WWF Monday Night RAW (October 3, 1994)

Original Airdate: October 3, 1994 (Taped September 26)

From Utica, New York; Your Hosts are Vince McMahon and Randy Savage

Earlier tonight, Owen Hart and Jim Neidhart arrive at the arena, and call Davey Boy Smith a MUTT! Them's fightin' words

Opening Match: Davey Boy Smith v Jim Neidhart: Neidhart's new tights are the very definition of garish here. I mean, I understand they wanted to spruce up his old solid pink, Hart Foundation era tights, but was making his ass into a billboard really the best they could come up with? Especially with Bret and Owen both also wearing the color scheme, but in much subtler combinations. Maybe Nattie designed them? He and Davey trade off in the early going, until Smith manages a drop-toehold to get Anvil in an armbar. He jaws with Owen the whole time, then gets suckered into accepting a test-of-strength, and promptly clobbered. Neidhart controls with a flurry of restholds, and Owen cuts off a comeback attempt by pulling the top rope down - sending Davey crashing to the floor. That draws Bret Hart down to ringside, as they get Davey back in for more punch-kick stuff from Neidhart. Davey finally escapes a camel clutch to pick things up, and delivers a hanging vertical suplex for two. Sunset flip, but Owen charges in with a kneedrop to break it up - Anvil getting disqualified over it at 14:00. Unfortunately, Bret can't make it in to help the Bulldog quick enough, as Bob Backlund has materialized at ringside to politic for a title shot. I loved the family feud in general, but dear lord, Anvil was not meant to go fifteen minutes without Owen at this point. Or ever, really. DUD

Out on some schoolyard baseball diamond, a little kid starts crying (complete with a dramatic slow motion shot of his dropping his glove) because of the baseball strike. Not really sure why a professional strike would limit this kids ability to enjoy the game with some friends, so perhaps he's crying because he doesn't have any? Luckily, Randy Savage shows up, and makes his dreams come true by playing catch with him. Hey, that would make a lot of peoples' dreams come true, frankly

Cute RAW Girl Sign of the Week: RAW to the Bone

Doink v Barry Horowitz: Couldn't they have at least put on a better match (or a better squash) to follow the 'we don't go on strike!' bullshit promo? I mean, I don't think the idea was to make the fans wish that weren't true, right? Horowitz holds his own for a bit, but falls pray to a powerslam and the Whoopee Cushion at 2:20. I think we'd all be fine with Doink taking an off season. ¼*

On Superstars over the weekend, The Undertaker and Paul Bearer continue trying to sell house show tickets by promising that Yokozuna will drop dead of a heart attack over his fear of the Undertaker. Don't miss it!

Hart Attack Tour promo

Jerry Lawler hosts The King's Court, with guest Yokozuna. The Undertaker is not going to give him a heart attack! Morbid obesity is going to do that job just fine, thank you very much!

Action Zone promo

Alundra Blayze and Heidi Lee Morgan v Bull Nakano and Luna Vachon: Vince promotes this as a 'four way catfight,' which would be fine today, but given that Blayze was the only one of them even REMOTELY attractive, I'm not sure that's the best way to hit that demographic, bud. Morgan starts with Vachon, and quickly leapfrogs her into an impressive cradle out of an electric chair for two, and follows with a bodypress for two. Another one, but Luna counters with a facebuster, and tosses her into the heel corner for a double-team. Pump-splash gets two, and Bull tags in to slam her around, but Morgan manages to counter a shoulderblock with a victory roll for two. Rana for two, so Bull passes back to Luna - only for Morgan to escape a beating with a dropkick and a tag to Blayze. She goes to town on Luna with hairslams, so Bull tags in and call for a test-of-strength - promptly taking a cheapshot. Alundra responds with a bodypress, but she can't hoist Nakano through a suplex, so Morgan comes in for a double-team version - only for Nakano to reverse, and suplex both girls. She goes for the kill, but Blayze manages a 2^nd rope bodypress, and a bridging German suplex finishes Luna at 5:00. Maybe not quite a 'four way catfight' as promised, but a good little ladies match. **

King Kong Bundy vignette

New Generation promo

We take a look back to December 1983, when the Iron Sheik defeated Bob Backlund for the WWF Title. Good thing they decided to let Backlund get over with this gimmick, as I feel like we would have likely had to endure the return of the Iron Sheik to feud with him had the character not caught on as planned. And God help us if McMahon realized he had Sheik and Volkoff under contract at the same time again, and gave us THAT team as tag champions in 1995

Bob Backlund v Gary Scott: Great subtleties from Backlund, as he's perfectly calm while wrestling the nervous jobber, since nothing has triggered his snapping. That is, until he gets the Chickenwing on, and he starts losing his mind trying to tear the arm out of the socket for the win at 2:30. Fun. ¼*

Backstage, Bret Hart says that if Bob Backlund wants another title shot, he can get in line, since Hart already beat him cleanly a few months prior

BUExperience: Women’s tag wrestling was a rare occurrence on RAW in the early days, but it was certainly a fun change of pace. Not much else going on this week, but nice to see them continue to push/build Backlund, as we head into Survivor Series – with Bob knocking it out of the park again this week