Dark Pegasus Video Review: Monday Night Raw (04.12.93)

Monday Night Raw (04.12.93) by J.D. Dunn Twitter.com/jddunn411 Facebook.com/jddunn411 Re: WWF “revitalization” of 1993. My comment of that the summer of ’93 revitalized the WWF stirred up some comments. I didn’t mean to say that business was revitalized, but the *creative* aspects of Raw certainly were compared to 1992 and even the spring of 1993. Shawn vs. Marty, the 1-2-3 Kid vs. Razor Ramon feud, and Yokozuna destroying Crush were all big TV moments for the WWF. April 12, 1993 Live from Poughkeepsie, N.Y.. Your hosts are Vince McMahon, Rob Bartlett and Randy Savage. In the cold open, Money Inc. gets a scouting report from the Beverly Bros. on the Steiners. Scott Steiner (w/Rick Steiner) vs. Irwin R. Shyster (w/Ted Dibiase). Scott is, as usual, pissed off at some indeterminate event, and Shyster’s ass probably shows it after this match. Scott tosses him around VIOLENTLY, including a suplex that Irwin didn’t look like he was cooperating with. Iriwn stalls quite a bit. We take a break with Dibiase and Rick Steiner about to get into it, and when we come back, Shyster is in control thanks to an eye poke. Scott blocks one of those stupid moves where, at best, Shyster would land on his feet in the general vicinity of his opponent, but Steiner gets his foot up. Steiner hits the Randy Savage clothesline on the top rope and that sets up the Butterfly Suplex. Dibiase breaks up the pinfall for the DQ at 9:49. Awkward at times, and their pro styles don’t really mesh (even though they’re both great amateur wrestlers). * After the match, the Steiners set Dibiase up for the Doomsday Bulldog, but the Beverly Bros. run in to make the save. The heels try a doubleteam, but the Beverlys accidentally nail Dibiase. The two heel teams come to blows, and the Beverlys chase Money Inc. away. Well, that blew up in Money Inc.’s face. Tatanka vs. Skull Von Krush. Krush is a young Big Vito doing a poor man’s Baron Von Raschke gimmick. Either Tatanka is smaller than I thought, or Vito used to be huge because he has a pretty big size advantage. He has no idea what to do with Tatanka, though, who clobbers him. Vito gets in a few slugs, but the Papoose-to-Go finishes at 3:59. Tatanka remains undefeated, as if there were any doubt. 1/2* Sean Mooney confirms it’s official that Hulk Hogan is the new WWF Heavyweight Champion. Rob Bartlett interviews Luna Vachon. In retrospect, Bartlett has a kind of Jon Benjamin charm. Her interview is on par with the Ultimate Warrior’s interviews in terms of “What the Actual Fuck?”-ishness. She rips on Sensational Sherri, who walks down and gets in Bartlett’s face for having Luna out there in the first place. Luna says she’s a “bandit from the future, a time that once was and will be again.” She forgot to add “HO KOGAN.” The two ladies get into a cat fight and rip each other’s clothes off, much to the horror of Vince McMahon. Randy Savage roots Sherri on. No mention of their past is made. Papa Shango vs. Scott Taylor. Yep, it’s Scottie II Hottie vs. The Godfather. Taylor looks just like a young Shawn Michaels. Shango swats aside his dropkick and tries to rip his face apart. Rob Bartlett staggers back out to ringside after being collateral damage in the Luna vs. Sherri fight. Shango finishes with a shoulderbreaker at 2:25. Okay, I actually love that version of the shoulderbreaker (out of a body vise), but it would be better as a setup move to some sort of armbar. 1/2* Friar Ferguson vs. Chris Duffy. Ferguson is Norman the Lunatic, aka Makhan Singh, aka Bastion Booger. Duffy apparently thinks Ferguson won’t fight back due to religious beliefs because he gets all up in his grill. The fans have NO IDEA what to make of Friar. He hits a legdrop and tries a half-hearted dance. A splash gets two, but Ferguson yanks Duffy up. So… he’s a heel? Big “WE WANT BRET” chant. Ferguson continues to kill the crowd with his offense. This drags on WAY too long, triggering a smattering of “boring” chants. Ferguson blocks a sunset flip and squats down on Duffy for the win at 4:23. Way, way, way too long for such a stupid concept. Friar Ferguson disappeared right after this. DUD Money Inc. joins us for an interview, but the Beverlys run in and attack them.

The 411: The Sherri vs. Luna brawl was actually pretty epic while the Friar Ferguson debut was an epic fail. The big happening of the week, though, was the friction between Money Inc. and the Beverlys, a rare heel-vs.-heel feud. Just enough to keep the show afloat.
Final Score:  5.5   [ Not So Good ]