WWF Monday Night RAW (August 23, 1993)

Original Airdate: August 23, 1993 (Taped August 16)

From Poughkeepsie, New York; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan from a studio, as this is a special edition of RAW, made up of highlights from the WWF’s SummerSlam Spectacular special that aired the day before. Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon provide commentary for the matches.

Opening WWF Tag Team Title Cage Match: The Steiner Brothers v Money Inc: The challengers pull a brilliant move, as Ted DiBiase walks up an slaps Scott Steiner in the face - getting him double-teamed, but allowing IRS to climb out. The Steiner's stop him, but while they're busy doing that, DiBiase climbs on the other side. I love it! He ends up getting pulled down as well, and the Brothers toss them both into the cage. They climb, but Money Inc pull them off, and DiBiase side superplexes Scott. They climb again, and DiBiase gets a chance to moon the crowd when Rick Steiner pulls him down, while IRS gets pulled in by his necktie. Scott escapes, but the match only ends when both partners make it out, so now Rick is left two-on-one. Money Inc double-team, and Ted hits a backbreaker - forcing Scott to climb back in as IRS climbs out. Ted tries to follow, but ends up in a tree of woe, and double-teamed by the champions. With Ted hung out, both Steiner's climb, so IRS re-enters to free DiBiase, and stop the climb. Rick manages to escape while Scott takes an inverted atomic drop from DiBiase, and now his brother is left alone again. He manages to take both challengers out with a clothesline, and Rick waves him on - climb Scott, climb! Unfortunately, DiBiase meets him atop the cage, to stop it, and as he knocks him down, IRS climbs. He about makes it, but Rick runs over and puts IRS on his shoulders as he climbs down (preventing him from touching the ground - a brilliant bit of strategy), and Scott escapes at 8:00 shown of about 20:00. Boo! They cut out all the best stuff! Fun as-is, but fuck! That one really needed to air in its entirety, but I'll cover it eventually when I do the SummerSlam Spectacular show, and save my thoughts for then

Jim Cornette and The Heavenly Bodies offer pre-recorded comments for The Steiner Brothers

Jerry Lawler taunts Bret Hart, while parading around in a pink Cadillac with an Elvis impersonator. See, 'cause they're both Kings of Memphis

Bret Hart retorts with pre-recorded comments for Lawler to hype SummerSlam

Gene Okerlund brings The Undertaker (still sans Paul Bearer) out for an in-ring interview regarding SummerSlam, but they're soon joined by Giant Gonzalez. It goes nowhere though, as they just threaten each other and call it a night

Who is Lex Luger? Another part in this endless series, this one focusing on Luger's patriotism. Because he loves America, you know?

Yokozuna v Jim Duggan: Yoko is WWF Champion, but this is non-title, since that belt belongs to Lex Luger, dammit! Duggan attacks from behind, but the referee stops him from using the 2x4, and the interference allows Yoko to attack. Avalanche, but Duggan sidesteps, and starts TARDING UP!! Fists of Fury! Series of Clotheslines! 3-Point Stance! - but Mr. Fuji whacks him with the flagpole, and Yoko follows with an avalanche - finishing with the Banzi Drop at 3:00 shown of about 9:00. Heavily clipped, but somehow, I don't feel as bad as I did with the cage match. Weird, right?

Backstage, Vince McMahon catches up with Yokozuna, Mr. Fuji, and Jim Cornette to hype SummerSlam. Notable for the WCW-like production values here, as this appears to have been recorded with a handheld camcorder

Lex Luger music video! You know the one ('In these eyes you could do no wrong! In these eyes you were brave and strong!'). Boy, SummerSlam had better do the biggest buyrate of all-time, or Luger is going to look like a complete chump after all this hype

BUExperience: Definite pass. Seek out the SummerSlam Spectacular in full instead, because this is just two heavily clipped matches, and endless chit-chat to hard-sell the pay per view.  

And from there, RAW will return in three weeks, as next week is SummerSlam (it aired on a Monday in 1993), and the week after RAW is preempted when the US Open airs in its timeslot. Yep, that and the dog show were the banes of my childhood existence. Can you even imagine RAW getting bumped for a dog show today?