WWF: Kicking your ass and winning the war.

[Guest Cyanide]

Using a slightly altered version of Grenadi's 1999 Mod

 

It's January 1999 and the WWF have just come off the back of a hugely successful Rock Bottom PPV. Up against WCW's Starrcade event, WWF managed a strong December 0.78 buyrate against WCW's heavily promoted event, which could only manage a year low 0.23.

 

Looking to capitalise on his on-camera character, Vince McMahon has passed over final booking control to me, Andrew Cyanide. Vince Russo remains head writer, but it seems he needs someone to cap some of his 'ideas'...probably not a bad idea. God knows what it'd be like if all of his ideas made the airwaves.

 

My job? Knock WCW out!

http://www.freewebs.com/wrestlevideo/Monday%20Night%20War.JPG

[Guest Cyanide]

http://www.wrestlingtube.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Raw-Is-War.png

WWF Raw is War

Preview

 

The road to Wrestlemania begins again! With the superstars in preparation for the Royal Rumble just 3 weeks away, Raw will play a huge role in shaping the event.

 

At the Rumble, current WWF World Heavyweight Champion The Rock will face off in a rematch from Rock Bottom against Mankind...this time in an "I Quit" match. On Raw, the contracts will be signed and presided over by the controversial commissioner Michaels.

 

Coming off the back of his Rumble qualification at Rock Bottom, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin will be in action against an opponent of Mr. McMahon's choosing. What effect this will have on the Rumble we have yet to find out.

 

Also it will be title vs. title as the world's most dangerous man Ken Shamrock takes on the European champion, X-Pac. As the Corporation/DX feud continues to heat up, Shamrock has promised to put Pac out of action to take his title.

 

---

 

Confirmed Matches

Test vs. Gangrel

Jeff Jarrett & Owen Hart vs. Bob Holly & Scorpio

Dennis Knight vs. Jeff Hardy

Ken Shamrock© vs. X-Pax©

Sable© vs. Luna Vachon

Steve Austin vs. ???

[Ritchardo]

Good luck with this. Roughly the point at which I re-started watching wrestling.

 

Test vs. Gangrel

I could never stand Gangrel - Test could've been a breakout star. Senseless loss.

Jeff Jarrett & Owen Hart vs. Bob Holly & Scorpio

Speaking of losses... I miss the Nugget, not going to back Hardcore over him

Dennis Knight vs. Jeff Hardy

Think Hardy was still a jobber at this point... not that Mideon was much better but still!

Ken Shamrock © vs. X-Pax ©

Just can't see Pac being able to put Shamrock away.

Sable © vs. Luna Vachon

Sable's the biggest name in an abysmyl division!

Steve Austin vs. ???

I don't care if you're putting him in against a tag team of Jesus and Buddha - Austin was wrestling in January '99. He's not losing on the opening Raw of the year.

[Huntman]

Steve Austin vs. ???

I don't care if you're putting him in against a tag team of Jesus and Buddha - Austin was wrestling in January '99. He's not losing on the opening Raw of the year.

 

This may be my favorite line of the year.

 

Testvs. Gangrel

Gangrel really SUCKED..back then.

 

Jeff Jarrett & Owen Hart vs. Bob Holly & Scorpio

Push Hart.

 

Dennis Knight vs. Jeff Hardy

This Knight fellow doesn't ring a bell...so go Drug addict..err...Hardy!

 

Ken Shamrock© vs. X-Pax©

Scary MMA Fighter Vs. Little, Weasel Guy.

 

Sable© vs. Luna Vachon

Duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...oh right..um *wipes drool*. She has the biggest...chance.

 

Steve Austin vs. ???

As stated before

[Guest Cyanide]

http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/logo.gif

WWF Rumours

- The WWF are seriously looking into bringing Tammy Lynn Sytch back to the federation. The former 'Sunny' was released from her ECW contract earlier in the week and is already available for independent bookings.

 

- Sunny's return to the company could depend on their interest in Chris Candido. The former BodyDonnas could be seen as a marketable pair in the current Attitude climate, though their relationships with some superstars may end the interest.

 

- Other roster changes could see Lower card stables The Oddities and Kai-en-tai leave the promotion and veterans the Legion of Doom. All wrestlers contracts are due to be up soon and negotiations have yet to begin.

 

- Also in the last chance saloon are Steven Regal, Mike Barton (the former Bart Gunn) and Scorpio. Barton's success in the Brawl for All tournament has yet to get him over with the fans, but the tough man could be in line to be re-united with Scorpio's current partner, Bob Holly. The combination is currently working matches on selected house shows.

 

- Elsewhere, the company look to be dropping the Blue Blazer gimmick. Rumour has it that Owen Hart will be in the main-event scene by late-summer and the Blazer gimmick could lose Owen some credibility.

[TheOmniWarrior]

Confirmed Matches

Test vs. Gangrel

Test is one of my favs gotta go with him

Jeff Jarrett & Owen Hart vs. Bob Holly & Scorpio

I absolutely hate Jarret but.... Owen push

Dennis Knight vs. Jeff Hardy

I hate Hardy but... a guy with an alias of Naked Mideon being a name... Ill stick with a guy who cant wrestle

Ken Shamrock© vs. X-Pax©

X-Factor FTW

Sable© vs. Luna Vachon

Steve Austin vs. ???

Always go with ???

[Self]

Test vs. Gangrel - Best music ever

Jeff Jarrett & Owen Hart vs. Bob Holly & Scorpio - Loved this tag team

Dennis Knight vs. Jeff Hardy - Southern Justice! Was Jeff any good in '99?

Ken Shamrock© vs. X-Pax© - Loved Shamrock

Sable© vs. Luna Vachon - /shrug

Steve Austin vs. ??? - Normally I'd go with the mystery, but it's Stone Cold in 1999.

[EddieFnG]

Test vs. Gangrel

Jeff Jarrett & Owen Hart vs. Bob Holly & Scorpio

Dennis Knight vs. Jeff Hardy

Ken Shamrock© vs. X-Pax©

Sable© vs. Luna Vachon

Steve Austin vs. ???

[Mattitude90]

Test vs. Gangrel

Jeff Jarrett & Owen Hart vs. Bob Holly & Scorpio

Dennis Knight vs. Jeff Hardy

Ken Shamrock© vs. X-Pax©

Sable© vs. Luna Vachon

Steve Austin vs. ???

[Guest Cyanide]

http://www.wrestlingtube.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Raw-Is-War.png

WWF Raw is War

 

The pyro hits and we're welcomed to the first Raw of 1999 by the voice of the returning Jim Ross. He and Lawler run down the card and begin to speculate as to what Vince McMahon will have in store for "Stone Cold".

 

---

 

As the crowd settles down for the first match, a wave of jeers runs through them to greet the arrival of Mr. McMahon on stage.

Vince: "Well, well, well...Happy new year. Let's make this short and sweet, you all know why I'm here and Austin sure as hell knows why I'm here.

 

Austin, you may have won yourself a spot in the Rumble at Rock Bottom, but you can be damn sure you won't be walking out of the Rumble with a spot in the main event at Wrestlemania, I'll make sure of that personally. So tonight Austin, you'll be facing your opponent for the number 30 slot...or the number 1.

 

Now I'm sure you're eager to find out who it is that you're facing for that opportunity. This man is someone you'll be quite familiar Austin, the man who handed you the win at Rock Bottom and someone who will not disappoint me again...KANE!

 

Happy new year Austin."

 

McMahon leaves to a chorus of boos as we cut to commercial.

 

---

 

Match 1 - Test vs. Gangrel

In a dominant performance by the up-and-coming corporate enforcer; Test powers Gangrel around the ring, before hitting a giant Big Boot to pin the gothic Gangrel. Neither man generated much emotion from the crowd which followed on poorly from the McMahon segment.

Winner: Test

 

---

 

In the back we catch Val Venis chatting up an unknown woman who squirms out of an uncomfortable situation and laughs off Venis's attempts at seduction, much to the embarrassment of the big Valbowski.

 

---

 

Match 2 - Jeff Jarrett & Owen Hart vs. Bob Holly & Scorpio

In a fairly comprehensive victory, Jarrett & Hart seemed to completely pick apart Scorpio, making quick tags and keeping the flyer well-grounded. Eventually Hart finished him off with the Sharpshooter. The only point in the match that saw the J.O.B. squad have a foothold in the match was when a rejuvenated and angry Bob Holly took it to Jarrett with a series of stiff shots in the early part of the match.

Winner: Jeff Jarrett & Owen Hart

 

After the match Debra leads her men to the back, leaving Holly in the ring, hands on hips. After refusing to help his partner up, a minor argument begins between Scorpio and Holly, ending when Holly hits Scorpio with a vicious slap before storming out shaking his head. The crowd didn't seem to impressed with either the match or the aftermath, seeming to lose interest as Jarrett & Hart left the ring.

 

---

 

Cutting to the back we see the Corporate Champion, The Rock making his way to the ring for his contract signing as we go to commercial.

 

When we're back, Commissioner Michaels is standing in the ring, briefcase in one hand and microphone in the other.

 

Shawn: "Mankind, Rock, before you sign this paper let me tell you a couple of things...Firstly, once you've signed, there's no way back for either of you and secondly; if you two bastards want to cut loose and wreck my table arrangement there will be consequences. I don't give a damn about either of you, just my main event. So let's get things rolling."

 

The challenger makes his way to the ring, dressed in a suit with his hair tied back, Socko on-hand and some odd-looking white sneakers. The corporate champion follows, much to the disdain of the crowd. Sure enough as with every contract signing in the history of wrestling; everything goes off without a hitch...until The Rock picks up the mic:

 

Rock: "Well HBK your little contract is signed by the most electrifying man in sports entertainment and Mankind will get his title shot, but the Rock has just one thing to say to Mankind...kiss my candy ass if you think that you're taking the title off the corporate champion. The Rock is going to walk into the Royal Rumble, kick your ass from pillar to post and force the words "I Quit" from your blood drenched mouth...IF YOU SMELLLLL..."

 

Without any hesitation, the smartly dressed Mankind knocks HBK over with the table, launching his hand into Rock's mouth for the Mandible claw. In no time The Rock is out and Mankind has Socko raised in the air.

 

Mankind: "Sorry Shawn, sorry Rock...I guess Mr. Socko just couldn't help himself...and after he drunk that chloroform too. Rocky, at the Rumble I'll get mine and you'll get yours, but you'll never hear the words "I Quit" coming from my mouth. I will take what's rightfully mine and me and Socko will have a nice day."

 

Mankind rolls out of the ring and heads to the back as Michaels recovers to find the mic.

 

Shawn: "Mankind, I warned you there would be consequences. Next week on Raw, you can prepare for the Rumble in an "I Quit" match against one of the toughest sons of bitches in the company...The Brawl for All champion, Mike Barton".

 

The announcement doesn't go down too well with the crowd, who seem apathetic to the announcement. We cut to commercial again.

 

---

 

Match 3 - Dennis Knight vs. Jeff Hardy

The match really didn't get going thankfully. It began with some bright offense from the youngster, but Knight got the upper hand with some brawling until the Acolytes ran to the ring, taking on both competitors and rendering this a no contest. Knight was hastily taken down by the Acolytes with some hard shots, interrupted when Hardy went for the save, only to be taken out with a brutal Lariat from Bradshaw.

Winner: No Contest

 

Following the match, Farooq dragged Knight out of the ring and carried him up the ramp, eventually dumping him into the boot of a blacked-out car in the back and driving off with him.

 

---

 

Match 4 - Ken Shamrock© vs. X-Pac©

A lengthy match and easily the best of the match all night saw X-Pac and Shamrock go back-and-forth for the right to hold the Intercontinental and Euopean titles simultaneously. The match took a turn for the worse for Shamrock when he went for a roundhouse kick to Pac, only hitting the ring-post. Pac had managed to lock in Shamrock's own ankle lock as he looked to be heading to victory before the Big Bossman and the re-appearing Test interfered to hand Pac a DQ victory and then a beating.

Winner: X-Pac

DQ - No title change

 

It didn't take long for the numbers to be evened-up as the New Age Outlaws ran to the aid of their D-X team-mate, the corporation making a hasty retreat before anything physical could occur. Road Dogg made his feelings known as Billy Gunn tended to a weakened Pac.

 

---

 

When we're back from commercial we're greeted with the voluptuous site of Sable, preparing for her Woman's championship defense up next. Cheap pop's are always a winner.

 

Match 5 - Sable© vs. Luna Vachon

A standard women's match, complete with a couple of hair-drag takedowns from Luna and Sable's woman-in-peril display. The appearance of PMS (Jacqueline and Terri) distracted both women and a quick roll-up on Luna brought the clean victory for the Woman's Champion.

Winner: Sable

 

Following the match, Luna and Jacqui quickly patched up their differences to give the men in the crowd what they came to see...a half-naked Sable. The pair made their claims to the number 1 contender slot as the stripped wildcat ran to the back.

 

---

 

In a pre-recorder segment, the currently absent HHH made a promise to take the war to the Corporation and take his first win in the Royal Rumble. He also let them know that the New Age Outlaws and X-Pac would make the first retaliation next week on Raw. If Vince and his cronies weren't down with that...SUCK IT!

 

---

 

Match 6 - Steve Austin vs. Kane

The match started slowly, with Kane clearly showing signs of a conscience and unwilling to do McMahon's bidding. Austin had none of these concerns and went about brawling with the Big Red Machine, getting a couple of near-falls on his mission to take the number 30 slot. With the shots taking effect, something seemed to click with Kane who came back with a huge uppercut to take Austin off his feet and begin a spell of dominance. The significant move of the match came when Kane went airborne, missing the Rattlesnake and getting up straight into a Stunner. Before Austin could make the cover, however, McMahon strutted down to the ring, flipping him off to cause a distraction. An angered Austin threw a tirade of abuse McMahon's way, but as he looked to get to McMahon, Kane came from behind him to deliver a Chokeslam. Despite the move it took a fast count from the referee to put Austin away who sprung out easily within a regular 3 count.

Winner: Kane

 

J.R.: "By Gawd Austin's been screwed. Kane will be number 30 in the Royal Rumble and the Texas Rattlesnake will be 1st in. Damn McMahon and the referee. What in the hell is going on?"

 

An enraged Austin stared a hole through McMahon who was laughing on stage before turning his attentions to Earl Hebner who had just raised Kane's hand. Realising his peril, Hebner darted for the ropes, only to be dragged back by Austin who dropped the official with a punch before laying the stomps into him.

 

Austin: "McMahon, you will pay. I don't care if I have to go through 29 other guys or just you and a screwy referee, I will get my WWF Championship back and I will lay a beating on your ass. That's the bottom line...cos' Stone Cold said so!"

 

...and with that Austin picks Hebner up to deliver a Stunner and end the night in a staredown with McMahon.

 

---

 

Generally a disappointing night for the fans, but it helped to build for the Rumble and further a few feuds. A shock result in the main event and Mankind getting the better of the Rock mid-show kept the attention and the X-Pac/Shamrock encounter kept the show wrestling heavy and both men strong, but for the non-finishes.

[Guest Cyanide]

http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/logo.gif

Wrestling News

- Sad news this week in the world of wrestling as wrestling valet Melissa (Missy) Hyatt was found unconscious and pronounced dead of a suspected drugs overdose. Part of the valet boom of the 80's with spells in WWF, WCW and ECW, we offer our condolences to Missy's family and friends.

 

- Bad news for the WWF this week. Although they came out on top once more in the rating's war, the general consensus is that Nitro was the better show. Nitro featured the Steiners one-on-one for Scott's World Television title and the main event saw veteran Roddy Piper go over on "Da Bad Guy" Scott Hall. Raw's response saw the contract signing between Mankind and The Rock for their "I Quit" match at the Royal Rumble and the unpopular decision to give Kane a pin over "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

 

- Despite previous reports, the Oddities will be taking part in a 6-man tag match against Kai-en-tai on Shotgun Saturday Night.

 

- ECW have followed up their release of Tammy Sytch with the release of Francine. Despite letting go of the Queen of Extreme. Their Hardcore TV event this week has furthered the belief that ECW could be on the verge of big things. The match of the night saw Shane Douglas top Sabu.

[Guest Cyanide]

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/9742/heatm.jpg

WWF Sunday Night Heat

Preview

 

Coming off the back of an explosive Raw expect more of the same on Sunday night.

 

We'll have a sit-down interview between Jim Ross and the Rock regarding his current feud with Mankind and his association with Vince McMahon and the Corporation. How will the Corporate Champion respond to being knocked out by Mr. Socko on Raw?

 

Scorpio will look to avenge his team's defeat on Raw as he faces off with Owen Hart. Will Scorpio earn the respect of the Black Heart...or indeed Bob Holly?

 

The Hardy Boyz will also be looking for some retribution as they face the Acolytes off the back of Jeff's beating on Monday night and what has happened to Dennis Knight?

 

To the main event, we have a repeat of the title vs. title match from Raw when X-Pac will face Shamrock. Commissioner Michaels has removed the title stipulation, now it's just personal.

 

---

 

Confirmed Matches

Owen Hart vs. Scorpio

Al Snow vs. Gangrel

The Acolytes vs. The Hardy Boyz

Goldust vs. Droz

Ken Shamrock vs. X-Pac

[Beejus]

Owen Hart vs. Scorpio

I would hope you'd use Scorp as more than just a jobber, but Owen definitely takes it here.

Al Snow vs. Gangrel

Where's the Hardcore division to help Al out with doing anything of note?

The Acolytes vs. The Hardy Boyz

Maybe Matt can stay out of the shadow in the future of this.

Goldust vs. Droz

Ken Shamrock vs. X-Pac

WATCH OUT HE'S GONNA SNAP!!!

 

I really like your format, it's a lot of what I'm thinking of doing if I decide to go ahead with a diary what I'm thinking about - which would be funny because it'd be a WCW in 99. The short matches ensure that we don't have to read a massive wall of text, and it puts the focus on your booking decisions rather than just writing skill. Won't mind seeing Mike Barton Gunn disappear really, though I guess he could make a decent European title level JTTS.

[stratusfaction]

Owen Hartvs. Scorpio

Owen Hart all the way!

Al Snow vs. Gangrel

I'm really split on this one but I'm leaning more towards Al Show

The Acolytes vs. The Hardy Boyz

I'm going with The Hardyz

Goldustvs. Droz

Never been a fan of Droz so Goldust for the win

Ken Shamrock vs. X-Pac

Shanrock all the way! Push him to the MOON!

 

Love this so far! You defiantly got me reading! Good job!

[TheOmniWarrior]

Owen Hart vs. Scorpio

Al Snow vs. Gangrel

The Acolytes vs. The Hardy Boyz

Goldust vs. Droz

Ken Shamrock vs. X-Pac

[Huntman]

Owen Hart vs. Scorpio

Al Snow vs. Gangrel

The Acolytes vs. The Hardy Boyz

Goldust vs. Droz

Ken Shamrock vs. X-Pac

[Raijin_Samurai]

Owen Hart vs. Scorpio

Keep pushing Owen Hart, he should've been WWF Champion that year

 

Al Snow vs. Gangrel

WHAT DOES EVERYBODY WANT?!?!? That's all I have to say about that

 

The Acolytes vs. The Hardy Boyz

Call me crazy for picking them but at a time where Edge and Christian were the top tag team in the WWE, The Hardyz should get a push

 

Goldust vs. Droz

Weird match but it would've been more interesting if it was a hardcore match

 

Ken Shamrock vs. X-Pac

Shamrock for the win. Another guy that should've been WWF Champion.

[Guest Cyanide]

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/9742/heatm.jpg

Sunday Night Heat

 

We open up at the announcers' table with Michael Cole and Jim Cornette welcoming us to Sunday Night Heat. They run down the line up and pay special attention to the main event in which X-Pac of Degeneration-X faces off once more against Ken Shamrock of the corporation. Cole and Cornette meshed really well in the segment.

 

Following on they went back to Raw, focusing on Kane's victory over "Stone Cold". Cornette then made it known that he'd been passed some sensitive information by 'an informant' and proceeded to play a CCTV video of Vince McMahon threatening Earl Hebner with his job if Austin didn't lose. Hebner reluctantly agreed, but promised McMahon that this was the last time. The crowd were really into the segment and it lead to an '*******' chant for McMahon.

 

---

 

Match 1 - Owen Hart vs. Scorpio

In a good opening bout, Owen Hart picked up a convincing win over Scorpio who was grounded early by the Canadian. The Sharpshooter eventually gave Hart the clean victory. Unfortunately, the crowd never really seemed to believe in Scorpio and so weren't fully into the match.

Winner: Owen Hart

 

---

 

Match 2 - Al Snow vs. Gangrel

A much closer match than the first, these 2 went back and forth with Snow showing some good technical skills. A moment of madness from Snow came when he hit the Snowplow on Gangrel, but seemed to ignore pleas from Head to cover the vampire warrior...well, that's what was inferred at least. One missed moonsault later and Gangrel put Snow away with the Implant DDT. These 2 had a match that was really above what the crowd was expecting and perhaps could see them tie up again on P.P.V. with a bit of build-up.

Winner: Gangrel

 

After the match an angry exchange between Snow and Head leads to Scorpio coming to calm the situation down. Scorpio was followed closely by Bob Holly who after briefly looking concerned at the situation, punts Scorpio full-force to the face. Holly ducks a clothesline from Al, promptly giving him Head on the rebound to leave his J.O.B. squad team-mates out. Holly's turn seemed to inject a bit of life into this segment and his reaction.

 

---

 

Match 3 - The Acolytes vs. The Hardy Boyz

Not a close match. The Acolytes didn't wait to find out who the legal man was, Bradshaw dropping Matt outside with a Lariat and pinning Jeff with an Aided Powerbomb. Cornette and Cole spend the match speculating on the whereabouts of Dennis Knight and why the Acolytes kidnapped the veteran.

Winner: Acolytes

 

Matt attempted to get back in the ring, but was met with stiff kicks and a Dominator as the Acolytes put an exclamation mark on their domination.

 

---

 

Match 4 - Goldust vs. Droz

An interesting squash match saw Goldust very much in control. Droz sold the match well, getting in a small flurry of shots before Goldust put him away with the Curtain Call. Another 2 competitors that meshed well, however, the length of the match gave some credence to the rumour that Droz failed a drugs test after Raw.

Winner: Goldust

 

---

 

In the highlight of the night, we view a sit-down interview with the 'Corporate Champion' The Rock and Jim Ross. Rock spent the interview in shades, staring off into the distance. Ross went through Rocky's career, with the champion refusing to acknowledge failure as Rocky Maivia, defending his defection to the Corporation by blaming the fans for their chants of "Die Rocky, Die" in his early days in the WWF. Of his title win and defense at the Rumble the Rock removed the shades, staring intently at the camera as he quipped:

 

Rock: "Vince McMahon guarantees success at a price...if that price is the people, then that's a price the Rock is more than willing to take. At the Royal Rumble, however, the Rock will prove to the world that the McMahons backed the winning horse and dropped the dead donkey when he beats Mankind at his own game. The Rock will never quit and truth be told he won't even have to be asked. The Rock is a highly tuned, former collegiate national champion and Mankind is a fat man in a mask and sweat pants, someone who's spent as much time being stitched up in A&E as he has in the ring and someone who will be returning there very shortly...The Rock is the most electrifying man in sports entertainment and he will be the champion on the road to Wrestlemania. If you smell what the Rock is cooking!"

 

With that, the eyebrow was raised and Rocky left the room (with shades back on), ignoring the outstretched hand of Jim Ross.

 

---

 

Match 5 - Ken Shamrock vs. X-Pac

A very different match from their night on Raw saw Shamrock take control of Pac. Varied bursts of offense and some smart pinning manoeuvres almost gave the underdog a surprise win, but only succeeded in pissing off Shamrock. With no interference to spoil the party, Shamrock went back to his strength and zeroed-in on Pac's neck, winning the match with a dragon sleeper. The match went down well to end the night, the clean finish was a surprise, but again could be down to the drug-testing carried out after Raw.

Winner: Ken Shamrock

 

---

 

A strong card for Heat and a decent showing for some of the undercard. Despite this, there's quite a bit of talent that haven't been used on either Raw or Heat and if I'm going to bring in any new talent, the bloated roster may have to be cut.

[Guest Cyanide]

http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/logo.gif

Wrestling News

- Following WWF Heat it's been speculated that the WWF ran a drugs test after the inaugural Raw of the year with poor results. Results of the tests aren't widely available and it's expected that no firings will be made immediately, though how the results will effect current pushes will be open to debate.

 

- Some names speculated to have failed for various reasons include Darren Drozdov, Glen Ruth, Sean Waltman and both members of the Legion of Doom. Both Drozdov and Waltman lost clean in matches on Heat whilst none of the other 3 have been involved in the last 2 events.

 

- It's been reported that the Undertaker is working through some minor injuries currently and has been given further time off to recover. The conscience of the WWF hasn't been seen since Rock Bottom, but is expected to re-ignite his feud with his "brother" Kane on his return.

 

- Speculated ideas for the Rumble and St. Valentine's Day Massacre could see Kane and Austin lock-up again with The Rock and Mankind taking center stage, although that may depend on who takes the Rumble victory. Kane or Austin are current favourites among the WWF top brass although HHH is being pegged as the potential surprise option.

 

- X-Pac is expected to defend his European championship at the Rumble and although no names have been confirmed in the run-up to the event, Pac may be forced to drop the title due to substance abuse issues.

[Guest Cyanide]

http://img541.imageshack.us/img541/166/3io0vaxtom7okmf.jpg

WWF Raw is War

Preview

Last week's Raw saw Mr. McMahon cost "Stone Cold" Steve Austin the number 30 slot in the Royal Rumble and with it, possibly a place at Wrestlemania. After stunning referee Earl Hebner after his defeat to Kane, how will the rattlesnake react this week?

 

In a preview to the title match at the Rumble, Mankind will face Brawl for All champion Mike Barton in an "I Quit" match. Will Barton be able to raise his game once more and re-assert his tough guy image, or will the number 1 contender give The Rock an insight into the torture to come?

 

Following Ken Shamrock's DQ defeat to X-Pac last week and subsequent victory on Heat, both men will lead their troops into battle as the Corporation (Shamrock, Bossman & Test) go at it with D-X (X-Pac, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn). Tensions remain high between these feuding factions and could well come to a head at the Royal Rumble.

 

Notable by their absence last week, HHH and Chyna will be back on Raw to provide another headache for Vince McMahon. McMahon's corporation and HHH's D-X are already in battle, but what will McMahon have in store for Helmsley?

 

---

 

Confirmed Matches

Mankind vs. Mike Barton - [I Quit Match]

Acolytes vs. The Oddities - [Handicap match]

Val Venis vs. Al Snow

Jeff Jarrett & Owen Hart vs. D'Lo Brown & Mark Henry

Test, The Big Bossman & Ken Shamrock vs. X-Pac & The New Age Outlaws

[Huntman]

Mankind vs. Mike Barton - [i Quit Match]

Acolytes vs. The Oddities - [Handicap match]

Val Venis vs. Al Snow

Jeff Jarrett & Owen Hart vs. D'Lo Brown & Mark Henry

Test, The Big Bossman & Ken Shamrock vs. X-Pac & The New Age Outlaws

[Guest Cyanide]

http://img541.imageshack.us/img541/166/3io0vaxtom7okmf.jpg

WWF Raw is War

 

The pyro hits and the camera pans the excited audience. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler take us down the card and review what happened to Austin on last week's Raw. Ross then recounts his interview with the Rock and let's us know that we'll kick off the night with the Rumble preview match of Mankind vs. Mike Barton in an 'I Quit' match.

 

---

 

Match 1 - Mankind vs. Mike Barton

Mankind put on an absolute clinic of hardcore on Barton in what was a short match. Barton showed his toughness, refusing to quit and eventually leveling Mankind with a Lariat. Whilst Barton recovered his breath, the Rock made his way to the ring with a chair. Barton picked up Mankind and held him for the Rock, but after a bit of jack-jawing, Mankind ducked and the chair-shot took down Barton. Mankind brawled with the Rock before knocking him out of the ring and turning back to the now-bloody Barton with the Mandible claw. Barton quickly tapped to the mat and muffled a scream of 'I Quit' into the referee's mic.

Winner: Mankind

 

As Mankind still had the Mandible Claw locked in, the Rock returned to the ring with the chair and hit a sickening blow to the back of the number 1 contender's head. Rocky proceeded to continue with the chair shots and Barton put a few kicks in. Eventually security managed to pull the pair away the pair, the champion continuing a verbal tirade against his fallen enemy.

 

The general feeling with this match was that the crowd was that the Rock saved the piece. Mike Barton wasn't someone they saw as a legitimate threat.

 

---

 

On the stage, the Rock passed his boss Vince McMahon, who gave a hug and a knowing smile to his corporate champion. Vince's appearance brought huge heat and he got straight on the mic:

 

Vince: "First of all, will somebody get that mess out of my ring...[pause: EMT's attend to Mankind in the ring.]...Thank you for your heartfelt welcome. Last week I guaranteed that Steve Austin would not be winning the Royal Rumble and thanks to Kane, Mr. Austin will be opening the Royal Rumble match. Now as a result of this, I've been made aware of threats against my personal safety, coming from Mr. Austin himself and so I've had to take out a precautionary injunction against him. So unfortunately, it's my duty to announce that 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin has been formally banned from the arena tonight and suspended without pay so he will not be appearing."

 

Vince smiles widely as the crowd turns fiercely on him. They're eating up what McMahon has to say.

 

"I only have one more thing to say tonight, then I'm getting out of this God-forsaken town. Triple H, you say you're going to win the Rumble and bring the gold to D-Generation X and you say that you're the future of this industry, but the fact is your little gang will be destroyed tonight by the Bossman, Shamrock and Test in what will be a prelude to your own downfall. Just like Austin, I'll guaran-damn-tee that you'll never win the WWF title and I'll see to it that your band of miscreants is wiped off the face of this company. In the main event tonight, feel what Austin felt against Kane."

 

McMahon walks off, proud of his announcement. The crowd seem really fired up for the main event, but the loudest chants are directed for Austin.

 

---

 

Match 2 - The Acolytes vs. The Oddities

The match was over before it began, the Oddities bouncing with the fans before the match was interrupted as the Acolytes stormed the ring, pummeling them. Giant Silva was floored with the Clothesline from Hell for the 3-count as the dominant Acolytes continue their trail of destruction. The Oddities side-show act seems to be wearing thin with the fans, who seemed relieved at the quick outcome.

Winner: The Acolytes

 

---

 

As we come back from commercial, 'Sexual Chocolate' Mark Henry is in the corridor flirting with some ladies. Before long, Debra walks up to Henry, shooing the ladies off. Henry seems suspicious at her presence, but after flashing some cleavage and running her finger up his body, the big man is left in the corridor mouth open and watching Debra saunter off.

 

---

 

Match 3 - Val Venis vs. Al Snow

A very decent match saw Venis come out on top after the Money Shot. A back and forth encounter was changed when Al made the mistake of stopping for a drink on the outside. A perplexed Venis quickly took advantage before rolling his opponent back into the ring and ascending to the top rope.

Winner: Val Venis

 

Just as on Heat, Snow found himself on the end of a post-match beating from Bob Holly. The angry Alabaman took to Snow with some hard shots before finishing him off with the Falcon Arrow on a chair. Holly then launched a tirade against his former stable mate, arguing; "This is why I left Al. I'm not a loser, you and Scorpio can kiss my ass if you think I want to keep protecting you from yourself. I'm not going to live just over broke, I'm going right to the top!"

 

The match was alright, but none of these men really held the interest of the crowd. Holly at least earned himself a reaction.

 

---

 

Match 4 - Owen Hart & Jeff Jarrett vs. The Nation

The match was controlled by Hart & Jarrett. They cut the ring off from the tag and focused on D'Lo, keeping him floored in the corner. Brief flurries of offence was all D'Lo could manage and it basically turned into a handicap match when Debra drew the attentions of Henry for the second time in the night. The pair flirted mercilessly on the outside as D'Lo pleaded for a tag, having just turned the tables, but with no support and the referee similarly distracted by Debra's charms, D'Lo turned into a guitar shot for the pin.

Winner: Owen Hart & Jeff Jarrett

 

After the bell rang, Henry snapped out of it, running Jarrett and Hart from the ring. D'Lo quickly pushed Henry away and struggled to the corner, shouting down his partner.

 

For the second week in a row, Hart and Jarrett left 2 partners to argue their merits with each other. For the second week in a row, they also looked strong in a very pallet-able contest.

 

---

 

We're back with Michael Cole and D-X in the back. Cole asks X-Pac about his matches with Shamrock and the Corporate attack.

 

X-Pac: "You know Michael, I've been called an underdog all my life, I've been called the kid all my life and I've been called a degenerate all my life, but one thing I know for a fact is that I've upset the apple cart all my life and I'll do it again. Shamrock was lucky last week and last night on Heat, he found me weakened by his buddies. Well Shamrock, I've got my buddies with me tonight and I'll prove to you that I ain't a kid anymore...but we sure as hell are degenerate."

 

Gunn: "You're right Pac. Tonight D-X has the cards stacked evenly, me and the Roadie have got our boy's back and a shot to reclaim the tag titles at the Royal Rumble."

 

Road Dogg: "You see it's me, it's me it's the D-O-double G jamming once more with 'Bad Ass' Billy G and X to the P to the A to the C. The New Age Outlaws are here on TV and in 2 weeks time they'll own the G-O-L-D. Tonight on Raw we're fighting for pride; Bossman, Shamrock and Test got nowhere to hide and if you and Vinnie Mac aren't down with that, two tears and a bucket. D-X has got 2 words for ya'....SUCK IT!"

 

Match 5 - X-Pac & The New Age Outlaws vs. Ken Shamrock, The Big Bossman & Test

A very open match has it's turning point when X-Pac got the hot tag in from Road Dogg. Like a house of fire, Pac took the legal man Shamrock out of the ring with a rolling heel kick and set to work on Bossman and Test. Shortly after Bossman was fighting Road Dogg and Test was fighting Gunn on the outside, leaving X-Pac on his own in the ring. Shamrock slid under the ring and away from Pac, sneaking up behind and locking in the Dragon Sleeper. As Pac was fading fast and the brawl continued on the outside, Chyna made her way to the ring. A distracted Shamrock broke the hold and became involved in a staring contest with Chyna and Test hit a Big Boot on Gunn knocking him into the front-row of the crowd and Bossman dropped Road Dogg with the night-stick. Shamrock turned and he was hit with the X-Factor and covered. Chyna quickly ran to ringside and pulled Shamrock out at the count of 2 as Pac stared in disbelief. Pac stood up with hid hands on his head staring a hole through Chyna, he started to head through the ropes, but was caught from the floor with a huge Big Boot to the face, knocking him loopy. Test dragged Pac off the ropes to pick up the win as the 'Ninth Wonder of the World' knodded her approval.

Winners: Shamrock, Bossman & Test

 

As much a brawl as anything else, Shamrock vs. Pac once more became center stage until the appearance of Chyna. The fans finally warmed up, but perhaps too little, too late.

 

---

 

Back from the break and prior to the main event, we're treated to a little filler. Mark Henry is in the medical room, being admonished from the doctor's table by D'Lo Brown. Brown complains that Henry needs to get his mind on the job and off of women. If Henry doesn't get smart, quickly, D'Lo will terminate their relationship...with force if necessary.

 

---

 

Match 6 - Jacqueline vs. Luna Vachon

Set up by commissioner Michaels, this match is a number 1 contender's evening gown match. It took less than 2 minutes for both competitors to decide not to flash the flesh and walk out.

Winners: No Contest

 

---

 

Match 7 - Kane vs. HHH

Kane, having grown in confidence from last week, set about brutalising HHH. Unfortunately for the Big Red Machine, he no longer had the referee on his side and couldn't put HHH away. A strong fightback saw both men fall to the outside in a brawl, but Kane's power once again took over. As the match wore on, HHH gained an advantage that was quickly lost as Chyna made her second appearance of the night. Her D-X squeeze looked on with confusion as Chyna just stood and watched. Kane's hand came round HHH's neck in a flash, but he couldn't execute the chokeslam as through the crowd rushed the rattlesnake, making a beeline for the ring. A brief scuffle with security was broken up as Kane went to meet Austin, followed quickly by HHH. As the men brawled on the outside, the referee had no option but to declare the match and the result farce.

Winners: Draw - Double Count-Out

 

After the match the 3-man brawl continued. Austin and HHH got the upper hand on Kane, but Chyna (who had made her way quietly to the ringside brawl) turned the tables with a crunching low-blow on Austin and then HHH. As HHH got back to his feet, he stared Chyna down, eventually chasing after her to the back. Austin, meanwhile, was staring down the barrel of Kane's shotgun until a quick-fire stunner on the outside gave the rattlesnake his advantage. Austin raised the fingers at security before they managed to overpower him and drag him off.

 

Cutting Austin's music short, Commissioner Michaels' face appeared on the TitanTron.

 

Shawn: "Wow, what a night. I'm sorry I wasn't there. Unfortunately it seems like your main event has been ruined, so I thought I'd show myself and give you a highlight to end on. Next week on Raw; Test will take on X-Pac for the European Championship and Chyna, if you want to be involved so badly, you'll be facing HHH and if you win, you'll get a European title match at the Royal Rumble.

 

Austin, you won't ruin the main event next week, it's my main event. You'll be back in the ring and un-suspended. It'll be 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin and Mankind, taking on Kane and the Rock. Thanks for watching folks...I'll see you next week."

 

 

Austin smirks on the ramp as security continue to remove him and we fade out.

 

 

---

 

Still not hitting the right notes on Raw. The fans seemed to really enjoy the turn of Chyna, but the midcard matches didn't heat the night up at all.