WWF: Raw is War
April 27, 1998
Hampton, VA
Hampton Coliseum

The current WWF champs are as follows:
WWF Champion: Steve Austin (3/29/1998)
Intercontinental Champion: The Rock (12/8/1997)
World Tag Team Champions: The New Age Outlaws (3/30/1998)
European Champion: Triple H (3/17/1998)
Light Heavyweight Champion: TAKA Michinoku (12/7/1997)

TIME TO GET RAW! Your hosts are Jim Ross and Michael Cole.

Earlier today, D-Generation X launched an assault on WCW because Nitro is taking place only about fifteen minutes away at the Norfolk Scope. We go to a clip of Triple H getting the rest of DX motivated to “fire the first shot” on Dubya See Dubya. Dick jokes ensue. Gee, what a bunch of goof-offs. They ride a Marine corps jeep up to the Scope building and then they get a real good close-up shot of a “No Fishing” sign. Alright.

Ross makes sure to tell us that DX is acting alone on this.

• Ken Shamrock & Owen Hart vs. The Rock & Mark Henry (w/the NOD)
  

I forgot to mention in my Unforgiven: In Your House recap that the Rock debuted the *new* WWF Intercontinental title. Finally, the People’s Champ has come to Hampton. This isn’t a match. Owen jumps Shamrock from behind and turns on him. He works together with the rest of the Nation to PILLMANIZE Shamrock’s ankle. Steve Blackman tries to save the day, but fails. Owen now locks on the SHARPSHOOTER on Shamrock. Faarooq attempts to take out the Nation, but once again can’t get the job done. Refs and agents finally get these thugs to chill. Owen needed a freshening up here since all his steam has left since he came back in December. Shawn Michaels is gone and Bret Hart’s momentum is indirectly fading fast on the other show, so there’s not much else for him to fight for here. He always was a better heel anyways.

Time for another edition of the Love Shack with Dude Love. This week he’s got some go-go dancers with him. He makes a bunch of ’60s references referring to how big Unforgiven was. He admits Austin is one tough cookie, but the Dude chewed him up and spit him out. Dude talks about how he couldn’t please his ladies because after last night, his tank was on E and he just needed to be held. We’ve all been there, amirite fellas? Dude claims Austin took the easy way out by taking a cheapshot on Vince McMahon. He also has some ideas on what to do about the WWF title: bring back the former WWF champ Shawn Michaels to face the Dude where the winner gets the title, create a tournament where he’s the number one seed, or (and this one is his favorite idea) fire Steve Austin and hand the WWF title over to the Dude. Crowd says HELL NO. Ross wonders if Austin will actually be fired tonight for the chairshot on McMahon.

Back to the Norfolk Scope, Triple H screams stuff into a megaphone and tells WCW to suck it. The camera zooms in on the Scope’s marquee that says “Free Admission” for Monday Nitro and there’s a number to call. Oh, you guys!

After the commercial, we see DX asking some lady at the Scope if she thinks WCW sucks. She says yes. Who rules wrestling? DX, of course.

• Terry Funk & Scorpio vs. The Headbangers
  

The winner of this match is supposed to get a WWF tag team titles shot. We see that Vince McMahon just showed up in the building. He looks MAD. Alright, FINALLY – a match. Not even a tag match. Somehow, the ref just lets the brawling between the four guys continue. Things pick up on the floor as the Headbangers deliver a Rocket Launcher to floor wiping out Scorpio. As the Headbangers continue to do a number on him, Terry Funk does a MOONSAULT PRESS taking out everybody. Scorpio dives on the Headbangers to do his thing. Back inside, ref Tim White tries to break up a fight between Funk and Thrasher only to be knocked away. He calls for the bell and DQ’s both teams. (AUSTIN 3:16) Meanwhile, Scorpio straight jacket powerbombs Mosh and delivers a high impact FLYING MOONSAULT thinking he could get the pin, but alas he cannot. This was fine and all, but can we get a regular match here? The Headbangers give Scorpio the Power Plex (superplex and a flying splash). The fight continues out on the floor as this got very ECW. ¾*

More from the Norfolk Scope. DX calls out to the P.O.W.C.W.’s as Triple H calls them: Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. He starts chanting, “Let my people go!”, before we go back to the Hampton Coliseum.

Now here comes the boss. This is Vince McMahon becoming Mr. McMahon as we will know him for the next year or so. He says some very naïve people may want to believe that Austin was aiming for Dude Love last night, but McMahon believes that Austin was clearly aiming to take his head off with that chair. Vince has suffered a concussion. He has experienced dizziness and even nausea. Hahaha. Nevertheless, his judgment is not clouded. Should he fire Steve Austin? Not yet. He has other plans. Tonight, Steve Austin will defend the WWF title in this very ring against Goldust. Really? Since the Dude couldn’t get the job done, he’s trying out Goldust now. Vince introduces to us who the referee will be during that match. He calls this person a former WWF tag team champion (nope), a friend of the McMahon family, and a warm human being. This man is none other than Gerald Brisco. He comes down the aisle to meet Vince. Ross remarks how Brisco is part of Vince’s inner circle where there are only 2-3 people. Vince announces that if Austin lays one finger on Brisco tonight, Austin’s contract will be terminated and the WWF championship will be relinquished. Brisco says he can call this match down the middle. He’s also not afraid of Austin. Boy, this crowd is hot. Vince makes the point that even someone like Goldust would be a better WWF champion than the one we have now. Daaaang.

Backstage, Steve Austin reacts to the news. He’s not happy. What else is new?

We go back to the Norfolk Scope where they try to take their Marine corps jeep into the building. Of course, they aren’t let in the building.

They take us back to last night to see the Sawyer Brown and Jeff Jarrett performance. Steve Blackman attacks and gets KABONG’D by Tennessee Lee.

• Jeff Jarrett (w/Tennessee Lee) vs. Bradshaw
  

Jarrett is 100% back to the look he had in WCW. Bradshaw NO-SELLS a bunch of stuff from Jarrett and catches him with an awesome boot to the face. He chops on Jarrett and tosses him out to the floor just as Club Kamikaze enters the ring and jumps Bradshaw. (1:14) There’s four of these guys now. One of them is wearing a mask and a suit and carrying a Japanese fan. Bradshaw gets taken out by them. TAKA Michinoku runs down to try and save the day, but of course he’s outnumbered. So far, we’ve had three matches and zero finishes. N/R

Backstage, Kevin Kelly asks Dude Love about Goldust getting a WWF title shot tonight. Dude is not happy and pushes Kelly off. He walks right by Vince McMahon and his agents without saying anything. Vince asks the Dude if he’s looking for him. Dude brings up being screwed by him and Vince demands the cameras and the microphones be cut. Vince starts yelling at Kevin Kelly and chases him off. Hilarious.

• The New Age Outlaws (w/DX) vs. 8-Ball & Skull (w/Chainz, LOD 2000 & Sunny)
  

Jerry Lawler replaces Michael Cole for this match before the War Zone intro plays. The Outlaws come riding out on some green Vespa scooters to mock the Disciples of Apocalypse. Much like their matches with the Legion of Doom, the Outlaws sell a whole bunch of big boots and powerslams to start. There’s a brief DOA in peril segment. The hot tag comes, but Gunn stuns the legal twin with a PILEDRIVER. Instead of covering him, Gunn poses for the crowd while the twins do the switch and fool Gunn into getting pinned for the three-count. (3:36) Wow, so far this is our longest match of the night. So all this attention of DX tonight and then they lose their match? I think I would have just kept them off RAW if you’re asking me. ¾*

ENTER THE WARZONE! Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler.

• The Undertaker vs. Barry Windham
  

This seems very random. I don’t think this will last long. Windham even sells the entrance of the Undertaker. A CHOKESLAM and a TOMBSTONE ends Windham in 1:00. Afterwards, Taker cuts a promo on Kane. He wants to finish their feud right here and now and refuses to leave until he gets satisfaction. After a break, Paul Bearer and Kane come out. Kane has his right arm that was burned bandaged. Bearer wants a truce and pleads his case because he can’t bear seeing Kane being burned again. He reminds us all that it was Paul Bearer who was there every day for Kane after he lost his parents. The real swerve here is revealed that Paul Bearer is Kane’s father, which means Undertaker and Kane are actually only half brothers. DUN DUN DUNNNNN.

Kevin Kelly interviews Goldust and Luna backstage. Goldust will make a great champion. He’s not someone who makes rude hand gestures and swears all the time. He has an ivory mouth and before Goldust can say anything further, Dude Love jumps him from behind.

Triple H, X-Pac, and Chyna come out to complain about the DOA trying to kill their buzz on a night when they are trying to expand into new markets. To show off his balls, Triple H challenges of any of the DOA for a WWF European title match right now. 8-Ball comes out on the ramp, but Dan Severn appears in a suit and hurries down to the ring with Jim Cornette following close behind. Once Cornette catches up to Severn, he appears to be trying to talk him out of fighting. Severn takes his suit jacket, his shirt, and his tie before finally taking down Cornette into a submission hold. Well, I think DX just walked out. So much for the challenge. Looks like Severn and Corny are done-zo.

Backstage, Michael Cole grabs Steve Austin for a word. No one is going to screw him out of the WWF title because they will get their ass beat. That’s the bottom line, too.

Val Venis promo. He’s on the set of his latest porno movie sitting in a BMW convertible. He may or may not have been getting a blowjob.

Marc Mero comes out and introduces Sable so he can reprimand her for losing last night. Sable says she liked what happened and everybody else did too. She says it’s time she put Mero in his place. She’s had enough of him and it’s time she stood on her own. In other words, she’s challenging Marc to a fight. Give her two weeks and she’ll humiliate him.

Backstage, Vince doesn’t mind the camera being there now as he instructs Gerald Brisco to call the match right down the middle.

• (Special Referee: Gerald Brisco) WWF Championship: Steve Austin (c) vs. TAFKA Goldust (w/Luna)
  

Okay, NOWWWW Austin has the black strap on the WWF title belt. Vince McMahon comes jogging down to ringside happy as a lark taking over the timekeeper’s position. Ross calls him out on his dizziness and nausea claims. I guess if anybody else in the WWF these days can have a good match with Austin who isn’t doing something else or feuding with a woman, Goldust would be that guy. Austin tries to score the pinfall early with basic moves, but of course Goldust kicks out. Goldust goes to the eyes and hits a Lariat. A fist drop off the ropes gets two. O’Connor roll by Goldust and the count by Brisco starts to get a little faster. Austin backs Brisco in the corner and Brisco dares Austin to punch him on the jaw. Austin gives up on that and goes over to look at McMahon. Goldust clotheslines Austin down again for another quick two count. He hits the Bulldog on Austin, but only gets two. We go to the floor where Austin takes a hard whip into the steps. Austin fights back and sends Goldust into the guardrail while Brisco is all up in Austin’s grill trying to get Austin to punch him out. Back in, Austin fights out of a chinlock only to run into a clothesline by Goldust. Austin fires back with the Lou Thesz Press, but runs into a sleeperhold. Austin low blows his way out and drops Goldust with the STONE COLD STUNNER! Cover, 1-2-WHAT. Something got in Brisco’s eye and interrupts the count. Didn’t Nick Patrick do this like over a year earlier in WCW? Just as Austin stands up, he turns around to see Dude Love running him down and throwing him to the floor. (I’m calling it here at 7:15) Dude charges Austin though and takes a backdrop. They brawl around ringside and Brisco stands in between Austin and the Dude. Vince moves up behind Austin and goes to whack him with the WWF title belt, but Brisco gets nailed instead. BRISCO IS OUT! BRISCO IS BLEEDING! *½

Austin takes his belt back and gives them the bird to close out the show.

Over the Edge: In Your House (brought to you by Castrol GTX) premieres Sunday, May 31 LIVE ON PPV at 7PM EST from the Wisconsin Center Arena in Milwaukee, WI.