Raw opens with a shouty recap of the battle royal last week, especially building up Razor Ramon overcoming the 3 on 1 odds. The passion in Vince's promo, and the general build of the recap really help show the importance of winning the championship. This entire build has been amazing, putting this championship's importance on Raw even above that of the affairs of the WWF championship at the moment. Nowadays their best efforts in building the Intercontinental title is to play grab ass with the gold and have the guy holding it be a perennial jobber. Oh how the times have changed.
Raw is still in New Haven, Connecticut for the final episode of this three show taping. It's VInce, Bobby, and Macho Man back at the announce booth for the action tonight, which will feature the Headshrinkers, Adam Bomb, Owen Hart, and the Raw debut of the Rock 'n Roll Express. But opening Raw will be the finals of the Intercontinental championship saga. It's Razor Ramon and Rick "The Model" Martel squaring off. McMahon accidentally refers to Rick Martel as a former WWF champion, which Bobby Heenan takes little time to correct him on.
Vince gives us a lesson on Christopher Columbus seeing as it's Columbus Day, and tries to spin it toward Razor's good luck tonight. Razor tosses his toothpick at Martel and both men have a few shoves. Wristlock by Razor, which is turned around by both men for a while until a drop toe hold by the Model. Hard toss into the corner by Razor is turned around by Martel. Whip by Razor is leapfrogged by Martel as well. Martel ducks a clothesline, but gets caught in the fallaway slam, sending him to the outside.
Martel takes some time to get back in the ring, and lays some cheap shots on Razor before locking in a front facelock. Razor turns it around sending Martel over the ropes to make the break. He throws Martel back in as the Model begs off. Razor doesn't fall for it, and works down the left arm for a bit as we go to break. Martel is back in control after the break. He works on Razor on the outside hitting a body slam to the mats below the ring. Hard whips back and forth to the buckles and a nice side suplex by Martel. Martel tries a roll up with his feet on the ropes, but is caught by Earl Hebner.
Incensed, the model argues with Hebner, before working back on the injured lower back of Razor Ramon. Heenan reminds McMahon that with the Quebeccers and Yokozuna currently holding gold, if Martel was to win the Intercontinental championship, there would be no americans currently holding gold in the WWF. Razor tries a whip, but Martel gets back the offense with a big knee to the back. Martel turns Razor around and locks in the Boston Crab. Razor manages to break the hold.
Sidewalk slam by Rick Martel who reapplies the crab in the middle of the ring, making sure that Razor can't get close to the ropes. However Razor breaks it into a roll up for two. Martel tries a roll up and gets a two. Dropkick and a cover by Martel for a two count. Razor catches a boot and gets a slap. He sets Martel on the top turnbuckle, but can't get the back drop. Martel gets a cross body, but Razor turns it around for a cover for two. Clothesline by Martel only gets a two. Razor gets a hard knee to Martel and manages to get the Razor's Edge for the three. Razor Ramon is the new intercontinental Champion.
Overall, a very hard fought and exciting match. Martel worked great, and honestly is a very underrated wrestler. Razor played a great face throughout, taking most of the offense, but getting some great spots every now and then. I will say I feel the finish to the Razor's Edge was a little rushed, but not to the point where it took away from the match. After three weeks of building up the importance of this title belt, it ended in a way that is hard to disappoint anyone.
Now that we've had our big match of the show, it's time for the squash matches to fill out the remainder. Starting off it's the Headshrinkers taking on Tony Morrison and "Not-So-Psycho" Sid Courson. It takes a good two minutes for the Headshrinkers to take off their garb, and to choose who goes first, but it ends up being Samu and Morrison. Nice back drop by Samu, as Bobby Heenan builds up the debuting Rock 'N Roll Express. Double headbutt by the Shrinkers as Fatu gets the tag in. Courson is tagged in as Fatu hits a big superkick. Samu attacks Courson on the outside.
Fatu rakes at the face of Sid Courson and sends him head first into the head of Samu. Double clothesline by the Shrinkers as Courson is knocked out cold. Samu tries to get Morrison to tag in as both Shrinkers get a double face buster. Fatu finishes Morrison with the Superfly Splash off the top rope for a the three in another dominant squash match.
Owen Hart is up next for singles action against Scott King. Owen works on King's arm, and gets in a clothesline. Body slam and a headlock. Bobby Heenan talks about Jim Ross on Radio WWF, mentioning that Terry Funk was a previous caller. Shoulder block by King, but gets monkey flipped by Owen. Standing dropkick connects and a few nice suplexes. Owen goes up top and hits an elbow drop while Vince shills not Silk Stalkings, but the movie Havanna. Another back drop. Owen gets a belly to belly suplex and hits a missile dropkick off the top rope. Owen finishes with a northern lights suplex for the three in a decent squash match.
Vince is in the ring next to interview Ludvig Borga. He gets a smattering of USA chants from the Connecticut crowd. He tells these peons that in Finland, USA means "You Stink Alot". Okay, this man is winning me over with these promos. More cheese like that, and I may have a favorite. He only says what he sees. And he chastises the pollution and the illiteracy of the fans. Vince turns this to Lex Luger. Borga then turns around as if awaiting Luger to show up, which almost makes me think that Lex forgot his cue.
Borga doesn't understand why Luger sticks up for the people, when he just ends up looking like a garbage truck driver. Lex got his title shot and he lost. Like all Americans, he's a loser. In the middle of Vince's speech about how can Borga walk the streets of the USA, Luger finally arrvies, complete with US flag zubaz. Lex says that he can take whatever Borga says about him, but everyone in this country are sick of him "spooing"garbage about Anti-America, while he makes money in the US. So much for that freedom of speech and land of opportunity. In honesty Luger does a fine enough job with this promo. He tells Borga to "love it or leave it", and he's volunteering to make Borga leave. Borga calls him a hot head, and refuses the fight. Borga says he'll fight on his time, and leaves the ring. All in all, a pretty good segment, and honestly worked to make me care at least a little about this feud. Albeit, I'm rooting more for Ludvig Borga.
It's squash match number three as Adam Bomb comes to the ring. Adam's new gimmick this week is officially being managed by Harvey Wippleman. So we have nuclear eyes, goggles, Harvey, kool-aid tongue, and the a-bomb intro. If ever there was an example of "top heavy gimmicks" Adam Bomb would be front runner. Ross Greenberg is the jobber of the week. Boots in the corner by Bomb, who follows with forearms and a choke. Greenberg fights, but gets tossed. Another hip toss. Heenan in classic form, is saying that Razor Ramon must be backstage listening to Desi Arnaz albums, and is a creep.
Dropkick sends Greenberg to the outside. Adam Bomb goes for his slingshot clothesline, but it just looks like he flopped over. We're told that next week we'll have a Macho Man/Crush summit to settle the situation between the two that's been boiling for the past month. Back suplex by Adam Bomb and an atom smasher power bomb gets the three count.
Our last match of the evening is the Raw debut of the Rock 'N' Roll Express. The tandem of Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson first formed the expess in 1983 in Memphis, and soon found their way to be one of the most beloved teams of the 1980's. Why are they here in the WWF? They had reformed in Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain Wrestling and are the current SMW Tag Team Champions. This was part of a talent exchange between both promotions.
Also the state of Ricky's mullet. Beautiful.
Their opponents are Barry Hardy and Duane Gill. Robert and Hardy start off with some basic maneuvers until Robert hits an enziguri. Tag to Ricky who gets in a very nice knee. Tag to Gill who gets immediately back dropped. Tag back to Robert as they hit a spinebuster/clothesline combo. Hardy whips Ricky in the corner but misses a splash (Apparently Ricky got tagged in for a sec). Tag back to Robert, who hits a jumping knee drop over the ropes. Tag back to Ricky as they hit a double wishbone to Hardy. A double roll and a clothesline follow. Double dropkick to Hardy as Robert gets the three. Not a bad first match for the Express.
Raw ends recapping Razor's title win, and we get the card for next Monday's show. The summit between Savage and Crush is top priority. Tatanka will be in action (joy), as will IRS and the Steiner Brothers.
Overall, a great episode of Raw. The Intercontintal title match was a great match and despite how good Martel is, this was the right time to give the championship to Razor Ramon. Although it won't be much longer until the man who held that belt, Shawn Michaels, is due to return. The squashes were all solid this week. The Headshrinkers were dominant, Owen was technically sound, Adam Bomb was serviceable, and the Rock 'N' Roll Express looked great in their first WWF Raw match. And while I hate the xenophobia surrounding it, I enjoyed the Luger/Borga confrontation. All that makes for what I feel is a solid A- episode of Raw. Not perfect, but still fun.