WWF RAW 1/8/1996

Written By: Bob Colling

World Wrestling Federation presents RAW
Date: 1/8/1996
From: Newark, DE

A video hyping up the Shawn Michaels announcement regarding his future with the WWF is shown.

RAW opening video

Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler run down what is scheduled to be on the show.

A video of Jeff Jarrett hitting Ahmed Johnson with his guitar is shown. This attack occurred at In Your House #5. Jarrett also used a chair to attack Johnson.

Opening Contest: Jeff Jarrett defeated Hakushi: Jarrett with a wrist lock and scoop slams Hakushi out of the corner early on. Jarrett proceeds to strut and is greeted with boos from the crowd. Jarrett with a shot to the midsection and sends Hakushi into the ropes where Hakushi trips Jarrett. Jarrett backdrops Hakushi to the floor but Hakushi lands on his feet and leaps off the top with a shoulder block. Hakushi dropkicks Jarrett as he comes off the ropes and Jarrett soon bails to the floor. Jarrett trips Hakushi from the floor and stomps away on him. Jarrett follows up with a short arm clothesline and chokes Hakushi on the middle rope. Jarrett jumps down across the back of Hakushi as he remains on the middle rope. Back from a commercial, Jarrett has a abdominal stretch on Hakushi and is using the ropes for leverage. Hakushi hip tosses Jarrett and goes for a backdrop but Jarrett drives Hakushi down with a jumping swinging neck breaker. Hakushi ducks a clothesline and knocks Jarrett down with a sidekick. Jarrett avoids a dropkick and Hakushi crashes to the mat and Jarrett gets a near fall. Hakushi attempts a cross body off the middle rope but Jarrett avoids it and gets a two count on a cover attempt. Jarrett has a sleeper hold on but Hakushi gets out of it and kicks Jarrett in the gut and uppercuts Jarrett. Hakushi with a cartwheel back elbow in the corner and a forearm smash coming off the ropes for a near fall. Scoop slam by Hakushi and he heads to the top rope but Jarrett gets his knees up on a attempted splash. Jarrett signals for and locks in the figure four leg lock. Hakushi is forced to tap out. *¼

We go to Jim Ross who plugs the Royal Rumble which takes place on the 21st. Ross names plenty of names involved in the Royal Rumble match and another Vader video promo is shown.

Second Contest: Ahmed Johnson defeated Jeff Brettler: Brettler tries to punch Johnson but hurts his hand. Johnson connects with a odd looking exploder suplex and eventually wins the match following the Pearl River Plunge.
After the match, Jeff Jarrett runs down and tries to hit Johnson with a guitar but misses and quickly bails to the backstage area. Johnson smashes the guitar over the ring post.

A video promoting next weeks main event is shown. The Undertaker will take on Dr. Isaac Yankeem DDS. Owen Hart and Marty Jannetty will also be squaring off in singles action.

Ted DiBiase is in the ring with Brother Love. DiBiase says that he has been searching for the Million Dollar Champion. DiBiase has finally found his man and introduces the Ringmaster (Steve Austin)! DiBiase says that everyone will soon find out why he is the Million Dollar Champion. DiBiase hands the Ringmaster the Million Dollar Championship. Ringmaster shows everyone his palm and tells fans to touch his palm and find out what it is like to be a champion. Ringmaster is out to prove everything he says and announces he is in the Royal Rumble. DiBiase finishes off the segment by saying “Everyone has a price!”.

Third Contest: Goldust defeated Aldo Montoya: Goldust attacks Montoya from behind and deliver a few right hands. Goldust sends Montoya hard back first into the corner and takes Montoya down with a back suplex. Goldust with a running clothesline and taunts the fans. Goldust with a few kicks to the side of Montoya. Montoya gets some offense by taking Goldust down with a backdrop and goes for a hip toss but Goldust reverses into the Curtain Call and wins the match. DUD

Shawn Michael’s press conference is now aired. Michaels announces that he will be taking part of the Royal Rumble match and assures fans that he will go to Wrestle Mania.

Diesel wishes Shawn Michaels the best of luck. Razor Ramon believes that Shawn Michaels is coming back too soon. Owen Hart knows that Michaels is coming back too quickly and says he will get his hands on Michaels and make sure he never wrestles again.

Main Event: WWF World Champion Bret Hart defeated British Bulldog to retain the title (IYH #5): They lock up and Bulldog shoves Hart away, twice. Bulldog with a side headlock takedown but Hart gets up and trips Bulldog down into a arm bar. Hart with a wrist lock but Bulldog yanks Hart down by the hair and places Hart in a arm bar of his own. Hart backs Bulldog into the corner and cleanly lets go. Hart takes Bulldog down with a arm drag and drives his knee into the shoulder of Bulldog. Bulldog with a knee to the midsection as Hart comes off the ropes. Bulldog comes off the ropes and leg drops Hart for a near fall. Bulldog has a sleeper hold on Hart and yanks Hart down and chokes Hart on the bottom rope. Cornette nails Hart with his tennis racket as the referee was distracted. Bulldog goes for a cover but Hart kicks out. Hart backs Bulldog into a corner and deliver a few shoulder blocks. Bulldog regains control by sending Hart chest first into a corner and gets a near fall. Bulldog backdrops Hart and gets another two count. Bulldog goes back to a sleeper hold as we see Diana Smith rooting on her husband. Bulldog keeps the hold on by yanking on Hart’s hair. Bulldog shoulder blocks Hart but is catapulted down to the mat by Hart. Atomic drop by Hart and knocks Hart down with a right hand and head butts Smith’s lower midsection. Hart runs out of the corner with a running bulldog and gets a two count. Hart plants Smith with a nice pile driver and nearly gets the win. Hart with a shot to the gut and a side Russian leg sweep. Hart leaps off the middle rope and connects with a forearm drop as RAW goes to commercial. Hart crotches Bulldog on the top turnbuckle but Bulldog is able to crotch Hart on the top rope and Hart falls to the floor! Bulldog with a clothesline to the back of Hart and Hart goes face first into the ring steps. Hart has been busted open as he is driven back first into the ring post. Bulldog rams Hart into the guard railing and sends Hart back into the ring. Hart is sent back first into the corner and is met with a boot scrape from Bulldog. Bulldog with a pile driver of his own and gets a near fall. Bulldog with a delayed vertical suplex and gets a near fall. Bulldog military press slams Hart and only gets a two count. Bulldog scoop slams Hart and heads to the top rope where he connects with a flying head butt to the back of Hart. Bulldog covers but Hart is able to kick out at two. Bulldog with the bow and arrow submission but Hart gets out and goes for the Sharpshooter but Bulldog prevents that from happening and kicks Hart. Bulldog comes off the ropes and shoulder blocks Hart to the floor. Bulldog works on Hart as Hart gets back on the apron. Bulldog clubs on Hart and Hart drops to the floor before getting back on the apron where he reverses a suplex with a German suplex and gets a two count! Double clothesline in the middle of the ring and both men are down. Hart backdrops Bulldog over the top rope to the floor. Hart takes Bulldog out on the floor with a slingshot cross body and mounts Bulldog with a few right hands. Hart attempts a splash off the middle rope but is caught by Bulldog on the floor and connects with a running power slam on the floor! Back from a commercial, Bulldog has pulled up the protective padding on the floor and goes to suplex Hart but is crotched on the guard railing by Hart! Hart clotheslines Bulldog off the railing and rolls Bulldog back into the ring. Hart with a backbreaker and gets a two count. Hart sends Bulldog flipping into the corner and Hart crotches Bulldog on the top rope. Hart goes all the way to the top and drives Bulldog down with a superplex! Hart rolls over for the cover but Bulldog kicks out! Bulldog tries a quick rollup but Hart rolls through and nearly wins the match. Bulldog leaps off the ropes and is punched in the midsection. Hart with a few right hands in the corner and drives a boot into the face of Bulldog as Bulldog charged the corner. Hart with a Oklahoma Roll and pins Smith! ***½
After the match, Diana Smith is surprised her husband has lost to her brother.

Backstage, Paul Bearer and the Undertaker cut a promo. Bearer says it is time that his man gets a title shot. Taker says it is out of his hands and that the creatures of the night have spoken. Taker plans on delivering for the creatures.

Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler hype up next weeks show.

Billionaire Ted War Room segment is now up. They are trying to steal some catchphrases from the WWF. Turner says it isn’t time to start telling the truth. Nacho Man comes up with “Where the Big Boys play”. “There is nothing old and artificial here”.

End of show

My Take: Jarrett/Hakushi was pretty basic I thought. I was thinking perhaps the match would be a “sleeper” but it turned out to be a different kind of sleeper. Hakushi apparently only has good matches Bret Hart.

Ahmed Johnson looked pretty good in his squash match. There is something about that guy that makes me think he could’ve been a major player in the WWF if he had remained healthy.

Steve Austin is a good pick to be involved with Ted DiBiase. Austin doesn’t need a manager to talk for him though as I thought he cut a good promo here and he usually had some good promos in WCW.

Goldust/Montoya was just a extended squash match. I find the Goldust character to be very entertaining and actually interesting while somewhat weird.

I’m sure the people who bought the IYH #5 pay per view loved seeing the main event presented on free television. It is a very good match, but I am not sure if it is the full match. The finish seemed kind of weak but they put on a good show. McMahon was just trying to win a week of ratings against WCW. This tactic was used by Bischoff when WCW was losing the war in 1998. That one is talked about more, though.

Overall, the three original matches on this show sucked. The main event was the main reason to watch this show as you get a PPV match (literally) for free and it is a damn good one at that. Other than that, a pretty boring show.

Thanks for reading.