WWF Monday Night Raw Results
April 1, 1996
San Bernardino, California (Orange Pavilion)
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 night at WrestleMania XII, a “record-breaking” crowd witnessed the most spectacular, provocative, brutal, and outrageous event in WWF history. We saw the return of the Ultimate Warrior, as well as the Undertaker defeating Diesel. We also shared in the ecstasy and agony of the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
Video: The Raw intro video plays.
We go live into the Orange Pavilion to see some fireworks go off over the ring. Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler welcome us to the show. McMahon says we’re eagerly awaiting the presence of the new WWF Champion, Shawn Michaels. Lawler also says the Undertaker, who is bruised and beaten, is taking on the undefeated Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw.
Some somber orchestral music plays, and Mankind makes his debut. Mankind is bathed in green light. He is wearing a brown leather mask, a brown top, and brown tights.
Mankind vs. Bob “Spark Plugg” Holly
Referee: Mike Chioda
The referee keeps Holly back from attacking Mankind. Mankind punches over the referee to attack Holly. Mankind headbutts Holly and wildly forearms him down in the corner. Mankind connects with a running knee to the face in the corner. Mankind rips his hair out of his scalp and tosses it aside. Mankind continues to punch Holly. Holly kicks him back and starts to punch him. Holly sends Mankind into the ropes and hits a back elbow. Mankind is rocked, but he fires back with a running elbow to the forehead. Holly fights back and goes for a clothesline, but Mankind stays standing. Holly sends Mankind into the ropes and hits a dropkick. Holly charges as Mankind leans against the ropes, but Mankind ducks. Holly sails over the top rope. Mankind slides under the bottom rope and hits a flapjack into the apron.
Mankind gets in the ring as the crowd starts to chant, “He’s hardcore.” They recognize Mankind as Cactus Jack from WCW and ECW. Mankind puts Holly in the tree of woe and hits a running double fist. Mankind rips his hair out again before kicking Holly in the face. Mankind, whose two middle fingers are wrapped up, jams his hand into Holly’s mouth. Holly screams in pain and submits. Holly froths at the mouth.
Winner by Submission: Mankind
Soft piano music plays, and Mankind looks elated and peaceful as he leaves the ring.
Mike’s Thoughts: After some super compelling videos to trumpet his arrival, Mankind finally made his debut on the Raw after WrestleMania XII. This was a great debut. Despite some people recognizing him as Cactus Jack from a recent ECW stint and chanting, “He’s hardcore,” the new character debuted strongly. Totally chaotic and mysterious. The shrieks, the explosive offense, the ripping of hair out of his scalp, the unique finisher… it’s a strong package. The outfit leaves a little to be desired (the all-brown color scheme makes him kind of look like an animated bowel movement), but that’ll eventually get figured out.
Mick Foley stated that the entrance music used for this character was inspired by the movie “The Silence of the Lambs.” There is a scene where Hannibal Lecter escapes from the police station and eliminates his captors. As violence ensues, the music is spooky and dark. But once he’s done, Lecter, face covered in blood, is shown listening to a sonata, totally out of place amidst the carnage. Just brilliant. Many great wrestling characters borrow from movies. This was a really strong choice. I can’t wait to see this character grow into one of the stronger forces in this Monday Night War.
Photos: Last night at WrestleMania XII, “Wildman” Marc Mero confronted Hunter Hearst Helmsley, who was blaming his escort, Sable, for losing to the Ultimate Warrior.
Sable is shown sitting at ringside. She bought a ticket to be at the show.
Still to come, we’ll see WWF Champion Shawn Michaels.
Video: The encore presentation of WrestleMania XII will air tomorrow night on pay-per-view.
-Commercial Break-
Video: Footage of some psyched-up fans coming out of WrestleMania XII is shown.
Isaac Yankem, DDS vs. “Wildman” Marc Mero
Referee: Tim White
The bell rings, and they circle the ring before locking up. Yankem shoves Mero back. They lock up again, and Yankem shoves him off before taunting the crowd. Mero then sends him over the top rope with a running dropkick. Mero then connects with a somersault senton to the floor and lands on his feet. Mero gets him in the ring and hits a slingshot leg drop for a two-count. Mero punches Yankem back. Yankem reverses a whip, but Mero fires back with a head-scissor takeover. Mero kicks him in the midsection and knees him in the face. Mero goes to the top rope and hits a double ax handle for another two-count. Mero sends him to the corner, but Yankem elbows him back before hitting a clothesline.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley comes to the ringside area and sits next to Sable. Yankem takes it to Mero and hits a back suplex for a two-count. Yankem applies a rear chin lock. Helmsley talks with Sable, but she’s ignoring him. Mero fights up and elbows out. Mero hits the ropes, ducks a clothesline, and hits a crucifix pin for a near fall. Yankem boots him in the head and hits an uppercut. Yankem clubs him in the spine and sends him sternum-first into the corner. Yankem goes for a back suplex, but Mero flips through and rolls him up for a two-count. Yankem clubs him in the head and pulls him to his feet. Yankem sends him into the ropes, but he lowers his head and eats a kick. Mero jabs away at Yankem and rocks him with a right hand. Mero then takes him off his feet with a punch. Mero heads to the top rope and hits a diving sunset flip for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: “Wildman” Marc Mero
Sable happily claps for Mero, and Helmsley cannot understand what she sees in him. Sable then slaps Helmsley in the face and walks off with Mero. Helmsley is furious.
Mike’s Thoughts: A solid debut for “Wildman” Marc Mero, who had spent about five years in WCW as Johnny B. Badd. From a moveset perspective, he definitely stands out right away compared to most of the roster. The somersault senton and some of the quicker, flashier offense aren’t things you typically see in the WWF at this point, which helps him stand out a bit. However, compared to Isaac Yankem, he looked really small. The character work also feels a little low rent. It’s something that would definitely work in WCW, but I don’t think it’s going to play well in the WWF.
More importantly, this establishes direction for him. Hunter Hearst Helmsley is clearly positioned as his first feud, and they wasted no time planting those seeds. They’ll want to distance him from the quick loss to the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania XII as quickly as possible. On top of that, this is also the introduction of Sable, who doesn’t feel like a big deal yet, but will become one soon enough.
It’s not a blowaway debut, but it’s effective.
History Corner: A New Kind of Contract
Marc Mero’s arrival in the WWF wasn’t just another debut. It quietly marked the debut of a major shift in how the business operated: the guaranteed contract.
Mero became the first wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation to receive a guaranteed contract. It was a three-year deal worth over $300,000 per year, plus a $50,000 signing bonus. Up to this point, most wrestlers were paid based on dates and performance. Depending on your spot on the card, you get a higher percentage of the cut of the gate. If you didn’t work, you typically didn’t get paid.
That model was already starting to change in World Championship Wrestling, which was offering guaranteed money to lure talent away. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash would be the most notable examples in the coming months. The WWF, whether they wanted to or not, had to adapt. The first lucky recipient of this new trend was Mero. Unfortunately for the WWF, he’s no Hall or Nash.
Giving Mero that deal was a sign that the business was changing in real time. It also created tension immediately, as he walked into a locker room where no one else was working under the same financial security, even the WWF Champion. It’s the kind of event that doesn’t feel huge in the moment, and not many would know about who weren’t hardcore fans, but it ends up changing how everything works.
Video: The Ultimate Warrior will debut on Monday Night Raw next week.
Still to come, the Undertaker will battle Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw.
Video: Ed Begley, Jr. is shown on a bicycle, promoting a show he’ll be hosting after Raw.
-Commercial Break-
Video: Last night during the WrestleMania XII Free for All, the Bodydonnas won the vacant WWF Tag Team Championship by defeating the Godwinns. Sunny got on the apron to distract Phinneas I. Godwinn by lifting her skirt up.
At the next WWF In Your House special, the Bodydonnas will defend the WWF Tag Team Championship against the Godwinns.
Non-Title Tag Team Match
Aldo Montoya and Barry Horowitz vs. WWF Tag Team Champions The Bodydonnas (Skip and Zip) w/ Sunny
Referee: Jack Doan
Skip will start the match against Aldo Montoya. They lock up, and Skip powers him to the corner. Montoya slaps him in the face and starts to chop him. Skip reverses a whip to the corner, but Montoya slingshots over him. Montoya leapfrogs him and goes into the ropes for a shoulder tackle to pick up a two-count. Montoya hits a headlock takeover, but Skip grapevines the head quickly. Montoya gets out and hooks a side headlock. Zip blind tags in and almost accidentally hits Skip. Montoya hooks a side headlock, but Zip whips him off. Montoya hits a flying headlock takeover. Skip runs in, so Montoya hits Skip and Zip with a headlock/head-scissor double takeover. Montoya punches Zip out of the ring and celebrates. The Bodydonnas regroup with Sunny at ringside.
Zip gets back in the ring, and Barry Horowitz tags in. They lock up, and Zip soon takes him down. Horowitz knocks him away a few times before they get into a stalemate. They lock up, and Montoya tags back in. Montoya comes off the top rope with a double ax handle to Zip’s arm. Zip fights back and tags Skip in. Skip knees Montoya from behind. They taunt Horowitz, who is held back by the referee. As the referee deals with Horowitz, the Bodydonnas hit Montoya with a double-team flapjack. Skip hits a vertical suplex and tags Zip in. Zip drops some elbows on Montoya before dropping a knee for a two-count. Zip bounces Montoya’s face off Skip’s boot. The Bodydonnas double-team Montoya before sending him out of the ring.
Skip tries to suplex Montoya into the ring, but Montoya suplexes him to the floor! Montoya then comes off the top rope with a diving crossbody block to the floor! Horowitz tags in and hits the ropes for a high knee to the jaw. Horowitz knocks Zip off the apron and rolls Skip up, but Sunny is distracting the referee. The referee finally sees. 1… 2… Zip breaks it up. Montoya tags in and hits a diving crossbody block for a two-count. Skip fights back with a German Suplex for a two-count. Montoya goes for a head-scissor takeover, but Skip counters with a powerbomb. Skip puts Montoya on the top rope and tags Zip in. Skip hits a top rope hurricanrana, and Zip follows up with a Bombs Away splash for the win.
Winners by Pinfall: The Bodydonnas
Mike’s Thoughts: A good tag team match. It was filler, but it was entertaining filler. The Bodydonnas weren’t my favorite gimmick, but they were a solid tag team.
Video: The WrestleMania XII replay will air on PPV tomorrow night at 8 p.m.
In the arena, Bob Backlund is in the crowd trying to campaign.
Coming up next, we’ll hear from WWF Champion Shawn Michaels.
-Commercial Break-
Video: The WWF Superstar Line is open. If you call, you can hear what happened in Bret Hart’s locker room after WrestleMania XII. Only $1.49 a minute!
Video: We see some footage of some fired-up fans following WrestleMania XII.
Shawn Michaels appears for the first time as the WWF Champion
Vince McMahon is in the ring. McMahon introduces the leader of the New WWF Generation, the World Wrestling Federation Champion Shawn Michaels. A jubilant Shawn Michaels makes his way to the ring with the WWF Championship. HBK hugs and kisses some fans on the way to the ring. Michaels is wearing a white baseball cap. The reaction from the larger audience is polite, but this is not thunderous applause.
McMahon says the dream of a 12-year-old boy in San Antonio came true yesterday. He wants to talk about the Iron Man Match against Bret “Hitman” Hart. McMahon asks the crowd to applaud Hart, but his name gets some boos. HBK says he has pranced on God’s green earth and danced in his blue heaven. Last night was the single greatest moment of his life, and he has these people, his Kliq, to thank for that moment. There were times last night when he didn’t think there was any way in the world he could get back up, but the people picked him back up. That’s something that he’ll never forget. HBK wants to take this time, whether you like him or not, to thank them for being there for him last night. This gets a bit of a mixed reaction.
McMahon mentions that HBK is the hunted. Next week, he’ll face Jerry “The King” Lawler. Not only is the King coming after him, but the man doing color commentary for that match is the 7-foot monster, “Big Daddy Cool” Diesel.
Replay: Footage of Diesel hitting Shawn Michaels with a chair two weeks ago at a WWF Live Event at Madison Square Garden is shown.
Before HBK addresses Diesel, he wants to talk about something else. For years, we’ve heard about the Hitman. We’ve heard about the Excellence of Execution. All of us have been told about the man who claims to be the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. Last night, Hart made a believer out of HBK. If Hart is out there watching, he’ll always be a champion in his eyes, as well as in the eyes of the fans of the WWF. McMahon goes to talk, but HBK silences him. HBK wants Hart and the Hart family to know that Shawn Michaels promises to wear this belt with the honor, dignity, and class that Bret Hart did in the past.
McMahon asks about HBK facing the King next week. The King says he’ll beat him like a dog from the commentary. A “Burger King” chant picks up. HBK calls him “Kingfish.” Next week, the Heartbreak Kid and the Kliq will send him to the White Castle. McMahon mentions that Diesel will be on commentary and will be his opponent at the next In Your House. Diesel took it to Undertaker in a way no one else ever has. HBK says that the celebration ended at midnight last night. HBK and Diesel were great friends, but they’ll make better enemies. At In Your House, Diesel will be eating some Sweet Chin Music. HBK and the Kliq will dance all over his face!
WWF Champion Shawn Michaels poses on the ropes.
Mike’s Thoughts: This… wasn’t good. For as much progress as they’ve made with some of their undercard characters, this was a huge step backward for the main event scene. Vince McMahon is still a promoter stuck in the ways of what worked in the past. Unfortunately, he’s way behind the times. McMahon is still looking to recreate Hulk Hogan, thinking that’s what works best. Bret Hart worked as a white meat babyface, but the company tanked something fierce when they tried to do the same thing with Diesel in a disastrous yearlong run with the WWF Championship. Now, it looks like they’re gearing up to do the same thing with Shawn Michaels. You can already see, less than 24 hours after winning the title, how this is not going to work. Keep Shawn Michaels doing what he was doing. It was working. What next? Make José Lothario his full-time manager? Oh, wait…
-Commercial Break-
Video: Dok Hendrix promotes a WrestleMania XII plaque with a piece of ring canvas. It’s $49.95.
Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw is in the ring with Uncle Zebekiah.
Video: Another video with Ed Begley, Jr. promoting his show, which premieres on the USA Network after Raw.
Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw w/ Uncle Zebekiah vs. The Undertaker w/ Paul Bearer
Referee: Earl Hebner
The bell rings, and the undefeated Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw attacks Undertaker from behind. Bradshaw sends him to the corner, but Undertaker boots him back. Undertaker hits the ropes and ducks a clothesline, but Bradshaw catches him with a snap powerslam. Bradshaw throws the horns up, but Undertaker sits up. Bradshaw clotheslines him down and hits the ropes for an elbow drop. Bradshaw stomps Undertaker and boots him in the head, knocking him out of the ring.
-Commercial Break-
Milton Bradley Karate Fighters Slam of the Week: Last night during the Hollywood Backlot Brawl at WrestleMania XII, Goldust hit “Rowdy” Roddy Piper with his gold Cadillac.
Back from the break, Undertaker punches Bradshaw and hits the ropes, but Bradshaw drops him with a sidewalk slam for a two-count. Bradshaw heads to the top rope and hits a diving shoulder tackle for a near fall. Bradshaw taunts the crowd by throwing the bullhorns up. Bradshaw heads back to the top rope and dives, but Undertaker counters with a powerslam!
Undertaker bounces him in the corner and sends him to the opposite side. Bradshaw explodes out of the corner with a stiff lariat. Bradshaw pulls himself up and grabs the Undertaker. Bradshaw sends him into the ropes for a big boot. Bradshaw signals for the end. Undertaker reaches for the urn. Bradshaw sends Undertaker into the ropes. Undertaker ducks a clothesline and hits a flying lariat. Undertaker goozles him and hits a big Chokeslam! Undertaker signals for the end. Undertaker connects with a Tombstone Piledriver.
All of a sudden, Mankind gets in the ring and attacks Undertaker!
Winner by Disqualification: The Undertaker
Mankind punches the Undertaker out of the ring. Mankind bounces him off the metal barricade before whipping him into the steel ring steps. Paul Bearer checks on the Undertaker. Mankind goes to the apron and hits a flying elbow drop to the floor! Mankind holds his wrapped fingers up and squeals before applying the Mandible Claw to the Undertaker! Undertaker tries to fight up, but Mankind pulls him down and cinches in the hold. The Undertaker is unconscious.
WWF Officials run down to pull Mankind off the Undertaker. Mankind leaves, but then he returns and punches away at the Undertaker. Mankind puts the Mandible Claw back on him. They pull Mankind off, but he drops an elbow on Undertaker and puts the Mandible Claw back on. The Undertaker is defenseless! The officials have to literally drag Mankind away.
Mike’s Thoughts: That caps off a phenomenal debut for Mankind. After winning a quick squash match earlier in the night, he gets established as a serious player by being the Undertaker’s next opponent. For quite a while, the Undertaker had been trapped in feuds against monsters who were largely immobile, like King Mabel, Yokozuna, Kama, and others. The majority of his career looked like that. Now, they’re going in a different direction. A smaller opponent who is deranged and unpredictable. It’s different than anything the Undertaker had done up to this point and is the beginning of what will become one of the more iconic feuds of his entire career… and also one of the most iconic matches and moments in the history of professional wrestling.
This was an excellent beatdown of the Undertaker, really humanizing him and making him vulnerable. I’m excited to watch one of my favorite feuds of all time build from the very beginning.
-Commercial Break-
Replay: Mankind hit the Undertaker with a flying elbow drop to the floor and knocked him out with the Mandible Claw.
Next week, we’ll have an update on the condition of the Undertaker. The Ultimate Warrior will also be on Raw. Yokozuna will battle Vader. Finally, we’ll see WWF Champion Shawn Michaels battle Jerry “The King” Lawler.
Quick Match Results
— Mankind def. Bob “Spark Plugg” Holly via Submission
— “Wildman” Marc Mero def. Isaac Yankem, DDS
— WWF Tag Team Champions The Bodydonnas (Skip and Zip) def. Aldo Montoya and Barry Horowitz in a Non-Title Tag Team Match
— The Undertaker def. Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw via DQ
Mike’s Wrap-Up: What We Learned from Raw
The Raw after WrestleMania XII didn’t look much different from the post-WrestleMania Raws that we’ve become accustomed to in the thirty years since. The only thing that was truly lacking was the crowd reaction. The crowd was reacting to this like it was any old Raw, but this show definitely felt like a bit of a reset.
On one hand, there’s a lot of new energy injected into the roster. Mankind has made an immediate impact and is already a serious threat to the Undertaker. Marc Mero also debuted with a different style and a different kind of contract, signaling that the business itself is starting to change. New pieces are being put in place.
On the other hand, the top of the card already feels shaky. Shawn Michaels had his moment at WrestleMania, but less than 24 hours later, it feels like the company is forcing him into a mold that hasn’t worked in years. The reaction for the new WWF Champion isn’t what it should have been, and the direction doesn’t feel natural for the character. Plus, with Diesel and Razor Ramon leaving (though he will have a PPV match against Diesel) and Bret Hart taking a hiatus, who is left for him to face in the months to come?
That’s what really stands out most about this show. The WWF is clearly trying to move forward, but it’s not entirely sure how to do it yet. Some things feel fresh. Others feel like they’re stuck in the past. It’s easy to give a few midcard acts that would otherwise be going nowhere the greenlight to experiment (see the newly christened “Stone Cold” Steve Austin), but right now Vince McMahon is too scared and locked in his ways to try anything different with a top babyface champion.
And with everything happening behind the scenes, from contracts changing, talent getting ready to leave, and new stars just starting to emerge, it’s clear that this is a very unstable time for the company. They’re in major transition.
The next few months will determine what this company actually becomes. The pieces are there. The question is whether they’ll put them together in time.
One thing you won’t be seeing moving forward is any more Billionaire Ted segments. The last one we saw was in mid-March, where they did a spoof on Jack Nicholson’s famous courtroom monologue from “A Few Good Men.” Apparently, USA Network president Kay Koplovitz had seen enough of this garbage and demanded that the plug be pulled. During the WrestleMania XII Free for All, in a segment that has been lost forever, they killed off Billionaire Ted, the Huckster, and the Nacho Man with heart attacks.
This would result in Koplovitz ordering that all WWF scripts be sent in advance to the network for review, and a network representative be on the WWF’s creative team. There was absolutely nothing positive about those segments whatsoever. I believe it drove people to watch WCW to see if it was as bad as the WWF was claiming. It also harmed the public’s perception of the WWF, making it look small and pedantic compared to a larger corporation. Worse yet, it made WWF’s own broadcast partner question them and feel like they have to oversee everything they do. Horrible stuff all around.
In the weeks leading up to WrestleMania XII, WCW Nitro had defeated WWF Raw in four straight head-to-head matches. Now, the night after WrestleMania XII, did curiosity coming out of the biggest event of the WWF’s year help win the night?
WWF Raw (USA Network, live): 2.9 (Record: 11-14-2)
WCW Nitro (TNT, live): 2.8 (Record: 14-11-2)
Winner: WWF Raw
It absolutely was, but just by a hair. This was not a rout by any stretch of the imagination, but a win is a win. Next week, WWF Raw goes unopposed with WCW Nitro not airing. This is a great opportunity to build some momentum.
Email – mike@wrestleview.com
X – @MikeTedescoWV
WrestleMania XII | Last week’s Raw | Last week’s Nitro
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Part of Wrestleview’s Monday Night War: 30 Years Later series, with weekly Raw and Nitro recaps every Thursday.