Monday Night Raw
June 7, 1993
New York City
Manhattan Center

The current WWF champs were as follows:
World Champion: Hulk Hogan (4/4/1993)
Intercontinental Champion: Shawn Michaels (6/6/1993)
World Tag Team Champions: Money Inc. (10/13/1992)

We kick off the program with the introduction of Shawn Michaels as the NEW Intercontinental champion after dethroning Marty Jannetty the night before in Albany, NY. He’s got a rather large man behind him that we do not know.

Your hosts are Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, and Bobby Heenan.

• WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels (w/his insurance policy) vs. Russ Greenberg
  

When Shawn goes over to gloat at our esteemed commentators, Vince mentions that Shawn is being accompanied by his “insurance policy”. Greenberg looks like he’s stolen Brutus Beefcake’s tights. No one has a name for Kevin Nash yet. The Brain doesn’t even have any information. He says he’s big and looks like a movie star. I guess if being Super Shredder counts as being a movie star, then he’s correct. HBK puts away Greenberg with a Piledriver in 3:52.

After the break, Shawn Michaels confronts Vince McMahon about putting him in an IC title match with Crush at the King of the Ring so soon after regaining the belt. Now he can talk all the junk he wants with Big D behind him. I MEAN – the mysterious “insurance policy” behind him.

• Adam Bomb (w/Johnny Polo) vs. El Matador
  

This is Tito Santana’s final match on Raw. He would stick around for a couple more months until he would go to work in the northeastern independents, and later the dreaded AWF promotion where he was their champion. Adam Bomb gets off a good powerslam, but then misses a few elbow drops and Santana goes to work on the arm. Bomb comes back with turnbuckle smashes and a side slam. During all this, Vince announces that Razor Ramon has upped his offer to the 1-2-3 Kid to $7500 for another match. Call the WWF’s Hotline and vote for who *you* think is going to win the King of the Ring. Bret Hart right now is in the lead, but the Narcissist is very close. Heenan would bet the farm on Luger to win the whole thing. Not really a shocker. He’s been in love with this guy since he came here. Remember the Royal Rumble? Eek. Creepy. Adam Bomb kicks out after the Flying Burrito. NOBODY HAS EVER DONE THAT! Slingshot Clothesline by Adam Bomb gets the win. (5:33) Not a bad match to put Adam Bomb over. ¾*

• Tatanka vs. Peter Weeks
  

McMahon hypes the Tatanka/Narcissist opening round match for the KOTR this Sunday. Crowd is all about the Atlanta Braves war cry in this one. Even though he’s a *proud* Lumbee Indian, is this gimmick considered racist in 2013? Tatanka lands a Flying Tomahawk Chop for the win at 3:16.

Time for the King’s Court. If I’m not mistaken, this is the first ever edition (with MANY, MANY, MANY to come) of this Jerry Lawler segment on Monday Night Raw. Since he’s not concerned with the KOTR tournament being the only true king of wrestling and all, his guests tonight will be Yokozuna and Mr. Fuji who are involved in a WWF title match with Hulk Hogan. Fuji tells us that now Yokozuna’s weight is up from 505 like back at WrestleMania IX to 550 pounds by eating 15-20 meals a day, 30 pounds of rice, 100 pounds of beef, chicken, and fish. And he only gained 45 pounds, huh? Fuji can’t wait to see and hear Hogan suffer at the King of the Ring. Yokozuna – “Hogan, you will go DOWN!”

• IRS & Fatu (w/Ted DiBiase, Afa & Samu) vs. Rick Steiner & Billy Gunn (w/Scott Steiner & Bart Gunn)
  

This hodgepodge of teams is to hype the eight-man tag for the King of the Ring. While the crowd chants “Irwin”, the Samoans are eating WWF ice cream bars – specifically Randy Savage. Today is Howard Finkel’s birthday! He turned 43. IRS offers Fatu some money to start first, but Fatu has no idea what to do with it. He hands it to Samu. He doesn’t know what it is either. He gives it to Afa and he eats it. Billy Gunn starts off real quick fast and in a hurry on Fatu with a drop toehold and a swinging neckbreaker for two. Steiner tags in and catches Fatu trying a leapfrog with a powerslam. In comes IRS, he takes a big spill out to the floor. Back in, Steinerline gets two. Irwin gets Rick over into his corner, which causes some heel miscommunication. Actually, it causes all kinds of communication problems as Afa and the Headshrinkers get on IRS’s case speaking a language that he does not understand. Commercials! When we return, DiBiase tries to settle this squabble with – you guessed it – money. Of course, they eat it. Rick Steiner gets dumped out to the floor allowing DiBiase and Fatu to slam his head onto the steps. While the ref is busy holding back Scott Steiner and the Smoking Gunns, DiBiase and the Headshrinkers abuse Rick some more. Back inside, there’s more cheating from the heels. Pump splash by Fatu hits knees and Rick hot tags Billy. Backdrops and clotheslines everywhere. DiBiase gets knocked off the apron, but then IRS nails Billy from behind with a clothesline for the 1-2-3. (9:03 shown) Seems like any problems between Money Inc and the Headshrinkers are over. Afa is given a Money Inc. briefcase. That ought to keep him fed for an hour or two. **

After a break, Vince McMahon meets with Razor Ramon to discuss his latest offer to the 1-2-3 Kid. Crowd is all over him with the “1-2-3″ chants. Razor says the Kid will be here next week to face him for the $7500. Vince tells us that match hasn’t been confirmed. With $7500, Razor feels he could have everyone in the Manhattan Center standing on their hands – NAKED! Vince changes subjects over to Bret Hart who he will be facing in the first round of the KOTR. Only 7% of people who voted on the WWF hotline think he will beat Bret Hart. Ramon doesn’t care what they think. He brings up the name of the Dayton arena where the KOTR will be held: the Nutter Center. Bret will be ‘a-nutter loser, a-nutter has-been, a-nutter grease spot on the mat.” GET IT?

NEXT WEEK: The KOTR fallout! Marty Jannetty vs. Doink! Plus, Mr. Perfect will be here! Jerry Lawler will also be in action!