WWF Monday Night RAW - September 18, 1995
by SamoaRowe
-From an undisclosed location (Canton, OH). Our hosts are Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler.
- Meanwhile, on WCW Nitro:
- The American Males upset Harlem Heat for the tag titles (first in a long line of hot shot title changes)
- Paul Orndorff beat Johnny B. Badd (nothing special, but Orndorff’s music was the BEST during this time)
- Ric Flair beat Flyin’ Brian Pillman (good TV match)
The 1-2-3 Kid vs. Razor Ramon
Kid ambushes Razor getting into the ring and tries to use his speed advantage. Razor catches Kid in his arms for a top rope fall away slam. The Kid is flustered and hurt and Razor counters into a suplex. Kid manages toss Razor over the ropes and scores a dive. Back heel kick by Kid but Razor gets a rope break. Ramon gets caught in a long sleeper, lasting through a commercial. He breaks out with a back suplex! Razor builds momentum but knocks The 1-2-3 Kid into the referee. Dean Douglas runs in for a frog splash across Razor’s back. It takes an eternity for the Kid to make a slow cover, but it’s good for the pinfall at 7:09 (shown). I appreciate what they were going for, but the execution of that finish hurt Razor’s credibility, **.Winner: The 1-2-3 Kid
-Dean Douglas teaches a lesson from his classroom. He hands out low grades to his rivals and spells his name in the process. Douglas finishes by scratching the chalk board, the sign of a true nefarious bad guy!
Tatanka and Kama (with Ted Dibiase) vs. Savio Vega and Bob Holly
Vega has a hot start against Tatanka and fights off an invading Kama. Holly has similar luck against Kama, focusing on the arm. Tatanka distracts Holly off the apron, allowing Kama to blindside Vega. The trickery works and Vega suffers a double power slam and settles in as a face in peril. Holly eventually gets a hot tag and cleans house, hitting Kama with a missile drop-kick. Kama slips up countering a flying cross body, but still manages to pin Holly at 5:49. This was fairly dull and had a few sloppy moments, *.Winners: Tatanka and Kama
-Razor Ramon responds to Dean Douglas backstage. Dean’s ivy league education won’t mean anything when he’s face to face with the Bad Guy.
Jean Pierre LaFitte vs. Brian Walsh
A replay shows LaFitte stealing Bret’s glasses from a young boy, making him cry. I missed the jobber’s name, but he manages to get some kicks in. LaFitte takes control of “Brian Walsh” as Vince talks to Bret Hart on the phone, and you can guess that the Hitman is unimpressed with LaFitte’s actions of late. The match lumbers on until LaFitte finishes with a Cannonball at 3:10. Super boring squash.Winner: Jean Pierre LaFitte
-Tony Chimel reinforces the ring to support extra weight, as King Mabel and Yokozuna will be in the main event.
Men on a Mission (King Mabel and Sir Mo) vs. WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and Yokozuna (with Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji)
King Mabel is in the twilight of his inexplicable push as a top heel. Owen looks for a hot start, but Mo cuts him off with methodical offense. Owen counters a head of steam and nails a clothesline, but Mo catches him with a power slam. Mabel tags in and counters Owen’s turnbuckle punches, and Men on a Mission manage to cut the ring in half. Owen manages to shake Mo off and leisurely tags in Yokozuna, who wants a piece of Mabel. Mo, the legal man, gets driven into the ring steps by Owen, so Yokozuna backs off. Yokozuna relentlessly pummels Mo into the corner. Mo becomes a heel in peril as they head to commercial. Back from break, Yokozuna and Mabel makes tags and finally get to slug it out. Mabel gets the best of the exchange, and Mo helps him drop Yokozuna with a double clothesline. The champs rebound, with Yokozuna holding Mo in place for Owen’s missile drop-kick. Mo catches Owen in a superplex, and this is exceeding my (low) expectations. Owen drop toe holds Mo into a Yokozuna leg drop for the win at 9:03 (shown). Rough around the edges, but fun to watch, **.Winners: Owen Hart and Yokozuna
-WWF Champion Diesel and Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels have their final words against Owen Hart and Yokozuna. HBK calls Hart and Jim Cornette liars, while Diesel looks forward to going home to Michigan.
-Owen Hart and Yokozuna, along with Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji, remain in the ring for an interview. Cornette feels that victory is certain, but Vince is skeptical. Cornette rants about his guys being championship material and reminds us that the last time Michaels and Diesel teamed up, things didn’t work out too well.
Final Thoughts: Standard episode of Raw, which was unfortunate because Nitro was making an immediate splash, especially in a week like this where Raw was preempted yet again. Again, I enjoy watching this, but I cannot honestly say it was a “good” show. Thumbs in the Middle.
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