SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following report originally published 30 years ago this week in the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter paper copy…
KELLER’S WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW REPORT
FEBRUARY 19, 1996
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE PRO WRESTLING TORCH NEWSLETTER (ISSUE #375/376)
(Live from Cincinnati, Ohio)…
-During the preview of Raw, they showed a clip of Ultimate Warrior shaking the ropes and McMahon saying, “What about the Ultimate Warrior!”…
-Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler introduced the program as Razor Ramon made his way to the ring. “Will Ramon be the first five-time Intercontinental Champion of all-time?”…
(1) Razor Ramon beat Goldust via countout at 8:11. Ramon attacked Goldust as soon as he got to the ring. Ramon dominated the early minutes. Goldust went on offense after the first commercial. In the end, Ramon caught a Goldust bodypress attempt and threw him over his head and over the top rope to the floor. Goldust came back swinging wildly. Ramon ducked and suplexed him, so Goldust fled to the back to be counted out. After the match, in a nonsensical speech, Ramon told them to cut his music and listen to him. He said he doesn’t want Goldust’s belt (huh?) and he “doesn’t want his ass” (that we understand). He then talked about Roddy Piper, the “legend from the glory days” being back. He said Piper always talks about his six kids “so that makes you Hot Rod.” He said he wants a rematch with Goldust because he likes kids and doesn’t want them to see “this stuff” (referring to Goldust) on TV…
-McMahon said, “What’s Piper up to? The Ultimate Warrior? I don’t know,” and then showed a clip of Warrior again… Dok Hendrix recapped IYH…
Vader attacked Aldo Montoya and Barry Horowitz who were scheduled to face The Body Donnas. The match didn’t take place because of Vader’s attack…
-A one minute, ten second career highlight video including old Warrior voiceovers aired. McMahon introduced it saying Piper is up to something and Warrior may wreak havoc in the WWF again… That was followed by an ad for Wrestlemania XII…
After a commercial, Sunny sang Happy Birthday to “Mr. President” while running her hand up her thigh… They showed Bob Backlund arguing with fans in the crowd in preparation to be in New Hampshire…
(2) “Ring Master” Steve Austin beat Marty Jannetty via submission at 7:13…
-The latest Mankind (a/k/a Cactus Jack) segment aired. He said: “And on the eighth day God created Mankind. Why was he having such a bad day? Why did he create all of you normal but forget so many important parts of me? He made the teeth that I swallowed, the ear that was ripped from my skull, a face that no longer exists, the fingers that no longer play music. You think you’re normal? Deep inside you are merely a mirror image of all my atrocities. The ugliness that exists outside lives inside every one of you. Yeah, on the eighth day God created me. (crying and rocking) Maybe he should have slept that day, too.” He sat in a dark, cage-like corner caressing huge rats with his hair covering his face. Great imagery and execution…
Next week’s Raw was plugged featuring Yokozuna vs. Owen Hart & British Bulldog, Jake Roberts vs. Isaac Yankem, a face to face interview with Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, and “Diesel who was denied the WWF Title unleashes his fury”…
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of “PWTorch ’90s Pastcast” with Patrick Moynahan and Alex McDonald, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
(3) Undertaker defeated Tatanka. Diesel came to ringside in the opening minute with a determined look on his face. He grabbed a ringside cameraman and dragged him to the back. After a commercial break, they showed Diesel destroying Undertaker’s casket (“his home”) in the back. Lawler speculated Undertaker could “sense” what was happening to his casket. At 4:15 Tatanka escaped a shoulder drop attempt and piledrived Undertaker. It appeared Undertaker was knocked out, perhaps drained by the destruction of his casket. But Undertaker reached up and grabbed Tatanka by the throat. After a chokeslam and a tombstone, the match was over. Undertaker saw Diesel’s actions on the video wall. After the latest Billionaire Ted skit aired, Raw went off the air as Undertaker and Paul Bearer cried over the remains of the coffin…
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