Place To Be Nation Vintage Vault Refresh: Volume 4 - Monday Night Raw Reviews: 1993

By Place To Be Nation Publications

In this volume, the writers of the Place To Be Nation take a look back and review each episode of the WWF flagship program, Monday Night Raw. Join us as we look back at the first year of the program, the high and low moments of the episodes and the promotion during 1993.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Place To Be Nation Publications
• Release date: May 31, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370229819

Place To Be Nation Publications

The Place To Be Nation is the only Place to Be for sports, wrestling and pop culture! Home to the Kevin Kelly Show and History of Wrestling podcasts and more!

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Monday Night Raw #1

January 11, 1993

Manhattan Center

New York, NY

Announcers: Vince McMahon, Randy Savage & Rob Bartlett

Fun Fact I: The WWF had been running a weekly prime-time program on the USA network since 1985, Prime Time Wrestling. For most of the broadcast, the show was a recap of current storylines from the main syndicated shows along with some exclusive matches from the house shows. In its waning years, the format changed first to a talk show format with a live audience and then to a roundtable discussion. The final episode of Prime Time Wrestling aired on 1/4/93 with a revolutionary new show taking its place the following week, Monday Night Raw.

Raw would broadcast live from the Manhattan Center in New York City. This venue was much smaller than where most WWF events were recorded, but it provided a more intimate atmosphere and rowdier crowd. A new broadcast team was put together for the initial episodes made up of Vince McMahon, Randy Savage and Rob Bartlett, a comedian from the Imus in the Morning radio program who had no previous background in wrestling (which would become apparent very quickly). The format of Raw introduced matches between top stars instead of the typical squash matches shown on other WWF programming.

Fun Fact II: Bobby Heenan, who appears in this episode continually trying to get into the Manhattan Center, is the only person to appear on the inaugural episodes of both major shows during the Monday Night War. He would appear on commentary for the first episode of WCW Monday Nitro on 9/4/95.

1) Yokozuna defeats Koko B. Ware with the banzai drop at 3:45

Scott:

So, there we are. The answer to the trivia question: What was the first match in the history of Monday Night Raw? Koko vs. Yoko. It even rhymes. We begin the new live Monday night concept with Koko B. Ware doing the same job he used to do on Saturday Night’s Main Event: Putting over new talent. Yokozuna debuted in late-1992 and even got a squash win over Virgil at the Survivor Series. I was perplexed as to why Rob Bartlett came in for commentary. Vince rarely brought in outside sources to do shows, but maybe he wanted to have a cutting edge guy (Bartlett worked for Don Imus) to add some sizzle to the show. This match really didn’t have much sizzle; it was as Randy Savage said a squashamundo. Yoko continues his ascent as he heads to Sacramento for the Royal Rumble.

JT:

The night the WWF’s world changed for good. For years, syndication was the prime TV outlet for the company’s programming, but with Prime Time Wrestling having run its course, the WWF decided it was time to shake things up. And that include the decision to go live on Monday nights with an hour of rowdy live wrestling TV that saw big time matches and angle progression not quite seen before outside of Saturday mornings. So, live from New York’s Manhattan Center, we have Monday Night Raw. Vince McMahon is in the booth, picking up the gig after Saturday Night’s Main Event died, and he is joined by the semi-active Randy Savage and local radio comedian Rob Bartlett. Our opener featured the current star heel on the rise Yokozuna taking on the ever-present stalwart Koko B. Ware. Yoko had debuted in the fall and was clearly being lined up for a big time push right away thanks to his immense size and presence. Koko is rocking the high flattop here in 1993 and of course, is in his High Energy gear, but he is going it alone tonight. Bartlett wastes no time using Oriental, so we are off to a hot start. The crowd is really fired up here, and the concept definitely feels like an immediate hit as a result. Yoko completely overmatched Koko from the start, just shoving him hard to the mat and corners and swatting off any attempt at offense by the Birdman. He capped things off with a giant leg drop and a Banzai drop for the win. Poor Koko. This match was the epitome of a squash, and it made perfect sense as Yoko was being prepped for big things.

*** Bobby Heenan cuts a promo teasing the impending debut of Narcissus, calling out Mr. Perfect specifically. ***

2) Steiner Brothers defeated The Executioners when Scott pinned an Executioner after a top rope bulldog at 3:01

Fun Fact: The Steiner Brothers began teaming together in the NWA/WCW in January 1989. The pair of amateur wrestlers from the University of Michigan used that as their gimmick, wearing amateur singlets and headgear to the ring. In less than a year, the team would defeat the Freebirds and win the NWA World Tag Team Championships, their first titles as a team. The Steiners would remain with WCW until November 1992 when the team would leave due to receiving a low contract renewal from Bill Watts. They would quickly sign on with the WWF and would make their debut before the end of 1992 on Prime Time Wrestling.

Scott:

The WWF’s newest tag team comes in to demolish the ambiguous Executioners. I feel bad for the poor bastards that had to don those masks because it was a stiff, straight ahead beating that Rick and Scotty gave those schmucks. The crowd in the Manhattan Center was pretty hot, and the announcers are trying to keep the fire going. There isn’t much more to say here, it’s a straightforward squash to keep the brothers hot heading into the Royal Rumble.

JT:

We continue to show off some of the newer talent of the WWF as the recently arrived Steiner Brothers get a showcase squash match against the Executioners. The Steiners were one of WCW’s top acts for over three years but finally decided to mix things up and head north for a run. They added instant credibility to a lagging tag division and was a no-brainer move for the WWF to pick them up. Vince notes they are set for a big throw down with the Beverly Brothers at the Royal Rumble, a good matchup for them to get on track with as far as PPV goes. Both Steiners were cut and jacked here and looked ready to dominate. As they put a beating on the masked men, Doink the Clown showed up and putted around the crowd, messing with the fans. One of the Executioners shockingly got a couple of punches in but that would be about it. Rick was nasty out there, shoving one of the masked men hard into the ropes, pasting him with a clothesline and then driving him into the corner with an Oklahoma stampede. In a weird little fun fact, Vince notes that Buffalo Bills player Mitch Frerotte was heading into the WWF soon. Obviously, that never happened, but an odd thing for Vince to push aggressively on a big night like this. The Steiners mixed in a couple more stuff suplexes and then finished things off with the top rope bulldog for the victory. I could watch Steiner squashes all day long. Bring on the Beverlys.

*** Vince McMahon interviews Razor Ramon in the ring to talk about his upcoming WWF Title match against Bret Hart at the Royal Rumble. We also see footage from WWF Mania when Ramon attacked and injured Owen Hart.***

3) Shawn Michaels defeats Max Moon to retain WWF Intercontinental Title with a side duplex at 9:56

Fun Fact: Thomas Boric was born in May 1961 in Croatia. His family moved to Canada when he was 13. He played soccer in college before signing on as a goaltender in the North American Soccer League, which he played in until 1984 when the league folded. He soon began his wrestling training under the Malenko family in Florida. He took on the ring name Paul Diamond and began his career in Texas. Most of his early wrestling was in various tag teams, teaming up with Nick Kiniski and Shawn Michaels in Texas and Jeff Jarrett and Pat Tanaka in the CWA. The pairing with Tanaka to form the team Badd Company led to much success in both the CWA and AWA. When Diamond signed on with the WWF in 1990, it was in a lower card singles role, primarily that of a jobber. He was later reunited with Tanaka in the Orient Express where he wore a mask to conceal him not being Asian and taking on the name Kato. In the fall of 1992, Diamond was given the new role of Maximillian Moon, a character originally created for Konnan before he left the WWF. Max Moon was supposed to be a man from the future, signified by his futuristic space outfit, just one of the many gimmick characters we will see around this time period.

Scott:

Our first title match in Raw history pits the IC Champion taking on the electric Max Moon. Shawn Michaels is one of the big stars that Raw was meant to be created for with his provocative outfits and exceptional in-ring work. During the match, we have Bartlett with cheesy jokes and even equally bad impersonations, like Mike Tyson. During the show we also see Doink moving around the crowd with the WWF fans. It is pretty funny that they make fun of Tyson considering what would happen five years from now. This was a surprisingly good match as Max Moon really took it to Shawn and the crowd (back then anything could happen I suppose) maybe was feeling that Moon would pull off the upset. But Vince does mention Shawn vs. Marty at the Rumble and that kind of went out the window. Shawn gets the victory, but the match was much better and more competitive that I remember it being.

JT:

For the first time in the show’s lengthy history, the WWF Intercontinental Title is on the line as Shawn Michaels defends against the mysterious Max Moon. Of course, Michaels won the strap in the fall from the British Bulldog and was just getting his legs under him as champion. His biggest challenge to date would be at the Rumble against his former friend Marty Jannetty. Moon popped up in mid-1992 and despite the garish outfit and assumed attached plans for the character, he fizzled into quasi-enhancement talent very quickly. Bartlett buried Moon right away, and you could already tell he was probably going to be trouble with his off the cuff comments. A lot of them were also really forced and unfunny. We got a quick pace here with Moon grabbing most of the momentum until Michaels begged off and regrouped. Moon would hook in a hammerlock submission as he started to focus on the arm of the champ, but Michaels waited him out and then caught him on a charge and dropped him with a stun gun. Doink showed up in the aisle just as Bartlett did a terrible bit where he called in to pretend he was Mike Tyson. In the ring, Moon grabbed a near fall on a roll up, but Michaels maintained control of the bout. He meandered a bit through his offense, laying in strikes here and there while also preening for the fans. Savage took the Tyson stuff to the next level when he flat out said Tyson got a raw deal in getting sent to jail. Vince cut that down quickly. Moon made his comeback by slingshotting Michaels to the floor and then diving out after him. Back inside, Moon hit a nice spin kick and followed with a rolling fireman’s carry for a close near fall. A moment later he missed a senton and Michaels took advantage by pelting him with a superkick and hitting the teardrop suplex for the win. The match was sluggish in the middle, but the open and finish were pretty good. The commentary did it no favors with all the nonsense bits and barely talking about what was going on, but it is what it is at this point. A nice showcase win for Michaels, who is clearly a high priority for the company at this point.

*** Gene Okerlund delivers the Royal Rumble Report, with the following matches announced:

Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jannetty – WWF Intercontinental Title

Royal Rumble Match: Ric Flair, Tatanka, IRS, Bob Backlund, Jerry Lawler, Mr. Perfect, Ted DiBiase, Crush, Rick Martel, Yokozuna, Randy Savage, Papa Shango, Earthquake, Berzerker, Undertaker, Carlos Colon, Tenryu, Tito Santana, Typhoon, Fatu, Samu, Jim Duggan

Bret Hart vs. Razor Ramon – WWF Heavyweight Title

Two weeks away on PPV! ***

*** We head back to Superstars to see footage of Kamala finally getting fed up with Kim Chee and Harvey Wippleman after one of his matches. Reverend Slick would come out and protect Kamala, but after Kim Chee slugged him in the face, Kamala saved him and attacked his now former handler. ***

4) Undertaker defeats Damien Demento with a tombstone at 2:25

Fun Fact: Phillip Theis was born in June 1958 in Long Island, New York. He was training under Johnny Rodz and made his wrestling debut on the independent circuit in 1987. He got his break with the WWF when the Bushwackers forwarded an interview tape of Theis to WWF management, and he was signed to a contract. He would be given the character name, Damien Demento and would be announced as being from the outer reaches of your mind. He received an initial push, winning his first few matches in the fall of 1992. His only PPV match would occur at the Royal Rumble later this month.

Scott:

Our main event really isn’t a main event at all, but a showcase match for the Deadman. Going into the show back in 1993, I didn’t even know who the hell Damian Demento was. As for the Undertaker, well he was the top babyface, along with Bret Hart, in the company and it made sense for him to end the show with in essence a squash. This first Raw was meant to introduce the new concept and to get the top talent on the show. Winning and losing was not the focus here, nor was really having decent matches (other than the title match). Easy win for the Deadman.

JT:

Our first Raw main event is here as the increasingly popular Undertaker closes the show out against the bizarre Damien Demento. Demento is in the same boat as Max Moon, an over the top character that debut in the middle of 1992 and has done pretty much nothing besides job since. Taker is joined by Paul Bearer and is kind of in limbo when it comes to feuds as he has finished off Kamala back in November. He did have a brief issue with Nailz flair up, but that ended when the convict went nuts and got himself fired. Demento went right at Taker, but his attack was brief as Taker mowed him right down and then cracked him with his top rope axe blow. Demento landed one lonely final blow before Taker nailed him with a running clothesline and put him to sleep with the Tombstone. Another showcase squash for a top star here and once again, nothing to write home about.

*** Vince McMahon interviews Doink the Clown and they talk about Crush’s warning to the Clown to stop making children cry. Doink basically says he doesn’t give a shit and that draws out Crush, who gives him one last warning to stop messing with the kids. ***

Final Analysis:

Scott:

The debut episode of the WWF’s new flagship show was exactly what they needed. A simple look at the new set, the fresh announcing team, and the top flight talent. Only WWF Champion Bret Hart was absent, which is ok as it gets new viewers hooked to the next week’s show. Sure there were some questionable gimmicks, but the most important part of the show was for me the Shawn Michaels/Max Moon match. It showed that the company would put solid matches on as well as the goofy gimmicks. Speaking of goofy gimmicks, Vince can still get away with that now, but as we will see over the next couple of years, that runs old as does the look of the company. I will grade this a little high for historical purposes, but after that, I will certainly be more stringent.

Final Grade:

JT:

Well, this certainly was a fresh environment for WWF action. Outside of PPVs and the Main Event specials, the company did not offer much in the way of live televised wrestling action, but now we will get it weekly. We still get a few squash matches, but they are wisely using some name enhancement talent that had been built up in syndication to put over the stars. It at least feigns that we are getting higher quality matchups to start off here. The show cruised right along, and the format felt right: four matches, one for a title and a few promos or interview sprinkled in throughout. The commentary was hit or miss and most of Bartlett’s jokes were terrible but it is just week one, so we will give him some time to settle in before completely making a judgment. Regardless, this was a huge step in the right direction and brought a lot of excitement to the WWF product. In a vacuum, there wasn’t a ton here to fall in love with, but I will grade on a curve for it being the first episode of a really innovative venture.

Final Grade:

Monday Night Raw #2

January 18, 1993

Manhattan Center

New York, NY

Announcers: Vince McMahon, Randy Savage & Rob Bartlett

*** During the open of the show, Repo Man attacks Randy Savage and steals his hat. Rob Bartlett also tears up a picture of Bobby Heenan, spoofing Sinead O’Connor ripping the picture of the Pope on Saturday Night Live. ***

1) Mr. Perfect defeats Terry Taylor with the Perfectplex at 9:28

Fun Fact: After leaving the WWF in 1990, Terry Taylor returned south and signed with WCW, wrestling initially under his own name. He joined the York Foundation and began going under the more formal name of Terrence Taylor, where he was a heel. He remained heel after the York Foundation disbanded, teaming with Greg Valentine to win the WCW US Tag Team Championships. Taylor resigned with the WWF in September 1992 under the new gimmick of Terrific Terry Taylor (no more Red Rooster).

Scott:

Six years after these two were in the running for the Mr. Perfect gimmick, the winner faces the loser. Taylor had left in early 1990 and went to WCW where he toiled in the York Foundation and other endeavors. Meanwhile Mr. Perfect had a strong run with the company, including two runs with the Intercontinental Title. He took 1992 off for his back issues but returned and turned babyface to freshen things up. I wonder if turning face was to be a red herring for winning the Royal Rumble and getting a World Title shot at WrestleMania. Bobby Heenan calls in during the match to give Rob Bartlett grief about his picture getting ripped up during the match. Bartlett was annoying immediately for me. This match was actually really good at the beginning until former running buddy Ric Flair comes down the aisle and works Perfect over. Perfect recovers and beats Taylor, but clearly that feud isn’t over. The match overall was really good, even with the run-in that broke the flow. Terry Taylor’s career is winding down, but after a year off, Mr. Perfect is back and ready to entertain again.

JT:

It feels like these two were just meant to be together. Our second ever episode of Monday Night Raw opens with a battle between two men that kicked off their WWF careers together back in 1988 and have seemingly been tied together since. The story that is always floating around is that they were both up for the same gimmicks and as a result of the decisions made, Taylor ended up clucking his way to mediocrity while Perfect became a star. Taylor left the WWF in 1990 but had recently returned in mid-1992 under his own name and like some of the guys we discussed last week, quickly slid down the ladder into an enhancement role. Perfect turned face back in November when he came out of retirement to turn on Bobby Heenan and team with Randy Savage at Survivor Series. We open the show with Rob Bartlett doing is Sinead O’Connor impression and Savage getting drilled by Repo Man for some random reason. We then head to the ring where Taylor enters to his old Red Rooster theme (maybe a network edit, not sure?) which is pretty funny. Perfect was super over with the NYC crowd as his face turn completely reinvigorated him as he stepped back into the ring. We got some mat work early along with lots of juking from both men as they attempted to trade strikes. Perfect got the first flurry in, capped by a great standing dropkick and a chase around ringside. He would crank on a tight side headlock and then an armbar as Bobby Heenan called in to bitch out Bartlett and plug All-American Wrestling. Taylor finally slowed him down by yanking him hard to the floor and cracking him with right hands. Taylor stomped away and started to focus on that rehabbed back, liberally going to the eyes and throat when he needed to. Taylor would get near falls on a spinebuster and a gut wrench powerbomb, really emptying out his arsenal. Perfect took advantage of Taylor failing to put him away and started to pick apart at the Terrific one, hammering him with right hands and rattling his head with neck snaps. As Perfect started to look to put this away, Ric Flair showed up at ringside and distracted and eventually attacked him. However, even that wasn’t enough for Taylor as Perfect just popped up and hit the Perfectplex for the win. That was a very enjoyable match, and I like how Taylor varied up his offense in the middle stretch. Perfect’s comeback was good too, and the advancement of his issue with Flair worked well.

*** Vince McMahon interviews Bret Hart in the ring to discuss his Royal Rumble WWF Title match with Razor Ramon. Hart denounces Ramon for attacking his brother Owen from behind and the threats he made to Bret’s father, Stu.***

2) Marty Jannetty defeats Glen Ruth with the Rocker Dropper at 5:12

Fun Fact: Following the breakup of the Rockers in late 1991, Marty Jannetty was supposed to be involved in a feud with Shawn Michaels that would culminate at WrestleMania VIII. Things outside the ring prevented this from happening due to personal issues with Jannetty. He was arrested in early 1992 for drug possession and physically confronting a police officer at a nightclub, leading to his firing from the WWF and a sentence of house arrest for six months. The WWF would bring him back in late 1992 where they picked up the angle with Shawn and his new manager, Sensational Sherri.

Scott:

This is a showcase match for the former Rocker to get ready for his Intercontinental Title match on Sunday in Sacramento. We know what Glenn Ruth would eventually be, but for now, he’s simple enhancement. During the match, IC Champion Shawn Michaels calls in and says he carried the Rockers and at the Royal Rumble he will prove that. They also talked about what Sensational Sherri’s role would be. Shawn says she will do whatever, and he means whatever the Heartbreak Kid wants. Raw is uncensored and uncooked, but the WWF will only go so far with the innuendo. Jannetty wins the match to set himself up for Sunday. The match was average, but the dynamic of the match with Michaels on the phone was great television, except for that boob Rob Bartlett, who I’m getting very tired of very quickly.

JT:

Nearly a year after getting chucked through the Barber Shop window, Marty Jannetty made his surprise return to attack Shawn Michaels back in November. He also accidentally wiped out Sensational Sherri with a mirror. So, he was now set to challenge Michaels for his IC gold at the Rumble and the big question heading in surrounded which corner Sherri would be in. Jannetty gets a showcase here against true jobber Glenn Ruth, one last tuneup before Sacramento. Ruth slipped some offense in, but Jannetty dominated out of the match, including landing a top rope bulldog and some basic arm work. As Marty ran through his offense, Shawn Michaels called in to trash Jannetty and talk about how he knows what goes down in Marty’s head and promises a victory on Sunday. He also discussed Sherri’s role and basically said she is worthless but madly in love with him. Jannetty worked Ruth over with an armbar, eating up some time as Michaels rambled on. Ruth got a tiny smudge of offense in but it was brief, and Jannetty kept riding him down and going back to the arm. Marty would finally polish things off with the Rocker Dropper, but this may be the blandest squash we have seen so far. Next up: Shawn Michaels in Sacramento.

*** We see footage of Doink assaulting Crush on Superstars, brutally beating him with a cast loaded with batteries. McMahon notes that Crush will no longer be in the Royal Rumble match as a result of the attack and potentially having suffered a concussion. Outside the building, Repo Man brags to Sean Mooney about his attack on Randy Savage and shows off the hat he stole. They then tease a future match between the two. ***

*** Gene Okerlund brings us the final Royal Rumble Report, with the following matches announced:

Bret Hart vs. Razor Ramon – WWF Heavyweight Title

Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jannetty – WWF Intercontinental Title

Royal Rumble Match: Ric Flair, Tatanka, IRS, Bob Backlund, Jerry Lawler, Mr. Perfect, Ted DiBiase, Crush, Rick Martel, Yokozuna, Randy Savage, Papa Shango, Earthquake, Berzerker, Undertaker, Carlos Colon, Tenryu, Tito Santana, Typhoon, Fatu, Samu, Jim Duggan, Repo Man

This weekend on PPV! ***

*** Randy Savage runs around in the street looking for Repo Man and yelling at Sean Mooney. ***

3) Ric Flair wrestled El Matador to a no contest at 8:14

Scott:

The fact Rob Bartlett is making fun of Ric Flair’s robe is the prime reason they should never have brought this clown onto the show. I still scratch my head why Vince brought this guy in. Clearly, he has no idea who Flair is or what kind of career he had, and why he shouldn’t be throwing cheesy jokes out about him. The match is really good, which is par for two expert workers in the ring. As expected Mr. Perfect comes out and starts brawling with Flair, which in essence ends the match. Poor Tito is getting stumbled over by everybody, like a poor forgotten jobber.

JT:

We have a pretty neat main event here tonight as Tito Santana arrives on the scene to go to battle with the legendary Ric Flair. Flair was in the midst of his heated issue with Mr. Perfect as we saw earlier tonight while Tito has been milling around the card as always. Bartlett hasn’t been too bad here tonight, but he really amped up the lame jokes for this one. Flair and Santana did a little feeling out and battled to an early stalemate until the Matador got a quick flurry of offense leading into a side headlock. He kept grinding the hold right through a break, but Flair would turn the tide by blocking a monkey flip, sending Tito back hard to the mat. Flair started to chop away, taking his time in landing his offense while also jawing with the referee. Tito made a comeback with a backdrop and a series of hammering blows in the corner, but Flair cut him off with a shrewd thumb to the eye. The Nature Boy made a big mistake as he climbed to the top rope, where he was caught and slammed to the mat. Tito didn’t show any mercy, shrugging off some Flair begging, tossing him to the floor and then hitting him with a stiff clothesline on the floor. Back inside, he kept pouring it on but eventually made a mistake as well with a wild charge that missed and sent him hard to the floor. Before Flair could take advantage, Perfect showed up and triggered a wild brawl all around ringside. The match was disappointing given the talent but with the limited duration and the eventual screwy finish it never really got into the next gear.

*** The brawl continues after a commercial but Ric Flair breaks free to talk to Vince McMahon and issues a challenge for a Loser Leaves WWF match. Mr. Perfect accepts, and the match is set for next week. ***

Final Analysis:

Scott:

This episode wasn’t as flashy as the previous one, but we did get an appearance from the WWF Champion Bret Hart one week from his big title defense at the Royal Rumble. The matches weren’t as juicy as the previous week, but we did get a fun brawl between Perfect and Flair that will lead to the big Loser Leaves WWF match next week. It’s cool to see guys like Glenn Ruth as a jobber here, knowing what he will become in a few years. I’m already tired of Rob Bartlett, and Vince should have been tired of him as well. He’s ruining the show with his awful jokes and half-assed commentary. The show is established now. Time to bring some wrestling guys into the booth like Bobby Heenan to make it legit instead of trying to push too much mainstream. This show has to be graded on its merit, as the curve that the first episode got for being historic is gone.

Final Grade:

JT:

This was a quick watch that hummed along once again and on the whole featured a stronger lineup of matches. However, the Jannetty squash and the main event both under delivered so as far as in ring action, we don’t get too much after the opener. We did get some real strong focus and development in the Flair/Perfect feud as the majority of the episode was centered around it. They also did a good job hyping Sunday’s Rumble along the way, focusing heavily on the Michaels/Jannetty tilt in the middle of the show. We also got the Raw debut of the WWF Champion Bret Hart to give a final hard sell for his Rumble match. They are still working on fleshing out the format and how heavy the show will be on major angles, but the first two shows have been very refreshing and enjoyable watches, even despite the dip in quality in-ring.

Final Grade:

Monday Night Raw #3

January 25, 1993 (Taped January 18, 1993)

Manhattan Center

New York, NY

Announcers: Vince McMahon, Bobby Heenan & Rob Bartlett

1) Randy Savage defeats Repo Man with the flying elbow at 12:00

Fun Fact: Last week on Raw (1/18/93), the Repo Man jumped Randy Savage at the very beginning of the show, stealing Macho Man’s hat. This act of thievery leads to this match.

Scott:

This goes back to last week when Repo Man stole Randy Savage’s cowboy hat after attacking him. It’s evident the third episode of the show is taped, for there is only one random reference to the Royal Rumble the night before in the early going. Vince starts mentioning yesterday’s PPV, but he says the WWF Champion, instead of actually saying Bret Hart, who of course defeated Razor Ramon. Well now as I’m listening, Vince is actually mentioning that Yokozuna won the Rumble. The show still feels a bit dated, but at the same time, we know that there won’t be any interviews from anybody live pertaining to the Rumble results because the crowd can’t be tipped on anything since it’s recorded from the week before. Another match ruined by Rob Bartlett’s nonsense, and I think Vince is finally realizing that this was a bad idea. Sadly, Bartlett doesn’t totally vanish. Savage jumped Repo early, and there was a lot of posturing and moving around, but Repo settled in with things like body scissors. You can tell the crowd is watching a second show because they’re not as pumped up as they were last week. Savage makes the big comeback to win the match. It was a fun sprint, but the announcing is still lacking.

JT:

Last week our episode opened with Repo Man randomly attacking Randy Savage and stealing his cowboy hat. After a cat and mouse chase through the streets of New York City, it was revealed that Savage would get his chance at revenge in the ring here tonight. With Savage in action, Bobby Heenan is in the Raw booth for the first time, calling the action alongside Vince McMahon and Rob Bartlett. We are also one night after the Royal Rumble and get updates throughout the show. I love how Repo pulled up to the building in a tow truck, and he even gets promo time, which makes me wonder what spurred this sudden push after a year of pure job duty. Savage was really fired up, jumping Repo during his entrance and working him over at a frantic pace in and out of the ring. Repo tried to buy some time by tossing Savage outside, but Macho sprinted back into the ring and drove a knee into his back. Savage was relentless as Bartlett kept making fun of his hair despite cheering him on. Repo was able to run Savage into the steps to turn the tide as Vince mentioned Yokozuna winning the Royal Rumble and Bobby pushed tonight’s huge main event. Back inside, Repo hooked in a body scissors, slowing the match way down until Macho wriggled free and came back with some uppercuts. Repo fended him off and went back to the body scissors as Bobby and Bartlett took some jabs at each other. Repo landed a big clothesline and stalked Savage as his beer gut sloped down through his increasingly snug tights. He was clearly quite winded too as he slowly moved around the ring while alternating submission holds. Savage finally came back with a clothesline and slam before putting Repo to bed with the flying elbow. The match started hot and finished strong, but that middle stretch was rough as Repo lumbered around and sucked wind. Savage pitched Repo out and celebrated his big win, his first on Raw.

2) Kamala defeats Brooklyn Brawler with a splash at 3:32

Scott:

The WWF is trying this babyface push for Kamala, perhaps to get a big spot or maybe some sort of goofy gimmick reboot. More awful Rob Bartlett jokes ruin the enjoyment of the match as this is a glorified squash. Bobby Heenan is funny as he talks about Brawler as if he never really knew him, even though he managed him four years earlier. Kamala gets the win in quick order.

JT:

The recently turned face Kamala is up next for a quick squash with the Brooklyn Brawler, who of course usually portrayed his former handler Kim Chee. Bartlett made me chuckle when he said Hey look, it’s Nell Carter to which Vince dryly responded, "No,