Connor McGrath
WWF Monday Night RAW
May 15th, 1995
Live from Broome County Arena in Binghamton, NY
Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler
Show begins with IRS threatening to put a lien on Bam Bam Bigelow’s tattoos. Ah, when wrestling was KING! Bam Bam Bigelow says tonight, he’s gonna do what the rest of America wants to do and beat up the Taxman! These two former tag team partners are facing off in the main event of tonight’s RAW!
Vince McMahon says we are live from Binghamton, New York! It’s the night after In Your House 1. Jerry “The King” Lawler is still beaming about his upset over Bret “The Hitman” Hart last night. It was Mother’s Day, The Mother of All Matches, and “Mother Lawler” had a front row seat! Vince McMahon must be in a good mood because he doesn’t get too worked up over Lawler’s heel jackassery. McMahon says up first, our Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and Yokozuna!
Owen Hart & Yokozuna (with Owen Hart, Jim Cornette, and Mr. Fuji) Vs Bill Weaver & Nick Barberi
This is a non-title match. Lawler insists Owen & Yoko would have put the titles on the line if the ham & eggers asked, Vince McMahon does not agree with that statement. Owen waves the Japanese flag as Cornette yells at some fans, saying about the audience “See what happens when a fetus doesn’t get enough oxygen!” Rasslin! Vince McMahon builds up the possibility of an Allied Powers-Owen Hart & Yokozuna match for the Tag Team Titles. Looking back, this was definitely the beginning of the late ’90s era of Superteams. Yokozuna & Owen Hart, Two Dudes With Attitudes, Allied Powers,123 Kid & Razor Ramon and a few years later, Owen & Bulldog and Austin & HBK plus a bunch in the Attitude Era. Yokozuna gets the win for his team with uranage.
Jerry Lawler begs Vince to show some clips of his match last night with Bret Hart and Vince and the production team complies and we see some stills from Bret Vs Lawler from last night. Lawler dusts off the ol’ BrainScan Monitor from the Bobby Heenan days to draw some tears over a still of Bret Hart clutching his knee in agony in the locker room. Vince McMahon says they’ve tried to get a word with Bret Hart but they’ve been unable to find him. He DID give an interview to Jim Ross on the WWF Superstar Line! $1.49 a minute in the U.S! $1.99 in Canada! Kids under 18, get your parents permission to call!
We get the stupid New Generation commercial where an alien planet wants to blow us up because we had two World Wars and environmental destruction because they love watching Diesel or something. WWF, it could be saving the world!
Man Mountain Rock Vs Iron Mike Sharpe
Vince McMahon seriously jams out to Man Mountain Rock’s guitar solo. Rock is facing former #1 Contender for the WWF World Title Iron Mike Sharpe. Iron Mike loudly huffs and puffs but is unable to get Rock off his feet. Vince McMahon plugs Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom airing on USA Network later this week as Man Mountain Rock picks up the easy victory with… an armbreaker? Ah yes. Google tells me Man Mountain Rock’s arm bar was called the Whammy Bar. The more you know!
We take a look back at the drawing of the winner of the In Your House Win A House Giveaway. Vince McMahon tells us a little but about the winner. His favorite wrestler is Shawn Michaels – who will return next week against King Kong Bundy. Vince recaps the Razor Ramon/Jeff Jarrett & Roadie match last night. Razor got the upset but was attacked after the match by his opponents. A mysterious figure saved him, it was Razor’s old friend from the Caribbean, Savio Vega.
Vince McMahon interviews Savio via satellite. Savio is sorry he had to break the law but Jeff Jarrett & The Roadie were hurting his friend Razor. Savio starts ranting in Spanish. Vince is exasperated. This guy is crazy! He doesn’t speak English very well!
Barry Didinsky from the WWF Home Shopping Network shills an In Your House t-shirt with Sid and Diesel on front. It’s only available tonight over the phone! It won’t be in the catalogue! Only $16! Plus Barry’s got a Bret Hart t-shirt available. Lawler says he’ll slap everyone who orders the Bret Hart t-shirt.
King of the Ring Tournament Qualifier: Mantaur (with Jim Cornette) Vs Bob Holly
Mantaur is undefeated on RAW although The History of WWE.com tells me he lost to Bret Hart on Action Zone a week before this and to Razor Ramon during the buildup to WrestleMania XI. Another mildly interesting thing (and that’s being overly generous) is that Jerry Lawler pronounces Mantaur “Man-TORE” while all of the other announcers pronounce it “Man-Tar”. Vince McMahon announces the 1995 King of the Ring pay per view will emanate from the Philadelphia Spectrum. I’d almost rather watch something from that show than this match…Bob Holly borrows the formula that Randy Savage used for every Coliseum Video exclusive/D-show match he had in the early ’90s of getting beat up for 80% of the match before launching a quick comeback to get the win. Specifically, Holly wins with a missile dropkick followed by a flying crossbody. Could Bob Holly be the next King of the Ring? This will be the last Mantaur match we see on RAW. Thank God for that…
Todd Pettingell narrates an ad hyping up next week’s RAW.
Vince McMahon is in the ring with Bob Backlund for Mr. Backlund’s announcement. Mr. Backlund says his announcement will upset a lot of people but some people will be jovial at what he says to say. Backlund says at WrestleMania XI, he had a vision at the Hartford Civic Center, a minute ray. Backlund rants to the heavens in his gobbledygook. McMahon tells him to get to the point. Backlund talks about the Olympics starting in DC in 1776 and Alexander The Great dying on July 4th, 1776 to cause America to declare Independence. And On December 22nd, 1983 when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Backlund is all choked up. It’s an emotional moment. Vince McMahon says they only got a few seconds left. Backlund tells us he’s contemplating running for the Presidency of the United States. A nerdy high school band barges out to play “Hail to the Chief”. Vince McMahon is confused! ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN THE WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION!
After the commercial break, Jerry Lawler officially endorses Bob Backlund for President in 1996. Vince narrates stills of Sid Vs Diesel. Tatanka attacked Diesel and drew the DQ. Bam Bam Bigelow saved Diesel from a 2 on 1 attack! We haven’t seen the last of the war between these four.
Jim Ross gets a quick word with the former Money Inc. Ted DiBiase invites Diesel & Bam Bam Bigelow to form a tag team and challenge SID and Tatanka. DiBiase blames Bam Bam on ruining SID’s WWF World Title chances. Oh man, that was the setup to one of the most lackluster main events in WWF pay per view history.
Bam Bam Bigelow (with Diesel) Vs IRS (with Ted DiBiase)
Bam Bam Bigelow debuts his new theme music/ugly ass ring jacket and goofy pyro. Bam Bam Bigelow introduces the guy who’s gonna be in his corner tonight, a guy who he’d proud to be in a tag team with…the World Wrestling Federation Champion “Big Daddy Cool” Diesel. Diesel chases Ted DiBiase to the locker room. Lawler begs Ted to come back. IRS is very upset Million Dollar Man has left as well. This match is about as exciting as you’d expect an IRS-Bam Bam Bigelow in ’95 to be (which is not very). Crowd seems most excited to watch Diesel hang out at ringside, making sure that IRS doesn’t cheat. Bam Bam Bigelow wins with a falling headbutt after IRS runs into a turnbuckle that IRS uncovered. HOLDONAMINUTE! Here comes Sid & Tatanka to confront Diesel & Bigelow. Uh oh. Looks like we’ve got a four man confrontation but ah! We’re almost out of time, folks!
We get a video package looking back at the career of Shawn Michaels. Very nice thing for Vince to do for his boyfriend. This video package confirms (as if it wasn’t incredibly obvious) that HBK is returning as a babyface. King Kong Bundy interrupts the lovefest that Shawn Michaels won’t be back for long after he’s done with him!
Next Week on RAW: Shawn Michaels makes his return to the WWF against King Kong Bundy in another King of the Ring Tournament qualifier. Plus Kama, Razor Ramon, and The Allied Powers in action. Oh and the RAW debut of Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Bet this guy’s career in the WWF lasts as long as Mantaur’s did!
