WWF Monday Night RAW (November 25, 1996)

Original Airdate: November 25, 1996 (taped November 18)

From New Haven, Connecticut; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and Jerry Lawler

Owen Hart v Bret Hart: Owen is one half of the WWF Tag Team Champions here. I like how they've wasted no time diving right back into the Bret/Owen pool again. But, hey, it's almost always good, I can't complain. I also miss those lighting things they used to do during this period, like with the custom pink hearts, and such. That was one of the few things they really nailed about the presentation during the New Generation, while a lot of the rest went to shit compared to the Hogan era. Also, entrance sets, which found the perfect balance between too minimal and too over the top. Feeling out process to start, mostly dominated by Bret. Owen takes over in the corner and puts the boots to his big brother, then sends him crashing with a cross corner whip. Backbreaker and another corner whip lead to a camel clutch, as Jim Ross puts Sycho Sid over as a 'very intelligent man' with a straight face. And they even put the camera on him, probably to try and catch him chuckling, but nope, he just nails it like the total pro he is. Owen with a belly-to-belly suplex for two, so Bret tries a backbreaker of his own, but Owen throws a leg-feed enzuigiri. He goes upstairs, but Bret slams him off before he can dive, and the Hitman wins a slugfest to set off a comeback. Russian legsweep gets two (complete with Ross making a funny snide remark about Vince not calling the moves by their names), and a headbutt to the groin is worth two. Well, he probably knows the name of that one, to be fair. Owen tries a rollup, but Bret knocks him to the outside with the force of the kickout, so Owen tries a slingshot sunset flip, but Bret rolls through into the Sharpshooter. And he's just getting it locked on when Steve Austin shows up with a chair for the DQ at 10:20. This was mostly paint-by-numbers, but by real artists. Afterwards, Austin tries to Pillmanize Bret's ankle (with Owen lending a hand), but Davey Boy Smith shows up to put a stop to it. That earns him a chairshot from Austin, but that Owen doesn't take too kindly to, and Austin leaves without further incident. * ¾

Executioner v Freddie Joe Floyd: I get that the dude went through a medical trauma, but the look in Executioner's eyes is so unsettlingly vacant that I'm surprised guys would want to work with him. He destroys Floyd in rather energetic fashion though, and a bulldog gets two. And speaking of Bulldog, here's Dok Hendrix on split screen, gossiping about what's going on between he and Owen backstage. Executioner misses an elbowdrop to allow Freddie a quick comeback, but he loses a slugfest, and Executioner ends it with the Asiatic Spike at 3:11. ¾*

Shawn Michaels (dressed like he's auditioning to be an extra on Better Call Saul) is visiting a recuperating Jose Lothario at his home in San Antonio, and even while just sitting there and listening to his manager talk, Michaels manages to come off like an insufferable prick. He then cuts a promo on WWF Champion Sycho Sid that mostly amounts to TALKING VERY LOUDLY. He's lost his edge since becoming WWF Champion at WrestleMania, but no more Mr. Nice Guy! This felt like they were desperately trying to recapture the coolness of 1995 Shawn, but it came off really forced, and Shawn just didn't have that same cool attitude that made him so hard to ignore a year earlier

It's the semi finals of the Karate Fighters holiday tournament, this week featuring Sable spanking Sunny to advance. Though not actually, since that might be something people actually would watch

Rocky Maivia v Salvatore Sincere: Sunny joins us for guest commentary. Sincere starts by kissing Rocky as a taunt to start, and we get another split screen to Dok Hendrix, who is trying to get an interview with Bret Hart, but Bret doesn't want to talk. Well, glad interrupted the match for that bit of breaking news. Rocky dominates with an armbar as Sunny crushes hard at ringside, but Sincere blocks a rollup, and Rocky ends up on the outside. Sincere's tan is just outrageous here, to the point where even Hulk Hogan would tell him to tone it down. He's darker than Rocky! Inside, a reversal sequence ends in Sincere hitting a sidewalk slam, and he adds an elbowdrop. He misses a charge to allow Rocky to start making a comeback, and this kid just looks so green and so dorky. Running shoulderbreaker finishes at 4:26. Watching this, you'd never guess that this guy would go on to be one of the biggest stars in the world. And not just the wrestling world, either. ½*

Marc Mero isn't afraid of Hunter Hearst Helmsley's nose

Dok Hendrix still can't get an interview with anyone, so instead he'll just gossip about Owen and Bulldog potentially breaking up instead

Marc Mero v Billy Gunn: WWF Intercontinental Champion Hunter Hearst Helmsley is out for guest commentary here. Gunn attacks before the bell, and beats Mero down, but gets fought off with a headscissors takedown. Marc adds a clothesline to send Billy to the outside, and he dives after him with an axehandle from the apron. Marc with a slingshot legdrop for two on the way back inside, and he unloads a ten-punch in the corner. Upstairs for a springboard flying moonsault press for two, and I've almost forgotten how great that move can look when people actually stick the landing, as Mero does here. Backdrop, but Gunn counters with a rocker dropper, and he adds a standing dropkick as HHH talks shit about Sable. Guessing he wouldn't try that nowadays. Gunn works a rope-assisted chinlock spot, but Mero starts to escape, so Billy dropkicks him in the gut to cut it off. Mounted punches lead to a pair of two counts, and speaking of pairs, here's Sable bouncing around. Billy with a kneedrop for two, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and Mero uses a small package for two. Gunn with a clothesline to cut off the comeback, however, and he drops Marc with a neckbreaker for two. Swinging neckbreaker sets up a dive, but Gunn takes too long getting up there, and Mero crotches him. He brings him down with a rana off the top for two, so Hunter decides to go talk to Sable about the obvious cheating her man is doing. That distracts Mero from the Wild Thing, and Billy jumps him from behind, but a double team attack triggers a DQ at 8:09. This wasn't terrible, but Billy had no idea how to work as an effective heel, and it felt more like a learning experience than a proper match. So the beating continues after the bell, but Jake Roberts (sans shirt, sadly) runs in to make the save. He just looks so washed up and terrible here, it's depressing. * ¼

BUExperience: This was a pretty weak one, with no good matches, and very little of importance going on.

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	11/25/96
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.1	3.1
Total Wins	17	39
Win Streak		22
Better Show (as of 11/18)	18	35