Connor McGrath
WWF Monday Night RAW
July 10th, 1995 (taped June 26th, 1995)
From Danville, Pennsylvania
Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler
Our show opens with an up close look at SID. The way WWF portrayed SID in ’95 is really kind of frustrating. One minute he’s a psychotic, unstoppable monster and the next, he’s a big pussy. I really think it undercut him. SID has never been the best worker but people will want to watch him if you portray him as a giant, dead eyed shit-kicker but they booked him really inconsistently during his main event run during this era. Anyway, SID’s gonna tell us later tonight why he’s not afraid of lumberjack matches!
Vince is rocking a SWEET Monday Night RAW blazer here.
The Roadie (With Jeff Jarrett) Vs Jerry Flynn
As an eight-year-old mark, I was baffled as to why Jeff Jarrett’s manager was suddenly wrestling. It did not make sense for a manager to be wrestling to young me for whatever reason. I guess I never rented any Coliseum Videos where Bobby Heenan (or Virgil) wrestled as a wee lad. Roadie is taking on the man who would go on to be ranked the 242nd Best Wrestler of 1999 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated, “Thunderfoot” Jerry Flynn. Lawler thinks Jarrett will be bigger than Barbara Streisand. Vince McMahon is flabbergasted “Bigger than Barbara!?” Actually, not the first time I remember Vince revealing himself to be a Streisand fan on one of these shows. Roadie wins with a rollup after Flynn whiffs on a rollup. Jarrett mugs and takes the spotlight.
We get a flashback on some of Jeff Jarrett’s early vignettes with him getting thrown out of a talent agency in Nashville and him whooping it up with Rip Taylor in Vegas. Were they short on time with this week’s show? Not sure why they’re showing a year old vignette.
Then to kill more time we see “With My Baby Tonight” again.
The Allied Powers cut a promo on Tatanka and The Hogman. They aren’t gonna get in the Powers way of becoming WWF Tag Team Champions.
Savio Vega Vs Mike Khoury
Amazing to think that this match was Savio’s sixth match in a roughly twenty four hour period (four matches at KOTR, which was the night before this taping and one match earlier this taping). I can’t imagine this squash will be long. At least, I hope not for the Caribbean Sensation’s sake. Barry Didinsky shills the new, ugly ass Razor Ramon t-shirt. Lawler disses Didinsky. Vince & Lawler talk about Savio Vega & Razor Ramon’s match against Men on a Mission at In Your House 2. Lawler is a racist dumb-ass talking about Vega being “burrito breath” and how re-fried beans will explode over ringside when Mabel splashes Savio. Hey King, Savio’s Puerto Rican not Mexican, you dumbass! Savio wins a quick one.
We get a look at the closing ceremonies of WWF at the Special Olympics. Adam Bomb: Still apparently with WWF at this point. He gets to hit on Travis Barker’s future ex-wife (and then current Miss America) Shanna Moakler. Arnold Schwarzengger shows up and shakes hands with Dink The Clown, Savio Vega, 123 Kid, and Aldo Montoya. Ahnuld hasn’t hung out with that many goofs since he filmed The Running Man.
Goofy In Your House 2 ad where Razor Ramon, Man Mountain Rock (with some hot groupies), The Bushwhackers (also apparently still with WWF), and The Smoking Gunns whoop it up at some goofy teenager’s house and watch WWF rasslin while Bob Backlund rants to high heavens and Ray Rougeau (also apparently still with the company) commentates on it all. OF COURSE, it was ALL A DREAM! UNBELIEVABLE!
Vince McMahon is in the ring to interview the #1 Contender for the WWF World Title SID and his manager Ted DiBiase about the upcoming lumberjack match against Diesel at In Your House 2. SID’s lumberjacks surround ringside. DiBiase cuts a pretty good hype promo about the IYH 2 main event here. He’s obviously one of the great heels of all time but during this run in WWF, he seemed to content to sput lazy cliches. He seemed motivated here for some reason. Amongst SID’s lumberjacks is MANTAUR, who is standing next to Rad Radford and Jean Pierre Lafitte. Truly, a who’s who of who cares. Triple H is there too right between Jimmy Del Ray and Bodydonna Skip. LOL. IRS is wearing a blue dress shirt here! WTH? Did his laundry get mixed up or was he just like, “I’m leaving this company in a few weeks. Why bother?”
Jerry Lawler hypes shocking footage from yesterday’s Action Zone. But first Lord Alfred Hayes (still with the company!) shills WWF RAW on Sega 32x. Man, I might have to dust off the 32x this weekend and play NFL Quarterback Club. I saw those there in my basement not too long ago…
Anyway,yesterday, Barry Horowitz got the first win of his WWF career yesterday on The Action Zone against the undefeated Skip. Sunny was APPALLED!
Hunter Hearst Helmsley Vs Matt Hardy
Vince McMahon wonders if Matt Hardy is the next Barry Horowitz. Wise ass teenagers golf clap for Triple H. Vince McMahon compares Hunter Hearst Helmsley to Hugh Grant. Which leads to Lawler making some Divine Brown jokes. So that must have had just happened recently. My mind’s blown when Vince McMahon semi-openly acknowledges the internet wrestling community’s negative reaction to King of the Ring and promises In Your House 2 will be better. Vince then announces that WWF President Jack Tunney retired last week. End of an era. Helmsley wins with the Pedigree and Matt sells it beautifully. Even as awkward dudes just out of their teens (or still IN their teens in Jeff’s case), you could tell The Hardy Brothers were a cut above the average job guy in WWF.
Todd makes some Grey Poupon jokes about Triple H and gives the In Your House 2 report. As we heard earlier, MOM Vs Savio Vega & Razor Ramon has been announced! All three titles will be on the line at the show as well; Diesel defends the WWF World Title against SID in our main event in a lumberjack match. Jeff Jarrett defends the WWF Intercontinental Title against two time former IC Champ Shawn Michaels and Double J will sing his hit “With My Baby Tonight” before the show! Plus Owen Hart & Yokozuna defend the WWF Tag Team Titles against The Allied Powers. Bam Bam Bigelow Vs Henry O. Godwinn is another match just announced for the pay per view. TAKE MY MONEY NOW, VINCE!
The Allied Powers Vs Tatanka & Henry O. Godwinn (With Ted DiBiase)
The Million Dollar Corporation maul the Allied Powers before the bell. I know they were both in the same stable but Tatanka & HOG almost seems like a BattleBowl team. Vince & Jerry talk about Bill Clinton visiting Nashville to talk about the importance of family friendly television (?) and Vince takes an implicit dig at WCW (The World Wrestling Federation has been the standard bearer for enforcing it’s own safe guidelines on family entertainment, not to be confused by the undisciplined genre of professional wrestling in general). As I’m pondering all of this, Bulldog goes to hit the Powerslam on Tatanka but HOG interferes to give the odd duo from the MDC the advantage. Not for long as Allied Powers get the win when Bulldog finally hits the Running Powerslam on Tatanka for the three.
Next, another look at Dr. Issac Yankem! You heard of the thriller, now look at the driller! But first, Vince McMahon & Jerry Lawler hype next week’s RAW! The WWF World Tag Team Champs will be in action plus a special interview with Diesel, the undefeated Jean Pierre Lafitte, and Shawn Michaels Vs IRS! Lawler waxes poetic about Yankem pummeling Bret Hart while Issac torments one of his patients. HOW DID WCW THINK THEY COULD COMPETE WITH THIS!?
Next Week on RAW: It’s the final RAW before In Your House 2: The Lumberjacks! Shawn Michaels takes on Irwin R. Schyster in the featured match plus the WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart & Yokozuna will be in action and an exclusive interview with WWF World Champion Diesel!
