WWF Monday Night RAW (August 16, 1993)

Original Airdate: August 16, 1993

From Poughkeepsie, New York; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, and Bobby Heenan.

Cute RAW Girl Sign of the Week: Ring Around the RAW

Opening Match: Ted DiBiase v 1-2-3 Kid: This is a rematch, after Kid pinned DiBiase on Superstars - with help from Razor Ramon. Kid is anxious about getting in, but the crowd persuades him - only for DiBiase to attack as he climbs through the ropes, and unload in the corner. Kneelift, as Bobby Heenan jokes that this match is opening so Kid doesn't miss his curfew. DiBiase dumps the Kid to the floor, and back in, he blasts him with a backelbow, followed by a suplex. Nice spot, as Kid ducks a clothesline, but instead of following up, simply dives out to the floor to catch a breather - really selling DiBiase's offense, and the underdog factor. Ted gets frustrated, and whips Kid into the corner on the way back in, then kicks him - kicks him like a dog! Kid takes another cross corner bump, and bails, but this time manages to lure Ted into a chase, and catches him with something resembling a bodypress (they messed up, as Kid overshot it) on the way back in. Pair of dropkicks for two, and a flying bodypress gets two. Another one, but IRS runs down to shove him off the top rope, and DiBiase is disqualified at 4:42. Afterwards, Money Inc beat kid down, until The Steiner Brothers make the save. A bit too short, but fun stuff. I mean, how often do you get to see Ted DiBiase play the bigger man? *

SummerSlam Spectacular promo

The Headshrinkers v Mike Khoury and Dave Moraldo: Fuck, get easier names, jobbers. 'Shrinkers attack before the bell, and the dust settles on Samu and Moraldo. He hits a savate kick almost right away, and poor Dave is out cold, so Samu rolls him into his corner to force a tag. Khoury is actually eager to get in after that, but the idiot quickly finds out what a double-team flapjack is like. Headbutt, and a double-forward Russian legsweep, as Moraldo plays dead in the corner. Fatu with the flying splash to finish Khoury at 2:41. DUD

SummerSlam Report! Two weeks from tonight, it's time to get your red-white-and-blue on, because Lex Luger is bringing the title back home to America!

Marty Jannetty v Bastion Booger: We get treated to a close-up of Booger eating a WWF ice cream bar before the match, since apparently there is no God. Bell sounds, and Booger calls for a test-of-strength, with Marty game. Booger overpowers him, but Jannetty counters into an armbar, and shoves the bigger man into the corner. He suckers him into a chase, and hits a 2^nd rope bodypress for two, then follows with a pair of armdrags. Pair of dropkicks knock Booger out of the ring, so Marty dives after him with a flying axehandle, and then adds a plancha. Go Marty! Jannetty wraps fatty’s arm around the ringpost a couple of times for good measure ('No! That's my eating arm!'), but a whip into the post gets reversed, and Booger avalanches him against it. Inside, Booger backdrops him, as the announcer discuss the notion of him humping Madonna. Sit-down splash hits, but Marty counters the pin attempt into a sunset cradle for the pin at 5:00. Well paced, and filled with effort. *

Vince McMahon brings Money Inc back down for an in-ring interview. They briefly discuss their individual matches with 1-2-3 Kid and Razor Ramon at SummerSlam, but the real focus is their tag title shot in a cage match with The Steiner Brothers at the SummerSlam Spectacular special this weekend. That's a pretty awesome match, too, if I remember. Sign in the crowd: IRS - Isn't Rotunda Stupid?

Men on a Mission v Mike Sharpe and Barry Horowitz: Mo starts with Horowitz, and Barry actually manages a pair of kneelifts before getting backdropped. Tag to Mabel for the drop-toehold/legdrop combo, and he adds a bodyslam. Tag to Sharpe, but he walks right into a double-team backelbow, as Heenan reveals that Bette Midler aches to be a RAW Girl. In the ring, Mabel hits Sharpe with an avalanche, and a splash finishes him at 2:02. Energetic enough. ¼*

Who is Lex Luger? This week on 20/20, Luger discusses his past drug use, and even touches on steroids - which he openly admits (along with the disclaimer that absolutely no one in the WWF uses them anymore) that he took when they were legal. You heard it here, Mister Federal Prosecutor! A man wearing an American flag for a shirt says we're all good, so go bother WCW. Insane hearing this on WWF TV in 1993. I mean, even today, 'steroids' is like a dirty word in the WWE, let alone in 1993

Bam Bam Bigelow v Rich Myers: Myers tries a headlock, but Bigelow easily powers into a side suplex to break, and shoulderblocks him. Avalanche, and Bigelow slows things down with about two dozen consecutive stomps (but not in, like, a cool way were he just stomps a mud hole... just stretched over a minute, or so), then hits a hanging vertical suplex. Bodyslam, and the flying headbutt kills Rich at 3:00. Way too plodding, sorry. DUD

Macho Midget leads a bunch of RAW Girls out to the ring to wave to the crowd for no readily apparent reason

BUExperience: I actually liked this weeks show! A couple of fun matches in DiBiase/Kid and Jannetty/Booger, plus you get to watch Lex Luger tap dance his way through a mine field of drugs. What more could you want?