WWF: Raw is War
June 29, 1998
Cleveland, OH
Gund Arena

The current WWF champs are as follows:
WWF Champion: Kane (6/28/1998)
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)

They kick off the show with EXCITING STILL SHOTS from last night at the King of the Ring set to commentary from Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler as they announced the *brand new* WWF champion – KANE!

TIME TO GET RAW! Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler.

There is red carpet covering the wrestling mat. There is a WWF title on a pedestal under glass. Vince McMahon, Commissioner Slaughter, and Gerald Brisco are smiling with glee. Where’s Pat? Tonight, they will present the WWF title to someone – apparently anyone – other than Stone Cold Steve Austin. That man tonight is Kane. Led to the ring by Paul Bearer, here he comes. Paul Bearer goes on and on about how hard a life Kane had to endure week after week watching WWF Superstars watching his brother become a star. After tonight, the Undertaker will finally stand in Kane’s shadow. As Vince goes to put the WWF title around Kane’s waist, we hear glass breaking and here comes Stone Cold Steve Austin to the ring. He grabs the mic away from Commissioner Slaughter and naturally wants a rematch with Kane – TONIGHT. Austin wants Mr. McMahon to show some guts and grant him the match, but McMahon says Austin can have his rematch if Paul Bearer agrees to it. Of course now Paul Bearer doesn’t want to piss off Austin and doesn’t want to lose his meal ticket either. I mean, *look* at the guy. He requires a rather large meal ticket. Anywho, nobody has the balls to give Austin a rematch. Paul Bearer says Austin can have the rematch if Kane will give it to him. Austin then mentions that it was the Undertaker who busted him open with the chairshot and not Kane. His big brother beat Austin and then handed the WWF title to Kane. Well, that starts to eat at Kane a little bit and Austin needles him until he finally decides to grant Austin a rematch – TONIGHT. Folks, we are off to the races.

After the break, Lawler announces that the Undertaker will be here tonight to make a “confession.” Also tonight, the “Brawl for All” – whatever *that* is.

• Steven Regal vs. Darren Drozdov
  

Sable comes out to introduce Steven Regal to the ring at the request of Mr. McMahon. Despite wearing his British lord outfit to the ring, he comes out to some cheesy rock and roll music. Sable then joins Ross and Lawler for commentary. This should be intriguing. Ross and Lawler ask her questions, but she doesn’t give any information. Pretty dull match and the crowd couldn’t care less about it. The butterfly superplex leads to the REGAL STRETCH for the submission in 4:42.

Michael Cole introduces us to the winner of the 1998 King of the Ring Tournament: Ken Shamrock. He says its good to be the king. How original! As Shamrock starts putting over the Rock for being a real tough guy, the 1994 KOTR winner Owen Hart comes out and wants to fight him. Seeing as how Owen broke his ankle a while back, Shamrock wants revenge and accepts the challenge for tonight. Next thing we know, another King of the Ring winner Triple H appears wanting to find out who the “King of Kings” is and a triple-threat match is made. I think we all know now who the “King of Kings” is. BOW DOWN TO THE – BOW DOWN TO THE KING~!

• Brawl for All: Marc Mero vs. Steve Blackman
  

Wrestling legend Danny Hodge has been brought in to referee this match. The crowd is booing this almost right from the start. It goes all three rounds with the storyline that a good wrestler can beat a good boxer any day. It comes to a decision and Steve Blackman advances in the “Brawl for All” tournament. This was a DISASTER.

The Slam of the Week brought to you by Skittles: From last night at the King of the Ring, Chyna DDTs Owen Hart to help X-Pac win. So much for all of Mankind’s hard work.

An odd-looking goateed Kevin Kelly interviews Kane. He pulls out the electrolarynx and says he can beat Stone Cold Steve Austin again because he’s a braver champion than the Undertaker ever was. As Kane rushes away, Paul Bearer goes after him leaving an awkward moment between Kelly and Mankind. HOW IS MANKIND SERIOUSLY HERE TONIGHT?

• Val Venis vs. Dick Togo (w/Yamaguchi-san)
  

Dustin Runnels joins JR and the King to make us not like Christian people very much. Pretty much another squash as Venis catches Dick Togo coming off the top rope for a powerslam. Togo stops the Money Shot, but Venis takes him over with a butterfly suplex. A big slam finally sets up the MONEY SHOT for the win. (3:00) Afterwards, Venis goes over and flirts with Yamaguchi-san’s surprisingly hot Japanese wife in the front row. Venis takes a slap from her husband and then wipes out Kaientai with a steel chair. I guess Venis has a thing for Asians!

Hey look, Edge is sitting in the balcony!

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

• Ken Shamrock vs. Owen Hart vs. Triple H (w/Chyna)
  

Shamrock and Owen fight in the aisle to start leaving Triple H to recline up in the corner. After Owen leaves Shamrock on the floor, he and Triple H meet in the ring. HHH hits him with the High Knee, but Shamrock breaks up the count and beats on Helmsley. Owen beats on Shamrock. It’s a hodge-podge right now. Triple H hits the suplex and Harley Race knee drop on Owen. In comes Shamrock, he dumps out Owen only to take the High Knee from Helmsley as well. Owen comes back in and hits Triple H with a piledriver for two. Shamrock and Owen trade suplexes as we go to commercial. When we come back, we get an instant replay showing a triple sleeperhold that resulted in a double jawjacker says JR. While Triple H and Owen take turns beating up on Shamrock, Owen decides to take out Helmsley with a missile dropkick. The bell rings for some reason. Owen applies the SHARPSHOOTER to Shamrock, but Triple H easily breaks it up. Ross just has to say that nobody in the business applies that hold better than Owen! HHH hits Shamrock with the Facebuster and tries the PEDIGREE, but Owen stops him with a Spinning Heel Kick. Shamrock then mounts a comeback on both men and applies the ANKLELOCK to Owen. Helmsley breaks up the hold and blocks the Hurracanrana from Shamrock for 1-2-NO! The ENZIGURI OF CERTAIN DEATH by Owen sends Helmsley to the floor. As Owen comes off the ropes, Chyna pulls the top rope down thus killing his chances of nailing Shamrock with the Spinning Heel Kick. While Owen and Chyna argue on the floor, Shamrock gets involved in the predicament. Meanwhile, out comes the Rock to blast Triple H with his IC title. Owen gets pulled off the apron into the guardrail allowing Shamrock to walk right in and cover Helmsley for the win and become the “King of Kings”. (9:39 shown) A little awkward and disjointed at times, but we’ll chalk it up to inexperience in triple-threat matches. Afterwards, DX and the Nation meet on the ramp for a fight while Owen and Shamrock continue fighting in the ring. Owen applies the Ringpost Figure-Four until referees make him stop it. Nobody does that hold better than Owen! **

BONG! Here comes the Undertaker to make his confession. Michael Cole meets him in the ring to ask why he got involved in the match between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Kane last night at the King of the Ring. Taker says he got involved in the match because he wasn’t going to let his little brother set himself on fire, so he did what he did. Cole asks about Taker costing Austin the WWF title, but Taker responds that he did what he had to do. Well, Mr. McMahon has to get involved and tells us that Taker did what he did for Kane because he thinks he can beat Kane for the WWF championship and can’t beat Stone Cold Steve Austin. Oh boy. McMahon calls Taker the most evil individual the devil ever placed on this earth. He then warns Taker not to interfere in the WWF title match tonight. And with that said, Taker heads back to the locker room.

The KABOOM of the Week brought to you by JVC Kaboom! Box: Last night at King of the Ring, we get our first live action look at Mankind falling from the top of the Hell in a Cell through the Spanish announce table!

• Brawl for All: Bradshaw vs. Mark Canterbury
  

Mark Canterbury is the man formerly known as Henry Godwinn. He’s wearing a nice Hank Williams Jr. t-shirt out here. Of course, you know who Bradshaw is. Ross and Lawler look forward to this slobber knocker. Danny Hodge is again the referee in this match. This goes three full rounds just like the first match. There’s zero takedowns from either competitor until the third round. The crowd craps on this match just like the first one. The winner of the match is Bradshaw via decision. Alright then.

Kevin Kelly promises to ask Undertaker if he plans on heeding Mr. McMahon’s warning when we come back.

Nine weeks until SummerSlam in New York City! AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” is played over the SummerSlam graphic.

LOD 2000 head to ringside. Sunny is conspicuous by her absence. Ross says she is under the weather. They bring back Paul Ellering as their manager. Apparently, he’s going to breathe new life in the duo again. The Disciples of Apocalypse appear on their Titan Bikes. Ellering says he’s actually here to manage the DOA now. 8-Ball and Skull work over LOD 2000 while Ellering dismantles his Wall Street Journal whipping his former team. Hawk and Animal just can’t get a break in the WWF these days.

Kevin Kelly asks the Undertaker if he plans on heeding the warning. Nobody tells the Undertaker what to do!

• WWF Championship: Kane (c) (w/Paul Bearer) vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
  

Just like last night, Austin comes to the ring with his elbow heavily bandaged due to the staph infection. It’s a slobber knocker from the word go as they beat each other senseless in the corner. Austin avoids a backdrop and clotheslines Kane down for the elbow drop off the ropes. Make it two! He mounts Kane for some punches and then goes for the STONE COLD STUNNER, but Kane pushes him off and flips out to the floor to regroup with Paul Bearer. Austin expects no quarter and gives no quarter as he comes off the apron with a clothesline to take down Kane again. He then abuses Kane using the steps and the guardrails. Back inside, Kane puts the boots to Austin and chokes him down. Austin comes right back with the Lou Thesz Press and punches Kane some more. He pulls Kane over to the corner to wrap his knee around the ringpost. Austin catches Kane with a chopblock, but then gets kicked to the floor. Kane then whips Austin into the steps and drops him on the guardrail. Back in the ring, Kane sends Austin into the corner chest-first and then rips at his eyes. As Austin retreats to the floor, Paul Bearer hits him on the top of the head. Ross says something about a shoe, but I didn’t see a shoe. Back in again, Kane applies a chinlock as the Undertaker makes his way down to ringside. Austin escapes the chinlock, but runs into a big boot. Here comes Kane with the Flying Lariat for 1-2-NO! Austin gets out of a chinlock again, but runs into a CHOKESLAM. Kane sets him up for the TOMBSTONE, but Austin rolls off his back. STONE COLD STUNNER? No! Kane sends him off into the ropes and tries to boot him down, but Austin avoids the kick and then finally hits Kane with the STONE COLD STUNNER! Cover, 1-2-3! (8:28) What a pop! Austin regains the WWF title! Undertaker is in the ring. Unfortunately, he turns around to swipe at Paul Bearer and turns around into a STONE COLD STUNNER. As Austin walks off, Kane and Undertaker simultaneously sit up and both look towards the new WWF champ. Oh boy. **½

Until next time, so long for now!