WWF: SuNDAY NiGHT HeAT
November 22, 1998
Columbus, OH
Schottenstein Center

The current WWF champs are as follows:
WWF Champion: The Rock (11/15/1998)
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)
Hardcore Champion: Mankind (11/2/1998)
Women’s Champion: Sable (11/15/1998)

We start the show highlighting what went down with Stone Cold Steve Austin *not* regaining the WWF title at Survivor Series and then getting blasted in the face with a shovel by the Undertaker the next night on RAW to ruin his “final” shot at the WWF title.

HOT ENOUGH? Your hosts are Michael Cole and Jim Ross. Where’s Corny?

Out comes the new WWF champion the Rock with the McMahons, Big Boss Man, Ken Shamrock, and the Three Stooges. Well, you know them best as the Corporation. Vince McMahon puts over the Rock and announces he will be putting the WWF championship on the line against Mankind at the next PPV entitled Rock Bottom: In Your House. Vince says the Rock will back down from nobody and does his Steve Austin impression. As for Austin, there’s no chance in hell he will ever again be the WWF champion. However, the Undertaker gave Vince an idea when he hit Austin over the head with the shovel, and puts them in a “Buried Alive” match. If Austin wins, he can join 29 other guys in the Royal Rumble match. So now we have our main events for the December 13 PPV. Since many WWF fans feel Vince has too much power, he lets everybody know that Sgt. Slaughter will be stepping down as WWF commissioner and a new commissioner will be announced tomorrow night on RAW.

Michael Cole announces that Stone Cold Steve Austin suffered a “blackout” after a match in San Jose that afternoon. Ross says Austin has been taken to a medical facility in San Jose and we’ll have more information on that in the next few moments.

• The Hardy Boyz vs. Too Much

Taylor grabs the stick and lets the world know he loves BC (Brian Christopher). They share a big hug and the crowd groans. JACKYL joins us for extra special commentary. The Hardyz fight off Too Much as Jeff hits a Swanton Bomb on Taylor. It’s treated like just another move here. Christopher dropkicks Jeff down and gets a tag from Taylor. A double powerbomb from Too Much connects. Jackyl introduces us to the ACOLYTES. This is the first time we’re seeing Bradshaw and Faarooq together as a tag team. They run down to the ring and clean house on the Hardy Boyz and Too Much. (1:10) Jackyl gets off from seeing violence. Refs and agents head down to force the Acolytes out of the ring. N/A

Jack Lanza joins us via telephone from San Jose to talk about Steve Austin. Not much to say but that he’s under medical examination right now. Cole blames the “shovel shot” from the Undertaker as the cause of his blackout.

Elsewhere, the Three Stooges are excited over some news to tell Vince. They go into his office to let Vince know about Steve Austin’s condition. When that bit of news didn’t get the joyous reaction from Vince that the Stooges thought it would, Big Boss Man forces everybody out of Vince’s office.

• Gangrel (w/the Brood) vs. Al Snow (w/the JOB Squad & Head)

Snow beats Gangrel into a corner and delivers a release German suplex. Gangrel comes back with an arm trap overhead suplex. Snow fires right back with a wheelbarrow suplex. Time for the Snow Plow, but Gangrel hits the IMPALER DDT. Holly pulls Gangrel out to the floor and decks Christian. Meanwhile, the SNOW PLOW connects. Edge flies in and nails Snow with a missile dropkick, but then Scorpio flies in with the same. The ref sees what happened and calls for the bell. (1:50) We’ve got a pier six brawl on our hands now. Once they all calm down, both factions leave through the crowd at different sides of the arena.

Now Ross is claiming Road Warrior Hawk tried to commit suicide by falling off the TitanTron.

In the locker room, Kevin Kelly talks with Road Warrior Animal and Droz. It sounds like Droz is looking to the future and tries to do a Hawk impression. Weird. Animal is silent and looks generally upset at the whole thing.

• The Big Boss Man vs. Marc Mero (w/Jacqueline)

Boss Man starts off aggressive and with Mero draped on the middle rope, Boss Man slides underneath and uppercuts him. Mero fights back with a DDT, but gets tripped up by Jacqueline by mistake. I mean, I guess it was by mistake. Mero turns around into a BOSS MAN SLAM to end the match. (1:00) Mero gets on the mic to confront Jacqueline. He says he brought Jacqueline into the WWF to take care of Sable, but it looks like Sable has taken care of Jacqueline. This is the last match Jacqueline is going to cost him, so he decides it’s time to part ways. WOW. N/A

We get a video package highlighting how Vince McMahon has used and abused Mankind to get the WWF title into the Rock’s hands.

In the back, we catch Mankind talking to himself like an insane person as he heads to the ring making Terry Funk and Al Snow jokes. He’s carrying the Hardcore title and a leaf blower, too.

WWF REWIND << presented by “Glover” available now on N64/PC! From Survivor Series, the Rock knocks Mankind in the back of the head with the WWF title.

Back to the show, Mankind comes to the ring carrying a leaf blower (with a bow on it) and the WWF Hardcore title. He’s even wearing the fancy loafers Vince gave him. Apparently the leaf blower was going to be a father’s day gift, but no longer. When your lawn becomes the laughing stock of Greenwich, don’t blame Mick Foley. From now on, Mankind says he’s divorcing his family. He can forgive just about anything, but he will never forgive Vince for making him wear those loafers. Mankind then the pair of shoes into the audience. Is this where Ric Flair got the idea to do the same in about six weeks? Mr. Socko is on Mankind’s foot and he’ll remain there until he finds his final resting place: the bottom of Vince’s turkey neck little gullet. Out comes Vince and Shane McMahon to the stage. On behalf of the McMahon family, Vince wants Mankind to understand that he is the personification of the fact that you can’t shine shit. HAHAHA. Love “hurts” sometimes, Mick. In fact, tomorrow night on RAW, Mankind will defend his Hardcore championship against the Big Boss Man and Ken Shamrock in a triple-threat match. And one last thing to Mankind and Mr. Socko, have a nice day.

We catch the WWF Women’s champion Sable coming to the ring to join Cole and Ross for extra special commentary. The WWF Home Video releases the Sable VHS this coming Tuesday. We get some EXCITING still shots of Sable beating Jacqueline to win the WWF Women’s title from Survivor Series.

• Jeff Jarrett (w/Debra) vs. Kurrgan (w/The Oddities & ICP)

Can’t think of two opposite worlds than Jeff Jarrett/Debra and the ICP. Onto the match, Jarrett walks into a Sidewalk Slam and eats a clothesline. Another big slam on Jarrett proves problematic. Looks like the ICP and the Oddities are arguing. Meanwhile, Kurrgan boots down Jarrett and clotheslines him to the floor. Hey look, DEBRA comes in the ring to flirt with Kurrgan. Meanwhile, Jarrett KABONGS Kurrgan and gets the win. (1:44) Sable wants to argue over the finish and yells at Debra. Before anything more interesting can happen, Jarrett grabs his woman and leaves. Debra > Sable.

Kevin Kelly talks with Val Venis as he prepares for his first shot at the IC title.

Michael Cole checks in with Jack Lanza. He explains Steve Austin is resting well and going through a bunch of tests. Austin has a concussion, but he’s resting well and he’s a tough man. They show the “shovel shot” again.

• WWF Intercontinental Championship: Ken Shamrock (c) vs. Val Venis

Val catches Shamrock with a quick crossbody block for two. Shamrock fires back with kicks and stuns Venis with an elbow smash, but then runs into a spinebuster. Shamrock reverses a cross corner whip and hits a Belly to Belly Suplex for two. “Shamrock Sucks” chants go up through the Nuthouse. Venis punches back and powerslams Shamrock for two. Ross explains Governor Jesse Ventura is the only man with an ego bigger than Vince. The Kobashi knees and Russian legsweep connects. He stands over Shamrock for the bump ‘n grind. Ross chastises Val for doing that, but doesn’t Ross know there’s nothing wrong with a little bump ‘n grind? Anyways, Shamrock takes Val down into the ANKLELOCK. Hey look, it’s MANKIND with the leaf blower. He whacks Shamrock on the back of the head with the leaf blower for the DQ and turns it on. (2:50) Here comes the Big Boss Man to beat the shiznit out of him with the night stick. Shamrock attacks Mankind with the leaf blower as the embarrassment continues to close out the show. ¾*
That’s going to do it for HeAT this week. Until next time, so long for now.

THE WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION PRESENTS: ROCK BOTTOM: IN YOUR HOUSE
LIVE on PPV from the General Motors Place in Vancouver, BC, Canada on December 13!
MAIN EVENT: WWF Championship: The Rock (c) vs. Mankind
MAIN EVENT: “Buried Alive” Match: Steve Austin vs. The Undertaker