WWF: Raw is War
November 9, 1998
Dallas, TX
Reunion Arena

The current WWF champs are as follows:
WWF Champion: Vacant (9/28/1998)
Intercontinental Champion: Ken Shamrock (10/12/1998)
World Tag Team Champions: The New Age Outlaws (8/30/1998)
European Champion: X-Pac (10/18/1998)
Light Heavyweight Champion: Christian (10/18/1998)
Women’s Champion: Jacqueline (9/21/1998)

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

• The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) vs. X-Pac

Okay, wow. We’re going straight into a wrestling match. X-Pac gets Taker in a corner and connects with his Kick Combo, but Taker immediately turns it around on X-Pac and beats the shit out of him down in the corner when the lights go out. Oh, of course. FROM HELLFIRE AND BRIMSTONE, IT’S KANE. (0:20) Once Kane is inside the ring, Taker is holding up X-Pac. Next thing we know, Kane SHOOTS A FIREBALL OUT OF HIS HAND and hits X-Pac in the face. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. Taker and Bearer leave and Kane goes after them once they’re halfway up the aisle. It almost looks like they left together. Anyways, the New Age Outlaws are out to help their DX brethren while EMTS check on him. Ross really puts over the guts X-Pac has to get in the ring with somebody like Taker. N/R

Survivor Series ad airs.

When we come back, X-Pac is backstage of course in a lot of pain. He’s worried about his eye. The Outlaws tell him everything is going to be fine.

Elsewhere, MANKIND is welcomed by Vince McMahon, the Big Boss Man, and Vince’s stooges. Vince tells Mankind that tonight is going to be special as Mankind will defend the WWF Hardcore title against Ken Shamrock. If Mankind is going to be somebody, then he needs to look like somebody. Mankind is hanging on every word Vince says there. Anyways, it looks like Mankind is going to get a makeover tonight.

• Val Venis (w/Terri Runnels) vs. Steve Blackman

Val doesn’t realize Terri is following him to the ring – because they aren’t an item anymore. When he does see her, Val aggressively tells her to leave. Blackman tries to bum rush the show, but Val is ready for him. Blackman ducks a clothesline and kicks Venis down. He hits a butterfly suplex out of the corner and tries to choke out Val. Blackman delivers a snap suplex with a bridging pin for two. Ross congratulates Jesse Ventura for becoming Governor of Minnesota and calls that vote a “bold choice”. Blackman delivers some more kicks for another nearfall. Venis backdrops Blackman to the apron, but Blackman crashes and burns trying a sunset flip. Flying body press by Venis, but Blackman rolls through for two. Venis runs down Blackman with a clothesline and buries the knee to set up a Russian legsweep. Hey look, Terri is back and she gives Val a low blow for the DQ. (2:19) Owen Hart and the Blue Blazer come out and beat up Steve Blackman. I thought Owen was retired! ½*

Backstage, Mankind is getting a haircut. He’s talking to the hair dresser and explaining how nice Vince is. She encourages him to give Mr. McMahon a hug. He wonders if maybe Vince will buy him some new teeth. When she asks him what happened to the old ones, Mankind tells her that Steve Austin threw them into the crowd. Oh, Mick.

• Road Dogg (w/Billy Gunn) vs. D’Lo Brown (w/Mark Henry) vs. Mosh (w/Thrasher)

This is a Survivor Series preview as the Outlaws will be defending the WWF tag titles against the Headbangers and the team of D’Lo Brown and Mark Henry. Shane McMahon is the referee for this contest. He rings the bell before Headbanger Mosh makes his entrance. Whoops. Lots of action all over the place to start. D’Lo tries to slow things down as he beats on Road Dogg. Mosh picks his moment on when to strike. SMART. Lawler guarantees you’ll be able to see the entire Survivor Series PPV. Har har. Road Dogg continues to be your DX-in-peril. D’Lo hits a nice vertical suplex. Mosh tries to get the win while D’Lo poses. He randomly gives D’Lo a DDT and heads up top, but misses the Stage Dive to Road Dogg. D’Lo misses a Lo Down as well. Road Dogg delivers the Shake Rattle and Roll to both D’Lo and Mosh at the same time. Crowd is JACKED. D’Lo cools off Road Dogg with the SKY HIGH, but then the MOSH PIT nails D’Lo for the win. (5:30) Afterward, Billy Gunn dumps out Mosh and cleans house on Mark Henry and D’Lo Brown. **

Elsewhere, Michael Cole is standing by with Jeff Jarrett and Debra. Al Snow PISSES off Jeff Jarrett. At the Survivor Series, he’s got something for Al. As for Head, Debra has something for him as well. Debra has a message for Goldust. She knows he’s 100% man and tonight she’s going to prove it.

Back over to Mankind’s makeover, he’s getting a pedicure. Socks are discussed.

• Jeff Jarrett (w/Debra) vs. Goldust

Terri shows up wearing a golden gown. Goldust asks her what she’s doing. She’s been a bad girl and they once had a life together, but now Terri needs to forget she ever heard the name Goldust. The credits have already rolled and this is truly the end, so Goldust tells her to get on a jet and leave. Terri then snaps a cigar in half and walks out looking disgusted. With Debra having Goldust’s attention, Jarrett BUM RUSHES THE SHOW and we’ve got a match. Jarrett hits a flying body press, but Goldust rolls through for a nearfall. There’s a Butt Butt from Goldust. He follows up with an inverted atomic drop and clotheslines Jarrett to the floor. Goldust is led away by Debra, but gets his clock cleaned by Jarrett. Back inside, Jarrett telegraphs a backdrop and eats a Bulldog for two. Goldust gives Jarrett a ten-count corner punch. Time for Shattered Dreams, but Debra gets in the ring and starts flirting with him. Goldust puts a lip lock on Debra, but then Goldust turns around for the KABONG to get DQ’ed. (3:27) Debra wipes off that kiss and embraces Jarrett. *½

Looks like the Rock has now arrived to the building. That looks like the blue brahma bull on his t-shirt.

We get a video package of Jesse Ventura. Lawler announces that Mr. McMahon has issued a personal invitation for Jesse to show up next week on RAW. The Memphis newspaper has Lawler in an editorial cartoon dealing with Ventura’s election. Lawler promises he’s not running for anything any time soon. SMART MAN.

Michael Cole catches up with the Rock backstage. The fact of the matter is that Vince McMahon is a jabroni piece of trash roody poo. Not a candy ass? Nope, not a candy ass. Nobody crosses the Rock and nobody bosses the Rock. The Rock says he’ll walk down the People’s Aisle into the People’s Ring and lay the smackdown on Mark Henry if ya smell what the Rock is cooking. He’s trying. He’s not peak Rock with these catchphrases, but he’s getting there. After the interview, Jeff Jarrett and Goldust fly by fighting one another. Just as Goldust is getting the better of Jarrett, the BLUE BLAZER saves the day. Once Blazer leaves, Jarrett and Goldust go back to beating on each other as the zebra shirts show up to separate the two.

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

• WWF Hardcore Championship: Mankind (c) vs. Ken Shamrock

This is the first defense of the WWF Hardcore title. They show the violence these two have dished out on each other over the past few months. Mankind shows up in a tuxedo with his face shaved and his hair combed. Mr. McMahon is wheeled out to watch the match by his stooges. Shamrock jumps Mankind at the bell, but Mankind fights back using his designer loafers and chokes Shamrock with his tuxedo jacket. He puts Shamrock in the tree of woe and delivers a running elbow drop. On the outside, Shamrock small packages Mankind for two. Shamrock sits Mankind over by the announce table and hits Mankind with the dirty Hardcore title belt. While the crowd chants for “Socko”, Shamrock bounces Mankind’s head off the announce table. Mankind tosses Shamrock on the announce table and joins him on the table to punch and stomp the crap out of him. It’s a DEADLY GAME! Back in, Mankind tosses a chair in the ring. Shamrock backdrops Shamrock on the chair and punches away while McMahon enjoys what he’s seeing. On the floor again, Mankind reverses a whip into the steps and covers Shamrock for two. They brawl into the front row, but that’s short lived. Shamrock chokes Mankind with a cable at ringside, but Mankind applies the MANDIBLE CLAW. To escape the hold, Shamrock dumps him onto the steps. They head up the aisle where Shamrock delivers a Belly to Belly Suplex. Mankind low blows to get away from an anklelock and hits Shamrock with a chair across the back. He then gives Shamrock a DDT on the chair! Cover, 1-2-NO! They continue up the ramp over to McMahon, Big Boss Man, and the stooges where Shamrock gives Mankind a back suplex on the STEEL ramp for 1-2-NO! Mankind then ducks a running chairshot and backdrops Shamrock, but then turns around and gets his head drilled with a chairshot. Just as the match looks over for Mankind, Boss Man nails Shamrock with the nightstick and Mankind collapses on top of Shamrock for the win. (8:13) Okay that was actually a really fun brawl. It also sets up Mankind as “the pick” to win the Survivor Series tournament. Mankind gives Vince a hug and the look on Vince’s face is interesting. He’s either feeling feelings again like some teenager and he’s not sure how to process that or he’s just evil and doesn’t really give a crap about poor Mick. Either way, this seems like a “forgotten gem” from RAW. ***¼

We jump backstage to hear Michael Cole saying the Rock has been attacked. EMTs storm his dressing room as we go to commercial. Well, that was slick.

After Survivor Series, the WWF will be appearing on the Home Shopping Network selling their stuff. Didn’t WCW just do this as well?

When we return, Cole says that the Rock suffered a severe blow to the back of the head and he’ll keep us informed as more information becomes available.

Stone Cold Steve Austin heads out to the ring. Ever since Austin got his new five-year contract and Shane McMahon overstepped Vince’s authority, Austin realizes life has been much easier for him. He hasn’t had to drive cement trucks or Zambonis and causing chaos to make his point. He also realizes Vince still hates his guts and Austin still hates Vince’s guts. Vince is backstage hiding like he’s scared. Austin says whatever Vince has planned for him, it damn sure will backfire. The Big Boss Man shows up to say Vince’s plans include him. Vince has paid him very well for his services. By services, it doesn’t mean gaining a pinfall. It means kicking Austin’s ass, beating every bone in his body, and putting Austin in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He calls Austin a “dumb son of a bitch” who doesn’t know what hard times is all about. Up until now, Austin has had it easy in the WWF. At Survivor Series, what Boss Man will do to Austin is going to exceed everybody’s expectations. Austin drops a line from “Cool Hand Luke” and says he knows all about prison guards. Every now and then, you hear a “squeal in the night”, but Austin doesn’t play that. He dares Boss Man to join him in the ring where he’ll shove Boss Man’s night stick so far up his ass, he’ll have to move it out of the way to brush his yellow teeth. Boss Man says Vince is judge and jury, but forgets to say he’ll be the executioner and instead calls Austin a “dumb ass”. They keep going back and forth until Austin decides he’ll beat Boss Man’s ass for free – and that’s the bottom line ‘cuz Stone Cold said so. Austin enjoys some Steveweisers with his fans in Dallas to end the segment.

Michael Cole is shown checking in on the Rock. He reminds us that if the Rock can’t beat Mark Henry tonight, he’ll be kicked out of the WWF forever.

After a break, Michael Cole talks with Vince McMahon who is of course surrounded by his stooges and the Big Boss Man. Nothing will change due to the Rock’s current circumstances.

• Al Snow vs. Tiger Ali Singh (w/Babu)

No entrance for Al Snow. That’s not good. Head is still wearing Mr. Socko as a headband. Singh doesn’t wrestle schizophrenics, so he wants Babu to wrestle Snow instead. Babu bows out immediately as Snow nails him with Head. Hey look, DEBRA is coming down to ringside. Singh shoves Babu into the ring. Snow gives Babu a wheelbarrow slam and runs him into the corner. Singh distracts Snow while Babu nails him from behind. Snow is hardly concerned, but then Singh pulls the top rope down on Snow as he tumbles to the floor. Meanwhile, Debra grabs Head and holds him against her “ample bosom”. Snow gives Babu the SNOW PLOW, but then Snow gets distracted by what Debra is doing. That allows Singh to run over with a running face slam to give Singh a rare victory. (2:23) It gives the Jarrett and Snow match at Survivor Series some added heat, but it may not have been the best thing to have Singh beat Al Snow. ½*

We get to see more of Sable and her “ample bosom” working out.

Cole, still standing next to the ambulance, says that McMahon and the Big Boss Man are on their way to the Rock’s locker room, and he’ll have more right after the break.

Cole tries to get an update from the EMTs, but McMahon busts in and says that he’s got an update for you: the Rock is real close to unemployment. Vince continues to yuk it up asking Rock how it feels to have hit Rock Bottom.

• Kane vs. Edge (w/Christian & Gangrel)

Edge looks like he’s under some sort of trance during his entrance. As if *that* couldn’t get any weirder, Kane brings with him a gas can and a blow torch to the ring. They take us back to last week’s RAW when Kane ran through over half the roster and gave them all Chokeslams. As for earlier in tonight’s show when X-Pac took a fire ball to the face, Ross confirms that he’s going to be okay and will be at Survivor Series on Sunday night. Kane boots down Edge and goes to choking on the guy. Edge forces Kane to the floor, but Kane pulls Edge out with him for some ringside violence. Back inside, Kane slams Edge only to miss an elbow drop off the ropes. Kane blocks a headscissors with a powerbomb. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO HURT KANE? He puts Edge up top, but Gangrel and Christian help out their boy. Kane NO-SELLS a missile dropkick and a DDT. Edge can’t believe it. Kane uppercuts Edge to the apron and drapes him over the top rope for a flying clothesline. Christian eats a right hand to send him off the apron. Kane picks up Edge and tosses him on top of Gangrel. He’s beating up the whole Brood here. Kane runs and leaps off the steps to clothesline Edge down. As Kane sends Edge into the ring, Christian and Gangrel double-team Kane up against the apron. Meanwhile, Edge comes off the ropes with a baseball slide and then planchas onto Kane. Christian and Gangrel start stomping on Kane to trigger a DQ. (4:27) Kane comes right back with CHOKESLAMS for the entire Brood. He piles the Brood one on top of the other as the gasoline comes out. Ref Jimmy Korderas tries to stop Kane, but he takes a CHOKESLAM and gets added to the pile. Ross and Lawler are begging for somebody to come out and stop this or we need to go to commercial. The Brood and Korderas get doused in gasoline. It looks like Kane is stalling. Here comes a whole mess of referees and Tony Garea as they save the day. The crowd starts to BOO. Hilarious. When Kane leaves, he jumps the barricade and CHOKESLAMS a “fan” onto ringside. That dude definitely listens to KoRn. Jim Ross is quite horrified by this segment. Pretty great booking here to make Kane look completely unstoppable… and psychotic.

Vince McMahon is wheeled down to ringside by the usual stooges and the Big Boss Man to witness the main event up close. He kills time lambasting the Dallas Cowboys and mentions something about a losing streak, but he must have got some bad intel or he’s talking about blowing it in the playoffs. We are at week 9 in the 1998 NFL season and the Cowboys are 5-3. While hoping to see the Rock’s entrance, Shane McMahon walks out in his “lowly” referee shirt carrying a microphone. Shane tells Vince to stop taking out his frustrations on the fans, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the Rock because of him. If Daddy Vince wants to channel his anger on someone, let it be Shane, because that’s how it’s always been. Vince tells him to leave or he’ll get another beating. When Shane refuses, Vince orders the Big Boss Man to assault him with his night stick inside the ring. Before Big Boss Man lays waste to Shane, Stone Cold Steve Austin runs down and knocks the Big Boss Man through the ropes out to the floor for a nice bump. The Dallas crowd is going NUTS. Austin grabs the night stick, acts like he’ll stick it up Boss Man’s ass, and leaves with Shane. Boss Man wants to go after Austin, but Vince orders him to stay at ringside and yells for Shane and Austin to get the hell out. WOW.

After the break, they take us back to moments ago when Steve Austin went after the Big Boss Man to save Shane McMahon a beating.

• The Rock vs. Mark Henry (w/D’Lo Brown)

They play the Rock’s music a couple times before he finally comes limping out to the ring in his workout gear. Vince is still sitting at ringside with his stooges and the Big Boss Man and was convinced the Rock wasn’t going to show up until he does. Rock BUM RUSHES Henry and puts the boots to him in the corner. Crowd is chanting for Rocky. On the floor, Henry reverses a whip into the barricade only for Rock to explode on him with a clothesline. Henry low blows Rock to take over. Back in the ring, Henry starts up working on the back and choking Rock in the ropes. D’Lo reaches in with a right hand. YOU BETTA RECOGNIZE! Rock blocks a suplex and answers with one of his own. Oh crap. Henry avoids a corner charge and clotheslines Rock down for a jumping elbow. That gets two. It’s bearhug time. Rock punches out, but Henry goes to the eyes. Rock reverses a whip and gets a powerslam for a nearfall. He punches back on Henry and runs him down with a few clotheslines. Russian legsweep gets two. D’Lo gets up on the apron to complain to the ref while Rock punches Henry in the dick. VINCE DOES NOT LOOK HAPPY! Henry finds a powerslam for a two-count. While D’Lo is on the apron again and the Rock retreats to a corner, Big Boss Man hops up and tries to handcuff Rock to the turnbuckle connector only for the Rock to somehow handcuff Boss Man to the turnbuckle connector. Whoops. DDT to Henry! Rock covers him, but D’Lo pulls out the ref and slugs him. D’Lo jumps in the ring and gets thrown out. ROCK BOTTOM to Henry! There’s not ref though. Time for the PEOPLE’S ELBOW and it connects. Henry is done. As Rock covers him, SHANE MCMAHON runs down and counts the pinfall. (7:23) Rock is back in the Survivor Series, but he’s not done yet. He goes out to the floor and brings Vince into he ring. Rock fights off the stooges and goes to face-to-face with Vince. Once Vince slaps him across the face, Rock gives him not only a ROCK BOTTOM but the PEOPLE’S ELBOW to close out the show.

If he wasn’t before, the Rock is *officially* a “made man” in the WWF. Until next time, so long for now.

The World Wrestling Federation presents “Survivor Series: Deadly Game”
LIVE ONLY ON PAY-PER-VIEW on November 15 from the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri

CARD INCLUDES:
THE DEADLY GAME TOURNAMENT FOR THE WWF TITLE: (see brackets listed below)
WWF World Tag Team Championship: The New Age Outlaws (c) vs. Mark Henry & D’Lo Brown vs. The Headbangers
WWF Women’s Championship: Jacqueline (c) vs. Sable