Raw Deal - Raw recap for December 15, 1997

Michael Cole interviews The Undertaker in the ring. It is announced that at Royal Rumble on January 18th, 1998, The Undertaker will face "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels for the WWF Championship, and it will be a Casket Match. The Undertaker says he has fought Shawn on two occasions, although nothing has been settled except for the fact that he can beat Shawn at will. He says that Shawn thought he had the world in his hands when he won the WWF Championship, but with the title comes the #1 contender. Shawn will not have to look into the eyes of the reaper, and when he does, he can't beat him. 'Taker's history in Casket Matches is legendary, as he has only lost one Casket Match and it took 10 men to put him in that casket. He says there are not ten men in D-Generation X (Shawn, "Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna), and that Shawn doesn't have ten friends to help him. He tells Shawn to give his soul to the lord, because the rest of his scrawny ass will belong to him, and after Royal Rumble, someone will rest in peace. Kane and Paul Bearer arrive, and Bearer calls the meeting "a beautiful family portrait" and the only thing missing are the parents that he murdered. Bearer says that all the agony of the WWF Superstars right now is 'Taker's fault, and the list is growing day by day. He gives The Undertaker one more chance to step up to the plate and be a man. Kane then slaps 'Taker in the face, then 'Taker stops Kane from slapping him a second time before leaving.

WWF: The Music: Volume 2 is available now!

Before the next match, Jerry "The King" Lawler says Taka Michinoku is "skoshi" ("small) and that he is "oki" ("big"), and that "that tempura shrimp" is "skoshi" tonight.

Taka Michinoku beats Jerry "The King" Lawler by disqualification after Taka is attacked by "Too Sexy" Brian Christopher. Taka fights back against Brian Christopher, and ducks out of the double team attempt by Christopher and Lawler. During the match, it is announced that the UFC Ultimate Japan event, where "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock's younger brother Frank Shamrock will compete for the UFC Middleweight Championship, will be on pay-per-view on December 21st.

On Option 3 of the WWF Superstar Line, you can learn how D-Generation X ("The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, "Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna) almost started a near-riot.

The Legion of Doom (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk) say that tonight is not going to be pretty. They've never fought the likes of D-Generation X ("The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, "Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna), whom Hawk calls "Michael Bolton before the haircut, Fabio and RuPaul."

The WWF Championship Title Series, featuring championship belts, is available now from Jakks Pacific!

The Nation of Domination (Faarooq, D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa, "The Rock" Rocky Maivia) shows up. The Rock calls himself the "the undisputed Intercontinental Champion," "the people's champion," and "the best damn Intercontinental Champion there ever was." Faarooq tries to interrupt The Rock, but The Rock tells him "the champ is talking." Unfortunately, The Rock is a very unhappy man due to the fact that "that thief in the night" "Stone Cold" Steve Austin stole the title. As the undisputed WWF Intercontinental Champion, he orders Austin to come out and give him the belt back. Austin shows up, but without the belt. Austin tells The Rock he doesn't just order him around, as he does what he wants, when he wants. He tells The Rock he whipped his ass, and that The Rock stole the title from him because he's a piece of trash. He then explains that he forfeited the title to him, because for once in his life, he was in a good mood and had mercy for him. He tells The Rock he'll find out where his title is and tells him to stick around, and that when he messes with him, he's in over his head. The Rock gives Austin one hour to return with his property, or else The Nation of Domination will search the entire building until they find Austin and beat him Faarooq is seen throughout the promo staring a hole through The Rock, as if to ask him who in the world he thinks he is.

We see the WWF Attitude vignette for "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock.

Before the next match, "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn brags about what "Road Dog" Jesse James did to Dude Love last week, then says James will finish Dude Love for good. Billy Gunn then guests on commentary for the match.

Dude Love beats "Road Dog" Jesse James. During the match, Dude Love switches between Dude Love and Mankind, and also attacks "Bad Ass" Bily Gunn twice. After the match, Gunn tries to hit Dude Love with a chair, but Dude Love kicks Gunn in the gut and fights Gunn on the entrance ramp. James attacks Dude Love from behind, and Gunn and James hit a double-team vertical suplex on Dude Love on the stage. Referees have to stop Gunn and James from pushing Dude Love off the edge of the stage. Dude Love fights back, but Gunn and James push a referee into Dude Love, sending him off the edge of the stage and hip-first into a table eight feet below. Gunn and James then check on Dude Love, then stomp on him some more before leaving.

During the break, Dude Love is helped up by both referees and medical staff.

"The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry beats The Brooklyn Brawler with a bear hug in his Raw debut. Before the match, we take a look at Mark Henry's Olympic background as well as footage of his record 935-pound deadlift, and it is announced that more about his background and the injury he has recovered from will be mentioned on Livewire. During the match, it is announced that "Stone Cold" Steve Austin has left the building, but has asked a camera crew to follow him.

It is announced that Owen Hart is in the building tonight, and that he will be confronted by Vince McMahon next.

The intro to War Zone plays to signal the start of the second hour.

Vince McMahon enters the ring to interview Owen Hart. Vince says he knows Owen Hart is here tonight as he has been spotted, and informs Owen that he has endangered the fans with his actions as of late by crawling over ringside fans to interfering in matches, and that his actions will not be tolerated. He reminds Owen that he is still under contract to the World Wrestling Federation, and orders him to appear in the ring right now. Owen is seen in the crowd, now with facial hair and an even shorter haircut. He climbs over the guardrail andenters the ring, and Vince asks Owen who he thinks he is. Owen turns the question around on Vince, and says he doesn't owe Vince an apology - or anything - and that he's tired of pleasing everybody and that "the bullshit stops here." He says his Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart and The British Bulldog did what they had to do, and that is is time to do what he has to do and remain in the World Wrestling Federation. He spent nine years breaking his back night and day to earn a reputation, and nobody is running him out of the company like "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels did to Bret, Bulldog and Neidhart. Vince thinks this is all about the WWF Championship, but Owen tells Vince he's stupid and that it's more about "a piece of leather with tin on it," and that this is real life and about his reputation, respect and dignity. He tells Vince exactly what he is going to do: make Shawn Michaels' life a living hell. He doesn't give a shit if anyone calls him "the sole survivor" or "the black sheep." He says Shawn started this and now he will end this. Vince then tells Owen what he is going to do: send uniformed security to the ring so that the safety of the ringside fans is not endangered, as next week, Owen wil use the ramp and compete like everyone else. Owen stares a hole through Vince and grabs him by the suit collar before saying something to him. Uniformed security then escort Owen out of the ring as the crowd chants for him, and Owen leaves through the sea of people with uniformed security escorting him out of the building.

Tom Brandi (formerly Salvatore Sincere) beats The Sultan after tricking The Sultan into knocking The Iron Sheik off the apron. Before the match, it is announced that Dude Love is in the hospital with fractured ribs. It is then announced that "Stone Cold" Steve Austin has last been seen by his camera crew on an abandoned bridge. After the match, Tom Brandi is attacked from behind by "Marvelous" Marc Mero with a low blow.

The Nation of Domination (Faarooq, D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa, "The Rock" Rocky Maivia) shows up again. It is announced that Vince McMahon has apologizes for his reaction to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin knocking him off the apron last week. The Rock then tells Austin that his time is up and that Austin is as gutless as can be. He tells Austin that he has pissed him off and that The Nation is coming to take the Intercontinental Championship. We then see Austin on a bridge on the TitanTron, with the WWF Intercontinental Championship in his hands. Austin tells The Rock that if he wants the title back, he'll need a few things, such as a mask to see under the water, a snorkel, a regulator, an oxygen tank, flippers, a cell phone and a pager - which he throws into the nearby river. Austin then says he doesn't give a damn about the WWF or The Rock, and throws the Intercontinental Championship in the water along with everything else. He then says he doesn't give a damn if The Rock finds it, saying if he does, good for him; if not, maybe he'll drown. The Rock is livid.

The WWF wishes everyone a happy holiday as they advertise a special Raw Is War Christmas next week.

Vince McMahon makes a special announcement. "It's been said that anything can happen in the World Wrestling Federation, but now, more than ever, truer words have never been spoken. This is a conscious effort on our part to open the creative envelope, so to speak, in an effort to entertain you in a more contemporary manner. Even though we call ourselves "sports entertainment" because of the athleticism involved, the key word in that phrase is "entertainment." The WWF extends far beyond the strict confines of sports presentation into the wide-open environment of broad-based entertainment. We borrow from such program niches like soap operas like The Days Of Our Lives, or music videos such as those on MTV. Daytime talk shows like Jerry Springer and others. Cartoons like the King of the Hill on Fox, sitcoms like Seinfeld, and other widely accepted forms of television entertainment. We in the WWF think that you, the audience are, quite frankly, tired of having your intelligence insulted. We also think you are tired of the same simplistic theory of "good guys vs. bad guys." Surely, the era of the superhero who urges you to say your prayers and take your vitamins is definitely passe. Therefore, we've embarked upon a far more innovate and contemporary creative campaign that is far more invigorating and extemporaneous than ever before. However, due to the live nature of Raw and the War Zone, we encourage some degree of parental discretion as it relates to the younger audience allowed to stay up late. Other WWF programs on USA such as Saturday Morning Livewire and Sunday Morning Superstars, where there is more than a 40% increase in the younger audience, however, need no such discretion. We are responsible television producers who work hard to bring you this outrageous, wacky, wonderful world known as the WWF. Through some 50 years, the World Wrestling Federation has been an entertainment mainstay here in North America and all over the world. One of the reasons for that longevity is as the times have changed, so have we. I'm happy to say that this new, vibrant creative direction has resulted in a huge increase in television viewership for which we thank USA Network and TSN for allowing us to have the creative freedom, but most especially, we would like to thank you for watching. Raw and the War Zone are definitely the cure for the common show."

Steve Blackman beats Jose Estrada, Jr.

"The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels knows that Owen Hart is mad at him, and tells Owen Hart that he's not hard to find as he took all the gold off the waists of his family. "Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley acknowledges that Shawn got rid of Bret "The Hit Man" Hart and The British Bulldog and that he got rid of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, and asks if it would be Chyna's turn to get rid of Owen Hart. Shawn says the WWF would be afraid that Chyna would tear Owen apart, so it has to be him or Triple H, and they will settle it like they settle every major decision in their careers: a game of rock, paper, scissors which Triple H wins. Shawn tells Owen that he's in for a bad time as Triple H is coming his way. They haven't forgotten about The Legion of Doom (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk), as they will tear them apart tonight.

The Legion of Doom (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk) beat D-Generation X ("The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels and "Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley) by disqualification after Chyna hits Animal with a low blow while "Road Dog" Jesse James and "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn smother Hawk's mouth with a handkerchief covered in chloroform. After the match, Chyna nails Animal from behnd with the European Championship, then James and Gunn bring Hawk into the ring to shave Hawk's mohawk with an electric razor. DX, James and Gunn then powerbomb Animal through the commentary table. Billy Gunn then hits Hawk with a leg drop from the top rope, and Shawn hits Hawk with a top rope elbow drop after is revealed that Hawk is severely injured. James and Gunn leave, and Shawn is impressed by their actions as the show ends.