WWF Raw is War

Spokane, Washington
December 21, 1998

As RAW kicked off, Mr. McMahon was on his way to a workout for the Royal Rumble. He said when he returned he'd have a Christmas bonus for the Corporation. In the meantime, he handed over the reigns of the Federation to Shane, who quickly grabbed the rest of the Corporation and headed to the ring for a few announcements. Just as the announcements were getting underway, DX hit the ring! Triple H said that while Shane might have the keys to the Federation, DX had the keys to the boiler room, and they brought out Mankind!

Shane said he had been talking to Commissioner Shawn Michaels and they had signed a few matches. While the New Age Outlaws were not going to get a rematch with the Big Boss Man and Ken Shamrock, Billy Gunn would take on Shamrock in singles action, while the Road Dog was to face the Big Boss Man. Meanwhile, Michaels ordered Triple H and X-Pac to team up and face The Rock and Test.

Then Shane took the microphone and said "Nobody puts their hands on my father without a little payback, so tonight it's going to be you against me! I'm going to finish what my father started, Mankind, and tonight I'm going to kick your ass!" Upon hearing this challenge, Mankind and DX couldn't stop laughing.

The first match of the evening featured Gangrel against Al Snow. After several moves and countermoves, the leader of the J.O.B. Squad was able to pick up Gangrel for the Snow Plow and get the win! However, just after the match, the lights went out and all three members of the Brood attacked Snow. When the lights came back on, it was clear that Snow was the victim of another bloodbath!

The Intercontinental Championship was on the line as Billy Gunn took on Ken Shamrock! Shamrock attempted a hurricarana, but Billy wiggled his way out of it and pinned the champion. According to the ring announcer, Billy Gunn was the new Intercontinental Champion, but Commissioner Michaels came down to the ring and pointed out that he had never said it was a title match. Michaels said the only person who said the match was for the title was the ring announcer, and his opinion "doesn't mean squat". Therefore, Gunn won the match, but Shamrock retained the title!

Next up, Hawk came down to the ring to reveal "the deep dark little secret of Droz and mine". And what a secret it was--Hawk announced that when he was suffering from his addiction, he was getting his supply from Droz! As he put it, "you were the dope pusher and I was the dope"! He promised that when he heals up, he is going to "discipline the hell" out of Droz! Just then, Droz hit the ring, and when Hawk turned his back, Droz attacked him! Animal came out and pushed Droz away, and Animal stood in the ring trying to sort out the events.

After Steve Blackman seemed to end the Blue Blazer mystery last week, things got even more confusing this week. Blackman was scheduled to take on the Blazer, and after the masked superstar entered the ring, Owen Hart came out to join Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler for guest commentary! Owen insisted that it wasn't him under the mask last week--but the "tape was doctored". When Cole continued to insist that Owen was under the mask last week, the Calgary native got upset and went into the ring to attack Blackman! But Goldust came out to even the odds. Together, Goldust and Blackman pulled the mask off this week's Blazer to reveal … Jeff Jarrett!

In another match set up by Shane McMahon and Commissioner Michaels, the Road Dog took on Hardcore Champion the Big Boss Man. Before the match got underway, Road Dog told the champion that "it's too bad your too chicken @#$% to put that title on the line"! This infuriated the champion, who agreed to put the Hardcore Title up for grabs! In the falls-count-anywhere, no-holds-barred match, the superstars used the steel steps, a five-gallon bucket, a steel tray, a broom, an electric fan, a noose and the Boss Man's belt to assault each other! As they battled out into the crowd, Mankind appeared, threw a net over the head of the champion, and clobbered him with a nightstick. The Boss Man's tooth appeared to come flying out, and he was knocked cold! Road Dog covered him and became the new Hardcore Champion!

The next battle could not really be called a match in traditional terms. The Acolytes took on Bob Holly and Scorpio of the J.O.B. Squad. The referee could not control Faarooq and Bradshaw, however, and he disqualified them! The J.O.B. Squad won the match, but after absorbing serious punishment from the Acolytes, the J.O.B'ers were in no mood to celebrate!

Though his father warned him not to let his ego get out of control, Shane McMahon stepped into the ring with Mankind! Shane got in one left hand to the Deranged One's face, and the Mankind even handed him a chair to use--neither of which affected the Boiler Room Dweller! The stooges tried to come to the aid of the Corporate Son, but to no avail. When Mankind pulled out Mr. Socko and slapped on the Mandible Claw, the Corporation came to his aid. But out of nowhere came DX to fight them off! The stooges finally pulled Shane from the ring, but not until after X-Pac had hit him with the Bronco Buster!

The next match was scheduled to be D'Lo Brown and Mark Henry against the Headbangers, but backstage "Sexual Chocolate" was tied up--literally--and was feeling the wrath of Terri Runnels and Jacqueline! So D'Lo went at it alone against the former Tag Team Champions, who finished off the former European Champion with a flapjack. After the match, Mark Henry came out, wearing only his silk boxer shorts, but he got no sympathy from D'Lo.

The final match of the night ordered by Commissioner Michaels was a tag team encounter featuring Triple H and X-Pac against The Rock and Test, who was making his World Wrestling Federation in-ring debut. Before the match got underway, Michaels tried to order the other members of DX back to the locker room. But Mr. McMahon, who had arrived at the arena just a few minutes before, came out and said "in the spirit of the Holidays" DX should be allowed to stay. The Commissioner did not seem to understand what the owner was thinking. But it turned out Mr. McMahon had a plan. At the end of the match, the lights went out and Kane appeared! But he shocked everyone when he chokeslammed each member of DX! Apparently the owner's "Christmas bonus" for the corporation was a Big Red Machine!