But opening action tonight is Hunter Hearst Helmsley taking on Henry O. Godwinn. This feud came to a head on the prior week's Raw when Hunter attacked Godwinn post-match with a pedigree and dumped the hog farmer's slop bucket over his head. Hunter attacks Godwinn on the outside before the match can even begin. Hunter slams Godwinn face-first into the steps. Hunter sprays some of his perfume at Godwinn, which angers the hog farmer, who brings the bucket up...
And slops himself! That's both stupid and brilliant at the same time because now he can really get the prissy blue blood dirty. Hunter tries to run away...
Only to comically slip in the slop on the outside. He slips and slides up the entrance way with Godwinn giving chase. A fun, if a bit too silly, way to open Raw.
It's the lat Slam Jam before Survivor Series. Here is our finalized card:
Bret Hart vs Diesel for the WWF Title
The WIld Card Survivor Series match (Sid, Shawn Michaels, Bulldog and Ahmed Johnson vs Dean Douglas, Owen Hart, Razor Ramon and Yokozuna)
Goldust vs Bam Bam Bigelow
Team Darkside (Undertaker, Henry Godwinn, Savio Vega and Fatu) vs Team Royals (King Mabel, Isaac Yankem, Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Jerry "The King" Lawler)
Skip, Rad Radford, Tom Pritchard and 1-2-3 Kid vs Mary Jannetty, Barry Horowitz, Bob Holly, and Hakushi
Bertha Faye, Aja Kong, Tomokoa Watanabe an Lioness Asuka vs Alundra Blayze, Kyoko Inoue, Sakie Hasegawa and Chaparita Asari (Whole lotta women I don't know).
We get a return vignette for Shawn Michaels. Starting off somber with his forfeit of the I.C title, and getting more exuberant showing off his more charismatic and energetic skills.
Ahmed Johnson's in-ring debut is up next against Jake Steele. Ahmed takes Steele to the corner and tries for a handshake, only to be denied. Steele tries for some offense, going for a clothesline in the corner, only to get no effect other than angering Ahmed. Ahmed reverses a whip and hits a clothesline. We cut to footage of Shawn Michaels saying he trusts Ahmed in the wild card match.Another clothesline from Ahmed folowed by a stiff spinebuster. Underhook powerbomb (the Pear River Plunge) gets the win in a strong squash for Ahmed Johnson.
Vince interviews Ahmed Johnson, wishing him good luck. Ahmed mumbles his way through this promo, but he says he'll break Sid and Bulldog something proper if they turn on him at Survivor Series.
Barry Didinsky is hocking the WWF 1996 Calendar, complete with special edition Diesel gloves and shades. Barry looking like he's ready for a fight that he will easily die in.
Up next, it's an interview with both DIesel and Bret Hart as we near Sunday's Survivor Series title match. Diesel thinks that he is the best there is in the company. Best there was and ever will be is still to be determined. When it comes to Diesel as leader of the new generation, Bret turns his focus to last year's Survivor Series with how he lost the title from the tainted towel throw. And how his prior match with Diesel at the Rumble was also marred by interference. He doesn't believe that Diesel has beaten him yet. He says that he was the hardest match Diesel has had since and he hasn't had a rematch since. Diesel defends himself by saying that Shawn gave him a run for his money too and that Bret never asked for his rematch.
Bret has the utmost respect for Diesel, especially for holding the title for a year, but he thinks that Diesel is weak against technical wrestlers and so he picks his opponents. Diesel responds by saying that he promised to take on anybody, not dodging anyone. In terms of this match, Diesel says he will try to knock Bret out quick with how power and leverage. Bret says that this will be a hard fought match considering the last two bouts. He thinks he has to stretch this match as long as possible to wear down Diesel, and he has tricks up his sleeve. Like a Timex watch, the more he takes a licking, he keeps on ticking. Diesel says that two times he's jackknifed Bret, but two times he was unable to pin Bret due to interference. This will be a war, but he's bigger, stronger and smarter than he was in January. Bret says that his title reign was interrupted and he only got one title shot with no winner declare. Diesel is walking around with his title belt and it is time to find out who is the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.
Up next, it's Vince McMahon vs Jerry Lawler in a round of Karate Fighters. Unfortunately for Vin Man and his choice of Thunderfoot, it's the king that gets the win with Skull Crusher.
But Shenangians! Lawler taped Skull Crusher's foot! McMahon makes a promise that Undertaker will destroy the royals at Survivor Series.
King Mabel is in action next against Roy Raymond. We get a pre-packaged vignette with Undertaker's face obscured promising vengeance will be his at Survivor Series. Mabel shoves Roy into the corner and stomps him down. Hard whips to the buckle followed by a clothesline. Big back suplex by Mabel followed by a strike to the back and some headbutts. Roy tries a dropkick, but it doesn't fase Mabel, who follows with a massive diving clothesline. Another headbutt by Mabel who chokes Roy Raymond in the ropes. Neck snap followed by a European uppercut. Hard whip to the buckle followed by a splash and a belly to belly gets the win in a dominant squash for Mabel.
It's time for the main event. Intercontinental champion Razor Ramon vs Sid in a non-title match with 1-2-3 Kid as special guest referee. The issues between Kid and Razor continued over the weekend during live events and particularly on Superstars when Razor got disqualified in the tag title rematch against the Smoking Gunns. There's also history with Razor and Sid back in the Summer when Sid sneak attacked Sid before their one on one match.
Sid starts with some midsection strikes and a choke in the ropes. He tells the Kid to shut up as Razor ducks a clothesline and lays some strikes that sends Sid over the top rope. Sid comes back in, but Razor gets a shot in and ducks a clothesline, only to eat a mush full of boot. Slow cover for a two count. Razor gets caught in a chokeslam from Sid who continues to play to the crowd and delay his cover of the bad guy. Sid chokes Razor in the ropes. The Kid has some words with Sid as Dibiase lays in a cheap strike. Sid follows up with some strikes to the midsection, beating down on Razor.
Razor tries to come back, only to eat a hairpull slam. Sid whips Razor, only to eat a knee. He goes for the Razor's Edge, but gets back dropped over the top rope. Dibiase lays in even more shots behind the distracted kid. Meanwhile, Dean Douglas finds his way to ringside as we go to break. When we return, Douglas attacks Razor outside the ring while the Kid is still distracted. Sid picks up the scraps and slams Razor into the apron. Kid starts the ten count and Razor makes it back in.
Sid continues the punishment on the lower back, following with a back suplex. Cover only gets a two. Sid follows up with a big leg drop. Cover gets another two. Sid goes into the chinlock, but Razor recovers, getting Sid on his shoulders and dropping him down right on his head.
Ouch!
Sid recovers first and lands another boot. He whips Razor to the corner, but Raor comes back with a boot ot the face and a bulldog off the second rope. Cover only gets a close two. Sid reverses a whip, but Razor catches him for the Razor's Edge.
But shocker of all shockers! The 1-2-3 Kid pulls Sid off Razor, allowing for Sid to land the powerbomb. Cover and a fast three gets the win for SId. The kid and Dibiase raise the hands of the winner as Dibiase stuffs a Canadian five dollar bill down the gullet of Razor. The Kid pulls the money out of the mouth of Razor and puts it in his pocket. After all the speculation, the kid has finally sold out to the Million Dollar Corporation.
A decent match. Sid's best so far at least. Nothing amazing in-ring, but both men worked well with each other, it was back and forth, and despite the one chinlock, it didn't require a ton of rest hold spots. But in the end of it, the important part of the story is the kid finally turning on Razor after months of it becoming obvious that the Kid was going heel sooner or later..
We end Raw with a promo from the wild card heels, including Dean Douglas who attacked his own partner for Sunday in Razor. Razor runs in and goes on the attack on Douglas as Raw goes off the air.
A solid edition of Raw. In fact, Raw has felt like it's picked up in quality considerably lately. I liked the shenanigans with Godwinn and Hunter, Ahmed looked good in his debut match for the blog, Mabel had a basic squash, and Sid and Razor had a surprisingly solid encounter complete with the 1-2-3 Kid finally turning heel and joining the Million Dollar Corporation. But the best part of the Raw was easily Bret Hart and Diesel's promo. After a lackluster build, this did a great job of selling the importance of this title match with Bret hungry to take the belt back and Diesel seemingly annoyed at this title defense. Something that definitely feels like the beginning of a heel turn. Overall, for a build to Survivor Series, this did the trick, earning this Raw an A-.
Up next for the WWF, it's Survivor Series 1995. Wild cards, a ton of firings, and the days of Diesel may just be reaching their end. Find out the fallout next time.