In this WWF Monday Night RAW 1/11/93 review, it’s the first-ever edition of the show, and as you’ll find out approximately 8,742 times during the broadcast, it’s UNCUT, UNCOOKED, and UNCENSORED.
Let’s roll through the inaugural episode of the iconic show.
- Date: January 11, 1993
- Location: Manhattan Center in New York, NY
OUTSIDE THE ARENA: Sean Mooney welcomes us and Bobby Heenan storms through to try to get in. Mooney tells him there’s no tickets. Heenan is pissed.
RINGSIDE: Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, and Rob Bartlett are your commentators. One of these is not like the others.
Koko B. Ware vs. Yokozuna (w/Mr. Fuji)
Savage calls Yoko the “world’s biggest egg roll.” That would go over well in 2018. Vince is laughing hysterically at everything Bartlett says, which should tell you all you need to know about the latter’s comedy. And there’s the joke about Koko being a clone of Gary Coleman. Not sure how this show is still going 25 years later.
Meanwhile, Koko gives Yoko a bunch of flying dropkicks, but that shit ain’t working. Yoko squashes him and delivers the Banzai Drop for the win at 3:45.
VIDEO: Royal Rumble video hyping the big match and Bret Hart vs. Razor Ramon for the WWF title.
BACKSTAGE: Heenan hypes up “The Narcissist” and tells Mr. Perfect that he is inferior. Try to say “narcissist” 10 times fast.
The Steiner Brothers vs. The Executioners
Another Bartlett gem as he asks which Steiner is the one in the headgear. Savage is clearly getting impatient. The match starts and we see Doink causing chaos in the crowd. Executioner 1 completely botches an Irish whip and bounces his head off the top rope. So naturally Rick tries again and destroys him with a clothesline. More squashing from the Steiners and they hit the finisher at 3:00 for the victory.
OUTSIDE THE ARENA: Heenan is dressed up as a woman is tries to get in the arena. Mooney rips the hair off and Heenan is pissed again.
IN THE RING: Razor Ramon joins Vince. Razor says he’s ready for the title match at the Rumble. Vince asks why he jumped Owen Hart. We get the video of Razor attacking Owen, and Razor says there’s nothing Bret can do. Razor flicks the toothpick at Vince to wrap things up.
BACKSTAGE: Bartlett screws up the transition back to Tatanka, who pushes Headlock for Hunger.
Max Moon vs. (c) Shawn Michaels – WWF Intercontinental Title
Good back and forth action early as the ICOPRO sign looks on in the background. Hammerlock time from Moon as the crowd chants for Michaels. Bartlett makes another terrible joke before we go to commercial.
We come back and Bartlett says Michaels pulled a knife on Moon during the break. Vince quickly shuts that down. Michaels controlling things as Doink roams around in the aisle. Moon gets a near fall and the Bartlett/Doink show is clearly more important than the actual match. Bartlett gives a brutal Mike Tyson impression and Vince pushes this to the point where Bartlett keeps this going for nearly five minutes.
Michaels gets a couple of near falls and goes to the reverse chin lock while Bartlett is still doing the Tyson impressions. Moon reverses and catapults Michaels to the outside. Moon then dives from the apron and takes the champ out. Back inside and Moon gets another near fall. Then from outta nowhere, Michaels hits the future Sweet Chin Music and a suplex to retain the title at 10:30. Solid match that’s probably even better when watched on mute.
VIDEO: Gene Okerlund with the Royal Rumble report. Michaels hypes the IC title match with Marty Jannetty, and the latter says the Rumble will be held on MARTY JANNETTY DAY. SOMEONE TELL THAT TO RUSEV. Gene runs down the Rumble headliners, and Perfect hypes himself up. Fuji does the same with Yoko. And then Hacksaw Jim Duggan says he’s here to fuck shit up.
OUTSIDE THE ARENA: Mooney back again, and Heenan still trying to get in.
RINGSIDE: The announce trio still pushing the UNCUT, UNCOOKED, and UNCENSORED theme. We get a video of Kamala getting pushed around by Harvey Wippleman and Kim Chee, which leads to Slick intervening and getting beat up. Kamala then snaps and kicks Kim Chee’s ass.
Damian Demento vs. The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer)
A main event anywhere in the world right here. Demento’s character was actually entertaining, but I think we know how this is gonna go. Demento delivers some punches but then Taker goes to work. VINTAGE UNDERTAKER off the top rope.
Demento regains some momentum and knocks the big man to the mat, but Taker raises up and my guess is this one is about over. And then Taker hits the Tombstone Piledriver to pick up the victory at 2:26.
RINGSIDE: Vince with Doink. Apparently Doink is making kids cry, and Vince isn’t happy. Crush isn’t either as he comes out and warns the clown, BRAH. Crush chases and Doink laughs hysterically.
OUTSIDE THE ARENA: Mooney tells Heenan he can go in now.
SHOW SUMMARY
The Moon/Michaels match wasn’t half bad, but everything else was typical 1993. And then there was the debut of Barlett, which deserves its own category.
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