WWF Monday Night Raw Results
May 27, 1996
Fayetteville, North Carolina (Cumberland County Memorial Auditorium)
Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler
Results by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
We go right into the live show to see WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust in the ring with Marlena.
King of the Ring Tournament
First Round Match
WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust w/ Marlena vs. The Ultimate Warrior
Referee: Tim White
The bell rings, and a terrified Goldust is at ringside, scared of The Ultimate Warrior. The referee keeps Warrior from leaving the ring. Warrior gets out of the ring on the opposite side, and Goldust and Marlena start running away. Goldust is begging Warrior off. Goldust gets in the ring and hits the ropes for a clothesline, but Warrior ducks it. Warrior punches Goldust down, mocks his taunt, and hits another right hand. Warrior hits an inverted atomic drop, followed by a traditional atomic drop, sending Goldust over the top rope.
Vince McMahon apologizes for what happened last night at In Your House: Beware of Dog. A tremendous storm blew up a transformer, and they could not deliver on three promised matches. They will tomorrow night at 8 p.m. Eastern. They’ll explain more after this match.
Warrior gets out of the ring and starts trying to stalk after Goldust. Goldust gets in the ring and stomps Warrior as he gets in. Warrior absorbs the punishment and gets hyped up. Goldust punches Warrior, but he has a whip reversed. Warrior hits him with a flapjack, and Goldust rolls out of the ring to recover. Warrior goes outside and kicks Goldust. Warrior whips Goldust into the metal barricade, sending him into the crowd. Warrior pulls him back over. Goldust quickly rakes his eyes and drives Warrior into the railing. Warrior quickly recovers and smashes Goldust’s head into the ring post. Warrior gets Goldust in the ring and covers. 1… 2… Goldust BARELY kicks out.
Warrior rakes Goldust’s face over the top rope and stomps him. Goldust responds with an uppercut and kicks him in the legs. Goldust connects with a scoop slam and takes a moment to catch his breath. Goldust sits on his back and applies a rear chin clutch. Warrior fights up and has Goldust in the electric chair position. Warrior connects with an electric chair drop. Goldust immediately bails out of the ring and walks off with Marlena. Ahmed Johnson appears behind Goldust and carries him back to the ring!
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Goldust is still outside the ring. Goldust sweeps Warrior’s feet and smashes his leg off the ring apron. Goldust drives Warrior’s head into the ring steps. Goldust and Warrior get back in the ring. Warrior starts to fight back and stomps away at Goldust in the corner. Warrior sends Goldust to the opposite corner and charges, but Goldust sidesteps him. Goldust sends Warrior into the ropes and drops down before sending him out of the ring. Warrior lands on Marlena’s director’s chair, destroying it.
Goldust stomps Warrior from inside the ring. Warrior is holding his shoulder in pain. Goldust twists Warrior’s arm over the top rope as he gets in the ring. A “Warrior” chant picks up. Goldust smashes Warrior’s arm on the top rope, but Warrior fights back and hits a back body drop. Warrior covers for a near fall. Warrior connects with a belly-to-belly side suplex for another near fall. Goldust quickly stuns him with an uppercut. Goldust points at Marlena to distract the referee so he can hit Warrior with a low blow. Goldust hits a snapmare and applies a neck vice to the Warrior. Warrior won’t submit, so Goldust punches away at him and applies a rear chin lock. Warrior fights up and elbows Goldust off. Goldust rakes the eyes, but Warrior soon reverses a whip and hits a snap powerslam for a near fall.
Goldust is quickly to his feet and starts to club Warrior’s back. Warrior is hyping up and getting the crowd going. Warrior hits a trio of clotheslines before crisscrossing the ropes and hitting a diving shoulder tackle. Goldust rolls out of the ring and goes up the aisleway with Marlena. Warrior leaves the ring and starts going after Goldust. Goldust uses Marlena as a shield to keep Warrior back. The referee counts them both out.
Double Count-Out
Neither man will advance in the King of the Ring Tournament.
Jerry “The King” Lawler gets up from commentary and grabs the broken remains of Marlena’s director’s chair. Lawler goes after Warrior, but Warrior turns and scares him off. Warrior chases Lawler away before getting in the ring and destroying the chair some more.
Mike’s Thoughts: That was slightly better than that horrendous debacle that happened at the April In Your House where Goldust was injured. Rather than just getting The Ultimate Warrior another opponent to run through, they did ten minutes of stalling with one clothesline. There was a ton of stalling in this, but at least there was some semblance of action contained. It wasn’t great action, but it’s better than nothing. It’s hilarious that they spent months bashing WCW for using older talent and they have Ultimate Warrior who is doing his tired shtick that looks so out of place on a roster full of people the company is touting as The New Generation. As quickly and chaotically as he arrived back on the roster, he’s very close to flaming out already.
Warrior was also injured in this match when he went over the top rope and hit the director’s chair. He injured his elbow on that bump, so he was sidelined from matches for a bit following this.
Backstage Segment
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin is talking with “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. We’ll hear from them shortly.
Video: Last night at In Your House: Beware of Dog, during the Free For All, Sunny came out as the Godwinn’s new manager, but she betrayed Phinneas by kissing Billy Gunn, allowing The Smoking Gunns to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. On the pay per view event, we saw “Wildman” Marc Mero defeat Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
We now see footage of the insane thunderstorm that happened. As Savio Vega made his way to the ring, the lights went out. We see footage of Austin and Vega, Vader and Yokozuna, and Undertaker and Goldust battling in the dark. That looked awful.
Vince McMahon announces that they’ll have the three matches that were missed LIVE tomorrow night on pay per view. Hopefully everyone’s PPV provider will “do the right thing.”
Backstage Interview
We’re back with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. Vince McMahon mentions DiBiase isn’t happy over the latest turn of events. DiBiase says Savio Vega’s victory was a fluke. The lights were out. How do they know how many times Vega touched the turnbuckle? On his best day, Vega couldn’t beat Austin. McMahon mentions that DiBiase was counting on Vega being his chauffeur. Does he still want that provision? DiBiase says he wants to sweeten the pie. They’ll keep the chauffeur stipulation in there, but he’s so confident that Austin will beat him tomorrow night that he’ll add another stipulation. If “Stone Cold” Steve Austin doesn’t beat Vega tomorrow night, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase will forfeit his career and leave the World Wrestling Federation. Austin looks over at DiBiase in surprise.
Mike’s Thoughts: How quickly things can change in 24 hours. Ted DiBiase had actually given his notice to the World Wrestling Federation a few days earlier that he would be heading to WCW once his contract expired. DiBiase signed a nice three-year deal with the company to do managing and announcing. He also was gearing up to get a nice payout from Lloyds of London disability insurance for his neck injury (Lloyds of London… that might make a good history corner). Things were looking good for DiBiase.
In later years, DiBiase would claim he wanted to leave the WWF because Vince McMahon wanted managers to start going on the road for House Shows. At this point, managers only worked in Madison Square Garden House Shows (or other similar large market arenas). I’ll have more on DiBiase’s final WWF appearance on tomorrow’s In Your House 2 recap.
WWF Tag Team Champions The Smoking Gunns come out with Sunny as their manager. We’ll find out what’s going on when we return.
-Commercial Break-
Hillbilly Jim will be on commentary for the next match.
Non-Title Tag Team Match
WWF Tag Team Champions The Smoking Gunns (Bart and Billy Gunn) w/ Sunny vs. The Bodydonnas (Skip and Zip)
Referee: Earl Hebner
A “Sunny” chant picks up as the match gets started. It’ll be Zip starting against Bart Gunn. They lock up, and Bart powers Zip to the corner. Zip kicks and chops Bart back. Bart responds with some chops. Zip reverses a whip to the corner and goes for a back body drop, but Bart leapfrogs him and hits a clothesline. Bart applies an arm wrench and lifts Zip.
Harvey Wippleman comes down the aisleway and starts taking notes on the officiating of this match.
Billy Gunn tags in and attacks Zip before tagging Bart back in. Zip fights back and hits the ropes, but Bart hits a military press slam. Billy tags in and attacks Zip’s arm. Zip kicks Billy in the midsection. Skip tags in and tries to attack Billy, but Billy scares him back. Billy hooks a side headlock, but Zip whips him off. Billy shoulder tackles him, but Zip soon comes back with a head-scissor takeover. Skip ducks a clothesline, but Billy goes for a sunset flip. Skip rolls through, but Billy powers him off. Billy quickly hits a northern lights suplex and hits the ropes. Billy counters a hip toss, but Skip lands on his feet. Billy clotheslines Skip down, and Skip rolls out of the ring to recover. Skip goes over to confront Sunny.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Zip pulls the top rope down to get Bart out of the ring. During the commercial, Billy punched Skip down on the floor. Skip hits Bart with a plancha as Zip takes it to Billy. Skip soon gets Bart in the ring and hits a snapmare before dropping a leg for a two-count. Zip tags in, and the Bodydonnas double stomp Bart in the corner. Zip covers for a two-count. Zip hits Bart with a sit-out gutwrench powerbomb for another two-count. Zip sits down on Bart’s back and applies a chin clutch. Bart fights up and hits a jawbreaker. Skip quickly tags in and drops an elbow on Bart. Skip applies a chin lock, but Bart fights up. Skip slingshots over him and goes for a German Suplex, but Bart turns it on him for a two-count.
Phinneas I. Godwinn sadly makes his way down to the ring. Sunny looks disturbed. Hillbilly Jim gets up from commentary to keep Phinneas back. Henry O. Godwinn comes down to help. Hillbilly Jim is trying to get the Godwinns to go to the back.
In the ring, the Bodydonnas continue to take it to Bart. Billy runs in, but the referee stops him. The Bodydonnas send Bart into the ropes for a double-team back elbow, followed by Skip slamming Zip onto him with a leg drop. Billy runs in, but they quickly hit him with a double-team front suplex onto the top rope. Billy falls out of the ring. They then hit Bart with a double-team slingshot suplex. Skip hits a crossbody block, but Bart rolls through and picks up the win.
Winners by Pinfall: WWF Tag Team Champions The Smoking Gunns
Mike’s Thoughts: There was actually some pretty good action in this match, but it’s hard to really care about anything going on in the Tag Team Division at this point. When the best thing about division is a scantily clad manager jumping from team to team, something isn’t right.
Video: More footage is shown of the tremendous rainstorm that hit In Your House last night, knocking out the lights. When the lights came back on, Clarence Mason delivered a summons to WWF Champion Shawn Michaels for attempted alienation of affection. Michaels tore up the summons. We then see photos of the action between Shawn Michaels and The British Bulldog. Both men’s shoulders were pinned, so it was ruled a draw. Michaels retained the WWF Championship.
At the WWF King of the Ring event, Shawn Michaels will defend the WWF Championship against The British Bulldog.
Vader and Jim Cornette head to the ring. Owen Hart joins the commentary team.
-Commercial Break-
Sega Saturn Slam of the Week: Last night at WWF In Your House, The British Bulldog thought he was the WWF Champion, but another referee ruled it was Shawn Michaels.
WWF Raw is brought to you by Big Red bubblegum, as well as the campaign, “Got Milk?”
King of the Ring Tournament
First Round Match
Vader w/ Jim Cornette vs. Ahmed Johnson
Referee: Mike Chioda
The bell rings, and Vader flexes in front of the mammoth Ahmed Johnson. They lock up before breaking with nothing happening. They lock up again, and Vader manages to meekly push Johnson off. Vader poses as the crowd boos. Johnson then poses to the delight of the fans. Johnson steps up to Vader and talks some trash to the Mastodon. Vader spits in his face, so Johnson explodes in anger, viciously punching him into the corner and stomping him down! Johnson is so fired up he falls to the ground after beating Vader into the mat.
Johnson is irate and goes back to the corner to punch Vader before choking him. Vader thumbs Johnson in the eyes twice before turning him around and punching away at him. Vader sends him into the opposite corner, but Johnson pops out with a clothesline. Johnson hits the ropes and takes Vader over the top rope with a running crossbody block! Johnson gets up and rolls Vader into the ring. As the referee checks on Vader, Jim Cornette hits Johnson in the back with his tennis racket. Johnson slowly turns and looks at Cornette, who quickly cowers away and runs up the aisleway to the backstage area.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Vader turns Johnson inside out with a kitchen sink knee to the midsection. Vader stands over Johnson before pulling him up. Vader sends Johnson into the ropes and hits a shoulder tackle. Vader heads to the second rope and connects with a diving clothesline for a two-count. Vader pulls Johnson up. They have a momentary miscue before exchanging strikes. Johnson ducks a right hand and takes Vader off his feet with a right hand.
Both men are down, but Vader is first up. Vader puts Johnson in the corner and punches away at him with some massive bear paws. Vader backs up and charges for an avalanche. Johnson is holding himself up on the ropes. Vader avalanches him a second time before hitting a clothesline. Vader applies a rear chin lock. Vader releases and headbutts him before going for a suplex. Johnson blocks the suplex and hits Vader with a massive vertical suplex. Johnson slowly gets up. Vader gets up and hits Johnson with a front slam. Vader heads to the second rope for a Vader Bomb, but he redirects and heads to the top rope. Vader goes for a Moonsault, but Johnson moves!
Johnson punches away at Vader and sends him into the ropes for a clothesline. Jim Cornette returns to ringside. Johnson sends Vader back into the ropes and hits a second clothesline. Vader takes off his mask as he recovers. Johnson sends Vader into the ropes and hits a powerslam. Cornette gets on the apron, so Johnson brings him into the ring the hard way. Owen Hart is not happy. Johnson whips Cornette into Vader, knocking Cornette down. Johnson hits Vader with a massive spinebuster and covers him, but the referee is distracted by Cornette. Owen Hart goes to the top rope and dives onto Johnson, cracking him in the head with his cast. Johnson is out cold! Vader covers Johnson to give him his first televised loss.
Winner by Pinfall: Vader
Vader advances in the King of the Ring Tournament.
-Commercial Break-
Backstage Segment
Ahmed Johnson is unconscious on a stretcher and being wheeled to an ambulance. WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust stops them from moving and says Johnson needs mouth-to-mouth. Goldust leans over the unconscious Johnson and gives him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, leaving gold makeup all around his mouth. Johnson wakes up, sees what just happened, and flips out.
Johnson tips the stretcher over and throws some crates. Johnson is having trouble walking as he tries to navigate some stairs. Vince McMahon wonders if he is concussed. Bob Holly tries to check on Johnson, but Johnson grabs him by the throat and lifts him against the wall, demanding to know where Goldust is. Johnson throws Holly down and keeps walking. “Wildman” Marc Mero points in the direction Goldust went.
Johnson approaches Goldust’s dressing room, being guarded by a jobber. Johnson runs through the nobody, knocking him through the door. Goldust isn’t in there, so Johnson punches the cameraman down. Johnson is furious and continues walking backstage, looking for Goldust.
Mike’s Thoughts: That’s one of those infamous Raw angles that has been lost to time. It’s one that still infuriates Ahmed Johnson to this day. Johnson claims that they rehearsed earlier in the day where Goldust was supposed to put his hand over his mouth before the mouth-to-mouth, but on the night of, Goldust went into business for himself and went full contact. Or so Johnson claims. Johnson said he couldn’t react because they were taping it live, but he was ballistic after all was said and done. In any event, it made for an awesome angle when Johnson did get off the stretcher. The legit fury really added to his search for Goldust.
The match with Johnson against Vader honestly wasn’t that awful. Yes, Johnson still looks green (which is odd because he started wrestling in 1989… I guess some guys never really take to it), but his intensity more than makes up for it. Vader was good with him. Reports are stating that WWF officials aren’t happy with how Vader is getting over and don’t think he’s the killer they wanted him to be, but they keep giving him competitive matches against everyone. Here, yes, he should have a competitive match against a big guy like Ahmed Johnson. But in recent weeks, he’s had competitive matches involving out of shape guys like Jake “The Snake” Roberts and loser gimmicks like Duke “The Dumpster” Droese. How is that supposed to get a monster heel over?
Quick Match Results
— WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust vs. The Ultimate Warrior went to a DCO in a King of the Ring Tournament First Round Match
— WWF Tag Team Champions The Smoking Gunns (Bart and Billy Gunn) def. The Bodydonnas (Skip and Zip) in a Non-Title Tag Team Match
— Vader def. Ahmed Johnson in a King of the Ring Tournament First Round Match
Mike’s Wrap-Up: What We Learned from Raw
This was another solid episode of Raw, even if the company still feels wildly inconsistent depending on where you look on the card. There are pieces of a stronger future starting to emerge, particularly with Steve Austin, Vader, Mankind, and even Ahmed Johnson’s fantastic raw intensity, but the overall product still feels trapped between old WWF habits and the changes happening around them.
The biggest issue remains consistency. Some acts feel fresh and exciting, while others already feel outdated or completely out of place in the direction wrestling is heading. The Ultimate Warrior is a perfect example of that disconnect. Just months after the WWF spent endless television time on the idiotic Billionaire Ted segments to mock WCW for relying on older stars, they’ve brought back Warrior to do the exact same act he was doing years ago. He doesn’t even look like he’s really trying. It already feels tired.
Meanwhile, the company is still relying heavily on screwy finishes, overbooked storylines, and marathon taping schedules that leave certain shows feeling exhausted by the end. There’s talent here, but the WWF still hasn’t fully figured out what kind of wrestling company it wants to be in 1996.
And unfortunately for them, the timing couldn’t be worse.
Because while Raw was airing this week, something happened on WCW Monday Nitro that is about to completely change the direction of the Monday Night War: Scott Hall made his mysterious debut.
The war isn’t just heating up anymore. It’s about to become something entirely different. And wrestling would never be the same because of it.
WWF Raw (USA Network, live): 3.3 (Record: 18-14-2)
WCW Nitro (TNT, live): 2.8 (Record: 14-18-2)
Winner: WWF Raw (8-week streak)
Shockingly, the WWF still won the night. Even though this was the first night of WCW’s move to two hours and Scott Hall debuted, but the Hall debut wasn’t advertised. But the word will spread quickly. Results like this won’t last much longer.
Be sure to check out the second half of In Your House 8 tomorrow!
Email – mike@wrestleview.com
X – @MikeTedescoWV
In Your House 8 (Part 1) | 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.