RAW Before The War (4-10-95)

WWF Monday Night RAW
April 10th, 1995 (Taped April 3rd, 1995)
From the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, NY
Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler

It’s eight days after WrestleMania XI and a week after a shocking RAW. This week, we’ll see what we missed during the last commercial break of the show! Plus a big six man tag main event, Former WWF World Champ Bret Hart teams up with former Tag Team Champs 123 Kid & Bob Holly against the undefeated Hakushi and new Tag Team Champs Owen Hart & Yokozuna! The heel team cuts a quick promo before the cuts. To be more specific, Owen cuts a promo since his characters the only one whose character speaks English, Yokozuna does throw in a BANZAI though.

Vince McMahon is here with special guest commentator Jerry Lawler since Cornette (who has been doing the job for the past 2-3 months) has to manage the Tag Team Champs in the main event. McMahon and King are in front of the horrible green screen. McMahon trolls Lawler by talking about him having to cheat to beat Bret Hart. Lawler’s not here to talk about that. He’s here to call it like he sees it! And he’s excited for our opener, Tatanka Vs Adam Bomb!

Tatanka (with Ted DiBiase) Vs Adam Bomb
Vince McMahon says Adam Bomb was very popular amongst the Special Olympians at the WrestleMania XI FanFest. Must. Avoid. Terrible joke. Tatanka got whooped by Chris Spielman during the Bam Bam Bigelow-LT match at Mania. Vince McMahon says the Million Dollar Corporation got humiliated in general at WrestleMania, losing both of their matches. They went 0-3 at Royal Rumble ’95 too. A  supposedly unstoppable heel stable that can’t win a match at a pay per view? The Million Dollar Corporation were the Wyatt Family of 1995! Vince and Lawler talk about a Larry Holmes-Oliver McCall boxing match the previous weekend because this show is LIVE. Lawler trolls Larry Holmes and Vince tells him to have some RESPECT!

Vince says Ted DiBiase is going to announce a huge signing in the coming weeks. He also says Bob Backlund has a huge announcement as well. Is Bob Backlund joining the Million Dollar Corporation!? No, no he is not. This match ends with Adam Bomb and Tatanka brawling on the floor and both getting counted out. I think Adam Bomb’s biggest victories in WWF were countout/DQ wins or draws. That wasn’t bad. Perfectly average match.

More hype for the WrestleMania XI Encore Plus replay tomorrow night, hosted by “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. I think this is the version that’s on the Network since the live broadcast was so fraught with errors. But like I’m gonna watch WrestleMania XI again. Even watching these ’95 RAWs (which have actually been better than I expected) hasn’t given me desire to relive that show

The New Headshrinkers  (with Captain Lou Albano and Afa) Vs Mike Bell and Tony DeVito
The New Headshrinkers are another act that I’m surprised were still around so late in ’95. They enter as Vince McMahon talks about how huge of a fan of Duckman he is. Duckman just so happens to air right here on the USA Network, on right after RAW! The New Headshrinkers have really toned down their Samoan savage schitck. They’re not only just wearing tights and boots like any other wrestlers but Afa is wearing a Hawaiian shirt and gym shorts with his hair in a ponytail.  Heels try to jump the Shrinkers but it backfires. The Shrinkers win with a big splash. Headshrinkers squashes as babyfaces seemed slightly less fun than their squashes as heels.

Vince tells us we’re gonna get our first look at Jean Pierre Lafiette. Lawler wants to know what McMahon said about his feet. Foreshadowing to Lawler’s match King of the Ring ’95? No. No, it’s not!

Jean Pierre Lafiette cuts a promo from WWF studios, sitting on one of the King of the Ring thrones. He has eight gold coins from the most dangerous pirates in the world that were blessed by a Cajun Witch. Wha what? How did WCW think they could compete with this!? He then ends up in a terrible jungle set. *shakes head* He’ll be debuting against Duke Droese next week. GREAT. Can’t wait.

We finally get a look at we missed last week during Shawn Michaels’ confrontation with SID. SID attacked his former boss Shawn Michaels and powerbombed The Heartbreak Kid twice. This attack horrified and stunned the fans into silence. And by horrify and stun into silence, I mean the fans went crazy cheering for big psychotic heel SID destroying Shawn Michaels. Diesel ran into the save for his old buddy HBK. McMahon says Shawn Michaels will be out o faction for some time. I guess we won’t get a Diesel-Shawn Michaels rematch at In Your House.

Kama (with Ted DiBiase) Vs Scott Taylor
Kama is wearing a giant dookie chain on his neck. Hey! What’s the deal? Those things have been out of fashion for at least seven years. No, wait, that dookie chain used to be the Undertaker’s urn. Vince McMahon does not see the humor in this. Lawler wonders if Razor Ramon’s jealous of Kama’s sweet chain. Lawler badmouths Steve “Mongo” McMichael. Is this what caused Mongo to join the announce booth on Monday Nitro? No. No, it was not. Kama wins with a slingshot splash.

Vince McMahon takes us back to last week again for a look at the vicious attack on Alundra Blayze after her big victory against Bull Nakano. Lawler uses this replay to talk about Geraldo Rivera challenging Bryant Gumble to a fistfight. Huh, was that a thing that happened in ’95? News was so much more quaint in those days. Blayze has suffered a broken nose from this attack. Same injury Gerlado suffered after a neo-Nazi threw a chair at him!

We get a word with Bret Hart, 123 Kid & Bob Holly about tonight’s main event. Bret Hart says you’re looking at the best of the New Generation. Bret wants a piece of Hakushi!

Another ad for the In Your House house giveaway sweepstakes. This house is valued at $150,000!  Please send a stamped, self addressed envelope with a 3×5 piece of paper with your name, address, age, and phone number to

WWF In Your House
PO Box 7906
Melville, NY 11775

Wait, this sweepstakes ended May 12th, 1995. DAMMIT

Bret Hart, 123 Kid, and Bob Holly Vs Hakushi, Yokozuna and Owen Hart (with Shinja, Mr. Fuji, and Jim Cornette)
Lawler makes fun of the kid who Bret gives the sunglasses to. Hey, Jerry, Be A Star! Bret looks like he’s wearing his tights from WrestleMania IX. Will his luck against Yokozuna be different tonight than it was then? I’m surprised at how much Yokozuna is involved in this match considering his size and you’d think this match would kind of use him as minimally as possible. Anyway, fun six man tag here. Finish comes when Bret dropkicks Owen into a Bob Holly roll up.

The show closes with another WrestleMania XI Encore Plus plug, centered around LT’s All Stars. “Order this WrestleMania XI Replay so you can see Ken Norton Jr. and Chris Spielman stand around a wrestling ring!”  Weird way to sell a show. Why not plug the  LT-Bam Bam Bigelow match itself again?

Hold on! Jerry Lawler’s got some breaking news! Owen Hart & Yokozuna are gonna defend their titles next week against 123 Kid & Bob Holly. Vince asks if they were embarrassed into giving Kid & Holly the shot but Lawler insists it was out of the goodness of their hearts! Have a good night, everyone, see you next week!

Next Week on RAW: The Pirate, Jean Pierre Laffiette takes on Duke “The Dumpster” Droese. HOW DID WCW THINK THEY COULD COMPETE WITH THIS!? Plus Owen Hart & Yokozuna defend the WWF Tag Team Titles for the first time against former champs 123 Kid & Bob Holly. 

 

Written by Connor McGrath

Connor McGrath is a public access television show host and part-time amateur comedian, who resides in Portland, Maine. He contributes reviews of Northeast independent wrestling promotion, NWA On Fire along with occasional guest articles.

Leave a Reply