1996 - the year wrestling changed AGAIN!
Prologue and part 1 - New Year's Day 1996
1996: the year wrestling changed AGAIN!
So I’m a sucker for chronology and timelines right? Blame me discovering the Tommy Westinphall Universe theory many years ago and getting sucked in (to the point I’ve been creating something for a few years that’s similar and maybe one day I’ll share it!)
I’ve also been enjoying Ryan Mac’s look into 1995 in wrestling and decided I wanted to do something similar – but with MMA as well for reasons that’ll become clear but the question was what year to pick?
It then hit me – if 1984 is the year wrestling changed for the first time as showcased by Loss right now in his excellent Wrestling Playlists newsletter (sign up at wrestlingplaylists.substack.com) then to me 1996 is the year it changed AGAIN – WCW’s Nitro gets going, THAT Hogan turn, ECW gets more known with crossovers of a sort with UFC all while the WWF (and for the sake of it being pre 2002 we will be calling them that throughout.) needs to regroup and realise wrestlers acting as cartoons aren’t exactly the types of wrestlers people want to see but luckily a certain man with Stone Cold intentions makes them notice…
We’ll be using the 1996 Yearbook for the most part along with information from the PWTorch and Wrestling Observer newsletters PLUS links to the relevant Between The Sheets episodes (because that’s a huge inspiration for the project!)
So here we go… let’s get in our time machine and head back to 1996 – New Year’s Day!
We begin with WWF deciding that Raw needed a gimmick for the week and given there’s the Rose Bowl event on the same day it was time for the first and thankfully last RAW BOWL.
In case you were curious if it really meant anything changed majorly – nope. Just wrestlers in football jerseys and a drumline band in the arena.
Vince of course is spewing the hyperbole as a bunch of randoms shout RAW BOWL and we cut between the drumline, cheerleaders and Freddie Blassie doing his best coach impression and shots of Dok Hendrix outside and because Vince is an arse – JUMBO Jim Ross outside the locker room.
The main event is revealed as Smoking Gunns vs Sid and 123 Kid vs Razor and Savio Vega and Yokozuna and Owen Hart – for the titles yes? NO. A poxy trophy. What a Pittance.
Near the end of the recap we get our first glimpse at the Nacho Man, The Huckster and Scheme Gene – yes, this Raw also starts the stupidity that is Billionaire Ted.
First thing that’s noticeable is that the audio mix is TERRIBLE as the band overpowers Vince and Jerry Lawler’s voices… which to be honest is a bit of a blessing and very much makes it clear this is a taped show XD.
We follow this up with the only match worth noting on this:
Smoking Gunns vs Sid and the Kid vs Razor Ramon and Savio Vega vs Yokozuna and Owen Hart
We get one moment during the entrances with Razor and a person wearing a cinema usher uniform as the latter hands Razor flowers sent from Golddust which Ramon promptly throws back into the usher’s face as the mind games of the Bizarre One watching in the background continue.
The rules are elimination style with the addition of a time out because American football has them and the anyone can be tagged in at any time stipulation (which I do miss in wrestling because the chaos it can cause – as you’ll see MANY months down the line.)
It also plays into this match spicing up what is essentially a typical fatal four way tag team match for WWF in 1996 because Billy and Bart Gunn do wrestle each other briefly before tagging in Owen and Yoko.
The commentary is what you also expect from Vince and Lawler just with extra football puns and some random woman Ashley who is the Raw Bowl Queen playing the role of the ditzy pageant winner a little TOO well.
The final two teams end up being Sid and The Kid and Smoking Gunns with Sid gaining the advantage on Billy Gunn until a double team attempt is stopped by Razor pushing Kid off the top rope and Billy getting the fluke pin win.
Like I said – just your regular multi tag for 96 WWF and does nothing for the actual champs in the Gunns as it was more focused on Razor’s multiple storylines of Goldust and the 123 Kid’s betrayal from late 95.
We cut to Dok Hendrix who reveals that at the Royal Rumble we’ll be seeing Bret Hart taking on Undertaker for the WWF championship the Hitman won back in November 95, Ahmed Johnson vs Jeff Jarrett and a reminder of the Rumble itself.
After a recap of the awful Hog Pen match from December’s In Your House to fill time we have King Mabel getting carried to the ring and hey look it’s Jeff and Matt Hardy having to suffer the task – see you in 1999 lads!
All this for Mabel vs Diesel in which a big boot from the latter gets the job done signifying the end of Mabel’s push – and not a moment too soon. Miss Raw Bowl also walks off with Diesel – probably thankful to get away from Lawler as any woman would be.
We then get the first reveals for the Royal Rumble match – Owen Hart, British Bulldog, Dory Funk Jr, Savio Vega, King Mabel, Bam Bam Bigelow, Barry Horowitz, Yokozuna, Tatanka (Buffalo!) and then…
VADER is revealed as entering the Rumble with a workout montage.
Now we cut to the first in the Billionaire Ted Wrasslin’ War room skits in which a board room show a bunch of moves to Huckster and Nacho Man (one of the board being Vince ‘I swear to god bro’ Russo.) and both going NOPE. Ted then asks what can they do and they pose. End.
Prime comedy (!)
Credits.
Needless to say WWF not starting the year strong with an OK match, a squash and bad comedy throughout via commentary and the War room skit.
WWF Newsletter sidebar time!
Vader wasn’t the only announcement they wanted to do on that Raw however – originally it was going to be the Ultimate Warrior but as expected money was the major factor and the deal is dead (for now…). WWF had also reached out to Dan Severn but at the time of Raw he hadn’t responded (give it a couple of years), same for Jake Roberts but they were hopeful both would be in. The reason for Dory Funk Jr being announced is to hopefully start a relationship with All Japan and Takao Omori should be announced for the Rumble too as part of the deal soon. Bam Bam’s back for one last show and Tatanka’s back after being suspended with Jimmy Del Ray.
Content Warning for the following
The reason both were suspended however was due to Jimmy Del Ray committing assault on a woman in late 1994 which led to a lawsuit being filed in August 1995. Tatanka was found not guilty and allowed back in while Del Ray was rightfully fired from the company (we will see him briefly later on this particular week elsewhere but after that nothing for a LONG while.)
Greg Valentine was also announced in the PW Torch as being an entrant in the Rumble.
PW Torch also revealed that Alundra Blayze vs AJA KONG was supposed to take place at the Rumble but naturally due to the belt into the trashcan incident in 1995 this sadly will not happen.
Scott Hall and The Kliq have loudly been complaining about the Razor vs Golddust program, Hall feeling uncomfortable about it yet Vince is 100% behind the gimmick,
Torch also noted how some in WCW enjoyed the ‘comedy’ skit – I presume the undercard feeling held down by Hogan and Savage. There’s a great line from Meltzer too about how if WWF survives Hogan and Savage will eventually find their way back there someday. He was half right…
Oh and Xanta Klaus got fired. Probably didn’t help that at an NWA show he worked over Christmas he gave out… more adult presents let’s say to the audience.
SIDEBAR OVER
Now to WCW – LIVE!
We left 1995 with Flair as champion again, the Dungeon of Doom STILL going after Hogan and now the beginning of one of the worst few months in WCW – this time around anyway.
As per we have Mongo (with Pepe!), Bischoff and The Brain on commentary – Bischoff of course sprinkling digs at the taped Raw Bowl throughout.
Flair vs Hogan will main event tonight – a title match on CABLE TV.
Arn Anderson vs Macho Man kicks the year off for WCW – decent match with Savage bent on revenge for Starrcade and getting the win by playing the Enforcer at his own game when Arn’s use of brass knuckles backfired and they get used on him.
Savage then quickly escapes a beatdown from Pillman and Benoit.
Benoit faces off with Lord Steven Regal next and it’s what you expect from these two – the best match of the hour and wrestling at its finest.
Regal gets the win after Benoit missed a dive over the top rope and goes splat on the concrete.
Pillman then berates Arn and Benoit for losing, Benoit calls Regal’s win sheer luck and Arn bites back by saying how Pillman’s getting them into wars that they don’t need to fight and that the focus is to protect the world title, not starting fights with the Dungeon of Doom. As soon as he says that Sullivan, Zodiac and the Giant all come out with Jimmy Hart and the Giant trying to hold Sullivan and Zodiac back.
Lex Luger and Sting vs Super Assassins – OK tag match that really should have been more of a squash.
Jimmy Hart then comes out with The Giant to talk to Mean Gene – Mean Gene making a quip how Hart’s suit reminded him of Guy Lombardo from the Spike Jones Band (ask your grandparents!) Hart then reminds Hogan on how he should have kept him closer and how he’s good at switching gears – he might second Flair one night and then one night he’ll second Sullivan and/or The Giant.
The Giant then threatens Hogan for later.
Flair vs Hogan is fine up to a thing that would plague WCW ALL YEAR LONG – interference! Arn hits Hogan with the brass knuckles but of course Hulk no-sells them, shows the ref and Flair gets DQ’d.
We then get Hogan beating down the Horsemen and them BEGGING Hogan not to hit them with the knuckles (A far cry from the Horsemen of the 80’s), Giant then tries to hit Hogan with a wooden stool, Savage stops him and we end with both men standing tall and set up the next few months of WCW. God help us.
Just a heads up – get ready for a LOT of schmozz finishes from WCW this year and get ready to be SICK of them.
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Shock of all shocks Hogan decided to change the original plans for what this week’s Nitro was setting up – the plan was Flair vs Sting and Savage vs Luger for the 8th with disputed finishes leading to rematches.
The crowd are also starting to show signs of getting tired of Hogan BS too with major heat during the comeback and closing interview. Believe me when I say it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
Mean Gene also had to retract something on his hotline concerning Ricky Steamboat and a ceremony honouring him at the show – that was never going to happen due to legal reasons and essentially Gene had made it up (which isn’t exactly new for the hotline.)
The venue for Bash At The Beach (or as it’s called for now Quake By the Lake) has been revealed for Lake Tahoe on July 7th. Why mention that? No reason 😉
Finally while we didn’t see him on Nitro One Man Gang is the US champ after ‘beating’ Kensuke Sasaki in a match taped after Starrcade went off air – the reason for the air quotes? They filmed two finishes with each man winning to presumably keep New Japan happy but it looks like WCW are going to recognise OMG’s win.
To use a phrase – WCW Everybody!
And with that we bring New Year’s Day 1996 to a close. Next time we have New Japan’s annual January 4th show, ECW House Party 1996 and more…