WWF RAW 6/1/1998

Written by: Kevin Kindelberger

WWF Monday Night RAW 6/1/98
The highlight of the PPV was easily Austin. The rest of it was quite terrible. I like Austin, going against the “man” it is rather like Dirty Harry, who was tired of all the bureaucratic bullshit, and all the red tape and he took the law into his own hands. Austin is also the everyday, beer swilling sonofabitch; the working man, and he does what everyone has ever wanted to do and that is kick the shit out of their boss who continually tries to hold him down. The ratings saw a slight jump to a 4.35 off of 4.3 and 4.4 while Nitro fell to a 3.75, as the first hour only got a 4.0 but then dropped dramatically to a 3.4 but saw a nice rise to a 3.8.

Foley is in the ring and he talks about his teeth being broken, twice. He tells the fans that Austin kicked his ass and apologizes he calls out Vince who is booed loudly. Foley realizes that he let Vince down and due to what happened to his face the Dude will be out for a bit but when he comes back he expects to be the number one contender. Vince looks disgusted and repeats himself about Foley wanting forgiveness, and then calls him a miserable failure. He wants Foley to get down on his knees; Foley is baffled and Vince screams at him. Foley will not allow Vince to embarrass him on TV as his kids are watching. Vince responds that he does not have to worry about that as he is an embarrassment to himself, the fans and his family. Foley counters that Vince has underestimated Steve Austin, to which Vince replies that he overestimated Dude’s abilities. Foley has a confession that it felt pretty damn good when he wrapped the steel chair across his head. Vince tells him to do it again, and points out the chair and wants Dude to make his day! Vince screams for him to hit him with the chair. If he does that college education for the kids will be gone, and the new house he moved into. Now the fund for his parents, and all of that will be gone. Foley sits on the chair instead as Vince taunts him to hit him with the chair. Foley makes him sick. Vince has decided to fire him, and has no need for his services and Foley looks a bit sad. Vince does a dance as Dude’s music plays and does so right in front of him!

LOD and Puke vs. DOA – Street Fight

LoD and Puke are outside and prepping for a street fight. Puke has puked on Kevin Kelly or some stupid shit. They taunt DoA who arrive with some garbage cans and the brawl in the back has begun. They are beating the Hades out of one another, choking each other out. Garbage cans are flying around as are bodies, no one has the upperhand. Hawk has a pole and he misses and gets pounded as Skull has a chair. Hawk comes back and takes it to Eight Ball until a chair hits him. Animal has the pole and uses it and the same with a garbage can. Puke and Chainz tear into each other as Sunny squeals. LoD is out as is Skull and Ball….Puke and Chainz are going at it. Here comes UT, going for a Sunday stroll and he beats the shit out of Droz and Chainz and enters the arena!

I guess this was a match….it was fun **1/2

UT is in the back assaulting some poor dude.

Match 2: Val Venis v. Jobber

Jesus Val looks like a crack addict or Meth as that becomes the drug of choice in the 90s. He has the mic and the sound is off but he is saying “Hello Ladies” he is doing a spiel about his body and sweet Lord the ladies are actually eating this shit up. I am no ladies man but fuck I have more game than him….well, obviously not. There is a actually a sign that states: Val Penetrates Chicago.

He starts to hammer the poor soul. He release suplexes him and then ties him up and rubs his ass all over him. Val hucks him into the corner; gives him a big boot. He picks him up and slams him straight down. Val misses a big boot and is hammered but he comes right back with a clothesline. Val has him wrapped around his back and falls backwards and goes up top, thrusts his hips and the big splash connects, called the Money Shot.

*1/2 Way too long for a squash.

UT is coming to the ring….After the break he curses at Vince. He is delving into his past, Vince was known for giving people an opportunity despite being different. He gave the UT a chance to be himself. That is where all the giving stopped and all the taking began. UT soon became the slayer of the dragons; Vince knew that UT would be loyal, so he had him face every giant and UT beat them all and move them on. UT made Vince’s kingdom safe for himself and his handpicked champions. Vince did not want someone like UT being champ and representing the WWF, so his reigns were short. He stayed loyal despite making less money as he thought his opportunity would come. He is not happy about having to fight his brother and Bearer telling all about UT’s life. It was all done for ratings, and UT never lost his smile, and as he was taking care of family business Austin rose to the top. He has nothing against Austin who fought him like a man, but he has had enough of his family thrown in his face and he wants what is rightfully his, and he demands a shot at the WWF title. He has done enough talking and tells Vince to get his pencil neck, geek ass out here and face the Reaper! Vince comes out. He has a slight swagger and states that he will give the answer that UT is looking for but he wants to say something first. After all he has done for UT he was chokeslammed and he hovered over him last night. Vince is appreciative for what he has done, but he wants to know what he has done for Vince McMahon lately. About his family problems; he wants to know if it is true if his mom’s a whore! Vince tells him that if he wants to be the number one contender, he can be, if he wins his match tonight. His opponent will be Kane! UT is not happy…..

A DX promo as Sable is in a fucking horrible photo shoot….the interrupt with super-soakers.

Match 3: Steve Blackman v. Marc Mero

The fans chant for Sable as a gleeful Marc tells the crowd that she is barefoot in the kitchen where she belongs. He is going to introduce someone else who is black and beautiful, and it is Jackie (WCW with Sullivan). I hope she does not speak! He holds the ropes for her and the dance a bit and then she takes off his robe.

Steve takes potshots at his head with some kicks. Mero is pushed into the corner but after the break he kicks and hits him a few times until some kicks take him down and a big one under the chin sends him to the floor. Mero is back in, misses a punch and Steve awkwardly positions and then nails him with a running elbow followed up with a bulldog. Mero tries to float over but is grabbed and faceplanted. Steve runs him over, picks him up and side slams him. Steve snap suplexes him, hauls him up and drops him again. He covers him and Jackie puts Mero’s foot on the ropes.She argues with Steve and the ref so Steve is nutted and it was a weak ass Samoan Drop and Cole thought it was his finisher….Cole is a dumbass. Mero goes up top and flips on top of him for the win.

*1/2 Mero was destroyed until the end but at least Mero went over.

Austin was on the Mancow show. Vince calls in and Austin taunts him and wants to start a National Punch Your Boss Day!

Match 4: DX v. Nation

A Survivor Series style match, six man elimination tag. Slaughter is in the ring keeping the combatants at bay and X Pac is told to beat it and Chyna too.

HHH knees D’Lo and stomps on him in the corner. Brown fires back, and sends him into the corner but HHH runs out of the corner and nails him with a running knee. Road Dog is tagged and he shimmies before dropping the knee. Brown though counters with a spinebuster but Dog makes the tag. Billy Gunn is in and he is command, spiking Brown with a piledriver and he is eliminated. Rock runs in and takes it to Gunn but it does not last as he is run into the corner and Road Dog is in and he tries for some wrist/hammerlocks but Rock clotheslines him and then he is grabbed and finished with the Rock Bottom. Gunn is in now and hammers Rock with some blows, bodyslams him and then drops the elbow. He has the arm and tags in HHH who pops the Rock in the jaw. Gunn is back in, but Rock makes the blind tag and Owen strikes with a missile dropkick. But he telegraphs the backdrop and is DDT’d, but now Gunn misses in the corner and hits the post and a spinning heel kick finishes him off. Here comes Chyna….

Commercial.

Rock gets a couple of two counts. He brings him to the corner where Owen batters him with some kicks and and now a swinging neckbreaker. He gets a near fall after an elbow from the middle rope. Owen is rolled up but the ref is out of position and Owen escapes and gutwrenches him, the Rock is back in and they pull apart his legs. Rock goes off on HHH in the corner. HHH is up and fires back but a back elbow drops him. People’s Elbow time! He strikes and gets another two count. HHH connects with the knee off the back drop attempt but Rock goes for the Rock Bottom but it is blocked and he is Pedigreed. He is done and Owen runs in and they slug away. Owen drops him and turns right into a right from Shamrock. Shamrock crushes him with a belly to belly and now the rest of the Nation runs down. Dan Severn runs in and the Nation is cleared out.

*** Pretty solid. Both Owen and HHH kept strong.

Dan who looks like a 70s porn star is face to face with Shamrock and then leaves.

HHH does not appreciate the interference and hits him and so Ken tackles him and the brawl is on! Officials run down and break it up and Ken is acting like a teen screaming at them to knock it off!

Vince is in the locker room and he is making a deal with Bearer and Kane as they shake.

Match 5: Jeff Jarrett v. Farooq

The Godwins come out all cleaned up, wearing suits and called Southern Justice! JJ attacks him as Farooq get in the ring but is caught and clotheslined. Farooq powerslams him, but misses the falling headbutt and JJ punches him a few times, but Farooq catches the leg and clotheslines him. He snaps him over and kicks him in the head a couple of times. He uses his boot to choke him out. JJ blocks a charge with his boot, now a clothesline and a bodyslam. He misses the elbow drop and he is bodyslammed and then hit with a legdrop. Farooq gets a two count. Farooq suplexes him for two. Farooq is laying waste to him and gets another near fall. Farooq goes up top, not sure why, and JJ backs into the ropes and Farooq topples. JJ pounds him but runs right into a spinebuster. SJ gets on the apron and they distract the ref and Lee gives him his belt and he uses it to finish off Farooq.

** Not bad but could we get a clean win? Anywhere?

Match 6: Taka Michinoku (c) v. Togo

Taka knocks him to the floor and then connects with the flying plancha. I think he is facing Togo. Taka is whipped into the corner and nailed. This is for the Light Title. They still have not said his opponents name. Taka comes back with a big hurracarana. Togo is on the floor and he tries to get involved but is dropped and Taka connects with a moonsault. Al Snow is dressed as a Japanese dude. Taka hammers his opponent in the corner and runs him pillar to post before hitting him with a missile dropkick. It is Funaki; he comes back with a brainbuster, goes up top and misses the elbow. Snow is led out and Taka wins with the Driver.

**1/2 A bit overbooked but it was a clean win!

Match 7: Mark Henry v. Terry Funk

Vince is on commentary and he mocks Foley and repeats his firing of Foley. Funk is able to get him in the ropes and Henry actually makes the break and this allows Funk to hammer him and he gets two after a neckbreaker. He tries again and decides to back kick him in the nuts. He works him over against the ropes but the whip is reversed, and Funk is dropped and Henry then drops the elbow. Henry drops him to the floor. Henry goes after him, but Funk hits him and goes up to the ropes and tries to use them to jump on him but he is caught and run into the post but Henry eats some steps. Funk has a chair and bashes it over Henry’s skull. Now Funk is back on the second rope, and he moonsaults off and hits mostly railing but Henry sells it. Henry is back in the ring and Henry runs him down and the hits the big splash but Funk kicks out! He bodyslams Funk and then gets another two. Henry drops the legs and Funk kicks out yet again. Henry is relentless and he powerbombs him and another splash finally finishes him off.

*** I enjoyed this. Nice to see Funk.

Vince is livid as Austin comes down! Austin takes his spot and Vince is tad frightened but stays on the mic as he and Austin jaw back and forth when Kane comes out.

Match 7: Kane v. Undertaker

The brawl begins right away. UT hammers him with clubbing blows and tosses the ref to the floor. Kane turnsit around and maybe another ref is in the ring. UT hits a Stinger Splash, goes to the floor and decks Bearer. Back inside the ring it is rope walk time. But Kane has him and chokeslams him, and pounds him. Kane rocks him in the corner and hits a short clothesline. UT is dumped to the floor. Kane goes out after him and runs him into the post. Back into the ring UT tries to fend him off but Kane knees him and runs him head first into the corner. But UT makes his comeback with a series of big rights but Kane blocks one and scoop slams him. He drives his fist into him and now they exchange kicks and punches. Kane kills him with the big boot. UT comes back, chokeslams him and now a Russian leg sweep and he nails him with a big legdrop but Kane kicks out. Kane reverses a whip and UT hits the ref, Kane goes for the Tombstone but UT wiggles free and he Tombstones Kane. He has the pin but the ref is out. Foley is on the apron and UT walks right into the Claw, I mean just walked into it. UT finally escapes and Kane rises up and is knocked down as is Foley. Kane Tombstones UT and gets the win.

***1/2 Good stuff.

Austin wants to know if Vince had something to do with it. He denies it as he fired him but he is going to enjoy Kane kicking his ass at the PPV. Kane and Austin have a stare down.

Foley and UT are going at it and Vince is having second thoughts as Foley hammers the Undertaker. UT fires back as the donnybrook continues. They are hammering the shit out of each other as we fade.

**** Damn good stuff. I really thought that Austin would get old, always winning and kicking ass, but nope….I mean he is the best thing in wrestling right now. He is what Sting could have been, a more ass kicking version, had WCW not botched it. They covered all their bases here with plenty of wrestling and great storytelling. The Foley thing happened a bit suddenly and he hems and haws a bit too much but he has taken the ball and ran with it and has been great. Overall a great show. Time to move on! Oh, the PPV’s need to be this good.