What the World Was Watching: WWF Monday Night RAW – 08.08.94

The opening of the show sees doctors doing surgery before abandoning their task to watch Monday Night RAW.

Vince McMahon and Randy Savage commentate, still broadcasting from Youngstown, Ohio.

Opening Contest: The Fake Undertaker (w/Ted DiBiase) (5-0) pins Butch Banks after a chokeslam off the ropes at 3:06:

Banks was trained by Jonnie Stewart and started his wrestling career in the early 1990s. He had done some WWF enhancement work since 1992, appearing once in 1993 in a loss to the Steiner Brothers.

McMahon announces that DiBiase and Paul Bearer will appear next week on the King’s Court. The most entertaining thing that happens in a squash that goes at one mile per hour is Savage arguing that the patient being operated on was “the producer of the Goodwill Games,” a reference to WCW owner Ted Turner. Boos have to be piped in after the win as DiBiase helps the Fake Undertaker stuff Banks into a body bag.

Lex Luger (19-2-1) defeats Chad Miller after the running forearm at 2:59:

Miller was a Tom Stone trainee who worked as Chad Love on the Wisconsin independent scene. He started doing WWF squashes last year, losing to Yokozuna, Men on a Mission (twice), and the Steiner Brothers.

Ted DiBiase tries to walk behind Luger during his entrance until Luger tells him to get lost. DiBiase just throws up an OK symbol and returns to the dressing room. After a quick commercial, he tells the announcers in the split screen that he told Luger not to worry about anything tonight. Luger knocks Miller out with the running forearm after some basic offense, flexing for the crowd afterward.

Bam Bam Bigelow & Irwin R. Schyster (w/Ted DiBiase) defeat Tatanka & Doink the Clown (w/Dink) when IRS pins Doink after the Write Off at 8:00 shown:

IRS tells the crowd before the match that Money Incorporated is growing rapidly. Tatanka wears war paint, ostensibly because he is facing IRS. That feud has not had an on-screen interaction in a while but it is still looping the house shows with Tatanka finally earning some wins in strap matches. The match is just a reason to build Bigelow and IRS as a team before SummerSlam. There is a botch to put Tatanka in peril as IRS aims to pull down the top rope so Tatanka can fall to the floor but he does not pull it down far enough so Bigelow has to later toss Tatanka from the ring to send the match to a commercial break. Doink gets a hot tag when Bigelow and Tatanka try to body press each other off the ropes but does not manage to do much. Tatanka never joins in to make all hell break loose because the referee keeps him from entering the ring, a distraction that lets Bigelow kick Doink in the back of the head and IRS follow up with the Write Off. Rating: *½

When the match is over, IRS pushes Tatanka as he tends to Doink. Bigelow throws Doink out of the ring and the heels double team Tatanka. Lex Luger runs in for the save. When the ring clears, DiBiase shoves money into Luger’s hand. When Bigelow pushes Tatanka into Luger, Luger turns around with the money in his fist and Tatanka argues with him. What is funny in that exchange is that when Tatanka knocks the money from Luger’s hand it flies out of the ring and DiBiase bolts to retrieve it so someone in the crowd does not win the lottery. WWF officials pour into the ring to keep Luger and Tatanka from fighting and Bigelow and DiBiase hold Luger back, making people wonder if he is in cahoots with them.

Owen Hart and Jim Neidhart are guests on the King’s Court. Owen puts over Neidhart as the big brother he always wished he had. He talks about how the whole Hart family will be at SummerSlam to cheer him on since they have jumped on his bandwagon. Bruce Hart is brought out and, while frantically gesturing, he says Owen is spewing lies and is a disgrace to the family. He accuses Neidhart of being jealous of Bret, so that is why he is trying to ruin his title reign. The show goes to a break after that.

Bob Backlund (0-1) beats Kevin Krueger via submission to a crossface chicken wing at 3:51:

Krueger was a Tom Stone trainee who had the nickname “God’s Gift to Women” on the independent circuit. He had been doing WWF squashes since 1990. In 1993 he wrestled four televised bouts, losing to Shawn Michaels, Adam Bomb, Well Dunn, and Irwin R. Schyster.

Backlund still acts like he is a babyface on his way to the ring, oblivious to how his actions against Bret Hart a few weeks ago would make people turn on him. McMahon argues that Backlund is living in the past. Savage chimes in that Backlund hates the New Generation. Most of the squash is Backlund stalling until he suddenly traps Krueger in a crossface chicken wing. After the bell, Backlund refuses to release the hold for a while. And he admires his hands when he is done.

Lex Luger is seen busting into Ted DiBiase’s dressing room. Tatanka is on his heels, accusing him of selling out.

Tune in next week to see Owen Hart face the 1-2-3 Kid in a rematch from the King of the Ring semi-finals! And Paul Bearer and Ted DiBiase appear on the King’s Court!

The Last Word: This was not a great show but there were better segments for the “Luger sold out” storyline that created miscommunication between Luger and Tatanka. Bruce Hart was not bad on the mic as well, although he kept wanting to talk instead of allowing Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, or Jerry Lawler have a say.

Up Next: WWF Superstars for August 13!

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