Raw Deal - Raw recap for September 14, 1998

RAW

The show starts with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin coming to the ring, and WWF owner Vince McMahon, The Undertaker and Kane are already there. An irate McMahon screams that he is tired of Austin carrying around his own custom WWF Championship, and after Break Down, he won't have to. Vince reiterates that he has introduced a master plan that would culminate in Austin losing the title, and that he has ordered a triple threat for the title between Austin, Kane and The Undertaker. However, Vince adds that there is a business arrangement, as he has granted The Undertaker and Kane a title shot, but will do something for him in exchange. Vince says he will never forgive or forget Austin, and while The Undertaker and Kane still have no love lost between each other, if they scratch his back, he scratches theirs, and by "scratching his back," he means "protect his back." Vince tells Austin that if he lays a hand on him, The Undertaker and Kane will annihilate him, even though that will happen to Austin at Break Down, anyway. Vince says he is able to guarantee Austin losing the title because of a new stipulation in the Triple Threat Match just a moment ago: The Undertaker is prohibited from defeating Kane in the match, and Kane cannot do the same to The Undertaker. Vince then spells it out: the match is a glorified 2-on-1 handicap match for the WWF Championship. Vince then tells Austin that since he does not want to do business and always wants to do it his way, Austin will remember one thing when he is defeated: "Stone Cold screwed Stone Cold." As he says this statement, Vince jabs his finger into Austin's chest repeatedly. As expected, Austin punches Vince, and The Undertaker and Kane gang up on Austin as promised. Austin is choke slammed by both The Undertaker and Kane, and Vince mocks Austin before leaving the ring. Before The Undertaker, Kane and Austin leave, The Undertaker tells Austin that it's nothing personal and just business. Vince then tells Austin that tonight, he will be defending the WWF Championship against "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock.

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin is seen backstage, and he is not in a good mood.

"Double J" Jeff Jarrett beats "Road Dog" Jesse James. During the match, Southern Justice (Mark Canterbury and Dennis Knight) drag Road Dog out of the ring, which starts a brawl between them and "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn and X-Pac. As referee Tim White is keeping Billy Gunn back at ringside, Jeff Jarrett is able to hit Road Dog in the throat with the neck of his guitar. Road Dog has to be helped to the back after the match by Billy Gunn and X-Pac.

"Road Dog" Jesse James is helped into an ambulance backstage after the attack on him by "Double J" Jeff Jarrett. Billy Gunn snaps on WWF Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter when Slaughter asks if Road Dog is okay.

"The Rock" Rocky Maivia has hatched up a game plan for Kane with the rest of The Nation (Owen Hart, D'Lo Brown, "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry), but as The Rock breaks it down for them, disagreement can be sensed within The Nation.

"The Rock" Rocky Maivia beats Kane. During the match, the referee is accidentally knocked down by The Rock's foot during a a Tombstone Piledriver attempt by Kane. After The Rock hits The People's Elbow, The Undertaker shows up and goes after The Rock. As Kane watches, Mankind - who has not been seen since SummerSlam - appears with a sledgehammer and smashes the hammer into Kane's back before running back to the back. The Undertaker chases Mankind to the back, and the referee is able to come to and give The Rock the pinfall. The Undertaker checks on Kane after the match, then grabs the microphone and tells Mankind that this has gone way too long and that it ends once and for tonight. He challenges Mankind to a match, and tells him to bring his sledgehammer.

Michael Cole interviews Mankind, who now has a visible bruise on his face and bandages on his left hand. Mankind says he used his left hand to block the sledgehammer, and says he is lucky that he did not look all that good to begin with. He accepts The Undertaker's challenge, for he has been working on scientific moves and is looking forward toa fair fight. He then smashes a steel drum with his sledgehammer.

Dustin Runnels is in the ring, where he welcomes everyone to Hell as the WWF is stained with vulgar language, aggression and sex. Runnels then tells Val Venis that he told him He is coming, and when He gets here, he will repent. Val Venis shows up, asks if he will repent because he works hard or because he plays hard. He then introduces him to his latest video entitled "The Preacher's Wife." We then see a short clip where Venis explains that he got back at Dustin for attacking him last on Sunday Night Heat by sleeping with Terri Runnels, aka Marlena. Dustin Runnels is aghast and breaks down, and Val Venis tells Dustin Runnels that getting on his knees must run int he family.

We see a vignette for Steven Regal: a man's man. Here, we see him cut a tree with an ax.

"Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley retains the WWF Intercontinental Championship against Owen Hart. During the match, Chyna hits "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry with a right hand after X-Pac tries to stop Henry from further confronting her, distracting Owen. After the match, Mark Henry tells X-Pac that if he wants to play with him, they can play tonight, and makes it a 2-on-1 handicap where Chyna will fight along X-Pac since he "looks like he is about a buck-five." Henry tells X-Pac and Chyna that he will prevail tonight.

Mankind is seen pushing a dumpster backstage while placing weapons inside of it.

WAR ZONE

Mankind brings a sledgehammer and ladder with him to the ring before the next match, and the dumpster that he pushed around backstage is already in front of the ring. When The Undertaker shows up, he brings a sledgehammer of his own as Kane accompanies him. Referee Tim White has to take Mankind's sledgehammer away from him as he tries to strike The Undertaker with it before the match can begin, but before The Undertaker can hit Mankind with his, Mankind gets the Mandible Claw in, starting the match.

The violent match between Mankind and The Undertaker ends in an no-contest. During the match, "The Rock" Rocky Maivia comes out of the dumpster and stops The Undertaker from hitting Mankind with a sledgehammer after a Tombstone Piledriver on the chair. After tossing Mankind into the crowd - and presumably out of harm's way - The Undertaker and Kane trail The Rock to the back, and the match ends.

Edge and Gangrel wrestle to a double count-out. Gangrel then tells a downed edge "My blood flows through your veins" and that "eternity is forever."

"The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry beats Chyna and X-Pac. X-Pac is asked to start the match at the recommendation of referee Jack Doan. Shortly after the start of the match, D'Lo Brown shows up to watch the match from ringside, and "Double J" Jeff Jarrett and Southern Justice (Mark Canterbury and Dennis Knight) watch the match from the aisle. Later on, D'Lo Brown grabs at Chyna's foot as she tries to get into the match, and though X-Pac stops D'Lo with a drop kick, Mark Henry is able to recover and hit Chyna with a power slam as she comes down from the middle rope.

Sable beats Jacqueline in an Evening Gown Match. (After the match, the camera focuses on a woman watching the match from the front row. This woman would appear later in the year and into the following year as Tori.) After the match, Sable takes off her evening gown for the fans.

Michael Cole interviews "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock, who says it is about time that he gets a shot at the WWF Championship, as the WWF keeps putting opponents in front of him and he keeps defeating them. He tells "Stone Cold" Steve Austin that he is looking at the calm before the storm.

"The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin for the WWF Championship ends when The Undertaker and Kane show up and attack both men. "The Rock" Rocky Maivia and Mankind rush in and fight The Undertaker and Kane, and WWF owner Vince McMahon shows up on the stage, confused as to what is going on. Austin gets back in the ring with a steel chair and hits The Undertaker and Kane in the back with it before chasing Vince to the back as the show ends.