Live from San Jose, CA
Airdate: September 14, 1998
Attendance: 13,161 (sold out)
Hosted by Jim Ross, Michael Cole, Kevin Kelly, & Jerry “The King” Lawler
Can Shamrock defeat Austin to become WWF champion? What’s going on with the Brothers of Destruction? For that matter, what’s new with Rock? Who makes a comeback that you don’t want to miss? Folks, buckle up. This one’s aiming to be a blast!
In the cold open, Austin joins Mr. McMahon, Kane, and Undertaker in the ring. Mr. McMahon, irate, chastises him for being WWF champion. In fact, he guarantees that Austin will lose the title at the PPV in a triple-threat match against Kane and Undertaker. Next, he mentions that he’s negotiated a deal with the Brothers of Destruction.
Should Austin touch Mr. McMahon, the Brothers of Destruction “will be all over (him).” He also announces a new stipulation to the triple-threat match. Neither Kane nor Undertaker can pin the other. Instead, they must defeat Austin.
Mr. McMahon wants Austin to remember that “Stone Cold screwed Stone Cold.” Immediately, Austin attacks him, but the Brothers of Destruction extricate him from their boss and pummel Austin. Although the San Jose faithful chants his name, their hero suffers a double chokeslam. Mr. McMahon celebrates with mockery, and Kane ignites the turnbuckles.
Undertaker advises Austin “it’s nothing personal…just business.” Nice nod to The Godfather. To finalize the segment, Mr. McMahon declares that Austin must defend the WWF title TONIGHT against Shamrock.
TV Rating: 3.9
Prior to the first match, Road Dog recites his spiel to tremendous response. We also revisit the days when he used to be the Roadie for Double J.
Match 1: Jeff Jarrett (w/ Southern Justice) versus Road Dog (w/ Billy Gunn & X-Pac)
Highlights:
- Jarrett ambushed Road Dog before the bell, but Road Dog blasted him between the eyes for 2.
- When Jarrett reversed an Irish whip, he put a knee into Road Dog’s midsection.
- Jarrett missed a back elbow, but Road Dog didn’t.
- As he fed Jarrett a shaky-shaky knee drop, Road Dog got another 2.
- He dealt Jarrett an inverted atomic drop and vaulted him face-first into the top turnbuckle.
- After Road Dog delivered a ten-punch count-along, Jarrett responded with his trick knee.
- Jarrett attempted a running guillotine, but Road Dog evaded him.
- While Road Dog hit his own version of a running guillotine, Southern Justice yanked him down to the floor and pummeled him.
- Billy Gunn grabbed Jarrett’s guitar and WALLOPED Dennis Knight with it.
- Back in the ring, Jarrett decimated Road Dog with the remnants of the guitar.
- 1-2-3.
- Jarrett won at 3:08.
Rating: *
Summary: Shenanigans by Jarrett and Southern Justice led the heels to victory.
TV Rating: 3.6
Backstage, Road Dog receives medical attention due to Jarrett’s nefariousness. Billy shoos Commissioner Slaughter away to protect his tag team partner as they head to the hospital.
Somewhere else backstage, Michael Cole tries to interview the Rock, but instead he coaches the NoD. Meanwhile, the Rock’s sideburns are OUTTA CONTROL.
Match 2: The Rock versus Kane (w/ Undertaker)
Highlights:
- Kane connected with a back elbow, attempted a big boot, but Rock sought refuge on the floor.
- As he grabbed Kane by the legs, Rock rammed the right leg against the apron.
- He whacked Kane’s right leg against the ring post, climbed back into the ring, and clotheslined him.
- When Kane caught him, he powerslammed Rock.
- He flattened Rock with a big boot and gave him a HARD cross corner whip to injure the back.
- After he slammed Rock, Kane mounted the top turnbuckle and scored with a flying clothesline for 2. Impressive!
- He gave Rock another cross corner whip but ate boot on his follow-through.
- While Rock charged, Kane clotheslined him.
- Kane missed an elbow drop, so Rock unleashed a tornado DDT.
- Reversing an Irish whip, Kane fell victim to a swinging neckbreaker for 2.
- Kane lifted Rock, but Rock’s boots knocked referee Jack Doan OUT COLD.
- Delivering a side-Russian leg sweep, Rock fed Kane a People’s Elbow.
- Undertaker jumped into the ring, beat up Rock, and tossed him over the top rope to the floor.
- Joining him, Undertaker rammed Rock face-first into the steps.
- Mankind snuck up behind Kane and DEMOLISHED him with a sledgehammer.
- With Undertaker sauntering after Mankind, Rock covered Kane.
- 1-2-3.
- Rock won at 6:10.
Rating: ***
Summary: The San Jose faithful is JACKED about both Rock and Mankind as the response for the sledgehammer spot was ungodly.
After the match, Undertaker grabs the microphone and cuts a promo on Mankind. He challenges Mankind to a match TONIGHT and demands that he bring the sledgehammer.
TV Rating: 4.1
Backstage, Cole interviews Mankind whose face looks a mess thanks to Kane at the previous PPV. Mankind accepts the challenge and demolishes stuff for fun.
Dustin Runnels stands in the ring and welcomes us to “hell.” As he notes the harsh language, violence, and sexuality going on in the WWF, he cuts a promo on Val Venis. Speak of the horny devil, and he appears. Venis introduces his latest video—The Preacher’s Wife. In the video, Venis lays upon a bed and advises him that he found someone to relieve his physical woes. From underneath the covers emerges Terri, and Dustin is shell-shocked. While Dustin was despondent over the video, Venis crows about his accomplishments.
POINT OF ORDER: Terri, formerly known as Marlena, hasn’t been seen in months. Perhaps her involvement in a feud against Dustin will culminate with something good in ’98. As you may recall, Terri was involved in the Goldust-Pillman feud prior to Pillman’s death in ’97.
Vignette airs of Steven Regal—a man’s man. This is what happens when you try to tame Goldberg.
RAW is sponsored by Snickers, Squaresoft, and WWF: The Music Volume 2.
Match 3 for the WWF Intercontinental title: HHH (champion w/ Chyna & X-Pac) versus Owen Hart (w/ Mark Henry)
Highlights:
- Before the bell rang, the San Jose faithful showered Owen with a “nug-get” chant.
- Owen hip-tossed HHH who responded with a slam.
- When he clotheslined Owen, HHH got 2.
- Owen fed HHH a belly-to-belly suplex and followed with a knee drop.
- As he gave HHH a pair of corner whips, Owen dealt him a backbreaker for 2.
- He delivered a gutwrench suplex and got another 2.
- After HHH blocked a vertical suplex attempt, he hooked an inside cradle for 2.
- Owen rebounded with an enziguri and got 2.
- While HHH reversed an Irish whip, Owen hit a hangman’s neckbreaker.
- He mounted the second turnbuckle and scored with a flying elbow drop for another 2.
- Hooking a sleeper, Owen got countered by a belly-to-back suplex.
- HHH destroyed him with a high knee and got 2.
- Reversing a cross corner whip, Owen got leveled by a running clothesline.
- Owen reversed an Irish whip but got stymied by a face crusher for 2.
- Taking control thanks to his trick knee, Owen devastated HHH with a spinning heel kick.
- Chyna jumped onto the apron, but Henry yanked her back to the floor.
- With X-Pac jumping on his back to protect Chyna, Henry dumped him.
- Chyna retaliated with a forearm shot much to the delight of the female portion of the San Jose faithful.
- Returning to his feet, HHH decimated a heavily distracted Owen with a Pedigree.
- 1-2-3.
- HHH retained at 5:23.
Rating: ***
Summary: Owen brings wrestling while the others bring sports entertainment. Guess who won?
Following the match, Henry steals the microphone away from Cole and challenges both X-Pac and Chyna to a handicap match. Meanwhile backstage, Mankind loads a dumpster with weapons while singing “Heigh-Ho” from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. HA!
TV Rating: 4.0
WAR ZONE!
Prior to the next match, Mankind surrounds the ring with weapons.
Match 4: Undertaker (w/ Kane) versus Mankind
Highlights:
- Before the bell, referee Tim White extricated the sledgehammer from Mankind.
- Undertaker tried to send him into the middle of 1999, but Mankind caught him with a Mandible claw.
- As the bell rang, Undertaker spilled out to the floor to break the hold.
- Mankind joined and rammed Undertaker into the dumpster.
- When he whipped Undertaker shoulder-first into the dumpster, Mankind grabbed a ladder.
- Undertaker forced him to drop it, walked him around the ring, and smashed Mankind’s hand against the steps.
- After he placed Mankind’s previously injured hand on the steps, Undertaker crushed it with the top step. OUCH!
- He propped a wooden table against a ring post and sent Mankind reeling into it.
- While he crowned Mankind with the remainder of the broken table, Undertaker removed Mankind’s mask.
- Mankind responded by guillotining Undertaker with the top rope and tried to drag him back to the floor.
- Instead, Undertaker kicked him causing Mankind to hit the back of his head on the dumpster. Wicked!
- He set Mankind up against the steps, grabbed a sledgehammer, and almost committed murder.
- Thankfully, Mankind ducked.
- Mankind tried to distance himself from Undertaker but ran into Kane who deposited him atop the timekeeper’s table.
- Taking another swing, Undertaker missed Mankind but smashed the timekeeper’s table.
- Mankind grabbed a chair, doubled Undertaker over, and plastered him in the back with it.
- With Undertaker in the corner, Mankind charged but ate both boot and chair.
- Undertaker chokeslammed Mankind, repositioned the chair, and tombstoned him on it.
- Grabbing the sledgehammer again, Undertaker primed to end Mankind’s career.
- Rock suddenly emerged from within the dumpster and clipped Undertaker to save Mankind’s bacon. Incredible!
- Tossing Mankind over the steel railing to safety, Rock got the hell outta Dodge while the Brothers of Destruction stood in the ring.
- Sports-entertainment finish.
Rating: NONE
Summary: Complete massacre as an old blood feud took a vicious turn. Thankfully, Rock put an end to it.
TV Rating: 3.98
Match 5: Edge versus Gangrel
Highlights:
- Edge made his entrance through the San Jose faithful, mounted the top turnbuckle, and clotheslined Gangrel.
- When Edge backdropped him, he attempted a Downward Spiral, but Gangrel shoved him down.
- Gangrel mounted the second turnbuckle, but Edge caught and fed him an electric chair facebuster.
- As Gangrel hooked an overhead belly-to-belly suplex, he rammed Edge sternum-first into the top turnbuckle.
- He hooked a release tiger suplex and got 2.
- After he bulldogged Edge, Gangrel got another 2.
- Edge blocked a second attempt, hoisted Gangrel atop the top turnbuckle, and deposited Gangrel with a hangman’s neckbreaker down to the mat.
- While he slammed Gangrel, Edge mounted the opposite top turnbuckle, leaped, but there wasn’t any water in the pool.
- Gangrel attempted an Impaler, but Edge blocked it.
- Charging Edge, Gangel got backdropped over the top rope to the floor.
- Edge tried a tope con hilo, but Gangrel evaded him.
- Planting Edge with an Impaler on the floor, Gangrel ignored everything else and grabbed his goblet.
- Referee Jim Korderas ruled the bout a double countout at 3:35.
Rating: ***
Summary: Both wrestlers used countermoves like they’ve been feuding for months. Obviously, their feud is not over.
Afterward, Gangrel taunts Edge with: “The blood of Gangrel floods through your veins. Eternity is forever, Edge.”
TV Rating: 3.7
WWF Breakdown will be LIVE on PPV on 9/27. Order NOW!
Match 6 (handicap): Mark Henry versus X-Pac & Chyna (w/ HHH)
Highlights:
- Much to the chagrin of the San Jose faithful, X-Pac began the match rather than Chyna.
- Henry manhandled X-Pac so hard that he tossed him between the ropes to the floor with ease.
- As D’Lo Brown approached ringside, Jarrett and Southern Justice weren’t too far behind.
- Henry gave X-Pac a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
- When X-Pac failed to suplex Henry on his own, he summoned Chyna, and they double-suplexed Henry. Wow!
- Chyna made a cover, but Henry launched her atop referee Jack Doan at 2.
- After Henry reversed a corner whip, he fed X-Pac an avalanche.
- Henry flapjacked X-Pac who tagged out.
- While Chyna speared Henry, she flattened him again with a forearm shiver.
- X-Pac tagged in and dealt Henry a spinning heel kick.
- Crawling to the corner, Henry fell victim to a Bronco buster.
- Chyna tagged in, but Brown held her at bay by the leg.
- Coming to her rescue, X-Pac delivered a baseball slide to Brown.
- Chyna mounted the second turnbuckle, leaped, but got powerslammed.
- 1-2-3.
- Henry won at 3:56.
Rating: **
Summary: Solid big man-little man matchup with X-Pac in. With Chyna in, she more than held up her end of the bargain until momentum sealed her fate.
PENNZOIL REWIND: From January 9, 1995, Howard Finkel and Harvey Wippleman brawled in a tuxedo match. The most interesting element was Shawn Michaels’ heel commentary.
Match 7 (evening gown): Sable versus Jacqueline (w/ Marc Mero)
Highlights:
- For those curious, this opposed the Four Horsemen segment on Nitro.
- Sable kicked Jacqueline and tore one of her straps.
- When Sable took her down, Jacqueline was inadvertently topless. WWE Network, of course, pixelated it to protect young eyes.
- They catfought on the mat until Sable hair-mared Jacqueline across the ring.
- As Sable delivered a Sablebomb, she jerked the evening gown off Jacqueline.
- Sable won at 1:45.
Rating: NONE
Summary: Pure titillation for the horndogs. Uh…yes, I enjoyed it. Why?
After the “match,” Sable, whose dress wasn’t torn at all, disrobes to reveal lingerie for all the horndogs.
TV Rating: 3.79
Backstage, Cole interviews Shamrock who’s the “calm before the storm.”
Match 8 (non-title): WWF champion Stone Cold Steve Austin versus Ken Shamrock
Highlights:
- Before the bell rang, Austin ambushed Shamrock, but Shamrock held his ground.
- He reversed an Irish whip and fed Austin a spinning heel kick.
- As he clotheslined Austin, Shamrock got 2.
- He flipped away from a belly-to-back suplex and took Austin down with an arm bar.
- When Shamrock attempted to switch to an ankle lock, Austin instantly sought refuge on the floor.
- Austin removed his t-shirt, tossed it, and nailed JR with it.
- After he rammed Shamrock’s left leg into the ring post, Austin clotheslined him from behind.
- He suplexed Shamrock and got 2.
- While he suplexed Shamrock again, Austin got another 2.
- He suplexed Shamrock a third time, rolled him to the apron, and dealt him an elbow smash.
- Pulling Shamrock closer to the center of the ring, Austin got 2.
- Shamrock connected with another spinning heel kick and followed with a fisherman’s suplex for 2.
- Countering a huracanrana with a powerbomb, Austin mounted the second turnbuckle and launched a flying elbow smash for 2.
- Austin placed a knee into the midsection and attempted a Boston crab.
- Escaping, Shamrock got trapped in a sleeper, escaped again, and applied his own sleeper.
- Austin sandwiched Shamrock in the corner, hoisted him atop the top turnbuckle, joined, but got headbutted down to the mat.
- Leaping from the second turnbuckle, Shamrock got nailed in the breadbasket.
- Shamrock scored with a cross body block and got 2.
- Using momentum, Austin sent Shamrock over the top rope to the floor.
- He joined Shamrock, got reversed on an Irish whip, but hit the steps directly with his right knee.
- Countering a piledriver on the floor, Shamrock backdropped Austin.
- Shamrock gave Austin a cross corner whip but ate boot on his follow-through.
- Giving Shamrock a cross corner whip, Austin ate a running clothesline.
- Shamrock suplexed Austin and got 2.
- Stuck in a Boston crab like WrestleMania 13, Austin fought hard and ultimately grabbed the bottom rope to survive.
- Austin caught him with his trick knee, but a double clothesline put both wrestlers down on the mat.
- Making a cover, Austin got 2.
- Undertaker and Kane stormed the ring, but referee Earl Hebner didn’t call for the bell.
- Upon chokeslamming Shamrock, Undertaker removed him from the ring.
- Kane sent Austin packing to the floor, but both Rock and Mankind blew the roof off the arena as they joined the melee.
- With a frustrated Mr. McMahon standing at the entrance, chaos ensued as Austin SMACKED both Undertaker and Kane with a chair.
- Austin spotted Mr. McMahon and sauntered after him to end the show.
Rating: ***½
Summary: Unlike last December when Michaels had to tip-toe him through a match, Shamrock worked well against Austin, but the storyline finish ruined the ending.
TV Rating: 4.06
Conclusion: Quite the blockbuster edition of RAW with a sizzling main event with character development left and right. Both Rock and Mankind got heralded all night while the Brothers of Destruction got booed out of the building. While Mankind and Undertaker brought the violence, Venis and the evening gown match brought the sex. DX was heavily promoted, but only HHH succeeded. Lastly, Edge and Gangrel showed off their wares in a battle of newcomers. Like Nitro, you don’t want to miss this episode.
Could it finally overcome Nitro in the ratings?
Final TV Rating: 3.99
Who won? Nope, Nitro, with the Flair segment at a whopping 5.4, edged out RAW by half a point. Although RAW is taped next week, Nitro shouldn’t rest on its laurels.
Stay tuned for WCW Thunder 09-17-98!
Comments? Suggestions? Send them to me at rsg@rockstargary.com and follow me on Twitter (@rockstargary202).