WELCOME TO ROCK STAR GARY REFLECTIONS!

Live from Daytona Beach, FL

Airdate: May 6, 1996

Attendance: 7,000 (3,200 paid)

Hosted by Eric Bischoff, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, and Steve “Mongo” McMichael

Opening montage.

While Heenan’s microphone isn’t plugged in, the crowd honors him with a healthy “weasel” chant.

Match 1: “Macho Man” Randy Savage versus Hugh Morrus

Highlights:

Rating: DUD

Summary: Savage’s rage against Flair was taken out on the Laughing Man.

After the “match,” Savage mounts the top turnbuckle and hits the big elbow. After Eller raises Morrus’ hand, Savage slaps Eller in the mouth. Next, he tosses Morrus out of the ring, picks Eller up, and slams him. He then mounts the top turnbuckle again, clears Nick Patrick, and drops the big elbow on Eller. In the meantime, stop ringing the fucking bell! Not only WCW officials but also Daytona’s finest come to the ring. The crowd eats this up with a spoon. Good stuff!

Eric notes the passing of Ray “The Crippler” Stevens and offers his condolences.

Match 2: Jushin “Thunder” Liger (w/ Sonny Onoo) versus Dean Malenko

Highlights:

Rating: ****

Summary: Encore! Encore! Give me more! That was an awesome use of TV time by these guys. Put them on PPV for 20 minutes and watch them go!

By the entrance, “Mean” Gene Okerlund interviews Flair with Woman and Elizabeth. According to Flair, the Giant “got lucky” last week against him. He then shills his tag match with Savage at Slamboree. Next, Flair offers Debra McMichael a glass of champagne. She accepts it then spills it intentionally.

Blood runs cold promo again.

Slim Jim ad featuring “Macho Man” Randy Savage.

Match 3: Sting versus Lord Steven Regal (w/ Jeeves)

Highlights:

Rating: ***

Summary: Great finish to a short, scientific match as Sting went hold-for-hold with Regal very well.

Skittles sponsors the replay.

Match 4 for the WCW World title: The Giant (champion w/ Jimmy Hart) versus the “Total Package” Lex Luger “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan

Highlights:

Rating: *

Summary: Dominating win for the new champion.

After the match, the Giant gives Duggan a second chokeslam. Cobra runs into the ring and eats a chokeslam. The Cuban Assassin also eats a chokeslam as does Alex Wright. Flair, in his tuxedo, wallops the Giant with a balsa wood chair to no effect. Sting runs to the ring, mounts the top turnbuckle, and nails the Giant. He then clips the Giant then clocks the Giant four times. The Giant still hasn’t left his feet. Sting mounts the top turnbuckle again and hits a double axe handle to knock him down. Sting attempts a Scorpion death lock, but Hart nails Sting with the megaphone. Luger FINALLY runs in with a Haliburton.

Okerlund interviews the tag team champions. Sting asks Luger where he’s been. Luger, in his pinstriped Zubaz, filibustered until the show went off the air.

Conclusion: Great wrestling and hot angles make this a must-watch episode. I can’t believe the quality of the show because it’s unopposed in its 7pm slot. You would think RAW was on the other channel. Speaking of which, what’s on RAW?

TV Rating: 1.90 (Holy horrible rating, Batman!)

WWF Monday Night RAW

Taped from Sioux City, IA

Airdate: May 6, 1996 (taped 4/29)

Attendance: 3,347 (sold out)

Hosted by Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler

RIP Ray Stevens (1935-1996)

An “ex-wife of former professional wrestler” (in silhouette) refers to Shawn Michaels as a “homewrecker.” Yikes!

Opening montage.

Before the first match begins, we revisit the Free for All where Helmsley interfered in the match between Mero and the Kid.

Match 1: The 1-2-3 Kid (w/ the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase) versus “Wildman” Marc Mero (w/ Sable)

Highlights:

Rating: ****

Summary: Innovative finish to a great match.

After the match, Helmsley took his lady in frustration and went backstage.

Last week, Savio Vega challenged Austin to a Caribbean strap match. Over the weekend on Superstars, DiBiase accepted the challenge with one stipulation—if Vega lost, he’d become DiBiase’s chauffer.

A pre-recorded segment involved an ex-wife of a professional wrestler who feels that Michaels broke up her marriage. Is this an attempt to put over the champion as a sex symbol or to quell the homophobic chants towards him? Anyways, she feels used and cannot allow it to happen to someone else.

Prior to the next match, we revisit RAW from last week where Diana Smith slapped the taste out of Michaels’ mouth and the subsequent brawl between Davey Boy and Michaels.

Match 2: Fatu versus the “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith (w/ Jim Cornette and Diana Smith)

Highlights:

Rating: *

Summary: Smith will have to do a lot more to convince me that a) he can hang with Michaels, and b) he’s WWF title material.

Fatu confronts the future 3-Minute Warning (possibly) and tells them off.

Over the weekend on Superstars, the new Rockers played switcheroo and beat the Godwinns to become the #1 contenders.

RAW is sponsored by Burger King and the US Army.

Match 3: The Bodydonnas (w/ Sunny) versus Tekno Team 2000

Highlights:

Rating: ***

Summary: Tekno Team 2000 held their own with the champions. We’ll see if anything comes from it.

Backstage Jim Ross interviews Vader with Cornette. We revisit the destruction of Yokozuna yet again. But on May 26, Vader will face the recuperated Yokozuna. Lastly, Cornette said that Droese has zero chance next week against Vader.

Goldust and Marlena make their letterbox entrance so that the golden one can do color commentary. Prior to doing so, Goldust hits on Vince. HA!

The match between Goldust and the Undertaker at In Your House will be a casket match. An outraged Goldust gets up to leave, but the eerie music of the Undertaker chases him back to the broadcast table.

Match 4: The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) versus Owen Hart (w/ Jim Cornette)

Highlights:

Rating: **

Summary: Unfortunately, Owen had no chance in this match as the story here centered on the Undertaker-Goldust casket match at the PPV.

After the match, Goldust tries to sneak up on the Undertaker, but Bearer wheels out a golden coffin. Goldust backs into it then runs scared.

Conclusion: The opening match is the only worthwhile portion of this show. While the rest of the show hype the PPV really well, the matches don’t stand up whatsoever.

TV Rating: 4.10 (Yowsa!)

Who won? Each show involved some reality-based storylines into its show, yet I felt that the Savage storyline came off better than the Michaels one. With that being said, RAW won in a landslide due to actually being in primetime versus Nitro at its 7pm timeslot. Since Nitro will be on at 7pm for the next two weeks as well, they’d better improve on the time slot promotion or try a different tactic. They’re losing ground!

Stay tuned for week 36 of the Monday Night War!

Comments? Suggestions? Send them to me at rsg@rockstargary.com and follow me on Twitter (@rockstargary202).

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