WWF Monday Night Raw
September 25, 1995
Grand Rapids, Michigan (Civic Auditorium)
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: Tonight, the Undertaker will battle the British Bulldog.
Last night at In Your House 3, Bulldog was part of the losing team with Yokozuna in the Triple Header match against WWF Champion Diesel and WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels. Owen Hart, who Bulldog was replacing in the match, ran in at the end and took the loss, despite not being recognized at that moment as the actual Tag Team Champion, nor was he in the match legally.
Video: Earlier today, Jim Cornette, along with Clarence Mason as his legal representation, met with WWF President Gorilla Monsoon and argued a contractual loophole that Owen Hart was not the legal competitor nor the recognized Tag Team Champion at the time he got pinned. The WWF Tag Team Titles have been returned to Yokozuna and Owen Hart. Monsoon said a rematch would happen with Shawn Michaels and Diesel down the line. Monsoon also ordered Yokozuna and Hart to defend the titles tonight on Raw.
Mike’s Thoughts: So, that’s how they did it. How scummy is that? After promising – no, guaranteeing – a title change at In Your House, they instead did some convoluted angle where Owen Hart didn’t show up and had to be replaced in the match by the British Bulldog. Then, at the end of the main event, Owen Hart inexplicably ran down, took two moves, and was pinned like a chump, despite not being in the match or recognized as the champion.
That finish is a joke in and of itself. They ripped off the fans who bought tickets to the event and paid money to watch on pay-per-view. Typical WWF of 1995: overpromise and underdeliver. Still, they were so feckless at this moment that they didn’t even make a big angle out of it to open the show. Have Shawn Michaels and Diesel come out with the titles and then have the heels steal them back through a contractual loophole there. At least get the crowd pissed and make it something. Instead, it was them trying to move on from the disaster as fast as possible. Pathetic.
They also portrayed their figurehead, Interim WWF President Gorilla Monsoon, as an absolute doofus and liar. Yeah, it’s clear why the WWF was in danger of dying in 1995.
Also, that’s the debut of Clarence Mason. Remember him? This was WWF trying to capitalize on the publicity Johnnie Cochran was getting in the O.J. Simpson trial. They wanted their own version of Cochran, so here’s Clarence Mason. Yikes. Hey, at least the guy who portrayed the character was a real-life lawyer.
Video: The Raw video plays.
Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler are at ringside and welcome us to the show. Skip is already in the ring with Sunny. McMahon announces that Marty Jannetty is back and calls it a great surprise.
McMahon asks Lawler about the Triple Header controversy. Lawler puts over that the WWF Tag Team Titles changed hands twice: once in the ring and once in the boardroom. Lawler also says Clarence Mason did a great job. McMahon puts over the Undertaker vs. British Bulldog. Lawler says Bulldog will use Undertaker as a fire hydrant.
Skip w/ Sunny vs. Marty Jannetty
Referee: Tim White
The bell rings, and they circle the ring. The crowd chants, “Marty,” so he acknowledges them. They lock up, and Skip applies a side headlock. Jannetty whips him off, drops down, leapfrogs him, and hits a hip toss. Jannetty follows up with an arm drag and a dropkick before celebrating. Skip rolls out of the ring and embraces Sunny. Skip soon gets back in the ring. The crowd continues to chant for Jannetty. Jannetty is wrestling in a black tank top. They lock up, and Skip punches him to the corner. Skip sends him to the opposite corner, but Jannetty slingshots over him and does a leapfrog. Jannetty applies a side headlock, but Skip whips him off, drops down, and leapfrogs the former Rocker. Skip hits the ropes, but Jannetty hits him with a back body drop and celebrates. Skip rolls out of the ring and embraces Sunny again.
Jannetty follows Skip outside and attacks him as Sunny is yelling at the fans. Jannetty taps her on the shoulder and hugs her. Sunny flips out and swings to slap him, but Jannetty ducks, and she hits Skip instead. Jannetty gets in the ring and is laughing and celebrating. Skip angrily gets in the ring and stomps around. Sunny is outraged. They lock up, and Jannetty wrenches the arm before taking him down. Jannetty applies a hammerlock, but Skip fights up and whips him off. Skip drops down, and Sunny trips Jannetty. Skip attacks Jannetty and hits a gutwrench powerbomb. Skip angrily yells at the crowd and hits a vertical suplex.
Dean Douglas is standing in the aisleway, taking notes on this match. Skip punches away at Jannetty and hits a scoop slam. Skip drops a leg as we go to commercial.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Skip sends Jannetty into the ropes and turns him inside out with a clothesline. Skip hits a snapmare and hits a running leg drop for a two-count. Skip puts Jannetty in the corner and punches him. Jannetty tries to fight back, but Skip stuns him with a strike. Skip chops and punches him. Jannetty reverses a whip to the corner. Skip goes for a slingshot, but Jannetty catches him. Skip slides off and goes for a German Suplex, but Jannetty does a standing switch and connects with the German Suplex for a two-count. Skip sends Jannetty into the ropes for a hurricanrana, but Jannetty counters with a powerbomb.
Skip soon gets up and begs Jannetty off. Jannetty punches away at him and hits a running lariat. Jannetty sends him into the ropes and hits a jumping back elbow. Jannetty sends Skip into the ropes and punches him in the midsection before connecting with a knee lift. 1… 2… Skip kicks out. Skip reverses a whip, but Jannetty floors him with a running cross-body block. Jannetty covers, but he gets up as Sunny gets on the apron. Skip tries to blindside him, but Jannetty hits him with a back body drop over the top rope. Jannetty pulls Skip up to the apron and goes to suplex him into the ring, but Sunny pulls his legs out. Skip lands on top of Jannetty for a two-count. Skip sends Jannetty into the ropes and lowers his head, but Jannetty catches him with a Rocker Dropper. Jannetty heads to the top rope and hits a diving fist drop. 1… 2… 3.
Winner by Pinfall: Marty Jannetty
Mike’s Thoughts: A random return for Marty Jannetty. It seems to me like this was a late signing because Jannetty wrestled in a tank top and didn’t look to be in TV-ready shape. While not looking quite ready for prime time, it’s WWF in 1995… we’ll take what we can get. He seemed a little gassed, but he and Skip still had a decent television match. The crowd was heavily into Jannetty, and his spots with Sunny were fun.
Video: Highlights from In Your House 3 are shown. Gorilla Monsoon recognized British Bulldog for one night only as the Tag Team Champion since Owen Hart didn’t show up to the event. Hart would later show up during the main event and take the loss.
Video: Earlier today, WWF President Gorilla Monsoon met with Jim Cornette and his attorney, Clarence Mason. Mason makes Monsoon admit that he said the referee’s decision was final. Monsoon agrees. Mason then makes Monsoon admit that he made the British Bulldog the Tag Team Champion with Yokozuna. Monsoon tries to talk his way out of it before admitting it.
Video: Footage is shown of Owen Hart taking the pin. Vince McMahon explained he wasn’t a recognized Tag Team Champion at that point, but fails to mention he wasn’t even a recognized participant in the match, and still took the pin.
Video: Back to the boardroom, Monsoon returned the WWF Tag Team Championship back to Yokozuna and Owen Hart. Monsoon then said they would be defending their titles against The Smoking Gunns tonight.
Mike’s Thoughts: What a convoluted mess. When it takes THAT LONG to explain your angle, you’ve already lost.
WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and Yokozuna are in the ring with Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji.
Interview Segment
Dok Hendrix is with a person named Tammy, who is modeling the ugly WWF Triple Header t-shirt. Get it while you can.
Coming up next, we’ll have a WWF Tag Team Championship match. Later tonight, we’ll see the Undertaker battle the British Bulldog.
-Commercial Break-
The Smoking Gunns are in the ring and ready to fight.
Video: Footage is shown from WrestleMania XI of Owen Hart and Yokozuna (who was Hart’s surprise partner) defeating the Smoking Gunns to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.
-Commercial Break-
WWF Tag Team Championship
Owen Hart and Yokozuna (c’s) w/ Jim Cornett and Mr. Fuji vs. The Smoking Gunns (Bart and Billy Gunn)
Referee: Mike Chioda
We join this match in progress to see Owen Hart and Bart Gunn hitting the ropes. Hart ducks a clothesline and avoids a running cross-body block. Hart charges, but Bart trips him and hits an arm drag. Bart applies an armbar, but Hart fights up. Billy Gunn tags in and kicks Hart. Billy kicks Hart and wrenches the arm. Hart tries to claim Billy pulled his hair. Hart pokes Billy in the eyes and punches him in the corner. Billy reverses a whip and avoids a slingshot before punching Hart down. Hart reverses a whip and hits a drop toehold.
Yokozuna tags in, and Billy backs up. They lock up, and Billy hooks a side headlock. Yokozuna pushes him off and shoulder tackles him. Backstage, we see WWF Champion Diesel and WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels watching. Yokozuna sends Billy into the ropes, but Billy slides through the legs and hits a pair of dropkicks. Yokozuna stays standing. Billy then takes Yokozuna down with a running bulldog. Yokozuna is quick to his feet and sends Billy into the ropes. Billy ducks a clothesline and goes for a crucifix pin, but Yokozuna counters with a Samoan Drop. Billy rolls out of the ring to recover. Bart is fired up, but the referee holds him back. As the referee is distracted, Hart gets some cheap shots in on Billy at ringside. Hart puts Billy in the ring and goes back to his corner. Yokozuna puts a foot on Billy’s throat before tagging Hart in. Hart takes Billy down and stomps him before applying a rear chin lock. Billy fights up and elbows out. Billy hits the ropes and hits a sunset flip for a two-count. Billy blocks a kick, but Hart counters with an enzuigiri. Hart drops a leg for a two-count.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Hart applies a side headlock to Billy. Billy fights out, but Hart drops him with a swinging neckbreaker. Hart heads to the top rope and hits a cross-body block, but Billy rolls through and picks up a two-count. Hart keeps Billy from making a tag and tags Yokozuna in. Yokozuna and Hart hit Billy with a wishbone split. Yokozuna puts Billy in the corner and punches away at him. The referee stops an irate Bart from getting in the ring. Hart gets some cheap shots in. They have Billy down in the corner, but Yokozuna pulls him up. Yokozuna hits a snapmare and applies a nerve hold. Mr. Fuji waves the Japanese flag right in front of the hard camera. Yokozuna keeps him in the nerve hold for a while, but Billy eventually fights his way to his feet. Billy elbows out and hits the ropes. Billy ducks a clothesline, but Yokozuna catches him on the rebound with a back elbow. Yokozuna backs to the corner and charges for a running elbow drop, but Billy moves. Billy gets to his feet and goes for a leg drop, but Yokozuna moves. Yokozuna goes for a big splash, but Billy moves. Hart tags in and stops Billy from making a tag. Billy powers through and tags Bart in.
Bart comes in to a big ovation and attacks Hart before sending him into the ropes for a clothesline. Bart sends him back into the ropes and hits a back body drop. Bart attacks Yokozuna before sending Hart to the corner. Bart presses Hart above his head and slams him down. 1… 2… Yokozuna breaks it up. Yokozuna just made it. Billy attacks Yokozuna and kicks him to the corner. The Smoking Gunns then whip Hart hard into Yokozuna, knocking Yokozuna down in the corner. Billy tags in, and the Smoking Gunns hit Hart with the Sidewinder (sidewalk slam/diving leg drop combo), but the referee immediately tries to keep Billy out of the ring. Bart covers, but he moves as Yokozuna goes for a big splash. Yokozuna lands on Hart instead! Billy comes in and dropkicks Yokozuna out of the ring. Bart covers for the win!
Winners by Pinfall and new WWF Tag Team Champions: The Smoking Gunns
The Smoking Gunns celebrate with their WWF Tag Team Championship. WWF Champion Diesel and WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels get in the ring and celebrate with them. Diesel and HBK thought they were the Tag Team Champions after last night, but they appear happy the titles are held by any team but Yokozuna and Owen Hart.
Yokozuna is furious and kicks the steel steps over before walking off.
Mike’s Thoughts: Not a bad tag team match at all. The WWF Tag Team Championship changes hands on Raw, the first time they’ve had a title change during the Monday Night War… and we’re only three weeks in. The action was great when it was Owen Hart in the ring with any of the Gunns and slowed significantly when Yokozuna was in there, but it had a hot finish. After robbing the fans of a title change despite promising one at the Triple Header, we have a decisive title change the next night. At least they made it kind of right. Too little, too late? Maybe. But at least someone backstage knew they owed the fans something real.
Video: Next week on WWF Raw, Jean-Pierre Lafitte will battle Bret “Hitman” Hart in a rematch from In Your House 3. We’ll also see Razor Ramon take on The 1-2-3 Kid.
The Smoking Gunns head to the back with Diesel and Shawn Michaels.
Dok Hendrix comes out to the stage with WWF President Gorilla Monsoon. Hendrix talks about the next In Your House on October 22 in Winnipeg, Canada. The Undertaker is scheduled to take on King Mabel. Hendrix says that the match could be considered a trainwreck. Goldust will also make his in-ring debut. What else does Gorilla Monsoon have in store?
Monsoon says we’ll have a first-time chance for the British Bulldog to battle Diesel for the WWF Championship. Monsoon says he also has this person’s “John Henry” (he means John Hancock) on a contract. Bret “Hitman” Hart will be in Winnipeg and sign a contract to face whoever the World Champion is at Survivor Series. The Intercontinental Championship will also be up for grabs as Shawn Michaels battles Dean Douglas.
As this is going on, The British Bulldog makes his entrance with Jim Cornette. Bulldog will battle The Undertaker, next.
-Commercial Break-
The British Bulldog waits in the ring with Jim Cornette.
The Undertaker makes his entrance with Paul Bearer trailing behind him. The main event of Raw is next.
-Commercial Break-
The British Bulldog w/ Jim Cornette vs. The Undertaker w/ Paul Bearer
Referee: Earl Hebner
We join the match in progress. The British Bulldog is outside the ring and tries to avoid Undertaker. Bulldog gets in the ring and attacks Undertaker as he gets in the ring. Bulldog sends him into the ropes, but he lowers his head, and Undertaker throws him down. Bulldog stumbles to the corner. Undertaker whips him hard to the opposite corner and grabs him by the throat. Undertaker releases before being disqualified and nearly scares the referee out of the ring. Bulldog punches him and sends him into the ropes, but Undertaker ducks a clothesline and hits a leaping lariat. Undertaker wrenches the arm and climbs to the top rope. Jim Cornette gets on the apron and shakes the ropes. Bulldog flips Undertaker down to the canvas.
The referee holds Paul Bearer back from going after Jim Cornette. Undertaker sits up, so Bulldog grabs him. Undertaker reverses a whip and big boots him down. Undertaker hits a scoop slam and goes for an elbow drop, but Bulldog moves. Bulldog clotheslines Undertaker over the top rope, but he lands on his feet. Cornette goes to attack him with his signature tennis racket, but Undertaker grabs him by the throat! Bulldog quickly hits Undertaker with a chop block to take him down. Bulldog whips Undertaker into the steel steps. Undertaker holds his knee in pain. Bulldog gets in the ring and taunts the crowd. Undertaker struggles to get to his feet. Bulldog goes to the apron and stomps Undertaker.
King Mabel and Sir Mo are standing in the aisleway. Mabel is scheduled to face the Undertaker at In Your House 4 in October.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, we see Waylon Mercy watching from the crowd. Mabel and Mo left. Bulldog tries to whip Undertaker, but his knee buckles. Bulldog grabs the leg and applies a single-leg crab. The crowd chants, “Rest in Peace.” Bulldog drives the knee into the canvas. Undertaker stumbles up and boots Bulldog before hitting a headbutt. Bulldog avoids a right hand and whips him hard into the corner. Bulldog sets up for a Running Powerslam, but Undertaker slides off and hits a back suplex.
Cornette slaps the mat to try to will Bulldog on. Undertaker slowly gets up, as does Bulldog. They exchange right hands before Undertaker uppercuts him down. Undertaker whips him to the corner and wrenches the arm. Undertaker heads to the top rope and starts to walk on it before coming off with a club to the back. Undertaker hobbles around upon landing. Undertaker sends him into the ropes, but he lowers his head. Bulldog quickly catches him with a piledriver! 1… 2… Undertaker kicks out and sits up. Bulldog quickly kicks him and hits a vertical suplex for another two-count. Undertaker sits up once again, and Bulldog looks concerned. Bulldog goes for a vertical suplex, but he’s gassed and drops him for what looks like an accidental falcon arrow. Undertaker kicks out at two and sits up. Bulldog sends him into the ropes, but Undertaker ducks a clothesline and hits a Chokeslam. The crowd is cheering for the Undertaker.
King Mabel comes down the aisleway and enters the ring. Bulldog knees Undertaker in the back, knocking him into Mabel. Mabel drops the Undertaker with a belly-to-belly side suplex. The referee calls the match off.
Winner by Disqualification: The Undertaker
Bulldog grabs the Undertaker and connects with a Running Powerslam. Mabel drops a leg for good measure. WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels and WWF Champion Diesel run down to make the save, scaring Mabel and Bulldog off. Sir Mo, as well as Yokozuna and Owen Hart, come to the ringside area. WWF Tag Team Champions The Smoking Gunns run down. Billy and Bart Gunn are covered in soap, insinuating that they came out of the shower to make the save. Mabel, Mo, Yokozuna, Hart, and Bulldog back off.
Video: WrestleMania XI: The Special is coming this Saturday night at 11 p.m.
Undertaker gets to his feet. Paul Bearer checks on him. Shawn Michaels, Diesel, and the Smoking Gunns talk a bit. The Undertaker shakes hands with HBK.
Mike’s Thoughts: All told, that wasn’t a bad match by any stretch with the Undertaker and the British Bulldog. Surprisingly, these two didn’t have many televised singles matches. This was actually their first one. I don’t think any of those matches had a clean finish. This was pretty solid. I was surprised to see Undertaker sell his knee so effectively at this point in his character. Good sell. However, that finish was super cheap. Oh well.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, WWF Champion Diesel and WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels are in the ring. HBK’s music is playing, and he’s dancing around. Vince McMahon does an awful dance while sitting at commentary.
Video: Last night at WWF In Your House 3, Razor Ramon hit Dean Douglas with a Razor’s Edge and covered, but Bob Backlund was distracting the referee. The 1-2-3 Kid ran in and counted the pin for whatever reason, but that’s not an official count. Ramon shoved the Kid out of the ring. Douglas then rolled Ramon up with a handful of tights for the win. Ramon and Kid were pulled apart after.
Next week, Razor Ramon and The 1-2-3 Kid will battle. Bret Hart will also take on Jean-Pierre Lafitte.
Diesel and Shawn Michaels continue to pose in the ring. HBK throws his t-shirt at Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler, absolutely delighting McMahon.
Video: The finish of the WWF Tag Team Championship match is shown as the show ends.
Quick Match Results
— Marty Jannetty def. Skip
— The Smoking Gunns (Bart and Billy Gunn) def. Owen Hart and Yokozuna (c’s) to win the WWF Tag Team Championship
— The Undertaker def. The British Bulldog via DQ
Mike’s Wrap-Up: What We Learned from Raw
Well, just a few weeks into the Monday Night War, and we have our first live head-to-head encounter. The previous two weeks’ taped shows were finished in August, before Nitro even debuted. Other than the PPV the night before, which was a disaster in terms of fanbase trust, this was the WWF’s first chance to actively respond to what WCW was doing on the other side.
So how did they respond with their first live show against WCW Nitro?
They delivered a title change… on free TV… one night after swerving the audience at a pay-per-view they paid to see (as the name implies).
Instead of following through with Diesel and Shawn Michaels winning the Tag Titles at In Your House, the belts were put on The Smoking Gunns, the team Owen Hart and Yokozuna beat for the titles at WrestleMania XI. It made sense since they were working their way up the ranks at least.
And I guess if you really, really want to be generous, yes, WWE recognizes that Diesel and Shawn held the Tag Titles for that one night. Technically, it happened. But they undid it just as fast, in the kind of crappy bait-and-switch that WWF was known for at this time.
Apparently, when the Triple Header match was first booked, Diesel and Shawn Michaels were supposed to win and hold the Tag Titles for a bit. Then one of them would turn heel to set up a big feud, but that got dropped because they had a better idea. Besides, that’s basically what happened from 1994 to WrestleMania XI in 1995. Or maybe they just got cold feet. Either way, probably for the best.
So was this title change a way to hotshot against Nitro, or was it a clean-up job from a botched PPV ending and a broken promise to their fanbase? Maybe both. Either way, this Raw didn’t have any sense of urgency. It was the same polished, sterile stuff they had been producing for eons. It certainly wasn’t going to intimidate WCW.
Speaking of WCW, just for some historical context, something big is going on with the show my buddy Roy Nemer is covering. Turner Broadcasting, which held World Championship Wrestling as one of its assets, announced a merger with Time Warner.
It’s fascinating that this happened just four weeks into the Monday Night War. It didn’t kill WCW overnight. In fact, Time Warner supported wrestling for a while, but it marked the beginning of Ted Turner’s control slipping away. Turner loved his wrestling and actively kept WCW going despite losses. And when that control was fully out of his hands and guys like Jamie Kellner came in years later, WCW was toast. So, while Nitro is making waves now, the corporate tide was already starting to shift.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Who won?
— WWF Raw (USA Network, live): 1.9 (Record: 2-1)
— WCW Nitro (TNT, live): 2.7 (Record: 1-2)
Winner: WCW Nitro
For the first time in the Monday Night War, WCW Nitro defeated WWF Raw in a live head-to-head match-up. Interestingly, it’s a total reversal of the ratings from the previous week, which saw Raw win with a 2.7 rating to Nitro’s 1.9.
That’s a rough number for WWF coming off a PPV, but maybe with all the overbooking and the crap they pulled to get out of the full title change, it turned people off? Or maybe people really wanted to watch Meng and Lex Luger slap meat.
Raw is taped next week, so let’s see how that goes. Will they bounce back, or fall further behind?
The War for Monday Night – September 25, 1995
(TL;DR version)
For the first time in the Monday Night War, Nitro beats Raw in a live head-to-head showdown… and it’s not even close. The 2.7 to 1.9 swing is a total reversal of last week’s numbers, and it’s a clear signal that WCW’s chaotic energy is connecting with viewers.
WWF counterpunched (sort of) by delivering a Tag Team Title change on free TV, one night after swerving fans at a PPV they were promised a title change on. That may have been an attempt to make things right, but it certainly doesn’t come across as inspired. Raw was live, but it felt predictable. Too safe, too sanitized.
Meanwhile, on Nitro, you’ve got Lex Luger going at it with Meng, craziness with Savage and Sullivan, and you didn’t know what was coming next. To be fair, WCW probably didn’t either. Still, WCW had the edge, the stars, and, for the first time, a ratings win.
And off-camera, something bigger was happening. Turner Broadcasting announced its merger with Time Warner this week. It didn’t matter at that point (it wouldn’t be complete for another year), but it eventually would. Ted Turner’s grip on WCW and television was starting to slip, and once that grip was gone, there’d be no one to save it.
For now, Raw went live this week, but WCW felt alive.
For all the chaos on the other side of the dial, don’t miss Roy Nemer’s recap of WCW Nitro!
Did you miss the In Your House 3 recap? Check it out here!
Check out last week’s Raw!
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.