Written By: Bob Colling
World Wrestling Federation presents RAW
Date: 1/1/1996
From: Newark, DE
A video hyping up the RAW bowl style show. Vince McMahon hypes up all the guys that will be on the show, which includes a Billionaire Ted segment.
Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler welcome everyone to RAW Bowl.
Before the first match, Brother Love is talking backstage but what he says is unknown. Also, as Razor Ramon makes his way to the ring, Goldust’s usher gives him a box of flowers. Ramon punches the usher and turns around to see Goldust standing behind him blowing him a kiss.
Opening Contest: WWF World Tag Team Champions the Smoking Gunns defeated Sid Vicious/1-2-3 Kid, Razor Ramon/Savio Vega and Owen Hart/Yokozuna in a RAW Bowl match: All the men involved in this match are wearing football style gear. The referee is also dressed like a football referee. Owen Hart and Bart Gunn star off with Bart controlling Owen with a dropkick a few arm drags. Owen stumbles around and quickly tags in Billy. They lock up and go off the ropes but they don’t hit each other or anything and they tag in Owen and Yoko. Owen ducks a clothesline and slides through Yoko’s legs. Yoko clotheslines Owen as he comes off the ropes but Owen tags out to Savio Vega. Vega with a few right hands but is met with a back elbow after ducking a clothesline. Vega avoids a elbow drop but is scoop slammed by Yoko. Kid tags in and misses a spinning heel kick which allows Vega to clothesline Kid and get a near fall. Vega with a nice spinning heel kick coming off the ropes and gets a two count as Sid breaks up the pin. Owen tags in and his hip tossed and clotheslined by Vega. Owen stops Vega’s offense with a spinning heel kick and gets a two count. Ramon tags in wrenches on Owen’s arm. Owen comes off the ropes and is met with a right hand. Bart tags in and is knocked down by Ramon with a shoulder block. Vega wrenches on Bart’s arm and tags in Sid Vicious. Bart side steps Sid once but Sid pokes him in the eyes and chokes Bart on the top rope. Bart ducks a clothesline and knocks Sid down with a clothesline getting a near fall. Bart with a vertical suplex and gets a near fall on Sid again. Sid knocks Bart into a corner and Vega tags into the contest. Vega with a few right hands and attempts a scoop slam but Sid weighs to much and lands on top of Vega for a near fall. Owen with a kick to the back of Vega’s head for a two count. Yoko tags in and chops Vega in the corner as we go to commercial. Vega is met with a double head butt from Owen and Yoko. Owen goes for the sharpshooter but Vega kicks him away. Kid tags in and connects with a spinning heel kick on Vega. Kid tags out to Yokozuna and they double team Vega for a few moments. Kid misses a leaping splash in the corner and hits the top turnbuckle. Sid tags in to keep control on Vega as Kid tags back in and scoop slams Vega. Kid misses a elbow drop coming off the ropes and Vega tags in Ramon. Kid is met with a right hand from Ramon but ducks a clothesline. Ramon catches Kid and slams Kid down with a fall away slam. Ramon goes for the Razors Edge but Kid has called a timeout. Ramon doesn’t care and connects with the Razors Edge on Kid. Ted DiBiase pops up on the apron and gets a flag thrown. Sid clotheslines Ramon from behind and Kid pins Ramon to eliminate the team.
First Elimination: Razor Ramon/Savio Vega have been eliminated.
Bart is double teamed in the corner by Kid and Sid. Owen tags in and kicks Bart in the midsection. Owen rams Bart head first into the corner and rams his shoulder into the midsection of Bart. Owen with a snap suplex and gets a two count. Bart comes off the ropes and is kneed in the gut by Owen. Bart rolls Owen up as he comes off the ropes and almost wins the match. Owen scoop slams Bart and heads to the top rope. Owen leaps off and misses a flying head butt which allows Bart to tag in Billy. Billy enters and cleans house on all the heels with right hands. Billy knocks Jim Cornette off the apron and comes off the ropes where he is kicked by Kid. Owen with a swinging neck breaker and Yoko drags Billy to his corner for the Bonzai Drop. Bart moves Billy out of the way and trips Owen into the corner and Yoko connects with the Bonzai Drop on Owen! Billy covers Owen and gets the three.
Second Elimination: Owen Hart and Yokozuna have been eliminated.
Sid enters and kicks Billy over the head and hammers away on Billy. Kid with a running dropkick in the corner and Sid clotheslines Billy inside out! Sid goes for the cover but Billy kicks out. Sid has a chin lock on Billy but Billy is able to elbow out of the hold. Billy comes off the ropes and is met with a big boot from Sid! Sid connects with a leg drop on Billy but isn’t able to get the three. Billy with a inside cradle on Sid but Sid is able to kick out. Sid with a few right hands but Billy doesn’t go down. Billy with a few rights of his own and ducks a clothesline but is choke slammed by Sid! Sid boots Bart off the corner and Kid goes up top but Ramon has came down and pushes Kid into Sid and Billy rolls Sid up for the win! *½
After the match, 1-2-3 Kid looks like he is going to cry while the Smoking Gunns celebrate their win.
Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler wonder what Shawn Michaels announcement will be next week. Lawler says he knows that Michaels will be retiring.
RAW Bowl halftime report with Dox Hendrix. Hendrix hypes up Diesel/Mable match coming up later. Dox also runs down the Royal Rumble card. Dox runs everything down in under two minutes.
Second Contest: Hunter Hearst Helmsley defeated Henry Godwin in a Hog Pen match (WWF IYH #5): Godwin has his bucket of slop and goes to throw it at HHH on the floor but HHH moves and Godwin slops the ring announcer HHH sends Godwin into the ring and uppercuts Godwin followed by a few right hands. Godwin with right hands of his own and Godwin backdrops HHH. HHH pokes Godwin in the eyes but Godwin head butts HHH in the midsection and ties HHH up in the ropes. Godwin has some more slop and rubs the slop in HHH’s face! HHH breaks free and clotheslines Godwin from behind. HHH with a series of punches and boots in the corner. HHH drives Godwin down with a swinging neck breaker as RAW goes to commercial. Godwin and HHH are on the ramp way as we return from break. HHH sends Godwin back first into the wooden siding of the hog pen. HHH goes for the pedigree but Godwin blocks it by back dropping HHH onto the top of the pen. HHH leaps off the top of the pen connecting with a elbow drop. Godwin runs into a big boot in the corner and both men are down in the ring now. Godwin takes HHH down with a wheelbarrow slam and sends HHH into the corner where HHH flips upside down. HHH is sent again into the corner and flips over the top to the floor. Another commercial break as they go to the floor. Godwin sends HHH into the hog pen gate and plants HHH with the slop drop! HHH avoids a clothesline and backdrops Godwin over the top of the gate and Godwin falls into the hog pen. *
After the match, HHH shoves the special referee Hillbilly Jim. Jim shoves HHH towards Henry who drops HHH face first down into the hog pen!
A video highlighting the Bret Hart/British Bulldog match from IYH #5. The match will be aired next week. Also, Hakushi will take on Jeff Jarrett.
Main Event: Diesel defeated King Mable: Diesel sends Mable into the ropes and nails Mable with a big boot and simply pins Mable in under ten seconds. DUD
After the match, Diesel power bombs Sir Mo.
Jerry Lawler is going to interview Diesel, but instead Diesel takes a woman that Lawler had been hitting on throughout the show. Lawler is screaming her name but he isn’t able to get her back.
Backstage, The Smoking Gunns are celebrating with several baby face wrestlers in the back. Brooklyn Brawler gives them a trophy with his face on it and the Gunns smash it on the floor. Brawler gets ice dumped on him as he is held down.
Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler run down the card for WWF Royal Rumble and mention several names that have signed on to be involved in the Royal Rumble match. McMahon announces that the man called VADER will be apart of the Royal Rumble!
A video showcasing Vader’s strength is shown.
To finish the show we go to Billionaire Ted’s War Room. Ted wants more superstars so we see videos of Razor Ramon, Ahme Johnson and Diesel doing their finishers. The Huckster and Nacho Man refuse to do those moves. They show Ted what they can do and that is just posing. “WWF New Generation, on top of the hill.. Not over it”.
End of show
My Take: I hated the RAW Bowl match. To have a wrestling match follow football rules is just a dumb idea and the crowd was completely dead for it. It went on for far too long as it almost went on for half the show. This would be Sid’s last appearance for quite a few months as softball season is right around the corner.
HHH/Godwin was a decent brawl but wasn’t a fan of it really. I don’t know why WWF is showing matches from their pay per views on free television. The fact that they are showing the main event between Hart and Bulldog next week is just stupid.
Diesel pinning Mable in under ten seconds officially kills of the Mable character as any sort of threat in the WWF. Mable didn’t have a successful heel run after winning the King of the Ring in 1995, so having him off television isn’t going to hurt anyone. Diesel having a heel like attitude is a good thing.
The Billionaire Ted skit wasn’t really that funny. To acknowledge WCW like that is just immature in my opinion. McMahon was losing the ratings war quite often at this time, he should have been thinking of good TV material instead of good WCW insults.
Overall, not a good way to start of 1996 I thought. Judging by next weeks show it may be two bad weeks in a row.
Thanks for reading.