WWF Monday Night RAW 04-05-93

Lawler makes his RAW debut, so this episode is special, right? There couldn’t be celebrity guests trying to attach themselves to this glorious moment, are there?

Normally, I don’t comment on the intros, but Vince had to be cringing when Savage DIDN’T wear a toga at WrestleMania IX because he mentions that Savage WORE a toga during the intro. Oops.

According to Vince, Mr. Fuji and Yokozuna filed a protest concerning Hogan’s victory yesterday.
Virgil leap-frogged and dropkicked Bigelow but couldn’t take him off his feet.
When Bigelow sent Virgil to the corner, he came up empty on his follow-through.
While the Manhattan faithful chanted “Virgil sucks,” their nemesis tried to slide between Bigelow’s legs but came up short.

That earned him a slam from Bigelow who then missed a diving head butt.
As Virgil rolled him up, he got 2.
He then attempted a crucifix, but Bigelow countered with a Samoan drop.
Shortly after, Bigelow applied a bear hug while Vince lied about Bartlett’s absence.

The Manhattan faithful then changed their tune and rooted for Virgil. Make up your minds!
When Bigelow gave Virgil a cross corner whip, he ate boot on his follow-through.
Virgil then mounted the second turnbuckle and grazed Bigelow with a clothesline.
As he mounted the top turnbuckle, Virgil delivered a missile dropkick for 2.
Bigelow then reversed a cross corner whip, but Virgil floated over him.
After Virgil leaped to the second turnbuckle, Bigelow evaded a cross body block.
He then clotheslined Virgil, mounted the top turnbuckle, and hit the diving head butt.
1-2-3.
Bigelow won.

Summary: While the finish was never in doubt, the match was competitive and entertaining for the most part.

Lawler comes to the ring, grabs the microphone, insults the Manhattan faithful, and leaves due to a persistent “Burget King” chant.

We then return to Caesar’s Palace where “Mean” Gene Okerlund stands alongside Fuji and Yokozuna. He then states that WWF President Jack Tunney has a “tough decision to make” concerning the WWF title.

Chee slammed Backlund twice and delivered a back elbow after a Backlund escape.
Shortly after, Chee hooked a sunset flip for 2 while the Manhattan faithful chanted “Bob-by.”
Backlund then countered a side head lock with a belly-to-back suplex.
As he hip-tossed Chee, Backlund slammed him.
Chee then leap-frogged Backlund and attempted a monkey flip.
On the other hand, Backlund countered with a reverse roll-up along with a bridge.
1-2-3.
Backlund won.

During the match, Bartlett was on the phone.
Brunzell hooked an inside cradle and got 2.
When he secured a sunset flip, Brunzell earned another 2-count.
Demento rebounded with a standing leg drop while Vince shilled the encore presentation of WrestleMania IX.
As Demento delivered a pair of elbow drops, he got 2.
While the Manhattan faithful chanted “bor-ing,” Brunzell hit an atomic drop and rang Demento’s bell.
He then dropkicked Demento for 2.
After Demento reversed an Irish whip, he gave Brunzell a hangman’s neckbreaker.
He then delivered a knee drop and pinned Brunzell.

Lawler made a second attempt to come to the ring, but the Manhattan faithful booed him out of the building.

Scott gave Beau a double underhook powerbomb, but Beau tagged out.
As Rick tagged in, Blake powerslammed him but didn’t impress the Manhattan faithful.
Rick then delivered his own powerslam and tagged in Scott.
When Scott hooked a bear hug on Blake, he converted it into an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Nifty!
Beau then put a knee into Scott’s back while Blake baited Rick to distract referee Bill Alfonso.
After the Beverlies hit an aided leap frog body guillotine, Beau tagged in, mounted the top turnbuckle, and lowered the boom on Scott.
He then gave Scott a backbreaker for 2.
Following a commercial break, a false tag occurred.
Beau then baited Rick to distract Alfonso again while Blake gave Scott the business in the heel corner. How dastardly!
As Blake tagged in, he applied a bear hug to Scott.
He then attempted a vertical suplex, but Scott blocked it and delivered one of his own.
When Beau tagged in, he missed a standing leg drop.
Scott then reversed an Irish whip and hit a tilt-a-whirl slam.
After a hot tag, Rick gave Blake a Steinerline for 2.
Scott tagged in, and the Beverlies miscommunicated on a top rope spot.
As Scott delivered a Frankensteiner to him, he pinned Blake.

Summary: Was there a sign hanging in the Manhattan Center because the Manhattan faithful were OUT TO LUNCH for this one.

While Lawler took his sweet time making his entrance, Powers nailed him.
He then made Lawler HIT THE POLE.
When he mounted the top turnbuckle, Powers hammered Lawler.
He then gave Lawler a pair of cross corner whips followed by a clothesline.
As Lawler sought refuge outside the ring, a good look at Powers revealed that he may have been using performance-enhancing drugs earlier in his WWF days.

Nevertheless, Powers then leap-frogged and hip-tossed Lawler.
After Powers slammed Lawler, the Manhattan faithful professed their love for the Whopper.

Powers then reversed an Irish whip and backdropped Lawler.
When he missed a dropkick, Powers ate a back elbow.
Lawler then gave Powers a cross corner whip but ate boot on his follow-through.
Upon delivering the ten-top-turnbuckle count-along, Powers hit a knee lift.
He then backdropped Lawler again, but Lawler responded with a piledriver.
With a handful of tights, Lawler pinned Powers.

Conclusion: Decent episode as Lawler did his absolute best to generate heel heat. Unfortunately, this show garnered a lower than normal rating due to competing against the NCAA basketball national championship game. Gee, did anything monumental happen in that game?