WTWWW WWE — page 2

Vince McMahon, Mr. Perfect, and Jim Ross are calling today’s action, taped from San Diego, California.

Opening Contest: Ahmed Johnson (10-0) pins Gary Lee after the Pearl River Plunge at 1:35:

Lee has a good physique and is a bit taller than Ahmed. Ahmed’s right hand is taped because he has a broken thumb. Ahmed puts Lee on the top rope and dropkicks him off, causing the enhancement talent to fall to the arena floor. After that, the spinebuster and Pearl River Plunge seem like a violation of Lee’s Eighth Amendment rights.

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

A video package blends Mankind’s vignettes with his debut on Monday Night RAW last week.

Vince McMahon, Mr. Perfect, and Jim Ross are in the booth, taped from San Diego, California.

Vince McMahon and Mr. Perfect are calling tonight’s action, taped from San Bernardino, California. This broadcast started a trend of airing RAW three minutes early at 8:57 p.m. Eastern time to get a jump on Monday Nitro.

Vince McMahon, Mr. Perfect, and Jim Ross commentate, starting a new taping in San Diego, California. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, 7,052 fans attended, with 5,557 paying for their tickets.

Footage of Ahmed Johnson winning New Sensation of the Squared Circle at the Slammy Awards airs.

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.

Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler commentate, live from Anaheim, California. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, 15,855 people attended the show at Arrowhead Pond, 12,909 of whom paid for their tickets. On pay-per-view, the show drew a 1.20 buyrate domestically (301,000 buys) according to wrestlenomics. The buyrate was less than the 1.30 buyrate of the previous year but the number of buys were 40,000 more, continuing to demonstrate the growing pay-per-view universe.

Vince McMahon, Mr. Perfect, and Jim Ross are calling today’s action, concluding the action in Corpus Christi, Texas. They welcome fans to the 500th episode of WWF Superstars.

Opening Contest: Savio Vega (0-1-1) pins Tatanka (w/Ted DiBiase) (2-4) after the spinning heel kick at 2:44:

This is the classic trope of a member of a stable trying to “soften up” the babyface before they face their primary rival. The action goes fast because the match is not given a lot of time, Savio quickly fights out of a chinlock and gets a near-fall from a side suplex. After that, Savio avoids a clothesline and hits his spinning heel kick to win his first singles match of the year. This would wrap up Tatanka’s four-year WWF campaign. He would work the independent circuit before returning in 2005.

Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler are in the booth, wrapping up the last show taped in San Antonio, Texas. This is the last RAW before WrestleMania XII.

Before the opener, Shawn Michaels comes to the ring with a handheld video camera, taping the audience for the “Kliq Cam.” Michaels then gets on the microphone and welcomes his mentor Jose Lothario to the ring, billing him as a legend in the area and noting that Lothario is going to take him to WrestleMania. Seeing Lothario walk out to “Sexy Boy” is good for laughs. Michaels gives Lothario the microphone, making sure to tell him where the hard camera is, and Lothario promises that Michaels will bring San Antonio the WWF Championship. It should be noted that Michaels and Lothario have no on-screen chemistry and Lothario effectively neuters whatever edge Michaels has had as a character going back to his babyface turn following WrestleMania XI.

Vince McMahon, Mr. Perfect, and Jim Ross call today’s matches, still broadcasting from Corpus Christi, Texas.

Opening Non-Title Contest: Goldust (Intercontinental Champion w/Marlena) (5-2) pins Alex Porteau after the Curtain Call at 2:14:

Ross hypes a Goldust segment next week that will feature a sequel to his Piper’s Pit film on the set of the Hollywood Backlot Brawl. Porteau surprises Goldust with a roll up and dropkick after Goldust rubs his body and plays other mind games. For the second match this week, Goldust struggles to get an opponent up for a Curtain Call, which he performs after Porteau puts his head down too early on an Irish whip. McMahon and Ross talk about how Goldust does not have an Academy Award but he is a five-time nominee for the Slammy Awards.

Vince McMahon narrates highlights of Diesel turning on Shawn Michaels last night in Madison Square Garden.

McMahon and Jerry Lawler are in the booth, taped from San Antonio, Texas.

The show’s opening theme has been tweaked to include Yokozuna, the Ultimate Warrior, the Godwinns, and the Bodydonnas.

Vince McMahon, Mr. Perfect, and Jim Ross are once again in the booth for the show, this time taping its episodes in Corpus Christi, Texas. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the taping happened on March 10 and drew a sellout crowd of 3,702.

Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler are commentating, live from San Antonio, Texas. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the show drew a sellout crowd of 9,364.

Opening Contest: Steve Austin (w/Ted DiBiase) (5-0) wrestles Savio Vega (0-1) to a double count out at 6:17 shown:

The Ringmaster name has now been discarded and Austin now goes by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Austin’s goatee has fully grown in as well. The only remnant of what he started with are white boots with a star on them. McMahon acknowledges that presence of weightlifter Mark Henry in the front row as Henry is heading to the Summer Olympics, noting that one day he might grace the squared circle. Austin pummels Savio with strikes but the crowd only cares about his opponent. Austin takes a wild bump over the top rope and to the floor when Savio gives him a spinning heel kick. That leads to both men brawling on the floor and they are counted out. Rating: **¼

Sunny is in a silver bikini on the beach this time, reminding us that viewer discretion is advised.

Vince McMahon, Mr. Perfect, and Jim Ross are in the booth, concluding the taping cycle in Huntington, West Virginia.

Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler are commentating, concluding the taping in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Opening Contest: Shawn Michaels (4-0) defeats the 1-2-3 Kid (w/Ted DiBiase) (2-2) after Sweet Chin Music at 10:04 shown:

The Kid does not get an entrance and is backdropped over the top rope when Michaels enters the ring, engaging his opponent before the opening bell like he did against Owen Hart at In Your House 6. WWF Champion Bret Hart appears in the split screen, noting that Michaels will not be able to do the same moves to him that he is doing to the Kid like a gorilla press slam. When questioned about the iron man match, Bret says that it will be a measure of who can persevere through punishment. The in-ring action is fast and furious and full of near-falls but each man also takes a while on the outside to get back in when they are knocked out. The Kid also kills time after a commercial break with a chinlock. Michaels’ comeback includes a moonsault and the Kid bails before taking Sweet Chin Music. He slams Michaels when re-entering the ring but misses a flying leg drop and Sweet Chin Music puts him down for the count. Good match as usual between these two even though the Kid never got close to pinning Michaels. Rating: ***

Vince McMahon, Mr. Perfect, and Jim Ross are in the booth, taped from Huntington, West Virginia.

Opening Contest: Owen Hart (w/Jim Cornette) (3-1) defeats Barry Horowitz (0-2) via submission to the Sharpshooter at 2:43:

Horowitz must be seeking a measure of revenge after losing to Owen and the British Bulldog in the WWF Tag Team Championship Tournament last week. After a small amateur wrestling sequence, Owen pounds away but Horowitz gets a late rally with a jawbreaker and dropkick. A missed dropkick leaves him open for the Sharpshooter, causing him to submit.

Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler are commentating, taped from Cincinnati, Ohio.

Opening Contest: Jake Roberts (1-0) beats Isaac Yankem (2-2) after the DDT at 3:33:

Roberts’ shirt now has a snake design on it to match his long tights, making it look better than the attire he wore on the Free for All against Tatanka. McMahon tells viewers that Goldust will be calling in with some comments about interim WWF President Roddy Piper. Like Roberts’ match with Tatanka, he is beaten up for a long time by a heel and gets little offense. When Yankem tries to do the DDS, Roberts grabs the ropes and then hits the original version of the move to be victorious. Yankem’s offense was marginally better than Tatanka’s so the match rates better. Rating: ¾*

A video package hypes today’s Shawn Michaels-Shinobi match, saying that Jim Cornette has gotten a ninja to avenge Michaels’ recent triumphs against Camp Cornette.

Vince McMahon, Mr. Perfect, and Jim Ross are in charge of calling today’s action, taped in Huntington, West Virginia on February 20. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, 4,500 fans attended the taping.

Sunny is back in a black bikini on the beach, reminding viewers that discretion is advised.

A video package recaps the ending of last night’s WWF title match, hypes the Goldust-Razor Ramon match for the Intercontinental Championship, and Vince McMahon raises a question about the status of the Ultimate Warrior, who has not been mentioned on WWF television since November 1992.

McMahon and Jerry Lawler call tonight’s action, live from Cincinnati, Ohio. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, 8,500 attended the television taping.

Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler are in the booth, live from Louisville, Kentucky. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the show drew a sellout crowd of 5,500 fans and, according to wrestlenomics.com, it solicited a 0.75 buyrate (186,000 buys). This was the highest number of buys for an In Your House pay-per-view since the first edition last May.