10 shocking moments from WWF (WWE) 1993
While 1992 is seen as the last great year of the WWF Golden Era, 1993 can best be described as the start of a troublesome period which eventually led to the less impactful ‘New Generation Era’. By mid-1993, many of the WWF’s previous stars including Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Ultimate Warrior and Andre the Giant could no longer be called upon.
Under pressure from the federal government to crack down on illicit steroid use across the business, Vince turned to a smaller, more athletic competitor to headline his company, turning professional wrestling into more of a ‘realistic’ form of entertainment.
And while many of these names are now important WWE Hall of Fame legends, the likes of Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart and Razor Ramon weren’t quite ready to run with the ball. Many of the main PPV shows in 1993 were very under-par, and it can be a struggle to list many signature moments.
There were, however, one or two things to look back on, and in many ways, 1993 was the birthplace of several important milestones that would help the company get back on its feet in later years.
Here are the top 10 shocking moments from 1993:
#1 Monday Night Raw is born
Today’s wrestling audience simply take it for granted that every Monday night they will be able to tune in and watch three hours worth of WWE action. If this isn’t enough, there are also two further hours to enjoy on Tuesday nights and a developmental show to watch on Wednesdays. Yes, the content each week isn’t always compelling, and we will forever complain about which Superstar was not featured enough and which ones we are tired of listening to, but generally speaking, we are very spoilt as wrestling fans in 2017.
Back at the start of 1993, the situation was very different. If there was not a PPV to look forward to that month, you would have to rely on a sporadic schedule where you might occasionally get Saturday Night’s Main Event or WWF Superstars. Even then it was not certain which of your favourite wrestlers you would see compete as there just wasn’t the time to fit the entire roster in. This all changed on January 11th, 1993 when the first ever episode of Monday Night Raw aired on the USA Network.
Raw was a revolutionary concept when it came to wrestling shows. Not only were audiences promised at least one hour of wrestling every single week, but the format was unlike anything the WWF had put out before. The show was filmed in front of a live audience with real-time commentary playing over the broadcast.
Also read: 10 shocking moments from WWF (WWE) 1992
Shows like Superstars aired pre-taped matches from weeks before, so the commentary and discussion were always retrospectives. Raw allowed for a much more direct experience with audience, wrestler and announcer all being involved in the action at the same time.
The vast majority of Raw episodes throughout 1993 were filmed in the same location in Poughkeepsie, New York, the spiritual home of the WWF/E. The very first episode saw Shawn Michaels defend his Intercontinental Championship against Max Moon, as well as The Undertaker, Doink the Clown and the very first Raw match-up, which involved Yokozuna and Koko. B. Ware (you can thank me later if this question ever comes up in a pub quiz!).
We also had some hilarious backstage segments involving Bobby Heenan who was forbidden from entering the building and thus decided to dress up in various costumes as a way of getting near the action. It was all a far cry from the days of Raw is WAR in the late 90s, but 1993 is where it all began.