OOOLD SCHOOOOL

[tiger_rick]

That's easily the best episode from the first 2 years of Raw. It really is a good job Nitro came along and booted them up the arse.

[tiger_rick]

WWF Raw Is War - 17th February 1997

 

This episode comes the night after the Final Four PPV at which Bret Hart won the vacant WWF Title for his 4th reign. It features a pretty blatant Ratings ploy in which the new WWF Champion is scheduled to defend the title against Psycho Sid. The match starts right off the bat but Steve Austin attacks Bret and then Sid, pushing it back to the start of the second hour. I'm not sure why Austin goes after Sid's knee in the first segment. Sid has a blatant advantage over Bret, which he should as the heel, but the knee injury levels the playing field somewhat. It fits into Austin's character in that he'd attack anyone but it is a little oddity. Terrific audible when Sid informs the ref "The motherfucker hit me in my leg asshole".

 

First proper match is Savio vs. Marc Mero. I think Mero was out for ages after this match. Savio has the whole nation with him bar Faarooq and Mason who watch from the stands. Mero has Sable. It's a decent match with the highlight being Sable kicking the shit out of one of PG13. Sable eventually has to get in the ring to avoid an NoD attack leading to a no contest. The NoD have Sable and Mero surrounded when Ahmed Johnson hits the ring in a pair of bright orange pajamas armed with a 2x4 which he then drops as usual. The NoD run away from Ahmed anyway. When you can look scary in the Tango man's PJ's, you really are a hard nut.

 

Ross and Lawler interview Bret via video link in the dressing room. I really like these segments. They pop up during a lot of matches too. They work beautifully in part because Ross asks questions a real journo might ask and part because Lawler just winds people up.

 

Next is Rocky Miavia vs. Leif Cassidy. This is about 10 minutes too long. No wonder Rocky didn't get over, having near 15 minute matches with jabronis. Following the match, Lawler calls out ECW for the following week. Lawler was ace back then, he's even better next week.

 

Goldust cuts one of his weird promos though this one features Marlena endorsing Goldust's masculinity as they bury the ambiguous sexuality aspect of his character. HHH interupts and beats the snot out of Goldust before Chyna, who debuted "last night", jumps the rail again and shakes Marlena "like a rag doll". Good segment this. Good development for HHH after some failed attempts to align him with a manager/bodyguard.

 

The Headbangers then beat the Hardys in a competitive quash, if that makes sense. This gets over the quality of the Headbangers. The Hardys are decent but small and indistinguishable. to be fair, they still were once the debuted proper but it never held them back. During the match Ross interviews Faarooq who challenges Ahmed to a Chicago Street Fight at WM. A blow-off to the never ending feud in sight?

 

They spend a few minutes showing the opening angle again before Austin attacks Bret backstage on his way to the ring for the rescheduled match. The match will now be in the traditional main event slot. As cynical as this angle is, it all works great because Austin and Bret are in the zone.

 

The pace slows up next as Owen Hart and Flash Funk put on a decent wrestling match. Mid-match, Paul E calls in to accept Lawler's challenge.

 

Lawler: "I have absolutely zero respect for you, ECW and all of the misfits, has-beens and no talent bums that are in ECW, you understand that?"

 

Paul E: "Lawler, if you tell the police and the security to let us in next week, and as long as the local neighbourhood watch doesn't have to be informed that you're in the neighbourhood, I'll see you face to face with the ECW stars alongside of me next week live in the Manhattan Centre"

 

Lawler: "Come on down, you probably won't recognise the place because the Manhattan Centre is an arena not a Bingo hall where you're used to perform(ing) in"

 

Clarence Mason interferes in the match for no reason, Bulldog comes down and scolds him and then helps Owen cheat a victory. All good between these two this week. Corking little Steve Austin promo mid-match too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjEeDS3I6tA&t=9m3s

 

Bart Gunn beats HHH by count-out in a snoozefest. Honky Tonk does commentary to continue what is arguably the most pointless storyline in pro-wrestling history. Who will be Honky Tonk's protege? it goes on for months, not one person in the entire world gives a shit and the ending it rubbish aswell.

 

Finally, Sid beats Bret for the World Title in the biggest injustice of all time. It's a decent match but I've always hated it and continue to hate it because Bret lost. It's all Steve Austin's fault, the cunt. Sid and Taker go head to head to close the show. WrestleMania main event feel. This doesn't have any.

[tiger_rick]

WWF Raw Is War - 24th February 1997

 

Corking episode this one. There seemed to be a lot of diversity in the presentation of Raw. We've had Royal Rumble Raw in a massive venue, Manhattan Centre ECW invasion and next week is from Germany. It kind of mirrored how the mid-card would be for the next 18 months, throwing stuff at the wall to see if anything sticks. This is the return to Manhattan Centre which was, as Vince McMahon informed us 467 times, the original home of Raw in January 1993. The next show would be from Germany so I presume there was a tour going on at the time as Bret, Owen, Davey, Austin, Vader, Mankind, Ahmed, Sid don't appear. Using the ECW guys to fill out the show was genius. I don't think it did much for the ratings but it makes for a good show.

 

McMahon and Lawler are on commentary. McMahon announces 3/4 of the way through that it's because Jim Ross's father had died and sends out the most insincere heartfelt condolences to the family. I don't think they would really have been insincere but McMahon's car salesman commentator voice makes it so.

 

First match is a bit of a snoozer between The Godwinns and the New Blackjacks. Blackjacks are debuting on Raw but I think they've already appeared on Shotgun Saturday Night. It could've been worse but if they'd just kicked the shit out of each other for 5 minutes, it could've been better. Windham pins Phinneus after moving his foot from the rope during a pin. Godwinns are not happy and slop the referee.

 

First WCW involvement next. The Eliminators hit the ring and hit the total elimination finisher on a "ring attendant" who's actually some plant who ruins the whole thing by holding his hands on his head from the minute Saturn grabs him. Paul E. jumps in, points out Lawler and screams "Your challenge has been accepted, ECW is in ... the ... house." Paul E. sticks around to introduce Little Guido and the bWo before joining for commentary.

 

The match is an afterthought. The real action is on commentary. The bWo schtick is fun though. Stevie's "We're taking over!" gets a pop from the crowd and a chuckle from Vinny Mac. Meanie's Scott Hall "Say hello to the blue guy" is great too. Heyman: "You're looking at a revolutionary concept". Lawler: "It's another ECW rip-off". Heyman: "Of what? Who or what are we ripping off?". Vinny Mac: "Well certainly this has nothing to do with the clothing line of nWo". Vinny Mac then calls Richards "Stevie Rey". The best line in the exchange follows though.

 

Heyman: "Hey McMahon, you impress me as an announcer. if this WWF thing does not work out for you, we would give you a job in ECW."

 

Richards wins with the Stevie kick. Heyman puts it over as extreme and lawler points out that HBK has done it hundreds of times. "You know what the difference between Big Stevie Cool and Shawn Michaels is? Stevie Cool has never lost his smile."

 

Next up is Sunny out for an arm-wrestling match with Marlena. Sunny cuts a full on heel Ravishing Rick Rude promo. The fans still cheer her wildly when she takes her robe off. The "match" itself is basically a load of stalling and bending over while Honky Tonk shows bias as the ref and the camera man tries to get Sunny's jugs in shot but is the precursor for Goldust and Savio to have a brawl before their match. Sunny stays around and is a dull on heel with the NoD which confuses even Jerry Lawler. The match is decent but rest hold heavy. Miguel Perez Jr. is on commentary, blasts Savio for his heel turn and then saves Goldust from a post-match brawl. I can't recall at all how it went from this to the Boricuas. I guess I'll remember when I watch it. Match was a DQ victory for Goldust when the NoD jumped in.

 

Jerry Lawler introduces "The world's most dangerous man" Ken Shamrock in the crowd and tries to buddy up to him and takes credit for his success but Kenny denies even knowing him. Typical Lawler. Paul E. is back on ring announcer duties "Man, has this show sucked without ECW or what?". Crowd agrees. He's introducing Taz and "Mickey" Whipwreck (says McMahon). Usual Taz match, Heyman puts over the names of the suplexes, McMahon half defends ECW, Lawler trashes it. Lawler on Taz "This guy's so small he bought an ant farm as a second home." Heyman retorts "Coming from a guy that is 5 foot 10 and was on top of a territory for 76 years, that is the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard." Previous match was interupted by a Goldust promo. This one features a Faarooq promo. Good promo too. Taz wins with the Tazmission. Sabu then does his infamous swanton from the giant RAW letters. Or at least he tries to but the R moves and he falls head first, luckily onto Taz's security team. They slo-mo replay it later, presumably for comedy effect.

 

A big surprise is promised next. Headbangers are out first. Surprise is .... The Legion of Doom are back. Cool. Crowd doesn't really react to "Urgh, what a rush" but then pops huge when they realise who it is. Odd choice of opponent in the headbangers who are a babyface team on the way up. Match is decent but goes to a no contest. LOD hit their finisher afterwards on Mosh. The terrific HBK "Tell me a lie" promo follows www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuB2MQ_vHR4&t=6m20s

 

D-Von Dudley vs. Tommy Dreamer is next. Beulah looks gorgeous. Tommy smashes D-Von with some weapons and then hits a great move, baseball sliding the ring steps into D-Von. It starts to kick off at ringside. Lawler's excellent "I've never been ashamed of been a professional wrestler until I saw this crap in the ring and I look at an idiot like you" takes things up a notch. Undertaker promo interrupts this match. He's trying to sell WrestleMania. Poor bastard. The match finished mid-promo, Beulah with a low blow, Dreamer with the DDT on the chair. Bubba Dudley joins the attack, Sandman makes the save and a mass brawl breaks out at ringside with Lawler taking on all comers. When we come back from the ads, it's calmed down and Lawler gives another cracking promo.

 

Main Event is Faarooq vs. Taker. It follows after a nearly 4 minute recap on the Bret/Sid match last week which has some exclusive footage of bret going mental and swearing a lot backstage. Fantastic Faarooq promo pre-match calling out Shamrock from ringside, calls the UFC cat-fighting and insists they're Tigers in the WWF. I love 1997 Undertaker. He's still got a lot of the character traits, still no-sells and sits up a lot but is athletic and quick. he's ace. The match is really decent, Faarooq giving as good as he gets and looking like a real star. D'Lo Brown takes a couple of pastings from 'Taker at ringside. I know you'll find this shocking but it ends in a DQ when the NoD runs in. I thought Shamrock would make the save but it's actually LOD who come down and clean house.

 

Looks like that one on one blow-off to the never ending feud is a while off yet.

 

Good show though. MVP is Lawler, Heyman not far behind.

[The Cum Doctor]

WWE RAW 01/02/1993

 

We go straight to the action in this one.

 

Tatanka vs. Damien Demento

 

Tatanka goes absolutely chop crazy in the early going, with all roads leading to Chop City. Demento looks much better on offense than he did against The Undertaker earlier in the year. He's still not very good though. Tatanka wins a decidedly average match with the Samoan Drop.

 

We see some backslapping with Bret Hart parading a cheque for $100,000 to charity as part of Headlock on Hunger to American Red Cross.

 

We now have a "Special Interview" with Brutus Beefcake. He is going to return to the ring and take on all comers. Vince McMahon thinks this is risky stuff. Beefcake gives us a sob story about cheating wives and dead mothers. Good grief. He then says he was gonna give up, but the hand of Hogan reached out and told him to fight. So he's gonna. Brutus has put out an open contract and he'll take on anybody.

 

High Energy vs. "Iron" Mike Sharpe and...someone.

 

A nice spirited tag team squash here. High Energy win it quickly with a modified version of the Hart Attack, using a Dropkick.

We go back a few weeks to when Doink attacked Crush with a fake arm filled with lead in an amazing angle. By any standards, that was a vile segment. I mean that in the best way possible.

 

Doink the Clown vs. Typhoon

 

By that reckoning, I'd imagine this isn't going to end well for the big man. Typhoon seems to be pretty angry with Doink for what he has done. Doink suddenly shows off some quality wrestling right off the bat, and Typhoon seems to be a bit confused by this. The match basically turns into Doink doing all sorts of submission moves on Typhoon. Doink gets the tights in the end for the pin. Really good showcase of Doink here, if not exactly a really good match.

 

We go to Howard Finkel, and he leads a tribute to Andre the Giant.

 

Yokozuna vs. Poor Fucker.

 

It's actually Bobby Devito. Or at least, I think that's the name. Whoever he is, he's gonna get killed dead. Bobby charges right into a Superkick right off the bat. It just continues down that road with some real brutality from the big man. Banzai Drop finishes the match.

 

Money Inc. are now heading to ringside. Haven't seen nearly enough of them on RAW. Dibiase has some words for Beefcake. He isn't impressed by the sob story either. Dibiase says that Beefcake has the choice of Dibiase and IRS. They're flipping for it, and then Ted Dibiase gets the match. Jimmy Hart says this is a waste of time. Dibiase and IRS say there isn't anything to worry about.

 

"The Narcissist" Lex Luger vs. Jason Knight

 

Luger shows some decent power stuff and just generally is coming across as a prick and the referee counts the three with the pinky on the chest, which just sort of adds to that. All in all, it's a decent showing for Luger. Luger with the Big Swing post-match as well, just because he can.

 

That's a wrap for a mediocre episode of RAW.

[The Cum Doctor]

WWE RAW 15/02/1993

 

We have some hype for Brutus' return match to open the show. Jimmy Hart is still a bit worried about how that's gonna turn out.

 

The Steiner Brothers vs. Glen Ruth and Bobby Who

 

The Steiners seem to be over with this crowd. Bobby Who couldn't be more aptly named. Scott Steiner fucking MURDERS Glen Ruth with the most horrific Dragon Suplex you've ever seen. This is the usual fun as hell Steiner squashing of two poor sods. It DOES get a bit disjointed at times, but the Steiners show us that if a squash is going wrong, just brutalize the opponents. They end things with the Doomsday Bulldog.

 

Yokozuna vs. Ross Greenberg

 

We go from one real fun squash to another. Greenberg doesn't seem sure how to deal with this one, before doing what all idiot jobbers do and charges. His receipt is the Superkick. This one goes the same way as many and he wins the match with the Banzai Drop. Check that poor guy for a pulse.

 

As a sidenote, Randy Savage on the broken headset is great fun. He's going absolutely mental.

 

Lord Alfred Hayes leads us to a recap of Jim Duggan vs. Yokozuna from Superstars. We see Duggan coming close to getting Yokozuna down and then eventually doing it, and they're dancing in the crowd. Yokozuna doesn't take to kindly to that and throws salt in the eyes. Yokozuna then proceeds to absolutely slaughter Duggan with multiple Banzai Drops.

 

EDIT: I can actually remember that angle being pretty hard to watch as a youngster.

 

Next up is a recap of a squash match featuring a bunch of jobbers and Giant Gonzalez. The jobbers do a runner. Aye, that's how you deal with it!

 

16 Man Battle Royal

 

Trying to keep a track of who's in there. Shawn Michaels, Backlund, Bezerker, Terry Taylor, Kim Chee, Matador, Ramon, Owen Hart, Typhoon, Skinner, Koko and Kamala and that's all I can really make out. I hate battle royals. Especially ones where there's nothing of note going on. Kim Chee wants nothing to do with Kamala but that's it. So like all battle royals, this is a complete clusterfuck. We have some storyline with Kim Chee giving a cheap elimination, and then Kamala going in and getting rid on his own. They then brawl into the crowd and then Kamala chases Kim Chee all over the place. We have a final four of Ramon, Matador, HBK and Tatanka which doesn't change the boredom in any way. Gonzalez decides to save us from this tedious pile of shite and toss every cunt out apart from Razor Ramon, who I think might have won the match by default. Yup, it worked. What a pile of utter wank.

 

"The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase vs. Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake

 

So this is the in ring return of Beefcake after he made an open challenge to anyone on the WWE roster, which led to Money Inc. taking exception. Beefcake spends the early portion of the match making Beefcake look very silly. Dibiase tries to take shots at the face of Beefcake but it doesn't work and the early pattern continues. IRS with a blatant shot to the back of Brutus with the case and the referee rings the bell.

 

Post-match, Money Inc. are laying a beating on Brutus Beefcake. Jimmy Hart is trying to get his men to stand off a bit here. That doesn't stop IRS from running at Beefcake and using the case right on the busted face of Beefcake after a lot of teasing. Jimmy Hart is in total disbelief at what he did. Money Inc. do much more teasing and then head for the back. Well, the match itself was good setup for the angle as it was really just Beefcake humiliating Ted Dibiase to the point that Money Inc. had to do something about it. Good stuff all round.

 

The show started with a couple of cracking little squash matches and ended with a good angle, but the battle royal is almost unforgivable on it's own. So much time wasted on what was essentially a match set up for Gonzalez's big entrance at the end.

[EdgarTheSlouch]

WWE RAW 01/02/1993

 

 

"The Narcissist" Lex Luger vs. Jason Knight

 

Luger shows some decent power stuff and just generally is coming across as a prick and the referee counts the three with the pinky on the chest, which just sort of adds to that. All in all, it's a decent showing for Luger. Luger with the Big Swing post-match as well, just because he can.

 

That's a wrap for a mediocre episode of RAW.

 

As in the 'Sexiest Man On Earth'?

[The Cum Doctor]

Apparently so!

 

Kinda fitting for Luger to face him I'd say.

[Fox Piss]

WWE RAW 01/02/1993

 

 

"The Narcissist" Lex Luger vs. Jason Knight

 

Luger shows some decent power stuff and just generally is coming across as a prick and the referee counts the three with the pinky on the chest, which just sort of adds to that. All in all, it's a decent showing for Luger. Luger with the Big Swing post-match as well, just because he can.

 

That's a wrap for a mediocre episode of RAW.

 

As in the 'Sexiest Man On Earth'?

 

Yep. I'm sure Alphonso will be around somewhere too.

[Devon Malcolm]

Remember this era of Raw so well. The Doink stuff was so brilliantly built up to that attack on Crush, which was definitely really nasty. I think they censored replays of it up until Wrestlemania on Sky Sports.

[The Cum Doctor]

I'm pretty sure Louie Spicolli is one of the guys who gets decimated in the Gonzalez squash they show you from Superstars as well, but I'm not sure.

[EdgarTheSlouch]

I'm pretty sure Louie Spicolli is one of the guys who gets decimated in the Gonzalez squash they show you from Superstars as well, but I'm not sure.

 

It wouldnt surprise me as Louie was doing jobs as far back as 88

[tiger_rick]

That's a fantastic angle at the end. I wish I'd seen it in 1993. I recall watching WrestleMania 9 (hired from the video shop) and wondering where the hell Beefcake had been and what the hell Hart was doing with Hogan.

[EdgarTheSlouch]

That's a fantastic angle at the end. I wish I'd seen it in 1993. I recall watching WrestleMania 9 (hired from the video shop) and wondering where the hell Beefcake had been and what the hell Hart was doing with Hogan.

 

remember seeing it a bit on the wwf year in review 93 vhs - good stuff

[The Cum Doctor]

WWE RAW 22/02/1993

 

It's clear from the very beginning, the fans want to see Hulk Hogan.

 

Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Scott Taylor

Interesting jobber this one! Taylor gets too big for his own boots by hitting a Clothesline. Bigelow lets him know how bad an idea this is by instantly murdering him with one of his own. Outside of the amusement of some of the commentary and the occaisional bit of big man brutality, this is actually quite a dull squash match. Bigelow eventually puts Taylor, and the viewers, out of their misery with the Falling Headbutt off of the top two times in a row.

 

We go to a pre-taped interview. Hogan says the future of Hulkamania is so exciting that he can't contain himself. Hogan talks about making mistakes in the past. Hogan has a go at people dwelling on negatives. Hogan wants to be the leader. "Do as I do." Hogan is actually sounding very... erm... self centered here. Fucking bizzaro world stuff there.

 

The Beverly Brothers and Shawn Michaels vs. Tatanka and The Nasty Boys

 

This should at least be a lot of fun, even if I hate the Beverlys. The Rumble of 1993 showed what they can be involved in with the right guys. This is a formula six man tag, although it does do a little bit of playing with the formula which was nice to see. Doesn't make the match anymore exciting though. The way it helps to build up the Tatanka/HBK battle at Mania is the main selling point of the battle. The final stretch was fun at least even if they had a major botch in there. Tatanka gets a Sunset Flip out of the Back Drop Suplex to win the match for his team.

 

We're outside with a bunch of Hulk Hogan fans who are there to see the man live. Well, they aren't gonna see him from out there, that's for sure.

 

Crush vs. Terry Taylor

 

Neither man gets an entrance which is a surprise given that Crush was a wee bit up in the pecking order, given he was walking into the fued with Doink the Clown. Taylor was basically a jobber who gave good matches at this point, and this was inoffensive stuff that helped to make Crush look good against an experienced name. Crush then ends it with the Kona Crush and that's it for an eventful little extended squash.

 

We look back to the angle from the week before with Money Inc. and Brutus Beefcake. That was a cracking angle.

 

We're now in the ring with Vince McMahon and we're not gonna be waiting any longer... HULK HOGAN!!! Hogan couldn't wait to see Brutus make his comeback and was delighted when Beefcake was humiliating him. Hogan thinks Brutus looks more like a wrestler than he ever did. Hogan then thanks God and then Jimmy Hart. When Hogan says he's back, a HUUUUGE pop breaks out. Here comes Beefcake now. Beefcake wants to thank Jimmy Hart as well. There's too much talk of god going on here. Hogan and Beefcake have a new manager in Jimmy Hart. This is all getting a bit too cheesy for me, as Jimmy Hart starts reeling out the Hogan catchphrases with extra oomph. Well, I didn't enjoy that.

 

The Undertaker vs. Skinner

 

Hold on... so they're following that segment with a match? This match gets the shit chopped right out of it since they're heading for the end of the show. Oh, it turns out we don't even get to see the end of the match and we go off the air. We don't really see enough to make a judgement on it.

 

That was a sort of shite episode of RAW. The Hogan segment was fairly cringeworthy, but should have ended the show, and what DID end the show, we didn't even get to see. Bigelow's squash was rancid and the six man and Crush matches were, while inoffensive, not really up to much.

[wwffan2]

Just watching the Raw Bowl from 1996, I never knew this existed I do not have a clue what is going on its so surreal.So far I have the watched the first three Raws from 1996,.So far there has been the following things.....Steve Austin Debut as the ringmaster,Vader being announced for debuting at the royal rumble 1996.Raw showing In Your House matches no idea why ?An early Kane vs Undertaker match in the guise of Isac Yankem vs Undertaker.