WWF Monday Night RAW (November 8, 1993)

Original Airdate: November 8, 1993

From Bushkill, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, and Bobby Heenan. Right away, Vince announces a special hotline poll to choose Pierre’s opponent for next week, with options Lex Luger, Marty Jannetty, 1-2-3 Kid, and Doink.

Opening Match: Scott Steiner v Ludvig Borga: Borga attacks as Scott works to get his jacket off, and whips him into the corner for a clothesline. Borga with a well executed flying version, and a kidney-punch leaves Steiner slumped on the ropes. Backdrop, but he telegraphs it, and Steiner double-underhook suplexes him. Pump-handle slam sends Borga bailing out to the floor, and he stalls out there to break Scott's momentum. Back in, Borga wins a collar-and-elbow tie-up with a side-headlock, and he muscles Scott down to the mat in the hold. A 'USA' chant motivates Steiner to escape, and he drops Borga with an overhead suplex for two. Backdrop, but not Scott is the one who telegraphs it, and Ludvig takes him down with a jumping clothesline. Bodyslam, but an elbowdrop misses, and Scotty knocks him back out to the floor with a dropkick. That draws the Quebecers out for support, and they strategize. Borga tries suckering Steiner to the apron, but ends up getting suplexed back in, and Scott locks him in a Boston crab as brother Rick marches out to offset the Quebecers. Borga makes the ropes to break, but Scott is right on him with a cross corner whip into a schoolboy for two. Inside cradle gets two, and Steiner tries an armbar, but it goes nowhere. He hits a dropkick for two, and a bodyslam sets up an ugly missile dropkick for two. I guess there's a reason we never see Scott do that one. Borga returns fire with a powerslam for two, and a punch knocks Steiner out to the floor. The Quebecers sneak over for a cheap shot, of course, but Rick gets involved, and the whole thing is a double disqualification at 12:00. Decent power match to build Survivor Series. * ¼

Jeff Jarrett vignette. God, I wish they'd hurry up and debut him already, because I literally want to see him less with each vignette. Best part of this one is when Jarrett promises to open his own promotion, and call it the JJF. Has a better ring to it than 'TNA'!

Men on a Mission v Steve Smith and Corey Student: Vince declares that we're 'rocking in Bushkill,' though unfortunately we don't get a shot of him getting funky. Mabel starts with Smith, and the stupid jobber tries shoving Mabel, and gets smacked around. Backdrop, and Mabel passes to Mo for a double-team dropkick. Tag to Student, but he learns nothing from Smith's mistakes, and gets clobbered as well. Mo with a sunset flip for two, as McMahon pimps some USA movie-of-the-week. MOM continue squashing Student with their usual double-team stuff, and Mabel splashes him to finish at 3:33. Thankfully short. ¼*

Survivor Series Report! Tatanka is officially out of the event, but Todd Pettengill promises that his replacement will be announced this coming weekend on Superstars

Undertaker does a PSA for drinking and driving. Though, it sounds like he's promoting it, as he promises that if you drink and drive, 'sooner or later, you'll meet the Undertaker!' Start now, kids!

Rick Martel v John Paul: Martel controls with an armbar in the early going, but Paul gets uppity, so Rick hiptosses him. They trade counters, and Paul grabs a headlock, but Rick side suplexes him, and follows with a gutwrench version. Blind charge doesn't work out, so Paul dropkicks him, but a 2^nd rope bodypress misses, and Martel finishes him with the Boston crab at 2:49. Energetic, but nothing more. ¼*

Crush v Dan Dubiel: Well, in theory. Instead, Savage jumps him during the entrances (with Vince trying to restrain him with a waistlock, and getting violently thrown onto the floor), and the whole thing turns into a wild brawl before Crush even makes it into the ring

Bob Backlund v Barry Horowitz: Horowitz with an armdrag out of the initial lockup, and he trips Backlund up as they try it again. Go-behind, but Bob reverses the waistlock and takes him down, as Savage makes his way back down to rejoin the commentary team. Back in the ring, Horowitz continues to try and cheap shot Backlund, but gets outwrestled each time. Meanwhile, backstage (this low-rent 'arenas' backstage area looks like your grandmas basement), Crush breaks out of the holding cell they have him in. He makes his way towards ringside, but Savage cuts him off and charges back for another brawl, this time going outside of the building - the conclusion of the match never shown or addressed

Vince and Bobby close by announcing that Lex Luger won the poll with 62% of the vote to face Pierre next week

BUExperience: Good episode this week! The Savage/Crush stuff continues to be highly intense and entertaining, plus Steiner/Borga was both a fun match, and a good bit of build towards Survivor Series. Good stuff!