From Waco, Texas; Your Host is Jim Ross, with Michael Cole and Kevin Kelly (hour one), and with Jerry Lawler (hour two)
WWF Tag Team Title Match: The New Age Outlaws v The Legion of Doom: The challengers run in to kick start the match, and the dust settles on Jesse James and Animal. Criss cross ends in Animal powerbombing him for two, and Hawk comes in for a tandem clothesline. Hawk with a leg-feed enzuigiri, and a neckbreaker follows. Clothesline sends Jesse over the top, and Hawk follows to beat on him out there, but Billy Gunn comes from behind to knock Hawk into the steps. That turns the tide, and the Outlaws work on Hawk as they head back inside. What’s up with the sound here, it sounds like they turned the crowd way down for whatever reason. Hawk collides with Billy while coming out of the corner, and Animal gets the hot tag - Roseanne Barr the door! LOD dominate, and the Doomsday Device looks to finish Jesse, but the referee is distracted trying to get Hawk out of the ring. That allows Billy to blast Animal with the title belt, and James pins him at 4:58. This was decent enough. Afterwards, LOD come to blows over the loss. Wait, did they break up just so they could make a big ‘return’ a few weeks later at WrestleMania? That’s some real Vince Russo booking. * ¼
Jeff Jarrett v Ken Shamrock: Jeff’s NWA North American title is not on the line. Ken responds to Jeff’s stall attempts by blitzing him in the corner, and a jumping backelbow connects. Bridging German suplex gets Shamrock two, to Jeff tries a hiptoss, but Shamrock counters into a grapevine. Jeff goes to the eyes, so Ken clotheslines him over the top, but Jim Cornette trips him up on a suplex attempt, and Jeff topples for two. Shamrock goes after the manager, but that allows Jarrett to clobber him, and Jeff delivers a side suplex. Straddling ropechoke follows, and a dropkick finds the mark for two. Suplex, but Shamrock reverses, only to miss an elbowdrop. That allows Jeff to keep control, and a bodyslam sets up a 2nd rope fistdrop, but Ken gets his boot up to block. Jeff tries to keep control, but a criss cross results in both men looking up at the lights. Ken makes a comeback, and a powerslam gets two, so Cornette tries a distraction. That allows Jeff a sneak attack, but it backfires, and Shamrock schoolboys for two. Ken unloads in the corner from there, but accidentally tags the referee in the process, so Jim comes in with the tennis racket - only to accidentally hit Jarrett! That allows Shamrock the anklelock, and we’re done at 5:28. Nothing special, but Shamrock looked really explosive here, and they did some nice back-and-forth stuff. **
The M&M’s WrestleMania Millennium Moment is Shawn Michaels making his zip line entrance at WrestleMania XII
Backstage, the LOD are still getting in each other’s faces
Six-Man Tag Team Match: Kurrgan, Recon, and Sniper v Chainz, Skull, and 8-Ball: Once again, Kurrgan’s theme during this period was fantastic, and they should bring it back for a monster heel. Recon and Chainz start, and Chainz powerslams him before passing to Skull for a kneelift. The bikers go to work on Recon, until Kurrgan manages to catch a tag, and Roseanne Barr the door! Big boot takes 8-Ball out, and a clawhold finishes at 3:57. Dull characters, dull work. Afterwards, Jackyl slaps Sniper around again, and Kurrgan beats him down when he tries to talk back. Recon doesn’t like it, but he’s too scared to do anything about it, and backs off as Jackyl oversees Kurrgan’s punishment of Sniper. ¼*
We go to WWF Champion Shawn Michaels’ home in San Antonio, where DX are shooting pool, and they promise big ratings next week. Shawn also guarantees that he will defend against Steve Austin at WrestleMania, which I assume was meant to ease some minds considering he didn’t work the last pay per view he was advertised for
Taka Michinoku v Barry Windham: Taka's WWF Light Heavyweight title is not on the line. Obviously. Sunny acts as the guest ring announcer for this one (continuing her weird on-screen association with Taka that never went anywhere), and Jim Cornette sits in on commentary. Barry absorbs Taka’s shots at the bell, and delivers a gutwrench suplex. Taka manages a springboard moonsault press for two, but Windham clobbers him again, and chokes him in the corner. Taka manages to fire back with a flying moonsault press for two, but Windham cuts him off again, and lands a dropkick. Windham with a casual bodyslam, and a vertical superplex follows. Jumping clothesline looks to finish, but the lights die as the fall is being counted, and here comes Kane for the no-contest at 3:00. They were just going through the motions before the garbage finish here. After Kane cleans house, Paul Bearer grabs the microphone, and challenges Steve Austin for next week on Kane’s behalf. ¼*
Michael Cole catches up with the Outlaws as they leave the building, laughing it up about the LOD breaking up, but the laughter soon turns to screams when Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie run out to attack them with baseball bats and chainsaws. Notably, Road Dogg is wearing a DX t-shirt here
Goldust does an impression (a great impression, at that) of his dad, taking shots at him
Goldust v Bradshaw: Goldust comes out dressed as 1990 Dusty Rhodes, complete with the theme music and a fat suit. Just showing how much the audience had changed in the seven years since Dusty left the promotion, the theme kicking on barely draws a reaction. Goldust having the makeup people put scars on his arm and forehead was a great touch here. Goldust with an armdrag, but an attempt at using an elbowsmash fails, and Bradshaw knocks him to the outside. Goldust grabs a microphone to cut a promo on him mid-match (still in character as Dusty), telling Bradshaw that he needs to let Goldust beat him up. Yeah, sounds like Dust. Inside, Bradshaw unloads in the corner, and a cross corner whip sets up a corner clothesline. Backdrop sets up an elbowdrop for two, and a turnbuckle smash follows. Bradshaw puts the boots to him, and another elbowdrop is worth another two. Backelbow finds the mark, as the announcers go out of their way to put Dusty over. They were doing the same thing in mid-1997, were they trying to get him to come in again at this point? Goldust tries making a comeback, but Bradshaw isn’t having it, and a clothesline finishes at 3:24. The match was complete junk, but I rather enjoyed the gag. DUD
Kevin Kelly tries catching up with Hawk as he leaves the building, but he isn’t interested in talking. Man, if they were worried that Austin’s injuries were getting the better of him, they could have sent Hawk out there in his place, and no one would ever be the wiser
Rock v Steve Blackman: Rock's WWF Intercontinental title is not on the line. Blackman was in really great shape at this point. Rock hammers him to start, but gets reversed into the ropes, and Steve uses a knife-edge chop. Blackman tries coming off the ropes, but D-lo Brown trips him up, and Rock clobbers him. Bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop for two, so Rock puts the boots to him in the corner. Rock with a cross corner clothesline, but a second charge misses, and Blackman blasts him with a bicycle kick. Rock comes back with a powerslam, but Faarooq has the referee distracted, so no count. That allows Blackman to recover, and he whips Rock into Faarooq, then schoolboys for two. Rock responds by hammering him in the corner, and a DDT looks to finish, but Faarooq is once again chatting with the official. Brown tries passing Rock Blackman’s nunchucks, but Steve intercepts them, and knocks Rock silly for the pin at 4:03. ¼*
Kelly catches up with Luna Vachon in the dressing room, wondering why she wasn’t out there with Goldust earlier on. She doesn’t really answer the question, spending the time threatening Sable instead. Can you imagine a road trip with Luna and Randy Savage?
NWA World Tag Team Title Match: The Rock 'n' Roll Express v The Headbangers: Commissioner Slaughter kicks Tommy Young out, deciding he wants a WWF referee to officiate instead. Not sure I get the logic there, but it’s RussoTown, Jake. Ricky Morton and Mosh start, and Morton drops him with a DDT. Tag to Robert Gibson, but the champs collide with each other while trying a double team. They try another one, same result, and the Headbangers are literally laughing at them. And, if that isn’t enough to tell you what a joke the NWA is on this show, Ross has to explain why the Headbangers would even want the NWA belts, since they are former WWF tag champions anyway. Morton with a gut, bags under his eyes, and jowls - but still rocking the mullet - is a particularly sad look. The Express have yet another miscommunication, but manage to get it together, and they work Mosh over. They miss the stereo dropkicks, allowing the Headbangers to take control, so Cornette whacks Thrasher with the tennis racket - only for it to knock Thrasher onto Morton for the pin at 6:10. This match was a joke, too. DUD
Steve Austin video package, covering his road to WrestleMania
WWF European Title Match: Owen Hart v Marc Mero: The crowd chants for Sable, putting Mero in a mood. Owen wins a criss cross to start, and a hiptoss leads to a dropkick. Backdrop, but Mero blocks with a boot, and delivers a clothesline. Sitout powerbomb gets the challenger two, as Sable (who Mero had banished from ringside before the bell) storms back out. That distracts Mero, allowing Hart a schoolboy for two, so Marc cuts him off with a clothesline. Corner whip sets up a side suplex, but Owen counters with a cradle for two. Inside cradle gets another two, and a spinheel kick follows. Hart adds an inverted atomic drop to set up a clothesline, and a flying dropkick finds the mark. Leg-feed enzuigiri gets two, but a corner charge misses, and Marc hammers him with punches in the corner, even shoving the referee for objecting. TKO, but Hart counters with a DDT, and gets Marc in the Sharpshooter - only for the referee to DQ Mero for shoving him at 4:06. Decent match, terrible finish. Afterwards, Luna runs in to attack Sable, but Mero, Goldust, and a battalion of officials keep them separated. *
BUExperience: This was a pretty dull episode, with both of the main eventers for WrestleMania sitting things out, as well as a bunch of the other top stars. A lot of the guys were in such fragile condition medically that I can imagine they wanted to keep things as low risk as humanly possible ahead of their biggest show in forever.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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