WWF Monday Night RAW (June 24, 1996)

Original Airdate: June 24, 1996

From Green Bay, Wisconsin; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler

Ahmed Johnson v Hunter Hearst Helmsley: Ahmed's newly won WWF Intercontinental title is not on the line here. Johnson throws him around to start, which is retrospectively weird after years of seeing Triple H as the big jacked up guy that overpowers everyone. Ahmed works a headlock, so Hunter tries a hiptoss, but gets wrecked with a short-clothesline. Johnson charges with a follow-up, but HHH manages to duck, and the champion takes a spill over the top. Hunter rams into him with a nice baseball slide, as his valet for the evening laughs at poor Johnson. HHH hops out to whip Ahmed into the post before taking him back inside for a flying axehandle for two. HHH works him over, as we get a split screen with Goldust promising to get the title back from 'mandingo.' Wooooowwww. Johnson fights HHH off out of the corner, but HHH dodges another charge, and goes back upstairs - only to get caught in a bearhug as he dives. Ahmed shifts into an inverted atomic drop, and a cross corner whip sends Hunter flipping in the corner. Johnson adds a press-slam for two, and an atomic drop leads to a spinebuster. Pearl River Plunge, but HHH manages to counter with a backdrop, and he pounds the new champion down in the corner - only to get caught in the Plunge while trying another backdrop at 12:23. How ironic. Afterwards, Dok Hendrix comes out talk about how Ahmed is the first ever African-American Intercontinental champion, but Johnson clarifies that he's going to be a champion for all people. And then immediately threatens 'sweet lips' Goldust, so I guess he doesn't view gays as 'people.' *

King of the Ring encore promo. They do a good job of making the show look a lot better than it actually was through the magic of editing. As I said in the review, the biggest problem with that show was that a lot of the matches weren't bad, but that they overstayed their welcome, so it's no wonder they could get something out of it with editing. I feel like if they were still releasing clipped up Coliseum edits of pay per views like they did in the early days, that one would have been an all-time classic if edited down to two hours by mainly gutting the middle portions of the big matches

The Footaction Slam of the Week sees Marty Jannetty powerbombing Skip off the top rope during the Free For All show before last night's King of the Ring. Hell of a spot, still holds up today, actually

We get clips of prospects from the Bodydonnas' manager search contest, and I'm not sure what's funnier: the clips themselves, or Lawler savaging them on commentary

The Bodydonnas v Brooklyn Brawler and Jerry Fox: Sunny joins us for guest commentary, and of course immediately flirts it up with Vince. Kloudy is in full force here, sadly. I'm honestly not sure what the gag was really even supposed to be with that character. One thing I can tell you is that it did not get over whatsoever with me or my friends back in 1996. The Bodydonnas squash them, as Sunny hypes up bringing in a singles wrestler, and how he might even go after Ahmed Johnson. Oh, would he ever! Skip hits Fox with a rana off the top, but Fox lands badly out of position for Zip's flying seated senton splash follow-up, leaving him hilariously scurrying into position for it at 3:47. Energetic enough for a squash. Afterwards, Kloudy chases Sunny away. No wonder she didn't get over as a babyface. She then tries to kiss Jerry, and poor Lawler has to bail into the crowd to avoid it. ½*

Next week, Shawn Michaels defends his WWF Title against former partner Marty Jannetty. I like how they're hyping this as Shawn aiming to prove that 'time does not heal all wounds' moments after showing him turning on Jannetty by throwing him through a window

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, and Vader v Savio Vega, Barry Horowitz, and Aldo Montoya: Poor Savio. Jim Cornette sits in on commentary for this one. Hart and Horowitz start, and a criss cross goes Barry's way with a hiptoss, so he adds a high knee. Corner whip sets up a monkeyflip for two, but he fails to cut the ring in half while passing to Savio, and Bulldog gets tagged as well. Vega hits him with a bodypress for two, and a pair of dropkicks follow, so Davey brings in the big guy to deal with this punk. Vader unloads in the corner, and he hits a short-clothesline, followed by a headbutt. More abuse in the corner, but Savio ducks a second short-clothesline, and spinkicks the big man. Superkick knocks him right into a tag to Owen, but Aldo meets him with a pair of dropkicks, so Hart clobbers him with a spinheel kick. Back to Bulldog for a hanging vertical suplex, and Vader hits a chokeslam. The heels cut the ring in half, but can't decide who gets to finish, toying with poor Aldo before Owen finally puts him out of his misery with the Sharpshooter at 4:00. This was actually a lot of fun for what was essentially a squash. * ½

The WWF wants you to 'unleash the Warrior inside you.' Fine, but you guys are paying any medical and/or legal bills that result

Brian Pillman comes out to personally threaten Vince, since he hasn't gotten paid yet since signing his contract. Pillman was like the antithesis of Kloudy in terms of getting over

Undertaker v Steve Austin: Austin attacks from behind, but fails to get much traction, and Undertaker delivers a pair of turnbuckle smashes, then cross corner whips him. Big boot hits, as Lawler tries to talk to Paul Bearer about what happened at King of the Ring, but Bearer has no interest. That distraction allows Austin to get Undertaker to the outside, but he gets reversed into the post out there, and 'Taker sends him into the steps for good measure. They brawl into the aisle before going into the ring, where Undertaker hits a bodyslam, but misses an elbowdrop. That allows Austin to grab a chair, but Undertaker knocks it away from him, and turnbuckle smashes him to set up some choking. Steve tries clipping the leg to take control, and manages to bash the leg into the post to finally get somewhere with dead ass. Steve with a 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two, and he goes to work on the leg, as Goldust shows up to join the commentary team. Apparently his dead feud with Undertaker (no pun intended) is getting another round. Austin stays on the leg, but misses a straddling ropechoke, and Undertaker capitalizes with a chokeslam. Tombstone, but here comes Goldust with a handful of gold dust for the DQ at 15:16. Undertaker wearing glitter is quite the sight, actually. Long, boring, and a bad finish to boot. ¼*

BUExperience: This show desperately needs star power. They’re trotting out squashes like it’s 1993 again against the biggest angle in the world over on Nitro, and it’s unsurprisingly not working.

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	6/24/96
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.7	3.3
Total Wins	17	19
Win Streak		2
Better Show (as of 6/17)	8	26