We open this week's edition of Raw with Money Inc. paying off the Beverly Brothers to share whatever tips they can when dealing with the Steiner Brothers. Considering that the Beverlys lost to the Steiners last week, this isn't too bad a strategy. Though aybe finding a team that's actually beaten the Steiners would be wiser. Especially when the best advice Beau and Blake can give is "Their strong, take out their legs, and don't take their finisher". Great advice lads. Worth every dollar.
Raw has once again been relocated to Poughkeepsie's Mid-Hudson Civic Center. Commentators are Vince McMahon, Macho Man, and back from Vegas is Rob Barlett. The main reason Bartlett's even back this week is to interview Sensational Sherri and Luna Vachon, who will make her debut on Raw this week. See, now this is a smart idea. Let Rob be mauled by the beastly Vachon. I love it. Also, we're nearing the end times with Rob Bartlett. Almost there. There's also a Tatanka match (which I assume goes the same as all Tatanka matches), and Savage feels blessed, as tonight will be the debut of Friar Ferguson.
Wait, Who?
Our opening contest this week isn't a jobber match for once. It's one half of the tag champs IRS taking on Scott Steiner. IRS reminds us before the match that you have a week left to pay your taxes. Crowd rains "Irwin" chants upon IRS, as Rob Bartlett ponders why IRS needs to wear suspenders when he already has a belt. Oh those end times are a coming Mr. Bartlett. They are a coming indeed.
The match begins with both men trading arm locks as IRS gets to the ropes to break each time. Takes a minute or two for things to get interesting as Scott keeps getting IRS into the ropes. Eventually IRS turns things around with a rather nice enziguri. Steiner counters a whip into a crisp powerslam.
Shyster takes another breather outside, and the pace slows to a crawl. Headlock by Scott Steiner followed with hard shoulder blocks, but IRS gets a drop toe hold, which Steiner turns into an arm lock. Ram to the buckle and a hard clothesline for a two count from Steiner. Steiner tries for a roll up, but can't get him in position.
Elbows from IRS turn the tide, but Scott counters a vertical suplex attempt with one of his own. IRS once again takes time to take a break. He gets a thumb to the eye and throws out Scott. Ted Dibiase gets a clothesline while the ref's distracted. Rick Steiner comes to help his brother, which causes Dibiase to disrobe in front of him.
After the break, IRS gets a piledriver for a two count. Headlock by IRS is eventally broken by Scott, but he's shoved back to the mat. Rob Bartlett's strategy for this match is to snap IRS' suspenders. In fact, Rob's promo work is extremely subdued this week, thankfully. IRS continues offense on Scott and heads to the top rope, but gets a book to the face upon descent. Steiner gets some rights, and a big elbow to the jaw, followed by some punches in the corner and a hard irish whip.
Scott rope a dopes IRS using his tie, and follows with a big back body drop. Underhook powerbomb and a three count attempt, but Dibiase makes the DQ. Scott and Rick make their focus on the Million Dollar Man. They attempt the bulldog, but the Beverly Brothers make the save. The Beverlys go after Scott, but accidentally end up hitting Ted Dibiase. The Steiners leave, and Money Inc and the Beverlys have a shoving contest. Money Inc wave off the fight, but IRS gets thrown out, as Beau and Blake put their attention on the Million Dollar Man.
All in all, a strong opener for this episode of Raw. While it started slow, the match got really good by the end. I don't think IRS is a bad wrestler, and I have nothing but positives for Scott Steiner who has yet to disappoint me in-ring. I also like the sudden face turn of sorts for the Beverly Brothers, another team I've grown to enjoy. However, I'm not certain they're as cut out to be good guys, but at least it makes the whole atmosphere of the tag division feel a little more diverse now.
Next up it's Tatanka against Von Krus (AKA Vito). Vince shills the replay of Wrestlemania IX airing after this episode. Bartlett tells Vince that he plans to watch the show with his uncle, and not tell him it was a replay so he can trick his uncle into thinking he's psychic. First off, how the hell are you going to go watch the pay per view if you're here live? I doubt you live like a block or two from the Mid-Hudson Civic Center. Also, and a big flaw in your plan, wouldn't your uncle be watching Raw, where they have made it clear multiple times that this is an encore presentation?
Oh the end times, they are a coming.
Monkey flip by Tatanka followed by some hip tosses and some chops. Standard Tatanka squash fare. But never mind that, Doink shows up, and squirts the camera and the crowd with his loaded umbrella. This raises the ire of Tatanka, who goes to confront the clown... or not, as Doink just leaves. Von Krus mocks Tatanka with the tomahawk chops. Eventually Tatanka shows him how its done with more chops.
Hard whips to the buckle and a body slam, followed by a big elbow. Von Krus gets a nice spinning elbow. Eventually Tatanka gets the big back body drop and starts his war dance. More chops from Tatanka and the Samoan drop for the three. Save for the Doink cameo, another dull Tatanka match. Try as they might, I can't bring myself to care.
Up next Rob Bartlett, who interviews Luna Vachon. She says she's the true woman of the 90's. Something about beauty and beast, genius and insanity. All while in that great raspy roaring voice she was known for. She disses Sherri, who doesn't take too kindly to the words. She contronts Luna, and calls her a half bred woman. Luna calls herself the ultimate female of the ring, and a bandit from the wild untamed future, whatever the hell that means. So I guess she's some sort of future dominatrix thing?
Even Sherri laughs at the nonsense Luna's spewing, and retorts that she's faced bigger men than anything Luna's taken. She kicks Luna, but gets some of Barlett. She gets some shots on Bartlett (Thank you Sherri). Sherri then hits a nice vertical suplex on the outside. Luna gets some cheap shots as Rob tries to break things up, but is ineffective. Speaking of ineffective, Bartlett tries to stop this, but fails. Luna tries to disrobe Sherri while they brawl.
Sherri tries to take off Luna's clothes in return as the two brawl in the crowd. Eventually Sgt. Slaughter and the rest of the backstage goons cool things off, complete with Slaughter carrying Luna to the back. After the break, Macho Man tries to interview Sherri, but Luna comes right back and continues to assault Sherri, all while Scott Taylor does nothing to try and stop this fight. Good call Scotty. Pat Patterson eventually drags Luna off.
I loved that whole segment. For a debut on Raw for Luna, it does a great job in establishing her as a psycho, and someone who isn't to be messed with. Her promo was a bit messy in places, feeling more like her only advice before going to the ring was to just say she's the ultimate woman and ad lib from there. Sherri was great, and the brawl was excellent. You really get the feeling both women want to straight up murder one another. Although by the end it does feel like gratuitous T and A with them basically trying to strip one another, but it also works for the brawl. Shame this won't really go much farther than this since Sherri's run is on borrowed time, but if this was the height of what we're getting, then I'm down for whatever these two have remaining.
Up next it's another jobber match. It's Scott Taylor against Papa Shango. Dropkick attempts by Taylor are brushed off by Shango who gets a big toss in followed by a back suplex. Mid-match, Vince tells us that the Beverlys will challenge Money Inc next week. Throwing body slam by Shango followed by a headbutt to the groin.
Also mid-match, Rob Bartlett returns to the table with his shirt ripped and his face a mess. He then collapses to the floor. Macho Man revives him while Shango gets a shoulder breaker for a three in a meaningless squash match that like the Tatanka match was more interesting for the goings on at ringside than the match itself.
It's time for our main event, and coming down the aisle is a man in a robe, and a little note pad that tells us that yes, he is a monk. This is Friar Ferguson.
Mike Shaw made his wrestling debut in 1981 under the name Klondike Mike, but his most infamous character (Prior to what he'll become shortly after this) was Norman the Lunatic in WCW. The character was that of a mental patient who was also a wrestler, because it's wrestling. Of course he is. Think of Norman the Lunatic as a prototype of WWE's Eugene character, although it's hard to argue if this was more or less offensive. I mean both make mockery of mental health.
When Shaw left WCW, he was picked up by the WWF and repackaged as Friar Ferguson, a mute monk who starts his matches with a pre-celebratory drink from his satchel. It's unclear what they were thinking with this. Was this meant to be some playful parody of the catholic church? The New York catholic church sure the heck didn't find it funny, that's for certain.
His opponent is longtime jobber for the company Chris Duffy. The crowd is dead for this since again, they don't know what to think of this random monk who is wrestling in front of them. Duffy tries a piledriver, but Ferguson gets a back drop and a leg drop. Irish whip, followed by a hip toss, and a dance from the friar. Good to see goofy dancing fat men have always been around. Ferguson goes for a splash, but doesn't make the three.
A ram in the corner sends Duffy flying backward. This is followed by a prone Duffy getting a face full of the friar's robe. A clearly hilarious moment met with crickets. The crowd find it so funny that a "We Want Bret" chant starts up. Silly crowd, you clearly want Hulk Hogan. The world revolves around him, you know. This match goes on for way too long, but mercifully ends with Friar Ferguson literally squashing Duffy for the three.
I won't fault Mike Shaw. He tried his best, and wasn't all that bad in the ring. It's just a horrible gimmick in every way imaginable. It literally went over like a fart in church. Thankfully, this is the only match of Friar Ferguson. Not the last appearance, but you can already see the staying power of this character vanishing
We get a video package with fans telling us how awesome Wrestlemania IX was, with one of them being Vladimir the Super Fan, who gives his stamp of approval for this year's event. Following this, we cut to an interview with Money Inc who accept the challenge of the Beverlys.
And we end Raw with both teams brawling in the back.
This Raw was awesome. A vast improvement in actual content over the past few months. The Scott Steiner vs IRS match was great, the face turn and brawl with the Bevery Brothers was unexpected and welcomed, and by far the best thing in the show was the Sherri-Luna confrontation. All were exciting, and definitely worth watching. The only things bogging this show down from a full recommendation is the Friar Ferguson crap, and the bland and basic squash matches. But that aside, this show is worthy of an A in my book. One of Raw's strongest yet. Will that continue with a Bret promo next week and the tag champs in action? We'll soon find out.