WWF 1st Monday Night Raw

[Guest nWoScorpion]

WWF MONDAY NIGHT RAW DEBUT:

 

-Sean Mooney welcomes us from outside of the Manhattan Center for the debut of Monday Night Raw. Heenan is denied access and was replaced by Rob Bartlett, who of course he doesn't know who.

 

-Monday Night Raw Opening! A Lot of Ramon & Bret Hart.

 

-Original Air Date: 1/11/93 From New York City, New York.

 

-Your Commentators are Randy Savage, Vince Mcmahon, and Rob Bartlett.

 

-Opening Match:

Koko B. Ware Vs. Yokozuna (w/ Mr. Fuji):

Ware is using the High Energy which would stick with Owen Hart until he took up the Sole Survivor theme in 1997. Yokozuna was at a Slim Trim 505 pounds at this point. Yokozuna is wearing Red & White, not Red & Black, which he wore from spring 1993 until his final days in late 1996. Unnecessary shot between the legs of Yokozuna. Bartlett says Yokozuna should be wearing a bra. Lockup and Koko gets shoved across the ring, landing on his black ass. Repeat the same again. Shoulderblock by Koko sends himself across the ring again. Repeat the same. Koko with a series of drop-kicks but a dive misses and he gets hung up on the ropes. Leg Drop by Yokozuna kills Koko. He nails the corner rush into the corner, and squashes Koko B. ware with the banzai drop for the win at 3:45. DUD of course, but hell, Yokozuna won with 3 moves.

 

- 1993 Royal Rumble Commercial.

 

- Bobby Heenan (prerecorded) tells us about "The Narcissist" who will be debuting at The Royal Rumble PPV on January 24, 1993. He compares Perfect to horse manure.

 

- Steiner Brothers Vs. The Executioners:

This is possibly only the 2nd or 3rd Monday night appearances including PTW. Scott slams The Executioner while Doink plays with the crowd. Snapmare and Rick tags in with a knee lift. Rob calls Doink Dork. The Executioner hammers Rick but gets shoved off hard. Steiner Line! Rick slams The Executioner onto the top turnbuckle. Double noggin knocker to the Executioners by Scottie Steiner. Rick with a powerslam as the executioner was in a leap frog. Scott with a belly to belly suplex and the other Executioner tags in. Scott with a double underhook powerbomb!!!! Rick with the top rope Bulldog off Scott Steiners shoulders gets the win at 3:01. 1/4*. Good squash. Not good match but better then the opener.

 

-Sean Mooney is with Rob Bartlett's "aunt" who looks familiar. Oh God, its Bobby Heenan. See also Flair, Ric at Uncensored 1995.

 

- ICO-PRO with Bret Hart. Slim Jim with Randy Savage. WWF Wrestling Video Games on SNES, Game boy, and Nintendo!

 

- Vince Mcmahon interview with Razor Ramon. Highlights of him beating up Owen Hart on Mania from 1/9/93.

 

- Headlock On Hunger card is discussed, and Tatanka follows it up with a promo about it.

 

- WWF-Intercontinental Championship Match:

Shawn Michaels © Vs. Max Moon:

Moon is of course Paul "Kato" Diamond. IF (!) Shawn wins, he must defend the title against Marty Jannetty at the Royal Rumble. Arm drag by HBK and follows up with a side headlock and armbar which is reversed. Bartlett makes fun of Heenan as a woman. Japanese Arm drag by Moon and a series of body slams. Knee lift by Shawn but Moon takes over with a form of arm drag and follows up with an armbar. Lets Go Shawn chants!!! How sad, Moon is the face and Michaels is getting cheered. HBK misses the move that never connects. Apparently Shawn pulled a knife on Moon during the commercial. HBK takes down Moon by draping him across the top rope. Drop-kick by the champion and Doink is back. Mike Tyson is on the phone. He sounds familiar. Knee lift by HBK is reversed into a school boy by The Comet Kid. HBK hammers Moon with some closed fists, and Moon eats buckle. Tyson is funny. Where's Bartlett at? Shawn with a headbutt and goes for a slam but its reversed into a small package for 2. Spinning elbow by Shawn gets a 2 count. headlock by Shawn kills some time in this match. Moon breaks free and catches Michaels sling shooting him over the top rope onto the floor. Pescado is flirted but he comes down sitting on HBK. Moon hits his corner leg lariat and Samoan drop roll over pinfall for 2. Slam by Moon but a rolling backdrop misses. HBK with a crescent kick, and he goes for the reverse side suplex which s blocked but he goes for it a second time and connects for 3 at 7:50. **1/4. Not too bad for a RAW match. By the way, The Superkick wasn't Shawn's official finisher until summer time.

 

- WWF Mania commercial. It's every Saturday at 10:00 am on the USA Network.

 

- WWF Royal Rumble 1993 Report brought to you by ICO-PRO Exclusively on PPV at 4 PM ET. Shawn Michaels will defend the Intercontinental Title against Marty Jannetty, with Sensational Sherri as the wild card. The Royal Rumble Match Participants! Ric Flair! Tatanka! IRS! Bob Backlund! Jerry Lawler! Mr. Perfect! (followed by a promo) Ted Dibiase! Crush! Rick Martel! Yokozuna! (followed by a promo) Randy Savage! Papa Shango! Earthquake! Berzerker! Undertaker! Carlos Colon! PLUS......Genichiro Tenryu! Tito Santana! Typhoon! Samu! Fatu! Jim Duggan! (followed by promo). The Main Event for the World Title. Bret Hart Vs. Razor Ramon.

 

- Sean Mooney talks to Rob Bartlett's Uncle Morty, who is a rabbi. Oh guess what, its Bobby Heenan again. Now he's going to the roof.

 

- Recap of Kamala turning face from Superstars on 1/9/93. Reverend Slick came to the aid of Kamala, who then attacked his former keepers Kim Chee & Harvey Wippleman.

 

- The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) Vs. Damian Demento:

Rob calls Paul Bearer the guy with the martini shaker. Demento of course cheap shots Taker several times with a claw like punch. Demento eats canvas and Undertaker sends him to the buckle. Undertaker walks the ropes and comes down with a clothesline on the back of the neck. Undertaker with choking in the corner. Big boot by Demento and an axe handle and shoulder tackle. Next week Mr. Perfect takes on Papa Shango and Ric Flair Vs. Tito Santana. In the mean time Undertaker with a flying clothesline! Tombstone Piledriver ends it at 2:24. Squash-a-riffic. DUD.

 

- Vince Mcmahon interviews Doink, who makes fun of Crush. However, Crush comes out and beats up the Clown with his arm in a sling. What a role model. This is show is running a little too long. About 3 minutes too long. Wait...........did I just say.....3 Minutes?!

 

<fat Samoans eat this tape>

 

FINAL ANALYSIS: Well, it was the first time, and it WAS 1993, so this gets a free recommendation, since WWF didn't have shows like now back then.

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

You should do the one with Savage/Repo & Hennig/Flair as the only matches on the show.

[Guest nWoScorpion]

I'm considering buying that episode (Invasion of the bodylsammers has a perfect/flair house show match with retirement stipulations, but wasn't nearly as good (or lonG) as the MNR one)

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

I found a tape that had that Flair/Hennig match on it.

 

I didn't even know I had tape it.

[Guest bob_barron]

Flair v. Hennig is on Wrestlefest 93.

 

I reviewed it back in June for 411