Original Airdate: September 21, 1998 (taped September 15)
From Sacramento, California; Your Hosts are Jim Cornette and Shane McMahon
Vince McMahon brings Undertaker, Kane, Rock, Mankind, and Ken Shamrock all out to make some announcements. First: Steve Austin should find a partner, because he’s facing Undertaker and Kane tonight, with or without one. Oh, and Rock, Mankind, and Shamrock are all being asked not to volunteer for that role, and to incentivise them, Vince puts all three against each other in a top contender’s match tonight. Some quality evil scheming from McMahon here
The Pennzoil Rewind is Jeff Jarrett hitting Jesse James with a guitar last week
Billy Gunn v Jeff Jarrett: Road Dogg’s throat is still messed up from the guitar shot, so he holds up signs to do his part of the opening spiel. They trade off to start, dominated by Jarrett. Jarrett delivers a pair of dropkicks, and he takes Billy into the corner for a ten-punch. Gunn fires back with a press-slam, and he corners Jarrett for a ten-punch of his own. Jeff snaps his throat across the top rope to buy time, and he dives with a flying bodypress, but Gunn rolls through for two. Jeff manages a DDT for two, as Cornette reveals that Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler are missing because they’re shooting what would become Man on the Moon. One of my favorite movies. Gunn misses a bodypress and ends up on the outside, so Jeff hits him with a baseball slide, and drops him across the barricade, then sends him into the steps for good measure. Jarrett puts the boots to him on the way back in, and he uses a catapult under the bottom rope. Jeff with a corner whip, and a 2nd rope axehandle finds the mark. Jarrett keeps going with a Russian legsweep for two, and another corner whip works, but the charge in does not. That allows Gunn to try a piledriver, but Jarrett uses a backdrop to block. They stagger up for a slugfest, and Gunn manages a rocker dropper, then dumps Jeff into the corner to hammer on. Gunn with a cross corner whip to set up a corner splash, but Jarrett dodges, and the referee gets bumped in the process. Jarrett capitalizes by grabbing his guitar, but the referee recovers in time to stop him, and Gunn capitalizes with a neckbreaker at 7:29. This felt like something off of a 2012 WWE pay per view. ¾*
Backstage, Michael Cole catches up with Vince, wondering what will happen if no one volunteers to be Austin’s partner. Looks like a handicap match, if that’s the case
WWF Champion Steve Austin is out and he doesn’t care who his partner is, he’s ready to go it alone. And he doesn’t care who wins the Triple Threat, because he’ll kick that guy’s ass, too. The crowd was hanging on Steve’s every word here
Earlier today, Undertaker and Kane arrived at the building. Kane walking around in a track suit and a ski mask is a weird look, like some dude on the Sopranos holding up a convenience store, or something
The Headbangers v Golga and Kurrgan: Both teams party together before the bell, but it goes sideways when the Headbangers spray silly string in their opponents’ eyes. That leaves the Oddities blind, and the Headbangers capitalize by ripping up Golga’s Cartman doll. So, obviously, no match. Bridge too far.
Michael Cole catches up with Undertaker and Kane, who think Austin is running his mouth too much for his own good
WWF Women's Title Match: Sable v Jacqueline: This is for the vacant title, determining the first champion since Alundra Blayze threw the belt in a trash can in December 1995. Sable beats her into the corner to start, but gets distracted by Marc Mero, and Jacqueline jumps her. Jacqueline unloads in the corner, and a DDT gets her two. Jacqueline ropechokes her, and Mero takes a cheap shot from the outside for good measure. Jacqueline misses a straddling ropechoke, allowing Sable to take her down for mounted punches, then a backdrop. Sable throws a pair of clotheslines, and she biels Jacqueline by the hair to send her to the outside. Mero tries to help, so Sable nails him. She grabs Jacqueline to suplex back in, but Marc sweeps the leg, and Jacqueline topples for the pin at 2:49. This was bad as a match, but worked as an angle. Making this a title match must have been a very last minute decision, because they don’t even have a belt to award Jacqueline. DUD
Backstage, Vince McMahon is rubbing his hands together with glee, since Austin hasn’t found a volunteer
Steve Austin and Billy Gunn v Undertaker and Kane: Vince fumes in the back as Billy comes out to volunteer. Everyone brawls to start, with Undertaker and Kane dominating. Undertaker hits Austin with a jumping clothesline, but a criss cross allows Steve a Thesz press to set up a pointed elbowdrop, as the referee settles the dust. Tag to Billy to work Undertaker’s arm, and he throws a series of jabs, then a rocker dropper for two. Back to Austin, but Undertaker cracks him with a clothesline as he comes in, and he passes to Kane. Kane goes to work on Stone Cold, but Steve rebounds out of the corner following a cross corner whip, dropping Kane with a clothesline. Austin with a straddling ropechoke for two, and he passes to Billy to try a wristlock. Kane escapes, but Gunn blocks a chokeslam, so Undertaker nails him from the apron. That allows Kane to clothesline Billy over the top, and Undertaker sends him into the steps out there. Inside, Kane delivers a bodyslam to set up a pointed elbowdrop, and they cut the ring in half on Gunn. Hot tag to Austin, and Kane eats a stunner, but Undertaker saves, and Roseanne Barr the door! Austin and Kane end up on the outside, where Steve gets whipped into the steps, as Undertaker chokeslams Gunn for the pin at 8:37. Dull and formulaic. Afterwards, Austin grabs a chair to brain both brothers - ouch! ½*
Southern Justice v Skull and 8-Ball: Mark Canterbury starts with Skull, and Skull delivers a neckbreaker for two early. Cross corner whip, but Mark reverses, and delivers a clothesline on the rebound. Tags all around, and Dennis Knight pounds 8-Ball into the corner. Dennis with a chincrusher to set up a kneedrop for two, but a criss cross ends badly for him. 8-Ball with a sidewalk slam for two, so Mark comes in, and Roseanne Barr the door! Paul Ellering trips Dennis up, allowing 8-Ball to pound him down, so Jeff Jarrett comes out to smash a guitar over Ellering’s head. And the match just sort of ends from there at 2:33. Uh, okay? DUD
Backstage, Cole talks to Vince about Billy Gunn’s volunteer work, and McMahon is very disappointed. So disappointed, in fact, that he’s giving Undertaker and Kane carte blanche to respond
Steven Regal vignette
Boot Camp Match: Sgt. Slaughter v Al Snow: If Snow wins, he earns a WWF contract. Slaughter attacks before the bell, and they brawl on the outside, dominated by Sarge. Inside, Slaughter unloads on Al with his belt, but gets blocked in the corner, and Al uses a catapult into the corner. Snow is looking really out of shape here. Al grabs the belt to get some retribution, but misses a chair shot against the post, and Slaughter gets off a (weak) shot of his own for two. Al fights him off, and springboards off a chair, then hits Slaughter with a moonsault off of the barricade for two. Inside, Al misses a chair assisted flying moonsault, allowing Slaughter to recover with the cobra clutch. Snow fades, but manages to drop into the corner to escape. He grabs Head, but misses a shot, allowing Slaughter to reapply his hold. Al manages to nail him down low with Head to break, so Slaughter takes off his boot, but misses a swing with it. That allows Al to bash him with Head for the pin at 6:20. Slaughter looked really bad here. I mean, obviously he wasn’t an active competitor at this point, but that’s why he shouldn’t have been out there to begin with. His stuff looked loose and weak. Afterwards, Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco run out to deal with Snow themselves, but Scorpio makes the save. ½*
Backstage, Val Venis lounges
Cole catches up with Rock, who doesn’t care what Vince wants to put him through, because he’ll come out on top
Owen Hart v Val Venis: Dustin Runnels is out to do commentary on this one. A criss cross ends in Val hooking a drop-toehold, and he takes Owen into the corner to hammer. Cross corner whip, but Hart reverses, and tries a leg-feed enzuigiri, but it misses. A criss cross allows Owen a powerslam, and he delivers a cross corner whip of his own, successfully. Hart with an inverted atomic drop to set up a clothesline, and a backbreaker follows. Into the corner for a ten-punch count, and a vertical suplex leads to mounted punches - only for Dustin to run in on Venis to draw a DQ at 2:22. This was going along fine, but didn’t last long enough to get anywhere, and then a bullshit finish to boot. Afterwards, Venis fights Dustin off, and gets Runnels tied up in the ropes - in the perfect position to see the Titantron, where Venis unveils his latest film: There’s Something About Terri. ½*
Backstage, X-Pac warms up
WWF European Title Match: D-lo Brown v X-Pac: X-Pac slugs him into the corner right away, but a criss cross goes the champion’s way with a powerslam for two. Brown hammers him into the corner, and a bodyslam sets up a legdrop. A corner splash misses, allowing X-Pac a spinkick, but a bronco buster misses. That allows Brown a clothesline for two, and a bodyslam sets up a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two. Brown wins a slugfest, and a bodyslam sets up a 2nd rope moonsault, but X-Pac dodges. D-lo really likes those bodyslams. X-Pac makes a comeback, but runs into a sitout spinebuster when doing a charge, giving the champion two. Brown goes up with a flying shoulderblock, but X-Pac catches him in a sitout facebuster to win the title at 4:57. This was okay, but felt like it didn’t really get into high gear. *
Backstage, Rock, Mankind, and Ken Shamrock all warm up
Cole catches up with Mankind, who is ready for the Triple Threat. Well, duh, we just saw him warming up
#1 Contender's Triple Threat Match: Rock v Mankind v Ken Shamrock: Rock slugs Ken into the corner to start, but Shamrock responds in kind, until Mankind gets involved. Rock and Mankind stomp Ken down, and work together for a tandem clothesline, before Mankind nails Rock to end the alliance. Mankind with a clothesline that sends both guys tumbling over the top, and Shamrock barrels into Mankind with a baseball slide. Ken and Mankind go inside, where Mankind fights him off in the corner, and delivers a running kneesmash. Ken fights back with a side suplex that leaves both men down, so Rock capitalizes by coming in and putting the boots to both men. Rock bodyslams Shamrock to set up the People’s elbow, but he tosses Ken over the top instead of covering. Instead, he goes after Mankind, but loses a criss cross to a double-arm DDT that gets two. Mankind misses a charge in the corner, but Ken pulls Rock out of the ring before Rocky can capitalize. Ken whips Rock into the rail and catches him with a clothesline on the rebound, but Mankind gets him in a bodyscissors as Ken climbs back in. Shamrock slugs free, and grabs a sleeper, but Rock comes in to put him in a sleeper at the same time. Mankind uses a jawbreaker to cause a chain reaction escape, as McMahon, Undertaker, and Kane wander out. Mankind gets Rock in the mandible claw, but Shamrock breaks it up, and drops Mankind with a belly-to-belly suplex. Ken slaps an anklelock on Mankind, but Rock taps Ken’s shoulder - causing Shamrock to think the referee is telling him he’s won, and letting off the hold. That allows Rock to deliver a uranage for two, as Undertaker pulls Mankind out of the ring to beat up. Rock with a floatover DDT for two on Ken, but Shamrock fires back with a powerslam for two. He charges, but Rock sidesteps, and Ken takes a bump to the outside. That allows Undertaker and Kane to attack on the floor, and they come in to go after Rock. Despite being outgunned, Rock slugs at them, but gets overwhelmed. Undertaker and Kane give Rock a tandem chokeslam, and Vince leads them away, but here comes Stone Cold. Steve stomps McMahon down before Undertaker and Kane can save, and apparently the actual match is a no contest at 12:25. Gosh, finishes were like persona non grata on both sides of the aisle in 1998. *
BUExperience: I found this episode to be kind of a chore. It wasn’t actively bad, it just didn’t feel particularly engaging - especially for an episode that leads in to a pay per view.
Interestingly, this did the same rating as last week’s show, while Nitro lost a big chunk of their audience - I’m eager to see what was going on over on the other channel that drove so many viewers away, and handed RAW it’s first head-to-head win in a while.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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