Raw 127
The episode kicks off with the 1-2-3 Kid challenging Razor Ramon. I’m glad we’re getting some sort of story here, but I wonder how long it will last. It already seems like it’s over before it’s begun when Dean Douglas runs out and hits Razor with a flying body press while the Kid and the ref are incapacitated outside of the ring. The Kid gets the win, oblivious of the help he received. Now the WWF can put him back on the shelf and let Razor feud with Dean Douglas who is basically just the worst character ever.
Next is a tag team match between Tatanka & Kama VS Bob Holly & Savio Vega. Later we’ll get a SECOND tag team match between Owen Hart & Yokozuna VS Men on a Mission. Two boring tag team matches in one episode? Yuck.
The only other match is Jean Pierre LaFitte fighting some jobber. So basically two jobbers.
Dentists, garbage men, French pirates. The WWF has something for everybody!
This episode is more of the same mediocre (at best) programming I’ve come to expect from Raw. It’s interesting that they haven’t responded to WCW at all yet, although that may be because we’re still seeing the pre-taped shows that were already in the can before WCW started calling them out. Hopefully we’ll start seeing some more fire from Raw soon.
Nitro 3
The show starts by playing video from the night before at WCW’s pay per view show, Fall Brawl: War Games. It ended with The Giant (who we all know today as Big Show) coming out and kayfabe breaking Hulk Hogan’s neck. He also destroyed Hogan’s motorcycle with a monster truck. Go ahead and read that back and tell me why I should ever watch Raw again.
Wrestling and monster trucks is a match made in redneck heaven.
Scheduled to fight first are the American Males in a tag team match against the Blue Bloods. However, the Blue Bloods were taken out backstage and Harlem Heat comes out instead, fresh off of winning the tag team championship belts the night before. I have to assume there’s bad blood between these two teams because Harlem Heat challenges them to a match with the titles on the line. Ultimately the American Males end up winning when Sister Sherri is distracted by Colonel Robert Parker (a continuation of a storyline from War Games) and forgets to help Harlem Heat cheat when they need it most. A surprising turn of events plus story? This is too good to be true.
Interestingly it seems that Raw still has fans, even in the Nitro crowd. Or maybe Raw just hired audience plants.
You like story? Well how about Flair coming out before his match with Brian Pillman to cut a promo on both Flyin’ Brian and Arn Anderson calling them out for double-teaming him at War Games the night before?
Lastly, Randy Savage is interviewed by Mean Gene Okerlund who calls out Lex Luger for a so-called cheap shot he received at War Games, confirming in the Macho Man’s mind that Luger is a no-good turncoat. This was also a storyline with Luger and the Million Dollar Corporation not too long ago in the WWF. This guy can’t catch a break. Anyway Luger challenges Macho Man to a match. Wait, didn’t Luger just challenge Hogan last week? Let’s just pretend that didn’t happen and move on.
Verdict: Raw’s poor showing this week can’t even come close to competing with the talent both in the ring and on the mic at Nitro. Alongside the storytelling taking place at WCW, this week’s winner is a no-brainer.
Winner this week: Nitro
Score to date: Nitro 2, Raw 0
(Television Ratings: Raw - 2.7; Nitro - 1.9)