Raw Deal - Raw recap for March 23, 1998

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin shows up, and is interviewed in the ring by Kevin Kelly. He knows that Vince McMahon does not want him as WWF Champion, and tells Vince he cannot mold or break Steve Austin. He may look like the biggest piece of trash in Vince's eyes, but he does what he wants when he wants and nobody's stopped him. THe most important thing in his career right now is to get "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels in the ring and beat him for the championship. He has respect for Shawn and says it will be the toughest match of his life. He says that Vince and the WWF can throw as much horseshit as they can as he will walk through it and make it through the match. When he hears that "Iron" Mike Tyson and D-Generation X (Shawn, "Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna) are coming out in full force, Austin takes it as an insult, then says that's fine with them as he has the night off and that he'll be in the back with a cooler full of "Steveweisers" and he wil drink every last one of them. WWF Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter shows up, but it is not for a beer like Austin initially thinks. Slaughter informs Austin that he does not have the night off and that he will wrestle tonight as per WWF owner Vince McMahon, who cannot be here tonight. Austin will be facing "The Rock" Rocky Maivia tonight, and Austin says that if Vince is too much of a chicken to tell him himself, so be it. If Maivia shows up tonight, he'll either wrestle him for 30 minutes or snap his lights off in seconds. Slaughter then says that if Austin does not wrestle The Rock tonight, his match with Shawn at WrestleMania 14 will be a non-title match. Austin tells Slaughter he just told him that he was going to do what Vince wanted him to do, and takes this as an insult. Sgt. Slaughter eats a Stone Cold Stunner as a result.

Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie beat The Quebecers (Jacques and Pierre) by disqualification after The New Age Outlaws ("Road Dog" Jesse James and "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn) attack Cactus Jack. During the match, The New Age Outlaws shows up in black suit and tie, with Road Dogg setting up a table with wine glasses, champagne, a vase with a rose in it, a tablecloth and blow-up dolls that look like Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie while Billy Gunn bringing in a dumpster, which briefly distracts Cactus Jack. After the match, a champagne bucket is used as a weapon, and the table is smashed into the skull of Chainsaw Charlie before Cactus Jack is sent head-first into a steel chair by both men with a spike piledriver.

"Double J" Jeff Jarrett beats Steve Blackman, snapping Blackman's undefeated streak after Tennessee Lee grabs Blackman's foot and keeps holding it during the pinfall. Referee Jack Down tells the referee of the match what happened, which causes Jarrett to attack Done and the other referee before Blackman fights off Jarrett. Blackman then chases Tennessee Lee to the back.

D-Generation X ("The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, "Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna) will hold a public workout this Thusday at noon at the Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston, Massachusetts.

A white limousine is seen arriving to the venue. Out comes "Iron" Mike Tyson and D-Generation X ("The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, "Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna), who tells "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to "get over it."

We see The Undertaker talk to his parents in a graveyard. He says that he has done things in his life that he is not proud of and there are time where he has not lived up to their expectations. He hopes that they understand that he has come to his crossroads, and that the devil stands before him in the form of his brother Kane. He asks his mother to forgive him for the sin he is about to commit, a sin so heinous but in the end must be done, for in the end, he only hopes that together, as one, they can rest in peace, a family once again. If that is not the case, he alone is willing to serve his penance and burn in his own damnation. He is willing to look his destiny in the eye and go where the reaper leads him. He asks his parents once again to understand as Kane has given him no other choice, and he has to fight. He tells them to just know that he loves them.

Paul Bearer and Kane show up. Bearer is tired of hearing The Undertaker speak about his parents and what he had to tell them, and that his brother Kane has the same powers that he does. He then allows Kane to provide a demonstration, and Kane causes a lightning bolt to ignite the lighting truss above the stage. Bearer then decides to have Kane display more of his powers, this time on the announcers, and one of the monitors is fried by a lightning bolt. Kane then zaps a spotlight near the stage when Bearer says the spotlight has been on him all day. Bearer then says that The Undertaker had better become a believer, as it will all be over after WrestleMania. He then says it was The Undertaker's fault that Kane lost an eye, both of his parents died, and that it was his fault that Kane was locked up for twenty years and until he was brought to the WWF by Bearer. Bearer says that Kane would destroy everyone in his path, and he did. Bearer, having enough of the audience, asks Kane to do whatever he wants. Kane focuses on a crew member and strikes him on lightning, setting him on fire. The man has to be put out with a couple of fire extinguishers and a thick blanket.

The crew member who was set on fire by Kane is taken out on a stretcher.

The Disciples of Apocalypse (Skull and 8-Ball) vs. The New Midnight Express ("Bombastic" Bob Holly and "Bodacious" Bart Gunn) ends in no decision. During the match, The Headbangers (Thrasher and Mosh), The Rock 'n Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson), the team of Sniper and Recon, the team of Savio Vega and Miguel Perez, The Quebecers (Jacques and Pierre), the team of Jose Estrada Jr. and Jesus Castillo all slowly show up and surround the ring only to start a brawl involving all the teams before officials and referees try to restore order.

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

D-Generation X ("The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, "Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna) and "Iron" Mike Tyson show up. After some footage from last week, Triple H boasts about taking back the European Championship from Owen Hart and says that Chyna won't be a favtor as he will own Owen. He tells Owen not to show up at WrestleMania and milk his leg injury, or else he'll send him back home in a wheelchair for good. As for "all the desert ladies out there," if they play their cards right, they could end up at his place tonight, and after they get pricked by his cactus, he'll let them play with his prairie dog. Shawn focuses the camera on a woman with "DX" on her tanktop carrying a sign saying "DX Three Words Bring It Here," and asks the woman if she has "two nipples for a dime." Triple H says she is "the breast looking fan here" and asks if she is "double or triple-DX." Shawn then says that she is a skank and that DX realizes that as security continues to keep her away from the guardrail the entire time the spotlight is on her. Shawn they says they couldn't resist but to bring attention to someone with the cajones to wear "DX" on their breasts. Shawn then says he's been listening to WWF owner Vince McMahon and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin for the last few weeks in "the biggest pinch fight I've ever seen," and tells them that they have a catfight at WrestleMania and the last thing DX needs is them slapping each other around. On the subject of Vince saying he does not want Austin to be the next WWF Champion, Shawn says he appreciates Vince's support, but if he needed "another dirty, stinky, stanky jock strap in his drawer," he'd give him a call, but until then, Vince should leave his opinion as neither he or Austin cares what Vince says or does. He then tells Austin to forget about Vince or stunning WWF Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter, and that he should focus on one thing and one thing only: the WWF Championship that is around his waist. The only way Austin can achieve his dream that he has waited for for eight years, and that is to beat him. He tells Austin he is the big dog in the WWF and that he will give him the one chance he has been waiting for, but he tells Austin he has to beat him. He then tells Austin he might have another problem at WrestleMania: Mike Tyson as special guest enforcer, whom he calls "the baddest man on the planet." Tyson tells Austin that if he gets in his way, he will knock him out. Tyson then says that Shawn will come out of WrestleMania the WWF Champion and that he will come out of WrestleMania the baddest man on the planet. Shawn that says that from now until he says otherwise, D-Generation X will rule the World Wrestling Federation forever.

Gennifer Flowers tells the fans it's okay to be a WWF fan and watch WrestleMania with pride.

It is announced that if "The Rock" Rocky Maivia is disqualified in his Intercontinental Championship match against "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock at WrestleMania 14, the Intercontinental Championship will change hands. This has occurred after a talk between Shamrock and WWF Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter.

Faarooq beats Chainz by disqualification after "The Rock" Rocky Maivia, who shows up during the match with a steel chair, hits Faarooq in the back of the head with a steel chair. The Rock then brings out the rest of The Nation of Domination (D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa, "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry) to help Faarooq out, and it is questioned whether The Rock did this on purpose.

The Rock 'n Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) watch the next match from the front row.

Bradshaw beats Barry Windham after Windham is distracted by The Rock 'n Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) threatening to jump the guardrail to get their hands on Jim Cornette. The identity of the crew member set on fire by Kane is identified as Hunter Brownd ruing the match. After the match, The New Midnight Express ("Bombastic" Bob Holly and "Bodacious" Bart Gunn) show up and attack Bradshaw, and The Rock 'n Roll Express jumps the guardrail and get in the ring to check on Bradshaw.

We see the appearance of legendary boxing great Muhammad Ali as a special guest referee at WrestleMania 1 as part of the M&Ms WrestleMania Millennium Moment.

Sable - with "Marvelous" Marc Mero - shows up in an evening gown, a contrast to Mero's bandanna, sleeveless button-down shirt, bluejeans and black boots. Mero says Sable's success is off of his coattails, but is allowing her this one time to bask in the glory and that he will leave the ring while she enjoys this. Vince Russo, editor-in-chief of Raw Magazine, awards Sable and Sunny an award for making the January 1998 issue of Raw Magazine the biggest-selling WWF publication ever. It is announced Sunny is not able to be here as she is under the weather and it is hoped she gets well soon, and Sable is presented with the award on behalf of her and Sunny. Sable thanks all the fans for buying the magazine and making it possible, but it isn't long before Luna Vachon and The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust shows up. Luna takes the plaque, attacks Sable with it, and nearly rips Sable's evening gown off. Mero shows up with a round of referees, and Mero tells Goldust that he is a dead man.

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin beats "The Rock" Rocky Maivia, then fights off the rest of The Nation of Domination (D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa, "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry). Before the match, it is announced that Faarooq has suffered a concussion and that his status for WrestleMania 14 is now doubtful. D-Generation X ("The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, "Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna) and "Iron" Mike Tyson are seen watching the match from the locker room during the match. After the match, D-Generation X ("The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, "Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna) and "Iron" Mike Tyson show up and Shawn tells Austin they have turned his lights out twice and that he will turn his lights out for the last time at WrestleMania. Austin flips Shawn off, and Shawn takes his jacket off before heading towards the ring. Triple H stops Shawn from getting in, telling him to save it for WrestleMania.