WWF Monday Night RAW (February 7, 1994)

Original Airdate: February 7, 1994 (Taped January 31)

From Bushkill, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Bastion Booger.

Opening Match: The Smoking Gunns v Barry Horowitz and Reno Riggins: Billy Gunn starts with Riggins, and Reno takes over right away - shoving him into the corner for a double-team with Horowitz. Bart Gunn saves with a flying bodypress, and the Gunns clean house. The dust settles on Bart and Riggins, and Gunn controls with an wristlock. Hanging vertical suplex nearly sees the mouse escape from Riggins' house, but luckily cock doesn't make its WWF TV debut. Tag back to Billy for a 2^nd rope axehandle, as Booger discusses his obsession with sexy Hollywood star, Roseanne. The Gunns continue to squash Riggins, and a powerbomb/flying elbowdrop combo finish things at 3:38. Easy night for Horowitz. ½*

We take a look back at Owen Hart's heel turn at the Royal Rumble, and clips of Vince McMahon's sit-down interview with him over the weekend regarding the WrestleMania match. We then get clips of Bret's rebuttal interview as well. Great stuff here, as the character motivations were realistic, and logical, and not just two guys yelling threats at each other

Cute RAW Girl Sign of the Week: I Like It Shaken, Stirred, and RAW

Owen Hart v John Paul: Owen is now playing it full heel here, and really hammers it home by going to hand a kid the Hitman sunglasses... and then tearing them up in his face. Great bit - I remember hating Owen for that at the time. The look on the kid's face through it is pretty awesome, too. Onto the match, Hart dominates Paul through a series of reversals, and hits a backbreaker. Dropkick and a snap suplex set up a legdrop, but Paul reverses a turnbuckle smash - only to get caught with a spinheel kick during a criss cross for two. Enzuigiri (or 'insugary,' as I used to call it), and Owen locks the Sharpshooter on at 3:38. Owen's squashes are usually pretty entertaining because he works a bunch of stuff into them, but this one was pretty dull. Perhaps adjusting to working heel threw him off. DUD

Paul Bearer hangs out in a cemetery, hoping to feel the spirit of the Undertaker inside of him. Hmm, well, most people generally choose cheap motel rooms for that sort of thing, but whatever gets your rocks off

Marty Jannetty v IRS: IRS goes right after him with a cross corner backelbow, but a clothesline misses, and Marty hits a pair of sloppy dropkicks. Bodyslam, and he hits another sloppy spot with him 'jumping' backelbow. IRS rolls out to the floor before Marty can botch any more stuff, and stalls. Back in, Marty takes him down with a headlock, but IRS counters into several pinfall attempts - using the ropes for leverage, but unable to score the fall. He escapes with a drop-toehold, but Marty reverses a hammerlock, and tosses him to the outside - only to have a whip into the post reversed. Nice bump from Jannetty there - probably the only thing he's done right in this match so far. He recovers with a slingshot sunset flip for two, as The Quebecers make their way down to ringside. They jump Jannetty, and IRS covers for two. Chinlock, as the referee ejects the tag champs from ringside. IRS with a flying elbowdrop, but Marty uses his boot to block, and cradles him for two. IRS stops the comeback with a rope-assisted abdominal stretch, and shifts back into the chinlock when Marty tries to escape. Jannetty with a stunner to break, and a sloppy powerslam hits. Superkick, as Johnny Polo makes his way down. Facebuster for two by Jannetty, as Razor Ramon makes his way down to keep an eye on Polo. Atomic drop and a clothesline get two, and he slaps on a sleeper as The Quebecers head back down. Well, so much for that ban. Marty tries a slingshot again, but this time Polo nails him, and IRS gets the pin out of it at 10:00. Afterwards, Jannetty and Ramon brawl with the Quebecers - setting up a tag match between the four that never happened when Jannetty left the promotion shortly after this. Match was all kinds of sloppy thanks to Jannetty - IRS' efforts not enough to save it. ¾*

Thurman Sparky Plugg v Duane Gill: Plugg tosses Gill around to start, and shoves him into the corner for a proper beat down. Plugg appears to be wearing Men on a Mission's mint green boots this week, and considering the downturn in business at the time, let's just assume that he is. Dropkick and a backdrop hit, and a powerslam follows. Bodyslam, and the Overhead Cam (a flying kneedrop) finishes at 3:00. Bob Holly didn't look bad at all here, but this gimmick was never going to get over. What's sad is that they changed it to Bob 'Spark Plug' Holly not long after - instead of just abandoning the stupid gimmick altogether. Guess Vince didn't want to lose his investment in all those crazy race car vignettes. ¼*

WrestleMania X Report! Celebrities! Special Guest Referees! Don't miss out!

Crush v Todd Mata: Crush destroys the jobber with headbutts early, and no-sells a clothesline-filled comeback attempt before taking Mata down in an armbreaker. Press slam, and Crush adds a legdrop to finish things at 2:34. Just going through the motions here. DUD

Backstage, Johnny Polo and The Quebecers threaten Ramon and Jannetty

Backstage, Men on a Mission, Doink, Dink, and The Bushwhackers bark like dogs, since next week, RAW is preempted by the dog show

BUExperience: Another really dull episode. It’s a miracle I even got into the product during this period, and if not for the Hart Brothers angle, I may not have.