Written By: Bob Colling
World Wrestling Federation presents RAW
Date: 10/24/1994
From: Burlington, VT
Vince McMahon and Randy Savage welcome everyone to the show. They hype up what is going to be on the show as Yokozuna makes his way down to the ring.
Opening Contest: WWF Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon defeated Yokozuna by count-out to retain the title: Yoko attacks Ramon before the bell with several right hands and a head butt. Ramon ducks a clothesline and proceeds to punch Yoko several times. Ramon clotheslines Yoko a few times but Yoko only staggers. Ramon drops Yoko with a leaping clothesline, which sends Yoko to the floor! Ramon attempts a cross body but Yoko catches him with a scoop slam. Yoko misses an elbow drop as Ramon rolls out of the way. Ramon shoulder blocks Yoko several times but Yoko sends Ramon back first into the corner a two times. Yoko clotheslines Ramon followed by a leg drop! Yoko tosses Ramon to the floor after delivering a head butt. Ramon returns to the ring but is chopped to the mat by Yoko. Yoko keeps control of Ramon with a deadly nerve hold as RAW goes to commercial. Ramon tries to break free but is dropped to the mat again. Yoko pummels Ramon in the corner with a flurry of right hands. Yoko returns to the nerve hold to slow down the contest. Ramon avoids a running back splash in the corner. Ramon proceeds to leap off the middle rope to plant Yoko with a bulldog for a two count! Ramon sends Yoko to the floor with a discus punch. Yoko stumbles around and backs right into a casket! Yoko runs to the backstage area getting counted out. *1/2
Survivor Series 1994 Report with Todd Pettengill is up next. The pay per view event takes place on November 23rd. We see footage from the debut episode of WWF Action Zone where WWF World Champion Bret Hart announced that is giving Bob Backlund another title shot.
– WWF World Champion Bret Hart defends against Bob Backlund at Survivor Series!
– Guts & Glory (Luger, Bomb, Mabel and Smoking Gunns) compete against the Million Dollar Team (Bigelow, Tatanka, Bundy and the Heavenly Bodies).
Second Contest: the Smoking Gunns defeated Barry Hardy/Mike Bell: The Gunns finish off Bell with a slam/top rope elbow drop combo to earn the easy win.
Backstage, Tatanka cuts a promo saying that next week Lex Luger has no chance to beat Bob Backlund next week.
Third Contest: Tatanka defeated Scott Taylor: Tatanka gets a three count following a Samoan Drop.
After the match, Tatanka delivers another Samoan Drop on Taylor.
Footage from WWF Superstars where IRS cut a promo on the Undertaker is shown. IRS is standing next to a hearse and suggests that the dead person may have purposely avoided paying their taxes. IRS reminds the fans that even when you are dead, you have to pay your taxes.
Fourth Contest: Adam Bomb defeated Phil Apollo: Bomb hits Apollo with a pump handle to get the win.
After the match, Bob Backlund enters the ring to put the chicken wing submission on Adam Bomb! Several referees come down to the ring to pull Backlund off of Bomb.
Jerry Lawler is back with another edition of Kings Court. Lawler rips on several fans in the front row for a few moments, calling them ugly and whatnot. Lawler is going to introduce another mini King. Lawler ends up introducing his third king, Cheesy! All three of his kings come down to the ring. Lawler challenges Doink to a match to a match at the Survivor Series, a four on four elimination match. Lawler and his kings laugh after he says he has the Whopper (a punch) for Doink!
Main Event: WWF World Tag Team Champion Diesel defeated Ben Jordan: Diesel dominates Jordan for a minute or so. Diesel wins following a power bomb.
McMahon and Savage hype up next week’s RAW which will see Luger/Backlund and the Undertaker on Kings Court!
End of show
My Take: I really wish that Yoko/Ramon went six minutes instead of nine. Yoko simply can’t go that long without getting winded and hurting the match. There were a few moments of the contest where they had a nice pace going and were pretty entertaining, but once Yoko got tried he drastically slowed the match down. Not a horrible match, but just really average at best for television standards.
The Lawler/Doink feud is just really foolish and is easily the worst feud I have ever had to witness in wrestling.
Bret/Backlund at Survivor Series is a match I am not interested in. It’s supposed to be the New Generation, but yet Backlund is involved in the main event. That doesn’t make much sense to me.
I should note that the fans gave Diesel a pretty good babyface reaction.
Overall, a better episode than last week’s but that isn’t saying much.
Thanks for reading.