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Post by darbicus on Nov 10, 2022 13:09:28 GMT 1
WWF SummerslamAugust 3, 1997Continental Airlines ArenaEast Rutherford, NJ*Free-For-All: The Patriot d. Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart by Pinfall
The All-American Patriot, Del Wilkes, had had a meteoric rise to the top of the WWF, even scoring an upset victory over Bret Hart on an episode of Raw (albeit with help from Shawn Michaels). He continued this winning streak against The Anvil, picking up a victory following a top rope shoulder tackle called the Patriot Missile. *Hunter Hearst Helmsley w/Chyna d. Mankind in a Steel Cage Match
The issue between Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Mankind finally reached an apex after months of fighting throughout arenas and with each other, setting up this rubber match between the two inside a Steel Cage. Despite the stipulation, Chyna still found ways to get involved, most notably smashing the cage in Mankind's face when Foley attempted to crawl out of the cage door. The match was a back and forth affair until Mankind seemingly had the match won. He started climbing the cage but, in an ode to Snuka diving off the cage against Muraco, removed his mask and ripped his shirt to indicate his "transformation" to Dude Love before diving off and hitting Helmsley with an elbow. Mankind then tried to climb up the cage again, but Chyna, having knocked out the referee, ran into the cage and pulled the unconscious Helmsley out the door first, technically giving the win to the unconscious blueblood.
*Sabu, Rob Van Dam & Jerry "The King" Lawler Wrestled The Sandman, Tommy Dreamer & Terry Funk w/Paul Heyman to a No Contest
For months on commentary Jerry "The King" Lawler had been lamenting the existence of ECW, Extreme Championship Wrestling. He had found allies in the form of Rob Van Dam and Sabu of ECW, and had made several appearances on ECW television. A six man tag was set with Lawler, Van Dam and Sabu teaming against a contingent of ECW stars in The Sandman, Tommy Dreamer and ECW champion Terry Funk. The match, however, never really got underway, as the six men simply started battling each other before the bell rang, using weapons and other nearby plunder to simply beat the snot out of each other, brawling up the ring. The only semblance of a match was between Lawler and Heyman, as The King hit Heyman a few times before being confronted by Funk, who Piledrove Lawler onto a chair and then stood tall with Paul E.
*The Rock d. Ahmed Johnson by Pinfall
At the previous month's In Your House show, Rocky Maivia had turned on his partner Ahmed Johnson and joined the Nation of Domination. Taking the nickname "The Rock" and shedding away his previous identity, Rocky agreed to face the angered Pearl River Powerhouse at Summerslam. Ahmed came out guns blazing and dominated the early part of the match, but The Rock used underhanded tactics to take his momentum away. Rock hit a high cross body for a near two count, but that seemed to awaken Ahmed, as he hit a massive spinebuster to set up for the Pearl River Plunge. Ahmed even managed to fight off the members of the Nation at ringside. However before he could hit the move, Rocky countered and hit a modified slam he called the Rock Bottom to Ahmed to pick up the victory.
*Brian Pillman d. Goldust w/Marlena by Pinfall to Win the WWF European Title
Brian Pillman had made a growing feud with Goldust personal by pointing out that Pillman had once dated Marlena (real name Terri Runnels) before she got together with Goldust, calling her Pillman's "Sloppy Seconds." This enraged the European champion, who challenged Pillman to a title match at Summerslam. Pillman continued to play mind games with Goldust and took advantage of the match throughout most of the action, but Goldust finally countered and assumed control. The referee took a tumble late in the match, and Goldust set up Pillman for what he called "Shattered Dreams", which was a hard kick to the nether regions of the prone Pillman. However to the shock of everyone, Marlena got in the ring instead and drilled Goldust low before slapping him with a loaded purse. Pillman then hit a DDT on Goldust and awoke the referee, before pinning the Bizarre One, winning the European Title, and leaving with Marlena on his shoulder.
*The British Bulldog d. Ken Shamrock by Disqualification
The British Bullog and the World's Most Dangerous Man had made a wager for their Summerslam match, where the loser would be forced to eat a can of dog food. However things never got that far, as Bulldog and Shamrock's match quickly devolved into a slugfest that ended in a disqualification when, after Bulldog scooped out some of the dog food and threw it in Shamrock's face, Ken snapped and smashed the can in the back of Bulldog's head. Shamrock then tossed Davey Boy back in the ring and hooked on an Ankle Lock, refusing to let go even as WWF officials tried to calm him down. Shamrock even suplexed a couple of them, before leaving the ring triumphant despite his loss.
*The Legion of Doom [Hawk & Animal] d. The Godwinns [Henry & Phineas Godwinn] w/Zeb Colter by Pinfall to Win the World Tag Team Titles
The Legion of Doom had entered a feud with the Godwinn family following the Hog Farmers blatantly attacking the Road Warriors on an episode of Raw, seeing them as the top threat to their WWF World Tag Team Titles. This turned out to be the right thinking, as LOD dominated much of this match, despite Zeb Colter's attempts to interfere and save his team. LOD eventually hit Henry with the Doomsday Device and picked up the win to regain the World Tag Team Titles six years after they first won them.
*Stone Cold Steve Austin d. Owen Hart by Pinfall to Win the WWF Intercontinental Title
After gaining the final deciding pinfall on Austin in the Canadian Stampede match, Owen challenged The Rattlesnake to a match for the Intercontinental Title, but with Austin being forced to "kiss Owen's ass" if he lost the match. Austin agreed. The match was evenly paced and well done technically right up until the closing moments, when Owen attempted a sitout Tombstone Piledriver on Austin, compressing his neck and temporarily paralyzing him. Owen played to the crowd while Austin tried to recover, eventually the Rattlesnake rolled up Owen from behind and got the pin to win the IC Title.
*Bret "The Hitman" Hart d. The Undertaker by Pinfall to Win the WWF Championship
Shawn Michaels was named as the Special Guest Referee for this match, as Bret attempted to become only the second man to have the WWF title 5 times in his career. The fight between the Hitman and HBK was clearly on display, despite a pre-match stipulation that if Michaels was partial during the match, he would be banned from the WWF forever. Complicating matters more was the presence of Michaels bodyguard, Rick Rude, as well as the sudden return of Paul Bearer during the match, as he began to accuse the Undertaker of being a murderer. Undertaker dispatched Bearer fairly early, but the distraction allowed the Hitman to take control of the match. Hart locked in the Sharpshooter, but much to his surprise the Phenom easily powered out of the hold. This brought out the Bulldog and Neidhart, who were looking to take out Michaels as the referee. Rick Rude earned his pay as Michaels bodyguard, chasing them away. The match reached its end when the Hitman grabbed a steel chair. Michaels pulled the chair away from Bret before he could use it on the fallen champion, which caused Bret to spit in Michaels' face. Incensed, Michaels swung the chair at the Hitman, only for Hart to duck and for Michaels to hit the Undertaker square in the head instead. The Hitman then covered the Undertaker and Shawn was forced to reluctantly count the three, giving the Hitman has 5th WWF Championship. The Hart Foundation then celebrated to end the match.
Off-Camera Title Change:
August 18: Stone Cold Steve Austin is Forced to Forefit the IC Title due to a neck injury.
August 18: Dude Love Won a 10 Man Battle Royal to Become the New Intercontinental Champion, Last Eliminating Owen Hart. |
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Post by darbicus on Nov 11, 2022 1:57:42 GMT 1
Note: The Minutemen are a rethought version of The Truth Commission. Rather than being based on South African guerillas, the group is based on an anti-government militia. Col. Schweitzer is played by Ed Wisikowski, better known as Col. DeBeers from the AWA days.
WWF Ground Zero: In Your HouseSeptember 7, 1997Louisville, GardensLouisville, KY*Free-For-All: Flash Funk d. Billy Gunn by Pinfall
The Free-For-All match saw Flash Funk rather easily defeat Billy Gunn. However, while he was celebrating, Funk was blindsided by Jesse James Armstrong of all people. After putting the boots to Funk, Jesse James, now calling himself the Road Dogg, made a proposal to Gunn to form a tag team. Billy agreed and the two left together as Funk was still laying on the ground unconscious.
*Brian Pillman w/Terri d. Scott Putski by Disqualification to Retain the European Title
The European Champion Brian Pillman and his new mistress Terri (dressed in far more provacative outfits than she had been as Marlena) had showcased several rather risque videos in the weeks following the Summerslam match with Goldust, with Terri especially saying she wanted to be with a "real man" as opposed to "whatever the hell Goldust is." This title defense against second generation star Scott Putski didn't last very long, as Goldust (or rather the real life individual playing Goldust, Dustin Rhodes) came stalking down to ringside with a purpose. He assaulted Pillman with a chair, attempting to cripple the European champion once again by targeting his ankle. However, Terri was able to distract Dustin long enough for Pillman to clip Rhodes' knee and then escape with his title.
*The Minutemen [Recon & Sniper] w/Col. Schweitzer & The Interrogator d. The Headbangers [Mosh & Thrasher] by Pinfall
A new tag team calling themselves the Minutemen had debuted in recent weeks and had been on a winning streak. The main grouping of Recon and Sniper were tough enough as it is, but added to this was the presence of the seven foot Interrogator, who liberally interjected himself into their matches. Against the former tag team champions of The Headbangers, the Minutemen were surprisingly able to handle themselves and rather easily won the match with a combination suplex and cross body block double team move.
*The Legion of Doom [Hawk & Animal] d. Faarooq & The Rock by Disqualification to Retain the World Tag Team Titles
The Nation challenged LOD for the World Tag Team Titles, with the leader of the Nation and his new protege forming a formidable team. With Faarooq able to match the power of the LOD, they were able to work over Animal moreso than most other tag teams could manage. Things were made easier by the appearance of the Godwinns, who attacked Hawk from behind with metal slop buckets, nearly knocking him out. The Rock and Faarooq nearly scored a winning fall several times, but Animal was able to power out each time and eventually rallied to make the tag to Hawk. The Roadwarriors took control of the match and set up Rocky for the Doomsday Device, only for the rest of the Nation to hit the ring and attack the champions, resulting in a DQ. LOD cleared house and even hit the Doomsday Device on D'Lo to stand tall.
*Owen Hart, The British Bulldog & Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart d. Vader, Ken Shamrock & Dude Love by Pinfall in a Flag Match
Three members of the Hart Foundation fought against three unlikely wrestlers in a Flag Match, in which the winner would be allowed to hoist their countries flag high above the ring. Vader had fired Jim Cornette as his manager, turning face in the process and fighting for the USA, while Shamrock's continuing feud with Bulldog and IC Champion Dude Love having beaten Owen for the title led to their inclusion as Team USA. Despite not being united before, the Americans actually showed a good amount of teamwork, though Dude was eventually isolated in the Hart's corner and worked over. Foley eventually made the tag to Vader who cleaned house and set up his former Camp Cornette teammate The British Bulldog for a Powerbomb. The Anvil made the save though as the match devolved into a mess. Dude hit The Bulldog with a Double Arm DDT, only for Owen to drill Dude Love in the back of the head with the IC Title belt behind the referee's back, leading to the pinfall victory for the Hart Foundation, who afterwards celebrated with the Canadian Flag.
*Bret "The Hitman" Hart d. The Patriot by Submission to Retain the WWF Championship
The Patriot had scored a huge upset over Bret Hart prior to Summerslam (albeit with help from Shawn Michaels), which caused WWF Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter to name him as the #1 contender to the WWF Championship following Bret's title victory at that event. Del Wilkes, the man behind the mask of the Patriot, claimed that he was fighting for the honor of the United States as much as he was the WWF Title, taking umbridge to the anti-American, pro-Canadian things that the Hitman had espoused since his heel turn back in March. The match itself saw The Patriot fight with everything he had against the Hitman, but the 5-time WWF Champion was more than a match for the unlikely challenger, eventually beating him with the Sharpshooter to retain the title.
*The Undertaker d. Shawn Michaels w/Rick Rude by Disqualification
In this first ever Pay Per View meeting between two of the longest tenured athletes in the WWF, The Undertaker was out for revenge for Shawn Michaels costing him the WWF Championship. HBK did everything in his power to avoid a direct confrontation with the Phenom, using his bodyguard Rick Rude to keep him at bay and prevent the Deadman from stalking him. Rude, for his part, ate a Chokeslam for his troubles, but the distraction allowed Michaels to take control and attack Undertaker from behind, wearing him down by targeting his knee. Undertaker resumed a vertical base though, and had Michaels on the ropes, when from out of the back came the unlikely duo of Chyna and Hunter Hearst Helmsley. The Blueblood and HBK were known backstage friends, and this now played out on screen, as Chyna directly attacked Undertaker, resulting in the blatant DQ. Undertaker attempted to Tombstone the Amazon, but he took a Sweet Chin Music from Michaels followed by a Pedigree from Triple H. The two walked out seemingly content with their actions until Undertaker suddenly sat up, leaving the heels to scurry away as the Deadman moved in pursuit to close the show. |
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Post by darbicus on Nov 11, 2022 12:19:22 GMT 1
WWF One Night OnlySeptember 20, 1997NEC ArenaBirmingham, England*The New Blackjacks [Bradshaw & Windham] d. The Headbangers [Mosh & Thrasher] by Pinfall
A standard tag team match for positioning to open the show, as Bradshaw pins Mosh following a Clothesline from Hell.
*Tiger Ali Singh w/Tiger Jeet Singh d. Bart Gunn by Pinfall
The sun of famed international star Tiger Jeet Singh, Tiger Ali Singh made his official WWF debut against former tag champion Bart Gunn. Despite being green as a competitor, Singh looked impressive in victory over the former Smoking Gunn, pinning him after a solid looking DDT.
*Dude Love d. D'Lo Brown by Pinfall to Retain the WWF Intercontinental Title
Dude Love was originally scheduled to defend the Intercontinental Title against an unknown member of the Nation, assumed to be The Rock. However instead it was D'Lo Brown who stepped up to challenge for the belt with the rest of the Nation surrounding the ring. Despite the numbers game being at his disadvantage, the champion was able to fight off the Nation and hit D'Lo with "Sweet Shin Music" before following up with a Double Arm DDT and picking up the pinfall.
*Dustin Rhodes d. Brian Pillman w/Terri in a Texas Bullrope Match [Non-Title]
Having cast aside his Goldust gimmick for the time being, Dustin Rhodes returned to the roots of his father, Dusty Rhodes, and challenged European Champion Brian Pillman to a Bullrope Match. The match was a hard hitting affair more akin to something found in old time southern wrestling than modern day WWF, with both men being busted open on account of the Bullrope. In the end Dustin was able to gain some measure of revenge against Pillman after choking him out with the bullrope, causing the champion to pass out and the referee to stop the match.
*The Patriot d. Doug Furnas w/Phil LaFon by Pinfall
The duo of Furnas and LaFon were tangentially connected to the Hart Foundation on account of being Pro-Canadian/Anti-American and had teamed with the group back in July in the Canadian Stampede match. They had also attacked The Patriot backstage prior to Del Wilkes WWF championship match with Bret Hart at the previous month's Ground Zero. The Patriot fought off a 2 on 1 advantage and hit Furnas with a Full Nelson Slam to pick up the victory.
*The Legion of Doom [Hawk & Animal] d. The Godwinns [Henry & Phineas Godwinn] w/Zeb Colter by Pinfall to Retain the WWF World Tag Team Titles
This match was fought under Texas Tornado rules with all four men in the ring at once. The Godwinns also had the advantage of their manager, Zeb Colter, at ringside as well. However this advantage eventually turned against the former champions, as Colter inadvertently hit Henry with his branding iron, turning the tables of the match in favor of LOD, who eventually hit Phineas with the Doomsday Device to pick up the win and retain the titles.
*Bret "The Hitman" Hart d. The Undertaker by Pinfall to Retain the WWF Championship
In a rematch from Summerslam, The Undertaker challenged Bret Hart again for the WWF Title. Without the antics of Shawn Michaels as the Special Guest Referee or the presence of the Hart Foundation at ringside, the two had a classic back and forth match, with neither man giving an inch. The Hitman even nearly got the Phenom to tap out to the Sharpshooter at one point, before the Undertaker was able to grab the ropes. Undertaker looked to have the match won, signaling for the Tombstone Piledriver, when Paul Bearer once again sauntered down to ringside, speaking about the impending arrival of the Undertaker's brother Kane. Undertaker grabbed Paul Bearer on the apron, when suddenly fire shot out from the turnbuckles, startling the Phenom. This distraction allowed The Hitman to score an inside cradle and pin the Undertaker to retain the WWF Title.
*Shawn Michaels & Hunter Hearst Helmsley w/Chyna & Rick Rude d. Owen Hart & The British Bulldog by Pinfall
After saving Michaels at Ground Zero, Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Chyna had formed an alliance with Rick Rude and Shawn Michaels that collectively called themselves D-Generation X. DX was in enemy territory against the home country of The British Bulldog and his brother-in-law Owen Hart, but for much of the match were able to isolate Owen and keep the Hart Foundation at bay. The arena erupted with cheers when The British Bulldog came into the match, but it quickly turned sour after Chyna hit Davey Boy with a low blow, stopping his momentum. This led to Helmsley hitting a Pedigree on the Bulldog and Michaels hitting a top rope elbow before scoring a pin on the two, DX escaping to a chorus of boos to close UK exclusive show.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
September 29- The Great Sasuke Stripped of the Light Heavyweight Title due to kayfabe injury (in reality it was due to contract expiration). |
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Post by darbicus on Nov 12, 2022 3:26:47 GMT 1
WWF Badd Blood: In Your HouseOctober 5, 1997Kiel CenterSt. Louis, MO*Free-For-All: TAKA Michinoku d. Devon Storm by Pinfall with a Michinoku Driver
This was a first round match in a tournament to crown a new Light Heavyweight Champion
*The New Age Outlaws [Road Dogg & Bad Ass Billy Gunn] d. Los Boricuas [Savio Vega & Miguel Perez, Jr.] by Pinfall with Billy Gunn pinning Savio after a Fame-Ass-Er
*Dustin Rhodes d. Doug Furnas w/Phil LaFon by Pinfall with a Curtain Call
This match was initially scheduled to be against Brian Pillman for the European Title. However that changed when Pillman was discovered dead in his hotel room.
*Owen Hart d. Dude Love by Pinfall to Win the WWF Intercontinental Title after outside interference
Owen Hart won after Steve Austin returned and unexpectedly hit Dude Love with a steel chair shot.
*The Legion of Doom & Ken Shamrock d. Faarooq, The Rock & Kama w/D'Lo Brown by Pinfall with Shamrock pinning Kama after a belly-to-belly suplex
After the match, the Nation attacked all three men, but were eventually chased away by a returning Ahmed Johnson.
*Bret "The Hitman" Hart d. Vader by Pinfall with a roll up to Retain the WWF Championship
Bret won the match following a distraction from The British Bulldog, which stopped Vader from hitting the Hitman with a Power Bomb. After the match Vader was saved by The Patriot, who chased the Hart Foundation away.
*Shawn Michaels d. The Undertaker by Pinfall in a Hell in a Cell Match after outside interference
Kane made his long prophesized debut with Paul Bearer, attacking the Undertaker after the Phenom had Michaels set up for the Tombstone Piledriver. Kane hit one of his own and left Undertaker lying, as Triple H crept into the broken cell and moved the motionless HBK over the Phenom's prone body so the referee could make the 3 count.
Off-Camera Title Change:
Oct 5: European Title Vacated Following the Death of Brian Pillman
October 20: Triple H d. The British Bulldog to Win the Vacant European Title |
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Post by darbicus on Nov 12, 2022 10:18:44 GMT 1
WWF Survivor SeriesNovember 9, 1997Molson CentreMontreal, Quebec, Canada*Free-For-All: The Minutemen [Recon, Sniper, The Interrogator & Col. Schweitzer] d. Scott Putski, Bart Gunn, "Marvelous" Marc Mero & Flash Funk w/Sable in a Survivor Series Match
- The Interrogator d. Bart Gunn by Submission
- The Interrogator d. Scott Putski by Pinfall
- "Marvelous" Marc Mero Was Counted Out
- The Interrogator d. Flash Funk by Pinfall
Survivors: The Minutemen
*The Nation of Domination [Faarooq, The Rock, Kama & D'Lo Brown] d. The Legion of Doom [Hawk & Animal], Ahmed Johnson & Ken Shamrock in a Survivor Series Match
- Ken Shamrock d. D'Lo Brown by Submission
- Ken Shamrock d. Kama by Submission
- Ken Shamrock Was Disqualified
- Faarooq d. Ahmed Johnson by Pinfall
- The Rock d. Hawk by Pinfall
- The Rock d. Animal by Pinfall
Survivors: Faarooq & The Rock
*Kane w/Paul Bearer d. Mankind by Pinfall with a Tombstone Piledriver
Mankind attempted to use several weapons to his advantage, but nothing would faze Kane as he no sold all of Foley's offense. After the Tombstone, Kane chokeslammed Mankind through the French announce table to add further insult to injury.
*The New Age Outlaws [Road Dogg & Bad Ass Billy Gunn] & The New Blackjacks [Windham & Bradshaw] d. The Headbangers [Mosh & Thrasher] & Los Boricuas [Savio Vega & Miguel Perez, Jr.]
- Bradshaw d. Miguel Perez, Jr. by Pinfall
- Savio Vega d. Windham by Pinfall
- Bad Ass Billy Gunn d. Mosh by Pinfall
- Bradshaw d. Thrasher by Pinfall
- Savio Vega d. Bradshaw by Pinfall
- Road Dogg d. Savio Vega by Pinfall
Survivors: The New Age Outlaws
*TAKA Michinoku d. Brian Christopher by Pinfall after a Michinoku Driver to Win the WWF Light Heavyweight Title
This was the finals in the Light Heavyweight Title tournament.
*Stone Cold Steve Austin d. Owen Hart by Pinfall after a Stone Cold Stunner to Win the WWF Intercontinental Title
In the build to this match, Austin stunned Vince McMahon for the first time after being forced to sign a liability waiver in order to be reinstated, leading to his temporary arrest and signifying the beginning of his long feud with the Mr. McMahon character.
*The British Bulldog, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, Doug Furnas & Phil LaFon d. Vader, The Patriot, Steve Blackman & Dustin Rhodes in a Survivor Series Match
- Vader d. Phil LaFon by Pinfall
- The British Bulldog d. The Patriot by Pinfall
- Doug Furnas d. Steve Blackman by Pinfall
- Dustin Rhodes d. Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart by Pinfall
- Vader d. Doug Furnas by Pinfall
- The British Bulldog d. Dustin Rhodes by Pinfall
- The British Bulldog d. Vader by Pinfall
Survivor: The British Bulldog
*Shawn Michaels w/Rick Rude d. Bret "The Hitman" Hart by 'Submission' to Win the WWF Championship
Michaels won after hooking Bret in the Sharpshooter, and Mr. McMahon immediately calling for the bell, resulting in the infamous Montreal Screwjob.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
November 17: The New Age Outlaws d. The Legion of Doom to Win the World Tag Team Titles |
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Post by darbicus on Nov 12, 2022 12:42:28 GMT 1
WWF D-Generation X: In Your HouseDecember 7, 1997Springfield Civic CenterSpringfield, MA*Free-For-All: Gangrel w/Luna Vachon d. Flash Funk by Pinfall with an Impaler DDT
*Jeff Jarrett w/Jim Cornette d. Vader by Pinfall following a shot with Brass Knuckles
Jeff Jarrett had made his return to the WWF following an 18 month absence at the end of October, brought in by Jim Cornette to bring back "family values" to the increasingly "vulgar" WWF Attitude product. However Jarrett entered a feud with Cornette's last charge, Vader. In this match, Vader seemingly had it won until Cornette provided a distraction, hitting Vader in the back with the tennis racket which shattered on impact. Cornette got on his knees to plead with Vader, who gorilla pressed his former manager into the air and slammed him to the mat. While the referee got Cornette's corpse out of the ring, Jarrett reached into his tights and pulled out a set of brass knuckles, which he used to KO Vader behind the referee's back, before getting the pin.
*Kane w/Paul Bearer d. The Patriot by Pinfall
As The Undertaker continued to refuse to fight his brother Kane, the Big Red Machine continued to destroy anything in his path. On Raw he had unmasked Del Wilkes and set his mask on fire, with Paul Bearer saying that Wilkes wearing a mask was an "insult to people like Kane who had to wear one." In this match Kane destroyed Wilkes, finishing him off with a Tombstone. After the match it appeared that, courtesy of a can of gasoline, Kane would set The Patriot on fire, only for the lights to go out, The Undertaker's signature gong to hit, and then when the lights came back up The Patriot was at the entryway with The Undertaker watching over him, having saved The Patriot from a terrible fate.
*The Rock & Roll Express [Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson] d. The Godwinns [Henry & Phineas], The Headbangers [Mosh & Thrasher], Doug Furnas & Phil LaFon, Los Boricuas [Savio Vega & Miguel Perez, Jr.], The Minutemen [Recon & Sniper] w/Col. Schweitzer & The New Blackjacks [Windham & Bradshaw] in a Tag Team Gauntlet Match
- The Minutemen d. Los Boricuas by Pinfall
- The Minutemen d. The Godwinns by Pinfall
- The Headbangers d. The Minutemen by Pinfall
- The New Blackjacks d. The Headbangers by Pinfall
- The Rock & Roll Express d. The New Blackjacks by Disqualification
- The Rock & Roll Express d. Doug Furnas & Phil LaFon by Pinfall
As a result, The Rock & Roll Express earned a Tag Team Title Match at the Royal Rumble
*Triple H w/Chyna d. Dustin Rhodes by Pinfall with a Pedigree to Retain the European Title
After the match, Commissioner Slaughter came out to try and reverse the decision due to Chyna's blatant low blow behind the referee's back, but Triple H disregarded him and left with Chyna. Later in a backstage segment, Triple H was thrown out of the building by security just prior to the WWF title main event.
*The Legion of Doom [Hawk & Animal] d. The New Age Outlaws [Road Dogg & Bad Ass Billy Gunn] by Disqualification [The Outlaws Retain the World Tag Team Titles]
The Outlaws got themselves intentionally disqualified by using steel chairs on the LOD in order to keep the titles. After the match though, both Gunn and Road Dogg ate a separate Doomsday Device from the Road Warriors.
*Stone Cold Steve Austin d. Faarooq by Pinfall to Retain the WWF Intercontinental Title
Austin was originally set to defend the title against The Rock, who suddenly complained of having "a sudden bout of kidney stones". Instead, The Rock offered Faarooq as a replacement opponent for Austin, much to the surprise of the leader of the Nation. Austin then proceeded to defeat Faarooq (who was dressed in street clothes and unprepared to wrestle) rather easily, stunning him after about 8 minutes to pick up the win. After the match, Austin stunned the rest of the Nation, including The Rock.
*Shawn Michaels w/Chyna d. Ken Shamrock by Pinfall to Retain the WWF Championship
Prior to the match The New Age Outlaws viciously attacked Ken Shamrock, acting as hired guns for the WWF Champion Shawn Michaels. The World's Most Dangerous Man tried to make a go of it, but clearly was in no condition to compete, and Michaels had little difficulty in defeating Shamrock with Sweet Chin Music to retain the title. Afterwards however, Commissioner Slaughter came out and said that we would have a "legitimate title match" on the Pay Per View, ordering Michaels to defend his title again against a "hand-picked opponent."
*Owen Hart d. Shawn Michaels w/Chyna by Submission to Win the WWF Championship
While Michaels argued with Slaughter from afar, Owen Hart came out of the crowd and blindsided the champion, with Slaughter ordering the bell to be rung. Owen tossed Chyna out of the ring and then laid into Shawn with reckless abandon, before locking him in the Sharpshooter in the center of the ring and picking up the impromptu victory, becoming WWF Champion.
Off-Camera Title Change:
December 8: Chyna Stripped of the WWF Women's Title for lack of title defenses
December 8: Stone Cold Steve Austin forefits the Intercontinental Title to The Rock to focus on the Royal Rumble, rather than defend it per the order of Mr. McMahon
December 22: Sable d. Luna Vachon to win the WWF Women's Title
December 22: Shawn Michaels d. Owen Hart to win the WWF Championship
January 12: Owen Hart d. Triple H to win the WWF European Title |
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Post by darbicus on Nov 12, 2022 19:09:21 GMT 1
Note: You may have noticed that the last few events have been shorter on the exposition. I'm trying to find the right mix right now of detailing storylines going in without sounding redundant on the matches themselves. Let me know what you think.WWF Royal RumbleJanuary 18, 1998San Jose ArenaSan Jose, CA*Gangrel w/Luna Vachon d. "Marvelous" Marc Mero w/Sable by Pinfall with the Impaler DDT
Sable and Mero's argument, combined with Luna attacking the Women's Champion, provided enough of a distraction for Gangrel to spit the Red Mist into the eyes of Mero and then hit the Impaler to pick up the victory.
*The Rock d. Ken Shamrock by Disqualification to Retain the WWF Intercontinental Title
Shamrock was initially declared the winner and new Intercontinental Champion, but that was after The Rock had used some brass knuckles and then planted the evidence on Shamrock. When the referee discovered the knucks on Shamrock, he assumed that the World's Most Dangerous Man had used them and then reversed his decision, leaving Shamrock to snap and attack the referee while The Rock escaped with his title.
*The New Age Outlaws [Road Dogg & Bad Ass Billy Gunn] d. The Rock & Roll Express [Robert Gibson & Ricky Morton] & The Legion of Doom [Hawk & Animal] by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles
LOD managed to enter this match courtesy of scoring a victory over The Rock & Roll Express on Raw. However the Outlaws used the confusion incumbent in a Triple Threat match to sneak away with a victory, with Gunn rolling up Morton to pick up the victory.
*TAKA Michinoku d. Too Much ["Too Sexy" Brian Christopher & Scott "Too Hot" Taylor] by Pinfall to Retain the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship
TAKA agreed to put the Light Heavyweight title on the line against both Christopher and Taylor in exchange for the contractual stipulation that Christopher wouldn't receive another title shot should he be victorious. TAKA won with a Michinoku Driver on Taylor to pick up the victory and dethrone the Prince of the Lightheavyweights seemingly forever.
*Stone Cold Steve Austin Won the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match
The match started with Marc Mero and Cactus Jack at numbers 1 and 2 respectively, though that would be far from the last time we'd see Mick Foley this night. Both Mankind and Dude Love would make appearances at times. Everyone in the match was gunning for Steve Austin, as he had made it his mission to attack everyone in the match throughout the weeks leading up to the Rumble. In the end it came down to Triple H and Stone Cold, with Austin eliminating the DX member last to advance to the main event of Wrestlemania XIV.
*Shawn Michaels d. The Undertaker & Owen Hart in a Triple Threat Casket Match to Retain the WWF Championship
Before the match even began, Triple H attacked Owen Hart on the entry ramp, leaving him lying and seemingly out of the match, making the Casket Match mostly down to The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. In the build to the match it seemed as if Kane and The Undertaker had set aside their differences, much to the chagrin of Paul Bearer. Towards the end of the match Owen came back out and stopped Michaels from winning, but was unable to close the lid himself to pick up the victory either. Eventually Kane showed up to clear out both Michaels and Owen, only to turn on his brother and throw Undertaker in the casket, with HBK quickly closing the lid to technically pick up the victory. Kane and Paul Bearer then wheeled the casket up to the entryway and set it on fire, seemingly destroying the Undertaker once and for all to close out the show.
Royal Rumble Entry/Exit Order (2:00 Intervals)
1. "Marvelous" Marc Mero
2. Cactus Jack
3. Terry Funk
- "Marvelous" Marc Mero Eliminated #1 by Cactus Jack
4. The Patriot
5. Phineas Godwinn
6. The Rock
7. The Interrogator
- Cactus Jack Eliminated #2 by Terry Funk
8. Headbanger Mosh
- The Patriot Eliminated #3 by The Rock
9. Jeff Jarrett
- The Interrogator Eliminated #4 by The Rock
10. 8-Ball
- Headbanger Mosh Eliminated #5 by Jeff Jarrett
11. Skull
12. Ahmed Johnson
- 8-Ball Eliminated #6 by Ahmed Johnson
- Skull Eliminated #7 by Ahmed Johnson
- Ahmed Johnson Eliminated #8 by The Rock
13. Barry Windham
14. Mankind
- Terry Funk Eliminated #9 by Mankind
15. D'Lo Brown
16. Flash Funk
- Mankind Eliminated #10 by The Rock
17. Stone Cold Steve Austin
- Phineas Godwinn Eliminated #11 by Stone Cold Steve Austin
18. Bradshaw
- Barry Windham Eliminated #12 by Bradshaw
19. Henry Godwinn
20. Triple H
- D'Lo Brown Eliminated #13 by Stone Cold Steve Austin
21. Scott Putski
- Scott Putski Eliminated #14 by Stone Cold Steve Austin
- Flash Funk Eliminated #15 by Jeff Jarrett
22. Mark Henry
23. Headbanger Thrasher
24. Savio Vega
- Headbanger Thrasher Eliminated #16 by Mark Henry
25. Vader
- Henry Godwinn Eliminated #17 by Stone Cold Steve Austin
26. Dustin Rhodes
- Jeff Jarrett Eliminated #18 by Stone Cold Steve Austin
28. Dude Love
- Vader Eliminated #19 by Mark Henry
- Mark Henry Eliminated #20 by Dude Love
28. Steve Blackman
29. Faarooq
- Savio Vega Eliminated #21 by Triple H
30. Ken Shamrock
- Dustin Rhodes Eliminated #22 by Faarooq
- Steve Blackman Eliminated #23 by Triple H
- Ken Shamrock Eliminated #24 by The Rock
- Bradshaw Eliminated #25 by Stone Cold Steve Austin
- Faarooq Eliminated #26 by The Rock
- The Rock Eliminated #27 by Stone Cold Steve Austin
- Dude Love Eliminated #28 by Triple H
- Triple H Eliminated #29 by Stone Cold Steve Austin
Off-Camera Title Change
February 2: Marc Mero d. Owen Hart for the European Title |
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Post by darbicus on Nov 13, 2022 2:15:19 GMT 1
Note: I'm using Jerry Lynn for a brief run as part of the ECW/WWE working relationship that still lingered at the time period. Just gonna be a short few months run though.
WWF Rivals: In Your HouseFebruary 15, 1998Compaq CenterHouston, TX*Jerry Lynn w/Too Much d. TAKA Michinoku by Pinfall to Win the WWF Lightheavyweight Title
With Brian Christopher contractually unable to challenge for the WWF Light Heavyweight Title as long as TAKA held the title, he sought outside help in trying to dethrone the Japanese sensation. The man he enlisted was ECW star Jerry Lynn, who put up a hell of a fight against TAKA. The champ hit the Michinoku Driver, but the pinfall was prevented by a distraction from Scott Taylor. This distraction allowed Christopher to sneak in and hit a low blow on the champion. An unaware Lynn then stirred and hit Taka with a Cradle Piledriver to pick up the victory.
*Ahmed Johnson & The Headbangers [Mosh & Thrasher] d. Jeff Jarrett & The New Blackjacks [Windham & Bradshaw] w/Jim Cornette by Pinfall
A standard six man tag match which saw the end of the New Blackjacks tag team, as Bradshaw abandoned Windham for the back. This left Jarrett in a three on one situation, which Ahmed Johnson took advantage of, hitting the Pearl River Plunge on the Chosen One to pick up a victory.
*Luna Vachon w/Gangrel d. Sable w/Marc Mero by Pinfall to Win the WWF Women's Title
The feud between Sable and Marc Mero, based entirely on Mero's jealousy of his own valet, saw the Marvelous One actually cost Sable the Women's Title by "inadvertently" tripping her during an Irish Whip. Luna then rolled up Sable for the win.
*Kane w/Paul Bearer d. Vader by Pinfall
The Big Red Machine continued his path of destruction after seemingly burning his brother alive inside a casket at the Royal Rumble. He defeated former WWF Champion Vader with ease, using a turnbuckle wrench after the match to bust Vader open and leave him in a pool of his own blood.
*Terry Funk d. Dude Love by Pinfall
Since arriving in the WWF, Terry Funk was seeking to bring out the best in Mick Foley, his old rival from Japan, and had challenged him to a hardcore match at this event. However Foley refused, instead offering up his more laid back alter-ego Dude Love as a substitute opponent. Despite Dude's best efforts, Funk was victorious after hitting Dude with a steel chair across the head and then piledriving him in the center of the ring.
*The Rock d. Ken Shamrock by Pinfall to Retain the WWF Intercontinental Title
Mr. McMahon ruled that this match must have a winner, following the shenanigans that the Rock had engaged in at the Royal Rumble. Complicating matters was the burgeoning feud between The Rock and Faarooq over leadership in the Nation, stoked by The Rock eliminating the latter in the Rumble match itself. During the match, Faarooq abandoned The Rock to the mercy of Shamrock, and it appeared that Shamrock would win the IC Title. However the World's Most Dangerous Man was confronted by his old UFC rival Dan "The Beast" Severn arriving at the arena, which gave The Rock enough time to hit Shamrock with the Rock Bottom and pick up the victory to retain the title.
*Stone Cold Steve Austin, Owen Hart & The Legion of Doom [Hawk & Animal] d. Triple H, Dan "The Beast" Severn & The New Age Outlaws [Road Dogg & Bad Ass Billy Gunn] w/Jim Cornette & Chyna by Pinfall
Shawn Michaels was originally advertised to be a part of this match, but was withdrawn at the last second due to a lingering severe back injury. He would be replaced by the afore mentioned Dan Severn. The match quickly devolved into an out and out brawl, but eventually Austin pinned the Road Dogg following a Stone Cold Stunner to pick up the victory. However at that moment Mike Tyson came down to ringside. Tyson had been announced as the Special Guest Enforcer for the Wrestlemania main event, and he and Austin had engaged in a near brawl the night after the Rumble when the announcement was made. Coming into this event, Tyson promised he would confront the Rattlesnake. As Austin and Tyson stared at each other, Triple H attempted to attack him with a chair, which netted Michaels' running buddy with a Stunner for his troubles. However before Austin could turn his attention back to the Baddest Man on the Planet, he was floored by a suddenly appearing Shawn Michaels, who used Sweet Chin Music to knock him out. Michaels then turned to confront Tyson himself, only to rip off his shirt and reveal a DX shirt underneath, showing that Tyson had sided with Michaels' group, leaving Austin at a severe disadvantage going into the match.
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Post by darbicus on Nov 13, 2022 12:14:35 GMT 1
WWF Wrestlemania XIVMarch 29, 1998Fleet CenterBoston, MA*Jeff Jarrett & The Midnight Express ["Hollywood" Bob Holly & "The Intrepid" Bart Gunn] w/Jim Cornette d. Dustin Rhodes & The Headbangers [Mosh & Thrasher] by Pinfall
Dustin Rhodes turned on the Headbangers in this match, allowing Holly and Gunn to hit the Rocket Launcher to pick up the victory. Rhodes would then join Cornette's "Family Values" stable along with Jarrett and the Express.
*TAKA Michinoku & Jerry Lynn d. Too Much [Scott "Too Hot" Taylor & "Too Sexy" Brian Christopher] by Pinfall
After recruiting Lynn to win the Light Heavyweight Title off of Taka, Brian Christopher was shocked when Lynn wouldn't roll over for him and allow him to win the title easily, leading to a falling out between the new champion and Too Much. Ironically Lynn teamed with his rival Taka to defeat Too Much, a bond of respect between the two competitors.
*Triple H w/Chyna d. Owen Hart by Pinfall
Per a pre-match stipulation put into the contract by Owen Hart, Chyna was handcuffed to the ring post to prevent her interference in the match. However towards the end of the match a masked man (revealed the next night to be a returning X-Pac, the former 1-2-3 Kid) came in through the crowd and knocked out the referee on the outside with the key, stealing it and uncuffing Chyna, which allowed her to hit a low blow on Owen which turned into a Pedigree for the win for Triple H.
*Cactus Jack d. Terry Funk by Pinfall in a Hardcore Match
Mick Foley finally morphed back into his most sadistic role, Cactus Jack, and this match turned into a hardcore bloodbath that ended with Jack piledriving Funk through a table on the outside to pick up the win.
*The Rock d. Faarooq by Pinfall to Retain the WWF Intercontinental Title
The night after the last Pay Per View, Faarooq was unceremoniously kicked out of the Nation of Domination, leaving The Rock the leader of Kama, D'Lo and Mark Henry (the last of these having joined in the early part of the year). Despite Faarooq's best efforts, The Rock wins this one clean with the Rock Bottom followed by the demeaning "People's Elbow."
*"Marvelous" Marc Mero & Sable d. Gangrel & Luna Vachon by Pinfall. Sable Wins the WWF Women's Title While Mero Retains the WWF European Title.
Shortly after losing the Women's Title due to Marc Mero's interference, Sable also learned that Mero had excised the automatic rematch clause from her contract, denying her a chance to get the title back from Luna. Sable countered by agreeing to a mixed tag match with Luna and Gangrel, in which both the Women's Title AND Mero's European Title would be on the line, forcing the Marvelous one to take the match seriously. Sable picked up the win for her team by hitting Luna with a TKO, winning back the Women's Title.
*Ken Shamrock w/Steve Blackman d. Dan "The Beast" Severn w/Jim Cornette by Submission in a Lion's Den Match
After costing Shamrock the Intercontinental Title, Dan Severn challenged the World's Most Dangerous Man to a "Lion's Den" match, which would operate in a similar fashion to a UFC fight inside the Octagon. Both men attempted various submission holds to try and win, in the end Shamrock locked Severn into an Ankle Lock and caused him to Tap Out, getting the victory over the Beast and a measure of revenge.
*The Undertaker d. Kane w/Paul Bearer by Pinfall
The Undertaker returned a week after the previous Pay Per View, appearing from a flaming coffin to finally confront his brother Kane and agreeing to face him at Wrestlemania. In the titanic and epic clash, Kane managed to kick out of not one but two Tombstone Piledrivers before a third one finally finished him off. Much to his dismay, Paul Bearer could only watch as Kane failed to defeat the Undertaker, though after the match Paul Bearer brought a chair into the ring and hit the exhausted Phenom, allowing Kane to hit a chokeslam and leave with the issue between the brothers still unresolved.
*The Legion of Doom [Hawk & Animal] d. The New Age Outlaws [Road Dogg & Bad Ass Billy Gunn] in a Dumpster Match to Win the World Tag Team Titles
The night after Rivals, The New Age Outlaws had attempted to end the careers of their rivals the Legion of Doom by tossing them into a dumpster and then pushing said dumpster off the stage on an episode of Raw. Despite this LOD were able to come back and challenged the champions to a Dumpster match, where the only way to win was to throw your opponents into a Dumpster. The street fight took place all over the arena, and in the end the LOD managed to get both Gunn and Dogg into separate dumpsters, locking them and then pushing them off a loading dock to regain the World Tag Team Titles.
*Stone Cold Steve Austin d. Shawn Michaels w/Chyna by Pinfall to Win the WWF Championship
With a seemingly partisan Mike Tyson patrolling the outside, Austin came into the championship match as an underdog, despite the huge amount of crowd support for him to win the title. The end came as Austin blocked Michaels' Sweet Chin Music twice before hitting a Stone Cold Stunner. Amazingly Tyson came into the ring with the referee down and counted the fall, giving the match to Austin. Afterwards Michaels confronted Tyson, who proceeded to knock out the former champion with a stiff right hand. Austin then celebrated as the show went off the air.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
March 30: The New Age Outlaws d. The Legion of Doom in a Steel Cage Match to Win the WWF World Tag Team Titles
April 13: Triple H d. "Marvelous" Marc Mero to Win the European Title |
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Post by darbicus on Nov 14, 2022 0:29:38 GMT 1
WWF The Hard Way: In Your HouseApril 26, 1998Greensboro ColiseumGreensboro, NC*X-Pac d. "Marvelous" Marc Mero by Pinfall
The former 1-2-3 Kid had returned to the WWF the night after Wrestlemania (though he revealed that he had actually returned the night before in kayfabe, as a masked man who helped Triple H defeat Owen Hart) and had arrived to supplement the suddenly dilapidated ranks of D-Generation X following Shawn Michaels departure due to injury. This return quickly paid dividends, as X-Pac again helped Triple H, this time regain the European Title against Marc Mero. In this match, X-Pac stopped the Marvelous one from gaining any kind of revenge, as he defeated him with a facebuster called the X-Factor.
*TAKA Michinoku d. Jerry Lynn, Brian Christopher & Scott Taylor by Pinfall to Win the WWF Light Heavyweight Title
In a fast paced championship match, TAKA managed to regain the Light Heavyweight Title by pinning Jerry Lynn after hitting a Michinoku Driver.
*Sable d. Luna Vachon in an Evening Gown Match to Retain the WWF Women's Title
Following Sable's title victory at Wrestlemania, Luna challenged the champion to a unique rematch, making the stipulation an evening gown match, where the only way to win was to strip down your opponent to their bra and panties. Sable did just that after hitting Luna with a Sable Bomb, and then attempted to entice the crowd by stripping off her own clothes as well, only to be stopped by Marc Mero. Sable, finally tired of Mero's interruptions, kicked him in the groin and left him laying to the delight of the crowd.
*Dustin Rhodes w/Jim Cornette d. Dude Love by Pinfall
Following Wrestlemania, Vince McMahon had seemingly embraced the "Family Values" arguments put forward by the stable of wrestlers led by Jim Cornette. One of these arguments saw him ban Mick Foley from ever being Cactus Jack again, following Foley's bloody match with Terry Funk at the Showcase of the Immortals. To try and see Cactus reinstated, another of Foley's personas, Dude Love, put his own career on the line to seek Cactus to be allowed back into the WWF, going against Cornette's newest recruit Dustin Rhodes. The match was back and forth, but timely intervention by the newly named Midnight Express of Bob Holly and Bart Gunn saw Dustin hit a Bulldog on a steel chair behind the referee's back, which allowed Rhodes to get the win and end Dude Love's run in the company (though nothing was said of Mankind at the time.)
*Ken Shamrock d. The Rock by Disqualification [Rock Retains the WWF Intercontinental Title]
This was billed as Ken Shamrock's last opportunity at the Intercontinental Champion, The Rock, and the champion took full advantage of the rules of the match, getting himself intentionally disqualified to retain the title and seemingly ensure that Ken Shamrock wouldn't see another chance at the title.
*Triple H & The New Age Outlaws [Road Dogg & Bad Ass Billy Gunn] w/Chyna d. Owen Hart & The Legion of Doom [Hawk & Animal] by Pinfall
The Legion of Doom had finally regained the tag team titles at Wrestlemania, only to have them held up the following night due to the fact that they didn't put the Outlaws in the same dumpster to win the match. As a result a Steel Cage Match was held the next night on Raw, which the Outlaws won due to help from the newly reformed D-Generation X, which the Outlaws then joined. The new group faced old enemies in LOD and Owen Hart, and DX pulled out a victory after Chyna hit a low blow on Animal and then Triple H hit a Pedigree on him, gaining the victory.
*The Undertaker d. Kane w/Paul Bearer in an Inferno Match
After their contest at Wrestlemania failed to put an end to the rivalry between The Undertaker and Kane, the two brothers agreed to meet in an Inferno Match where the winner would be the man who could set their opponent on fire. Undertaker won the match after the timely intervention of the returning Vader, whom Kane had injured two months prior, which allowed Taker to set Kane's arm on fire, sending the Big Red Machine scurrying to the back.
*Jeff Jarrett w/Jim Cornette d. Stone Cold Steve Austin by Disqualification [Austin Retains the WWF Title]
Vince McMahon was incensed with Stone Cold Steve Austin becoming the WWF Champion, seeing him as a bad representative at the corporate level. Austin flaunted against authority, especially McMahon. The night after Wrestlemania, Mr. McMahon gave Austin the choice of doing things the "easy way" or the "hard way", with Austin choosing the latter by Stunning the boss. McMahon then chose Jeff Jarrett as his new corporate champion and made a title match at this show. The match was almost called for Jarrett via submission, when McMahon attempted to recreate the Montreal Screwjob while Jarrett had Austin in the Figure-4 Leglock. However the referee refused to call for the bell. Austin then hit McMahon with a steel chair after aiming for Jarrett, knocking him out. Austin then hit Jarrett with a Stunner and picked up the pinfall victory, though officially the decision would be reversed the following night by McMahon, as he disqualified Austin for using the chair. |
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