WWF Monday Night RAW (September 25, 1995)

Original Airdate: September 25, 1995

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

Last night, at In Your House, Diesel and Shawn Michaels captured the tag team titles in the Triple Header main event, but earlier today, Jim Cornette had attorney Clarence Mason (in his debut) force WWF President Gorilla Monsoon to overturn the decision. This was a huge letdown to ten year old me at the time

Skip v Marty Jannetty: This is Jannetty's return, after leaving the WWF in early 1994. Hey, there's a dude dressed as Wayne from Wayne's World in the front row. No word on whether he was being groomed as Marty's new tag team partner, but talk about missed opportunities! Jannetty controls Skip with a pair of hiptosses, and a dropkick sends Skip out to Sunny's loving arms. Back in, Skip rakes the eyes, but loses a criss cross when Marty backdrops him, and he bails out for another hug from Sunny. Hey, the crowd may laugh, but I'd hug 1995 Sunny as often as possible. Funny bit follows, as Marty sneaks out, and hugs her himself - then ducks the resulting slap, which hits Skip. Nice, very Shawn Michaels. Back in, Marty takes him down in a hammerlock, as we get a closer look, and I realize that dude isn't in costume, that's actually just how he dresses, I guess. Wow. For all we know, he was the inspiration! How far is Aurora from Grand Rapids, anyway? Skip powers up to escape the hold, and Sunny trips Marty up during the resulting criss cross, and Skip gutwrench powerbombs him. Vertical suplex follows, as we see Dean Douglas observing from the aisle. Recruiting, perhaps? Skip with a bodyslam to setup a legdrop, and a clothesline triggers Jannetty's spiral sell. Sliding legdrop gets two, but Marty reverses a German suplex for two. Skip tries to retain control with a rana, but Marty counters into a powerbomb, and adds a jumping backelbow, as we get a look at the first (of many to come) Nitro versus RAW crowd signs. Kneelift gets two, and a bodypress gets one, when Sunny distracts the referee from the apron. The distraction allows Skip a sneak attack, but Jannetty sees it coming, and backdrops him over the top for his efforts. Vertical suplex back in, but Skip counters into a bodypress for two. Backdrop, but Marty counters with the Rocker Dropper, and a flying fistdrop finishes at 9:40. Man, they really didn't have any confidence in Skip, did they? Good match, though. ** ¼

Dok Hendrix wants you to buy an In Your House commemorative t-shirt! WHERE'S BARRY DIDINSKY?!?!? Also, $20?! That's as much as the pay per view itself!

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Owen Hart and Yokozuna v The Smoking Gunns: So, President Gorilla (but, is there a Vice President Coco?) overturned the decision from last night, but also decided that Owen and Yoko would defend tonight. Owen starts with Bart Gunn, and a big criss cross ends in Bart missing a bodypress, but quickly recovering with a drop-toehold, and an armdrag into an armbar. Tag to Billy Gunn, but Owen pops him with an elbow to escape a hammerlock, so Billy straight up decks him. Tag to Yokozuna, as Shawn and Diesel watch on a monitor backstage. Billy with a pair of dropkicks and a bulldog to put Yokozuna down, but then he stupidly tries a crucifix, and gets dropped like a Samoan. Hard to feel sorry for the guy - who tries a crucifix on Yokozuna? Honestly. I mean, even if it WORKED, it would hurt you more than him. Owen kicks his ass on the floor a little, and back in, the champs cut the ring in half on Billy. Yokozuna misses an elbowdrop and a splash to allow the tag to Bart, and he's a barn of fire! Four-way brawl, and the Gunns catch Owen with the Sidewinder. Yokozuna runs (well...) in to break the count with a splash, but Bart rolls out of the way, and Yoko splashes Owen - Bart quickly covering for the title at 12:14. For real this time. Afterwards, Shawn and Diesel come out to congratulate the new champs, as the crowd goes bonkers. Outside of a really overlong nervehold from Yoko during the heat segment, this was good, solid tag team wrestling. * ¾

Dok Hendrix interviews President Gorilla Monsoon regarding the next In Your House. Dok: 'The Undertaker is gonna meet King Mabel, in what you might consider a train wreck.' No shit!

The Undertaker v Davey Boy Smith: Vince immediately proves that he's not a very quick learner, as they have Davey act scared, and run away from Undertaker. Because that worked so well with Sid all summer? Smith tries to turn it into a sneak attack, but he can't get that right, and Undertaker tosses him around, then whips him into the corner for a choke. Jumping clothesline, but Jim Cornette shakes the ropes during the ropewalk forearm, and Bulldog slams him down. Undertaker ignores it, and big boots him, then adds a bodyslam. Elbowdrop misses, so Davey capitalizes with a clothesline over the top, and Cornette distracts Undertaker out there for Smith to sneak attack, and whip into the post. Meanwhile, Mabel watches from the aisle. Really? Three times in three matches? Inside, Bulldog works the leg, as we see Waylon Mercy also observing from the crowd. Guess one observation wasn't enough for a main event. Davey keeps after the leg with a half-crab, and sets up the Running Powerslam, but Undertaker counters with a side suplex. Slugfest is won by Undertaker, and he's actually selling the leg! Holy shit! Ropewalk forearm hits this time, but he aggravates the bad leg in the process, and Davey piledrives his dead ass for two. Vertical suplex follows for two, then another one for two, but 'Taker just keeps coming. Clothesline, but Undertaker counters into a chokeslam, and heeeeerreee's Mabel for the DQ at 9:20. As noted, you'd think after the disaster that was the Diesel/Sid program, they'd know better, but no - though, I can understand what Vince saw in Bulldog as an opponent for Diesel after watching this one, because he got a good match out of fucking 1995 UNDERTAKER! Afterwards, Bulldog and Mabel lay in a beat down, but Shawn and Diesel run in to make the save. That draws Owen back out, but here are the Gunns to join the babyface side, and it's a standoff until the referees intervene, and send everyone home. **

WrestleMania XI: The Special promo. Oh, it was 'special,' all right

Last night, at In Your House, Razor Ramon and 1-2-3 Kid got into scuffle again, costing Ramon his match with Dean Douglas

Shawn Michaels and Diesel come back out (triggering an epic seat dancing response from a giddy Vince), and Big Kev shows us the moves that made Soderberg cast him in Magic Mike

BUExperience: Really fine episode this week, with three good star/star matches, very little down time, and no squashes. While this was one of the better episodes in a while, the numbers certainly did not reflect that, as RAW dropped nearly a full point in the ratings – losing to Nitro for the first time in the process. That’s kind of surprising, given that the quality of the matches, and that this was a post-PPV show.

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	9/25/1995
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	1.9	2.7
Total Wins	2	1
Win Streak	n/a	1