The SmarK Rant for Monday Night RAW – 07.10.95
Taped from Danville, PA
Your hosts are Vince McMahon & Jerry Lawler
Oh my, the stuff I come across while scoping out the Observers for the week of these shows:
“WWF is starting its own newsletter being put together by Vince Russo, who did a terrible newsletter of his own three years back which lasted all of a few issues.”
I don’t remember if that ever went anywhere, but Russo certainly did.
We get a very lengthy recap of the Sid-Diesel feud as Vince tries to somehow weave this thing into an actual storyline, again stressing how Sid is a coward who Diesel is trying to keep in the ring at IYH. Because Sid powerbombed him…once? Quite the feud.
The Roadie v. Jerry Flynn
The inexplicable Roadie push continues, although he would end up having a hell of a match with the Kid at IYH2. Flynn works the arm and puts him down with a sidekick, but a blind charge hits boot and Roadie drops some elbows and hooks a half-crab. Flynn escapes, but tries a leapfrog and gets slammed for the pin at 2:30.
Meanwhile, we recap Jarrett’s quest to be signed to a music contract, which goes badly. Kind of weird to recycle an old vignette like that. And then we get the Rip Taylor vignette, plus another “With My Baby Tonight” video. Were they really short of material from this taping or something? We’re 15 minutes into this show and literally 12 of them have been recaps or videos.
CARIBBEAN LEGEND SAVIO VEGA v. Mike Khoury
Oh my god, give it a rest with Savio Vega already. He’s got fire and spunk! And dancing. He pounds away on Khoury in the corner and smiles a lot, then puts him down with a back elbow and finishes with a ¾ nelson at 1:55.
Meanwhile, another reminder that they were totally at the Special Olympics because they care.
Sid is out for an interview with Vince, along with his lumberjacks.
Meanwhile, on the Action Zone, HOROWITZ WINS.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley v. Matt Hardy
10 years later and this match would take on an entirely different slant. Vince notes that “the internet chat lines” are burning up over King of the Ring and “we read you loud and clear”. That’s the nicest thing I’ve ever heard anyone in the WWF ever say about the internet, but considering the show did one of the lowest buyrates in history it wasn’t just the internet geeks who were complaining about it. He promises that the next PPV will be a “romp ‘em stomp ‘em” affair and would presumably not suck. Well, one match was a classic, the rest was not, but it was still a hell of a show and one that I enjoyed immensely at the time. Anyway, Hunter controls with a suplex and lots of bowing, but a blind charge misses and Matt tries a moonsault. That also misses and the Pedigree finishes at 3:00. Notable here: Vince off-handedly announces that Jack Tunney has finally retired as President of the WWF, which was one of the many, MANY, cutbacks that were occurring at this point.
In Your House Report with Todd, as we get MORE filler. I know this one is a necessarily evil, but this show has felt really thin thus far and it doesn’t help.
Tatanka & Henry Godwinn v. The Allied Powers
Luger slugs it out with Tatanka, but quickly gets caught in the heel corner as Henry’s Corporate tryout begins. The heels double-team Lex and we take a break, returning with Lex still getting beat on. Godwinn with a back elbow for two. Luger fights out of a chinlock and makes the hot tag to Bulldog, but he quickly gets cut off by a trip from Godwinn and Tatanka goes up. Bulldog slams him off for the pin at 7:48, however. Notable here is Vince suddenly going off on ECW by noting that WWF is wholesome self-regulated family entertainment, unlike “professional wrestling in general”, which presumably refers to the more violent ECW product that people were chanting for during his last PPV main event.
Meanwhile, Jerry Lawler hangs out with Isaac Yankem while he drills someone’s teeth.
Next week: Shawn Michaels v. IRS! Probably a bunch of other filler bullshit too judging by this taping thus far.
