What the World Was Watching: WWF Monday Night RAW – March 1, 1993

Vince McMahon, Rob Barlett, and Randy Savage provide commentary, live from the Manhattan Center in New York City. According to thehistoryofwwe.com, the show drew a sellout crowd of 1,000 fans.

Bartlett is doing an Elvis impression tonight.

Opening Contest for the WWF Championship: Bret Hart (Champion) (1-0) beats Fatu (w/Afa) via submission to the Sharpshooter at 12:54 shown:

Bartlett’s Elvis impression interferes with the calling of the match as he prefers to discuss shopping malls, divorce, and how hungry he is. Samu is not at ringside at the start of the match but comes out six minutes in to attack Bret after his tag team partner throws the WWF champion to the floor. Bret’s has a scab on his nose that is re-opened by the action. Fatu spams falling headbutts until Bret recovers out of nowhere to crotch him on the top rope and do the moves of doom. Bret applies the Sharpshooter but Afa distracts the referee and Samu interferes. Heel miscommunication follows, though, and Samu gets his head tied in the ropes, Bret dropkicks Afa off the apron, and gets Fatu to submit to a second Sharpshooter. There were a few good bumps and the ending had a good, chaotic sequence. Unfortunately, there was a lack of drama because everyone knew one of the Headshrinkers was not winning the WWF title a month before WrestleMania. Rating: **¾

“Elvis” stuffs his face with a hot dog and popcorn at the conclusion of the match.

Gene Okerlund does the WrestleMania IX Report. Okerlund announces that WWF Tag Team Champions Money Incorporated have challenged the Mega-Maniacs.

Crush is on the beach in Hawaii. When asked by McMahon for a prediction on the next match, Crush picks up a coconut and crushes it, saying that is what is going to happen to Doink at WrestleMania.

Doink the Clown (4-1) defeats Koko B. Ware (1-1) via submission to the stump puller at 1:47:

When Bartlett tries to create more comedy about food and likening Ware to Gary Coleman, an irritated Savage calls attention back to the match. Ware has a fresh cut and has his “Birdman” entrance theme back but that does not give him the magical powers to escape jobber to the stars status as a single. His ring entrance is less than inspired and we quickly learn why as Doink grounds him like a UFC star and quickly submits him. This would be Ware’s last television appearance of the year as he would join the list of stars exiting the company at the end of the month. Ware would head to the USWA and return for more job duty the next year.

After the bell, “Elvis” wants to meet Doink. Doink opens a present he brought to the ring and hands “Elvis” a small cream pie. “Elvis” is happy about that but when he turns his attention away, Doink pulls out a bigger pie and shoves it in the music star’s face.

McMahon does an in-ring interview with WWF Tag Team Champions Money Incorporated. Ted DiBiase kills a lot of time talking about James Robinson’s exit from American Express and his severance package. The champions talk about how they do not need Jimmy Hart and Irwin R. Schyster, who is one of the more over acts on the show, talks about hitting Hulk Hogan with the “Beefcase” (his briefcase with Hogan’s picture on it). Money Incorporated promise to put their titles on the line at WrestleMania, which is not breaking news because Gene Okerlund said this earlier in the show. Too much time was given to this promo. And who thinks DiBiase, who lost tons of matches to Hogan from 1988-1990, would be a threat to him?

Lex Luger (4-0) pins P.J. Walker after the running forearm at 3:14:

Walker was a trainee of Keith Hart, Lance Storm, and Chris Jericho and started working in the New England area in 1992. More than a year later he would be signed to a full-time WWF contract and wrestle as the masked character Aldo Montoya.

There is another bad segment as Bobby Heenan calls into the show but instead of hyping Luger it is more about how he is going to Philadelphia for All American Wrestling and then puts a woman on the phone who is allegedly Priscilla Presley and she says that the real Elvis is not sitting by McMahon. After Luger knocks Walker outside the ring and runs down his physique.

The Steiner Brothers (7-0) beat Duane Gill & Barry Hardy when Scott pins Gill after the Frankensteiner at 4:06:

McMahon calls the Steiners “Rob and Scott.” Rob is Rick’s real name but that is a startingly bad omission for one of the promotion’s rising acts. Savage corrects McMahon’s mistake after the commercial break. These two teams met on the RAW pilot but Gill and Hardy were under masks as the Executioners. The squash overstays its welcome, finally ending with a Frankensteiner.

Tune in next week to see WWF Tag Team Champions Money Incorporated face El Matador & Virgil! Also, Mr. Perfect wrestles Rick Martel!

The Last Word: After a strong singles match to start the show it went downhill fast. The Elvis comedy, long squashes, and a meandering promo by Money Incorporated were too much to bear. Vince McMahon promised the ending of the Undertaker-Skinner match last week but it did not appear here. Including that would have been better than either of the last two matches. The Mega-Maniacs-Money Incorporated program has little heat because it is centered around Brutus Beefcake, who few fans care about anymore. Fans had also seen Hulk Hogan beat Ted DiBiase like a drum for years so if the tag titles were on a different team the match might have more intrigue to it. Sadly, this program is bound to suck up most of the oxygen on WWF television before WrestleMania because Hogan is involved.

Up Next: WWF Superstars for March 6!

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