The August 2nd edition of Raw opens how we left off last week recapping the challenge by Doink the Clown to "Macho Man" Randy Savage, and the prospect of multiple clownery. Raw is in a new location for once. It's the Bonnie Castle Recreation Center in Alexandria, New York. It's only Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan at the table since Savage is preparing for his upcoming match with Doink. Bobby assues that this certainly won't be a one on one match. In a quick backstage interview, Savage says that while Doink is the master of surprises, that doesn't mean the Macho Man won't have a surprise of his own.
Opening action is the WWF Tag Team Champions, The Steiner Brothers. They've announced that they'll face any team at Summerslam for the tag team titles. But tonight, it's the team of Barry Horowitz (complete with bad ass jacket and handprint trunks) and Duane Gill. Vince promises a five part series on Lex Luger's history. Dear god, FIVE PARTS? Big hiptoss by Scott kicks things off. Bobby suggests that Horowitz and Gill should use chainsaws to defeat the Steiners.
Hard whip to the corner by Scott, but Horowitz escapes. But his hubris gets him caught into a overhead belly to belly suplex. Boston crab by Scott who tags to Rick. Horiwitz tells the people to shut up and tags in Duane Gill, who puts in fists, but gets hit with a massive clothesline by Rick Steiner. Tag to Scott who gets a pumphandle slam on Gill. Scott his the Frankensteiner (much better than the last attempt) for a three in a fun squash. Horowitz is awesome, Duane Gill is awesome, and most definitely the Steiners are awesome.
We get an interview with Luger who is talking about academics, his identity, and other such important things. Honestly, it's a really dull interview, which is only made interesting with all the different transitions and effects used in it. From close ups on Luger's face in grayscale, to slow fade outs of one shot of Luger to another shot of Luger, it just feels really weirdly done. Like even Kevin Dunn got bored with this interview and just wanted to screw around.
It's Adam Bomb in action up next. First he had the goggles, then the red tongue, then the nuclear eyes, and the rub on tattoo. THe latest addition by the look of things is his propensity to drool red liquid on the way to the ring. It's like gimmick jenga, and it's ready to topple. Tony Roy is his opponent this week, who gets waistlock slammed to the mat and smashed head first into the mat. As Roy tries to get offense, Vince shills a USA network movie about Marilyn Monroe. Adam Bomb suplexes Roy sternum first into the ropes, and follows with a back suplex. he then ascends the turnbuckle and hits a clothesline and his Atom Smasher powerbomb for a three. Losing interest in Adam Bomb by the week.
Next week on Raw, it's Tatanka against Mr. Hughes. Oh goody. A Tatanka match, and against Mr. Hughes, who has begun to lose his luster in all honesty.
Up next it's Doink the Clown vs "Macho Man" Randy Savage. A great reaction for Savage as he heads to the ring. Savage checks under the apron for any other Doinks before the match as Doink looks to be the wettest clown I've ever seen thanks in part to the humidity in the arena. Doink misses a left hand, and laughs off the Macho Man. The match stars slow with Doink making it to the corner and laughing off any offense by Savage. He gets an eye rake on the Macho Man, which angers him enough to go for a chair. Doink cheap shots Savage and begins to get boots and punches. Clothesline by Doink who follows with a Boston crab.
Doink uses the ropes to add leverage on the crab until referee Earl Hebner catches him. Doink continues the offense as he works on the leg, even mocking a limping Macho Man as he tries to recovers. Savage rams Doink into the buckle, but Doink continues to work offense, until Macho Man gets a boot. Doink misses a splash in the corner, and Macho Man knees him to the outside as we to to break, Doink manages to slam Savage into the ring post. Returning from break, a neckbreaker is locked in by Doink, until Savage manages to break free.
Doink has lost almost all his paint as he bites Savage in the face and hits a dropkick. A chinlock by Doink is countered in the corner, but the clown remains in offense as he gets a belly to belly for a two count. He hits an elbow for another two count. He then locks in an abdominal stretch. Savage gets out with a hiptoss, but he's suffering from a case of punch drunkenness. Doink locks in a chinlock until Savage breaks out, only to get body slammed. Doink goes up top for a whoopee cushion, but misses. Another attempt at regaining momentum by Savage is met with a throw over the top rope. Macho Man crawls under the apron...
Which apparently has magical shrinking powers because a smaller version of the Macho Man comes out the other side. Doink laughs and gives chast to the "Macho Midget", but the real Macho Man slams Doink on the outside, and gets a small package for the three count. Post-match Mini-Macho bites Doink in the butt, as Macho Man gets a few more shots on the clown.
Overall, a fine match, although I feel Macho Man not having much offense in the match and mainly being the face in peril for 85% does kind of sour the quality of it. But considering Savage's role of the "old man", it's more than understandable. Plus the ending was fun and a great way to counteract the mind games of Doink that we've seen for months now.
It's the Summerslam report as we're four weeks away from Summerslam. The card as is is Yokozuna vs Lex Luger for the WWF championship, Bret Hart vs Jerry "the King" Lawler", the Steiners challenging anyone for the title, and the "RIP" match between Giant Gonzalez and the Undertaker. Newly added to the card will be Shawn Michaels vs Mr. Perfect for the Intercontinental Championship.
We're taken back to Wrestling Challenge the prior weekend, as Ted Dibiase lost in his challenge to the 1-2-3 Kid thanks to Razor Ramon. Dibiase on the phone is upset over the fact that the WWF will recap such an embarrassing moment. On Wrestling Challenge, Razor comes to ringside as Dibiase, callously covers the Kid, only to be countered into a three count as Razor laughs at the Million Dollar Man's woes. I guess that moment takes away the fact that the Kid stole money from Razor.
A man with a furry tennis racket walks into the ring. Why it's James E. Cornette. Wrestling promoter, manager and scourge of Dairy Queens everywhere, Cornette has been in the wrestling business since the age of 14. In 1982 at the age of 21, Cornette became a manager for Sherri Martel with his gimmick being a spoiled rich kid. He had runs throughout many of the territories including most notable the NWA, along with his most successful managed team the Midnight Express. In 1991, Cornette started his own promotion Smoky Mountain Wrestling. Despite trying to stick to a territorial style of wrestling, he would eventually form a workign relationship with the WWF, hence his sudden appearance in the company. In this alliance with the WWF, we'll see many talents being traded from both promotions, and as such we'll see many of the most well known names of the mid-late 1990's.
An elated Bobby Heenan heads to the ring to hug Cornette as he introduces Cornette to thh WWF crowd. Jim Cornette thanks Heenan for the words as he mentions that the crowds must be surprised to see him. He's done everything in his career, but he hasn't appeared in the World Wrestling Federation until now. He's handpicked a tag team from Smokey Mountain Wrestling to come to the WWF. Doctor Tom Pritchard and "Gigolo" Jimmy Del Rey, the Heavenly Bodies. Since the Heavenly Bodies have been dominant all over SMW, he challenged the Steiners to a match for the tag team titles at Summerslam. It's great to see Jim Cornette, one of the best talkers and most entertaining managers of all time. Definitely can't wait for more to come.
And it gets better already as Cornette comes to the announce table for our last match of the show, Mr. Perfect against Barry Hardy. It's weird to see Vince talk about another promotion, even if it's one under the WWF umbrella like SMW currently is. Headlock and shoulder block by Perfect is followed by a dropkick. Back suplex by Mr Perfect followed by some hard chops in the corner, and a patented neck snap. Perfect works on the leg before ripping the single off Hardy. Thankfully for the kids, he's wearing trunks. Perfectplex for the three in a fine enough squash.
We end Raw with more of the Lex Express' trip cross country, as we get an announcement of the card next week. A Yokozuna/Luger contract signing, the debut of the Heavenly Bodies, and Tatanka vs Mr. Hughes.
Overall this was an okay edition, despite being more jobber match heavy than what we've seen in the past few weeks. Doink vs Macho Man was fun, though I do wish the match didn't feel so one sided for the majority. However, the best thing about this show was the debut of Jim Cornette and what that will entail in the coming years. But in the end, it's a forgettable edition more worthy of a C rating. Next week's should hopefully be a bit more interesting.