Mount Rushmore: RAW In 1993!

Flair/Perfect
HBK/Marty for IC belt
Razor/Martel
Steiners/Quebecers 

Shout out to Doink/Perfect in the KOTR qualifier 

What show is Savage vs Doink on? I have no memory of that match at all and would to check it out.

Thanks man 😊

This is a tough one. Even if the majority of the matches from the early days of Raw are jobber squashes, there were still enough bangers to make this a pretty difficult decision.

- Doink vs Mr. Perfect (5/24/1993)

This was their third match to decide who would qualify for the King of the Ring tournament and they were all very solid with the finale here being the best of their series. These two worked very well together. Both were amateur-based second generation grapplers who you can just tell clicked as soon as the bell rang. Very solid wrestling throughout and just the right amount of Doink shenanigans to make this one an easy favorite.

- Shawn Michaels vs Marty Jannetty (5/17/1993)

Voted PWI "Match of the Year" which is a deserving honor in my opinion. The definitive match between these two that everybody had been expecting for almost a year and a half after Shawn threw Marty through the barbershop window. While not bad, their earlier Intercontinental title match at the 1993 Royal Rumble was kind of disappointing. This match was fantastic though. So much great, fast-paced action packed into a pretty compact match, but they made every move count. The crowd was definitely hot for this one. It was a feel-good moment seeing Marty finally get his revenge as well as the belt.

- Razor Ramon vs The Kid (5/17/1993)

While the actual match might not be anything special, it's hard to ignore the sheer magnitude of this one. Fans back then especially were conditioned to be able to endure endless squash matches featuring random nobodies every week so an upset like this was absolutely shocking. This is THE defining moment from the first year of Monday Night Raw and it still is every bit as memorable nearly 30 years later.

- Razor Ramon vs Rick Martel (10/11/1993)

The battle royal from the previous week is also recommended viewing as it set the stage for this Intercontinental title match. Razor debuted the previous year and was immediately pushed to the top of the card as a heel. However, he kind of lost momentum throughout 1993 and was drifting around until they finally turned him face that summer. Martel did a great job playing the crafty veteran role and the Razor's Edge to end the match was sick. Their timing was a bit off which resulted in Razor having to deadlift Martel over his shoulders like a beast and viciously slam him down to the mat. This felt like the true arrival of Razor Ramon and him winning his first Intercontinental title is very special when you consider that he is still regarded as one of the greatest to ever hold the belt.

I'd still go with Perfect/Bret from KOTR93 over this one for Match of the Year. But you are right, this is their best match. The Royal Rumble one wasn't that good, not bad, but not good. 

Bret/Perfect is right up there for sure.

The story goes that both Shawn and Marty got banged up pretty good the night before the Rumble which might explain why their match wasn't all that good.