Written By: Bob Colling
World Wrestling Federation presents RAW
Date: 1/15/1996
From: Denmark, DE
A video of Martin Luther King is shown as it is Martin Luther King day. “Long live the dream”.
A video package hyping up the show features Sunny and apparently using her looks to get what she wants from Gorilla Monsoon. Goldust will be interviewed and Undertaker squares off against Isaac Yankeem.
RAW opening video.
Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler talk about the main event of the evening. Lawler basically says that his man Isaac Yankeem will defeat the Undertaker.
Opening Contest: Owen Hart defeated Marty Jannetty: Hart with a wrist lock but Jannetty reverses with a arm drag and monkey flips Hart. Hart gets up and shoves Jannetty before being taken down by Jannetty. Jannetty with a front face lock but Hart places Jannetty on the top rope and fakes a punch. Jannetty leaps off and arm drags Hart followed by right hands. Hart avoids a scoop slam and rolls through a roll up but is clotheslined by Jannetty for a near fall. Jannetty with a sleeper hold but Hart gets to his feet and is shoulder blocked by Jannetty. Hart connects with a side belly to belly suplex as Jannetty comes running of the ropes. Hart with a backbreaker and stomps away on Jannetty. Jannetty with a cross body off the middle rope for a near fall. Jannetty blocks a kick and Hart nails Jannetty with his free leg which gets him a near fall. Hart with a sleeper hold but is taken down by Jannetty, who misses a standing elbow drop. Hart goes for the sharpshooter but Jannetty kicks Hart away. Hart with a standing dropkick and taunts the fans. Hart with a few shoulder rams in the corner and uppercuts Jannetty into the corner. Jannetty with a knee lift and a clothesline out of the corner. Hart stops Jannetty with a eye rake and drives Jannetty down with a gut wrench suplex for a near fall as RAW goes to commercial. Hart with a standing leg drop and goes for a backdrop but Jannetty blocks it and drives Hart down face first. Hart runs into a big boot in the corner and Jannetty leaps off the middle rope connecting with a flipping ace crusher. Jannetty power slams Hart as he comes off the ropes and clotheslines Hart over the top to the floor. Jannetty hammers away on Hart on the apron and goes for a suplex into the ring but Hart reverses and is able to roll Jannetty up soon after to win the match. **
Todd Pettengill is at a studio and hypes up the Royal Rumble happening in six days. Pettengill mentions that there is a thirty minute pre show named “Free For All”. Diesel cuts a promo about winning the Royal Rumble and he is sick and tired of people saying that Vader is winning the Rumble.
A video promoting the debut of Vader at the Royal Rumble is shown.
Backstage, Dox Hendrix confirms that Razor Ramon is on his way to tear Goldust apart.
Second Contest: The Ringmaster defeated Matt Hardy: Side headlock by Ringmaster and takes Hardy down to the mat, a couple of times. Hardy rolls Ringmaster over for a near fall and shoulder blocks Ringmaster. Ringmaster with a Thez Press and hammers away on Hardy but is almost pinned by Hardy. Ringmaster with a quick clothesline and backdrops Hardy. Ringmaster with several right hands in the corner. Ringmaster drops Hardy throat first across the top rope and locks in the Million Dollar Dream to win the match. *
A video going over the recent events in Shawn Michaels life.
Backstage, Dox Hendrix again says that Razor Ramon is a few miles away.
Third Contest: WWF World Tag Team Champions the Smoking Gunns defeated the Spiders in a non-title match: This match is joined in progress. The Spiders are double teaming Billy Gunn until Billy is able to drive one of the Spiders down with a Fame Asser. Bart gets the tag and cleans house on the spiders. The Gunns quickly connect with the side slam/leg drop finisher and win the match.
Billionaire Ted War Room is now up. Ted mentions all the things he has bought and is unable to buy the WWF. They are saying that their wrestling is better and that Hogan and Savage are not loyal. Ted wants to call Hogan the “Boy Toy”.
Vince McMahon is standing in the ring and invites Goldust to come down to the ring for a interview. McMahon says that Ramon has become “unnerved” due to Goldust antics. McMahon asks if Goldust really means what he says or is trying to take advantage of Ramon’s fear of homosexuals. Goldust has looked very hard to find the man who can give him the worst time of this life. Goldust says that he wants Ramon “so bad”. Goldust tells Ramon to never forget the name of Goldust! McMahon has a disgusted look on his face. Lawler says “Goldust is here and he may be queer but get used to it”.
Backstage, Dox Hendrix reveals that Razor Ramon has arrived to the building and will try to get a word with Ramon.
A video hyping up the Bret Hart vs. Undertaker World Championship match is shown.
Razor Ramon shows up and makes his way to the locker room to find Goldust.
Before the main event, Lawler tells Yankeem to not be afraid of the Undertaker.
Main Event: The Undertaker defeated Dr. Isaac Yankem: Yankeem gets right in Taker’s face to start off the contest and tries to get a cheap shot in but Taker blocks and works on Yankeem in the corner with a few right hands. Yankeem comes out of the corner and is clotheslined by Taker. Taker scoop slams Yankeem and grabs the jaw of Yankeem in the corner. Taker sends Yankeem into the corner but runs into a back elbow and Yankeem clotheslines Taker. Taker sits up quickly and goes for a backdrop but is kicked in the face. Taker isn’t affected and goes for the tombstone but Yankeem manages to wiggle his way to the floor. Taker with a few right hands and chokes Yankeem against the ring post. Taker sends Yankeem shoulder first into the ring post. Lawler leaves the announcers spot and tries to steal the urn from Paul Bearer. Taker notices this and stalks Lawler who runs away. Yankeem with a boot to the midsection and rams Taker back first into the ring post as RAW goes to commercial. Back in the ring, Yankeem delivers a few shots to Taker’s lower back. Yankeem with a half Boston Crab but lets go. Yankeem rams Taker head first into the corner and has a bear hug locked in. Taker gets out of the hold and takes Yankeem down with a back suplex. Taker sits up and hammers away on Yankeem but comes off the ropes and is power slammed. Yankeem with a few elbow drops and taunts the fans. Yankeem goes for the tombstone but Taker reverses it and eventually connects with the tombstone to win the match. *¼
Backstage, Goldust is standing with Dox Hendrix. Goldust is talking about his match with Bret Hart next week until he is attacked by Razor Ramon. Ramon sends Goldust into a guard railing and the wall. Ramon hits Goldust with a trash can and tosses Goldust around while hitting Goldust with a trash can. Goldust gets a low blow in and RAW goes to commercial.
Jesus, Sunny is in a bathtub. She pretty much just says “this has been RAW”.
Backstage, officials are trying to calm down Ramon.
Vince McMahon hypes up next weeks RAW and the Royal Rumble.
Backstage, Ramon sees Goldust trying to leave and attacks Goldust again. Ramon tosses Goldust outside and punches Goldust in a snow bank. Goldust gets a shots in but Ramon tries to hit him with a shovel! Goldust sends Ramon into a production truck and gets into a car and drives off as Ramon throws a trash can at the car.
End of show
My Take: Hart/Jannetty wasn’t a bad match as their was some good action throughout. Jannetty looked kind of slow in a few spots and the crowd was really dead at this point. Still, a pretty good way to start off the show I thought.
Ringmaster/Hardy wasn’t a bad squash match at all. Hardy did have some pretty ugly baby blue trunks on though. That is the only bad thing of the match.
Gunns/Spiders match was just a thirty second clip of it. The fans were clearly turning against the Gunns at this point as they were clearly cheering for the Spiders. That may explain why the match was so short.
Main Event was a boring one that the crowd just didn’t care for. They have been dead for the past two shows. Taker winning was a obvious call as he is in the main event for the Rumble and Yankeem hasn’t been relevant for a few months.
I liked the segments with Ramon and Goldust. I thought it was a very entertaining brawl and gives the feud some legs if they were to continue it after the Royal Rumble. Goldust continues to be great at being a creepy character.
Overall, a decent opener and a few entertaining backstage segments between Ramon and Goldust on this edition of RAW.
Thanks for reading.