WWF Monday Night Raw Results
November 20, 1995
Richmond, Virginia (Richmond Coliseum)
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 the WWF Survivor Series, Bret Hart and Diesel battled in an epic WWF Championship match. Photos are shown from the match. Hart pinned Diesel to end his one-year reign as champion. After the match, Diesel, now the former WWF Champion, attacked Hart with two Jackknife Powerbombs.
Video: The WWF Raw video intro video plays.
We go live into the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia to see some fireworks go off over the ring. Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler welcome us to the show. Shawn Michaels will battle Owen Hart in the main event. Lawler asks if he has to talk so loud. His head is still ringing from the Tombstone Piledriver he took from the Undertaker the night before.
Replay: Last week on Raw, The 1-2-3 Kid helped Sid defeat WWF Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon, joining forces with Ted DiBiase.
Photos: The 1-2-3 Kid was the sole survivor in his Survivor Series Elimination Match. Sid helped Kid get the win. Before the match, Razor Ramon tried to attack Kid. Later in the evening, Kid was responsible for Ramon getting eliminated in his match.
Backstage Segment
We see The 1-2-3 Kid embracing “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase.
Hakushi vs. The 1-2-3 Kid w/ “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase
Referee: Tim White
The bell rings, and they circle the ring. The crowd chants, “Razor.” Kid does not look pleased.
WWF Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon calls into the show. Ramon says he thought Kid was like his little brother, but he ripped him off and sold him out. Kid knows how bad Ramon can be. Kid crossed him, so now he will pay. Kid thought Ramon was holding him down. Kid joined the Million Dollar Corporation, but he’s just small change.
Back to the match, Kid whips Hakushi into the ropes, but Hakushi shoulder tackles him. Hakushi hits the ropes and rolls under a spinkick from Kid. Hakushi connects with a dropkick and an arm drag. Hakushi locks in an armbar. Marty Jannetty runs down, but referees hold him back from getting into the ring. Kid pinned Jannetty at the Survivor Series to win his match.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, order has been restored. Jannetty has been sent to the back. Kid kicks Hakushi down before applying a hangman. Hakushi fights out and blocks a kick, but Kid catches him on the rebound with a step-up kick. Kid applies a rear chin lock. Hakushi quickly fights up and elbows out. Hakushi avoids a spinkick and hits some uppercuts. Hakushi sends him to the ropes for a dropkick, but Kid holds the ropes. Kid drops an elbow for a two-count. Kid connects with a scoop slam and taunts the crowd before heading to the top rope. Kid connects with a splash for a near fall.
Kid sends Hakushi into the ropes, but Hakushi ducks a clothesline and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Hakushi slowly gets up and hits some uppercut strikes. Hakushi punches him down twice before sending him to the corner. Hakushi hits a handspring back elbow, followed by a running headbutt for a two-count. Hakushi heads to the top rope and hits a diving shoulder tackle. Hakushi covers for a two-count. Hakushi sends him into the ropes for a back body drop. Hakushi then hits a thrust kick that sends Kid flying out of the ring. Hakushi goes to the top rope, but DiBiase shoves him down to the canvas. The referee was checking on Kid. Kid gets in the ring and hits a spinning heel kick for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: The 1-2-3 Kid
Ted DiBiase gets in the ring to celebrate with his newest acquisition. DiBiase reaches into his pocket and gives Kid some money.
-Commercial Break-
Jerry “The King” Lawler is at ringside with “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase and The 1-2-3 Kid. Lawler says he’s said a lot of derogatory things about Kid, but he’s proud of him now. They shake hands. DiBiase says The 1-2-3 Kid is new and improved. DiBiase says he bought him a match at the Survivor Series. Kid defeated the entire Underdog team, especially that punk Marty Jannetty. DiBiase taunts Jannetty.
Marty Jannetty returns to ringside and confronts DiBiase and Kid. Sycho Sid intercepts him and says if he wants the Kid, he has to go through him. Sid beats Jannetty down, and Kid gets some licks in there. DiBiase holds the referees back as Sid hits Jannetty with a Powerbomb ON THE FLOOR! Sid says that’s what you get if you mess with the Kid and the Master and the Ruler of the World!
Mike’s Thoughts: Yikes, what a bump for Marty Jannetty! Powerbombs on the floor are no joke. Sid protected him a bit, but that didn’t look like fun. This live Raw is taking place after the taped the next three weeks of the show. I wonder what that was like for the live crowd to watch basically three episodes that follow the live episode that has yet to take place. Anyway, the match with the 1-2-3 Kid and Hakushi was good. They’re still trying to establish Kid as a credible heel, so they probably didn’t get to do as much as they could’ve together, but it was good while it lasted.
Slam Jam with Doc Hendrix
Doc Hendrix is flipping out in his Slam Jam den. Anything can happen in the World Wrestling Federation. Every time he turns around, something is happening, especially on Raw. Hendrix puts over the Survivor Series event and says he couldn’t sleep following it.
The next pay per view is on December 17 from Hershey, Pennsylvania. At In Your House, Bret Hart will defend the WWF Championship against The British Bulldog. Hendrix talks about their history and their classic match at SummerSlam 1992.
Video: The British Bulldog is with Jim Cornette. Bulldog says he’s coming to Hershey, that scumhole, to take that WWF Championship from Bret Hart. Bulldog has defeated him before and will do it again.
Back to Hendrix, he announces that Hunter Hearst Helmsley will battle Henry O. Godwinn in a Hog Pen Match. There will be a Hog Pen outside the ring. If you get thrown into the pen, you’re the loser.
Backstage Segment
We cut to backstage to see the former WWF Champion “Big Daddy Cool” Diesel entering the Richmond Coliseum. Diesel does not look to be in a good mood.
We go back to Hendrix. He plugs In Your House again. As the weeks keep coming, he’ll tell us more about In Your House.
In the ring, Skip and Sunny are making their entrance.
Backstage Segment
Backstage, we see Diesel talking to Shawn Michaels.
-Commercial Break-
Video: The WWF World Tour de Force continues. Tomorrow night, they’ll be at the Wicomico Center in Salisbury, Maryland (they’ll tape more Raw episodes there). On Friday, they’ll be at the CoreStates Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This Saturday, they head to Madison Square Garden in New York City. On Sunday, they’ll be at the Catholic Youth Center in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Next Monday, they’ll be at the War Memorial in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
WWF Raw is brought you by Milton Bradley’s Karate Fighters.
Savio Vega makes his entrance. As he comes down the aisleway, he greets Barry Didinsky. Didinsky is joined by three women, and they’re all modeling some hideous denim jackets with WWF Superstars on the back. They’re $59.95, which is $126.77 in today’s money.
Skip w/ Sunny vs. Savio Vega
Referee: Jack Doan
The bell rings, and Vega starts to punch away at Skip. Skip slides through the legs and hits an enzuigiri. Skip pulls Vega to his feet. Vega reverses a whip, but Skip avoids a thrust kick. Vega counters a dropkick and catapults him into the corner. Vega sends Skip to the corner, but Skip slingshots over him, ducks a clothesline, and hits a running crossbody for a one-count. Skip punches away at Vega before going for a suplex, but Vega blocks it. Vega connects with a vertical suplex. Vega sends Skip into the ropes and hits a back body drop. Vega sends Skip to the corner and hits a running clothesline. Vega chops the chest a few times before hitting a hip toss. Skip quickly stuns him with a kick to the midsection.
All of a sudden, “Big Daddy Cool” Diesel saunters down to ringside. Vega hits Skip with a back body drop over the top rope. Diesel approaches Skip and shoves him down before telling Vega to get out of his ring.
No Contest
Diesel grabs a microphone and says a lot of people are probably wondering where his head is at. Diesel thought about apologizing for what he did to Bret Hart and his dear fans… Diesel says, “I don’t think so.” Last night, when he went back to his hotel room, he wondered if he’d ever get any sleep. For the first time in a year, he slept like a baby. When he woke up this morning and looked in the mirror, Diesel saw a smile on his face for the first time in a year. Diesel saw himself, not some corporate puppet that Vince McMahon decided to create. McMahon missed the ball on him. After he won the title, he was up at Titan Towers 24 hours later with the merchandising suits, telling him that he needs to smile, be politically correct, and more corporate.
What they saw from him last night was the tip of the iceberg. Diesel says, “Big Daddy Cool is back. That same guy you saw in Providence at the Royal Rumble a couple of years ago.” Diesel puts on some sunglasses. All that matters to him right now is his family, his friends, including Shawn Michaels… Diesel isn’t saying he won’t smack hands, but it better have a black glove on, so he knows they’re with him. Whether you like him, love him, or hate him, that’s the way it’s going to be. Diesel is back.
Diesel slaps hands with someone wearing a black glove and heads to the back. When he gets there, Shawn Michaels is waiting for him. They high-five, and Diesel leaves the Richmond Coliseum.
Mike’s Thoughts: Really strong follow-up from the heel turn at Survivor Series for Kevin Nash. This was edgy in a way that had not been done up to this point in the World Wrestling Federation. Calling out Vince McMahon, who to many was just the affable, campy lead commentator of the show, talking about merchandising suits and playing the corporate game… really good stuff.
What I love here is that Nash didn’t go full heel. He said he’d stay loyal to those who are loyal to him, symbolized by wearing the black glove. This is a different kind of heel turn, which, again, hadn’t really been done up to this point (and also a shrewd business move on Nash’s part to get people to buy his merch). This isn’t the old “I’m a bad guy, so screw all you fans.” It’s calculated rebellion. This is that in-between, kind of anti-hero turn here.
In hindsight, to me, this was a controlled prototype of what Nash would be doing in WCW a few short months later as they started to kick off the nWo storyline. Heck, one could argue it’s setting a foundation on which “Stone Cold” Steve Austin will build his character off. I don’t know if this move gets the credit it may well deserve. This was one of the first cracks in the old-school WWF babyface model… and Nash played it perfectly.
Video: The encore presentation of the WWF Survivor Series is coming tomorrow night at 8 p.m. Eastern.
Coming up next, Shawn Michaels will battle Owen Hart.
-Commercial Break-
Video: Next week on Raw, The Undertaker will return to Raw to battle Kama. Brother Love will also return to interview WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart.
Owen Hart is in the ring with Jim Cornette. Shawn Michaels soon makes his entrance to a HUGE ovation. This will be HBK’s first match back on Raw since early-October. It’s next.
-Commercial Break-
Owen Hart w/ Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette vs. Shawn Michaels
Referee: Earl Hebner
The bell rings, and they lock up. Hart hooks a side headlock, so HBK whips him off. Hart shoulder tackles him down for a two-count. Hart hits the ropes and hits another shoulder tackle for a two-count. Hart hits a headlock takeover for another two-count. HBK grapevines the head, but Hart counters into a jackknife pin for a two-count. HBK bridges up and does a backslide pin for a two-count. HBK hits a pair of arm drags, followed by a back body drop. HBK dropkicks Hart out of the ring and celebrates.
Hart takes a moment to recover before getting on the apron. HBK grabs the arm and pulls him over the top rope before wrenching the arm. Hart whips him off and drops down. Hart goes for a leapfrog, but HBK puts the brakes on before hitting a hurricanrana and connecting with some strikes to the head. HBK tries to clothesline him over the top rope, but Hart avoids it. Hart clotheslines him over the top rope before crushing him with a baseball slide. Mr. Fuji waves the Japanese flag in the background as the crowd chants, “USA.” Vince McMahon talks about the attack on Michaels in Syracuse. He also mentions all the punishment HBK took in his return match at Survivor Series last night. Hart pulls HBK up to the apron and goes to suplex him into the ring. HBK gets out of it, but Hart counters with a beautiful German Suplex with a bridge for a two-count. Hart punches and uppercuts HBK down before stomping the midsection. Hart connects with a backbreaker before stomping the spine. Hart whips HBK hard into the corner before hitting a vertical suplex for a two-count. Hart applies a rear chin lock. HBK soon fights up and elbows out. HBK hits the ropes, but Hart drops down and hits a jumping heel kick for a near fall.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, HBK is fighting up from another rear chin lock. HBK elbows out and sends him into the ropes. Hart quickly counters back with a neckbreaker, followed by a leg drop for a near fall. Hart sends HBK into the ropes, but HBK catches him ducking with a backslide pin for a two-count. Hart pops up and clotheslines HBK down. Hart drops a knee on HBK. Hart uppercuts HBK into the corner before whipping him to the opposite corner. Hart charges, but HBK elbows him in the face. HBK punches him, but Hart rakes the eyes and hits a headbutt. Hart props HBK on the top rope and goes for a superplex, but HBK shifts his weight to land on Hart for a near fall.
Hart clubs HBK and sends him into the ropes. HBK ducks a clothesline and hits a flying forearm. Both men are down. Hart slowly gets up. HBK kips up and starts jabbing away at Hart before punching him in the face. HBK whips him hard into the corner and hits a flying forearm. Hart stomps the face and hits a scoop slam. HBK heads to the top rope and delivers a flying elbow drop for a near fall. Hart gets up and stumbles to the corner. HBK whips him sternum-first into the turnbuckles and starts to tune up the band. Hart sneakily pulls the top turnbuckle pad off. HBK drags him out of the corner and connects with an enzuigiri to the back of the head. Hart goes for a Sharpshooter, but HBK pokes him in the eyes to get out of the hold. Hart punches him and sends him into the ropes. HBK ducks a clothesline. HBK goes for a right hand, but Hart ducks and goes for a back suplex. HBK flips through it and lands on his feet. HBK goes for a roll-up, but Hart holds the ropes. HBK then clotheslines him over the top rope and skins the cat to get in the ring.
HBK celebrates in the ring as the crowd erupts. HBK then looks a little woozy… and he collapses. The cheers of the crowd subside and a buzz breaks out in the Richmond Coliseum. Earl Hebner kicks HBK’s foot, but there is no response. Hebner runs out of the ring to get help. Jim Cornette confers with Hart in the corner. They look totally confused. Vince McMahon gets in the ring as we go to commercial.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, medical professionals are in the ring with an oxygen tank. They slowly roll Shawn Michaels over and apply an oxygen mask to him. Replays are shown of Michaels celebrating before collapsing in the ring. They’re in the ring treating this as a serious situation. They use scissors to cut Michaels’ black glove off. McMahon rubs his brow in the corner, looking worried about his top star. Jerry “The King” Lawler is at ringside looking for updates. There is no commentary at all on the show.
-Commercial Break-
Pat Patterson is in the ring asking Michaels if he can hear him. They show some closeups of some devastated female fans. Michaels still has not moved. Michaels does eventually open his eyes and start blinking. The oxygen mask is strapped to his face.
Quick Match Results
— The 1-2-3 Kid def. Hakushi
— Skip vs. Savio Vega went to a No Contest
— Owen Hart vs. Shawn Michaels went to a No Contest
Mike’s Wrap-Up: What We Learned from Raw
Well, that’s one of the all-time classic angles from WWF in the mid-1990s. If you were watching during this era, you probably vividly remember the Shawn Michaels collapse and the fallout from it. It was one of those rare moments where wrestling blurred the line between fiction and reality. They played it off incredibly well. Of course, The Wrestling Observer issue at the time started in with the fake outrage over the angle, calling it tasteless and saying they should have been more sensitive because an Olympic athlete had passed away earlier that day, as if long planned wrestling angles have to bow to the news of the day. Compared to things they had tried in the past and would try in the future (the angles following Eddie Guerrero’s exploitation angles come to mind), this barely registers on the outrage scale.
This was a defining moment for Shawn Michaels. The Syracuse incident was horrific, but in a strange twist, the beating was almost a blessing in disguise for his professional career as it accelerated his path to superstardom. To be clear, Shawn Michaels would have been a main eventer and a Hall of Famer regardless of this, but would it have happened so fast and been so effective? Who’s to say? As it stands, this was a clear launch.
This whole Raw was really one jam packed with action and interesting things. Probably the best episode of 1995… and perhaps ever up to this point in the show’s history. The Diesel promo was pretty groundbreaking for it’s time and kind of set the blueprint for the more reality based storylines they would do in the coming future that would change the industry in good ways and bad. And this Shawn Michaels angle and how far they went to make it seem legit? It showed good fight from a company that had largely been on autopilot doing the same old, same old for years. They weren’t quite “attitude” yet, but the seeds were being planted.
This show went head-to-head with Hulk Hogan vs. Sting, a match that in a few years would produce one of WCW’s most anticipated events and also be the vehicle for one of their greatest missed opportunities (and they had plenty of those), but the only story from the end of this battle in the Monday Night War was Shawn Michaels.
Did this show up in the ratings?
WWF Raw (USA Network, taped): 2.3 (Record: 5-4-2)
WCW Nitro (TNT, live): 2.5 (Record: 4-5-2)
Winner: WCW Nitro
Following the trend for the last few months, the live Raw following a PPV event gets beat by WCW. For whatever reason, the taped shows did better against Nitro. Hogan vs. Sting definitely had some major pull, but I’m wondering if people regretted not tuning into Raw after all that happened on it.
The War for Monday Night – November 20, 1995
(TL;DR version)
Raw delivered one of its most memorable angles ever with the Shawn Michaels collapse — the kind of moment fans still talk about decades later. Add in Kevin Nash’s sharp, reality-based promo and you’ve got one of the most compelling Raws of 1995.
Nitro countered with a big-time main event in Hulk Hogan vs. Sting, but even with the star power, WCW’s show didn’t generate the same buzz Raw did by the end of the night.
Check out Roy Nemer’s recap for more!
Email – mike@wrestleview.com
X – @MikeTedescoWV
Survivor Series 1995 | Last week’s Raw | Last week’s Nitro
Thanks for reading!
Part of Wrestleview’s Monday Night War: 30 Years Later series, with weekly Raw and Nitro recaps every Thursday.