WWF Monday Night Raw Results
March 18, 1996 (Taped March 11)
San Antonio, Texas (Freeman 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: For Shawn Michaels, the Road to WrestleMania has been long and winding. Yesterday at a WWF Live Event at Madison Square Garden, HBK was teaming with Diesel to take on the Undertaker and WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart. Diesel went wild, hitting Undertaker and Hart with chair shots. HBK was not happy, so Diesel cracked him in the back with the chair when his back was turned.
Tonight, we’ll also hear Billionaire Ted reveal his true colors.
Video: The Raw video plays.
We go into the Freeman Coliseum. Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler welcome us to the show. Lawler is terrified at the sound of Jake “The Snake” Roberts’ music. Roberts put his python on Lawler at the Royal Rumble. Lawler is scared of it happening again.
The British Bulldog w/ Jim Cornette vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts
Referee: Jack Doan
They lock up, and Bulldog powers Roberts to the corner before giving a clean break. They lock up, and Roberts wrenches the arm. Bulldog turns it on him, but Roberts comes back with a hammerlock. Bulldog counters it, but Roberts elbows him in the face. Roberts sets up for a DDT, but Bulldog quickly slips out and leaves the ring. Bulldog gets in, and Roberts starts up a “DDT” chant. Roberts smiles at Bulldog and wrenches his arm. Bulldog whips him off and goes for a hip toss, but Roberts counters it on him. Roberts goes for the DDT, but Bulldog quickly escapes. Roberts says he was close.
Bulldog gets in the ring, and Roberts signals for a test of strength. Bulldog kicks him, but Roberts fires back and goes for a DDT. Bulldog drives him into the corner to counter it. Bulldog clubs Roberts’ back and sends him to the opposite corner before punching him down. Bulldog chokes Roberts with his boot before choking him on the middle rope. The referee backs Bulldog up, and Cornette hits Roberts in the jaw with his tennis racket handle. Bulldog chokes Roberts on the top rope and punches him in the midsection. Bulldog clubs and stomps him down to the mat. Bulldog tries to pull him to his feet, but Roberts fires back with some punches to the midsection. Bulldog goes for a leg drop, but Roberts rolls out of the way.
A “DDT” chant picks up. Roberts punches Bulldog in the face with some left jabs and clotheslines him down. Cornette distracts Roberts, so Bulldog attacks him from behind. Bulldog lifts him for a Running Powerslam, but Roberts slides off and hits a DDT! 1… 2… Cornette pulls Roberts off and runs away. Roberts is disgusted and goes to the corner to grab the canvas bag containing his python. Roberts takes out a different snake from the original Revelation and chases Cornette around ringside and up the aisle. Roberts gets counted out, and Cornette escapes.
Winner by Countout: The British Bulldog
Mike’s Thoughts: I love Jake “The Snake” Roberts, but he looked awful here. He’s still got the trademark charisma and connection with the crowd, but he’s woefully out of shape. After taking a year off from wrestling to preach, he’s trying to get up to speed, but with all of his previous issues (and many more still ahead to battle), he looks a lot older than his age… which is only 40 years old! That’s what years of hard living can do to you. Watching him being booked as competitive against the ridiculously in-shape British Bulldog just doesn’t compute in my brain, legend or not.
Video: We start off in San Antonio, Texas, to see Shawn Michaels training with José Lothario. HBK is shown doing Lothario’s exercises. HBK tells a story about backing out of his parents’ driveway to start his wrestling career. Lothario told him to shut up and listen. The day he stops learning is the day he has to quit. HBK talks about learning something new about this sport.
We now go to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart is jogging gingerly on some snow. The Hart House is decorated with many old title belts and magazine covers. Hart is shown getting stretched out by his father, Stu Hart. Bret talks about his son being a fan of Shawn Michaels. HBK has his Kliq, but Hart has his fans, as well. Some may be disappointed by how he fought guys like Undertaker and Diesel. Hart talks about being pounded in the ground for five months and chastised for it. Meanwhile, HBK has been taking it easy and has taken a lot of time off after his “little beating” in Syracuse. Hart doesn’t like the dancing. This isn’t dancing. This 60-minute match will be the biggest fight HBK has ever had. It’s one thing to be confident, but to be irritating and cocky is a hindrance. If you have a choice to look up to someone like Shawn Michaels or him, Hart is better because he has respect. They play some pensive, sad chamber music during Bret Hart’s video package.
Mike’s Thoughts: This was another interesting pair of videos with Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart training for the Iron Man Match at WrestleMania XII. Last week, it was just the visuals of the two segments that portrayed Shawn Michaels as the up-and-coming guy, clearly being positioned to be the next face of the company. On the other side, you had an older WWF Champion, Bret Hart, getting stretched out by his elderly father. This week, Hart is shown running slowly through some snow and talking about his fans, all while sad, somber music plays in the background. I know Bret Hart hated these video packages because of how they portrayed him. Usually, he comes off as a bitter guy, but he has a point with these segments.
“Make a Difference” Fatu is in the ring. A Goldust fan is shown rubbing herself at ringside. WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust heads to the ring alongside Marlena. He’ll battle Fatu next.
Later tonight, we’ll see WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart take on Tatanka. We’ll also see Diesel take on Barry Horowitz. Finally, Billionaire Ted will reveal his true colors. A clip shows Billionaire Ted giving a terrible impression of the courtroom scene from “A Few Good Men.”
-Commercial Break-
Replay: Last week on Raw, Goldust slapped Acting WWF President “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in the face. Piper took him out with a slap and said he’d fight him in a Hollywood Backlot Brawl at WrestleMania XII. Piper wants to make a man out of him.
Non-Title Match
“Make a Difference” Fatu vs. WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust w/ Marlena
Referee: Tim White
Goldust is wearing a kilt a la “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. The Texan crowd loudly boos Goldust. Goldust rubs himself as the match begins before telling the crowd to shut up. Fatu punches Goldust down before sending him into the ropes for a back body drop. Goldust immediately starts to beg him off. Fatu sends him back into the ropes, but he lowers his head. Goldust drops down and uppercuts him. Goldust sends him into the ropes for a hip attack, but Fatu puts the brakes on and starts to spank the Bizarre One. Fatu headbutts him down and grabs both legs for a headbutt to the midsection.
Phone Call: Acting WWF President “Rowdy” Roddy Piper is on the phone, and he is not happy.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Fatu hits Goldust with a running cutter. Marlena can’t believe it. Goldust avoids a diving headbutt and turns him inside out with a clothesline. Goldust stands over Fatu’s face and gyrates. Goldust hits a Curtain Call for the win.
Phone Call: Jerry “The King” Lawler says Goldust looks better in a skirt than Piper does. Piper says when Lawler or Goldust wears it, it’s a skirt. When Piper wears it, it’s a kilt. Piper says he’s the worst guy to have a Hollywood Backlot Brawl with because he doesn’t mess around and will take Goldust out. Piper says he’s plenty pissed off.
Winner by Pinfall: WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust
Mike’s Thoughts: Just a match with Goldust and Fatu. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper’s call-in was tame compared to some of the comments he made the week before.
Video: The Ultimate Warrior is returning at WrestleMania XII. We last saw him retiring “Macho Man” Randy Savage at WrestleMania VII. Now, he’ll come back to face Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
Will Camp Cornette accept the WrestleMania XII challenge?
Replay: Last week on Raw, Yokozuna, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, and Ahmed Johnson got into a brawl with Vader, Owen Hart, and The British Bulldog. This past weekend on WWF Superstars, Jake “The Snake” issued a challenge: a 6-Man Tag Team Match at WrestleMania.
Vince McMahon is in the ring with Jim Cornette, the British Bulldog, Owen Hart, and Vader. McMahon asks about having the challenge of a 6-Man Tag Team Match. Cornette warns McMahon not to make any sudden movements because Vader is very excitable. McMahon has a friend who may still be in the hospital because of what Vader did.
If they want a 6-Man Tag, this is the greatest assemblage of talent in history. If Roberts and his team want an even fight, those guys need five more guys on their side because then it’ll be a fair fight. Owen Hart says Jake Roberts is a slimy serpent. When he gets in the ring with him, he’ll squeeze the life out of him. As for Yokozuna, Hart carried him to the WWF Tag Team belts. Ahmed Johnson doesn’t have a brain in that million-dollar body. The British Bulldog says Johnson is not the strongest athlete in the WWF… he is. They’ll find out at WrestleMania.
Cornette calls Yokozuna a traitor, an ingrate, and a stupid idiot. Yokozuna hired him as his English-language spokesperson because every time he opens his mouth, he sounds like a fool. Cornette calls all the shots and took him to the top. Yokozuna kept listening to that senile Mister Fuji, but he’s in the hospital with an “unfortunate” knee injury. He fell down the stairs with Cornette behind him. Vader will be twice the champion Yokozuna ever was. They are looking forward to the match at WrestleMania XII and are dying to get them in the ring. They’ll make Creamed Wheat out of them. They’ll never forget what time it is. Vader screams that it’s “Vader Time.”
McMahon tells them to look at the video wall because they may have second thoughts about accepting. We have some prerecorded comments that could interest them. Yokozuna appears and says Jim Cornette needs an English-language spokesman. At WrestleMania, he’ll get even with him. Jake “The Snake” Roberts says they have a failure to communicate. You need to always check the fine print. At WrestleMania, if they win, Yokozuna will get 5 minutes with Jim Cornette. Ahmed Johnson is in the background. Yokozuna then hits a Banzai Drop on a dummy with a balloon head featuring Jim Cornette’s face.
Jim Cornette flips out because he didn’t know that if Yokozuna’s team wins at WrestleMania, Yokozuna would get 5 minutes alone with him. McMahon tells him to read the fine print next time. Cornette is apoplectic.
Mike’s Thoughts: That dragged a bit. It’s absolutely the right call for the Vader vs. Yokozuna match at WrestleMania XII to be made into a 6-Man Tag Team Match, mostly to protect Yokozuna, but it also serves to protect the fans from having to watch a real stinker. But the set-up was clunky. I guess they really wanted to go out of their way to explain away one promised match for WrestleMania becoming something different, but it was kind of beating a dead horse. The stipulation of Yokozuna getting five minutes alone with Jim Cornette if his team wins is a good one, at least.
Still to come, WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart will battle Tatanka in a non-title match. Next up, Barry Horowitz will face Diesel. We’ll also see what happened at the Madison Square Garden live event.
-Commercial Break-
Video: Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart will battle in an Iron Man Match for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania XII on March 31.
Barry Horowitz is in the ring.
Video: Yesterday afternoon at Madison Square Garden, the Two Dudes with Attitude teamed up to face WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart and the Undertaker. The Undertaker and Diesel started brawling to start the match. Diesel would then attack the Undertaker with a steel chair before hitting Bret Hart with it. Michaels wasn’t happy with this and turned his back on Diesel. Diesel then smashed him in the back with the chair. After the match, HBK said, “I’m going to kick his 7-foot ass.” HBK was helped to the back.
Mike’s Thoughts: This is really cool. This is back when angles would sometimes happen at House Shows. This firmly established Diesel as a heel. My guess is that since he gave his notice, they’re doing away with the cocky tweener and just going old school heel. It’s a fine gimmick, but it won’t be anything groundbreaking on the way out.
Diesel makes his entrance. He’ll battle Barry Horowitz next.
-Commercial Break-
Jim Ross promotes the WWF Superstar Line.
Replay: Last week on Raw, Diesel hit Paul Bearer with a short-arm clothesline at ringside and punched him several times.
Barry Horowitz vs. Diesel
Referee: Tim White
Diesel knocks Horowitz into the corner and delivers a few back elbows before kneeing him in the midsection several times. Diesel hits a short-arm clothesline. Paul Bearer is shown wheeling a silver casket down to ringside. Diesel hits Horowitz with a sidewalk slam before staring at Bearer. The commentators assume that the Undertaker is in the casket. Diesel looks nervous. Horowitz knees him in the back and punches away at him. Horowitz rakes Diesel’s eyes and headbutts him. Diesel reverses a whip and big boots him down. Diesel applies a nonchalant cover and picks up a two-count. Surprised that he was kicked out, Diesel punches Horowitz in the face and picks up the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Diesel
Diesel goes to ringside and grabs the ring bell hammer. Diesel cautiously approaches the casket and gingerly knocks on it. Diesel is expecting it to pop open. Instead, he lifts the cover and sees a corpse covered in plastic wrap. Diesel pulls the plastic down, and he sees himself in the casket! Diesel is startled and slams the lid shut. Diesel looks all around as he goes up the aisleway with some paranoia.
Mike’s Thoughts: That was a really good post-match segment. Super spooky and off-putting in a good way. Obviously, there were some camera tricks involved to make this work, which they can do because it’s a taped show. The image of Diesel in the casket was a phenomenal visual and kept the mind games going between him and the Undertaker. A really strong way to build up the WrestleMania match.
One interesting thing about this Diesel vs. Barry Horowitz match: this is the final match Diesel/Kevin Nash will have on Monday Night Raw! It’s certainly not his last appearance, but this is it for him wrestling on Raw until 2002. Sad it didn’t end with a Jackknife Powerbomb. The punch to the face was an interesting call.
Backstage Segment
Tatanka is talking with the 1-2-3 Kid and “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. They quickly kick the camera out of their locker room.
Karate Fighters Slam of the Week: Last week on Raw, “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry hit Jerry “The King” Lawler with a military press slam.
We go back to the arena to see smoke starting to come out of the entrance staging. Diesel cautiously heads to the back.
-Commercial Break-
Video: Next week on Raw, Shawn Michaels will take on Leif Cassidy of The New Rockers. Ahmed Johnson will also take on Owen Hart.
Non-Title Match
Tatanka w/ “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase vs. WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart
Referee: Earl Hebner
They lock up, and Tatanka rakes the eyes. Tatanka punches the WWF Champion into the corner and lays in some strikes. Tatanka sends him hard into the opposite corner and charges, but Hart boots him back. Hart goes to the second rope and hits a diving clothesline. Hart headbutts Tatanka and punches away at him. Hart wrenches the arm and hits an arm drag. Hart knees him in the shoulder and applies an arm wrench. Tatanka fights up and whips him off. Hart ducks a strike and hits a running crossbody block for a two-count. Hart applies another arm wrench and stretches the Native American out. Tatanka soon whips him off. Hart avoids a hip toss and tries for one of his own, but Tatanka clotheslines him down.
The 1-2-3 Kid makes his way to the ring, causing the crowd to loudly boo. Tatanka stomps away at Hart before putting him in the corner. Tatanka chokes Hart in the corner before the referee backs him up. Tatanka whips Hart HARD into the corner. Vince McMahon says Hart is feeling the effects of the chair to the back yesterday at Madison Square Garden. Tatanka hits a sidewalk slam for a two-count. Tatanka applies a rear chin lock. Hart soon fights up and punches out. Hart hits the ropes and ducks a clothesline, but Tatanka wipes him out with a kitchen sink knee to the midsection. Tatanka hits a scoop slam and drops an elbow for a two-count. Tatanka chops Hart into the corner before whipping him into the ropes. Hart catches him with a small package for a two-count. Tatanka quickly pops up and clotheslines Hart down.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Tatanka is applying a rear chin lock to the WWF Champion. Hart fights up and punches him in the midsection to get out of the hold. Tatanka quickly cuts him off with a punch to the face and hits a scoop slam. Tatanka heads to the top rope and leaps, but Hart punches him in the midsection. Hart hits a side Russian leg sweep, followed by an inverted atomic drop and a running clothesline. Hart hits a backbreaker and goes to the second rope for a diving forearm.
Hart puts a thumbs down in the air and grabs the legs for a Sharpshooter. Ted DiBiase gets on the apron to distract the referee. The 1-2-3 Kid gets on the apron. Hart goes after Kid, but Kid ducks and holds him. Tatanka goes to hit him, but Hart moves, and the Kid takes the impact. Hart rolls Tatanka up for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart
Bret Hart holds up the WWF Championship and poses with it.
Mike’s Thoughts: Tatanka, who was coming back after being caught up in an unfortunate situation from the summer of 1995, did not look good here. He was definitely out of shape in a heel gimmick that was going nowhere. Meanwhile, Bret Hart is the WWF Champion heading into an Iron Man Match in two weeks. Why have Hart take that much offense and not beat him with the Sharpshooter? Why not have the champion go over in a nothing match like this with his finish? It’s another slipping on a banana peel win that has plagued his entire run since winning the title at the Survivor Series. Can’t beat Undertaker, can’t beat Diesel. Surely, he can cleanly beat Tatanka? Think again.
Federal Turner Commission Hearings
We’re in a fictional government hearing. The chairman says this Time-Warner merger will make Billionaire Ted omnipotent. They mention Billionaire Ted has been accused of predatory tactics. Is he trying to make a monopoly? Billionaire Ted says we’re living in a capitalist society, and he is trying to create healthy competition. They ask about him systematically eliminating his competition. Is the World Wrestling Federation his latest target?
Billionaire Ted starts to do an impression of the famous courtroom scene from “A Few Good Men.” Billionaire Ted tells the committee person that he can’t handle the truth. They live in a capitalist society run by a handful of billionaires. He’s one of them. Ted determines what you watch and don’t. They have no idea how many lives and companies he’s destroyed. They have the luxury of not knowing what he does or owning what he does. His existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible, is essential. They need him to own things. They use phrases like “hostile takeover” and “predatory practices.” These are the backbone of his existence. They use it as a punchline. He has neither the time nor the inclination to explain himself. He’d rather they just said, “thank you” and went on their way.
They ask if he’s trying to put the World Wrestling Federation out of business. After pressing him, Ted shouts, “You’re damn right I am, and nobody’s gonna stop me!”
To be continued…
A text screen appears, reading, “Ted Turner is reportedly scheduled to testify before the Federal Trade Commission this month concerning the merger of Turner Broadcasting with Time-Warner. If the merger is approved as proposed, Ted Turner would be in a position to exercise significant control over 50% of the cable outlets in this country. If you share our concerns, you can make a difference.
“Write to: Mr. Robert Pitofsky, Chairman, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580.” Don’t actually write.
Mike’s Thoughts: That was beyond pathetic. This is such a loser tactic that I don’t even know where to begin. We’re two weeks away from WrestleMania XII and the Nacho Man vs. Huckster match with Billionaire Ted as the referee. Hopefully, that’ll be the end of these segments. There is no way this helped them whatsoever. They’re punching up and aren’t going to beat a real billionaire, Ted Turner, by getting him on bizarre technicalities. Billionaires don’t pay the piper like that ever, even in this day and age.
Quick Match Results
— The British Bulldog def. Jake “The Snake” Roberts via CO
— WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust def. “Make a Difference” Fatu (non-title)
— Diesel def. Barry Horowitz
— WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart def. Tatanka (non-title)
Mike’s Wrap-up: What We Learned from Raw
This was a bit of a mixed bag of a show, but there were some really important developments as WrestleMania XII continues to take shape.
The biggest takeaway is the continued evolution of Diesel as they begin the process of phasing him out. Coming off the Madison Square Garden angle where he laid out Shawn Michaels, he is now fully back in that classic Diesel heel role. They’re doing away with the cool tweener with some gray area in the character. Neither good nor bad, depending on how you feel. But since he’s on his way out, let’s make him a classic heel and play him out.
The in-ring match with Barry Horowitz was nothing, but the post-match segment with the casket was outstanding. Seeing his own image inside it was a genuinely creepy visual and a great way to build anticipation for his match with the Undertaker. For a guy on his way out of the company, they’re still putting in a lot of effort into making him feel like a major player.
The WrestleMania build elsewhere was a little more uneven. The Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels video packages continue to be fascinating, but for all the wrong reasons if you’re Bret Hart. Once again, the presentation makes Michaels look like the young, exciting future of the company, while Hart comes off as the older, bitter champion. Whether intentional or not, it’s clear which direction the company is leaning as we head toward the Iron Man Match.
At the same time, some of the undercard builds feel clunky. The 6-Man Tag setup with Yokozuna, Ahmed Johnson, and Jake “The Snake” Roberts against Camp Cornette got its point across, but it took a long way to get there. Meanwhile, the continued Billionaire Ted segments somehow manage to get worse, culminating in one of the more embarrassing attempts at satire the company has put on television. With WrestleMania just two weeks away, it’s baffling that so much time is being devoted to something that has nothing to do with the actual show.
There’s also a small but interesting historical note tied to this episode. This was the final time Diesel wrestled a match on Monday Night Raw during this run. He’ll still appear on television in the coming weeks, but from an in-ring perspective on Raw, this is the end of the line until his return years later. It’s a quiet exit for someone who carried the company throughout 1995.
Overall, this wasn’t a blowaway episode, but it did its job in continuing to build WrestleMania XII while also quietly marking a few important turning points behind the scenes. The pieces are all in place, but now it’s just a matter of seeing how it all comes together on the biggest show of the year.
So, how did this show stack up against WCW Nitro, which featured a Texas Tornado Tag Team Match with Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage battling Kevin Sullivan and Ric Flair?
WWF Raw (USA Network, taped): 2.9 (Record: 10-13-2)
WCW Nitro (TNT, live): 3.6 (Record: 13-10-2)
Winner: WCW Nitro (3-week streak)
This is not a great sign for the World Wrestling Federation heading into WrestleMania. Aside from the week it ran unopposed, they haven’t defeated WCW throughout the main build to WrestleMania XII.
Even though I’m kind of nerding out about all of the history that has happened on these shows, none of this was known at the time. It’s also not like they’re showcasing anything truly worth watching. Bret Hart vs. Tatanka? A match anyone could pass on. Next week, Shawn Michaels vs. Leif Cassidy (Al Snow). Absolutely nothing exciting about that. I’ve said it before, but if that’s the best that the WWF has got, they kind of deserve the whooping that is to come.
Email – mike@wrestleview.com
X – @MikeTedescoWV
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.