WWF Monday Night RAW (March 28, 1994)

Original Airdate: March 28, 1994 (Taped March 21)

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

We start with clips of earlier, as Ted DiBiase offers three fans in the first row $100 each to move, as he wants to sprawl out and watch

Opening Match: Lex Luger v Rick Martel: I love the promotion of this, as they advertise it as, 'Lex Luger's dream of winning the WWF Title at WrestleMania did not come true... so now, he'll face Rick Martel!' Talk about must see! Luger controls through the first few lockups, but Martel ducks into the ropes to avoid him following up on anything. Rick with a kneelift after frustrating Luger, but he gets the tables turned on him in the corner, and hiptossed. Lex with a series of clotheslines to put Martel on the outside, as DiBiase counts his money at ringside. Luger blocks a turnbuckle smash and takes Martel down in a mat-based side-headlock, as Vince goes back to his favorite 1994 pastime: making fun of Bill Clinton. Lex cranks on the headlock through a series of escape attempts, so Martel gets into the ropes to force a break. Lex responds with a slingshot, and he slaps the headlock right back on the dazed Martel. Criss cross goes Luger's way with an atomic drop, and a clothesline knocks Martel out of the ring. He follows, but Rick nails him on the way, and chokes him as they head back in. Cross corner whip gets reversed, but Luger misses a charge into the corner, and takes a clothesline for two. Chinlock, as Jim Cornette busies himself by ragging on Roddy Piper for his refereeing job at WrestleMania. Martel with a 2^nd rope axehandle, but Luger blocks - only to miss a dropkick. Martel stomps him, but a hiptoss gets turned into a backslide for two. Martel desperately tries to retain the momentum with a vertical suplex, but Luger reverses! Rick tries to hang on with an axehandle, but Luger dodges a backdrop, and hits one of his own! Powerslam, and the Torture Rack finishes up at 15:47. Not a classic or anything, but a good little match, with both guys working hard, keeping the pace up, and demonstrating excellent timing. **

WrestleMania X Encore promo

Backstage, Owen Hart lifts weights in preparation for his appearance tonight

Owen Hart v Mike Freeman: Lots of stalling to start, as McMahon and Cornette turn their attention to DiBiase, asking him why he's sitting at ringside. Scouting, he says. With that out of the way, they finally make contact, and Owen swiftly takes him down. They trade hammerlocks, and Hart paintbrushes him for his efforts. Owen tosses him around for a bit, and hits a Northern lights suplex, then a standing dropkick. Diving backelbow, but Freeman reverses a turnbuckle smash - only to put his head down too soon on a backdrop attempt. Owen wrecks him in the corner, and hits a bulldog to set up the Sharpshooter at 5:10. Pretty dull, actually. DUD

Cute RAW Girl Sign of the Week: Get RAW or Get Out

Doink v Eric Cody: Doink squirts DiBiase with water on his way into the ring, so I'm guessing he's not going to the top of his scouting list. Dink follows up by catching the jobber with a hand-buzzer, as Vince gets into making fun of Clinton again. Anyway, Doink and Dink with more 'hilarious' practical jokes, and Doink finishes Cody with the Whoopee Cushion at 3:30. You know, as a kid, I never really 'got' why everyone hated babyface Doink so much, but after watching heel Doink as we went through all the 1993 RAWs, I not only completely understand - I wholeheartedly agree! DUD

WrestleMania X Encore promo

Jim Cornette brings Johnny Polo and The Quebecers out for an in-ring interview to address Lou Albano's title match challenge for his mystery team. Um, didn't they already agree to that last week? Anyway, they accept the challenge again, and Albano comes out to reveal that his mystery team is none other than The Headshrinkers, in their face turn. Well, sorta, as they'd still wrestle as heels the next week, in that WrestleMania ten-man tag rain check

1-2-3 kid v Black Phantom: Kid controls with a headlock on the mat, but gets shoved into the corner, and hiptossed out. Backdrop, but Kid blocks with a kick, and unloads a barrage of them in the corner. Snapmare sets up the sliding legdrop, but Phantom dodges a dropkick. Phantom tries to takeover, but runs right into a spinheel kick for two. Kid dropkicks him into the corner, and the flying moonsault finishes at 2:24. Fun squash from a motivated Kid, and a motivated David Heath (Gangrel) under the mask as Phantom. ½*

Crush v Ray Hudson: Crush controls with power stuff early, and tosses the poor jobber around. Savate kick sets up a gaggle of chops, and he press slams him before finishing with a kneedrop at 3:25. Paint-by-numbers squash here, as Crush grabs some heat back after jobbing at WrestleMania. DUD

BUExperience: Luger/Martel is a surprisingly fun little match, and even though the rest is pretty much entirely forgettable, I didn’t hate this episode. It had mojo.