We're live in Sioux City, Iowa as we open with Bart Gunn taking on Mankind. Also tonight we'll see The Ultimate Warrior in action against Isaac Yankem D.D.S, plus Jim Cornette will elaborate further on the alleged Shawn Michaels comments. Mankind starts with some rights and some boots in the corner. Bart fights out of the corner, but Mankind is still right on him, He begins to rake the eyes of Bart, then pulls out more of his hair. Another eye rake. He whips Bart in the corner, then goes for an elbow, only for Bart to avoid.
Art begins arm work on Mankind until the deranged one breaks free. An exchange of arm work from both men as Bart regains contro and works the shoulder. Mankind tries to lock in a mandible claw, but Bart escapes. Lawler uses this time to make a Margot Kidder jokes, as this would have been around the time of her infamous nervous breakdown. Mankind brings Bart back in and both men exchange shots. Mankind gets in a body slam, then tries for an elbow, only to miss. Bart goes back into arm work with a wristlock. He then takes Mankind into the corner, only for Mankind to recover with stomps and a baseball slide as we go to break.
When we return, Bart is in control until Mankind throws him over the top rope. He continues his assault outside for a moment before bringing this back into the ring. Corner punches and a running knee follow. He follows up with a leg drop off the apron, then bashes his head intentionally into the barricade. Bart comes back with some left hands, knocking Mankind down. He goes to the top buckle and hits a nice missile dropkick. Cover only gets a two. He slams Mankind down and goes back up. Elbow drop off the top, covering for only two.
Mankind reverses a whip and hits an elbow, but Bart takes him down with punches. But Mankind gets in the Mandible Claw for the win. A boring match honestly that really only picked up by the end. Way too much focus on dull arm work and slow spots, which isn't what I'd want from a Mick Foley match in all honesty.
Jim Ross is with Bart Gunn, asking about how the claw felt. Before Bart can elaborate, Mankine attacks him and reapplies the Mandible Claw.
Up next, Stone Cold Steve Austin is in action against Scott Taylor. Savio is at ringside with a leather strap. This is because at In Your House: Beware of Dog, we'll be seeing savio take on Austin in a Carribean strap match. Austin beats down Scotty in the the corner with stomps, then follows with a crisp snap suplex. Airplane spin from Austin gets a good amount of rotations. Austin hits a diving elbow off the middle rope. Cover, but Scotty kicks out at two. Austin looks at Savio briefly, then hits a nice back elbow. Savio and Lawler yell at each other at ringside while Austin hits an elbow off hte apron. STF by Austin before he breaks it then wins with a million dollar dream in a dominant squash. Savio grabs the mic and challenges Austin to the strap match. Dibiase doesn't accept, but Savio jump into the ring and whips Austin out of the ring as we go to break.
Vince is in the ring with Jim Cornette, Diana Smith and The British Bulldog. Vince then introduces WWF Champion Shawn Michaels, who is accompanied by Jose Lothario. Shawn says that one month ago there was no way that the style of Shawn would go sixty minutes against Bret, but he adapted with his style, and 63 minutes later he came out on top. Everyone said there is no way that he could hold up to Diesel in a no-holds barred match, he took an ass kicking and gave one right back. He says that anyone who wants to dance with him, he can take any style. He and his kliq will take on whatever the world has to offer.
Cornette interrupts and talks about the supposed backstage antics. He calls Shawn a pervert and claims he tried to sleep with Diana. Diana was seated at ringside early on last night. She got a message from someone in production, then left in the backstage area. With the rest of Camp Cornette nowhere to be seen, she wound up with Shawn who lured her into a dark corner and propositioned her. He berates Shawn for thinking he's god's gift to women, and for being a sexual deviant. He tells Shawn to look into the eyes of his accuser then tells Diana to look in his eyes and call him a fornicator. Diana says that Shawn wants her, while Shawn says that with all due respect to not flatter herself.
Diana responds by slapping Shawn across the face. Shawn then says that now we know who wears the pants in the family, which prompts Bulldog to go after Shawn, the two brawling as we go to break.
Up next, it's The New Rockers taking The Godwinns. Henry has the slop bucket, sending Marty and Leif in retreat. A whole lot of stalling as we see Sunny backstage with a nice pair... of belts. Sunny says that the Godwinns smell bad, but she can get them in control. She calls the Rockers "dumb and dumber", but she intends to take a closer look at her team's possible future challengers. Phineas and Marty start as Marty takes Phineas to the corner. Drop toe hold by Marty who goes into a front facelock. Phineas sets Marty up on the buckle, but Marty jumps over and hits a hiptoss.
He attacks Henry, allowing the heels to double team Phineas. But the crazed Phineas takes them both out. Henry controls Phineas as Leif tries to sneak attack, only to be layed out. Sunny shows up with the belt as we go to break. When we return, the Rockers double team Henry as Phineas is focused on Sunny. As are the crowd as they chant for her. More face in peril stuff as they attack Phineas and work on Henry. Marty tries a fist drop, but eats a boot from Henry. Leif is tagged in and knocks Henry into a tag from Phineas. Marty hits a cross body that sends Phineas over the ropes. Sunny goes over to check on him as Hillbilly Jim chases her with the bucket. In the fracas is a double count out. So Sunny's plan to insure her team has no challengers worked.
Jim Ross is in the dark catacombs of the arena with Mankind. He asks about the mandible claw. Mankind says there are over 740 pressure points in the human body, and he explored them all, finding a weapon in which to escape. Underneath the tongue, where the flesh is weak and the nerves run deep, there is no escape. Temporary paralysis overcomes the body and the only hope is Mankind's love for humanity, and he assures you he has none. Ross asks about the Undertaker, but Mankind says that it was easy to take him out. He calls the gutless ghoul to face him.
Up next, we have our main event. Isaac Yankem D.D.S taking on The Ultimate Warrior. Some sort of weird cue as Warrior walks out, walks backstage again, then walks back out again to do his entrance. Lawler is supposed to be in Yankem's corner, but he's chosen to stay in the announce position for 'moral support'. Vince shills Warrior University while Lawler continues to panic. Warrior ducks a clothesline and hits a shoulder block. He rams Isaac in the corner, then hits a clothesline in the corner. He throws Isaac out as we go to break. When we return, Warrior hits more clotheslines. Big shoulder block and a splash for the win. At least more wrestling here than in the Goldust match. Warrior throws Yankem out. Lawler promises to take Warrior out himself, but says he can't get in due to a shortened mic cord.
A middle of the road edition of Raw in all honesty. Strengths were the Austin squash, Sunny's great heel work and Lawler's comedic work in this feud with Warrior. The in-ring was pretty bland this week, particularly in the Mankind/Bart Gunn and Godwinns/Rocker matches. Also, despite Cornette's heat in the interview segment (amazing use of the term deflowering), I can't get into this hokey Shawn/Bulldog/Diana affair stuff. Maybe because I'm too conditioned to these angles, but it doesn't exactly set my world on fire. Not a strong Raw after a strong PPV, but nothing too horrible. C+ seems fair.
No comments:
Post a Comment