We are still in the middle of the shenanigans of In Your House 3's triple header main event. And due to Owen Hart's involvement in the match, despite being subbed for Bulldog, Jim Cornette and his lawyer Clarence Mason would argue with president Gorilla Monsoon that the tag title change should be considered null and void. Monsoon would give the gold back to Owen and Yokozuna, but due to this, we'll see the tag team champs in action tonight. Raw is live in Grand Rapids Michigan. Opening action is Skip of the Bodydonnas taking on...
MARTY CONFETTI!!! Yes, Janetty is back in the WWF after an almost whole year absence. Not a really hot reaction for Marty, but decent enough. Marty dodges some offense and lands some hiptosses and dropkicks that sends Skip rolling out and embracing Sunny. Skip comes back and lands some rights to Marty, but Marty avoids some more offense and lands a back body drop. He goes back out to hug Sunny again, and while distracted, Marty cops a hug on Sunny, who ends up slapping Skip by accident.
Back in the ring and Marty works the arm with a hammerlock. Sunny trips the leg of Marty, allowing Skip to land a nice gutwrench suplex. He follows with a snap suplex as Dean Douglas is in the entranceway taking notes. Skip drops a leg as we go to break. When we return, Skip hits a great clothesline that sends Marty flipping. Another leg drop by Skip who covers for two. Janetty reverses a whip and after some counters, hits Skip with a nice German suplex, coering for two.
Skip tries a hurricanrana as Marty counters with a powerbomb. Marty gets a knee lift and covers for a two count. Cross body by Marty who covers, but gets distracted by Sunny. However Marty stimm manages to throw Skip over the top rope. Suplex by Marty, but Sunny trips the leg, allowing Skip to cover, but Marty kicks out at two. Rocker Dropper by Marty who goes up top, landing a fist drop for the three.
Fun opener. Marty is always fun in the ring and he was honestly sorely missed. Skip and Sunny play great comedic heels, and it doesn't hurt that Skip is a great worker in the ring. Everything clicked, it never bogged, never felt like it overstayed its welcome, and was a great way to open Raw.
Up next, it's the WWF Tag Team Championships on the line. The men who are still champs despite the fracas of In Your House 3, Owen Hart and Yokozuna are defending their gold against The Smoking Gunns. But it's the Barry Di-oh, he's been let go? Okay. It's Dok Hendrix hucking the In Your House shirt from the prior night. Yes, remember that amazing show with the dusty-est of finishes. Plus a blank tape they claim is a WWF greatest hits tape. Gotta huck those Bushwhacker tapes from a couple years ago somehow.
We recap all the way back to Wrestlemania XI where Owen and Yoko won their gold from the Smoking Gunns and have been champs since. Crazy it's been roughly six months at this point. Fast back and forth to start until Bart gets the arm bar takedown and works the arm. Tag to Billy who continues with the arm wringers. Owen escapes and lands some offense, only to eat a right hand by Billy. Drop toe hold by Owen who gets the tag in to Yokozuna. Yoko hits a shoulder block as we see Shawn and Diesel watching on in the back.
Dropkicks by Billy followed by a bulldog that takes the big man down. Billy ducks a clothesline and tries for a crucifix only for Yoko to drop his weight. Owen gets some cheap shots on Billy on the outside while the referee's distracted. Owen steps on the throat of Billy and tags in Owen who locks in the chinlock. Billy escapes and gets a big sunset flip for two. Owen lands an enziguri for two as we go to break. When we return, Billy escapes a chinlock, only to get hit by a neckbreaker.
Cross body by Owen is turned around by Billy who covers for two. Owen tags in Yoko as the pair hit a double wishbone. More illegal double teaming by the tag team champs who work Billy in the corner. Owen locks in the long nerve hold. After about almost two minutes of the hold, Billy escapes, only to eat an elbow to the face. Yoko signals for the elbow drop but fails to connect. Instead of going for the tag, he goes for a leg drop, but misses. Yoko tries a diving headbutt, but Billy escapes.
Tag to Owen who tries to keep Billy from tagging, but he gets the tag to Bart who lands a clothesline and a back body drop. Press slam follows as Bart covers for two. Billy brawls with Yoko as the pair throw Owen into Yoko, sending him tumbling in the corner. Sidewinder off the top and a cover, but Yoko goes for a splash, only to end up falling on Owen. Dropkick by Billy sends Yoko out of the ring as Bart covers for three.
A prety good tag team title match. Lots of energy early on with everyone looking good, and working really well together. It got slow as usual with the face in peril spots, but nowhere as bad as it often can be. I liked the ending as we see the tag team of Owen and Yoko continuing to fall apart. Also, it always feels good to have a title change on Raw, and this felt just as good as usual.
Dok Hendrix is with President Monsoon who gives us the main event of In Your House 4. Along with Undertaker vs Mabel and the debut of Goldust, It will be The British Bulldog taking on Diesel for the WWF Title. Also Bret Hart will face whoever wins that at Survivor Series. Plus Shawn Michaels defends the Intercontinental Title against Dean Douglas. Oh we'll get to that soon.
It's our main event up next as The British Bulldog takes on The Undertaker. Undertaker chases Bulldog to start, but Davey Boy gets in some strikes, only for Taker to immediately get a hairpull takedown. Taker takes Bulldog to the corner and chokes him until Bulldog gets a poke in the eye. Taker is unfased and hits a clothesline. He goes for the old school on the ropes, but Cornette shakes the ropes, knocking him down. Taker sits right back up and hits a boot to Bulldog. Bulldog avoids a leg drop and clotheslines Taker over the ropes. Immediately Taker goes after Cornette, alllowing for Bulldog to get a sneak attack, ramming Taker into the steel steps.
Looking on from the entrance way is Men on a Mission, as well as Waylon Mercy, all who seem to be invested in the dead man's affairs. Bulldog locks in a half crab, continuing to damage the right leg of Taker. He follows with an attempt at the power slam, but Taker turns it around into a back suplex. Taker goes for the old school again, this time succeeding, but the fall does further damage to the leg. Bulldog turns a back body drop into a piledriver, covering for two. Bulldog follows with a suplex, covering for another two as Taker continues to sit up. Another suplex and another cover bears no fruit. Taker ducks a clothesline and gets hit with a chokeslam.
Mabel and Mo get to the ring and distract Taker long enough for Bulldog to throw him into Mabel, who hits the belly to belly. With the match thrown out, Bulldog lands a power slam and has Mabel drop the leg on Taker. Michaels and Diesel come to the aid of Taker, sending the heels in retreat. Owen and Yoko arrive, as do the Smoking Gunns. The faces protect the ring as we end Monday Night Raw.
A solid edition of Monday Night Raw coming off In Your House 3. It was good to see Marty Janetty again, who hasn't skipped a beat. Despite my annoyance at the non-title change at IYH3, the tag title match and legitimate change for the Smoking Gunns was a pleasant surprise, putting somewhat of a bow in this whole time frame between their loss at Mania and now. Undertaker vs Bulldog was a really good match as well. Your basic Taker no-selling for the most part, but both men put in some great offense, and the match never felt slow and plodding. Plus this continuing plot lines involving the top faces and heels is intriguing and makes you wonder what is going to happen next. And because all of that is interesting, especially in a dull period for the company like 1995, it helps earn this Raw an A-. Nothing spectacular, but still a good post-PPV episode of Raw.