Raw Deal - Raw recap for July 22, 1996

Sunny and The Smoking Gunns (Billy and Bart Gunn) show up with a cake at the start of the show. We find out that it is meant for "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, and when Shawn sees it, it is used as bait for a sneak attack by The Smoking Gunns. However, Billy hears some Sweet Chin Music, and Shawn moves the cake towards Sunny before placing a fingerful of cake on Sunny's face. Sunny tries to dump the cake on her, but Ahmed slams it into her face and Shawn kisses the icing off her face not once, but twice. Shawn and Ahmed vs. The Smoking Gunns is over before the bell could even ring, but Ahmed and Shawn got the jump on Sunny and the Gunns.

"Wildman" Marc Mero beats The Goon after a brief fight in the cake icing on the floor outside of the ring. Before the match, WWF President Gorilla Monsoon says the tag team title match will take place later tonight to give Billy Gunn time to recover, and if The Smoking Gunns (Billy and Bart Gunn) refuse to participate, they will be stripped of the WWF Tag Team Championships. Also, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin guests on commentary, and Vince McMahon interviews Jake "The Snake" Roberts via telephone. Roberts says he's done, but certainly not out, and both Stone Cold and Jerry "The King" Lawler make fun of his former drug and drink problems. Roberts says he will come back as soon possible, hopefully in two or three weeks but hopefully sooner. After Stone Cold makes fun of the Lex Express and presents the idea of doing his own version where he whips everyone's asses instead of shaking hands and kissing babies, it is announced that Stone Cold has a match against The Undertaker next week, and Stone Cold predicts that he will beat The Undertaker. Also on commentary, Bret "The Hit Man" Hart is mentioned, and Steve Austin says that he would beat him if they got in the ring.

"The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels thanks Sunny for the cake, and says that he and Ahmed Johnson plan to take all the championships tonight. He says that The Smoking Gunns (Billy and Bart Gunn) can't get much action out of Sunny, but they can get plenty from them.

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Bob Backlund is seen campaigning in the crowd.

Earlier today, Clarence Mason was seen representing someone who was breaking into the World Wrestling Federation in a hearing with WWF President Gorilla Monsoon and other WWF officials.

Mankind beats Freddie Joe Floyd with the Mandible Claw.

Next week on Raw: Marc Mero vs. Vader! Sycho Sid vs. Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw!

Brian Pillman shows up before the commercial break. He joins in on commentary for the next match.

"Wildman" Marc Mero is interviewed backstage. Marc Mero says Vader is the biggest cat in his jungle, and he promises jungle warfare and Vader with a severe case of cat scratch fever. He tells Goldust that there are three things he doesn't do: tug on Superman's cape, spit in the wind and mess with Sable. He knows that Goldust is sending letters and presents to Sable, and if Goldust wants his attention, he's got it fully at SummerSlam.

Goldust beats Barry Horowitz.

Sunny says Ahmed Johnson and "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels have no idea what being champions are all about, and that real champions don't conduct themselves like Ahmed and Shawn did at the beginning of the show. She calls The Smoking Gunns (Billy and Bart Gunn) respectable champions, says that Billy Gunn is fine now, and that The Gunns are ready to defend the tag team titles as best as they can. She says that Shawn and Ahmed will not have their cake and eat it too. Billy Gunn says they brought down the heap, and now they're going to get it in the form of a side of The Smoking Gunns that they won't want to see. Bart Gunn says that Shawn and Ahmed will pay for what they did to Billy and Sunny.

Vince McMahon interviews Vader and Jim Cornette in the ring. Cornette brags about his team (Vader, Owen Hart, The British Bulldog) winning last night at In Your House, specifically Vader winning the match, and says that last night's win is the reason he went to WWF President Gorilla Monsoon and demanded a title shot against "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels. Cornette then asks Shawn if there was always the one kid who hid behind a tree and bullied him, and says that kid is now grown up and out there in the form of Vader. Cornette says Vader will grab him and shake him for change before taking the WWF Championship from him at SummerSlam, and that there is nobody who can whip Vader as he is the baddest man walking. He says that Michaels will walk into SummerSlam and enter the biggest nightmare of his life before losing the WWF Championship to him.

On Option 6 of the WWF Superstar Line: Will SummerSlam be The Undertaker's last match in the WWF?

"The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels and Ahmed Johnson beat The Smoking Gunns (Billy and Bart Gunn) by disqualification after a man in a blue and black singlet with a silver helmet shows up and attacks Ahmed outside of the ring while officials try to stop him. Sunny cheers the mystery man on as he attacks Ahmed, and Shawn Michaels tries to get a piece of the guy to no avail. WHen we get a close-up of his face, Jerry "The King" Lawler notices that he looks like Ron Simmons. He then says to Sunny after she catches up with him "From this day forward...this kingdom is yours." The show ends with the guy in the helmet and Ahmed Johnson brawling again. The Smoking Gunns retain the WWF Tag Team Championships.