WWF Monday Night Raw Results
August 5, 1996 (Taped July 22)
Seattle, Washington (Key Arena)
Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jim Ross
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: The Raw video plays.
Vince McMahon and Jim Ross welcome us to the show. Tonight, we’ll have a No. 1 Contender’s Battle Royal. The winner will face Shawn Michaels for the WWF Championship on the Raw after SummerSlam.
Jerry “The King” Lawler makes his way to the ring. Lawler has a brown paper bag with a bottle of Jim Beam in it. Lawler gets in the ring and says everyone knows that Jake “The Snake” Roberts is a slobbering drunk. Ever since Roberts came out here on television and tried to air his dirty laundry, he’s been exposing him for what he really is: a big hypocrite. Lawler says he knows Roberts is watching right now. Instead of going on TV and telling everyone about his past drug problems, Roberts can write a tell-all autobiography. It can be titled, “Who the Hell is Gonna Buy This?”
Replay: Eight days ago on WWF Superstars, Aldo Montoya scored an upset victory over Lawler with Jake Roberts’ DDT.
Aldo Montoya makes his entrance. Lawler says he’s got Jake Roberts’ actual partner. Lawler produces a bottle of Jim Beam. Lawler says he’s going to do commentary while he wrestles.
Jerry “The King” Lawler vs. Aldo Montoya
Referee: Jack Doan
The bell rings, and Lawler says that Jake Roberts thinks Beethoven’s Fifth is a bottle. Lawler wants Montoya to tell Roberts what happened to him at the hands of the King. Lawler puts the microphone on the mat. Montoya goes for it, but Lawler kicks him. Lawler strikes away at him before hitting a vertical suplex. Lawler laughs and sends him into the ropes, but Montoya takes him down with an uppercut. Montoya sends Lawler into the corner and dropkicks him down. Montoya punches Lawler down and goes to the top rope. Montoya comes off the top rope with a flying punch. Montoya sets up for a DDT, but Lawler slides out and hugs the referee to protect himself. Montoya pulls Lawler off the referee and hits a back body drop. Montoya punches Lawler into the corner and does the ten punches. Lawler is stumbling around. Montoya sends him into the ropes and lowers his head, but Lawler puts the brakes on and hits a Piledriver. Lawler hits him with a second Piledriver and picks up the victory.
Winner by Pinfall: Jerry “The King” Lawler
Lawler grabs Montoya’s head and throws him toward the apron. Lawler goes to the ringside area and grabs the bottle of Jim Beam. Lawler unscrews the cap, tells Jake Roberts not to get jealous, and pours the whiskey down his throat! Montoya spits it out and gags, his throat burning from the hard liquor. WWF officials run down to get Lawler away, but he keeps pouring more into Montoya’s mouth. Montoya looks sick and falls to the floor.
Mike’s Thoughts: Fun little squash match for Jerry “The King” Lawler over the supremely lame gimmick of Aldo Montoya. That line about Jake Roberts thinking Beethoven’s Fifth was a bottle had me rolling. Roberts had no-showed the In Your House: International Incident event, which happened the night before this long television taping, so Montoya had to be a stand-in for him to keep the feud with Lawler going. They haven’t done much to establish Montoya as Roberts’ protégé other than saying it a few times on television. The spot with the whiskey being poured down Montoya’s throat at the end looked rough. There is a very famous whiskey spot coming up in this feud with Roberts and Lawler. Whether that was actually Jim Beam or a safer substitute with Montoya, the visual was rough.
-Commercial Break-
WWF Monday Night Raw is brought to you by Footaction USA, as well as Coliseum Home Video.
Replay: We see footage of Jerry “The King” Lawler defeating Aldo Montoya before pouring a bottle of Jim Beam down his throat and mocking Jake “The Snake” Roberts’ sobriety.
Vince McMahon apologizes for the people watching who have been impacted by drug and alcohol abuse.
Hillbilly Jim joins the commentary team for the next match.
Tag Team Match
The New Rockers (Marty Jannetty and Leif Cassidy) vs. The Bodydonnas (Skip and Zip)
Referee: Jimmy Korderas
As the Bodydonnas make their entrance, the New Rockers hide by the Raw stage and attack them from behind. The New Rockers get Zip into the ring and hit a double-team front suplex onto the top rope. The match has started. Cassidy starts stomping away at Zip. Marty Jannetty tags in. The New Rockers send Zip into the ropes, but he kicks Cassidy and rolls Jannetty up, but Cassidy breaks up the pin. Skip runs in and attacks Jannetty. Cassidy punches Zip down and uppercuts him. The referee regains order, but The New Rockers got a few cheap shots in on Zip. Zip sends Jannetty into the ropes, but Cassidy grabs Jannetty and holds him, causing Zip to miss a dropkick. Jannetty picks up a two-count.
Video: We go backstage and see Faarooq Asaad and Sunny on split-screen. Vince McMahon says Asaad will take on Skip next week on Raw. Sunny says the key is she used to manage Skip, but she’s got a new man now. Next week, her new man will take on her first man. Sunny doesn’t care what anybody thinks. She’s getting what she wants. Faarooq Asaad will teach everyone that Skip can’t measure up. Asaad says it doesn’t make a difference if it’s Skip or Zip. It doesn’t matter the color or the weight. He’s from a fighting background. You’re either a hunter or prey. Asaad has never been prey and isn’t about to start now. Asaad says the true king of the jungle is the tiger. The lion needs a pack of females to fight for it. The tiger, from birth, fends for itself and is a maneater, like him.
Back to this match, the Bodydonnas double-team Cassidy for a two-count. Zip hits Cassidy with an atomic drop, and Jannetty blind tags in. Zip cuts Jannetty off and tags Skip in. Skip comes off the top rope with a club to Jannetty’s back. Skip wrenches Jannetty’s arm and sends him to the corner. Jannetty quickly hits a back elbow as Sunny charges, goes to the second rope, and hits a diving flipping cutter.
Split-Screen: On one side, WWF Tag Team Champions The Smoking Gunns are watching this match. On the other side of the screen, The Godwinns are watching.
Skip comes back and hits a clothesline before going to the top rope. Skip hits a diving headbutt. 1… 2… Cassidy breaks it up. Jannetty ducks a right hand and goes for a back suplex, but Skip flips through. Skip goes for a hurricanrana, but Cassidy grabs him and snaps him off the top rope. Jannetty sends Skip to the floor. Zip goes after Jannetty, but the referee holds him back. Cassidy attacks Skip at ringside and hits a swinging neckbreaker. Jannetty continues to taunt Zip to distract the referee, allowing Cassidy to continue attacking him. Skip is rolled into the ring, and Jannetty picks up a two-count.
Cassidy tags in as Jannetty sends Skip to the corner. Jannetty whips Cassidy into Skip before clotheslining him down. Cassidy picks up a two-count. Cassidy grinds Skip’s face into the mat and does a goofy dance before slapping him in the back of the head. Skip fights back at Cassidy, but Cassidy hits a snapmare and drops a leg for a two-count. Cassidy bounces Skip off Jannetty’s boot and tags him in. Jannetty punches Skip down and sends him to the corner before hitting a back elbow. Jannetty does a terrible dance as the crowd boos.
Video: WWF President Gorilla Monsoon is shown with Clarence Mason, informing him that he’s reluctantly reinstating his client back into service in the WWF. His client will be under scrutiny from all of the WWF and Monsoon, personally. We don’t see who the person is, but Vince McMahon says the man will be in action next week.
Getting back to this match, Cassidy pulls Skip down and stomps him. Cassidy whips him HARD into the opposite corner, and Skip collapses. Skip manages to fight Cassidy back, but Cassidy pulls him back and headbutts him. Cassidy sends him to the opposite corner, but Skip puts the brakes on and fights him. Skip goes for a tag, but Cassidy connects with a spinebuster.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, The New Rockers whip The Bodydonnas into each other. Cassidy hits a scoop slam before heading to the top rope. Jannetty punches away at Skip and sends him into the ropes, accidentally crotching Cassidy. Skip knocks Jannetty out of the ring and hits Cassidy with a top rope hurricanrana. Zip goes to the top rope, but Bart Gunn pushes him off. The referee calls for the bell.
Winners by Disqualification: The Bodydonnas
Billy Gunn joins in, and The Smoking Gunns double-team The Bodydonnas. The New Rockers join in on the beating of The Bodydonnas. The Godwinns run down to even the odds. They knock The New Rockers and The Smoking Gunns out of the ring. Hillbilly Jim gets into the ring and embraces The Godwinns.
Mike’s Thoughts: This was a supremely dull match that went WAY too long, but that’s usually the case with these marathon television tapings featuring a really thin roster. The little inserts they put into this match are the only things that kept this two-segment torture fest tolerable. I liked Faarooq Asaad’s intense promo (too bad this match doesn’t happen at SummerSlam), and the stuff with Clarence Mason’s dangerous new client is interesting. This mystery man will debut next week, and I assure you that we’ll have a breakdown on this WWF Superstar and what happened with him. In any event, the Tag Team Division stinks.
Replay: Two weeks ago, at In Your House: International Incident, we saw Vader defeat WWF Champion Shawn Michaels with a Vader Bomb. Last week on Raw, Mankind attacked Michaels with the Mandible Claw.
Pre-Taped Interview
Kevin Kelly is seated with WWF Champion Shawn Michaels in a park. Kelly mentions the attack by Mankind and losing to Vader at International Incident. Does Michaels believe his world is crumbling around him? Michaels says that might be melodramatic, but he’s facing adversity. In the past, Michaels has dealt with and overcome adversity, so he’s at his strongest. He never said he was unbeatable or invincible. Michaels is like any guy on the street. It just so happens that he’s a WWF Superstar. He can be beaten on any night. Vader beat him with the Vader Bomb, but at SummerSlam, he’ll have to face him one-on-one. Michaels is never alone. He’s got The Kliq and José Lothario in his corner.
Kelly mentions that Michaels will be giving up 200 pounds of weight to Vader at SummerSlam. Is this the match where the Boyhood Dream becomes a nightmare? Michaels says the odds are stacked against him, and he has a tough fight on his hands. Going into the match, there are always concerns. Anytime you step into the ring, there are a lot of concerns, such as getting hurt or losing the WWF Title. Michaels can’t emphasize enough how much being World Wrestling Federation Champion means to him and his life. Some may think that’s shallow, but he waited a long time to be the champion and to enjoy his life as champion. To beat Shawn Michaels, you have to beat him and the people behind him. There aren’t any WWF superstars who can do that when the WWF Title is on the line.
Ever since he beat Bret Hart at WrestleMania, some are saying the victory is tainted because of the overtime period in the Iron Man Match. Hart has spoken about possibly coming back in the near future. Does he have any words for him? Michaels hopes Hart comes back to the WWF. The WWF without him is like peanut butter without jelly. Michaels is awaiting Hart’s return as much as the fans. As far as the critics talk about how he won the WWF title, they’re critics, and that’s what they do. Michaels is used to that. It’s something you are going to get no matter how well you do the job.
Kelly mentions that we’ll have a Raw Invitational Battle Royal later tonight. The winner will get a shot at the WWF Champion the day after SummerSlam. Any thoughts? Michaels says that situation personifies why he’s the only guy who can be the WWF Champion. There isn’t another superstar who could take on that schedule. Only he could go out at SummerSlam and face a 450-pound man, only to face another top-notch WWF Superstar the next night. Vader is one tough customer, but he could lose that title the next night on Raw. The WWF is filled with many competent superstars, but one shines above the rest. Michaels likes to think that’s him.
Mike’s Thoughts: Pretty paint-by-numbers, mushy babyface interview with WWF Champion Shawn Michaels. Michaels’ attempt to come off as humble didn’t really connect or feel genuine. Apparently, this was a redo of another segment that was set to air with Brain Pillman interviewing Michaels, but the production team didn’t like how it came out, so they did this instead. Overall, it was inoffensive, but nothing memorable or anything that got me excited for SummerSlam.
-Commercial Break-
Video: Last Friday at the Molson Centre in Montreal, the WWF held a live event there.
Mankind makes his entrance for the Raw Invitational Battle Royal. Other WWF Superstars are already at ringside.
WWF Intercontinental Champion Ahmed Johnson heads to the ring. Vince McMahon says he has a ruptured kidney and is competing against the doctor’s orders.
Goldust makes his way to the ring alongside Marlena. Sycho Sid soon follows. Finally, The Undertaker charges down to the ring, eager to get his hands on Mankind.
Raw Invitational Battle Royal
Participants: Mankind, WWF Intercontinental Champion Ahmed Johnson, Goldust w/ Marlena, Sycho Sid, The Undertaker w/ Paul Bearer, Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw w/ Uncle Zebekiah, Owen Hart, Savio Vega, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The British Bulldog, and “Wildman” Marc Mero w/ Sable
Referees: Jack Doan and Tim White
Mankind meets The Undertaker in the ring, and the match officially begins. Within seconds, The Undertaker clotheslines Mankind over the top rope, going over with him. Both men are eliminated! Undertaker quickly grabs Mankind and smashes his face off the ring steps. Undertaker punches Mankind up the aisleway, and they go to the back.
In the ring, Sycho Sid chokes and punches The British Bulldog in the corner. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is attacking “Wildman” Marc Mero in another corner. Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw tries to eliminate Savio Vega, but Goldust cuts him off. Ahmed Johnson grabs the Bulldog and sends him over the top rope, eliminating him. Johnson attacks Goldust in the corner. Vega beats Austin down in the corner as Sid boots Goldust into the corner. Bradshaw lifts Mero, but Sid makes the save. Sid punches Austin down in the corner and stomps him. Sid then grabs Hart and powers him to the corner. Bradshaw attacks Sid, but fires back with a back body drop over the top rope, eliminating him. Austin gets to his feet and punches Sid back into the corner. Mero bounces Hart in the corner and punches him. Goldust tries to eliminate Johnson, but Vega saves him with a forearm to Goldust’s jaw. Vega sends Goldust into the corner and punches him. Johnson wildly punches away at Hart. Mero grabs Hart and sends him over the top rope, but Hart skins the cat to get back into the ring. Mero then clotheslines Hart over the top rope. Hart is infuriated.
-Commercial Break-
Stridex Slam of the Week: On WWF Superstars, The British Bulldog sends Savio Vega’s head into Jim Cornette’s tennis racket. Bulldog then won with a Running Powerslam.
Back from the break, we see Vega chopping Austin’s chest. Mero punches Goldust against the ropes. Mero hits the ropes and charges at Goldust, but Goldust hits a back body drop over the top rope to eliminate him. Vega quickly grabs Goldust and punches him. Vega sends Goldust into the corner and hits a running heel kick, going over the top rope and landing on the floor. Vega is devastated that he eliminated himself.
The Undertaker and Mankind come back into the arena and start brawling through the crowd. They end up back in the ring. Undertaker stuns him with an uppercut. Undertaker punches him out of the ring, and they brawl back into the crowd before disappearing.
We’re down to the Final Four with Ahmed Johnson, Goldust, Sycho Sid, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Johnson elbows Goldust down. Johnson is looking sluggish. Sid and Austin go at it. Austin punches him into the corner and hits a shoulder thrust to the midsection. Goldust sends Johnson into the ropes and connects with a clothesline. Sid clubs Austin’s back and tries to eliminate him. On the other side of the ring, Goldust tries to eliminate Johnson. Johnson reverses a whip on Goldust and clotheslines him down. Johnson joins Sid, and they team up against Austin. Austin hangs on, and Goldust makes the save. Austin punches Sid into the corner and low blows Johnson. Austin hits a pair of Bombs Away forearms on Johnson. Goldust tries to eliminate Sid, but he’s unsuccessful. Sid punches away at Goldust, taking him down. Sid then attacks Austin, saving Johnson. Johnson stomps Goldust’s head. Sid sends Austin into the ropes, but Austin ducks a clothesline and hits a facebuster. Austin hits him with a bombs away forearm. Johnson gets Goldust over the top rope, but he lands on the apron. Johnson reverses a whip and CRUSHES Goldust with a spinebuster! Johnson sets up for a Pearl River Plunge on Goldust, but Goldust quickly escapes.
Backstage: The Undertaker and Mankind are viciously brawling backstage.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, no one has been eliminated. Sid sets up for a Powerbomb on Goldust and connects! Austin quickly punches Sid against the ropes. Sid sends Austin into the ropes. Austin tries to counter with a piledriver, but Sid hits a back body drop. Sid grabs Austin and smashes him down to the mat with a Powerbomb! Goldust then hits Johnson with a Curtain Call. Sid sits on Austin’s back and pulls back on his neck.
Moments Ago: The Undertaker smashed a wooden pallet off Mankind’s skull. Undertaker hit a scoop slam onto some steel platforms backstage. Undertaker continued to pummel Mankind until WWF officials got to them and attempted to break them apart.
Returning to the action, Austin is on his feet and attacks Johnson before dropping some forearms on Sid. Goldust attacks Johnson in the corner. Goldust tries to lift him to eliminate him, but Goldust collapses under Johnson’s weight. On the other side of the ring, Austin is pulling Sid’s legs over the top rope. Owen Hart and The British Bulldog return to the ringside, despite being eliminated. They taunt and grab at Sid, so he turns and shouts at them. Austin then clotheslines Sid over the top rope to eliminate him! Sid is furious and charges to the back, where Bulldog and Hart have already retreated.
It’s down to Johnson, Austin, and Goldust. Goldust tries to form a partnership with Austin. They then double-team Johnson. Austin viciously stomps away at Johnson’s back as Goldust watches. Goldust then turns on Austin with an uppercut before sending him into the ropes for a clothesline. Goldust punches away at Austin before sending him over the top rope, but Austin slides back into the ring under the bottom rope. He was not eliminated. Austin then low-blows Goldust in his Golden Globes. Austin punches away at Goldust before trying to eliminate him. Johnson hits a STIFF kick to Austin’s ribs. Johnson chokes Austin before trying to eliminate him. Goldust joins in and helps Johnson eliminate Austin. The crowd boos.
Johnson is bleeding from his nose and points to Goldust, getting the crowd on his side. Johnson punches away at Goldust and whips him hard into the turnbuckles. Goldust flips down to the mat. Johnson hits a scoop slam and is fired up. Johnson then collapses. Goldust gets up and rakes Johnson’s face before dropping an elbow on him. Goldust connects with a weak-looking piledriver.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the final break of the evening, Goldust is posing. Johnson then grabs him and applies a rear naked choke. Johnson pulls him up to his feet and sends him into the ropes. Goldust holds on, Johnson charges and hits a clothesline. They both go over, but Johnson hangs on the top rope by his legs! Goldust hits the floor!
Winner: WWF Intercontinental Champion Ahmed Johnson
Ahmed Johnson will face either Shawn Michaels or Vader for the WWF Championship on the Raw after SummerSlam in two weeks.
Johnson pulls himself off the ropes and gets into the ring.
Next week on Raw, WWF Champion Shawn Michaels battles Owen Hart in a Non-Title Match.
Vince McMahon gets in the ring to interview Ahmed Johnson. Johnson gets a great ovation. McMahon says broken nose and all (Jim Ross pipes in about the ruptured kidney), he’s won the right to fight for the WWF Champion on the Raw after SummerSlam against either Shawn Michaels or Vader. Johnson isn’t sure if he’s happy about this or sad. If he goes against Shawn Michaels, he’s sad. Michaels is like a brother to him. His fans want to see him performing at his best, whether it’s against Michaels or Vader.
Faarooq Asaad runs down to the ring, and Johnson prepares to fight him. WWF officials quickly run in as Johnson and Asaad quickly begin brawling. They’re separated as the show comes to an end.
Mike’s Thoughts: This was a decent Battle Royal, and it felt like the company tipped its hand a bit with who they were planning to feature in the months ahead. The Undertaker and Mankind were technically in the match for about ten seconds, but their brawl was easily one of the best parts of the whole show.
The final four were Sycho Sid, Goldust, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and Ahmed Johnson. That feels telling. I think they were expecting this quartet to help lead them through the fall. Austin, Goldust, and Sid certainly did, but unfortunately, this is the last in-ring action we’ll see Johnson have for a while.
That ruptured kidney, allegedly caused by the extremely stiff kick Faarooq Asaad delivered to him in his debut two weeks ago on Raw, did not get any better. Johnson was initially scheduled to undergo surgery on August 12, but he wound up having emergency kidney surgery the day after this show aired, on August 6. It was a very serious situation, and early reports estimated that Johnson would be out of action for three months.
That makes this doubly awful for Johnson and the company because he really was riding a strong wave of momentum. Johnson was still green, and his promos could be difficult to understand, but he was dripping with an intensity that fans were clearly responding to. The WWF was trying to strike while the iron was hot by positioning him for a WWF Championship match on the Raw after SummerSlam. Instead, that momentum is about to come to a sudden stop, and the company will have to pivot hard heading into SummerSlam and beyond.
Quick Match Results
— Jerry “The King” Lawler def. Aldo Montoya
— The Bodydonnas (Skip and Zip) def. The New Rockers (Marty Jannetty and Leif Cassidy) via DQ in a Tag Team Match
— WWF Intercontinental Champion Ahmed Johnson won the Raw Invitational Battle Royal
Battle Royal Order of Elimination
1. Mankind (Undertaker)
2. Undertaker (Himself)
3. The British Bulldog (Ahmed Johnson)
4. Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw (Sycho Sid)
5. Owen Hart (“Wildman” Marc Mero)
6. “Wildman” Marc Mero (Goldust)
7. Savio Vega (Himself)
8. Sycho Sid (“Stone Cold” Steve Austin)
9. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin (Ahmed Johnson and Goldust)
10. Goldust (Ahmed Johnson)
Mike’s Wrap-Up: What We Learned from Raw
This was another strong taped episode of Raw. The Seattle fans really had a ton of energy and are helping to carry these television tapings to something enjoyable to watch. The show still had plenty of problems, including another long tag team match from a division that feels completely dead, but the show had enough important pieces to keep it moving. Jerry Lawler continued building the Jake Roberts feud without Jake, Faarooq Asaad looked intense in his promo with Sunny, Mankind and The Undertaker kept their rivalry hot, and the Battle Royal gave the show some actual stakes.
The big story, though, is Ahmed Johnson. Winning the Battle Royal should have been a major step for him. He was the Intercontinental Champion, he had the crowd behind him, and now he had earned a WWF Championship match on the Raw after SummerSlam. For a company desperately trying to create new top babyfaces, this was exactly the kind of move that made sense.
Instead, Johnson’s momentum is about to come to a hard stop. The ruptured kidney he suffered from Faarooq’s attack was far more serious than anyone knew at the time this show aired. They knew about the rupture, but it was way more serious than they let on. Within days, he would need emergency surgery, forcing the company to change course yet again.
This has been the story of the WWF throughout the summer of 1996. They find something promising, and then it gets derailed. Brian Pillman arrives hurt. Ultimate Warrior returns and then disappears. Vader finally starts looking like a serious monster after months of inconsistent booking. Ahmed Johnson gets over after creative handled him smartly and then suffers a serious injury. The WWF has pieces, but they cannot seem to keep them moving in the same direction for long.
WWF Raw (USA Network, taped): 2.8 (Record: 19-23-2)
WCW Nitro (TNT, live): 3.0 (Record: 23-19-2)
Winner: WCW Nitro (8-week streak)
WCW wins again, but this was at least a closer fight. Raw drew a 2.8, its best number in several weeks, while Nitro scored a 3.0. The gap was smaller, but the larger problem remains the same. WCW has the momentum, the hotter angle, and the unpredictability of a live show. The WWF is showing signs of life, but every step forward still seems to come with another complication.
Email – mike@wrestleview.com
X – @MikeTedescoWV
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