We open Raw with a quick recap of last Saturday's edition of Superstars as Tatanka was a guest on the Heartbreak Hotel. It seems that our good old no-selling buddy is making claims that Lex Luger has indeed sold out to Ted Dibiase. Why this is any of Tatanka's business is beyond me (Actually, I do know, but we'll get to that soon), but this continues this whole tangled web of Luger's integrity being called into question. Jim Ross and Macho Man are still at the table as we continue through the Bushkill tapings. Both men are also curious about Luger's integrity.
Speaking of Luger, he's in action to open Raw. It's Lex Luger challenging Diesel for the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Both men stall early on with some tests of strength spots. Both men shove each other, but Diesel gets the stronger shove, sending Luger tumbling out through the ropes. Luger retaliates with a sunset flip for a two count. Michaels coaches Nash while Luger adjusts his trunks.
Luger regains momentum with some right elbows and a boot choke in the corner. Luger reverses a whip and gets a big powerslam for two. Luger hits rights of his own to send Diesel out through the ropes to a great pop. As Michaels and Diesel converse outside, Luger grabs both of them for an attempted noggin knocker, only to be tripped by Diesel. Both men brawl outside for a few seconds, but Luger regains momentum with some rights. Diesel turns things around into a jacknife only to be countered into a back body drop. Luger goes for a running strike, but gets sent through the ropes again. Diesel hits a body slam to Luger on the outisde and returns to the ring, as Shawn Michaels gets a cheap clothesline while the ref is distracted.
All while Ted Dibiase watches on sneakily under the Raw sign.
When we return from break, Diesel is still in control. The crowd chants "USA" despite both men in the ring being born in the United States (idiots). Diesel gets a big snake eyes in the corner and covers for two. He follows by dropping his knee across the back of Luger's neck while he's draped on the ropes. Diesel covers arrogantly, but only gets a two count. Diesel locks in a chinlock, digging his knee right into the injured neck of Luger. After about two minutes, Luger breaks free, but gets his momentum literally kicked in the face with a big boot from Diesel. Elbow drop only gets a two count.
Diesel locks in a sleeper for another minute or so. Luger tries to escape, but Diesel uses his momentum again to send him crashing into the buckle and reapplies the sleeper. That was actually a really impressive spot, I like that. Michaels tells the timekeeper to ring the bell as Luger breaks out again and lands a back suplex. Luger hits several punches and clotheslines. He ducks a boot and lands a DDT for two. Big clothesline off the second rope only gets a two count. Diesel gets another boot, but Luger sends him into the referee. Luger locks in a torture rack, but Michaels lands a superkick to the back. Michaels wakes up the ref as Diesel covers, but Luger kicks out at 2.
Both men brawl as Razor Ramon heads to ringside and chases Shawn Michaels. All four men brawl in the ring as the referee calls for a DQ. Razor takes down Diesel then focuses on Michaels. But Diesel gets a cheap shot as Michaels lands a superkick. They try for a piledriver, but Luger cleans house, sending the heels in retreat. Dibiase looks up from the stage unhappy at Luger not winning the title.
Overall, a better match than I was expecting going in, though I'd give most of that to Nash who felt more like the ring general in this match, putting in the more interesting offense and keeping the match from being too boring. I even liked the sleeper spot as it felt a bit innovative to block Luger's attempt at escape like that. The ending makes sense as Razor's past with Shawn and Diesel is well detailed over the past year, and it continues the streak of Luger title matches not ending cleanly. At least this wasn't due to a count out Lex caused.
Up next it's Mabel in action against Austin Steele. Mabel starts with some clubbing blows and a whip to the corner. Steele goes off the top rope, but gets shoved. Mabel is in full dancing and jiving mode. He follows with a big vertical suplex followed by a nice takedown. He keeps using his weight to his advantage until he lands a big splash in the corner and a sidewalk slam for three in a quick, inoffensive squash.
It's time for Todd Pettengill and the Summerslam report. Added to the card is Bret Hart vs Owen Hart in a steel cage match for the WWF Title. And in some new developments in the Undertaker vs Undertaker match, we finally know who the detective is that is trying to get answers to the location of Paul Bearer's Undertaker. Why it's none other than...
Ol' Frank Drebin himself, Leslie Neilsen. Neilsen made a name for himself in the 50's as a dramatic actor, appearing in a plethora of tv shows. However, his true calling was comedy with 1980's Airplane! and the Police Squad series. The latter would spin off into the successful Naked Gun series, and Leslie would continue on with comedy film up until his passing in 2010.
Owen Hart is up next against Reno Riggins. J.R tries to dub Owen as the Lyin' King... oy. "We want Bret" chants as both men trade hammerlocks. Riggins works the arm of Owen for a while, but gets a big slap in the face from Owen and an uppercut. Owen rams Riggins in the corner and follows with a hard whip into the buckle. Owen works the chinlockfor a second and tries a ram in the buckle, but Riggins turns it around and lays some hard rights in the ropes. Owen reverses a whip into a belly to belly suplex. Owen locks the sharpshooter for the win.
Sparky Plugg is up next against George South. Sparky gets a hiptoss and a scoop slam early on. Both men trade hammerlocks, but South escapes only to get hiptossed and arm drags. He locks back in a headlock. South whips Sparky in the corner, but Sparky gets a headscissor takedown and reapplies a headlock. USA Network Shill of the week: Eddie Murphy in Coming to America. Sparky goes to the tope and lands a flying cross body for three.
We go to Todd Pettengill who gives us our history involving the Undertaker since his infamous exit at the 1994 Royal Rumble. We recap the Taker sightings from last week, including Taker wanting donuts. We also recap Dibiase's purchase of the fake Undertaker. Nothing really new and revealing in this segment.
Our final match of the night involves Bam Bam Bigelow (with Ted Dibiase) taking on Gary Sabaugh. Shoulder block by Bam Bam early on. Sabaugh gets some rights, but Bam Bam turns things around with an avalanche in the corner. Some clubbing blows in the corner followed by a spinning kick. A spinning elbow from Bigelow for two. Bam Bam locks in a chinlock for a few sconds and then follows with a whip into the corner. Sabaugh avoids and lands some rights, followed by some clotheslines, but Bigelow turns it into a powerslam. He locks a million dollar dream, turning it into a bulldog for the win. Kind of a sloppy new finisher, but unique.
J.R and Macho Man interview Ted Dibiase after the match. There were claims that Luger had been speaking to Dibiase after his match and according to Dibiase, this is true. He claims that he'll make a big announcement this weekend on All American Wrestling.
Tatanka shows up to confront Dibiase and tries to get him to just admit that Luger has been bought already. Dibiase says that he's just jealous that it wasn't him that got bought by Dibiase. He claims that Tatanka can't beat Luger. He even bets ten grand that he can't beat Nikolai Volkoff next week. Tatanka says he can't wait until he finally hears the truth about Lex Luger.
This was a pretty standard episode of Raw. Once again heavy focus on Ted Dibiase, which you can really take or leave. It can be a bit overbearing to have him involved in so many storylines at once. The Luger/Diesel match was better than I expected, and I was expecting agony, but just left with mild pains. The squashes were nothing special as usual and this whole Tatanka pointing the finger at Luger being paid off only to gladly accept possible money from Dibiase just feels silly. Also, no King's Court for once, we were mercifully spared. That being said, I give this Raw a C+. Nothing worth coming back to, but nothing horrific.
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