SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following is my report WWF Monday Night Raw from 20 years ago this week, originally published in Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter #414 (cover-dated Nov. 9, 1996). VIP members can read the entire issue including all of this:
This issue includes:
–A Cover Story and Keller’s End Notes analysis of the infamous hotshot gun angle on Raw involving Brian Pillman and Steve Austin.
-Part four of Shane Douglas’s in-depth, fascinating account of his short-lived experience in the WWF and his feud with The Clique.
–WWF Newswire, WCW Newswire, ETC. Newswire.
-Reports on Raw, Nitro, and other TV shows
-Quotebook, Letters to the Torch, and more…
VIP LINK TO ALL-TEXT & PDF VERSION OF THIS ENTIRE NEWSLETTER
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KELLER’S WWF MONDAY NIGHT RAW REPORT
NOVEMBER 4, 1996
FT. WAYNE, IND.
AIRED ON USA NETWORK
(Taped Oct. 21 in Ft. Wayne, Ind.)… After previewing the program, stressing the Bret Hart, Steve Austin live interview more than the Shawn Michaels vs. British Bulldog match, Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler opened the program…
(1) “Double J” Jesse James beat Salvatore Sincere. McMahon mistakenly referred to James as “Double J Jeff Jarrett.” Lawler quickly corrected him. James showed raw natural charisma, although it’s hard to take him seriously as an athlete with the outfit he wears. After taking two punches to his head, Sincere blocked a third one and showed no signs of selling the previous two punches. James won with a arm hook front slam which doesn’t have a “WWF nickname” yet…
Dok Hendrix began plugging Wrestlemania and the banquet. Steve Austin interrupted him and told him nobody cares about “eight old farts getting a trophy handed to them.” Austin left and Dok then announced several matches for Survivor Series. When Dok said Bret was standing by live in Calgary, Austin said Bret should be there in person and added, “It’s things like this that are going to get someone’s ass kicked”…
(2) Crush beat Aldo Montoya. Marc Mero joined McMahon and Lawler via phone. He said he is “perfectly pissed.” He said he is going to pull the hair out of Perfect’s “fat head.” Mero came across as intense. Mero said he let Perfect get into his inner circle and should have known better. Jim Ross joined in on commentary at ringside. Ross said he recommended Faarooq see Clarence Mason regarding a lawsuit against Ahmed Johnson. Ross said they hit it off so well Mason is now going to be Faarooq’s manager. Ross said Faarooq would be going through a lot of changes, perhaps implying that he’ll drop the silly headgear. Now is as good a time as any. Ross said Crush is just like Michael Irvin, he’s a good player when he’s not in jail. Crush was driven so mad by chants of “jailbird” that he attacked a ringside security guard. Mason pleaded with Crush to return to the back…
They recapped the Mr. Perfect-Mero-Hunter angle…
They plugged that Brian Pillman would be interviewed live on Raw next week from his home. Austin then complained that the WWF went to Bret’s and Pillman’s house, but didn’t go to his house in Victoria, Texas and made him fly to the WWF studios. Austin said, “If you’re going to have a party with some crippled freak, you better believe I’ll be there.” Austin made fun of Pillman’s raspy voice. When McMahon questioned why Gorilla Monsoon hasn’t done anything to him yet, Austin told McMahon that Monsoon is just a puppet and that he (McMahon) is really in control and he’s a greedy promoter. He said he himself will make money from the match, but that he’d “just as soon kick Pillman’s ass for free.” When they began to interview Bret, back in the arena Sunny’s music played and she came to ringside. They went right to the next match instead…
(3) Billy Gunn beat Freddie Joe Floyd after a top rope legdrop. Sunny said she sides with Billy rather than Bart because he’s more aggressive and he’s blond with a killer smile. Bart confronted Billy at ringside…
The Bret Hart-Steve Austin segment continued. Bret said he’s ready to “kick Austin’s ass.” Austin said win, lose, or draw, it won’t be over because “I’ll always be on your ass.” Austin said the WWF is his house now. Bret said people have this idea that now that he’s returned to the WWF he’s going to clean up the WWF, but before he could go further McMahon said they were out of time. Austin was upset with the time cue so he threw a producer into a ladder on the set and threw some equipment…
(4) Shawn Michaels (w/Clarence Mason) beat British Bulldog. Owen Hart sat at ringside for commentary. Owen said Michaels should wash his hair and cut it. McMahon announced that Raw would start one hour earlier next week, although he didn’t say they end an hour earlier, too, so some viewers may think they’re expanding to two hours. McMahon said police have been called to calm Austin who was still raising hell at the studios. Bulldog again relied too much on headlocks and chinlocks to fill time, but otherwise a good match. Owen interfered for the DQ. Sid made the save. The show closed with Sid and Michaels arguing after a misunderstanding. Owen & Bulldog challenged them to a tag match…
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