What the World Was Watching: WWF Monday Night RAW – 03.07.94

Vince McMahon and Ted DiBiase commentate, taped from Poughkeepsie, New York.

Opening Contest: Crush & Owen Hart (w/Mr. Fuji) beat the Smoking Gunns (5-0) when Owen makes Bart submit to the Sharpshooter at 6:55 shown:

There is a good flow to the offense dished out by both teams. A commercial break comes back in time for Bart to get a hot tag. Crush stops Bart from getting measure of revenge from Wrestling Challenge by breaking up a pin after a powerslam. The Gunns go for the Revolver but Crush takes out Bart’s knee and that sets up Owen’s Sharpshooter. There is a nice bit with the ending as Billy is thrown out of the ring by Crush and Crush prevents him from re-entering, so all Billy can do is reach out for his brother, who submits. Rating: **¼

McMahon talks with Owen and Crush afterward. Owen asks Crush not to beat Bret Hart up too bad at March to WrestleMania X so that Bret does not have any excuses at WrestleMania. Crush puts over Owen’s Sharpshooter and agrees to leave some of Bret for Owen.

Todd Pettengill does the WrestleMania X Report. It is announced the WWF Women’s Champion Alundra Blayze will defend against former Women’s Champion Leilani Kai, who wrestled at the first WrestleMania. Kai’s old picture from 1985 is used for the match graphic because she suffered severe burns before the show. She is the only participant from the first WrestleMania that will be on the card.

Jeff Jarrett (7-1) beats Virgil (1-0) with a DDT off the ropes at 4:43:

Like The Royal Rumble, DiBiase takes delight in burying Virgil, laughing as he tells the audience that Virgil is going nowhere and he is now a man without money. Jarrett’s attire is less crazy with the colors so he looks like a more serious act. During the match McMahon announces that Ronda Shear of USA Network’s Up All Night will be a guest timekeeper at WrestleMania. He also runs down the March to WrestleMania X card. As was the case in 1993, Virgil is over with the Northeastern crowds, who chant his name at the beginning of the bout. Virgil dominates most of the match with a long hammerlock but he puts his head down too soon and eats the DDT. Once again, Jarrett struggles again against a lower tier competition but still wins. Rating: ¾*

DiBiase shows off a doctored copy of Country Beat magazine that features Jarrett. McMahon peels off some of the cover to prove that DiBiase and Jarrett are liars.

Sy Sperling shows what Mr. Fuji could look like with hair.

Doink the Clown (w/Dink) (8-0) pins Mike Sharpe after the flying butt splash at 2:18:

Doink sprays water on Sharpe before the match, which probably upset Sharpe’s reported obsessive compulsive tendency of being clean. He fails to mount any offense against Doink as McMahon and DiBiase debate whether Bam Bam Bigelow and Luna Vachon will beat them at WrestleMania.

Chief Ray Little Turtle of the Lumbee Tribe, Chief Jay Strongbow, and Wahoo McDaniel present Tatanka with a colorful headdress that Lumbee children have voted to give him. Tatanka is overcome with emotion and thanks Strongbow and McDaniel for helping him in his career. Strongbow gives a short comment and McDaniel displays his promo skills in talking Tatanka up as a role model for children. Strongbow helps Tatanka put the headdress on and he dances in the ring. With modern eyes it was ridiculous for Strongbow to be a part of this because he was not Native American. Few fans knew that at the time, though.

Irwin R. Schyster (6-2) pins Mark Thomas after the Write Off at 3:40:

As IRS comes to the ring he tells Tatanka that he owes a gift tax on the headdress that he received, thereby sparking a feud between the two. Instead of talking about that, McMahon talks with DiBiase about who the next commissioner of Major League Baseball might be. DiBiase puts over his friendship with IRS as fans endure a long, boring squash match where IRS kills time and the crowd with submission holds.

Jim Cornette comes out with the Heavenly Bodies. When McMahon catches up with them Cornette complains about the quality of American automaking. He says Jimmy Del Ray has been given a mission to destroy Lex Luger on the March to WrestleMania X special.

The Last Word: The opening tag match was good but the rest of the show fell off after that. Tatanka has gotten a short house show run with WWF Champion Yokozuna but is coming right back down to the midcard to feud with Irwin R. Schyster. Next week’s RAW was a recap of the March to WrestleMania X special so this was the last RAW before WrestleMania.

Up Next: WWF Superstars for March 12!

And if you would like to read a compiled breakdown of 1990-1993 WWF, 1993 ECW, or of various promotions in 1995, check out my Amazon author page to purchase e-books or paperback copies!