WWF RAW 11/9/1998

Written by: Kevin Kindelberger

WWF Monday Night RAW 11/9/98

Go home show. Last week helped set the stage for the PPV after a lame week prior. I still do not like the Tournament idea but it is growing on me as they did set up some drama with the Rock and Austin. It is nice that the Rock is getting a push again as is Mankind as they go back and forth. We will see what they do with Kane. Overall the fans are digging the Hell out of RAW as it kicked Nitro’s ass again with a 5.0 to 4.1 off of a 5.1 and 4.9. Nitro was the same as last week but the second hour was a 3.6 instead of 3.7.

Match 1: X Pac v. Undertaker

Undertaker went on a tear on Heat last night and he beat up X Pac who challenged him tonight. Pac is able to avoid him momentarily but he is knocked down and destroyed. The lights go out and here comes Kane. Oh, fuck, he unleashes a fireball and it strikes Pac in the eye and UT leaves and backpedals towards the back with Kane slowly pursuing him.

DUD for the fireball and the dumbasses in the crowd thinking it is real as they are worried. ***** for it being Pac!

After the break Pac is whining about it stinging in the back. Vince wheels up to Mankind and tells him that tonight will be even more special as he defends the title in a no holds barred match against Shamrock. There will be more titles where this came from. To be somebody he has to look good and it is makeover time.

Match 2: Val Venis v. Steve Blackman

Terri runs behind him like a lost puppy. On Heat Val, honestly looking like he is on Meth and a pedophile at that. I mean fucking creepy claims it cannot be his child as he had a vasectomy. Terri stalks him and is sent to the back….more misogyny.

Blackman comes down and just beats the shit out of him. He has controlled the first two minutes with shot after shot. He covers him for two and then bodyslams him. Steve drops the elbow but is lured and nearly tossed to the floor. He holds on to the ropes and gets back into the ring. Val knocks him down and goes up top hitting a crossbody but Steve rolls on top getting two. Val comes back with a shot and a Russian sweep. Terri runs down and nuts him and now the Blazer and Owen run down and beat up Blackman.

*1/2 Val was owned throughout the match….

Mankind got his goatee shaved and his hair cut. He is praising Vince and wants to hug him.

Match 3: Road Dog v. D’Lo Brown v. Mosh

Shane is the ref. He rings the bell before the last participant is down and all three go at it after Brown and Dog pounded each other. Typical triple threat match as they hammer each other. Brown tosses out Mosh after teaming with him against Road Dog. He suplexes Road Dog and celebrates. Mosh comes in the back door and drops the leg and Brown breaks up the count and now both again stomp a hole in Road Dog. Mosh misses the legdrop from the top and Brown misses the Frog Splash. All three are down and at seven they are all back up and it is a slugfest. Now Road Dog takes them out and clotheslines both. But he runs into a powerbomb from D’Lo and Mosh leaps into Brown getting the win. Billy Gunn runs in and clears the ring.

** Okay. Sets up title bout at the PPV.

Mankind is getting a pedicure as he talks about Socko.

Match 4: Goldust v. Jeff Jarrett

Terri runs after him as she tries to woo him. He tells her that she has been following him around and that she has been a bad girl. He continues that she needs to forget the name of Goldust and to get on a jet and leave. She snaps the cigar and leaves.

The fight goes to the floor with JJ hammering away. He hits a crossbody after they get back into the ring, and Goldust rolls on top getting two. Goldust gets his feet up after the whip into the corner and after an atomic drop clotheslines him to the floor. Goldust heads out after and has him up and drops him straight down into the steps. Debra tries to use her charms on Goldust and it works as JJ blindsides him. Back in the ring he fucking telegraphs the backdrop and he is uppercutted and nearly pinned after a bulldog. He mounts and pounds him in the corner with ten shots. He sets him up for the nut shot. Debra intervenes and Goldust unzips his top and then grabs Debra kissing her as now she sells it well and Goldust turn right into a guitar shot.

** A decent brawl ruined again by an overbooked ending.

The Rock has arrived. He has to beat Mark Henry or he is fired.

Cole is talking to the Rock. He does not like being crossed and will lay the smackdown on Henry’s fat ass. After he leaves Goldust runs down JJ and just pounds the ever living shit out of him! Blue Blazer runs him over right before the nut shot and now JJ returns the ass kicking favor.

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

Shamrock takes him down with a shoulder tackle and then drives his knee into him. Mankind takes off his shoe and wallops Ken. He hangs him upside and crushes him with the running knee. Oh, Mankind is wearing a tuxedo. On the floor, Mankind goes for a suplex but is rolled up and nearly pinned. Now Shamrock is using the show and then the Hardcore belt and knocks Mankind off the chair after he was knocked into it. Mankind is run into the announce table. Some fans chant for Socko and Kenny taunts them. Mankind dumps him over the announce table and kicks and punches him. Mankind slides a chair and then Shamrock into the ring. Mankind takes an hour setting up the piledriver and he is backdropped onto the chair. Now Shamrock is back on the offensive and he clotheslines Mankind to the floor. Mankind reverses the whip right into the steps; he covers him getting two. Shamrock is pushed over the barrier where the fight continues. Shamrock dumps him back over and chokes him out with a cable. Shamrock thrusts him into the steps and then into the side of the ring. He follows up with a belly to belly suplex. Mankind comes back with a chairshot to the back and then a DDT into the chair. Mankind gets a near fall and now the fight heads up the ramp where Vince is watching and Mankind is back suplexed off the steel of the ramp. Ken covers him and gets a 2.75. Shamrock runs at him with the chair but is backdropped. Bossman whacked Shamrock with the nightstick and Mankind falls on him getting the pin.

***1/2 Not much wrestling but fun with another screwy ending.

Austin has come down. He is happy about his new five year contract and he mentions Shane overstepping his bounds and reinstating him. It has been easy as he has not had to bring in Zamboni’s and cement truck’s but Vince is a yellow bastard and none of his little plans will work. Bossman comes out and assures him there are plans for him and they will work. He is being paid well to beat his ass and put him in a wheelchair. They jaw back and forth. Austin does not like threats and tells him to bring it on and Bossman keeps repeating the PPV is where it will happen and Austin is willing to beat his ass for free and tells him to get his ass to the back. Austin pounds some beers for the hell of it.

I missed the Rock getting beat up and Vince states it is not his fault that the Rock got beaten down and if he cannot compete he will be unemployed.

Match 6: Al Snow v. Tiger Ali Singh

Tiger does not think that Al is worthy of fighting and forces Babu to face him. Debra comes down to watch as JJ is facing him in the first round of the PPV. Babu starts off by begging for mercy but pokes the eye and now he is getting dismantled. Debra has Head as Tiger now attacks Al but he gets knocked back. Al hits the Snow Plow but sees what Debra has and Tiger then crushes Al from behind and he loses. Debra leaves Head behind and leaves.

* Angle advancement. Bad match.

Sable workout video to prepare for match at the PPV complete with porn music.

Rock is still laid out as Bossman was sent to check on him and Vince gloats.

Match 7: Brood v. Kane

Kane is having his way with Edge but is clotheslined to the floor. Kane lands on his feet and pulls out Edge. It is a one on one match. Edge is shoved into the barrier and then dropped throat first on it. Edge is rolled back into the ring and he tries to fire off some shots but it does not last as Kane continues to hammer him. Gangrel and Christian try to help but to no avail. Edge is tossed onto the top rope and then tossed on top of Gangrel. Kane goes to the floor and nails Kane then leaps off the steps right into Edge. He beats on him some more. The Brood then triple teams him but they are annihilated.

*1/2 Squash and Edge looked like a chump he has fallen low.

Kane piles them together….They were DQ’d and has gasoline. The ref is chokeslammed and he is placed on the pile. To the delight of the crowd he pours gas on them and JR wants to go to break and to hell with the ratings. He tries to fire up the blowtorch and the fans boo as officials run down and clear the victims….fuck angles like this are stupid.

Vince is wheeled down and he wants a ringside seat. He tells the Rock that you never know what is going to happen and he needs to come out right now and he calls him out. Vince calls this the home of the Cowboys and he calls them convicted felons like the Rock and he is on the same streak like they are, a losing one! Here comes Shane. Vince is flabbergasted and wants to know what he is doing out here. He wants the Rock and not a lowly referee. Shane wants him to cut the crap. He is taking his frustrations out on everybody, the fans, Austin (Vince interjects that he hates him) as well as the Rock and Shane wants to know why. These frustrations are not about those issues; it is about the family business. Vince disagrees stating that it is now his business and warns Shane to get the hell out of here. Shane is Obi-Wan like and tells him to channel his anger towards him like he always did. Vince felt he always had it coming when he was a child, and wants him to leave now. Shane refuses. Vince is going to enjoy this beatdown and sic’s the Bossman on him. Austin comes down and knocks the Bossman to the floor and has his nightstick. Austin tosses it back at him and leaves with Shane.

Match 8: Mark Henry v. the Rock

The Rock’s music plays but no Rock. He finally appears. He heads down and assaults Henry with series of kicks, stomps and punches. The fans get behind him as he clotheslines Henry and continues to stomp away. He lays Henry over the apron and elbow’s the throat and does it again. He runs him into the steps. Rock breaks the count and his whip is reversed and he hits the barrier but he explodes out clotheslining Henry. He grabs him only to be popped in the balls. Rock is rolled back into the ring and Henry takes control of the match. He strikes with a forearm shiver and works over the small of the back. He chokes him out on the ropes. D’Lo joins in the fun with an uppercut. Rock though is able to block the Henry suplex and connect with one of his own but he is caught with a lariat coming out of the corner. Henry drops the elbow getting a two count. Henry continues to batter him with shots but he is sent into the ropes and powerslammed. Rock rolls over and gets a two count. Rock slugs away and a few thunderous clotheslines keep Henry down. He follows up with a Russian leg sweep getting a two count. Rock punches him square in the nuts and pulls him to his feet but his whip is reversed and he is crushed with a powerslam off the rebound. Bossman goes up to the apron and tries to cuff him to the ropes but Rock turns the tables and does it to him. He turns and DDT’s Henry and has the win but D’Lo pulls out the ref and Vince’s cronies are trying to extricate Bossman. Rock does not relent and takes out Brown and then a Rock Bottom and the People’s Elbow takes him out. Shane runs down and makes the count.

**1/2 Okay match. Solid drama.

Rock pulls Vince out his wheelchair and tosses him into the ring. Now Rock beats up Patterson and Brisco. Bossman is still cuffed. Vince is helpless and he slaps the Rock anyway and the Rock grabs him and it is Rock Bottom time! Now for the People’s Elbow!

***1/2 Another good show. The PPV has been set up better than I thought it would be. One thing for sure they know how to keep a show flowing and set up some solid drama. Also the Rock has been made, taking on Vince and winning against all odds. This is how you create a star.