Original Airdate: April 27, 1998
From Hampton, Virginia; Your Host is Jim Ross, with Michael Cole (hour one), and with Jerry Lawler (hour two)Earlier today, outside the arena, DX plotted an attack on WCW, and took off in a tank-like Jeep to go after them in nearby Norfolk Virginia, where Nitro was being held that night. Huh, that happened? KInd of weird that no one’s brought it up in the years since
Rock and Mark Henry v Owen Hart and Ken Shamrock: Rock and Shamrock start, but Owen promptly turns on Ken before he can even engage, and the referee throws it out at 1:06. The Nation of Domination work with Hart to deliver a beatdown, and Owen brings a chair in to Pillmanize the ankle to really make it count. Steve Blackman tries to make the save, but gets destroyed as well, as Hart holds Ken in a Sharpshooter. Faarooq runs out next, but has no luck either, and the Nation stand tall. This heel turn felt absolutely out of nowhere, and while I enjoyed Owen in the Nation later on, this bit didn’t really work. Hopefully he does a good promo to get it across at some point. DUD
Dude Love hosts the Love Shack, and he was pretty heartbroken last night, but drowned his sorrows with some blondes. But he’s still hurting, and he’s thinking Steve Austin should be fired tonight, and Vince McMahon should hand him the WWF Title to make things fair
Earlier today, DX arrives outside the Norfolk Scope in their Jeep, and talk shit about WCW in front of some of their fans as the fans arrive at the arena. I know we all kind of mock this whole deal these days, but that’s mostly just because the WWE tends to inflate its importance in the scope of the Monday Night Wars. It was really cool at the time, and felt rebellious. Though, in what world other than pro-wrestling do a bunch of guys (some of whom are former employees) march up to a corporate event wearing military gear and carrying firearms not end in police sirens?
Backstage, Vince McMahon arrives, flanked by his stooges
#1 Contender’s Match: The Headbangers v Terry Funk and 2 Cold Scorpio: JR awkwardly promises that Austin will appear as tickets go on sale in Texas this weekend just a sentence after worrying that he may be fired before the evening is out. “Uh… he may not be the champion… but he will be there this Friday!” What a model employee. Everyone brawls, and it spills to the outside, where Funk and Scorpio take turns hitting dives. Back in, the referee still can’t restore order, and finally just throws the match out entirely at 3:00. ¼*
DX are at the doors of the Scope, and honestly, how have they not been arrested yet?
The Cinn-a-Burst Rewind is Dude Love taking a bump off of the stage at Unforgiven
Vince McMahon comes out to complain of the concussion symptoms he’s been dealing with since last night, courtesy of Steve Austin. But instead of firing Steve, McMahon would rather toy with him, and forces him to defend the title tonight against Goldust. Oh, and Gerald Brisco will be the special referee, and if Austin lays a finger on him, he loses the match and the title on the spot
Backstage, Austin reacts to the news in the calm and centered manner he’s famous for
At Nitro, DX try to drive into the building, but WCW closes the gate before they can get in. They should make friends with some groupies and try again. I mean, it worked for William in Almost Famous
Jeff Jarrett v Bradshaw: Bradshaw powers him into the corner for a knee right away, and he goes to a standing headlock from there. Jeff forces a criss cross, but Bradshaw throws a shoulderblock. Jeff fires back with a dropkick, but stops to strut, and pays the price. Jeff tries a ten-punch, but Bradshaw isn’t selling much for him, and delivers a big boot. Bradshaw with a series of short-chops, but Club Kamikaze run in on him for the DQ at 1:15. This never really got going. Afterwards, WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Taka Michinoku runs out to make the save, but gets overwhelmed, and destroyed as well. Seems like a theme tonight. ¼*
Backstage, Dude fumes that Goldust is getting a title shot tonight.
The New Age Outlaws v Skull and 8-Ball: The WWF Tag Team title is not on the line. Billy Gunn starts with Skull, as Ross yells at Triple H like Ross is a school principal. How much longer until they’re just babyfaces already? It’s so clear that the crowd wants it, and they’re way too much fun to work as heels. Gunn takes a bump to the outside, so Jesse James comes in, but promptly gets powerslammed. Back to Billy, but Skull big boots him, and brings 8-Ball in for a double team. Billy manages to snap 8-Ball’s throat across the top rope to turn the tide, and the Outlaws work him over. 8-Ball fights Billy off with a side suplex to allow the hot tag to Skull, but Billy quickly fights him off with a piledriver. 8-Ball switches off while Gunn is celebrating, however, allowing 8-Ball to hook a crucifix cradle at 3:22. So… the top contender’s match goes to a draw in three minutes, and now these goofs pin the champs in a non-title match while LOD 2000 (the guys who have a legitimate claim at a shot) cheer them on? The booking was pretty nonsensical at this point, and the promotion likely would have gone off the rails if they didn’t have such hot characters, and such a great top angle to carry things. ½*
Undertaker v Barry Windham: Undertaker slugs at him to start, and delivers a chokeslam, then a tombstone at a brisk 0:55. Afterwards, Undertaker calls Kane out, wanting to finish what he started last night. Kane answers the call, but instead of a fight, we get Paul Bearer ranting and raving. But, he has an actual point for once: he wants a truce with Undertaker. Oh, and he’s Kane’s dad. And that’s literally it, as they throw to commercial the moment Bearer drops that bombshell. Thankfully, Lawler helpfully clears up that this means Bearer had sex with Undertaker’s mother after we come back from the break. This angle continues to be a real drag. DUD
The Castrol GTX Slam of the Week is Undertaker doing a suicide dive at Unforgiven
Kevin Kelly catches up with Goldust backstage, but Dude Love attacks, trying to take him out of contention ahead of the main event
DX hit the ring again, and WWF European Champion Triple H makes a random open challenge to anyone who wants a shot. 8-Ball answers it, but Jim Cornette runs past him with Dan Severn to steal the shot. But apparently Cornette doesn’t want Dan to wrestle since he didn’t negotiate the deal, so Severn beats him up. And then the match just doesn’t happen anyway, and we don’t even mention it again. Couldn’t 8-Ball try? Poor guy
Cole is backstage with Austin, and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep the title tonight
Val Venis vignette
Marc Mero and Sable come out, so Marc can publicly accuse her of humiliating him at Unforgiven. But she isn’t having it, and challenges him to a match in two weeks, where she promises to really humiliate him. Sable is over huge, but her acting is ridiculously bad. Even by pro-wrestling standards
Backstage, Vince preps Brisco
WWF Title Match: Steve Austin v Goldust: As promised, Gerald Brisco acts as the special guest referee for this one. The crowd is wild for Steve here, as they have been all night. I mean, he is the definition of ‘over.’ McMahon personally holds the title belt for safekeeping, as Austin tackles Goldust down to get the match going. A vertical suplex gets two, and a bodyslam is worth another two. Brisco is a little on the slow side with those counts, but really, who’s picking up wins with a bodyslam in 1998? Goldust fights back with a clothesline for two, and a snapmare sets up a kneedrop for two. Pretty slow on the count for Goldust too, to be fair. Also, I don’t really get the logic here… Vince doesn’t like Austin as his company’s representative because he’s a crass redneck, but he’s okay with Goldust?! Well, it’s progressive, I suppose. Goldust with a rollup for two, and now Brisco is letting his hands fly. Steve tackles him down for mounted punches, but telegraphs a backdrop, and Goldust dumps him to the outside. Goldust follows to whip him into the steps out there, but Steve chucks him into the guardrail to return fire. A clothesline on the floor follows, so Goldust throws a low blow, which Brisco fails to notice. Inside, Goldust slaps a chinlock on, so Brisco checks for a submission, but Steve gives him the finger. Steve fights out of the hold, and they collide for a double knockout - Goldust getting the cover for two. Clothesline, but Austin dodges, and throws one of his own. Thesz press puts Goldust down for mounted punches, so Goldust goes to a sleeper. Steve quickly fights him off, however, and the stunner looks to finish, but Brisco has something in his eye at two. Dude Love runs in on Austin, but the referee doesn’t call for the bell, allowing it. Steve fights Dude off, so Brisco tries goading him into hitting him, but Steve won’t take the bait. McMahon decides to take matters into his own hands, but misses a shot with the title belt, and brains Brisco. And I mean brains, cutting Gerald open with one of the sharp ends of it. And then Steve’s music starts playing, so I guess he wins? Or it’s a no contest? Either way, it’s over at 8:41. The match itself was actually fine, just overwhelmed with angles. *
BUExperience: This episode drew RAW’s highest rating ever to that point (competitive or otherwise), opposite a ‘special’ one-hour episode of Nitro (which drew their lowest rating to that point). Other than the DX invasion stuff and the continued strength of the top angle, this one was pretty bad, with downright terrible wrestling throughout.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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