WWF RAW 11/23/1998

Written by: Kevin Kindelberger

WWF Monday Night RAW 11/23/98

Okay it is late. RAW won with around a 5.0 to 4.5. Last week was weak and overbooked let’s see what happens this week as back to back mediocre shows is rare. The more I think about it the more I dislike last week. The Hawk thing etc. It was pretty terrible, and just is insulting as they keep trying to top stupid gimmicks every week with near murders etc. all the while the in ring product gets worse and worse and the gimmicks lamer. Despite its issues Nitro is far better at this point.

Austin apparently blacked out and is in a Medical Center and they will speak with him later.

Here comes Vince and friends. He hates the fans but never lies and goes on about Austin and telling everyone how right he was and that Austin got beat up last week. There will be a new Commissioner as Slaughter has stepped aside. He will answer to no one but Austin is all Vince’s. He calls out HBK! Jesus, I had forgotten how annoying he is as he calls him Vin Man or should he be known as Mr. Vin Man. He is going to change things up and add some sizzle to the steak. He asks Vince if he can make his first booking decision tonight. It will be for the title and Shane and Vince are a bit baffled and worried. It will be the Rock v. X Pac. Shawn dances and leaves. JR does not think this is what Vince had planned. Then why the fuck hire him. He has control of everything and nearly everyone so why would you do this? Oh, ratings despite making NO sense from a storytelling perspective.

ICP and Oddities are arguing and the former are not ready to fight, so the Oddities will take their place.

Match 1: Headbangers v. Oddities

Kurrgan takes it to Thrasher and Golga gets the tag, whips him into the corner and crushes him with his gut. He bodyslams him and now ICP is down and one is on the apron and he is knocked off. Golga checks on him and he is rolled up. ICP and Banger join up and put the boots to the Oddities. Silva is tied up and Kurrgan had something sprayed in his eyes. Luna is getting her head shaved.

NR Angle advancement.

Match 2: Steve Blackman v. Blue Blazer

Blackman starts strong and knocks him to the floor; he goes after him and rolls him back into the ring. He kicks him in the head only to miss the elbow drop. Blazer connects with an enzuguri and has him in a facelock. Blazer turns it into a crab and despite Blackman breaking free he is still knocked around. But Blackman runs him over and a boot to the face finishes him off.

*1/2 Not much here.

He goes to unmask the Blazer but Owen clips him from behind and beats on him before leaving.

They show clip of Austin yesterday celebrating and then he just collapsed. They claim he refused medical attention.

Match 3: Brood v. D’Lo and Mark Henry

Edge takes out Brown with a hurracarana and some slams. Gangrel gets the tag and they run him over. Gangrel beats on him in the corner and then both whip him into the other corner and Edge is whipped into him and Gangrel crushes him too and they double DDT him. Henry runs at them but he is taken over and slammed by both. Brown though ducks a blow and drops Edge with a spinkick. Brown takes it to him and Edge is powerbombed. D’Lo jaws with the fans and tags in Henry….I forgot an earlier tag where Henry dominated. Now he is back in and he strikes with a spinning slam and punches him in the heart. Henry powerslams him and Brown somersaults from the top rope and Edge rolls to safety. Both men are down. Gangrel gets the tag and he hammers away but is dropped. Henry though hits his partner knocking him to the floor. Edge leaps on top of him. Henry gorilla slams Gangrel. Chyna has shown up and the distraction allows Gangrel to roll him up for the win.

*** Pretty solid.

D’Lo is not happy and argues with him. Chyna agrees to go out with him and he rolling around in the ring with glee. Brown is not so gleeful.

Austin is in a hospital bed and does not like the tests. The doctor is a shitty actor and wants him to take some pills as he has concussion and warns him to take some time off. Austin refuses it but takes the pills and after a good night’s sleep he is allowed to leave. JR asks how he feels and he is upset about the shovel to the head and will get his payback and his blood pressure increases and the nurse tries to calm him down.

Match 4: Marc Mero v. Goldust

Mero beats on him in the corner but Goldust fights back and connects with some atomic drops, crotches him on the top rope and then smacks him around in the corner. He misses the charge and Mero attacks, chokes him out on the ropes. Here comes Terri wearing a frilly little outfit, prancing around as Goldust eats a knee and then a crossbody and he is nearly pinned. The fans want her to take it off….manly but really hot, not the body, the face is manly. Speaking of manly here comes Jacqueline and I guess Mero dumped her on Heat last night. Mero gets a couple of near falls after a powerslam. Goldust comes back and he gets two after a bulldog. Goldust mounts and pounds him and nine shots later rubs his body and gives him one more for good measure, he hooks the legs prepping for the nut shot.. Terri is distracting the ref and Jackie runs in and nuts him. Terri kicks Goldust and then nails Mero in the nuts. The ladies high five and Terri shows her panties as she leaves….

**1/2 Decent match.

A nurse asks Austin for an autograph and he is happy to oblige. JR’s question pisses him off as it is about the Buried Alive match and he freaks out stating he will get revenge. The lights go out and he is told to get some rest.

A car arrives at the hospital….a Hearse.

Match 5: Ken Shamrock v. Big Bossman v. Mankind (c) for WWF Hardcore Title

Bossman goes after Mankind with the stick but he dodges it and after a couple of punches he is assaulted by both men. Mankind is getting mauled; he ducks a stick shot again and takes out Bossman and then tosses Shamrock to the floor and he goes after him. He punches him over and over up the ramp, Bossman tries to get involved but is knocked back. He beats on both. Mankind suplexes Shamrock but Bossman runs him over and rolls him back into the ring. He chokes him out with the nightstick as Shamrock pops him over and over. The McMahon’s show up at the top of the ramp to enjoy the show. Shamrock pulls out Mankind and punishes him and now the nightstick comes into play and Mankind is drilled with it. Mankind pulls out a broom from somewhere and breaks it across Bossman and literally over Shamrock. He runs Ken into the barrier where he rocks him with numerous punches. Bossman comes up from behind and smashes him with an electrical fan. Now a can of Coke is smashed over his head! Back in the ring, Mankind ducks the chair shot and down goes Shamrock. Bossman eats a double armed DDT into the chair and all three are down. Mankind and Shamrock are up and they go at it. Out on the floor they are brawling and Shamrock is down. Now Bossman is stuck in the Mandible Claw but Shamrock runs in and clips him from behind and that knocks Bossman to the floor. Shamrock spikes Mankind into some object and goes for the Ankle Lock and the JOB Squad runs into the ring led by Al Snow and Shamrock is knocked out by Head and Mankind gets the win. Mankind chases after the McMahon’s and is run down by Shamrock.

***1/2 Nice action. Overbooked.

Back to the hospital and Austin is getting beaten up by the Undertaker. UT is panting heavily as he breathily tells Austin he is not so tough….um, honestly sounds like Gay porn as he is on top of him writhing. Okay, enough of that Austin is dragged through an entire hospital apparently….no one noticed. UT and Paul are going to bury him alive. It is not deep enough and Austin chokes out Paul but he is knocked back out. UT wants to embalm him alive rather than bury him alive.

Match 6: Godfather v. Tiger Ali Singh

Shit this taking a long time. Instead of kicking his ass he is willing to give him his Ho’s. Regal comes down and tells him not to fall for it and that he can afford better slappers than these! This pisses the Godfather off and he charges at Regal but is attacked by Tiger and then Regal gets in the ring and stomps a hole in him. Val comes down and Regal and Tiger retreat. Val takes some Ho’s.

NR

Shawn and Rock and Vince are arguing. Rock does not like being touched by Shawn….he leaves.

Shawn is conferring with Hebner.

Match 7: New Age Outlaws (c) v. JOB Squad

Jesus I really do not understand how the Outlaws are so over….I wish RAW did a better job of explaining shit that happens on Heat. I have no idea who the Job Squad are. Bob Holly is one and Duane Gill is another and so is poor Scorpio. Road Dog and Holly went back and forth. Now Gunn and Scorpio do the same with the latter hitting two dropkicks. Scorpio gets his third shoved aside and then clotheslined. Holly runs in and gets plastered. Road Dog runs in and does some jive and hits him. But Scorpio spinkicks him and tags in Holly who kicks him in the gut, pick him up and gives him an inverted atomic drop; he runs him over and gets a two count. Road Dog fights back and Scorpio gets the tag and now he is worked over. Gunn is in and he strikes with a Tornado DDT and Mankind runs down with a fucking leafblower and knocks out Gunn and he is pinned.

** Not bad for wrestling purposes I guess….But shit, one clean match?

Bossman and Shamrock come down and dismantle Mankind and the Squad with an assist from DX. Patterson and company come down and start talking to DX.

Austin is brought to a funeral home and laid out. Paul is all happy. UT tells him that he cannot tempt fate. Um, murder on TV? I know it is fake but shit like this is asinine as they try to make it real….now UT is speaking in tongues as Austin is prepped. UT has a knife and Kane has arrived and knocks Paul aside and goes after UT. Paul tries to stab Austin but it is blocked and Austin pushes him aside and runs off. FUCKING STUPID. Oh, it gets worse, the camera feed is disrupted.

Match 7: X Pac v. Rock (c) for WWF Title

HBK sends DX and the Corporate goons to the back who came down too. They lock up and neither gets the upperhand and they test one another, and go at it again. Pac shoves him off and is run over. But he hops up and clotheslines him. Rock takes it to Pac, boxing him and then strikes with a swinging neckbreaker. He knocks him to the floor and glares at HBK. He follows after Pac and picks him up and runs him crotch first into the post. He drives his elbow into him and after getting in the ring Rock keeps after him, snaps him over and puts him in a rear chinlock. JR just will not shut the fuck up about X Pac, I get it but you repeat how great he is and about his fucking neck every fucking week. Pac fights to his feet but a forearm drops him and the chinlock is back on. Shane and Vince show up at the top of the ramp and grin at HBK. Pac fights to his feet and elbows free again and Rock misses a clothesline and Pac counters with a spinning heel kick but both men are down. Pac chops away and Rock reverses the whip and now another spinkick after Pac ducks and he gets a near fall. It is Buster time. Rock is up though; he blocks a kick and then gets two after a Samoan Drop. Pac kicks him and then face plants him but Pac cannot cover him and finally does so and Rock gets his shoulder up. Rock is up and catches him with a powerslam and he gets a near fall. Rock heads to the floor, grabs a chair brings it into the ring and HBK comes into the ring, takes the chair and knocks out X Pac. Vince is baffled or acts that way and now it is Elbow time and it is over.

*** Decent match.

DX runs down and chases off Shawn and now they fight Bossman and Shamrock and Pac is up but he is knocked back down as the McMahon’s with Rock and Shawn do the crotch chop.

**1/2 A half star better than last week and that is due to the better in ring product. But seriously. I feel as if I need a dozen Ritalin and bottle of Vodka to figure out what the fuck is going on. So many fucking swerves, which I should have saw coming because why else hire HBK as Commish? He will only be around off and on for the next year and that is a good thing because he is only tolerable in short stretches. The embalming angle is so stupid. Now murder is so common that the camera crew willingly follows along. I know it is not real but they try to make it more realistic and it just insults my and hopefully everyone else’s intelligence with lame shit like that. I may lower my rating as I am getting pissed. WWF was so fun a couple of month’s ago and it is fading fast; honestly how is this destroying Nitro in the ratings? Yes WCW has issues but damn, not even WCW insults your intelligence with this much asinine crap and the fans cheer for dipshits and the in ring product really sucks outside the PPV. Fuck it I am changing my score: * Yes one fucking star. Christ there is so much potential here, but then again what do I know? WWF is winning the War handily at this point. Nitro gets things rolling and bails but still chugs along but RAW is starting to fall of a cliff. Too much McMahon for my tastes and too many stupid stunts and near death crap week after week. Oh and Hawk last week….lame.