WWF Monday Night RAW (November 15, 1993)

Original Airdate: November 15, 1993 (Taped November 8)

From Bushkill, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan. Randy Savage is suspended as a result of the brawl with Crush during last weeks show.

Opening Match: Razor Ramon v Brooklyn Brawler: Ramon is still Intercontinental Champion, though this is non-title. Brawler attacks Ramon from behind as he takes his jewelry off, while McMahon announces that Shawn Michaels will replace Jerry Lawler at Survivor Series due to Jerry's 'legal issues.' That's one way to put it. Brawler keeps unloading, but Razor blocks him coming into the corner, and hits a bulldog. Blockbuster, and he hooks an abdominal stretch - since apparently, Scott Hall cannot squash someone without stretching their abdominals. Brawler rakes the eyes to escape, and snapmares Ramon for two? Really? Off of a snapmare? No wonder this is non-title. Chinlock, but Razor powers out, and the Razors Edge finishes things at 2:49. Standard squash stuff. DUD

Crush delivers a pre-taped promo taunting Randy Savage

Survivor Series Showdown promo

The Headshrinkers v Mike Bucci and Mike Moraldo: Fatu starts with Moraldo, but gets quickly overwhelmed when Bucci runs in, and the jobbers dropkick Fatu for two. They try a dog pile for two, but Fatu gets sick of them, and superkicks Bucci so this squash can properly start. Tag to Samu for a double-team press slam, and they choke Bucci out in the corner ahead of a double-falling headbutt. Fatu with a backbreaker, and a double-forward Russian legsweep sets up a Fatu flying splash at 4:15. Dull as disco. DUD

We take a look back at this past weekend on Superstars, as Lex Luger and The Steiner Brothers introduce The Undertaker as the injured Tatanka's replacement for Survivor Series. This is the source of that famous bit where 'Taker opens his overcoat to reveal the stars and stripes, by the way. Odd note: Howard Finkel actually conducts the in-ring interview

Lex Luger v Pierre: Luger goes right to work on him with loads of closed fists and cross corner whips to disorient him, then hits a side suplex for two. Pierre takes a break on the floor with manager Johnny Polo, so Luger chases, and backdrops the Quebecer when he tries a cheap shot. Back in, Lex holds a wristlock, but takes a short-clothesline, and Pierre slaps on a front-facelock. Lex powers out and hits a clothesline of his own to set Pierre up for another wristlock, but Polo trips Lex up, and Pierre knocks him to the outside for an axehandle off of the apron. Shot into the steps next, and one into the post as well for good measure. Inside, all of that only gets two, but Pierre is undeterred, and keeps hammering him. Bodyslam and a pump-splash get two, and Pierre tries a reverse chinlock. God, Pierre looks like Buzz from the Home Alone movies, doesn't he? The chinlock goes on for a long while until Luger finally muscles up, but he can't capitalize, and takes a well executed piledriver for two. Bodyslam sets up a flying legdrop for two, and a sidewalk slam sets up a cannonball - which misses. Luger still can't capitalize, so Pierre drives him into the turnbuckles a few times, but Lex FLAGS UP!! Fists of Fury! Backdrop! Series of Clotheslines! Powerslam! Slam Off The Top! Running Forearm Smash! 16:00! Unfortunately for Pierre, he was knocked out cold by Luger's loaded forearm (kayfabe), and ended up getting shuffled out of Survivor Series as a result. I never got that about Luger's 'loaded' forearm. Only a few months ago, when he was a heel, Jack Tunney was losing his shit to force Luger to cover it up. Now, he's switched to red, white, and blue and suddenly nobody gives a shit how many people he knocks out - provided they're not American, of course. If they had any brains, they should have turned Luger heel again in early '95 (when he really had nothing else going on), and run an angle where he starts knocking babyfaces out at random, and claims he never gave a shit about America, but just wore the stars and stripes to get officials to look the other way about the forearm, and get the WWF Title. Then, he could bitch that the fans turned on him for Bret Hart (a Canadian) against Yokozuna, and boom - there you have a feud with Hart for the early In Your House shows, and then onto Diesel for SummerSlam. Anyway, fantasy booking aside, this was a totally decent match. A bit too long for what they were going for (that extended chinlock spot was overkill), but perfectly watchable, and entertaining. * ½

Survivor Series promo

Another Survivor Series Showdown promo

Diesel v Sid Garrison: Diesel versus Sid, a year and a half early! Only on Monday Night RAW! Anyway, Garrison stupidly tries a wristlock against the much larger Diesel, but ends up taking a backbreaker. Sid tries to make a comeback, but goes for the wristlock again, and gets shoved into the corner for a few kneelifts and the bootchoke. Powerbomb and a sidewalk slam hit, and Diesel tries a headvise. Big boot, and he adds an elbowdrop to finish at 3:24. This jobber was a real dummy. He deserved every bit of that squashing. Still, why the fuck were they booking him to use the Powerbomb as a transitional move? I'm telling you, squashing guys in sixty seconds with the Powerbomb would have gotten him over well before the Royal Rumble, but whatever. It all worked out in the end. DUD

Survivor Series Report! Never realized the Hart Family/Royal Court match was promoted as part of a double main event. Really? It went on second!

Jeff Jarrett vignette. This week, Double J embarrasses a guitar player for sucking. Watch out, WWF! He can bitch, and he's not shy about it! He probably sends dishes back in restaurants, even!

BUExperience: Reading through it, this episode doesn’t sound particularly good, but I enjoyed it. The Luger/Pierre match was entertaining, and they really focused on pushing Survivor Series – the first pay per view they’ve truly worked to hype up on RAW thus far, now that RAW is increasingly becoming the central show.