WWF Monday Night RAW: February 6, 1995

Manatee Civic Center – Palmetto, FL

Announcers: Vince McMahon & Shawn Michaels

Prior to the intro, Vince recaps last week’s No Holds Barred Mini-Royal Rumble Match between adversaries Mabel and King Kong Bundy. Upon Bundy’s victory, thanks to the assistance of fellow Million-Dollar Corporation members I.R.S. and Tatanka, Mabel, is backed up by his Men On A Mission tag-team partner Mo, and with Lex Luger. Tonight, in the aftermath of last week, scheduled, is a six-man tag-team Main Event between those participants.

Vince and Shawn are at ringside, though not really, as their likenesses appear superimposed. How lame. Vince sets the stage for the night with Bobby Cupo, the agent for Lawrence Taylor, to appear with pre-recorded comments to address the challenge made to LT last week by Bam Bam Bigelow. Also, Razor Ramon is in action and we’ll see a special interview also pre-recorded with WWF Champion Diesel. Michaels, meanwhile, well he wants to remind the masses of his ongoing search for a new bodyguard. Shawn says he’s the headliner in the WWF

Six-Man Tag-Team Match:

Men On A Mission [Mabel & Mo] (w/ Oscar) & “Made in the U.S.A.” Lex Luger
-VS-
“Native American” Tatanka, I.R.S. & King Kong Bundy (w/ “The Million-Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase)

Result/Analysis: The Million-Dollar Corporation via pinfall (11:28 shown) when Bundy pins Luger after a DDT by Tatanka.

If you ever tuned in for RAW and dozed off within the first 15 minutes of the show this would have been the match to put one into a coma. The fatigued live crowd (the third RAW taping of the night) reacts to nothing because, well, there’s nothing worth reacting to. All six guys give a half-assed effort as they’d all rather be doing anything else. The TV driven feud between mammoths Bundy and Mabel inspired no one. To add insult, Luger, the most cheered for babyface, takes the pin to inexplicably be the one to put Bundy over. Why not useless Mo? Tatanka wrestles half-tanked as usual. Bundy is slow and over the hill. Mabel was the guy supposedly getting a push yet the fans show him no love. The actual runtime at the arena was approximately 15 minutes for this garbage. Vince even has to say on commentary that he’s not impressed with either team of three. Ouch. When the guy who’s running the company gives his honest assessment of HIS product that’s not a positive one then your show has real problems. Bundy goes over because he’s now feuding with The Undertaker. The ENDLESS feud between Luger and Tatanka will continue on the “Action Zone” on the weekend ahead as Vince is forced to promote their match. The only one happy here is DiBiase as The Corporation exits victorious. I.R.S. does bring the stolen urn ⚱️ of The Undertaker to the ring here marking the first time on TV since the Royal Rumble pay-per-view in January the urn has been seen and not just talked about.

Rating: 3/4*

Man Mountain Rock has like his 5th different promo in three weeks. He compares playing the guitar to professional wrestling as he says they both require intense concentration. In a word association, Rock calls Diesel “awesome,” The Undertaker “unparalleled,” and Jeff Jarrett “jerk.” As for himself, Rock says he’s “dangerous.” His goal is to become a WWF Champion. His in ring debut comes up in the next match.

Bobby Cupo, the legal counsel for Lawrence Taylor, issues a prepared statement on behalf of his client. LT is still demanding a public apology from Bam Bam Bigelow for the unprovoked physical attack on him at the Royal Rumble. LT was at the event as a guest and was enjoying the show the same as anyone else. As for Bigelow’s public challenge to LT last week, that’s being answered in the affirmative of no because while LT has great respect for all the WWF SuperStars he himself, has no desire to be one. Cupo’s statement is for Bam Bam to step down from his insidious remarks that defame the good name of Lawrence Taylor otherwise further legal action will be taken. And so it continues … Michaels pulls no punches in his response to Cupo saying he wished LT had the guts to accept Bam Bam’s challenge only LT knows that Bigelow would wipe the ring with him.

Meanwhile, in the ring, a tie dye dressed Man Mountain Rock “cuts a rug” according to Vince’s opinion doing a guitar riff. There’s actually some fan reaction and Michaels doesn’t bury Rock on commentary for it.

Bam Bam does his promo for Slim Jim in the interim. I wonder if LT was snapping into a Slim Jim as he watched RAW?

Charlie Hunter -VS- Man Mountain Rock 🎸

Result/Analysis: Man Mountain Rock via pinfall (2:49) following a front faced suplex.

Vince tries to hype the wrestling ability of Man Mountain Rock but Michaels only focuses upon his tie dye attire and says that Rock is pushing the limits with it. The discussion mostly centers on Lawrence Taylor not accepting the challenge of Bam Bam Bigelow with Michaels questioning LT’s manhood while Vince asserts LT isn’t running away from a fight. There’s almost zero reaction to Rock in his debut (TV) match. Yet another guy here (and gimmick) that’s a flash in the pan. Next.

Rating: 1/4*

We see the closing moments of the WWF Championship match from “The Action Zone” which aired the previous day. Diesel made a successful title defense with a victory over Owen Hart. Afterward, Shawn Michaels came out to stand in the aisle with Diesel celebrating his win and the two have a stare down.

Diesel has a sit down interview with Vince that airs next. Vince first congratulates Diesel on his successful title defense against Owen Hart on “The Action Zone” and directs a question to “Big Daddy Cool” as to which Hart brother brings more to the table as a competitor? Speaking candidly, Diesel says Bret is tougher but he credits Owen as being tenacious. He adds that the scouting report on him appears to be attack his legs since both Bret and Owen did just that with the application of the sharpshooter the goal for each. Diesel says he’s had nine knee operations to this point in his life and to that fact, Vince is taken aback. Diesel admits therefore, his legs are his achilles heel if in fact he has one. Vince mentions Shawn Michaels again posed a distraction to him in the Owen match and if Shawn’s mind games are having an effect? Diesel brings up the Bret match at the Royal Rumble and how he believes he had that won after executing the jackknife (which no one of yet has kicked out of) only for Shawn to interfere. Diesel admits Shawn’s mind games have had an effect but he credits Michaels’ ability and psychological tactics which he knows full well having spent two years at Shawn’s side, first as his bodyguard, and then, as his tag-team partner. Vince brings up Shawn unveiling soon his new bodyguard but we don’t get Diesel’s reaction to that. Vince, instead, gets corporate as he wants to know from Diesel how he’s dealing with the demands (he lists them all off) of being the WWF Champion? Vince even name drops Kevin Nash which is an interesting tidbit only adding to the candid nature this interview is striving to achieve. Diesel admits he had no idea of the demands the Federation Champion had to take on and he says there’s no time for him personally to do anything else. At the same time, Diesel says he’s enjoying doing these extra things and the notoriety and prestige that comes with being the WWF Champion. In a final question, Vince asks Diesel if the grinding schedule will wear him down and lead to him dropping the title in two weeks against “Double J” Jeff Jarrett when they square off on RAW? Diesel says he won’t lose to Jarrett because he’s working too hard and has worked too hard to get to where he is now. This interview did more to personalize Diesel as the new face of the company than anything that’s been tried up until now. For that reason, this worked. Michaels’ reaction to the interview is that on the night Diesel has his title defense against “Double J” he’ll announce who his new bodyguard is. Shawn says he won’t be upstaged by “Big Daddy Cool,” oh no.

Mantaur (w/ Jim Cornette) -VS- Leroy Howard

Result/Analysis: Mantaur via pinfall (3:49) following a belly-to-belly suplex.

The half-man and half-beast mastodon that is Mantaur methodically disposes of Leroy Howard, another resident jobber found in the state of Florida most assuredly. I’ve seen Mantaur look worse in his prior TV appearances to date so I won’t discuss how the crowds aren’t reacting to him or how ridiculous the gimmick is. Vince and Shawn spend the match discussing WrestleMania XI with Vince speculating if Mantaur will be apart of the show while Shawn says the only reason anyone is buying tickets is he because he’s in the Main Event and is the next WWF Champion. There’s nothing to see here. Michaels again hypes up his bodyguard announcement for RAW in two weeks. He confirms his bodyguard won’t be Mantaur. Thanks Shawn. We all figured that but …

Rating: 3/4*

Todd Pettengill runs down the upcoming Pennsylvania stops for the “In High Gear” tour. I’m sure the folks in Bethlehem, PA had their tickets purchased. The chance to see Duke “The Dumpster” Droese, Mantaur and Man Mountain Rock in person was indeed a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Frank Lancaster -VS- “The Bad Guy” Razor Ramon

Result/Analysis: Ramon via pinfall (3:48) following the Razor’s Edge.

Ramon shows no effects from the knee injury he sustained at the Royal Rumble in this his first match since the pay-per-view. Lancaster, at least to me, looks like a cross between Paul Roma and Jim Powers of the late1980’s Young Stallions tag-team. Vince and Shawn speculate on Ramon getting a rematch versus “Double J” Jeff Jarrett for the Intercontinental Title so expect that talk to persist in the coming weeks. Ramon almost always looked good against enhancement talent. Here is no different.

Rating: *

Henry Godwinn -VS- Billy Weaver

Result/Analysis: Godwinn via pinfall (2:23) following the slop drop.

We’re told by Michaels that Godwinn isn’t his new bodyguard, by Vince that Godwinn’s favorite cartoon character is likely Porky Pig and that Godwinn derives his power from his slop bucket. I like Godwinn but this match was squeezed into the end of a three week RAW TV taping as something quick and decisive.

Rating: 1/2*

Vince plugs the next Monday Night RAW in TWO weeks to be headlined by Diesel defending the WWF Championship against Intercontinental Champion “Double J” Jeff Jarrett, the lifted suspension of Bam Bam Bigelow and Michaels’ announcement of his new bodyguard. Shawn then breaks news to Vince he will no longer be doing color commentary on RAW as he has to protect himself from both the wrestlers and fans of the WWF. Thus, Vince will have himself a new broadcast partner. I’d think it will be Jerry “The King” Lawler.

The Verdict: To this day, the February 6, 1995 RAW may be the worst of its kind in the now 32+ year run of the show. We’re subjected to Man Mountain Rock, Mantaur and an AWFUL six-man tag. Diesel’s sit down interview with Vince was pretty good but you can’t sell your signature weekly show off that. The Lawrence Taylor/Bam Bam saga continues to be dragged out as LT’s camp won’t yet accept Bigelow’s challenge. Without Michaels making news what else exactly is happening? Watching this one hour piece of garbage really made me long for “Prime Time Wrestling” circa 1987?