Written By: Bob Colling
World Wrestling Federation presents RAW
Date: 1/29/1996
From: Stockton, CA
A video hyping up the two featured matches on this week show is shown. Michaels vs. Yokozuna and Diesel vs. Davey Boy Smith.
RAW opening video
Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler welcome everyone to the show but are quickly cut off by the music of Davey Boy Smith as we start the show with one of the two big matches tonight!
Opening Contest: Diesel defeated Davey Boy Smith: Diesel with several knee lifts and back elbows in the corner to control Smith early on. Diesel with a running clothesline in the corner and hammers away on Smith. Diesel misses a clothesline but is able to scoop slam Smith. Diesel clotheslines Smith over the top to the floor and plays to the crowd. Smith wraps Diesel’s leg around the ring post a few times to get the advantage and stomps away on Diesel’s knee for a few moments. Smith works on the left knee of Diesel by driving his knee down across the knee of Diesel. Diesel staggers into a corner and connects with a flurry of right hands but Smith continues to work on the knee of Diesel to maintain his control of the contest. Yokozuna makes his way down to the ring as RAW goes to commercial. Smith has a half Boston crab on Diesel but Diesel is able to reach the bottom rope. Smith walks over to Yoko (and clearly tells him to hit Diesel) and Yoko hits Diesel. Smith drops Diesel with a right hand and chokes Diesel. Smith continues to stomp away on Diesel’s knee. Diesel gets to his feet but Smith hammers away on Diesel in the corner. Smith sends Diesel across the ring into another corner and continues to club away on Diesel. Smith kicks Diesel to the floor and rips the top turnbuckle pad off. Yoko rolls Diesel back into the ring and Smith goes to ram Diesel into the expose turnbuckle but Smith is rammed into it. Diesel with snake eyes and covers Smith but the referee is distracted. Yoko enters and accidentally leg drops Smith. Diesel covers Smith and wins the match. *
After the match, Cornette is not happy with Yokozuna.
Dox Hendrix hypes up the WWF In Your House on February 18th. Bret Hart vs. Diesel inside a steel cage for the WWF World Championship. Bret Hart cut a promo and says he lost all the little respect he had for Diesel. Hart says that he has never lost a steel cage match (not true) and calls Diesel a dummy. Also on the show, Shawn Michaels will face Owen Hart and his Wrestle Mania XII title shot is on the line. Razor Ramon and 1-2-3 Kid will square off in a “crybaby match”. The loser will have a baby bottle placed in their mouth and be forced to wear a diaper. Hunter Hearst Helmsley battles Duke Droese. We see footage from Superstars where HHH hit Droese with a trash can and cut his hair! Dox Hendrix mentions a legal battle with Ted Turner.
Time for the Billionaire Ted press conference. Ted says that he his not a hillbilly and does not wear cheap suits. Turner does not answer a question about wanting to take WWF out of business. Ted avoids anything about wanting to take the WWF out of business. The reporters are trying to be fair to the fans and make it seem that WCW doesn’t care about the fans. Nacho Man and Huckster talk about their upcoming match and Huckster says it is in his contract that he never loses. Nacho Man and Huckster begin to brawl a little behind Ted. Ted reveals that he would not use his own money to beat the WWF. To be continued…
Second Contest: The Godwinns defeated The Bodydonnas: Skip and Henry start off the match. Henry with a running shoulder block and hammers away on Skip. Henry goes for a military press slam but Zip enters and kicks the knees of Henry to help his partner. Zip rams Henry into the corner a few times and tags out to Skip. They take Henry down with a double team vertical suplex. Sunny is flirting with Hillbilly Jim as Skip misses a top rope head butt. Phineas tags in and cleans house with a series of right hands. Phineas is stopped with a few right hands and is able to plant Skip with the Slop Drop to win the match as Henry pulled Zip to the floor. DUD
After the match, the Godwinns dance with Sunny. Sunny leaves the ring and runs to the back disgusted.
A video promoting next weeks show is shown. WWF World Champion Bret Hart will take on the Undertaker!
Another video of Vader’s recent attacks on WWF superstars and Gorilla Monsoon on RAW last week.
Jim Cornette and his lawyer Clarence Mason talk about a self defense for Vader. Mason says that Gorilla Monsoon put his hands on Vader first and says he will press charges if Vader isn’t reinstated as soon as possible.
A rather funny note, the WWF plugs their WWF Superstars line which is the same as Scheme Gene’s hotline. They also use Lex Luger’s current WCW theme for the segment.
Vince McMahon introduces the new interim WWF President… Roddy Piper! Piper asks if this makes him McMahon’s boss. Piper wants McMahon to call him Mr. President. Piper says that everyone is scared of him being the President of the WWF. Piper believes this shows how wild things are getting in the WWF. Piper lists several things he has done in his career. Piper sees a New Generation of wrestlers in the backstage. Piper puts over the wrestlers as young, strong and quick. Piper only believes they are confused and will try to straighten things out. Piper grabs the microphone and says their will not be a government shutdown. Piper believes having six kids makes him qualified to be President. Piper has rules in his kilt. Piper is told that he never followed the rules and he puts them back in his kilt. Piper assures the fans that they are in good hands with him in control. Piper also says that everyone is going to have to pay the piper and airplane spins McMahon!
Main Event: Shawn Michaels defeated Yokozuna: Michaels does the old point at Yoko and point at himself to get a crowd reaction. They lock up and Yoko shoves Michaels down quickly. Michaels with a side headlock and is sent into the ropes by Yoko. Yoko with a shoulder block and Michaels goes to a corner. Yoko chops Michaels against the ropes but Michaels slides through Yoko’s legs and is able to punch Yoko to the floor. Michaels taunts Yoko in the ring as Cornette calls for Owen Hart to come down to the ring. Michaels slaps hands with several fans as Yoko talks with Cornette and Owen as RAW goes to commercial. Yoko misses a running splash in the corner and Michaels leaps off the top with a double axe handle and connects with a top rope moonsault for a near fall. Michaels is sent hard into the corner and flips over the top to the floor. Owen attacks Michaels as the referee is distracted by Cornette. Owen rams Michaels back first into the ring post. Michaels tries to get back into the ring but is met with a cheap shot from Owen. Michaels staggers around on the floor but is eventually able to enter the ring. Yoko with the ever deadly nerve hold. Michaels gets up and comes off the ropes but is met with a clothesline as RAW goes to commercial. Yoko comes off the ropes and misses a leg drop. Michaels heads to the top rope and misses a splash! Michaels blocks a right hand and comes back with a flurry of rights. Michaels with a leaping forearm smash coming off the ropes, twice and is able to drop Yoko. Michaels leaps off the top but is caught by Yoko who rams Michaels into the corner. Cornette distracts the referee as Owen enters and attempts a spinning heel kick but hits Yoko on accident. Michaels follows up with a super kick and pins Yoko. *½
After the match, Yoko shoves Owen and is not happy about the way he lost the mach. Davey Boy Smith enters the ring and tries to calm the situation down. They corner Michaels but Diesel runs down to the ring to have his friends back.
Vince McMahon talks with Jim Cornette. Cornette tells McMahon that everything is fine with his men. Cornette challenges Michaels and Diesel to a tag team match next week. He wants them to take on Yokozuna and Davey Boy Smith. Diesel and Michaels accept the challenge.
End of show
My Take: Smith/Diesel was just Smith working on Diesel’s knee over and over again. That was just a lame match that was suppose to keep the viewers interested. I know if I had the chance to flip over to Nitro, I would after about three minutes of that match.
The Godwinns seem to have a pretty decent fan base. Phineas recently debuted for the company so he is pretty new. They are clearly going to be one of the top baby face tag teams.
Piper as the new President is a fine choice, I guess. WWF needs some name power to combat WCW and all those big names for the 80’s and early 1990’s. Piper’s promo was rather average at best and needs to have more attitude behind it. I liked Piper when he had a “don’t push me over” type of attitude instead of a fan friendly no nonsense character. I don’t know if that makes any sense, but he needs more attitude.
Michaels/Yoko wasn’t anything special. It would appear that Yoko is going to be breaking away from Camp Cornette. Owen has his heel run with Shawn still going and Davey just recently turned heel back in August. Could Yoko have a successful baby face run? I think so.
Overall, this weeks RAW was just a plain show. Piper being named the President could be considered a “huge moment” for the show, but I don’t consider it to be. Next weeks show appears on paper to be a big show. So did this one, though.
Thanks for reading