RAW vs Nitro #10 (11/13/95)

Welcome back to another edition of RAW vs Nitro. Click here to read the last edition if you missed it. Now let's get into it, this is RAW vs Nitro #10!

RAW

• Before the show, we find out in a video package that the match between Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon and Sycho Sid with guest referee 1-2-3 Kid has become a non-title match. This is due to the fact that the Kid & Razor got into it during a live event, leaving Gorilla Monsoon unsure if the Kid can officiate fairly. This is dumb for a couple of reasons:
1. Not having the title on the line wouldn't prevent 1-2-3 Kid from not being impartial.
2. Why not just NOT have the 1-2-3 Kid be the referee. I know the real reason (this show was already taped), but they clearly scripted this series of events before hand. You could just, you know, not book it if you're just going to not do.
3. Aren't Razor Ramon & the 1-2-3 Kid friends? Shouldn't that have instantly raised concern about how impartial he can be?
• Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs Henry O. Godwinn-Helmsley attacks Godwinn before the match, kneeing him off the apron before taking him out with a baseball slide. Helmsley throws Godwinn into the stairs before spraying him with perfume. Godwinn then takes his slop bucket and dumps it on himself. Helmsley decides against wrestling the man covered in questionable substances and gets out of the ring, only to slip on the slop before running to the back. Godwinn chases after him, so I guess that's it for that.
• Ahmed Johnson vs Jake Steele-Well, after weeks of barely comprehensible promos about honor and getting medieval and what not, Ahmed Johnson makes his debut. During this match, Shawn Michaels cuts a picture-in-picture promo about how he & Johnson will survive at Survivor Series. Johnson wins the match with a double underhook powerbomb called the Pearl River Plunge.
• After his match, Vince McMahon interviews Ahmed Johnson. "What I got to say. Sid! Bulldog! I'm telling you baby! Do NOT come in that ring half stepping G! Cause if you do, I'm gonna break you off something proper!"He is an AWFUL promo. Half the time you can barely understand what he's saying.
• We get a sit-down interview with Diesel & Bret Hart
• Diesel says that Hart is one of the best in wrestling history, but right now he's the best there is and possibly the best there ever will be.
• Hart says that he's always had a problem with the way he lost the WWF Championship at Survivor Series last year (he lost a Throw in the Towel match when his mother, who was not his corner man, threw in the towel when his actual corner man the British Bulldog was knocked out) and says he should still be WWF Champion. He also says that Diesel never beat him at the Royal Rumble last year. Vince McMahon correctly adds that he never beat Diesel either. He says that was the hardest thought match Diesel ever had and never got a rematch. Diesel says that Hart never asked for one and that Shawn Michaels was a tough challenge too.
• Hart says he has nothing but respect for Diesel, but that Diesel can barely get by skilled technical wrestlers like him, Michaels, and British Bulldog. Diesel says he never tried to dodge technical wrestlers, as he has taken on guys like Hart, Michaels, and Owen Hart.
• Diesel says he'll beat Hart by using his size and try to knock Hart out. 
• Hart says this will be one of the hardest fought matches of his career but he will take this match as far as he can and wear down Diesel.
• Diesel says that this match will be a war, but he's bigger and smarter than he was at the Royal Rumble.
• Hart says that Diesel has had his title for the last year.
• Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler face off in a game of Karate Fighters.
  
  Not only that but Lawler cheats by putting a tiny piece of tape on his Karate Fighter's foot.
  
  Wrestling is silly.
• King Mabel with Sir Mo vs Roy Raymond-Featuring a special appearance from Jobber Rhyno!
  
  He looks so weird without his beard. Mabel defeated Raymond with a belly-to-belly suplex.
• We get another fake Bill Clinton promo for Survivor Series, only this time they throw this up.
  
  Well, at least they're being honest.
• Sycho Sid with Ted Dibiase vs Razor Ramon-Special Guest Referee the 1-2-3 Kid-"TWO MEN ENTER THE RING! ONE MAN SURVIVES! AND THAT MAN IS ME! YOUR MASTER!" Sid yells as he enters the ring. Man, could you imagine Sid & Ahmed Johnson as a tag team? Imagine the promos. The two lock up to start before Sid starts choking Razor on the ropes, only for Razor to turn the tides and punch Sid over the top rope. Back in the ring, Sid hits a big boot for a near fall before the two go back and forth. Sid kips up to escape headscissors and chokeslams Razor. Sid beats down on Razor until Razor hits a knee strike on Sid. Razor goes for the Razor's Edge, but he's too close to the ropes, allowing Sid to flip him over the top rope and to the outside. Sid distracts the 1-2-3 Kid, allowing Dibiase to stomp on Razor at ringside. Dean Douglas then comes down the ramp before the commercial break. We come back to see Douglas beating down Razor at ringside while Dibiase & Sid distract the Kid. Sid goes to the outside and throws him around ringside. Back in the ring, Sid hits a side suplex for a near fall before hitting a leg drop for another near fall. Sid locks in a lazy camel clutch (a Steiner Recliner, if you will), but Razor stands up and hits an electric chair drop on Sid. Razor hits a second rope bulldog for a near fall before going for Razor's Edge, only for the Kid to pull Sid out of the move, allowing Sid to hit a powerbomb. The 1-2-3 Kid fast counts and Sid gets the win. Fine match, nothing special. Dibiase stuffs money in Razor's mouth before the Kid takes it and puts it in his pocket. Gross. It was only like 5 dollars, too.
• We close out the show with Jim Ross interviewing Camp Cornette & Dean Douglas, only for it to be interrupted by Razor Ramon, who goes after Douglas as it fades to black.

That's it for RAW. Onto Nitro!

Nitro

• We kick off the show with-
  
  Oh my...lord. Yeah, if you couldn't tell...that's Hulk Hogan. I can't...I just can't. Like, does it even matter what Hogan is saying in this promo? Just look at him. Basically, all he says is Randy Savage is facing Meng tonight and he doesn't know who's side Sting is on. I just wrote in a line and a half what it took Hogan two and a half minutes to say.
• Meng with Kevin Sullivan vs Randy Savage-Savage is introduced as being from "the dark side of Venice Beach, California." Jesus...Savage enters through the crowd to blindside Meng. Seven seconds into the match and we get some brawling to the outside. Savage bodyslams Meng back in the ring and calls for the top rope elbow drop, but Kevin Sullivan distracts Savage by climbing onto the top rope. Savage punches him the ground, but the distraction allowed Meng to recover and counter a double ax handle with a punch. Awful camera work as the camera cuts away from a superkick by Meng to show Jimmy Hart running down. Back to the outside, Meng beats down Savage at ringside. Back in the ring. Meng works over Savage with some "back leg round kicks." Just stop, Bischoff. Meng continues to work over Savage dodges a diving headbutt. Savage throws Meng into Jimmy Hart and hits the top rope elbow drop for the win.  Yeah, this was pretty lame. After the match, the Shark & Lex Luger come down and attack Savage. Luger and his pinstriped tank top & sweatpants attack Savage's arm, slamming it into the ring post & the guard rail.
  
• Kensuki Sasaki vs Chris Benoit-Benoit starts off quick, but Sasaki clotheslines him to the ground. Sasaki dominates the beginning of the match, hitting a suplex and a powerslam for a one count. Sasaki hits a running bulldog and a bodyslam for a one count. Benoit reverses a tilt-a-whirl and a side suplex with a crossbody for a one count. The two counter each other a few times before Benoit hits two German suplexes followed by a dragon suplex for the win. Good little, quick match. After his win, Bischoff casually mentions that Benoit is the newest member of the Four Horsemen. Well, THAT would have been nice to know beforehand. And why does Benoit have his lame generic theme and not the awesome Horsemen song?
• Johnny B. Badd (c) vs Eddie Guerrero-WCW Television Championship-The two shake hands before trading headlock takeovers. The two trade wristlocks before Badd hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a near fall. Guerrero comes back with a headscissor takedown before a standoff. Badd hits a slingshot leg drop for two near falls before Guerrero hits a wristlock diving hurricanrana for a near fall. Badd blocks a superplex and dives for a huge sunset flip. Guerrero rolls through with a jackknife cover, but Badd rolls through and gets a near fall before Guerrero rolls it over for his own near fall. Badd sends Guerrero over the top rope and to the outside, allowing Badd to hit the Badd Mood, a somersault plancha. Guerrero dodges a slingshot splash simply by sitting up and gets a near fall. Guerrero rolls through on a waist lock for a near fall before reversing a gorilla press slam with a sunset flip for another near fall. Guerrero cradles Badd for a near fall before Badd punches him to the ground. The referee admonishes Badd for using a closed fist, allowing Guerrero take him down. The two exchange punches on the mat, with Badd even hoping over the referee when he breaks them up. The referee separates them again before they go back to wrestling. Guerrero hits a side suplex before hitting a slingshot senton for a near fall. Guerrero sets up a tombstone, but Badd reverses it and hits a tombstone piledriver for a near fall. Guerrero hits a tornado DDT for a near fall before both men go down off a double crossbody. The two brawl as the time limit expires, ending the match in a draw. Really good match, lots of good action and told a good story.
• Eric Bischoff announces on commentary that Hulk Hogan will face Sting next week on Nitro.
• Mean Gene is in the ring interviewing The Giant, Jimmy Hart, and Kevin Sullivan. Mean Gene says that what Jimmy Hart did to Hulk Hogan was disgusting, but Hart says what he & Sullivan did was genius. Sullivan says that he has finally beaten Hulk Hogan and that the Giant will win the 60-man battle royal at World War 3 and will win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Giant says there will be lots of competition, but he will be the winner and end Hulkamania.
• Dean Malenko vs Sting-Malenko starts off with a waist lock, which Sting powers out of. Mongo completely buries Malenko on commentary, saying he's too small and has no chance of beating Sting. The two go back and forth before Sting hits a gorilla press slam. Malenko dropkicks Sting's left leg and targets it before the commercial break. We come back to see Malenko lock in a heel hook on Sting. We also see that during the break, Malenko managed to narrowly avoid the Scorpion Death Lock. Malenko continues to target Stings left leg before avoiding a running powerslam and hitting a big German suplex for a near fall. Sting dodges a dropkick, but Malenko dodges a Stinger Splash and hits a missile dropkick. Malenko goes for the Texas Cloverleaf, but Sting rolls him up and gets the win. Another really good match.
• We close out the show Mean Gene interviewing Sting after his win. Sting says he never thought Hulk Hogan would ever want to face him. He says he's a big dog in WCW and that he's ready to face Hogan.

And that's about it. No question, Nitro was better. Nitro had two really good matches plus the best three-minute match I've ever seen. Not to mention that RAW had one match end in a no contest & two squash matches. Point to Nitro.

RAW: 3

Nitro: 7
That's it for RAW vs Nitro #10. Stay tuned for #11 in the next three days.