WWF Monday Night RAW (April 10, 1995)

Original Airdate: April 10, 1995 (Taped April 3)

From Poughkeepsie, New York; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler

Opening Match: Tatanka v Adam Bomb: Tatanka chops at him to get out of having to lockup, but gets hiptossed, bodyslammed, and finally dropkicked out of the ring. Meanwhile, Vince and Jerry discuss boxing - which is a weird trend I've been noticing on these early RAWs that were lost on me as a kid. Back in, Tatanka tries more chops, but Bomb comes at him with a jumping clothesline for two - only to run into a barrage of stomps from the evil Indian. Tatanka with more chops and a cross corner whip allows a DDT for two. Snapmare sets up a chinlock, as Ted DiBiase looks bored on the outside. Can't blame him there. You'd think spending so much time with someone like DiBiase - who spent so many years working exclusively as a heel - would have led to something for Tatanka, but no - eight months into this heel run and he still hasn't managed to develop a moveset. Turnbuckle smashes, but Bomb starts no-selling, and reverses. Hiptoss sets up a pair of clotheslines to put Tatanka on the floor, but as Adam chases, both men end up getting counted out at 8:30. Bomb was game to have a good match here, but heel Tatanka was just death to anyone looking to work. The guy was really much better off as a babyface, because he just didn't have the offense to work heel. ½*

WrestleMania XI Encore promo. According to Roddy Piper, it 'don't get no better than this!' Roddy Piper needs to get out more

The New Headshrinkers v Mike Bell and Tony DeVito: I'm surprised they're actually giving the Headshrinkers a RAW squash this far into 1995. Kinda thought they were strictly syndicated and house show talent at this point. The jobbers attack (coming soon to FOX!), and get in a bit of offense, but that train quickly runs out of steam. I should note that the Headshrinkers' new gear is a perfect match to the bottom rope and ring posts, and makes for a neat visual experience for their squashes, if nothing else. And speaking of 'nothing else,' Fatu finishes with a flying splash at 3:00. DUD

WrestleMania XI Encore promo, the sequel

Jean Pierre Lafitte vignette. Apparently, he's blessed by a Cajun witch, or some shit! Also, he's the great-great grandson of legendary pirate Jean Lafitte! I'm sorry, but what? Like, literally, what is this characters back-story supposed to be? I know there was no shortage of stupid gimmicks around this period (He's a garbage collector! Who also wrestles!), but seriously, what is this? His great-great grandfather was a pirate. Fine. And now he's a pirate too, for some reason. Fine. But what does any of that have to do with professional wrestling? Like, did he wake up one morning aboard his pirate ship and just randomly decide he had a passion for professional sports he'd forgotten about? If he's a dangerous pirate, why is the WWF letting him come onto their show? Why are they airing his vignettes? Even with guys like Jeff Jarrett, while goofy, at least you can understand the characters motivation, since no record company wants to work with him, and he's trying to get noticed in the WWF to catch the eyes of the guys in Nashville. Stupid, yes, but at least it makes some sense. Why would a pirate - who I'm assuming is wanted internationally - suddenly decide he wants to appear on TV, and become a wrestler? No wonder no one related to this stuff

Over the weekend, Bob Holly won a NASCAR race. What a spark plug!

Last week, Shawn Michaels offered to give Sid the night off, but apparently didn't offer him paid vacation time, because the big guy flipped out and gave him three Powerbombs. That seems like quite an overreaction. Of course, we didn't actually see it happen last week due to an unfortunately timed commercial break, but they replay the entire segment here - with Vince narrating in full damage control mode to clarify that Shawn is a face now, and not Sid, since the live crowd thought the opposite. Also, a lot has been said about the botched Powerbombs, but watching this as a kid, I thought Sid was so pissed that he was giving Shawn some super crazy modified Powerbombs, and thought it was scary as hell

Kama v Scott Taylor: After getting used to him as Scotty 2 Hotty, it's so weird seeing Taylor as just a fresh faced kid with a mullet, looking like he's ready to go out trick-or-treating as Mr. Perfect. Lots of punch-kick stuff as they continue to try and get Kama over as this legendary shoot fighter - and take the opportunity to make plenty more boxing references, of course. Kama with a pump-splash at 2:44. DUD

Last week, Alundra Blayze defeated Bull Nakano to win back the WWF Women's Title, but got attacked by a mystery woman after the bout (Bertha Faye), and suffered a broken nose at her hands

Backstage, Bret Hart, Bob Holly, and 1-2-3 Kid prepare for the main event

The WWF really wants you to like them, and will literally give you a free house if you order their next pay per view! Man, they love to say that Ted Turner was pushing them around with his checkbook, but I don't remember anyone offering Florida real estate as an incentive to watch Dungeon of Doom segments

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Bret Hart, 1-2-3 Kid, and Bob Holly v Hakushi, Owen Hart, and Yokozuna: Bret's rocking the awesome alternate all-pink tights tonight! That's an extra quarter-star right there! He starts with Yokozuna, and quickly gets bodyslammed, but manages to dodge an elbowdrop, and tag Holly. Bob goes to work on the arm, but Yoko swats him away, and passes to Hakushi. That was an awkward opening segment. Holly and Hakushi criss cross into Bob hitting a dropkick, and he follows with a pair of bodyslams, then an armdrag. Over to Kid to keep after the arm, but Hakushi catches him with a jab to the ribs, and passes to Owen. Criss cross goes Kid's way with a spinkick for two, so Hakushi takes a cheapshot at Kid, and Hart hits a spinheel kick for two, then tags Yoko. Headbutt sets up a nervehold to kill the great flow Owen, Hakushi, and Kid were building. Too bad they didn't package Owen and Hakushi as a team, because THAT would have been fucking awesome in 1995, and certainly better than what Yoko could bring to the table at the point. The match dramatically slows down as Yoko cuts the ring in half with a resthold while Owen, Hakushi, Bret, and Holly all hang out on the apron like extras. Somebody fucked up with the booking there. Hakushi comes in to properly destroy Kid with corner whips and a pump-splash, and Owen adds a backbreaker - only for Kid to catch him with a springboard bodypress after blocking a corner whip. He can't quite make the tag, however, and the heels continue to cut the ring in half until Kid counters a Hakushi rana with a sitout powerbomb, and gets to Bret. Hart takes Yoko down with a hangman’s clothesline, and a 2^nd rope bulldog sets up a 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two. That draws Owen and Hakushi in, and Bret gets overwhelmed in the triple-team, and takes an enzuigiri from his brother. Bret manages to make a blind tag to Holly as they criss cross, however, and catches Owen with a dropkick to knock him into a schoolboy from Bob at 14:00. Wow, that finish was out of nowhere! Fun match, too, despite some unfortunate and unnecessary nervehold bullshit from Yoko. ** ½

BUExperience: The main event was a perfect little TV match, but the rest was pretty forgettable