Original Airdate: October 26, 1998 (taped October 20)
From Madison, Wisconsin; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler
Earlier today, Steve Austin arrived at the building
Vince McMahon and his entourage are out to kick things off, and Vince's feelings are hurt over how everyone laughed at him when he peed in his pants last week. I mean, no one even feels bad that he ruined a perfectly good Armani suit! He threatens to take Austin to court, which Steve laughs off from backstage
WWF European Title Match: X-Pac v Steve Blackman: X-Pac wins a criss cross with a hiptoss, and he adds a spinkick. X-Pac with a chop, but another criss cross goes Blackman’s way with a superkick. A dropkick puts X-Pac into the corner, and Steve unloads, before rattling the ring with a cross corner whip. Steve with a sidewalk slam to set up an elbowdrop, and he slaps on a chinlock. X-Pac starts to fight, so Steve takes him into the corner for chops instead, and a bootchoke follows. Steve with another cross corner whip, but X-Pac blocks the charge in, and throws a spinheel kick. A criss cross allows Blackman a jumping shoulderblock, and a clothesline sends X-Pac over the top - where Steven Regal shows up to attack him. The New Age Outlaws make the save, but the referee has already called the DQ at 2:48. A decent enough match for the couple of minutes it actually lasted, though the finish was shit. *
Backstage, Vince has a tense meeting with his attorneys
Backstage, Michael Cole tries to talk to Austin, but Steve isn’t coming to the door
Rock v Droz: Ross, of course, has to note how ‘young’ the guys are in literally every match, and this one is no exception. With Hawk and Animal out there, no less. Posturing to start, with Droz dominating. Droz holds an armbar, and he delivers a jumping shoulderblock, then a corner whip. Rock manages to fight off the follow up, and Rock delivers a DDT. Rock uses a turnbuckle smash, but a backdrop gets countered with a sunset flip for two, so Rock clotheslines him. Rock goes low, so Droz makes a last ditch, but gets caught in the uranage. People’s elbow, and we’re out at 4:38. ¼*
Backstage, Cole manages to get face to face with Austin, but Steve is playing coy about the contents of the letter he stuffed into Vince’s pocket last week
Earlier today, Motley Crue held a soundcheck
Backstage, Vince’s meeting with the lawyers wraps up
DX are out to introduce Motley Crue, who play a song on the entrance stage. This is a thing that apparently totally happened, though I have no recollection of it at all. Of note: Vince Neil wears a t-shirt that says ‘FUCKER’ on it in giant letters. We really peaked as a society in the 90s. The only thing of note here is that a ‘fan’ jumps the rail, but gets cut off by their security guy (Test, in his unnamed debut)
Backstage, McMahon continues to fume, and we overhear that the document is some sort of contract
Kane v Gangrel: Kane jumpstarts the bout, and goes to work. Kane lands a big boot, so Christian pulls the top rope down as Kane runs them, buying Gangrel time. Gangrel dives after Kane from the apron, but Kane blocks the follow up, and feeds Gangrel the barricade. Inside, Kane misses a backelbow, allowing Gangrel to try a suplex, but Kane blocks. Kane with a turnbuckle smash, and a cross corner whip rebounds into a sidewalk slam. Kane goes up, so Christian distracts him, and Gangrel follows to the top. Kane blocks him anyway, and dives with a flying clothesline. Kane adds a chokeslam at 3:02. Kane completely gobbled him up here. Afterwards, the heels double up on him, but Kane shrugs them off, so Edge runs in to back Gangrel and Christian up! That allows them to beat Kane down, though only briefly. ¼*
Backstage, Cole promises that Vince will have a statement after the break
Austin is out, revealing that the document he has is a new signed contract, and more than that, the contract guarantees him a title shot. That draws Vince out, and though his attorneys can’t find a way to break the contract, Vince decides to go with Plan B: drive him to quit. And he’ll start by booking him against Ken Shamrock right here tonight. But then Vince reveals how this all came to be, as apparently Shane McMahon gave Austin his new contract. That draws Shane out, and he cuts a promo on his dad, apparently bitter about the lack of attention he got growing up. This whole episode is about feelings, what the fuck
Backstage, Shane leaves the building, but not before Steve can pass him a beer
Godfather v Tiger Ali Singh: Godfather is so pissed, he doesn’t even offer up any hos this week! Godfather knocks him around to start, until Tiger bails. Godfather chases on the outside, but gets reversed into the rail, and Tiger puts the boots to him on the floor. Inside, Tiger lands a dropkick, but Godfather fights off a wristlock with a short-clothesline. Godfather with a corner whip to set up an avalanche, but another corner whip gets reversed, and Singh lands a bulldog for two. Tiger charges, but gets backdropped over the top, and Godfather smashes him into the rail. Tiger throws Babu at him, but Godfather wrecks him, and keeps pounding on Tiger as they go back inside. Tiger goes to the eyes to allow him a ropeburn, as the crowd does the ‘wave’ to amuse themselves. And then both guys start slugging it out, and the referee disqualifies them both at 4:28. DUD
Backstage, Vince is all broken up about Shane’s betrayal, and can’t even speak. Fee fees
Eight-Man Tag Team Match: Taka Michinoku, Dick Togo, Sho Funaki, and Men's Teioh v Golga, Kurrgan, Shaggy 2 Dope, and Violent J: Bunch of basic bullshit, until the ICP lose their cool, and shove down the referee for the DQ at 3:35. Despite being in control. DUD
Outside, a dejected Vince climbs into his limousine
Backstage, Cole catches up with Ken Shamrock, who promises to make Austin quit tonight
Goldust v Marc Mero: Goldust dominates early, landing a clothesline, and a hip attack, before taking Marc into the corner for a ten-punch. Goldust with a slingshot side suplex, so Jacqueline trips him up, and Marc capitalizes with a low blow. Mero adds a DDT, and a kneelift gets him two. Goldust fights off another interference from Jackie, and goes on the comeback trail. He lands a bulldog before taking Mero into the corner to set up shattered dreams, so Jackie distracts him. Goldust fights her off, and delivers the dreams, but the referee decides to disqualify him over it at 2:55. Afterwards, Sable shows up to challenge Jackie for a WWF Women’s title match at Survivor Series. ¼*
The JVC Kaboom of the Week is Jeff Jarrett busting a guitar over Al Snow’s head last week
Backstage, Cole catches up with Mankind and Al Snow, who have formed a team to challenge for the tag title tonight
WWF Tag Team Title Match: The New Age Outlaws v Mankind and Al Snow: Billy Gunn and Al start, and Snow hammers him, but gets caught in a press-slam. Tag to Mankind, but Billy gets the best of him in the corner, and passes to Jesse James. Jesse slugs, but Mankind goes to the eyes, and throws a pair of headbutts. Jesse with a series of jabs to put the challenger down, and James adds a kneedrop. Mankind tries for the mandible claw, so Jesse puts the breaks on, but gets nailed by Snow. Jesse ends up getting double teamed on the outside, and the challengers continue to work him over inside. Gunn gets sick of the domination, and comes in to trigger a brawl - Roseanne Barr the door! Snow hits James with the scoop sitout brainbuster, but the referee is busy with Mankind and Billy on the outside. Mankind gets back in, but the challengers argue about who gets to put James away, and Jesse recovers with a schoolboy on Snow at 5:02. Afterwards, D-lo Brown and Mark Henry run in to attack the Outlaws, likely setting up something for Survivor Series. ¼*
Backstage, Austin laces up his boots
I Quit Match: Ken Shamrock v Steve Austin: The WWF Intercontinental title is not on the line. Massive pop for Austin here, despite this being his second in-arena appearance of the episode. Ken attacks before the bell, but Steve fights him off, and chokes Shamrock with his leather vest. Austin with a backelbow, and he unloads in the corner. Ken slugs, so Steve dumps him over the top with a backdrop, and he follows to feed Shamrock the announce table. Austin chokes him with some cable, but Ken fights him off, and pounds on Stone Cold, before sending him into the post. They spill into the crowd for a slugfest, and Steve tries a piledriver on the floor, but Shamrock backdrops him to block. Back to ringside, Ken reverses Austin into the steps, then corner whips him a few times as they go into the ring. Shamrock with a reverse chinlock, and he delivers a legdrop, but Steve hits a Thesz press during a criss cross. Gerald Brisco trips him up, and the stooges beat up the referee when he protests. Austin goes to the outside to beat them up, but here’s Mankind to put Ken down with the mandible claw. Austin adds a brutal chair shot, and he taps Ken’s unconscious hand on the mat - the loopy referee not noticing that Shamrock isn’t acting on his own volition, and calling the submission at 6:15. * ½
BUExperience: Fun and chaotic, even if not exactly ‘good.’
Meanwhile, in the rating war, this would mark the last time the WWF would ever lose a head to head week with Nitro.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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