What the World Was Watching: WWF Monday Night RAW – 07.08.96

WWF President Gorilla Monsoon announces the indefinite suspension of the Ultimate Warrior because of his failure to appear at house shows in Indianapolis, Detroit, and Pittsburgh two weeks ago. Monsoon adds that the suspension will be lifted if the Warrior posts an appearance bond. However, since the Warrior was booked tonight to face Owen Hart he will appear.

Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler commentate again, taped from Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Opening Contest: The Ultimate Warrior (4-0-1) defeats Owen Hart (w/Jim Cornette) (7-5) via disqualification when the British Bulldog interferes at 8:45 shown:

McMahon says that he hopes this is not the last time that fans see the Warrior. In the split screen WWF Champion Shawn Michaels and Intercontinental Champion Ahmed Johnson are asked who their replacement for the Warrior will be for In Your House 9: International Incident. They promise to reveal their choice later in the show. The Warrior overpowers Owen for the first five minutes and then Owen is able to stop the Warrior by blocking a splash off the ropes with his knees. Owen registers a near-fall from a missile dropkick but the Warrior blocks the Sharpshooter with a push off. As the Warrior starts shaking the ropes, the Bulldog comes to ringside and this creates the predictable disqualification run-in when Owen appears poised for defeat after a flying shoulder block off the ropes. Just an average match but it was the Warrior’s best match of his 1996 run. Rating: **

The Warrior knocks the Bulldog down with a clothesline when he tries to interfere but the Warrior cannot overcome Vader, who comes down to the ring to aid his teammates. The Bulldog delivers a running powerslam to the Warrior, Owen hits the Warrior with his cast off the top rope, and then Vader delivers a Vader Bomb after warding off several referees and officials with Cornette’s tennis racquet.

After a commercial break, Shawn Michaels and Ahmed Johnson appear again. Michaels says that he has had differences with the partner that they chose. Johnson promises that their partner will not go down as quickly as the Warrior.

Brian Pillman almost hits Savio Vega with a crutch during Savio’s entrance for the next match but is stopped by J.J. Dillon.

Savio Vega (7-4-3) defeats Justin Bradshaw (w/Zebekiah) (10-3-1) after the spinning heel kick at 11:47 shown:

These two had a hard-hitting match on WWF Superstars on May 18 that ultimately went to a double disqualification. McMahon calls attention to that during entrances so it seems that these two are poised to kick off a new feud. There is a fast, back-and-forth start as Savio earns a near-fall from a spinning heel kick in the corner and Bradshaw responds with a near-fall of his own with a bulldog. Some stiff strikes follow from each man, along with a few more near-falls. As the action continues, Mr. Perfect calls into the show and there is a tease he is going to align with Michaels and Ahmed before a commercial break interrupts. When the show resumes, Perfect’s phone call is dropped, telegraphing the WWF’s attempt to make fans stay tuned in and not check out Monday Nitro. Bradshaw plants Savio with a pumphandle slam for a near-fall and comes off the top rope with a shoulder block for another. Savio backdrops out of a piledriver, though, and goes into his final comeback. Zebekiah gets on the apron and is knocked off but the distraction lets Bradshaw get back to his feet. However, Zebekiah trips Savio when he runs the ropes, thwarting Bradshaw’s lariat attempt. The rebound off the ropes causes Bradshaw to fall down and when he gets up, Savio takes his head off with a spinning heel kick to score the win. These two have great chemistry and they managed to put together a fun, hard-hitting contest. Sadly, many fans in attendance did not appreciate it. Rating: ***

After the match, Zebekiah distracts Savio and Bradshaw clotheslines Savio in the back of the head. That leads to Bradshaw hitting Savio over the head with the cowbell on his bull rope and Savio’s face is branded.

Shawn Michaels and Ahmed Johnson are still chilling at WWF studios, insisting that their third man is showing up soon. McMahon notes that next week Michaels will defend the WWF Championship against Billy Gunn. Meanwhile, Ahmed will defend the Intercontinental Championship against Bart Gunn. Both men are confident of victory.

Footage of a tailgate party that took place outside of the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey with a few WWF stars is shown. There was another one that took place in New Haven, Connecticut.

Jake Roberts going after Lawler last week and Mankind attacking him afterward is the Sudden Death Slam of the Week.

Vader & the British Bulldog (w/Jim Cornette & Diana Hart Smith) beat the Godwinns (w/Hillbilly Jim) (11-5-1) when the Bulldog pins Phineas after a powerslam at 12:29 shown:

Cornette joins commentary, elated about what his men did to the Ultimate Warrior earlier in the show. There is a nice beginning as Vader knees Henry in the back when he runs to ropes to briefly put him in peril but then Phineas knees Vader in the back when he runs the ropes later to restore the babyface advantage. Action goes back and forth for some time until Henry is placed in peril again. And surprisingly the Bulldog is the less exciting participant, spamming lots of chinlocks when the heels have control. In another surprise, Henry kicks out from a Vader Bomb to the back. Henry endures a Vader avalanche after a commercial break but he catches Vader doing a second one and powerslams him. That leads to a Phineas hot tag and all hell breaks loose when Vader breaks up a Phineas pinfall on the Bulldog after a body slam. When the referee forces Henry from the ring, Vader clubs Phineas in the back of the head and Phineas staggers toward the Bulldog, who powerslams him. This match outperformed expectations, featuring some great power spots and the Godwinns were made to appear on the same level as main event singles talents in contrast to how some of these matches normally turn out. Rating: ***

Shawn Michaels and Ahmed Johnson talk about how their partner is in the parking lot.

Call 1-900-737-4WWF to hear about the alleged love triangle between Goldust, Marlena, and Sable and where Mankind fits into this picture!

Jim Cornette is cocky that Shawn Michaels and Ahmed Johnson will not find a good partner and doubts that they have anyone at all. Michaels and Ahmed say that they do not bluff and behind them, Sid turns around to return to the WWF, this time as a babyface. Sid talks about how he can hear Camp Cornette screaming for help but no one will be there to assist them. Cornette freaks out, screaming about how Sid is a nut and the reason he has not been seen in a while is because he has been locked up somewhere.

Tune in next week to see WWF Champion Shawn Michaels defend his title against Billy Gunn! Also, Intercontinental Champion Ahmed Johnson defends against Bart Gunn!

The Last Word: If you like hoss battles, this was the show for you. The Savio Vega-Justin Bradshaw and tag team main event were good, physical wars. But the big news from this show was the end of the Ultimate Warrior, who would refuse to post the $250,000 appearance bond that the WWF asked of him and would be suspended the day this show aired and later terminated. The Warrior would never return to a WWF ring, eventually going to WCW in 1998 and returning to the company on April 5, 2014 for the Hall of Fame ceremony. He would make one final televised appearance on RAW after that on April 7 to give a speech to his fans and died the next day. This 1996 run never worked out because of the Warrior was hard to work with regarding the incorporation of his intellectual properties with the WWF brand and struggling to find his place in a changed WWF ecosystem. Sid’s return is more than an adequate replacement as he was still over with live crowds and immediately felt like a big deal again even though the WWF had jobbed him out a lot in the last half of 1995.

Monday Night War Rating: 2.5 vs. 3.5 for Nitro (Main Event: Sting vs. Arn Anderson)

Up Next: WWF Superstars for July 13!

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