WWF Monday Night Raw Results
January 22, 1996
Stockton, California (Stockton 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.
The warning comes up on the screen.
Video: Sunny, who is chalking up a cue stick, says Monday Night Raw contains action of a graphic nature. In a low-cut dress, she leans over the pool table and hits the balls. She turns and says, “Viewer discretion is advised.”
Video: Last night’s Royal Rumble marked the dawn of a new era in the World Wrestling Federation. From the shocking to the bizarre to the titillating to the revolting, it was outrageous. Also, Shawn Michaels’ career seemed all but over a few months ago, but he stunned everyone and made WWF history in the process. The Bizarre One also became the champion as Goldust won the WWF Intercontinental Championship. As for the WWF Championship, the champion still reigns, but there are dark clouds on the horizon.
This is the first stop on the Road to WrestleMania! Tonight, we’ll see WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart vs. WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust. Hunter Hearst Helmsley will battle Razor Ramon. We’ll also see an interview with Shawn Michaels, the man going to WrestleMania.
Video: The Raw video plays.
We go live in the Stockton Civic Auditorium. Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler welcome us to the show. Lawler can’t wait until Goldust finishes off Bret Hart.
Savio Vega is in the ring. Jim Cornette gets on the microphone and starts shouting. Cornette says he doesn’t want to rain on everyone’s parade, but he has an answer about the most important question in the world today. It’s not a question of Whitewater, the budget deficit, or international politics. It’s a very simple question: What time is it? It’s Vader Time!
Vader makes his entrance for the first time on Monday Night Raw.
Savio Vega vs. Vader w/ Jim Cornette
Referee: Jimmy Korderas
Vader, with his tights on backward again, flexes his muscles. They lock up, and Vader shoves him off before flexing again. Vader taunts the crowd before locking up with Vega again. Vader powers Vega to the corner and smashes him down with some bear paws. Vader backs up and taunts the crowd again. Vader stands him up in the corner and lays in some forearms to the chin and the chest before punching him down. Vader spits on Vega and angrily glares at the crowd. Vader backs up and goes for an avalanche, but Vega moves. Vega hits some punches and a thrust kick that sends Vader over the top rope. Vader lands on his feet and quickly pulls Vega out of the ring. Vader drops him throat-first on the metal barricade before rolling him into the ring. Vega is struggling to get to his feet. Vader knocks Vega to the corner and hits some more devastating strikes. Vader sends him to the opposite corner and avalanches him. Vader sets him up and goes to the corner. Vader crushes him with a Vader Bomb for the win!
Winner by Pinfall: Vader
Vader poses in the ring with Jim Cornette. Vader then grabs Vega and slams him down to the canvas. Cornette holds the referee back as Vader goes to the second rope for another Vader Bomb on Vega. Vader chokes him for a moment before grabbing the referee by the hair. Vader headbutts him twice before sending him out of the ring! Cornette tries to talk some sense into Vader, who is out of control. Referee Jack Doan runs in, but Vader punches him and CRUSHES him with a nasty Powerbomb!
Interim WWF President Gorilla Monsoon gets in the ring and checks on Doan before getting in Vader’s face. Cornette is begging Vader to leave the ring. Vader yells back at Monsoon. Monsoon calls for ring announcer Manny Garcia and whispers something to him. Garcia announces that Gorilla Monsoon has suspended Vader indefinitely!
Vader is irate and shoves Jim Cornette away! Vader angrily approaches Monsoon, and they go face-to-face. Monsoon chest bumps him back and takes off his glasses. Cornette begs Vader to stop and let him handle this.
Vader blows by Cornette and taps Monsoon on the shoulder. Monsoon is still checking on the referee and doesn’t turn. Vader smacks him on the back, infuriating Monsoon. Monsoon chops Vader back, and Cornette steps in between them. Monsoon stands Doan up in the corner, and Vader avalanches Monsoon into the referee! Monsoon takes a bump, and Vader drops an elbow on the Interim President of the WWF. Vader drags Monsoon to the corner and crushes him with a Vader Bomb!
Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon run down, and Vader quickly escapes the ring. WWF officials run down to assist. Cornette pulls Vader away from Vince McMahon. Vader screams at McMahon, and McMahon is irate. Vader furiously storms off as the crowd loudly boos Vader. Policemen get in the ring to keep Vader back. Monsoon is unconscious.
Mike’s Thoughts: The phenomenal debut for Vader continues. He looked like a totally unstoppable force here. Vince McMahon said the Royal Rumble marked the dawn of a new era in the WWF, and after this segment, it doesn’t appear that he was lying. They did things in this that they hadn’t done before or hadn’t done in a long time. Vader laying out the referees with abandon was awesome. Jack Doan is a legend for taking that powerbomb. Then the attack on Gorilla Monsoon… that was absolutely powerful. I was only eight years old at the time, and I still remember this!
This was a phenomenal angle to write Vader off for a bit while he undergoes shoulder surgery. Vader declaring war on the WWF wrestlers and officials, including Vince McMahon, was a great send-off and set him up strong for an awesome return. It’ll all be in the follow-up.
-Commercial Break-
During the commercial break, Gorilla Monsoon was put on a stretcher and brought out of the Stockton Civic Center.
Replays show what just happened between Vader and Gorilla Monsoon.
Locker Room Segment
Vader is holding Jim Cornette by his collar. Cornette is begging him off. Vader screams that he is declaring war on every wrestler in the WWF, as well as every official, including Mr. McMahon. Vader goes to say another name, but he can’t think of it, so he screams instead. Vader destroys the locker room.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley makes his way to the ring alongside a woman named Shae Marks.
As Razor Ramon makes his way to the ring, still photos are shown from his Intercontinental Championship match against Goldust last night. Ramon lost the title following interference from the 1-2-3 Kid.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley w/ Shae Marks vs. Razor Ramon
Referee: Earl Hebner
The crowd loudly chants, “Razor,” as the camera goes up and down on Shae Marks’ body.
As the bell rings to start the match, we see a video with The 1-2-3 Kid and “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. DiBiase pretends to cry like a baby, and Kid says he’s acting like Razor Ramon. They hold up a large bottle and a diaper, saying Ramon is crying like a baby after losing fair and square. Kid says the only way to deal with a baby is to put a bottle in their mouth.
In the ring, they lock up, and Helmsley hooks a side headlock. Helmsley wrenches the arm, but Ramon punches him down twice. Helmsley pulls himself up in the corner before they lock up. Ramon wrenches the arm and drives his shoulder into Helmsley. Ramon lifts him up and slams him down with his arm. Ramon wrenches the arm, but Helmsley fights back. Ramon shoves him to the corner, but Helmsley ducks a strike. Helmsley punches away at him. Ramon reverses a whip to the corner and hits a clothesline. Helmsley drops to the mat, then gets up. Ramon ducks a clothesline and hits an atomic drop before punching him down. Ramon charges, but Helmsley pulls the top rope down to get him out of the ring.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Helmsley hits Ramon with a baseball slide. We see Shae Marks. Helmsley gets Ramon on the apron and tries to suplex him in, but Ramon fights it. Helmsley drops him crotch first on the top rope. Jerry “The King” Lawler is flirting with Shae Marks. Helmsley shoulders Ramon in the corner before whipping him hard into the opposite corner. Helmsley uppercuts him and sends him hard into the corner again. Helmsley gets him back in the corner and whips to the opposite side. Ramon puts the brakes on, but Helmsley knocks him face-first into the ring post. Helmsley connects with a clothesline for a two-count.
Helmsley puts Ramon in the corner and kicks and punches him. Ramon is stumbling around as Helmsley hits some stinging right jabs. Helmsley uppercuts him down before the referee admonishes him. All of a sudden, The 1-2-3 Kid comes down to ringside and sticks the baby bottle in Ramon’s mouth. Helmsley grabs Ramon, but Ramon shoves and punches him down. Ramon then chases after the Kid. Kid runs around ringside and spits at him. Ramon continues to chase him before being counted out.
Winner by Countout: Hunter Hearst Helmsley
Razor Ramon is furious and gets in the ring to punch Helmsley down. Ramon sets up for a Razor’s Edge, but Helmsley escapes and embraces Shae Marks. They leave together.
Mike’s Thoughts: Hunter Hearst Helmsley looked fantastic in this. You can definitely tell that he’s a future star who might be getting a break soon. After suffering through a lame feud with a cartoonish hog farmer, they’re definitely setting him up to have a rocket strapped to his back. He looked super confident in this. As for Razor Ramon, since it’s been clear he wasn’t going to be signing a new deal, he hasn’t really had a single good match in this entire Monday Night War series. Maybe a match or two against The 1-2-3 Kid, but he’s in the Kliq. The feud with Goldust was uncomfortable and filled with stiff shots. Here, against Helmsley, another member of the Kliq, he’s back to having good matches. But the idea of him continuing to feud with The 1-2-3 Kid with diapers and a baby bottle now in the mix is… weird, to say the very least.
Vince McMahon throws it to the last edition of Billionaire Ted’s Wrasslin’ War Room, which is presented for “comedic purposes only.”
Billionaire Ted’s Wrasslin’ War Room
Billionaire Ted is seated with his executives. Ted says he built this company into what it is today by doing one thing well: buying old assets and repackaging them. He bought old movies, cartoons, and wrestlers. Ted is tired of stealing every idea from the WWF. For once, he wants them to put their heads together and come up with one original idea. None of the executives says anything. The Huckster falls asleep. Scheme Gene says he has an idea, but you have to call his hotline to find out about it. Everyone grabs their phones as Billionaire Ted puts his head in his hands.
A voiceover says, “The new WWF Generation: don’t fall for cheap imitations.”
-Commercial Break-
Dok Hendrix is with an in-house band. Vince McMahon says that’s Dok Hendrix and the Raw Band.
Shawn Michaels talks about winning back-to-back Royal Rumbles
Vince McMahon is in the ring and introduces the man who made WWF history last night. He’s the most flamboyant superstar in the world today, Shawn Michaels! Shawn Michaels makes his way to the ring to a great reaction. McMahon says Michaels is heading to WrestleMania.
McMahon congratulates him on his victory. Michaels says he doesn’t want to say, “I told you so,” but he told you so. HBK is back in the saddle again. It’s a three-step program for the Heartbreak Kid. The 1996 Royal Rumble? Done. WrestleMania? Gonna happen. Between now and then, it seems that the Kliq has a little something to handle. That would be some young man running around the World Wrestling Federation, taking credit for putting him out. First, there are nine guys in Syracuse, New York, who can take credit for that. As for those nine chumps, he’ll take care of them in due time. The other one is Owen Hart. Nobody talks trash in the World Wrestling Federation except Michaels. HBK and his Kliq are going to their dream: the World Wrestling Federation Championship.
Jim Cornette gets in the ring. McMahon asks if he’s here to apologize for what Vader did. Cornette says he’s not down here to get beaten up. If Michaels is going to bandy around Owen Hart’s name, he has to talk to Cornette because he signs the contracts. Hart has already proven his point. Michaels can blame who he wants, but it was Hart who knocked HBK out of commission and almost finished him off. McMahon asks how it felt when he saw Michaels dump Yokozuna and Vader over the top rope at the Royal Rumble, as well as Cornette. Cornette says he doesn’t want Michaels putting his hands on him or his men anymore. Hart already beat him. There’s no incentive to give HBK another match. From now on, Hart will be known as the guy who put the Heartbreak Kid out of commission.
Michaels suggests giving money or anything he wants, but he has to have Owen Hart. Michaels would do anything in the world to get his hands on Hart. Cornette asks what he said. Anything? Michaels has something Hart wants. Michaels won the Royal Rumble and a title shot at WrestleMania, something he worked for twelve years to get. That’s HBK’s prized possession, so if he wants Owen Hart in the ring, he has to put that on the line.
Michaels says he’s waited eleven long years for the chance he’s given himself. Cornette mocks him and says he doesn’t care what he’s done. If he’s a chicken, say so. If he’s a mouse, then he should squeak. Michaels asks the Kliq how bad they want Owen Hart. The crowd cheers. Michaels says, “Well, if the Kliq wants it, they get it!” Michaels says Cornette has it. When he’s done with Owen Hart, he’ll do to him what he’s about to do to Cornette. Michaels throws Cornette over the top rope! Michaels dances around the ring.
Mike’s Thoughts: Solid segment to set up getting that loose end tied up before WrestleMania for Shawn Michaels. He clearly has to go after Owen Hart before the WWF Championship match. It makes sense and also gives him something to fill up the time and keep him hot ahead of the big title match, which is still months away.
Coming up next, WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart battles WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust.
-Commercial Break-
After the Super Bowl, it’ll be Super Monday on Raw. Diesel will battle The British Bulldog. Shawn Michaels will also take on Yokozuna.
Dok Hendrix is with the Raw Band. One of the players is Jim Johnston.
Video: WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust is with Marlena. They had an Oscar Award-winning performance. The gold is his. What’s his next role? Bret Hart, the Calgary Cowboy? There are some things a man can’t run away from. Goldust is one of them. Hart will remember the name of Goldust.
Non-Title Match
WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust w/ Marlena vs. WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart
Referee: Tim White
Video: Last night at the Royal Rumble, Hart injured his knee dropping an elbow off the second rope on the Undertaker.
The usher is at ringside with Marlena (Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler identified her by name). They circle the ring, and Goldust slides across the ring before rubbing himself. Marlena is seated in a director’s chair and rubbing her body as well. They lock up, and Hart powers Goldust to the corner. Hart backs up, and Goldust appears to have liked that.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Hart has Goldust on the mat and is applying a hammerlock. Goldust fights up and backs him into the ropes before punching him. Goldust stomps and punches Hart in the corner before choking him. Goldust grabs him by the hair and punches him down with a shot to the forehead. Goldust wrenches the arm and applies a hammerlock. Goldust has the WWF Champion grounded as he cinches in the hammerlock. Hart fights up and runs to drive Goldust out of the ring.
-Commercial Break-
We return from the break to see Goldust go to the top rope and hit a flying fist. Goldust applies an armbar to the WWF Champion. Hart fights up to his feet and punches out. Hart punches Goldust to the corner and rakes his face on the top rope. Hart punches Goldust, but Goldust takes him down and attempts a Sharpshooter. Hart kicks Goldust out of the ring. Marlena grabs Goldust and pulls him back to the locker room.
All of a sudden, Razor Ramon shows up behind Goldust and punches him down before throwing him into the ring. Hart drops a leg on Goldust. Goldust begins to beg him off.
-Commercial Break-
Back from another break, we see Hart hit Goldust with a diving clothesline. Hart connects with a Russian leg sweep before grabbing the legs. Hart applies a Sharpshooter, and the Bizarre One has no choice but to tap out.
Winner by Submission: Bret “Hitman” Hart
Vince McMahon gets in the ring to interview WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart. Either he has a black eye or some of Goldust’s black makeup got on Hart’s face. Hart says he wants to make something clear: his fans were robbed of a decision by Diesel. The Undertaker feels he won that match, but Hart doesn’t feel the same way. No one will ever know because it was all Diesel’s fault. Diesel has been a thorn in his side for a long time. Hart wants the rematch with Diesel in the Steel Cage so he won’t have any more excuses.
Diesel can take all of his pathetic excuses about corporations making him change his personality. When he steps into the ring with Hart, he’ll find out why he’s the best. As for the Undertaker, he wouldn’t do that to him. Hart will give him a rematch. Hart says he’s deadly in a cage.
Mike’s Thoughts: This was a so-so match with Bret Hart and Goldust. It wasn’t a long match, and they worked in three commercial breaks, so it felt largely disjointed and incomplete by the time it got to the finish. They managed to work Razor Ramon into the match to keep his feud going with Goldust for a little while longer. I’m also not sure what good purpose it serves to have the newly minted Intercontinental Champion tap out on his first day as champion, but I guess they thought Bret Hart vs. Goldust would be a formidable main event to rival WCW Nitro.
Jerry “The King” Lawler runs down the card for next week’s Raw, which is Super Monday. In addition to Diesel vs. The British Bulldog and Shawn Michaels vs. Yokozuna, we’ll get an update on Gorilla Monsoon’s condition. We’ll also have a press conference with Billionaire Ted, where he’ll respond to the question of why he wants to put the World Wrestling Federation out of business.
Video: Footage is shown of Vader attacking Gorilla Monsoon as the show comes to an end.
Quick Match Results
— Vader def. Savio Vega
— Hunter Hearst Helmsley def. Razor Ramon via CO
— WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart def. WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust via Submission in a Non-Title Match
Mike’s Wrap-Up: What We Learned from Raw
This was a really solid effort from the WWF on this episode of Raw. It wasn’t a flashy show from top to bottom, but it was packed with direction and intent. This episode had everything the WWF was mostly lacking for much of 1995.
The story of the night was aggression. Vader’s rampage was shocking for the standards of the day, laying out referees, Gorilla Monsoon, who was all but untouchable, and effectively declaring war on the entire company. That angle alone signaled a huge tonal shift away from the goofy cartoon chaos of plumbers and evil dentists. This was violent, personal, and uncomfortable in a way that Raw had never been. For a company that was resting on its laurels for years, that kind of felt like a statement.
At the same time, Shawn Michaels officially stepped into the role of the guy. I’m sure Bret Hart would have something to say about that (and he did in his book), but HBK’s promo on this show with all the confidence and bravado cements him firmly as the centerpiece of the company heading into WrestleMania and beyond. The Syracuse incident, the collapse angle, and now this Owen Hart challenge all fit together seamlessly. The WWF didn’t get a ton of stuff right in this era, but they built Shawn Michaels up well.
As for Bret Hart, his match with Goldust represents a bit of the company’s transition. Bret is clearly always going to be the steady backbone (for the time being, at least) while Goldust pushed boundaries and provoked reactions.
Last week’s Raw heading into the Royal Rumble featured one of the most lopsided defeats against WCW Monday Nitro of the entire Monday Night War up to this point. Coming off a hot angle with a debuting Vader, Shawn Michaels returning, and WrestleMania build heating up, how did this show fare against Nitro?
WWF Raw (USA Network, taped): 2.9 (Record: 9-8-2)
WCW Nitro (TNT, live): 2.7 (Record: 8-9-2)
Winner: WWF Raw
For the first time in the Monday Night War, a live Raw beat a live Nitro. To this day, the Royal Rumble and the show after always do huge numbers with fans. It was no different thirty years ago. The Rumble curiosity always draws.
Email – mike@wrestleview.com
X – @MikeTedescoWV
Last week’s Raw | Last week’s Nitro | Royal Rumble 1996
Thanks for reading!
Part of Wrestleview’s Monday Night War: 30 Years Later series, with weekly Raw and Nitro recaps every Thursday.