We're wrapping up the Macon, Georgia tapings as tonight we'll get footage of the previous week's Wrestlemania XI press conference. From comments from Diesel to Lawrence Taylor's big announcement. It'll all go down later tonight. But opening action tonight is Shawn Michaels (With Sycho Sid) taking on the British Bulldog. This is a match that was long awaited since the ending of the Royal Rumble where Michaels won via only one foot touching the floor.
Bulldog gets some shoulder blocks early and catches Shawn into an inverted atomic drop. Hard whip sends Michaels flying over the top rope. Now if he had just done that at the Royal Rumble, it would be the Bulldog winning. Michaels flips out and takes a breather. When he tries to get in, Bulldog constantly knocks him off the apron. Eventually Michaels grabs the leg of the Bulldog and slams it on the apron. Bulldog avoids offense in the corner, gets some elbows and clotheslines Shawn right over the top rope. Sid helps up Michaels as he takes another breather.
Headlock takedown by Bulldog, who covers for a two count. He keeps in the side headlock as Michaels tries to break it. Each time Michaels gets up to push off the Bulldog, the lock get held in harder. Michaels gets some shots to the midsection and breaks free, locking in a short arm scissors. Bulldog tries to roll it around, but gets a two. Bulldog tries again for two. The locks is held as we go to break. When we return, it's still appiled, but Bulldog lifts up Shawn with one arm and dumps him to the mat. Hard whips to the buckle by the Bulldog who follows with a surfboard stretch. He almost had his shoulders down for two long, so Bulldog turns it into a chinlock.
Michaels gets an arm drag, but Bulldog manages to toss Shawn out of the ring, but Sid makes the save, catching Shawn and putting him back on the apron. Shawn gets a slingshot splash on Bulldog for two. Bulldog stops a back drop attempt and gets a patented stalling vertical suplex. Cover gets a two. Michaels tosses Bulldog out of the ring, causing him to slam knee first into the ground. Left jabs by Michaels and a stomp to the back followed by a ram to the buckle. He lands a whip and an elbow for two. Shawn locks in a chinlock, which Bulldog manages to break free of, but Shawn gets a knee to the midsection. Cover for two.
Body slam by Michaels followed by an elbow off the second rope. Cover for two. He reapplies the headlock, but Bulldog breaks free, only to then get quickly placed in the sleeper hold. Bulldog tries for the rope, but Sid keeps the ropes away. We get the arm drop spot, with Bulldog recovering on the third drop. Bulldog breaks free with a back suplex as we go to another commercial break. When we return, both men collide into each other. Bulldog gets a sleeper on Michaels, but Shawn breaks free much quicker.
Michaels gets a hard whip to the buckle, but misses a shoulder block. Hard clotheslines by the Bulldog. Cover for two. Whip and a gorilla press, sending Michaels groin first on the rope. Another hard whip sending Shawn flipping on the buckle. Cover for two again. Bulldog tries a clothesline, but gets tossed out of hte ring. Michaels distracts the ref as Sid gets a kick in on the Bulldog. Bulldog gets back in the ring and Michaels rolls him up for two. Sweet Chin Music gets the three for Shawn.
I really enjoyed this opener. A lot of great offense, a lot of back and forth action. It had its slow points, as would any near-20 minute match would, but it made up for it with some great spots and close near falls. Sid proved to be useful outside of the ring, saving Shawn from the fall and later holding the ropes away from Bulldog. I don't feel the same chemistry that Shawn and Diesel had, but the pairing does seem to be working quite well. And unlike last week, we actually at least get a logical and definitive end to the match instead of a count out, so that earns it extra points in my book.
It's time to cover the Wrestlemania XI press conference the previous week. We start with Diesel bringing up his history as a bodyguard. He could not sound more dry here. As for Shawn, he's a bit more animated saying that he will give Diesel a show like he's never seen because he can. On the subject of Bigelow and L.T, Bam Bam says that no football player can come into his world and survive. L.T is just a flash in the pan. L.T arrives and calls Bam Bam a gifted athlete, but he's more successful so he can probably do fine in the ring. He refers to Bam Bam as an Easter egg, and that because of the shove at the Rumble, he will finally go through with the challenge and wrestle Bam Bam at Wrestlemania. The two shake hands, as L.T sneaks in a quick kiss to make this personal.
We also learned about the celebrities who will be invovled at Wrestlemania XI, and hoo boy is it ever a who's who of mid-90's celebs. We have Pamela Anderson of course, but joining her will be NYPD Blue star Nicholas Turturro, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, oh and that woman who thinks you shouldn't vaccinate your kids. Yes, maybe I should refer to her by name, but considering that she's had a hand in harming children, I shall for the remainder of her mentions on this blog only refer to her as "Her". Also Fishbone will do "America the Beautiful". I completely forgot Fishbone was even a thing.
Up next is Mr. Bob Backlund taking on Buck Quartermaine. Backlund goes for a handshake, but Quartermaine denies it. Arm drag early on from Backlund followed by a fireman's carry. Quartermaine wrings the arm, but Backlund turns it around getting another arm drag. As Backlund works on Quartermaine, Cornette is on commentary saying he's not impressed with Lawrence Taylor and spouts off things that L.T could do to impress him among these, and I'm not kidding is "He oughta strap a bucket of fried chicken on his back and ride a motor scooter across Ethiopia". WHOA there Jimmy, where did that sudden burst of racism come from?
Backlund vs Bret Hart is added to the card in an "I Quit" match during commentary as Backlund continues to keep down Quartermaine, but Buck turns it around into a roll up for two. Backlund takes down Quartermaine as an "Opie" chant is given to Backlund. I'd say he's more of a Howdy Doody than a Ron Howard. After some more stalling and basic moves, Backlund locks in the Chicken Wing for the win in a pretty boring and slow enhancement match, even for Bob. Post-match, Backlund keeps the hold in until Quartermaine screams that he quits. Cornette continues on this Lawler tirade about Bret being racist. Says the man who just made that fried chicken Ethiopia comment. Glass houses Jimmy.
Next up is Duke "The Dumpster" Droese taking on Steven Dunn. The USA shill of the week is Duckman. Wow, we've officially entered Duckman territory. How much longer until La Femme Nikita? After some banter about Duckman, we have Jerry Lawler on the phone. In the ring, Droese lands a shoulder block, a clothesline and a body slam. Lawler talks about his match with Bret and continues his claims about Bret being a racist. In the ring, Droese is distracted by Harvey Whippleman as Steven Dunn lands a suplex and a running shoulder block.
Lawler gets into the Stu and Helen comments saying that like Santa Claus, Stu carries that old bag around. Vince is so insulted, he literally hangs up on Lawler. In the ring, Dunn gets a jawbreaker and follows with some headbutts. Droese turns things around with a knee lift, but Dunn comes bac with more strikes in the corner. After jaw jacking the crowd, Dunn eats a boot and another clothesline. Droese finishes with a trash compactor for three in another bland match. Post-match, Dunn tries to use the trash can, but is easily stopped by the Dumpster. Duke finds a hundred dollar bill inside a banana peel.
We get a vignette with Paul Bearer in drag, being interrogated by Nicholas Turturro and Mr. Fuji over the disappearance of Yokozuna. Apparently Bearer has been in hiding. I guess that explains a lot less Undertaker lately. The lights go out, the gong plays.
And this happens! Frankly, I think Bearer made it work better. It's all fun and games until Turturro calls Fuji a "cross dressing lowlife who desecrates the American flag." So racism and transphobia. Yup, this is the mid-90's alright.
Overall, this Raw went right off the rails after Shawn Michaels vs the British Bulldog. Neither the Backlund match nor the Droese/Dunn match impressed. The Turturro skit with Bearer and Fuji was fun until the end soured it. As for the conference, it was a standard conference as we build to what already feels like a flat Wrestlemania card. That really says it all about this era. Things are feeling mighty flat. Final rating for this Raw is a B- as it's saved by a good opener but the rest just felt like the same old dry squashes.
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