Written by: Bob Colling
World Wrestling Federation presents RAW
Date: 7/24/1995
From: Louisville, KY
Matches:
1.)WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels defeated Jimmy Del Ray in a non-title match
2.)Smoking Gunns defeated John Faulkner & Rick Stockhauser
3.)Waylon Mercy defeated Gary Scott
4.)Bret Hart defeated Hakushi
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.Del Ray misses a wold right early on and Michaels hits an atomic drop and arm drag. Michaels avoids a springboard flip attempt by Del Ray and clotheslines Del Ray to the floor. Del Ray is met with a baseball slide and is rammed into the guard railing. Tom Pritchard has come out but he is sent into Del Ray on the floor. Back in the ring, Del Ray plants Michaels with a float over DDT for a two count! Michaels attempts a sunset flip but Del Ray pops up to clothesline the champ. Del Ray gets another two count following a neck breaker. Del Ray misses a top rope big splash and Michaels makes his comeback. Michaels delivers a flying forearm shot and a scoop slam before hitting a top rope elbow drop for a near fall. Michaels misses Del Ray and superkicks Pritchard off the top. Moments later, Michaels hits Del Ray with the superkick and wins the match. It seemed like a fun match between these two. The crowd wasn’t all that interested in this, though. After the match, Michaels acts like he is going to strip, but doesn’t.
2.Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler discuss the happenings between the Roadie and Jeff Jarrett. Roadie confronted Jarrett about not singing his song last night.
3.A very brief vignette promoting the debut of Goldust was aired. His name appeared in gold glitter, that was it.
4.A video of Fatu visiting his hometown is aired. Fatu is from California and is going to be having a gimmick of motivational speaker, it seems like.
5.The main event this week should be a treat. Hakushi attacks Hart on the floor after Shinja distracts Hart. Hakushi sends Hart into the ring steps and guard railing before bringing the action back into the ring. Hart avoids a middle rope splash by getting his knees up. Hart works on Hakushi with right hands Hart drives Hakushi down with a back breaker and delivers a forearm smash. Hakushi sends Hart side first into the ring post and baseball slides Hart’s ribs into the post for extra damage. Hakushi hits a handspring back elbow in the corner. Hakushi hits a bronco buster in the corner as well. Hart is in trouble as Hakushi has kept control for several moments with high impact moves. Hart fights back with a side Russian leg sweep but is kicked by Hakushi. Hakushi connects with a gut wrench back breaker but Hart kicks out at two on the cover. Hakushi comes off the top to splash down onto Hart’s lower back but can’t keep him down. Hart is sent to the floor when Hakushi counters a go behind attempt. Holy crap, Hakushi hits a handspring moonsault over the top rope onto Hart on the floor! It was picture perfect. Hart rams Hakushi into Shinja and leaps off the middle rope to splash onto both men. Back in the ring, Hart hits a back breaker and a middle rope forearm smash for a two count. Hart knocks Shinja down as he tries to enter and plants Hakushi with a running bulldog for a two count. Hakushi stops Hart with a back suplex but misses a top rope diving head butt! Hart hits a top rope superplex! Hart locks in the Sharpshooter and forces Hakushi to submit! That has to be the best main event that has been aired on RAW thus far in 1995. These two put on one hell of a television match! After the match, Hart plants Shinja with a pile driver. This is would also be one of the last times Hakushi would ever be taken seriously. After the match, Jean Pierre Lafitte comes out and steals a bag from Hakushi. Bret Hart doesn’t realize what Pierre has done, apparently.
6.We go to the Report Card segment with Dean Douglas. He scrapes his nails on the chalkboard to get the attention. He teaches us the meaning of knowledge. He says that he is the personification of knowledge. Douglas is going to be grading wrestlers and says they most likely will be getting F’s.
7.WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels as RAW has some issues with the picture. Lawler tells Michaels that everyone will be coming after Michaels. Michaels isn’t surprised by that.
Final Thoughts:
A very good episode of RAW this week. There was two featured matches and the main event was nicely done. I’m going to have to look back at the older shows from this year, but this is easily one of best RAWs in 1995. Hakushi/Bret delivered a fabulous match and that alone makes this a good show.
Thanks for reading.