Written by: Kevin Kindelberger
WWF Monday Night RAW 11/16/98
We will see what happens tonight. I do not need to repeat my rant about the PPV and the overbooking. But at the same time it kind of works. It is nice to see the Rock as champ. He works great as a heel and got the great push and hopefully it pays off and we will see how they use him. Mankind too. I am not a fan of the overbooking BS and the confusing angles but it was telegraphed, and I should have saw it coming. I kind of know what is happening in the future but like being surprised and not giving it too much thought. The ratings were through the roof with a 5.5 off of a 5.4 and 5.6. Nitro rose up to a 4.3 with a solid 5.0 start but then fell to two 3.9’s and was demolished head to head.
Vince and friends come out gloating. Vince mocks the people and tells them they do not kiss enough of their own bosses ass. He calls the Rock his champ and here he comes. Rock slowly strolls down, soaking in the boos. He admits getting a little help in order to get ahead as he fielded calls all day wondering why he did it. Some will call him a kiss ass but they are not smart and a bunch of trailer trash. He mocks them for working everyday and Rock did what he had to do in order to become champion. Sure, the fans work hard and do what they have to do everyday but once again they are trailer trash just like Austin. They and Austin can have their morality etc. and the fans bellow for Austin. All that hard work could not buy them a cup of Redneck coffee. Now “Die, Rocky, Die” and “Rocky Sucks” and he never forgot that and he is going to make sure the fans never forget it either. He is going to lay the smackdown on their candy asses with the most electric move in sports entertainment today: The Corporate Elbow. He will never kiss the fans asses. Vince asks and Shane kinds of likes it about kissing ass. Rock declares that they smell what the Rock is cooking and Vince definitely smells it! Creepy. Now Vince is going to give us a powerpoint rundown of how they pulled it off. He points to the TitanTron. Instead it shows Austin arriving! Vince is pissed and wants it off. But no one is complying. He is screaming as Austin is walking in the back and finally he is off and Vince is glad that Austin is here and now the footage. They go back to Shane three weeks ago rehiring Austin. Then a week later in the cage he helped out Austin to gain his trust. The next week Austin saved him. Now to Rock “laid” out by Bossman. Now to Mankind who is gullible and pathetic. Shane runs down and counts the pin as the Rock beat Mark Henry and now the fans are lured in. Shane screams in joy about that. Vince was man enough to get beat up by the Rock. Now to the PPV and Mankind is in the Sharpshooter. Shane calls it the Screwing of SCSA: Shane not counting the three count. Here comes Austin! He gets in the ring and flips them off and grabs the mic as the whole crew backs off a bit. Vince boasts that Austin got beat up last night. Austin does not want to be provoked and calls the Rock a sell out. I guess the new contract dictates that unless provoked he cannot touch Vince or some shit. Not sure. Austin has bigger fish to fry and he goes to the footage of Shane promising him a title shot after the PPV. Vince is not worried as he overruled that the same night. But Austin has a binding document stating otherwise and Shane whines he had no choice. Vince calls it aworthless paper. But Austin took it to a court in Kentucky, where they are tonight. Judge Mills Lane comes on the TitanTron that it is indeed a binding resolution and he gets his match tonight. Austin gives a Hell Yeah and leaves.
Jesus this has been over 21 minutes! Austin bellows that he will be the next champ because he said so. JR declares this could be the shortest title reign in recent memory, um Kane?
Match 1: Outlaws and X Pac v. Oddities
I may dislike the Outlaws but damn are they over. I forgot about the clusterfuck with Pac last night JR assures us he is okay and it was just a scare. Gunn and Kurrgan go at it and down goes the latter and Road Dog drops the the shaking, dancing elbow of his and gets a two count. But he is grabbed in a bearhug and slammed. Golga is tagged in and both run him over. Golga hammers him in the corner and sends him into the other corner. Golga lifts up his shirt and crushes him with a running splash. Golga slams him and goes up to the middle rope and misses the elbow drop. Gunn gets the tag and nearly gets the pin. Shaggy 2 Dope leaps and misses hitting his man and Gunn gets the pin.
*1/2 I guess this ICP guy was not even in the match. Jesus this sucks.
ICP and Kurrgan argue. ICP guy did it on purpose after I watch it n the replay.
Headbangers run out and assault Road Dog before being chased off.
Mankind has arrived and is displeased.
Shamrock is in the ring and wants to get his point across. He is talking about the Bossman who screwed him twice and it will not happen again. He will put the IC title on the line too.
Val is in the ring doing his thing, something about hopping aboard this stallion bareback.
Match 2: Val Venis v. Mark Henry
Henry starts strong, hammers him and then slams him with ease. Val is knocked to the floor and beaten. Back in the ring he makes a comeback with a clothesline and some running knees. He takes him off his feet with a Russian leg sweep. He waggles his hips and the ladies squeal. But he is caught and gorilla slammed. Chyna has arrived as Henry pounds him in the corner. Henry looks at her grins and is all happy and this allows Val to roll him up for the win.
*1/2 Angle advancement to bring back Chyna and give Val a win.
Henry wants to put the law stuff behind. He wants to take her to dinner and there will be no sex involved, just them two. He recites another poem for her!
Austin is getting some water.
Patterson cannot find the Boiler Room, and Vince responds that he could not find his ass. Brisco can find it and Vince wonders if it his ass! Nope, the Boiler Room and Vince wants to know what they are dealing with and sends Brisco down.
Match 3: Goldust and Steve Blackman v. Jeff Jarrett and Blue Blazer
Goldust runs over JJ and hammers him against the ropes, but JJ comes back and pounds Goldust. Blackman gets the tag but is run down. Blazer gets the tag and he knocks him down but Blackman takes him down as JJ and Goldust fight on the floor. Blazer is pinned after a boot to the face…..Blackman is going to take off the mask but JJ attacks him and now Owen Hart comes down and they stomp a hole in Steve. Goldust runs them off.
* Angle advancement. Shitty match.
Brisco found the Boiler Room and he heard scary noises and got scared. Sarge calls him a wuss and Brisco says he is not. Sarge will go down and bring up Mankind. Vince wants to talk to the Rock about the match tonight.
After the break. Sarge is back up and he has not brought up Mankind. Vince sends all three stooges and informs him they better bring him back up.
Match 4: Stephen Regal v. Godfather
He offers up some of his Ho’s. I really hate Regal’s new gimmick. He has a sour look on his face as Godfather tries to give him a Ho. He wants Regal to relax. He has the Ho’s show off some of their body parts and is willing to give him all three for the night. Jesus, there are some ugly ass broads in KY. This ladies are not hot but they are rubbing their flat chests. Regal is intrigued. Normally he would kick his butt but he is Regal and not Elton John so he will take the broads. Godfather takes off his gear as Regal leaves with the ladies. One looks really good actually. Godfather did not think he would take the Ho’s and calls him a fag. Regal goes after him and they fight and they are finally separated, so I guess this is not a match.
NR WTF?
Kane is by the trucks and chokeslams a technician.
Vince is coaching up Bossman before he faces Shamrock.
Match 5: Ken Shamrock (c) v. Big Bossman for WWF IC Title
They collide off the whip, and both are staggered but Bossman is kicked in the head. Shamrock has the stick but the ref takes it away. Bossman decks him, jumps on him as his neck is over the ropes and does that damn slide under and uppercut. They are on the floor and Shamrock blocks going into the steps and Bossman eats the steps and then again. Back in the ring, they go back and forth and Shamrock leaps right into a spinebuster and he gets two. Bossman whips him into the corner and misses the leap and he is hung up on the top rope and Ken dropkicks him to the floor. They are back in the ring and Shamrock chokes him out in the corner and the ref cannot maintain control so both deck him and he is out. Bossman whips him into the corner and clotheslines him and now Shamrock strikes with a running kick. The bell has rung. They are still brawling as officials move in to try and keep them separated.
**1/2 Decent brawl.
Vince is yelling at both of them for beating up each other. They are not doing it for him. He is trying to talk down Shamrock. He assures Ken that he is really dangerous and wants to use him. They are a lot alike, from broken homes and have had to fight their way to the top. The people do not care about him and Ken gets some cheers. Vince can give him family and families stick together. Every corporation needs a dangerous man and he wants him to think about it and come home. Shamrock shakes his hand and Bossman puts out his hand too. Shamrock is reluctant but does so.
Match 6: Brood v. LoD
Droz and Edge start off and Edge hangs him out to dry. Gangrel is whipped into him by Edge and then Edge leaps off the back of Gangrel nailing Droz. Droz reverses the whip but runs into a boot but powerslams him getting two. Hawk has come down and the fans cheer. He is climbing the area by the TitanTron. Animal powerbombs Edge and they watch Hawk climb the scaffolding looking worried. They go up to him and are counted out.
After the break. Hawk wants to go out in a blaze of glory. He knows that Droz is misleading him. Paul Ellering has come out to try and talk him down too. Paul is telling him stories and reminding him that they have a lot to live for. Droz goes up after him. Animal assures him things will get better. Hawk does not want Droz coming up there and he argues with him and then Droz just shoves him off the back! JR is all concerned as the fans boo.
Fucking lame.
So let’s move on as if nothing happened! Cole calls out Sable and talks about dreams coming true. She is dedicating the belt to the fans for making Sable who she is. Shane comes out telling her to hold on. Shane reminds her that they made her. Sable disagrees with that as she did it herself. Shane basically calls her a whore and she claims that the only woman he could get is one bought and she is not for sale.
Rock is in the locker room.
Mankind is attacking the stooges. They are trying to beat him up but it is failing miserably as they get dismantled. They are wearing football helmets and shoulder pads. One gets his nuts stomped on. Now all three are down.
Austin is pacing in the back.
Vince has come down again with everyone, minus the Rock and the three stooges. He does not like this match and dislikes the fact that he took the legal route in order to get this match. The fans call him an asshole. Last night was to be his last chance and he will not win tonight as this is now his true last chance.
Match 6: Rock (c) v. Steve Austin for WWF Title
Austin comes down and the brief slugfest turns into an Austin slaughterfest. Rock leaves and Austin goes after him and brings him back into the ring. He snaps him over and gets two. He then suplexes him and goes up to the middle rope dropping the elbow getting two. But now the Rock retaliates with a swinging neckbreaker. He stomps away and then clotheslines him over the barrier. Rock goes over and is met with a barrage of blows. He is sent back over the barrier. He has a chair but the ref grabs it. Now the Rock takes charge and does not like the fans chanting that he sucks. This distracts him and now Austin rips into him, goes for a piledriver but is backdropped. Rock clotheslines him and then rolls him back into the ring. Sleeper time. Austin backs him into the corner and unloads some elbows but is run down with a forearm and a bodyslam. The fans still pop for the now Corporate Elbow. He connects and puts him in a rear chinlock. Maybe it is a sleeper and Austin finally gets to his feet, elbows free but is clotheslined. Back to the chinlock and Mankind has come down and he is brawling with Bossman. Mankind is trying to get to Vince but Shamrock helps out Bossman and they pummel him. Austin is still down. Vince is taunting Mankind. Austin is up again and they are slugging away. Rock is sent for the ride and he blocks the Stunner and Austin blocks the Rock Bottom. He has the pin and essentially Shamrock pulled him out too late as the hand was down. Austin is pissed and knocks down Shamrock and gets back in the ring. Undertaker has come down with a shovel and he blasts Austin and is going to do it again but Bearer stops him and they slowly leave as Austin struggles to his feet. Austin wins via DQ.
*** A nice solid brawl.
** I just cannot give this a high score. A 20 minute promo. Shitty wrestling. Shitty angle with Hawk. The end was solid and saved it from being a dud. They claimed they explained how they fooled everyone but did not. I wonder if they really had no idea and booked this on the fly WCW style. Disappointing follow up to the PPV and it looks like it may not get better for a bit but I hope I am wrong.