WWF Monday Night RAW (December 13, 1993)

Original Airdate: December 13, 1993

From Poughkeepsie, New York; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Jim Cornette.

Opening Match: Randy Savage v Fatu: One of these guys is under consideration for the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015. That's right - career midcard act Fatu, ladies and gentlemen! Savage snaps off an armdrag right away, but gets clobbered as he tries following up, and put down with a headbutt. Backdrop, so Savage tries a facebuster to counter - only for Fatu to pop up, and savate kick him out of the ring. He follows to ram Macho into the steps, and when Savage tries to follow suit, he no-sells that as well, and kicks him again. Okay, so we've established that he's Samoan, what's next? More headbutts, apparently. Lots of 'em. Savage rakes the eyes and backdrops him, but ends up blindly charging, and getting backdropped himself - right over the top rope, and out to the floor. Manager Afa abuses him a bit out there, and back inside, Fatu covers for two. Backbreaker sets up a flying splash, but Randy viciously crotches him on the turnbuckle to block, and shoves him down to the floor for a flying axehandle. Clothesline on the way back in, and the Flying Elbowdrop finishes things at 5:50. Fun little match! Fatu's offense was really slow, punchy-kicky stuff, but they got through it quickly, and both guys worked well together. ¾*

Todd Pettengill offers pre-recorded comments, urging fans to waste their hard earned money call in to the WWF Voteline and vote to reinstate Savage to his position as a broadcaster. Sadly, no option to reinstate Savage as a full-time wrestler so that he can have that proposed program with Shawn Michaels is given

Lex Luger does an anti-drug PSA. Unfortunately, his anti-drug was just more drugs, but whatever. It’s the thought that counts

Hot RAW Girl Sign of the Week: When Was The Last Time You Got It RAW

The Smoking Gunns v Jim Massenger and Steve Smyth: Get easier names, you stupid fucking jobbers. How do you fuck up 'Steve Smith?!' Billy Gunn starts with Smyth, and Gunn wins a criss cross with a swinging neckbreaker before tagging Bart Gunn for a double-team Russian legsweep. Suplex/bodypress combo follows, as I realize we were sort of robbed of a Steiner Brothers/Smoking Gunns match during this period. That would have been fun. As would Gunns/Quebecers, for that matter. Massenger in, but Bart kills him with a series of wristlocks, and hits a DDT. Tag back to Billy, and a flying bulldog finishes Jim at 2:46. Fun little squash - short and to the point. ¼*

We take a look back at last week, when Shawn Michaels and Diesel attacked Razor Ramon. To be fair, Ramon started it. Fuck him

IRS v Todd Mata: See, now that's an easy name to type. Good jobber. This is also the start of IRS' program with Razor Ramon, as IRS repossessed Ramon's gold chain for tax purposes, and is carrying it around in his briefcase. He controls Mata with a few takedowns and snapmares early, then blasts him with a backelbow. Backbreaker, but a backdrop is countered with a sunset flip by Mata for two, so IRS tosses him to the outside. Side suplex on the way back in, and IRS gets the pin at 1:43. Quick and painless. DUD

Yokozuna plays Santa Clause at Rockefeller Center. Kind of a weird choice there, as he was being sold as an unstoppable, evil monster, but whatever. Kids are supposed to hate Santa Claus, right?

The Undertaker v JW Storm: 'Taker destroys him, and dumps him out to the floor for a nice whip into the steps before bringing him back in for a tree of woe - something I don't think I've ever seen him do before, especially during this period. Chokeslam follows, and the Tombstone finishes things at 2:00. Afterwards, 'Taker stuffs him in a body bag - one of my favorite gimmicks as a kid. DUD

Jeff Jarrett vignette montage! That's right, not just another vignette, but a montage of all his greatest vignette moments! Holy shit, I feel bad for the poor editor who was tasked with putting this together. How do you choose, with all those great moments?

Rick Martel v Tim McNeany: Tim with a hiptoss and a bodypress early, but he gets kicked in the gut, and bodyslammed. McNeany fires back with an inside cradle for two, and a sunset flip gets two. Martel gets suck of him and tosses him into the corner, but McNeany reverses a cross corner whip - only to run into Rick's knee as he charges. Martel blasts him with a backelbow, but McNeany fights out of a front-facelock, so Rick clotheslines him. Backdrop, but McNeany blocks - only to miss a dropkick, and get locked in the Boston Crab at 3:00. This was really fast paced, and was actually competitive. Not all squashes necessarily need to be competitive (in fact, in many cases they shouldn't be), but this was a nice change of pace. ¾*

On Superstars over the weekend, Vince McMahon caught up with Owen Hart, and Owen challenges brother Bret to a match

Bret Hart v Brooklyn Brawler: Brawler shoves him into the corner, but quickly gets hiptossed, and ends up in a wristlock. He counters into a hammerlock, but Bret elbows free, and takes him down with an armbar. Brawler tries slamming out, but Bret holds onto the arm, so Brawler rams him into the corner to break. Cross corner whip, and Brawler hits a bodyslam, but a trip to the top rope backfires when Bret slams him off. Bret with a bodyslam of his own, and a Russian legsweep sets up the 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two. Backbreaker, and the Sharpshooter finishes things at 4:15. Just going through the motions here. ¼*

BUExperience: Nothing as good as Shawn/Kid from last week, but the squashes were a lot more energetic this week, and the show just flew by.