Raw Deal - Raw recap for June 29, 1998

RAW

WWF owner shows up with Gerald Brisco and WWF Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter, as Pat Patterson is not here due to a death in the family. We see a red carpet in the ring and a glass case with the WWF Championship inside. McMahon says today is a glorious day, as there is a new WWF Champion. McMahon announces this is the dawning of a new era of popularity and prosperity, of respect and dignity and even civility, as if a breath of fresh air has cleansed the WWF of the foul mouth, the unseemly hand gesture and the beer swilling. He says this champion who is a man among men whose lips have never so much as tasted an alcoholic beverage or uttered an obscenity in his entire life, and his only gesture to salute the flag of the United States of Championship. He says this champion is a role model and a champion for the new millennium, and that this champion is Kane. Kane shows up with Paul Bearer. McMahon then asks Bearer to put into words what he is feeling at this moment. Bearer announces the WWF is indeed a place where dreams can come true, and there is no way anyone can understand what this momentous occasion means to himself and Kane this evening, and that unless you have walked a mile in Kane's shoes, you cannot realize it. Bearer says he was there for 20 long years, as he watched his son Kane sit in a room with his dreams and pictures of The Undertaker all over the room as he watched Superstars every Saturday morning and told him "I want to be like him." Bearer told Kane he could be better than The Undertaker and says it is not wrong to dream. He says Kane was ridiculed and teased and put down, but tonight, for the first time, The Undertaker is standing in the shadow of his little brother. Brisco then removes the glass case covering the WWF Championship so that McMahon can ceremonially hand the WWF Championship to Kane. Kane says it is an honor to put the title around his waist voluntarily, but before he can do just that, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin shows up and tells Vince that Kane never busted him open and that The Undertaker was the one who did it. Austin then demands a rematch for the WWF Championship tonight, and that all Vince has to do is say he's got it. Vince says everyone would love to see that rematch, and Austin tells Vince to get the stupid look off his face and give it to him. Vince then believes that Austin doesn't deserve the rematch, but Austin asks for a "hell yeah" if the fans want a rematch, which they do. Vince changes his mind, and says it's okay with him as long as it's okay with Paul Bearer. Austin puts Paul Bearer in the hot seat and asks the same of him. Bearer tells Kane to tell Austin, but Austin isn't having any of it and tells Bearer to grab the microphone and start talking. Bearer says it's all right with him if it's okay with Kane. Austin dares someone in the ring to have some guts, and asks Kane to give him the rematch tonight. Austin tells Kane he's bigger than The Undertaker now that he has the WWF Championship, and that The Undertaker won it for him and handed the belt for him, then tells Kane to ask himself if he could have beaten "Stone Cold" Steve Austin fair and square, and if he doesn't get the reamtch, he'll never know. Austin asks for the rematch, and Kane shakes his head yes. The rematch is on. Paul Bearer is livid.

The encore for King of the Ring is tomorrow night on pay-per-view.

Before the next match, Sable shows up with a note. She says that WWF owner Vince McMahon is pleased and proud to announce the signing of one of the greatest wrestlers in the world to a WWF contract: Steven Regal, who left World Championship Wrestling sometime last year. Sable guests on commentary for the next match, and says she is unable to discuss her agreement with Vince McMahon and Titan Sports that has allowed her to come back to the WWF.

Steven Regal beats Darren "Puke" Drozdov with the Regal Stretch in his WWF debut.

Michael Cole interviews new King of the Ring, "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock, who says it's good to be king. He has competed in many, many fights in his career with the UFC and over in Japan, and says the King of the Ring Tournament was one of the hardest things he's ever had to do, calling it "a great accomplishment." He gives credit where credit is due and admits "The Rock" Rocky Maivia is a true champion and a true warrior. Suddenly, Owen Hart shows up and tells Shamrock to spare him the sugar-coating and sucking up, saying he won the tournament and is a better king than he'll ever be. He dares Shamrock to get in the zone and then get in his zone to see who the better king is tonight. Shamrock says Owen can talk, but asks if he can walk the walk. He also remembers Owen breaking his ankle, then accepts his challenge and says he's got nothing but pain to look forward to. "Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Chyna show up, and says that he is "the King of Kings" and that one is not a king unless they step in the ring with him. He makes the challenge into a three-way dance, and asks if they're going to do something or just talk about it. Shamrock accepts the challenge for the Triple Threat Match.

We see "The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman warming up in the locker room, followed by the rules for the Brawl For All Tournament, which starts tonight and combines boxing, wrestling and other methods of fighting. There are three one-minute rounds, there is a point system where takedowns are worth five points, knockdowns are worth 10 points and the person who lands the most punches per round earns an extra five points. Knockouts end the match. Danny Hodge will be the official for the Brawl For All.

"The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman beats Marc Mero to continue to the next round of the Brawl For All Tournament after Blackman racks up a lot of points from takedowns. Within the middle of the first round, it becomes readily apparent that the fans are not interested in the tournament, and when both Mero and Blackman go to the corner after the end of the second round, the crowd starts chanting "We want wrestling!"

Kevin Kelly is in front of Kane's locker room, and that Kane will reveal why he accepted "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's challenge for a WWF Championship rematch.

Kevin Kelly interviews Kane, who says he has granted "Stone Cold" Steve Austin a rematch because he knows he can beat Austin again, then grabs Kelly and tells him he is a better champion than The Undertaker ever was.

The Undertaker is seen heading to the arena.

Before the next match, Val Venis chases after Yamaguchi-san with a steel chair and looks at Yamaguchi-san's wife (who is sitting at the corner near the ring), then says that if the ladies in the home of the Cleveland Indians want to get to first base with him, all they have to do is choke up n that bat and swing for the long balls.

Val Venis beats Dick Togo. During the match, it is announced that WWF Footbrawl will come to the Foxboro Stadium at noon on Saturday, August 8. Also, Dustin Runnels briefly guests on commentary during the match to spread the word of God. After the match, Val Venis looks at Yamaguchi-san's wife again, then Yamaguchi-san slaps him. Sho Funaki and Men's Teioh attack Venis from behind, but Venis gets a steel chair and lays them all out. We then see Edge in the stands.

Fully Loaded: In Your House is live on pay-per-view July 26th!

Michael Cole interviews "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who says he didn't feel he lost the WWF Championship and says he feels pretty confident.

WAR ZONE

Before the next match, "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock attacks Owen Hart from behind as Owen Hart makes his way to the ring. "Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley waits in the ring as Hart and Shamrock go at it.

"The World's Most Dangerous Man' Ken Shamrock beats Owen Hart and "Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley in a "King of Kings" Triple Threat Match after "The Rock" Rocky Maivia knocks Triple H with the Intercontinental title and Shamrock knocks Owen Hart into the guardrail with a pull of the top rope. After the match, a brawl between The Nation of Domination ("The Rock" Rocky Maivia, "The Godfather" Kama Mustafa, "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry) and the rest of D-Generation X (X-Pac, "Road Dog" Jesse James, "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn) erupts on the stage while Hart and Shamrock continue to go at it. Owen Hart tries to snap Shamrock's ankle again with a Figure Four Leg Lock on the ring post as referees try to pull him off Shamrock.

The Undertaker shows up. He says he owes nobody anything, not even an apology, but explains why he came to the ring last night. He says it is common knowledge that there is no love lost between him and Kane, mainly because of Paul Bearer's mind manipulation. He says the day may come where he and Kane may have to destroy each other, and if so, so be it. However, he did not want to see his little brother Kane set himself on fire to live up to his legacy and also exceed it, and says he did what he had to do. WWF owner Vince McMahon shows up, and implies The Undertaker has compassion for Kane before saying he really did it because he knows he can beat his brother for the WWF Championship and because he doesn't think he can beat Austin. He calls The Undertaker "the most vile, contemptible and evil individual the Devil ever placed on this earth," and that Hell hath no fury in what he will find if he interferes in tonight's WWF Championship rematch.

We see Bradshaw training on a punching bag backstage, while wrist tape is wrapped around Mark Canterbury's (the legal name of them formerly known as Henry O. Godwinn) wrist.

Bradshaw beats Mark Canterbury (formerly known as Henry O. Godwinn, now going by his legal name) to continue to the next round of the Brawl For All Tournament after landing more punches than Canterbury.

Kevin Kelly is backstage, trying to get an interview with The Undertaker.

Edge is seen in the crowd again.

L.O.D. 2000 (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk) show up and tell the Cleveland, Ohio fans that they have a surprise for them. Some time ago, there was a great man who came and saw great success in them, and brought them to the wrestling world and every title possible in wrestling. Now, they introduce - and re-united with - "Precious" Paul Ellering, their manager, who has been on the sidelines for a long time. Hawk calls Ellering "the greatest thing to happen to Cleveland and the best thing to come out of Cleveland since they ditched Albert Bell" before calling Bell "a stinkin' loser." He says Ellering brought them to the top, and now they are reborn with Ellering, who he calls their greatest friend and mentor, and Hawk says that Ellering is proud to be back and must have something to say. Before Ellering can say anything, Skull and 8-Ball show up, and Ellering them to his new team, 8-Ball and Skull, proving Ellering's return was all a set-up. Ellering hits Animal and Hawk with is copy of The Wall Street Journal as Skull and 8-Ball go on the attack.

Kevin Kelly interviews The Undertaker, who says that nobody tells him what to do.

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin beats Kane to win back the WWF Championship. During the match, The Undertaker shows up and watches from ringside. After the match, The Undertaker gets in the ring, and The Undertaker grabs at Paul Bearer, distracting him. Austin runs up to The Undertaker and hits him with the Stone Cold Stunner, just like he did Kane, and both Kane and The Undertaker get up simultaneously, and stare at Austin as he leaves.

After the show goes off the air, Kane and The Undertaker brawl in the ring. The Undertaker hits Kane with a choke slam and leaves, punching Paul Bearer on his way out.