What the World Was Watching: WWF Monday Night RAW – 05.20.96

There are a few clips from last night’s house show in Madison Square Garden. Emphasis is put on Phineas kissing Sunny.

Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler call this evening’s matches, concluding the taping in Sioux City, Iowa. McMahon excitedly announces that the Godwinns defeated WWF Tag Team Champions the Bodydonnas at Madison Square Garden and are the new champions.

Opening Contest: Steve Austin (w/Ted DiBiase) (11-1-1) beats Marc Mero (w/Sable) (5-0) via disqualification when Savio Vega interferes at 9:38 shown:

These two had several high profile matches in WCW years earlier and this is their first WWF encounter. Austin is able to force Mero to wrestle a mat-based, technical match and controls a lot of the action as a result. Mero gets more of an offensive run eight minutes in, nearly pinning Austin after a flying axe handle. DiBiase stops that by tripping Mero as he runs the ropes. This brings out Savio, who whips Austin with his Caribbean strap when Austin goes to the top rope but that hands Mero his first WWF defeat via disqualification. The match was more of a showcase for Austin, who managed to keep things interesting in a dominating effort. Rating: **½

After the match, Mero confronts Savio about interfering in his match. Savio does not provide a lot of answers and just poses for the fans.

McMahon narrates another video package about the Gulf War and the Kuwait Cup Tournament that was won by Ahmed Johnson.

Lawler announces that the King of the Ring Tournament starts next week. Two first round matchups will be Ahmed vs. Vader and the Ultimate Warrior vs. Goldust.

The Ultimate Warrior is shown signing autographs on his new comic book for fans. McMahon claims that the comic book will revolutionize the industry with its “destrucity.” Lawler argues that he could do better.

Call 1-900-737-4WWF to find out what happened in the locker room last night at Madison Square Garden!

Savio Vega (3-3-3) pins the 1-2-3 Kid (w/Ted DiBiase) (3-6) with a three-quarter nelson at 7:45 shown:

The Kid growing a goatee, which makes him look more mature. DiBiase opts to do guest commentary more than manage so he can hype the Caribbean strap match at In Your House 8: Beware of Dog, insisting that Savio is going to be his next chauffer. Savio’s start is not fast, opting to work chinlocks so he can staredown DiBiase. That distraction eventually lets the Kid take control. At one point Savio shrugs off the Kid’s strikes like Tatanka but the Kid quickly puts a stop to that by laying in blows. A missed splash gives Savio an opening and he wins after tying the Kid up in a roll up. Once the Kid took over the match was better but it had little heat at the end of a long taping. This would be the Kid’s last televised match of his three-year WWF run. As noted on the backstage news, the Kid was sent home after showing up the next day for a Superstars taping in no condition to perform. Despite the belief that he would return, the WWF released him and he would join Diesel and Razor Ramon in WCW, not coming back to the WWF until 1998. His departure robs the WWF of a unique worker but the Kid’s heel turn had diminishing returns the longer it went, and after Sid quit, he was just grinding his gears. Rating: **

Steve Austin immediately runs in after the bell and attacks Savio. A Kid spin kick to the back of Savio’s head leads to a beatdown. Austin ties Savio up with his Caribbean strap, allowing DiBiase to put the chauffer hat on him. Austin delivers a few slaps as an added insult.

McMahon narrates more highlights from Madison Square Garden, this time focusing on the Tag Team title change. Before the match, Henry Godwinn and Hillbilly Jim came to their dressing room and found it locked. Sunny came out with a piece of paper and Phineas looked happy. In the match, Sunny taunted Phineas and hopped on the apron when Phineas was about to deliver the Slop Drop. In response, Phineas released the hold but grabbed Sunny and kissed her. Zip tried to attack Phineas after that but got kicked and Slop Dropped, thereby giving the Godwinns the Tag Team titles. The title change means that the Godwinns will now defend against the Smoking Gunns on the Free for All this Sunday.

Jim Ross interviews Paul Bearer in the aisle. Bearer is standing in front of the gold casket meant for Goldust. Bearer argues that Goldust has crossed a fine line and the Undertaker is ready to meet him. The casket is opened to reveal the Undertaker, who does his promo laying down. The Undertaker talks about how Goldust is watching his future and he will seal his fate in the casket. Before he can finish the promo, Mankind rushes out and closes the casket and ties it shut. Meanwhile, Intercontinental Champion Goldust keeps Bearer away. Once Mankind has tied the casket shut, he takes a steel bar and smashes it into the casket and then tips it over. This was another great segment and got a bigger reaction than anything on the episode so far.

Before the next match, Jim Cornette announces that WWF Champion Shawn Michaels cannot do commentary because Clarence Mason has gotten a restraining order that will keep Michaels 100 yards from Diana until Sunday. Cornette has some good lines about how this will prevent Michaels from undressing Diana “with his eyes” and he keeps going until WWF President Gorilla Monsoon walks into the ring. To comply with the order, Monsoon orders Diana to leave ringside so Michaels can do commentary. Of course, this means that Diana and Michaels cross paths as Michaels comes down the aisle but Monsoon stands between them.

The British Bulldog (w/Jim Cornette) (4-3) wrestles Jake Roberts (4-1) to an unfinished result at 10:49 shown:

The Bulldog is back to long tights for this evening’s main event, which was supposed to take place at the last In Your House. Lawler brings up how Marty Jannetty is throwing accusations at Michaels and then brings up a National Enquirer story about Michaels and Pamela Anderson from the previous year. Michaels vehemently denies wrongdoing, saying all these accusations are character assassination. However, Lawler gets the best of him in the exchange as Michaels’ denials do not sound believable. As all of this goes on, the Bulldog works Roberts’ left knee, thereby making the commentary a welcome distraction. Roberts hits his short-arm clothesline out of nowhere and goes for the DDT but the Bulldog kicks Roberts’ knee to block. The commentary then talks about Michaels posing for Playgirl, causing Lawler to ask if Michaels is the centerfold and if he showed as much as he showed Diana. The Bulldog keeps locking in half Boston crabs in between jawing with Michaels from the ring. After a late commercial break, Diana returns to ringside and confronts Michaels. At Cornette’s prompting she throws water on him. In response, Michaels punches Cornette and stalks after Diana, causing the Bulldog to attack him from the apron and the show goes off the air without the match finishing. The match was terrible but Lawler did a great job antagonizing Michaels. Rating: ½*

The Last Word: The main event was poorly laid out as the British Bulldog should have earned a convincing victory to build him for the In Your House main event and then had some altercation with Shawn Michaels that aired at the end. The best thing about the show was Mankind’s attack on the Undertaker and it is refreshing to see a heel take the battle to the Deadman after so many of his opponents since 1992 have fled in fear. Steve Austin also looked great in this episode, dominating Marc Mero and beating down Savio Vega. The reason that the WWF is loading up next week’s broadcast is that Monday Nitro is going to be two hours for the first time. Classic counterprogramming at work.

Monday Night War Rating: 2.3 vs. 3.1 for Nitro (Main Event: WCW World Champion the Giant vs. Arn Anderson)

Up Next: WWF Superstars for May 25!

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