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Leighty’s Retro Review: WWF Monday Night RAW Episode One (01.11.93)
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-This Monday is the last time (for the foreseeable future) RAW will appear on the USA Network. There was a five year stretch from 2000-2005 it was on TNN/Spike, but RAW has been a staple for what I grew up knowing was channel 34 before the days of satellite TV and channels in the 200s. Even forgetting USA, RAW has been available on cable for nearly 32 years and now it won’t be. Next up on my Retro Review series is 1991, but I figured it was an appropriate time to go back to the very first episode of Monday Night RAW as we are about to close The USA Era. Let’s get to it!
-Announce Team: Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, and Rob Bartlett
-Manhattan Center, NY, NY
-Jan 11, 1993
-Sean Mooney welcomes us with a cold opening as he is outside The Manhattan Center. Bobby Heenan walks by and swears he is going in, but Mooney tells him he was replaced. Heenan is frazzled as he can’t get in, but does his usual great job of selling how important the show is.
-OG Opening with the siren!
-Vince McMahon welcomes us to the show and makes sure to note they are live over and over again. Truly revolutionary stuff at the time for all of us wrestling fans.
Koko B. Ware vs. Yokozuna (w/ Mr. Fuji)
-So Koko took the first Tombstone from The Undertaker and is in the first match on RAW. This is why he is a Hall of Famer! Yokozuna is undefeated and about to get the rocket push, so the result here shouldn’t be in question. This seems like a typical jobber match, but for those not around, this type of match was a step up from what we would get on Superstars and Wrestling Challenge. At least Koko was a name and not just some pasty, skinny jobber. I had no clue who Bartlett was as a kid watching this and I still don’t, but I guess he is just there to make jokes and give the show an edge. He didn’t last too long. Lockup and Koko gets shoved across the ring. He tries another lockup and Yoko tosses him across the ring again. Koko keeps clapping to fire himself up but that’s not working tonight. He charges and Yoko just swats him down. He tries a leaping shoulder and just bounces off. Koko shows frustration which is cool to see as he realizes he is screwed. Dropkick and another, but it barely budges Yoko. He charges and Yoko just side steps and Koko ends up throat first on the top rope. LEG DROP from Yoko that looked killer! Yoko with the running back splash in the corner and The Banzai Drop finishes at 3:45.
Winner: Yokozuna via pin at 3:45
-Just a SQUASH as expected, but it carries more weight as Koko was a name. SQUASH
-Royal Rumble 1993 commercial! I will be getting there sooner than later. Thankfully, Peacock has WWE content for two more years. Lets all hope WWE reaches another deal with them or the library ends up on Netflix.
-Via the magic of pre-tape, Bobby Heenan hypes the debut of Narcissus. He is so beyond Perfect, he is from another Galaxy. Heenan will unveil him at The Royal Rumble. I hear he is a flunky from The WBF.
The Steiner Brothers vs. The Executioners
-Well, the Steiners are a good choice to throw around some undercard talent. Scott hits a tilt-a-whirl slam and tags in Rick as we see Doink The Clown in the front row. Executioner One gets tossed into the ropes and trips as he falls into the middle rope. Rick runs him upside down and chest first into the corner. The Executioners try to meet on the floor, but Scott runs them into each other. Back in the ring, Rick catches One with a powerslam. Back to Scott and he gets a bear-hug into an overhead release suplex. He throws One into the corner so he can tag Two. Double underhook powerbomb! Top Rope Bulldog finishes at 3:02.
Winners: The Steiner Brothers via pin at 3:02
-Another SQUASH but it was LIVE AND ON A WEEKNIGHT! SQUASH
-Sean Mooney is still outside and security has detained Rob Bartlett’s “aunt.” It’s Bobby Heenan in drag as he continues to look for a way to get into the building.
-Vince does an in ring interview with Razor Ramon, who faces Bret Hart for the WWF Title at The Royal Rumble. Vince calls Razor a Johnny Come Lately, which is the term Hogan used during his heel promo at Bash at The Beach 96. We see video from WWF Mania where Razor jumped Owen Hart backstage. The New York crowd really likes Razor and it’s no wonder they turned him face.
-Randy Savage plugs Headlock for Hunger as WWF teamed with Red Cross to provide relief for Somalia.
-Tatanka gets a pretape and his people appreciate helping others.
WWF Intercontinental Title: Shawn Michaels (c) vs. Max Moon
-As you may know, Moon is Paul Diamond filling in for a gimmick that was intended for Konnan. Shawn and Diamond have a long history together, so this should be easy for them. More history as this is the first Title Match in RAW history. Arm drag from Shawn and then another lockup. Shawn hits a back elbow. Shawn flips out of a belly to back. They run the ropes and Moon gets an armdrag and then a slam. Well, this is more than a SQUASH at this point so we are moving up in the world. Shawn goes to the eyes and drops an elbow to the back of the head. Moon ducks a clothesline and grabs Shawn by the arm and plants him on the mat. He controls the arm as Bartlett continues to tell jokes that I didn’t understand as a kid and still don’t understand, though Vince pretends to laugh. It’s amazing this guy lasted until April. We take a take at 2:03.
-60 seconds of Peacock commercials. No clue how long the USA commercial break was at the time.
-Back at 3:13 with Shawn missing a splash in the corner. Bartlett jokes that Shawn pulled a knife during the break and Vince tells him it’s not that RAW. Give it a few years when Vince gets desperate. Shawn with a dropkick as we see Doink interacting with the crowd again. We get the awful bit where Bartlett does his Mike Tyson impression and Vince and Savage play it straight as if Tyson is calling in from prison. Can you imagine Tyson ever actually appearing on RAW? Like that would ever happen! Shawn unloads with right hands as the crowd is starting to die off a little bit. Moon with a small package for two. Shawn goes back to the eyes and hits another back elbow for two. Shawn hooks a headlock as they continue the terrible Tyson bit. Moon avoids a dropkick and sends Shawn to the floor with a slingshot. Moon with a dive off the apron. Back in the ring Moon gets a two count off a rolling slam, but Shawn is back with not yet Sweet Chin Music. Instead he finishes with his tear drop suplex at 8:57.
Winner and Still WWF Intercontinental Champion: Shawn Michaels via pin at 8:57
-This was about what we get on Main Event these days, which is fine. Shawn was in no danger of losing but it was nice to have a Title Match on this show. **
-WWF Mania commercial! I miss Saturday morning wrestling.
-Gene Okerlund is at the control center and we get the rundown on The Royal Rumble. I lived for these updates as a kid! The nostalgia is real here! I kind of want to watch the show now, but I have to continue with 1991.
-Back to Mooney outside and this time Heenan is dressed as a Rabbi, who is the uncle of Bartlett. “He’s a good bagel.” You can’t say Heenan wasn’t committed to the joke! I appreciate the Fiddler on The Roof joke as well. Sunrise, Sunset is a BANGER!
-Back to Superstars where Kamala has seen the light thanks to Reverend Slick. Superstars was still the show where stories would advance, but those days would slowly start changing as RAW eventually found its groove.
The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) vs. Damian Demento
-The Rest in Peace sign straight out of the computer lab is so awesome! Damian fires off right hands and Taker staggers. He sets for a backdrop and Taker plants him face first on the mat. Old School, which wasn’t so Old back then. Damian gets sent into the buckle, but blocks a charge with a boot. He takes Taker off his feet with a shoulder, but that gives us The Zombie Sit-up! Taker with a leaping clotheslines and Tombstone finishes at 2:23.
Winner: The Undertaker via pin at 2:23
-Another SQUASH though Damian got in a few shots. SQUASH
-Vince plugs next week’s show with Woody Allen vs. Mia Farrow in a Steel Cage Match. Again, no clue what any of this meant watching as an 11-year-old.
-Vince interviews Doink The Clown, who promises Crush would be crying if he came out here. Crush is here to say “bruh,” a lot. Doink squirts him with his flower and the chase is on.
-Back to Mooney who lets Heenan know that he is allowed to enter the building as we go off the air.
-Thanks for reading!
