Raw is Owen - May 24th, 1999

Raw this week is a two hour tribute to the life and career of Owen Hart. I don’t feel it's necessary or appropriate to go through this show point by point and recap it as what actually took place on the show doesn't really matter in the grand scheme. The people who wanted to wrestle, did so. Everyone talked and shared their personal stories and feelings. Men and women sobbed while talking about Owen Hart the man, not Owen Hart the WWF Superstar.

I would do Owen an injustice to talk about him as I was only 10 years old when he died, and only learned about him years later from watching old shows and reading wrestler’s autobiographies but Owen Hart was an incredible wrestler and performer but he is better remembered for being a genuinely good person, a man with a loving heart who lived only for his wife and kids, and who made everyone smile with his pranks and sense of humour. 

Goodbye Owen.

Raw is War - May 31st, 1999

The Higher Power

The show opens with a quick recap of the main event of Over the Edge with The Undertaker winning the WWF title from Stone Cold thanks to some screwy officiating from Shane McMahon and some well-meaning interference from Vince McMahon backfiring. The fans actually chanted “Vince” when he came out to help Stone Cold so his babyface turn has amazingly worked. Last night on Sunday Night Heat The Undertaker told everyone we’d finally meet his “Higher Power” tonight on Raw.

In the arena some druids carry The Undertaker’s symbol to the ring and they’re followed by the entire Corporate Ministry. My attention is immediately stolen by Triple H in some VERY shiny leather trousers. This is his goth era. King speculates that Shane McMahon is the Higher Power and always was. That was certainly the logic at the time. Shane is very proud of himself for being the man who got the WWF title off of Austin. The Undertaker says that he will finally show us the Higher Power that he’s been talking about for the past three months and that tonight he is going to deliver Austin to him “mind, body and soul”. He will look the Higher Power in the eyes tonight. They’re interrupted by Vince McMahon (who gets a pop - still weird) who says that he’s going to screw The Undertaker the way he screwed Austin and he’ll defend the title against Stone Cold tonight. Shane interjects and says that it’ll be a non-title match. Vince says that The Undertaker kidnapped his daughter, turned his son against him and tonight HE wants to fight The Undertaker. Shane says that he likes to reward bravado so tonight if Vince McMahon can defeat The Undertaker then the WWF title will be on the line when The Undertaker faces Stone Cold. But an added stipulation - if anyone from The Union or Stone Cold himself gets involved then there will be no title shot. As The Ministry leaves, Stone Cold’s music hits and one of the druids unmasks - it’s Austin. He shows no fear, attacking the entire Ministry single handed. He’s quickly overwhelmed until The Union runs down and saves him from the numbers game.

Backstage, after an ad break Austin angrily tells The Union he doesn’t need anyone’s help. 

Backstage Patterson and Brisco try their best to talk Vince out of fighting The Undertaker. He knows he has no chance but it's not about winning, it's just about getting some of The Undertaker and being a man. 

Backstage The Undertaker and Shane discuss the match with Vince, which Vince warms up on his own.

On their way to the ring in the back, Paul Bearer has an evil chuckle about the idea of Vince vs. The Undertaker. With the WWF Champion already in the ring Vince runs in but is instantly taken down and stomped, punched and kicked. The referee tries to stop the assault but The Undertaker throws him across the ring. The referee has no choice but to call for the disqualification and Vince McMahon has defeated The Undertaker! Stone Cold gets a WWF title match tonight.

Backstage Shane McMahon flips out, throwing and smashing things as Mideon and Viscera try to calm him down. He’s angry that Austin gets a title shot, obviously. 

The Undertaker in a dark room promises his Higher Power that he won’t fail. We don’t see who he’s talking to of course. 

The Undertaker defends the WWF title against Stone Cold Steve Austin in the main event. The Undertaker is wearing Austin’s Smoking Skull version of the title belt and pauses to look at his symbol which has been left at the top of the entrance ramp. He is still promising the Higher Power he’s talked about for three months will be revealed tonight and JR and King both believe that it’s Shane McMahon. Austin wastes no time, rushing to the ring and tripping Undertaker, wrapping his legs around the ringpost. He worked on The Undertaker’s legs at Over the Edge too. This is short but physical - Austin takes a couple of rough bumps on his hips and lower back and gets suplexed onto the metal entrance ramp with a loud bang. Austin fires back and tries for a hangman on the ropes but The Undertaker moves and bounces back into the ring. The Undertaker goes for a Tombstone but Austin counters into a Stunner. He has the cover but Paul Bearer pulls him out of the ring. The Bossman runs in and gets a Stunner too but then Mideon and The Acolytes take him down and along with Viscera and Triple H the entire Corporate Ministry attacks and beats down Stone Cold. The Undertaker ties Austin’s arms up in the ropes and the entire group restrain and taunt him while The Undertaker drops to his knees and gestures to his Higher Power. The lights fade and a gothic chanting fills the arena. A man in a robe comes out - Shane McMahon is notable by his absence and so that would seem to confirm it’s him! The Undertaker and the rest of The Ministry have only ever referred to him as the Higher Power but King keeps saying “greater power” and King and JR can’t seem to agree. The Higher Power makes his way to the ring slowly, gets into the ring and lifts his hood letting Stone Cold see his face, but not the rest of us. Austin reacts strongly to the reveal, kicking and flailing in anger. 

Farewell, Foley (for now) 

Mankind comes out to the ring and challenges Triple H to a no disqualification, falls count anywhere match. He wants revenge for Triple H attacking him with a metal pipe backstage at the PPV. He makes some funny comments about Chyna fancying him.

Later in the show, Mankind enters first for his Hardcore rules match with Triple H. He’s still using the instrumental version of My Time as his theme song. It’s pretty cool. Triple H’s gimmick change since leaving DX has been slow and natural as he’s gradually changed up his look and developed a much more aggressive and nasty mean streak. He is ruthless and brutal now. Its physical as they brawl to the outside and into the crowd and back just throwing punches and clotheslines with no moves occurring. Mankind does use a backslide on the outside for a near fall but Triple H counters a vertical suplex attempt into one of his own and Mick bounces on the mats. While Chyna runs Mankind into the ringsteps Triple H hunts under the ring for a weapon and dismisses a couple before finding a sledgehammer. He’s used it a couple of times lately and its becoming his trademark. He swings for Mick’s head and leaves a huge dent in the ring steps where he moved. Mankind gets it back in the ring and tries a piledriver on a chair but its countered into a backdrop. Mankind does fight back and wins the brawl on the outside. He seems to be setting up a Mandible Claw on Triple H but Chyna saves him with a lowblow. Mankind puts on Mr. Socko and locks the Mandible Claw on Chyna until Triple H hits Mankind in the knee with the sledgehammer - a big swing that makes an almighty thud too - to win the match. 

Multiple referees rush the ring to check on Mick Foley who has pulled his mask off. He’s obviously very hurt. This injury is obviously kayfabe but in reality Mick Foley has needed time off to have knee surgery since before Wrestlemania and this is how they’re writing him off TV. I mentioned at Backlash that the Boiler Room Brawl was pre-taped and gimmicked to be an easy match for him and he’s been heavily limping for months. Triple H runs back to the ring and continues the assault on Mankind’s knee until The Rock - cast still on his arm - runs in for the save, fighting off Triple H and Chyna and allowing the referees to get back to tending to Mankind. During the commercial break, The other three members of The Union came out to help carry Mick to the back and now he’s loaded into the back of an ambulance. 

Title Changes

Jeff Jarrett along with the WWF Women’s Champion Debra challenges The Godfather for the Intercontinental Championship. The Godfather has three hoes with him and one of them in particular is the most attractive woman that’s been on WWF TV since Sunny left. Much like their last match, The Godfather says that if he wins then Debra must become one of his hoes. Jeff reneged on the deal last time. King says “puppies” about 8000 times during this. Curse Roaddogg for inventing that. The Godfather has film control of the match as Debra jumps onto the apron to distract Godfather with the puppies. One of the hoes returns the favour on the opposite apron and with everyone distracted including the referee, Jeff hits Godfather in the face with the women’s title belt for the pin and the title victory. Jeff is the new Intercontinental Champion and he and Debra are a golden couple.

X-Pac and Kane defend the Tag Team Championships against Bradshaw and Faarooq - The Acolytes representing The Corporate Ministry. Shane McMahon is at ringside too and after some back and forth when X-Pac goes for the Bronco Buster Shane puts a chair in the way and X-Pac knocks himself out! The Acolytes win the WWF Tag Team titles! Just in terms of title changes alone this has been a very noteworthy episode of Raw is War. 

Other Happenings

• The Big Show takes on Mr. Ass. There’s a lot of chat during this one about King of the Ring qualifying matches, all of which are scheduled to take place on Sunday Night Heat. Billy is a big man but Show easily throws him around. Big Show signals for his Show Stopper chokeslam and Mr. Ass decides to take a walk. He doesn’t get far as his former tag team partner Roaddogg fights him back to the ring into the waiting arms of The Big Show who drives him to the mat with a chokeslam. Big Show wins via countout. 

• The Big Bossman attacked Mankind at ringside before Mick was able to leave and they’ve been brawling for the entire commercial break. The Roaddogg - who is slated to face Bossman in a match - enters and does his full entrance before taking over from Mankind and continuing the fight which turns into a match. The match itself ends quickly as Bossman uses his nightstick as a weapon in front of the referee and loses by disqualification. The referee Teddy Long gets brave and takes the nightstick, running away. Bossman improvised and gets out a chain and beats on Roaddogg some more with punches and chokes him with it. This is a vicious beating! 
• Beaver Cleavage makes his debut against Christian of The Brood. The Brood have been feuding with The Hardy Boys (managed by Michael Hayes now) mostly on Heat and Shotgun Saturday Night. JR sounds sick of this Beaver Cleavage gimmick already. It’s a vaguely incesty parody of a 1950s black and white sitcom with his girlfriend playing his mom. This was doomed to fail. Christian actually has this match won but Beaver’s mom distracts the referee and that lets The Hardys and Michael Hayes run out, and Hayes cracks his cane over Christian’s head to give Cleavage his first win. Post match, Christian dives off the top rope to the outside onto The Hardys but the three on one odds quickly become too much. Edge and Gangrel sprint to the ring and make the save as all six men fight with each other. They didn’t know it at the time but this is a tag team feud that would change tag team wrestling forever over the next 12 months. 

• The debut of GDTV (or just GTV as it would become better known). It’s hidden camera footage of the WWF Superstars getting up to no good. This one is of Mark Henry very loudly going to the bathroom and D’Lo reacting to it like a cartoon character.
• Val Venis - who is now happily aligned with Nicole Bass who seems to have won his affections with a big kiss. King and JR continue to be very nasty about poor Nicole’s appearance. Val is facing Ken Shamrock. Ken is a busy guy as he qualified for the KOTR by beating Jeff Jarrett, and then post match Jeff smashed his guitar over Shamrock’s head. With Jeff being the new Intercontinental Champion you’d have to assume that makes Shamrock the number one contender. After some back and forth action Jeff Jarrett does actually come out to the ring. He has history with Val and Nicole but his attention is on Shamrock and he distracts him allowing Val to pick up the win with an inside cradle. Shamrock chases Jeff and Debra backstage. Nicole checks on Venis but he gets angry at her. I’m not too sure what his problem is, as he won the match? He feels like she wasn’t there for him. He calms down and says she can make it up to him (with sex, I assume).

Raw is War - June 7th, 1999

The Higher Power and a new CEO

The opening video recap of last week shows the Higher Power stuff at the end of the night. JR and King still believe it’s Shane McMahon. Last night on Sunday Night Heat Stone Cold was on the warpath and as well as attacking Droz, Albert and others backstage, he dropped multiple wrestlers and an army of referees with Stunners too. He must have hit twenty Stunners on Heat last night! He didn’t think to tell anyone who he saw under the hood though.

At the top of the show, Vince McMahon comes to the ring in his fighting gear. Still weird seeing him get cheered. Vince wants to know who the Greater Power is just like all of us. They seem to have made the switch from Higher Power to Greater Power consciously. I’d imagine because Higher Power is a bit religious-sounding. Vince reminds us that The Undertaker has been talking about the Greater Power for months and that he is apparently even more evil and demonic than The Undertaker. Vince reminds us of some of the rumours. Some people have said it’s Shawn Michaels. Some people have said it's Jake The Snake Roberts. Some people have said it’s Shane McMahon. (The Jake Roberts one was the legit big rumour at the time) 

Vince says he wants to have a no holds barred match with the Greater Power tonight and he says he knows it’s Shane. He’s challenging Shane to a no holds barred match and that he’ll put his 50% ownership of the WWF on the line against Shane’s 50% ownership. Winner takes all. Shane comes out onto the ramp solo and accepts Vince’s challenge to that match, but denies again that he is the Greater Power. He tells Vince to get out of the ring because up next, The Undertaker is going to reveal the Greater Power to everyone.

In the back, Stone Cold is in the parking lot having what looks like a friendly chat with someone in a white limo. Whatever could that be about?

After the commercial break, The entire Corporate Ministry, lead by WWF Champion The Undertaker comes to the ring. JR points out that yet again Shane McMahon isn’t here. It’s quite cool seeing The Acolytes with the tag team title belts in the crowd too. Those belts suit them. Another little thing - Paul Bearer has the actual WWF title belt for The Undertaker rather than the Smoking Skull version. The Undertaker talks up the Higher Power (he didn’t get the memo about the change in branding I guess) and welcomes him to the ring. Everyone kneels apart from The Undertaker himself. Someone more evil than The Undertaker himself, so we’re told. I’m giddy watching this as this reveal, and JR’s reaction to it, is one of my all time favourite wrestling memes. The Greater Power speaks. It’s Shane McMahon’s voice, but then Shane walks out onto the stage carrying his own microphone. It’s NOT him. It was a ruse. Shane talks more about the power this man holds, about how evil this man is. Shane says he wants Vince to come out and witness this reveal with his own eyes. Vince appears on the titantron and says that he’s close enough already and that the evil demonic SOB should show his face to the world now. The Greater Power throws off his hood and…it’s Vince McMahon! “IT’S ME, AUSTIN!” 

He did all of this to teach Austin a lesson he’d never forget. He gloats about how everyone including his immediate family bought it. There is no price I will not pay, there is no depth to which I will not sink to make Austin’s life a living hell. He thanks Shane for playing his part, and thanks The Undertaker for being the WWF Champion. He goes around and thanks every member of The Corporate Ministry one by one. Vince is distracted though as his wife and daughter Linda and Stephanie walk out onto the ramp. Stephanie asks how Vince and Shane could be so cruel to her. “It’s just business, love doesn’t have anything to do with it”. Linda and Stephanie weren’t in on it. Linda wants to talk business and I honestly cannot do this whole segment and reveal justice so here’s the video package from NEXT week’s Raw that recaps the whole thing. 

She tells us that the McMahon family own four equal shares and that Vince and Shane only have 25% each. This morning she called an emergency board meeting and appointed a new CEO and they’ve given their collective 50% control of the WWF to the new CEO. It’s Stone Cold Steve Austin. This is an awesome, hilarious segment. Austin reads some BS corporate speak off a clipboard. The important parts of his promo, in between insulting Vince and Shane and being pretty hilarious, is that he says he will get a WWF title rematch at some point in the future and that he will be facing Vince and Shane in a handicap match at King of the Ring. Vince says that's fine, and that they’ll add some stipulations later. 

Austin says that since Shane cost X-Pac and Kane the tag team titles last week, he can face them in a handicap match tonight. Stone Cold says that since Vince screwed around The Union, The Big Show, Ken Shamrock and Test can have anything they want tonight. He throws out a “get well soon Mick Foley, you crazy bastard”. He says that since Triple H and Chyna like to cripple people, tonight he can see what it feels like as he’s going to face The Rock in a “cast match” The Rock has a cast on his arm so Triple H can get a cast on his leg from foot up to hip for the match. He says that if anyone has a problem, they can come to see him in his locker room. This is an awesome, joyful segment and given the Owen Hart tragedy it’s nice that we got some proper happy, fun stuff on Raw. 

Backstage after the commercial, Linda and Stephanie give Stone Cold his first “corporate gift” and it's a briefcase full of beer. They have one with him! 

The Corporate Rattlesnake’s match making

As The Union make their way to the ring to make their picks for what they want tonight, Vince and Shane are sitting together watching backstage and look very worried. Michael Cole interviews the three men in the ring to see what they want. The Big Show goes first, thanking Stone Cold and then giving his pick. He wants a WWF Championship match with The Undertaker. He promises to chokeslam The Undertaker to hell tonight. Ken Shamrock is next - he gives a shout out to Mick Foley who is at home with a badly damaged leg. What he wants is Vince McMahon. He showed fierce loyalty to Vince for months while being lied to. He tells Jeff Jarrett that their scheduled Lion’s Den match will have to wait - he wants his match to be with Vince McMahon himself! He reminds Vince of their history and how Vince manipulated him and now he’s going to punish him for making him look stupid. Test’s wish is a little different - he calls Stephanie McMahon out to the ring. The fans grossly chant “we want puppies”. Test gets down on one knee and asks her out on a date! She says yes! Show and Shamrock are happy for him, as Shane flips out backstage. 

X-Pac and Kane enter first for their handicap match with Shane McMahon. Earlier in the show we got a shot of a couple of fans in the front row wearing a Kane and Mankind mask respectively. It wasn’t acknowledged but it was very clearly Rodney and Pete Gas of the Mean Street Posse who were fired a few weeks ago. X-Pac starts as Shane won’t get in the ring when Kane is there. Shane gets in a cheap shot but that's the limit of his offence as Shane backs him up and punches and kicks him down in the corner. Shane does avoid the Bronco Buster and runs but stops in his tracks when he almost runs into Kane. Before Kane can chokeslam Shane, two fans stop it (it’s The Posse) but before they can leave, Patterson and Brisco throw them both back into the ring. Shane seems to have escaped his beating from Kane and X-Pac but Rodney takes a chokeslam and Pete Gas takes a tombstone! Given that The Stooges still seem to be babyfaces, it would seem they weren’t in on Vince’s being the Greater Power. 

Triple H comically limps through the back for his match with The Rock. The cast covers his knee so that he can’t bend it.

Triple H, the mean vicious main event heel, almost falls on his walk to the ring. It’s funny seeing him reduced to comedy because of this cast match. The Rock immediately beats the tar out of the one-legged Triple H. He hammers him down with punches and drops him with a DDT before going to get a chair. The Rock blasts him in the back and then drills him with a Rock Bottom. The Rock is still clearly very angry at having his arm broken. He lays the chair on Triple H’s head and sets up a People’s Elbow but runs right until The Undertaker who chokeslams him, and then tombstones The Rock onto the steel chair. The Big Show rushes to the ring wanting to start his match with Undertaker early but the WWF Champion takes his leave. 

Ahead of his Lion’s Den match with Ken Shamrock, Vince says he’s not afraid of him. The match is next and Vince enters first, cautiously inspecting the Lion’s Den cage before getting inside. Vince chains the door shut so that when Shamrock comes out to start the match he can’t get to McMahon. The Stone Cold CEO has said that if any members of Corporate Ministry get involved in this or the WWF title match they’ll be fired. That doesn’t include non-member Jeff Jarrett who knocks out Kenny with a brutal chairshot to the head. Vince locks an ankle lock on the unconscious Shamrock and the referee rings the bell and Vince wins. 

The Big Show challenges The Undertaker for the WWF title in the main event. The match starts slow with Show having some impressive power spots and lifting The Undertaker up but the finish is pretty spectacular as The Big Show gets The Undertaker up for a Show Stopper and drives him right through the ring. It looks awesome! The match is thrown out and as the rest of The Ministry run down to save the champion, The Big Show plants all of them with chokeslams too! 

Other Happenings

• The Brood, who gave the tag team champions a bloodbath last night on Heat, challenge The Acolytes for the gold here. It starts hard and physical with brawling around the ring but when it does get back in the ring Bradshaw and Faarooq are stiff as all hell with Edge and Gangrel. They really pummelled them. Just as The Brood are able to use their speed and get back in this, Michael Hayes leads The Hardy Boys - Matt and Jeff - to the ring. The distraction is enough for Bradshaw to hit the Clothesline from Hell on Gangrel to win. Hayes, Matt and Jeff jump Christian and attack until Edge runs up to make the save. 

• Michael Cole interviews the WWF Women’s Champion who is scheduled to defend the title against Nicole Bass tonight. Debra says she has 30 days to defend so she refuses to put the title on the line tonight and challenges Nicole to a bikini contest tonight instead and Nicole can have a title shot if she wins. 
• Jeff Jarrett accompanies Debra for the bikini contest. Val Venis is with Nicole Bass. Once again people are mean about Nicole’s appearance but I think she looks great in her bikini. The fans boo her when King does the old applausometer. They cheer Debra of course, and she wins which means no WWF women’s title match for Nicole Bass. After the decision, Jeff and Val get into a fight and Nicole accidentally smashes Jarrett’s guitar over Venis’s head. Jeff and Debra leave triumphant and Val loses his temper at Nicole, calling her a screw up and dumping her. She sticks up for herself through and she actually dumps him! 
• The Quarter finals for the King of the Ring have been finalised and will all take place at the PPV. The qualifiers all took place on Sunday Night Heat.

• This week’s GDTV segment has been renamed GTV. It’s PMS (Ryan Shamrock, Terri Runnels and Jacqueline) in their locker room in towels discussing which men on the roster they’re attracted to. 

• Michael Cole interviews Droz ahead of his Hardcore title match with Al Snow. He doesn’t answer and instead pukes on the floor. What a terrible gimmick.
• Al Snow enters through the crowd with Head and the Hardcore title belt. We haven’t seen much of Al since Backlash sadly. Droz has Prince Albert with him which seems very unfair in a hardcore rules match. Snow takes off through the crowd and lays in wait to jump the pursuing Droz. The two brawl through the back and end up in a bar elsewhere in the arena. They fight over the bar and use drink trays and glasses as weapons. Snow lays Droz on the bar and slides him along the wood which doesn’t quite work. Al hits him with a huge potted plant and then a heavy looking bust of some guy which knocks Droz out and lets Snow cover and retain his Hardcore championship.

• The Godfather - who this week has seven hoes with him - takes on Mr. Ass. They’ve fully renamed him too now as both his nameplate and ring announcement is Mr. Ass. Last night on Heat Billy tried to cost Roaddogg a match with The Godfather but hit the wrong man with a chair hence we’ve got this match. Mr. Ass sends Godfather to the outside and while the referee checks on him Roaddogg runs into the ring, lays out his former partner with his pumphandle slam and then Godfather is able to come in, drop a leg over Mr. Ass and cover him for the victory. Post match, Godfather and the hoes dance in the ring while Roaddogg chases Mr. Ass to the back. 

Raw is War - June 14th, 1999

Stone Cold goes Corporate

Stone Cold isn’t in the arena for tonight’s episode of Raw - he’s at WWF HQ in Stamford Connecticut. We’ll check in on him throughout the show. 

Austin in Connecticut part 1 - he addresses some labourers outside and then heads inside to tell the receptionist how to answer the phones. She isn’t to say “good morning, World Wrestling Federation” She’s to say “who the hell is this? Well what the hell do you want?”.

Austin in Connecticut part 2 - Stone Cold heads into Vince McMahon’s office and sends all three assistants off to get him a cold beer. 

Austin in Connecticut part 3 - Austin chairs a board meeting. He hands out the new WWF corporate manual. It’s a special magazine about him. He goes around the table asking their names and what they do. He fires someone for looking stupid. He calls over the mailroom clerk and gives him a job. “When I snap my fingers, you hand me a beer” He says they’re having a beer drinking contest - he hands out the beers and tells them that if they’re still standing they still have a job. 

Austin in Connecticut part 4 - Stone Cold goes to see HR. In a moment of casual misogyny he sends Sarah to go and get him a cold beer. He discusses the new manual with Ron in HR. He makes the dweeby guy shout “ass” and he walks with a swagger now.

Austin in Connecticut part 5 - the dweeby guy leads Austin to the finance department. He’s swearing a lot now! Austin makes Shane McMahon’s salary the beer budget, and adds a couple of zeros to Mick Foley’s salary from Vince’s. The guy explains some of the losses which Austin queries as being caused by his vehicular escapades on Raw and all the damage he caused. This was the funniest one yet.

Austin in Connecticut part 6 - Stone Cold is in Vince’s office and after a tour of Vince’s many plaques and awards, Austin says that Vince needs a little more BS. He has the labourers with the wheelbarrows from the start of the night wheel in load after load of cow manure to dump in his office and follows up by pouring a beer onto the pile.

New Number One Contender

The Rock comes out to the ring and makes fun of The Undertaker and is obviously very funny. He got laid out by the Champion last week. The Rock’s challenge is simple - he wants a WWF title match at the King of the Ring. The Undertaker comes out and basically calls him cheeky like an old man. He does accept the challenge but Vince and Shane McMahon interject. The Rock doesn’t deserve a WWF title match apparently. Vince books The Rock and The Undertaker tonight in a non-title match and if The Rock wins then he can get his championship match at KOTR. Shane adds that we’ll all find out the stipulation for that match “5 minutes before it starts”

The Rock vs. The Undertaker in a non-title match, and if The Rock wins he gets a rematch for the WWF title at the King of the Ring, is the main event. The match is supposed to have a stipulation but we don’t know what it is. Before The Undertaker gets to the ring Triple H and Chyna enter. Triple H says that HE is the stipulation. It’s a triple threat match so The Rock has to get past The Undertaker AND Triple H. The two Corporate Ministry members obviously double team The People’s Champion who now seemingly has no chance. King repeats the “not tonight, not any night” line about the Corporate Ministry showing signs of cracking about 15 times during this. The two heels wear down The Rock in and out of the ring and every time The Rock lands a move on one, the other is there to shut it back down immediately. They do fight up the entrance ramp and spend quite a lot of time up there on the steel. The Undertaker finally plants The Rock with a chokeslam and sets up a Tombstone but The Rock counters and shoves the WWF champion into Triple H. He hits Rock Bottom and the People’s Elbow but there's no referee to count. A second referee runs down to count but Chyna is there to stop the count. After some miscommunication between Chyna and The Undertaker, The Rock is able to Rock Bottom and pin Triple H! 

The WWF title will be on the line at the King of the Ring. Chyna has some words with The Undertaker and he and Triple H start fighting! The two top men in the faction brawl as the rest of the group runs out to separate them and Raw ends with the two throwing right hands at each other! 

The McMahon’s trial stipulations

The McMahons and WWF Champion The Undertaker lead the entire Corporate Ministry to the ring. The Mean Street Posse are officially back too so it's a larger group. Vince discusses his sadness at Austin being CEO and that he has ruined what was supposed to be the culmination of three months of genius planning. Vince McMahon talks about how the Corporate Ministry is expected to crack, crumble and dissolve. “That’s not gonna happen tonight, that’s not gonna happen any night!” That’ll become a rallying cry. Vince says he and Shane have given a lot of thought to the handicap match at King of the Ring and what stipulations should be added. Vince has some ideas but he wants to see some of his ideas in action - he books Roaddogg in a dog collar match against Mr. Ass tonight. Shane makes a “David and Goliath match” and books X-Pac against The Big Show. He also says that tonight The Acolytes will play Vince and Shane and Kane will play Stone Cold in a handicap match too. Vince has another idea - a blind-date match. Test will wear a blindfold and face The Big Bossman. Also a straight jacket match - Ken Shamrock can wear a straight jacket and face Intercontinental Champion Jeff Jarrett. Pat Patterson and Gerry Brisco come out and have questions for Mr. McMahon. How could Vince put Pat’s God-child Stephanie through such an ordeal? Patterson has had enough and Vince and Shane can go to hell! Brisco backs him up - The Stooges have had enough! Vince books them in a tag team match against Mideon and Viscera! 

Backstage at the arena, Patterson tries to walk out because he can’t handle this tag team match tonight. Brisco convinces him to come back because he has a plan.

Ken Shamrock has been locked in his straightjacket backstage as he screams and rants at the police officers and officials. He is terrifying. 

Jeff Jarrett enters first for the straightjacket match with Debra who has a big smile and doesn’t seem particularly bothered that she lost her women’s title earlier. Shamrock actually puts up a good fight, using his legs to take down Jeff and lock him in chokes and holds using only his lefts and feet which is very impressive! Jeff does take control with some kicks and stomps. Amazingly with a running heel kick and then a triangle choke using his legs, Shamrock wins this match with no arms! Vince McMahon runs down and gets in a couple of cheap shots on Kenny and steals the key to the straightjacket so he’s trapped inside. Shamrock screams and kicks at the ringsteps, stuck in a straightjacket.

Pat Patterson and Gerry Brisco enter to Hulk Hogan’s “Real American” music which is great. They go straight to ringside and get themselves a pair of steel chairs. If Mideon and Viscera are going to take them down, they’re going down swinging. Pete Gas and Rodney jump Patterson and Brisco from behind while Mideon and Viscera make their way to the ring and disarm them and the four Ministry members lay waste to poor Pat and Gerry and Viscera crushes them with 500lbs splashes. 

Shamrock has a massive fit in his locker room still in the straight jacket but does manage to break himself free!

The McMahons, after watching Austin ruin Vince’s office, head towards the ring and come out to presumably tell us what the stipulation will be for the handicap match at the King of the Ring. Vince’s challenge is that the match be a ladder match with Austin’s CEO title as well as Vince and Shane’s 25% each stock above the ring. Full 100% ownership of the WWF on the line in a ladder match! Just as Shane is about to share the stipulation for The Rock’s match with The Undertaker next Ken Shamrock, who is free, sprints to the ring and flattens Shane with a massive belly-to-belly suplex and chases Vince backstage. Vince used Shane as a shield! 

Other Happenings

• X-Pac faces The Big Show. Before the match, Show says that he wants no part of this and he doesn’t want to hurt X-Pac. X-Pac fires up though - he’s all man and doesn’t want to be patronised. He insists the bell be rung and throws a kick at Show’s ribs. Big Show shoves X-Pac out of the ring with one arm, sending him flying which brings out X-Pac’s tag team partner Kane. Kane is set to face Big Show in the first round of the King of the Ring too. Kane tries to take X-Pac’s place but the little man refuses to be patronised. X-Pac hits Kane and manages to catch Big Show off guard and knocks him over the top rope. Show just walks off, wanting no part of this situation. X-Pac and Kane have words.
• Kane challenges The Acolytes for the Tag Team titles single handedly. This is Vince and Shane’s preview of their own handicap match at King of the Ring. Kane goes right out to the outside and attacks them before they even get to the ring before the match settles down into a classic tag in-tag out handicap match. Kane might actually win the tag team titles all on his own! He has the advantage but The Acolytes pull him to the outside and regain control with some brutal double teams and slamming him into the announce table. Kane lands a massive chokeslam on Bradshaw but is too exhausted from the two on one odds to cover. Faarooq takes his place and gets his own chokeslam but Bradshaw hits him with a pair of stiff, brutal chair shots and then a double team neckbreaker to pin Kane and retain the tag team titles. X-Pac runs down with a chair to defend Kane from any more of a beating.
• Roaddogg enters first for his dog collar match with Mr. Ass. Last night on Heat there was a tag team match where people who’ve already qualified for the King of the Ring tournament paired up and Mr. Ass teamed with Chyna against Roaddogg and X-Pac. Chyna and Triple H actually helped Mr. Ass beat up Roaddogg in a sort of mini-DX reunion. Mr. Ass comes out here with a neck brace on and says he's too hurt to compete but gets caught out when he tries to jump his old partner. Chyna, who’ll face Roaddogg in the King of the Ring, comes out to watch this and helps Mr. Ass win by using the chain for a low blow and Mr. Ass hits the Fameasser. Billy and Chyna beat down Roaddogg and they’re pretty vicious!

• Debra defends her WWF women’s title against Ivory. Debra is wrestling in what is basically a silver bikini. This feud has been on and off for months but was stirred up again on Heat when they were both at ringside for a Mark Henry vs. Jeff Jarrett match. This is a hair pulling nonsense match with Nicole Bass making her way to ringside to watch on. Jeff accidentally trips Debra and Ivory wins the WWF women’s title with a roll up. Ivory high fives Nicole and the two leave together while Jeff consoles Debra. 

• Test takes on The Big Bossman in this match where Test is blindfolded. Last night on Heat Ken Shamrock helped Test win the Intercontinental title but Debra used her “womanly ways” to convince the referee Havey Whippleman to reverse the decision and disqualify Test. He has a thick black blindfold on and Bossman taunts him and slaps him while Test swings wildly. In the end Bossman gets himself disqualified by using his nightstick so Test actually wins! Stephanie McMahon runs down to stop the carnage as she and Test are fully dating now.
• This week’s hidden camera GTV segment is Mr. Ass having one of the WWF’s production assistants shave his ass for him. She finds a zit and Mr. Ass freaks out about it.

Raw is War - June 21st, 1999

Commissioner Michaels runs wild

The show opens with Triple H and Chyna (who’s outfits are getting more and more revealing) call out The Undertaker and waste no time. The Undertaker is happy to oblige but before the two men throw hands the entire Corporate Ministry runs to the ring to stand between them. 

Vince McMahon (in a lovely Paddington yellow blazer) talks them down and puts over the strength of the group - Chyna is going to become Queen of the Ring this Sunday, The Undertaker is going to crush The Rock and retain the WWF title, and he and Shane are going to remove Stone Cold as CEO. Vince talks about Austin for a while until finally Stone Cold comes out. He sets up a ladder at the top of the ramp and climbs it to stand, chugging a beer and addressing the McMahons. Austin formally accepts the ladder match stipulation and says that he’s enjoyed being CEO so much he intends on making it a full time job. I could listen to Stone Cold insult the McMahons all day - it’s always funny. Austin adds his own stipulation - if anyone interferes in the match then the McMahons will be disqualified and Austin wins full 100% control of the WWF. Vince calls him out and says that he’s overruling him and the stipulation will be that anyone and everyone can get involved if they want. WWF commissioner Shawn Michaels enters from The Brood’s lift in the entrance ramp. 

He’s here to be a level head and make it fair. He says he needs a cup of coffee and calls for his associates - it’s The Stooges, Patterson and Brisco, who now work for commissioner Michaels. Michaels books a match tonight with Mr. Austin vs. a member of the Corporate Ministry with the winner getting to decide the final stipulation. Vince picks The Undertaker, but HBK says he’s already booked. Shane picks Triple H, but HBK says he’s also booked tonight. Shawn says that The Undertaker is defending the WWF title tonight against Triple H. With their first two choices removed Vince picks The Big Bossman. Shawn makes himself a referee to stop any other Ministry members from getting involved. Austin ends this segment promising to beat The Bossman’s sorry ass but before HBK leaves he makes one last match - Pat Patterson and Gerry Brisco (who dance badly to HBK’s music) against Vince and Shane McMahon. The McMahon’s send the Ministry to get the stooges and with only Viscera left to protect them, Ken Shamrock comes through the crowd and hits him with a chair! Shane and Vince run for the hills!

The Rock vs. Edge. Before the match The Rock has some choice words for The Undertaker, promising to let Taker take him to the learning tree so that he can shove a branch right up his candy ass. This is a huge match for the young Edge. The Rock wins a short, competitive match with the Rock Bottom and People’s Elbow but before he can celebrate The Undertaker rushes the ring and flattens him once again with another Tombstone piledriver. 

Backstage while Austin gets ready for his match, The McMahons try to calm down Triple H and convince him to take things easy with The Undertaker.

Shawn Michaels enters first to act as referee for The Big Bossman vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin. The rules here are simple - if Austin wins, everyone is barred from ringside for the handicap ladder match at King of the Ring. If Bossman wins then anyone and everyone is able to get involved freely. Before the match even gets going The McMahons carry a ladder to the ring. Bossman goes to meet them and Austin pursues, fighting with him up the ramp as Vince and Shane run away. Austin uses an axe handle off the top rope which I have never seen before. Bossman does take control and sends Austin to the outside. Vince and Shane set the ladder up next to the announce table. Vince climbs the ladder as Shane joins commentary and Austin takes a moment to break from his match and dump the ladder over sending Vince bouncing off the announce desk! 

The fans go mental for that spot. Back in the ring the match continues while Vince sells his ribs and he and Shane confer and scheme. Vince distracts Shawn, Bossman tries to hit him with his nightstick but Austin ducks and hits a Stunner to win the match and guarantee no Corporate interference at King of the Ring. The McMahons grab their ladder and use it as a shield from Austin, leaving in a foul mood. Austin demands the mic and issues one last warning to them ahead of the PPV - both their asses belong to him this Sunday!

During the commercial break the entire Corporate Ministry, including Vince and Shane themselves, assaulted The Big Bossman backstage. I guess he’s no longer a member of the Corporate Ministry. I wonder if that’ll be an important plot point? (It will be) 

Vince and Shane McMahon face Pat Patterson and Gerry Brisco. Vince takes a moment to stand on the announce desk and show off his muscles for the people, and threaten Jim Ross. The Stooges have become super popular, and JR and King take a few good shots at Hulk Hogan during their entrance while his old music is playing. Vince and Shane obviously go on the attack early and easily dominate until The Stooges come back with punches of their own until Vince uses a low blow. Ken Shamrock runs to the ring. He’s tackled by Shane allowing Vince to escape. Ken lays out Shane with a belly-to-belly suplex and takes off after the elder McMahon. The Mean Street Posse along with their new recruit Joey Abs, who is a legit wrestler added to the group so that they can have matches, save their friend Shane and they use a chair to try and break Patterson and Brisco’s ankles. 

In the main event Triple H challenges The Undertaker for the WWF title. The Corporate Ministry implodes right before our very eyes. The crowd is very quiet for this heel vs. heel match and Triple H works on the champions legs. Chyna gets in the odd cheap shot herself, but as she's restrainted by the referee Paul Bearer gets in his own cheap shots on Triple H. Chyna tries to bring a chair into the ring but The Undertaker stops her. 

He can’t use it himself as The Rock runs in and plants him with a Rock Bottom. The Rock gestures for something to be lowered and as he delivers a People’s Elbow a huge symbol in the shape of the Brahma Bull logo drops to the ring. He tries to sacrifice The Undertaker and when The Corporate Ministry runs in for the save, now apparent former member The Big Bossman helps out The Rock. In the end, its Paul Bearer who is handcuffed to the symbol and The Rock ends Raw by promising victory this Sunday at the King of the Ring. 

Some King of the Ring buildup!

Kane teams up with the last two members of D-Generation X in X-Pac and Roaddogg to face Mr. Ass and the WWF Tag Team Champions The Acolytes. Four of these six men are in the King of the Ring tournament. The build for the King of the Ring tournament has been entirely on Sunday Night Heat which has me feeling very out of the loop. Before the match X-Pac challenges The Acolytes to put the tag titles on the line in this match. Mr. Ass answers for them and accepts the challenge. It breaks down into a wild brawl in the ring and then spills to the outside. Bradshaw and Kane have an intense brawl with the ring steps and and in the melee Mr. Ass hits a Fameasser on X-Pac onto one of the tag title belts. Mr. Ass takes it upon himself to take the belt with him - The Acolytes have retained their titles but I guess since Mr. Ass won the match he’s decided he’s a tag team champion too.

The Big Show takes on Hardcore Holly. These two are in the King of the Ring tournament and last week teamed up against X-Pac and Kane which ended in Show giving a Show Stopper to his own partner. Last night on Heat Holly interrupted a match which included Show and Kane and hit them both with a steel chair. Before the match Hardcore Holly, who is now calling himself The Big Shot, tells Big Show that he thinks he sucks and challenges him to make this a hardcore rules match. Show agrees and they fight right up the ramp and into the backstage area with Show dominating and throwing Holly around in the concrete parking lot. He slams Hardcore against a wall and climbs up onto a raised area, pushing a small car and actually tipping it off the wall trying to drop it on Hardcore Holly! We don’t know if the car landed on him but Show puts his foot on the chest to win the match. An amazing feat of strength to push a car like that. 

A new champion?

BackstageMideon asks Shane McMahon if he can take “an extra belt” from his bag. A distracted Shane tells him that yes he can.

Mark Henry - debuting his and D’Lo Brown’s much cooler theme music - takes on Viscera in a gorilla press slam match. Mark issues this challenge after Mideon and Viscera cost him and D’Lo the tag team titles against The Acolytes on Heat and then Viscera delivered a series of splashes. Obviously neither of these men is going to be able to legit gorilla press slam the other. Mark is wrestling in jeans and a yellow jumper and looks like he’s put on tons of weight in the past few months. He has totally dropped the “sexual chocolate” gimmick since returning from his knee injury. Mark makes the mistake of going up to the middle rope and Viscera gives him a sloppy and scary looking “kinda gorilla” press slam where Mark nearly landed on his head. Viscera actually climbs to the top rope to give a splash but D’Lo Brown runs in for the save and he and Mark give a double gorilla press slam to Viscera. Mideon runs to the ring and slips in carrying Shane McMahon’s European title belt! JR plays dumb like he can’t tell which belt it is. He uses it as a weapon to knock down D’Lo and Mark.

Other Happenings

• Ken Shamrock takes on Test in a battle of Union members. This is more punishment from the McMahons. The sheer volume of women squealing and cheering for Test is insane. He is a ladies man. Jeff Jarrett, the Intercontinental Champion, is hustled to the ring. We saw him before protesting being made to compete by commissioner Michaels. Patterson and Brisco force him to the ring and announce this is actually a triple threat match for the IC title. Jeff wrestles in black jeans and boots. The action is good but Test looks fairly useless. He and Jeff fight on the outside and with only Shamrock in the ring, Steve Blackman returns from his injury and brutally assaults him with a kendo stick. Viscous shots to the body and a stiff one to the head knocking him out which lets Jeff cover and retain his Intercontinental title! Why did Blackman attack Ken Shamrock?

• Backstage during the break Shamrock refused medical attention and Steve Blackman calmly packed his bags and left the arena, emotionless. 
• Val Venis comes to the ring and is all business with no pre-match comments. He demands Droz and Prince Albert come to the ring. They pierced Val’s nose against his will a couple of weeks ago on Heat. Val handcuffs Droz to the ring post on the outside and hits Albert with a Money Shot before cuffing his wrists to the bottom rope in the ring. Val tattoos “VV” on Albert’s ass as he screams. This didn’t really work - it was clear it was just ink, and Albert didn’t seem to be in any pain.

• In a backstage segment where Kevin Kelly interviews Beaver Cleavage and his “mom” Harry suddenly drops character and throws off the hat saying he can’t do this gimmick anymore. That has apparently cancelled his planned match with Meat. Oh no?
• This week’s GTV segment is Al Snow picking his nose and eating it. Disgusting. He did hide himself doing it from Head though which was funny. 

An emotional and chaotic five weeks of Raw leads us to the King of the Ring PPV. The actual King of the Ring tournament feels like an afterthought due to all of the qualifying matches taking place on Sunday Night Heat but there’s two huge main events for the WWF title and for ownership of the company itself. There is another match added to the show on the night too but we'll get to that during the show.

Handicap Ladder match for Ownership of the WWF

Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon

All Corporate Ministry members are banned from interfering

WWF Championship

The Undertaker © (w/Paul Bearer) vs. The Rock

King of the Ring Quarter final

X-Pac vs. Hardcore Holly

King of the Ring Quarter final

Kane vs. The Big Show

King of the Ring Quarter final

Ken Shamrock vs. Mr. Ass

King of the Ring Quarter final

Roaddogg vs. Chyna (w/Triple H)

Plus the Semi-finals and the Final itself.