WWF Monday Night Raw Results
May 6, 1996 (Taped April 29)
Sioux City, Iowa (Civic Auditorium)
Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler
Results by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
Video: Tonight’s Monday Night Raw is dedicated to the memory of the late Ray Stevens: 1935-1996.
Mike’s Thoughts: Man, Ray Stevens dying at 61… way too young. Stevens was a true innovator in professional wrestling, widely known for his tag team work alongside Pat Patterson, but he also had a tremendous singles run as well. Stevens had a knack for blending athleticism with character work long before that became the norm. I’m not sure why he doesn’t get the same recognition as some of his contemporaries. Patterson long lobbied for his inclusion in the WWE Hall of Fame, but he was only placed in the Legacy Wing. To add insult to injury, it became official months after Patterson passed away. Stevens’ influence on the industry is undeniable and has probably influenced more than a few people booking or participating in this show tonight. This is a well-deserved tribute.
“The World Wrestling Federation: for over fifty years, the revolutionary force in sports entertainment.” The WWF video leads us into the show.
Video: A woman’s silhouette is shown. The nameplate says, “Ex-Wife of Former Professional Wrestler.” The unknown woman says Shawn Michaels is a homewrecker and ruined her marriage and life. She’ll tell you how it happened.
Video: The Raw intro video plays.
Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler welcome us to the show. Hunter Hearst Helmsley is standing with them, with a woman by his side. Tonight, we’ll see The Undertaker return to action against Owen Hart. WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust will be on commentary for the match.
Replay: Last week, during the In Your House 7 Free for All special, Hunter Hearst Helmsley attacked “Wildman” Marc Mero during his match against the 1-2-3 Kid. Helmsley knocked Mero out with a Pedigree.
The 1-2-3 Kid w/ “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase vs. “Wildman” Marc Mero w/ Sable
Referee: Mike Chioda
Hunter Hearst Helmsley joins the commentary team. The bell rings, and the 1-2-3 Kid taunts the crowd. They lock up, and Mero puts him in the corner. Kid turns him around and kicks him, but Mero punches him down. Mero applies a side headlock and cinches it in. Kid whips him off, but Mero shoulder tackles him. Mero hits the ropes, so Kid drops down and leapfrogs him. Kid hits the ropes, so Mero leapfrogs him before hitting a hip toss. Mero wrenches the arm and takes Kid down. Mero kicks him in the midsection before doing a stepover arm drag. Mero then dropkicks him over the top rope. Mero then hits a SCARY plancha, nearly coming down on his own head.
Mero gets Kid in the ring and goes for a slingshot splash, but Kid gets his knees up. Kid poses in the ring and stomps away at him. Kid puts him in the corner and kicks away at him. Kid sends him to the opposite corner and hits a running dropkick. Kid stomps Mero’s face and sends him into the ropes before jumping on his back with a sleeper hold. Mero starts to fade away and drops to the mat. Kid continues to cinch it in for a while and uses the ropes for an unfair advantage. Mero eventually fights up and elbows out. Mero hits the ropes, but Kid stuns him with an elbow to the midsection, followed by a backhand. Mero quickly blocks a kick and hits a dragon screw, but Kid pops up and clotheslines him down. 1… 2… Mero sends him flying on the kickout.
Kid hits a snapmare and hits a running leg drop. Kid connects with a second one before taunting the crowd. Kid then jumps on his back with another sleeper hold. Kid brings him down to the mat and uses the ropes again for an unfair advantage. Hunter Hearst Helmsley stands up and takes exception with the fans sitting behind the commentary table. The referee catches Kid with his feet on the ropes. Kid gets in the referee’s face before kicking Mero down. Kid sends Mero into the ropes and puts the sleeper hold back on.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Mero punches Kid and sends him into the ropes for a back body drop. Mero sends him back into the ropes and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Mero gets the crowd going and goes to the top rope for a diving ax handle. 1… 2… Kid kicks out. Mero then throws Kid over the top rope.
DiBiase grabs the referee’s foot and distracts him. Mero hits Kid with a somersault plancha, hitting him right in the face. Helmsley gets up from commentary and puts Kid in the ring. The referee checks on Kid. Mero climbs to the top rope, but Helmsley crotches him up there. Kid sets up for a superplex, but Mero twists and lands on top of Kid for the win!
Winner by Pinfall: “Wildman” Marc Mero
Hunter Hearst Helmsley grabs his escort and angrily leaves the ringside area.
Mike’s Thoughts: Well, the “Wildman” moniker is definitely appropriate for Marc Mero because he looks positively reckless in the ring early on in his WWF run. That plancha where he nearly landed on his face was rough. The somersault plancha, where the 1-2-3 Kid took the full brunt of his lower body in the mouth, looked brutal. This wasn’t a bad match, but Mero seems to still be trying to figure out what he’s doing with this new gimmick. The 1-2-3 Kid was having a lot of problems around this time. This would actually be his last television taping, but we’ll get more into that later this month when his last match airs. If all was right with the two of them, this could have been even better.
Video: Last week on Raw, Savio Vega challenged “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to a Caribbean Strap Match. Austin and Ted DiBiase declined. Vega then whipped Austin with the strap.
Replay: This past weekend on WWF Superstars, Ted DiBiase and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin did agree to the Caribbean Strap Match at In Your House, but there is a stipulation: if Vega loses, he’ll become DiBiase’s chauffeur.
“Make a Difference” Fatu makes his way to the ring. He’ll face The British Bulldog next.
Video: The mysterious silhouetted woman says Shawn Michaels smelled good and was gorgeous. They wound up going to bed together. We’ll hear the whole thing next.
-Commercial Break-
Vince McMahon says he cannot vouch for the validity of the mysterious woman in the video.
Video: The woman in silhouette says that Shawn Michaels is a homewrecker and ruined her life. Her ex-husband was a professional wrestler and was on the road a lot. One day, when her husband was on the road, Shawn Michaels wanted to discuss a problem that her husband had with her. When he got there, Michaels wasn’t interested in talking about that. They got intense. He smelled so good and looked so good that they went to bed together. She says Michaels was incredible and the best she ever had. After, he held her and told her how special she was. She found out how important she was. The next time her husband had a match against Michaels, he was distracted because he knew what had happened, causing him to lose. Michaels didn’t need her. Now, she sees him doing it to someone else, and she can’t let that happen. Michaels knew she couldn’t resist him.
Vince McMahon reiterates that they cannot verify the accuracy of the woman’s claims, but he says their producers would do anything for a television rating.
Mike’s Thoughts: This was awful acting from this person, but perhaps that was the point, since she’s making up a story. The voice and the accent sounded like those mid-90s computer games with some goofy characters, like when they did The Oregon Trail with live-action cutscenes. It seems like they’re implying this person is paid for by the British Bulldog and Jim Cornette, but if that’s the case, why does she go overboard talking about what an excellent lover Shawn Michaels is?
Replay: Last week on Raw, Diana Hart-Smith said she knew that Shawn Michaels wanted her. HBK told her not to flatter herself, so she slapped him in the face. This led to a big brawl with Michaels and the British Bulldog.
“Make a Difference” Fatu vs. The British Bulldog w/ Jim Cornette and Diana Hart-Smith
Referee: Earl Hebner
Fatu gets a “USA” chant going, upsetting the Bulldog. They lock up, and Bulldog hooks a side headlock. Fatu whips him off and hits a shoulder tackle before gyrating his hips. Bulldog is furious. They lock up again, and Bulldog punches him before bouncing him off the top turnbuckle, but Fatu doesn’t feel it. Fatu dances and starts punching away at Bulldog. Fatu kicks and headbutts him out of the ring. Bulldog embraces his wife at ringside and has her check his eye. Bulldog gets back in the ring and points at Fatu. Bulldog wants a test of strength, but Fatu refuses. Bulldog keeps signaling for it, so Fatu reluctantly agrees. Bulldog headbutts him, but Fatu absorbs it and headbutts him down. Bulldog quickly crotches him on the top rope and clotheslines him to the floor. Bulldog poses in the ring and does some push-ups before doing a flip. Bulldog then does Shawn Michaels’ pose.
Bulldog goes outside and whips Fatu into the steel steps. Bulldog clubs Fatu’s spine and rolls him back into the ring. Bulldog clubs Fatu’s neck and whips him into the opposite corner. Fatu reverses a whip to the opposite corner and charges, but he drives himself into the ring post when Bulldog moves. Fatu’s shoulder is in pain. Bulldog stomps the injured shoulder before the referee backs him up. Jim Cornette quickly chokes Fatu with his tennis racket.
Two mysterious Samoans appear at ringside to watch Fatu.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Bulldog is applying a sleeper hold. The referee checks Fatu for consciousness by lifting his arm. Fatu’s arm drops once, but not twice. Fatu fights up and whips Bulldog off before applying a sleeper hold. Bulldog quickly kicks back and gives him a low blow, knocking Fatu out of the ring. Bulldog poses in the ring. The two Samoans don’t look pleased. The referee talks to Bulldog as Cornette attacks Fatu. After a few moments, Fatu pulls himself into the ring. Bulldog attacks Fatu and hits a scoop slam. Bulldog goes for a leg drop, but Fatu rolls out of the way.
Fatu punches away at Bulldog before sending him into the ropes for a back body drop. Fatu hits Bulldog with a running cutter for a two-count. Cornette angrily gets on the apron to argue the count. Fatu grabs him, but he steps aside as Bulldog charges, causing Bulldog to hit Cornette. Bulldog and Fatu hit the ropes, and Bulldog turns him inside out with a clothesline for a near fall. Bulldog cannot believe it, so he hits a Running Powerslam for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: The British Bulldog
Fatu comes face-to-face with these supposed family members of his. Fatu says they’re not his family. The WWF is his family. Fatu walks off on them.
Mike’s Thoughts: I’m not sure I really get this booking. They were saying a few times on commentary that Bulldog was distracted, but he’s still the No. 1 Contender for the WWF Championship, going against a guy with a dead gimmick they’re clearly thinking about repackaging. What’s the point of giving Fatu so much offense over the Bulldog? Bulldog should have beaten him quickly. It’s bad enough that we’re only a few months removed from Bulldog being a failed WWF Title contender. They’re trying to drum up some drama with these awful videos and accusations against Shawn Michaels, but they could also have him look dominant against enhancement talent. They chose not to here.
Also, this is the final time we’ll see the “Make a Difference” Fatu character. The gimmick was lame and never got over with the people, though I can see how Fatu went all in on this one and tried. I always remembered it as a pitifully lame character, but it was better than I remembered. They thought about repackaging him with The Samoan Gangster Party, consisting of his cousins Samu and Lloyd Anoa’i, but that didn’t go anywhere. We’ll see Fatu again in a new gimmick a few months from now as The Sultan before he finally finds real success.
Next week on Raw, WWF Champion Shawn Michaels will battle Hunter Hearst Helmsley in a non-title match. Vader will battle Duke “The Dumpster” Droese. We’ll also have a special interview with Undertaker and Paul Bearer.
Tekno Team 2000, consisting of Troy and Travis, is in the ring.
Replay: This past weekend on WWF Superstars, The New Rockers switched spots and defeated the Godwinns.
Non-Title Tag Team Match
Tekno Team 2000 (Troy and Travis) vs. WWF Tag Team Champions The Bodydonnas (Skip and Zip) w/ Sunny
Referee: Jack Doan
Skip will start against Travis. Skip applies a hammerlock, but Travis fights out. Troy tags in, and they give Skip a double leapfrog before hitting a double-team hip toss for a two-count. Skip lights him up with a slap.
Harvey Whippleman is at ringside, taking notes on the officiating in the World Wrestling Federation. Whippleman will make a report to WWF President Gorilla Monsoon.
Tekno Team 2000 continues to take it to the Bodydonnas as we go to commercial.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Zip applies a side headlock to Travis. Skip blind tags in, and the Bodydonnas hit Travis with a double-team back suplex.
The New Rockers are watching backstage. They’re not nervous about their tag title match against the Bodydonnas. Zip continues to take it to Travis before Skip tags in. Skip hits Travis with a suplex for a two-count. Travis fights back with some right hands before sending him to the corner. Skip sidesteps an avalanche and rips at Travis’s face. Zip tags in, and they hit Travis with a double-team slingshot suplex.
Whippleman continues to take notes. Skip tags in and attacks Travis’s arm. Travis fights up and arm drags Skip, but Skip fights right back. Zip tags in and kicks away at Travis. Vince McMahon has no clue who is in the ring. Zip pulls Travis down by the hair and heads to the top rope for a falling elbow drop, but Travis moves.
Troy tags in, and he takes it to Zip before knocking Skip off the apron. Skip blind tags in and attacks Troy from behind. Skip bounces Troy off the top turnbuckle and puts him on the top rope. Zip tags in as Skip hits a top rope hurricanrana. Zip hits a weird-looking diving sledge for the win.
Winners by Pinfall: WWF Tag Team Champions The Bodydonnas
Mike’s Thoughts: Tekno Team 2000… brutal. This was a team so awful that they debuted in 1995, but when Troy’s father, “Cowboy” Bill Watts, came in to book for the whole of three or four weeks he was in the company, he sent them to some developmental territories to improve their skills. They were that bad that Erik Watts’ father didn’t want to see them on television. Well, they weren’t really much better here. Not sure if it was them or the gimmick. Probably a mix of both. Also, having a long match with the Bodydonnas (whose entire gimmick is the camera focusing on their manager’s… assets) after being gone for nearly a year didn’t do anyone any favors.
Backstage Interview
Jim Ross is backstage with Jim Cornette and Vader. A replay from last month’s Raw shows Vader viciously attacking Yokozuna. Ross mentions that Yokozuna will be 100% on May 26. Cornette says that’s a lie. Yokozuna will never be 100% again. Yokozuna is a 650-pound man with a bad wheel. It won’t withstand the strain when Vader comes after him. Yokozuna may have Vader’s power and size, but Vader has the quickness, agility, and heart that Yokozuna has never had. Vader’s heart is blacker than Yokozuna’s. Ross asks about Vader facing Duke “The Dumpster” Droese. Cornette says Droese’s future is looking dim.
WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust heads to the ring with Marlena. Goldust leans on Vince McMahon, upsetting him.
-Commercial Break-
Goldust is sitting next to Vince McMahon and touching his shoulders. McMahon announces that Goldust will face the Undertaker in a Casket Match. Goldust flips out and says he’s not doing a Casket Match. They storm off, but they’re stopped when the Undertaker’s music hits. Goldust grabs Marlena and runs back to the commentary table.
Goldust gets back on commentary and is terrified about the thought of being in a Casket Match. Goldust shrieks multiple times at the sight of the Phenom.
Owen Hart w/ Jim Cornette vs. The Undertaker w/ Paul Bearer
Referee: Tim White
Owen Hart starts the match outside the ring. Hart cautiously approaches the ring, but he jumps down. Jim Cornette, holding Hart’s Slammy Award, consults with him. Hart eventually gets in the ring and ducks a right hand. Undertaker stalks him, but Hart starts punching away at him. Undertaker absorbs the strikes and throws Hart to the corner, punching away at the King of Harts. Undertaker whips Hart into the corner before lifting him by the throat. Undertaker slams him down before bouncing his face off the top turnbuckle. Undertaker has Hart in the corner and chokes him for a few moments. Undertaker scares the referee away.
Goldust is becoming more and more intrigued by the Undertaker on commentary. Undertaker sends Hart to the opposite corner and chokes him. Undertaker starts staring at Goldust, so Hart attacks the leg. Hart twists Undertaker’s leg around the middle rope before stomping away at him. Goldust gets up from commentary.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Goldust approaches Paul Bearer. Bearer is freaked out by Goldust. Goldust starts to lick his lips as he tries to touch Bearer. Goldust loosens Bearer’s tie and starts to unbutton his shirt. Bearer screams in terror and runs off.
In the ring, Hart is attacking Undertaker’s left leg. Undertaker fights back and uppercuts him down. Undertaker sends Hart into the ropes for a big boot, but Hart ducks it and attacks the leg. Hart twists Undertaker’s leg. Goldust is at the ring apron and watching the action in the ring. Hart continues to attack his leg and twists it around the middle rope. Hart heads to the top rope for a missile dropkick. Hart pops up to his feet and poses in celebration. Hart sets up for a Sharpshooter, but Undertaker grabs him by the throat. Undertaker knees him in the midsection before sending him into the ropes for a big boot. Undertaker goozles him and throws him over the top rope!
Hart crashes and burns at the ringside area in front of Goldust. Hart bumps into Goldust and is freaked out. Undertaker pulls Hart into the ring by the hair, lifts him over the top rope, and hits a vicious Tombstone Piledriver for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: The Undertaker
Goldust starts to crawl up the ring steps. All of a sudden, Paul Bearer wheels a gold casket down to the ringside area. Goldust backs into the casket and freaks out. Goldust and Marlena run off in fear. Undertaker and Paul Bearer pose in the ring as the show comes to an end.
Mike’s Thoughts: Goldust freaking out over the Undertaker before becoming intrigued by him was some pretty funny stuff. The Undertaker and Owen Hart had a solid professional wrestling match as all this wackiness was going on at ringside. That leaping Tombstone Piledriver was always an awesome visual. No real explanation for why Goldust and the Undertaker are having a match, let alone a Casket Match, but they’re building for it for whatever reason. I guess they thought this was really something people wanted to see.
Quick Match Results
— “Wildman” Marc Mero def. The 1-2-3 Kid
— The British Bulldog def. “Make a Difference” Fatu
— WWF Tag Team Champions The Bodydonnas (Skip and Zip) def. Tekno Team 2000 (Troy and Travis) in a Non-Title Tag Team Match
— The Undertaker def. Owen Hart
Mike’s Wrap-Up: What We Learned from Raw
This was another show where the WWF is clearly trying to move things forward, even if not everything quite clicks. There are a lot of angles being built at once, and you can see the direction they’re aiming for, but the execution feels super uneven.
On the positive side, they’re developing several pieces, like “Wildman” Marc Mero and Hunter Hearst Helmsley, whose stock seems to keep going up. They’re having a good midcard feud. It’s not lighting the world on fire, but it should produce a solid enough match. Vader continues to look dominant, even if, behind the scenes, they’re starting to second-guess him. Vader should be booked to crush more people, but he’s not having enough matches to do that. The Undertaker is also one of the most protected and consistent acts in the company. Even the Shawn Michaels and British Bulldog stuff, while corny as all hell, is at least creating some discussion and drama.
The issue is that not all of it holds together. Some matches go way longer than they need to, the tag division still feels like an afterthought with pitiful gimmicks in abundance, and certain storylines lean more on spectacle or shock value than anything that feels built for long-term success. The Michaels storyline, while generating discussion and drama, is questionable as a legitimate main-event storyline.
That’s kind of where the WWF is right now. They have ideas; they have some pieces that still need to be developed, but the roster was really dealt a rough blow by the imminent departures of Razor Ramon and Diesel. They’re scrambling to stay afloat and keep that post-WrestleMania momentum going, but if the current main event scene is all they can offer, it’s going to peter out pretty quickly.
Speaking of Diesel and Razor Ramon, with their final WWF matches coming up in a few weeks, now would be a good time to do a little retrospective on their contributions to the World Wrestling Federation.
History Corner: Razor Ramon… The Bad Guy
When Scott Hall debuted the Razor Ramon character in 1992, it was something completely different for the World Wrestling Federation. Inspired by a Tony Montana-style persona, Ramon was presented as a slick, confident outsider who didn’t quite fit the mold of a WWF superstar at the time.
What made the character work was its rapid evolution. Yeah, they were going for the wrestling Scarface heel, but his charisma and presence made him impossible for audiences to reject. And, let’s face it, Scott Hall/Razor Ramon was a really cool guy. By 1993, he had transitioned into one of the company’s more popular babyfaces, built around that laid-back “cool” factor. Even though Scott Hall didn’t have a drop of actual Cuban blood, his being all in on this character made him stand out in an era that was dominated by goofy gimmicks.
The Razor Ramon character was a tremendous supporting character in this era, becoming one of the great Intercontinental Champions of all time. His ladder match against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania X remains one of the most influential matches in WWF history and helped establish both guys as legendary.
I think Scott Hall was one of the most complete performers of the New Generation era. He had the size, presence, strong in-ring ability, and a character that connected. It’s just rough that his personal problems became a hindrance to him. It wasn’t as bad as it would become, but they were wary of him even at this point.
Now, as this era comes to a close, the WWF isn’t just losing a great character. It’s losing one of the defining characters of this New Generation that helped carry the company through this transitional period. So much was built around this character supporting the show that losing it, while not a main-event act, sends ripples through the upper midcard.
Anyway, back to this show. Raw and Nitro didn’t go head-to-head this week. WCW aired in an earlier timeslot because of an NBA game. How did that move impact the numbers?
WWF Raw (USA Network, taped): 4.1 (Record: 15-14-2)
WCW Nitro (TNT, live): 1.9 (Record: 14-15-2)
Winner: WWF Raw (5-week streak)
Yeah, this is, by far, the BIGGEST gap of the Monday Night War thus far. Nitro was moved to the 7 p.m. Eastern time slot and was long over by the time Raw started at 9 p.m., but the move was not well-received by the audience.
This blowout actually has some major consequences for the Monday Night War. Even though they were in an earlier timeslot, WCW really freaked out about that 1.9 rating. Plus, they hadn’t defeated the WWF since the end of March. This led WCW to announce on May 8 that they would expand Nitro to two hours, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern on May 27. They were initially going to save the two-hour move for the fall television season, but they pulled the trigger on it now.
Something interesting is going to happen on that May 27 show, but the days of one-hour wrestling shows are coming to a close pretty soon.
Email – mike@wrestleview.com
X – @MikeTedescoWV
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Part of Wrestleview’s Monday Night War: 30 Years Later series, with weekly Raw and Nitro recaps every Thursday.