Raw 128

This week a big graphic at the top of the show let’s us know that Raw is “Live in Grand Rapids”. Alright, so maybe the WWF is starting to get up in the mix too.
Last night at “In Your House”, Diesel and Shawn Michaels won the tag team titles, but in a pre-taped segment on tonight’s Raw, we’re shown that Yokozuna and Owen Hart hired a lawyer that was able to nullify the decision and give them back the titles. Seems like a weird story telling choice. Especially since they have a match tonight against the Smoking Gunns who they lose the belts to anyway. Raw needs to get itself figured out quickly.

I think their lawyer is supposed to look like Johnny Cochran. Is that the joke?

Afterwards there’s a commercial informing us that next week we’ll see Jean Pierre LaFitte face Bret Hart as well as the 1-2-3 Kid in a rematch with Razor Ramon. Didn’t we just see both those matches in the last week? Why run them back? It feels like Raw is in some kind of death spiral right now.
The last match of the night is inexplicably the British Bulldog against the Undertaker. Eventually Mabel decides to run in and interfere, causing the ref to disqualify the British Bulldog. As Mabel and Davey Boy Smith continue to attack the Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and Diesel run out to help. Then Owen Hart and Yokozuna come out, followed by the Smoking Gunns. What is happening?!
The show ends with several minutes of just HBK dancing to his music in the ring. What a disaster of a show.

Nitro 4

Speaking of wrestlers dancing, the first match of Nitro features Alex Wright squaring off against Disco Inferno, a Saturday Night Fever wannabe. I hope I never see this guy again.

"Shake your booty". I think I'll take a rain check on that.

Hulk Hogan cuts a promo on The Giant while wearing a neckbrace. He says that he’s building a bigger, stronger monster truck and wants to hook his truck to the Giant’s truck to prove how much more powerful Hogan’s truck is. I don’t know why monster trucks have to keep getting involved, but I’m not complaining! The Hulkster says that after the monster truck match, he's challenging the Giant to a match with the heavyweight title on the line. Hogan also keeps calling the Giant “big and stinky”. Why does he keep saying that things are stinky?
Luger once again gets into an argument with Randy Savage which results in an official match date set for next week where Luger promises to leave the WCW forever if he’s defeated. The Macho Man gladly accepts, begrudingly respectful of the guts that Lex Luger is showing. Character development!
After this confrontation, the Macho Man has a match with the Taskmaster, the leader of the Dungeon of Doom. Zodiac (formerly known in the WWF as Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake) is at ringside lending a hand to the Taskmaster whenever the ref's back is turned. But when Savage starts getting the upperhand anyway, the Giant runs down the ramp and chokeslams Savage in the middle of the ring. The locker room empties out to try to get the Giant under control which just leads to him chokeslamming dudes left and right. Even Luger eats a chokeslam. The Giant is easily the quickest, strongest, and most actually intimidating big men I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to see his match against Hogan.

Verdict: Raw may be live now, but it’s content is still in need of resuscitation. Meanwhile Nitro is out of the gate running. Raw needs to get it’s act together quick or be left behind.

Winner this week: Nitro

Score to date: Nitro 3, Raw 0

(Television Ratings: Raw - 1.9; Nitro - 2.7)