Raw #128 - September 25th, 1995

It's the first live Raw in over a month, and everyone is dying to know who the new champion or champions are after last night's Triple Header match. Remember, Gorilla Monsoon guaranteed a title would change hands. Skip and Sunny are in the ring, waiting for their opponent, the returning Marty Jannetty, who was not advertised. Jannetty will set a record with this comeback, as he will last over a year before getting fired, a post-Rockers personal best for the former Intercontinental Champion. After a vague reference to last night's Triple Header match, Vince excitedly says that the titles could change hands yet again tonight, notwithstanding the British Bulldog/Undertaker match. It's taken me over a year of watching Raws, but I have finally figured out that Vince doesn't know what "notwithstanding" means. He seems to think it means, "not to mention" instead of "regardless or in spite of." Lawler says that Bulldog will use Taker as a fire hydrant. "A what!?" says an indignant Vince. If anyone's going to the bathroom on the Undertaker, it's Sid, not Davey Boy.

Jannetty gets in a flurry of offense at the outset, driving Skip to the outside for a conciliatory hug from Sunny, who really should be keeping an eye on her drink with Marty around. Lawler says that Jannetty and Shawn Michaels were former tag team champions, clearly referencing the AWA titles, as The Rockers were never officially WWF Tag Champions. After again outwrestling Skip, Jannetty sneaks outside and steals a hug from Sunny, then ducks as she tries to slap him, instead hitting Skip. See, Shawn? That's how you hit on another guy's girlfriend without getting beaten up. But more on that next month... The announcers recap the previous night's shenanigans, wherein Owen Hart showed up at the last minute to get pinned in a match he wasn't officially involved in. Jerry Lawler speculates as to why Owen was late for the , throwing out such ideas as his flight being delayed or his wife having a baby. Skip eventually works up enough momentum to deliver a Tremendous Maneuver (#1), known to you and me as a vertical suplex. Dean Douglas stands in the aisle to take notes.

Skip is dominating Jannetty when Raw comes back from break. Vince mentions Skip's troubles with Barry Horowitz, to whom he wishes a Happy New Year. See, it's Rosh Hashanah, and Barry's Jewish (in case his "Hava Nagila" entrance music didn't clue you in). Jannetty tries for a running powerslam on Skip after catching him in the corner, but the Bodydonna slides out for a Nice Maneuver (#2). Marty still delivers a German suplex, then counters a hurricanrana with a powerbomb. Jannetty releases a pin when Sunny steps on to the ring apron, then sidesteps Skip and tosses him over the top rope. Later, he hits the Rocker Dropper and, failing to break Skip's neck, hits a fist drop from the top rope for the victory.

We go to footage from earlier today, where Jim Cornette's lawyer Clarence Mason successfully argued that, because the British Bulldog and not Owen Hart was the recognized tag team champion going into last night's match, Diesel and Shawn should not have won the titles when Diesel pinned a returning Owen Hart. And all this time, I thought the decision was overturned because Owen wasn't even in the match. That would have been a lot simpler, but the referee's decision to count the pin was final, even if it made no sense. Anyway, as a result, Owen and Yokozuna regained the tag team titles while Shawn and Diesel dropped the titles without having to job. The Two Dudes with Attitudes supposedly get a rematch against Owen and Yoko, who must defend their titles tonight against the Smoking Gunns.

Owen and Yoko are in the ring to face the Smoking Gunns. When the show returns from commercial break, Bart and Owen are zigzagging the ropes like they're on Saturday Morning Slam. Lawler jokes that the Gunns were "emotionally scarred" due to the cancellation of Gunsmoke, a program that would not be mentioned for years on raw until WWE started bragging every week about how Raw had lasted longer than it. Billy Gunn takes down Yokozuna with a bulldog before getting caught with a Samoan drop.

When Raw returns, Owen hits a neckbreaker (not to be confused with Jannetty's Rocker Dropper) on Billy, then tags in Yokozuna to split Gunn's wishbone. Vince says that Owen, who was booked in a match for every title last night, is trying to follow in the footsteps of his brother Bret, who last night wrestled a pirate. With Billy in one of those interminable Yokozuna nerveholds, Vince announces Wrestlemania: The Special, which airs on Fox this Saturday night. Billy eventually gets to his feet and elbows his way out of the hold, but gets knocked down soon thereafter. He does, however, miss his patented flopping elbow drop, allowing Billy to capitalize with a missed leg drop. Fortunately, Yokozuna's follow-up splash missed as well, allowing Billy to get the hot tag to Bart, who takes it to the newly-tagged Owen. Yokozuna breaks up a pin on Owen, but then gets his own partner Irish-whipped into him. Yoko ends up seated in the corner. You know what that means? Stink face! No, actually it means the Gunns can hit the sidewinder on Owen Hart, which they connect with. Yoko tries to break up the pin with a splash, but Bart moves out of the way, letting Owen get squashed. Bart pins Hart to win the tag team titles for his team as the Two Dudes with Attitudes come to the ring to celebrate and steal their thunder.

Next, the Undertaker faces British Bulldog, whom Gorilla Monsoon has named the #1 contender for the WWF title, I guess by virtue of beating Bam Bam last night. The Bulldog tries to back-body-drop Taker, who counters the Attempted Maneuver (#3) by slamming Smith's head backwards to the canvas. Taker attempts to go old school, or as it would be known in 1995, school, but the Bulldog yanks him off. The ropes. He then clotheslines Taker over the top rope, but the Dead Man lands on his feet and chokes Cornette before Bulldog chop-blocks him from behind. Mabel, who faces Taker at the next In Your House (Great White North), looks on with Mo in front of the big screen as Raw goes to break.

Waylon Mercy now looks on as Raw returns from break. However, no Mercy/Undertaker program ever materialized due to his injury and retirement. Undertaker connects with old school this time, but appears to still be hurting from the chop block. Bulldog counters a back body drop attempt with a piledriver, which the Undertaker kicks out of. He also kicks out of two vertical suplexes (suplices?) before chokeslamming Davey Boy. Mabel comes down to the ring, stepping in to confront Taker, who gets kneed from behind by Bulldog before taking a belly-to-belly from the King of the Ring. Mabel and Bulldog continue the beatdown until Shawn Michaels and Diesel once again insert themselves into other people's business in order to help their best friend the Undertaker. Owen and Yoko come to ringside, but get held off by the Smoking Gunns, whom Jerry Lawler rightly points out are "soaking wet and barefoot." Billy, for instance, still has lather on his chest. Did the Gunns put their jeans on in a hurry, or do they always shower in pants?

After the break, Diesel's music is playing, despite not having wrestled on the card. The Undertaker shakes hands with Diesel. After another commercial, Shawn Michaels's music is playing. We then see a replay of the previous night's finish to Razor vs. Dean Douglas. The Kid counted to three for Razor while the referee was distracted, confusing the Bad Guy, who then got rolled up by Douglas. Next week, Razor faces the Kid, whom Jerry says has been in negotiation with Ted DiBiase. If there's any sure-fire route to success in 1995, it's joining the Million Dollar Corporation, who last night improved their '95 PPV record to 1-8-1 when Sid beat Henry Godwinn. Shawn and Diesel celebrate as the first ever Raw with no squash matches concludes. Looks like someone is trying to compete with Nitro.

Final tally:

3 Maneuvers (Year total: 162)