Hall’s WWE Raw Review 3.30.98

Monday Night Raw
Date: March 30, 1998
Location: Pepsi Arena, Albany, New York
Attendance: 11,202
Commentators: Jim Ross, Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler

I’ve seen this pop up on WWE’s Greatest Moments a few times and that shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s the night after Wrestlemania XIV and The Austin Era Has Begun. That’s more than big enough on its own, but this is also the show where the Raw After Wrestlemania really became a thing. There had been moments on this show before, but this is the first time with ALL the moments. Let’s get to it.

We open with a quick Wrestlemania recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Vince McMahon, who thinks the mic isn’t working (we can hear it on the broadcast but apparently not in the arena). He has a new WWF Title on his shoulder and therefore brings out new WWF Champion Steve Austin, making a very rare appearance with the Winged Eagle belt. Austin wastes no time in taking the new title and seems happy to hold it up (he also apparently kept the Winged Eagle belt and has it at his home).

McMahon apologizes for their previous issues and praises Austin for his win. He thinks that with Austin’s abilities and McMahon’s brains, they could be a great combination. Austin wants to cut through the BS because he knows McMahon hates him, which is of course mutual. What McMahon sees is what he gets and McMahon isn’t going to change him, so if he doesn’t like him, tough luck. McMahon says he is incapable of hate and calls Austin a h*** of a guy, but also that he loves Austin.

That’s too far for Austin, who doesn’t buy it because he’s going to do everything as he wants to. Austin promises to raise h*** and give McMahon more gray hairs than he has ever had in his life. McMahon says we can do this the easy way or the hard way, but Austin wants to know what that means. The easy way is learning to adapt and the hard way….well you’re going to be forced to do it McMahon’s way anyway so we don’t need to talk about it.

Austin asks for a few seconds to think about it before giving him the Stunner as the war is on. Austin says that’s the hard way and the fans want more of it. And that’s the big story of the WWF for the next year and a half, with the company desperately trying to recreate this absolute magic for the next 20+ years. You could feel the chemistry here as it’s a perfect natural issue between these two and they milked it to perfection.

Post break McMahon gets checked on and is favoring his neck.

LOD 2000 vs. Los Boricuas

Los Boricuas jump them to start and it’s the Doomsday Device to finish them off in less than a minute. Sunny, the LOD’s manager, praises the team and promises more. Geez what a weird combination this was.

Vince McMahon wants Steve Austin arrested.

We get an awesome video of various legends talking about how they had their day but they’ve never done the kinds of things you see now. Ernie Ladd: “I can still hear the echoes cheering my name.” But today? Freddie Blassie: “I cheer for them.” Outstanding.

Apparently Steve Austin isn’t scared of being arrested.

Kurrgan vs. Chainz

Kurrgan, with the Jackyl, (Don Callis), powers him around to start but gets caught with some clotheslines. Chainz gets clotheslined down but avoids a charge in the corner. A running bot boot staggers Kurrgan, whose big boot puts Chainz down. The Paralyzer (claw) finishes Chainz fast.

Post match Kurrgan keeps the hold on and drags Chainz up the ramp.

Vince McMahon sends the cops after Steve Austin. Gerald Brisco follows just in case.

Jeff Jarrett vs. Aguila

Jarrett, with Tennessee Lee, rides in on a lit up horse. Jarrett hammers away to start and chokes on the rope as Lee sits in on commentary. Aguila gets in a rope walk armdrag but misses (ok not really but Jarrett didn’t roll away enough) a corkscrew moonsault. The Figure Four gives Jarrett the win.

Post match Steve Blackman comes in to jump Jarrett and get rid of him.

Austin is indeed arrested and goes after McMahon anyway.

Here is McMahon, who says Austin might need a 24 hour cooling off period. Austin made his choice and McMahon has selected his.

HHH, with Chyna, is ready to make an announcement.

The Rock, with the Nation Of Domination, isn’t happy with Ken Shamrock for trying to end his career. He does however thank Faarooq for helping him retain the Intercontinental Title.

Opening sequence #2.

We recap the first hour.

Ken Shamrock/Steve Blackman vs. Nation Of Domination

Rock actually volunteers to start with Shamrock and then immediately tags off to Faarooq. The powerslam drops Shamrock so it’s off to Blackman to strike away. That lets Shamrock take over with a dropkick to Faarooq, who comes back with the spinebuster. Faarooq crawls over for the tag but Rock wants the tag standing up. And then Rock walks away, leaving Shamrock to suplex Faarooq for the pin.

Rating: C. As you might be able to tell, there isn’t much in the way of wrestling on this show and that wasn’t the point here either. This was about having the Rock turn on Faarooq for good and take his next step up the ladder. Faarooq’s time had passed and that was clear, but you know he’s not going down without a fight.

Post match Faarooq calls out Rock for wearing high class clothes, so tonight he’s going to wear an a** whipping. Rock comes back to the ring and gets in Faarooq’s face so the fight is on. The rest of the Nation breaks it up but then turns on Faarooq, who gets planted with the Rock Bottom. Rock declares himself the new ruler of the Nation and gets in one more stomp to leave Faarooq laying. After Rock leaves, he gives D’Lo Brown a signal (it involves an eyebrow) and another beatdown ensues. So there’s Rock’s big step towards stardom.

Here are HHH and Chyna for a chat. HHH talks about how things can change in one day and we’ll start with Mike Tyson. All HHH was told was that it was ok, but Shawn Michaels dropped the ball. Well now the ball is in HHH’s court and it’s time to start things over. That means forming the DX Army and when you want to restart, you look to your blood….and to the Kliq.

Cue the returning 1-2-3 Kid (though I doubt that’s what he’ll be called) in one of the first really big defections from WCW back to the WWF. He heard Hulk Hogan say he couldn’t cut the mustard. Well Hulk Hogan SUCKS so who is he to say that? He also needs to be careful because if he stops walking, Eric Bischoff will be so far up his a** that he’ll know what Hogan had for breakfast. Oh and if not for WCW, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash would be right here with him. The catchphrase is spoken and we have a brand new DX (even with Sean Waltman not having a name here).

This was another case of the stable going into a completely different direction and HHH ascending to a new level, as Shawn Michaels and the old DX are gone for the sake of a more in your face version. Also, the return of Waltman was a big deal, as rather than taking the older, long established names, this was the WWF bringing a younger guy (he’s 25 here) with some attitude. That’s a new way to go for the whole thing and it’s only going to get bigger.

Val Venis is co….on his way. He uh, makes movies and is going to penetrate the WWF.

Taka Michinoku vs. Marc Mero

Hold on though as here is Luna Vachon to say she wants to face Sable again at Unforgiven. That works for Sable, but it’s going to be an Evening Gown match. With that out of the way, Mero grabs a powerbomb and puts Michinoku down, only to stop and yell at Sable. The rollup gives Michinoku two so Mero punches him low. A not great TKO gives Mero the fast pin.

Post match three men run in to lay Michinoku out before leaving through the crowd.

NWA Tag Team Titles: Headbangers vs. New Midnight Express

The Express, with Jim Cornette (on commentary) is challenging and NWA World Champion Dan Severn comes out to watch. Bob jumps over Thrasher to start but it’s off to Bart for an assisted side slam as Cornette desperately tries to compare this Midnight Express to the originals. Mosh comes back in with a powerslam for two as everything breaks down. A Rocket Launcher gives the Express the pin and the titles.

Rating: C-. Geez the NWA stuff was lame but it also shows just how the WWF was so desperate for ANYTHING to connect at this point. Granted I’m sure part of it was a rib on Cornette somehow (which I believe he has said before) because we needed to mock the NWA for….reasons. Anyway, nothing match here and the NWA stuff would be basically done in a few months (thank goodness).

Post match Severn, in a suit, lays out the Headbangers without much trouble.

Steve Austin uses his phone call to call commentary and insult Vince McMahon. Revenge is promised for next week.

The cage is being set up for the main event but here are Kane and Paul Bearer to interrupt. Bearer rants about Kane destroying Undertaker last night and Undertaker cowering in the corner. Once Bearer got to bed last night, he dreamed of a ring surrounded by fire, so the challenge is officially made for an Inferno Match.

Tag Team Titles: Chainsaw Charlie/Cactus Jack vs. New Age Outlaws

In a cage for the vacant titles after last night’s dumpster match ended in an unauthorized dumpster (an idea which JR totally buries, as he should). It’s a brawl to start with the Outlaws taking over, only for Gunn to get tied up in the cage. That’s broken up and Jack is backdropped into the cage and Charlie, who has a horribly injured hip, is handcuffed to the cage.

Jack is sent into the cage again but comes out with a double DDT. Dogg is sent into the cage and Jack tries to leave (even though it’s pinfall/submission only) but here is DX to cut him off. Three straight chair shots to Jack as he hangs over the cage knock him even sillier, followed by a spike piledriver to give the outlaws the titles back.

Rating: C+. This was barely a match but it was a huge angle as the Outlaws go from pests to a huge deal in the blink of an eye. Charlie could barely move here (shocking I know) so it was basically Jack doing the match on his own. It didn’t last long, but much like the rest of the show, it was all about the story rather than the wrestling.

Post match the big beatdown is on and Lawler has to explain that the Outlaws are the newest members of DX. The Outlaws celebrate with DX to the DX music while doing the DX poses. JR can only conclude that the Outlaws HAVE JOINED DX! Sweet goodness JR can you at least try to keep up? Anyway, this took DX in an entirely new direction and gave them a very fresh coat of paint, as the Outlaws go from the annoying team that no one could finish off to the tag team with some major backup.

 

Results
LOD 2000 b. Los Boricuas – Doomsday Device
Kurrgan b. Chainz – Paralyzer
Jeff Jarrett b. Aguila – Figure Four
Ken Shamrock/Steve Blackman b. Nation Of Domination – Belly to belly suplex to Faarooq
New Midnight Express b. Headbangers – Rocket Launcher to Mosh
New Age Outlaws b. Cactus Jack/Chainsaw Charlie/Spike piledriver onto a chair to Jack

 

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9.0

The final score: review Amazing

The 411

What else could you possibly ask for? This was a show that was absolutely not about the in-ring side of things, with most of the matches being quick and little more than a bridge to the next segment. That being said, you have the first main event Austin vs. McMahon showdown, the rebirths of DX and the Nation, Sean Waltman returning and things being set up for the future. This show was all about showing the new path forward and it worked like almost nothing else ever has. Outside of MAYBE the first Raw in MSG, this is the biggest Raw of all time and it absolutely flies by with one thing after another. It’s one of the few legitimately important shows in the company’s history, as they start a bunch of things fresh and actually launch a new era. You do not get that very often and it was an absolute smash, with the losing streak in the Monday Night Wars coming to an end a mere two weeks later. I’m kind of surprised it took that long as this was exactly what the WWF had been needing.