WWF Monday Night RAW (March 8, 1993)

Original Airdate: March 8, 1993 (Taped March 1)

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

Opening WWF Tag Team Title Match: Money Inc v Tito Santana and Virgil: Ted DiBiase starts with Santana, but first, he makes sure to ask Virgil to shine up his boots. Nice. They work a couple of false tie-ups to start, but a cross corner whip goes Tito's way, and he whacks him with a chop to set up a mat-based side-headlock. DiBiase tries powering up, but Tito tags Virgil before he can escape - Ted bailing into a tag to IRS. Virgil tries a headlock of his own on the taxman, and he hiptosses IRS when he tries to escape. Pair of clotheslines send IRS out to the floor, but Tito rolls him back in, and they hit a double-team backelbow for two. He and Virgil trade off working IRS' arm (even working in a couple of phantom switches, complete with clap), but Tito ends up running into a knee, and DiBiase gets the tag. He holds Santana in a front-facelock, but gets whipped into the ropes for a double-knockout spot. Both men get the tag, and Virgil comes in hot - whipping IRS around. Four-war brawl doesn't take long to  break out from there, and a cheap shot from DiBiase allows IRS a side suplex to retain the titles at 8:00. Nothing special, but totally watchable, and with an interesting twist on the formula. ½*

We take a look at Superstars from three weeks ago, with Tatanka pinning Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels in non-title action, and then a look at Tatanka pinning Michaels in a six-man on RAW two weeks ago.

Hot RAW Girl Sign of the Week: R.A.W. Really. Awesome. Wrestling. Oh, but wait, here's Rick Martel. He doesn't think she's doing a good enough job of modeling, and kicks her out of the ring to show her how it's done. See, no twenty minute interview necessary. Martel's a heel. He acts like a dick. We don't like him. Boom.

Tatanka v Phil Apollo: Apollo tries a headlock at the bell, but Tatanka quickly whips him into the ropes, and a criss cross ends with Phil flying over the top rope. Tatanka follows him out with a pair of chops, and he rolls him in for a pair of cross corner whips. Powerslam, but an elbowdrop misses, and Apollo stomps him. He tries a turnbuckle smash, but Tatanka JIGS UP!! Tomahawk Chops! Knife Edge Chops! End of the Trail! 2:42! Energetic enough, but still a DUD

WrestleMania IX Report!

Hot RAW Girl #2 is out with another sign (That Wasn't Nice, That Was RAW!) but Rick Martel is back to do it right. At least the girls are hot this week. Bonus: we get an upskirt shot as she climbs out of the ring, with Savage going, 'things are looking up!'

Papa Shango v Mike Edwards: Shango unloads with forearms and turnbuckles smashes on poor Edwards, and a bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop. Cross corner shoulderblock hits, and a side suplex gets two - Papa breaking his own count to continue the punishment. Another side suplex, and an inverted shoulderbreaker finishes at 2:31. Okay. DUD

Bob Backlund v Tony Demoro: Good reaction for Bob here. Also strange to hear McMahon making a big deal over Backlund's 'come back' at the age of 44, when today we have regular main eventers older than that. Bob offers a handshake, but Demoro wants no part of it, so Bob hiptosses him a couple of times. Tony bails, and he tries a waistlock after a quick breather, but Bob outwrestles him on the mat. Back up to a vertical base, Demoro tries it again, but this time throws an elbow when Backlund starts reversing. That gets up butterfly suplexed, and Backlund cradles him for the pin at 3:51. Nice change of pace. ¼*

Headlock on Hunger promo

Rob Bartlett is backstage with Rick Martel. Rick gives the RAW Girls a hard time for having no class (can't disagree with that most weeks), and promises to show Mr. Perfect what he's all about - next!

Mr. Perfect v Rick Martel: Martel with a standing side-headlock out of a lockup, but a criss cross goes Perfect's way with a hiptoss, and he bodyslams him. Martel quickly returns fire in kind, and they end at a stalemate. Back to the collar-and-elbow, and Martel hides in the ropes as Perfect tries to take control. They work a nice sequence where Martel uses a cartwheel to annoy Perfect during a criss cross, and Perfect does the same in return - complete with kiss blowing. Rick rakes the eyes, and blasts Perfect with a knee in the corner, followed by a Northern lights suplex into an armbar. Perfect reverses, so Martel tries a go-behind, but ends up getting knocked over the top for his efforts. Rick hammers the back on the way back in, and hits a gutwrench suplex for two. Reverse chinlock, but Perfect powers out - only to walk into a kneelift as he comes out of the ropes. Martel with a backbreaker, but a slingshot splash hits the knees, and he hits both versions of the atomic drop. Cross corner whip sets up a backdrop, and we go to commercial... coming back with the match already over. We take a look back, and it was Perfect with the Perfect-Plex at about 10:00. Afterwards, Perfect brings out the two RAW Girls Martel disrespected earlier to set up a gang bang for later. Kinda weird they had to clip the ending (it's a taped show!), but solid back-and-forth stuff otherwise. * ¾

BUExperience: Meh. Didn’t really do much for me this week, but certainly a watchable show. Again, the short runtime is really helping them keep the show fresh, even when the content isn’t too exciting.