Regardless of what anyone ever says about Vince McMahon, he's a visionary, a trendsetter, and someone who is constantly seeking ways to reinvent the wheel. Prior to the birth of Monday Night Raw, most television wrestling programs were taped in a small sound stage, with just a handful of spectators. Things were much different during this era, that's a given.
In early 1993, Vince and his World Wrestling Federation sought out to change the way wrestling programming is done. On January 11th, 1993, the WWF went live at the Grand Ballroom, in the Manhattan Center, for the very first episode of Monday Night Raw.
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On the card for this groundbreaking episode of Raw, fans were treated to the presence of legendary stars like Yokozuna, Shawn Michaels, Koko B Ware, and The Undertaker along with Paul Bearer, just to name a few.
We all know what type of global juggernaut Raw would grow into, but what happened to those former Superstars since then? We've got you covered in this article. Let's take a look back at the results from this iconic episode of Raw, and find out what exactly all those legends are up to today!
Commentary Team
The crew that would call all the action on this historic night consisted of three primary guys at ringside. They were, of course, Vince McMahon, Macho Man Randy Savage and Rob Bartlett. Furthermore, Bobby The Brain Heenan was involved in several skits throughout the show but was not officially on the commentary team.
Vince McMahon: This is an easy one. As we all know, Vince is still sitting at the head of the table, calling all the shots. Vince has worn a number of hats over the years and has been involved in countless storylines. Today, Vince relies heavily on his family to run the day-to-day operations of the company. Included in this family is also Triple H.
Trips has been a vital leader in the evolution of the current era of WWE wrestling. His work with NXT has been nothing short of magical. Mr McMahon will turn 72 years young this year. Despite his age, Vince remains in fantastic health, with no signs of slowing down.
Macho Man Randy Savage: Randy Savage is considered by many as one of the greatest of all time. His charisma was years ahead of his time and as long as professional wrestling is in existence, there will always be those who try to mimic Savage. His legacy will live on forever, it will exist in those who follow in his footsteps all around the world.
Sadly, Randy passed away in May 2011, as a result of a heart attack he suffered while driving near his Florida home. His Jeep ran off the road and struck a tree. Randy left behind a legacy that cannot be matched, only imitated.
Rob Bartlett: There's not a lot to say about Rob Bartlett that wrestling fans would be interested in. To be honest, the guy knew very little about the sport at all, to begin with. However, he was there, just as he was for a while afterwards. Bartlett made his living in the radio industry.
He came to the WWF as a New York area disc jockey. Rob would go on to gain national notoriety on the Imus In The Morning radio show.
Today, Rob is spending his twilight years at his home in Long Island, with his wife and their four boys. He still makes the occasional radio appearance, primarily on nationally syndicated talk shows. Rob currently has no ties to the WWE.
Yokozuna vs. Koko B. Ware
Winner: Yokozuna
Yokozuna: Yoko was incredibly gifted to be able to move and work the way he did, especially for someone of his size. As we know, Yokozuna would go on to have a very successful wrestling career, winning the WWF World Heavyweight Championship twice, as well as capturing the tag team titles twice, with his dear friend, Owen Hart.
Unfortunately, Yokozuna would eventually reach a weight which would affect not only his career but his everyday home life. In fact, Yoko would be sent home, just shortly after competing at the 1996 Survivor Series pay-per-view.
He was instructed to diet, exercise, and do whatever it took to lose weight. Even after losing 100 pounds, he still couldn't drop enough to return. Sadly, Yokozuna passed away in October of 2000, at only 34 years old. Yoko was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, class of 2012. His legacy lives on today, through the legendary Anoa'i family name.
KoKo B Ware: Koko was one of the most loved by fans of his time. Alongside Frankie (the bird), Koko was adored by the masses, everywhere WWF travelled. Today, Koko is still travelling, making towns, and meeting his fans all over the world.
Even at the age of 59, KoKo still manages to keep a pretty busy schedule, primarily appearing at independent events for autograph signings.
In 2009, KoKo was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Later in that same year, his wife, Joyce, passed away after a long battle with cancer. In 2015, KoKo was added to the class-action lawsuit between the WWE and a number of former Superstars.
The Steiner Brothers vs. The Executioners (Gill & Hardy)
Winners: The Steiner Brothers
The Steiner Brothers: Rick and Scott Steiner still make various appearances, all over the world. However, the brothers have slowed down recently, limiting the number of dates they add to their calendars. This is due to their increasingly hectic home life.
Rick currently operates a real estate firm in the Atlanta metro area, Rick Steiner and Associates. Scott has taken a somewhat surprisingly different career path. He opened his own Shoney's restaurant franchise in Acworth, Georgia.
For the restaurant's grand opening, Scott had a number of former WCW stars on hand, mostly former nWo members, including Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Jeff Jarrett, and Buff Bagwell.
The Executioners: This particular version of the Executioners was made up of Duane Gill and Barry Hardy. Their run was made up primarily of squash losses to top-tier tag teams of the early 1990's.
Duane Gill: Chances are, you probably remember Duane as his more popular alias, Gillberg. While Gill still makes the occasional indie appearance, most of his time is spent focused on his wrestling school in Maryland, Gillberg’s Pro Wrestling Academy. Gillberg returned to the WWE for a one-off appearance during Goldberg’s return to the company last year.
Barry Hardy: Hardy had a rather lengthy professional career, but after an indie show he worked in 2013 not much has been heard out of him.
Intercontinental Championship Match: Shawn Michaels(c) vs. Max Moon
Winner: Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels: Shawn Michaels would go on to have a legendary, Hall of Fame career, as we all now know. The Heartbreak Kid remains active with the WWE today, sticking close to his best friend, Triple H. Shawn has always offered his help and insight, anytime it's requested.
Shawn also appears on Monday Night Raw, from time-to-time. Some believe he will soon begin working at the Performance Center, as he already makes the occasional trip there to check on upcoming young talent.
It's highly unlikely that we will see Shawn Michaels slow down anytime soon. The upcoming Royal Rumble pay-per-view will be held in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas. Could we see a surprise entrant in the Rumble Match?
Max Moon: Max Moon retired from full-time in-ring action in 2001. He currently works for the Decatur Parks and Recreation, in Decatur, Alabama.
The Undertaker vs. Damien Demento
Winner: The Undertaker
The Undertaker: The Phenom that we know as The Undertaker, is widely considered one of the, if not THE greatest wrestler of all-time. As we know, Taker is still active in the WWE today. While he currently works a limited schedule, The Undertaker is still one of the top draws in all of professional wrestling.
On the latest episode of Raw, ‘Taker let the world know that he will take part in the Royal Rumble match.
Paul Bearer: Paul was very influential in the success of The Undertaker. His presence gave off that eerie, ghostly vibe which helped personify exactly what ‘Taker was all about. Paul passed away in 2013, after suffering a heart attack. The following year, Bearer was inducted into the WWE Hall WWE Hall of Fame, rightfully so.
Damien Demento: Damien still makes occasional appearances throughout the country. However, since 2014, he has limited his wrestling engagements significantly. Damien spends most of his time now, working on various art projects. His passion is sculpting.
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