WWF Monday Night RAW (November 14, 1994)

Original Airdate: November 14, 1994 (Taped November 7)

From Bushkill, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Ted DiBiase

Opening Match: Bob Backlund v 1-2-3 Kid: Kid attacks him with lightning kicks on the way into the ring, and hooks a backslide for two. Quick spinheel kick gets two, and Kid decides to ground him with an armscissors. Uh-oh. Kid does a good job of hanging onto the hold through a few counter attempts, but Bob eventually manages to muscle up, and set Kid on the top turnbuckle. Backlund with a diving forearm, and he goes to work on the shoulder. After wearing him down in a hammerlock, he goes for the Crossface Chickenwing, but Kid reverses before he can get it locked. Backlund easily escapes, so Kid wisely dives into the ropes to shake him off. He tries more lightning kicks for two, and a bodyslam sets up a flying splash, but Bob rolls out of the way, and Kid knocks himself silly. Backlund gets a brilliantly deranged look on his face, and slaps the Chickenwing on for the submission at 5:30. Afterwards, Backlund won't let off, so Bret Hart storms out to break it up. A dozen Officials try to separate them, but Hart manages to get the Sharpshooter on him in the aisle. Relatively short match, but it was good while it lasted - with Kid fighting for his life, but missing a high risk maneuver, and falling prey to the Chickenwing. Good setup for Survivor Series, too. * ½

New Generation promo. They've thankfully moved from homosexual members of the clergy to lazy police officers this week

Mabel v Blue Phantom: Mabel gets the fireworks treatment, which given the financial state of the promotion at this point, seems like a giant waste. Kinda like Mabel himself. Phantom, despite being 'Blue,' is dressed head-to-toe in black, which is an interesting choice on his part. Couldn't they have just called him 'Phantom,' minus a color? Fairly energetic squash from Mabel this week, before finishing with a scrapbuster at 2:00. ¼*

Survivor Series Report! There will be a minimum of six midgets there! Maybe more, we don't know! ORDER NOW!

Jeff Jarrett v Gary Sabough: Vince shills a Survivor Series Souvenir Program that I remember wanting as a kid, as we get underway. Looking back though, $10 + shipping?!? For what's effectively a c-level article on WWE.com today? No wonder business was in the toilet! Just look at the 'capacity crowd' this week for more evidence! Jarrett works a competitive squash, and finishes with the Figure Four at 3:11. ¼*

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IRS digs up a casket at a cemetery, repossessing it since the dead guy didn't pay his taxes. Kind of a weird way to try and get the guy over as a heel, especially when your target audience is children

Jerry Lawler hosts The King's Court with guests Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith, to discuss their appointments as towel bearers for the Survivor Series title match

Sunday Night Slam promo

Aldo Montoya v Brooklyn Brawler: This is Aldo's debut. Was there a really big Portuguese fan base during this period, or something? And what was the point of this gimmick, anyway? I mean, no one actually expected this to go higher than curtain jerking, did they? Montoya busts out a plancha, but runs into some jobber offense from Brawler (the good jobber offense - guy wrestled at a WrestleMania!), before finishing with flying bodypress at 2:45. Ted DiBiase is impressed, and decides to try and offer him a spot in the Corporation, but Montoya wants no part of it. I get the booking there to establish that this new character is a babyface, but again they make the Corporation look like a bunch of losers. Not a bad debut match, actually. ½*

Vince and Ted bring Alundra Blayze (dressed like Cruella de Vil, for some reason) out to hype an upcoming WWF Women's Title defense against Bull Nakano in Japan

BUExperience: Good episode this week. I mean, well, not ‘good’ in the traditional sense, but relatively good. The Kid/Backlund match was strong and had purpose, and all the squashes were energetic. Can’t ask for much more than that from late 1994