WWF Monday Night Raw Results
September 18, 1995 (Taped August 28, 1995)
Canton, Ohio (Canton Civic Center)
Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler
Results by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
“The World Wrestling Federation: for over fifty years, the revolutionary force in sports entertainment.” The WWF video leads us into the show.
Video: Last week on Raw, The British Bulldog was battling Razor Ramon. Dean Douglas interfered as the referee was down. The 1-2-3 Kid ran in, but Douglas gave him a front suplex on the top rope before running away. Bulldog hit Ramon with a Running Powerslam. As the referee was counting, the 1-2-3 Kid came off the top rope, intending to attack Bulldog, but Bulldog moved, and Kid hit Ramon instead. The referee awarded the match to Bulldog.
After the match, the 1-2-3 Kid took exception to Razor Ramon always treating him like a little kid. No one took him seriously when he beat Ramon the first time. Next week, he’ll beat him again. Ramon accepted the challenge.
Video: The new WWF Monday Night Raw intro video plays.
The 1-2-3 Kid is making his entrance. Vince McMahon welcomes us to a special Thursday edition of Raw.
Mike’s Thoughts: The taped aspect comes back to bite them a bit. This is actually airing on Monday, September 18, 1995. McMahon referring to it as a special Thursday episode is because it was initially scheduled to air on September 14, 1995, due to the U.S. Open running long and pushing Raw’s regular slot. However, USA Network ultimately aired it on September 18 after all.
Video: Two years ago, on May 17, 1993, The Lightning Kid defeated Razor Ramon in a huge surprise upset on Monday Night Raw. That would lead to him becoming the 1-2-3 Kid.
Replay: Last week on Raw, after accepting the 1-2-3 Kid’s challenge, Razor Ramon slapped him in the face, nearly bringing the Kid to tears.
Replay: At SummerSlam, Razor Ramon attacked Dean Douglas.
The 1-2-3 Kid vs. Razor Ramon
Referee: Earl Hebner
As Razor Ramon enters the ring during his entrance, the 1-2-3 Kid attacks him. The bell rings to start the match. Kid kicks away at him in the corner and hits a spin kick. Kid then connects with a side kick to knock Ramon out of the ring. Ramon gets to his feet and takes off his ring vest and chains. Ramon gets in the ring, so Kid gets in the ring, ducks a pair of clotheslines, and goes for a running cross-body block, but Ramon catches him. Ramon puts him on the top turnbuckle, strikes him, climbs to the second rope, and hits a super fallaway slam! 1… 2… Kid kicks out. Ramon puts Kid in the corner and chops the chest. Ramon chops him a second time before pulling his hair. Ramon throws Kid across the ring and kicks him in the head. Ramon turns and sends Kid flying out of the ring with a strong right hand. Kid takes a moment to recover and gets back in the ring. Ramon grabs the arm and hits some shoulder thrusts. Ramon wrenches the arm, but Kid reverses a whip into the ropes. Ramon blocks a hip toss and goes for a move, but Kid flips through. Ramon quickly cuts him off and hits a chokeslam for a two-count. Ramon signals for a clothesline, but Kid sends him over the top rope to the floor! Kid waits for him to get up and hits a plancha drop kick.
Kid gets Ramon in the ring and sends him into the ropes for a spinning heel kick. 1… Ramon immediately gets a foot on the bottom rope. Kid sends him into the ropes and jumps on his back for a sleeper hold. Ramon stays on his feet and reaches for the ropes, but he’s starting to fade. Ramon drops to his feet as we go to a commercial.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the commercial break, Kid still has Ramon in the sleeper hold. Jerry Lawler says Ramon has been in the sleeper hold for over two minutes. Ramon gets a head of steam and fights up before dropping Kid with a back suplex. Both men are down before Ramon starts to stir. Ramon crawls over and puts an arm over Kid to cover him. 1… 2… The 1-2-3 Kid kicks out.
They get to their feet, and Ramon punches away at him. Ramon whips him to the corner and charges for a corner clothesline. Ramon pulls Kid up, but Kid rakes the eyes. Ramon hooks a side headlock, but Kid immediately whips him off. Kid drops down, and Ramon goes over him. Ramon and Kid then clunk heads, knocking Kid into Earl Hebner, knocking the referee out of the ring.
Dean Douglas runs in and goes to the top rope. Douglas hits Ramon with a flying splash before running to the back. Ramon is laid out in the center of the ring. The 1-2-3 Kid starts to pull himself into the ring and covers Ramon. 1… 2… 3!
Winner by Pinfall: The 1-2-3 Kid
The 1-2-3 Kid celebrates his win, not knowing that Dean Douglas played a considerable role in his victory.
Mike’s Thoughts: A decent match, but not much more than that. It started off pretty hot with some good action, but it slowed down. After the ref bump, it got kind of goofy with Dean Douglas doing one splash off the top rope onto Razor Ramon before running away. Then the 1-2-3 Kid crawls into the ring and covers. The referee even counts slowly, and that’s the finish. It made Ramon look weak, in my view. He was in a really fantastic Ladder Match with Shawn Michaels just a few weeks back at SummerSlam. He took punishment in the match and kept coming, but here, one splash from Dean Douglas is enough to finish him off. Lame.
The Report Card
The sound of nails on a chalkboard is heard. We go into Dean Douglas’ classroom. Douglas is in his robe and wiping sweat from his forehead. Douglas gives the 1-2-3 Kid a grade of D. The “D” stands for “Dumb.” The 1-2-3 Kid thinks he defeated Razor Ramon, but it was really Douglas. As for Razor Ramon, he gives him a grade of E. The “E” stands for “Elevate.” Just like the people in the street, Ramon is trying to climb the ladder out of the gutter. Ramon is trying to elevate himself by coming up against Dean Douglas. Ramon tried at SummerSlam and failed. This Sunday at In Your House, Ramon will also fail. As for himself, Douglas gives himself an A for “a conclusion.” Douglas’ performance was excellent. At In Your House, Douglas will give Ramon a grade of N. At the conclusion of In Your House, it’s a “No-Brainer” that Douglas will be victorious. All the grades spell out D-E-A-N. Douglas then scratches the chalkboard as he laughs.
Mike’s Thoughts: Even with all the dumb gimmicks running rampant in the WWF at this time, you can see why this one wasn’t long for the world.
Kama, Tatanka, and “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase of the Million Dollar Corporation head to the ring.
Replay: This past weekend on WWF Superstars, Ted DiBiase got slopped by Henry O. Godwinn.
Psycho Sid will face Henry O. Godwinn at In Your House.
Savio Vega and Bob Holly head to the ring. We’ve got Tag Team action next. McMahon again says this is a special Thursday edition of Raw.
-Commercial Break-
Tag Team Match
The Million Dollar Corporation (“The Supreme Fighting Machine” Kama and Tatanka) w/ “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase vs. Savio Vega and Bob Holly
Referee: Jack Doan
The bell rings, and Savio Vega will start against Tatanka. They lock up, and Tatanka hooks a side headlock. Vega whips him off. Tatanka ducks a clothesline, but Vega leapfrogs him and hits a hip toss, followed by a pair of dropkicks. Kama runs in, but Vega hits him with a hip toss before connecting with a dropkick that sends Kama over the top rope. Vega is fired up.
Tatanka gets in the ring and tags Kama in. Kama steps over the top rope, and Bob Holly tags in as well. Kama kicks Holly and sends him into the ropes. Holly slides between his legs and starts punching away at him. Kama reverses a whip, but Holly ducks a big boot and hits a hideous pair of arm drags on Kama. Holly wrenches the arm and clubs him down. Vega tags in and kicks Kama in the midsection. Kama fights back with a forearm and punches Vega in his corner. Tatanka tags in and punches away at Vega. Vega reverses a whip, but Tatanka avoids a spin kick and slides out of the ring. Tatanka goes around ringside and grabs at Holly’s leg. Holly gets off the apron and approaches Tatanka, drawing the attention of the referee. While the referee is distracted, Kama attacks Vega from behind. Holly runs in and attacks Kama before the referee pulls him away. As the referee holds Holly back, Kama and Tatanka double-team Vega and hit a double-team hip toss.
Tatanka scoop slams Vega down and drops an elbow. Tatanka taunts Holly, who furiously comes into the ring and is immediately stopped by the referee. They’re referring to Holly as a “hot head” on commentary. As the referee deals with the hothead, Tatanka and Kama double-team Vega. Kama tags in and kicks Vega before wrenching the arm. Kama kicks away at the ribs before hitting an ax kick to the neck. Kama then shoves Holly, who again is held back by the referee. Tatanka and Kama double-team Vega again. Vince McMahon exclaims, “Whose side is Bob Holly really on?” Vega starts to fight back, but Tatanka cuts him off. Vega and Tatanka then hit the ropes and hit a double clothesline.
Kama tags in, and Holly, who also tagged in, hits him with a slingshot kick. Holly kicks him in the midsection and knees him in the face. Holly punches him down and heads to the top rope. Holly connects with a missile dropkick. 1… 2… Tatanka breaks it up with a kick to the head. Vega runs in and attacks Tatanka. Holly does the ten punches on Kama in the corner. At ringside, Vega bounces Tatanka’s face off the steel steps. Holly comes off the top rope with a cross-body block, but Kama counters with a (sort of) powerslam for the win. Kama nearly spiked Holly on the top of his head. That looked awful.
Winners by Pinfall: The Million Dollar Corporation
As the Million Dollar Corporation leaves, Jerry Lawler uses some seriously dark humor with a current topic of the day. Lawler said Jeffrey Dahmer’s mother (Dahmer was murdered in prison in November 1994, but he was cremated in September 1995) had his body cremated, but she saved the brain for research. Lawler thinks it was to be served for breakfast because it runs in the family. Ok, then…
Mike’s Thoughts: Not a good Tag Team Match. Savio Vega was pretty good in this match and had the crowd going. The layout of the match was all wrong, though. Bob Holly came off as such a goof in this, spending the majority of the match causing his partner, Vega, to be double-teamed by the Corporation. And when he was in the ring with Kama? Woof. That finish looked brutal, as well. Also, so strange to have Savio Vega on the losing side of this match when he’s the only competitor of the four that had a match on the PPV that weekend. Whatever.
Replay: Earlier tonight, Dean Douglas attacked Razor Ramon as the referee was down. This cost Ramon his match against the 1-2-3 Kid.
Backstage Interview
Razor Ramon is standing backstage. Vince McMahon interviews him from the commentary table. McMahon asks for comments on what Dean Douglas did to him. If Douglas wants his attention, he’s got it. Douglas wants to take The Bad Guy to school, that’s ok. Only the bookworm and the classroom will be in his house. Douglas can forget about his Ivy League education. That won’t save him. When he meets Razor Ramon face-to-face, he’s going to carve Douglas up.
Coming up next, WWF Tag Team Champions Yokozuna and Owen Hart will battle Men on a Mission.
-Commercial Break-
WrestleMania XI: The Special is coming on Saturday, September 30.
Replay: Last month on WWF Superstars, Jean Pierre LaFitte stole a pair of sunglasses that Bret “Hitman” Hart had given a kid at ringside. Later on, he’d steal Hart’s ring jacket.
Jean-Pierre Lafitte vs. Brian Walsh
Referee: Mike Chioda
The bell rings, and Walsh ducks a pair of lock-ups. Lafitte sends him to the corner before stomping and chopping him. Lafitte sends him to the opposite corner and goes for an avalanche, but Walsh moves. Walsh kicks him and applies a side headlock, but Lafitte whips him off. Walsh slides through the legs and takes him down before hitting a dropkick. Lafitte blocks a second dropkick and stomps away at him.
Bret “Hitman” Hart calls into the commentary team. Thanks to the 1990s telephone technology, it’s hard to make out what he’s saying. Hart doesn’t like that Lafitte took from his fans. Hart takes pride in treating his fans well. Jerry Lawler sides with Lafitte, which doesn’t surprise Hart.
As this is going on, Lafitte continues to take it to Walsh and hits him with a belly-to-belly suplex. Lafitte stomps Walsh and avalanches him against the ropes. Lafitte stands him up and slaps him in the face. Lafitte hits a backbreaker and signals for the end. Lafitte heads to the top rope and hits a Cannonball for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Jean-Pierre Lafitte
Vince McMahon says anything can happen, but he has doubts that Lafitte will beat Bret Hart at In Your House. Lafitte takes his pirate flag and puts it over Walsh.
Mike’s Thoughts: Another goofy 1995 WWF gimmick with Jean-Pierre Lafitte. Amazingly, Lafitte is still performing today. You may know him as the psychotic PCO. The staying power of Carl Ouellet is incredible. I’m so happy that the Monday Night War coverage coincides with the Lafitte vs. Bret Hart match at In Your House. I remember watching that match and being so excited by it. I hope it’s as good as I remember. Also, so bizarre of Vince McMahon to outright say he has doubts that Lafitte can beat Hart. It doesn’t exactly get you excited to see that match.
-Commercial Break-
As we come back from the break, we see a young Tony Chimel, who would become the lead ring announcer of SmackDown years later, reinforcing the ring for the massive amount of humanity that will be competing in it very shortly.
Video: WWF Champion Diesel and WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels will battle WWF Tag Team Champions Yokozuna and Owen Hart at In Your House. No matter what, titles will change hands. All the titles are on the line.
King Mabel is brought down to the ring on a throne carried by stagehands. They are struggling to hold up the throne with the massive Mabel sitting on it.
Video: Three months ago, Mabel was crowned the King of the Ring. Mabel battled Diesel for the WWF Championship at SummerSlam and viciously sat on his back, squashing the champion. Diesel managed to leave SummerSlam with his title still.
King Mabel and Sir Mo pose in the ring.
-Commercial Break-
Video: At WrestleMania XI, Owen Hart was Yokozuna’s mystery tag team partner. They defeated the Smoking Gunns to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.
Non-Title Tag Team Match
Men on a Mission (King Mabel and Sir Mo) vs. WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and Yokozuna w/ Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji
Referee: Tim White
King Mabel and Yokozuna, two of the most massive superstars in WWF history, go face-to-face. Owen Hart will start against Sir Mo. Mo gets in Hart’s face before they get into a shoving match. Hart slaps Mo in the face, so Mo kicks and punches him. Mo sends Hart into the ropes for a back elbow. Mo puts Hart in the corner and stomps him. Mo sends Hart to the opposite corner and charges, but Hart boots him in the face before connecting with a clothesline. Hart punches Mo to the corner and whips him to the opposite side. Hart charges, but Mo counters with a powerslam.
King Mabel tags in and grabs Hart by the hair before lifting him and slamming him down. Mabel kicks Hart in the corner before sending him to the opposite corner. Mabel charges for an avalanche, but Hart sidesteps him. Hart gets on the second turnbuckle and punches away at him, but Mabel pushes him off. Mabel clubs Hart and bounces him off the top turnbuckle. Mo tags in and clubs Hart. Mo sends Hart into the ropes, but Hart slides through the legs. Hart hits the ropes, but Mabel kicks him in the spine. Mo beats Hart down before giving him a forearm to the lower back. Mo puts Hart in the corner and hits a shoulder thrust. Mo gets in Yokozuna’s face and shoves him. As the referee deals with Yokozuna, Mabel gets some cheap shots in on Hart. Men on a Mission double-team Hart as the referee makes Yokozuna get back on the apron. Hart reverses a whip into the ropes and drops down. Mo goes for a sunset flip, but Hart sits on his shoulders for a two-count. Mo rolls through and picks up a two-count. Hart reverses a whip and sends Mo over the top rope. The mighty Yokozuna tags in and challenges Mabel to get in the ring. Mabel answers the call. Referee Tim White has the awful task of trying to separate the behemoths. Meanwhile, Hart drives Mo’s face into the steel steps. An angry Mabel gets out of the ring to check on Mo. Mo rolls into the ring, and Yokozuna punches Mo down. Yokozuna chops Mo in the corner and punches him down. Mabel tries to stop him, but the referee backs him up. Hart then joins Yokozuna to double-team Mo. Yokozuna soon headbutts Mo down and bounces him off Hart’s boot.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break on this “Thursday edition” of Raw, Mo ducks a clothesline from Hart. They then each attempt a spinning wheel kick, but miss.
Yokozuna and Mabel tag in to a big reception. They get into a massive slugfest before Mabel hits the ropes for a diving clothesline. The camera shakes as McMahon says the whole building just shook. Hart runs in, but Mabel clotheslines him down. Mabel then presses Hart up and throws him into Yokozuna. Mo tags in, and Men on a Mission hit Yokozuna with a double-team clothesline. Mo punches away at Yokozuna. Yokozuna reverses a whip, but Hart pulls the top rope down to trip him. Yokozuna then hits Mo with a clothesline. Hart tags in and goes to the top rope as Yokozuna holds Mo up. Hart connects with a missile dropkick. 1… 2… Mo kicks out. Hart hits a neckbreaker and taunts the crowd. Hart goes to the top rope, but Mo crotches him up there. Mo climbs to the second rope and connects with a superplex. 1… 2… Yokozuna breaks up the pin with a kick. Mabel comes in and attacks Yokozuna. As Mabel walks away, Yokozuna punches Mabel out of the ring.
Hart sends Mo into the ropes and hits a drop-toe-hold. Yokozuna drops a massive leg on the back of Mo’s head. Hart covers, and Yokozuna trips Mabel before he can break up the pin. 1… 2… 3!
Winners by Pinfall: Owen Hart and Yokozuna
Mike’s Thoughts: I figured with two heel tag teams and three out of the four competitors being way out of shape (Yokozuna and King Mabel being the most dangerously obese) that this would be awful. It actually wasn’t bad at all. I like the way they did this one. Usually, when we see heel vs. heel, someone works as the face by default. Here, they all stayed heel and used distractions to double-team each other. It was quite a sight to see Yokozuna and Mabel trading fists. I liked the camera shake they added when Mabel hit Yokozuna with the clothesline. Nice touch. Surprisingly fine match. It also showcases just how damn good Owen Hart was.
Video: WWF Champion Diesel and WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels are shown in a pre-recorded video. HBK wonders if Owen Hart’s nose has gotten even bigger from all the lies he’s been telling. This Sunday night, the time for trash-talking is done. HBK isn’t sorry to see it go, even though it’s a game he plays well. This Sunday at In Your House, Big Daddy Cool and the Heartbreak Kid will be the World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Champions.
Diesel says at In Your House, Big Daddy Cool is coming home to Michigan. He’s bringing a very special guest, his best buddy, Shawn Michaels. Diesel quotes that “Ace is the place” and to give Big John Madden a call. When this is said and done, they’re coming home with all the gold.
In the Canton Civic Center, Vince McMahon gets in the ring with the WWF Tag Team Champions and their managers, Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji. We’ll hear from them next.
-Commercial Break-
Owen Hart, Yokozuna, Jim Cornette, and Mr. Fuji address the Triple Header match
Vince McMahon is in the ring with WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and Yokozuna with their managers, Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji. McMahon says that the WWF Tag Team Titles will be up for grabs at the first-ever Triple Header on Sunday at In Your House. Those aren’t the only titles up for grabs. Jim Cornette says this is history in the making. This Sunday on pay-per-view, nationwide. All the World Wrestling Federation titles are on the line at the same time for the first time ever. If Yokozuna and Owen Hart get beaten, then they lose the WWF Tag Team Titles. McMahon interrupts and says they’re talking about the WWF Champion Big Daddy Cool and Shawn Michaels. They’re Two Dudes with Attitudes against Yokozuna and Hart.
Cornette says it won’t be Two Dudes with Attitudes after this Sunday. It’ll be Two Fellas that are Yella. The same goes for Diesel or Shawn Michaels. If one of them gets beaten, they’ll lose their title. If one of them beats Shawn Michaels, then the man who beats him becomes Intercontinental Champion. If one of them beats Diesel, the man who pins him becomes the World Wrestling Federation Champion. Yokozuna is a two-time WWF Champion. He wants a three-peat. If he gets the opportunity, that’s what Yokozuna will do. Hart has been the King of the Ring. If he gets a chance at the Intercontinental or World Title, he’ll take it. Hart wants to prove that he’s the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.
As for Diesel and Shawn Michaels, Cornette has a question for them. What happened the last time they were partners? They broke up and fought like divorced people. If Diesel has a choice between saving his title or his little buddy, which one is he going to pick? As for Shawn Michaels with his past and his ego, if he’s got a chance to save his title or his big buddy, which will he pick? Cornette wonders if they can both look in the mirror and say they trust each other. Yokozuna and Hart are a unit. It may be one thing to be great individual wrestlers, but it’s something else entirely to be a great tag team. As great as they are as individuals, they’re a better team. They have the unique ability to work together as a well-oiled watch. After In Your House, they’ll not only have the WWF Tag Team Championship. They’ll have either the WWF Championship or the Intercontinental Championship around one of their waists. It’s going to be legal because President “McGilla Gorilla” said it could be. Cornette says, “In Your House, in your face, and around their waist. All the gold, all the titles, and all the glory, this Sunday night, brother!”
Yokozuna’s music plays, and they all leave the ring.
Mike’s Thoughts: Strong sell from Jim Cornette for the PPV on Sunday. Cornette laid out the rules for the match, which might have been confusing for people, and created quite the hype for it. We’ll see if it lives up to the hype (spoiler: it’s WWF in 1995, so it probably won’t).
-Commercial Break-
Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler are shown on commentary. McMahon says next week on Raw, the winner of the first-ever Triple Header match will be joining them. McMahon asks Lawler for his prediction. Lawler says Gorilla Monsoon, the WWF President, has guaranteed that a title will change hands. Lawler’s prediction is… he wants a drumroll. Lawler says the WWF Title will change hands when Yokozuna pins Diesel to become the champion for the third time.
McMahon says anything can happen in the World Wrestling Federation on pay-per-view. Anything can happen on Monday Night Raw. Next week, the British Bulldog will go one-on-one with the Undertaker.
Video: The Undertaker is ready to bury the British Bulldog in his own personal pet cemetery. Dark sides collide next week on Monday Night Raw.
Quick Match Results
— The 1-2-3 Kid def. Razor Ramon
— The Million Dollar Corporation (“The Supreme Fighting Machine” Kama and Tatanka) def. Savio Vega and Bob Holly in a Tag Team Match
— Jean-Pierre Lafitte def. Brian Walsh
— WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and Yokozuna def. Men on a Mission (King Mabel and Sir Mo) in a Non-Title Tag Team Match
Mike’s Wrap-Up: What We Learned from Raw
Week Two of the Monday Night War wasn’t any more exciting than Week One. In fact, none of the episodes, Raw or Nitro, were any better than WCW’s debut of Nitro two weeks back.
This episode of Monday Night Raw was the final portion of a multi-episode taping done on August 28 in Canton, Ohio, so, like last week, there is no true “answer” to what WCW Nitro was doing. All WWF did was scrub Lex Luger from the broadcast again. This show felt like it was treading water, filling time in the wake of Luger’s defection.
Most of the episode was spent building up for the In Your House PPV, which was happening that weekend (and which I will also have a recap for). They also focused a little more on the drama with Razor Ramon and the 1-2-3 Kid, which at least added a little drama and emotion to the show. It’s early on, but you know things are going to have to change on this broadcast. On TNT, you’ve got Four Horsemen drama and Hulk Hogan and Lex Luger butting heads with Sting stepping in. On this Raw broadcast, you’ve got a guy dressed as a pirate stealing Bret Hart’s jacket.
Last week, Raw barely eked out a victory against WCW Nitro 2.5 to 2.4. How did it go this week?
— WWF Raw (USA Network, taped): 2.7 (Record: 2-0)
— WCW Nitro (TNT, live): 1.9 (Record: 0-2)
Winner: WWF Raw, two-week streak
Surprisingly, WWF Raw handily won the night. No confusion or ambiguity here. This is kind of shocking to me, especially since Nitro was right on their heels the week before.
Still, even though Raw dominated on paper from a ratings perspective, WCW’s live energy and unpredictability remain a real threat to the WWF’s taped, sterile shows.
Next week’s Raw will be the first live Raw to go head-to-head with a live Nitro. No chance for Eric Bischoff to spoil the results. I’m interested to see if there’s any change to the feel of the broadcast or if it’s more of the same old, same old.
The War for Monday Night – Week Two
WWF Raw racks up its second straight win in the Monday Night War, and this one wasn’t even close. A 2.7 to 1.9 margin suggests Raw is still the default choice for viewers, despite WCW’s momentum and hype.
If you dig beneath the ratings, you can see that something is going to change. WCW is live every week. Their show feels chaotic and unpredictable. They may not have won the ratings battle this week, but it had a lot more to be excited about, with the drama in the Four Horsemen and the tension continuing to build with Hulk Hogan and Lex Luger.
Raw, on the other hand, aired the final slice of a weeks-old taping where one of their big heat angles was… a pirate stealing Bret Hart’s jacket.
While Raw won two weeks in a row, WCW is planting the seeds to move ahead.
For the first time in the Monday Night War, Raw won’t be taped. They’ll be meeting WCW head-on.
For WCW’s side of the fight, check out Roy Nemer’s recap right here on Wrestleview.
Email – mike@wrestleview.com
X – @MikeTedescoWV
Thanks for reading!
Part of Wrestleview’s Monday Night War: 30 Years Later series, with weekly Raw and Nitro recaps every Thursday.