Original Airdate: January 18, 1999 (taped January 12)
From Beaumont, Texas; Your Hosts are Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler
Cole brings Steve Austin out to open the show, and the pop is massive. Despite kind of just becoming ‘another guy’ for a while during this period while he takes a backseat to Rock and Mankind, he’s still clearly the number one to everyone watching. He’ll also be #1 in the Royal Rumble match, but that’s not going to stop him from winning. Cole wasn’t even window dressing here, as Austin basically kicked him out of the ring before he could even start to think of a question to ask
Backstage, Jesse James loads up some weaponry
WWF Hardcore Title Match: Jesse James v Gangrel: It spills to the outside before it even gets inside, and Jesse dominates a brawl on the floor. Into the crowd, where Road Dogg uses a punch for two, and they head into the ring, where Gangrel powerbombs him through a table for two. Jesse is pretty dazed after that one, but manages a DDT to buy time, and they go back to the outside, where it takes Jesse three dives to put Gangrel through a stubborn table. Jesse whips him into the remnants of the table, then suplexes him onto it. Jesse with a chair shot, but Gangrel keeps coming, so James jumps off the apron with another chair shot for the pin at 5:55. This was a complete mess, and it looked dangerous to boot. The title needed to be killed off already, but sadly it lasted for a really long time after this. DUD
Backstage, Stone Cold enjoys a cold one
Backstage, Ken Shamrock laces up his boots
Billy Gunn v Test: Posturing to start, controlled by Gunn. A suplex sets up a 2nd rope elbowdrop for two, as Lawler predicts either Vince McMahon or Gangrel will win the Rumble. Those are quite the picks. They spill to the outside, where Test throws him into the barricade, as Cole tries to hard sell the pay per view by noting that Godfather might bring asscream to the show. Inside, Gunn tries a hiptoss, but Test counters with a swinging neckbreaker. Test adds a powerbomb for two, but Gunn makes a comeback, so Ken Shamrock runs in on him for the DQ at 5:14. Afterwards, Ken delivers a major league beatdown in response to Gunn’s behavior with Shamrock’s sister last week. DUD
Backstage, Gunn is attended to by doctors, and it looks like he may have a broken ankle
Backstage, Kevin Kelly catches up with Owen Hart and Jeff Jarrett to talk about their shot at the WWF Tag Team title next week, but before they can discuss it, Shamrock and Big Boss Man attack. Shamrock is just spamming beatdowns this week
Another Vince McMahon training video, with him getting into a training ring this time, and hitting Tom Prichard with stunners. This one isn’t as good as the earlier ones, but it’s still solid
Backstage, Mankind and Boss Man are brawling
Dan Severn v Steve Blackman: Blackman charges in with a running dropkick to kickstart things, and a belly-to-belly suplex follows. Steve with a turnbuckle smash and a cross corner whip, but the charge in misses, and Dan belly-to-belly suplexes him, ahead of mounted punches. Blackman fights him off, and uses a corner whip, then a bodyslam. An elbowdrop misses, allowing Dan to recover with a gutwrench suplex, but his own elbowdrop misses. Blackman delivers a jumping shoulderblock, so Dan goes low, and that’s a DQ at 2:32. Always fun watching guys suplex each other, but there wasn’t much to this. ¼*
Backstage, Austin continues to drink
Backstage, Mankind and Boss Man continue to brawl
Mankind/Rock hype video
WWF Title Hardcore Match: Mankind v Big Boss Man: They start brawling right at the curtain, with Mankind in control. Into the ring, Boss Man manages to fight him off, and he bootchokes the champion in the corner. Boss Man with a corner whip, but the charge in hits a boot, and Mankind clotheslines him to set up a legdrop for two. Well, you can’t blame him for trying, Boss Man has been pinned off of many a legdrop. Mankind with a running kneesmash in the corner, and they spill back to the outside, where Mankind unloads. He tries to use a chair, but Boss Man side suplexes him onto it, in a nasty bump. Gosh, Mick Foley could not go a single night without taking a terrifying bump, could he? Inside, Boss Man goes to work, but Mankind manages a double-arm DDT, and he slaps on the mandible claw. That draws Rock out with a chair to save, drawing a DQ at 6:31. What happened to Hardcore rules? ¼*
Backstage, Mark Henry pleads with Chyna
Backstage, Austin is sitting around. At least he’s not still drinking
The Nestle Crunch Slam of the Week is the finish to last week’s Corporate Rumble match. I’m still shocked Vince didn’t break his neck on that one
Backstage, Vince makes sure Kane is in line
Chyna is out, and she calls Henry out, since the 24 hours are up. He can confess, or she’s going to humiliate him in front of everyone, including his mother, who is at ringside. Mark pleads, but Chyna won’t budge. So Mark admits that he made up all the stuff he said about them hooking up. Chyna accepts it… but then decides to punish him anyway, by rolling tape of Mark gamely hooking up with Sammy, before realizing she is not, in fact, a she
Backstage, Henry’s mom is very unhappy with him
Backstage, Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco strategize for their handicap match against Chyna later
Goldust v Al Snow: Goldust pounds him to start, but Al manages a side suplex, and a backdrop. Snow with a cross corner whip, and he catches Goldust with a clothesline on the rebound. To the outside, Goldust manages to drop him on the steps, but he misses a clothesline on the way in, allowing Snow a rana. Backdrop, but Goldust blocks this time, and delivers a sitout matslam for two. Goldust with a corner whip, and an atomic slam gets him two. Goldust puts the boots to him, but Snow hooks him in a magistral cradle at 3:36. ¼*
Backstage, Austin has moved on to drinking coffee
Backstage, Patterson and Brisco bicker of who will get to score the pin on Chyna
Undertaker, Bradshaw, Faarooq, and Dennis Knight are out - though Knight is now known as Mideon, and is a disciple of Undertaker.
Handicap Match: Chyna v Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco: Brisco starts, and takes her down in a waistlock, but Chyna reverses. Gerald scrambles for the ropes, so Chyna shoots the half, and nearly gets a pin before he shakes her off. Pat thinks it’s hilarious, so they trade spots. Pat picks her up for an airplane spin, but it backfires when he gets dizzy, and falls out of the ring. Brisco comes in to pick up the slack, but Chyna hits him with an atomic drop, and she whips a recovering Patterson into him in the corner. Pat tries a low blow, but there’s nobody home there. Chyna gives them each one, which ends up being much more effective. Chyna goes up to the middle rope, but gets shoved off, and takes a bump to the outside. That draws WWF Women’s Champion Sable out, but Luna attacks her, and that’s the end of that strange, pointless run in. Back to the match, the stooges roll Chyna in, and Brisco hits a people’s elbow, but Pat breaks the count at two, since he wants the glory. Pat covers, but Brisco breaks it up, and they end up slugging it out. Chyna recovers, and bashes their heads together, so Brisco throws powder in her eyes. That’s somehow not a DQ, though. With Chyna blinded, they take turns… sexually assaulting her… since 1999 was a very weird time. That fires her up even more, so much so that she un-blinds herself. She DDTs each of them, and stacks the bodies for a double pin at 6:15. Entertaining, though certainly not a great match. The Sable/Luna interlude was super weird, though. ½*
Backstage, Austin paces
Backstage, Vince and Shane try to reassure Rock that Kane will play ball tonight
The 10-10-220 Rewind is Rock beating Kane with a chair last week
Rock v Kane: The Corporation are out, and before the bell, Vince instructs Kane to go down to a fingerpoke. Or else, it’s back to the psych ward. Kane refuses, so Rock clips his leg, and the Corporation delivers a beatdown. So, following the beating, everyone clears out, so they can have the proper match. Rock unloads, but Kane fights him off in the corner. Clothesline, but Rock ducks, and delivers a DDT. I like the detail of Rock working in street clothes (complete with leather loafers), since he was expecting a fingerpoke finish. To the outside, Rock feeds him the steps, then the announce table. Inside, Kane slugs, but Rock blocks the tombstone. That allows Rock a clothesline to set up the people’s elbow, but Kane no sells. That draws the Corporation in, but here comes Mankind with a chair, and the match is just kind of over at 5:00. Afterwards, Mankind chases Rock up the aisle with the chair - where Austin is waiting to nail him to close the show. ¼*
BUExperience: This wasn’t great. For the first time in a bit, it felt like everyone was burned out, and the show felt really flat, especially for the last RAW before the Rumble.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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