Raw Deal - Raw recap for February 15, 1999

RAW

WWF Commissioner "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels shows up to start tonight's show. He introduces "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Mankind, who will be facing each other for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania 15. Before Shawn can say much else, however, WWF co-owner Vince McMahon shows up with a bandage on his forehead and his neck in a neck brace. Vince says he stands before everyone tonight a broken and humble man, and tells Austin that he put 12 stitches in his head and threw him off the top of a cage, much to the delight of the crowd, and says he wants to be a better man and start all over, and bury the hatchet. All he wants Austin to do is say that he is sorry. Austin says he can handle that, and says he is sorry...for not beating his ass worse than he beat it. He also asks the crowd to give him a "hell yeah" if they still think he is an asshole. Vince then tells Shawn to do his job and give the people want they want, as Mankind did not win last night and the fans deserve a rematch between The Rock and Mankind for the WWF Championship, and that they deserve it here tonight. Mankind says he feels pretty crappy tonight even by his standards, and wants a week to get ready for the rematch. The Rock shows up, and tells Mankind he doesn't even have seven minutes. For the last five months, he has done what he has said he was going to do, and that is bash Mankind's brains in. Tonight, he wants his rematch, and tells Shawn that he is no more than "a roody-poo candyass," and tells him to know his role make the rematch for tonight. Mankind tells The Rock that he is always talking about testicular fortitude, and tells Shawn he should not have to make the match as his testicles are full of fortitude. He tells The Rock he will see him in the ring tonight. Vince then tells Shawn to make his own kind of match where there has to be a winner, and to make it a Ladder Match. Shawn tells The Rock he's had roles The Rock will never had, and makes a Ladder Match for the WWF Championship between The Rock and Mankind official for tonight. Vince then says there will be a special guest referee in the WWF Championship match at WrestleMania 15, and that man is Paul Wight. Austin flips Paul Wight off as Wight stands on stage.

An inter-gender tag match between the team of Debra and Jeff Jarrett and the team of Ivory and D'Lo Brown ends in an no-contest when Debra and Ivory have a catfight in the ring. After the match, Debra smashes a guitar into the back of Ivory, and Owen Hart shows up and gets a few shots on D'Lo in the corner.

Paul Wight is welcomed into The Corporation in the locker room.

D-Generation X ("Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley and X-Pac) show up. Triple H addresses Chyna, saying she must feel good about herself after last night, and cannot blame her as it is "the first time she has ever been on top of a man." He and X-Pac have a bad taste in their mouth from last night, and demands that Chyna bring Kane to the ring for a rematch. Chyna and Kane show up with WWF co-owner Vince McMahon, asking Triple H if he is out of his mind and announcing that there is no rematch, as Chyna gets the night off for a job well done last night. This gives X-Pac an idea, and proposes "trading one bitch for another bitch" and replacing Chyna in the match with Shane. Shane says everybody knows he can take X-Pac, and Triple H asks if that is a yes. Shane says he has no proper ring attire, and asks Triple H if he is a puss. Shane says that if X-Pac to put the WWF European Championship on the line in the match, and he'll accept. X-Pac says he has no problem with that, and after he puts the title on the line, he'll put his foot up Shane's ass. Triple H then tells Shane they have two words for him: suck it.

Val Venis and Ryan Shamrock are seen making out backstage.

Mankind is seen climbing on a ladder underneath the floor in preparation for last night's Ladder Match backstage.

Before the next match, Val Venis says he is the new WWF Intercontinental Champion, and says it's been a long, hard road, but as usual, he rose to the occasion and came out on top.

Val Venis retains the WWF Intercontinental Championship against "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn. During the match, Ryan Shamrock gets on the apron, and is knocked down when Venis whips Gunn into the rope. Gunn checks on her, then Ryan gets in the ring with Val. Venis then says "Whoa...we did this?" and says that last time he checked, the title only goes around one waist. He says it's been real and good, but it hasn't been real good, and dumps Ryan Shamrock, saying there is no more room on the road for her.

Ryan Shamrock is seen talking to "Bad Ass' Billy Gunn when "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock shows up, attacks Billy Gunn and snaps.

The Ministry of Darkness show up. Paul Bearer says that you never hear much from "the fat man" these days unless he has something important to say. He tells everyone to listen up, and tells WWF co-owner Vince McMahon to bring his butt off the pedestal he made for himself and listen to The Undertaker. The Undertaker tells Vince that in time, the WWF will belong to him. One by one, everyone will fall before The Ministry. Last night, The Big Boss Man received a small sample of the power he possesses, and then let him go. Next time, The Boss Man will not be so lucky. The Undertaker then says that The Ministry went to the heart and soul of The Corporation and took him out, and says they can take anyone out who they desire, and that there is nothing Vince can do about it. The Undertaker then says Vince is wondering how he can be so competent and succeed where others have failed, and says he owns the key to Vince's heart and soul. As Vince was preoccupied with his petty obsessions, he amassed an army that will destroy Vince and The Corporation. Each soul they take, will be taken in the name of a power far more powerful than The Undertaker. In that power's name, vision and dream and in The Ministry's destiny, The Undertaker will own the World Wrestling Federation. Suddenly, The Big Boss Man shows up, and says that if The Undertaker wants a piece of him, he is not hard to find. If The Undertaker has aspiration of taking over and he has the guts, they can get it started tonight. He challenges The Ministry to a six-man tag team match tonight, and tells The Undertaker it is just a matter of time before he "stick[s] his foot up his dead ass." The Undertaker tells Boss Man he should be more careful what he asks for.

WWF co-owner Shane McMahon is seen wearing a D-Generation X shirt with "X-Punk" diagonally printed across the shirt as he is backstage with Kane and Chyna.

WAR ZONE

Kane and Shane McMahon beat D-Generation X ("Triple H" Hunter Hearst Helmsley and X-Pac), and Shane McMahon is the WWF European Champion. As referee Earl Hebner is preoccupied with Triple H and Kane outside of the ring, Chyna hands Shane the WWF European Championship to use as a weapon against X-Pac, and he hits X-Pac with the title before getting the pinfall. Shane has to be helped to the back, and Chyna has to keep Kane from getting back in the ring and going after Triple H.

Kevin Kelly interviews Shane McMahon, who is celebrating his WWF European Championship win with The Corporation. When asked what he is going to do next, Shane says he is going to WrestleMania.

Bob Holly retains the WWF Hardcore Championship against "The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman when Droz attacks Blackman from behind backstage. After the match, Holly says that he has proved himself, and that ever since he has been in the WWF, the company has given him lousy gimmicks, goofy names and weak tag team partners. Holly says it is all about him now, and that the Hardcore title is what he is all about, as he is hardcore. He issues a challenge to anybody out there who wants a shot at his championship. All of a sudden, Bart Gunn - who has not been seen since SummerSlam - shows up wanting to know what Holly means by "weak tag team partners," and asks if he forgot about him. Holly says he didn't forget about him, as he was the only man that Bart Gunn could not knock out in the Brawl For All Tournament. Gunn challenges him to a match for the WWF Hardcore Championship next week, and Holly accepts, saying he will show him what an Alabama ass-kicking is all about.

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin is seen pacing backstage.

Kevin Kelly interviews Sable in the ring. Sable says she's been pretty busy as of late, and announces that she will be on the cover of Playboy magazine hitting newsstands on March 8th. She also will be on the covers of TV Guide and Raw Magazine, and will also be on Regis & Kathie Lee during the week, and that she is getting tons of TV and movie offers. She thanks the fans, saying it would not be possible without them. Suddenly, the stalker that has been seen - and stopped - in the past is stopped by security, but Sable tells the security guard to let her go. The stalker professes her admiration for her, but when she grabs Sable's hand, Sable pulls it away and tells her that she is sick and tired of her harassing her, and that she could never be like her. After calling the stalker a wanna-be, she asks security to escort her out.

WWF co-owner Vince McMahon is seen talking to The Rock backstage.

Eric "Butterbean" Esch is seen in the front row before the match.

The Corporation (The Big Boss Man, Test, "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock) vs. The Ministry of Darkness (Mideon, Faarooq, Bradshaw) ends in a no-contest. During the match, The Undertaker and Paul Bearer show up, and The Ministry are now standing on the stage, and Mideon, Faarooq and Bradshaw stand at the foot of the ramp once the lights come back on. Edge, Christian and Viscera then bring out Shane McMahon, and The Undertaker says he should carve Shane's out right now, but WWF co-owner Vince McMahon would not give a damn. He then says "Then again," before grabbing Shane by the throat before pulling a note out of his robe, and tells him to give the note to Vince and to tell him it comes from The Lord of Darkness.

Before the next match, The Rock calls the Birmingham, Alabama crowd "the biggest collection of trailer park trash" he has ever seen, and there is no bigger piece of trailer park trash than "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. The Rock then says he plans on climbing the ladder rung by rung and taking back the WWF Championship tonight.

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin guests on commentary for the next match.

The Rock beats Mankind in a Ladder Match to win the WWF Championship for a third time. During the match, Paul Wight shows up and choke slams Mankind off the ladder as Mankind has The Rock in the Mandible Claw. Wight leaves after telling "Stone Cold" Steve Austin he is next. After that, The Rock is able to climb up the ladder and win the title. After the match, Austin gets in the ring and hits The Rock with a Stone Cold Stunner.

After the show goes off the air, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin lifts up the WWF Championship before throwing it down and mouthing off at The Rock. Austin then celebrates with a beer, then pushes the ladder out of the ring. The Rock then gets back up, and knocks the beer out of Austin's hand. The Rock then grabs two beers from the nearby cooler and offers one to Austin in the hopes of drinking a beer with him before WrestleMania 15 to celebrate becoming the new WWF Champion. At this point, Mankind has gotten back up, and now that he is a former WWF Champion, wants to partake in the beer-drinking, already having a beer in his hand. All three men have a toast and drink a beer, then The Rock tries to attack Austin only to fall victim to both a Stone Cold Stunner and a Mandible Claw. Mankind leaves the ring, and Austin hands The Rock - who is now on the commentary table - another beer before punching him in the face as he drinks it. Austin then heads to the back while The Rock is sitting knocked out on a chair at the commentary table.