Unforgiven: In Your House

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

Unforgiven: In Your House

April 26, 1998

Greensboro Coliseum

Greensboro, North Carolina

News & Notes: After WrestleMania, Vince clarified his statements about Austin. Vince claimed he loved Austin and was proud of him. McMahon even presented Steve with a new title belt. However, Vince told Stone Cold he must comply, adapt, and work with McMahon. They could do things the easy way or the hard way. Austin took a few seconds to think about it, and he gave Vince another Stunner! An angry McMahon had Austin arrested. Then it appeared Austin’s time in jail changed his mind. Steve wore a suit the following week. He took pictures with Vince and told him to stick the camera up his ass. It was the last time we’d ever seen Austin in a suit. They would do things Austin’s way, which is the hard way! Austin followed this with a punch to Vince’s nuts. Since Austin wouldn’t play ball, Vince refused to tell him the identity of his new opponent. An angry Stone Cold challenged Vince to a match instead. He even put his belt on the line. Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco tried to talk Vince out of it, but McMahon accepted the fight. Shane McMahon also tried to talk sense into his father, but it was no use. The match would main event RAW, and it helped the WWF defeat Nitro in the ratings. But I’ll explain what happened next in the main event’s notes.

Meanwhile, DX underwent changes after Mania. Triple H said HBK dropped the ball, but Hunter picked it up. Helmsley reformed DX into the DX Army. His first recruit was the returning Sean Waltman (Syxx). WCW fired the injured Waltman by FedEX. Some people say Bischoff did it as a message to Hall & Nash. He ran WCW, not them. Waltman cut a promo bashing Hogan and Bischoff. He claimed WCW held Hall & Nash hostage. Then Waltman debuted a new name the next week. Call him X-Pac. It’s based on his Syxx-Pac nickname. The X is for DX. D-Generation X also added two other members. The WWF vacated the tag team titles because Cactus & Charlie put The Outlaws in the wrong dumpster. So they held a rematch for the belts in a cage. The DX Army helped The Outlaws win with handcuffs and chairs. Then Hunter welcomed Dogg & Gunn into the group.

In other news, Val Venis is coming! Yes, that pun was intentional. He has a porn star gimmick. They showed vignettes of Val cutting innuendo-laden promos and fraternizing with porn stars. Val threatened to penetrate the WWF. He is coming, but others already arrived. Three Japanese wrestlers jumped Taka Michinoku and Bradshaw. They appeared from the crowd and left the same way. The WWF hasn’t named them yet, but this is Kaientai. The three men are Dick Togo, Mens Teioh, and Sho Funaki. It’s fitting I mentioned these two debuts together. They’ll cross paths before long.

The intro package focuses on The Undertaker vs. Kane. Freddie Blassie reads passages from Dante’s Inferno in his awesome voice. Blood red fury drives Kane, but ice blue vengeance fuels Taker. These mythical figures will cross the threshold into the eight circles of Hell. The inferno knows no pity or remorse. It will transform these warriors into the language of the fire! Epic music accompanies this imagery. However, the happy-go-lucky announcer ruins the vibe. He tells us we will see an Inferno Match. Plus, McMahon promised catastrophe tonight! It’s Unforgiven: In Your House!

Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler welcome everyone to Greensboro. It’s an epic night, but what did Vince mean when he predicted catastrophe? Lawler says all the conspiracy-theorist fans expect a screwjob. That’s not necessarily true! It could be anything. Maybe McMahon meant the Inferno Match could end in a catastrophe.

Then The Rock leads The Nation to the ring. They have new music, and Rocky has a new Intercontinental title belt. (This is the oval design. They use it for the next decade.) Rocky, D’Lo, and Mark Henry are participating in the bout. They brought Kama with them. He wears a hat and smokes a cigar now. Kama even refers to himself as The Godfather of The Nation. When The Nation salutes, they each do their own muscle pose. After this, Faarooq, Shamrock, and Blackman arrive. They do the traditional Nation salute. This pisses off Rocky and The Nation. An angry Rock gives his belt to Mark Yeaton and tells him to keep it safe, or else.

Faarooq, Ken Shamrock, & Steve Blackman vs. The Rock, D’Lo Brown, & Mark Henry (w/ Kama Mustafa)

Notes: After Mania, The Rock claimed he appreciated Faarooq’s actions. They opened Rocky’s eyes, so he vowed to make The Nation stronger than ever. The Rock teamed with Faarooq to fight Shamrock & Blackman, but Rocky abandoned Faarooq. He left him to lose the match. An angry Faarooq threatened Rocky with an ass whipping, and they brawled twice. The second time, the other Nation members jumped Faarooq. Rock kicked him out of the faction and declared himself the ruler of The Nation. Then The Nation jumped Shamrock and attacked Faarooq when he arrived at the building. Faarooq dared them to do it again the next week, but this time Shamrock & Blackman backed him up. This led to Faarooq fighting Kama in a Street Fight. Shamrock & Blackman offered their help, but Patterson & Brisco held them backstage. However, Faarooq still defeated Mustafa.

The Match: D’Lo and Blackman trade strikes, holds, knockdowns, and takedowns. When Shamrock tags, Brown does an eye poke. Shamrock answers with kicks and a rolling leglock. Then Faarooq enters. D’Lo tries to reason with him, but Faarooq whips Brown with his belt. After Blackman lands more arm drags and suplexes, The Nation takes control. They use frequent tags, and D’Lo gives Blackman the Sky High (Sit-Out Pop-Up Powerbomb). Once Faarooq is in trouble, Rocky tags and uses stomps, punches, and clotheslines. Blackman tags, but Rock nails him from the apron. Henry capitalizes with a powerslam. Steve attempts rallies with wild strikes and pin attempts. But The Nation continues their quick tags. Then The Rock nails a People’s Elbow and fends off another Blackman rally. However, D’Lo misses a moonsault. This allows Faarooq to tag and clean house with a facebuster, kicks, and a shoulder block. It leads to a massive brawl. Everyone except Faarooq and Rocky spill to the floor. Rock hits a DDT on Faarooq, but he taunts him. When Rocky misses a clothesline, Faarooq kicks him and uses The Dominator for the win.

Thoughts: This was basic. Blackman wrestled most of it. He wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t who the fans wanted. The crowd was mild for much of this bout. I get they’re holding off on the Rock/Faarooq encounter, but it hindered this match. I liked the finish, but the rest was bland.

Winners: Faarooq, Shamrock, & Blackman (13:32)

Michael Cole interviews Faarooq. He says the victory should make Faarooq happy. It did, and Faarooq thanks his partners. Then Faarooq says this is the beginning of a long war. He’ll kick The Rock and The Nation’s asses.

Next, Stone Cold interrupts the show. JR calls it unscheduled. Austin walks to the ring in street clothes and orders the timekeeper Mark Yeaton to join him. Steve asks Mark if Vince told him to ring the bell last week. Yeaton says he rang the bell when he had to. This non-answer angers Austin. He tells Mark to put bass in his voice because he’s pissing him off. Bad things happen when people do that! Then Stone Cold promises to beat Vince’s ass up and down the aisles if he screws him. If Mark doesn’t ring the bell for Vince, McMahon might fire him. However, if he rings it, Austin will beat him up and down those same aisles. He’ll beat Yeaton so badly he can’t work in the WWF again. Once he put the fear of Austin in him, Steve let Yeaton return to his seat. Steve doesn’t mind if Dude Love can defeat him, but he’ll whip the ass of anyone who screws him.

Then they lower a shark cage for Chyna before Triple H, Chyna, and Owen Hart arrive for their bout. Sgt. Slaughter follows them with a large chain. He tells Chyna to enter the cage, but she hesitates. Triple H tests the cell first. Once he’s done, Slaughter pushes Chyna into it and closes the door. She glares at him while Owen jumps Hunter. They brawl in the aisle, and Owen rams Helmsley into the cage. He also gives Triple H a suplex on the floor. When they enter the ring, they raise the cage into the air.

European Title Match: Triple H (c) vs. Owen Hart

Notes: This isn’t Owen’s only title opportunity since Mania. He wrestled The Rock on RAW, but Chyna attacked Owen with a bat. An infuriated Owen had enough. He challenged any member of DX to a fight. So DX chose a participant through unorthodox methods. Triple H made each member write an essay about what they’d do to Owen. X-Pac’s was too lewd. Chyna’s was too violent. But Gunn wrote about farm animals. This was enough for Triple H. Billy fought Owen, but Hart won with a surprise roll-up. Then Slaughter announced he would lock Chyna in a shark cage for the Triple H/Owen rematch. If she interferes, Hunter will lose his belt. This didn’t faze DX. Helmsley teamed with The Outlaws to fight LOD 2000 & Owen, but he avoided Owen for most of the encounter.

The Match: Owen takes Hunter to the floor. He throws him over and into the announce tables. Back in the ring, Hunter rallies with a high knee, strikes, and a knee drop. Then he grabs a Dragon Sleeper. While this happens, Chyna pulls a file out of her boot and files the bars. She drops the file after a minute. Owen breaks free and does a sunset flip, but Hunter grabs the Dragon Sleeper again. Meanwhile, Chyna tries to bend the bars. Owen breaks loose two more times. Hunter counters with a neckbreaker and a facebreaker before returning to the sleeper. Once Owen escapes once more, he nails an enziguri, a wheel kick, a piledriver, and a flying elbow. During this flurry of offense, Chyna bends the bars and dangles from the cage. This distracts Owen, so Hunter and Owen fight at the apron. Hart kicks the ropes into Helmsley’s crotch and Hunter gets trapped in the ropes. Owen can’t get to Chyna, so he takes Triple H into the ring for a Sharpshooter. Then someone lowers the cage! Chyna is free, so Slaughter returns to stop her. We see that Road Dogg had the cage controls. The drama distracts the refs while Owen turns a Pedigree into a catapult. Owen then gives Hunter his own Pedigree! When Owen covers, X-Pac jumps out of the crowd and clocks Hart with a fire extinguisher. Hunter covers for the three.

Thoughts: This wasn’t as good as their Mania encounter. They stalled so the camera could focus on Chyna’s antics. It made the match dull. Chyna’s actions were interesting, and the finish was fine. But the rest was lackluster.

Winner: Triple H (12:26)

Cole interviews a dejected Owen. Michael calls it another devastating loss. Does DX have Hart’s number? Owen says enough is enough! He’s had it up to here! This bullshit has to stop! Things have to change. Enough is enough! Once he’s said his peace, Owen leaves. JR apologizes for Hart’s language. He calls him delirious.

Then Ross announces the WWF set an attendance record for Greensboro. There are 21,427 fans there. JR reminisces about old events at the coliseum, but he’s never seen one like this. This was an obvious shot at WCW. They’re in the old JCP territory.

After the announcement, Fink introduces Mr. NWA, Jim Cornette. JR says this must be a bonus match. Cornette calls the Greensboro fans ugly and stupid. He can’t believe they think The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express is the greatest team. Jim vows to spoil their homecoming. He brought the second coming of a great tradition. They’re every mother’s nightmare and every schoolgirl’s dream. It’s The New Midnight Express! (I doubt schoolgirls care about Bob & Bart.) Then The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express arrives. They use the old Rockers theme. Despite what Cornette said, the fans give them a mild reaction.

NWA Tag Team Title Match: The New Midnight Express (c) (w/ Jim Cornette) vs. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express

Notes: Before Mania, The RnR Express lost the belts to The Headbangers and ditched Cornette. Then, after Mania, The New Midnights won the titles from The Headbangers. Bart & Bob had one more RAW match. They lost to Terry Funk & Flash Funk. (Terry & Flash teamed after Cactus & Charlie dissolved their team. Funk likes how they both have the same last name. It’s a valid reason!) That’s the build for this match, so I’ll discuss the other news in the NWA invasion. Dan “The Beast” Severn arrived in the WWF. He’s the current NWA champion. They adorned Severn in all his gold, including his MMA belts. He then defeated Flash Funk and Mosh by submission. Cornette even had Dan attack his UFC buddy, Ken Shamrock.

The Match: Robert Gibson flusters Bob with shoulder blocks and leapfrogs. Bob regroups for a hug with his team. Then The RnR Express catches Holly with more takedowns and double-teaming. Bob throws a wild punch and hits his partner by mistake. They argue. The New Midnights also pull Gibson into the ring, but Gibson & Morton whip Bob into Bart. They argue again, so Cornette makes peace. Next, The New Midnights control the bout with an ab stretch. They use leverage until the ref catches them. This angers Cornette. He enters the ring and challenges Tim White to a fight. Timmy calls his bluff and chases Jim out of the ring. Cornette is so flustered he puts his coat on inside-out. However, Jim distracts the RnR Express, and The Midnights retake control. They use backbreakers, takedowns, and powerslams. Bob attempts an Alabama Jam, but he misses. It allows Morton to commando roll to a hot tag. Gibson cleans house with punches until everyone brawls. Morton & Gibson whip Bob & Bart into each other and nail a double dropkick. Cornette sees a ref distraction, so he drops an elbow. Jim hits his own man by mistake. Gibson uses the opening for an O’Connor Roll on Bart, but Bob gives him a bulldog behind the ref’s back. Bart covers for the victory.

Thoughts: They tried to make the fans care with comedy spots, but the rest was basic and heatless. The action wasn’t bad, but it was nothing special. The lack of heat made it worse. The NWA invasion is dead in the water and sinking fast. Attaching Dan Severn to this mess is a shame.

Winners: The New Midnight Express (7:12)

Dok Hendrix interviews Luna and Goldust. Goldy caresses a surly Luna’s cheek, but she pays him no mind. Dok says the Evening Gown Match will strip someone of their dignity, pride, and clothing. Luna claims she’s there for one reason. She will strip every piece of clothing from Sable’s grotesque body! Then Luna says Sable’s name in a sing-song voice. She vows to leave Sable like a newborn. This excites both Hendrix and Lawler.

Evening Gown Match: Luna (w/ The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust) vs. Sable

Notes: Luna interrupted Mero vs. Taka to challenge Sable. Luna requested a unique stipulation. Humiliation is Luna’s goal. Luna suggested an Evening Gown Match. It uses Tuxedo Match rules. You win by stripping off your opponent’s dress. Luna vowed to leave Sable in her bra and panties if she wears any! Then Luna warmed up for this by defeating a male jobber with Goldust’s help. She even practiced by making Goldust dress in a gown. Luna stripped him, much like she’ll do to Sable. Vachon claimed she would strip Sable of her mind and soul and leave her as naked as a newborn. However, this didn’t faze Sable. She stripped off her own gown during a promo with Michael Cole. It showed she had no issue with getting naked to get at Luna. Meanwhile, a jealous Mero doesn’t like Sable’s attention. He didn’t accompany her for this bout, but he’ll arrive later. Mero claimed this embarrassed and humiliated him.

The Match: They circle each other and grab at the dresses. Sable rips off a sleeve, but Luna kicks her in the gut. Vachon then chokes Sable and throws shoulders in the corner. After this, Luna rips off Sable’s skirt. Lawler loses his mind. Luna chokes Sable with the skirt, but Sable boots Luna when she charges at her. Then Sable pounces on Luna with punches, corner kicks, and a hairmare. Marc Mero has enough. He approaches the ring, which distracts Sable. She screams at her husband. This is her fight. Why is he there? Sable also shoves Mero, but Luna uses the opening to rip off the rest of Sable’s dress.

Thoughts: This was what it was. They kept it short, and the crowd reacted well to it. It furthered the Mero/Sable storyline, so it served its purpose. They wasted Luna’s talents on stuff like this. However, I’ll give her credit for doing her best with the material. She was an unsung hero in this Sable feud. Luna gave 100% without complaint. Kudos to her.

Winner: Luna (2:50)

A frustrated Sable kicks Luna and nails a Sable Bomb. Then Sable rips off Luna’s dress. Luna scurries underneath the ring, so Sable follows her. They disappear for a while. Sable emerges with the rest of Luna’s clothes. JR says Luna is under the ring buck naked! Sable celebrates with Luna’s lingerie in her hands. Goldust wraps Luna in his robe and carries her to the back. Sable screams at Luna to come and get it. Ross says this is the spot fans will pause and replay on the VHS.

Vince McMahon, Pat Patterson, and Gerald Brisco enter the arena. The fans boo them, but Vince doesn’t care. He reiterates his warnings about a catastrophe. Vince says it could be anything because anything can happen in the WWF. People say he is planning a screwjob. That’s not his reason for being there! Vince is in North Carolina because it’s his birthplace! His mother had the honor of birthing him in this state! As far as a screwjob, the thought is beneath Vince’s dignity! However, if Stone Cold screws Stone Cold, Vince isn’t responsible.

After Vince leaves, Kevin Kelly interviews Sable on the Superstar Line. She donned a robe for the segment, but Lawler accuses Kelly of drooling.

The New Age Outlaws arrive for their match, but they do their intro first. Road Dogg cuts his music and introduces a special guest. They invited the former UNC coach, Dean Smith. He’s there to lead The Outlaws to victory. Billy Gunn brings out Dean. Oh, wait. It’s a blow-up doll in a UNC t-shirt. The fans boo. Then Dogg introduces himself and Gunn. He calls the LOD fossils. Every time they face them, The Outlaws are on top, and the LOD is on bottom. But that’s not Dogg’s sexual preference! This leads to the LOD 2000’s entrance. Road Dogg tells Lawler he thought dinosaurs were extinct.

Tag Team Title Match: The New Age Outlaws (c) vs. LOD 2000 (w/ Sunny)

Notes: The LOD won this opportunity at Mania. Then they squashed Jesus & Jose on RAW. Sunny christened them the LOD 2000, and called them a mix of steel and sex appeal. However, The Outlaws seemed preoccupied with the DOA. Dogg & Gunn pissed on Skull & 8-Ball’s motorcycles. This led to a match, but DX won through interference and chair shenanigans. Triple H gave one twin a Pedigree on the chair. Even Los Boricuas weren’t immune to the chair attacks. (I guess they ended that partnership.) These antics pissed off the LOD 2000. They protected Owen Hart in his bout with Billy Gunn. Then LOD teamed with Owen to fight DX. X-Pac and Chyna threatened Sunny during the fight, which allowed DX to get the distraction win.

The Match: Animal nails Gunn with shoulder blocks, shoulder tackles, and clotheslines. Gunn attempts holds and a crossbody, but he misses the latter. Then Road Dogg uses an eye poke, but Hawk nails a powerslam. He also runs the Outlaws into each other when Dogg seeks solace in his partner. Next, the LOD hits a backdrop, a shoulderbreaker, and another powerslam. They go for a Doomsday Device. However, Gunn chop blocks Animal to stop it. This leads to The Outlaws working over Animal’s leg for a while. They use frequent tags and take turns pouncing on Animal’s knee. Road Dogg locks him in leg grapevines and legbars. Then Gunn hits a Fameasser for two. The Outlaws also use ref distractions and double-teaming. This lasts until Animal blocks a piledriver and does a leg whip. Dogg and Hawk tag into the bout. Hawk cleans house with clotheslines and punches until everyone brawls. The Outlaws use the tag belts as weapons behind the ref’s back. But Hawk ducks the second attempt. He hits Dogg with a bridging German Suplex. Both men are on the mat as the ref counts three, and Hawk & Animal think they won. Their music even plays. But wait! The ref looked at Hawk’s shoulders, not Road Dogg’s. He awards the bout to The Outlaws. (Hawk’s shoulder was up, but the ref couldn’t see it.)

Thoughts: The action was solid, but it was another dull match until the finish. Then they executed the finish poorly. Hawk’s shoulders weren’t down. Were they supposed to be? This made everyone look foolish, especially the referee. The closing moments confused an already mild crowd. That isn’t helping the heat for this show.

Winners: The New Age Outlaws (12:13)

DX celebrates with The Outlaws while Hawk screams at referee Jack Doan. The LOD has enough. They attack Jack and give him the Doomsday Device. This horrifies JR. Lawler says they tried to break Doan’s neck. Slaughter and the WWF officials arrive with a gurney. They make the LOD leave. Meanwhile, they show a replay from a different angle. It doesn’t show Hawk’s shoulders. Lawler calls it awful. JR says the ref looked at Hawk’s shoulders instead of Road Dogg’s.

While the crew sets up the Inferno Match, the WWF fills the time with a concert. Tennessee Lee introduces the country band of the 90s, Sawyer Brown. He says they will sing backup for Jeff Jarrett. This makes the band members smirk. When Jarrett arrives, the fans chant for Ric Flair. Jarrett and Sawyer Brown sing. No one hides the fact they’re lip-syncing, so the fans let them have it. The lead singer then does Jarrett’s strut. When they finish, Jeff says he’s great and dedicates his performance to Tammy Wynette. This causes more Flair chants. Meanwhile, an angry Steve Blackman appears! He attacks Jarrett with a bicycle kick and puts Jeff in an armbar. (They’re feuding because Jarrett broke Steve’s winning streak.) Tennessee Lee breaks the hold by smashing Blackman with a guitar. This allows Jarrett to lock Blackman in the Figure Four, which draws more Flair chants. Jarrett’s singing impressed JR, but he says Jeff has Hell to pay for his actions. (Did the WWF forget they labeled Jarrett a fraud in 1996?)

Lawler has marshmallows and wieners ready for the Inferno Match. This leads to a video recap of the feud. Paul Bearer manipulated Taker by twisting his tormented soul. Kane’s loss at Mania spiraled Bearer toward insanity. He dreamed of a ring surrounded by fire! Then some graveyard shenanigans sparked a ferocity in Taker. He went too far. This hatred delivered everyone into unknown territory. They opened Pandora’s box. This is a fight birthed in Hell, and it’s the beginning of Kane’s eternal damnation.

Taker and Kane enter. You can see waves of gas coming off the flame machine around the ring. I don’t know how Kane’s pyro didn’t ignite an explosion. Lawler jokes about Taker being extra crispy. Then they light the flames around the ring and the match begins.

Inferno Match: The Undertaker vs. Kane (w/ Paul Bearer)

Notes: Paul Bearer had a dream! In the dream, he saw a ring surrounded by fire. So Bearer dared Taker to enter this nightmarish match. You win by setting your opponent on fire! They settled nothing at Mania. Kane gave him the fight of his life, and he kicked out of two Tombstones! Taker agreed, but he said Kane lost because his soul is impure. He called this Inferno a desperate measure, but he accepted it. Then Kane taunted Taker by desecrating their parents’ graves! It pissed Taker off, so he took a page out of Kane’s book. Taker took out his anger on random wrestlers. When Taker went after The Headbangers, Kane and Bearer interrupted with a challenge. Paul Bearer dared Taker to face Kane at their parents’ graveyard. Taker arrived, but Kane had already come and gone. It was a distraction so Kane could bring their parents’ caskets to the arena. Kane then set them on fire and chokeslammed Taker onto their mother’s casket.

The Match: They trade punches in the corners and whip each other across the ring. Taker follows with a corner splash and does Old School. The flames erupt when they do big moves. Then Kane shoves Taker closer to the fire, so Taker claws Kane’s face. Kane answers with a powerslam and Bearer gives him a chair. When Kane clocks Taker in the head, JR calls it Concussion City. After more traded strikes, Taker does a Russian Leg Sweep and a leg drop. Kane rises, so they grab each other by the throat. Kane does the chokeslam after a knee to the gut. However, Taker avoids a Tombstone and both men fall to a double big boot. Taker also almost hits the fire on a missed jumping clothesline.

Next, they fight on the top rope, and Taker nails a superplex. Kane rises again, so Taker throws him over the ropes! Kane can’t enter the ring, so he retreats. This draws out a returning Vader to stop him! Vader brawls with Kane back to the ring. Taker leaps over the ropes with a tope onto both of them! Bearer senses trouble, so he distracts Taker with a chair. Taker swipes it and clocks Kane. He falls with his arm underneath the ring. Then Taker chases Paul Bearer to the concert stage. The Undertaker crowns Paul with a bass drum and hits him with a mic stand. It busts open Bearer’s head. When Taker returns to the ring, Kane has a chair. But Taker kicks Kane into the fire. Kane’s arm catches fire, and Kane runs to the back in a panic.

Thoughts: It wasn’t a technical marvel, but it was a good spectacle. The wrestlers hated working in there. It was hot and hard to breathe. So they did the best they could. Taker and Kane built the drama around the flames well. They also built to the big spots. This was enjoyable. Yes, you could see the protective wrapping on Kane’s arm. But they kept a wide enough shot to not make it too obvious. I can excuse it.

Winner: The Undertaker (16:00)

Taker celebrates in the ring while the flames rise. JR and Lawler wipe their sweat. Lawler thinks the flames singed his chest hair. Then JR introduces the main event.

Vince thinks Austin is a public relations nightmare. So he attempted a corporate makeover. It backfired. Then tensions between Austin and McMahon culminated in the unthinkable. They almost fought until Dude Love interrupted. Dude attacked Stone Cold when he got too close. Now Dude is the #1 Contender. Austin called it a conspiracy. Vince thinks Steve watched too many Oliver Stone movies. However, Vince will be ringside. Austin says the last time that happened, Vince screwed someone. Meanwhile, an angry McMahon made Jim Ross apologize for slandering him. What is Vince’s deal?

Dude Love dances to the ring first. JR calls it one of Mick Foley’s more bizarre personas. But Lawler thinks he’s a hip daddy! He’s a real chick magnet. (Somewhere, Phil Brooks takes notes.) Lawler also calls JR two-faced. He bashed Vince and then apologized. Austin arrives next, he jaws with Dude Love before posing in the corners. Dude jumps Austin when he hands the belt to Mike Chioda.

WWF Title Match: Dude Love vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin (c)

Notes: Cactus & Charlie’s tag title loss broke Cactus Jack. While DX beat him, the fans chanted for Austin instead. This hurt Jack. He vowed the fans wouldn’t see Cactus again for quite some time. Then Austin and McMahon had their match on RAW. Vince stalled until a familiar face interrupted. It was Dude Love! Dude said Vince signed his checks, so he’s his main man! But Vince shoved Dude on his ass. An angry Love threatened Vince until Austin got too close. Dude turned and put the claw on Austin multiple times. Vince feigned anger over Dude’s interruption. He wanted to fight Austin! Vince even appeared on Dude’s Love Shack interview segment and reiterated this point. But Dude wasn’t mad. Dude claimed he wanted to restore peace and love, but Austin attacked him! However, Stone Cold wasn’t buying any of this. He believed it was a conspiracy between Dude and Vince. Vince denied this, but Dude defeated Steve Blackman by nefarious means. McMahon was ringside. The bell rang despite Blackman not submitting. Did Vince screw Blackman? Would he do the same to Austin? Vince declared something catastrophic would happen at Unforgiven.

The Match: Austin fires back with punches, elbows, and a Thesz Press. They fight in and out of the ring. Austin rams Dude’s head into anything he can find. This leads to a brawl in the aisle and on the stage. Stone Cold slams Love and hip tosses him to the floor! When they return to the ring, Austin nails axehandles, clotheslines, and more strikes. Dude answers with his own strikes and some weak dancing. Then he puts Austin in a bodyscissors while Vince, Patterson, and Brisco arrive. Pat offers Vince a seat at ringside. This motivates Stone Cold to escape and taunt Vince. Austin then drags Dude to the corner and rams his leg into the post. It leads to another fight on the floor. Dude backdrops Austin out of a piledriver attempt and knocks him off the apron. Vince tells Steve to be a man and get into the ring. When he does, Dude grabs an ab stretch. Vince calls for the bell, but Yeaton doesn’t see or hear him.

Austin breaks free and they return to the outside. Stone Cold reverses a suplex onto the steps. However, Dude nails a swinging neckbreaker when they return to the ring. Austin blocks Sweet Shin Music, but Dude wipes out the ref with a missed clothesline. Then Dude blocks a Stunner and locks in the Mandible Claw twice. Austin fights until Dude uses a low blow. Vince tries to revive the ref, but it’s no use. They spill outside again and grab a chair. Vince tries to stop it, but Austin rams the chair into Dude’s face. Vince helps Love to his feet while Austin grabs the chair. Stone Cold smirks and swings at both Dude and Vince. Steve knocks Vince out cold. He then rolls Dude into the ring and gives him a Stunner, but there’s no ref. So Austin counts his own three-count.

Thoughts: This was a fun brawl. It had good intensity and storytelling. This is Austin’s main event style now. It gets around his physical limitations. I like it. Fink declares this a DQ win for Dude, but that’s fine. This feud isn’t over, and this sends the fans home happy. This was an enjoyable fight, even with the ending.

Winner: Dude Love (by DQ) (18:49)

Slaughter and the officials check on Vince. They brought a gurney for him. Austin celebrates, which disgusts Lawler. Steve then glares at Vince. JR says this could cost Austin big time. Lawler thinks Vince should fire him. However, JR says it might have been inadvertent. Lawler doesn’t buy that. Once Austin leaves, Dude Love crawls to the still unconscious Vince. The Fink announces they disqualified Austin for striking a WWF official. Meanwhile, they put a neck brace on Vince and place him on a stretcher. JR sounds somber about McMahon’s fate. Lawler thinks they should strip Austin of the belt and arrest him. The show ends with another replay.

The Good:

• The main event was a fun brawl.

• The Inferno Match was a good spectacle.

• Good storyline development.

• Vince’s performance.

The Bad:

• Dull matches.

• The concert.

• A weak crowd.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Vince. He was great, and he’s coming into his own with this evil Mr. McMahon character. The Austin vs. McMahon feud is the hottest thing going.

Final Thoughts:

The final two matches saved this from being a mediocre PPV. The undercard was lackluster and dull, but the final hour made up for it. Watch the Inferno Match and the main event, but skip the rest. It was a decent show overall.

Thank you for reading. My next review is ECW’s Wrestlepalooza ’98. Look for it next Sunday!