It's the final Raw before the King of the Ring, and we open with the intercontinental champion...
Shawn Michaels?
So yeah, what happened exactly? Last week Marty Janetty held the intercontinental gold and seemed to be going in directions that didn't involve his former Rocker partner. And now suddenly we open Raw with Shawn Michaels once again holding his former title belt. Well one night prior to this episode of Raw at a house show, Shawn Michaels enacted his rematch clause against Marty Janetty, and thanks to the help of his debuting bodyguard Diesel, Shawn regained the intercontinental gold. Ah, back when title changes didn't have to happen on TV.
Diesel if of course Kevin Nash. Nash, much like a lot of tall superstars of the time started their careers after a failed run in basketball. He would wind up in the world of professional wrestling in 1990 working for WCW. However, Nash's initial run with the company wasn't exactly fruitful. In fact, it was literred with several terrible gimmicks. The master blasters, Vinnie Vegas...
Whatever the hell Oz was supposed to be.
Nash eventually left the WCW at the request of Shawn Michaels, which with him now being positioned as the bodyguard for Michaels, this pairing makes far more sense. And to start this pairing off, it only made sense to give Shawn back his championship, and thus the switch was made on the house show. Though why they couldn't wait until King of the Ring is beyond me. And no, Marty hasn't been fired again in case you're worried.
After gloating about his success, we go into our first match of the night with HBK taking on Ross Greenberg. The crowd has switched from their "Shawn is gay" chants of a month ago and are now cheering Shawn on. Armwrench suplex by Shawn followed b a shoulderblock. Shawn then lays a few body slams and pulls off a cocky strut. Greenberg tries a small package, but Shawn kicks out and lays in left in the corner. He follows up with a nice stalling suplex. The commentary has yet to name Diesel yet, so I'm assuming they haven't fully decided it yet.After a long headlock, Greenberg breaks out. But his Irish whip attempt is met with a neckbreaker, and an elbow off the second turnbuckle. Michaels then finishes off Greenberg with a piledriver of all things. Good opening squash, especially considering Shawn now has a new spring in his step with a new bodyguard and his belt back.
However that spring in his step may not have much bounce as in the King of the Ring report we learn that the Crush/Michaels match will now be for the intercontinental championship. Shawn comes back out to ringside and begins to yell at Vince believing he's trying to ruin his moment. Shawn throws a hissy fit, which I can believe is akin to the many he's had backstage and promises that at the King of the Ring that he and his "great wall of china" will be victorious.
Next up is "El Matador" Tito Santana taking on Adam Bomb, with Johnny Polo managing him. I love they actually use footage of the atomic bomb before transitioning back to ring action. Adam Bomb now has nuclear eye contacts for that added radioactive flavor. Tito gets a nice pop for his entrance. Heenan brings up that Tito's mother makes the gassiest enchiladas in existance. Wrist locks and arm wringers by Tito start the match as Adam Bomb gets to the ropes. Bomb gets some offense followd by a power slam. However he misses two elbow drop attempts.
More arm wringers are followed by an arm drag and a wrist lock by Tito. Adam breaks out, and whips Tito, but Tito gets in a sunset flip for a two count. Commentary mentions that Razor has upped the ante on his rematch with the 1-2-3 Kid, now offering $7,500 for the match, which still appears to be declined by the kid. Meanwhile in the ring, Adam Bomb lays boots into Tito. A rake to the face is followed by two rams head first into the turnbuckle. A nice sidewalk slam from Adam Bomb. Tito tries again for offense, but Adam Bomb goes for a whip, but Tito gets in a flying forearm for the two. Tito tries a dropkick, but gets nothing. He tries a roll up, but is thrown off. Adam Bomb oes to the apron, and hits a slingshot shoulder block for the three. Overall, a bland match, but I still am impressed with Adam Bomb. A good variety of offense, and some solid athleticism. Though that shoulder block was kinda sloppy looking.
It's my favorite time of the week. it's time for the Tatanka squash match. This week it's against the vibrantly named Peter Weeks, who looks like a really flabby Harvey Fierstein. Arm wringer and chops start the match, and Tatanka follows that up with a couple leap frogs and an hip toss over the top rope to Weeks. And we follow that up with a chop... and another.... and another. Then some whips to the buckle which is followed by a body slam and an elbow drop. Tatanka does get a body drop on Weeks. Weeks starts to get offense, and then immediately does what every single idiot jobber has done, and that's smack Tatanka's head into the buckle. And wouldn't you know it, that starts up his war dance. More chops by Tatanka who finishes things off with what else, a chop off the top rope for the three. Same Tatanka match, different week. Ugh.
Up next is the King's Court with host Jerry "the King" Lawler. Jerry welcomes everyone to the court, and mocks the announce team, with the exception of Bobby Heenan of course. He calls New York the "rotten apple", which leads to the Burger King chants. In fact, a bunch of fans came prepared with paper crowns. lawler puts out a few decent puns including New York's most common house pet is a cockroach on a leash, and that people paint their dumpsters red an gold so the kids think their eating at McDonald's. Oh god do I miss when King actually gave a damn, and wasn't handcuffed by the current PG product.
After a commercial break, Jerry is joined by his guest, the #1 contender to the toy trinket belt, Yokozuna. The crowd chants for Hogan, but you know, the man holding the most important prize in the company hasn't shown his face in months on Raw, so why should they think he'll show up any time soon? They then turn it into a USA chant because of course they would. Lawler asks Fuji what will happen when Hogan faces Yokozuna, and Fuji responds that Yokozuna isn't just 500 pounds, but now 550. He eats about a hundred plus pounds a day. And considering Yokozuna's known issues with weight gain, I can honestly believe that. Fuji also can't wait to see Hogan be for lack of a better term mutilated by Yokozuna at the King of the Ring.
It's time for our main event, a mixed tag team match which will feature Billy Gunn and Rick Steiner taking on Fatu and IRS. At ringside Afa and Samu are partaking in some delicious WWF ice cream bars. I guess that's a step up from dining on raw fish. The crowd regails in the regular Irwin chants. Tee match starts really slow with more ice cream eating and money exchanging. IRS gives Fatu a fifty...
which Afa proceeds to chomp upon.
The match finally starts with Fatu attempting a suplex on Billy Gunn, but Billy reverses it, and manages to get in a drop toe hold and a nice dropkick. Neckbreaker ofr a two count, and then an arm lock. Tag to Rick who gets a big take down on Fatu. Whip to the corner is met with an elbow and a clothesline by Fatu. Tag to IRS who misses a clothesline and goes flying over the top rope. He's thrown back in as Rick gets a clothesline of his own. Elbow for a two count. Tag back to Billy who continues work on the arm before tagging back Rick Steiner.
With Fatu holding Rick, IRS tries for a clothesline, but hits Fatu instead. This begins to cause some dissension between the two heel tag teams as we go to commercial. When we return to break, things have managed to cool down as they give more delicious greenbacks to Afa. They feast on what has to be more than a TNA employee's salary, as action continues in the ring. Headlock takedown by Rick is met with roll overs by IRS for two counts. IRS manages to throw Rick Steiner out of the ring much to the anger of Billy Gunn. He then throws Steiner out to the heel side as they get some cheap shotts until Scott and Bart try to make the save. However, the ref's distracted, so more cheap shots from Dibiase and Samu.
Fatu and IRS work double teams on Rick Steiner, and Fatu nails a loud, hard clothesline for a two count. Billy tries to get in as the heels work double teams more. Body slam by Fatu, but a slingshot splash is met with knees to the gut. Tag to IRS and Billy Gunn. Big back body drops to both IRS and Fatu followed by clotheslines to everybody. But he gets distracted by Ted Dibiase long enough for a clothesline to the back of the head from IRS for the three count. A great fast paced tag match although a bit rushed by the end. Regardless, it makes me quite excited for the eight man tag match at the pay per view.
Razor Ramon comes to ringside and is interviewed by Vince, who reminds us of the $7,500 offer being given to the 1-2-3 Kid. The crowd eggs him on some more with "1-2-3" chants. Razor tells us that the offer has been given and that next week on Raw the match is on, despite no confirmation of the match being happened. Apparently with $7,500 dollars he could make everyone in the Manhattan Center stand on their heads while naked. Razor has some strange coke dreams. On the subject of Bret Hart this Sunday at the King of the Ring, he promises that when he's done with the "Hit Mang" he's going to be a 'Nutter loser in the Nutter Center.
A solid episode of Raw this week. Great shocker to open Raw with a new champion in Shawn Michaels, I enjoyed the match with Tito and Adam Bomb, and the mixed tag match was great. I also like that there's a lot more focus on storylines on Raw, especially with Razor's challenge to the 1-2-3 Kid. The only dark spot was the patrician Tatanka squash match, but I can live with it. A definite B show at best.
Well, we've finally gone through every Raw leading up to it, and up next it's the inaugural WWF King of the Ring pay per view. Who will take the crown? Can Yokozuna end Hulkamania? Will Tatanka finally lose? And what other mayhem will ensue? Find out next time.