Dark Pegasus Video Review: Monday Night Raw (01.18.93)

Posted by J.D. Dunn on 08.18.2008

Mr. Perfect takes on the former Red Rooster while Ric Flair battles El Matador.

by J.D. Dunn

January 18, 1993

Live from New York, N.Y..

Your hosts are Vince McMahon, Randy Savage and Rob Bartlett.

We're off and running right away as Bartlett rips up a picture of Bobby Heenan and tells us to fight the real enemy. That's marginally funny, but loads better than what he was doing in week one. Repo Man punks out Savage, steals his hat, and runs away.

Mr. Perfect vs. Terry Taylor.
Hey, now this should be good. Perfect has his workboots on too. Taylor gives him a little shove and gets the taste slapped out of his mouth. Taylor tosses him into the corner, but Perfect explodes with a dropkick. We take a break and come back to Taylor shoving Perfect to the floor. Back in, Taylor gets two off a Gutwrench Powerbomb, but Perfect comes back with a jawbreaker and a huuuuuge atomic drop. Ric Flair comes down to distract Perfect, allowing Taylor to knee him to the floor. Flair puts the boots to Perfect and shoves him back in. Taylor looks to finish him off, but Perfect reverses to the Perfectplex at 8:11. Too bad Taylor wasn't any kind of pushed at this point, or this might have been a great match. **1/2

Bret Hart comes out to rebut Razor Ramon's diatribe last week. He promises revenge for Owen.

Paul Bearer and The Undertaker hype Headlock on Hunger – the Somalia relief fund. This is just about the most surreal thing I've ever seen in wrestling. Undertaker: "No one… should starve to death."

Marty Janetty vs. Glen Ruth.
Ruth is a jobber at this point, but he would go on to fame as Headbanger Thrasher. Janetty controls with a lot of armbars. Shawn Michaels calls in and says Sensational Sherri will do anything he says because she's a woman. Marty looks really tired… or stoned. He finishes with the Rockerdropper at 5:12. 1/2*

Recap of Doink the Clown bashing Crush's brains in with his cast.

Sean Mooney catches up with the Repo Man on the street. Savage barks threats at him.

Royal Rumble report. Crush won't be there.

Ric Flair vs. Tito Santana.
The crowd is divided 50/50. Tito controls early with a lot of headlocks, getting several nearfalls. Flair gets in an argument with the referee, prompting Vince to note that Flair has a problem with authority figures. Flair would be gone the following week, so you can guess how shootish that was. We take a break and come back to Flair in control. He shouts at either Savage or Vince or both. Tito comes back with a backdrop and whips Flair to the buckle. Flair flip! Tito hits the Flying Forearm but goes for another. Flair ducks, sending Tito to the floor. Mr. Perfect runs down and attacks Flair on the outside at around 6:00. I guess it's a DQ. **1/4

Joe Piscapo shills Cybergenics. Doesn't that compete with IcoPro?

Flair and Perfect brawl back out to ringside where Flair challenges Perfect to a Loser-Leaves-Town match for next week. Perfect accepts.

Outside, Repo steals Rob Bartlett's car.

The 411: A marked improvement over the opening week. The Perfect-Flair feud was one of the most fondly remembered moments from those early Raws. Even the Repo Man angle was fun (if stupid).

Thumbs up.

Final Score:  6.5   [ Average ]