WWF Monday Night Raw Results
August 19, 1996
Wheeling, West Virginia (Wheeling Civic Center)
Commentary: Kevin Kelly, Jim Ross, 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: Did The Undertaker expire after the Boiler Room Brawl last night at SummerSlam? Undertaker and Mankind brawled before Paul Bearer passed a death sentence on The Undertaker.
Video: The WWF Monday Night Raw video plays.
The new Raw commentary team of Kevin Kelly, Jim Ross, and Jerry “The King” Lawler welcome us to the show.
Mike’s Thoughts: This is a rather abrupt change to the commentary team. Abrupt commentary changes are something we’re much more accustomed to in modern wrestling, but in 1996, it was straight-up weird to not have Vince McMahon on the headset growling at every move and shouting, “What a maneuver!” and “Fuggetaboutit!”, especially when he didn’t know what the move was (which was often). McMahon had been such a constant voice of WWF television that his absence immediately stands out.
This was apparently done because McMahon wanted to spend more time with the talent at the tapings and focus more on producing the shows. That makes sense in theory, especially given that the company clearly needs to rethink some things creatively. Of course, McMahon was never someone who could stay out of the weeds for long. He always talked about wanting to see the product from a more macro perspective, but he also clearly loved being involved in every little detail. We’ll see how Kevin Kelly does in the role.
The British Bulldog is heading to the ring to face his brother-in-law and Camp Cornette compatriot Owen Hart in the WWF Intercontinental Championship Tournament.
WWF Intercontinental Championship Tournament
First Round
Owen Hart vs. The British Bulldog
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. “Wildman” Marc Mero
Sycho Sid vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley
Savio Vega vs. Faarooq Asaad
WWF Intercontinental Championship Tournament
First Round Match
Owen Hart vs. The British Bulldog
Referee: Earl Hebner
The bell rings, and the two brothers-in-law shake hands. Jim Ross announces that Shawn Michaels will defend the WWF Championship against Mankind at In Your House: Mind Games. The Undertaker will also battle Goldust in a Final Curtain Match.
They lock up, and Hart hooks a side headlock. Bulldog whips him off, but Hart shoulder tackles him down. Hart hits the ropes, but Bulldog drops down and leapfrogs him before hitting a big monkey flip. Bulldog then dropkicks him out of the ring and kips up. Bulldog holds the ropes open for Hart to reenter the ring. Hart cautiously enters the ring. They circle the ring and lock up. Bulldog hooks a side headlock, so Hart whips him off. Bulldog shoulder tackles him and hits the ropes. Hart goes for a hip toss, but Bulldog blocks it. Hart flips over him and hits a hip toss before dropkicking him out of the ring and celebrating. Hart holds the ropes open for his brother-in-law.
They lock up, and Bulldog backs him into the corner before clubbing him. Bulldog headbutts him and sends him to the opposite corner before hitting a scoop slam for a two-count. Bulldog applies a rear chin lock. Hart fights up and elbows out before hitting the ropes. Hart ducks a clothesline, but he can’t avoid the military press slam from Bulldog for a two-count. The feed becomes staticky, and the commentators talk about feeling a chill. It’s supposed to be The Undertaker’s presence interfering with the technology. Hart fights up and elbows out, but Bulldog soon hits a kitchen sink knee to the midsection. Bulldog drops a leg for another two-count. Hart quickly clubs Bulldog and bounces him off the top turnbuckle before shouldering him in the midsection. Hart connects with some uppercuts. Bulldog reverses a whip to the corner and counters a slingshot into a Running Powerslam! 1… 2… Hart gets his foot on the bottom rope to break up the pin.
Bulldog becomes distracted by something. Sunny has made her way to the ringside area.
-Commercial Break-
Sunny has joined the commentary team. She thinks Hart and Bulldog need a better manager than Jim Cornette, who isn’t at ringside with them. Hart stomps away at Bulldog’s leg and leans it against the ropes before jumping on it.
Backstage: Jim Cornette is anxiously watching this match in the locker room. Cornette says this is like watching two of your kids fight. He didn’t want to pick sides and cause more trouble. If this doesn’t prove that the WWF is against Camp Cornette, he doesn’t know what will. First, Vader beat Shawn Michaels twice in the same night, doesn’t get the title, and doesn’t get a rematch in Philadelphia at In Your House. Then, Clarence Mason tried to steal his talent. Now Gorilla Monsoon has brothers-in-law fighting each other in a “stupid tournament.” He also heard what Sunny said and is keeping an eye on her. Camp Cornette is at a crossroads. Shawn Michaels will be a thorn out of his side tonight. Cornette guarantees his 650-pounder will take out Shawn Michaels. Cornette says Yokozuna will be back with him.
Back to live action, Hart applies a Sharpshooter to Bulldog, which Jim Ross calls a “Scorpion Death Lock.” Old habits die hard. Bulldog gets to the bottom rope to break the hold. They slap and shove each other before brawling. Hart hits a back body drop over the top rope and celebrates. Bulldog soon gets to his feet and gets on the apron. Hart tries to suplex him into the ring, but Bulldog counters with a vertical suplex over the top rope to the floor!
They continue to brawl at ringside until Hart ducks a clothesline and hits a spinning heel kick. Hart chops Bulldog into Sunny’s lap and gets in the ring to win by countout. An irate Sunny throws a drink into Bulldog’s face. She then hides behind Jerry “The King” Lawler.
Winner by Countout: Owen Hart
Sunny says The British Bulldog is a pervert and tried to look under her skirt. Jim Cornette charges down to the ringside and gets in Sunny’s face. Cornette calls her a “slut.” She tells Cornette to get away from her. Bulldog is a pervert, and Hart is the better man. Cornette yells at her and backs up Bulldog and Hart.
Mike’s Thoughts: A really solid match with Davey Boy Smith and Owen Hart. This is only the third televised match they’ve had on WWF television, with a match on the short-lived special Sunday Night Slam in 1994 (a DQ victory for The British Bulldog) and a King of the Ring Qualifying Match in 1995 that went to a Time Limit Draw. Continuing that “proud tradition” of lame finishes, they certainly had one here, but the action was fantastic before it happened. They’re definitely teasing hard that a change is coming to Camp Cornette. The post-match stuff was odd. Jim Cornette calling Sunny a “slut” on national television certainly made the post-match angle feel more personal, if nothing else.
Replay: Four weeks ago on Raw, Faarooq Asaad viciously attacked Ahmed Johnson and kicked him in the kidney. Two weeks later, they brawled after Johnson won the Raw Invitational Battle Royal. Johnson would go on to have surgery on his kidney.
Video: Ahmed Johnson says the WWF Intercontinental Championship is the people’s belt. It should be defended every night, so he doesn’t hold anything against Gorilla Monsoon for taking it away. Johnson will get it back when he returns.
“The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry is at the ringside area signing autographs for fans.
Vader heads to the ring with Jim Cornette. Vader gets in Henry’s face and flexes, but Henry just smiles at him and ignores him.
Vader w/ Jim Cornette vs. Freddie Joe Floyd
Referee: Jack Doan
Freddie Joe Floyd attacks Vader as he gets in the ring. The bell rings to start the match. Vader absorbs a pair of clotheslines as we go to commercials.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Vader avalanches Floyd down. Cornette is on commentary. Vader backs Floyd into the corner and clubs away at his chest before peppering him with punches. Vader headbutts Floyd and whips him to the opposite corner for an avalanche. Vader hits a front slam and heads to the second rope. The screen starts to get staticky and fuzzy due to the presence of The Undertaker. Vader hits a Vader Bomb. 1… 2… Vader pulls his shoulders up. The lights start flickering as Vader goes to the second rope and hits another Vader Bomb for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Vader
Jim Cornette says everyone must watch their backs with Vader by his side.
Mike’s Thoughts: Good squash for Vader coming off SummerSlam. He looked dominant, hit multiple Vader Bombs, and the booking at least makes it seem like he’ll remain in the main event picture after his strong performance against Shawn Michaels. Unfortunately, that won’t really be the case, but we’ll get more into Vader’s WWF run at a later time.
Video: The WWF SummerSlam Encore presentation takes place tomorrow night at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Mankind and Paul Bearer address joining forces against The Undertaker
Jim Ross is in the ring and introduces Mankind and Paul Bearer to the ring. Bearer has a sick, calm smirk on his face. Ross mentions that Mankind and The Undertaker put their bodies on the line in the Boiler Room Brawl last night at SummerSlam, slamming each other off concrete walls and floors. Finally, they get into the Gund Arena. The Undertaker has the match won. When he reaches for the urn, Bearer turns his back on him. Later, he struck The Undertaker in the head with the urn, issuing a “death sentence.” Why destroy the legacy?
Bearer looks into the camera and, with his ghoulish high-pitched voice, he says, “Oh, why? Because I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. I’m tired of carrying The Undertaker for the last six years all around the world, leading him to the World Wrestling Federation Title and everything else. I’m tired of being abused. I’m tired, Jim Ross.” The lights begin to flicker. Bearer and Mankind look around. Jim Ross says this is The Undertaker’s presence in Wheeling, West Virginia. Bearer says it’s not The Undertaker. Mankind has the spirit and power now. Bearer hands Mankind the urn.
Ross says Mankind has the Mandible Claw that WWF Champion Shawn Michaels has felt. Footage from three weeks ago on Raw shows Mankind putting the Mandible Claw on Shawn Michaels backstage. On September 22 at In Your House, Mankind has a chance at the WWF Championship. Mankind says his body is still wracked in pain from the Boiler Room Brawl… and he loves it! Since his birth in the WWF, winning has never been his priority. It was simply a way to create more misery for his opponents. Now, Paul Bearer has shown him that defeating Shawn Michaels at In Your House for the WWF Title will make Michaels the least sexy boy toy in the world, but in one night, he’ll have the chance to destroy the lives of the millions of The Kliq all around the world. That makes him happy. It’s a very simple 1-2 plan. He’ll put Shawn Michaels’ shoulders on the mat for the 1-2-3, then he’ll put his shoulders on a hospital bed for all eternity.
The lights continue to flicker. Ross says The Undertaker is still here. We can all feel the presence of The Undertaker. Bearer shouts, “That is not my Undertaker. That is not your Undertaker. It’s my Mankind you feel. It’s not The Undertaker. The Undertaker is gone. The Undertaker has passed away.”
The bell tolls!
The crowd goes wild and waves their lighters around. Bearer is panicking, and Mankind begins to squeal. Gregorian chant is heard. The druids that took The Undertaker out of SummerSlam last night are carrying his body to the ring. Mankind says The Undertaker is a dried-up dead carcass. At In Your House, Shawn Michaels will see that The Undertaker played Mind Games, and now he’s history, just like the WWF Title. Bearer says this is all his plan. The Undertaker has passed away. This is just a decaying corpse, formerly the so-called “Phenom of the World Wrestling Federation,” The Undertaker. All the vermin, maggots, and worms are digging at his body, so he’ll never Rest in Peace. The worms and maggots are probably spitting his flesh out. The Undertaker is nothing. The Undertaker is nothing without Paul Bearer. Bearer says we should bow our heads in silence for The Undertaker.
The druids lay The Undertaker on the floor and leave. Bearer says it’s time for the wake. Bearer says, “The Undertaker is gone, gone forever. Yes, he is. Oh, yes!” The Undertaker sits up! The crowd roars as The Undertaker gets to his feet. The Undertaker raises his arms up before putting them down. The Undertaker then raises them again, and all four corners of the ring posts explode with fireworks and sparkles. Mankind and Paul Bearer quickly escape the ring as The Undertaker gets in the ring. The Undertaker’s music plays, and he drops to a knee and salutes.
Mike’s Thoughts: A really fantastic segment that probably would have been even better if the company didn’t stupidly announce earlier tonight that The Undertaker would be facing Goldust in a Final Curtain Match at the next pay-per-view. That kind of kills the idea that The Undertaker was officially dead.
Regardless, everyone played their roles to perfection here. Paul Bearer and Mankind immediately show the makings of a great partnership, and The Undertaker gets his first real post-Bearer presentation off to a strong start. I also liked the ring post fireworks gimmick, which they’d use to great effect with someone very close to The Undertaker in the years to come. I wonder who?
Anyway, the breaking up of The Undertaker and Paul Bearer at the show the night before was a huge shift in the WWF. Those two were together for six years, and this episode makes it clear that the company is serious about moving Undertaker into a new phase. That makes this a good time to step into the History Corner.
History Corner: The End of The Undertaker and Paul Bearer’s Original Partnership
Paul Bearer turning on The Undertaker at SummerSlam was one of the biggest character shifts the WWF had done in years. Bearer had been with The Undertaker since early 1991, debuting shortly after Undertaker’s own arrival in the company (Fun fact: The Undertaker’s original manager was Brother Love of all people). For nearly six years, he was the one constant in Undertaker’s presentation. The black suit, the high-pitched voice, the ghostly pale face, and, of course, the urn all helped define what The Undertaker was in the first half of the 1990s.
It’s easy to forget now because The Undertaker went through so many evolutions, but in 1996, separating him from Paul Bearer was a massive change. Bearer was not just a manager. He was part of the act’s mythology. He controlled the urn, guided Undertaker to the ring, spoke for him when needed, and helped sell the idea that Undertaker was something other than a normal wrestler. Taking Bearer away meant taking away one of the core pieces of the original Undertaker formula. This could either make or break the character, in my view.
That is why the turn at SummerSlam worked so well in the moment, even if it did feel a little abrupt from a broader storyline perspective. The visual of Undertaker dropping to one knee and reaching for the urn, only for Bearer to turn his back on him, was genuinely shocking. This was not just a manager betraying a wrestler. This was the person most closely tied to Undertaker’s power and identity choosing Mankind instead.
From a creative standpoint, it was probably necessary. Paul Bearer said in the “Mortician” WWE documentary that he didn’t think it was the right time, but I don’t totally agree with that. The Undertaker character had been protected and popular for years, but the WWF was changing. WCW was getting hotter, the Monday Night War was becoming more intense, and the old cartoonish New Generation presentation was starting to feel dated. Undertaker needed a new edge, and Mankind was the perfect opponent to force that evolution. He was violent, strange, unpredictable, and unlike anyone Undertaker had feuded with before.
The partnership also immediately freshened up Paul Bearer. Instead of standing next to Undertaker as the familiar ghoulish sidekick, Bearer became something more malicious. His explanation on this episode of Raw, saying he was sick and tired of carrying Undertaker for six years and tired of being abused, gave him a motivation that made sense within the exaggerated world these characters inhabited. Whether the turn had been perfectly built or not, Bearer already felt useful in a completely different way.
The split would become the starting point for the next major chapter of The Undertaker’s career. The Undertaker without Paul Bearer had to stand more on his own, while Bearer’s alliance with Mankind deepened one of the WWF’s best rivalries of the era. Eventually, the fallout from this betrayal would open the door to even bigger parts of Undertaker’s mythology. For now, though, this was enough: The Undertaker had lost his longtime manager, Paul Bearer had found a new monster, and the WWF had finally pushed one of its most protected characters into a genuinely new direction. We know how it ultimately turns out, but there was a lot at stake here.
-Commercial Break-
Video: A man in camouflage makeup is shown sitting by a fire in the woods. The man says never to believe your eyes, because what you see may not be exactly what you think you see. The Stalker is on his way to the WWF to pursue the most evasive game known: the Superstars of the World Wrestling Federation. The pursuit will not be trivial, but it will be deadly.
Mike’s Thoughts: The Stalker is actually the legendary Barry Windham, a WWE Hall of Famer from the U.S. Express. Rather than use his name, they wanted another pseudo jobber with a gimmick. This was actually a cool video. We’ll see what they actually do with him, though.
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin heads to the ring in a black leather vest and solid black trunks.
Video: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin says, in a taped promo insert, it won’t be like last time. Austin doesn’t think death should be sudden, but tonight it will be. That’s the bottom line because “Stone Cold” said so!
Final Four Sudden Death Battle Royal
Savio Vega vs. Goldust w/ Marlena vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Sycho Sid
Referees: Mike Chioda and Tim White
The winner of this match will receive a WWF Championship opportunity against Shawn Michaels on the next episode of Raw.
Goldust attacks Sycho Sid as he poses for his entrance. Vega and Austin join in, triple-teaming Sid. They team up to eliminate Sid within seconds.
Sid is irate at being eliminated so quickly. Sid gets in the ring and hits Austin with a chokeslam. Vega is next to receive a chokeslam. Goldust tries punching Sid, but he’s chokeslammed for his troubles. The crowd is going wild. More WWF referees run in to try to compel Sid to leave the ring. Sid leaves as the crowd chants his name.
As order is restored, Goldust points to Austin and suggests they team up to double-team Vega. Goldust and Austin start working over Vega with strikes. Austin then turns Goldust around and punches him down. Austin punches away at Goldust and sends him into the ropes for a back body drop.
Stridex Biggest Slam of the Week: Last night at SummerSlam, “Wildman” Marc Mero hit Goldust with a Shooting Star Press he calls “Wild Thing.”
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Goldust pulls Vega up to his feet and sends him over the ropes. Vega holds on. During the commercial break, Austin sent Goldust over the top rope, but he managed to stay in, only letting one foot touch the floor. Back to live action, Austin runs Goldust over with a clothesline. Goldust counters a suplex from Austin and puts him on the top rope. Goldust connects with a superplex on Austin. Vega grabs Goldust and sends him over the top rope, but Goldust lands on the apron. Austin reverses a whip on Vega and delivers a back elbow. Austin punches away at Vega as Goldust joins in. Austin and Goldust send Vega into the ropes for a double-team clothesline, but Vega ducks it and hits a double clothesline. Vega hits a second double clothesline as they get up. Vega hits Goldust with an inverted atomic drop. Austin reverses a whip on Vega and hits another back elbow. Vega reverses a whip on Austin and sends him over the top rope. Austin’s feet seem to hit the floor, but he holds the top rope and pops up to the apron. The referee seems to be signaling he’s eliminated, but Austin rolls back in. Vega then takes Austin down and eliminates the 1996 King of the Ring with a catapult over the top rope!
It’s down to Goldust and Savio Vega. Austin is furious and attacks Vega from behind before angrily leaving the ring. Goldust punches away at Vega and sends him over the top rope, but he lands on the apron. Vega reverses a whip, but Goldust counters with a facebuster. Goldust poses in the ring before setting up for a Curtain Call. Vega flips through it and hits a spinning heel kick. Vega charges, but Goldust hits him with a back body drop over the top rope!
Winner: Goldust
Goldust will face Shawn Michaels for the WWF Championship on Raw Championship Friday on September 6 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Goldust celebrates in the ring with Marlena.
Mike’s Thoughts: A few months ago, things were getting wildly out of hand with the Goldust character. From the Ahmed Johnson incident where he kissed him while he was unconscious to the segment with The Undertaker that had to be edited for television because he was simulating a sexual act on him, something had to give. It also seemed like the World Wrestling Federation was using these segments to make him a heel and inviting the crowd to chant homophobic slurs at him. After losing the Intercontinental Championship to Johnson at King of the Ring, they’ve done a great job of refocusing the character to develop more of an aggressive edge and letting him work a little more in the ring. This win here is a culmination of some good redirection. It’s not outrageous to consider Goldust a solid WWF Championship contender right now.
As for the Battle Royal itself, it was nothing to write home about. I’m surprised at how much stuff they were able to fit into this one-hour show this week.
Video: The SummerSlam Encore presentation takes place tomorrow night on pay-per-view at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern.
Backstage Segment
Jim Cornette is backstage and looks very pleased. Cornette says Shawn Michaels’ goose is cooked and served. He’s got Owen, Bulldog, and Vader here, but he won’t need them. He’s got a 650-pound Yokozuna back in the fold where he belongs. Tonight, he’ll be meaner, badder, rougher, and tougher than ever before. Shawn Michaels will bear the brunt of it.
Yokozuna makes his way to the ring.
Replay: Last night on the SummerSlam Free for All, Yokozuna lost a match against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin when the top turnbuckle snapped as he climbed the ropes for a Banzai Drop. Austin picked up the victory from there.
-Commercial Break-
Non-Title Match
Yokozuna vs. WWF Champion Shawn Michaels w/ José Lothario
Referee: Earl Hebner
The bell rings, and the crowd chants, “HBK.” They lock up, and Yokozuna immediately powers him down. Michaels quickly pops up to his feet. They lock up, and Michaels hooks a side headlock. Yokozuna whips him off and shoulder tackles him. Michaels pops up to his feet and lets his ponytail out. They lock up a third time, and Yokozuna backs him into the ropes. Yokozuna gives a clean break and shoves him. Michaels shoves him back, so Yokozuna punches him and sends him into the ropes. Michaels ducks a clothesline and slides through his legs before punching away at him. Michaels hits the ropes and hits a running punch. Yokozuna is looking wobbly. Michaels punches him, but Yokozuna stays standing. One more punch knocks Yokozuna down on his massive posterior. Yokozuna slowly gets up as another “HBK” chant picks up.
They lock up as Jim Cornette heads to the ring. Michaels bounces Yokozuna’s head off the top turnbuckle, but Yokozuna quickly fires back with a headbutt to take him down.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Michaels fights up from an arm wrench. At the ringside area, Cornette gets in Lothario’s face and punches him down! Michaels punches Yokozuna down and chases Cornette away. Michaels checks on Lothario. Yokozuna pulls Michaels in by his hair and sends him hard into the corner, rolling him up the turnbuckles. Michaels rolls and lands on his feet and walks into a belly-to-belly side suplex from Yokozuna! Yokozuna backs up and goes for a big splash, but Michaels moves. Michaels hits the ropes several times and runs him over with a flying forearm. Michaels heads to the top rope and hits a splash. 1… 2… Yokozuna kicks out!
Michaels starts to tune up the band. Yokozuna blocks Sweet Chin Music and spins him around for a Samoan Drop! Yokozuna signals for the end and goes for a leg drop, but Michaels moves. Michaels drops him with Sweet Chin Music for the win!
Winner by Pinfall: WWF Champion Shawn Michaels
Michaels celebrates with the WWF Championship as fireworks go off.
Mike’s Thoughts: A good, quick match with Shawn Michaels and Yokozuna. Other than a Free for All match that wasn’t even mentioned on the main SummerSlam show the night before, we haven’t seen Yokozuna since losing to Vader at In Your House: Beware of Dog Part Two in May. At this point, the WWF is constantly pulling Yokozuna off the road to try to get him to get a handle on his weight, but it doesn’t appear to be working at all. The man is only 29 years old here, and it’s starting to look desperate. He was sweating before any action took place.
I don’t know this for sure, but I think Shawn Michaels liked working with Yokozuna. Like Vader, Yokozuna is a big man, but he had a reputation of being safe in the ring (unless you were a jobber… check out some squash matches and those Banzai Drops… brutal!). Vader’s offense looked brutal because it was brutal. Michaels didn’t like working with someone so stiff. With Yokozuna, his stuff looked rough, but it actually wasn’t.
This actually winds up being Yokozuna’s last WWF Raw match. He’ll have one more match in this series before this awful situation with his weight forces the WWF’s hand to remove him from television for good, but he didn’t embarrass himself by any stretch in this. I thought the action, for all of Yokozuna’s limitations, was good. It’s just sad to know this is the end for him on this show and to know what comes next for him.
Quick Match Results
— Owen Hart def. The British Bulldog via CO in the First Round of the WWF Intercontinental Championship Tournament
— Vader def. Freddie Joe Floyd
— Goldust won the Final Four Sudden Death Battle Royal
— WWF Champion Shawn Michaels def. Yokozuna in a Non-Title Match
Battle Royal Order of Elimination
1. Sycho Sid (Goldust, Savio Vega, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin)
2. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin (Savio Vega)
3. Savio Vega (Goldust)
Mike’s Wrap-Up: What We Learned from Raw
This was a really productive episode of Raw coming out of SummerSlam. The in-ring stuff wasn’t bad, but it moved a lot of pieces around and at least felt like the WWF was trying to reset things after one of its biggest pay-per-views of the year.
The biggest story was obviously the fallout from Paul Bearer turning on The Undertaker. The segment with Bearer, Mankind, and Undertaker was easily the highlight of the show and did a strong job establishing this new direction. Bearer already feels useful in a completely different role, Mankind continues to feel like one of the freshest characters in the company, and Undertaker’s first real post-Bearer presentation got off to a strong start. That split is a huge change for one of the WWF’s most protected acts, and this episode made it feel important.
The Intercontinental Championship Tournament also got underway, though the Owen Hart vs. British Bulldog finish was another reminder that WWF loves protecting people so much that tournament matches feel less satisfying than they should be. The action was good, and the Camp Cornette tension with Clarence Mason and Sunny is clearly going somewhere, but the countout finish took some of the air out of it. When two guys as talented as Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith are going at it, I want to see a finish.
Goldust winning the Final Four Sudden Death Battle Royal was a good choice. A few months ago, the character felt like it was getting wildly out of hand, but lately the WWF has done a solid job refocusing Goldust into a more aggressive and credible upper-midcard act. A WWF Championship match against Shawn Michaels on the next Raw might not feel like a major pay-per-view attraction, but as a television title defense, it is intriguing.
There was also a bittersweet feeling with Yokozuna. He had a good short match with Shawn Michaels, but it is impossible to ignore how difficult things look for him physically at this point. For someone who had been one of the company’s dominant main event monsters just a few years earlier, seeing his Monday Night Raw run effectively come to an end here is sad.
WCW wins again, making it ten straight weeks for Nitro. Raw was a great show this week and had much more direction, but WCW still has the hotter product and stronger weekly momentum. The WWF gets a two-week break from Monday nights because of USA Network’s US Open coverage, and honestly, that might not be the worst thing. The company has some interesting pieces in motion, but it still needs to figure out how to turn those pieces into a hotter weekly television product.
WWF Raw (USA Network, live): 2.87 (Record: 16-26)
WCW Nitro (TNT, live): 3.46 (Record: 26-16)
Winner: WCW Nitro (10-week streak)
WWF Raw will be off for the next two Mondays due to the U.S. Open tennis tournament. To make up for this, they will have “Championship Raw Friday” on September 6 before returning to their regular timeslot on Monday, September 9. So, I’ll see you next on that Friday episode!
Email – mike@wrestleview.com
X – @MikeTedescoWV
SummerSlam 1996 | 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.