WWF Monday Night RAW: January 30, 1995

Manatee Civic Center – Palmetto, FL

Announcers: Vince McMahon & Shawn Michaels

Vince recaps the incident between Bam Bam Bigelow and NFL legend Lawrence Taylor at the Royal Rumble as still photos are shown to illustrate what went down. Bigelow was suspended for 30 days without pay for shoving LT and was reprimanded to a public apology last week on Monday Night RAW. Due to technical difficulties that apology did not happen so tonight Mr. Bigelow will issue his public apology to LT and his family.

After the opening credits Vince and Shawn set the stage for RAW with discussion about the WWF Tag-Team Championship re-match with The Smoking Gunns defending their newly won titles against the former chumps The 1-2-3 Kid and Bob “Spark Plugg” Holly. Vince promises the match will prove more competitive than the Super Bowl was the night before (49ers 49, Chargers 26) and says The 1-2-3 Kid and Bob Holly have now had a full week to prepare for The Smoking Gunns. That of course is stretching the truth as this episode of RAW was taped after last week’s LIVE broadcast meaning only a few hours were in between the two matches. But whatever, McMahon. First up tonight, however, is the two-man mini-Royal Rumble Match between Mabel and King Kong Bundy. Michaels reminds the audience that to be the loser TWO feet must hit the arena floor as he floats over his winning the 30-man Royal Rumble Match at the PPV.

Over The Top Rope Match:
Mabel (w/ Oscar) -VS- King Kong Bundy (w/ “The Million-Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase)

Result/Analysis: Bundy (3:15) with the assistance of I.R.S. and Tatanka. This was as bad as you’d think but Bundy had to go over given his involvement with The Undertaker and because he was the Royal Rumble favorite before he was eliminated by Mabel at the PPV. There’s nothing to analyze in a match solely designed to get your opponent thrown over the top rope. Maybe an actual match between these two would have been worse and I’ll grant that. It’s cheap that Bundy would need his fellow Million-Dollar Corporation cohorts to help him win. Why not Bundy getting Mabel over the top rope by himself? Both Mo and Lex Luger come out after Bundy’s victory to clear the corporation from the ring.

Rating: DUD

Bam Bam Bigelow is “live” via satellite from an undisclosed location. Vince first asks Bam Bam his thoughts on losing to The 1-2-3 Kid at the Royal Rumble and how that had to be the most embarrassing moment in his career. Bam Bam credits The 1-2-3 Kid for beating him and says that every dog (underdog) has his day. Moving on, Vince becomes more stern with his questioning, even going so far as to lecture Bigelow that it’s the fans every right, as paying consumers, to cheer, jeer or even laugh if that’s how they want to express themselves. Vince makes note of the 14 stitches Bam Bam received after the match to his upper lip and to how disoriented he appeared to be following the loss as he realized he was left all alone without his tag-team partner or manager. Bam Bam admits it was tough to be solo in that moment without the support of his homies. Vince brings up Lawrence Taylor next and he asks Bam Bam why he took exception to LT when he was doing no more or less than every other fan around ringside? Bam Bam answers the question saying it was his opinion that LT was having a better time (at his expense) than anyone else was. Bigelow says he felt disrespected by LT as a fellow professional athlete because he interpreted LT placing him at an unequal level than him in terms of showing pride and admiration. Vince follows up to ask Bigelow just how did LT put him down? Bam Bam says, “Well, you know, he smiled, he was laughing, having a good old time, and puts his hand out to shake hands. Anybody that goes to shake another man’s hand, you shake his hand. You don’t laugh in his face.” Vince follows up asking if that is justification to shove LT down onto a concrete floor? Bam Bam begs off issuing an apology to LT right here despite intending to do so last week he says though not feeling right about it then and surely not now. Instead, Bam Bam says he should have shoved Taylor harder. Vince interjects to remind Bigelow he was suspended for 30 days and just about everybody associated with the WWF agreed with that. Bam Bam has a heated reply saying he doesn’t care about the suspension and his apology to Lawrence Taylor is a challenge to face him man-on-man to put their dignity and pride on-the-line anytime and anywhere without pads, helmets or friends. Vince acts taken aback by Bam Bam’s bold challenge as the camera fades to black on Bigelow. The takeaway you’d have in 1995 watching this with a critical eye is that the WWF was trying to create a shoot out of a work. You have to allow yourself to time travel back and use your kid brain and you can allow yourself to be sucked in by the realism angle.

After a commercial break, Michaels gives his two cents on Bam Bam’s non-apology and subsequent challenge to LT obviously siding with Bigelow and what Bam Bam claimed were the reasons he shoved Taylor. Vince, in contrast, plays the part of a prosecutor sticking up for LT’s integrity with a portrayal of him as a “Saint” who doesn’t put other people down as that’s not his style.

Hakushi (w/ Shinja) -VS- Ricky Santana

Result/Analysis: Hakushi via pinfall (4:03) following handspring splash. Every match Hakushi has had on TV to date he’s impressed in. It’s getting time for him to face an established talent over a named jobber. Santana wrestles like a sloppy drunk here. Vince and Shawn further the Bam Bam and LT storyline during the match with Michaels urging Taylor to stay in his lane. Given Bam Bam’s challenge, Vince wonders when LT or someone from his camp will respond.

Rating: 3/4*

Vince and Shawn give a full match-by-match Royal Rumble rundown to still photos to plug the Encore Plus re-air. Michaels specifically discusses the Rumble match and his victory. He mentions when Pamela Anderson is shown how she was clapping for and rooting him on. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper will host the Encore Plus Rumble replay.

“The Portuguese Man O’ War” Aldo Montoya -VS- David Sierra

Result/Analysis: Montoya via pinfall (1:58) following a flying bulldog. Vince keeps trying to sell the “Man O’ War” gimmick on commentary be it here on RAW or on “WWF SuperStars” but not a soul cared. The truth? Montoya is just another bottom tier roster guys on a roster of so many bottom feeders. No amount of TV exposure was getting him “over.” I’d say put Montoya into a tag-team but just whom could he partner up with?

Rating: 1/2*

Following the San Francisco 49ers win in Super Bowl XXIX, LB Ken Norton, Jr. was interviewed in the locker room as to where he’s going next? His answer? Head to WrestleMania, of course. That’s some foreshadowing as it pertains to NFL legend Lawrence Taylor and his potential involvement in WrestleMania XI as we await his response to the challenge made to him on this night from “The Beast From The East” Bam Bam Bigelow. The WWF was still everywhere in the press over the LT/Bam Bam confrontation at the Royal Rumble eight days beforehand.

The King’s Court w/ Mr. Bob Backlund:

As Backlund enters the ring, Lawler apologizes to him for the reception the people are giving, which is all boos, adding that’s the kind of reception expected of them all. Lawler asks Backlund if what he heard is true when it comes to the cross-face chickenwing with the rumors circulating that he won’t release the hold unless his opponent screams “I Quit!” Backlund looks around at first acting as if he didn’t hear the question then affirms that talk is true and he won’t release the cross-face chickenwing until he hears “I quit, Mr. Bob Backlund.” To add further clarification, Backlund affirms what he just said but he includes that “no one” is exempt from that policy. Lawler confirms what Backlund’s policy is to the fans who couldn’t hear him regarding “anybody” falling pretense to his non-exemption before trying to slip in that “anybody” doesn’t include himself. Backlund gives a noticeable stare off to the side that Vince immediately picks up on. Uh oh. Backlund gets upset and tells Lawler “no one” is exempt! Lawler laughs it off but he still calls Backlund’s bluff by asking him if he thinks he can put the cross-face chickenwing on him? Backlund asks Lawler if he’s ignorant because he’s not understanding? Backlund then applies the hold as Lawler yells “I quit, Mr. Backlund” into the microphone. Backlund charges at Lawler yelling at him before he turns around to exit the ring. Lawler tries to save face by telling the crowd he only meant he was going to quit the interview if Backlund didn’t release the hold. Backlund hears this said and returns to the ring only for Lawler to hightail it out of the ring by lying to Backlund telling him that Bret Hart is coming out. Michaels’ take from all of this is that Backlund is “mental.” It’s clear from this interview segment that the deranged Backlund character is getting a reboot to mirror what he was up to the Survivor Series months beforehand. Bret’s name was dropped here so expect the feud between he and Backlund to pick back up. Ugh. Backlund did interfere in the WWF Championship match Bret had with Diesel at the Royal Rumble eight days ago so it’s already started back up.

The Encore Plus! Royal Rumble replay is advertised yet again this time including Pamela Anderson at the PPV saying how excited she is to be a part of the WWF’s New Generation. Was she paid extra to say that?

WWF Tag-Team Championship:

The 1-2-3 Kid & Bob “Spark Plugg” Holly -VS- The Smoking Gunns [Billy & Bart] (c)

Result/Analysis: The Smoking Gunns via referee stoppage (8:38 shown). Given the hype of the re-match, the anti-climactic finish sucks all the air out of the arena and provides no rubber stamp on The Gunns as tag-team champions in their first title defense. The match is called off after The 1-2-3 Kid tries a somersault senton from the top rope but misses when Billy dodges and he lands badly on his neck. Immediately afterward, The 1-2-3 Kid looks to have suffered a serious injury and/or he has concussed himself. Neither turned out to be true and this turned out as just wacky booking that served no purpose given another return match between the teams for the belts didn’t occur. The Gunns had won the titles a week before on RAW the night following the Royal Rumble where The 1-2-3 Kid and Bob Holly had upset Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka. In actuality, however, this re-match happened on the same night as the LIVE RAW from January 23 as the RAW for January 30, this show, was taped afterward. Holly was rumored to be concussed in the initial match which may have had a lot to do with the booking here. Much of the heavy lifting was by The 1-2-3 Kid as he dominates The Gunns and dictates much of the match. Holly is sprinkled in at points but he’s not a big factor. The Gunns never control the match too much but do exchange frequent tags which shows their cohesiveness. The flat conclusion killed the arc of the match but it didn’t approach in quality the week before even still.

Rating: **1/2

Kama “The Supreme Fighting Machine” -VS- Jumbo Berretta

Result/Analysis: Kama via submission (3:42) with the STF. A lukewarm reaction here for Kama as the fans were confused on whether or not to cheer or boo him. One would lean in the direction of booing Kama as a heel that he likely is but in no way had that been defined clearly as of yet. Michaels, however, does pose Kama as a potential bodyguard for him so why even talk him up if he wasn’t a heel, right? Vince puts over Kama as impressive and as a “Supreme Fighting Machine” though he spends the match discussing various topics such as the health of The 1-2-3 Kid (who’s checked out fine), next week’s RAW (including a six-man tag-team main event), and how there’s been no word as of yet from the camp of Lawrence Taylor to answer the challenge of Bam Bam Bigelow from earlier in the night. Michaels comments that LT wants no part of Bam Bam with Vince questioning that logic given how Taylor no doubt felt embarrassed by what went down at the Royal Rumble. Upon Kama’s victory the end credits for RAW roll as the full hour has elapsed.

The Verdict: The much hyped “apology” from Bam Bam Bigelow instead turned into a challenge to Lawrence Taylor as we await word from him and/or his camp for next week. The Bundy versus Mabel mini-Royal Rumble was a complete waste of time though it sets up next week’s main event as Lex Luger teams with Men On A Mission to go up against Tatanka, I.R.S. and Bundy. The tag-team titles re-match had an abrupt ending to it that was likely needed to cover the health and protect the well-being of Holly, and not, The 1-2-3 Kid. We’re circling back to the deranged and mental Mr. Bob Backlund character, too, with his cross-face chickenwing elevated as some unbreakable submission hold. I’m sure that Bret Hart’s sharpshooter will get the same hype in the weeks to come. Michaels’ bodyguard search continues, too, so there’s that topic of conversation. The other matches were pure filler, including Kama’s, in his RAW debut.