Raw Deal - Raw recap for April 6, 1998

WWF owner Vince McMahon shows up. He says having "Stone Cold" Steve Austin arrested was the toughest decision of his professional life, and that he had second thoughts. As a result of his benevolence, he released Austin from jail that very night. Nevertheless, Austin has learned his lesson and learned it the hard way, according to Vince. He says that Austin will no longer be considered a beer-swilling, finger-gesturing, trash-talking blue collar WWF Champion, because tonight could be the proudest moment in his own professional career as the fans will see a "new and improved" Austin later this evening "or your money back."

We see a video package of Dan "The Beast" Severn as Jim Cornette - who brings the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and three of his UFC championship belts along - guests on commentary for the next match.

Dan "The Beast" Severn beats Flash Funk with an arm bar in his WWF debut.

D-Generation X ("Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna, X-Pac (formerly Syxx), "Road Dog" Jesse James, "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn) are seen backstage knocking on the ladies' backstage door, topping steel chairs and yelling in a stairwell.

D-Generation X ("Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna, X-Pac, "Road Dog" Jesse James, "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn) show up. Jim Ross acknowledges on commentary during their entrance that X-Pac formerly went by the name of The 1-2-3 Kid. It is also announced that "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels is recuperating at home from various injuries and has no comment on the restructuring of D-Generation X. Triple H talks about how he promised the world a revolution, a change and an army last week, and that he lives up to all of his promises. Road Dog introduces himself and Billy Gunn as The New Age Outlaws, but says that D-Generation X, not the World Wrestling Federation, brings the Outlaws to the fans. He says the marriage of the Outlaws of D-Generation - the youngest and most capable athletes in the business today - is made in heaven. X-Pac tells the crowd that if they came to see "the grumpy old men stinkin' the joint up," they came to the wrong place as what DX is is young and hungry. Triple H tells the fans that if they wanted a revolution, they got it. He tells the WWF if they want a war, they got it. He says DX is the army, and his bazooka is locked, cocked and ready to unload.

Backstage, D-Generation X ("Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna, X-Pac, "Road Dog" Jesse James, "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn) mess with a stagehand and spray paint the backstage set.

"The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman beats "Too Sexy" Brian Christopher with an arm bar. Tennessee Lee shows up shortly after the match begins to briefly guest on commentary, leave, and return after the match to bring out "Double J" Jeff Jarrett. Unbeknownst to Blackman, Jarrett is behind him, and the introduction proves to be a distraction so that Jarrett can smash a guitar into his head. Jarrett calls his attack "a smash hit."

D-Generation X ("Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna, X-Pac, "Road Dog" Jesse James, "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn) come across The Disciples of Apocalypse's (Chainz, Skull, 8-Ball). Triple H dares Gunn, James and X-Pac to urinate on their bikes....which they do.

Cactus Jack shows up with a neck brace and a steel chair, and sits in the center of the ring. He says he has always taken a lot of chances in the ring and some very bad things have happened to him over the years, but he always had the comfort of knowing that when he looked at his dreams, career and accomplishments that it was always worth the pain. When people ask him how his neck is doing, Jack says he'll be damned if he lets a group of scum like D-Generation X ("Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna, X-Pac (formerly Syxx), "Road Dog" Jesse James, "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn) put him away. He says that Chainsaw Charlie aka Terry Funk isn't here and he hasn't talked to him, but he says Charlie and Funk do not miss wrestling matches, and if Funk is hurt enough to fly home, it must be bad. He wishes people could know Funk more than what they see in the ring, as they always debate on who the greatest wrestler ever is, but if they were to talk to everyone in the locker room, they'd learn that Funk is one of "the gutsiest, old bastards they'd ever seen in their lives." Jack talks about the bruise on his back and says that he was proud of their match at WrestleMania 14, and how Funk told him he would be all right as he considered it the last match of his career, as Funk always wanted to retire a WWF champion. Funk told him that it was all worth it, but they don't have the tag team belts anymore. As he was laying - barely conscious and barely able to move - he heard something in his ears that made him sick: an announcement thanking the fans for coming and an annoucement concerning "Stone Cold" Steve Austin followed by the crowd cheering. When he showed up in the WWF two years ago as Mankind, there were people who wanted him to be Cactus Jack, even when he was Dude Love. He says he gave the fans Cactus Jack as well as every bit of energy he had, and when he laid down helpless, they chanted someone else's name. He rips off the neck brace and tosses away the chair. He says this is not a knock on Austin and that he is happy that Austin is champion, and that they've known each other for a long time, and he's been his friend. However, what the fans did to him and Funk in the middle of the ring was not only distasteful and disrespectful, it was "goddamn disgusting" and that he will give them a chance to make it up to him as he will accept a group apology right now. Jack says that for the first time in years, it's not worth it anymore, and it will be a long time before the fans see Cactus Jack in the ring again. He then thanks the fans who got even a little bit out of a Cactus Jack match before heading to the back.

We see a video made earlier today by The Nation of Domination ("The Rock" Rocky Maivia, D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa, "The World's Strong Man" Mark Henry) attacking Faarooq outside of the arena.

Owen Hart beats "The Rock" Rocky Maivia by disqualification after Chyna hits Owen in the back with a baseball bat while the rest of D-Generation X ("Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, X-Pac, "Road Dog" Jesse James, "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn) have a laugh at the stage. The Rock retains the WWF Intercontinental Championship. The Nation of Domination (D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa, "The World's Strong Man" Mark Henry) is sent to the back during the match after Kama Mustafa stands on the apron and argues with the referee.

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

WWF owner Vince McMahon shows up with two police officers, and presents the "new and improved" "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Austin shows up in a suit, tie and baseball cap but retains his trademark strut. When he goes to the corners of the ring, he does not climb to the second rope and simply stands in each corner, raising one fist. Vince says that tonight is the first step in Austin becoming the best WWF Champion of all time, calling it one small step for Austin and one giant leap for the World Wrestling Federation. Vince says he knows this has not been easy, and it will take a lot of hard work. He thanks Austin, saying this is a step in the right direction, but gives Austin a hard time for wearing his wrestling boots instead of dress shoes and wearing a hat that doesn't go with the suit. Vince then asks what the moment was that allowed Austin to accept reality, and Austin says that when the jail cells close in on you and the guards don't bring the bread and water, he started thinking to himself what kind of chance he had competing against someone like Vince McMahon. He said to himself, "Steve, if you think you can beat Vince McMahon, give me a hell yeah," but then he remembered he was in a jail cell and said "hell no." He says that you have to understand the power and control a Vince McMahon has, and asks one of the officers to take a picture of the two of them together as he pulls a camera out of his suit pocket. The picture is taken, and then Austin tells Vince that the old Steve Austin would tell him to take the camera and stick it up his ass, and that the new Steve Austin would tell him to take the camera and get the film developed, because this is the absolute last time you will see him wearing a ridiculous suit. He takes the suit jacket and shirt off and reveals a Stone Cold tanktop underneath before taking off his pants and telling Vince he changes for nobody. He then tells Vince "D.T.A., Don't Trust Anybody" before telling him to bow down for him before smacking him in the groin and taking a picture of Vince doubled down in pain. Austin then leaves, followed by Vince McMahon, who slowly heads to the back with the two police officers.

The Disciples of Apocalypse (Chainz, Skull, 8-Ball) call out D-Generation X ("Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna, X-Pac, "Road Dog" Jesse James, "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn), saying that this isn't some sort of high school game and that if they have the balls to urinate on their motorcycles, they have the balls to face them in the ring.

Luna Vachon beats Mark Knowles in an inter-gender match - the first of its kind in WWF history - thanks to The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust attacking Knowles before the bell rings. (Mark Knowles is the real name of independent wrestler HC Loc.)

We see another vignette for Val Venis, who says Jack Nicholson has nothing on him. In his latest film, "As Hard As It Gets," he rises to the occasion. When he gets up for a role, he never comes down. It's all work and a little bit of play, but somebody's gotta do it. When he enters the World Wrestling Federation, it'll be a scream.

"Marvelous" Marc Mero vs. "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock is thrown out. Before the match, it is announced that D-Generation X ("Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna, X-Pac, "Road Dog" Jesse James, "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn) have accepted The Disciples of Apocalypse's (Chainz, Skull, 8-Ball) challenge for later tonight. Mero then tells Sable he allowed her to be in the spotlight at WrestleMania 14, then tells her to get out of his face. Sable heads to the back with a smile on his face this time around. During the match, The Nation of Domination ("The Rock" Rocky Maivia, D'Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa, "The World's Strong Man" Mark Henry) shows up, but Shamrock sees them coming and grabs a steel chair to fend them off. Henry then manages to sneak up on Shamrock and hit him with a belly-to-belly suplex before hitting Shamrock with a big splash and allowing D'Lo Brown to hit Shamrock with a frog splash from the top rope. The Rock tells Shamrock this is the dawn of a new Nation and a new domination, and stomps Shamrock as he is down while officials and referees tell The nation to leave the ring.

Kevin Kelly interviews The Undertaker in the ring. The Undertaker says that Kane found out that he's not just his brother, but also the lord of darkness. He tells Kane that he has given a beating that nobody else ever has, but the soul powers the body and Kane's soul is unpure, allowing Kane to be defeated. As for Paul Bearer's challenge from last week, he calls it "desperate men resorting to desperate actions," and tells Kane that he beat him at well, and regardless of where the fire is, Kane will realize it will be the beginning of his eternal damnation. Paul Bearer and Kane appear on the TitanTron near his parents' graves, telling The Undertaker he will make sure he dies a slow, agonizing death at Unforgiven. He says Kane will beat him senseless and pound his body into the cold, hard ground as Kane destroys his parents' tombstones. Bearer then tells The Undertaker that the inferno will set him ablaze as Kane pours gasoline on the graves. Bearer then says he and Kane will send The Undertaker straight to Hell as Bearer lights a match and Kane drops it on the graves, desecrating them.

The Disciples of Apocalypse (Chainz, Skull, 8-Ball) rush at D-Generation X ("Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, "Road Dog" Jesse James, "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn) while X-Pac guests on commentary for the match.

D-Generation X ("Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, "Road Dog" Jesse James, "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn) beat The Disciples of Apocalypse (Chainz, Skull, 8-Ball). After the match, X-Pac grabs a steel chair, and DX go to town on the D.O.A., incapacitating Skull and 8-Ball before tying Chainz to the top rope. Suddenly, L.O.D. 2000 (Road Warrior Animal, Road Warrior Hawk, Sunny) show up and fight DX, helping out Skull and 8-Ball as the show ends.