly wasn’t a Punch for the pin at 2:24.

We go to the wedding reception (Bobby Heenan shaking his head in sadness as he shakes Savage’s hand is great). They do the first dance and cut the cake and throw the boquet. Then it’s time to cut open the presents…which includes a cobra. Undertaker pops in to SMASH Savage in the head with the urn and Jake Roberts taunts Elizabeth with the snake.

Sid Justice is the only person to stand up to them, chasing Roberts off with a chair. Undertaker’s urn shot was great and there is something funny about someone filming Roberts tormenting the bride. Heck of a segment here, as it was so over the top that the villains look totally evil as a result.

Skinner vs. Scott Summers

Make your own Cyclops jokes. Skinner takes him down to start and ties him in the ropes for a neck snap. Skinner’s insert promo mocks the Dragon before Skinner hits something like a Pedigree into the reverse DDT for the pin at 2:04.

EVENT CENTER!

British Bulldog is ready for various villains, including the newly debuted BULLY.

Jimmy Hart and the Nasty Boys are ready to beat up various teams, including the Legion Of Doom. Knobbs accuses Jack Tunney wearing LOD shoulder pads so he must be on the LOD’s side. There’s a visual.

Virgil vs. Chris Duffy

For some reason Virgil’s entrance is missing. Virgil slugs away to start (must be mad about his missing entrance) and sends him outside for a dive. Back in and a slam sets up the Million Dollar Dream to give Virgil the win at 2:23.

UPDATE!

We look back at Bobby Heenan on the Funeral Parlor, where he suggested that the WWF Title was nothing compared to the REAL World Title. On top of that, there are some very loudmouthed people around here, like Roddy Piper. This brought Piper to the set, where he said Hogan was the only real champion. Piper says he scares Flair and spits on the belt to send Heenan running.

Berzerker vs. Kerry Davis

Mr. Fuji is here with Berzerker, who throws Davis around with ease. Berzerker ties him in the ropes for some running boots then throws him over the top for the countout at 2:27.

The Rockers want the Tag Team Titles and don’t care who they fight.

Harvey Wippleman brags about the Bully taking lunch money and stealing girlfriends at proms.

Bushwhackers vs. Barry Hardy/Duane Gill

The Beverly Brothers pop in to unveil the Genius as their new manager, which fits pretty well. The Bushwhackers do their wacking and stomping for about a minute and a half before Hardy grabs a headlock. That earns Gill some right hands to the floor and we wack a bit more. Some kicks in the corner set up the Battering Ram, followed by a double gutbuster for the pin on Gill at 3:45.

Rating: C-. It’s almost strange to see a match get so much time on this show. It doesn’t help that it was just an extended squash, with the stuff at the beginning taking up so much time. The Bushwhackers were never going to be anything serious, but at least they were good as a way to get the fans into things, which is what they did here.

We go to the Funeral Parlor with special guest….IRS? That’s the best you have? Bearer likes the idea of talking about DEATH and taxes and brings up the estate tax. IRS says even death is no excuse to not pay your taxes, which is kind of awesome. Bearer brings up Big Boss Man attacking wrestling, which IRS says makes him a tax cheat because he’s going after the government who taught him his trade. Bearer: “I think he’s just a hick cop from Georgia.” IRS wants RECEIPTS and walks off. This was some mixture of bizarre, stupid, and amazing.

We look at Bret Hart winning the Intercontinental Title at Summerslam. Roddy Piper praises Bret’s parents, saying Stu is a great man, even if Piper can’t understand a word he says.

Warlord vs. Mark Thomas

Slick is here with Warlord, who knocks him down to start and then hits a heck of a flying shoulder. We get the insert promo from Warlord, who wants the Intercontinental Title but settles for a knee lift to Thomas. A suplex sets up the full nelson and Thomas is done at 2:45.

Greg Valentine is going back to basics. Wait….WE’VE BEEN SEEING THE ENHANCED GREG VALENTINE???

Ted DiBiase and Sherri are upset over losing to Virgil but DiBiase seems to have a plan.

Here’s what’s coming next week to wrap it up.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling was the usual collection of mostly meaningless stuff, but there is a lot going on here that has me intrigued. You have what feels like Roddy Piper vs. Ric Flair on the horizon, plus everything that is going to come out of the wedding reception deal. Randy Savage is going to be ticked off and that makes for some great stuff. This was basically the kickoff for the post Summerslam run and that has me interested.

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 8, 2008
Location: Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler

We’re done with Unforgiven and the big story on the Raw side is that Chris Jericho jumped into the Scramble match but also won the World Title. That isn’t going to sit well with a lot of people, including Shawn Michaels, who beat him last night. CM Punk never made it into the match as Randy Orton kicked him in the head, which is going to require some revenge. Let’s get to it.

Here is Unforgiven if you need a recap.

Here is Chris Jericho to get things going and he is rather pleased with himself. Last night, he faced a hypocrite named Shawn Michaels. Jericho takes his shirt off to show what Michaels did to him last night. It makes Michaels a hypocrite to have whipped Jericho like a dog and the people loved every second. What did Michaels even win though? It was an unsanctioned match so Michaels won nothing, but Jericho won something.

Last night, Jericho could barely stand up but he took CM Punk’s place and won the title. Batista was so close to winning the title but Jericho outsmarted him. Cue Mike Adamle, who says that Jericho stepped up to the plate last night, but Punk didn’t lose the title either. Punk isn’t here tonight, but he’ll get his rematch for the title next week in a cage. As for tonight, Jericho can face Batista.

Women’s Title: Beth Phoenix vs. Mickie James

James is challenging and Candice Michelle is at ringside. Phoenix wastes no time in taking her outside for a ram into the post before working on the arm back inside. A lifting armbar is countered though as James sits on Phoenix’s shoulders, followed by a neckbreaker. The Thesz press lets James hammer away but they seem to mistime something in the corner. Phoenix grabs a quick Alabama slam to retain.

Rating: C. There is only so much that can be done here, as they didn’t have much time. Phoenix using something other than a Glam Slam for the win was a nice change of pace though, as it gave a bit of a surprise. James losing clean isn’t a good sign though, as there isn’t much of a shot for her to get the title back anytime soon.

Phoenix and Michelle stare each other down post match.

Layla and Jamie Noble are in the back, with Noble begging her to be in his corner tonight. Layla calls that a surprise but he has a real surprise for her: Jillian Hall singing “Layla”. That doesn’t go so well, but Layla will be out there anyway. Promises of Olive Garden are made.

Jamie Noble vs. William Regal

Layla is here with Noble. Regal hammers away in the corner to start but gets taken down by a quick headscissors. That doesn’t work for Regal, who knocks him down and drops some knees, which have Layla cringing. Another knee to the head gets two but Noble is back up with a dropkick. That earns him a running knee to the head to give Regal a quick win.

Post match Regal says this kind of thing only happens in fairy tales and then leaves with Layla, who does look back at Noble on the way out.

John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Charlie Haas

This week, Haas is dressed as….JBL, meaning he’s in the trunk of JBL’s limo. Haas talks about being a big Texas blowhard who loves to hear himself talk. He does JBL’s Texas two step and JBL glares at him rather hard. JBL: “You’ve got to be kidding me.” JBL doesn’t like being disrespected like this and then walks out for the countout.

Post break JBL finds Batista talking to Kelly Kelly, who both find this funny. JBL says he and Batista are both main eventers and Batista should get why this is terrible. Batista says JBL and Charlie Haas have nothing in common, because Haas actually won tonight.

Rey Mysterio says he had to take some time off after Kane attacked him. He’s standing here though because Kane didn’t kill his spirit. Even though he’s always an underdog, he is no one’s victim.

Rey Mysterio/Evan Bourne vs. Miz/John Morrison

Bourne and Morrison go into the corner to start before Bourne snaps off an armdrag. Mysterio comes in to stay on the arm but Morrison kicks him down to take over. It’s off to Miz to work on Mysterio’s right arm (that looks so wrong) until Mysterio fights up and brings Bourne back in.

A top rope Meteora and an assisted moonsault get two on Miz but he knocks Bourne off the top. Morrison’s chinlock slows things down but Bourne manages to send them into each other. The much needed tag brings Mysterio back in to pick the pace back up including a 619 to Morrison. Air Bourne gives Bourne the pin.

Rating: C+. Nice match here with Mysterio giving Bourne a rub in a win. I can’t imagine them being a full time team, but Mysterio giving his approval to any new high flier is a useful tool. Miz and Morrison are the kind of guys who can get their momentum back without much trouble so the loss won’t hurt them.

Post match Kane appears on the Titantron to say he is facing Mysterio next week. Then Mysterio will see why he’s a victim, and Kane holds up his old mask for a weird moment.

Here is Randy Orton for a chat. Orton talks about how bad it is when you have a title in your grasp and have it taken away. He’s not talking about CM Punk, but rather himself. Orton lost his title because of an injury but he earned his shot, while Punk never did. Last night, Orton took Punk out to prevent him from being exposed in the Championship Scramble.

Cue Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes and Manu, with Rhodes not liking Orton taking credit for getting rid of Punk. Manu introduces himself for the Raw audience and DiBiase talks about Orton slapping Rhodes last week….and then gets slapped himself. Orton leaves and the young guys aren’t happy.

Manu/Cody Rhodes/Ted DiBiase vs. Kofi Kingston/Cryme Tyme

JTG and Rhodes lock up to start until Rhodes gets in a shot to the ribs. It’s already off to DiBiase, who misses a charge at Kingston. Manu pulls Kingston outside for a cheap shot and a headbutt connects back inside. Rhodes’ abdominal stretch has Kingston in trouble but he fights out, only to miss a crossbody. Kingston knocks Rhodes down though and brings Gaspard in to clean house. Everything breaks down and Manu grabs a belly to back neckbreaker for the fast pin.

Rating: C. This was Manu’s Raw debut and…yeah he’s only so interesting. There’s only so much you can get out of this short of a match with so many people around and Manu isn’t that great in the first place. He’s just a generic guy who is there because of his father, which isn’t exactly making him interesting to start. Maybe that can change, but he isn’t off to a great first few steps.

Classics On Demand: Race vs. Flair at Starrcade 1983.

Snitsky vs. Santino Marella

Non-title and Beth Phoenix is here with Marella. We see the Honk-A-Meter, which shows Marella at three weeks, putting him WAY ahead of the Mountie. Snitsky gets distracted by Phoenix to start but comes back with a clothesline. The boot misses in the corner though and Marella gets a rollup for a fast pin.

Kelly Kelly is in Mike Adamle’s office where she’s worried about CM Punk. Adamle says it’s ok but here is Chris Jericho to interrupt. Jericho doesn’t think it’s fair to have him face Batista, but Adamle says Jericho owes him a favor after last week. Adamle needs a main event caliber performance tonight, so the match is on.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Chris Jericho vs. Batista

Non-title and Lance Cade is here with Jericho. Batista starts fast and knocks him down, including the shoulders in the ribs. Jericho gets knocked outside…and here is Mike Adamle to say stop the match. This isn’t fair, so he’s going to even the score a bit.

Chris Jericho/John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Batista

We’re joined in progress with Jericho getting in a cheap shot from the apron and coming in. Batista fights up but gets knocked right back down, allowing JBL to drop some elbows. It’s back to Jericho, but Batista makes the clothesline comeback. Cade gets on the apron though and the Clothesline From JBL drops Batista, with Jericho stealing the pin.

Rating: C+. This was an interesting twist and I can go with having Batista coming after Jericho. It’s a good choice for a first challenger, even if Shawn Michaels would seem to be the obvious way to go. Then again, if Jericho beat Batista here, maybe they’re just going straight to Michaels vs. Jericho while Batista faces JBL. Again. As their previous matches were just so interesting.

Post match Cade and JBL beat on Batista but he fights back and hits a spear to JBL. Cade gets Batista Bombed and Batista stares at Jericho to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I liked it for the most part, as thankfully they have combined the best thing going on the show with the World Title scene, which is pretty far overdue. Jericho and Michaels have been doing the best stuff for such a long time now that it’s good to see it as the official top story. The rest of the show was just ok though, with a lot of short matches which didn’t have the chance to do much.

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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Sunday Night Slam
Date: August 21, 1994
Location: Beeghly Center, Youngstown, Ohio
Commentators: Jim Ross, Randy Savage

This is a special (part of a series) of hype shows before pay per views, Summerslam 1994 in this case. I’ve seen some of them before and they’re hit and miss to say the least, but this isn’t exactly from the best time in the company’s history. This isn’t exactly looking promising but I’ve been surprised before. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Jim Ross and Randy Savage welcome us to the show and run down the card, which is very 1994.

Lex Luger vs. Crush

They test the power to start as commentary says they aren’t sure if Luger has sold out to Ted DiBiase or not. Luger gets an early knockdown for two but Crush hits him in the ribs to cut that off. The piledriver is blocked though and Luger hammers away, followed by a running shoulder to send Crush outside.

They get back inside and Crush goes to the back to take over, setting up the camel clutch. Crush crashes down onto the back for two and the bearhug stays on the bad back. Cue Ted DiBiase at ringside to count money and Luger fights out. That earns him a gorilla press slam though and we take a break with Luger in big trouble.

We come back with Crush still on the back until a double should gives them a double down. DiBiase seems to be cheering for Luger, who gets up for the signature clothesline comeback. A powerslam and DDT (that’s a weird one for him) give Luger two but Crush superkicks him down. The tilt-a-whirl backbreaker plants Luger but DiBiase gets up on the apron to offer Crush money. Crush swats it away (seems kind of dumb) and the distraction lets Luger hit the forearm for the win at 15:58.

Rating: C. This could have been a lot worse, which is about as high as Luger was going to get in the WWF. His offense was just so basic and generic that there was nothing to get excited about when he was in the ring. He was living off that single bodyslam and the luster has worn very thin. At some point he needed to win something (other than tying for the Royal Rumble) and that hasn’t happened yet.

Jerry Lawler and Vince McMahon are in the WWF Studios and talk about the disappearance of the Undertaker. We see Undertaker rising up through the screen at the Royal Rumble, with even Paul Bearer not being sure where he is. Then a bunch of people swore they saw Undertaker, which is one of the weirdest angles to build up a match that I can remember. This led to Ted DiBiase bringing back his version of the Undertaker, who was clearly not the real thing. Bearer realized it was a fake and is swearing that the real Undertaker will be back at Summerslam. This is still dumb and the match would be even worse.

Bam Bam Bigelow/IRS vs. Bob Holly/1-2-3 Kid

Ted DiBiase is here with the villains. Bigelow LAUNCHES Kid around a few times to start but Kid is back with the rapid fire kicks. A missed charge in the corner lets Kid fire off even more kicks to put him on the floor, where a big slingshot flip dive connects. IRS misses a charge at Holly and crashed to the floor, where Bigelow and IRS are rammed together.

Back in and Holly’s high crossbody gets two on Bigelow and we hit the armbar. Bigelow misses a headbutt so it’s off to IRS to slow things down (shocking I know). Holly gets two off a dropkick and it’s back to Kid, who is sent crashing out to the floor. A legdrop gives IRS two and we hit the chinlock. Bigelow comes in for a front facelock and a DDT gets two, leaving Bigelow shocked.

We flash back to the 70s as IRS hits an airplane spin for two and Bigelow grabs an Argentine backbreaker, albeit with Kid spun around in an opposite direction than usual. IRS drops an elbow to the elevated Kid as Savage sings Kid’s praises. The moonsault misses for Bigelow and it’s Holly coming back in to clean house. That lasts until a high crossbody is countered into a World’s Strongest Slam to give Bigelow the pin at 10:10.

Rating: B. The first two or so minutes of this show were as hot of a start of a tag match as I have seen in a very long time. They were all over the place and the fans were wanting to see the underdogs pull off a miracle. Throw in an airplane spin being used as something other than a comedy spot for the first time in forever and this was FAR better than I would have ever expected.

Leslie Nielsen is going to be at Summerslam to find the Undertaker.

And now, the Summerslam Report, which is, shockingly, about Summerslam. We run down the card and hear from Razor Ramon, who is ready to win the Intercontinental Title and has Walter Payton with him. Payton’s voice is not exactly intimidating.

Razor Ramon vs. Todd Becker

Ramon sends him flying to start and then grabs an abdominal stretch, followed by the weird STF variation. A belly to back suplex sets up the belly to back superplex, followed by the Razor’s Edge to complete the squash at 3:38.

Rating: C. This was about what you would have expected, as Ramon destroyed the jobber in short enough order. That’s a good enough way to get him heated up before he goes after the Intercontinental Title at Summerslam and I’ll take this over a dull match with IRS. If nothing else, it’s fun to see Ramon doing his cocky stuff, which he did so well.

Leslie Nielsen orders Domino’s and doesn’t realize the Undertaker delivered it.

Abe Knuckleball Schwartz (a baseball themed character) is on strike. End of character and storyline.

Bull Nakano vs. Heidi Lee Morgan

Luna Vachon is here with Nakano. Morgan gets an early rollup for two before Morgan takes her down with a short armscissors. Nakano powers out and works on the back, with a Boston crab making it worse. What would become Paige’s Scorpion Crosslock has Morgan tapping but that doesn’t mean anything in 1994 WWF. Nakano throws her outside for a ram into the steps from Vachon, followed by a seated abdominal stretch back inside. Morgan fights up and hits a dropkick but gets dropped with a hard suplex. The guillotine legdrop finishes Morgan at 7:28.

Rating: C. Well that was….lengthy. Morgan was a good example of why the division wasn’t working at this point. She was certainly trying in the ring and you could see that she knew what she was doing, but she felt like a relic from 1982 as one of Moolah’s old girls (and hey, she was one of them, albeit one who debuted in 1987). That’s not going to work in there with someone like Nakano, who was throwing out all kinds of crazy stuff for the time being. Morgan was absolutely not bad, but she’s not the kind of wrestler who was going to feel important at this point.

Here is Bret Hart for a chat (from Superstars, because doing this on the regular show would be putting in too much effort). Yes Owen Hart beat him at Wrestlemania, but this time it’s different with the title on the line. The entire Hart Family is going to be there and Owen was the one who wanted it to be in a cage.

Owen got his one win at Wrestlemania and maybe Bret was a bit distracted. Sure Owen has Jim Neidhart with him, and yes Neidhart is fat, but Bret forgot to mention that Neidhart is STUPID. Bret talks about looking through the bars of Owen’s crib as a child and laughing, which is what will happen at Summerslam. I’ve heard worse, but it would have been nice to hear it here, rather than from Superstars.

We get the still awesome Go Get Em Champ Bret Hart ad.

Typhoon vs. Diesel

Diesel’s Intercontinental Title isn’t on the line and Shawn Michaels is in Diesels’ corner. Diesel hammers away in the corner but Typhoon fights back with a rather easy slam. Back up and Diesel knocks him down, setting up the neck crank. Some boot choking in the corner has Typhoon in more trouble but he fights out rather well. The legdrop misses but Typhoon goes with the basics, meaning using his rather large stomach to crush Diesel in the corner. Diesel cuts off a charge with a boot though and finishes with a running clothesline at 4:58.

Rating: C-. When I saw this match advertised, it felt like something of a sick joke. At the end of the day, there is only so much you can do with Typhoon, whose lone characteristic is “he’s big”. Diesel’s offense against him worked and they did what they could, but you know what you’re getting out of a Typhoon match and it isn’t very much.

Leslie Nielsen is going around the world to find the Undertaker.

Vince and Lawler don’t have much to say in the studio.

Undertaker vs. Sonny Rogers

Ted DiBiase is with the Undertaker, who grabs him by the face and chokes to start. The Tombstone finishes at 1:22.

Leslie Nielsen isn’t sure how there can be two Undertakers and then has a fake Leslie Nielsen arrested.

Apparently Vince and Lawler will be taking live fan calls as the show continues, though there don’t appear to be any more matches. This part isn’t included on the WWE Vault version and the show just ends.

Overall Rating: C. There’s a reason that Summerslam 1994 is not among your more remembered editions. The show was built around two matches and this show featured one of them in a squash and the other was a taped promo. Other than that, the highlight was a 1-2-3 Kid/Bob Holly match, even though neither of them are on Summerslam. Nothing to see here, and really not much of a special.

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Monday Night Raw
Date: June 7, 1993
Location: Manhattan Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, Bobby Heenan

We’re on the way to the King Of The Ring, with the show taking place this coming Sunday. That should be more than enough of a focus, and now we get to see if Yokozuna is ready to face Hulk Hogan. Other than that, there is a good chance that we get a look at the tournament so let’s get to it.

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

Intercontinental Title: Shawn Michaels vs. Russ Greenberg

Michaels, the brand new champion (having won the title at a house show last night), has a brand new unnamed bodyguard is defending here (in case there was any confusion). A hammerlock takes Greenberg down to start and Michaels gives him a slam. Michaels grabs a chinlock until Greenberg fights up, which is cut off just as fast. The middle rope elbow and piledriver finish for Michaels at 3:48.

Rating: C. This was exactly what you would have expected as Michaels smashed through a jobber shortly after winning the title. The good thing is that they kept it short enough to not be dull but let it go on long enough so Michaels could look good. That being said, Michaels using a piledriver still doesn’t feel right and that’s going to need to change.

It’s the King Of The Ring Report, which runs down the card, including the first round of the tournament. Also announced: Shawn Michaels vs. Crush is now an Intercontinental Title match.

Michaels, with the bodyguard, storms down to ringside where he is livid over having to defend the title.

Adam Bomb vs. El Matador

Johnny Polo is here with Bomb. Matador works on the arm to start and Bomb is already bailing over to the ropes. The quick breather seems to work as Bomb is back with a powerslam but Matador grabs another armbar. Bomb powers out again and kicks away before ramming Matador face first into the buckle. Matador fights back and the fans seem into it but Bomb cuts off an O’Connor roll attempt. A slingshot clothesline to the back of the head finishes for Bomb at 5:32.

Rating: C+. Better than I was expecting here though I’ve long since been a fan of both guys. Matador is someone who had been established as a good hand for a very long time and thankfully that continued after things changed from years as just Tito Santana. On the other hand you have Bomb, who always felt like he had potential but never got the chance to really do anything important.

Tatanka vs. Peter Weeks

They fight over arm control to start until a hiptoss puts Weeks on the floor. Back in and a big jumping elbow hits Weeks but he actually fights back with some forearms. Tatanka goes on the warpath for the quick comeback, with the top rope chop connecting for the pin at 3:15.

Rating: C. Another squash here, but not quite as entertaining as the Michaels version, though that might be due to the other one featuring Shawn Michaels. Tatanka was someone who basically give you just about everything he was going to be able to do in any given match. That’s not giving him much of a ceiling, though there were far worse options for a short outing.

Here is Jerry Lawler (in pink) for the King’s Court. He’s sick of being in the Rotten Apple and insults various people who live here. After a break (yes in an interview segment), Lawler says he’s not talking about the King Of The Ring tournament because the winner is nothing but an imitation of the real king. Instead he brings out Mr. Fuji and Yokozuna, who are ready for Hulk Hogan. Lawler insults Hogan and Fuji brags about Yokozuna’s weight. Even Yokozuna is ready to win.

Rick Steiner/Billy Gunn vs. Fatu/IRS

Their partners are all here too. Afa is here too…and he’s having a WWF ice cream bar. Those Samoans have all the luck. Afa isn’t sure what to make of the $50 that IRS hands him but gets distracted by the good guys taking over on Fatu. IRS comes in and gets caught in the wrong corner, allowing Rick and Billy to work on the arm. That’s broken up and IRS accidentally decks Fatu, with the big fight being teased as we take a break.

We come back with the villains having calmed down, mainly thanks to DiBiase paying them off (the Headshrinkers ate the money). Back in and IRS sends Rick crashing out to the floor, with DiBiase and Samu sending him into the steps. Fatu drops Rick with a clothesline but Rick Steiner Lines his way out of trouble. The tag brings in Billy as everything breaks down, with DiBiase offering a distraction. That’s enough for IRS to hit a clothesline to the back of the head for the pin at 11:35.

Rating: C-. What exactly were you expecting out of this? It’s a mixed up tag match to preview a King Of The Ring eight man tag which wound up being a heck of a lot shorter than this one. The match was rather long and nothing of note happened, which made for a pretty lengthy stretch of TV time.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Here is Razor Ramon to offer the 1-2-3 Kid $7,500 for a rematch. As for King Of The Ring, he’s ready to make Bret Hart a Nutter Loser.

Overall Rating: D+. Well, King Of The Ring can’t get here fast enough, as a tournament show doesn’t exactly give you much to talk about on television. It doesn’t help that a bunch of big names are in the tournament and that leaves stuff like Hulk Hogan (not here), an eight man tag and Shawn Michaels vs. Crush. I’m going to need more to get hyped about than that and we didn’t see it happen here.

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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.

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WWF House Show
Date: August 27, 1988
Location: Philadelphia Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 4,418
Commentators: Dick Graham, Lord Alfred Hayes, Superstar Billy Graham

We’re two days before the first Summerslam here, which like the original Wrestlemania was basically the biggest house show of the year. I’m not sure what to expect with this one as the video is only an hour long, so there is no chance it’s the full show. Hopefully we get at least the meat of the card though so let’s get to it.

Commentary welcomes us to the show and they’re looking forward to the big tag match.

From what I can find, the opening match is missing, as Ron Bass beat Lanny Poffo.

Hart Foundation vs. Fabulous Rougeau Brothers

The idea here is Jimmy Hart (not here) has basically turned on the Harts for the Rougeaus, but he still owns the Harts’ contracts. The Harts aren’t about to shake hands so we stand around a bit until Neidhart and Raymond start things off. Neidhart isn’t having a headlock and shoulders Raymond down without much trouble. After some coaching from Jacques, Raymond slips out of a slam and hits a quick dropkick, only for Neidhart to hit one of his own.

That’s enough for a breather on the floor and it’s off to Hart vs. Jacques. We hit the pause again as Jacques offers a slow motion handshake, only to flip over Hart and do some nipups. Hart isn’t overly impressed but he suckers Raymond into the wrong corner and lets Neidhart hammer away. Neidhart grabs a chinlock with a knee in the back before Hart puts on a chinlock of his own.

acques is smart enough to draw Neidhart in though and a cheap shot lets the villains (er….the bigger villains) take over on Hart. The reverse chinlock has Hart in more trouble, which Graham refers to as being “in the den of thieves”. The Rougeaus start switching on the tags and Neidhart gets drawn in again, allowing an assisted gutbuster to drop Hart again. Hart is able to get over for the tag…but Jacques has the referee. Well of course they do.

An abdominal stretch has Hart in more trouble and of course Raymond is right there for some cheating. They finally get caught and Hart gets over for the tag to Neidhart, who gets to clean house (Graham describes him as “turned on”). An elbow to the face gets a VERY delayed (and slow) two on Raymond and a middle rope elbow gets the same. Everything breaks down and Jacques gets in a cheap shot on Hart, which is enough for the pin at 17:46.

Rating: B. These teams worked very well together so it’s no surprise that the match wound up being a success. They knew each other and how to work against each other, with the Harts slipping right into the good guy mode without missing a beat. The idea of the Harts being a step off without Jimmy around made sense and it would take a long, long time for the payoff when they got the Tag Team Titles back, but dang it was worth the wait. Good match here.

It looks like we’re missing the Blue Blazer beating Barry Horowitz.

WWF Title: Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase

Savage is defending in the rare bright blue trunks and has Elizabeth with him, while DiBiase has Virgil. On the other hand DiBiase doesn’t have his wrist tape for a weird visual. Savage goes nuts (shocking I know) to start and hammers away, knocking DiBiase to the floor before the bell. Not to be unfair, Savage knocks him out to the floor after the bell as well and stays on him outside.

Back in and DiBiase gets a boot up in the corner and sends Savage back outside before choking away inside. An elbow on the floor keeps Savage in trouble and DiBiase yells at Elizabeth, just in case you forgot he was the villain. Savage manages to knock him away for a bit and goes up top but gets knocked right back out of the air. DiBiase misses his falling middle rope elbow (as he tended to do) and Savage gets in his clothesline.

The neck snap over the top rocks DiBiase and Savage knocks him to the floor for the ax handle. Another ax handle inside connects but he goes after Virgil (even Hayes thinks this is a bad idea) instead of covering. DiBiase knees Virgil by mistake but is fine enough to get in a right hand.

The Million Dollar Dream goes on and gets two arm drops, with Savage falling into the ropes for the break. With the referee distracted, Virgil gets in a cheap shot to give DiBiase another near fall, meaning it’s time for Virgil to take off the turnbuckle pad. DiBiase is sent into it instead though and they both go down. Savage covers but Virgil runs in for the DQ at 12:46.

Rating: B. Gah they were rolling there until the end, which wasn’t the most interesting. These two were showing great chemistry as they always did and they were this close to tearing the house down again. It makes sense as Summerslam was coming up and they didn’t want DiBiase looking weak, but dang they came up just short before the finish.

Post match the big beatdown is on until the referee manages to break it up.

Also missing: King Haku vs. Tito Santana going to a time limit draw (that could have been interesting) and the Powers Of Pain beating the Bolsheviks (not so much).

Jake Roberts vs. Rick Rude

They stare at each other to start until Roberts slugs away and grabs a rather aggressive headlock. That’s broken up and Rude leapfrogs him, only to get hit in the face and headlocked again. Roberts grinds away on that for a bit but it’s still way too early for the DDT. Rude bails to the floor and then stays on the apron as the snake bag is WAY too active.

Back in and Roberts tries to get him over to the bag, meaning it’s time to head outside again. Rude gets back in and gets headlocked, with a belly to back suplex not being enough to get him out. Back up and Rude manages to escape and drops an ax handle before working on the arm. This goes on for a good while, which tended to be the case for these two. Roberts FINALLY gets up and sends Rude outside, only for him to come back in and go after the arm again.

At least Rude is mocking the crowd as this holds goes on, because otherwise there would be a grand total of nothing here. Rude seems to crotch himself on the arm but gets a knee up in the corner to cut Roberts off anyway. Indeed we go right back to the armbar but this time Roberts fights out and hits a knee lift.

Rude’s tights are pulled down (as usual) and the short arm clothesline gives us a double breather. The DDT is loaded up but the referee gets bumped, leaving Rude to hit the Rude Awakening to no count. The referee finally wakes up and counts two before they go outside, where Rude throws the bag at Roberts. That’s enough for Rude to beat the count back in at 18:40.

Rating: D. Well, it was kind of better than their Wrestlemania match but not by much. Roberts has a really bad tendency to spend his matches in holds, with almost nothing else going on for long stretches. That’s what we had here, as they stalled to start, spent most of the match in the armbar, and then went to the ending. That’s not interesting, no matter how many faces Rude was making at the crowd.

Post match Roberts goes after Rude again and covers him with Damien to end the show. Well that’s slightly better.

Overall Rating: B-. Calling this a house show is a bit of a stretch as more than half of the matches are missing, but I can only get so upset with it when we were missing things Ron Bass and Barry Horowitz. The Roberts vs. Rude match was pretty useless, but the other two matches worked well. It has pretty much nothing to do with Summerslam which I don’t think was actually mentioned, but I can always go for a late 80s house show.

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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.

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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:

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

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:

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