Monday Night Raw – November 30, 1998: Paul Bearer Gets His

Monday Night Raw
Date: November 30, 1998
Location: 1^st Mariner Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Attendance: 11,006
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

We’re getting closer and closer to Rock Bottom and we have some of the card set already. We have Austin vs. Undertaker as the real main event but I don’t think there’s a world title contender yet. Other than that I think we have the Corporation running wild on Raw with Austin and Mankind basically being the only people standing against them. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of Austin vs. Taker so far. Undertaker and Paul Bearer arrive as well.

Here are the ICP and the Headbangers who are apparently allies now. We quickly cut to the back to see Austin arriving with a shovel. He comes to the ring and beats up the Clowns and the Headbangers in probably the high points of their careers. Austin says he’s going to hit Taker with that shovel tonight and that’s it. Literally that’s it. He talked for ten seconds.

Mark Henry has his date with Chyna tonight.

Austin is hunting for Taker.

New Age Outlaws vs. Edge/Gangrel

Non-title here I think. The Corporation has been recruiting the Outlaws to join the evil side recently so we may be nearing a heel turn. The Outlaws jump Gangrel to start so he spits his liquid in Dogg’s face to take over. Those two start things off officially but it’s quickly off to the future multiple time world champion. Christian offers a little external help and Edge hits a top rope rana to Road Dogg but an attempt at one for Billy results in a powerbomb. The Corporation pops up on stage as Roadie hits a shaky knee for two on Edge. Everything breaks down and Billy loads up a piledriver, but Christian hits him with a belt for the DQ.

The Corporation runs in to save the Outlaws and destroys the Brood. The Outlaws leave with the Corporation but they never shook hands or anything like that.

Austin is still looking for Undertaker, searching in a freezer this time. Taker pops up from behind him and locks him in the freezer.

D’Lo gets Henry ready for his date. Mark wants D’Lo to go with them for moral support.

Here’s Undertaker with something to say. Taker calls out Kane because tonight they have a common enemy. Tonight, one of them will face the future and the other faces eternal darkness. There go the lights and here comes Kane. Apparently they’re not friends as the fight is on. Here come some guys with straightjackets but Kane bails before they can catch him.

Brown and Henry go to their limo and Brown gets a jacket, sunglasses, and a chauffeur’s hat.

Post break Henry picks up Chyna at her hotel.

Here’s X-Pac to talk about the Outlaws possibly joining the Corporation. Actually never mind as he says if you want to know about them then ask them. Instead he wants a piece of Shawn Michaels and here’s the new Commissioner. Shawn comes out and says that if Pac wants to fight him, Shawn will kick his teeth down his throat. Pac still wants to go but Shawn says if Pac touches him, he’ll be heading down to Atlanta. Tonight Pac is facing Shamrock but only X-Pac’s title is on the line.

Henry and Chyna get to the restaurant and Chyna gets some flowers that cost $1.99.

Austin is out of the freezer.

Henry tries to order expensive water and plays some Marvin Gaye music.

Goldust vs. Jeff Jarrett

Owen Hart is on commentary here. Goldust jumps Jarrett to start but Jeff hits a kind of DDT on the arm to take over. Goldust comes back by sending Jarrett into the corner and hitting the Curtain Call, but Debra puts Jeff’s foot on the ropes. Jeff hits a swinging neckbreaker to take over and a clothesline gets two. Goldie comes back with a bulldog for two and it’s time for Shattered Dreams. Debra offers some skin as a distraction but before Goldust can react, Owen jumps him for the DQ.

Rating: D. These two never quite mixed at all. Not much of a match here but the whole point of it was for the ending. That being said, the wrestling in it didn’t work at all as it never got interesting. At least it wouldn’t last much longer as Jarrett and Owen would team up and get the tag titles in a few months.

Post match the Blue Blazer comes out to help Owen but winds up jumping him. It’s Steve Blackman.

Austin and Taker are still looking for each other.

Hardcore Title: Big Bossman vs. Mankind

Ladder match. Shawn comes out with Boss Man and climbs the ladder for old times’ sake. Boss Man knocks Mankind into the ladder as Shawn ejects the JOB Squad who came with Mankind. Shawn jumps in on commentary as Boss Man is sent into the steps. Mankind throws the ladder at Bossman’s head as Shawn is giving scores to every move Mankind does. Foley drops the ladder on Boss Man and they head inside.

Boss Man gets crushed between the ladder and an elbow drop onto the ladder onto Boss Man onto the ladder crushes him even more. Mankind vs. Rock for the title at Rock Bottom is confirmed. Boss Man keeps Mankind from getting the belt but walks into a double arm DDT. Another climb is countered and Boss Man slams Mankind down (getting a ten from Shawn) and they fight on top of the ladder. Socko goes into Boss Man’s mouth but here’s Rock to shove the ladder and Mankind over. Mankind gets back up and hits Rock low but gets knocked off the ladder again. The Rock Bottom allows Boss Man to win the title.

Rating: D. This is in the time of Russo and there’s one of your first instances of the title being a prop in a feud. Now to be fair it’s not like the Hardcore Title was ever meant to mean anything, but it clearly is being treated like nothing at all here other than a way to enhance Rock and Mankind’s feud. The match only had six minutes to work with too so it didn’t get anywhere.

Kane jumps Taker in the back but Taker comes back with a chair shot. Bearer pulls back a body bag and Taker tells him to go find the orderlies. After Bearer leaves, Austin pops up from behind and breaks the shovel over Taker’s face.

Duane Gill vs. Marc Mero

Gill is a hometown guy and he comes out with a local youth football team. That’s kind of cool. Mero says if he can’t win, he’ll leave the company. Mero dominates to start, hitting a running knee lift and sending Gill into the corner. The TKO hits but here’s the JOB Squad for a distraction. Mero goes up but the Blue Meanie pops in and shoves Mero off the top to give Gill the pin. Mero would never appear in a WWF match again.

Bearer sends the orderlies after Kane again.

Henry reads Chyna a poem.

European Title: X-Pac vs. Ken Shamrock

Even though both are champions, for the sake of simplicity I’ll only refer to X-Pac as a champion here. Shamrock takes him into the corner to start and elbows him down. A slam puts Pac down but the champ comes back with a clothesline. The Outlaws are being recruited in the back some more. Shamrock hooks a front facelock followed by a leg lariat to take Pac down. Back to the facelock but Pac comes back with a spinwheel kick for two. The champ hits some kicks in the corner and the Bronco Buster followed by the X-Factor but Shawn has the referee. Boss Man lays out Pac but HHH runs in for the DQ.

Rating: C-. As is often the case with matches in this era, this didn’t have time to get going. Not a bad match or anything here but again it was about the angle instead of the wrestling. That would get WAY out of hand in the next year or so and it was only beginning here. Shawn being another evil boss doesn’t really need to be happening but at least people care about him unlike Slaughter.

Bearer and the orderlies go to the body bag and take it away on a stretcher.

Henry is dancing but Chyna doesn’t want to join in. She eventually does and it lasts all of ten seconds. Henry leaves to go to the restroom and some guys come up to hit on Chyna. She’s not interested and some insults are used. Chyna blasts him in the face and Henry makes the save. Chyna leaves arm and arm with Mark.

Val Venis vs. Tiger Ali Singh

Venis comes out with Godfather and some women. Val beats on him to start but walks into a DDT for two. A belly to belly overhead suplex puts Val down as Godfather sends the ho’s after Babu. Val comes back and here are Jackie and Terri to get on my nerves. Terri hits Val low for our fourth DQ in six matches.

The Acolytes come out and beat up Singh and Babu for no apparent reason.

Bearer sees the ambulance leave. Austin and Kane are in the back watching Bearer on a monitor.

Here’s Shane to explain how Vince has made Sable what she is today. He asks Sable to come out here and she models the WWF perfume. This was a real thing.

The Rock vs. Al Snow

Non-title of course. Rock’s R&B remix doesn’t work at all. Snow gets in some fast offense to start and a shoulder block gets two. Rock shrugs it off and takes over, but they head to the floor and Snow rams him into the table. Back in and Rock fires off some clotheslines before the referee gets bumped. The Rock Bottom lays out Snow and Head gets the Corporate Elbow. Snow gets up and hits Rock with Head but there’s no referee. Boss Man and Shamrock come out but before they get in, another Rock Bottom gets the pin.

Rating: D+. Energetic match here but as always it didn’t have the time to go anywhere. Snow was a guy who was always on the brink of meaning something in the midcard but he was too silly to really get there. It’s so strange to see matches like this anymore as this would be something like Punk vs. Bateman today.

Post match Mankind comes out and gets beaten down. The JOB Squad makes the save and actually beats up the Corporation for a bit until Boss Man beats them down with the stick. Mankind jumps Rock and they brawl to the back.

Bearer gets caught by Austin and Kane and after a break they’re in the ring. Austin goes over the ridiculousness of last week’s events but stops for a beer. Austin tells Kane to get him but first of all he wants a gas can. That’s not good enough either as Austin has some scissors. Bearer has apparently passed out. Austin cuts Bearer’s shirt open as well as the tie. Austin gets ready to stab Bearer but stops because he has a better idea. They head outside with Bearer and drop him down a manhole to end the show. Well that’s different.

Overall Rating: C+. While not a good show from a quality standpoint, this show was fast paced enough to avoid being boring. The constant DQ’s got annoying and putting Bearer in the sewer didn’t really work, but the buildup was good enough. This is an interesting time for the company as they’re letting Austin do something other than feud with Vince and it’s letting some other guys grow into the top role. That’s a good idea and it’s working here with Mankind looking like a bigger star.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews