WWF RAW Saturday Night (February 21, 1998)

Original Airdate: February 21, 1998 (taped February 16)

From Dallas, Texas; Your Host is Jim Ross, with Michael Cole and Kevin Kelly (hour one), and with Jerry Lawler (hour two)

The Legion of Doom v The Quebecers: This is kind of a dream match, of sorts, though well past the point when anyone cared. Hawk and Jacques start, and Jacques takes a cheapshot on a ropebreak, but telegraphs a backdrop, and takes a matslam. That allows Hawk a fistdrop, so Jacques throws a dropkick, but wastes time playing to the crowd, and Hawk recovers. Hawk with a neckbreaker, and both guys tag out, as the announcers make note that Jacques is a ‘four time’ WWF tag champion. That perked my ears up, so I did a little researching, and apparently the Rougeau Brothers won the tag belts from the Hart Foundation in Montreal in 1987, before Jack Tunney reversed the decision a while later over some foreign object use. I never knew that! You can even find photos of them with the belts with a quick Google search. Just when you think nothing can surprise you anymore. Animal controls Pierre, but loses a criss cross when Pierre barrels into him with a shoulderblock. Another criss cross ends in Animal powerslamming him, and he delivers a shoulderblock of his own. Tag back to Jacques, and Pierre assists with a cheap shot to help his partner. That allows Jacques to dump Animal to the outside, and Pierre hits him with a dive out there, as WWF Tag Team Champions The New Age Outlaws show up on the entrance stage. Jacques with a bodyslam on the floor, as the Outlaws hit ringside to attack Hawk. They toss him into the dumpster, as the Quebecers hit Animal with a tandem suplex into the ring. Jacques adds a piledriver for two, and they work Animal over with combos. Animal fights off another double team, but there’s no one to tag. He spots the Outlaws, and decides to chase them off with a chair, giving the Quebecers the countout win at 6:05. Kinda fitting for a match airing on a Saturday night to run 6:05. * ¼ 

WWF Attitude ad. These are well remembered for a reason

Video package on Chyna’s role in DX. She’s the ‘proverbial straw that stirs the drink!’ Whatever that means

Ken Shamrock v Sniper: Jackyl sits in on commentary, which is almost welcome, since this three man no heel announce team is not the best. Ken dominates early on, and he sinks his teeth into a mat-based headlock, but Sniper manages to get to a vertical base. Hiptoss, but Ken counters with a takedown into an anklelock, but Sniper is in the ropes. Sniper nails him as they get vertical, and a clothesline sends Shamrock over the top for Recon to abuse. Inside, Sniper hammers him, but a criss cross allows Ken a bodypress for two. Sniper cuts off a comeback with a clothesline, however, and a sidewalk slam gets him two. Suplex is worth two, and a bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop, but Ken dodges. Ken makes a comeback, and he delivers a powerslam for two. Anklelock, and Sniper taps out at 5:15. Afterwards, Jackyl chews Sniper out for the loss. ½*

Backstage, Sniper gets in Recon’s face, trying to convince him that they don’t need Jackyl

Jerry Lawler brings Marc Mero and Sable out to discuss their domestic squabbles, and Mero gives his side. He was laid up in the hospital after having reconstructive knee surgery, and when he woke up, Sable was nowhere to be found. Where was she? Modeling Austin 3:16 t-shirts on RAW instead of getting him his Jello. To be fair, there are nurses for that. That’s what nurses do, right? Lawler is totally on Marc’s side, but he does need to ask about how Sable shoved him over at In Your House, but Mero clarifies that he just tripped. Okay, so all good. But their bliss is quickly interrupted when a courier delivers a bouquet of flowers for Sable, and dude, you have the worst timing. Mero flips out, wondering who is sending her all this stuff, and I mean, has anyone questioned Ted DiBiase? I mean, he has a history. So Sable storms off, and Mero chases her. This was good stuff, even if it was mostly wheel spinning

Jim Cornette announces that Tommy Young will now referee all NWA title matches presented on WWF TV to avoid any pro-WWF bias. Oh, and he warns Vince McMahon that the NWA won’t be as easy to beat this time as they were in 1984. True. I mean, then they were an actual organization. Now they’re basically renting space on Vince’s show

NWA World Tag Team Title Match: The Rock 'n' Roll Express v The Headbangers: Seeing the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express defending the NWA World Tag Team title in the WWF is weird enough already, but that it’s happening in the thick of the Attitude Era makes it just that much weirder. Plus, with Tommy Young officiating, this is like three different eras and promotions all colliding, and it’s going to make my brain explode. The Headbangers double up on Robert Gibson early on, so Ricky Morton comes in, but Thrasher fights them both off, as Ross basically calls the title a joke, making it clear that it isn’t really important if the Headbangers win it or not. Really putting it over hard there, Jim. The Express get control of Mosh, and they go to work on him, but Thrasher gets the hot tag, and Roseanne Barr the door! Stage Dive looks to finish Morton, but Mosh chucks Gibson over the top as the pin is being counted, and the referee disqualifies the challengers over it at 4:00. Ah, screwy finishes. The real hallmark of the NWA. But who cares, the title is meaningless, right JR? This was your basic formula tag match, nothing much to it. ¾*

The WrestleMania Millennium Moment is Andre the Giant choking Bob Uecker at WrestleMania IV. Maybe this wasn’t a major segment, but these little bits of hype to make WrestleMania seem historic and important are always really welcome

Jim Ross brings Steve Austin out to question him about putting hands on Chyna at In Your House, but Steve clarifies that he doesn’t discriminate: if you get in the ring with him, you belong to him. Not having Steve back down, and just continuing to be Steve was pitch perfect, and I’m surprised Vince could resist his usual instinct of turning his top babyface into a smiling goody goody

WWF European Title Match: Owen Hart v Jeff Jarrett: Jarrett’s NWA North American title is not on the line. The referee sends Jeff’s NWA pals to the back ahead of the match. Owen fights off a sneak attack, and delivers a spinheel kick, then clotheslines Jarrett over the top. Hart follows to hammer Jarrett on the outside, and a flying bodypress gets him one on the way back inside. Jim Cornette trips him up during a criss cross, however, allowing Jeff a straddling ropechoke, and the tide has turned. Jarrett with a swinging neckbreaker, as Ross brings up that Stu Hart apparently invented the European uppercut? Really? I never knew that, it’s a pretty cool little bit of trivia. Jarrett with a DDT for two, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and Hart hooks a backslide for two. Jarrett cuts him off with a clothesline, but Hart counters a suplex with a rollup for two. Criss cross results in a double knockout spot, and Jeff recovers first, but Hart reverses a cross corner whip. Hart crotches him on the post, and a flying dropkick finds the mark. Inverted atomic drop and a leg-feed enzuigiri lead to the Sharpshooter, so Cornette comes in with the tennis racket for the DQ at 5:18. A decent match with a bad finish. * ½

The Playstation Slam of the Week is a collection of dives from the WWF Light Heavyweight title match at In Your House  

Dok Hendrix comes out to play the guest ring announcer for the next match, and they openly acknowledge his history in the town as Michael PS Hayes. Kind of weird seeing him casually jumping over the top rope like it’s ten years earlier, instead of the older ring announcer he’s been playing since 1995. Though, he realistically wasn’t ‘old’ at this point at all, in actuality not even 40 yet. Anyway, Kane crashes the party, and gives him the Tombstone treatment to ruin Dok’s night. “The Freebird is grounded,” quips Paul Bearer

Taka Michinoku and Aguila v Brian Christopher and Pirata Morgan: Sunny acts as the guest ring announcer for this one. Morgan attacks Aguila to kick start the match, and a tilt-a-whirl powerbomb puts him down. Corner whip, but Aguila reverses, and Aguila dives with a flying headscissors to put Morgan on the outside. Aguila dives after him with a corkscrew suicida, and tags are made all around on the way back in. Taka drops Brian with a rana right away, and a spinheel kick follows. Dropkick sends Brian to the outside, but Taka is on him with a 2nd rope moonsault press on the floor. Back in, but Brian fights him off with a sunset bomb on the floor. Inside, Brian dives with a 2nd rope dropkick, and a German suplex follows. Backbreaker leads to a tag to Morgan for a 2nd rope axehandle, and a corner splash follows, but a second one misses. That allows Taka to take him upstairs for a rana for two, but another rana is countered with a powerbomb for two. Morgan goes up with a flying splash, but Taka dodges, so Brian comes in to take him out, but Aguila saves. That allows Taka to drop Morgan with a scoop sitout brainbuster at 5:36. Fun match. ** ¼ 

Faarooq v Steve Blackman: Before the match, WWF Intercontinental Champion Rock gives the other Nation of Domination members gold Rolex’s. All except Faarooq, who he wants to give a special gift to since he’s the undisputed leader. So Rock presents him with a framed poster of Rock holding the Intercontinental title, but somehow Faarooq doesn’t appreciate it. This was a great bit of smarmy stuff from Rock, as well as a Machiavellian play for control of the group. Faarooq takes his frustrations out on Blackman, so Steve tries throwing kicks, but a dropkick misses. That allows Faarooq a slam to set up an elbowdrop, so Steve tries a bodypress, but Faarooq hits the deck. Dominator leaves Steve down and out, but Faarooq wants to make a point, and grabs the framed poster to smash over his head, but Rock steals it away - the distraction allowing Blackman a schoolboy at 1:31. This made both Faarooq and Blackman look like losers, but Rock looked like a complete star. Afterwards, Faarooq destroys the gift, and the Nation seems torn at who to support, though they ultimately leave with Faarooq. ¼*

Steve Austin vignette

Backstage, the the Nation are having a heated argument. “Oh, we’re just packing for a long flight,” notes D-lo brown, in a funny cover story

Goldust and Marc Mero v Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie: Goldust is just back to being just regular Goldust this week. Goldust starts with Charlie, and a slugfest goes Charlie’s way. Tag to Mero, and he wants to spar with Charlie, which goes better for him than it did for Goldust. Mero with a pair of bodyslams, but Charlie counters a third with an inside cradle for two. Tag to Jack, and he hits Mero with a shoulderblock, and works a quick wristlock, before passing back to Charlie. They work Marc over with quick tags in and out, and Charlie piledrives him for two. Tag to Goldust, and he runs wild on Charlie, as Sable shows up with her flowers from earlier. That distracts Mero, but Goldust retains control, hitting Charlie with a pointed elbowdrop for two. Meanwhile, Luna Vachon steals Sable’s flowers, and that triggers a fight between the women, allowing Jack to whack Goldust with a chair. That allows Charlie a cover, and the referee counts three at 4:11. This was really basic, just background noise for the angle. *

BUExperience: Nothing of great note here, and nothing in the way of advancing the main angle for WrestleMania, but a solid episode, as the promotion settles into a groove.