WWF: Raw is War
May 18, 1998
Nashville, TN
Nashville Arena

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.

Vince McMahon, Gerald Brisco, and Pat Patterson head to the ring to start the show. Mr. McMahon claims that Steve Austin received a mild concussion after that WICKED clothesline last week. Hilarious. So that Austin doesn’t try anything stupid like attempting revenge on McMahon, he has been banned from the building tonight. It’s for his own protection, folks. Boooooo. McMahon shows some footage on the TitanTron of Austin trying to enter the building from earlier tonight. A security guard with cauliflower ears (something tells me he’s not really a security guard) lets Austin know he’s not allowed into the Nashville Arena. Austin says he’s in a good mood tonight. He’s going to walk away, go drink some Steveweisers, and come back to talk to this guy again. This can be handled the easy way or the hard way. Either way, Austin says he will get into the arena tonight. Back in the arena, Vince brings out Dude Love to the ring. He’s got his suit and tie on again this week. As May 31 draws closer, the Dude feels he becomes better looking and more educated every day. Dude puts over the fact everybody in this ring right now has it out for Austin on May 31. DREAMS WILL COME TRUE~! Vince asks Dustin Runnels to come out to the ring because he’s got something to say to him. Ross points out that Runnels has recently had knee surgery. Mr. McMahon yells at Runnels for saying that Vince is the cause of all of his problems. If Runnels wants to prove himself, Vince creates an opportunity for him to face Dude Love tonight in a #1 contenders match for the WWF title. If Dustin loses, he won’t get paid for 30 days and will still have to work. Runnels accepts the challenge and decks the Dude. Patterson and Brisco jump Runnels though and Dude helps them stomp him out of the ring. Commissioner Slaughter and some refs come out to take Runnels back to the locker room and cool down. Good stuff!

In the back, Jerry Lawler helps someone out of a van that’s covered up in a purple sheet. The cauliflower-eared security guard we saw earlier checks to make sure Lawler isn’t helping Austin into the building. Lawler keeps whoever this is under the sheet with him as we go to break.

When we come back, Lawler loses the purple sheet guy and finds him talking to someone on a pay phone. Oh boy, this guy.

• Val Venis vs. Scorpio
  

After weeks of teasing, it’s time for the debut of Val Venis. I’m sure the people of Nashville were expecting a hot chick to come out to the ring with him, but nope. It’s just Val and his towel. Anybody else get some Kenta Kobashi vibes from Venis here? When he no-sells a shoulderblock, he screams out and puts out his fists like Kobashi. Instead of rapid chops in the corner, Venis dishes out rapid clotheslines. Venis hits a powerslam and swivels his hips while standing over Scorpio. He’s Rick Rude for the Attitude Era. There’s a pretty cool sunset flip and a roundhouse kick on Venis. Scorpio hits that big flying splash for 1-2-NO! Venis fires back with a bridging German suplex for two. He gets caught up top though and Scorpio mounts another comeback. He misses the Flying Moonsault allowing Venis to hit the MONEY SHOT for the pinfall. (6:10) I can’t tell if it was a bad night for both guys or if Venis is still a little green, but I feel like there is already potential here. *

Steve Austin comes to see the security guard again. Since the guy won’t go about this the easy way, Austin throws him into the wall and kicks the crap out of him. Austin picks up the walkie talkie and tells whoever will listen to call 911 for this guy and to let Vince McMahon know his ass belongs to Stone Cold. Austin then picks up his bag and walks inside the Nashville Arena.

When we return from commercials, Stone Cold Steve Austin heads straight to the ring. Good grief – the crowd reactions. Austin calls out Mr. McMahon and his stooges to talk to him or he’ll start tearing apart $50,000 cameras. McMahon, Brisco, and Patterson come out and stand on the ramp asking Austin who he thinks he is. Austin wants them to come down to the ring for a street fight, but Vince says they won’t be fighting in the quality suits they have on. If Austin wants a street fight, Austin will get a street fight. However, Vince says Austin will only two out of the three – because 3-on-1 just wouldn’t be fair. Vince says he won’t tell us which two of the three of them will meet him tonight in a street fight, but there will be a street fight. Austin says they can all go screw themselves. He doesn’t care which two it is because they will get their asses whipped. That’s the bottom line ’cause Stone Cold Said So.

EDGE – he walks through New York City subways – at night! So edgy!

We check in with Jerry Lawler and whatever is under that purple sheet. For some reason the makeup lady is messing with the purple sheet guy. Lawler can’t walk away from this guy for more than a second before there’s some shenanigans happening.

Sable comes out to the ring first and calls out Marc. She wants to be adults about their breakup and separate without any ill feelings. Mero then pulls out a contract that she signed two years ago that says she has to do whatever he says. Is there no end to the contract? What kind of contract is that anyways?! Mero orders her to go stand in his corner for this next match because he said so. If she breaches the contract, Mero says he will sue her for everything she has made off the Mero name. Oh boy.

• Terry Funk vs. Marc Mero (w/Sable)
  

We get some ringside violence to start as Funk takes a ride into the guardrail. Funk fights back and tosses Mero into the steps. Inside the ring, Funk gets a two-count from a PILEDRIVER. Reverse neckbreaker gets two as well. They trade on punches on each other. The ref gets bumped and Mero low blows Funk for 1-2-NO! Sable is up on the apron screaming in that awful voice of hers about how Mero cheated. Mero delivers the TKO on Funk, but the ref can’t help but be distracted by that terrible noise. When Mero walks over to get Sable down, Funk spins him around for a DDT and gets the win. (4:03) Sable tries to smile as best as her face will allow. Of course now, Mero isn’t going to be too excited about having her in his corner now if she keeps making him lose to 53 year old men. ¾*

Backstage, the cauliflower-eared security guard walks with Nashville police to find Steve Austin. Commercials!

The WWF Rewind brought to you by 1-800-COLLECT! Last week on RAW, Undertaker grabbed Jerry Lawler and gave him a Chokeslam and a TOMBSTONE.

When we return, the Nashville cops check on the purple sheet person to see if it’s Steve Austin.

• LOD 2000 vs. Chainz & Skull
  

Sunny is conspicuous by her absence at ringside tonight. Ross says it’s because this is going to be too violent of a brawl to have her out here. 8-Ball should also be conspicuous by his absence. These two teams clumsily fight each other for several minutes until 8-Ball jumps the rail to do another twin switcheroo and sneaks up behind Animal for a rollup to get the three-count. (2:40) Afterwards, Kevin Kelly appears and talks with LOD 2000. Hawk says they want a six-man tag next week – it doesn’t even matter who their partner will be. ½*

They air another promo for MTV’s Celebrity Death Match. It airs this Thursday at 10PM EST on MTV!

Looks like Jerry Lawler is finally going to bring the purple sheet guy to the ring!

Plus, they show Kane (in street clothes with his face covered) and Paul Bearer getting a DNA test!

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

As Lawler comes down to the announce table to do his job, he of course brings the person under a purple sheet with him. He tells the world that because he’s always getting pushed around at ringside by people like Steve Austin and the Undertaker, he’s now got his own security guard. He takes off the purple sheet to reveal: AL SNOW (and Head)! Snow puts on a third headset and says he wants that meeting with Vince McMahon. Lawler will do that, but not right now. Instead, Lawler makes Snow go sit in the front row – like he’s Raven or something.

• Dude Love (w/Pat Patterson & Gerald Brisco) vs. Dustin Runnels
  

If Runnels wins, he’s the new #1 contender. If he loses, he has to work for free for 30 days. I guess that’s still better than having your wife become someone’s sex slave for 30 days. Runnels is on fire to start, but it doesn’t take the Dude long to kick at the surgically-repaired knee. He bounces Dustin’s face off the steps as well. Back inside, Runnels fights back and hits the BULLDOG. Instead of covering Dude, he messes around with Brisco. When he turns back around, the Dude is standing there waiting to apply the MANDIBLE CLAW for the win. (2:19) The camera zooms in on a VKM heart tattoo on the Dude’s arm. Well, that’s that. ½*

The cops find Steve Austin and tell him that he’s under arrest as we go to break.

When we come back, the cops are handcuffing Austin while Mr. McMahon and his stooges talk junk to him like we’re watching an episode of COPS.

• The Headbangers vs. Dick Togo & Men’s Teioh (w/Yamaguchi-san & Sho Funaki)
  

Kaientai pearl harbors the Headbangers to start. Mosh fights back and the Headbangers try to win with their usual double-team moves. Thrasher ends up getting the top rope pulled down on him by Dick Togo and he tumbles out to the floor. Togo whips Thrasher into a flag pole clothesline by Yamaguchi-san and Funaki. Back inside, Thrasher becomes *your* headbanger-in-peril. Just when it appears Thrasher is about to make the tag, Funaki yanks Mosh off the apron and bounces his face off the steps. Funaki then jumps in the ring as Kaientai triple-teams Thrasher while Yamaguchi-san has the ref’s attention. Next thing we know, Bradshaw and TAKA Michinoku head down to save the day and runs Kaientai into the crowd for the DQ. (5:21) Al Snow still wants that meeting with Vince. Kaientai sure works hard, but nobody gives a crap. *½

In the back, we see Vince McMahon talking to a cop while Austin sits in the cop car.

When we return, there’s some more footage of Paul Bearer and Kane at the lab.

• WWF Tag Team Championship: The New Age Outlaws (c) (w/DX) vs. The Rock & Owen Hart (w/the Nation)
  

The Nation and DX brawl on the floor before the bell rings. The crowd didn’t seem as into that as you might think they would be. Anyways, the match starts during a commercial break. Rock and Road Dogg run the ropes. Road Dogg does one leapfrog too many and gets kicked in the nuts on the way down. The People’s Elbow connects for two. Owen delivers a series of atomic drops to Road Dogg. Tag to Gunn, he punches on Owen in the corner. He tries a press slam, but Owen rakes the eyes and breaks free to land the ENZIGURI KICK OF DEATH for two. Rock tags in and catches Billy with a back elbow as he comes off the ropes. Tag to Road Dogg, he gets caught with a Samoan Drop back before Rock does it all in one motion. Owen gets a tag and hits a flying elbow drop on Road Dogg. He bites on Road Dogg’s bloody ear and tags out. We get a shot of Owen’s bloody mouth. Gross. Road Dogg fights back and delivers the Shake Rattle and Roll. Owen catches Road Dogg coming off the ropes with a knee that staggers him into a ROCK BOTTOM. Cover, 1-2-NO! While Owen and Gunn fight on the floor, Chyna distracts the ref as Faarooq runs down to the ring and gives the Rock a PILEDRIVER! Road Dogg crawls over and covers the Rock for the win to retain the titles. (4:39) Match of the night here. **

Oh look, Steve Austin is still in the cop car. And…the car is still here.

After the break, we see that Austin is released from the car after apologizing to the cauliflower-eared security guard guy. It seemed especially sincere when he showed the guy both his middle fingers.

Kevin Kelly meets with Dr. Woosley in the ring to see if Paul Bearer is the biological father of Kane. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Paul Bearer is the father of Kane. The lights go out and Paul Bearer brings his son Kane with him to the ring to tell everybody he told ya so. Paul calls their mom a damn two-bit whore. Undertaker sprints to the ring to beat them both. While Kane takes a Chokeslam, he also gives Undertaker one as well. Vader makes the save and while Taker goes after Paul Bearer, Vader clears Kane of the ring. Instead of fighting with Vader any further, Kane runs away to save his daddy from that awful Undertaker fellow.

• Street Fight: Steve Austin vs. Pat Patterson & Gerald Brisco
  

Patterson and Brisco’s t-shirts they wear to the ring are classic. Brisco has a “Brisco Brothers Body Shop” T shirt, and Patterson has a “First IC Champ” T shirt. Commissioner Slaughter – another McMahon loyalist – is the special guest referee. After making his entrance, Austin hands Slaughter the belt, then flips him the double bird, so Slaughter waffles him and the double-team is on. Slaughter turns a blind eye to the shenanigans. Oh, there’s a shot with taped knucks. Slaughter tries a quick count, but Austin kicks out and takes out both Patterson and Brisco. Needless to say, both of them get STONE COLD STUNNERS. Sarge tries for the Cobra clutch, but instead he gets a STONE COLD STUNNER as well. Here comes Dude Love who doesn’t fare much better against Austin. Suddenly, a fan wearing a Stone Cold mask joins the fray. He shoves Dude aside and then does a goofy dance. The fan then grabs a chair – and chairs Steve Austin! He NO-SELLS the shot and goes after the fan. Hey wait, that’s no fan. That’s Vince McMahon! Austin gets nailed from behind by the Dude and now he’s down and out! And with that, we’re outta time.

I don’t know that I would say Pat Patterson is the best bumper on this show, but kudos to the man for going all out here at his age.

Until next time, so long for now.

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.
MAIN EVENT for the WWF CHAMPIONSHIP (SPECIAL REFEREE: VINCE McMAHON): Steve Austin (c) vs. Dude Love
Intercontinental Championship: The Rock (c) vs. Faarooq
D-Generation X vs. The Nation
Mask versus Mask: Vader vs. Kane
LOD 2000 vs. The Disciples of Apocalypse