WWF RAW 2/15/1999

Now that was a pretty crappy PPV. The title match was great, the entrance of the Giant was fairly classic too. The Hardcore match was not bad either, other than that the PPV stunk. Still I am interested to see how they follow it up. RAW did not miss a bit with a kick ass 6.1 start and a 5.7 second hour for a 5.9 total. Nitro fell dramatically to a 3.9 off of a 4.7, 3.4 and 3.7.

HBK comes out and it is officially the Road to WrestleMania and we are introduced to the two combatants for the title. First is Austin. Now Mankind, and they stand toe to toe and HBK is about to speak but Vince comes out with a neckbrace and he comes out as a humbled man but the fans still chant “asshole” and Austin put 12 stitches and he whines about being tossed of the cage. He wants to be a better man and start all over, to bury the hatchet and a fresh start. Asshole chants still irk him as he asks what is wrong with you people (earlier he asked are you all out for blood). Vince apologizes to Austin. Austin has a mic. He is sorry for not beating his ass even more. He gets a “Hell Yeah” for Vince still being an asshole. Vince is upset that Austin is the WWF champ at WM. He wants HBK to do his job and give the people what they want. Mankind did not win last night and the people deserve a rematch tonight. Mankind is feeling crappy and asks for seven days and here comes the Rock. Mankind does not have seven minutes let alone a week and he will face him one on one with the great one. He calls Shawn a Roody-Poo candy ass, and he needs to know his role and make the damn match. Mankind responds that the Rock about testicular fortitude and he does not need HBK and he is willing. I guess it may be a ladder match. Shawn calls Rock chump change and a Jabroni and wonders if he can handle it. Shawn takes the belt and will hang it for a ladder match. Vince has one more tidbit and that is Austin knows he is going to WM but not who he is facing. But he will know who the ref is and it will be…..Paul Wight. He glares at Austin and gets flipped off.

Match 1: Jeff Jarrett v. D’Lo Brown

Brown takes it to him kicking him to the canvas. He clotheslines him and then misses an elbow drop. JJ locks in the Figure Four and Ivory breaks it with a rake to the eye. JJ misses against the ropes and is slammed, and after a legdrop he hits the Frogsplash. Debra makes the save and we have a cat fight. Brown and JJ slug it out and the match is tossed out and they go over to separate the women.

** Angle advancement.

Debra breaks the guitar across Ivory’s back and now Owen has entered the fray.

Wight is getting highfives from the Corporation in the back.

Here comes DX. HHH tells Birmingham to get on their feet and suck it. Chyna must be feeling good about herself as this is the first time she has been on top of a man. He wants a rematch with her and the Big Red Retard. Shane, Kane and Chyna come out and he makes fun of HHH and there will be no rematch. X Pac tells him to hold on. He says bitch a lot but it is all bleeped out and I do not know what the challenge is. Shane was challenged. HHH calls him a puss and tells him to fight. Shane does not like that and but will fight in a tag match as long as the European title is on the line. X Pac is fine with that as well as putting his foot up his ass. HHH tells him to suck it.

Ryan Shamrock and Val are making out.

Mankind is in the back barely climbing a ladder.

Match 2: Billy Gunn v. Val Venis (c) for WWF IC Title

Val hammers him in the corner. But Gunn explodes out of the corner hitting consecutive lariats and he gets two. He follows up with a neckbreaker for two more. Val fires back dropping him. Val whips him into the corner but runs into a boot. Val trips him only to miss the diving headbutt. Val is backdropped after the whip and another clothesline, and another one. Gunn tells Ryan to suck it and she is on the stairs. They go back and forth. Ryan is knocked off the apron and Val gets the win after a Perfect Plex.

**1/2 Short but really not bad.

Val just dumped her to the curb! Fuck yeah, Val!

Fuck me, the Goddamn Ministry.

Undertaker talks about everyone falling before his Ministry. The fans DO NOT FUCKING CARE. Apparently he let the Bossman go….not sure why but who cares. He is warning Vince. UT talks about taking over the Corporation and how easily he did it by taking Bossman. Bossman comes out and taunts him and challenges him; he talks about his dead ass and there will be a six man match.

Shane and Chyna and Kane are together….doing who knows what.

Match 3: Kane and Shane v. HHH and X Pac

HHH attacks Kane but it does not last and he is hammered in the corner. Shane is tagged and he runs off adnd tags Kane back in. Kane is hit as he comes in. The DX doubleteam fails but Pac runs in and heel kicks him but when he covers him Kane tosses him to the floor. Shane attacks him and Kane tosses Pac back into the ring and Shane hammers him. HHH and Kane are in now. HHH runs him down with a knee but Kane comes right back with a boot to the face. Kane goes up top and hits the lariat. Shane wants the tag and after one hit HHH beats his ass. Pac gets the tag and Shane is bounced headfirst off the buckle. Chyna tries to help but Shane hits her. Shane is kicked into the corner but Kane tosses Pac back by the neck when he goes for the Buster. HHH attacks Kane and knocks him back to the floor. They fight towards the back. Chyna gives Shane the title and Pac is knocked out and he wins and gets it…so much for that title.

**1/2 Overbookd but still fun.

Shane is all giddy and celebrating with booze in the back and he yells he is going to WM.

Match 4: Bob Holly (c) v. Steve Blackman for WWF Hardcore Title

Holly runs up to meet him at the top. They brawl…..the camera does not follow them into the back for about 45 seconds. They fight in the back and break things over each other and enter the parking garage…..Droz knocks out Blackman allowing Holly to get the win.

** Quick brawl.

Holly is bellowing about his stupid gimmicks and weak tagteam partners and it is about him now. He is Hardcore and challenges anyone. Now Bart Gunn does not appreciate being called weak ass. Holly declares that Gunn could not knock him out in the Brawl for All. Gunn challenges him next week and Holly agrees.

Sable is walking in the back.

Austin is pacing.

Kevin Kelly calls out Sable. She gets no peace and they hype up Playboy. She sounds like a bitch. She mentions TV Guide, Regis, movie offers etc. Everyone wants Sable. But she does thank the fans. Her fan runs in and Sable demands that she be let go. Sable calls her a nut and does not like being harassed and she cannot be like her and everyone is a wannabe. Now she is ousted. Sable puts her shades back on and walks around the ring with a strut.

Vince is with the Rock….that is it.

Match 5: Bossman and Shamrock and Test v. Acolytes and Mideon

All six are brawling. Bossman and Mideon start off once control is regained. They are going back and forth. Mideon is bodyslammed and he goes for a piledriver but is backdropped. Mideon is bounced out of the corner and clotheslined. All six are going at it again and the lights go out and cue UT’s tunes. The Ministry has Shane and UT does some stupid shit and gives him a letter to give to his father…

Match 6: Rock v. Mankind (c) for WWF Title

Rock comes down: Finally the Rock has come back to Birmingham and he then goes on to taunt them as trailer trash and talks about how is going to win the title and climb the ladder rung by damn rung and how he is the greatest damn WWF champion ever and will do it for the millions.

Austin comes down to the announce table. Rock is knocked off the apron and Mankind whips him into the steps but Rock fights back and whips him into and over the steel steps. Rock grabs a chair and tosses it into the ring. Rock kicks him and rolls him back into the ring. He takes the knee and bashes it into the chair and does it again. Rock grabs the ladder but Mankind has a chair and whacks him with it. Down goes the Rock with the ladder on top of him. Mankind hits the ladder over and over with the chair and he bodyslams him. He follows up with his own People’s Elbow. The ladder is set up and begins to climb and Rock has the chair and takes him out with a chair shot to the leg. Rock clips the knee and then puts the leg in the ladder and then wallops it with a chair over and over. Rock goes up the ladder but Mankind is up and he punches him off. Mankind has the chair and he belts the Rock with it. Mankind goes up the ladder and Rock gets to his feet and with the chair takes him off it. Mankind falls into the rope and his arm is tied up. Rock hits him a couple of times. Mankind escapes and nuts him and now they are on the floor fighting. Jesus, Mankind fell off the ladder and into the rope….How is his arm not broken? They brawl into the crowd and out beyond. Rock is knocked onto a railing. Mankind elbows him but misses the second elbow drop. Rock brings him back towards the ring and clotheslines him over the barrier. Now they go up the ramp and Rock suplexes him onto it. Rock has the knee and weakly runs it into the grating. Rock has a cord and chokes him out. Mankind reverses a whip and Rock crashes into the stairs and Mankind pushes him onto the Spanish table and he is nutted and Rock Bottom right through it!! Rock goes to the ladder, climbs it but Mankind recover and knocks him off. Mankind DDT’s him. Mankind has Socko but Rock shoves the ladder into him and DDT’s him. Rock starts to climb as does Mankind and they are smacking each other and both are by the ladder. Socko is applied! Here comes the Giant!! He goozles and chokeslams Mankind off the ladder and Rock finally grabs the belt and gets it!

****1/2 Awesome fucking match. Too bad about the ending. Give the Rock a clean win but he is a heel and this is the Attitude Era.

Austin creeps up behind the Rock and we fade….

*** It was the main event that made this show. WCW is accused of having title changes on Nitro and not PPV, but Goldberg and Hogan would have been bigger….or they wanted the ratings but WWF does it too. Mankind and the Rock could go on for another couple of months as it is that good. Of course both could be dead by then. RAW starts with a long ass promo, and then some random matches with a lot of shenanigans bookended by a usually great main event. Not what I really want but it is still entertaining, some weeks more so than others. The dick jokes have lessened, not the sex innuendos but at least I do not have to hear about a rocket in my pocket over and over…..I still enjoy Nitro more but RAW has its perks too as Rock and Mankind are awesome.