Original Airdate: June 1, 1998
From Chicago, Illinois; Your Host is Jim Ross, with Michael Cole (hour one), and with Jerry Lawler (hour two)
Dude Love is in the ring as the show opens, and he’s battered, but not broken. But he feels like he let Vince McMahon down, so he asks Mr. McMahon to come out so he can apologize in person. Vince comes out, and the look of absolute disgust on his face as Dude makes his apology is incredible. But Vince wants him to grovel on his knees, but that’s a bridge too far for Dude. He gets testy, so Vince tells him to hit him with the chair again, just like he did last night… if he thinks he can afford it. So Dude backs down, and Vince gets an interesting line in here about why he tolerates Austin: he makes him money. Meanwhile, Dude just makes him sick. So he fires him on the spot. Great segment, both guys played their roles perfectly, and it was grounded in realism
Outside, LOD 2000 and Darren Drozdov break stuff
Kevin Kelly comes out to wonder if Drozdov is nervous. Well, given that he’s vomiting, I’d say it’s a pretty safe bet
Six-Man Tag Team Chicago Street Fight: Darren Drozdov and LOD 2000 v Chainz, Skull, and 8-Ball: This is a literal street fight, taking place outside of the building. DOA attack to kick start the match, and everyone brawls with a bunch of weapons, as Sunny runs around trying not to die. So that goes on for a few minutes, until Undertaker walks by, and beats everybody up, giving us a no contest at 4:06. Well, that was pretty pointless. DUD
Val Venis v Papi Chulo: Val jumps him, and stomps him down in the corner, then drops an elbow. Venis with some mounted punches, and a butterfly suplex connects. Val puts him in a camel clutch, and he uses a few chops, so Papi tries a springboard bodypress, but gets caught in a slam. Venis tries working an armbar, but can’t seem to figure the hold out, so he tries a big boot instead, but Papi ducks. Papi looks for a comeback, but Val throws a clothesline. Papi manages a spinheel kick and a pair of dropkicks, but Venis counters a crucifix with a Samoan drop to set up the flying splash at 3:37. ½*
Undertaker storms out to air his grievances with Vince. And he’s a muttering, stuttering fuck this week. Was he drinking? So, he’s pissed that, while Vince did give him an opportunity back in 1990, he’s bitter that Vince kept using him to vanquish monsters that his hand picked champions couldn’t handle, instead of giving him the chance to be the leader of the promotion. That’s a good way of telling the story while still keeping kayfabe. So, he’s sick of waiting for it to be given: he’s here to do the taking. He demands a title shot, and he calls Vince out to make it happen. Vince appears, and he’s none too pleased about being strong armed. And, anyway, what’s Undertaker done for him lately? But, he’ll give Undertaker his title shot… if Undertaker can beat Kane, tonight. Another great McMahon anchored segment
The JVC Kaboom of the Week is Undertaker chokeslamming Pat Patterson through an announce table at Over the Edge
King of the Ring Tournament Qualifying Match: Marc Mero v Steve Blackman: Mero introduces Jacqueline as his manager here, replacing Sable. Mero throws fists to start, but Blackman gets away from him, and uses a sidekick to send Marc to the outside. Jacqueline is right there for a massage, but Blackman pelts him with strikes as soon as he’s back inside. Steve with a facebuster, and a knife-edge chops finds the mark. Blackman with a backbreaker, and he dumps Mero into the corner to unload on. Steve uses a snap suplex and a bicycle kick for two, so Jacqueline gets in his face, and Mero is ready with a low blow. Mero with a Samoan drop to set up a flying shooting star press at 2:54, dedicating the move to his new manager. ¾*
Earlier today, WWF Champion Steve Austin appeared on Mancow’s radio show, with Vince calling in to try and steal the spotlight
Edge vignette
Six-Man Tag Team Elimination Match: Triple H, Billy Gunn, and Jesse James v Rock, Owen Hart, and D-lo Brown: HHH clotheslines Owen down to start, so he passes to Brown, but HHH hits him with a high knee. Tag to Jesse with a snapmare to set up a kneedrop, but a criss cross goes Brown’s way with a rotating spinebuster for two. He tries tagging, but Jesse pokes him in the eyes, and passes to Billy. Gunn loses a slugfest, so Jesse takes a cheapshot, and Billy drops D-lo with a piledriver at 1:30. Rock takes over, so Gunn goes right to the eyes on him too, and the Outlaws double team him. Jesse gets a headlock on, but Rock throws a clothesline, so Jesse tries jabs, but walks into a uranage at 2:24. Billy comes in with jabs on Rock, and a bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop. Irish whip, but Owen catches a blind tag, and hits Billy with a missile dropkick. Gunn fires back with a DDT, but a corner splash misses, and Hart spinheel kicks him at 3:45. The Nation go to work on HHH, and Rock delivers the People’s elbow, but it only gets two. He tries a backdrop, but HHH blocks. Uranage, but HHH blocks, and manages the Pedigree at 9:02. Owen rushes in with right hands, and he manages a leg-feed enzuigiri, but Ken Shamrock runs in to attack Hart for the DQ at 9:35. The eliminations could have been better spaced, but it was an engaging match for the most part. The Nation run back out to attack Ken, but Dan Severn shows up, and the UFC rivals work together to clean house. *
Backstage, Undertaker broods
Backstage, Vince makes a deal with Kane and Paul Bearer
King of the Ring Tournament Qualifying Match: Jeff Jarrett v Faarooq: Tennessee Lee introduces Southern Justice as Jarrett’s new heavies here, which they openly acknowledge are the Godwinns, at least. Jeff attacks before the bell, but eats a snake-eyes, and Faarooq adds a powerslam. Headbutt drop, but Jeff dodges. He tries a kick, but Faarooq blocks, and throws a clothesline. Faarooq puts the boots to him, but a charge in the corner hits an elbow, and Jarrett throws a short-clothesline. Jeff uses a bodyslam to set up an elbowdrop, but Faarooq rolls out of the way, and uses a bodyslam of his own to set up a legdrop for two. Faarooq with a snap suplex for two, and a punch gets two. Faarooq goes upstairs, but Jeff knocks him off, and dives on him with mounted punches. He tries a leapfrog, but gets caught in a spinebuster, so Justice distract him. That allows Jarrett to get hold of a weapon, and he clocks Faarooq at 3:22. This felt disjointed. ¼*
Video highlighting the WWF’s charitable efforts - with all the credit going to Vince, of course
WWF Light Heavyweight Title Match: Taka Michinoku v Sho Funaki: Funaki tries attacking before the bell, but gets dumped, and Taka dives after him. Inside, Funaki wins a criss cross with a hip attack, and a corner whip sets up a corner splash, but Taka dodges. The champ tries a tornado DDT, but Funaki blocks. He tries a suplex, but Taka blocks, and uses a rana. Dick Togo tries to interfere, but it backfires, and Taka hits Funaki with a pair of seated dropkicks, as Al Snow hangs around at ringside, disguised as a Japanese photographer. Taka tries a missile dropkick, but misses, and Funaki suplexes him. Funaki tries a flying elbowdrop, but misses, and Taka hits a flying dropkick. That allows him the scoop sitout brainbuster at 3:10 to retain. This was kind of a mess. ½*
Backstage, Bearer promises that Kane will become the number one contender, tonight
Backstage, Al Snow argues with Head, blaming her for blowing his cover
King of the Ring Tournament Qualifying Match: Terry Funk v Mark Henry: Vince is out for commentary, apparently thinking it’s time for the main event. He should scream at himself through his headset. Terry with a series of chops and a neckbreaker for two, and he throws more chops. Irish whip, but Henry reverses, and throws a clothesline to set up an elbowdrop. Mark dumps him to the outside, but a smash into the guardrail backfires, and Terry tries a dive, but gets caught, and sent into the post. Henry tries a whip into the steps, but Funk reverses, and nails Mark with a chair for good measure, giving poor Vince flashbacks. Terry with a flying moonsault press on the floor, but he hits the rail in the process, and Henry splashes him for two on the way back in. Henry with a bodyslam for two, and a legdrop gets another two. Suplex, but Funk counters with a cradle for two, so Henry powerbombs him to set up another splash at 4:53. They were really trying out there, and it got pretty good in the last stretch. * ¼
#1 Contender's Match: Undertaker v Kane: The winner gets a title shot at King of the Ring, and Austin joins us on commentary to counteract Vince. Like literally everyone else tonight, Kane tries to attack before the bell. Undertaker reverses a corner whip on him, and he stops to go beat up Paul Bearer, before delivering the ropewalk forearm. Kane fires back with a chokeslam to set up a fistdrop, and a short-clothesline finds the mark. Kane tosses him to the outside for a trip into the post, and he uses a bodyslam on the way back in, setting up another fistdrop. Kane hammers him into the corner, but a charge hits a boot, so Kane throws one of his own. Elbowdrop, but Undertaker dodges, and delivers a chokeslam. Undertaker adds a Russian legsweep to set up a legdrop for two, but the referee gets bumped on a corner whip reversal. Kane tries a tombstone, but Undertaker reverses, only there’s no official. That draws Mick Foley out, now as Mankind, with a mandible claw, but Undertaker manages to fight it off. The distraction allowed Kane to recover, however, and he delivers a tombstone at 6:27. Not a good match, but all the overbooking was exciting. ½*
BUExperience: This was a great episode! They immediately got into the King of the Ring build, and there were lots of great, character driven segments that all connected. I can see why they kept going back to Vince as the main villain for years after, he was the glue that held all of the best segments together during this period.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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