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WWF Monday Night Raw -April 12, 1993
by SamoaRowe

The show opens with a backstage segment, featuring Money Inc. offering the Beverly Bros. money to advise them on how to wrestle the Steiners. Good stuff.

-They are airing live from the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York. Our hosts for the evening are Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, and Rob Bartlett.

-Money Inc. come to the ring, as IRS has a match. IRS cuts his usual pre-match promo, warning the fans against late tax payments.

IRS (with Ted Dibiase) vs. Scott Steiner (with Rick Steiner)
Scott targets the arm, but IRS gets into the ropes. IRS keeps using the ropes as a crutch, before catching Scott off-guard with an enziguri. Scott rebounds and hit’s a big power slam. IRS stalls for time, fights out of a headlock, hit’s a drop toe hold, but gets caught again. Clothesline by Steiner gets a cover for 2. Steiner works the arm. IRS elbows his way to freedom and takes the advantage. Scott blocks a suplex and hits one of his own. Cover by Steiner gets 2. IRS retreats to talk things over with Dibiase. The match restarts with IRS thumbing the eye and tossing Scott to ringside, where Dibiase takes a cheap shot. Rick Steiner defends his brother from any further abuse, and we head to a break.

After the commercial, IRS has control of the match, hitting a sloppy piledriver. Cover by IRS gets 2. IRS works a chinlock. Steiner fights out and a slug fest erupts. Backbreaker by IRS, who then goes high risk. IRS flies right into Steiner’s big boot. Steiner makes a comeback, smashing IRS all over the ring. Steiner grabs IRS by the tie and uses it to propel him neck-first into the ropes! Back body drop by Steiner and the double underhook slam! Steiner goes for the cover, but Dibiase runs in for the attack, earning a blatant DQ at 9:55 (shown). This picked up after a very slow start, **¼.
Winner by DQ: Scott Steiner

-After the match, the Steiners and Money Inc brawl it out, but the Beverly Bros. run in for the assist. The Beverlys accidentally clothesline Dibiase. Steiner is announced as the winner, and the crowd doesn’t seem bothered by the DQ finish at all. Money Inc. and the Beverly’s have a shoving contest, which leads to IRS getting shoved to the floor, leaving Dibiase alone in hostile territory. Dibiase backs out to the floor, as the Beverly’s challenge Money Inc. to a match.

-It’s time to take a look back at the “greatest Wrestlemania of all time.” Yes, they are talking about Wrestlemania IX. The replay is tonight, after Raw!

Tatanka vs. Von Krus
Von Krus spits at Tatanka, which can’t be a good idea. Tatanka is on the defensive, leap frogging and hitting the monkey flip. Von Krus runs into an armdrag and gets the life chopped out of him. Tatanka continues to dominate, as Doink the Clown appears at ringside. Doink sprays the fans (and camera man) with water and then wanders away. Back to the match, Von Krus has gotten the upper hand and is unleashing some chops. Tatanka corners him and shows the jobber how it’s done. Hard Irish whip by Tatanka and a scoop slam. Tatanka drops an elbow and hit’s a suplex. Von Krus hits an uppercut and targets the head. Tatanka hit’s a back body drop and goes on the warpath. Tatanka finishes Von Krus with the Samoan drop at 4:02. Not bad for a jobber match, *½.
Winner: Tatanka

-It’s time for the Wrestlemania IX report, with Sean Mooney. He continues to spout the propaganda that Wrestlemania IX is the greatest in history. Make sure you buy the encore presentation, folks. Mooney announces that Jack Tunney made it official: Hulk Hogan is the WWF Champion, despite the controversy of his challenge to newly crowned champ, Yokozuna.

-It’s time for Rob Bartlett’s very special interview with the newest WWF diva, Luna Vachon. Luna is wearing some frightening vein makeup on her face. Luna croaks out a promo that I can barely understand. Luna puts herself over as the woman of the 90’s. Luna calls Sensational Sherri a witch. Bartlett wants to know what’s the deal with her beef with Sherri. Luna claims to be strong and sensuous, and all Sherri has going for her is her breasts. Bartlett tries to defend Sherri’s honor, so Luna calls him a punk. This brings out Sherri, sporting a fun 70’s style afro. Sherri is angry that Bartlett would bring out Luna, who is a “disgrace” to the World Wrestling Federation. They talk some smack, and Sherri hit’s a high kick. Sherri shoves Bartlett out of her way and suplexes Luna on the floor! Bartlett tries to break up the fight, but the cat fight continues. They try to rip each other’s clothes off and brawl into the crowd. Finally, Sgt. Slaughter breaks it up.

-After a commercial break, Randy Savage is putting over Sensational Sherri at ringside, when Luna comes charging back out and continues the fight. This unappealing feud has taken up far too much of the program.

Papa Shango vs. Scott Taylor
The future Godfather is squaring off against the future Scotty 2 Hotty. Taylor looks like he could have been molded into a Shawn Michaels-esque superstar without too much work, but I guess they already had one Shawn Michaels and didn’t need another. Rob Bartlett made a comical return to the announce table, fainting on the floor. Shango completely dominates Taylor, putting him away with the Reverse Neckbreaker at 2:44. Just a squash, and completely overshadowed by Bartlett’s antics. ¼*.
Winner: Papa Shango

Friar Ferguson vs. Chris Duffy
The match had already started after a commercial. Ferguson is a fat guy dressed like a monk. Ferguson uses the ropes to flip Duffy to the floor and hits some clotheslines. Ferguson dances and lifts up his robe a little bit, to which Bartlett echoes my concerns that he’s “wearing something under that, right?” Ferguson splashes Duffy for a 2 count and continues clubbing away at the jobber. Ferguson pinches the shoulder to stall for time. Back body drop by Ferguson and some really uninspiring punches. Duffy attempts a sunset flip, but Ferguson drops himself on him for the victory at 4:18. This was truly painful to watch, DUD.
Winner: Friar Ferguson

-The announcers talk to Money Inc, who are backstage. They are quickly jumped by the Beverly Bros, and they appear to be on course for a title match next week.

Final Thoughts: This show was going along fine until that Luna/Sherri fight took up two segments and killed the rest of the program. It seems weird to think that they were promoting a women’s rivalry during a time when the Women’s title was practically invisible. The good news is that everything involving Money Inc. was very entertaining and we have the promise of more to come next week. The bad news is that Friar Ferguson got to main event his one and only television match before coming back later in the year as Bastion Booger. In retrospect, I preferred the monk gimmick, as it meant he got to wearing more clothing.

Thumbs in the middle, leaning down.

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