WWF RAW 1/11/1999

Written by: Bob Colling

World Wrestling Federation presents RAW
Date: 1/11/1999
From: Houston, TX

Matches:
1.)Owen Hart & Jeff Jarrett defeated the New Age Outlaws by disqualification to become the number one contenders
2.)Luna Vachon defeated WWF Lightweight Champion Gillberg
3.)WWF European Champion X-Pac defeated Al Snow
4.)Kane defeated WWF World Champion Mankind by disqualification
5.)Triple H defeated Edge
6.)Chyna won a 10 person battle royal

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.DX comes out and Road Dogg introduces the new WWF World Champion, Mankind! The champ enters the ring while DX walks to the backstage area. Mankind likes having new entrance music (debut of the car crashing theme). Mankind keeps on coming back despite getting his ass kicked each and every week. He talks about calling the WWF for several years offering his services but was told he didn’t look like a star. Mankind thanks Jim Ross for giving him a chance in the WWF. He also thanks DX and Steve Austin for having his back last week. Mankind says he owes Austin a favor. Mankind tells Austin that he has one chance in hell, effectively giving him one shot at the championship. He wants to main event WrestleMania and suggests facing Austin at that event in March. The former champion, The Rock, comes out with Vince and Shane by his side. Shane says Mankind is a disgrace to the championship. Shane announces that DX will compete in a over the top rope corporate royal rumble match. DX will take on the Corporation with the winner becoming the last entrant to the Royal Rumble. Rock chimes in saying that Mankind is not a star like him. Rock believes that Mankind has never beaten him for the championship. Rock is going to kick his candy ass like he has never done before. Rock rips on Mankind saying he looks like a piece of crap. Rock wants a rematch at Royal Rumble. Mankind responds by saying that Rock is not championship material. Rock suggests a no disqualification match as well. Apparently, that is still not good enough for Mankind. Rock adds in no count-out but Mankind declines again. Rock promises that the Corporation will not be at ringside, but yet again Mankind says no. Mankind announces that he will wrestle Rock in an I Quit match at the Royal Rumble. He doesn’t want the match to end due to excessive blood loss. Vince McMahon chimes in and asks what makes Mankind think he will even be the champion. Because, Mankind will wrestle against Kane tonight with the championship on the line.

2.Gunn press slams Owen and Jarrett to kick off the contest to give his team the advantage. Dogg enters and splashes onto Jarrett and delivers several jabs. Jarrett stops Dogg with an arm breaker. Dogg is worked on by Jarrett and Owen for a few moments. Jarrett and Dogg both attempted dropkicks but appear to have collide groins! Gunn drives Owen to the mat with the Fame-Asser but Debra gets on the apron to distract him. Gunn doesn’t fall for her advances and keeps control of Owen. Dogg gets distracted on what happened on the floor and that allows Owen to take advantage with a spinning heel kick to win the match. Chyna shoved Debra to the ground to cause the distraction.

3.Here is the debut of… Gillberg! If you didn’t know, he is a imposter playing the Goldberg character. He is also the WWF Lightweight Champion. They even piped in Gillberg chants! The JOB Squad is holding up sparklers for his pyro! Gillberg misses a spear on Luna to open the bout. Gillberg goes for the jackhammer, but he can’t keep his balance and falls down. Luna comes off the top with a big splash to win the match! After the match, a “fan” rushes into the ring. It’s the same fan who has been obsessed with Sable.

4.Footage from Heat is shown where Jose Lothario was attacked by Vince and the Stooges.

5.Dennis Knight is talking to the announcers where he is rambling about “the one” being here. The Acolytes come out and tell him that “he” is waiting.

6.Val Venis comes out and begins to flirt with a female fan. Ken Shamrock runs out and attacks Venis by sending him into the ring post and ring steps! Shamrock says “you don’t mess with my sister.” Shamrock leaves Venis laying on the ground. Billy Gunn shows up in the ring and says that she is going to like what he is about to do. Gunn pulls down his trunks and moons her! Shamrock sprints back into the ring and attacks Gunn. Venis has recovered but Big Bossman has come into the ring and helps out Shamrock. Shamrock gives Gunn a title shot at the Royal Rumble and says he is going to end Gunn for good!

7.Footage from Heat is shown where Goldust stole Head from Al Snow. Can Snow win the WWF European Championship without Head? Snow delivers a tilt a whirl back breaker early on. Pac knocks Snow down with a standing spin kick. Snow gets a two count following a snap power slam. Snow misses a top rope moonsault and Pac hits a spinning heel kick. Pac connects with the bronco buster! Here comes Goldust and he whacks Snow with Head! Pac hits the X-Factor and wins the match. After the match, Snow completely no sells what just happened and goes to attack Goldust but is whacked again by Goldust. Snow is crawling towards Head but can’t get to his feet.

8.Backstage, Kane apparently said he wants to win the WWF World Championship on his own. Vince McMahon demands he gets it done tonight.

9.Kane attacks Mankind on the floor before the bell and picks up the ring steps but Mankind avoids being hit with them. Mankind drives Kane head first into the steps a couple of times. Mankind works on Kane in the corner with several right hands but Kane stops the champ with a spine buster. Mankind gets a near fall following a pile driver. Kane counters a pile driver on the floor by driving the champ back first into the ring steps. Kane connects with a top rope flying clothesline but isn’t able to put Mankind away. Kane goes for the choke slam but Mankind low blows him and plants Kane with a double arm DDT! Mankind tries to get Mr. Socko locked in but Kane somehow counters it into the tombstone pile driver! The Rock comes out and shoves Kane to save the title change. After the match, Rock nails Kane with a chair three times and whacks Mankind as well. Steve Austin comes down to the ring and distracts Rock so that Mankind can take the chair. Rock runs out of the ring when Austin enters the ring. Austin decides to hit the Stunner on Kane and Mankind!

10.Backstage, the Rock tells Vince McMahon that he wasn’t going to let Kane win his belt.

11.Edge tries his best to pick up a huge victory by hitting HHH early on with a spinning heel kick. Edge misses a splash in the corner and HHH begins to make his comeback. HHH delivers a running knee lift and a face buster during his comeback. HHH goes for the pedigree but Edge counters and catapults HHH face first into the ring post. HHH counters a backslide and hits the pedigree to win the match. After the match, Gangrel and Christian enter the ring and attack HHH! The lights go out as DX has apparently come out. The lights return and Road Dogg has received a blood bath on the floor.

12.The Acolytes have Dennis Knight laying on a table with druids coming out. The Undertaker’s music hits and he walks out to sit down on a throne set up on the ramp way. Taker says the more people try to end him the stronger he becomes. The reckoning will begin and he will slave the people he has saved. He says the people who reject his Ministry will suffer pain. There will not be a limit to punishment shall you refuse to join. Taker walks over to Knight and cuts his own wrist to pour blood onto Knight and into a cup. He changes Knight’s name to Mideon. Knight drinks the blood and begins to shake. This is really strange and creepy, because now he is cutting his symbol into Mideon’s chest. You will learn why you are afraid of the dark.

13.D’Lo Brown and PMS come out to the ring. Brown apologizes to Terri for what happened last week. Terri has lost her baby as a result. He isn’t going to do what Terri wants him to do tonight. Terri is trying to convince him to whatever she is talking about. Brown agrees to do whatever she is talking about. Mark Henry comes out and these two are apparently wrestling. Jacqueline shoves Brown into Henry and Terri low blows Henry! Here comes Chyna and her girlfriend. Chyna and the girlfriend help Henry to the backstage area.

14.A video of Vince McMahon training for the Royal Rumble is aired.

15.It’s time for the battle royal. Shamrock eliminated himself by diving over the top rope onto Gunn and continued to attack Gunn. Test tossed Gunn out following a hip toss. Road Dogg is clotheslined over by Kane. Kane tosses Test over as well for accidentally clotheslining him. HHH and X-Pac sent Kane to the floor following a double team clothesline. Bossman eliminates Pac. Vince McMahon eliminated HHH and Bossman and celebrated like he was Hulk Hogan only for Chyna to eliminate McMahon after Austin distracted him. Chyna will enter last at the Royal Rumble!

Final Thoughts:
The opening segment dragged on for a long time. It seemed to me that the fans in Texas weren’t all that interested in seeing a Mankind/Rock match at the Rumble. The segment that saw Gillberg make his RAW debut was hilarious and a nice shot at WCW. I think Ken Shamrock is underrated for his performance as of late. He is playing the crazy, deranged role really well. Now, the Undertaker segment was easily one of the weirdest things I have ever witnessed. I really think the fans didn’t understand exactly what was going on. Lastly, Chyna winning the main event was okay, I guess. It might have marked the night that really made her star.

As for the show, I’d say it was decent but not as good as last week. It was an average all around episode.

Thanks for reading.