WWF Monday Night RAW (July 15, 1996)

Original Airdate: July 15, 1996 (taped June 24)

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

Earlier today, WWF Champion Shawn Michaels and WWF Intercontinental Champion Ahmed Johnson nearly got into a fight with Camp Cornette when they arrived at the arena. The paparazzi in the background was a nice touch

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Ahmed Johnson v Bart Gunn: I wouldn't be surprised if Sunny took something... a little stronger than caffeine, shall we say... between the tapings, because she is all kinds of jazzed up here. The theme tonight is that Sunny is trying to capture every title in the promotion by the end of the show. The measure each other some to start, with Ahmed using power to dominate, but Bart manages to clothesline him down, and he puts the boots to the champion. Bart goes after the arm, as Sunny keeps bouncing around like a sexy human pinball. Whatever she might be on, it's too bad the crowd can't get a taste too, because they could really use a little something. Gunn continues working the arm in slow, methodical fashion, and this is just boring as hell. Like Goldberg or Ultimate Warrior, Ahmed's style is all about explosive bursts of offense, and he's completely unengaging when he has to sell for extended periods of time. Bart gets caught using Sunny for leverage, allowing Ahmed a brief comeback, but he misses a charge, and ends up posting himself through the buckles. That allows Bart to toss him shoulder-first into the turnbuckles for two, and he goes back to pounding the arm, as the announcers talk about trying to get Warrior back into the fold. And they would. Eventually. It would just take about twenty years. Be patient, you assholes. Ahmed fights off more arm stuff and hits a powerslam, but the arm is so badly damaged that he can't immediately follow up, and Gunn drops him into the turnbuckles. Bart with a bodyslam and a bulldog for two, so he tries a flying bulldog, but still only gets two. Another bulldog, but this time Ahmed drops him crotch-first across the top rope to block, then blasts him with a shoulderblock to knock Gunn to the outside. Love the energy there - this is what Ahmed is all about! Back in, Johnson unloads in the corner, and a spinebuster leads to the Pearl River Plunge at 12:05. For all of her energy out there this week, Sunny didn't even try a distraction or something there. Not unwatchable, just really boring. ¾*

Backstage, Shawn Michaels looks like he got a hit of whatever Sunny was on

Call the Superstar Line to hear a report on an unidentified source that has revealed plans to destroy Shawn Michaels' confidence at In Your House! Oh no, not his confidence!

Marc Mero v TL Hopper: This is Hopper's debut, though a match taped later than this one actually had already aired on Superstars the weekend before this episode did. Goldust's usher presents Sable with a gift box in the aisle during the entrances, but she discards it. Mero takes him right down into an STF, then shifts to a headlock. Hot start. Hopper escapes, so Mero uses an overhead armdrag and a dropkick to send TL to the outside, but changes his mind about following up with a dive. Meanwhile, we get a split screen showing Camp Cornette getting pumped up in the dressing room, which is a random thing to need to split screen for. Like, isn't that half of what goes on in the locker room at any given time? Anyway, these two trade off on the mat for a while, until Hopper throws an elbow to get out of a waistlock, and he puts the boots to the Wildman. I remember liking Mero a lot back then, but going back to these 1996 shows, I'm not sure why. He's been really bland since debuting over three months ago. Hopper with a sidewalk slam for two, and he works a chinlock, but Marc escapes and tries a sunset flip, but TL blocks. Hopper with a legdrop for two, as we split screen again, this time to get thoughts from Steve Austin on his upcoming rematch with Mero at In Your House. Well, at least that's a worthy split screen. Hopper keeps hammering and fighting Mero's comeback attempts off, but he misses a splash, and Mero is finally able to string a comeback together. The crowd barely even responds, though. Hopper goes to the eyes to try and save things, but Marc catches him with a left hook for the pin at 9:17. I get that they brought guys like Hopper in specifically to be JTTS, but it's hard to take Mero seriously when he can't beat a plumber in under ten minutes. ½*

Backstage, Camp Cornette look they are ready to go boating on the Redneck Riviera

The Undertaker is the eternal flame that cannot be extinguished. They better hope the fire marshal doesn't find out about that, because I'm pretty sure that's not up to code. Really long, pointless video

Shawn Michaels is so sweet to kids that they now have diabetes. Man, they didn't learn a single lesson from the Diesel experiment, did they?

WWF Title Match: Shawn Michaels v Billy Gunn: Feeling out process to start, with Gunn dominating, as we get a split screen with Ahmed Johnson to hype up In Your House again. Shawn tosses Billy over the top, so Sunny hops onto the apron to protest, which Michaels responds to be forcing himself on her with a kiss. Oh dear. Billy runs in to save, but Shawn takes him down with a sunset cradle for two, but Gunn bails to the outside to avoid the Superkick. Shawn is on him with a baseball slide, and he tries to grope Sunny while he's out there, but she gets away from him. Dear God, can you even imagine how this would go over today? Let alone for the BABYFACE?! Shawn comes off the top as they head back in, but Billy blocks, and hits the rocker dropper for two. Much like Shawn with the superkick, it took a while for that one to stick as a signature move for him. Michaels manages to crotch Gunn on the post, and a slingshot clothesline sets up a flurry of mounted punches. Shawn goes up, but Sunny distracts him, allowing Billy to slam him off, and then clothesline the champion over the top. Back in, Billy works a chinlock, but Shawn slugs free, so Gunn backelbows him down for two. Billy with a series of jabs for two, and a cross corner whip leaves the champion down in a heap. Billy strings him up in a tree of woe, as Sunny starts making plans for her victory celebration, and notes that McMahon isn't invited. Their loss, I hear he's quite the dancer. Billy looks for a bulldog, but Michaels manages to block and he starts making a comeback, as we see Camp Cornette moving around backstage on a split screen. Shawn with the flying elbowdrop, and the Superkick to retain at 13:08. Nothing special, but Shawn was such a master level worker that it was appropriately captivating. **

Backstage, Ahmed is waiting for Shawn as he comes through the curtain, but so is Jim Cornette. Cornette lures them into chasing him to the arena's loading dock, where Vader, Owen Hart, and Davey Boy Smith attack - only for Sid to pull up in his car to chase them off! This was actually taped a different night than the preceding match, and Shawn's hair causes a continuity error

BUExperience: Having titles defended is always a good way to add intrigue, but there wasn’t much to this show in terms of talking me into buying In Your House. It’s almost hard to believe given the history of both promotions up to that point, but WCW was doing a far more compelling job of selling their pay per views than the WWF during this period.

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	7/15/96
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.6	3.4
Total Wins	17	22
Win Streak		5
Better Show (as of 7/8)	9	28