WWF Monday Night RAW (June 19, 1995)

Original Airdate: June 19, 1995 (Taped June 5)

From Struthers, Ohio; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler

Opening Match: The Undertaker v Mike McReynolds: We're getting a lot of Undertaker on these shows, all of a sudden. Though, this high school gyms ventilation system isn't really equipped to handle his entrance, and it basically looks like there's a small fire because of it. Kids don't need to breath! Tombstone finishes at 2:28. DUD

World Tour de Force promo! Looks like they were touring Europe as all these shitty taped RAWs were airing

Backstage, Man Mountain Rock is still pissed about Bob Backlund breaking his guitar last week. Or, as he puts it, 'my soul, man.' Really though, Rock left it unattended in a random hallway where guys who think it's funny to SHIT IN EACH OTHERS FOOD lurk. If it's your soul, take better care of it, man. Also, Backlund didn't even do a crazy Pete Townshend smash job, he basically just tipped it over onto the floor. I don't know what kind of guitar Rock is playing, but I've been around guitars my whole life, and that literally wouldn't have even put so much as a scratch on a solid body electric

Adam Bomb v Bill Payne: No word yet on whether Payne will be recycled as Boy Mountain Rock, but I'm hoping he indeed will. Or why they continue pushing Bomb without actually putting him into a feud. Referee Danny Davis seems to be enjoying the squash, at least. Bomb with a flying clothesline at 2:03. DUD

King of the Ring Report! Jerry Lawler's feet smell bad! Order now! If that's their strategy, I can take my socks off and sell SummerSlam for them this year, no problem

Barry Didinsky wants you to buy the new Diesel Power t-shirt! Only $16! But does it smell like feet?!?!

Sid and Tatanka v The New Headshrinkers: Undertaker's goths are at ringside for this. That's not really notable, per se, but it's gotta be more interesting than this match is going to be. Tatanka starts with Fatu, and hammers, but gets no-sold at literally every turn. Finally, he just gives up and tags Sid in, but Fatu is more interested in dancing than anything else. He actually dominates Sid for a bit, but walks into a clothesline as they criss cross, and gets chokeslammed to setup a legdrop for two. The Corporation cut the ring in half on Fatu, but Sid misses a legdrop and Tatanka misses an elbowdrop (they're really busting out the big moves to go along with the main event push, I see) to allow the tag. Sione is a hut of fire to ignite a four-way brawl, the Sid Powerbombs both Headshrinkers for Tatanka to pin at 10:50. Guys, Sid's got a beard now! That makes him extra dangerous to Diesel! He could irritate his skin something awful! ½*

We get a video review of the Diesel/Bigelow versus Sid/Tatanka feud, as well as words from Bigelow and Diesel backstage. Diesel's wearing the Diesel Power t-shirt! Slap the belt on over it, and guys might finally recognize him at the airport!

Jerry Lawler offers a video tour of his dungeon of torture, where he basically threatens to chop Bret Hart's head off with a guillotine. Given that Hakushi was walking around with an effigy of Bret's head in a sack at this point, I think they'd have more than enough to prove a conspiracy to commit murder here

Hunter Hearst Helmsley v Buck Quartermaine: And speaking of conspiracies, is it just a coincidence that Triple H came to the WWF JUST as Randy Savage was leaving? YOU DECIDE! Helmsley with the Pedigree at 2:31. His execution of it was actually far better back then. DUD

Some woman confesses to her priest that she has intimate thoughts about Bret Hart, Razor Ramon, and Shawn Michaels. Skip the priest, get the to a clinic!

Shawn Michaels v Gus Kantarrakis: Shawn also has a beard! And it's thicker than Sid's! Diesel may be okay after all. This is a really shitty jobber too, as he screws up a criss cross by forgetting to roll over onto his stomach, and Shawn has to literally stop and pick him up to redo it. Luckily, Michaels is in a good mood with his new babyface role, so no one gets killed. He makes Gus chases him around, and does the famous bit where he jumps into the front row to relax with the fans that always makes the highlight reel. True story: when I went to a house show later that year, there were a couple of empty chairs next to us on the floor level, and my friends and I were convinced that it was because they'd do that spot. Sadly, it was just poor ticket sales. Superkick finishes at 4:16. This jobber was total shit, but Shawn was a breath of fresh air during this period. Afterwards, Kama runs down to try and attack (he faces Michaels in the King of the Ring), but Shawn shrugs him off, and Undertaker comes out to keep him back. Mabel’s there too, but we’re going to pretend like he wasn’t. ½*

BUExperience: This was a really low point for the show and for the promotion in general. Shawn is a breath of fresh air and a joy to watch in everything he does, but everything else is terrible – both the angles and the matches.