What the World Was Watching: WWF Monday Night RAW – April 1, 1996

Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler narrate a quick video package of the events at WrestleMania XII. It is announced that the Undertaker beat Diesel and Shawn Michaels won the WWF Championship.

McMahon and Lawler are in the booth, live from San Bernardino, California. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, this taping drew a sellout crowd of 3,000 fans.

Opening Contest: Mankind defeats Bob Holly (0-3) via submission to a mandible claw at 3:22:

Mankind was Mick Foley, best known to wrestling fans as Cactus Jack. A trainee of Dominic DeNucci, a former two-time WWF Tag Team champion, Foley started his career in 1986 and 1987, doing some squash matches around that time for the WWF as Jack Foley and Nick Foley. After tenures in Bill Watts’ UWF, Memphis, and World Class, Jack was signed by WCW and acquired a reputation for taking sick bumps. He made waves on the independent circuit in 1991, having a best-of-three falls match with Eddie Gilbert that involved a falls count anywhere match, stretcher match, and cage match at Tri-State Wrestling Alliance’s (TWA) Summer Sizzler. That led to a return to WCW where he had a better run than the first, feuding with Sting, Ron Simmons, and Vader when they were world champions. In 1994 he won the Tag Team titles with Kevin Sullivan. Although he was offered secure employment with WCW, Foley did not see a future for himself after Hulk Hogan arrived, so he jobbed to Sullivan in a loser leaves town match at Fall Brawl in September 1994. This led to a brief run in Smoky Mountain and a longer stint in ECW where he was a two-time Tag Team champion with Mikey Whipwreck, feuded with the Sandman over the ECW World Championship, and had an entertaining feud with Tommy Dreamer where he encouraged Dreamer to save his body and take a contract with WCW. A crowning achievement for Foley in this period outside of the “big two” was in Japan as he won a King of the Deathmatch tournament at Kawasaki Stadium for IWA Japan in August 1995, defeating Terry Funk in the finals. While McMahon was not a big fan of Foley’s look or style, Jim Ross fought hard for him to be signed.

There are many fans who are aware of Mankind’s identity but they play along with the new gimmick, chanting “He’s hardcore!” rather than “Cactus Jack!” Mankind has a unique look with a leather mask that covers a good portion of his face and has unique mannerisms, like pulling out his own hair. The debut does not feature a lot of action as Mankind pummels Holly in the corner with forearms and rams his knee into Holly’s face. A Holly missed dive sends him over the top rope and then Mankind locks in a mandible claw, shoving his covered fingers under his opponent’s tongue to induces paralysis. That is enough to get Holly to submit and Holly coughs up lots of foamy Alka Seltzer-induced spit afterward to put it over. Mankind gets different music after he wins, a piano theme that is meant to soothe him. Rating: *

McMahon narrates photographs of the confrontation between Marc Mero and Hunter Hearst Helmsley from WrestleMania. Sable is shown sitting in the audience.

Fans talk about how the WWF is the best and how they had a great time at WrestleMania.

Marc Mero pins Isaac Yankem (3-3) after a flying sunset flip at 4:25:

Mero was a former amateur boxer, winning the New York Golden Gloves Tournament, and he entered the wrestling business in 1990 after receiving training from Boris, Dean, and Joe Malenko. WCW signed him in 1991 and Dusty Rhodes gave him the name Johnny B. Badd. Initially cast as a flamboyant Little Richard-like character, Badd was positioned as a heel but turned babyface by the end of the year. His ring work gradually improved and after years of coming up short in title matches, he defeated Lord Steven Regal at Fall Brawl in September 1994 to win the Television Championship. Badd would go on to win that title two more times and have prominent midcard programs with the Honky Tonk Man, Arn Anderson, and Diamond Dallas Page. It was during a program with the latter that he quit WCW as the WWF made him a lucrative offer, signing him to its first-ever guaranteed contract, which reportedly included a $50,000 signing bonus. That drew heat on Mero from members of the locker room who thought they deserved similar consideration.

Since trademarks did not allow Mero to take the Badd gimmick to the WWF, he wrestles under his real name but is gimmicked as “The Wildman.” It is not exactly clear what that entails but Mero plays it off as he is a bit crazy, having big eyes in his entrance and doing a tope con hilo and slingshot leg drop into the ring for a near-fall. Hunter Hearst Helmsley sits down by Sable in the crowd, interrogating her about why she is cheering for Mero. Yankem tries to slow down the match with some clubbing blows but Mero staggers him with some punches and finishes with a sunset flip off the top rope. This was not a bad debut but Mero has been handed a weak character to start this run. Rating: *½

Sable applauds Mero and Mero comes over as Helmsley argues with her. Sable slaps Helmsley and runs away. Mero picks her up and they walk off together as WWF official Tony Chimel, who has recovered from Sweet Chin Music last night, holds Helmsley back.

McMahon recaps how the Bodydonnas won the WWF Tag Team Championship last night on the Free for All. He announces that on April 28 at In Your House 7 there will be a rematch where the Bodydonnas will defend those titles against the Godwinns.

Non-Title Match: The Bodydonnas (WWF Tag Team Champions w/Sunny) (5-2) defeat Aldo Montoya & Barry Horowitz when Zip pins Montoya after a super hurricanrana-flying butt drop combination at 5:31:

Montoya and Horowitz try to fire up the crowd but they get no reaction because fans know they have no prayer of winning. That is a sad fall from grace from Horowitz, who had some grassroots support the previous year. McMahon and Lawler do not bring up the Skip-Horowitz feud from the previous year either. After receiving a hot tag, Horowitz ties Skip up in an inside cradle but Zip breaks it up as Sunny distracts the referee. Instead of following up, Horowitz makes the silly decision to tag in Montoya, who has been beaten down throughout the match, and the weakened Montoya gets crushed by the Bodydonnas finish. All four men were trying but again, the crowd was unwilling to play along. Rating: *½

Bob Backlund is shown campaigning in the crowd.

Call 1-900-747-4WWF to hear Jim Ross’ report on Bret Hart’s reaction after losing the WWF Championship last night!

More fans yell about how they love WrestleMania.

McMahon does an in-ring interview with new WWF Champion Shawn Michaels, who he bills as “The leader of the New Generation.” Michaels, wearing a white hat that proclaims him as the new champion, kisses several female fans on his way to the ring, taking roses from one of them. McMahon announces that Lawler will wrestle Michaels next week and Diesel will do guest commentary during the match. Michaels pivots the discussion to how much he respects Bret Hart and will treat the title with respect like he did. To hype a match with Lawler next week, Michaels laughs when the crowd chants “Burger King” and tells Lawler he will send him back to a white castle. When McMahon asks about Diesel, Michaels suddenly gets intense, saying they made “good friends but better enemies” and he will dance on his face at In Your House. So that appears to be a roundabout way of saying that Michaels will defend the title against Diesel at the next pay-per-view.

Call 1-800-TITAN91 to own part of the WrestleMania XII canvas on a plaque that Michaels will sign. Only 4,800 will be made so purchase one for $49.95!

Goldust running over Roddy Piper with his car last night is the Karate Fighters Slam of the Week.

The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) (5-0-1) beats Justin Bradshaw (w/Zebekiah) (7-0) via disqualification when Mankind interferes at 3:51 shown:

Bradshaw is not intimidated, charging the Undertaker and laying in blows like Diesel last night. There is a commercial break less than a minute into the bout and when it returns, Bradshaw scores near-falls from a side suplex and flying shoulderblock. Redoing the latter backfires as the Undertaker counters with a powerslam but Bradshaw quickly comes back with his lariat. He cannot cover fast enough, though, and when he tries another, the Undertaker avoids it and hits his three big moves of a flying clothesline, chokeslam, and Tombstone. Before referee Earl Hebner can log the three count, Mankind interferes. Bradshaw got a surprising amount of offense, showing that the company was high on his prospects. The fact that he avoids a pin from the Tombstone is more evidence of that. Rating: **

Mankind knocks the Undertaker out of the ring, whips him into the ring steps, and then does his wild Cactus Jack elbow drop off the apron to the concrete floor in the aisle. To finish the attack, Mankind applies a mandible claw, continually reapplying the hold after WWF officials push him away but fail to keep him contained.

Tune in next week to see WWF Champion Shawn Michaels face Jerry Lawler! Also, Yokozuna faces Vader! And there will be an arm-wrestling contest between Ahmed Johnson and the British Bulldog! The Ultimate Warrior appears too!

The Last Word: The new blood coming into the WWF gets thicker as Mankind and Marc Mero had solid debuts, especially Mankind, who kicks off a new feud with the Undertaker. Mankind will make for an interesting opponent as he is smaller compared to the Undertaker’s most recent opponents but can be just as wild, scary, and can actually bump well for the Undertaker’s power moves. It will also be a feud that will not involve a cartoonish “stealing of the urn,” so the feud, like the Undertaker’s recent battle with Diesel, will have more of a realistic edge. Overall, this was a good show and next week’s broadcast is loaded up as well, sold more on Yokozuna vs. Vader than fans pining to see Shawn Michaels vs. Jerry Lawler.

Monday Night War Rating: 2.9 vs. 2.8 for Nitro (Main Event: WCW World Champion Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger)

Up Next: WWF Superstars for April 6!

And if you would like to read a compiled breakdown of 1990-1995 WWF, 1993-1995 ECW, or of various promotions in 1995, check out my Amazon author page to purchase e-books or paperback copies!