WWF Monday Night RAW (March 29, 1993)

Original Airdate: March 29, 1993

From New York, New York & Fayetteville, North Carolina; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Rob Bartlett, and Bobby Heenan.

This is a special edition of RAW, made up of highlights from the WWF’s March to WrestleMania special that aired the day before. The matches were taped in Fayetteville, with McMahon and Heenan on commentary.


We start with Rob Bartlett alone in the Manhattan Center, wondering where everyone is.

We go right to clips of Yokozuna attacking WWF Champion Bret Hart during their recent contract signing, and giving him a Banzi Drop. Bret does this wonderful sell job afterwards, where he fights to get up, only to fall at Yokozuna's feet.

Opening Match: Randy Savage v Yokozuna: Savage is eager to get going, and uses his speed to dodge Yoko a couple of times - only to end up on his ass during a lockup. Yoko blasts him with a shoulderblock (Randy selling it wonderfully - like he was hit by a truck), and casually dumps Macho over the top for a little abuse on the floor. Inside, Yoko keeps hammering him with chops, so Savage fires back with a series of jabs, but takes a shot to the throat, and gets bodyslammed. Yoko with a legdrop, but an avalanche misses, and Savage drops a flying axehandle on him. Another one, but this time Yoko manager Mr. Fuji whacks Savage with his flagpole while he flies through the air, and Yoko finishes him with a belly-to-belly suplex at 6:30. Far from good, but served its purpose of putting Yoko over, with Savage really working hard to sell for him, and put him over as a monster. ¼*

Gene Okerlund brings the Mega Maniacs out for a podium interview. Nothing notable here (just a standard hype interview for the match with Money Inc at WrestleMania), though I think this may be the first appearance of Hogan's weight belt that would become a fixture in his matches later on. So, there's that.

We take a look back at Lex Luger's posing debut back at the Royal Rumble, as well as footage of him squashing a couple of jobbers. This leads to...

Mr. Perfect v Skinner: Skinner attacks from behind as Perfect plays to the crowd, and rams him into the corner, then tosses him over the top. On the floor, Skinner smacks him into the steps, but a second try is reversed, and Perfect posts him. Back in, Skinner manages to fend Perfect off by whipping him with his belt, but a blind charge misses, and Perfect hits an atomic drop. Chops and a ten-punch count in the corner, followed by a kneelift, and the somersault necksnap. Skinner whacks him with his gator claw to take the pep out of his step, but puts his head down too soon on a backdrop attempt, and takes the Perfect-Plex at 5:30. DUD

Rob Bartlett is still alone in New York, and confused. Well, there's the understatement of the century...

WrestleMania IX Report. It’s this Sunday, and only on pay per view cable TV!

The Undertaker v Bam Bam Bigelow: Bigelow hammers him to start, but 'Taker actually works a drop-toehold (go 1993 'Taker!) to block a charge, and chases Bigelow to the floor. Bam Bam has a decided speed advantage, however, and nails him with a headbutt coming back in. 'Taker blocks a backdrop with a DDT, and hits the ropewalk forearm, but misses a jumping clothesline and tumbles to the outside. Bam Bam is on him with a bodyslam out there, and whips him into the steel steps. Inside, Bigelow drops him with a side suplex, but 'Taker sits up. Powerslam, but again, 'Taker sits up. Bodyslam and a falling headbutt, but 'Taker sits up. Another couple falling headbutts, but he takes too long getting to the top, and a flying version misses. 'Taker is on him with a jumping clothesline and a chokeslam, but Bigelow has had enough, and walks out at 8:00. Afterwards, Giant Gonzalez makes an appearance, but is held back by WWF Officials. Really? He's, like, eight feet tall, and a couple of tiny referees are suddenly stopping him? What a monster! Match was fine by early-90s Undertaker standards, but pretty dull generally speaking. The gimmick just didn't lend itself to good matches. ¼*

We close with a Bret Hart video package, set to Aretha Franklin's 'Respect.'

BUExperience: While the atmosphere was significantly more subdued than the live New York crowd we’re used to, the show did its job of hyping WrestleMania in the sense that we saw a bunch of the guys scheduled for the pay per view. However, other than the contract signing (of which we only saw clips), nothing here really made me ache to watch the big show – and I guess I wasn’t the only one, as the show bombed at the box office.