Written By: Bob Colling
World Wrestling Federation presents RAW
Date: 10/3/1994
From: Utica, NY
RAW opens up with a video hyping up the Jim Neidhart vs. British Bulldog match tonight.
Earlier tonight, Jim Neidhart and Owen Hart showed up the arena and cut a promo on Bulldog. Neidhart says that Bulldog will respect him.
RAW opening video
Vince McMahon and Randy Savage hype up what will be on the show tonight.
Opening Contest: Davey Boy Smith defeated Jim Neidhart by disqualification: Neidhart attacks Bulldog from behind as Owen Hart got on the apron. Neidhart with several clubbing blows but Bulldog comes off the ropes with a leaping shoulder block to knock Neidhart to the floor! Bulldog controls Neidhart with a side headlock and hip tosses Neidhart. Neidhart stops Bulldog with a uppercut but is taken down with a drop toe hold by Bulldog. Neidhart reaches the ropes to force Bulldog to let go of an arm bar. Test of strength sees Neidhart get the upper hand and kicks Bulldog in the midsection a few times. Bulldog gets out of the hold with a dropkick and takes Neidhart over with a side headlock. Bulldog trips Neidhart and has a leg lock on Neidhart, who quickly yanks on Bulldog’s hair to break free. Neidhart sends Bulldog hard back first into the corner. Neidhart as a cobra clutch sleeper on Bulldog, but Bulldog elbows out of the hold. Bulldog delivers a knee lift but Neidhart isn’t affected, but rather Bulldog hurt himself on the move, apparently. Neidhart has a reverse chin lock on Bulldog but again Bulldog elbows out of it. Bulldog comes off the ropes but Owen yanks down the top rope and Bulldog falls to the floor. WWF World Champion Bret Hart makes his way down to the ring as RAW goes to commercial. Neidhart chokes Bulldog across the middle rope as Bulldog has a injured right knee. Neidhart drops Bulldog throat first across the top rope and they trade right hands until Neidhart eye rakes Bulldog. Neidhart has a bear hug locked in right in the middle of the ring. Neidhart lets go of the hold and stomps away on Bulldog’s injured right knee. Bulldog kicks Neidhart away in the corner and connects with a running clothesline for a two count! Neidhart has a leg lock on Bulldog to continue to work on Bulldog’s injured knee. Neidhart has the camel clutch on Bulldog but lets go to deliver a shot to the face. Neidhart misses a knee drop leaping off the middle rope. Bulldog with a series of clotheslines and connects with a vertical suplex for a two count! Bob Backlund walks down to the ring as Owen Hart knee drops Bulldog who attempted a sunset flip on Neidhart, to cause a DQ. **
After the match, Neidhart and Owen are sent into each other. Bret Hart and British Bulldog stand tall in the ring.
A video of the WWF saying they never go on strike, which is a jab at MLB. They don’t really have the option to go on strike, since wrestlers don’t have a union.
Second Contest: Doink the Clown defeated Barry Horowitz: Doink wins the squash following the Whoopee Cushion.
A video from WWF Superstars is shown. Paul Bearer and the Undertaker cut another promo regarding Taker wrestling Yokozuna on the Hart Attack Tour. Taker tells Yokozuna the next time he looks into Taker’s eyes, Yokozuna will be looking up from the casket!
Jerry Lawler is in the ring for another edition of Kings Court. Lawler can’t stand two things. Lawler can’t stand Doink and Dink who wear ridiculous outfits to get attention. Lawler introduces his guest Yokozuna, Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette to set the record straight regarding the rumor that Yokozuna is afraid of the Undertaker. Cornette claims that Yokozuna is not afraid of the Undertaker, but rather the Undertaker is afraid of Yokozuna! Cornette hypes up the casket matches that Yokozuna will be competing in against the Undertaker during the Hart Attack Tour. Lawler says casket, and Cornette tells Lawler to stop saying that word as Yokozuna doesn’t like it. Cornette puts Yokozuna over as the only guy to beat the Undertaker at his own match. Cornette assures the fans that the Undertaker will be the guy who goes into the casket. Cornette believes that the Undertaker will rest in peace!
A video promoting next weeks featured match which will see Lex Luger competing against Bam-Bam Bigelow!
Third Contest: WWF Women’s Champion Alundra Blayze/Heidi Lee Morgan defeated Bull Nakano/Luna Vachon: Morgan and Vachon start off the tag match. Morgan with a quick rollup out of the corner but only gets a two count. Crossbody by Morgan for another two count. Vachon yanks Morgan down by the hair and chops Morgan a few times. Morgan is double teamed in the corner behind the referees back. Vachon scoop slams Morgan and splashes down onto Morgan off the middle rope for a near fall. Nakano tags in and Morgan connects with a head scissors for a near fall. Nakano whips Morgan down to the mat by the hair. Hurricanrna by Morgan on Nakano for a two count. Vachon tags in and clotheslines Morgan. Morgan battles back with several right hands and chops. Morgan dropkicks Vachon and scoop slams Vachon. Morgan tags in Blayze who yanks Vachon down by the hair a few times. Nakano tags in and kicks Blayze to get the advantage. Blayze is double teamed behind he referees back. Blayze comes off with a cross body on both Nakano and Vachon. Nakano manages to double vertical suplex her opponents. Blayze leaps off the middle rope with a cross body on Nakano for a near fall. Nakano clotheslines both Morgan and Blayze. Vachon accidentally missile dropkicks Nakano. Blayze connects with a German suplex on Vachon and gets the win. **
A video hyping up the return of King Kong Bundy is aired. Bundy will be in action next week.
A video from December 26th, 1983 where Iron Sheik defeated Bob Backlund to win the WWF World Championship. A towel was thrown in on behalf of Backlund, ending a near six year reign for Backlund.
Main Event: Bob Backlund defeated Gary Scott: Backlund wins the squash with the chicken wing submission.
Vince McMahon and Randy Savage hype up next weeks show.
Backstage, WWF World Champion Bret Hart talks about Bob Backlund. Hart thinks that Backlund has lost his mind. Hart says that Backlund was telling Hart that Backlund was the real champion. Hart mentions that he already has beaten Backlund and doesn’t know what Backlund is talking about.
End of show
My Take: Bulldog/Neidhart was a decent match. Neidhart doesn’t really offer much in the ring so expecting any kind of epic match is highly unrealistic. Bulldog looked okay in the ring, as he didn’t really do much aside from his normal spots. The finish was pretty anti-climatic. Would’ve liked to have seen Bulldog get a big clean win in his return of the WWF. Found it odd that Backlund didn’t attack Bret at ringside. I was fully expecting that to happen.
Yoko/Taker feud is nothing different then what they were doing in late 1993 and early 1994. It makes sense that the feud is happening, considering Taker needs his payback, but it just isn’t a interesting angle, in my opinion.
Women’s tag match was also a decent match. I fully expect the women’s matches to suck, but they have been turning in some alright performances. A Blayze/Nakano feud is clearly in the works.
Overall, some decent action this week so it wasn’t a complete waste of a show. I’ll say it was a good show as I wasn’t bored out of my mind while watching it.
Thanks for reading.