Original Airdate: November 9, 1998 (taped November 3)
From Dallas, Texas; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler
X-Pac v Undertaker: The WWF European title is not on the line. X-Pac sticks and moves early on, but Undertaker beats him down in the corner in response. Undertaker is just getting going on stomping a mudhole, when the lights die, and Kane makes his way out. Kane stands in the ring, and decides to throw a fireball at Undertaker, but it hits X-Pac instead, and this is done at 1:27. This wasn’t a match. But at least the fireball actually looked great. I’m honestly a little surprised that they had the balls to try it, after the unmitigated disaster when Hulk Hogan tried it at Halloween Havoc. DUD
Survivor Series ad
Backstage, a blinded X-Pac receives medical attention
Backstage, Vince McMahon and his stooges welcome WWF Hardcore Champion Mankind to the building, and want him to put the title on the like against Ken Shamrock tonight
Val Venis v Steve Blackman: Terri Runnels follows Val out like a sad puppy dog, but Venis sends her to the back. Blackman tries charging in, but misses, and Val uses a drop-toehold. A criss cross allows Steve a sidekick, and a standing dropkick sends Val into the corner for Blackman to hammer. Blackman with a butterfly suplex, and he grounds Venis in a chinlock from there. Val escapes, but eats a chop as they criss cross, and Steve bridging vertical suplexes him for two. Steve with a few chop drops, and a corner whip follows, then an armdrag. Blackman with a series of strikes for two, and a bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop. Clothesline, but Val ducks, and Blackman goes over the top. Blackman tries coming back in with a slingshot sunset flip, but Val dodges. That allows Val a 2nd rope bodypress, but Blackman rolls through for two. Val hits him with a clothesline, and a short-knee leads into a Russian legsweep, so Terri comes in to attack for the DQ at 3:21. They were working hard here. Afterwards, Owen Hart and Blue Blazer both run in on Blackman, and deliver a beatdown. * ¼
Backstage, Mankind meets with a stylist for a makeover - courtesy of Mr. McMahon
Triple Threat Match: Jesse James v D-lo Brown v Mosh: James and Brown get into it before Mosh even makes his entrance, with Brown pounding him down. Mosh makes his way in to slug it out with Brown, as James recovers, and bodyslams Mosh. A criss cross sees James send Brown into Mosh, but Mosh recovers, and takes Jesse to the mat for mounted punches. Mosh with a rollup for two, as Brown recovers, and bodyslams Jesse. Brown with a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop, but Mosh steals his cover, getting two. And speaking of Halloween Havoc, Lawler gets a dig in here, noting that if you order Survivor Series, you’re guaranteed to ‘see all of it.’ Brown and Mosh double up on Road Dogg, and Brown vertical suplexes him, but Mosh steals the cover again, again for two. Mosh tries a flying legdrop, but misses, so Brown dives with a flying frogsplash, but that misses as well. That allows Jesse to make a comeback, but Brown hits him with a sitout spinebuster. He wastes time gloating, however, allowing Mosh to get to the top and dive with a flying seated senton at 5:41. They weren’t lazy, but this didn’t really work. ½*
Backstage, Michael Cole catches up with Jeff Jarrett, who is sending Debra McMichael to deal with Al Snow’s ‘little head’
Backstage, Mankind is at the pedicure stage of the makeover, which makes him melancholy, as he remembers Mr. Socko
Goldust v Jeff Jarrett: Terri is back out, now dressed like Marlena, and trying to get back into Goldust’s good graces. Goldust kicks her to the curb as well, however. Jeff attacks before the bell, and dives with a flying bodypress, but Goldust rolls through for two. Goldust adds a hip attack, and an inverted atomic drop leads to a clothesline that sends Jarrett over the top. Goldust follows to slug at him, and he drops Jarrett face-first onto the steps. Debra distracts him, allowing Jeff to recover, and nail Goldust. That was so telegraphed that I honestly thought it was going to backfire. Goldust manages a bulldog for two on the way back in, and he corners Jeff for a ten-punch count. Goldust sets up shattered dreams, so Debra comes in to beg for mercy. Goldust takes the bait, but while he’s kissing her, Jeff sneaks in with the guitar for the DQ at 3:27. Gosh, twice in the same match? How stupid can you be? Are we sure he isn’t Sting’s kid, not Dusty’s? ¼*
Backstage, Rock arrives at the building
The WWF tries to take credit for Jesse Ventura’s shock political victory in the Minnesota governor’s race
Backstage, Cole catches up with Rock, and Rock is ready to fight for his survival in the win-or-be-fired match against Mark Henry later
Backstage, Goldust attacks Jarrett, and delivers a pretty hellacious beating, until Blue Blazer makes the save
WWF Hardcore Title Match: Mankind v Ken Shamrock: Shamrock's WWF Intercontinental title is not on the line. Mankind is looking clean and proper, and even has a tuxedo on to really complete his makeover. Ken slugs him right away, and tags him with a backelbow, as Vince and his entourage watch from the ramp. Ken with a jumping backelbow, as the announcers reveal that Mankind will have a mystery opponent in the title tournament. Mankind nails him with a shoe to buy time, and he chokes Shamrock with his tuxedo jacket. Mankind uses a tree of woe, and they spill to the outside, where Ken gets control. He bashes Mankind in the head with the Hardcore title belt, then feeds him the announce table for good measure. Mankind fights back with a backdrop onto the table, and he tackles Ken with punches. Inside, Mankind tries a piledriver, but gets backdropped onto a chair before he can deliver it. Ken clotheslines him over the top, but a whip into the steps gets reversed on him, giving Mankind a two count. They spill into the crowd for a beat (and nearly take out a security guard in the process), and Shamrock chokes the champion with some electrical cable at ringside. Mankind grabs a mandible claw to force a break, so Shamrock belly-to-belly suplexes him onto the steps to break that! Ken whips him into the apron before delivering another belly-to-belly on the floor, so Mankind goes low. That allows Mankind a chair shot to the back, and a double-arm DDT on the chair gets two. That was a great near fall. Mankind grabs the chair, but Ken ducks a few swings, and they end up at the top of the ramp. Ken manages a side suplex on the stage for two, but misses a charge with the chair, and Mankind backdrops him on the stage. Ken manages to smack him with the chair as Mankind celebrates anyway, so Big Boss Man pops Shamrock with the nightstick, and dumps Mankind on top of him for the pin at 8:13. They beat the hell out of each other here, especially during the last few minutes. **
Backstage, a frantic Cole is rushing to the scene, apparently to document an attack on Rock in his dressing room
WWF on Home Shopping Network ad. Does that network even still exist?
Backstage, Cole has made it to Rock’s dressing room, where Rock was apparently attacked by a mystery attacker. EMTs are working on him, but Rock didn’t see who hit him
Steve Austin is out, and he wants Vince, but instead of McMahon, he gets Big Boss Man. Boss Man promises to put him in a wheelchair at Survivor Series
Backstage, Cole reveals that the EMTs would like to have Rock taken to the hospital
Backstage, Cole catches up with Vince, who has no sympathy for Rock, and rules that his earlier decree stands: if Rock can't beat Henry by pin or submission tonight, he's fired. It’s not an MP, it’s a YP, you might say. If you’re Robert Downey Sr. In this Boogie Nights reference
Al Snow v Babu: This is scheduled as Snow against Tiger Ali Singh, but Tiger doesn’t want to lower himself to wrestling Snow, and wants Babu to take his place. Snow no sells an eye poke from Al, and Snow wheelbarrow suplexes him. Tiger with a distraction, but Babu blows the lead, so Tiger pulls Snow to the outside, as Debra McMichael shows up. She cuddles up with Head, as Al recovers, and hits Babu with a scoop sitout brainbuster. He gets distracted by Debra before making the cover, however, allowing Tiger to sneak in with a bulldog - and Singh covers for the pin at 2:32. DUD
Sable training video
Kane v Edge: Kane brings gasoline and a blowtorch out with him, so you know it’s going to be a party. Kane beats him into the corner for a choke, but telegraphs a backdrop, and Edge nails him. That allows Edge to clothesline him over the top, but Kane lands on his feet, and pulls Edge out after him. Kane drops him across the barricade out there, so Edge tries slugging on the way back in, but Kane cuts him off. Kane with a corner whip and a bodyslam, but Edge dodges an elbowdrop. Kane tries a big boot, but Edge dodges that as well, and goes for a rana, but Kane powerbombs him to counter. Kane sets up a superplex, so Christian distracts him, and Edge dives with a missile dropkick. Edge adds a DDT, but Kane no sells, and dumps Edge over the top. Kane pulls him back in, so Christian tries another distraction, but Kane responds by throwing Edge over the top at Gangrel. Kane takes Christian out as well, then hits Edge with a springboard clothesline from the steps on the floor. Gangrel and Christian double up on him to allow Edge a baseball slide, and Edge adds a suicide dive. The Brood all attack Kane from there, and the referee decides to call the DQ at 4:24. Not too often you see Kane win a match by DQ. Afterwards, Kane beats all three guys down, and grabs the gas! The referee protests, so Kane piles him on, and dumps the gas over all four guys. He grabs the blowtorch, but officials manage to get everyone out before he can light them up. Kane vents by beating up a fan instead. *
Vince is out, and he runs down both Rock and the Dallas Cowboys. That draws referee Shane McMahon out, so Vince sics Boss Man on him, but Austin makes the save. Both Vince and Shane were playing their roles exceptionally well here
Survivor Series ad
Career Threatening Match: Rock v Mark Henry: Rock is fired if he can’t win by pinfall or submission, but if he wins, he’s back in the title tournament. Rock staggers out, but manages to pound Henry into the corner, as the crowd rallies behind him. Rock with a corner whip, and Mark rebounds into a clothesline. That allows Rock to put the boots to him, and they go to the outside, where Rock feeds him the steps, as Vince scowls. Rock tries a whip into the rail, but Henry reverses - only for Rock to rebound with a clothesline. Henry responds by going low, and he ropechokes Rock on the way back in. D-lo Brown gets a cheap shot in, but Rock manages to reverse a vertical suplex on Mark. Rock tries a charge in the corner, but misses, and Henry clotheslines him to set up an elbowdrop for two. Henry grabs a bearhug, but Rock fights him off, and delivers a Russian legsweep for two. Rock strikes him in the balls, so Boss Man cuffs him to the top rope - only for Rock to reverse it on him! That allows Rock to drop Henry in a DDT, but Brown pulls the referee out at two! Rock takes D-lo out, and hits Henry with the uranage, as the stooges work to free Boss Man. Rock with the People’s elbow, but the referee is still down, so Shane runs in to count the pin himself at 7:24! This wasn’t great as a pure match, but it was great as a sports entertainment match. Afterwards, Rock beats up the stooges, and with Boss Man still handcuffed, Rock goes after Vince himself. Vince is defiant, so Rock gives him a uranage/elbow combo. *
BUExperience: This was a very entertaining night, and a strong closing argument for Survivor Series.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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