WWF Monday Night RAW (July 1, 1996)

Original Airdate: July 1, 1996 (taped June 24)

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

Shawn Michaels v Marty Jannetty: Shawn's WWF Title is not on the line here. Between Jose, and the dancing, and the camcorder, Shawn really had an uphill battle against the nWo. I mean, I dug him as a kid, but my love of the character mostly stemmed from his 1995 persona, and I can see why a large portion of the crowd wouldn't be as forgiving. He's got great tights on tonight, though. Feeling out process to start, as they trade off to establish a familiarity with one another. Marty ends up on the outside following a pair of overhead armdrags and a dropkick, but he manages to deck HBK on the way back in, and he corners the champion for a ten-punch. Michaels fights him off with an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline, followed by a flying axehandle, but Leif Cassidy pulls Marty to the outside to prevent the Superkick. Shawn responds by blasting Cassidy with a baseball slide, but that allows Marty to dive at him from the apron, and Leif works him over for a bit before sending him back inside for Jannetty to snapmare for two. Marty keeps it going with a backdrop for two, and he drops Shawn front-first across the top rope for two. Chinlock, but Shawn starts to escape, so Marty gives him a somersault cutter for two. Back to the hold, but Shawn escapes with a bodypress for two, so Jannetty quickly clotheslines him back down for two. Another chinlock, but Shawn escapes with a schoolboy for two, only to miss a charge in the corner, and get covered for two. Jannetty tries his own charge, but also misses, so Shawn tries capitalizing with a monkeyflip, but Jannetty lands on his feet, and throws a clothesline. He tries a dive off the middle, but Shawn lifts his boot to block, and drives Marty to the mat with a facebuster. HBK starts mounting a comeback, but Jannetty counters a powerbomb with a rana into a cradle - only for Michaels to reverse for two. Michaels with a flying bodypress for two, so Marty blasts him with another clothesline for two. Rocker Dropper looks to finish, but he decides to put a cherry on top with a flying fistdrop, and Shawn ends up dodging. Marty reroutes and lands on his feet, but Shawn counters a suplex with a piledriver, and he goes up with a flying elbowdrop. Superkick, and Marty's done at 16:49. Marty had deteriorated pretty significantly as a worker since the glory days, and he looked to be having some issues with his timing and conditioning, but Shawn had improved enough to balance it out. Damn good, but not great. Afterwards, Cassidy tries to sneak attack, but gets a Superkick for his efforts. *** ¼

Over the weekend, Sunny was acting like a bitch on Superstars, so Phineas Godwinn slopped her

We get video highlights of various house shows from over the weekend. They were doing a good job of making the house shows seem important during this period, and they were actually running them in full-size arenas again, instead of high school gyms

Mankind v Duke Droese: Jake Roberts sits in on commentary for this, since he'll be facing Mankind at In Your House. Mankind jumps him in the corner to start, and pounds on him for a while. A toss into the post results in Duke taking a trip to the outside, and Mankind works the arm on the way back in, as Lawler taunts Roberts on commentary by wondering if Jake will need some 'liquid courage' before facing Mankind. Hey, maybe he was just talking about Felix Felicis? Mankind continues working him over in the most boring way possible as Lawler and Roberts trade barbs, until Duke manages a spinebuster to stop a charge. Droese makes a comeback, and tries a sleeper, but Mankind fights him off in the corner. Duke responds with a lariat for two, but a bearhug is countered with the Mandible Claw at 5:18. Really boring. Afterwards, Lawler takes his insults to the next level by slapping Jake around, but Mankind steps in before Roberts can tune the King up, giving us some seriously inspired Angry Vince facial expressions. DUD

Goldust v Marc Mero: Steve Austin sits in on commentary for this one, wearing a WWF logo polo shirt. That's a really weird look for Stone Cold. Goldust hammers him to start, but Mero manages a bodypress for two, and he starts unloading until Goldust bails. Apparently the key to nabbing a hot wife in real life is leather tights and playing it gay, young wrestlers take note. They spill to the outside for a slugfest, with Mero dominating, but getting nailed on the way back in. That allows Goldust a clothesline, and it's chinlock time. Mero escapes, so Goldust dumps him to the outside for a trip into the steps to keep control. Back in for another chinlock, as Austin starts threatening McMahon on commentary. Hmm, perhaps that concept has some legs, and should be further explored. Goldust tries a suplex, but Mero blocks, and gets a victory cradle for two. Sloppy sequence there. Goldust pops him with a right hand to keep control of the match, and a bodyslam sets up a fistdrop for two. Back to the chinlock, as Vince hypes up a Brian Pillman appearance on America Online. Listening to Vince talk about anything internet related was always entertaining. Certainly more entertaining than this match, which is just dragging on in all its chinlocky glory. Mero uses an electric chair to escape a reverse chinlock, but Goldust keeps control of things, and makes him kick out of a few pinfall attempts. Charge, but Mero is ready with a powerslam for two, so Marlena starts eyeing up Sable on the outside as Marc makes a comeback. I'm not a religious man, but Sable's ass in 1996 was like the second coming. Mero goes for the kill, but gets distracted by Marlena flirting with Sable, and Goldust Curtain Call's him at 13:10. I guess Marc's not hardcore. ¼*

BUExperience: Not much going on this week, but Michaels/Jannetty is good stuff.

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	7/1/96
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.6	3.3
Total Wins	17	20
Win Streak		3
Better Show (as of 6/24)	9	26