RAW vs Nitro #51 (10/7/96)

Welcome back to another edition of RAW vs Nitro. Click here to read the last one if you missed it. So let's get into it, this is RAW vs Nitro #51.

RAW

• Marc Mero with Sable vs "Diesel"-Jim Ross ends up coming out with Diesel and taking his seat at commentary. Diesel quickly takes Mero to the corner and beats him down. Mero fights back with punches before dropkicking Diesel out of the ring. Mero follows up with a plancha to the outside before rolling Diesel back in the ring and hitting a springboard splash for a near fall. Diesel responds by gorilla pressing Mero into the top rope before hitting a running body guillotine. Diesel follows up with a big boot before beating down Mero in the corner. Diesel controls the match as we get a picture-in-picture interview with the fake Razor Ramon, who says he's planning on getting a closer look for this match. Diesel continues to control the match until Mero dodges an elbow drop as fake Razor comes down to the ring. Mero hits a headscissor takedown followed by a knee lift and clotheslines Diesel out of the ring. Mero calls for the somersault plancha, only to actually hit it on Razor. Diesel gets back in the ring and he & Razor beat down Mero to cause a DQ. Diesel hits the Swallow Dive on Mero before he & Razor leave.
• In a graveyard, the Undertaker digs a grave, saying that he has almost finished it. He says Mankind's existence on this Earth is coming to an end and says that all that's left to do is put his body in the grave. So when do they tell him they already had a grave ready for the match and that he wasted his time digging one?
• Before the next match, Sycho Sid cuts a promo on Goldust. He says that Goldust dances with the devil tonight and that tonight, he'll find out that he is the ruler of the world.
• The New Rockers vs The Smoking Gunns-Before the match, the Gunns say they're looking forward to getting the Tag Team Championships back from Owen Hart & the British Bulldog. Billy says they'll have Sunny by their side again once they do, but Bart tells him to stay focused on the titles. During the match, the commentators get Sunny on the phone. She says both the Gunns are in love with her and says that if they regain the titles, she may just go back to them. Billy Gunn & Leif Cassidy start the match with Billy throwing Cassady down. Cassady responds by throwing him down three times. The two trade slaps before a back & forth sequence, ending with both men tagging out. None of this is commentated on, as Sunny is still talking about how people can fax her or something. Bart Gunn & Marty Jannetty each tag in before Jannetty counters a gorilla press by slipping out and rolling up Bart for a near fall. Bart tries to bodyslam Jannetty, who ends up countering it with a small package for a near fall. Jannetty gets another near fall off a backslide before Billy tags in. Billy beats down Jannetty in the corner before clotheslining him down. Bart tags back in and gets punched by Jannetty. Jannetty leaves the ring and leads Bart right into a clothesline by Cassidy, who beats down Bart at ringside before rolling him back in the ring. Jannetty follows up the sneak attack with a jumping back elbow before tagging in Cassidy for a double punch. The Rockers gets the heat on Bart until Billy catches Jannetty in the back with a kick from the apron. Billy tags in and beats down Jannetty before tagging out to Bart. Immediately following that, both the Gunns completely forget what they just did, as Billy tries to go through the ropes, opts not to, hits Poetry in Motion (not the Hardy Boyz way), and then continues wrestling like he didn't just tag out. Billy charges at Jannetty, but Jannetty drops down and sends Billy out of the ring. Cassidy gets the hot tag and runs wild on the Gunns until he gets tripped up by Billy. Bart follows up with a shot to the back before hitting the Sidewinder with Billy for the three and the win. Fine match, nothing special.
• Todd Pettingill does a piece on the "Real Double J." We see the Real Double J singing "With My Baby Tonight" with Jim Johnston. Double J says that Jeff Jarrett took him further than he had gotten, but he took Jeff Jarrett farther than he'll ever be. He says Jarrett is a bad entertainer and says that he thinks he can do it better. He then says that if Jarrett wants to come back, then he can be his roadie.
• Goldust cuts a promo, he says Sycho Sid might rule the world, but that he'll rule him tonight.
• Jim Ross interviews Vader & Jim Cornette in the ring. Cornette thanks Ross for getting Vader into the WWF before announcing that Vader will face Sycho Sid at Buried Alive, with the winner getting a WWF Championship match at Survivor Series. Cornette says Vader shouldn't have to earn his title shot because he's beaten Michaels multiple times when the title wasn't on the line. He says the WWF wants Michaels to keep the title because he's the WWF's merchandising cash cow and that if Vader was the champion, it would destroy the merchandising. Cornette says that Sycho Sid will be buried at Buried Alive and says he'll take him out with Sid's own move; the powerbomb.
• The Sultan with Bob Backlund & the Iron Sheik vs Aldo Montoya-Backlund takes a seat at commentary for this match. Kevin Kelly asks Backlund to comment on the Sultan, so Backlund sits down and doesn't talk to him. The Sultan overpowers Montoya to start before Montoya hits a pair of dropkicks. At this point, Bob Backlund yells "I CAN'T HEAR WITHOUT MY GLASSES ON!" Bob Backlund is basically Patrick Star.
  
  The Sultan comes back with a belly-to-belly suplex as Backlund goes absolutely mental on commentary, ranting about how the WWF is making him wear sunglasses inside so he won't scrutinize the fans. I don't know what's happening. The Sultan squashes Montoya, finishing him off with the Camel Clutch for the submission win. The Sultan then throws Montoya out of the ring for funsies.
• Mankind continues to dig his grave own as he tells "Uncle Paul" Bearer that he doesn't want to be buried. He falls into the grave and freaks out, so Bearer gives him the Undertaker's urn to calm him down.
• Goldust with Marlena vs Sycho Sid-Goldust attacks Sid while he has his back turned as soon as the bell rings. Goldust follows up with a clothesline before beating Sid down in the corner. Goldust goes for the 10 punches in the corner but takes too much time gyrating and rubbing himself that Sid is able to counter it and hit an inverted atomic drop. Sid hits a pair of clotheslines before going for the powerbomb. Goldust is able to avoid it and slide out of the ring. During this time, the commentary team gets Shawn Michaels on the phone and says facing either Sid or Vader is like being hit with a shovel or a baseball bat and says that he's going to need to be more than resilient if he wants to beat either of them. Meanwhile, Goldust controls the match as Jim Cornette comes down to the commentary table. Sid is able to mount a comeback and hits a chokeslam before hitting the powerbomb for the three and the win. Nothing really worth watching or talking about. After the match. Vader attacks Sid and hits a second rope splash. However, Sid no-sells it and chokeslams Vader, who rolls out of the ring and retreats to close the show.

That's it for RAW. Onto Nitro.

Nitro

• Public Enemy vs Harlem Heat with Col. Rob Parker & Sister Sherri-Before the show starts, we find out that we've got NEW Tag Team Champions. Harlem Heat regained the WCW titles from Public Enemy on WCW Saturday Night after ass loads of interference from Col Rob Parker and Sister Sherri, winning the belts for the 7th time and ending Public Enemy's reign at 8 days. So tonight, the two teams face off in a non-title grudge match. Apparently, that means this is just a normal tag match. Johnny Grunge & Booker T start off. Booker T starts with a hammerlock, so Grunge punches his way out it and floors Booker with a shoulder tackle. Rocco Rock tags in and drops an elbow on Booker, but Booker regains control and tags in Stevie Ray. The two beat down on Rock before Stevie stomps away at Rock. Sherri starts yelling at Rock, so Rock leaves the ring and forces her up against the barricade. Because nothing says "babyface" like violence against women. That dastardly Booker T stops Rocco Rock from battering a woman and throws him back into the ring before the commercial break. We come back to see Miss Elizabeth knocking on Randy Savage's locker room door. She checks in there to see that it's empty then leaves. That was important to see because of reasons. Back to the match, where Stevie Ray hits a sidewalk slam on Rocco Rock. Harlem Heat gets the heat on Rock, including some a shot from Sister Sherri behind the referees back. Rock is able to make the tag to Grunge, but Patrick had his attention on Stevie Ray getting in the ring, so no tag. Harlem Heat beats down Rock in the corner as Patrick sends Grunge back to his corner. Suddenly, the nWo shows up in the crowd. Scott Hall has a microphone somehow before Kevin Nash says they'll snap into the Tag Team Championships (?) at Halloween Havoc. Or Slim Jim's Halloween Havoc as everyone refers to it on this show. Scott Hall proceeds to make Friday the 13th noises before Nash mocks Harlem Heat's nose strips (I have no idea what those are actually called.)
  
  Hall says Harlem Heat's time is running out and Ted DiBiase says it's going to get real hot at Halloween Havoc (?) Hall reiterates that they're going to get Harlem Heat before leaving. Meanwhile, Rocco Rock dodged an elbow drop from the second rope from Booker T, but Booker manages to catch Rock on a back elbow. Despite that, Rock makes the hot tag and Grunge runs wild on the champs. Grunge holds Harlem Heat in place for Rock to hit a double bulldog. Public Enemy follows up with a double shoulder block on Stevie Ray before Grunge bodyslams Booker. Rock heads to the top rope as Sherri gets on the apron to distract Nick Patrick. Meanwhile, Rob Parker hops up on the apron and shakes the top rope, causing Rock to fall off the top rope and through the table Public Enemy brought to ringside. Grunge grabs Parker, but Stevie Ray takes him out with a chop block on Grunge's injured leg. Parker hands a chair to Stevie Ray, who proceeds to smash Grunge's leg before hitting a sidewalk slam. Stevie Ray holds the chair over Grunge's leg as Booker heads to the top rope for a knee drop across the leg. After being distracted for a whole minute, Patrick turns around and counts the three for a Harlem Heat win. Every Harlem Heat match is the same. They dominate. Hot tag. Insane amounts of outside interference or cheating. End. It's really repetitive and does not make Harlem Heat look strong whatsoever.
• A limousine pulls up to the arena and outsteps Jeff Jarrett, the newest member of the WCW roster. Jarrett says he's got something to say before walking off.
• In a replay from WCW Saturday Night, Nick Patrick is interviewed by Tony Schiavone. Patrick says he'll bring law and order back to WCW. He does that by fining Randy Savage one million dollars for attacking him and pushes for Savage to be suspended. He says WCW should back him up since an announcer who "spread lies about him" is no longer here. I have no idea who he is talking about.
• Diamond Dallas Page vs Jim Powers with Teddy Long-Powers kicks off the match with an arm drag, which a woman in the crowd gets way too excited for. Page responds by yelling "SHUT UP BIMBO!" Page locks in a full nelson, but Powers fights out and knocks Page down with an up-kick. Page goes for a crossface chickenwing, but Powers fights out and locks in a wristlock. Powers switches to a headlock before DDP fights out, only to get floored with a shoulder block. We then get a picture-in-picture pre-tape of Page addressing Eddie Guerrero. Page calls Guerrero "burrito boy" (yikes) and says what he's doing to Powers is what's going to happen to him at Halloween Havoc. Back to the match, where Powers rolls up Page for a near fall. Page shoves Powers. Powers shoves back. Both men slap eachother before some back and forth action. Powers hits a crossbody for a near fall before Page hits a quick Diamond Cutter for the win. Fine match, nothing all that special. After the match, Teddy Long gets in the ring, so Page kicks him and shoves him into the corner. Page fakes a punch before leaving the ring.
• Mike Tenay interviews Randy Savage, who comes down the ramp with NASCAR driver Jason Keller, who drives the Slim Jim car. Savage & Keller mock the nWo after Kyle Petty crashed and didn't finish a race. Macho Man then draws out for WAY too long asking Keller what spot he finished in, which was 10th. This NASCAR talk makes for great wrestling television, doesn't it? Macho Man ends his promo by saying Hulk Hogan will crash and burn at Halloween Havoc, just like the nWo card. Suddenly, Miss Elizabeth shows up and tries to talk to Savage, but Savage has none of it and walks off with Keller. What was this? This didn't need to happen.
• High Voltage vs The Faces of Fear with Jimmy Hart-The Faces of Fear attack High Voltage as soon as the bell rings. Meng takes Kenny Kaos to the woodshed, no selling all of his offense before Kaos tags out to Robbie Rage. High Voltage manages to hit a double dropkick, but Meng stays on his feet. Meanwhile, Chris Benoit, Steve McMichael, and Debra show up on the ramp to scout their Halloween Havoc opponents. Meng continues to no-sell all of High Voltage's offense until we get just an awful botch. So both High Voltage guys go for dropkicks. Kaos proceeds to just fly right into Meng.
  
  Rage manages to land on his feet after dropkicking the air, which makes it look like it was planned. Judging by the lack of commentary about it, I'm guessing that this was just a botch. Rage gets a near fall of that, but Meng comes back with an inverted atomic drop, followed by a clothesline by the Barbarian. The Faces of Fear pummel Rage, no selling attempts at a comeback before a slingshot into a big boot combo allows Barbarian to get the three and the win. Honestly, the Faces of Fear are pretty great. Meng celebrates by kicking High Voltage out of the ring and posing in the ring.
• Mike Wenner vs Glacier-Mike Wenner gets an entrance. That's all I've got  Also, I know it's been a long time since I've made one of these, but I just want to clarify something. We don't stan many wrestlers here. The only ones we do are the IIconics, Steve Blackman, and Glacier. Therefore, I will hear nothing bad about Glacier ever. With that out of the way, Glacier squashes a jobber before hitting a spinning heel kick for the win. Glacier proceeds to celebrate his win for well over a minute by doing fake karate. This leads into hour 2. Cue the unnecessary pyro.
  
• Hugh Morrus vs Jeff Jarrett-Jeff Jarrett makes his WCW debut against the future Hugh G. Rection himself. Despite there being no evidence aside from "he showed up in a limo." All the announcers immediately assume Jarrett is with the nWo. Jarrett & Morrus go back and forth before Jarrett does his strut. Jarrett follows up with a hip toss before Jarrett lays across the top turnbuckle. Jarrett continues to control the match and embarrass Morrus until Morrus catches Jarrett with a clothesline. Morrus follows up with another clothesline and a corner splash before mocking Jarrett with a strut of his own. Jarrett misses an enziguri but comes back with an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline. Jarrett follows up with a middle rope guillotine and a swinging neckbreaker for a near fall. Jarrett hits a dropkick for a near fall, which Morrus responds to with a powerslam. Morrus goes to the top rope for a diving leg drop, but Jarrett moves out of the way and locks in the figure-four leglock for the submission win. Nice little match to introduce Jarrett. After the match, Tony Schiavone interviews Jarrett. Jarrett runs down Hulk Hogan for saying he's bigger than wrestling and says that, unlike Hogan, history means a lot to him. He ends by saying Hogan and the nWo can stick it.
• The Renegade vs Arn Anderson with Woman-Anderson takes control of the match quickly until the Renegade blocks a piledriver and hits a bodyslam. Anderson rolls out of the ring and Renegade follows him out. Back in the ring, Anderson kicks Renegade in the head and stomps away at him before hitting a knee drop. Anderson dominates, controlling the match for over two minutes without giving the Renegade an inch. Eventually, Renegade is able to block a middle rope splash from Anderson before hitting a back body drop and a clothesline. Renegade runs wild on Anderson to a near-silent crowd before hitting a handspring back elbow. Renegade goes for a second one, so Anderson just punches him in the back of the head before nailing him with a DDT. Pretty nothing match. After the match, Anderson ties Renegade up in the Tree of Woe and stomps away at him before Lex Luger runs down to make the save. Anderson & Woman retreat as Luger stands tall in the ring.
• Squire Dave Taylor with Jeeves vs Lex Luger-It's always been established that all of the Blue Bloods treat Jeeves like sh*t, but Dave Taylor really treats him like sh*t. During his entrance, Taylor not only grabs him by the collar and throws him down the ramp, but kicks him in the back, gives him a European Uppercut, and calls him a "stupid little person." Also, despite already being in the ring, Lex Luger apparently ran back up the ramp so he could make his entrance after Taylor. Also also, Lex Luger is no longer the Television Champion. He dropped the title to Lord Steven Regal on WCW Saturday Night...in August. It is now October. There was no mention of this for the past two months. Regal hasn't even been on Nitro since he won the title. This company is a sh*t show. Pretty much as soon as the match starts, Luger cuts a picture in picture promo saying he's going to take out his anger on Taylor since Regal is never around and says at Halloween Havoc, he'll come full throttle at Arn Anderson. After a lot of back and forth action, Luger hits a hip toss and gets a backslide for a near fall. Taylor strikes away at Luger in the corner before Luger responds with a clothesline and a forearm shot. Taylor blocks a charging Luger in the corner with a boot, but Luger dodges a second rope elbow and locks in the Torture Rack for the easy win. After the match, Anderson blindsides Luger with a chair and beats him down.
• Rick Steiner with Scott Steiner vs Chris Benoit with Steve McMichael & Debra-Or "Rick Steiner competes in singles action" as the WWE Network timestamp reads.
  
  In a rematch from last week's Nitro, Rick Steiner's got his brother Scott in his corner this week, dressed in his finest leather vest with no shirt under and Triple H falt cap.
  
  Despite that, Rick is immediately distracted by Mongo & Debra, allowing Benoit to attack him from behind. Benoit beats down Steiner until he gets caught on a leapfrog with a powerslam. Steiner beats on Benoit before hitting a big short-arm clothesline. The two trade blows before Steiner floors Benoit with a punch. Steiner follows up with a belly-to-belly suplex for a near fall before working over Benoit in the corner. Steiner controls the match heading into a commercial break. When we come back, we see Benoit throw Steiner into the corner and chop him. The two trade blows before Benoit floors Steiner with a back elbow for a near fall. For no reason whatsoever, Scott Steiner grabs Nick Patrick by the hair and yells at him to do his job.
  
  Even though, that's what he was doing. I don't know what that was about. Benoit follows up with a snap suplex for another near fall before a limo nWo backs up into the arena. Outsteps Hulk Hogan and the Giant. Hogan tells Giant to cover the area and that he has some business to take care of.  Back to the match, where Benoit hits a bodyslam and an elbow drop for a near fall. The two trade blows again before Benoit hits another body slam. Benoit controls the match, even knocking Steiner's headgear off until Steiner catches Benoit off a diving double axe handle and hits an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Steiner follows up with a DDT for a near fall and a body slam before hitting a diving bulldog, but Benoit kicks out. Despite the fact that Benoit definitely kicked out, Scott Steiner argues with Nick Patrick on the apron. Meanwhile, both Benoit & Rick Steiner go down on a double clothesline as Mongo tells Benoit to use his briefcase. However, a distraction from Scott Steiner allows Rick to grab it and smash Mongo on the top of the head.
  
  While Nick Patrick is distracted by Debra on the apron, Rick Steiner smashes Benoit with the briefcase and gets the win. Really good match, even if the finish was pretty wacky.
• Randy Savage vs Ric Flair except NOPE! We go backstage to see Hulk Hogan, Ted DiBiase, and the Nasty Boys. Hogan tells the Nastys to watch his back, and Jerry Saggs says they will if the nWo watches theirs. Hogan also says that they've got nWo paperwork for them, so it looks like all that hangin' and bangin' has paid off. We then see that the Giant, Syxx, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash and Vincent have ambushed Flair. Vincent is holding Flair's United States Championship.
  
  Don't kid yourself, Virgil. Nash yells "THUG LIFE" into the camera as Miss Elizabeth shows up. The Giant backs Elizabeth all the way out to the stage, prompting Savage to run down with a chair. However, Hogan pops up and attacks Savage from behind. A referee shows up so the Gaint can toss him away as Hogan drops Savage across the guard rail. Hogan chokes Savage with the chair before Hogan grabs Elizabeth by the hair. Giant carries Savage down to the ring as Hogan brings Elizabeth down to ringside. Giant tries walk up the ring steps, but the tip over on him and Savage falls on the steps.
  
  That probably sucked. Giant tosses the steps away before press slamming Savage into the ring. Giant beats down Savage in front of Elizabeth before going for a chokeslam. Hogan stops him just so he can lay Savage out with a punch. Hogan beats down Savage before hitting three leg drops. Hogan pulls out some spray paint and sprays a crime-scene outline of Savage's body. Hogan gives Savage another leg drop before spray painting "nWo Rules" on the canvas. Hogan hits a fifth leg drop before someone FINALLY runs down. Unfortunately for Savage, it's Hall, Nash, and Vincent. Isn't like, Lex Luger here? The Steiners? Anyone of dudes who always talk about how much they hate the nWo? They're not going to do anything? Alright, whatever. Hogan grabs a mic and says the consummation of Savage & Elizabeth is null and void and he says he owns Elizabeth before mocking Savage. Hogan says Savage has been destroyed and now they're going to destroy the broadcast booth. Outcomes Syxx in a Hollywood Hogan monster truck.
  
  All this reminds me of is the Monster Truck Sumo match. The truck drives over to the announce booth...and then the show ends. No destruction. Nothing. Hey, if you're not going to run something over with a monster truck...don't tease it. It's just super disappointing

.And that's about it. I don't even know. RAW had nothing, pretty much a waste of an hour, while Nitro had some good stuff but also had a lot of crap, especially that ending. I guess Nitro did have a really good Benoit-Steiner match so...point Nitro

RAW: 20

Nitro: 31

That's it for this edition of RAW vs Nitro. If you liked what you read, feel free to share this around and as always, stay tuned for the next one.