WWF RAW 12/7/1998

Written by: Kevin Kindelberger

WWF Monday Night RAW 12/7/98

Not sure what to say here what has been said numerous times. I understand the point of some of the interference. The Corporation wants to make sure they stay on top, but it happens in nearly every match. Also, the matches are really short with some longer one’s here and there. But the ratings stay really strong with a near 5.2 while Nitro remained exactly the same with a 4.2.

Here comes DX, well HHH and Chyna and Pac but no Outlaws. HHH wants to know where they stand and calls them out. Here they come wearing suits and drinking out of tiny water bottles. They want their music cut. Vincent McMahon presents them this time and calls themselves the Corporate Outlaws, and Gunn tells them all to suck it if they are not Corporate. They then introduce HBK. He gets in the ring and calls himself the founding father of DX and wants an apology for gimmick infringement. HHH disagrees and owes him nothing. Michaels counters that they rode his coattails and he turned them into somebodies from nobodies. HHH responds that he carried him while he had the belt he did not deserve and took the ball after he left. Shawn claims he made him and can break him. HHH states that the only thing broken is his ego and tells him to suck it. HBK is fine with that and sets up an anything goes match between them and the Bossman and Shamrock and the Outlaws will essentially interfere he states. The rest of the Corporation is at the top of the ramp grinning.

Pac and HHH are worried in the back.

Match 1: Jeff Jarrett v. D’Lo Brown

Goldust is facing JJ at the PPV and will strip if he loses….This is why WWF is starting to suck. They go back and forth and D’Lo knocks him down with two clotheslines, and JJ retreats to the floor after getting nailed by a flying clothesline. Brown goes out after him; rolls him back into the ring and works him over. JJ makes a comeback, and strikes with a swinging neckbreaker. JJ gets two after a flying crossbody from the top rope. JJ gets another near fall after a Russian leg sweep. Brown counters back by running him over but he is nailed in the nuts and run headfirst into the corner. Brown fires back and crushes him with a huge powerbomb. Both men are down, Brown is at least slow to get up as JJ was folded like an accordion on that powerbomb. D’Lo goes back to work and Goldust is down and he flashes Debra; JJ is distracted, rolled up and pinned.

** The powerbomb was sweet.

Austin is not happy about being stuck in the tag match and complaining and he is pissed.

Vince is at Oxford….I like British accents! It was some sort of get together. I think they have a European PPV coming up….

Match 3: Headbangers v. the Brood

Gangrel and Mosh start off and the latter is given a belly to belly suplex. Edge is tagged in and both spike him off the top rope. Edge is knocked to the floor; he is knocked into the steel steps and bodyslammed. Bangers front suplex the other on top of Edge and Gangrel makes the save. Luna and the Oddities….Jesus Christ. Now it is a clusterfuck as they all go at it. Tiger Singh is down too? Babu as well.

* What could be a fun match was wasted.

Vince is yelling at Bearer about the Undertaker and that he needs to function with the Rock. Rock demands that he better.

Match 4: Owen Hart v. Goldust

I guess Owen has not retired. He bodyslams Goldust and then takes him down. They lock up again and Owen knocks him into the corner with a spinning heel kick. Owen whips him into the opposite corner and gets two after a gutwrench. Owen bodyslams him and sets him up for the Sharpshooter and he allows himself to be kicked off, blatantly. Owen counters right back with an enzuguri. He gets two and Goldust gets in a little offense, but is knocked down and Owen gets two after an elbow drop from the middle rope. Goldust reverses the whip into the corner and clotheslines him off the rebound. Goldust kicks him in the head. Debra comes down and flashes Goldust but he still rolls up Owen for the win.

** Decent match.

Match 5: Godfather and Val Venis v. Bradshaw and Farooq

Godfather tells the crowd that it has some fine Ho’s in this town. With the Holiday’s coming, and pimping has been good therefore he is giving someone in the crowd a Ho. He picks a fat dude. He is in a good mood so Bob gets both free. Bob leaves with the ladies.

All four are going at it. Inside and outside the ring. They are still fighting and the ref finally stops the match but the do not listen and keep brawling. They are the Acolytes: Farooq and Bradshaw. Jackyl is their manager.

NR Angle advancement.

Here comes Stone Cold. Austin is talking about the match, and how he was neary buried and embalmed. It did not work and at the PPV the Undertaker can expect no mercy. Here comes the Undertaker! The Undertaker’s symbol is burning at the top of the ramp. Austin will be going to Hell at the PPV according to UT.

Mankind is wandering in the back, and he wants to be friends with Austin.

Match 6: Steve Blackman v. Tiger Ali Singh

Blackman makes short work of him….

*

Blue Blazer runs down and trips (An unfortunate premonition of things to come) and Blackman attacks him; now Owen comes down and beats him up blaming him for bringing him out of retirement.

Mankind is looking for Austin.

Match 7: Mark Henry v. Droz

What the hell happened to Hawk, no recap of that two weeks. Okay, he is at home recovering. Henry knocks Droz down with ease. Droz makes a comeback, hammers him, knocks him to the floor and then runs him into the steps. After that he leaps off the apron striking him. Droz flings him into the steps and rolls back into the ring. He gets a two count, runs him over with a shoulder block. Chyna has come down. Mark nails him with a flying tackle. Droz wants her to hit Henry and she decks him instead and Henry powerslams him and then nails him with the big splash getting the win.

*1/2 Okay, at times.

Corporate meeting.

They pan to Austin’s closed door.

Match 8: DX v Ken Shamrock and Big Bossman

HHH lays a beatdown on Bossman. Knocks him to the floor, drives him into the steps and then X Pac leaps into him. Shamrock has joined the fray, and takes out Pac and then HHH, beating him up the ramp. Bossman takes it to Pac but misses with the steps and is flung into them. HHH suplexes Shamrock on the ramp. He brings him back to the ring and it is Buster time. Bossman comes in and decks Pac and gets a two count. Shamrock is in and he hammers Pac, chokes him out with a facelock. Outlaws have come down. Shamrock kicks him and then puts him back in the hold, lifting him up all the while. Pac elbows free and runs him over and both are down. Pac is up and hits an enzuguri. HHH gets the hot tag and goes off on both heels. HHH knees him in the face and all four are in. Shawn pulls down the rope and out goes Pac. HBK tosses Shamrock the chair but Billy Gunn wants it and he knocks out Shamrock with it! HBK is livid and it is a DQ. I think, the bell rang. What? It was anything goes and they were told to interfere!

*** Fun but the ending was the typical clusterfuck.

DX are giggling in the back.

Austin finds a garbage bag from Mankind and beer is inside it: He drinks.

Match 9: Rock (c) and Undertaker v. Mankind and Steve Austin

No Austin yet and Undertaker gives Mankind the big boot. Now Austin is coming. UT climbs out of the ring and goes after him. Rock sprints up and misses and is taken down. Before UT can get there Mankind arrives and all four are going at it. Mankind is getting pummeled as is the Rock. Rock blocks a shot and runs Austin into the steps. UT hits another boot on Mankind as the Rock batters Austin and thrusts him into the steps again. UT and Mankind brawl in the ring as Rock and Austin are in the crowd. Austin is tossed back over the barrier. UT chokeslams Mankind and stomps him a few times as Austin finally beats off the Rock. Now Rock heads over and chokes out Mankind and eh and Austin doubleteam him. Mankind starts to fire back, but Rock puts the kabosh on that. UT is back in and stomps away in the corner. He drives his knee into him over and over. Rock is back in and he spikes Mankind and gets two after the Rock Bottom. Austin comes in and unloads but the Undertaker overwhelms him, knocking him to the floor. Mankind is cuffed to the ropes and beaten by the Bossman and the Rock as UT clotheslines Austin over the barrier. He assaults him in the crowd but Austin fires back and drops him back over the barrier; he has a cord and chokes him out. UT back elbows him, shoves him into the announce table and pounds him. UT drapes him over his shoulder carrying him over to his insignia where the Druids help tie him to it. Austin is raised up like Jesus crucified as UT looks on grinning.

*** Fun brawl.

*** Not a terrible go home show. The best show in a while and hopefully the PPV delivers. I watched this over a 48 hour period so I will just go with that.