No Way Out of Texas: In Your House
Encyclopedia
No Way Out was the twentieth pay-per-view
(PPV) event under the In Your House
name produced by the World Wrestling Federation
(WWF). It took place on February 15, 1998 at the Compaq Center in Houston, Texas. It was the first of a series of In Your House events which later became the title of annual PPVs, replacing the method at the time of making new names for all events aside from the 'Big Four' (the Royal Rumble
, WrestleMania
, SummerSlam
and the Survivor Series
) and King of the Ring
. However, because later events did not take place in Texas, it was truncated to No Way Out
and would not become a regular feature until 2000. Shawn Michaels
did not appear in the main event as advertised, owing to a severe back injury that resulted in his first retirement after the following month's WrestleMania XIV
. He was replaced by Savio Vega
.
, Sable
, receiving all the attention of the audience, Marc Mero
sought to annoy the crowd by sending Sable from ringisde and instead being accompanied by The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust who first dressed up as Sable and then later, in a nod to the popular song "The Beautiful People", as Marilyn Manson
. Metalheads and cross dressers The Headbangers
, took exception to this.
During WWF Shotgun Saturday Night
, lucha libre
fighter Pantera
was preparing for a moonsault on Brian Christopher
who managed to get up and attack Taka Michinoku, then lay him down for the moonsault. It turned out to be a ploy as the next week Christopher and Pantera tagged up against Taka and Aguila
. During the match Christopher tried to use a foreign object against Taka but it was kicked out of his hands; Pantera quickly picked it up and put it inside his mask, making use of it by tagging himself in and performing a diving head butt to take the pin.
Two Saturdays previous to the event, The Godwinns
interrupted The Quebecers
' match, causing them a loss by hitting them with a slop bucket
; the Quebecers took revenge the following week by attacking Henry
on the outside, distracting Phineas
in the win giving Savio Vega
a chance to hit a spinning heel kick and win the match.
The NWA
presence continued to be felt in the WWF, proposing respect for tradition whilst letting Jim Cornette
's tennis racket assist them in winning matches. In a match against North American Champion
Jeff Jarrett
, The New Blackjacks
found themselves torn apart when Barry Windham
mistimed a lariat and hit team-mate Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw
when trying to aid him from interference from Cornette and The Rock 'n' Roll Express. This turned out to be not so accidental as after the match he attacked Bradshaw again and declared alliance with his origins in the NWA. Windham appeared the next week without his facial hair, severing ties with Bradshaw, but after winning a match with Jeff Jarrett against Legion of Doom
, his former team mate rushed the ring and chased away the NWA contingent. Accepting a challenge from the tag team, Bradshaw revealed his ad hoc partner to be Flash Funk
who offered little assistance once the Express took him out behind the referee's back leading Bradshaw to fight an effective handicap match. Despite winning the match, he suffered a post-match beat down after being hit with Cornette's tennis racket and suffered a four-man elevated neck breaker followed by a figure-four leg lock, with the Express stretching his arms and Windham - now sporting blond hair, further separating his image with Bradshaw - striking with a running bodysplash.
At the Royal Rumble
, Ken Shamrock
was awarded the Intercontinental Championship
, defeating Rocky Maivia, in spite of The Rock using a foreign object
. However, the decision was reversed immediately after the match when Rocky told the referee it was him who had been hit with the brass knuckles and subsequently the match was re-awarded to Rocky Maivia which made Shamrock deliver a belly to belly slam on referee Mike Chioda
. Later that night, Kama Mustafa
was entering the Royal Rumble match as Ahmed Johnson
was exiting and Mustafa shoved Johnson, reigniting a longstanding feud between Johnson and the Nation of Domination
. The following week on Raw is War
a match between the Nation and Disciples of Apocalypse
went to a double disqualification. In a tag match between Rock & Faarooq and Shamrock & Chainz, outside brawling between the two gangs distracted the referee whilst Rock hit Shamrock with a steel chair to steal the match away from him.
In a Royal Rumble rematch, Vader was taking on The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust when the lights went out and Kane
interrupted, delivering a tombstone piledriver to the 450 lb wrestler. The following week, Vader returned the favor by attacking Kane in the ring, spraying him with a fire extinguisher to taunt him over his burns and to try to blind his one good eye. Paul Bearer later revealed his disgust at hearing Vader's catchphrase "It's time, it's time, it's time", and presented a Vader clock which he handed to Kane as it spontaneously set on fire.
The eight-man main event was the result of several interlinking feuds. As winner of the Royal Rumble, Steve Austin
earned the right to a WWF Championship
match at WrestleMania XIV
against incumbent Shawn Michaels
. Following the Montreal Screwjob
, Owen Hart
disappeared from WWF programming only to reappear at In Your House: D-Generation X
attacking Michaels. He then went on to attack Triple H
, demanding a European Championship
match, which Hunter declined on the grounds of a fractured kneecap injury. Hunter eventually agreed to the match on January 26's Raw is War, he actually sent down the Artist Formerly Known as Goldust (who was dressing up in various disguises each week) with the belt and Luna Vachon as Chyna. After Hart won the match, WWF Commissioner Slaughter
declared the disguise so convincing, that he upheld the decision and Owen won the belt. After tormenting the New Age Outlaws
, the hardcore tag team of Cactus Jack
and Chainsaw Charlie
opened Raw with a match to display the king of hardcore wrestling
but after Jack elbow dropped Charlie inside a dumpster the Outlaws appeared, locked the dumpster shut and wheeled it off the stage, resulting in the pair being hospitalized. The two reappeared later in the night after Austin's match with Road Dogg
ended in disqualification by virtue of interference from D-Generation X
who tied Austin up in the rings until Jack and Charlie came to his aid. The week before the event Austin stole the Championship belt and locked up Los Boricuas
, who were employed to help retrieve it. Following a stand off the ring between Austin and DX with the Outlaws, Chainsaw Charlie chainsawed his way from below the ring, appearing with Cactus Jack and Hart ran in through the crowd.
revealed at the beginning of the pay-per-view that Shawn Michaels
would not be taking part in the eight-man tag match main event due to injuries he had sustained during a casket match with The Undertaker the month before
. JR also announced that owing to the heated nature of the fight, the WWF did not want to accept any responsibility for the bout, making it an unsanctioned match.
After making their way to the ring, Marc Mero
announced there was only room for one sexy lady at ringside and sent Sable
to the back, despite the protestations of the audience. Mero's initial dominance was soon overturned by The Headbangers
fluid teamwork which included some abuse of the rules, despite not being the heel team. The tables were turned when TAFKA Goldust helped Thrasher
over the top rope and Luna Vachon opened him up
on the steel steps with the referee distracted. Sable returned during the match, making a beeline for Luna allowing the Headbangers to swap places (Mosh
having suffered a TKO from Mero) and steal a victory, playing possum, with an inside cradle. After the match Mero, Goldust and some officials had to restrain the fighting Divas. After Goldust and Luna left, Sable shoved Mero to the floor.
Sunny
made her way to the ring as the guest ring announcer. During the Light Heavyweight Championship
bout, Brian Christopher
made his way down to ringside and was invited to join the commentary team by Jerry Lawler
. Pantera and Taka Michinoku exchanged offense until Pantera was thrown out of the ring and Taka threw himself out with a springboard crossbody from the top rope. The highflying continued with Pantera delivering a diving spinning hurricarana to Michinoku from the apron to ringside before Pantera applied some submission holds including a chickenwing stretch and trying to pin him with a modified STF submission. Taka managed to kick out of a moonsault, and rolled out of a second attempt, building some attacking maneuvers until he landed the Michinoku Driver for the win. After the match Christopher went to enter the ring but as Jerry Lawler tried to stop him, Taka took both down with a crossbody to the outside of the ring and then escaped through the crowd.
The tag team
match between The Quebecers
and The Godwinns
began with lots of technical wrestling, a mixture of shoulder barges, arm twists and armbar take downs. The Godwinns isolated Jacques
, frequently double teaming him in the corner which eventually led to their undoing as the referee reprimanded Henry Godwinn
, allowing Pierre
to break the deadlock. This amounted to little though as the illegal man Henry hit Pierre with a clothesline, forced into it by Phineas Godwin
, from the apron which led to the pin. Feeling cheated, The Quebecers held their hands up in celebration after that match and were struck from behind with slop buckets for their effort.
Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw
came to the ring in Texan attire, with leather chaps, a cowboy hat and bull whip. After chasing the NWA
team, Howard Finkel
informed the crowd that aside from Cornette
, who possesses a manager's license, Jeff Jarrett
's accomplices must leave the ringside. After flailing Jarrett with the chaps the match was officially underway and before long Jarret soon left the ring for support from his manager; Bradshaw took a disliking to this and slid out of the ring, banging the pair's head together. Upon reentering the ring Jarret took the advantage with Cornette aiding him outside the ring. Midway through the match, Jarrett began to focus on Bradshaw's knee, delivering low kicks and elbow drops to it. The match began to even up when Bradshaw caught his opponent in a diving crossbody and turned it into a fall away slam. Following an exchange of fists, Jarrett suffered a powerbomb and, hoping to stall the pin, Cornette made his way to the apron. Bradshaw pulled him into the ring and Irish whipped him into Jarret after which the referee tried to remove Cornette from the ring. Believing the referee to not see, Jarrett hit Bradshaw with Cornette's tennis racket but the match was stopped by disqualification. As Mike Chioda
reprimanded Jarrett, Bradshaw stole the racket from him and struck him down and all of the NWA members who ran back to ring side, eventually giving Cornette a power slam. The NWA began to team up on Bradshaw again until Legion of Doom
ran out and helped Bradshaw chase the NWA.
The ten-man "War of Attrition" began with D'Lo Brown
taunting the audience with his fist. When Mark Henry
entered the ring, he demanded Ahmed Johnson
to be tagged, the latter picking up the 400 lb wrestler and body slamming him; Brown responded by delivering the Lo Down from over half the ring away but would later miss a moonsault on Skull. Both teams, particularly the Nation, frequently tagged all their members in and out until Rocky Maivia and Ken Shamrock
met for the second time causing all ten men to break through the ropes into the ring for a mass brawl. Eventually they all fell out to brawl at ringside, leaving Chainz
to deliver a spinebuster to Faarooq
and the legal man Shamrock struck a belly to belly slam to Maivia, following up immediately with an anklelock causing the Intercontinental champion to tap out. After the match Rock and Faarooq shared words, with The Rock shoving his leader and walking out, but Faarooq demand he return to the ring, upon which point the Nation saluted the audience with their fists.
Vader attacked Kane
before he had time to detonate his pyro, but the brawl quickly turned in the Big Red Monster's favor, isolating his opponent in the turnbuckle before suplexing him. Vader took much punishment for the beginning of the match, succumbing to a DDT before eventually fighting back, punching Kane from the turnbuckle and turning the match in his favor by kicking Kane in the groin to prevent a chokeslam attempt. Vader capitalized by slamming his opponent to the mat and then using a moonsault from which Kane almost immediately sat up. The fight went to the outside of the ring, where Vader began to spray a fire extinguisher in Kane's face, using his disorientation to powerbomb Kane. Kane once again sat up and grabbed Vader by the throat, chokeslamming him and then finishing him with a tombstone piledriver. After the match Kane struck Vader with a wrench, leading to an EMT team wheeling him out on a gurney.
The majority of wrestlers in the main event came to the ring with some form weapons, including the last-minute replacement for Shawn Michaels
: Savio Vega
. Although Austin
began the match with a Lou Thesz press on Billy Gunn
, soon everybody was in the ring attacking each other with baking trays and trash can lids. Austin soon set to work on Triple H
, strangling him with a broomhandle by the announce table while Cactus Jack
and Chainsaw Charlie
took it in turns to avenge themselves on Road Dogg
, and then helping Owen Hart
powerslam Gunn through a table and locking him with a sharpshooter. Helmsley began to brawl with Hart, the two exchanging weapon shots and ending up on the side of the ring. Soon after, Road Dogg powerbombed Charlie through two chairs, the shock of which helped the referee shape the match into a traditional tag match, in place of the bedlam style that it had previously been, although the D-Generation X
contingent frequently flouted the rules with the referee distracted to isolate Charlie who took lots of shots to the head. Cactus Jack managed to break the hold on Charlie, taking the attack to the other team with a series of double-arm DDT, smashing Billy Gunn through a table and delivering a double Mandible Claw to both Outlaws
. A Cactus clothesline, however, allowed his adversaries to take the advantage, smashing him with steel steps, with Vega wrapping Jack's hands and then face in barbed wire, before taking chair shots from every team member until he ducked, leading Gunn to strike Road Dogg. This allowed Cactus to slowly crawl over and tag in the as yet untagged Austin who came into the ring clotheslining every enemy, knocking the heads of the Outlaws together and delivering a stunner to Road Dogg, allowing him to claim a pin count and win the match, stunning Billy Gunn immediately afterwards. After Stone Cold celebrated, Chyna confronted him and prevented Austin from leaving the ring, after giving him the finger Austin gave her the stunner.
Ken Shamrock would go on to face Rocky Maivia in a singles match at WrestleMania for the Intercontinental Championship. He won the match, making Rock tap out but in his fury he would not let go of the submission hold and thus was disqualified and the title returned to Maivia.
Vader's post-match assault allowed him to take some time off for some much needed surgery while Kane had to refocus his efforts on the resurrected Undertaker. Vader would make his return at Unforgiven.
Aside from Savio Vega, the members of the main event faced each other in smaller matches at WrestleMania with Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie winning the Tag Team Championships in the first ever dumpster match, al though the decision would be upheld and the Outlaws won a rematch resulting in Charlie's departure from the WWF. Owen Hart lost his European Championship to Triple H owing to an ankle injury and some outside interference from Chyna. Similar interference prevented him from retrieving the gold at WrestleMania. Steve Austin would eventually get his hands on Shawn Michaels, who lost his WWF Championship and had to retire due to his back injury until SummerSlam 2002.
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
(PPV) event under the In Your House
In Your House
In Your House was a pay-per-view series created by the World Wrestling Federation . The original concept was that, in months when the WWF was not holding one of its major PPV events , they would offer a two-hour PPV, priced at $14.95...
name produced by the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF). It took place on February 15, 1998 at the Compaq Center in Houston, Texas. It was the first of a series of In Your House events which later became the title of annual PPVs, replacing the method at the time of making new names for all events aside from the 'Big Four' (the Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced every January by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The event was created in 1988, with its inaugural event taking place on January 24, 1988 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario...
, WrestleMania
WrestleMania
WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced annually in late March or early April by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut...
, SummerSlam
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced annually in August by professional wrestling promotion WWE. The inaugural SummerSlam took place on August 29, 1988 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York and was broadcast via pay-per-view, unlike the Royal Rumble of that...
and the Survivor Series
Survivor Series
The Survivor Series is an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view event held in November by WWE. It is one of the "Big Four" events, along with WrestleMania, Royal Rumble and SummerSlam, as It is one of the original four pay-per-views produced by WWE....
) and King of the Ring
King of the Ring
King of the Ring is a professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held by WWE. The tournament was held annually from 1985 to 2002, with the exception of 1990 and 1992, and from 1993 to 2002 the tournament was produced as a pay-per-view event....
. However, because later events did not take place in Texas, it was truncated to No Way Out
WWE No Way Out
No Way Out was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced every February by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The event was created in 1998, with its inaugural event produced as an In Your House event in February of that year. The event in 2000 was rebranded...
and would not become a regular feature until 2000. Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
did not appear in the main event as advertised, owing to a severe back injury that resulted in his first retirement after the following month's WrestleMania XIV
WrestleMania XIV
WrestleMania XIV was the fourteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on March 29, 1998 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts....
. He was replaced by Savio Vega
Savio Vega
Juan Rivera is a professional wrestler best known under the name Savio Vega. During the mid-late 1990s, he was an active wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation...
.
Background
Due to jealousy over his wife and valetManager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
, Sable
Rena Mero
Rena Marlette Mero Lesnar , better known as Sable, is an American model, actress, and former professional wrestler. She is primarily known for her stints in World Wrestling Entertainment....
, receiving all the attention of the audience, Marc Mero
Marc Mero
Marc Mero is an American retired amateur boxer and professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as Marc Mero and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Johnny B. Badd...
sought to annoy the crowd by sending Sable from ringisde and instead being accompanied by The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust who first dressed up as Sable and then later, in a nod to the popular song "The Beautiful People", as Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
. Metalheads and cross dressers The Headbangers
The Headbangers
The Headbangers is a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Mosh and Thrasher, best known for their work in the World Wrestling Federation...
, took exception to this.
During WWF Shotgun Saturday Night
WWF Shotgun Saturday Night
WWF Shotgun Saturday Night is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It aired from January 4, 1997 through August 21, 1999 as a syndicated broadcast...
, lucha libre
Lucha libre
Lucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...
fighter Pantera
Pantera (wrestler)
Francisco Javier Pozas is a Mexican professional wrestler, or luchador, who is best known under the ring name El Pantera, but has also worked as Pantera II, El Manaya, América, Tritón and TANAKA over the years...
was preparing for a moonsault on Brian Christopher
Brian Lawler
Brian Christopher Lawler is a professional wrestler. He is the son of color commentator and professional wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler and brother of wrestling referee Kevin Christian...
who managed to get up and attack Taka Michinoku, then lay him down for the moonsault. It turned out to be a ploy as the next week Christopher and Pantera tagged up against Taka and Aguila
Mr. Águila
José Seldano is a Mexican professional wrestler or luchador currently working for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre...
. During the match Christopher tried to use a foreign object against Taka but it was kicked out of his hands; Pantera quickly picked it up and put it inside his mask, making use of it by tagging himself in and performing a diving head butt to take the pin.
Two Saturdays previous to the event, The Godwinns
The Godwinns
The Godwinns was the best known gimmick of the professional wrestling tag team composed of Dennis Knight and Mark Canterbury that they used in the WWF. The team has used other gimmicks before they joined the WWF and had a gimmick change in the WWF shortly before disbanding...
interrupted The Quebecers
The Quebecers
The Quebecers were a heel professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation from mid-1993 to mid-1994 and again in 1998 that consisted of Jacques Rougeau and Pierre...
' match, causing them a loss by hitting them with a slop bucket
Bucket
A bucket, also called a pail, is typically a watertight, vertical cylinder or truncated cone, with an open top and a flat bottom, usually attached to a semicircular carrying handle called the bail. A pail can have an open top or can have a lid....
; the Quebecers took revenge the following week by attacking Henry
Mark Canterbury
Mark Canterbury is an American professional wrestler, best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Henry O. Godwinn.-Career:...
on the outside, distracting Phineas
Dennis Knight
Dennis Knight is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment as Phineas I. Godwinn and Mideon.-Career:...
in the win giving Savio Vega
Savio Vega
Juan Rivera is a professional wrestler best known under the name Savio Vega. During the mid-late 1990s, he was an active wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation...
a chance to hit a spinning heel kick and win the match.
The NWA
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
presence continued to be felt in the WWF, proposing respect for tradition whilst letting Jim Cornette
Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...
's tennis racket assist them in winning matches. In a match against North American Champion
NWA North American Heavyweight Championship
The NWA North American Heavyweight Championship is the second most prestigious title in the National Wrestling Alliance that was created in 1994 after World Championship Wrestling withdrew from the NWA. There were other versions of this title before this one was created...
Jeff Jarrett
Jeff Jarrett
Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...
, The New Blackjacks
The Blackjacks
The Blackjacks were a heel professional wrestling tag team. The team consisted of Blackjack Mulligan and Blackjack Lanza. After forming in the 1970s, they wrestled in a variety of professional wrestling promotions, including the American Wrestling Association and World Wide Wrestling Federation...
found themselves torn apart when Barry Windham
Barry Windham
Barry Clinton Windham is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and the son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan. He is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling ....
mistimed a lariat and hit team-mate Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...
when trying to aid him from interference from Cornette and The Rock 'n' Roll Express. This turned out to be not so accidental as after the match he attacked Bradshaw again and declared alliance with his origins in the NWA. Windham appeared the next week without his facial hair, severing ties with Bradshaw, but after winning a match with Jeff Jarrett against Legion of Doom
Road Warriors
The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion...
, his former team mate rushed the ring and chased away the NWA contingent. Accepting a challenge from the tag team, Bradshaw revealed his ad hoc partner to be Flash Funk
2 Cold Scorpio
Charles Scaggs is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name 2 Cold Scorpio . Scaggs has competed in Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment and Pro Wrestling Noah...
who offered little assistance once the Express took him out behind the referee's back leading Bradshaw to fight an effective handicap match. Despite winning the match, he suffered a post-match beat down after being hit with Cornette's tennis racket and suffered a four-man elevated neck breaker followed by a figure-four leg lock, with the Express stretching his arms and Windham - now sporting blond hair, further separating his image with Bradshaw - striking with a running bodysplash.
At the Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (1998)
Royal Rumble was the eleventh annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 18, 1998 at the San Jose Arena in San Jose, California....
, Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
was awarded the Intercontinental Championship
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
, defeating Rocky Maivia, in spite of The Rock using a foreign object
Brass knuckles
Brass knuckles, also sometimes called knuckles, knucks, brass knucks, or knuckledusters, are weapons used in hand-to-hand combat. Brass knuckles are pieces of metal, usually steel despite their name, shaped to fit around the knuckles...
. However, the decision was reversed immediately after the match when Rocky told the referee it was him who had been hit with the brass knuckles and subsequently the match was re-awarded to Rocky Maivia which made Shamrock deliver a belly to belly slam on referee Mike Chioda
Mike Chioda
Michael Joseph "Mike" Chioda, is a senior referee who is currently signed to WWE. While not refereeing, Chioda, as well as the other referees in WWE, help set up the arena before shows, constructing the ring and stage areas.-WWF:...
. Later that night, Kama Mustafa
Charles Wright (wrestler)
Charles Wright is an American businessman and former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation throughout the 1990s and early 2000s under the ring names Papa Shango, Kama, Kama Mustafa, The Godfather, and The Goodfather .After leaving the wrestling...
was entering the Royal Rumble match as Ahmed Johnson
Anthony Norris
Anthony "Tony" Norris , better known by his ring name, Ahmed Johnson, is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation, where he is a one time Intercontinental Champion and the first-ever winner of the Kuwait Cup.-Global Wrestling...
was exiting and Mustafa shoved Johnson, reigniting a longstanding feud between Johnson and the Nation of Domination
Nation of Domination
The Nation of Domination was a professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Federation from November 18, 1996 to November 28, 1998. The Rock was a 1 time Intercontinental Champion and D'Lo Brown was a 2 time European Champion while in the group.-United States Wrestling Association :The...
. The following week on Raw is War
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
a match between the Nation and Disciples of Apocalypse
Disciples of Apocalypse
The Disciples of Apocalypse were a biker-themed professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation in the late 1990s. The group came together from the demise of the Nation of Domination stable in June 1997 and consisted of four main members: Crush, Chainz, Skull and...
went to a double disqualification. In a tag match between Rock & Faarooq and Shamrock & Chainz, outside brawling between the two gangs distracted the referee whilst Rock hit Shamrock with a steel chair to steal the match away from him.
In a Royal Rumble rematch, Vader was taking on The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust when the lights went out and Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
interrupted, delivering a tombstone piledriver to the 450 lb wrestler. The following week, Vader returned the favor by attacking Kane in the ring, spraying him with a fire extinguisher to taunt him over his burns and to try to blind his one good eye. Paul Bearer later revealed his disgust at hearing Vader's catchphrase "It's time, it's time, it's time", and presented a Vader clock which he handed to Kane as it spontaneously set on fire.
The eight-man main event was the result of several interlinking feuds. As winner of the Royal Rumble, Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
earned the right to a WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
match at WrestleMania XIV
WrestleMania XIV
WrestleMania XIV was the fourteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on March 29, 1998 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts....
against incumbent Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
. Following the Montreal Screwjob
Montreal Screwjob
The Montreal Screwjob was a controversial, purportedly real life professional wrestling event in which the owner of the World Wrestling Federation, Vince McMahon, double-crossed the defending WWF Champion, Bret Hart, during the main event match of the professional wrestling pay-per-view event...
, Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The...
disappeared from WWF programming only to reappear at In Your House: D-Generation X
D-Generation X: In Your House
D-Generation X: In Your House was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation that took place on December 7, 1997 at the Springfield Civic Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.-WWF Light Heavyweight Championship tournament:The tournament to determine the...
attacking Michaels. He then went on to attack Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
, demanding a European Championship
WWE European Championship
The WWE European Championship was a professional wrestling championship competed for in World Wrestling Entertainment. A coveted singles title of the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was held by superstars such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, and was...
match, which Hunter declined on the grounds of a fractured kneecap injury. Hunter eventually agreed to the match on January 26's Raw is War, he actually sent down the Artist Formerly Known as Goldust (who was dressing up in various disguises each week) with the belt and Luna Vachon as Chyna. After Hart won the match, WWF Commissioner Slaughter
Sgt. Slaughter
Robert Remus , better known by his ring name Sgt. Slaughter, is an American former WWE personality and semi-retired professional wrestler. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, Slaughter had success in the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Association, and World Wrestling...
declared the disguise so convincing, that he upheld the decision and Owen won the belt. After tormenting the New Age Outlaws
New Age Outlaws
The New Age Outlaws, later known as the James Gang and the Voodoo Kin Mafia, were a professional wrestling tag team in World Wrestling Federation, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , Jersey All Pro Wrestling, and Maryland Championship Wrestling consisting of B.G...
, the hardcore tag team of Cactus Jack
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
and Chainsaw Charlie
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
opened Raw with a match to display the king of hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
but after Jack elbow dropped Charlie inside a dumpster the Outlaws appeared, locked the dumpster shut and wheeled it off the stage, resulting in the pair being hospitalized. The two reappeared later in the night after Austin's match with Road Dogg
Brian Gerard James
Brian Gerard James is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE as an agent and producer. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation as "The Road Dogg" Jesse James or simply Road Dogg...
ended in disqualification by virtue of interference from D-Generation X
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
who tied Austin up in the rings until Jack and Charlie came to his aid. The week before the event Austin stole the Championship belt and locked up Los Boricuas
Los Boricuas
Los Boricuas was a Hispanic professional wrestling heel stable in the World Wrestling Federation in the late 1990s. The name was derived from a popular nickname for Puerto Rican people, as all the stable's members were from Puerto Rico.-History:...
, who were employed to help retrieve it. Following a stand off the ring between Austin and DX with the Outlaws, Chainsaw Charlie chainsawed his way from below the ring, appearing with Cactus Jack and Hart ran in through the crowd.
Event
Jim RossJim Ross
James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand...
revealed at the beginning of the pay-per-view that Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
would not be taking part in the eight-man tag match main event due to injuries he had sustained during a casket match with The Undertaker the month before
Royal Rumble (1998)
Royal Rumble was the eleventh annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 18, 1998 at the San Jose Arena in San Jose, California....
. JR also announced that owing to the heated nature of the fight, the WWF did not want to accept any responsibility for the bout, making it an unsanctioned match.
After making their way to the ring, Marc Mero
Marc Mero
Marc Mero is an American retired amateur boxer and professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as Marc Mero and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Johnny B. Badd...
announced there was only room for one sexy lady at ringside and sent Sable
Rena Mero
Rena Marlette Mero Lesnar , better known as Sable, is an American model, actress, and former professional wrestler. She is primarily known for her stints in World Wrestling Entertainment....
to the back, despite the protestations of the audience. Mero's initial dominance was soon overturned by The Headbangers
The Headbangers
The Headbangers is a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Mosh and Thrasher, best known for their work in the World Wrestling Federation...
fluid teamwork which included some abuse of the rules, despite not being the heel team. The tables were turned when TAFKA Goldust helped Thrasher
Glen Ruth
Glen Ruth is a former American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Thrasher.-Career:Ruth trained under Larry Sharpe and debuted in 1990 as The Spider. He later became Sharpe's assistant and trained wrestlers such as the Big Show and others at Sharpe's "Monster Factory"...
over the top rope and Luna Vachon opened him up
Blading (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, blading is the practice of intentionally cutting oneself to provoke bleeding. It is also known as juicing, gigging, or drawing color. Similarly, a blade is an object used for blading, and a bladejob is a specific act of blading...
on the steel steps with the referee distracted. Sable returned during the match, making a beeline for Luna allowing the Headbangers to swap places (Mosh
Charles Warrington
Charles Warrington is an American former professional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Chaz and Mosh.-Career:Warrington began training under Larry Sharpe and Glen Ruth during the early 1990s, debuting in 1993...
having suffered a TKO from Mero) and steal a victory, playing possum, with an inside cradle. After the match Mero, Goldust and some officials had to restrain the fighting Divas. After Goldust and Luna left, Sable shoved Mero to the floor.
Sunny
Tammy Lynn Sytch
Tamara "Tammy" Lynn Sytch is an American professional wrestling manager, personality,and occasional wrestler. She achieved her greatest success under the ring name Sunny within the World Wrestling Federation during the 1990s, and is widely considered as one of the first Divas...
made her way to the ring as the guest ring announcer. During the Light Heavyweight Championship
WWF Light Heavyweight Championship
The World Wrestling Federation Light Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship. The title was challenged by light heavyweights at a maximum weight of 220 lbs.- History :...
bout, Brian Christopher
Brian Lawler
Brian Christopher Lawler is a professional wrestler. He is the son of color commentator and professional wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler and brother of wrestling referee Kevin Christian...
made his way down to ringside and was invited to join the commentary team by Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
. Pantera and Taka Michinoku exchanged offense until Pantera was thrown out of the ring and Taka threw himself out with a springboard crossbody from the top rope. The highflying continued with Pantera delivering a diving spinning hurricarana to Michinoku from the apron to ringside before Pantera applied some submission holds including a chickenwing stretch and trying to pin him with a modified STF submission. Taka managed to kick out of a moonsault, and rolled out of a second attempt, building some attacking maneuvers until he landed the Michinoku Driver for the win. After the match Christopher went to enter the ring but as Jerry Lawler tried to stop him, Taka took both down with a crossbody to the outside of the ring and then escaped through the crowd.
The tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
match between The Quebecers
The Quebecers
The Quebecers were a heel professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation from mid-1993 to mid-1994 and again in 1998 that consisted of Jacques Rougeau and Pierre...
and The Godwinns
The Godwinns
The Godwinns was the best known gimmick of the professional wrestling tag team composed of Dennis Knight and Mark Canterbury that they used in the WWF. The team has used other gimmicks before they joined the WWF and had a gimmick change in the WWF shortly before disbanding...
began with lots of technical wrestling, a mixture of shoulder barges, arm twists and armbar take downs. The Godwinns isolated Jacques
Jacques Rougeau
Jacques Rougeau Jr. is a retired French-Canadian professional wrestler from Saint-Sulpice, Quebec, best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s with the World Wrestling Federation under his own name, and as The Mountie. Rougeau has held fifteen championships during his career...
, frequently double teaming him in the corner which eventually led to their undoing as the referee reprimanded Henry Godwinn
Mark Canterbury
Mark Canterbury is an American professional wrestler, best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Henry O. Godwinn.-Career:...
, allowing Pierre
Carl Ouellet
Carl Joseph Yvon Ouellet is a retired Canadian professional wrestler. He has worked for, among other promotions, the World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.-Beginnings:Carl Ouellet debuted in 1987...
to break the deadlock. This amounted to little though as the illegal man Henry hit Pierre with a clothesline, forced into it by Phineas Godwin
Dennis Knight
Dennis Knight is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment as Phineas I. Godwinn and Mideon.-Career:...
, from the apron which led to the pin. Feeling cheated, The Quebecers held their hands up in celebration after that match and were struck from behind with slop buckets for their effort.
Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...
came to the ring in Texan attire, with leather chaps, a cowboy hat and bull whip. After chasing the NWA
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
team, Howard Finkel
Howard Finkel
Howard Finkel is a professional wrestling ring announcer currently working with WWE in a variety of roles. Hired in 1975 by Vincent J. McMahon's World Wide Wrestling Federation, "The Fink" was the first person brought in to Vincent K...
informed the crowd that aside from Cornette
Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...
, who possesses a manager's license, Jeff Jarrett
Jeff Jarrett
Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...
's accomplices must leave the ringside. After flailing Jarrett with the chaps the match was officially underway and before long Jarret soon left the ring for support from his manager; Bradshaw took a disliking to this and slid out of the ring, banging the pair's head together. Upon reentering the ring Jarret took the advantage with Cornette aiding him outside the ring. Midway through the match, Jarrett began to focus on Bradshaw's knee, delivering low kicks and elbow drops to it. The match began to even up when Bradshaw caught his opponent in a diving crossbody and turned it into a fall away slam. Following an exchange of fists, Jarrett suffered a powerbomb and, hoping to stall the pin, Cornette made his way to the apron. Bradshaw pulled him into the ring and Irish whipped him into Jarret after which the referee tried to remove Cornette from the ring. Believing the referee to not see, Jarrett hit Bradshaw with Cornette's tennis racket but the match was stopped by disqualification. As Mike Chioda
Mike Chioda
Michael Joseph "Mike" Chioda, is a senior referee who is currently signed to WWE. While not refereeing, Chioda, as well as the other referees in WWE, help set up the arena before shows, constructing the ring and stage areas.-WWF:...
reprimanded Jarrett, Bradshaw stole the racket from him and struck him down and all of the NWA members who ran back to ring side, eventually giving Cornette a power slam. The NWA began to team up on Bradshaw again until Legion of Doom
Road Warriors
The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion...
ran out and helped Bradshaw chase the NWA.
The ten-man "War of Attrition" began with D'Lo Brown
D'Lo Brown
Accie Julius Connor better known by his ring name D'Lo Brown , is an American professional wrestler. Well known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment, he is currently working as an agent for Impact Wrestling.Connor has held forty-eight championships in various promotions during...
taunting the audience with his fist. When Mark Henry
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
entered the ring, he demanded Ahmed Johnson
Anthony Norris
Anthony "Tony" Norris , better known by his ring name, Ahmed Johnson, is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation, where he is a one time Intercontinental Champion and the first-ever winner of the Kuwait Cup.-Global Wrestling...
to be tagged, the latter picking up the 400 lb wrestler and body slamming him; Brown responded by delivering the Lo Down from over half the ring away but would later miss a moonsault on Skull. Both teams, particularly the Nation, frequently tagged all their members in and out until Rocky Maivia and Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
met for the second time causing all ten men to break through the ropes into the ring for a mass brawl. Eventually they all fell out to brawl at ringside, leaving Chainz
Brian Lee
Brian Lee Harris is a retired American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Prime Time" Brian Lee...
to deliver a spinebuster to Faarooq
Ron Simmons
Ronald "Ron" Simmons is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and retired American football player. He is recognised as being the first Black world heavyweight champion in professional wrestling and the first of only two African Americans to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship,...
and the legal man Shamrock struck a belly to belly slam to Maivia, following up immediately with an anklelock causing the Intercontinental champion to tap out. After the match Rock and Faarooq shared words, with The Rock shoving his leader and walking out, but Faarooq demand he return to the ring, upon which point the Nation saluted the audience with their fists.
Vader attacked Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
before he had time to detonate his pyro, but the brawl quickly turned in the Big Red Monster's favor, isolating his opponent in the turnbuckle before suplexing him. Vader took much punishment for the beginning of the match, succumbing to a DDT before eventually fighting back, punching Kane from the turnbuckle and turning the match in his favor by kicking Kane in the groin to prevent a chokeslam attempt. Vader capitalized by slamming his opponent to the mat and then using a moonsault from which Kane almost immediately sat up. The fight went to the outside of the ring, where Vader began to spray a fire extinguisher in Kane's face, using his disorientation to powerbomb Kane. Kane once again sat up and grabbed Vader by the throat, chokeslamming him and then finishing him with a tombstone piledriver. After the match Kane struck Vader with a wrench, leading to an EMT team wheeling him out on a gurney.
The majority of wrestlers in the main event came to the ring with some form weapons, including the last-minute replacement for Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
: Savio Vega
Savio Vega
Juan Rivera is a professional wrestler best known under the name Savio Vega. During the mid-late 1990s, he was an active wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation...
. Although Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
began the match with a Lou Thesz press on Billy Gunn
Monty Sopp
Monty Kip Sopp is an American professional wrestler, best known as Billy Gunn during his tenure for World Wrestling Entertainment. He is probably best known as one of the members of the New Age Outlaws. He also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Kip James...
, soon everybody was in the ring attacking each other with baking trays and trash can lids. Austin soon set to work on Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
, strangling him with a broomhandle by the announce table while Cactus Jack
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
and Chainsaw Charlie
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
took it in turns to avenge themselves on Road Dogg
Brian Gerard James
Brian Gerard James is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE as an agent and producer. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation as "The Road Dogg" Jesse James or simply Road Dogg...
, and then helping Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The...
powerslam Gunn through a table and locking him with a sharpshooter. Helmsley began to brawl with Hart, the two exchanging weapon shots and ending up on the side of the ring. Soon after, Road Dogg powerbombed Charlie through two chairs, the shock of which helped the referee shape the match into a traditional tag match, in place of the bedlam style that it had previously been, although the D-Generation X
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
contingent frequently flouted the rules with the referee distracted to isolate Charlie who took lots of shots to the head. Cactus Jack managed to break the hold on Charlie, taking the attack to the other team with a series of double-arm DDT, smashing Billy Gunn through a table and delivering a double Mandible Claw to both Outlaws
New Age Outlaws
The New Age Outlaws, later known as the James Gang and the Voodoo Kin Mafia, were a professional wrestling tag team in World Wrestling Federation, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , Jersey All Pro Wrestling, and Maryland Championship Wrestling consisting of B.G...
. A Cactus clothesline, however, allowed his adversaries to take the advantage, smashing him with steel steps, with Vega wrapping Jack's hands and then face in barbed wire, before taking chair shots from every team member until he ducked, leading Gunn to strike Road Dogg. This allowed Cactus to slowly crawl over and tag in the as yet untagged Austin who came into the ring clotheslining every enemy, knocking the heads of the Outlaws together and delivering a stunner to Road Dogg, allowing him to claim a pin count and win the match, stunning Billy Gunn immediately afterwards. After Stone Cold celebrated, Chyna confronted him and prevented Austin from leaving the ring, after giving him the finger Austin gave her the stunner.
Aftermath
Goldust and Marc Mero would continue to tag for some weeks until the hostility between their valets, Luna Vachon and Sable, respectively, resulted in an in ring brawl. Mero took exception to Goldust grabbing Sable to restrain her and hit Goldust, a mixed tag team match was booked for WrestleMania which Sable won after using Mero's TKO on Vachon. Vachon, insistent on humiliating Sable demanded a rematch between just the two of them at Unforgiven, and laid down the stipulation of an evening gown match.Ken Shamrock would go on to face Rocky Maivia in a singles match at WrestleMania for the Intercontinental Championship. He won the match, making Rock tap out but in his fury he would not let go of the submission hold and thus was disqualified and the title returned to Maivia.
Vader's post-match assault allowed him to take some time off for some much needed surgery while Kane had to refocus his efforts on the resurrected Undertaker. Vader would make his return at Unforgiven.
Aside from Savio Vega, the members of the main event faced each other in smaller matches at WrestleMania with Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie winning the Tag Team Championships in the first ever dumpster match, al though the decision would be upheld and the Outlaws won a rematch resulting in Charlie's departure from the WWF. Owen Hart lost his European Championship to Triple H owing to an ankle injury and some outside interference from Chyna. Similar interference prevented him from retrieving the gold at WrestleMania. Steve Austin would eventually get his hands on Shawn Michaels, who lost his WWF Championship and had to retire due to his back injury until SummerSlam 2002.
Results
| # | Results | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Headbangers The Headbangers The Headbangers is a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Mosh and Thrasher, best known for their work in the World Wrestling Federation... (Mosh Charles Warrington Charles Warrington is an American former professional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Chaz and Mosh.-Career:Warrington began training under Larry Sharpe and Glen Ruth during the early 1990s, debuting in 1993... and Thrasher Glen Ruth Glen Ruth is a former American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Thrasher.-Career:Ruth trained under Larry Sharpe and debuted in 1990 as The Spider. He later became Sharpe's assistant and trained wrestlers such as the Big Show and others at Sharpe's "Monster Factory"... ) defeated Goldust and Marc Mero Marc Mero Marc Mero is an American retired amateur boxer and professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as Marc Mero and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Johnny B. Badd... |
Tag team match Professional wrestling tag team match types Much like singles matches, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace... |
13:54 |
| 2 | Taka Michinoku (c) defeated Pantera Pantera (wrestler) Francisco Javier Pozas is a Mexican professional wrestler, or luchador, who is best known under the ring name El Pantera, but has also worked as Pantera II, El Manaya, América, Tritón and TANAKA over the years... |
Singles match for the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship WWF Light Heavyweight Championship The World Wrestling Federation Light Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship. The title was challenged by light heavyweights at a maximum weight of 220 lbs.- History :... |
10:11 |
| 3 | The Godwinns The Godwinns The Godwinns was the best known gimmick of the professional wrestling tag team composed of Dennis Knight and Mark Canterbury that they used in the WWF. The team has used other gimmicks before they joined the WWF and had a gimmick change in the WWF shortly before disbanding... (Henry Mark Canterbury Mark Canterbury is an American professional wrestler, best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Henry O. Godwinn.-Career:... and Phineas Dennis Knight Dennis Knight is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment as Phineas I. Godwinn and Mideon.-Career:... ) defeated The Quebecers The Quebecers The Quebecers were a heel professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation from mid-1993 to mid-1994 and again in 1998 that consisted of Jacques Rougeau and Pierre... (Jacques Rougeau Jacques Rougeau Jacques Rougeau Jr. is a retired French-Canadian professional wrestler from Saint-Sulpice, Quebec, best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s with the World Wrestling Federation under his own name, and as The Mountie. Rougeau has held fifteen championships during his career... and Pierre Ouellet Carl Ouellet Carl Joseph Yvon Ouellet is a retired Canadian professional wrestler. He has worked for, among other promotions, the World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.-Beginnings:Carl Ouellet debuted in 1987... ) |
Tag team match | 11:14 |
| 4 | Justin Bradshaw John Layfield John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News... defeated Jeff Jarrett Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control... (c) (with Jim Cornette Jim Cornette James Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling... ) by disqualification |
Singles match for the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship NWA North American Heavyweight Championship The NWA North American Heavyweight Championship is the second most prestigious title in the National Wrestling Alliance that was created in 1994 after World Championship Wrestling withdrew from the NWA. There were other versions of this title before this one was created... |
8:59 |
| 5 | Ken Shamrock Ken Shamrock Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler... , Ahmed Johnson Anthony Norris Anthony "Tony" Norris , better known by his ring name, Ahmed Johnson, is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation, where he is a one time Intercontinental Champion and the first-ever winner of the Kuwait Cup.-Global Wrestling... , and The Disciples of Apocalypse Disciples of Apocalypse The Disciples of Apocalypse were a biker-themed professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation in the late 1990s. The group came together from the demise of the Nation of Domination stable in June 1997 and consisted of four main members: Crush, Chainz, Skull and... (Chainz Brian Lee Brian Lee Harris is a retired American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Prime Time" Brian Lee... , Skull, and 8-Ball) defeated The Nation of Domination Nation of Domination The Nation of Domination was a professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Federation from November 18, 1996 to November 28, 1998. The Rock was a 1 time Intercontinental Champion and D'Lo Brown was a 2 time European Champion while in the group.-United States Wrestling Association :The... (The Rock, Faarooq Ron Simmons Ronald "Ron" Simmons is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and retired American football player. He is recognised as being the first Black world heavyweight champion in professional wrestling and the first of only two African Americans to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship,... , D'Lo Brown D'Lo Brown Accie Julius Connor better known by his ring name D'Lo Brown , is an American professional wrestler. Well known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment, he is currently working as an agent for Impact Wrestling.Connor has held forty-eight championships in various promotions during... , Kama Mustafa Charles Wright (wrestler) Charles Wright is an American businessman and former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation throughout the 1990s and early 2000s under the ring names Papa Shango, Kama, Kama Mustafa, The Godfather, and The Goodfather .After leaving the wrestling... , and Mark Henry Mark Henry Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic... ) |
Ten-man tag team 'War of Attrition' match | 13:46 |
| 6 | Kane Kane (wrestler) Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury.... defeated Vader |
Singles match | 10:59 |
| 7 | Steve Austin Stone Cold Steve Austin Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler... , Owen Hart Owen Hart Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The... , Cactus Jack Mick Foley Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he... , and Chainsaw Charlie Terry Funk Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley... defeated Triple H Triple H Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley... , Savio Vega Savio Vega Juan Rivera is a professional wrestler best known under the name Savio Vega. During the mid-late 1990s, he was an active wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation... , and The New Age Outlaws New Age Outlaws The New Age Outlaws, later known as the James Gang and the Voodoo Kin Mafia, were a professional wrestling tag team in World Wrestling Federation, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , Jersey All Pro Wrestling, and Maryland Championship Wrestling consisting of B.G... (Billy Gunn Monty Sopp Monty Kip Sopp is an American professional wrestler, best known as Billy Gunn during his tenure for World Wrestling Entertainment. He is probably best known as one of the members of the New Age Outlaws. He also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Kip James... and Road Dogg Brian Gerard James Brian Gerard James is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE as an agent and producer. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation as "The Road Dogg" Jesse James or simply Road Dogg... ) |
Non-sanctioned eight-man tag team match | 17:41 |