WWF Monday Night RAW (October 2, 1995)

Original Airdate: October 2, 1995 (Taped September 25)

From Grand Rapids, Michigan; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler

We take a look back at last week, when the Smoking Gunns defeated Owen Hart and Yokozuna to recapture the tag titles

Also, this past Saturday night, the WWF aired their 'WrestleMania XI: The Special' program, which they feel the need to remind you of (despite the fact that it's already aired) so they can milk all the mainstream credibility that they can out of the deal

Razor Ramon v 1-2-3 Kid: Razor tosses him out of the ring like a bag of used needles to start. Back in, Razor keeps overpowering him, but Kid uses his speed advantage to sucker Ramon into the corner for some lightning kicks. Bodypress, but Razor catches him in a fallaway slam for two, so Kid fires back with a modified enzuigiri for two, while Dean Douglas stands in the aisle observing. Hopefully we'll get one in every match, like last week. Kid keeps sticking and moving, but gets punched in the face for two, so he throws a spinkick for two. Snapmare sets up a pair of sliding legdrops, but a spinheel kick misses, and Razor levels him with a lariat for the pin at 2:50. Well, that was quick. And, apparently Kid thinks so too, because he demands the match restart - not even waiting for Ramon to agree, but just attacking. Unfortunately for him, Razor easily reverses a cross corner clothesline, and wow, two black ladies in the front row are REALLY into Ramon. I guess that's not surprising, it is the black community that got Scarface over to begin with. Ramon with a hiptoss and an abdominal stretch on his little buddy, but Kid slugs at him, so Razor shifts it into an STF. Kid keeps acting bratty with a few slaps, but Razor catches a flying rana attempt in a powerbomb for another pinfall at 5:00. But Kid STILL wants more, and fuck it, why not? Razor's game. He gets a bit cocky, and Kid tries a sunset flip, but Razor easily blocks, and man, is the crowd into this guy. Side superplex, and he calls for the Edge, but feels bad for Kid, and beats him with an inside cradle instead at 6:30. Wow, three falls in under seven minutes. Was Russo booking? So afterwards, Razor slaps him around a bit to remind him who the bitch is, but Kid drops to his knees, asking Ramon to punish him with the Edge. Kinky. He settles for a handshake instead, and they walk out together. The two black ladies are not impressed, however. They know what's up. * ¾

Call the WWF Voteline now, and weigh in on whether or not OJ Simpson is guilty. Apparently, all proceeds go to the National Exchange Club Foundation for the Prevention of Child Abuse, which may or may not be directly across the street from The Derek Zoolander Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good and Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too

Hunter Hearst Helmsley v Barry Horowitz: I guess this is SORTA a star/star match, as Horowitz had been elevated to JTTS instead of outright jobber. HHH controls on the mat early, but Barry reverses a waistlock, and Hunter is forced to use the ropes to escape. Hunter beats him into the corner, then snapmares him out to setup a kneedrop - complete with the little bow! He needs to bring that back. Imagine how much more entertaining RAW would be if Triple H threw in random little bows during every segment. Hanging vertical suplex hits, but Horowitz holds his own during a slugfest, and hooks a sunset flip for two. Hunter cuts him off with a jumping backelbow, but Barry counters a hiptoss into a backslide for two, and hits a Thesz press for two. Stone Cold Barry Horowitz! Abdominal cradle gets two, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and HHH hits the Pedigree at 5:31. *

PG-13 v Al Brown and Sonny Rogers: Then, on the other wise of the coin, you've got this match, which features no stars. Vince: 'They're called PG-13. That's not a rating, it's a tag team!' He also notes that they are the current USWA Tag Team Champions, with Lawler noting that they're 'close, personal friends' of his. Energetic squash too, as they work a lot of tandem spots, and finish with a tandem tilt-a-whirl at 3:49. I believe this led to a showdown with the Smoking Gunns on TV, and then they disappeared until the Nation of Domination angle in late 1996. ½*

The WWF Voteline is still open! Come on guys, those kids aren't going to stop beating themselves!

Dok Hendrix wants you to buy the new Bret Hart t-shirt, which comes with a blank video cassette tape, apparently

Bret Hart v Jean Pierre Lafitte: Apparently, management was really impressed with the In Your House match, because we get a rematch here for no real reason. Also for no real reason, we take a quick look back at Davey Boy Smith pinning Bret Hart at SummerSlam '92 during the entrances. That's kind of a roundabout way of setting up their December pay per view match, I guess. Lafitte controls a slugfest at the bell, and cross corner whips Bret to setup a clothesline. Chinlock time, but Bret very quickly escapes, so Lafitte puts him down with a backelbow. Stupid punk Hart, not wanting to rest two minutes into a TV match. What a fucking asshole. Lafitte falls to the floor off of a missed cross corner charge, and Bret is on him with a painful looking bodyslam ONTO the steps. Back in, Bret hits a 2^nd rope clothesline for two, to the delight of the fans. Bodypress, but Jean counters with a press-slam into the ropes, as Jerry Lawler cheers him on from ringside. Chinlock, but Bret wrestles up and tries a hiptoss, so Lafitte counters with a short-clothesline. Flying splash follows for two, and a straddling ropechoke is worth two. Stinger splash hits, but Hart manages a small package out of a criss cross for two, so Lafitte levels him with a lariat to cutoff the comeback. He adds a legdrop for two, and a sidewalk slam sets up a flying legdrop, but Bret rolls out of the way - showing he's learned something from the previous match. They spill out to the floor again, and Lafitte manages to reverse a whip into the steps. Vertical suplex back in, but Bret counters into a rollup - only for Lafitte to hold the ropes to block. Bret keeps coming anyway with an inverted atomic drop, and a clothesline. Russian legsweep gets two, and a backbreaker sets up the 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two. Whip into the corner, but Lafitte counters into a rolling fireman’s carry slam for two. Slugfest goes Jean's way with a side suplex, and the Cannonball looks to finish, but Bret brings him down with a superplex, and slaps the Sharpshooter on at 14:00. This was quite good, and makes me think I grossly underrated their PPV match. But then, a lot of those shows I did in 2012 (when BUExperience launched) are in drastic need of a redo, and will get one sooner than later. After the match, Lawler keeps taunting Hart, and challenges him to a fight - which backfires on him really quickly. Bret kicks his ass, but Isaac Yankem shows up for the save with a DDS on the floor to further that angle. ** ½

Backstage, Camp Cornette threaten Diesel, and his posse

Backstage, Diesel, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker retort

BUExperience: Eh, I dunno. This one left me cold. It’s technically fine, with good wrestling, and really focused angle delivery, but I just didn’t connect with it on a personal level.

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	10/2/1995
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.5	2.5
Total Wins	2	1
Win Streak	n/a	n/a