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Episode 11
WrestleMania IX Fallout
(It was indeed a nuclear fallout)
Well, it's another day and another RAW review! We are again at the Manhattan Center in New York on April 5, 1993! We got Vince McMahon and Randy Savage on commentary, and what's this? Is no Rob Bartlett to be seen? Cool; cool cool cool. Randy Savage still looks in insane shape and I often wonder why Vince thought he didn't have anything left in him. We're in the show immediately following WrestleMania IX, and boy howdy what a god-awful show that was, it can't get any worse than that, right?
So kicking things off, we got three major matches announced for tonight, we got Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Virgil (which is happening to start the show, look at that), The Steiner Brothers vs. The Beverly Brothers, and finally Jerry Lawler making his in-ring debut on RAW! Tell you what, two of those matches might end up being squash matches, but the Steiners vs. Beverlys might be worth the price of admission alone. We get the generic Biddle music of Virgil coming out first, and Bam Bam coming after. Sadly, Virgil borrowed $10 from Bam Bam and never paid him back, so he had to pay in pain.
Vince McMahon mentions before the match that Hulk Hogan won the WWF Championship, and I die a little inside, as I'm sure Bret did too. Virgil tries to clinch and grapple with Bam Bam, his speed and agility going to be important to beating him. Bam Bam Bigelow looks like he's having trouble, but overpowers quickly and the two actually have a pretty competent match. Virgil tries a crucifix pin on Bigelow, but Bigelow slams him down onto his back and is firmly in control now. Randy Savage sounds like he hates every second of having to praise Hulk Hogan for winning the WWF title, but lights up way more just hyping people on Bret Hart being so star-spangled awesome; it's true though, I'd rather watch ten Bret Hart matches compared to ten Hulk Hogan matches. Apparently, Rob Bartlett lost all his money in Vegas and that's why he's not on RAW tonight. The crowd feels a little lively even just for a bear hug rest spot between Bam Bam and Virgil. Virgil survives the three-hand drop spot and comes alive again to get some offense on Virgil, getting a nice clean dropkick. It was only for two though. Virgil goes for a turnbuckle dive but Bam Bam dodges out of the way just in time for Virgil to land face-first into the ground. Bigelow seizes the opportunity for a diving headbutt and an easy win for him. Not a bad match, if a little basic.
After the commercial break, we get a big lady in the ring, and Jerry Lawler coming out; I can only imagine the jokes running in Lawler's head atm. Oh no, he's straight to business and grabs a mic, going for a pretty normal heel cocky asshole gimmick. The crowd starts chanting "Burger King", and Lawler gets so pissed he walks out! After that little segment, we get an interview between Yokozuna & Mr. Fuji, and Gene Okerlund. Mr. Fuji protests that the championship match between Zuna and Hogan wasn't sanctioned, had no contract, and therefore shouldn't be legal. While technically he's correct, we all know how history goes.
Alright, we got ourselves our second match of the evening, and it's *checks notes* Kim Chee and Bob Backlund. What the fuck? So Backlund is coming off a miserable loss to Razor Ramon at WrestleMania, and I guess this match is going to be meant to rebuild him back up as a viable midcard competitor. Oh no, Backlund, a WWF Champion for seven years, is definitely gonna struggle against Kim Chee, who's a glorified jobber. Well, Chee cheats and is in control sadly. This match has a whole lot of nothing going on and tbh the crowd doesn't even really care either for most of it. Randy Savage and Vince McMahon joke about Rob Bartlett being stuck at the Motel 6 in Las Vegas. Vince McMahon also brings up Luna Vachon being in the corner of Shawn Michaels; that was a combination that made zero sense, and Shawn treated her like garbage backstage for the most part too. Bob Backlund manages to get control back and goes for a weird bridging pin and gets the win. It was a pretty nothing match.
After the commercial break, we get Rob Bartlett on the phone complaining that Vince's check to him bounced, and thus he can't make it to Monday Night RAW; imagine breaking all kinds of kayfabe here by admitting Vince is the guy signing your paychecks. Oh yeah, and we got a Damien Demento match vs. Jim Brunzell in the background. How the fuck is Jim Brunzell still employed by WWF? He hasn't done anything on-screen for like years. Rob asks Vince for a ticket or for some money to be wired and instantly Savage and Vince pretend that the connection is getting worse despite Rob being heard loud and clear. Savage is also so hostile to Bartlett too, telling him to get on with his life, and at one point, Savage says, "I'd love nothing more than to help that man, I just don't got the time." So while all this chaos is happening, Brunzell and Demento have... a basic, safe match where no one is ever at risk of getting hurt. Tell you what though, Jim Brunzell can still go for sure. I have zero clue why WWF thought this Damian Demento guy was worth a shit because he absolutely wasn't. Demento starts listening to the voices in his head because for some reason he also has to be semi-schizophrenic. Jim Brunzell tries to get back control, but sadly it's not enough as Demento hits a reverse neck breaker on him after the use of an illegal object, I think.
A thinner-looking woman is holding up the RAW sign, and we get the IcoPro commercial and the Randy Savage Slim Jim commercial too. Jerry Lawler comes back out, ready to wrestle... or not. He walks out again, still not sensing any respect from the fans. We get a commercial for the replay of WrestleMania IX, and I'd rather garotte myself than have to watch it again. Oh shit, here we go! Beverly Brothers vs. the Steiners! My body is ready for some good tag team action for once! The Steiners are right off their victory over the Headshrinkers at Mania, and they're the de facto #1 contenders to the WWF Tag Team Championships held by Money Inc. who somehow retained over Hogan & Beefcake... Oh, it was by DQ, whatever. We got early lock-ups and heel shenanigans by the Beverlys by telling the ref they got their hair pulled.
This match is already faster-paced than the last three. It's a very competitive match, but just watching these two teams, Rick Steiner is the best worker out of everyone and it's not even close. The Beverlys have to cheat in order to regain control, and they decide to start slowing the match down just a little bit. So now the story of the match is Scott Steiner having to play Ricky Morton while Rick Steiner can't help his brother from the continual onslaught. Steiner finally gets a comeback mounted though after several hope spots, and when Rick Steiner manages to get tagged in, this match goes into overdrive! The Beverlys almost take back control, but they hit one another, and Scott Steiner manages to hit a Steinerline, and the Steiner Brothers are winners! Tell you what, this was a good goddamn match for Monday Night RAW.
Alright, we finally get the Jerry Lawler match and it's against... Jim Powers. Somehow, Powers ambushes Lawler and starts off hot, beating the everloving crud out of Lawler and forcing him to retreat early. It's kind of interesting to see Lawler playing a more subdued, serious heel rather than the obnoxious and over-the-top personality he becomes by the end of 1993. The crowd continually chants "Burger King", and Jerry Lawler blames Randy Savage for it, jaw-jacking with him at the commentary table. It's kind of surreal to have Jim Powers control most of the match and Lawler stalling for time with crowd interaction. You watch Jerry Lawler actually performing moves and he has the best punches in wrestling, and in my opinion, the best fist drop in all of wrestling too. The fact that Lawler is having a back-and-forth match with this guy makes no sense to me, but it is what it is. Finally, Lawler hits the Piledriver and gets the win, shouting for Savage to watch it. That was a confusing match but it wasn't bad for the most part, once again, another safe basic match.
After the match, Jerry Lawler tells Savage that he's right where he belongs, behind a commentary desk, and says he doesn't have the guts to face of against Lawler. Savage stands up and Lawler instantly backs off, with Vince McMahon hyping up neck week's highlight match which is Money Inc. vs. The Bushwhackers. Oh, Jesus Christ. This RAW wasn't actually too bad, it was a breeze to get through and none of the matches were actually all that offensive. Definitely not a RAW I'd say to go out of your way to see, but most certainly not one to skip if given the choice. DISCRETION
WrestleMania IX Fallout
(It was indeed a nuclear fallout)
Well, it's another day and another RAW review! We are again at the Manhattan Center in New York on April 5, 1993! We got Vince McMahon and Randy Savage on commentary, and what's this? Is no Rob Bartlett to be seen? Cool; cool cool cool. Randy Savage still looks in insane shape and I often wonder why Vince thought he didn't have anything left in him. We're in the show immediately following WrestleMania IX, and boy howdy what a god-awful show that was, it can't get any worse than that, right?
So kicking things off, we got three major matches announced for tonight, we got Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Virgil (which is happening to start the show, look at that), The Steiner Brothers vs. The Beverly Brothers, and finally Jerry Lawler making his in-ring debut on RAW! Tell you what, two of those matches might end up being squash matches, but the Steiners vs. Beverlys might be worth the price of admission alone. We get the generic Biddle music of Virgil coming out first, and Bam Bam coming after. Sadly, Virgil borrowed $10 from Bam Bam and never paid him back, so he had to pay in pain.
Vince McMahon mentions before the match that Hulk Hogan won the WWF Championship, and I die a little inside, as I'm sure Bret did too. Virgil tries to clinch and grapple with Bam Bam, his speed and agility going to be important to beating him. Bam Bam Bigelow looks like he's having trouble, but overpowers quickly and the two actually have a pretty competent match. Virgil tries a crucifix pin on Bigelow, but Bigelow slams him down onto his back and is firmly in control now. Randy Savage sounds like he hates every second of having to praise Hulk Hogan for winning the WWF title, but lights up way more just hyping people on Bret Hart being so star-spangled awesome; it's true though, I'd rather watch ten Bret Hart matches compared to ten Hulk Hogan matches. Apparently, Rob Bartlett lost all his money in Vegas and that's why he's not on RAW tonight. The crowd feels a little lively even just for a bear hug rest spot between Bam Bam and Virgil. Virgil survives the three-hand drop spot and comes alive again to get some offense on Virgil, getting a nice clean dropkick. It was only for two though. Virgil goes for a turnbuckle dive but Bam Bam dodges out of the way just in time for Virgil to land face-first into the ground. Bigelow seizes the opportunity for a diving headbutt and an easy win for him. Not a bad match, if a little basic.
After the commercial break, we get a big lady in the ring, and Jerry Lawler coming out; I can only imagine the jokes running in Lawler's head atm. Oh no, he's straight to business and grabs a mic, going for a pretty normal heel cocky asshole gimmick. The crowd starts chanting "Burger King", and Lawler gets so pissed he walks out! After that little segment, we get an interview between Yokozuna & Mr. Fuji, and Gene Okerlund. Mr. Fuji protests that the championship match between Zuna and Hogan wasn't sanctioned, had no contract, and therefore shouldn't be legal. While technically he's correct, we all know how history goes.
Alright, we got ourselves our second match of the evening, and it's *checks notes* Kim Chee and Bob Backlund. What the fuck? So Backlund is coming off a miserable loss to Razor Ramon at WrestleMania, and I guess this match is going to be meant to rebuild him back up as a viable midcard competitor. Oh no, Backlund, a WWF Champion for seven years, is definitely gonna struggle against Kim Chee, who's a glorified jobber. Well, Chee cheats and is in control sadly. This match has a whole lot of nothing going on and tbh the crowd doesn't even really care either for most of it. Randy Savage and Vince McMahon joke about Rob Bartlett being stuck at the Motel 6 in Las Vegas. Vince McMahon also brings up Luna Vachon being in the corner of Shawn Michaels; that was a combination that made zero sense, and Shawn treated her like garbage backstage for the most part too. Bob Backlund manages to get control back and goes for a weird bridging pin and gets the win. It was a pretty nothing match.
After the commercial break, we get Rob Bartlett on the phone complaining that Vince's check to him bounced, and thus he can't make it to Monday Night RAW; imagine breaking all kinds of kayfabe here by admitting Vince is the guy signing your paychecks. Oh yeah, and we got a Damien Demento match vs. Jim Brunzell in the background. How the fuck is Jim Brunzell still employed by WWF? He hasn't done anything on-screen for like years. Rob asks Vince for a ticket or for some money to be wired and instantly Savage and Vince pretend that the connection is getting worse despite Rob being heard loud and clear. Savage is also so hostile to Bartlett too, telling him to get on with his life, and at one point, Savage says, "I'd love nothing more than to help that man, I just don't got the time." So while all this chaos is happening, Brunzell and Demento have... a basic, safe match where no one is ever at risk of getting hurt. Tell you what though, Jim Brunzell can still go for sure. I have zero clue why WWF thought this Damian Demento guy was worth a shit because he absolutely wasn't. Demento starts listening to the voices in his head because for some reason he also has to be semi-schizophrenic. Jim Brunzell tries to get back control, but sadly it's not enough as Demento hits a reverse neck breaker on him after the use of an illegal object, I think.
A thinner-looking woman is holding up the RAW sign, and we get the IcoPro commercial and the Randy Savage Slim Jim commercial too. Jerry Lawler comes back out, ready to wrestle... or not. He walks out again, still not sensing any respect from the fans. We get a commercial for the replay of WrestleMania IX, and I'd rather garotte myself than have to watch it again. Oh shit, here we go! Beverly Brothers vs. the Steiners! My body is ready for some good tag team action for once! The Steiners are right off their victory over the Headshrinkers at Mania, and they're the de facto #1 contenders to the WWF Tag Team Championships held by Money Inc. who somehow retained over Hogan & Beefcake... Oh, it was by DQ, whatever. We got early lock-ups and heel shenanigans by the Beverlys by telling the ref they got their hair pulled.
This match is already faster-paced than the last three. It's a very competitive match, but just watching these two teams, Rick Steiner is the best worker out of everyone and it's not even close. The Beverlys have to cheat in order to regain control, and they decide to start slowing the match down just a little bit. So now the story of the match is Scott Steiner having to play Ricky Morton while Rick Steiner can't help his brother from the continual onslaught. Steiner finally gets a comeback mounted though after several hope spots, and when Rick Steiner manages to get tagged in, this match goes into overdrive! The Beverlys almost take back control, but they hit one another, and Scott Steiner manages to hit a Steinerline, and the Steiner Brothers are winners! Tell you what, this was a good goddamn match for Monday Night RAW.
Alright, we finally get the Jerry Lawler match and it's against... Jim Powers. Somehow, Powers ambushes Lawler and starts off hot, beating the everloving crud out of Lawler and forcing him to retreat early. It's kind of interesting to see Lawler playing a more subdued, serious heel rather than the obnoxious and over-the-top personality he becomes by the end of 1993. The crowd continually chants "Burger King", and Jerry Lawler blames Randy Savage for it, jaw-jacking with him at the commentary table. It's kind of surreal to have Jim Powers control most of the match and Lawler stalling for time with crowd interaction. You watch Jerry Lawler actually performing moves and he has the best punches in wrestling, and in my opinion, the best fist drop in all of wrestling too. The fact that Lawler is having a back-and-forth match with this guy makes no sense to me, but it is what it is. Finally, Lawler hits the Piledriver and gets the win, shouting for Savage to watch it. That was a confusing match but it wasn't bad for the most part, once again, another safe basic match.
After the match, Jerry Lawler tells Savage that he's right where he belongs, behind a commentary desk, and says he doesn't have the guts to face of against Lawler. Savage stands up and Lawler instantly backs off, with Vince McMahon hyping up neck week's highlight match which is Money Inc. vs. The Bushwhackers. Oh, Jesus Christ. This RAW wasn't actually too bad, it was a breeze to get through and none of the matches were actually all that offensive. Definitely not a RAW I'd say to go out of your way to see, but most certainly not one to skip if given the choice. DISCRETION
Bam Bam Bigelow d. Virgil | ** |
Bob Backlund d. Kim Chee | 1/2* |
Damien Demento d. Jim Brunzell | 1/2* |
The Steiner Brothers d. The Beverly Brothers | *** |
Jerry Lawler d. Jim Powers | *3/4 |