It's the tag champs Owen Hart and Yokozuna vs Jim Dimitri and Gus Kantarakkis. Both Dimitri and Owen exchange hammerlocks until Owen gets an elbow and a shoulder block. Dimitri gets a hiptoss and continues work on the arm. Tag to Kantarakkis, who gets caught with a clothesline by Owen. Owen lands a dropkick to the face and a gutwrench suplex followed by a backbreaker. Tag to Yokozuna as he and Owen hit a double wishbone. He headbutts Kantarakkis in the corner who tags in Dimitri. Tag back to Owen who hits a drop toe hold followed by a leg drop by Yoko. Sharpshooter gets the win in an okay squash.
It's Todd Pettengill with the final In Your House report. Our card is pretty much finalized.
WWF Champion Diesel vs Sid in a lumberjack match
WWF Tag Champions Owen Hart & Yokozuna vs The Allied Powers
WWF Intercontinental Champion Jeff Jarrett vs Shawn Michaels
A concert by Jeff Jarrett
1-2-3 Kid vs The Roadie
Razor Ramon and Savio Vega vs Men on a Mission
And Bam Bam Bigelow vs Henry Godwinn
Jean Pierre LaFitte is in action against David Thornberg. Thornberg tries some clotheslines that are ineffective, but LaFitte lands a hard one that takes down Thornberg. He follows with a nice German suplex. He drops his knees on the draped back of Thornberg. LaFitte follows with a clothesline to the outside. He wraps Thornberg in the ropes and hits some cross body blocks. DDT and a cannon ball off the top rope gets the win for LaFitte.
We cut to a video package of Fatu in his old hometown. Yep, the Headshrinkers are officially done and Fatu has shed the Samoan savage character for a mor down to earth guy who only wants to "make a difference". I knew this gimmick was on its way, but I didn't think it was this soon.
After yet another airing of the "With My Baby Tonight" music video, it's our main event of the night. Shawn Michaels going one on one with IRS. Shawn struts about early on, taking a rest on the top buckle. Shawn takes down Irwin, and counters an arm wringer by Irwin into one of his own. "Irwin" chants fill the arena which gets the goat of the tax man. Irwin pulls the hair of Shawn and tries to take a breather up the entrance, but Shawn grabs Irwin and pulls him back in by the tie, giving the tax man a hang man. Clothesline by Shawn, who covers for two.
Shawn locks in the chin, but Irwin breaks it, only to take a shoulder block and hiptoss, followed by a dropkick. Another cover by Shawn only gets two. Headlock by Shawn is turned into a roll up by Irwin for two. Shawn keeps the head locked as Irwin breaks out and tosses Shawn over the top rope. Irwin rams Shawn into the steps. Vince yells that Diesel is looking on, despite no signs of that actually happening. Irwin clubs the chest of Shawn, but Shawn tries to come back with a sunset flip for two.
Abdominal stretch by Irwin, who uses the ropes for his advantage. Eventually the ref catches him, allowing Shawn to hit a hiptoss. Shawn misses an elbow as Irwin covers for two. Irwin locks in a chinlock as we go to break. When we return, Shawn is still locked in the hold, but eventually breaks free, only to be hit with a body slam. Irwin goes to the top rope, but Shawn gets a boot to the face on the descent.
Shawn kips up and lands some rights to Irwin, following with a clothesline. He goes to the top and lands an ax handle for two. He goes for Sweet Chin Music, but Irwin avoids it and lands a write-off clothesline. He whips Shawn in the corner, but Shawn avoids it and lands Sweet Chin Music for three.
Overall, an okay main event. Kinda boring, even for a Shawn Michaels match. Lots of slow spots and rest holds. Not to mention the basic Irwin stuff like the abdominal stretch spot. After some really good performances lately with a lot of people, this is definitely Shawn's weakest match since his return, but for a bland by-the-numbers match, there wasn't anything truly offensive.
It's time for the Barry Didinsky shill of the week as he's hocking not only the Razor Ramon shirt from last week, but some Shawn Michaels glasses, and what has to be one of the most homoerotic shirts ever for Shawn Michaels. I mean, you could say that for a lot of wrestling shirts. But for as questionable as that Shawn shirt is
It could always be worse, I guess.
It's our next appointment with Isaac Yankem D.D.S. He finds an absessed tooth from the kid who was reading the National Geographic back in the office vignette. He literally gets on top of the kid and yanks the tooth out. It's so bloody that they literally have to censor it. Lawler and Yankem laugh on as Lawler promises the same will happen to Bret Hart.
Our last match of the night is Kama taking on Billy Mack. Kama takes down Billy Mack early on and follows with an arm bar takedown. He follows with another variation. He mocks the crowd as Billy Mack goes up and lands a dropkick. He gets some rights, but Kama catches him with a spin kick. Kama sets Mack on the top rope and lays in some punches and a boot to the sternum. He lands a punch to the face and gets the three in an okay enough squash match. Post-match, Kama goes after the Undertaker fans at ringside.
Vince is in the ring to interview the WWF Champion Diesel. Lawler won't shut his mouth up early so I can barely hear much of what Diesel says. Diesel does call Dibiase and Sid big chickens. He brings up the bought lumberjacks by Dibiase and Sid, and promises he's got some friends of his own. Out come the face lumberjacks including Adam Bomb, Shawn Michaels, Bam Bam Bigelow Bob Holly, The Smoking Gunns, Savio Vega, and Tekno Team 2000 (Remember them?)
Diesel begins to ask the lumberjacks what they'll do to Sid if he gets out of the ring. Bam Bam promises to set Sid on fire, and Shawn says "Holy Lumberjacks, Batman!" and promises some chin music. Lawler continues to ramble on as Sid comes to ringside. He hesitates going into the ring as we go to break.
The heel lumberjacks are at ringside as Sid is still hesitating. Sid jaw jacks Diesel and continues to hang on the apron. Eventually he walks off, promising to save the confrontation for Sunday. The heels make their leave as Diesel and the faces celebrate in the ring.
Another average episode of Raw in what has been a pretty dull month of stuff. Shawn vs IRS was okay, but definitely nothing to the quality we've seen from HBK in the past. The squashes were all fine with nothing really offensive in any of them. I am enjoying the antics of Isaac Yankem, and I did enjoy the end segment with Diesel and Sid, feeling that it did a great job in building to hte lumberjack match. So, overall it's another C+ show. Nothing amazing, but effective enough to build to our next destination. It's the 2nd In Your House where we have concerts, lumberjacks and a whole lot of backstage controversy. check in next time to find out how it all went down.