WWF RAW 2/5/1996

Written By: Bob Colling

World Wrestling Federation presents RAW
Date: 2/5/1996
From: Stockton, CA

Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler welcome everyone to the show. Yokozuna and Davey Boy Smith are already in the ring. They hype up the WWF World Championship match between Bret Hart and the Undertaker taking place later on.

A clip of what happened last week between Yokozuna and his fellow Camp Cornette partners is shown.

Opening Contest: Shawn Michaels/Diesel defeated Davey Boy Smith/Yokozuna via count-out: Michaels and Smith start off the match by posing to the crowd, which Michaels wins based on a crowd reaction. Smith with a side headlock and shoulder blocks Michaels sending Michaels through the bottom rope to the floor. Smith blocks a hip toss attempt and is poked in the eyes. Smith attempts a gorilla press slam but Michaels gets out of it and clotheslines Smith to the floor. Yoko enters and tosses Michaels into Diesel who catches Michaels and tosses Michaels onto Yoko! Yoko gets up and is punched to the floor. Diesel tags into the match and Smith tags out to Yoko. They shove each other and Diesel gets the upper hand with a series of rights and goes for a third clothesline but Yoko drives Diesel down with a Samoan Drop. Yoko misses a elbow drop and Michaels tags into the match. Yoko sends Michaels into the ropes and Smith pulls down the top rope which causes Michaels to crash down to the floor. Smith sends Michaels into the ring steps and apron. Double head butt on Michaels as Smith is now the legal man. Smith with a delayed vertical suplex and stomps away on Michaels. Smith backs Michaels into his corner and lets Yoko choke Michaels as he distracts the referee. Diesel flips out as RAW goes to commercial. Yoko with a few overhand shots to Michaels neck. Yoko with a nerve hold to control Michaels for a few more moments. Smith tags in and hammers away on Michaels. Michaels is sent into the ropes and Smith rams his knee into the midsection of Michaels. Smith lifts Michaels up by the hair and slams Michaels down to the mat. Yoko tags back in and they head butt Michaels again. Michaels tries to punch out of the corner but Yoko scoop slams Michaels. Yoko misses a splash coming off the ropes and both men are down. Diesel gets the tag and hammers away on Yoko. Smith is met with a big boot and jumps across Yoko’s back as he was on the middle rope. Diesel with a big boot to Yoko and tags in Michaels. Michaels leaps off the top rope with a splash and goes for the cover but Smith comes in and accidentally hits Yoko! Michaels super kicks Yoko to the floor and is counted out as Owen Hart tried to get Yoko back into the ring. *½
After the match, Jim Cornette yells at Yokozuna. Yokozuna flips out and begins to hammer away on Cornette. Owen and Smith come to Cornette rescue but Yokozuna is able to fight them off and stands tall in the ring.

A promo video for the debuting Mankind is shown. Mankind believes that maybe he has found a new hardcore home.

Second Contest: 1-2-3 Kid defeated Hakushi: Hakushi with a head lock takedown but Kid counters a head scissors. They lock up again and they do the same spot. Kid keeps the head scissors on this time until Hakushi flips out of it. Hakushi shoulder blocks Kid and blocks a hip toss and is able to super kick Kid. Kid rolls to the floor and talks to Ted DiBiase. Hakushi with a uppercut and kicks Kid down with a strike to the knee. Kid kips up and has a standoff with Hakushi. Hakushi with a kick to Kid’s guy but Kid is able to send Hakushi over the top to the floor. Kid with a somersault dive over the top taking Hakushi out. Kid backs Hakushi into a corner and delivers a series of kicks. Kid with a running dropkick in the corner as RAW goes to commercial. Kid nailed Hakushi with a standing spin kick during the commercial and gets a near fall on a pin attempt. Kid leaps off the top but is met in midair with a dropkick! Hakushi with a few shots sending Kid into the corner and connects with a handspring back elbow and running forearm smash for a near fall. Hakushi with a twisting kick and Kid falls to the floor. Hakushi springs off the top rope and takes Kid out with a cross body. Hakushi with a top rope shoulder block and gets a two count. Hakushi misses a clothesline and is met with a spinning heel kick as he turns around but kicks out at two and reverses into a quick pin of his own but Kid kicks out. Kid is sent into the corner and is taken down with a hurricanrana which gets Hakushi a near fall. Hakushi heads to the top rope but is crotched on the top following a dropkick. Kid with a double under hook overhead suplex off the top rope! Kid goes for the cover and wins the match. **½

Earlier in the day, Clarence Mason says their hasn’t been judgment by the WWF regarding their appeal. Mason tells Monsoon that they will sue if Vader is not reinstated.

Gorilla Monsoon is at his home and says that he has a few serious injuries. Monsoon says that he will heal and apologizes to the fans for his actions. Monsoon didn’t respond as the President but rather as Gorilla Monsoon. Monsoon thanks the fans for the letters. Monsoon says the decision to reinstate Vader is up to the board. Monsoon talks about being friends with Piper and knows that Piper can be a loose cannon. Monsoon believes that Piper is a good fit for the job and will help the WWF.

Main Event: WWF World Champion Bret Hart fought the Undertaker to a draw to retain the title: Hart avoids a right hand in the corner and circles around the ring. Hart ducks another right hand and gets a couple right hands in until Taker head butts Hart. Hart with a boot to the gut and more right hands and a head butt. Taker rams Hart into the corner and chokes the champion. Taker continues to choke Hart on the middle rope and uppercuts Hart. Taker rams Hart head first into the corner and goes back to choking Hart. Diesel makes his way down to the ring as Taker walks the top rope but Hart is able to yank Taker down. Hart delivers a few shots to Taker’s knee and backs Taker into a corner. Hart goes to work on Taker’s knee with a elbow drop and wrenches on the knee. Hart whips Taker’s knee around the ring post and is met with a uppercut as he enters the ring. Taker drops Hart with another uppercut and a elbow drop as RAW goes to commercial. Taker with a back suplex and sends Hart to the floor. Taker sends Hart chest first into the guard railing and Taker delivers another uppercut. Taker heads to the top rope and walks the ropes and dives down across the shoulder/back of Hart. Taker with a leaping clothesline coming of the ropes and goes for the tombstone but Hart’s feet hit the referee. Hart with a rollup but the referee is out cold and Taker kicks out. Taker with a clothesline but misses a elbow drop. Hart whips Taker’s knee around the ring post a couple of times. Diesel leaves the broadcast booth and sends Hart into the ring post. Taker recovers and attacks Diesel on the floor! Taker rams Diesel into the ring steps and goes back to Hart. Diesel has a chair and whacks Taker across the back with the chair! Diesel rolls Taker into the ring and power bombs Taker! Taker fails at trying to sit up and is planted with a second power bomb! Diesel leaves the ring and heads to the back as RAW goes to commercial. During the commercial, Hart got up and began to brawl with Diesel. **

Another Billionaire Ted press conference segment. Ted admits that his wrestling company has lost millions of dollars but he has been having fun. Ted apparently doesn’t care about his stock shareholders. His motivation is power and money.

A clipping of a ad by WWF placed in the New York Times is shown. McMahon really is going after Turner and WCW.

End of show

My Take: I wasn’t all that impressed by the main event. For some reason something just didn’t click with it and it just seemed rather basic to me. I have come to realize that the matches on RAW are very, very bland and aren’t much different from each other. You would think presenting good television matches would be a priority for the WWF. I guess not.

It looks like Yokozuna has officially turned baby face for the first time in his WWF career. Judging by the reception he got from the crowd, if he is pushed, he could get a rejuvenated main event push.

Hakushi/Kid put on a good match as they actually did wrestling moves and took some high flying risks instead of just brawling like all the other matches I have watched so far.

Taker/Hart wasn’t anything special. Their was no way their was going to be a clean finish in this one. Diesel got a pretty good heel reaction when he attacked Hart and Taker. I was pretty surprised to see Diesel power bomb Taker as I had never seen Taker power bombed before. I liked the aftermath of the match as it sets up Diesel/Taker at WrestleMania very well.

Overall, Hakushi vs. Kid was the match of the night. The two featured matches weren’t anything all that great. Mediocre week for WWF.

Thanks for reading.