Original Airdate: March 1, 1999
From Cleveland, Ohio; Your Hosts are Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler
The Corporation are out, and Vince wants to return the favor to Undertaker for his surprise last week. But first, he fires Kane for losing the Inferno match last week, and brings the white coats out to commit him. But Chyna stands up for him, and promises to be responsible and accountable for Kane, if Vince gives him another chance. And she even suggests that Vince put him in with Steve Austin tonight, and if he wins, he gets to stay in the gang. That’s an offer Vince can’t pass up, but he adds a piece: if Kane loses, Chyna is fired too. No word on whether she’s getting committed, though. All this draws Mankind out, and he wants another chance to prove himself too, in the form of refereeing the Austin/Kane match. Vince thinks he can make that happen, but only if Mankind can beat Undertaker right here tonight. Mankind is in, and here’s Undertaker over the PA system, again making threats at McMahon. This wasn’t a great segment, but it set up the matches and stakes for the evening nicely. It was effective. Where was Vince’s surprise, though?
Backstage, Ryan Shamrock leaves someone’s dressing room
Backstage, Steve Austin arrives, and Earl Hebner alerts him to the fact that he’s got Kane tonight
Earlier today, the backstage doctor tells Billy Gunn that he has fluid in his lungs, and therefore isn’t cleared for his title shot against Val Venis tonight
WWF Intercontinental Title Triple Threat Match: Val Venis v Goldust v Ken Shamrock: First fall wins it. Is anyone a babyface in this? Ken attacks Val during the entrances, but Goldust helps him out, as Ryan Shamrock makes her way out. Ken fights off both guys, and hits Val with a leg lariat for two. Val fires back with a rotating spinebuster into a somersault cradle, but Goldust breaks the pin at two. Goldust takes Val into the corner for a ten-punch, and Ken comes over to double team with Goldust. They deliver a tandem suplex, but then start fighting over making the cover, as if a vertical suplex is ending this match. Val capitalizes on their stupidity with a double clothesline, but Ken fights him off with a belly-to-belly suplex. Ken goes in for the kill, so Goldust hops to the outside to grab Ryan, and Ken loses his mind. He chases Goldust around in the crowd, and both guys get counted out at 3:28. This was really bad, and felt amateurish. Afterwards, Billy Gunn attacks Val. DUD
Backstage, Mankind and Al Snow chat with Jim Ross. Having Ross stand with his back to the camera for this teaser is kind of lowkey poor taste. Like, they’re trying to make you stay tuned to see how fucked up his face might be?
Jim Ross is out, but instead of having a segment about himself/his return, Ross brings Bart Gunn out for an in-ring interview, to discuss his match with Butterbean at WrestleMania. But then, Gunn doesn’t look him in the face, and Ross cuts a promo on him. And he’s not just pissed about right now, he’s still bitter about Bart knocking Steve Williams out. Ross goes so far as to slap Bart across the face, and Gunn isn’t pleased. He corners Ross, but here’s Williams to attack him with a suplex, and deliver a beat down. This wasn’t a bad angle, and Ross did a great job with the part, but bringing him back as a heel feels like a tough sell
Backstage, Debra admires herself in the mirror
The M&M’s Slam of the Week is Too Much beating Owen Hart and Jeff Jarrett in a non-title match on Sunday Night Heat
Backstage, D-lo Brown and Ivory are in heated conversation
WWF Tag Team Title Match: Owen Hart and Jeff Jarrett v Triple H and X-Pac: This is the result of an open challenge from the champions, and if they lose, Debra vows to strip. Brawl to start, settling on Jeff and X-Pac. X-Pac wins a reversal sequence with a spinheel kick, and he passes to HHH, who runs into an elbow. That allows the tag to Owen, but HHH nails him with a high knee. Hunter adds a kneeling facebuster, and he sets up the pedigree, but Jarrett saves. That allows Owen a leg-feed enzuigiri, and the champs work HHH over. X-Pac gets the hot tag, and Roseanne Barr the door. DX dominate, so Debra tries a distraction, but it fails. X-Pac hits Jeff with a sitout facebuster, so Debra distracts the referee instead, and there’s no count. She ends up getting knocked off of the apron, but X-Pac feels badly, and goes to check on her. That allows Shane McMahon to pop out and attack, and they chase each other out of the arena. That allows the champs to double up on HHH, until the referee calls a DQ at 5:04. Afterwards, Ivory finds herself at ringside as well, giving Debra dirty looks. D-lo shows up to attack the champs, allowing Ivory to rip Debra’s robe off, leaving her in her underwear. There was just too much going on here. ¼*
Backstage, Kevin Kelly catches up with Owen, Jeff, and Debra, and Debra is fuming. She challenges Ivory to go one-on-one later
Luna brings Tori out, and Luna wants to stand up to Sable on Tori’s behalf. That draws WWF Women’s Champion Sable out to respond, but before Sable can even get into the ring, Tori turns on Luna. Sable and Tori deliver a beat down. This was weak
Backstage, WWF Champion Rock is on the move
WWF Title Match: Rock v Jesse James: James makes a lewd gesture at the bell, and Rock responds in violent fashion. Jesse manages to fire back with a dropkick, and a clothesline follows, allowing James to unload in the corner. Rock fights him off with a DDT for two, as Paul Wight wanders down to ringside. Rock with a Samoan drop for two, and a Russian legsweep for two. James makes a brief attempt at a comeback, but Wight puts a stop to it, and Jesse eats a uranage, then the People’s elbow at 4:15. It’s like they’re allergic to good matches this week. Afterwards, Al Snow comes out to attack, but James brushes him off, and tells him to find him in the parking lot later, if he’s not too much of a ‘pussy.’ Jesus. DUD
Backstage, Chyna reminds Kane of the stakes tonight. Chyna’s acting is brutal
The U.S. Coast Guard Rescue of the Week is Kane saving Chyna from a pedigree on Heat
Out in the parking lot, Jesse James is fuming, like a redneck at the return counter at a Wal-Mart
Public Enemy are out to mock the Brood, but the lights die, and suddenly Rocco Rock has disappeared. This fell really flat
Backstage, Jesse James and Hardcore Holly are brawling
Kendo Stick Match: Steve Blackman v Droz: Both guys are armed with sticks, and the first to get a knockdown wins. Steve unloads until Droz bails, but Blackman follows to continue attacking. Back in, Steve knocks him down, but the referee is bumped, and misses it. That allows Droz to knock Blackman down for the win at 1:05. This barely even qualified as a match. DUD
Backstage, Holly and James continue to brawl around the building. They end up outside, where Al Snow is waiting to ambush both guys. How could he possibly know they would end up there?
Mean Street Posse vignette
Backstage, Johnny Grunge finds Rocco Rock strung up, and covered in blood, like a scene out of Silence of the Lambs
Undertaker v Mankind: Vince McMahon is out to do commentary, and announces Undertaker against Big Boss Man in a Hell in a Cell match for WrestleMania. They slug it out to start, and Undertaker delivers a bodyslam, but then misses an elbowdrop. Undertaker tries the ropewalk forearm, but lands in the mandible claw. Undertaker manages to drop him out of the ring to escapes, and Undertaker sends him into the barricade out there. Whip into the steps, but Mankind reverses, and delivers a running kneesmash against the steps. Mankind grabs a chair, but gets it kicked back in his face, and Undertaker smacks him with it. Undertaker rolls him in, but is too slow to follow, and gets counted out at 3:06. This was just some messing about, not a proper Undertaker/Mankind match. Afterwards, Undertaker goes after Vince, but Boss Man makes the save. ¼*
Backstage, Vince and Boss Man take off in a limo
Debra v Ivory: Ivory tackles her down for some choking, but Jacqueline comes in to attack for the DQ at 0:21. This was not what we’d call a ‘wrestling match.’ DUD
Backstage, Austin is walking
Steve Austin v Kane: Austin rushes in to slug it out, and ends up getting backdropped after getting some shots in. Kane with a cross corner whip, and he continues hammering on Austin at will. To the outside, Steve gets control, so Chyna goes after him. Austin takes the bait, but only to lure Kane into a false sense of security, and Austin backdrops him into the crowd. Steve tries a piledriver out there, but Kane backdrops him on the concrete to block. Back to ringside, Steve takes a bump into the post, and inside, Kane delivers a backbreaker for two. Steve latches on with a sleeper to buy some time, but Kane shakes him off in the corner, so Steve tries a bodyslam, but Kane topples him for two. Kane holds a bearhug, but Steve escapes, He tries for the stunner, but Kane blocks, and the referee gets bumped. Kane tries for the tombstone, but Austin counters to the stunner, but there’s no referee. He recovers for a groggy count, but Chyna pulls Steve off at two. That allows Kane a side suplex, as Paul Wight heads down to ringside. Kane with a flying clothesline for two, but Steve slugs at him, and manages a Thesz press. Wight slides a chair in, but Austin gets it, and knocks Kane silly with it. That brings Chyna in, so Steve swings at her, but misses. That allows Chyna a low blow, and Kane recovers. He holds Austin for Wight to blast with a big boot, but it ends up hitting Kane. And then Austin just leaves at 13:42. What the hell was the finish even supposed to be? ½*
BUExperience: I get why this did RAWs biggest ever rating to that point (even counting unopposed shows), considering the star power and marquee matches, but man, the actual show was pretty bad. Not only the wrestling, but most of the angles and other stuff were all terrible as well. This did not earn its rating.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.