WWF Monday Night Raw Results
September 23, 1996
Hershey, Pennsylvania (Hersheypark Arena)
Commentary: Kevin Kelly, Jim Ross, and Jerry “The King” Lawler
Results by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
“The World Wrestling Federation: for over fifty years, the revolutionary force in sports entertainment.” The WWF video leads us into the show.
Video: Last night at In Your House: Mind Games, we saw what looked like Razor Ramon and Diesel beating up Savio Vega backstage. Jim Ross says, “I told you so!”
Video: The Raw video plays.
Mr. Perfect is in the ring. Kevin Kelly, Jim Ross, and Jerry “The King” Lawler welcome us to the show. In the middle of the aisle is a tombstone advertising the Buried Alive Match on Sunday, October 20, between Mankind and The Undertaker.
Pat Patterson, the first-ever Intercontinental Champion, is in the ring in a referee shirt. Patterson will referee tonight’s match to determine the new Intercontinental Champion.
Mr. Perfect will be on commentary for the match.
WWF Intercontinental Championship Tournament
Final Match
Faarooq w/ Sunny vs. “Wildman” Marc Mero w/ Sable
Referee: Pat Patterson
Faarooq and “Wildman” Marc Mero immediately begin going at it. Faarooq punches him to the corner and kicks him. Faarooq clubs his spine and sends him into the ropes, but Mero hits a head-scissor takeover, followed by a roll-up for a one-count. Mero blocks a kick, and Faarooq wipes him out with an enzuigiri. Faarooq punches Mero and absorbs some kicks. Faarooq sends him to the opposite corner and charges, but Mero moves. Mero hits an arm drag before kicking and punching him back. Mero then connects with a clothesline over the top rope. Mero immediately follows up with a somersault plancha. Sunny is shocked.
Mero gets Faarooq in the ring and goes to the top rope. Mero spins around and hits a moonsault block for a two-count. Mero punches Faarooq and charges, but Faarooq hits a back body drop over the top rope. Sable checks on Mero at the ringside. Faarooq pulls Mero onto the apron and clubs his chest before hitting a shoulder tackle, knocking Mero into the metal barricade.
Phone Call: Ahmed Johnson joins the broadcast via phone call. Kevin Kelly asks how he is feeling. Johnson says he’s feeling better and will be back before you know it. Johnson says Mero has to get tougher to beat Faarooq. Jerry “The King” Lawler says he heard that Johnson needed a kidney transplant and got one from Jake “The Snake” Roberts. Johnson is furious and says that wasn’t funny. Johnson will take Lawler out upon his return.
Faarooq gets Mero in the ring and hits a snap powerslam for a near fall. Faarooq puts Mero on his shoulders and climbs to the second rope. Faarooq hits an avalanche Samoan Drop before taking a few moments to look around and covers. 1… 2… Mero kicks out. Faarooq applies a rear chin lock before choking him on the bottom rope. Faarooq gets in Pat Patterson’s face. Sunny chokes Mero until Sable runs over. Patterson ejects Sunny from the ringside!
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Faarooq sets up for a Dominator, but Mero counters into a backslide pin for a near fall. Faarooq immediately runs him over with a clothesline. Faarooq picks up a near fall. Faarooq goes back to the rear chin lock. Mero fights up and elbows out before hitting the ropes, but Faarooq knees him in the ribs to take him down. Faarooq sends him into the ropes, but Mero comes back with a sunset flip for a two-count. Faarooq kicks him in the ribs and applies a rear chin lock. Someone holds up a sign that says, “We love rest holds.” Yeah, right. Faarooq soon sends him into the ropes, but Mero ducks a clothesline and hits a flying clothesline.
Mero goes for an elbow drop, but Faarooq moves. Faarooq quickly slams Mero down and heads to the top rope. Mero hits the ropes to crotch Faarooq up there. Mero punches away at Faarooq before climbing to the top rope for a super hurricanrana! Mero crawls over and covers for a near fall. Mero sends Faarooq into the ropes. Faarooq ducks a clothesline, and they (sort of) take each other out with a double clothesline.
Sunny returns to the ringside area, so Sable gets in her face. The crowd starts to go wild. Sunny climbs to the apron, so Sable pulls her down and slaps her in the face. Faarooq grabs Sunny’s loaded purse as Pat Patterson deals with the catfight at ringside. Mero hits Faarooq and steals the purse from him before smashing him in the face with it! Mero positions the unconscious Faarooq near the corner and goes to the top rope. Mero hits the Wild Thing (Shooting Star Press) and covers! 1… 2… 3!
Winner by Pinfall and new WWF Intercontinental Champion: “Wildman” Marc Mero
Sunny retrieves her purse and pulls out the brick from inside before hiding it under the ring.
Mr. Perfect and Jim Ross get into the ring as “Wildman” Marc Mero celebrates with his newly won WWF Intercontinental Championship, his first title in the WWF, as well as Sable. Ross congratulates Mero on winning the title. Mero gives all glory and honor to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Mero thanks all the fans. Mero thanks his inspiration, motivation, and his best friend, his partner in life in and out of the ring, his lover, Sable. This is as much hers as it is his. Mero and Sable embrace in the ring. Mero has one more special thank you to Mr. Perfect. They shake hands and hug.
Ross asks, “What about me?” Mero says that Ross is a great guy. Mero and Sable celebrate with the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
Mike’s Thoughts: After debuting with the WWF at WrestleMania XII, this run has been filled with some hits and quite a few misses, but they’re going with “Wildman” Marc Mero in a big way by having him win the vacant WWF Intercontinental Championship. Mero looked good in the match. The addition of the Shooting Star Press to his arsenal certainly turns up the wow factor for him. Faarooq was fine in this. I’m surprised they didn’t go with him winning the title, but I guess they figured everyone would be thinking that’s the logical move, so they went with the swerve. Ahmed Johnson is still going to be out for quite a while, and the tradition of the Intercontinental Championship demands (at this time, at least) a champion who can go. Watching Faarooq since he debuted, he’s not going to deliver many exciting matches.
The finish served to protect Faarooq and give him an out (as well as, hopefully, end the Sunny partnership), but it is one final controversial finish in a tournament full of them. Mero didn’t win one match clean. In the First Round, he beat “Stone Cold” Steve Austin by disqualification after Austin hit the referee. In the Semifinal match, he hit Owen Hart with Hart’s cast to beat him. Now, he beats Faarooq with a loaded purse to the skull. Though it ended well, it was not a great tournament, but this company has never really been known for their stellar record of clean finishes.
Another interesting note from this match is that Mr. Perfect is apparently a face now. I guess it started when he began stealing Hunter Hearst Helmsley’s valets, but it wasn’t clear. As randomly as his heel run began with him helping Diesel beat up Shawn Michaels in April, then how strange and unexplained it was when he was involved in the title match at King of the Ring, it’s just over and forgotten about. Now he’s such a good guy that he helped coach Mero to win this. Whatever.
Backstage Segment
We are outside a dressing room labeled “Razor” and “Diesel.”
Replay: On July 23, 1995, at In Your House, The Roadie accidentally grabbed Jeff Jarrett’s leg, allowing Shawn Michaels to hit Jarrett with Sweet Chin Music to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Jerry “The King” Lawler criticizes The Roadie for costing Jarrett the title.
We then see a video of Jeff Jarrett singing “With My Baby Tonight.” Tonight, they’ll expose Jeff Jarrett.
The WWF Fall Schedule is displayed.
-Commercial Break-
Locker Room Interview
Dok Hendrix is in the locker room and is ready to
Okumaya devam et... 