WWF Monday Night RAW (February 1, 1993)

Original Airdate: February 1, 1993

From New York, New York; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Rob Bartlett, and Randy Savage.

Opening Match: Tatanka v Damien Demento: Demento goes nuts on him with headbutts at the bell, but walks into a hiptoss out of a criss cross, and Tatanka bodyslams him. Clothesline puts Demento on the outside, but Tatanka is there with a chop to bring him back inside - where he chops him a bunch more. Tatanka with a cross corner whip, but it backfires when he follows in - Demento clobbering him with a clothesline. Demento with a poorly executed backelbow, and a legdrop for two. Chinlock, but Tatanka JIGS UP!! Tomahawk Chops! Knife Edge Chops! End Of The Trail! 4:10! Look, Demento sucks in the ring, but I love the way the guy plays the character, so I'm torn. Nothing match, either way. DUD

We go back to Madison Square Garden over the weekend, as Bret Hart presents the American Red Cross with a check for $100,000 as part of Headlock on Hunger. And he looks mighty pissed to be doing it.

Vince McMahon brings Brutus Beefcake out to the ring - making his first appearance in about a year. He tells this great sob story about his parents both dying, and his wife leaving him... all right before he got into that near-fatal parasailing accident in 1990 - and how Hulk Hogan was there for him, and got him through it. He also takes the time to announce his official return to in-ring competition. Terrific segment, as Beefcake really got the story over, and though the Hogan bits were a bit cheesy (bordering on Movie-of-the-Week level cheese), it worked overall.

WrestleMania IX promo! Come to Vegas! Kids now welcome! Just not too close to all those naked Roman statues, please!

RAW Girl Sign of the Week: RAW & Order

High Energy v Mike Sharpe and Skull Von Krus: Owen Hart starts with Sharpe, and ends up on his ass after getting overpowered through a lockup. Mike with a side-headlock, but Owen whips him into a criss cross, and dropkicks him. Drop-toehold sets up and armbar, and he tags Koko B. Ware to wishbone Sharpe. Tag to Krus, but he barely even steps through the ropes before High Energy double-backdrop him, and finish with a bearhug/2^nd rope dropkick combo at 1:31. Well, that's an easy payday. DUD

Doink v Typhoon: I love how they specifically introduce him as Doink (The Clown). I guess to avoid likely confusion between Doink (The Ass-Rapist) and Doink (The Ballet Instructor). Thank God. Don't even get me started on Doink (The Homosexual Nun). Typhoon has a size advantage, so Doink wisely shoots at the leg for a sweep, and takes the big man down into an armbar. He powers up, so Doink sweeps him again, this time into a front-facelook. He tries to tear his arm out of the socket (while making sure to rake the eyes, for fun), but Typhoon powers into the corner to shake him off. Typhoon with a bearhug, but Doink rakes the eyes again, and sweeps him off of his feet. Typhoon starts no-selling, and counters a bodypress with a scoop powerslam - only to miss an avalanche, and take a 2^nd rope shoulderblock for the pin at 3:13. Sure, the character got completely neutered with the face turn, but original Doink is just awesome, awesome stuff, and I loved seeing him terrorize a big guy like Typhoon. Great heel work. ¼*

Vince McMahon has Todd Pettengill at ringside to promote Mania - the WWFs new Saturday morning show. Sure, it's goofy now, but Mania was the shit for me back in the day (before I was allowed to stay up and watch RAW), and was pretty much responsible for getting me into wrestling. Still have a soft spot for Pettengill.

Howard Finkel announces the passing of Andre the Giant a few days prior, and they do a ten-bell salute in tribute.

Yokozuna v Bobby DeVito: 505-pound Japanese Superstar Yokozuna! God, you could have a decent drinking game with how many times they use that exact expression during these early RAWs. Yoko slaughters him with a uranage and a legdrop right away, then squashes him into the corner with an avalanche. Banzi Drop (the real kind, that only the jobbers get) finishes at 2:03. It's Yokozuna: he didn't just order squash, he ordered seconds. DUD

Vince McMahon brings Money Inc out for a ringside interview. They make fun of Beefcake's sob story from earlier, and say they want to be the first to face him now that he's officially back. Manager Jimmy Hart questions wasting time with Beefcake when they have the tag titles to worry about, but Ted DiBiase flips a coin, and says he gets to go first - right here, next week.

Mr. Perfect vignette, with football player Steve Jordan. Hilarious stuff here, and source of the infamous 'catching his own pass' bit. The looks on Jordan's face are worth the price of admission alone.

Lex Luger v Jason Knight: This is Luger's WWF in-ring debut. Great bit, as Luger makes his douchebaggy, mirrored, pose-filled entrance, the 'hot' RAW Girl is replaced with one I can only assume is related to Yokozuna. See, she's fat is what I'm saying. Nice bit of visual comedy, there. Luger overpowers him in the early going, and stops to pose at every turn. Standing-hammerlock, but Knight grabs the ropes, so Lex levels him with a lariat. Slam across the top rope, and a powerslam set up the Running Forearm Smash - KOing Jason for an arrogant (one pinky) pin at 2:38. Dull squash, but I love the Narcissist character, sue me. DUD

BUExperience:  Really boring in-ring product this week, but the long Beefcake segment was good, and that Mr. Perfect vignette is an absolute classic. Not a must-see episode, though.