Monday Night Raw
January 10, 1994
Richmond, VA
Richmond Coliseum

The current WWF champs were as follows:
World Champion: Yokozuna (6/13/1993)
Intercontinental Champion: Razor Ramon (9/27/1993)
World Tag Team Champions: The Quebecers (9/13/1993)

SIDENOTE: Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten about the last Raw of April 1997. It’s coming.

It’s the first anniversary show! Hey, there’s a cake at ringside. Hmm. Not mmm so much, as hmm.

Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Randy Savage.

• WWF World Tag Team Champions The Quebecers (w/Johnny Polo) vs. 1-2-3 Kid & Marty Jannetty
  

I had this match recapped before at the bottom of the Royal Rumble 1994 PPV recap, but I feel like I can do a better job at it now. The challengers go for the quick win until the Quebecers all but walk out on this match. It’s all a stalling tactic to slow down the pace into their favor. While they continue getting owned, we go to commercial. AND WE’RE BACK! During the break, Jacques was pinned by Jannetty. Luckily for him, another ref spotted his foot under the bottom rope and the match continues. Pierre pulls the top rope down on Jannetty as he goes tumbling out to the floor. Back in, some heel miscommunication ensues and Jannetty makes the tag to the 1-2-3 Kid. After a series of kicks on Jacques, he wipes out Pierre on the floor with a FLYING CANNONBALL SPLASH. Back in with the Springboard Clothesline on Jacques. He heads up top again, but Pierre shoves Kid off the top rope. Meanwhile, Johnny Polo is standing over a downed Marty Jannetty in the aisle. In the ring, Jacques distracts the ref while Pierre chokes Kid with the tag rope. MAJOR air time on a double hotshot on the Kid gets two. Pierre slams Jacques on top of Kid for another two-count. More commercials! When we come back, Jacques hits his Jumping Back Elbow on the Kid. Now Pierre takes a backdrop onto Kid, but only gets two. They escalate the violence with a piledriver and then they deliver the QUEBECER CRASH! They go for one more, but Jannetty can’t take anymore and breaks it up sending Pierre off the top turnbuckle to the floor. Superkick for Jacques! Jannetty tries to quickly wake up Kid and then rushes back over to his corner before getting DQ’ed. Excellent! Kid begins the crawl to his corner. The Quebecers try to prevent the tag from happening, but Kid makes the HOT TAG TO JANNETTY anyway! DOUBLE NOGGIN KNOCKER! Johnny Polo gets nailed. ROCKER-PLEX on Pierre for the 1-2-3! (14:10 shown) We’ve got NEW WWF tag team champions. I actually cut this recap down about 110 words. Go me. Anyways, just a fantastic formula tag that makes the anniversary show special. Jannetty and Kid leave through the crowd while the Quebecers look completely directionless and defeated. Don’t feel too badly for them though. They would win back the tag straps in MSG exactly seven days later just in time for the Royal Rumble PPV. ***¼

A few moments from the first year of Raw are shown: The Kid pinning Razor Ramon in a huge upset and Jerry Lawler breaking Tiny Tim’s ukulele. Was that supposed to be your BEST?

• Ludvig Borga vs. Brad Anderson
  

We JIP with this one for some reason. Crowd wants Lex Luger while Borga beats this guy up who happens to be the son of the great Gene Anderson. Lex Luger joins us by telephone telling us that he would LOVE to get his hands on Ludvig Borga. Jack Tunney did grant him a spot in the Royal Rumble over the weekend in case you’re wondering. Borga wins with the TORTURE RACK at 2:33 shown.

Let Us Take You Back To: Superstars, 1/8/94. Yokozuna BANZAI DROPS not one, but TWO scrubs at the same time. Afterwards, the lights go out and the Undertaker and Paul Bearer appear on the video wall as the finishing touches are being made on the XXXL custom-made casket.

Another moment from the first year of Raw is shown: Doink the Clown throws a pale of water on Bobby Heenan. Oh, COME ON. Nice to see Bobby though.

• The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) vs. Ray Hudson
  

Earl Hebner has the urn in his hands for some reason. UT doesn’t like that very much and Paul Bearer has to direct Taker’s attention back over to Hudson. Just brilliant what they do with this guy sometimes. Chokeslam. TOMBSTONE. It’s all over at 2:34.

• Bam Bam Bigelow (w/Luna Vachon) vs. Bastion Booger
  

Poor Booger doesn’t even get a proper entrance. Bigelow BUM RUSHES THE SHOW, but misses a corner charge and takes the Ray Stevens bump to the floor. Crazy bump for anyone, but especially a big man. While Bigelow is down, Luna uses her womanly wiles to distract Booger as Bigelow attacks again from behind. After Bigelow bounces Booger’s head off the steps, he tries to slam him for REAL inside the ring. That fails big time. He slams Booger on the second attempt and delivers the FLYING HEADBUTT for the win. (2:21) That’s right. Get it over with FAST because it’s going to suck. Afterwards, Booger still doesn’t get the message and confronts Luna again. She slaps him across the face and still nothing seems to be happening in his head. Bigelow has to resort to a dropkick to get rid of Booger. ½*

Before we go, Vince McMahon wants to check in and see how the Quebecers and Johnny Polo are doing. Jacques and Pierre appear much more confident that everything will be fine because they have a GENIUS of a manager. Jacques is so proud that Polo has already signed a rematch for Madison Square Garden next Monday night. Polo acts like that’s a great idea and that he wish he had thought of it first.

One more moment from the first year of Raw is shown: Kamala chases Kim Chee out of the Manhattan Center. These are just getting silly now.

Now it’s time for Vince and Randy to cut the anniversary cake! Next thing you know, Irwin R. Schyster comes out to mouth off at Savage to hype their match for next week. Alright, let’s recap. There’s a cake, a babyface, and a heel. You figure it out.

NEXT WEEK: Randy Savage vs. IRS! It’s the go-home show to the Royal Rumble!