–Todd Pettengill does a horrible Dracula impression as he recaps last week’s twenty man battle royal and how Goldust is making his television premiere tonight.
–Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler are doing commentary, still calling the show from Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Since it is Halloween, McMahon taunts the federal government by dressing up like a prisoner. Lawler even asks if he got fitted for that outfit a year ago. For his part, Lawler dresses up like a dentist. Even the Spanish announce team gets in on the act as they are dressed like devils and WWF logo in the bottom left corner of the screen is done like a jack-o-lantern.
–Opening Contest: Goldust (1-0) pins Savio Vega (14-2) after a hammerlock pinning combination at 5:42 shown:
Goldust’s ring attire in this era was less than flattering as it fits so tight you can see every fat roll and then some on Dustin Rhodes’ body. However, he does have a following in the crowd as three fans have their faces painted. Just like In Your House Goldust works long rest holds like it is the 1970s and the finish is really, really strange as Savio misses a spinning heel kick, Goldust kicks Savio in the face off the ropes, and then Goldust puts Savio in a hammerlock and pins him. Rating: ½*
-Dok Hendrix does the Slam Jam for the Survivor Series and he announces that Diesel and Bret Hart will be facing off in a no count out, no disqualification, no time limit match for the WWF title.
–Razor Ramon is angry backstage because he had an altercation with Owen Hart off camera.
–Barry Horowitz and Hakushi have a battle with Karate Fighters, with Horowitz winning.
–Marty Jannetty (4-1) beats Joe Dorgan after a flying fist drop at 2:44:
Jannetty and Dorgan have a good back and forth in this squash match, with Jannetty outwitting the jobber out of a chinlock and finishing with the usual to maintain momentum in the midcard.
–McMahon interviews Jim Cornette and the British Bulldog, who have their legal counsel with them, a man recognized as Clarence Mason. Cornette complains that the Bulldog should have gotten another title shot after the disqualification finish in the WWF title match at In Your House 4because the contract for the match said that the winner would face Bret Hart at Survivor Series. Today, this would segway into a triple threat between all three competitors. Cornette hypes Mason by telling McMahon that if he had time “to read the writs [Mason] has written then they would know they were really well written writs” and closes by complaining about how members of his stable being placed on opposite sides in the Wild Card match at Survivor Series. The Bulldog warns Marty Jannetty that he is below him and he will beat him on next week’s show. That brings Jannetty out and he dropkicks the Bulldog in the back of the head and beats up Cornette to end the segment.
–McMahon recaps the events in the WWF tag team title match between the Smoking Gunns and Razor Ramon and the 1-2-3 Kid at In Your House 4.
–Non-Title Match: The Smoking Gunns (WWF Tag Team Champions) (24-3) defeat Phil Apollo & Scott D’Amore when Billy pins Apollo after a Sidewinder at 2:47:
During the match, the 1-2-3 Kid cuts a promo in the split screen apologizing for his behavior at In Your House 4 and asking for a rematch at a later date. Thehistoryofwwe.com says that a guy named Joe Rashner is in this match, but McMahon says that it D’Amore. Then again, McMahon refers to Apollo as Otis for some reason throughout the match. The Gunns make quick work of the jobbers to keep running up their win/loss total for 1995.
–Bret Hart says that it is tough to fight a friend but despite that he will win the WWF title at Survivor Series.
–Barry Didinski urges fans to call and get a toy WWF and Intercontinental title belt for $20 each (plus $3.95 shipping & handling). You can get three pictures of Diesel and Razor Ramon if you buy their title belts!
–Paul Bearer is in a cemetery and warns Mabel that the Undertaker is coming back soon.
–Intercontinental Championship Match: Razor Ramon (Champion) (21-6-1) beats Owen Hart (w/Jim Cornette) (6-3-1) via disqualification when Yokozuna interferes at 10:08 shown:
These two have great chemistry and just like their match in January, this one goes at a brisk pace, with Owen working in a call back to their past matches by scoring a near-fall with a flying elbow, which won him the 1994 King of the Ring title over Ramon. Yokozuna wanders out to ringside early in the encounter and that affects the finish, as he pulls Owen off of Ramon’s shoulders when Ramon tries a Razor’s Edge, thereby giving Ramon a disqualification win. Sadly, there were three commercial breaks during this match and the finish happened immediately happened after the last one, which made it difficult for fans to follow the action. Rating: ***
–After the bell, Yokozuna lays waste to Ramon and the 1-2-3 Kid, who runs out to help his friend. This brings out Ahmed Johnson, who makes his debut by slamming Yokozuna and getting a monster pop. The British Bulldog then runs out but thinks better of facing the newcomer and the show ends. THIS is how you debut a new talent.
–Tune in next week to see Marty Jannetty square off against the British Bulldog! Also, Bret Hart and Hakushi collide with Isaac Yankem and Jerry Lawler!
The Last Word: The closing segment made this RAWmemorable. The only other person to slam Yokozuna up to this point was Lex Luger so when Ahmed Johnson did it that immediately created a lot of interest in his character. It also signaled that he was going to get a very strong push once he made his in-ring debut. Overall, the show proceeded at a very brisk pace, largely carried by the antics of Jim Cornette and the guys in his stable, who are now the focal point of the heel side after the Million Dollar Corporation dominated that spot for the first half of the year.
Monday Night War Rating: 2.1 (vs. 2.3 for Nitro – Lex Luger & Meng vs. The American Males)
With the end of October, it is time to recap where we stand in win/loss totals for the year, as well as the quality of matches for the month and the year:
Top Twenty-Five Overall Records (Minimum of Twelve Matches):
1—Hunter-Hearst Helmsley (21-0)
2—Kama (26-1-2)
3—Jean-Pierre LaFitte (20-2-1)
4—Bart Gunn (26-3-1)
5—Billy Gunn (25-3-1)
6—Bret Hart (17-2-2)
7–The Undertaker (12-2)
8—Shawn Michaels (20-3-1)
9—King Mabel (29-6-1)
10—The British Bulldog (31-7-1)
11—Hakushi (25-6)
12—King Kong Bundy (16-4)
13—Yokozuna (18-4-2)
14—Sir Mo (18-5)
15—Duke Droese (14-4)
16—Diesel (11-3-1)
17—Owen Hart (23-7-2)
18—Sid (11-4)
19—Henry Godwinn (23-8-3)
20—Bam Bam Bigelow (21-8-1)
21—Razor Ramon (25-11-2)
22—Aldo Montoya (12-6)
23—Fatu (11-6-3)
24—Savio Vega (15-8-1)
25—Rad Radford (9-5)
Notables Who Did Not Qualify: Goldust (2-0), Avatar (1-0), Dean Douglas (6-1), Marty Jannetty (5-1), Bob Backlund (9-2)
Inactive Wrestlers that Qualified: Man Mountain Rock (15-1), Lex Luger (25-3-1), Waylon Mercy (12-2), Adam Bomb (19-3-3), Mantaur (14-4), Eli Blu (16-5-2), Jacob Blu (15-5-2), Doink (9-5)
Top Twenty Singles Records (Minimum of Twelve Matches):
1—Hunter-Hearst Helmsley (21-0)
2—Kama (24-1-1)
3—The Undertaker (12-1)
4—Jean-Pierre LaFitte (20-2-1)
5—Shawn Michaels (19-2-1)
6—Hakushi (24-4)
7—Bret Hart (15-2-2)
8—Savio Vega (14-3)
9—King Mabel (11-2-1)
10—Diesel (9-2-1)
11—Bam Bam Bigelow (18-5)
T12—King Kong Bundy (14-4)
T12—Duke Droese (14-4)
14—Razor Ramon (22-6-1)
15—Henry Godwinn (23-6-2)
16—Rad Radford (9-3)
17—The British Bulldog (12-5-1)
18—Aldo Montoya (12-6)
19—Tatanka (8-4-3)
20—The 1-2-3 Kid (11-7)
Notables Who Did Not Qualify: Goldust (2-0), Avatar (1-0), Bart Gunn (1-0), Bob Backlund (9-1), Dean Douglas (6-1), Marty Jannetty (5-1), Sid (7-3), Fatu (6-3)
Inactive Wrestlers That Qualified: Waylon Mercy (12-2), Adam Bomb (19-3-3), Mantaur (14-4), Doink (9-5), Jeff Jarrett (13-8-1)
Top Tag Teams (Minimum of Ten Matches)
1—Owen Hart & Yokozuna (16-1-1)
2—The Smoking Gunns (25-3-1)
3—Men on a Mission (18-3)
Notables That Did Not Qualify: The Bushwhackers (4-0), Razor Ramon & the 1-2-3 Kid (1-2)
Inactive Teams That Qualified: The Allied Powers (17-1), The Blu Brothers (15-3-2), The New Headshrinkers (4-3-3)
Top Ten in Televised Match Appearances (Iron Worker Award):
1—The British Bulldog (41)
T2—Bob Holly (37)
T2—King Mabel (37)
T4—Henry Godwinn (36)
T4—Razor Ramon (36)
6—Owen Hart (34)
T7—Hakushi (32)
T7—The 1-2-3 Kid (32)
T9—Bam Bam Bigelow (31)
T9—Bart Gunn (31)
Most Appearances by Show: RAW-Owen Hart (16); Superstars-Henry Godwinn (16); The Action Zone-Barry Horowitz (12); Wrestling Challenge (for matches not shown on The Action Zone)-The British Bulldog, Hakushi, and Duke Droese (4)
Top Five Matches in October 1995
1—Bret Hart vs. Jean-Pierre LaFitte (RAW, October 2) – ***¾
2—Owen Hart, the British Bulldog & Yokozuna vs. Diesel, Shawn Michaels & the Undertaker (RAW, October 9) – ***½
3—Owen Hart & Yokozuna vs. Razor Ramon & the 1-2-3 Kid (Superstars, October 28) – ***
4—Razor Ramon vs. Owen Hart (RAW, October 30, Intercontinental Title Match) – ***
5—Razor Ramon & the 1-2-3 Kid vs. The Blu Brothers (Superstars, October 14) – **¾
Top Five Overall Matches in 1995 (to this point)
1—Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (SummerSlam) – ****
2—Jeff Jarrett vs. Shawn Michaels (In Your House 2 – Intercontinental Title Match) – ****½
3—Diesel vs. Bret Hart (Royal Rumble – WWF Championship Match) – ****
4—Bret Hart & the British Bulldog vs. Bob Backlund & Owen Hart (The Action Zone, February 25) – ****
5—Bret Hart vs. Hakushi (RAW, July 24) – ****
Up Next: WWF Superstars for November 4, 1995!