RAW #129
Date: 2 October 1995
Location: Grand Center; Grand Rapids, MI (taped)
Commentary: Vince McMahon & Jerry Lawler
TONIGHT: 1-2-3 Kid and Razor Ramon settle the score! Jean-Pierre Lafitte gets another crack at Bret Hart!
We're taped from Grand Rapids again this week. RAW actually won the live battle with Nitro last time, and in style. We'll see how long that lasts for them.
After a recap of last week's episode, Vince and Jerry welcome us to the show.
Razor Ramon def. The 1-2-3 Kid (2:55)
Razor (who is still yet to beat the Kid) takes charge of the match early and roughs him up using his physical advantage. Kid responds with speed and throws a series of kicks at Razor to level the playing field. Razor grabs him off one of them though and hits the fallaway slam. We see Dean Douglas in the aisle now, taking notes. Kid tries to mount a comeback and goes for a couple of leg drops, but the spinning heel kick misses Ramon, and Kid gets nailed with a clothesline for three. That's where I'm officially calling the match, but Kid is not done and wants another round. We go to a break just as Razor puts Kid in a stretch, and when we come back, we learn that Razor pinned him again. They're going at it for a THIRD round now, and Razor has the chance to go for the Razor's Edge, but pins Kid with a small package instead out of kindness. Post-match(es), Kid tries to restart things for a fourth round and gets two off a roll-up, but Ramon again resists the urge to Razor's Edge the little runt and they hug it out. I guess all is well? Probably not. This was an angle, not a match, and thus I won't give it a rating. I don't think it was very effective though; it made Kid (the soon-to-be heel) look like a loser and Razor (the babyface) seem like a dick.
It really seems like PPV reports are dead, as Vince and Jerry run down some of the matches for IYH4 (basically the same ones announced last week, plus Goldust vs. Marty Jannetty).
Also, tonight, you can vote on whether you think O.J. Simpson is innocent or not! All proceeds will go to a child abuse charity, which wasn't consulted about being associated with a poll about a murder trial and demanded an apology. D'oh!
Hunter Hearst Helmsley def. Barry Horowitz (5:34)
Barry still has his theme music! F*** yeah! Hunter dominates the early exchanges with his technical prowess, but Barry continues trying to steal pins and makes Hunter, currently undefeated, look a little unsure of himself. Barry then gets a genuine near fall off a Thesz Press and rolls Hunter up for another two count. Let's go Barry! Hunter really looks all at sea here, but gets his deadly Pedigree over by catching Barry in a split second — just as it looked like Horowitz was on top — and hitting the finish. That ends it for the blue blood. Decent enough extended squash, and I appreciate they're giving Barry the opportunity to look like more of a legit roster member. HHH moves on to the next contest (which will be Fatu at IYH4). (*½)
PG-13 def. Al Brown & Sonny Rogers (3:45)
First appearance for PG-13 here, who came over to work for WWF as part of a talent exchange with USWA. They're actually the USWA Tag Team Champions, so you can think of this like The Heavenly Bodies coming over from SMW a few years prior (although these guys don't wrestle nearly as many matches). There's not much to this one and the jobbers barely get any offense at all. PG-13 are pretty good at playing to the crowd though and they work a pretty neat top-rope bulldog into otherwise unremarkable offense. A tilt-a-whirl combo finishes it for the newcomers.
Bret Hart def. Jean-Pierre Lafitte (12:04 shown)
Lafitte gets on top and is the aggressor early, but Bret absorbs that pressure and takes things outside, giving Lafitte a sick slam onto the side of the steps. That looked painful as shit! Back inside, Lafitte recovers and rattles Bret by sending him flying into the ropes, which Bret sells like a beast. A brief REST HOLD follows, but Lafitte gets bored of that and heads up top for a flying headbutt. That connects but only gets two. Bret recovers and rolls up Lafitte into a small package for two, but Lafitte kicks out. Back from a break, Lafitte stays on top but can't connect with a legdrop and has to take things out to the floor, where Bret gets absolutely HURLED into the steps. Ouchie! Bret gets back in the ring and begins to mount an offense, hitting the atomic drop and middle-rope elbow (the classics). Lafitte gets a roll-up to halt Bret's momentum, but Hitman kicks out and meets Lafitte at the top as he goes for a Cannonball. A superplex follows and the Sharpshooter is locked in for a quick submission. And with that Lafitte is basically done in the WWF (besides a short Quebecers revival in a few years). This wasn't as good as their PPV bout but a really enjoyable TV match for the time with only one commercial breaking it up. Both guys took some really stiff shots here too. (***)
Post-match, Bret celebrates and draws the ire of Jerry Lawler on commentary, as this feud will NEVER END. Bret and Lawler get into it and King gets sent over the barricade into the crowd, but the Big Red Dentist Isaac Yankem saves Lawler's bacon and DDTs Bret on the outside. We learn after a break that Gorilla has been watching and will sanction a STEEL CAGE match on RAW in a few weeks between Bret and Yankem.
Before we finish, we get promos from the two all-star teams clashing next week, and discover that 51% of WWF fans think O.J. isn't guilty! I'm sure that will swing things.
Not quite as good an episode as last time, although the main event here was the best match on either show. This has that slightly diluted, taped feel to it. Thumbs in the middle.
NEXT WEEK: All-star tag action as Camp Cornette team up to face Diesel, HBK and The Undertaker!
Date: 2 October 1995
Location: Grand Center; Grand Rapids, MI (taped)
Commentary: Vince McMahon & Jerry Lawler
TONIGHT: 1-2-3 Kid and Razor Ramon settle the score! Jean-Pierre Lafitte gets another crack at Bret Hart!
We're taped from Grand Rapids again this week. RAW actually won the live battle with Nitro last time, and in style. We'll see how long that lasts for them.
After a recap of last week's episode, Vince and Jerry welcome us to the show.
Razor Ramon def. The 1-2-3 Kid (2:55)
Razor (who is still yet to beat the Kid) takes charge of the match early and roughs him up using his physical advantage. Kid responds with speed and throws a series of kicks at Razor to level the playing field. Razor grabs him off one of them though and hits the fallaway slam. We see Dean Douglas in the aisle now, taking notes. Kid tries to mount a comeback and goes for a couple of leg drops, but the spinning heel kick misses Ramon, and Kid gets nailed with a clothesline for three. That's where I'm officially calling the match, but Kid is not done and wants another round. We go to a break just as Razor puts Kid in a stretch, and when we come back, we learn that Razor pinned him again. They're going at it for a THIRD round now, and Razor has the chance to go for the Razor's Edge, but pins Kid with a small package instead out of kindness. Post-match(es), Kid tries to restart things for a fourth round and gets two off a roll-up, but Ramon again resists the urge to Razor's Edge the little runt and they hug it out. I guess all is well? Probably not. This was an angle, not a match, and thus I won't give it a rating. I don't think it was very effective though; it made Kid (the soon-to-be heel) look like a loser and Razor (the babyface) seem like a dick.
It really seems like PPV reports are dead, as Vince and Jerry run down some of the matches for IYH4 (basically the same ones announced last week, plus Goldust vs. Marty Jannetty).
Also, tonight, you can vote on whether you think O.J. Simpson is innocent or not! All proceeds will go to a child abuse charity, which wasn't consulted about being associated with a poll about a murder trial and demanded an apology. D'oh!
Hunter Hearst Helmsley def. Barry Horowitz (5:34)
Barry still has his theme music! F*** yeah! Hunter dominates the early exchanges with his technical prowess, but Barry continues trying to steal pins and makes Hunter, currently undefeated, look a little unsure of himself. Barry then gets a genuine near fall off a Thesz Press and rolls Hunter up for another two count. Let's go Barry! Hunter really looks all at sea here, but gets his deadly Pedigree over by catching Barry in a split second — just as it looked like Horowitz was on top — and hitting the finish. That ends it for the blue blood. Decent enough extended squash, and I appreciate they're giving Barry the opportunity to look like more of a legit roster member. HHH moves on to the next contest (which will be Fatu at IYH4). (*½)
PG-13 def. Al Brown & Sonny Rogers (3:45)
First appearance for PG-13 here, who came over to work for WWF as part of a talent exchange with USWA. They're actually the USWA Tag Team Champions, so you can think of this like The Heavenly Bodies coming over from SMW a few years prior (although these guys don't wrestle nearly as many matches). There's not much to this one and the jobbers barely get any offense at all. PG-13 are pretty good at playing to the crowd though and they work a pretty neat top-rope bulldog into otherwise unremarkable offense. A tilt-a-whirl combo finishes it for the newcomers.
Bret Hart def. Jean-Pierre Lafitte (12:04 shown)
Lafitte gets on top and is the aggressor early, but Bret absorbs that pressure and takes things outside, giving Lafitte a sick slam onto the side of the steps. That looked painful as shit! Back inside, Lafitte recovers and rattles Bret by sending him flying into the ropes, which Bret sells like a beast. A brief REST HOLD follows, but Lafitte gets bored of that and heads up top for a flying headbutt. That connects but only gets two. Bret recovers and rolls up Lafitte into a small package for two, but Lafitte kicks out. Back from a break, Lafitte stays on top but can't connect with a legdrop and has to take things out to the floor, where Bret gets absolutely HURLED into the steps. Ouchie! Bret gets back in the ring and begins to mount an offense, hitting the atomic drop and middle-rope elbow (the classics). Lafitte gets a roll-up to halt Bret's momentum, but Hitman kicks out and meets Lafitte at the top as he goes for a Cannonball. A superplex follows and the Sharpshooter is locked in for a quick submission. And with that Lafitte is basically done in the WWF (besides a short Quebecers revival in a few years). This wasn't as good as their PPV bout but a really enjoyable TV match for the time with only one commercial breaking it up. Both guys took some really stiff shots here too. (***)
Post-match, Bret celebrates and draws the ire of Jerry Lawler on commentary, as this feud will NEVER END. Bret and Lawler get into it and King gets sent over the barricade into the crowd, but the Big Red Dentist Isaac Yankem saves Lawler's bacon and DDTs Bret on the outside. We learn after a break that Gorilla has been watching and will sanction a STEEL CAGE match on RAW in a few weeks between Bret and Yankem.
Before we finish, we get promos from the two all-star teams clashing next week, and discover that 51% of WWF fans think O.J. isn't guilty! I'm sure that will swing things.
Not quite as good an episode as last time, although the main event here was the best match on either show. This has that slightly diluted, taped feel to it. Thumbs in the middle.
NEXT WEEK: All-star tag action as Camp Cornette team up to face Diesel, HBK and The Undertaker!