WWF Monday Night RAW (April 4, 1994)

Original Airdate: April 4, 1994 (Taped March 21)

From Poughkeepsie, New York; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Gorilla Monsoon.

Opening Match: Earthquake v Adam Bomb: This is a rematch from WrestleMania X, since Earthquake snuck up on Bomb for a quickie win that night. Bomb charges right in with a flurry of right hands, but Earthquake reverses him into the ropes, and hits a hiptoss before clotheslining Adam out of the ring. Back in, they do a power-stalemate, and Bomb bails again to regroup on the floor with manager Harvey Wippleman. He comes back in with a slingshot clothesline, and adds an elbowdrop for two. He tries returning the favor by clotheslining Earthquake out of the ring, but he's too fat, and just ends up tied in the ropes for some choking instead. Meanwhile, on the outside, Wippleman taunts ring announcer Howard Finkel - in one of the more random angles from the time period, which is saying something. Bomb with a flying clothesline for two, but a cross corner clothesline misses, and 'Quake hits a belly-to-belly suplex, followed by the Earthquake Splash at 4:21. Thank God for time constraints, because this - while energetic - wouldn't have added anything to WrestleMania. ¼*

Cute RAW Girl Sign of the Week: RAW and Order

We take a look back at WrestleMania X, as Lex Luger fails to capture the WWF Title, and stands disqualified after putting his hands on guest referee Mr. Perfect

Gorilla Monsoon brings Mr. Perfect out for an in-ring interview. Perfect calmly explains his side of things, and points out that Luger put his hands on him repeatedly - which he considered cause for a disqualification. I get what they were going for here, and I get that they're trying to push Perfect as this huge asshole for DQ'ing Luger in his big shot, but even as a kid, I thought he had a point. Luger put his hands on the official! Yeah, it was a heated moment, and he had Yoko pinned, but that doesn't excuse it. Plus, Perfect gave him a pass the first time, and then Luger shoves him? I'd have decked him, forget settling for a disqualification. Unfortunately, this angle never went anywhere

Razor Ramon v Austin Steele: Razor shoves him into the corner for some abuse, then hits a hiptoss and a bodyslam. STF! Abdominal stretch! Blockbuster! Chokeslam! Razors Edge! 3:45! DUD

We take a look back at last week, as Captain Lou Albano turns The Headshrinkers face by picking them as his team to challenge The Quebecers. Kinda weird that they're highlighting this moments before the 'Shrinkers are set to work as heels, but whatever

Backstage, The Quebecers and Johnny Polo agree to put the tag titles on the line next week, against either The Bushwhackers, Men on a Mission, or The Smoking Gunns. The voteline is open; waste your money now!

Ten-Man Tag Team Match: IRS, Jeff Jarrett, Rick Martel, and The Headshrinkers v Tatanka, 1-2-3 Kid, Thurman Sparky Plugg, and The Smoking Gunns: This is another WrestleMania X match, though this one never took place on the big show, as the Ladder Match ran long, and forced them to move it here. I still don't get how that was supposed to work, anyway, as the Ladder Match, as is, is only eighteen minutes - which is far from long. Assuming the ten-man tag was scheduled for five minutes plus entrances, were they actually expecting Shawn and Razor to get it done in ten? Samu starts with Billy Gunn, and hits a quick hiptoss. Again, aren't they supposed to be babyfaces now? Was Vince Russo already booking in 1994? Pinfall reversal sequence goes Gunns way with a backslide for two, but he runs into a lariat - spiraling to the canvas. Tag to Fatu for a headbutt, and a backbreaker follows. Tag to Jarrett for a sidewalk slam, but a tilt-a-whirl is countered with a headscissors, and Gunn passes to Tatanka. He comes in with a hiptoss and a bodyslam, followed by a Japanese armdrag, then tags out to Bart Gunn. Bart works the wrist, and wins a criss cross with a cradle for two. Dropkick, so Jeff shoves him into the corner, and hits a snap suplex before passing to IRS. He gets reversed going into the corner, however, and tags to Plugg. IRS swats the newbie away in short order, and tags Martel, but Plugg (heh... 'butt plug') bodypresses him for two. He holds Rick on the canvas with an armbar, so IRS throws a cheap shot, then tags himself in to slam Sparky. Missed elbowdrop allows the tag to Kid, and he unloads with kicks, followed by a springboard clothesline for two. Flying bodypress gets two, but that triggers a ten-way brawl! Kid catches IRS with a spinheel kick in the chaos, but misses a leg lariat in the corner, and IRS cradles him for the pin at 9:00. Hell of a fun, fast paced little match here! The Plugg/Martel portion slowed it down a bit with an overlong armbar, but it was really energetic otherwise. ***

Shawn Michaels and Diesel debut the Heartbreak Hotel, and issue a challenge to Razor Ramon for his Intercontinental Title. Definitely one of my favorite classic interview sets

Yokozuna v Scott Powers: Any relation to Jim Powers, I wonder? Yoko destroys Powers with power stuff, ironically, and hits a side suplex. Legdrop, and the Banzi Drop finishes at 2:25. DUD

BUExperience: Good episode this week, and a lot better than taped episodes tend to be, too. It was like a DVD version of WrestleMania X, with two deleted scenes, and a commentary track from Mr. Perfect.