Best of Raw Seasons 1 and 2- Disk 2 Review

More great action involving Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Yokozuna and yes, Doink the Clown!
-Shawn Michaels (w/Diesel) (WWF Intercontinental Champion) vs. Russ Greenberg (June 7, 1993)
Just imagine being Russ Greenberg for a moment. You’re a WWF jobber for life. It’s yet another squash in a long series, yet WWE in 2010 deemed this match worthy of being included on a Best of Raw collection Who cares that it’s a squash or that poor Russ is secondary to Michaels introducing his new bodyguard, Diesel? Russ Greenberg is a part of Raw’s history. Maybe not a big part ,but he’s there. Michaels of course legally murders Greenberg for a few minutes. I guess this helped kill some time, but I really do have to question the inclusion of this match. It’s not exactly competitive or noteworthy except for Diesel making his television debut. Michaels wins with a piledriver of all moves. Gotta be the first and only time that happened.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Shawn Michaels/3:52/*
-2 out of 3 Falls: Marty Jannetty vs. Doink the Clown (June 21, 1993)
This is the first match on this collection to not be from the Manhattan Center. Doink is busy laughing while laying on the floor before Jannetty comes out. Awesome.  Bit of a stall session to starts. Doink gives Jannetty a clean break while continuing to laugh away. Back and forth as these two get warmed up. I don’t know how televisions in the 1990s handled all these colors. Doink wants Jannetty to punch him in the face. The clown misses a clothesline. Criss cross. Jannetty watches Doink run across for a bit. Jannetty takes control of the match and works the arm. Announcers talk about Mr. Hughes stealing The Undertaker’s urn. That happened about a million times between 1992 and 1996. Doink goes outside to stall a bit. He tries a ram into the corner, but Jannetty monkeyflips him and goes back to the arm. Doink with a poke to the eye. Backslide by Jannetty. Blind charge and Jannetty lands midsection first on the second turnbuckle. Whoopee cushion and Doink gets the first fall at 7:16.
Second fall begins with a slugfest and Doink primarily in control of the match. Jannetty is sent into the corner hard. Doink rubs it in and mocks Jannetty. The evil clown comes off with a double axehandle on to a prone Jannetty outside the ring. More offense and a chinlock. Shots to the midsection. Duck the clothesline and Jannetty gets a roll-up for two. Doink puts his head down. They battle over a vertical suplex. Jannetty finally gets it. Off the top… no. Jannetty comes down and nails Doink with a superkick. Should have heard the sound that move made. Doink gets his foot on the rope. Irish whip and Jannetty  sends Doink down face first. Fist drop from the top ends the second fall at 11:42.
Doink is begging off as the third fall begins. Jannetty gets an atomic drop and clothesline. Doink rams Jannetty’s knee into the post multiple times and then applies a figure four leglock. Jannetty gets to the ropes, and the hold is broken. Doink tries to continue working the knee in the corner. Jannetty with right hands and a back drop. He collapses due to the knee work, Doink with a half crab. Crossface. Doink appears to want to hit his finisher again but Jannetty slams him down on the mat. Irish whip and a reverse elbow. Punches in the corner. The second Doink comes out once again and goes under the ring. Jannetty tosses Doink to the middle of the ring before he goes out to look under the ring for the second one. The first Doink nails Jannetty right in the head. Jannetty is sent head first into the post. Forearm to the face. Jannetty ducks, leapfrogs and hits a dropkick. The first Doink comes from behind but gets kicked in the midsection. Now we have a Doink switch after he ended up on the right side of the ring. The second Doink gets a two count in the ring. Jannetty with a small package for two. Shot to the back. Piledriver. 1-2-3 and Doink apparently wins in 20:27.  Randy Savage has seen enough from the commentation station, so he shows the referee that there are indeed two Doinks. Referee reverses his decision. That was kind of lame, but what a tremendous little match this was.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Marty Jannetty/20:27/***1/2
-I can’t think of the last time two mid-carders got twenty minutes on free television to just have a match.  Not an absolute must-see classic but a very good wrestling match. Even a somewhat lame ending can’t take away from what this match was, a solid showcase of mid-carders.
-A bunch of guys (some WWF superstars and some other real professional athletes from just about every major sport) try to bodyslam WWF champion Yokozuna on July 4, 1993. The best part is Scott Burrell of the Charlotte Hornets waving his hands and not trying. Smart choice. See, he’s so fat and hates the United States so much, he wants to insult the country on its birthday. Luckily, a surprise individual shows up. Lex Luger is wearing red, white, blue. He saves the day by bodyslamming the rather large champion. Just watching this causes me to hum “God Bless America.”
-Bret Hart vs. Bam Bam Bigalow (w/Luna Vachon) (July 26, 1993)
This is a rematch of the King of the Ring finals which Hart won. Bam Bam pounds away and spits on Hart. Shoulder tackle. Hart ducks a clothesline and fires away himself. Dropkick. Clothesline over the top and Bam Bam is down on the floor. Hart punches away some more and even a Luna Vachon distraction doesn’t work. Hart hits a sloppy crossbody for two. Hart sells the knee. After a commercial break, Hart is on the outside still selling his knee. Huge back suplex by Bigalow. I mean, he got him really high. Bigalow sends Hart into the buckle hard. Hart tries another crossbody but Bigalow slams him down. Long two count. Off the ropes and Bigalow hits a headbutt. Another. A third misses. Right hand and a back suplex of his own by Hart. Punch, dropkick, and an elbow. Series of right hands which Bigalow responds to in kind. Dropkick to the midsection. Snapmare into a chinlock. Bigalow is still holding the chinlock after Raw comes back from a commercial. Irish whip and Bigalow misses a dropkick. Hart with right hands. Backdrop. Elbow to the back of the head. Hart rakes Bigalow’s eyes against the ropes. Headbutts to the back. Russian legsweep gets two. To the second rope and Hart hits an awfully stiff clothesline for two. Big exchange. Hart gets a sleeper. Bigalow rams Hart’s head into the top turnbuckle. Hart comes off the ropes with a bulldog. Hart goes for the sharpshooter. Jerry Lawler is in the balcony and bothers the parents of The Hitman. Hart tries to leave through the crowd, but Bigalow takes advantage of the situation. Hard into the post goes Hart as Lawler gets in some solid one-liners. I think I saw Vince McMahon laughing at the commentary position. Can’t blame him. Bigalow is working over Hart back in the ring. Doesn’t appear anyone is paying attention to the match. Hart takes his chest first bump into the buckle. Bigalow gets two. Bigalow gets a bodyslam. Standing senton. Bigalow climbs to the top and misses something. Punches by Hart. Off the ropes with a clothesline. Elbow drop gets two. DDT by Hart and he leaves the ring once and for all. Referee has no choice but to count him out.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating:Bam Bam Bigalow/16:11 shown/**3/4
-Bret Hart is one of the best workers of all time, and Bigalow is a more than capable big man to have a great match with. It did become a bit distracting in the end with Lawler talking while the match was going on, but it’s a free television match and I think they did a good job forwarding the issue between Hart and Lawler.
-Jim Cornette’s WWF debut is actually shown on this DVD. It’s actually historically significant considering the impact Cornette had on the company over the next decade, but you’d think with the comments Cornette has made about WWE in recent years, this would be left off this collection altogether. Heenan does an awesome job putting Cornette over for those who might not know who he is. Cornette does have a purpose since he’s bringing in The Heavenly Bodies to wrestle in the WWF after dominating Smokey Mountain Wrestling. Challenge is laid down for the WWF tag team titles. Those belts are held by The Steiner Brothers.
-Macho Man Randy Savage vs. Doink the Clown (August 2, 1993)
OH YEAH! You might think this might be beneath a legend like Savage, but after some of the matches I’ve seen Doink in on this collection, I’d say this is going to be a really solid wrestling match. Savage goes under the ring to check for another Doink. He’s also decked out in red, white, and blue like a good WWF babyface was in the summer of 1993. Doink misses a left hand and laughs about it. Armdrag by Savage and he fakes out Doink with a punch. Lock-up and Doink is a biter. Savage goes for a chair, Referee grabs the chair and Doink takes control of the match. Series of high impact maneuvers before settling on a Boston crab. Doink even cheats by holding on the ropes. Doink continues working the leg. Savage sends Doink’s head into the buckle. Doink with a pair of left hands. Blind charge misses as Savage then hits a knee to the back. Doink sends Savage into the post just as a commercial break hits. Savage and Doink basically end up in a stalemate after a commercial. Dropkick by Doink. Modified camel clutch. Into the buckle goes Savage. Belly-to-belly suplex gets two. Elbow drop. Abdominal stretch. Savage hip tosses Doink and nearly nails the referee with a wild punch. Series of lefts and a snapmare by Doink. He places a knee into the back of Savage. Irish whip and Doink hits a bodyslam. Up to the top rope but Doink misses a Whoopee Cushion. Thumb to the eye of Savage and to the outside he goes. Left hand and Savage is back on the floor. He goes underneath the ring. A midget comes out the other side. Yes folks, it’s The Macho Midget. Yes, I’m using the word midget. It’s not offensive. Calm down. Doink chases the midget until Savage bodyslams him on to the floor. Savage gets a small package for three.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Randy Savage/9:23/**1/2
-Decent little match as I expected with a stupid concept introduced. Sadly, The Macho Midget led to the bright idea of Doink having a midget of his own accompany to him in the ring and even participate in matches. The midget continues his attack and even bites Doink’s butt. Yeesh.
-1-2-3 Kid vs. Ted Dibiase (August 16, 1993)
Dibiase mocked Razor Ramon for losing to 1-2-3 Kid, but he found out why karma is a bitch because he himself lost to 1-2-3 Kid two weeks ago on an episode of Wrestling Challenge. Dibiase of course dominates much of the match because Kid doesn’t get to have any offense. Crowd at least gets behind Kid. That’s what happens when you have the biggest upset of the year on a national television show.  Kid comes back with a burst. Headscissors and a series of dropkicks. Dibiase slows the pace down but misses a charge. Kid comes off the rope with a crossbody. Again to the top. I.R.S makes his way to the ring and tosses Kid back in the ring. Kid gets the win by disqualification. Not much of a match actually.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: 1-2-3 Kid/4:46/*
-Money Inc. continues beating on the Kid until Rick and Scott Steiner make the save.
– Highlights of the Quebecers winning the WWF tag team championships are show. If they did a match and finish like this today, people on the messageboards would be going crazy about dumb it was. Somewhat surprised they didn’t show the whole match.
-Doink the Clown vs. Corey Student (October 4, 1993)
Doink is no longer creepy. He’s now a babyface who began a feud with Bam Bam Bigalow earlier that weekend. This is just an excuse to show Doink dumping popcorn on Bobby Heenan. Heenan is his usual awesome self as you might expect. Vince McMahon informing Heenan that it’s popcorn and not water was a great moment too. Doink wins with the Whoopee Cushion.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Doink/1:58/1/2*
-Bam Bam Bigalow comes out and since he can’t beat Doink up, he destroys the little red wagon Doink rode in.
-Intercontinental Championship: Razor Ramon vs. Rick Martel (October 11, 1993)
Shawn Michaels failed a drug test and was suspended for six weeks. Since he was Intercontinental champion, the WWF had to crowd a new champion. A 20 man battle royal was held the week before to determine the top two contenders. Ramon and Martel were the last two in the ring, so here we are. This is a fairly important moment for the show because although Scott Hall is more of a punchline than a guy who is considered a good worker, he did have a solid run with the Intercontinental title. Martel is just a solid veteran who never could get a singles championship in the WWF. Martel starts out hot but quickly gets hit with an overhead slam. Knee to the midsection. Underhanded fist to the face and a front facelock. Ramon powers him to the ring apron. Ramon with a punch before rudely bringing Martel back in the ring in the form of a slingshot. Ramon works the arm and messes with his hair. Martel sends Ramon into the side of the ring after a commercial break. Martel sends Ramon into the challenger multiple times. Back suplex. He puts his feet on the ropes and gets two. Axehandles turn into kicks to the back. Ramon attempts a back drop after a punch, but he gets kicked in the midsection. Boston crab. Ramon reaches the ropes. Side suplex and back to the Boston crab. Ramon out of it into a cover for two. Martel gets one of his own for two. Dropkick by Martel gets two. Irish whip. Ramon with a slap to the face. Martel is placed on the top rope, but he elbows Ramon in the face. Flying bodypress but Ramon rolls over for two. Clothesline by Martel gets two. Big knee by Ramon. Ramon struggles but gets the Razor’s Edge for the win and the title.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: STILL Intercontinental champion-Razor Ramon/11:01/***
-A solid match to crown a new champion. The saddest part about the career of Scott Hall is that he really could work and have good matches with a number of different guys. This was the start of a pretty good run for Hall. He would go on to win four I-C titles.
–Crush was brutalized by Yokozuna a few weeks earlier, and it’s as good a time as any for a heel turn. Crush comes out with Mr. Fuji and now sports a nifty goatee. A nice subtle change to indicate the heel turn. Something missing from wrestling these days. Subtlety. Crush says brother a lot and yells at Randy Savage for not having his back. Savage comes in to respond. He just wants to talk it out. They actually hold each other’s hand up and appear to be ready to talk things out. Then it’s time for things to get physical. Crush beats Randy Savage down, and according to the factoid that appeared before this segment, Savage suffered a lacerated tongue. Not to demean the injury in anyway, but that’s it? After all Crush did to him? Kind of exposed the business there. Even more exposed because Yokozuna comes out and delivers a Banzai drop, a move that’s supposed to put guys on the shelf for a long time.
– About a month later, Randy Savage is angry. Vince McMahon tries to talk some sense into him as Crush comes out. Savage actually tosses McMahon on his ass. Savage has lost it (big shocker there) and goes after Crush. They brawl up the aisle. And Crush doesn’t exactly come out the better for it.
-Bret Hart accepts a Wrestler of the Year award for 1993. It’s technically Superstar of the Year, but whatever. And also, isn’t there a month left in 1993? Both Hart and Lex Luger are introduced since Vince McMahon was probably still trying to still gauge crowd reactions for both men and to see who would win the WWF title at Wrestlemania 10. Bobby Heenan’s reaction to all of this was magnificent. Incredibly, the trophy doesn’t get destroyed, thus breaking one of wrestling’s great commandments.
-Razor Ramon (Intercontinental Champion) vs. Diesel (November 29, 1993)
These two actually had a ***1/2 match a few months later at Summerslam 1994. Diesel was on the brink of being fired at this point because he wasn’t getting over. He wouldn’t get over until Royal Rumble 1994 when he started eliminating people like crazy. Thank everyone in Providence, Rhode Island for getting Kevin Nash started on his path to greatness. Damn Rhode Islanders. Diesel dominates a lot of the match to virtual silence. There’s the whole not getting over thing in action. Diesel with a bearhug, but Ramon breaks it up. Huge boot and a snake eyes by Diesel.  Cover for two. Another bearhug. Ramon uses a poke to the eye and hits a bulldog from the second rope. Two count. Series of right hands. Bodyslam. Ramon goes for The Razor’s Edge. Shawn Michaels runs in for the disqualification. Superkick to the face and a piledriver attempt. 1-2-3 Kid comes to make the save and attacks Shawn Michaels.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Razor Ramon/5:18/*/2
-Like a lot of matches on these DVDs, this was more of a set-up for an angle than an actual match. It was alright while it was happening at least.
-Shawn Michaels vs. 1-2-3 Kid (December 6, 1993)
Makes sense to see this match after seeing the brawl from the previous week. Michaels comes out with an Intercontinental championship belt in an angle that would climax at Wrestlemania 10 with one of the greatest matches in WWF history, the ladder match between Ramon and Michaels. Very fast to start. Duh. Kid gets a big kick to send Michaels outside. Dive to the outside of the ring. Wow. It’s 1993 everyone. Doesn’t exactly happen in every match like it does now. German suplex into a sidelock by Kid. Michaels hits a headscissors to take control. Kid comes back but gets hit with a powerslam from the apron to the floor. Michaels dropkicks Kid coming off the ropes as we come back from commercial break. These guys are doing things that just weren’t done in 1993. Backbreaker and Michaels holds it. Spin kick by Kid.  Kid drapes his for two. Double clothesline and both men are down. Kid comes back with right hands and kicks in the corner. Irish whip to the other corner and another leaping kick. Kid climbs to the top for an attempted moonsault.  He gets two. Bodyslam and to the top he goes again. He misses a swanton. Yes, a swanton. Michaels hits a superkick and makes the sign for The Razor’s Edge. He hits it and gets three… no, he doesn’t. Michaels picks Kid up. Michaels hits another Razor’s Edge. Ramon walks down to the ring. Michaels tries for a third Razor’s Edge. Ramon pulls the Kid out. Ramon and Michaels get into an argument. Michaels slaps Ramon in the face. Michaels begs off neat the curtain. Diesel fires a punch to the face. Michaels goes to work on Ramon and thankfully destroys that ugly ass shirt Ramon was wearing. Michaels even hits a Razor’s Edge on the floor for good measure. Ouch.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Shawn Michaels/10:00 approximately/***
-This was a tremendous match before the ending. They were breaking out a lot of cool stuff that wouldn’t be seen on a consistent basis for years.
-In one of the sadder moments on Raw, we finally see the payoff to a feud that had been going back years. Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan had an antagonistic relationship on the air (They were good friends off the air). Monsoon finally tosses Heenan off the air and off WWF television for good in the last segment on December 6, 1993. Heenan would go to WCW and basically collect a paycheck for the next seven years. He wouldn’t come back to the WWF until Wrestlemania 17. His contributions to the WWF and to the first year of Raw should never be forgotten. Poor Bobby.
-Thurman “Sparky” Plugg is going to be debuting in the WWF soon. You might better know him as Bob Holly. Incredibly, he would be employed by the WWF for over a decade; thankfully most of those years weren’t spent as Sparky Plugg.
-Jeff Jarrett vs. P.J. Walker (December 20, 1993)
That Walker guy is just incredible. Jarrett basically got his job because Jerry Jarrett might have been the booker for the WWF if Vince McMahon had been found guilty by the federal government. Just think if Jerry Jarrett had gotten the job. We might be talking about 18 time WWE champion Jeff Jarrett. Who are we kidding? Jarrett would have shut the WWF down by his 4^th title reign, kind of like what happened with WCW. Jarrett’s original purpose for being in the WWF was to help out his singing career. Incredibly, he didn’t get over. I know I’m stunned that didn’t work. Walker isn’t just the coolest, he’s not just the best… he’s just a jobber at this point. This goes on forever. Leaping DDT gets the win.
-Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Jeff Jarrett/4:05/*
Disk 2 Thoughts: I really enjoyed the Doink/Jannetty match, and I thought that was definitely the best part about disk 2. It was interesting to see where WWF was at this point because none of these Raws were in 10,000 seat arenas. There were lots of wacky finishes, and it seemed like everyone had some storyline, even the mid-carders. While Raw has no doubt improved in a lot of ways, I wonder if WWE is as good about developing consistent storylines like they were years ago. Cheesy as they might be sometimes.