WWF RAW January 10 1994 Review (Marty Jannetty & 1-2-3 Kid Win The Titles)

Date: January 10, 1994

Location: Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia, USA)

Announced attendance: unknown

TV rating: 3.4 (USA Network) [up 36% from the previous week's 2.5 rating]

Welcome everyone to another RAW review here on the blog. The tag team titles are up for grabs this week, as The Quebecers defend against Marty Jannetty & The 1-2-3 Kid. The Undertaker is in action just a few weeks before he challenges WWF Champion Yokozuna in a Casket Match at the Royal Rumble. Plus, Bam Bam Bigelow faces Bastion Booger, and Ludvig Borga will be competing as well.

Here is the list of WWF's champions heading into this episode:

• WWF Champion: Yokozuna [211th day of his 2nd reign] - previous champion: Hulk Hogan

• WWF Intercontinental Champion: Razor Ramon [105th day of his 1st reign] - previous champion: Shawn Michaels, before it was vacated

• WWF World Tag Team Champions: The Quebecers (Jacques & Pierre) [119th day of their 1st reign as a tag team; Jacques' 1st individual reign & Pierre's 1st individual reign] - previous champions: The Steiners (Rick & Scott Steiner)

• WWF Women's Champion: Alundra Blayze [28th day of her 1st reign] - previous champion: Rockin' Robin, before it was deactivated

Title reign lengths are calculated as of the episode's air date

Note: in title matches, the names of the defending champions are underlined

Enjoy the review!

Your hosts are Vince McMahon & Randy Savage

The first anniversary of RAW starts with a video package showing us how tonight's WWF Tag Team Championship match came to be.

The Quebecers & Johnny Polo promo: They basically don't care about tonight's title defense, and are already thinking about their match with Bret & Owen Hart at the Royal Rumble.

RAW's intro plays. (Why is Damien Demento still in the intro!?)

Randy Savage makes his entrance and joins Vince on commentary.

WWF World Tag Team Championship

The Quebecers (Jacques & Pierre) (w/ Johnny Polo) vs. Marty Jannetty & The 1-2-3 Kid

Jannetty uses his quickness to get the upper hand, nearly pinning Jacques with a victory roll just seconds into the match. We get a stalemate, with both teams taking some time to discuss strategy. Jacques and Jannetty go at it again, and Marty gets a second nearfall with another quick nearfall. Both guys make the tag to their respective partners, as Kid catches Pierre with a spinkick. The Quebecers try to double-team the faces, but it backfires and The Quebecers bail. Back in, Kid & Jannetty go to work on Pierre with a double backdrop, followed by Jannetty launching The Kid onto Pierre, and Kid hits a missile dropkick in mid-air. The Quebecers stall a little bit more and even tease walking away from the match, but eventually return to the ring. However, Jannetty takes control again right away, so Jacques hides in his corner as we take a break.

Commercial break

When we return, we learn Jannetty pinned Jacques after a superkick, but Jacques had his feet on the ropes so Joey Marella restarted the match. Back to live action, Pierre pulls the top rope while Jannetty runs the ropes, knocking him to the floor. The Quebecers set him up for a double-team attack, but Marty moves out of the way and Jacques nails his own partner instead. The Kid comes in off the tag like a house of fire, delivering a spinkick to Jacques followed by an impressive diving cannonball to Pierre on the outside. Then, 1-2-3 Kid springboards his way back inside the ring and takes Jacques down with a flying clothesline. However, the referee gets distracted with Johnny Polo and that allows The Quebecers to jump The Kid from behind. The champions choke Kid with the tag rope behind Marella's back, finally taking control. Jacques stun guns The Kid for two. We take another break while The Quebecers continue to beat up The Kid.

Commercial break

We're back with Jacques hitting a running back elbow smash to The Kid. Jacques proceeds to backdrop his own partner, who lands on top of The Kid. Pierre hits The Kid with a huge clothesline followed by a falling headbutt for two. Jacques hits a piledriver and The Quebecers set up their double-team finishing move, but Jannetty enters the ring and stops them. The Kid makes the hot tag to Marty, who runs wild on Jacques, Pierre and Johnny Polo! Jannetty tags Kid back in and they hit the RockerPlex on Pierre to get the titles after 18:18.

Winners & new champions: Marty Jannetty & The 1-2-3 Kid

• Rating: What a great way to kick off show by crowning new WWF Tag Team Champions. The match was superbly structured as it built tension the whole way, and it would've been amazing even without the shocking result. The Quebecers were fantastic here, and the fact that they were already thinking about The Hart Brothers ended up costing them the belts. For a RAW match, this was incredible. ***3/4

RAW one-year anniversary memory: The 1-2-3 Kid upsets Razor Ramon.

Royal Rumble Report: Jim Ross is the host this week. JR explains the rules of the 30-man Royal Rumble Match and says all participants have been announced. The 30 names are: Shawn Michaels, Diesel, Doink the Clown, Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Bam Bam Bigelow, Bastion Booger, The Smoking Gunns (Billy & Bart), Rick Martel, Crush, Tatanka, Adam Bomb, The Headshrinkers (Samu & Fatu), Randy Savage, Ludvig Borga, Jeff Jarrett, The 1-2-3 Kid, Marty Jannetty, Greg Valentine, The Steiners (Rick & Scott), Kamala, Men on a Mission (Mabel & Mo), Bob Backlund, Lex Luger, Tenryu and The Great Kabuki. In addition, the WWF Championship will be on the line in a Casket Match between Yokozuna and The Undertaker. The Intercontinental Title will also be up for grabs as Razor Ramon faces IRS. The Quebecers were scheduled to defend the WWF World Tag Team Championship against The Hart Brothers, but not anymore. JR assumes this match will still take place even without the belts involved. Plus, Tatanka will face Ludvig Borga in a rematch. The only way to watch this live on TV is by purchasing the pay-per-view, so call your cable company right now!

RAW one-year anniversary memory: Jerry Lawler humiliates Tiny Tim.

Ludvig Borga vs. Brad Anderson

Borga takes Anderson down with a clothesline as soon as the match starts. Brad Anderson kicks Borga and tries to hit a clothesline, but ends up running right into a clothesline from Borga. Lex Luger briefly joins us on commentary via phone call while Borga continues to beat up his opponent. Borga with a big side slam and the Torture Rack gets the job done in 2:30.

Winner: Ludvig Borga

• Rating: Just another normal Ludvig Borga squash. This would actually end up being Borga's last match on RAW, as he got injured about a week later and would leave the company a few months later. 1/4*

Recap: Yokozuna destroyed two jobbers in a Handicap Match last weekend on Superstars, only to be interrupted by The Undertaker and Paul Bearer (who appeared on the Titantron) immediately afterwards.

RAW one-year anniversary memory: Doink the Clown humiliates Bobby Heenan and turns face.

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

Undertaker gets some words of advice from Paul Bearer and goes to work on Hudson outside the ring. Taker throws Hudson into the stairs before putting him back inside the ring. The Chokeslam and the Tombstone Piledriver are more than enough to give Undertaker the win in 2:33.

Winner: The Undertaker

• Rating: Nice squash. Undertaker looked quite ruthless ahead of his title shot against Yokozuna at the Rumble. 1/2*

Recap: Bam Bam Bigelow and Bastion Booger couldn't co-exist in a tag team match last week on RAW, which led to a clash between the two super heavyweights this week.

Randy Savage will face IRS next week on RAW.

Main Event

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

Bigelow attacks Bastion Booger from behind before the bell even rings. Booger manages to hit a clothesline, but misses a splash and Bigelow takes over. However, Bam Bam misses a blind charge in the corner and knocks himself out on the floor. Luna distracts Bastion Booger by "seducing" him, allowing Bigelow to jump Booger from behind in this match. Bigelow throws Booger back inside the ring, tries a slam but Booger awkwardly falls on top of Bam Bam... who no-sells it, slams Booger and puts him away with the Diving Headbutt at 2:31.

Winner: Bam Bam Bigelow

After the match is over, Luna slaps Bastion Booger and Bam Bam beats him up some more.

• Rating: Everything about this was a mess. At least it was short. 1/4*

The Quebecers are not worried about their loss, because the contract that Johnny Polo signed included a rematch in Madison Square Garden in case there was a fluke. They will regain the straps next week, and will wrestle The Harts at the Royal Rumble as the WWF Tag Team Champions!

RAW one-year anniversary memory: Kamala chases Kim Chee through the crowd.

IRS confronts Randy Savage at ringside, and Savage throws the cake in IRS' face.

END OF THE SHOW

Final thoughts: The show couldn't have had a better opening, with Marty Jannetty & The 1-2-3 Kid shockingly winning the WWF World Tag Team Championship after a tremendous tag match. While you could skip everything else, the episode flew by and the squashes were all short. Bam Bam Bigelow vs Bastion Booger was pretty bad, but at least that's not how the episode went off the air. Overall, this was a nice show in my opinion. 6/10

POINT SYSTEM

Click here to find out how the point system works.

Wrestler	Result	Star rating	Main eventing	Extras	Total
The 1-2-3 Kid	1	3.75	0	2.5	7.25
Marty Jannetty	1	3.75	0	2	6.75
Bam Bam Bigelow	1	0.25	1	0	2.25
The Undertaker	1	0.5	0	0	1.5
Ludvig Borga	1	0.25	0	0	1.25
Quebecer Jacques	-1	3.75	0	-2	0.75
Quebecer Pierre	-1	3.75	0	-2.5	0.25
Bastion Booger	-1	0.25	1	0	0.25

Don't miss the upcoming reviews here on the blog, including more episodes of WWF RAW, WWF's Royal Rumble PPV, episodes of ECW Hardcore TV and WCW Clash of the Champions. Thanks for reading!