Well, we're in a bit of a sticky pickle with this edition of Monday Night Raw. Technically, we've already covered what happened immediately following this show after reviewing In Your House 8: Beware of Dog. But since this show has important pieces within that play into King of the Ring 1996, we're still going to cover it. Raw is live from Fayetteville, North Carolina, one night removed from the fiasco that was the first Beware of Dog show.
Opening action is Goldust taking on The Ultimate Warrior in our first King of the Ring qualifyer. Hopefully with more actual in-ring work than their encounter back at Good Friends, Better Enemies. Lawler quips that if Goldust wins, will be King or Queen of the ring? So much for "I'm not a homophobe McMahon!" Much like our last encounter, Goldust again stays out of the ring, avoiding confrontation. Warrior begins to stalk Goldust around the ring, but Goldust eventually gets in teh ring, only to eat some hands from the Warrior, who mocks Goldust's mannerisms. He gets in an inverse atomic drop, and a regular variety that sends the bizarre one flopping over the ropes. Well, that's more action than their last encounter so far.
Vince apologizes about the incident at Beware of Dog the previous night involving the power and promises tonight will have the lights kept on. More avoiding Warrior from Goldust, but he eventually starts laying strikes. That is until Warrior no-sells, and lifts up Goldust with a flapjack. He then takes Goldust and throws him over the railing. Goldust rakes the face, then smacks Warrior into the railing. But Warrior no-sells and smashes Goldust's face hard into the post. Cover, but Goldust kicks out at two.
Goldust gains control, getting in a slam on the Warrior and applying a chinlock. This gives Vince and Lawler ample time to shill Warrior's comic book which is the #1 comic book in America apparently. Well, it was the comic industry in 1996, so I could see that being the case. Hearing Vince the word destrucity leave Vince's mouth may be the best thing on Raw in a long time. All this while Warrior is wearing Warrior University Trunks as well might I add. Warrior gets Goldust on his shoulders, then drops him in an electric chair. Goldust takes his leave and heads up the ramp, but Ahmed Johnson shows up and drags him back to the ring as we go to break.
However when we return, we're right back to Goldust leaving the ring again. Goldust begins to work on the leg, then rams Warrior's face into the post. Warrior gets in an eye poke, then starts stomping Goldust in the corner. He whips Goldust into another corner, but Goldust avoids the crash, causing him to crash and burn. Goldust takes this opportunity to throw Warrior out of the ring and right through the director's chair. Warrior eventually recovers with a back body drop. Cover, but Goldust kicks out. He hits a belly to belly, covering for two.
Goldust gets in a thumb to the eye and then takes Warrior to the corner, hitting a blatant low blow (after distracting the ref with the old "look over there" trick). He returns to twisting the face of Warrior as the crowd gets behind the master of desrtucity. He hits a forearm, then returns to the chinlock. Warrior breaks free and catches Goldust with a powerslam, covering for two. He then starts to warrior up, no-selling offense. Clotheslines followed by a running shoulder block. Goldust exits again up the entrance way, but no Ahmed this time. Warrior gives chase, and both men get counted out.
Jerry Lawler leaves the table and grabs the director's chair, then backs away. Warrior grabs the chair and chases Lawler off, then celebrates in the ring nonetheless. As for this match, it was all right. At least compared to their In Your Hosue match, it actually was a wrestling match. Not the most fast paced and dynamic with Goldust constantly in retreat, but Goldust actually got a lot of offense in, Warrior took some spots, and unlike Hogan in WCW, Warrior's no-selling was far from infuriating. In the end, this means a BYE spot in the tournament.
Interview with Austin and Dibiase, who set up the stipulation of Dibiase leaving the WWF that we covered in the PPV review.
Up next, it's The Smoing Gunns (with their new manager Sunny) taking on The Bodydonnas. As previously stated, where the tag titles go, so too goes Sunny. And in the span of a week, she's gone from managing the Bodydonnas, to the Godwinns, and now Billy and Bart. Hillbilly Jim joins commentary as he says that Phineas is upset about how easily he let the Godwinns down. Bart and Zip start things off. An exchange of chops is followed by a leapfrog and a clothesline from Bart. Meanwhile Harvey Whippleman is at the entrance way, taking notes.
Tag to Billy who works the arm with some wringers. Tag to Bart who continues the arm work. Headlock and shoulder block spot by Zip, but Bart comes back with a press slam. Tag to Billy who continues the arm work until Zip tags Skip in. Some leapfrogs turned into a headscissor from Skip. Sunset Flip by Billy is turned into an attempted roll by Skip, but Billy kicks him off as Skip then cartwheels, only to run into an overhead suplex. Billy grabs him for a slam, but Skip escapes, only to eat a clothesline. A really fast paced sequence, and I liked it.
Skip goes to confront Sunny, but gets attacked by Billy as we go to break. When we return, it's Bart in as Zip sends him over the ropes. He beats down on Bart for a bit, then tags in Skip who hits a flying cross body over the ropes. Leg drop by Skip who covers for two. Tag to Zip as the Body Donnas pummel Bart in the corner. Cover only gets a two. Tag to Zip who locks in a camel clutch. Bart escapes with a jawbreaker. Tag to Skip who gets an elbow drop on Bart. Slow cover only gets a two count. He goes into the chinlock until Bart escapes. German Suplex by Bart gets a two.
Phineas walks out and begins to confront Sunny, but Hillbilly Jim tries to keep him at bay. Henry also shows up to keep him back. Back in the ring, Zip and Skip are in control, hitting a double elbow and leg drop on Bart. They follow by throwing Billy on the ropes, then hit a slingshot suplex. Skip goes up and hits a cross body, but Bart turns it around, rolling Skip up for the three. A great back and forth tag match. Skip and Billy being the real strength of the tag match, with some great sequences and a lot of energy.
Up next is the main event. Ahmed Johnson taking on Vader in a first round matchup for the King of the Ring tournament. Owen Hart is on commentary. He brings up his injured arm, saying that he'll be bigger and better soon enough. A literal battle of the bulge starts things off as neither man can take the other down. Some shoves and poses and a lot of stares. Vader spits at Ahmed who goes wild with a flurry of fists as the crowd pops hard. Ahmed is crazy eyed as he goes back into some fists and a choke. However Vader gets in some thumbs to the eye of Ahmed, and lays in fists above and below. He throws Ahmed to the corner, but Ahmed bounces back like a house of fire and clotheslines Vader. He follows with a cross body over the ropes in a scary looking bump.
Jim Cornette hits Ahmed with his tennis racket, but it doesn't fase the big man. Cornette runs off. When we return from break, Vader is in control with a knee to the midsection of Ahmed. He follows with a body block. Vader ascends to the second rope and hits a clothesline (very sloppy looking, Vader almost looking like he was about to fall). Ahmed manages to hit another clothesline as both men go down. Vader is back in control with body blows. He sets Ahmed in the corner and hits a big running splash, followed by a second. Ahmed wobbles out of the corner, only for Vader to land a clothesline.
Vader attempts a suplex, but Ahmed reverses, hitting a massive suplex. Vader gets back up and nails a slam. He drags Ahmed to the corner and goes for a Vader Bomb, but instead heads up top for a moonsault, only for Ahmed to dodge. Ahmed comes back with a few shots, then whips the big man, hitting another stiff clothesline. Cornette returns as Ahmed lands another clothesline. He picks Vader up for a slam. Cornette interferes (thankfully without whipping his junk out), and Ahmed throws him into the ring. He throws Cornette into Vader, then hits a spinebuster. This allows Owen to dive off the top rope, nailing Ahmed with his cast. He then puts Vader on Ahmed as the ref counts three. A great big man match. Sloppy in spots, but very hard hitting.
Ahmed is still out cold from the bump as the officials carry him out on the stretcher. But before he can leave, Goldust shows up and proceeds to give him mouth to mouth. I mean, sure it's mind games, and a bit of revenge for Ahmed interfering in his match with the Warrior, but dude's being a good samaritan.
It appears to work as Ahmed awakens. Realizing what just happened, he goes into a rage, and grabs Bob Holly by the throat. He goes to Mero, who tells Ahmed that Goldust is in his dressing room. Ahmed tackes some random guy guarding Goldust's dressing room right through the door, but when Ahmed goes inside, he doesn't see Goldust. He punches the camera man and walks off.
A strong episode of Raw. Definitely one of the best in a while. Warrior and Goldust was an actual match this time, and while not super dynamic, it was still decent. I really liked the Gunns vs the Body Donnas, and Ahmed vs Vader was a great big man match, filled with some great angle building stuff with Goldust at the end. For a show that was sandwiched between the infamous Beware of Dog incident and the PPV redo, I think this Raw was particularly strong. And for a show that also aired during Nitro's 2 hour debut and most importantly the show with Scott Hall's return to the company, I think this Raw handled itself quite well. This week's Raw gets an A-.
No comments:
Post a Comment