Grilling JR - Raw 10.21.96 Watchalong [Show Notes] (Patreon)

We’re going to be firing up the Peacock machine and take us back 25 years to 1996 and what is a historic Raw in history because it really sets the ball rolling on the beginning of a hot period for the WWF.

We’re coming off Buried Alive the night before which features Mankind and the debuting Terry Gordy as the Executioner debuting defeating the Undertaker, Sid becomes the #1 contender for the WWF Title by beating Vader, Steve Austin beats Triple H and your microphone isn’t working and you throw it at Vince McMahon before storming off the set.

Before we press play what did you think of your continued heel role and the gimmick of your microphone not working at the show?

Do you think gimmicks like this take away from the action in the ring?

You’re kind of in the middle of this feud with Vince McMahon. You’ve expressed before how much you didn’t enjoy the role but was it because there was no way there was going to be payoff to all this?

Here we are, season 4 and episode 41 and coming off Buried Alive it’s all about the Hit Man in this episode…

3-2-1!

As we get to the show open let’s talk about what is the major story. Bret Hart is about to sign to return to the WWF. Now Eric has said up and down on 83 Weeks that he never negotiated with Bret Hart about coming to WCW in 1996. Do you remember the story that way?

Were you a part of his contract negotiations at all or was it all Vince?

Was there ever a fear in losing Bret?

This is a historic Raw for another reason as with signing Canada’s wrestling hero again and having a live interview with him, this is the first Raw that’s live on TSN. How big a deal was Canada to the WWF at this point in time?

How excited are you for when AEW can finally cross the border?

Now there’s another story that’s going on in the background. Last week on Raw the rating for the show was a 1.78. The lowest rating in the show’s history at that point. Everyone points to the Raw from Europe in 1997 as the wake up call for Vince Russo and the Attitude era beginning but coming off a pay-per-view and a record low rating...Vince had to be fired up for this live show am I right?

We open with Sid vs. Owen Hart. From Meltzer: “Sid beat Owen Hart via DQ when Smith interfered and Michaels made the save and Sid and Michaels shook hands. Sid has gotten so bad it's almost amazing. He's always been bad, but compared to what he is now, he used to be Flair in his prime.”

We all know the story of he’s great until the bell rings. And when Owen has a hard time pulling a match out of him as we’re seeing is there a worry about what Sid is going to do with Shawn? I mean you’re talking about building a main event for one of the biggest shows of the year at Madison Square Garden and here’s Sid who’s moving around like he’s got a load in his pants.

Davey Boy attacks for the DQ and it’s a brawl and Shawn comes to save. Was there a worry about Shawn vs. Sid being a babyface match considering we know there’s going to be a backlash on Shawn at MSG?

Up next the Godwinns and Gunns. Hog farmers and cowboys. Right down Vince’s alley. And I have to ask. We’re two southern boys. Here’s Vince who loves these types of southern gimmicks and he’s born in North Carolina himself for christ’s sake. Tell me why he hates southern voices and southern presentations when he put these gimmicks on TV?

We’re building to a split in the Smoking Gunns. Way way way overdue at this point don’t you think?

“Godwinns beat Gunns when Billy and Bart collided again and Henry used the slop drop on Bart and Billy walked out on him.”

It’s a slow build for this but my goodness no one gives a shit do they?

“The Mr. Perfect return was all an angle to set up Hunter Hearst Helmsley winning the IC title from Marc Mero when Perfect clocked Mero with a chair on the live Raw. They did an angle midway through the show where Helmsley rammed a cart into Perfect, supposedly taking out his knee. Gorilla Monsoon then announced Perfect couldn't wrestle and Perfect brought Mero out to take his place. “

What was the stop start with Mr. Perfect here? We know he’s going to eventually walk out in a few weeks but what was the issue with Curt here?

Now it’s you and Bret Jim. The story here is that you were the reason he returned in storyline. Was that silly to you?

From the Observer … “Bret Hart agreed to a 20-year contract with the World Wrestling Federation just prior to making the announcement of his returning on the live Monday Night Raw show from Fort Wayne, IN on 10/21.

Hart, subject of the biggest bidding war in the history of pro wrestling, turned down an offer from World Championship Wrestling, and in the live interview, acknowledged the offer and praised WCW, which he only referred to as a rival company to the WWF, saying they treated him with honesty and integrity in the negotiations. Hart had been asked over the weekend by the WWF to, in a dramatic fashion, rip up the WCW contract on the live interview as a retaliation for things such as Madusa throwing the WWF womens belt in a garbage can, but refused to do so.

Hart gave probably the best interview of his career, and one of the best interviews you'll ever see, basically acknowledging the very items he was wrestling back-and-forth with in his own head over the past several months. Hart talked about the death of his nephew, Matthew Annis, over the summer, and how he had promised him he would return to wrestling. The story Hart spoke of was true, as he told Annis if he'd get better he promised to return to wrestling (actually at the time he said at SummerSlam) and that for a brief moment Annis responded. Hart both praised Shawn Michaels as a great wrestler, didn't complain about the finish of their Wrestlemania match simply saying that he had lost and he didn't take losing well, but also said that he was tougher than Michaels and smarter than Michaels, and made remarks about not being able to dance, maybe not being as cute, and not posing in girlie magazines. Then he said that he would return to face the best wrestler in the WWF, and instead of saying it was Michaels, said it was Steve Austin, who he faces at Survivor Series on 11/17 in Madison Square Garden.”

It’s really a great promo. Talk me through Vince asking Bret to rip up the WCW offer on TV or is that all rumor and innuendo?

Was Vince hot at the way Bret talked about WCW on live TV? Was there any indication of what he was going to say or do ahead of time?

It’s Bret’s idea to return to face Steve Austin right? What about Steve made Bret choose him?

It’s great creative in the back as you see all the heels watching Bret talk to you and then he announces he’s back and will face Austin and Brian Pillman hops up and down in glee and Austin shoots him a glare. We’re weeks away from Pillman’s ankle being destroyed by Austin on Superstars and then the gun angle on Raw...this is some of the most memorable creative in WWF history is it not?

Now Perfect can’t wrestle and HHH goads him into a match with Marc Mero and it’s for the IC title and of course Perfect...always the heel...helps HHH win. From the Observer: “Gorilla Monsoon then announced Perfect couldn't wrestle and Perfect brought Mero out to take his place. After some goading, Perfect told Helmsley that Mero would put the title up against him since Helmsley refused to wrestle otherwise which Mero ended up agreeing to. Perfect is back as a heel and will apparently advise Helmsley.”

HHH wins the title here. Perfect isn’t your stereotypical heater like we’re used to and we’ll never know how Perfect & HHH were going to be together but it seemed like they had a chance to be a hot act. What say you?

This closes the live Raw but there’s more episodes taped afterwards which includes the debuts of 2 Cold Scorpio as Flash Funk, the Rock makes his first TV appearance to build to his Survivor Series in-ring debut as Rocky Maivia, and you’re not at ringside for a Razor Ramon match so that’s a step in the right direction for you Jim.

The show isn’t the ratings grabber everyone is hoping for. From the Observer: “Even with the combination of the much ballyhooed return of Mr. Perfect (who as it turned out didn't return after all) and the announcement by Bret Hart and coming live one day after a PPV show, WWF still lost the Monday Night battle to a generally lackluster WCW show on 10/21. Raw did a 2.6 rating and 3.6 share, which in some ways has to be considered a positive against competition which included both the second game of the World Series and NFL football; while Nitro did a 3.2 rating and 4.6 share (3.3 first hour, 3.0 second hour) which made it the closest race in several weeks.”

You’re in the middle of the losing streak but don’t tell Eric I told you this but your show is probably the better of the two at this point. Adding someone like Bret Hart will do that for you won’t it?