The SmarK Legacy Rant for WWF Monday Night RAW - January 18 1993
- Home sick from work today, so let's hit some more classic content.
- Live from New York
- Your hosts are Vince McMahon, Rob Bartlett and Randy Savage (who is attacked by Repo Man in your first angle of the week, already)
Terrific Terry Taylor v. Mr Perfect
Man, I'd totally forgotten about Taylor's failed comeback attempt in 1993. I should point out that the absence of Randy Savage leaves us with Vince McMahon and Rob Bartlett on commentary. ALONE. Luckily that only lasts about 15 seconds before Savage returns to save the broadcast from infamy. They trade cheapshots to start and Perfect sends Taylor out with a dropkick, and we get into a chase before Taylor begs off and runs away. Back in the ring, Perfect works on a headlock and takes Taylor down with an armbar, but they trade some kinda lame mat stuff before Perfect goes back to the armbar. We take a break and return with Perfect throwing chops in the corner until Taylor finally dumps him and takes over with a jawbreaker. Backbreaker gets two. Taylor hits the chinlock and follows with a spinebuster for two. Gut wrench powerbomb gets two. They slug it out and Perfect rings the ears to come back, followed by an atomic drop. Necksnap and Perfect slugs away, but Ric Flair heads down to ringside for the attack. Back in we get a cute finish, as Taylor tries a suplex, but Perfect easily reverses to the Perfectplex at 7:54 to finish. Decent little TV match, but these two just couldn't get chemistry together. **1/2
- Vince brings out WWF champion Bret Hart for words about his upcoming title defense at the Royal Rumble against Razor Ramon. That ended up being a lot crappier of a match than you'd expect. Bret thinks that Razor is scum for even suggesting slapping Stu Hart. Strong words, Bret.
Marty Jannetty v. Glen Ruth
Ruth offers a handshake and then attack Marty from behind, but Marty bulldogs him out of the corner for his troubles. Marty works the arm for a while and adds a snap suplex…and it's back to the arm again. Ruth makes a brief comeback, but Marty finishes with a Rocker Dropper at 5:08. Dull squash. 1/2* Stuff you can use at dinner parties: Ruth is better known as Headbanger Thrasher.
- Let us take you back to Superstars where "alleged" clown Doink attacks Crush with a fake arm and beats the mullet off him. The pain in Vince's voice at having his childhood clown dreams shattered is wonderful.
Meanwhile, Repo Man cuts a promo from outside the arena while wearing Macho Man's hat, and Savage is all "let's do the thing right here, right now!" So Repo goes "So you want to wrestle?" and Savage replies "No, let's do something different." OK then.
Tito Santana v. Ric Flair
Intriguing! Tito overpowers Flair off a headlock and controls with that, getting a two count. Flair fights up, so Tito clotheslines him and dropkicks him back into the headlock again, and we take a break. Back with Tito reversing Flair into the corner, but a monkey flip is blocked and Flair gets two. Flair drops the knee to take over and offers some words for Savage, as everyone is on his jock this week apparently. Flair with the chops in the corner, but Tito backdrops him out of there and Bartlett actually says "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up" as his witty line for that. Flair goes up to escape and gets slammed off, we follow with a Flair Flip as they brawl to the floor. Back in, Tito with a kneelift to set up the flying forearm, but he fails to cover and tries another one instead. Flair low-bridges him and puts him on the floor, and Perfect runs out and beats the shit out of Flair until the Usual Gang of Idiots breaks things up. And I guess it's a Sportz Entertainment Finish at 7:00 or so. Going fine until the non-finish. **1/2
- Back from the break and they're STILL fighting, so Flair stops to cut a promo and challenge Perfect to a LOSER LEAVES TOWN match next week.
So next week, it's Perfect v. Flair and Savage v. Repo Man! BUT WILL SAVAGE FIND HIS HAT? FIND OUT NEXT WEEK!
Pretty great little show for 40 minutes long, actually.
Related Posts:
- The SmarK Legacy Rant for Monday Night RAW – January 25 1993
- The SmarK Legacy Rant for Monday Night RAW – May 17 1993
- The SmarK Legacy Rant for Monday Night RAW – March 8 1993
- The SmarK Legacy Rant for Monday Night RAW – October 4 1993
- The SmarK Legacy Rant for Monday Night RAW – February 15 1993
Tags: Bret Hart, Locke, Macho Man, Monday Night RAW, Randy Savage, RAW, Ric Flair, Royal Rumble, Sting, Terry Taylor, Tito Santana, TV, Vince McMahon, WWF
I’ve recently switched my Monday Nights to watching these instead of the current Raw product. I’m about eight or so weeks in, good stuff.
Just wish they’d update more often.
Isn’t this the second episode of Raw? Did you not do the first one, or did I miss something?
http://www.rspwfaq.com/2008/01/raw-1/
Thanks! Didn’t realize it was over a year ago.
Wait, didn’t you rate Razor Ramon-Bret Hart at around ***?
Bret Hart vs. Ultimate Warrior??
Don’t ask me why I was reading Scott Hall’s Wikipedia page, but I guess I had time to kill.
It does say that the original booking plan for Royal Rumble ‘93 was Bret vs. Warrior. Once Warrior was fired, Razor got the nod for the title match.
Really? I ask, because it’s sort of a dream match (while also being an amazing cluster-F) that never happened. Bret in his prime trying to carry Warrior to a Bret-like match would have been something to see.
But they didn’t do a lot of face-face matches back then, so I’m wondering about the validity of it. Anyone know more about it? Is this true?
Looking back, Warrior putting over Bret would have been huge, assuming that would have been the outcome. I also have to think such a match would have really drawn big at the time.
I wish it would have happened. Bret’s early title matches seemed to always be against guys who weren’t quite ready at the time, like Michaels and Ramon, and I don’t think he really ever got any big wins over an established stars during his first run as champ.
It’s all really too bad, too. Imagine looking back on a young Bret facing Flair, Savage, Warrior or Hogan on PPV. The politics alone involved in such things would have made for great reading.
I don’t know if it was in WWE’s booking plans, but in his book Bret does say after he won the world title in 1992, his dream scenario at Wrestlemania 9 was to go over the Ultimate Warrior. Warrior was obviously still massively over (maybe not 1989-1990 levels but still bigger than most others) and Bret thought it would be a good way for Warrior to give back after so many people had put him over. I certainly would have paid to see them wrestle at WM9.
But even if Warrior hadn’t been fired before Survivor Series 1992, it’s obviously not certain they would have done the match. Bret has given quite a few interviews recently saying that he really could have done with going over someone like Hogan, Warrior or Jake Roberts (?) during his first world title run.
I just read that chapter when I was at B&N today…I need to buy or check out Bret’s book so I can read it from beginning to end at last…
Bret v Hogan or Bret v Warrior, would’ve SUCKED. The problem with the idea of the afore mentioned selling for Bret is that he hadn’t really been booked as a “little guy who can hang with the heavyweights”. He had always fought rather technical matches with guys around his size (Bulldog, Shawn, Perfect, Flair) who knew how to bump. On the flip, Hogan hadn’t fought a guy like Bret, well ever, and hadn’t sold for anyone under 300 pounds in years (apart from Savage, a heel brawler). They tried Hogan/Perfect, and it just didn’t look right. As a full blown mark at the time, there is NO WAY I would’ve believed a Bret/Hogan match, especially with Bret going over. It took some real sharp booking to get Bret to that level (and a bunch of time). It could’ve worked following WM 9, but not before then, I don’t think. It would’ve been a hot angle to just cut Yoko out of the deal and turn Bret heel, have him fight Hogan on the grounds that Bret should’ve gotten a rematch with Yoko, etc. Then just turn Bret back after Hogan jobs, or not and set up heel Bret vs Lex Express. $$$
The matches might have sucked but they both would have made $$$. Moreso Hogan/Bret….but thats because Bret’s growing fans would have paid anything to see that.
For the life of me, I dont know why they never did Bret/Savage in ‘93. Yea, it wouldve been face/face but Savage was a)still over with a rub to give and b)about to be a full-time announcer. I think that wouldve been a huge match…and probably a great match.