Original Airdate: October 12, 1998
From Uniondale, New York; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler
Vince McMahon arrives at the building in his prized Chevrolet Corvette, where his stooges are ready and waiting with a wheelchair for him. Vince barking orders, and riding around in a wheelchair with his name on it like a directors chair is fantastic stuff
WWF Tag Team Title Match: The New Age Outlaws v Animal and Darren Drozdov: Okay, so they’re back together, then? They weren’t as of Heat the night before. And the only explanation offered is Billy Gunn telling us that we can ‘suck it’ if we’re not ‘down with it.’ Yeah, fuck you for wanting actual storytelling, suck a dick. Hawk sits in on commentary here, and claims to be sober. Jesse James starts with Droz, and a criss cross allows Droz a powerslam. Tag to Animal for a wristlock, so Jesse goes to the eyes, and passes to Billy. Animal wins a criss cross with a big shoulderblock, but a hiptoss gets countered with a DDT. Back to Jesse, and the Outlaws deliver a combo, as the DOA run out to attack Hawk. That draws Droz and Animal over, and as everyone is distracted with that, the Headbangers run in and knock James out with a boombox. Meanwhile, the referee counts the challengers out at 2:10. Ross, ever the shill, immediately notes that obviously it isn’t a JVC boombox, because those are better built, and wouldn’t shatter. DUD
Vince hangs out in his office, and sees Kane (in a track suit!) arrive on the monitor
WWF Intercontinental Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match: Ken Shamrock v Steve Blackman: So Triple H has been officially stripped of the title due to his legitimate injury, and we’ll have a tournament to crown a new champion tonight in full. They slug it out to start, won by Blackman with a dropkick. Steve with an elbowdrop for two, but Ken fires back with a powerslam, and delivers an elbowdrop to the knee. Ken works the part, before finishing with a kneebar at 2:32. Well, that was succinct. Afterwards, Blue Blazer runs out to attack Shamrock, which isn’t something the crowd ‘gets.’ ¼*
McMahon sees Undertaker arrive at the building from his office monitor
Backstage, Val Venis cuddles with Terri Runnels
Goldust video package. They literally introduce this as ‘in case you don’t know who he is,’ which is a pretty tacit way of admitting that no one was watching the product in 1996
WWF Intercontinental Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match: Marc Mero v Val Venis: They trade wristlocks to start, and Mero reverses a corner whip, then delivers a drop-toehold on the rebound. Val grabs an armbar, but Marc quickly forces a criss cross - only to run into a powerslam for two. Val with a butterfly suplex for two, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and Mero uses a DDT for two. Marc with a backdrop, and a fallaway slam looks to set up a dive, but Terri blocks his path. That allows Venis to recover, and a bridging fisherman suplex gets the pin at 2:13. They were just trading off here, there was no story or psychology. ½*
Backstage, Paul Bearer arrives, which draws an angry reaction from Vince
Michael Cole tries to catch up with Sable, but Jacqueline is nearby, so Sable runs over to attack her. Sable drags her out to the arena by the hair, but trips over some cables, and gets choked down until officials can intervene
Earlier today, Cole caught up with Mankind, who isn’t angry at Ken Shamrock for hitting him with a chair, since Ken can’t hit hard enough to hurt him anyway
Earlier today, Mark Henry read a poem that he wrote for Chyna. He’s no Lanny Poffo
WWF Intercontinental Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match: Mankind v Mark Henry: Henry dominates, going after Mankind’s ankle, as Chyna makes her way out. Mark with a bodyslam to set up a 2nd rope splash, but Mankind dodges. Well, he took about ten minutes to get up there, even a snail could have dodged that. Mankind throws right hands ahead of a double-arm DDT, and he pulls his shoe off - pulling off Mr. Socko! That’s officially a thing now. Mandible claw at 3:19. Afterwards, Chyna comes in to try and convince Mark to drop his lawsuit, but Henry brushes her off. DUD
Steve Austin arrives at the building, driving a cement truck
In his office, McMahon is fuming that Austin is driving a cement truck all of a sudden. Yeah, nothing good can come of that
WWF Intercontinental Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match: Jeff Jarrett v X-Pac: Jeff attacks before the bell, and X-Pac rattles the ring while taking a corner whip. That was Bret Hart quality. X-Pac fights back, but Jeff pops up after a clothesline, and backdrops him. A criss cross allows X-Pac a spinkick, and X-Pac adds a jumping clothesline. X-Pac goes upstairs with a flying somersault senton splash, but Jarrett dodges. That allows him to try for the figure four, but X-Pac hooks a cradle for two. Jeff responds with a clothesline, and a powerslam gets him two. Jeff with a corner whip, but the charge in misses, and X-Pac unloads some kicks. Bronco buster, but Jeff gets a boot up to block, and X-Pac took that like a champ, wow. The referee is bumped, so Jeff goes out to get his guitar, which is in a case tonight, despite never having been in a case before in the years and years he’s carried it. So, he opens the case, but the guitar is missing, and instead is Al Snow’s ‘head.’ That allows X-Pac to cradle at 3:13. Solid work, but the finish was dumb. Even though I don’t knock it for building to something and giving two guys a direction, the execution was flawed. ¾*
Backstage, Austin drives his cement truck up to Vince’s Corvette… and fills the convertible up to the brim! The way the windows busted out at the end was incredible, and made this. Vince’s reactions are also brilliant, of course
The 10-10-321 Rewind is the segment we literally just saw
Austin hits the ring, laughing about wrecking the car, and noting that he’ll keep making Vince’s life miserable until one of them leaves the promotion for good. Well, we know who won that one. That draws Vince out, and Steve wants to go after him, but McMahon is flanked by three cops, complete with angry German Shepherds. Austin can’t get close to him, which allows Vince to reveal that Steve will be teaming with Rock tonight to take on Undertaker and Kane. Vince also lays down an ultimatum: if Austin doesn’t crown a new champion at Judgment Day, he’s fired. This segment wasn’t incredible, but it worked more than it didn’t, and it’s also the source of Vince claiming to have ‘balls the size of grapefruits’
WWF Intercontinental Title Tournament Semifinal Match: Ken Shamrock v Val Venis: Ken attacks on the ramp during the entrances, and he sends Venis into the steps a few times, before taking it inside. Ken puts the boots to him, and a cross corner whip leads to a clothesline on the rebound. Shamrock with a bodyslam, and he grounds Venis in a reverse chinlock. Ken with a ropechoke from there, so Val throws some punches, but runs into a clothesline for two. Shamrock with a snap suplex for two, and a side suplex leads to a Boston crab. Val makes the ropes, and manages a pair of short-knees into a Russian legsweep. Val with a backelbow and an elbowdrop for two, but he loses a criss cross when Ken takes out the leg. That allows Shamrock the anklelock at advance at 5:20. Not for lack of effort, but this was kind of a mess. Afterwards, as Terri tends to the injured Venis, Goldust makes his way out, and I still don’t get why Dustin wearing a gold bodysuit makes him suddenly terrifying. He debuts a new move on Venis here: the shattered dreams. Good stuff. ¼*
Backstage, McMahon gets wheeled over to his car, so Mankind shows up to try and cheer him up, offering to dig through the cement to get Vince’s briefcase out of the mess
Cole catches up with Rock, and he’s got no problem facing Undertaker and Kane, but he doesn’t love the idea of tagging with Austin, because Rock doesn’t need anyone. That draws D-lo Brown and Mark Henry over to press him for more details on that, but Rock tells them they can talk about it in private
WWF Intercontinental Title Tournament Semifinal Match: Mankind v X-Pac: X-Pac tries a headlock at the bell, but Mankind easily drops him with a side suplex to escape. Mankind unloads in the corner, and he wins a criss cross with a sloppy shoulderblock. Mankind with a corner whip, but X-Pac blocks the charge in with a spinkick. X-Pac hammers him on the ropes, so Mankind dumps him to the outside, and follows to feed the kid the steps. Mankind grabs a chair, but the referee manages to prevent its use, and Mankind cross corner whips X-Pac. X-Pac blocks the charge in again, and a spinkick in the corner sets up the bronco buster. I’m surprised he wasn’t more gun shy after what happened earlier. Mankind with a kneelift to send X-Pac to the outside, and Mankind follows for a swinging neckbreaker on the floor, as Shamrock makes his way out. He blasts Mankind with a chair to the ankle as the combatants are getting back in, and X-Pac schoolboys at 3:16. But the celebration is short lived, as Shamrock beats up X-Pac, softening him up for the finals. ½*
WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Ken Shamrock v X-Pac: We go right into this, and X-Pac can’t even get to his feet as the bell sounds. Triple H comes out to do commentary, as Ken unloads on X-Pac in the corner. Ken with a snapmare to set up a kneedrop, so X-Pac tries throwing some chops, but Ken drops him across the top rope to cut that effort off. X-Pac manages to fight back long enough to hit the bronco buster, so Ken grabs the anklelock, but X-Pac makes the ropes. Ken responds by slapping it right back on at center ring, and X-Pac taps at 3:56. This wasn’t good as a match, but it served its purpose, making Ken look like a dangerous prick. DUD
Backstage, Undertaker and Kane prepare for the main event in separate locker rooms
Steve Austin and Rock v Undertaker and Kane: The babyfaces run in from the low ground, and manage to get control. The dust settles on Steve and Undertaker, and Austin turnbuckle smashes him a few times, then throws a clothesline for one. A criss cross allows Undertaker a jumping clothesline for two, as Paul Bearer wanders out. Undertaker grabs a wristlock, as both he and Kane get a little distracted by Paul’s presence. Undertaker with a bodyslam and an elbowdrop, but wastes time looking at Bearer, and Steve recovers. Steve slugs Undertaker down, and he wraps his leg around the ring post. Tag to Rock for a bodyslam to set up the People’s elbow for two, and he tries for the uranage, but Kane comes in to prevent it. That allows Undertaker a chokeslam, and he passes to Kane for a short-clothesline, as D-lo and Henry make their way out. The heels work Rock over, until he manages a Samoan drop on Kane, and makes the hot tag. Steve runs wild, but as he does so, Brown and Henry pull a battered Rock off of the apron, and give him a beat down on the floor. Meanwhile, Austin slugs it out with Undertaker, as the referee keeps bailing out of the ring, I assume to get some sort of instructions from the back. Steve gets Undertaker down, so Kane comes in, and with Rock down, they easily get control. Steve keeps fighting, when suddenly Big Boss Man runs in, and hits him with the nightstick for the DQ at 11:12 - revealing himself as the masked cop that was with McMahon earlier! I certainly didn’t expect to see him back in the WWF at this point, but it was actually a perfect fit. The heat segment on Rock kind of dragged, but there was a good sense of urgency throughout, and obviously enough star power to go around. *
BUExperience: The fall of 1998 kind of gets overlooked by me, probably because I wasn’t (and still am not) a fan of the Undertaker/Kane main event program. But looking back, it’s one legendary moment after another, week after week. And I really enjoyed the title tournament here… there weren’t any ‘good’ matches, but they banged it out, crowned a champion, and advanced storylines throughout. You can’t ask for more than that, especially on TV. Good booking.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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