What the World Was Watching: WWF Monday Night RAW – 04.15.96

Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler commentate this evening’s matches, taped from San Bernardino, California.

Opening Contest: Marc Mero (w/Sable) (2-0) pins Leif Cassidy (w/Marty Jannetty) (0-1) after a flying sunset flip at 6:44 shown:

Mero’s surprise for Hunter Hearst Helmsley is having Sable as his new valet. Cassidy keeps acting like a goofball so Mero takes advantage by knocking him off the apron and then ramming Cassidy’s head into Jannetty’s on the floor. Jannetty does catch Mero with a clothesline to put Cassidy in charge of the match but Mero counters a full nelson with a headscissors with the help of the canvas. Mero backdrops Cassidy as he charges out of the corner and a flying sunset flip keeps the Wildman unbeaten. The match featured some good back-and-forth but Mero never seemed like he was on the verge of losing. Rating: **¼

Diesel calls into the show from Germany, arguing that he hit Shawn Michaels with a chair in Madison Square Garden to knock some sense into him. With regards to last week, Diesel says Michaels attacked him first and he taught him a lesson. Diesel is confident that Michaels is not going to beat him in a no holds barred match.

Steve Austin (w/Ted DiBiase) (8-1-1) defeats Bart Gunn (0-1) via submission to the Million Dollar Dream at 8:47 shown:

Bart has not appeared on television since a February 4 loss to Zip on WWF Mania, biding his time until his partner, Billy, returns from neck surgery. So this match continues the theme of the opener in having a tag team wrestler sacrificed to a singles talent under the guise of a feature match. McMahon tells viewers that Yokozuna suffered ligament damage last week but his leg was not broken. There is not much shine for Bart until Austin works a few long chinlocks. Bart fights back and hits a bulldog for a close near-fall and gets another close near-fall from a reverse flying body press. After DiBiase trips Bart running the ropes, Bart is unfazed and manages two more pinning combinations from a schoolboy roll up and small package. However, Austin counters a sleeper with a jawbreaker, whips Bart shoulder-first into the ring post, and wins cleanly with the Million Dollar Dream. This found a groove in its last several minutes, making Bart appear to be a more credible singles wrestler than Leif Cassidy. Rating: **½

McMahon does an in-ring interview with Vader and Jim Cornette. It is announced that Vader will face Razor Ramon at In Your House 7. The crowd likes the sound of that. Cornette argues that no man has been the same since they went toe-to-toe with Vader. Cornette also predicts that Ramon will cease to exist der because while he has helped direct and manipulate Vader, he does not really control him.

Call 1-900-737-4WWF to find out what the British Bulldog and Magic Johnson have in common!

Intercontinental Championship Match: Goldust (Champion w/Marlena) (6-3) wrestles Savio Vega (2-2-1) to a no-contest at 10:51 shown:

Savio’s offense carries the match as Goldust’s mind games-oriented approach is methodical. In the middle of the bout, the champion grabs the microphone and threatens to kiss every person in the audience if they do not shut up. That gets some good heat. Savio nearly wins the title with a body press off the ropes and sunset flip. There is an interesting fight on the top rope as Savio crotches Goldust and slaps his rear end before trying a superplex. Goldust blocks it and after some headbutts kisses Savio, who falls to the canvas. A double KO results when Goldust’s dive off the ropes eats boot and referee Earl Hebner is bumped from Savio running the ropes after a commercial break. Marlena slides the Intercontinental title belt to Goldust but when he tries to use it, Savio ducks, floors the champion with a superkick, and then blasts him with the title for an apparent three count. After the bell, referee Tim White, who came to ringside to assist Hebner, tells Hebner what he saw and raises Goldust’s hand. WWF President Gorilla Monsoon marches to the ring since the two referees declared different winners. Monsoon decides that the title is vacant and that there will be a rematch on next week’s program to determine the new champion. In terms of the match, Goldust’s time on offense was limited, which was good, and Savio had great counters and reactions to Goldust’s mind games. Rating: **½

Bret Hart gives his first interview since his loss at WrestleMania, a segment that Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer said was put together to persuade fans that Bret was not going to WCW. Footage is shown of Bret quickly leaving the Arrowhead Pond and now he is in Bonn, Germany. Bret complains that he signed a contract for a 60-minute iron man match, not a 62-minute iron man match, and that if there was overtime the bell should not have rung since he had Shawn Michaels beat. The former WWF champion says he would never join another wrestling organization because it would be a step down, even though said organizations appear to be “throwing lots of money around.”

Tune in next week to see Savio Vega wrestle Goldust for the vacant Intercontinental Championship! Also, Vader, Mankind, and the Godwinns will be in action!

The Last Word: On paper, the matches for tonight’s show were not a great selling point for the program but all of them were enjoyable. The Intercontinental title match made believers of the crowd that Savio Vega had a chance of becoming the champion, although it is hard to see him winning the match for the vacant championship because he is embroiled in a feud with Steve Austin while Goldust is already signed up for a title match with the Ultimate Warrior at In Your House. Hearing from Bret Hart was great and he continues to work an off-camera angle with Shawn Michaels over the WWF title, even though it is not clear when Bret will return. All told, this was a decent episode but it was not as chaotic as last week’s, so in that regard it was a downgrade but still, this was a solid effort to continue the WWF’s momentum.

Monday Night War Rating: 3.1 vs. 2.8 for Nitro (Main Event: WCW Tag Team Champions Sting & Lex Luger vs. Ric Flair & the Giant)

Up Next: WWF Superstars for April 20!

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