Raw #67 - June 13th, 1994

Tonight's episode is the "Countdown to the Crowning," a "very special edition of Monday Night Raw," which makes it a) a commercial for the pay-per-view, and b) technically an episode of Raw, which means that I am obligated to recap it. The great thing about the King of the Ring is that it's the only WWF pay-per-view that lends itself to magnetic chalkboard displays, in this case the tournament bracket.

Raw #61 - May 2nd, 1994

Tonight, Monday Night Raw debuts in Vermont, the fifth state to host the prime-time wrestling program. Tonight's episode features the long-awaited tag team title match between the Quebecers and the Headshrinkers.

Raw #60 - April 25th, 1994

It's Raw episode #60, and How Much Does This Guy Weigh? post #100! The Macho Man opens Raw by telling Nikolai Volkoff to "come on down" a la Rod Roddy of the Price is Right. His mic isn't broadcasting over the PA, though, so Nikolai, who is Jerry Lawler's guest on the King's Court tonight, does not hear him. Razor Ramon, who defends the Intercontinental title this weekend against Diesel, faces Jeff Jarrett in a non-title match to open the show.

Raw #58 - April 11th, 1994

After last week's disgraceful green-screening, Vince McMahon welcomes us to Raw, which emanates live tonight from an arena he is actually standing in. Macho Man is back on commentary tonight, and he's looking to burn Utica to the ground a la Michael Scott. Raw gets colored lights over the ring and a smoke machine tonight. Diesel comes down the aisle with Shawn Michaels to open the show. His opponent in this battle of the bodyguards is the wrestling superstar himself, Virgil.

Raw #55 - March 21st, 1994

Tonight, for the first time ever, Raw is airing live the night after a pay-per-view, thanks to Wrestlemania X taking place in New York City. Tonight's episode is in Poughkeepsie, the new de facto home base of Monday Night Raw. The Macho Man is back on commentary after having defeated Crush last night (after nine consecutive losses in falls-count-anywhere matches on house shows). New WWF champion Bret Hart will be interviewed tonight.

Raw #52 - February 21st, 1994

Monday Night Raw is live after a two-week absence due to the Westminster Dog Show. The show returns to the Mid-Hudson Civic Center and features the Macho Man back on commentary. Vince introduces him as "a man who one day will be in the WWF Hall of Fame." This, of course, is before Savage committed that unforgivable deed. You know the one I mean. Obviously, Vince is not going to let Savage into the Hall after he left the WWF abruptly to go to WCW. What did you think I was talking about?

Raw #51 - February 7th, 1994

We start off the fifty-first episode of Raw with a recap of last week's events, which set up tonight's main event of Marty Jannetty vs. IRS. Joining Vince McMahon tonight is... Bastion Booger? I did not see this coming. Booger says he has some gas for Sparky Plugg, who makes his Raw debut tonight, and that, like "The Rocket" Owen Hart, he feels like he's ready to blast off. It looks like this week's theme is "fart jokes."

Raw #47 - January 10th, 1994

Monday Night Raw celebrates its first anniversary tonight, and what better place to do so than in Richmond, Virginia? Footage airs from last week of Marty Jannetty and the 123 Kid getting in Johnny Polo's face and getting a tag team title match. Tonight, the Quebecers defend against Marty Confetti and the Poster Boy for Pampers (Polo's words, not mine). The Macho Man's theme music plays, heralding the return of Randy Savage to the announce table.

Raw #46 - January 3rd, 1994

It's a new year for Raw, and there's a new announcer in the form of Johnny Polo, who last week defeated Marty Jannetty with the help of Pierre. WWF Champion Yokozuna is in tonight's opening match, taking on Dan Dubiel. If you've been reading my reviews of Raw throughout the year 1993, you'll know that something very, very bad is coming for our jobber friend.

Raw #45 - December 27th, 1993

It's the last Raw of the year, and the WWF is pulling out all the stops, even going so far as to show some clips from a Women's Title tournament final! Vince is joined by the Quebecers on commentary tonight. We also get to see a manager wrestle a match (though in this case, the "manager" is future ECW champion Raven). Pierre takes advantage of his new media platform by speaking French (which might be awesome if he's slipping something completely off-color under the radar).

Raw #42 - December 6th, 1993

Tonight's Raw is Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's last. Unlike Rob Bartlett's last episode, there will be no celebrating here at How Much Does This Guy Weigh? For the record, Bobby never was a weasel.  We kick off tonight's show with Shawn Michaels coming to the ring wearing an Intercontinental belt, which Vince says he has no business wearing. I would like to congratulate Shawn for at least remembering to wear the correct-colored belt, as earlier this year the strap was blue, then white. He probably has a whole closet full of IC belts of all colors of the rainbow, like John Cena and his official T-shirts. Vince says that Razor earned that title the old-fashioned way. By this, he means that Razor co-won a battle royal then beat the other co-winner. I don't recall a title ever being awarded that way before. Isn't "the old-fashioned way" beating the reigning champion?

Raw #40 - November 15th, 1993

From Kentucky Fried Rasslin'. Macho Man is not at the announcers' table on tonight's Raw, as Jack Tunney has sat out Savage after last week's outburst against Crush. On the other hand, Shawn Michaels has been reinstated as of that Saturday, and not a moment to soon, as he replaces Jerry Lawler at the Survivor Series next Wednesday due to the King's "legal problems" (a euphemism for "being accused of raping a thirteen-year-old girl"). Bobby Heenan says that he is glad that this happened, implying that he really hates Lawler, or else that he wants to see Shawn take on Bret. Vince calls Michaels Razor Ramon's "arch nemesis," despite the two never having feuded. Razor takes on the Brooklyn Brawler in what I can only assume is a non-title match.

Raw #39 - November 8th, 1993

Raw's thirty-ninth episode emanates from the exotic locale known as Bushkill, Pennsylvania. Nothing says exciting action like the Poconos. Once again, it seems that the production crew can't get the regular graphics on screen for this live episode, so we get the same dated-looking logos and lettering (even for the early 90s) that we've come to expect from Raw's non-Manhattan Center events.  Tonight's advertised main event is Scott Steiner, who is looking to wrestle yet another country, versus Finland's Ludvig Borga.

Raw #33 - September 27th, 1993

WWF President Jack Tunney opens the 33rd episode of Raw by announcing the suspension of Shawn Michaels for avoiding title defenses (Really? Shawn Michaels?). Michaels is therefore stripped of the Intercontinental title, and the new champion will be decided next week and the week after that via a battle royal and singles match, respectively. I don't know the real story behind the suspension, but I'm positive Shawn's name will be drug through the mud next week when 20 contenders test their mettle in the ring for the vacant title.

Raw #32 - September 20th, 1993

Raw's 32nd episode, which will feature two future ECW World Champions, opens with a replay of last week's tag title change, wherein the Steiners lost the belts due to DQ to the Quebecers. We see clips of all the different points of the match in which the Steiners almost got disqualified, including a very awkward aerial attack by Rick that his opponent may or may not have countered with his knees (it's impossible to tell; I don't think either wrestler even knew). Finally, Scott hits a Quebecer with a hockey stick like an idiot, giving the French Canadians the championships on their first Raw match.
 

Tonight, Scott Steiner takes on Quebecer and future pirate Pierre, as future ECW valet Francine looks on in the audience. Bobby Heenan is sick tonight after having been doused in cold water by Doink, despite the prank taking place an entire week before, and despite the fact that you can't catch a cold from being cold. Maybe Doink tainted the water. Heenan mentions buying up as collectors' items a half dozen WWF Magazines with the Steiners on the cover with the titles, assuring us that we'd ever see the Steiner Brothers with those belts again. That's classic heel hyperbole, diminished slightly by the fact that he's right.

Raw #31 - September 13th, 1993

Tonight's Raw, number thirty-one, is the first after Summerslam 1993, which saw Lex Luger fulfill his two-months-long dream of beating Yokozuna (except for the part about winning the title). The show opens with Vince McMahon explaining the rules to tonight's tag team title match. The Steiners will defend against the Quebecers, a team only even mentioned once before on Raw, under Province of Quebec Rules. Under these stipulations, the titles can change hands on disqualification or countout, and disqualifications can be brought on by top rope moves, piledrivers, and throwing your opponent over the top rope. Why the Steiners would agree to these rules, I have no idea. It's not like the Quebecers were even anywhere near the front of the line for the tag titles.