Original Airdate: August 19, 1996
From
WWF Intercontinental Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match: Owen Hart v Davey Boy Smith: Criss cross to start, won by Davey with a monkeyflip, and he sends Owen to the outside with a dropkick. Hart regroups out there, and is cautious as he heads back in, where Bulldog is ready with a headlock. Owen forces another criss cross, and wins this time with a hiptoss, then uses his own dropkick to send Smith to the outside. Back in, Smith takes a cheap shot during a rope break in the corner, and he uses a bodyslam for two. Chinlock, but Owen slugs free, so Bulldog press-slams him for two, as we start getting a lot of static on the screen. Apparently it's part of an angle though, because they're very openly acknowledging it. Bulldog with a knee and a legdrop for two, and it's Running Powerslam time, but Owen is in the ropes at two, as Sunny shows up to sit in on commentary. Bulldog misses a charge in the corner, hurting his knee in the process, and giving Owen a target. Hart works the leg as Jim Cornette shows up on split screen to bitch about President Gorilla Monsoon's booking. Sharpshooter is applied (and poorly, at that), but Bulldog makes the ropes. Owen decides to slap him around, but that leads to a slugfest, and Hart has to backdrop him over the top to get out of trouble. He tries a suplex in from the apron, but Davey reverses him to the floor, and they brawl out there. Hart ducks a clothesline and hits a spinheel kick, then shoves Davey into Sunny's lap, before running back in to steal the countout at 10:17. This was okay, but they'd have a much longer and better match about six months later. Sunny, pissed that a drink spilled on her when Bulldog crashed, starts making accusations that he tried to reach up her skirt while getting counted out. That draws Jim Cornette out, and we have a full-on white trash shouting match, with Jim calling her a 'slut' on air. Wow, that's pretty strong language for 1996. And, for those keeping track, that's now the second sexual assault angle in 1996 featuring the British Bulldog. Doesn't feel so good when the shoe is on the other foot now, does it, Davey?! ** ¼
Ahmed Johnson understand things
Mark Henry is in the house, but no one really cares. Like, he's trying to mingle with the fans, but no one's even bothering to run up to him. I'm pretty sure one kid even straight-up asks 'who are you?' at one point
Vader v Freddie Joe Floyd: Vader gets in Mark Henry's face at ringside on his way in, but apparently he was saying something funny, because Mark is all smiles and laughter. Floyd charges him, but it's like running into a wall, and Vader destroys him. Into the corner for a flurry, and an avalanche leads to a bodyslam, as Jim Cornette rants about Monsoon on commentary. And there's that weird static again, this time coupled with the house lights flickering as well. No matter, Vader hits a pair of Vaderbombs to wrap up this squash at 3:43. Well, you knew Vader was going to be squashing someone after what happened at SummerSlam. DUD
And speaking of SummerSlam, order the replay now! Or don't, 'cause it's 2018, and it won't be on, and you'll probably end up paying to see some terrible Melissa McCarthy movie by accident
Jim Ross brings out Mankind and Paul Bearer so Paul can explain his actions at SummerSlam, and apparently Paul is pissed because he's been 'carrying' Undertaker to titles for six years, and his back is getting sore. First of all, titles? Plural? Undertaker was WWF Champion once, and for what, all of a week? Also, 'carrying?' Really? Bobby Heenan could make that claim. Jimmy Hart could. What did your ass ever do but stand there and shriek about the urn all the time? And speaking of the urn, the lights start flickering again, but Mankind has the urn now, and so they're not afraid. That segues into talk about his match with WWF Champion Shawn Michaels at the next In Your House, and he's looking to make Shawn the 'least sexy boy toy in the world,' oh and also straight-up murder him. I love how casually they would work full-on death threats in back in those days. Before we're done, the lights die completely, and suddenly the druids who carried Undertaker out of the building at SummerSlam show up with his carcass. See, now THEY have a legitimate complaint about carrying Undertaker. I don't think Paul ever actually literally carried him from town to town. Actually, I'm sure he didn't. He wouldn't have been obese if he had. So, in short, shut up Paul. The druids leave Undertaker's body in the aisle, and he suddenly sits up, then makes fire shoot up from the ring posts like he's Kane. I'd say that was some interesting foreshadowing, but I don't think they'd even so much as thought up the Kane character yet. Anyway, that sends Mankind and Bearer running, and Undertaker poses in the ring. This dragged on for a bit too long, but it wasn't a bad segment
The Stalker is coming soon! And he kinda looks like Barry Windham, if Barry Windham was auditioning for Apocalypse Now. But it can't be Barry Windham, because why would they be calling Barry Windham anything other than Barry Windham? Barry Windham. Sorry, quota
#1 Contender's 4-Man Battle Royal: Yes, a FOUR MAN battle royal! 1988 Vince would probably hang himself before he'd promote that. And yeah, I get the concept (last four guys from the battle royal Ahmed Johnson won a few weeks ago), but still. We've got: Goldust, Savio Vega, Sycho Sid, and Steve Austin, and the winner gets a title shot at RAW Championship Friday. Everyone attacks Sid right away, and gangs up to toss him within moments. That triggers the big man, however, and so he gives everyone a chokeslam on his way out. The crowd loves this guy, no wonder they put the belt on him a few months later. Okay, with Sid gone, Goldust and Austin decide to heel it up together on Vega, but of course Steve turns on him once they beat him down. Maybe dump Vega first? You see that happen all the time, and it never makes sense.
Guys, seriously, order the SummerSlam replay. Somebody has to watch that Melissa McCarthy movie
Jim Cornette is backstage, and he's planning to get back together with Yokozuna tonight, ahead of the big man's match with Shawn Michaels. But it's non-title anyway, so clearly he just misses the big guy
Last night at SummerSlam, Yokozuna was so fat that he couldn't even beat a jobber like Steve Austin
Shawn Michaels v Yokozuna: Shawn's WWF Title is not on the line here. Yokozuna bounces him around a bit to start, so Shawn starts using speed, and manages to take the big man down by sticking and moving. That brings Cornette out to stand in Yokozuna's corner as promised, and he ends up getting into a fight with Jose Lothario on the outside as Yoko works a nervehold. Shawn fights free and hops out to help his mentor, but Yokozuna drags him back in, and corner whips him to set up a belly-to-belly suplex. Splash follows, but Shawn dodges, and uses a bodypress. Flying splash gets two, so Shawn tries the Superkick, but Yokozuna counters with a Samoan drop. Legdrop, but Shawn dodges, and the Superkick finishes at 6:10. Yoko looked horrible here. Like, it's honestly hard to believe that he was less than three years removed from being world champion at this point, because he looked like he was working the senior circuit. Shawn tried, though. ¾*
BUExperience: Eh, I wasn’t really feeling this one. It wasn’t a bad episode, but it just didn’t feel particularly exciting or engaging.
Monday
Night Wars Rating Chart
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|
8/19/96
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|
|
Show
|
RAW
|
Nitro
|
|
Rating
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2.9
|
3.5
|
|
Total Wins
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17
|
27
|
|
Win Streak
|
|
10
|
|
Better Show (as of 8/12)
|
11
|
31
|
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