WWF Monday Night RAW (April 12, 1993)

Original Airdate: April 12, 1993

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


Backstage, Money Inc pay off The Beverly Brothers for tips on how to handle The Steiner Brothers. Really? From the team who’ve already been beaten by them twice on TV in, like, three months?

Opening Match: IRS v Scott Steiner: Scott nearly rips his arm out of the socket with a hammerlock right away, and IRS grabs the ropes. Scott tries it again; same result. Third try, but this time IRS manages an enzuigiri - only to get powerslammed when an Irish whip gets reversed. He bails to the floor to cuddle in the warm embrace of Ted DiBiase's bosom for a bit, and back in, Scott tries a side-headlock, but takes a drop-toehold out of a criss cross. IRS leaps into a mat-based headlock, but Scott quickly counters into another hammerlock, and clotheslines him for two. Back to the arm, but IRS cracks his jaw with an elbow - only to have a suplex reversed for two. IRS bails again, and suckers Scott out to the floor for DiBiase to clobber. That draws Rick Steiner over, but they cool their jets as IRS gets Scotty back in for a piledriver. Chinlock, but Scott powers up for a slugfest - IRS controlling with a bodyslam. To the top, but a dive hits Scott's boot on the way down, and Steiner clobbers him with a backelbow. Ten-punch count and a snap across the top rope hit, followed by a backdrop. Double-underhook powerbomb, but DiBiase breaks up the count, and it's a disqualification at 12:05. Afterwards, The Steiner's go for the kill, but the Beverly's run out to save Money Inc - only for a heel miscommunication to leave DiBiase and IRS down. This wasn't anything groundbreaking, but both guys were essentially flawless in their execution of holds, and I can appreciate that. Plus, the match was used to develop a Money Inc/Steiners feud, so it's not like it was a waste of time, or anything. *

WrestleMania IX Replay promo

Cute RAW Girl Sign of the Week: That Wasn't Well Done, That Was RAW!

Tatanka v Skull Von Krus: Tatanka scares Von Krus out of the ring with threat of chops, so Krus actually spits at him, and rakes the eyes! Criss cross ends in Tatanka hitting a monkeyflip, and a Japanese armdrag, as Doink makes his way to ringside. Tatanka notices, but ignores him - dumping Krus to the floor for an axehandle off of the apron. Back in, Krus rakes the eyes again, but Tatanka shrugs him off with more chops, and hits a cross corner whip - nicely sold by Krus. Bodyslam, vertical suplex, and Tatanka finishes with the End of the Trail at 4:00. Energetic enough. ¼*

WrestleMania IX Report! Order the replay, tonight, right after RAW! It's the greatest WrestleMania of all time! Even if you didn't miss it, it's worth seeing again! Wow, there's puffing, and then there's outright lying.

Rob Bartlett brings Luna Vachon down for a ringside interview. She tears into Sensational Sherri ('you're a WITCH!'), so Sherri comes down to defend herself, and it turns into a pretty wild, clothes tearing brawl - Sherri left in her bra by the end of it. And, boy, are those big titties! Randy Savage tries to cover them with his hat, but even JRs ten-gallon wouldn't be enough to contain those things! That's pretty adult for 1993, though it would probably be better remembered if either of them were actually attractive. Or, if this feud ever went anywhere. Another great moment, as Luna's pants get pulled down as Sherri tries shoving her over the rail, and this little kid in the front row gets his very first erection (his eyes growing hilariously wide) as he gets an eyeful of her ass.

Papa Shango v Scott Taylor: Taylor tries a dropkick, but a second try gets dodged, and Papa hiptosses him - well sold by Taylor. Shango with a side suplex, and he chokes the jobber. Bodyslam, as Rob Bartlett makes his way back down to ringside - his clothes torn, and his face bloodied from getting caught in the middle of the Sherri/Luna brawl. Meanwhile, in the ring, Shango finishes Taylor with an inverted shoulderbreaker at 2:24. Just a quick squash, but Taylor sold everything really nicely. ¼*

Friar Ferguson v Chris Duffy: This is Mike Shaw's debut as Ferguson - and his only televised match with the gimmick. The idea here is that he's an actual monk. Duffy doesn't appreciate it, and attacks, but gets swatted, and backdropped. Legdrop, and Chris rolls to the outside to catch a breather, but Ferguson drags him back in for a hiptoss. Clothesline and a bodyslam set up a splash for two, and an avalanche hits. Ferguson plays to the crowd, but they're not buying this at all. I can only imagine how badly this would go if there were in the Manhattan Center this week, where the New York fans would truly shit all over this. Ferguson keeps working him over, so Duffy tries a sunset flip, but gets butt splashed at 4:22. Poor Mike Shaw deserved better than this. DUD

Another WrestleMania IX Replay promo. This one features Todd Pettengill talking to various fans after the event – including VLAD! Holy shit!

Backstage, Money Inc promise victory over the Beverly’s next week, but get attacked, and they brawl as the show goes off the air!

BUExperience: The Sherri/Luna segment was pretty wild stuff (especially for 1993), but everything else was pretty much a waste of time outside of Steiner/IRS. It’s not a horrible show, just not a very memorable one – a lot of the roster overseas doing a post-WrestleMania tour, and leaving us with the leftovers.