Original Airdate: November 23, 1998 (taped November 17)
From Columbus, Ohio; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler
The Corporation are out to start, and Vince McMahon categorically denies any part in Undertaker braining Steve Austin with a shovel on last week’s show. And, Vince unveils the new Commissioner: Shawn Michaels. Shawn comes out to a great ovation, and the poor guy must have been boiling inside that he wasn’t able to work during this crazy hot period, in front of these big, rabid crowds. Thankfully, he’d get an opportunity to come back later. So, Vince is very pleased with his handpicked Commissioner, but then Shawn comes out and bursts his bubble by immediately asserting his power, and booking Rock to defend the WWF Title tonight against X-Pac
Kevin Kelly catches up with the Oddities, and the ICP are promising to watch their backs against the Headbangers tonight. I’m sure I’d rest easy knowing that I have a couple of literal clowns watching my back, too
The Headbangers v Golga and Kurrgan: Mosh and Kurrgan start, and Mosh tries a dive off the middle, but gets caught in a bodyslam. That allows Kurrgan an elbowdrop for two, and he passes to Golga. Golga works the arm, and lands an avalanche, then uses a bodyslam of his own to set up a splash, but he accidentally collides with the ICP on the apron. That allows Mosh to schoolboy at 1:29, as the ICP spray something in Kurrgan’s eyes to turn heel on them. That seems necessary. Afterwards, ICP and the Headbangers beat the Oddities down, and cut off Luna Vachon’s hair to really cement their totally necessary heel turn. DUD
Steve Blackman v Blue Blazer: Tonight’s Blazer is very obviously not Owen Hart, so expect some shenanigans. Blazer suckers Blackman into the ropes and snaps his throat across them, but loses a criss cross to a clothesline, and bails. Blackman chases him for some abuse on the outside, and he delivers a spinkick to set up an elbowdrop, but Blazer dodges. Blazer with a leg-feed enzuigiri, and he gets a guillotine choke on, but Blackman railroads into the ropes. Blazer with a cross corner whip and a backelbow, and he gets a sharpshooter on. And the execution should kill any suspicion anyone may have that it’s Owen. Steve makes the ropes, so Blazer hammers on him, but gets drilled with a jumping shoulderblock, and a bicycle kick at 2:57. Not a whole lot to this one. Afterwards, Blackman looks to unmask the Blazer, but Owen stops him, and Blazer gets away. DUD
Backstage, Shawn tries to calm a furious Vince down
D-lo Brown and Mark Henry v Gangrel and Edge: Brown and Edge start, as the announcers urge Chyna to accept Mark’s demands for a date, so she can avoid legal penalties. That sounds healthy. Edge dominates a criss cross, and passes to Gangrel to unload on Brown. Usually, you unload Brown, but that works, too. The Brood double team D-lo, so Mark comes in, but runs into a tandem hiptoss. The dust settles on Brown and Edge, and Edge misses a clothesline, allowing D-lo a spinheel kick. Tag to Mark, and a bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop for two. They cut the ring in half on Edge, until Brown misses a flying somersault senton splash, and Gangrel gets the hot tag. Not much of a reaction for it, though. Gangrel runs wild, and Roseanne Barr the door! Chyna comes out during the brawl, and Henry gets distracted - allowing Gangrel a schoolboy at 6:49. Two distraction/schoolboy finishes in the first hour, nice. Afterwards, Chyna accepts the date offer. ¼*
We check in with Steve Austin at the hospital, where the doctor tells him he needs to stay the night (after collapsing at a live event last night), to which Steve is none too pleased
The JVC Kaboom of the Week is Undertaker hitting Austin with a shovel last week
Backstage, HBK hangs out with DX
Goldust v Marc Mero: Mero slugs him into the corner to start, but a cross corner whip backfires when Goldust rebounds with a clothesline. Goldust with an inverted atomic drop, and he drops Marc across the top rope for good measure. Goldust unloads in the corner, but a charge misses, and Marc unloads with punches and a ropechoke. That draws Terri Runnels out, as Mero lands a bodypress for two. Goldust fires off a bodyslam for two, as Jaqueline shows up. Mero with a schoolboy for two as Goldust gets distracted by Terri, and thankfully that wasn’t the pin this time. Goldust with a backslide for two, and Mero with a clothesline for two. Backdrop, but Goldust blocks, and lands a bulldog for two. Goldust with a ten-punch count, and he sets up shattered dreams, but Jackie goes low on him. That draws Terri in to deliver the kick on Mero, and she and Jackie celebrate, as the referee throws the match out at 3:59. They were just kind of doing a bunch of stuff here. ¼*
Back at the hospital, Steve is being tended to by some blonde nurses, yet is still all ornery
The Glover Rewind is Austin hitting a stunner on Rock last week
WWF Hardcore Title Triple Threat Match: Mankind v Ken Shamrock v Big Boss Man: Shamrock’s WWF Intercontinental title is not on the line here. The Corporation corner Mankind at the bell, and go to work. They spill onto the ramp, where Mankind manages to get some traction in his two front war. That only goes so well, however, and the Corporation take control again. Boss Man uses the nightstick to really make it a party, and this is basically just the heels beating the shit out of him, and not really a ‘match’ in any real sense. And, yeah, I get that that’s by design, but it doesn’t make it entertaining. Finally, Boss Man misses a swing with a chair and hits Ken, allowing Mankind a double-arm DDT to leave all three men looking up at the lights. Mankind gets the mandible claw on Boss Man, but Shamrock saves. He hits Mankind with a belly-to-belly suplex on a chair, and locks the anklelock, but the JOB Squad run out. Al Snow hits Shamrock with head to break the hold, and Mankind hooks the leg at 8:24. ¼*
Back at the hospital, Undertaker attacks a drugged up Austin in his hospital bed
WWF Light Heavyweight Title Match: Christian v Duane Gill: Christian unloads, and wins a criss cross with an inverted DDT, but pulls the challenger up at two. Gill tries a corner splash, but misses, and Christian unloads some more. Christian with a gutbuster, and he dumps Duane to the outside for the Brood to beat on. That draws the JOB Squad out again, and they brawl with Brood. Scorpio sneaks in with a dive on Christian, and Gill covers at 2:18. This was pretty terrible, but it was all about the angle anyway. Well, at least they’re doing something with the title. Afterwards, Michael Cole comes out to get a word with Gill, and he’s overwhelmed. DUD
Undertaker has driven Austin to a cemetery somewhere in a hearse, and promises to ‘embalm him alive’ tonight
Godfather v Tiger Ali Singh: Steven Regal is out as Godfather is offering the hoes, complaining that he got screwed by Godfather when he took the offer, and warning Tiger not to fall for it. Tiger responds by attacking Godfather, and they double team him, until Val Venis runs out to back Godfather up. All four guys brawl, until officials break it up.
Backstage, WWF Champion Rock has heated words with Michaels, as Vince tries to calm things down
Backstage, Michaels chats up referee Earl Hebner, ahead of his gig as the official for the main event. Nothing good can come of that
The New Age Outlaws v Bob Holly and Scorpio: The WWF Tag Team title is not on the line. Jesse James starts with Holly, and Bob grabs a standing side-headlock. Jesse forces a criss cross, but gets caught in a pumphandle-slam for two. Tag to Scorpio, so Jesse goes to the eyes, and passes to Billy Gunn. Billy wins a criss cross, so Holly runs in, but Gunn press-slams him. Jesse gets nailed while criss crossing with Scorpio, and the JOB Squad get control of the contest. Jesse blocks a flying splash from Scorpio to allow the hot tag to Billy, and Roseanne Barr the door! Gunn goes up, but Bob crotches him. That allows Scorpio to try a superplex, but Gunn counters with a tornado DDT on the way down. Cue Mankind, and he drills Gunn with a leafblower (a literal leafblower, that’s not a move name), and Scorpio scores the pin at 5:14. The Outlaws are crazy over, but boy, the matches suck. Afterwards, Shamrock and Boss Man are back to attack Mankind, and we have a big brawl. Shamrock using the leafblower to blow air at Mankind as an offensive move is pretty hilarious, though. DUD
The hearse arrives at a funeral home. Why take the detour to the cemetery then? They take Austin inside, and get to the embalming. Undertaker says a prayer as he prepares to drive the needle into Austin’s chest, but Kane shows up to make the save
WWF Title Match: Rock v X-Pac: X-Pac’s WWF European title is not on the line, and Michaels sends the Corporation and DX to the back to make things one-on-one. Posturing to start, and Rock gets control. Rock posts him, then hooks a chinlock, but X-Pac fights free. X-Pac hits a jumping backelbow for two, and a bronco buster follows. Spinkick, but Rock blocks, and delivers a Samoan drop for two. X-Pac gets a sitout facebuster for two, but a charge ends badly when Rock powerslams him for two. Rock grabs a chair, so Shawn takes it away… and then brains X-Pac with it himself. Who couldn’t see that coming? With Shawn sitting there at ringside cheering like a little kid for the whole match, and all. Rock with the elbow at 8:33. This was another one that just felt like a collection of stuff, and Shawn’s turn was rushed. They couldn’t even let it simmer for a week? ¼*
BUExperience: This felt it lost the thread a little bit. As hot as some of the shows have been, now that everything paid off at Survivor Series, things feel a little over the top as they try to one up themselves, while also trying to set up new storylines. The embalming thing felt especially over the top and done for shock value’s sake.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.