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WWF Monday Night Raw May 3, 1993
by SamoaRowe

They are airing from the Manhattan Center in New York City. Our hosts for the evening are Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, and Bobby Heenan.

Intercontinental Championship:

Shawn Michaels © vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan

Hard to believe that in 2008, these two guys would both still be on the Raw roster. Michaels stalls in the early going as Duggan plays to the crowd. Duggan quiets the crowd down so he can start a fresh “USA” chant. The “Shawn is gay” chant from last week returns. Two minutes into the match, and the action finally begins. Duggan dominates with a series of clotheslines and sends Michaels to ringside. That allows more time for USA chants. HBK returns and is overwhelmed by jabs. More stalling. Michaels tries to walk out, but Duggan carries him back. We head to a commercial.

After the break, Michaels ends Duggan’s momentum by dropping him on the ropes. HBK targets Duggan’s head and chest. Duggan no-sells a shot and misses a series of jabs. HBK rakes the face and goes high risk. Double axe handle by Michaels and then some choking. Duggan elbows out of a chinlock and connects with a hard Irish whip. Duggan runs into HBK’s boot and eats some elbow drops. Cover by Michaels gets 2. Duggan elbows out of another chinlock and unleashes some shots. Shoulder block by Duggan, but Michaels gets a knee to the gut. Duggan is tossed to ringside and Michaels hits a double axe handle off the apron. The USA chants inspire Duggan to keep fighting, and he trades shots with HBK. Michaels rakes Duggan’s eyes on the ropes. Snapmare by HBK and another chinlock. Duggan escapes and makes a baby face comeback. Duggan power slams Michaels and then clotheslines him to the floor. Michaels tries to leave again, but he’s stopped. Michaels rakes the eyes, but gets clotheslined over the guard rail. The referee calls for the bell at 11:09 (shown), giving Duggan the count-out win. Solid, if unspectacular, **.
Winner by count-out: Jim Duggan

-Duggan takes the microphone and whines about not winning the championship. He’s not leaving until he gets another piece of Shawn Michaels. Duggan tosses some chairs into the ring and conducts a sit-down strike.

Doink the Clown vs. The Kamikaze Kid
In case you don’t know, the Kamikaze Kid is Shawn Waltman. Doink aggressively attacks, hitting a belly to belly suplex. The commentators speculate that Doink is mad about losing his King of the Ring qualifying match. STF by Doink. The Kid tries to elbow his way to a comeback, but Doink viciously cuts him off. Doink drops some elbows. Interesting leg lock by Doink is enough for the submission at 2:07. Unsettling squash, ½*.
Winner: Doink the Clown

Bob Backlund vs. Dwayne Gil
Gil refuses a handshake, the jerk. Armdrag by Backlund. Backlund grabs the leg and trips Gil. Gil hides in the ropes, while Vince McMahon announces that next week’s Raw will feature Michaels vs. Duggan in a lumberjack match. Oh joy. Meanwhile, Gil is working a head scissors. Backlund bounces to freedom. Shoulder block by Backlund, but Gil hits a hip toss and works the arm. Backlund impressively reverses, lifting Gil into the air and planting him on the turnbuckle. Back body drop by Backlund and a bridged cover gets the win at 3:41. Fun jobber match, ¾*.
Winner: Bob Backlund

-Jim Duggan returns to ringside for an interview with Vince McMahon. Duggan explains how he asked Jack Tunney for another title shot. Duggan calls Michaels “tough guy” a couple dozens times and claims he doesn’t know how to fight.

-Captain Lou Albano makes his way to the ring. He struts around and joins the commentary table.

The Headshrinkers (with Afa) vs. Jay Sledge and Jim Bell
Sledge and Bell are jumped from behind. The Headshrinkers proceed to double team their hapless opponents. Albano and Heenan are bickering at the commentary table and not really paying attention to the match. Samu hits a super kick and tags Fatu, to continue the beating. Two and a half minutes in, and neither Sledge or Bell has gotten a single offensive move. Double piledriver by the Headshrinkers. The quick tags keep coming from the Headshrinkers, as Albano pleads for them to follow the rules. The Headshrinkers could end the match at any time, but it keep it going so the beatings can continue. Afa and Samu taunt Albano, and Fatu finishes the match with a diving head butt at 5:44. Kind of long for an absolute squash, but the Headshrinkers were having fun showing off, ½*.
Winners: The Headshrinkers

-The Bushwhackers are seen shilling a new video release in a taped segment.. They do this by breaking some pipes onto some hapless worker.

Kamala vs. Rich Myers
Myers offers a handshake, but it was a trick. Myers hits a drop-kick, but quickly finds himself dominated. Double choke slam by Kamala. Kamala throws Myers around and chokes him. Myers ducks a clothesline but runs into a boot. Big splash by Kamala, who still can’t figure out how to properly go for the cover. It takes him several seconds to get it right, but it’s still enough for the win at 2:30. Nothing squash, DUD.
Winner: Kamala

-Next week: Typhoon vs. Bam Bam Bigelow in a King of the Ring qualifying match.

-Bobby Heenan is backstage with Shawn Michaels. He asks Michaels how it feels to be “stabbed in the back” by Jack Tunney. Michaels is furious, because he’s never seen anyone in the World Wrestling Federation treated this way. He’s resentful that Duggan has Tunney’s home phone number, but the Intercontinental Champion doesn’t! Good point there, eh? Heenan asks if he has anything up his sleeve, and Michaels secretly tells him. “Stay home, Duggan” are Heenan’s closing advice.

Final Thoughts: One mediocre match and a bunch of squashes doesn’t really make for an inspiring edition of Raw. Bobby Heenan kept the show entertaining and his interactions with Lou Albano were gold. I’d say this is worth watching for the sake of nostalgia, but nothing else.

Thumbs in the middle, leaning down.

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