WWF Champion: Shawn Michaels
WWF Intercontinental Champion: The Rock
WWF Tag Team Champions: The New Age Outlaws
WWF European Champion: Owen Hart
WWF Light Heavyweight Champion: TAKA Michinoku
WWF RAW is WAR
March 9th, 1998
Wheeling, West Virginia
Faarooq & The Rock (w/The Nation of Domination) vs. Steve Blackman & Ken Shamrock
This is decent, but fuck all that. KEVIN KELLY WAS THE ONE TO DUB IT THE PEOPLES ELBOW. NOT KING OR EVEN JR! FUCKING' KEVIN KELLY. The Nation iso both Ken and Steve for like a combined minute and 10 seconds. Shamrock's hot tag was good though as the match breaks down, the rest of the Nation jump in for the DQ. I should point out during the match, some weird static thing keeps popping up on the screen. JR is confused by it, as am i.
After the match; The Nation beat down Shamrock, but Rocky pulls Faarooq off and says he wants him one on one. So Faarooq leaves with the Nation. Ken fights back and hits the belly-2-belly and applies the Ankle Lock as Faarooq holds the Nation back on the ramp. Refs and agents have to pull Shamrock off.
HHH and Chyna come down to the ring, Hunter says this week is another episode of DX's pre-WrestleMania showdown. As always, this week's show is stamped X-rated. Discretion is advised, but once again, will be completely ignored. He says last week, Chyna got inside Owen Hart's itty bitty little head and this week, she might take it to a more physical level if she wants to. Before they bring you your Main Event, the Showstopper, the Icon who unfortunately cannot be with them tonight, he plays the clips from last week of the kick. They then send it to Shawn in San Antonio. He says they acquired the greatest commodity in the world today, Iron Mike Tyson. The Baddest Man on the Planet is now in DX. And now he wonders what that does to the odds since he's the special enforcer. And kind of in his corner, right? Then he went out and did what he told the world he would do. He made the baddest SOB in the WWF found out he was just like everyone else. He goes down whether he likes it or not. He knows he'll be all mad and beat everyone up, but the reason he's the WWF Champ is because he's dealt with that before. He hasn't shown him anything new. He's a fad, but he is what's ALWAYS going to be the WWF. He's the Heartbreak Kid, and he's not stepping down for anybody. He doesn't lay down for anyone, and he's not doing it for Steve.
HHH and Chyna join commentary kicking Kevin Kelly off who just stands on the side.
Static again messes up the backstage shots.
WWF European Championship: Owen Hart vs. Barry Windham (w/Jim Cornette)
Barry is useless, he dominates and contributes nothing He refuses to take bumps so he makes Owen look like shit for the majority. And Hunter buries him on commentary too. They go to the floor and Owen rolls Barry back in. Jim distracts the ref and Chyna gets a low blow, so Owen gets counted out, but still retains. *1/2
After the match; Bradshaw comes out to attack Barry. The then show footage of Owen rolling his ankle in the ring, so now we have an injury angle.
Backstage: Mero is getting handcuffed to Sable.
Backstage: Jerry Lawler is interviewing Paul Bearer and Kane, Lawler brings up the Undertaker but Bearer cuts him off saying he wants to talk about his KANE destroying Vader and how his Kane broke his face, not The Undertaker. Lawler keeps mentioning Taker and every time he does, a small locker door flies open and then shut and Bearer says to quit it. Bearer says he'll tell the truth tonight and all the doors begin opening and closing, so both Bearer and Lawler run away as Kane just stares at it.
At ringside, Kevin Kelly says he spoke to someone in the truck and it's not technical difficulties, he can't explain it.
Aguila (w/TAKA Michinoku) vs. Brian Christopher (w/Jerry "THE KING" Lawler)
Angle match to put over the "not technical difficulties" stuff. But this does have some cool Aguila spots and dives like a corkscrew plancha, the AJ's moonsault reverse DDT onto the steel ramp. The lights begin to flicker and shit, I guess Taker has arrived at the building. They start to really get going but then Lawler punks out TAKA and throws him into the post. Moments later Lawler also crotches Aguila up top, but the ref sees it and calls a DQ. *3/4
Backstage: Stone Cole arrives, he drops all his bags on the floor and comes out through the side entrance. He marches down to the ring and grabs a mic, he says he stopped by the truck and he's got some video he's been watching all week long and it's got him all pissed off. This whole thing about Mike Tyson being the baddest man on the planet is getting a little old, and shows video of Vince calling Tyson that again last week. He focuses on Vince calling Tyson UNQUESTIONABLY the baddest man and says that's an insult. If you think he's insulting Stone Cold Steve Austin, give him a HELL YEAH! He goes out and brings in a chair and says he's prepared to sit out here for the 2 hours until Vince McMahon brings his sorry ass out. He asks for some beer since he ain't going nowhere. Jerry Brisco and Jack Lanza come out to try and calm him down. Austin threatens them not to get in his ring, so they leave instead. He sits back down until Commissioner Slaughter comes down. Austin tells him to bring him Vince McMahon, and that's an order, jackass. Austin says he can't make him do nothing. What's he gonna suspend or fire him with WrestleMania right around the corner? If he doesn't come out, he'll go back there and just beat his ass.
Backstage: Brisco tells Vince that he's the only one who can stop this, and Vince shakes his head.
Back from break, security is sent down with Pat Patterson as Austin's still out there. Austin says they ain't got no guns or weapons, so if they dare he will knock their lights out. Security leaves and Vince finally comes out with Brisco, Slaughter, and Earl Hebner. Austin says he told the world he was the world's toughest son of a bitch, but he follows around Mike Tyson like a little puppy dog and blows smoke up his ass, and it makes him sick. Austin says he's pissed on him, yanked the carpet out from under him, and insulted him for the last time. He's as guilty as Shawn Michaels is of trying to provoke him. Vince says it was just a figure of speech. Baddest man on the planet is just a figure of speech. So Austin gives him the finger and says so was that. Austin says Vince doesn't want to see him as WWF Champion and asks if he's right. He asks Vince to give him a HELL YEAH if he wants him to be WWF Champion. Vince doesn't say anything...Vince tries to leave but Austin stops him from him and says he'll give him the first shot now that there's nothing left for them to do. Austin tears his jacket pocket and yells at him to do something. He doesn't and Austin says to either hit him or get his yellow ass out of his ring because he's had enough of him. Vince plays calm so Austin forces him out of the ring, Vince says he will pay for that. Austin says nobody wants him as WWF Champion and as for Triple H he is in the wrong place at the wrong time tonight, and he's gonna kick him in his ass if he sees him tonight. Shawn Michaels might not be here tonight, but the next time he sees him, he ain't asking him to lay down. He's gonna knock his ass down, beat him 1-2-3, and that belt is his. And that's the bottom line, cause Stone Cold said so.
AWESOME FUCKING SEGMENT!
The Quebecers vs. Cactus Jack & Chainsaw Charlie
Brawl to start before it settles down into a tradisional match, Quebecers isolate Funk for a bit. It's cool and Funk does his amazing drunk Funk bumping. Cactus' hot tag is okay, he cleans house as the match breaks down. Funk misses the Moonsault and Piere hits the 'rana off the top for two. Quebecers miss the double team which leads to Jack hitting the double arm DDT for the win. **1/4
Road Dogg comes out on to the stage, he has his arm in a sling. He says you two hardcore fossils saw him come out last week with a brace around his neck, but like the plague, they've spread to his shoulder. If they thought the dumpster ride was fun, wait until WrestleMania. At less than 100%, he can't take them both on, but he'll take one of them at half strength. Cactus leaves to go up the ramp. But, Gunn hopes the rails and nails Funk in the back with a chair. Cactus sees it on the tron and runs back to make the save. The Outlaws bail as Funk and Cactus walk up the ramp after them.
I just realized they didn't do the WARZONE intro. Thank god, that was dumb. Anyway, Kane and Paul Bearer come out. Paul says so, Undertaker you decided to come back. Oh, what a mistake he's made. He's had a week to think about it and the more he thinks about it, the hotter and hotter he gets. Can't he understand that they did him a favor by sending him back to the dark side. He could have stayed there with his poor mother and father and rested in peace for eternity, but NO! You had to comeback. Kane has only just begun, like a fire on a stove. You turn it notch by notch and it gets hotter and hotter until it turns into an inferno. He's stepped back into an inferno, and this is not a game. GONG! TAKER IS IN THE RING WHEN THEY COME BACK ON. THE LIGHTS GO OUT AGAIN AND HE'S GONE WHEN THEY COME BACK! Bearer says at WrestleMania, he'll stand in this ring eye to eye with his brother, and he'll wrestle him to the finish and go back to the dark side, never to return.
The Artest Formerly Known As Goldust (w/Luna) vs. Marc Mero (w/Sable)
Luna and Sable are both handcuffed to the ringpost. TRASH! They do stuff but no one gives a fuck, so Goldust punches the ref and the match just ends. Goldust gets the key out of his pocket and then attacks Mero. He un-handcuffs Luna from around the post and tells her to be good. They go slowly over to Sable and Goldust taunts her. Luna grabs her and starts rubbing black make up all over Sable's face before referees come out to pull her off.
Backstage: Goldust and Luna are standing by and JR asks what's gotten into them. Goldust says he's sick and tired of holding Luna back and blowing himself up night after night when she needs to get a piece of Sable's ass. It's high time that they both get what they want and they issue a challenge for a mixed tag at WrestleMania.
A video package on all the media coverage Tyson is getting with the WWF.
JR sits down with Mike Tyson and asks about all this. Tyson says he's always wanted to have some kind of participation, but he was skeptical about how he would be treated. JR asks about the near-fight with Stone Cold. Tyson says he's the former and future champion of the world and for him to disrespect him, he won't take that from Steve Austin or anybody. Steve pissed him off pretty bad. JR asks about the alignment with DX and asks how he can be fair now. Tyson says everyone uses someone. He says JR probably used someone to get the spot he's in now, he's never been treated fair. Get with the program, man. Fair is winning.
Savio Vega vs. Triple H (w/Chyna)
Refs, officials and Savio's crew are all at ringside........And this goes all of 10 seconds until Austin comes down the ramp, he walks past everyone and gets into the ring. He hits Brisco, one of the refs and Savio all get hit with a stunner..........BUT SHAWN MICHAELS IS HERE! HE HETS AUSTIN WITH ANOTHER SUPERKICK and Huner begins punching away at him.
Chyna brings Shawn a chair, but the show fades out before he hits it.
FUCKING WCW Booking to end the show.
He says before the match. The Rock is here to clear up a few things, regardless of what happened at No Way Out, The Rock is still your Intercontinental Champion. And of course, The Rock is here to clear up the simple fact that there is no dissension within the Nation. He's here to let them know The Rock doesn't harbor any hard feelings whatsoever. He pulls out a box and says he knows everyone wants to be like The Rock, so he gives Kama, Mark, and D'Lo three identical $15,000 solid gold Rolexes. He says for Faarooq, he's here to let him know that he's the only one capable of leading The Nation. He says Faarooq is the greatest thing since an egg white omlet AND GIVES FAAROOQ A FRAMED PICTURE OF ROCK POSING WITH THE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP! Faarooq is not happy and throws it to the ground.
This goes another minute or so before Bradshaw hits the big Clothesline for the win.
