Written by: Kevin Kindelberger
WWF RAW 9/21/98
Last week was awesome. I thought about going back and lowering the score but decided not to. I have edited scores before and realize I need to just stick with my original feeling. I am anxious to see the follow u but realize that it will not compete. It did great against MNF well Nitro did with two 4.8’s and RAW’s second hour only hit 4.1. This week it actually dropped to a 3.8 while the first hour was strong with a 4.2 for a 4.0 total. Nitro started strong with a 4.3 but fell to a 3.6 and up to a 3.8 for a 3.9 total so RAW is back on the winning path.
Vince is in the ring with Shamrock and calls down the Rock….Mankind is already there. He warns Vince better not come down. UT and Kane arrive at the top of the ramp to make sure that does not happen. Austin will face UT and Kane tonight and one of the three can volunteer to be his partner but that they basically should not. He then goes on about the title and pride. He bad mouths as Austin as he tells Shamrock how close he came to winning the title and then how the Rock could be the champ. Mick can also taste the title…..and Vince wants the Rock to smell what he is cooking. He talks some more about the title and the Rock and finally there will be a triple threat match to decide who the number one contender will be and Vince volunteers to be the ref for the match next week. That match will be next week and the hint is delivered that none of them should volunteer to be Austin’s partner if they want a chance at the title.
Match 1: Billy Gunn v. Jeff Jarrett
Road Dog has a bruised throat courtesy of JJ. So Billy Gunn gets signs to read from and be like Road Dog. Dog and Justice are sent to the back. JJ is not happy but Gunn takes advantage of it and hammers him. He slams him and gets a two count. Gunn has the arm but JJ escapes and dropkicks him twice. But Billy Gunn snags him and then gorilla slams him and follows up by mounting and pounding him. It is Cornette and someone else at the announce table. The other guy really sucks. JJ knocks him to the floor and then slide kicks him into barrier. Gunn gets his head bounced off the steel steps but he reverses the whip and JJ hits the post. Back into the ring and JJ has recovered quite quickly and stomps away. JJ thrusts him into the corner and down goes Billy and then JJ leaps off the second rope nailing him with a forearm. He drops him but delays the cover and only gets two. Billy recovers and goes for a piledriver but is backdropped. They exchange some shots and Gunn strikes with the Rocker Dropper and then tosses him back into the corner. Billy swings him into the corner and misses the leaping splash and hits the post and flies back into the ref. JJ has the guitar but the ref grabs it and this allows Gunn to finish him off with a neckbreaker.
**1/2 Actually not bad.
It is Shane McMahon at the table and boy does he suck balls.
Cole asks what happens if Austin loses the title and how that shapes the PPV and he will figure that out later.
Austin comes down! Austin tells the crowd that perhaps things are looking bad for him and that Vince is making all sorts of deals. UT talks about it not being personal but business and then calls him an old dead bastard. He calls the stipulation for the PPV a load of crap. He knows that no one will volunteer to be his partner because they are scared of Vince but he does not care and will kick both UT’s and Kane’s asses. Austin 666 will show up at the PPV and the fans dig that.
Match 2: Headbangers v. Oddities
Headbangers demolish Golga and tear up something of his and the match is over and no I do not care. Awful. It was the Cartman doll.
UT and Kane are with Cole. UT claims Austin spews so much venom that it is messing with his mind. He is the one who better watch out and yes it is about business. He better get a partner or there will be a funeral.
Match 3: Sable v. Jacqueline for WWF Women’s Title
Now they have a women’s title or will have one after this match. Sable starts strong with some kicks but is knocked down after yelling at Mero. Jackie goes off on her and then gets a near fall after a DDT. She follows up by choking her out on the ropes and Mero lends a hand. Jackie gets hit in the vagina and Sable Thesz Presses herself and then backdrops her. Sable is killing her as she connects with a couple of clotheslines. Sable swings her to the floor by her hair. Marc gets on the apron and is hit with a forearm shiver. Jackie is on the apron and Sable goes to suplex her into the ring but Marc grabs her leg and Jackie falls on her getting the pin.
**1/2 Not bad. Sable can wrestle.
Marc and Jackie tell Cole they are going to Disney World.
Match 4: Undertaker and Kane v. Steve Austin and Mystery Partner
Vince is in the back with Patterson and Brisco and he is all happy. But DX music hits and here comes Billy Gunn. Vince is pissed and yells at his cronies for not doing anything as he got the other three to stay out of the match. UT goes right after Austin but it does not last long as Austin does his thing with the Thesz Press etc. Gunn helps out by flinging Kane into the steps. He gets the tag and ducks blows and punches UT and then tags in Austin after the Rocker Dropper. Austin swings away but is dropped with a mighty blow. Kane gets the tag and he unleashes a flurry of big rights. Austin flies out of the corner and clotheslines him and then leaps on him getting a two count. Gunn gets the tag and works over the arm but is goozled and UT hits Gunn from behind as he goes off the ropes. Kane clotheslines him to the floor and UT whips him into the steps and rolls him back into the ring. Kane bodyslams him and then drops a fist onto his head. UT gets the tag and he chokes out Gunn and then pounds him for a bit. Kane is back in and after some shots, Gunn escapes but runs into a huge boot to the face. Austin has to make the save but Gunn is now getting pummeled by both Kane and UT in the corner. Kane strikes with a clothesline from the top rope. Austin distracts Kane and now Gunn fights back and they clothesline one another and both are down. Kane tries to stop the tag but Gunn leaps and gets it. Austin goes off and knocks UT down and then Stuns Kane but UT stops the count at two. All four are going at it and of course the ref is down. Kane and Austin are on the floor brawling and Gunn is finished with the chokeslam. Austin is pissed and by the way UT was not the legal man. Austin has the chair and blasts both Kane and UT with the chair. Austin was not the legal man either…..
*** Nice long match.
Match 4: DoA v. Southern Justice
8 Ball gets a quick two on Canterbury. But he is run over with a clothesline. Skull is in and he connects with a side slam and gets a two count. Dennis Knight is tripped up by Paul and Skull hammers him. JJ has come down and blasts Paul with the guitar.
* Not sure how the match ended I guess Justice won. It sucked.
Vince is in the back discussing how upset Undertaker and Kane are and may get involved later tonight.
Al Snow has come down and asks what everyone likes and loves to get and they chant Head back at him.
Match 5: Sergeant Slaughter v. Al Snow
Al gets reinstated if he wins. Anything goes in this match and Slaughter blindsides him. He rolls him into the ring and whips him with his belt a few times. Sarge charges him in the corner but runs into a boot and is then catapulted into it. Snow whips him with the belt and Slaughter heads to the floor. Snow bares the back and whips that too. Now they blast one another with chairs and Snow gets one to the head and covers him on the floor for two. Slaughter gets whipped into the barrier. Snow sets up the chair and leaps right into Slaughter who is wallowing against the barrier. Shades of Raven. He moonaults off the barrier and gets two. They are back in the ring. Al has the chair and he misses the moonsault off the top and his face hits the chair and it is Cobra Clutch time. Al is about to escape and he grabs Head but misses and is put back in the Clutch. Head whacks him and down goes Sarge but Al is wobbly too. Sarge takes off the loaded boot and misses and he is nailed with it and then Head knocks him out and Al wins and gets a contract.
*** Fun stuff.
Brisco and Patterson come down and attack Snow but Scorpio comes down and clears them out.
Val is laying on a couch acting like a pedophile as he discusses his latest video coming next.
Rock is actually next and he is talks about the triple threat match and he knows he will be the best damn champ. Mankind is a piece of trash and will lose. Shamrock is living proof that anyone can act tough. He is going to lay the smackdown on their candy asses. He is going to prove to all these goofs that he will forever be the Peoples Champion.
Match 6: Val Venis v. Owen Hart
Runnels is at the announce table and he talks about being a changed man and how Venis will get his. Shane and Cornette are baffled how he can turn the other cheek. Owen interrupts Val’s spiel. Owen gets hammered at first but comes back and sandwiches him in the corner. He strikes with a backbreaker and then pounds him in the corner. Afterwards he suplexes him and then mounts and pounds him and now Dustin comes in and attacks Val who strikes back with a spinebuster. Dustin is wrapped up in the ropes and Val has the mic and smacks him yelling for him to turn the other cheek. Val mocks his change and then talks about his wife basically having an orgasm and now it is video time: Something About Terry! She tells Dustin that Val is a much bigger man and then Val pops up from under the covers intimating that he is eating her out. He is looking for a kitty cat and never found it but her vittles were tender.
*1/2 Owen at lost owned most of the match. The Val shit was too long.
Pac is doing push-ups right before his match.
Match 7: X Pac v. D’Lo Brown (c) for WWF European Title
Pac kicks him but is grounded with a powerslam and nearly pinned. Brown pounds him in the corner and then bodyslams him. Brown poses for the crowd allowing Pac to recover. Pac is whipped into the corner after a brief flurry. Brown misses and gets nailed with a heel kick but now Pac misses the Buster and D’Lo slams him getting two. Another bodyslams and he goes to the middle rope and gets two after drilling him with an elbow. Brown misses the moonsault and Pac is up and fires off some rights and another heel kick and then kicks him in the face again. D’Lo scoots himself into the corner for the fucking Buster and this time it connects. Shane fucking sucks at the announce table and is ruining the show. He just blurted this match is awesome after Brown strikes with a big spinebuster after running into a boot after a reversal. Okay we are caught up and Brown goes up top and leaps right into the faceplant that is Pac’s finisher and it is over.
**1/2 Brown should lose in a longer match or at the PPV but still fun. Shane notwithstanding who had an orgasm.
Mankind will not be put in any of Shamrock’s holds as he has no idea how to get out and then it does not take anyone long to put him in one of those holds and he blurts Have a Nice Day.
Match 8: Mankind v. Ken Shamrock v. the Rock
Rock goes right after Shamrock and they maul one another. Mankind blindsides Ken and now he is doubleteamed and stomped. Mankind now turns on the Rock and mauls him. He knocks both to the floor and Shamrock slides out and kicks Mankind. He hits the Rock and then steamrolls Mankind into the steps. Rock is up and is knocked back down. Mankind is rolled back into the ring and greets Shamrock with some stomps and then just unloads on him in the corner. He plows into him with a running knee and then chokes him out. Shamrock counters with a suplex and both are down. Rock is back in the fray and stomps on both and then focuses on Mankind and stomps away. Shamrock knees him from behind but is elbowed and slammed. It is Elbow time and the fans erupt. After a two count Shamrock is tossed to the floor. Mankind ducks a blow and gets a two count after a DDT. Mankind punches him in the head and then sends him into the corner where he misses and a forearm drops him to the apron and he just rolls back into the ring and sends the Rock into the ropes and Shamrock pulls him to the floor and they pound each other. Shamrock’s head meets the announce table twice but he is able to reverse the whip and the Rock bounces off the barrier and is clotheslined. Ken goes into the ring but Mankind pounds him and has him in a leg scissors however Shamrock is out and after some punches he puts him in a sleeper. Rock rolls back into the ring and puts the sleeper on Shamrock and Mankind puts an end to it with a jawbreaker. Now Vince heads down the ramp with Kane and the Undertaker at his side. Mankind has the Rock in the Claw. Shamrock breaks it up and clotheslines Mankind and puts him in the Ankle Lock. Rock taps Ken who breaks the hold thinking it is over but he is destroyed by a clothesline and then the Rock Bottom. Mankind breaks it up. He goes towards the rope and is pulled out and flung into the steps by UT. Shamrock and Rock are going at it and Rock floats around and crushes him with a DDT. Rock gets a near fall. Rock misses a clothesline and Shamrock fires back and it is hurracarana time. Rock staggers to his feet and leaps right into a powerslam and Ken gets a near fall. Shamrock charges at him and he is tossed over the top. Kane and UT fling him into the steps and pound on him. UT and Kane get in the ring and Rock is concerned but does not back and punches both but he is hammered and then double chokeslammed. Vince is giddy and Kane and UT depart. But they head back and pound on Mankind some more. Vince turns around and Austin is right there and he drops him and then stomps on him and Kane and UT run up but Austin has already backed away….
What! The match is over? No decision, well I guess they were all laid out, so that makes sense. *** It was not bad and teases who the number one contender will be.
**** A step down. It makes me wonder if last week was really that good but it is hard to follow up. Still the show set up the PPV. A lot happened, and we had two good matches, and a couple of decent ones. The Oddities and Val Venis dragged it down as did DoA but overall those were minor portions of the show. You need to have midcarders but too bad most are not that great. Rock has been elevated…..still Jeff Jarrett is slowly growing on me. Godfather was but he was knocked out during the Brawl for All so we will see what happens down the road if anyone stands out. Oh, I forgot Al Snow. I am digging him and he is fun to watch in the ring, kind of like Raven.