Original Airdate: November 30, 1998
From Baltimore, Maryland; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler
Steve Austin arrives at the building, shovel in hand
The Headbangers are out for a match, but before their opponents can be introduced, Austin hits the ring, and takes them out with stunners (plus some for the ICP, since why not). Steve wants Undertaker, and he’s not happy to wait until Rock Bottom - he wants him tonight
D-lo Brown helps Mark Henry get ready for his big date with Chyna
Backstage, Austin storms around, looking for Undertaker
Steve Austin and Undertaker are on the cover of the new TV guide, but they might be sold out, and if they are, you’re ‘stuck’ with ‘retiree’ Hulk Hogan or ‘Steve Austin wannabe’ Goldberg. Considering Vince’s motto is usually not to acknowledge the competition unless they’re winning, that might be indicative of how he felt his position was at this point
Backstage, Austin questions a random person in the hallway about Undertaker. I believe this is the first appearance of Stephanie McMahon, though her identity is not acknowledged
WWF Tag Team Title Match: The New Age Outlaws v Gangrel and Edge: The Outlaws kick start things, but the Brood spit ‘blood’ at Billy Gunn. The dust settles on Jesse James and Gangrel, and a reversal sequence ends in Gangrel hitting a Russian legsweep for two. Tag to Edge, and he catches Jesse with a headscissor takedown. Edge adds a rana off the top, and he tries one on an incoming Gunn, but gets countered with a powerbomb, as the Corporation shows up on the stage. Jesse hits Edge with a kneedrop for two, and man, the heat for the Corporation is off the charts. Gangrel gets the hot tag (they’re the babyfaces?), and runs wild on the Outlaws - Roseanne Barr the door! Billy looks to piledrive him, but Christian comes in to attack for the DQ at 2:56. Ken Shamrock and Big Boss Man hit the ring right away to take the Brood out, and the stooges give the Outlaws and helping hand up the ramp - where Vince is waiting to make his case for them to join the group. DUD
Austin continues to roam the hallways, shovel in hand, but gets locked in a walk-in freezer by a hiding Undertaker
The Glover Rewind is Austin beating up the Headbangers earlier
Brown gives Mark a pep talk before the big moment. Mark wants him to join on the date for support, but Brown thinks he’ll just be a third wheel
Undertaker is out, but instead of talking about Austin, he wants to settle his issue with Kane. That draws Kane out, unperturbed by Paul Bearer’s threat to have him committed if he showed up tonight. The two brothers brawl, and Undertaker hits him with a tombstone. That allows the orderlies to run out with straightjackets, but Kane fights them off, and disappears into the crowd
Henry taks D-lo out to the limo so they can go on the date, but Brown is upset because Mark is all dressed up, and D-lo is looking casual. But Henry tells him not to worry, he brought a nice jacket for him. And a pair of shades. And a cap. Because D-lo is coming along as the chauffeur. These skits have been great so far
Henry arrives at Chyna’s hotel, flowers in hand, but she just kind of pushes past, not interested in any niceties, and just wanting to get it over with
WWF European Champion X-Pac is out, and he has no comment on whatever is going on with the Outlaws. But he has plenty to say about Shawn Michaels, and he plans to beat his ass tonight. That draws Michaels out, and he cuts a pretty strong promo, and threatens to send him back to Atlanta if he so much as looks at him wrong. But, for now, all he’ll punish him with is defending the title against Ken Shamrock tonight - and Ken’s Intercontinental title it not on the line
Brown pulls the limo up, and Mark tries giving Chyna the flowers again, but she thinks they’re cheap crap, and gives him hell for it. Hey, $1.99 may not sound like much, but inflation. Gosh, he spent weeks trying to get this date, and he picks a dive bar?
The cooler where Austin was locked is now empty, no sign of Steve
Goldust v Jeff Jarrett: Owen Hart is out to do guest commentary here. Goldust kick starts the match, and uses an atomic drop, before missing a clothesline, which allows Jeff a single-arm DDT. Jeff tries a dropkick, but Goldust dodges, and they criss cross - Jeff missing a fistdrop. That allows Goldust to deliver the curtain call, but Debra McMichael puts Jarrett’s foot on the ropes at two. Goldust goes after her, but Jeff attacks on the outside, and feeds Goldust the steps. Inside, Jarrett uses a swinging neckbreaker, but Goldust hooks a backslide for two. Jeff responds with a clothesline for two, but telegraphs a backdrop, and gets nailed. That allows Goldust a bulldog for two, and a sitout matslam follows. Shattered dreams time, but Debra comes in to block the path. She offers herself, but Goldust isn’t interested, so Owen runs in to attack him for the DQ at 3:34. This was pretty okay for a three minute match. Afterwards, Blue Blazer shows up to attack Hart - and reveals himself as Steve Blackman. So, it was Blackman the whole time? Because that’s one hell of a magic trick. Maybe he’s the real Black Scorpion, too. *
Backstage, both Austin and Undertaker are walking, via split screen
The PlayStation Slam of the Week is Al Snow hitting Ken Shamrock with head on last week’s show
WWF Hardcore Title Ladder Match: Mankind v Big Boss Man: Boss Man attacks as Mankind jaws with Michaels on the outside, and he sends the champ into the ladder, as Shawn takes a spot on commentary. Mankind reverses Boss Man into the steps, and then nails him with the ladder a few times. Mankind climbs, but Boss Man is in, so Mankind dives off the ladder with a clothesline. He sandwiches Boss Man between the ladder for an elbowdrop, and the champ climbs, but Boss Man nails him. Mankind fights back with a double-arm DDT, and he climbs again, but Boss Man slams him off. Boss Man looked to be a little slow on his mark there, leaving Mankind lamely flailing for the belt for a little too long there. Boss Man sends him into the ladder before climbing, but Mankind cuts him off, so Boss Man stomps him down. Boss Man climbs again, but Mankind follows up the opposite end, and they engage in a slugfest - ending in Mankind applying the mandible claw at the top of the ladder. That drops Boss Man off, and Mankind goes for the gold, but Rock rushes in to tip the ladder over. Rock then helps Boss Man climb, but Mankind goes low on Rock, and tips Boss Man off. Mankind climbs, but Rock knocks him off again, and delivers a uranage to make sure he gets the message. That allows Boss Man to climb, while Rock puts the boots to Mankind to make sure he doesn’t interfere, and we have a new champion at 6:18. It was kind of fun seeing Boss Man, Michaels, and Rock together here - like a cool representation of top stars from three different eras. ¾*
Out in the garage, Undertaker is searching for Kane, when Bearer shows up to tell him that he’s found him. Undertaker follows Paul to a second location, where he finds Kane, and they brawl in what looks like a banquet room, or something. Undertaker knocks him out, and grabs a body bag, but before he can close Kane in it, Austin pops out with the shovel, and brains Undertaker
WWF Light Heavyweight Title v Career Match: Duane Gill v Marc Mero: Mero grabs the microphone, and offers to put his career on the line if he can’t beat ‘that jobber.’ Duane gets a star entrance, with a bunch of kids running down to the ring with him, which is pretty funny. Mero immediately beats him down, and a kneelift finds the mark. Marc works a ropechoke, and a turnbuckle smash follows. He hits the fireman cutter to finish up, but gets distracted by the JOB Squad coming out, and doesn’t cover. Instead, Marc goes to the top for a flying shooting star press, but Blue Meanie pushes him off. That allows Duane to cover for three at 2:10. DUD
Backstage, Bearer leads the orderlies to grab ‘Kane’
Over at the dive bar, Mark and Chyna have found a cozy table, and Mark tries to charm her, but Chyna is more interested in drinking than listening
WWF European Title Match: X-Pac v Ken Shamrock: X-Pac tries kick starting the match, but gets blocked, and whipped into the corner for his trouble. Ken with a cross corner whip, but X-Pac reverses - only to run into an elbow when charging. That allows Shamrock a front-powerslam, as Shawn shows up to do commentary again. Shamrock misses a clothesline, allowing X-Pac to rebound with a jumping version of his own, as we see the Corporation backstage, sweet talking the Outlaws. Ken hits a belly-to-belly suplex for two, and a vertical suplex is worth another two. Shamrock works a front-facelock, but X-Pac slugs free, so Ken throws a leg lariat. Back to the front-facelock, and he ragdolls X-Pac in it a little this time. X-Pac escapes, so Shamrock looks for a roundhouse kick, but it misses. That allows X-Pac a spinheel kick for two, and he unloads in the corner, ahead of a bronco buster. That draws Shawn over to distract the referee, and there’s no one to counter after X-Pac hits a sitout facebuster. Boss Man runs in to nail him, allowing Ken to slap on the anklelock, just as Michaels leaves him alone. It looks like X-Pac is fucked, but Triple H pops out, in a surprise return, for the DQ to save the belt at 4:43. This wasn’t as much fun as I was hoping it would be, but the HHH return was great stuff, and I’m enjoying Corporate heel HBK. ½*
Backstage, Bearer has the orderlies load up the body bag, which he still assumes contains Kane
Back at the bar, Henry is trying to get Chyna to dance… and kind of gets her to reluctantly move a little. He goes to the bathroom, and a few guys come over trying to flirt with her. She tells them to get lost, so one of the guys calls her a ‘bitch,’ and she and Mark wipe the floor with them
Val Venis v Tiger Ali Singh: Val pounds Tiger into the corner, but Singh reverses a cross corner whip, and unloads. Singh with a boot choke, and a cross corner whip rattles the ring. Clothesline, but Val counters to a rotating spinebuster, and he cracks him with a chop, then a turnbuckle smash. Backdrop, but Singh blocks, and delivers a DDT for two. Great sell from Venis on that. Singh with an overhead suplex, but a corner clothesline gets blocked, as the hoes put the moves on Babu. Val with a Russian legsweep, as Terri Runnels and Jacqueline show up. That distracts Venis from delivering some mounted punches, and Terri hits him with a low blow for the DQ at 2:56. This was really amateurish level work, with lots of hesitation. Afterwards, the Acolytes show up to beat up Singh and Babu. DUD
Outside, Bearer loads up the ambulance, as we see that Austin and Kane are watching on a monitor in another room. Just in case you didn’t get it yet
Shane McMahon is out to introduce WWF Women’s Champion Sable, who is modeling the new WWF cologne. I remember, when seeing this a kid, I thought Shane referring to it as ‘eau de toilette’ was French for ‘smell of the toilet’
WWF Title Match: Rock v Al Snow: Snow knocks him around early on, and a leg-feed kick gets the challenger two. Snow with a series of trapping headbutts into a vertical suplex for two, but Rock fires back with a DDT for two. To the outside, Al manages a bodyslam on the floor, but an attempt at a moonsault off the barricade misses, and Rock clotheslines him. Inside, Rock with another clothesline for two, so Snow tries one, but takes out the referee by accident. That allows Rock the uranage, and he grabs head to hit a Corporate elbow on. That allows Al to recover, and he blasts Rock with the head. Cover, but there’s no referee, and here comes the Corporation. That distraction allows Rock another uranage for the pin at 4:53. This felt really rushed. Afterwards, Mankind is out to back Al up, and he brawls to the back with Rock. ¼*
Backstage, Austin and Kane grab Bearer, and drag him out to the ring. They verbally torture him a bit, then decide to drag him outside, and drop his fat ass down a manhole
BUExperience: There was a lot of non in-ring content on the show this week, but it was entertaining non in-ring content, so that’s not a knock. Overall, much better than last week’s ‘shock value’ episode.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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