[theme music playing]
[narrator] The premonition…
[Vince] This, Kane, is your destiny.
A first blood match.
[narrator] The prophecy.
[Vince] No force on earth can stop destiny,
not even "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
[narrator] The book of 3:16.
[Stone Cold] I've bled before, I ain't afraid to bleed again,
your big dead ass belongs to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
[narrator] Revelation.
If he does not become the World Wrestling Entertainment Champion.
[Kane] I will set myself on fire.
[narrator] The Black Angel.
[The Undertaker] I am the Lord of Darkness.
You will understand why.
I am the reaper of wayward souls.
[narrator] The sins of Mankind.
[Mankind] Bouncing his skull off the steel cage,
dropping parts of my body in order to ruin his.
[narrator] Hell on Earth.
[Mankind] What he calls Hell, I call home
because I'm going to love every minute of it.
[narrator] Dear God, have mercy on their souls.
[announcer] And now, Super Soaker presents the 1998 King of the Ring.
[rock music playing]
-[firecrackers crackling] -[audience cheering]
[Jim] The Igloo is red hot and it's sold out.
Welcome, everybody, to the sixth annual WWE King of the Ring.
[rock music playing]
Not only that, ladies and gentlemen, will we have a new King of the Ring crown,
but the most evil demonic structure ever erected in this industry
is hanging over the ring.
And tonight, The Undertaker and Mankind
in one of the great main events will get it on inside the steel.
Hello again, everybody, and welcome again to the King of the Ring.
I'm Jim Ross alongside Jerry "The King" Lawler.
We are here at ringside, King,
two main events, what do you think is gonna happen inside the cell?
Well, you said it before, it's demonic, it's perverted,
it's gonna be an awesome sight. I can't wait.
But also, we're looking at that last match.
It's a win-win situation as far as I'm concerned.
Either we got a new WWE champion tonight or we're gonna see a guy get set on fire.
Ha-ha. It's great either way.
[bell ringing]
[announcer] The following Six-Man Tag Team Match is scheduled for one fall.
Approaching the ring, a total combined weight of 687 pounds,
Mosh and Thrasher, The Headbangers
and the World Wrestling Entertainment
Light Heavyweight Champion, Taka Michinoku.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] This is the first of two bonus matches
that were just added to the line-up earlier today.
The Headbangers and Taka Michinoku in a Six-Man Tag Team match with Kaientai.
[audience cheering]
-And there you see Taka. -[Jerry] Wait a minute.
[Jim] He's become a Headbanger for the night.
[Jerry] Taka Michi-no-clue, he's got a skirt on.
[Jim] So does Thrasher and Mosh.
[Jerry] Well, this is ridiculous. Is that a mini skirt he's wearing?
[announcer] Their opponents coming right down the aisle,
Yamaguchi-san from Japan
and a total combined weight of 637 pounds,
Togo, Funaki, Teioh, Kaientai.
[rock music continues]
[Jim] Here comes Kaientai
and certainly this is gonna be a volatile night, King,
in more ways than one.
I hope you don't decide to fire up a cigar here.
We're sitting around these gas cans.
You're not kidding. They're everywhere. They're getting ready.
They could be used on Kane or who knows what they could be used for here tonight.
[Jim] Remember, if Kane does not win the WWE title tonight,
ladies and gentlemen,
he has signed in writing that he will set himself on fire
and breathe his last breath.
And apparently, this gasoline is going to be used to expedite it
if indeed Kane does not win the WWE title tonight.
[Jerry] That's why I said, it's a win-win situation.
We're either gonna see a new WWE Champion which would be great,
we're gonna see a guy set on fire. [giggles] Whoa.
[Jim] The Civic Arena better known as the Igloo here in Pittsburgh.
The home of the National Hockey League Penguins
-has been sold out for weeks… -[bell rings]
…in anticipation for the 1998 King of the Ring.
And certainly, an eclectic Six-man Tag Team matchup to start it off,
-you got to wonder, King. -[Jerry] A what kind?
-[Jim] It's kind of unusual. -[Jerry] Eclectic. I got you.
Unusual is right.
[Jim] You gotta wonder if Taka is gonna have problems
with the language barrier with The Headbangers.
[Jerry] What does he have in common with The Headbangers?
Do you think he listened to their kind of music, Nine Inch Nails?
[Jim] Men's Teioh and Thrasher starting it out here.
Teioh with the right hand, the Kaientai trio,
very, very quick, very explosive with their offense,
and extremely resilient.
A tilt-a-whirl, sidewalk slam, a lot of impact there.
And again, Thrasher and Mosh will have a--
The size and strength advantage here against their adversaries
from the "Land of the Rising Sun".
Men's Teioh debuted in '92.
That's a cover and a near fall, the first one in the match.
Teioh grew up idolizing Terry Funk.
As Thrasher tags in his partner, Mosh. And Mosh with a dropkick.
Catching Teioh and thus far, Teioh has been isolated, King.
[Jerry] Well, Teioh grew up idolizing Terry Funk.
That's his first mistake.
[Jim] And Teioh now tagging in Sho Funaki.
Funaki [inaudible] Kaientai, extremely quick.
-[Jim] Could it be. Yes. -[Jerry] Oh, man.
[Jim] What a spine tingling powerbomb.
[Jerry] They don't have the size advantage,
so Kaientai will have to use their quickness and their speed
if they'll do anything with The Headbangers.
[Jim] Funaki, a former UWA World Middleweight Champion,
rather unorthodox style employed here in the early going by The Headbangers
and they have had their success in the WWE as well, King, as you well know,
they've been not only WWE Tag Champs but NWA Tag Champs.
[Jerry] And while you're a fan of theirs, I don't know. You don't like that music.
Even, matter of fact, you got Van Gogh's ear for music. Look at this.
[Jim] And now, Taka Michinoku, the WWE Light Heavyweight Champion
certainly becoming one of the more popular athletes.
Now, there's a chop there by Taka. And, King, what's that do to you
when you get nailed like that with a hard chop?
[Jerry] If it's Taka Michinoku hitting you.
I don't know, I'll probably brush it off like a mosquito.
That one might be a little different.
[Jim] Taka going upstairs and he calls that a missile dropkick
and it knocks Sho Funaki outside.
And there's Taka with his no hands Springboard Plancha.
[Jerry] It's crazy.
[Jim] I tell you what, you live by the high-risk,
sometimes, you die by the high-risk move.
And Togo with a cheap shot on Taka
and Dick Togo didn't make the tag, referee Jack don't,
now sees the tag and allows it.
[Jerry] Look at Mr. Yamaguchi there, do you see what he's wearing there, JR?
I know you're a big baseball fan. Oh. Good move.
Matter of fact, that's been-- Went to the Cleveland Indians games
in the last couple of days but look, he's wearing a Tokyo Giants uniform
that was given to him by probably the greatest baseball player of all time,
who would you think that is?
-[Jim] Mickey Mantle. -[Jerry] Give me a break. One more guess.
[Jim] I know what you're gonna say. Sadaharu… Oh.
[Jerry] Right. It was personally given to him by the home run king of all time.
[audience cheering]
[Jerry] He went almost as far, his homeruns there.
[Jim] Outstanding leg strength by Taka. He's elevated over the top.
-All the way to the outside here. -[Jerry] I hope he's hurt.
-[Jerry] Wow. What a move. -[Jim] Togo trying the baseball slide.
That was blunt but a nice resourceful move into a headscissors.
[Thrasher] Come on, Taka.
[Jim] You got to wonder what's going through the mind right now, our four men,
Steve Austin and Kane, The Undertaker and Mankind.
Their careers literally are at stake,
for the stipulations and the surroundings, the atmosphere
that they will compete in here tonight.
[audience chatter]
Go, Taka.
[grunts]
[Jim] What a high impact in this matchup. I'm not sure who got hurt.
The worst there apparently was Taka
and Sho Funaki tagged back in.
[Jerry] Uh-oh. They're getting little Americanized there.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] Tag was made and Togo now and Taka Michinoku pairing up here.
We are live tonight in North America, Europe, and South Africa.
[Jerry] Watch it.
-[Jim] And look at this. -[Jerry] Oh, beautiful.
[Jim] Outstanding double team move there by Kaientai.
[Jerry] His own mommy ain't gonna recognize him after that.
You know, JR, you're right, we're live all over three continents
and they love the King down in Johannesburg, South Africa.
I wanna say hello to my millions of fans down there.
[Jim] Watching on the M-Net in South Africa,
we thank you for being with us and Dick Togo.
Wow. Flying headbutt, caught Taka look like right in the heart.
[Jerry] It goes without saying what they think of royalty in the UK.
I wanna say hello to all of my minions over there also.
Do it again. Yes, do it again. Oh, no.
[Jim] Taka dodged the bullet and delivered a spinning heel kick
that caught Funaki right in the face.
[Jerry] Don't let him tag out, catch him.
[Jim] Taka crawling for that tag and the youngster makes the tag.
[Jerry] Wait, who got tagged?
[Jim] Well, both Thrasher and Mosh got tagged and one of them gotta go.
[Jerry] Oh, wow.
[Jim] Great elevation there by The Headbangers and…
Referee Jack Doan is rapidly losing control here.
[Jerry] Now, Kaientai is banging some heads. There you go.
Oh, watch this, JR.
[Jim] Funaki going up on top. Oh.
-[Jim] He couldn't connect with the elbow. -[Jerry] Took too long.
[Jim] The rather unforgiving ring canvas.
And now, Taka gets the tag. What's going on here?
[Jerry] Look at the directions, what are they…?
[screams]
-[Jerry] Oh, no. -[Jim] Michinoku Driver?
-[Jerry] I hate it when he does that. -[Jim] And…
[audience cheering]
[bell ringing]
[announcer] Here are your winners,
the team of The Headbangers and Taka Michinoku.
[Jerry] I think Sadaharu Yo or Oh or whatever his name is,
he might take that uniform back from Mr. Yamaguchi now.
[rock music playing]
-[Jim] Taka Michinoku and The Headbangers. -[Jerry] Look at this.
[Jim] Celebrating their victory here in our first of two bonus matches
that we'll bring you tonight in addition to the two main events.
Certainly worth another look here, King, and…
[Jerry] Oh, please, don't make me watch Taka Michi-no-clue again.
[Jim] Look at this elevation right here in this tandem offense. Up in the lights.
And then we see Taka's signature move, the Michinoku Driver.
[Jerry] Oh, right on the head.
[Jim] And that spelled the end for Kaientai.
King, what are your thoughts about this unique matchup,
Al Snow and the Head meeting Too Much?
Well, I'm gonna tell you now, JR, I've been worried about this
because I think Too Much, Brian Christopher and Scott Taylor
are taking this match too lightly. I'm telling you, you gotta be prepared.
This is gonna be a very, very serious match.
You can't depend on my help in this one.
Al Snow and the Head could be dangerous.
[Jim] No doubt about… Uh-oh. Wow.
I think business is about to pick up here, folks.
[audience cheering]
[Jerry] Wait, what is she doing here?
["Wildcat" playing]
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, Sable.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] What an ovation for Sable who recently returned to the WWE
and I suppose we should thank Mr. McMahon for orchestrating her return, King.
[Jerry] I told you Vince McMahon is great.
He's always got the… Look at the smiles on the faces of those fans.
They love to see Sable. Without Mr. McMahon, she wouldn't be here.
He brought her back.
-And it is… -[Jim] I'm not saying she's gorgeous.
I know a lot of my buddies in Oklahoma that'd marry her dog
just to be a part of her family.
-[Sable] Hello? -[Jerry] What?
[audience cheering]
[music fades off]
[audience chanting Sable]
[Jerry laughs]
[Jerry] Like you got to chant for her, pal.
Now, I would like to introduce to you
the owner of the World Wrestling Entertainment,
Mr. Vince McMahon.
[Jerry giggles]
[audience booing]
[Jim] Well, it's not exactly a Mario Lemieux like reception here
for the owner of the World Wrestling Entertainment
being accompanied by Hall of Famer Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco.
[Jerry] These fans are a bunch of ingrates.
He gives them Sable, they go crazy,
then he comes out and they give him a standing boovation.
Now, tell me what else Mr. McMahon is gonna give them right here.
He's a generous man, you know, JR.
-[Jim] Oh, really, how generous? -[Jerry] Well…
[Jim] This is Austin chants.
Mr. McMahon has certainly been…
a pimple on Austin's fanny for the lack of a better term here.
[Jerry] I would say it's the other way around.
[Jim] Now, Sable is being dismissed.
-She introduced the boss and what the… -[Jerry] Oh. What happened?
[Jim] Well, Patterson getting a little liberal
in a territory he's not familiar with.
I dare having a woman slap me, get out of here.
[audience booing]
-[Jerry] What did Pat do? I missed it. -[Pat] I don't care.
[Jim] He patted her on the derriere, King.
[Gerald] Let me tell you something, each and every one of you people
should be on your feet cheering Mr. McMahon
who's brought you wrestling here for the last 10 years.
Have a little respect for the legends in the ring.
[Jerry] Right.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Look at Brisco wipe off the microphone.
[Jerry giggles]
-[Jerry] Cleanliness is next to godliness. -[Jim] Yeah.
[Vince] Thank you for joining us here tonight.
And I wonder how many of you have joined us
because you wanna see the WWE Championship change hands here tonight.
[Jerry] Yeah. Here I am.
[audience chatter]
How many of you have joined us
because you wanna see "Stone Cold" Steve Austin defeated here tonight?
[Jerry] Yes, defeated. Yes.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] That's Michael Moorer.
And should Kane not be successful in his acquisition of the title,
how many of you have joined us to witness Kane
setting himself on fire here tonight?
[audience cheering]
[Jerry] These people are sick.
-[Jim] They have an attitude. -[Jerry] Of course, this is Pittsburgh.
I'd suggest that you're probably setting yourselves up
for one great big disappointment.
[Jerry laughs]
[audience cheering]
That should come to no surprise to the vast majority of you
because I would suggest that your entire lives
have been a symphony of disappointments.
[Jerry] They live in Pittsburgh, for one.
[audience chatter]
-[Jim] I happen to like Pittsburgh. -Let's face it.
-[Jerry] Listen up. -You probably, in all likelihood,
were a disappointment to your mother and father.
[Jerry laughs]
You didn't quite measure up to that level of success
that your parents wanted for you.
[Jerry] Right.
You didn't quite make the grade whether it was athletics
or academics, you didn't quite measure up.
So, therefore, you are a disappointment to your very parents.
[audience chanting Austin]
But then again, when you think about your mom and your dad,
"Hey, I bet they disappointed you too, right?"
[Jerry laughs]
Because in the end, when you suffer disappointments
as all of you have through your lives thus far,
who are you ultimately gonna blame, yourselves?
Are you ever gonna look in the mirror? I don't think so.
You're gonna blame good old mom and dad, right?
-[Jerry] Dysfunctional fans. -It's that lousy DNA syndrome.
I mean, you blame mom and dad for the propensity to be obese,
maybe you blame mom and dad for the,
well, that genetic heart defect, who knows?
But nonetheless, you know what failure is all about,
you know what disappointment is all about.
So, therefore, I simply stand before you here tonight…
to sort of soften the blow
of the disappointment that you're going to feel
when Austin loses the title here tonight.
[Jerry] Another generous move by McMahon.
I want to prepare you
for what you're going to feel deep down in your stomach
when Austin is no longer the WWE Champion.
[Jerry] You're gonna be sick, won't you, JR?
Indeed, I want to warn you of the inevitable
when Austin is defeated and the ring announcer
in this very ring tonight says,
"Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the match
and the new World Wrestling Entertainment Champion, Kane."
[Jerry] Oh, yes.
Enough cheering, you idiots.
Well, thank you.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] Well, I tell you what, I don't know why Mr. McMahon's remarks
had to be so personal to all his fans here in Pittsburgh, King.
I don't understand what's he's trying to do, get everybody prepared for Kane
to become the WWE Champion?
[Jerry] I guess so
because everybody here has been such die-hard "Stone Cold" Steve Austin fans.
-It could be a huge letdown for them. -[Jim] Take a look here at Mr. Patterson.
-[Jerry] I didn't see this. I wanna see. -[Jim] Let's watch his right hand.
[audience chatter]
[Jerry] What? There might have been some dust on there or something. Oh.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] And now, here's…
[audience chatter]
[Jerry] Oh, my, gosh.
[Jim] And that slap echoed throughout the Igloo here.
[audience chatter]
And, ladies and gentlemen, we are just about ready
for our first of two King in the Ring semi-final matchups.
The final four men that have advanced to the semi-finals.
Our first matchup, we'll start at the top of the bracket,
Ken Shamrock will take on Double J. It's a single elimination tournament.
The winners advance to the finals and will compete here tonight.
[announcer] All right, Pittsburgh,
you're gonna wanna join old Tennessee Lee this evening
in showing the world how to roll out the red carpet
for the greatest stardom.
That's right, folks, he's the world's greatest singer,
he's the world greatest entertainer,
without a doubt, the world's greatest wrestler,
he's Double J, Jeff Jarrett.
Oh, ain't he great?
[upbeat music playing]
[Jerry] He is great, you idiots, did you see that sign over there
that said Double J, ain't he gay?
[inaudible] any of those parades out in California today.
He's here in Pittsburgh.
[Jim] Double J is a two-time Intercontinental Champion
here in the World Wrestling Entertainment,
certainly will have an experience advantage
in the pro ring over Ken Shamrock.
And you got to wonder, King, you've known Tennessee Lee a long, long time.
He certainly is a difference maker if he chooses to interject himself.
[Jerry] He certainly knows how to guide somebody's career
to great heights and I don't see what greater height Double J could…
He got the [indistinct] to be the King of the Ring here tonight.
[Jim] A lot of great ones have had their careers…
Just three words, "Ain't I great?"
-[laughs] -[Jerry] Yeah, great.
[Jim] A lot of great Superstars have really used the King of the Ring
to launch their respective careers.
We'll go into that as the night progresses.
[announcer] His opponent
in this King of the Ring tournament semi-final match,
from Sacramento, California, weighing 235 pounds,
the world's most dangerous man,
Ken Shamrock.
[rock music playing]
[Jim] Two points here before this match gets started.
Thanks to Owen Hart and The Nation, is that man's ankle a hundred percent?
And can Shamrock control his rage?
-[Jerry] We're going already. -[Jim] And Double J and Shamrock.
Starting it out very quickly here. It's a single elimination tournament.
The winners advance.
You got to win by pinfall, submission, count-out, King,
or disqualification.
[Jerry] You started to make a point there. For once, I may agree with you.
Ken Shamrock's… Oh, his own lack of ability
to control his emotions maybe his biggest cause for him to get defeated,
I mean, he can be his own worst enemy.
Now, I think Double J realizes that,
that's probably why he sort of jumped on Ken Shamrock there to get things started.
Oh.
Trying to get Shamrock kicked off or maybe he'll snap.
[Jim] Shamrock bigger and stronger than Double J.
Double J has got to use that experience advantage
and his quickness to try to avoid
some of those high-impact moves by Shamrock.
But now Shamrock with Double J locked up.
-A suplex, and now the cover. -[Jerry] Come on.
[Jim] And Double J got his shoulder off the canvas.
Certainly both men like to work on the lower extremities.
Shamrock to be looking for the ankle lock submission,
Double J loves to utilize the Figure Four Leglock.
[Jerry] Oh, good move, Double J.
[Jim] Double J with that swinging neckbreaker.
We got to thank Shamrock here. He'll try to use his physicality in this matchup.
And remember on May 1997, it was Shamrock and Vader,
Vader got his nose broken in five places by Shamrock.
And Double J right now, however, using quickness,
his resourcefulness to keep Shamrock off balance.
It was downstairs and then the dropkick.
[Jerry] You remember everything, don't you, JR?
I bet you go around reminding elephants the stuff they forgot.
[Jim] Hard kick by Shamrock catching, again, Double J in the face
and Shamrock looks like he's got something in his eye
or his eyes, maybe swelling shut.
[Jerry] He did get something in his eye a while ago. It was Double J's fist.
I think you're just like most other people,
you're expecting that Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn finals here.
Double J's gonna have something to say about it and probably so is The Rock.
[Jim] Shamrock is a man that has great rage, as we talked about.
He's got to control that rage.
Here is a kid that never knew his biological father.
Shamrock ran away from home at the age of 10, was sleeping in abandoned cars
when most kids were in junior high school or in the cub scouts.
[Jerry] Tell me, why is that all of that hard luck story Double J's fault?
[Jim] I didn't say it was Double J's fault.
[Jerry] You're acting like Shamrock should take it out on Double J.
[Jim] I'm just saying that the guy has had a very storied past.
Very hard upbringing.
This is all he knows is to compete, to survive
and Double J has got a… He was raised in affluency.
You know how Double J was raised in Hendersonville.
He never wanted for anything.
[Jerry] So? Nothing wrong with that.
Lived in a big mansion, that's all right.
Still does. He's successful.
The other guy brought himself up from the gutter and he's getting homesick.
[Jim] Tennessee Lee there distracting
and Double J able to chop block the knee of Shamrock
and now Double J.
We'll see what kind of master strategy Double J
-and now Tennessee will use. -[Jerry] Work on that ankle. It's weak.
[Jim] That's exactly it. They're focusing on Shamrock's injured ankle
are Double J, legally and Tennessee Lee, illegally.
[Jerry] Soften it up and let's get the Figure Four.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] As we said earlier, thanks to Owen Hart and The Nation,
Shamrock's ankle was shattered.
He missed several weeks of action, had his ankle in a cast for weeks.
And now, look at Double J there now focusing on the knee and the ankle.
Look at the torque on the knee and look on the bend on the ankle.
[Jerry] Hey, ref, get Shamrock's hands off Double J's face.
-[Jim] Double J better break it. -[Jerry] What are you doing?
[Jim] Tim White just did Double J a favor
and-- but Tennessee Lee is not doing Shamrock any favors.
[Jerry] That ankle right into the metal ring post.
How did that feel, Kenny boy?
[Jim] Double J gets disqualified here.
It's the same as a pinfall or a submission loss.
[Jerry] Poor old Shamrock, if you were to become King of the Ring,
he couldn't even call his old man, tell him about it.
Don't even know where he is.
[Jim] I don't find that particularly funny or entertaining, as a matter of fact.
[Jerry] You don't? I'm not trying to be. I'm just being truthful.
[Jim] Double J walked right into the big elbow of Shamrock
and Shamrock comes right back with another shot to the jaw.
Double J may get that jaw unhinged here.
And again, Shamrock aiming for the jaw,
may have caught the shoulder or the collar bone.
-Again, going back to the head. -[audience cheering]
[Jerry] Uh-oh. You got trouble, Double J.
[Jim] Shamrock, the aggressor, Shamrock controlling the pace.
Powerslam, will that get it?
And not enough weight on Double J's shoulders there.
-[Jerry] Tennessee, do something. -[Jim] I think he's done plenty.
He's sweating like Jimmy Swaggart at a deposition.
[Jerry] Huh?
[audience chatter]
[Jerry] Oh, my God. Oh, right on his head.
[Jim] And now… Oh, the Hurricanrana and, oh, there it is, there's the lock.
-And Double J quickly taps out. -[bell ringing]
[audience cheering]
[Jerry] What?
[Jim] Here comes Tennessee, Tennessee. Suplex.
[triumphant music playing]
[Jim] The world's most dangerous man
has just bought his way into the finals of the King of the Ring tournament.
But who will it be, will it be The Beast Dan Severn or will it be The Rock?
[triumphant music continues]
[Jerry] That whole lotta [inaudible], JR.
[Jim] Shamrock limping there.
Ken Shamrock, one down, one to go.
That's right.
I got one more peak to climb
and I didn't come here to be second best and I'm not gonna be.
[Jim] Well, he means business. And there you see the graph and now
there's one last spot remaining in the finals,
The Beast or The Rock will occupy that position
and one of them will meet Ken Shamrock to determine the 1998 King of the Ring.
A shot of beautiful downtown Pittsburgh. It is dusk here in Pittsburgh,
and certainly the home of the Steelers, home of the Penguins
and the King of the Ring indeed has been sold out for weeks and weeks
here in the Igloo, look at that big giant inflatable of The Undertaker.
[audience cheering]
["The Rock" music playing]
[bell ringing]
[announcer] The following contest scheduled for one fall
is the semifinal match in the King of the Ring tournament.
Introducing first, accompanied by other Nation members,
The Godfather, and the World's Strongest Man, Mark Henry.
Weighing 270 pounds, the World Wrestling Entertainment
Intercontinental Champion, The Rock.
[Jim] He is the youngest ever Intercontinental Champion,
a Blue Chipper to say the least.
He's been a winner in every athletic competition
at every level as the first third-generation star in WWE history.
And it looks like The Rock's henchmen, The Godfather
and the World's Strongest Man Mark Henry
are gonna be politely asked to return to the locker room.
[Jerry] Come on, that ain't right.
[audience chatter]
Where's D'Lo anyway?
[Jim] You know, D'Lo Brown is normally at the side of…
The disciples of The Rock has been injured,
thanks to Dan "The Beast" Severn.
Matter of fact, D'Lo had his pectoral muscles ripped
in the King of the Ring qualifying matchup
in one of the many devastating submission holds that Severn has perfected.
-[Jerry] Right. That Severn is a beast. -[The Rock] And shut your mouth.
[Jerry] No place for him or Ken Shamrock around here.
[heavy metal music playing]
[audience cheering]
[announcer] His opponent from Coldwater, Michigan, weighing 250 pounds,
Dan "The Beast" Severn.
[Jerry] Look at that guy, look at the jaw, look at the emotionless face there.
How would he look wearing a crown, JR, or Ken Shamrock either for that matter?
[Jim] Oh, he is a… He is a no frills…
A gray T-shirt laden with perspiration
and we mentioned earlier that D'Lo Brown was injured
at the hands of Dan "The Beast" Severn.
Here's how it happened and D'Lo said, "No".
But watch Severn crank back on it, right here.
[Jerry] One of his pectoral muscles. Listen to the pain and agony in his voice.
[bell ringing]
Muscles ripped away from his [inaudible].
[metal music continues]
That aught to be due a suspension right there for this idiot?
[Jim] When the bell rings, this guy doesn't become a nice guy
with a college education and industrial arts teacher,
what he was educated to do, he becomes a beast.
He defeated two Nation members to get here, D'Lo Brown and Owen Hart.
[Jerry] But let me tell you something, The Rock ain't chopped liver.
The Rock ain't there to do anything but win and advance on
'cause The Rock would love to be the King of the Ring. Look out, Rock.
[Jim] Takedown by Severn.
Severn has an amazing history in wrestling and in combat.
He's won 85 wrestling titles since high school
and amateur international competition all over the world.
He was a UFC Superfight Champion was, Dan "The Beast" Severn now,
a quick go-behind now and a takedown.
[Jerry] That's right. Rocky knows all the credentials of Dan,
and Rock knows to stay close to the ropes.
Look at that sit up by The Rock and that's a smart move.
Stay close to the ropes, Rock.
[Jim] Rock is a intelligent young man,
another young man that earned his college degree of University of Miami.
We've talked about his grandfather on many occasions,
one of the toughest ever in the game, the high chief Peter Maivia.
And of course… There, look at Severn taking down The Rock anyway he can.
He's gonna try to rip that knee right here and The Rock at 6'5",
-able to reach into those ropes. -Goddamn it.
[Jim] And Rock with some degree and rightfully so, of frustration here.
[Jerry] Oh, he's all right.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] This is our second semifinal matchup.
The winner of this match will meet Ken Shamrock later tonight
here at the King of the Ring.
[Jerry] This match is not for the Intercontinental title, is it?
-[Jim] No, it isn't. -[Jerry] Look at that move.
[audience cheering]
The Rock taking a shortcut and coming back with the right hand.
[Jerry] What do you mean shortcut? That's scientific wrestling.
This will make The Rock's parents proud, they're watching tonight.
[Jim] The Rock obviously could not outwrestle
on an amateur level Dan "The Beast" Severn.
But now, we're not talking about catch-as-catch-can here.
The Rock is basically taking it to the street.
[Jerry] That's all that matters, getting the job done, JR. Look out.
[Jim] Rock all overzealous at time
and the veteran Dan "The Beast" Severn sizing up The Rock.
That's a fireman carry takeover. And now Severn, he'll work on the joints.
Severn likes to go to a joint whether it'd be the elbow,
the ankle, or the knee.
[Jerry] That's different from some of the joints you frequent, huh?
-[Jim] Well, not quite necessarily. -[Jerry] What's this? Trying to choke him.
[Jim] No choke whatsoever there. Mike Keota doesn't really matter.
The Rock is… he's hovering ever so close into those ropes.
[Jerry] That's smart.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] And that's a smart one right there too.
The Rock using his ring savvy
and a hard clothesline knocking down The Beast.
[Jerry] And The Rock thinking to lay down some smack.
[Jim] Now, he's gonna lay the smackdown with one of those artistic elbows.
Rock is mocking and making some fun of Dan "The Beast" Severn.
[Jerry] I was in Cleveland yesterday, JR,
and I spoke with an entire baseball team of 17-year-old guys.
They said The Rock is their favorite. They love it when he lays down the smack
and they love it when he drop that elbow on him.
[Jim] The suplex and… Oh, two and a half count there by The Rock.
[audience chatter]
Rock is throwing any scientific wrestling out the window here.
[Jerry] And he's being effective, don't say he's not. Oh.
-[Jim] And Severn… -[Jerry] Cheap shot.
[Jim] Uncharacteristically, you rarely see Severn even throw a punch.
That's not his forte.
And, of course, we've mentioned on many occasions
in building to this tournament,
a lot of folks anticipating Severn and Shamrock in the finals.
They met twice in the Ultimate Fighting world and what a knockdown.
Both men knocked down. What a collision there.
[Jerry] Severn used to be down like that.
You say he's not used to throwing punches, you're right.
He's used to catching them. He'll be catching a foot…
[Jim] Wait a minute. Godfather is back here and Mark Henry.
-Wait just a minute, there's D'Lo Brown. -[Jerry] Look at this.
-[Jim] D'Lo Brown up on top. Frog splash. -[Jerry] Man.
[Jim] D'Lo Brown wearing some sort of protective device or something.
I don't know what that is on his chest,
but he just nails Dan Severn with that Frog Splash
and may have busted Severn up and The Rock gets the due.
[bell ringing]
-[Jerry] Man. -[Rock] The Rock is cooking.
[announcer] Here is your winner, The Rock.
[Jerry] What goes around, comes around, JR.
Dan Severn did a number on D'Lo's pectoral muscles.
D'Lo might have just broken one of Dan Severn's ribs.
[Jim] So it sets up a King in the Ring final, The Rock and Ken Shamrock.
And certainly, those two men are no strangers to each other
and they have got a great rivalry.
[Jerry] Look at Severn, I think he may have some cracked ribs.
Big victory here.
Now, you're gonna take on a very confident and intense Ken Shamrock in the final.
What you need to do is finally shut your mouth and know your role.
Shamrock, you talk about climbing mountains,
but The Rock ain't hearing that, Jack.
In order to climb any mountains around here,
The Rock is gonna make sure you go through this man and a half
but before you reach any damn peak or valley,
The Rock is gonna make sure you hit Rock Bottom.
[Jim] The Rock got a lot of help on that one.
The diversion by Mark Henry and the Godfather
and then with some sort of chest protector
to protect those injured pectoral muscles, you see the Frog Splash
by a near 300-pound man, D'Lo Brown, and that's what put Severn away.
[Jerry] Don't think for one minute that The Rock didn't agree to this outfit.
[Jim] There you see it, folks, that is the final,
Ken Shamrock and The Rock for the 1998 King of the Ring title.
[Jerry] And a little word of warning to you, Ken Shamrock.
I think you can see by that, that The Nation sticks together.
[Jim] That match will be right here tonight at the King of the Ring,
appropriately enough.
[Jerry] Let's talk about what's coming up next though, JR.
Too Much, Too Sexy Brian Christopher, Scott Taylor
against Al Snow and The Head.
-[Jim] Many may not know who Al Snow is. -[Jerry] I wish I didn't.
[Jim] For those who don't, here's a quick update.
[announcer] Just over a month ago, Al Snow reappeared at the WWE.
At first it seem he simply returned as a fan,
after all his buddy Head is a big Stone Cold fan.
But it didn't take long to find out why Al was back.
[Pat] Get out.
-I need to see this. -Go.
I need to see… Wait, don't touch me, don't touch me.
I need to see this.
[announcer] But WWE officials made it clear,
they weren't about to put up with Al's antics and those of the head.
So Al's first attempt to return failed,
but Al hasn't exactly been a one hit wonder.
So at that point, he and Head, rather than give up,
turned to the King of all people for a little bit of help.
All I want you to do is be inconspicuous.
Don't do anything to attract attention to yourself. Matter of fact, just mingle.
How can I lose this guy? I cannot believe this.
You look ridiculous.
You're like a [indistinct]. Oh, great, Japanese photographer.
Last night, you're a Spanish commentator, you said you know how to speak Spanish.
[announcer] So with Al and Head's million disguises not working,
they turned to a life of crime as Head stole the King's crown two weeks ago.
But believe it or not, that one act may have finally got Al
his meeting with Mr. McMahon, if he and the Head get by Too Much tonight.
[Jim] Ladies and gentlemen, a very unique situation here.
Al Snow and the Head against the team of Too Much
and for Al Snow to get his meeting with Mr. McMahon, he's got to win this matchup.
[Jerry] Right. That's what the contract reads and I'm a man of my word.
I know Vince McMahon, he and I are tight.
If Al Snow and the Head can beat Too Much,
then he'll get a meeting with McMahon, I don't know what he's got on his mind
or what the Head got on his faulty brain.
They've talked to Vince McMahon all they want to.
But if he doesn't win, he's out of here.
[audience chatter]
He's too hot and I'm too sexy. You know it too, baby. [laughs]
[Jim] For your sake, King, these guys, these guys are too overconfident.
[Jerry] They're Too Much, not too overconfident.
[upbeat music playing]
Look at 'em. They are great. That's got to be the greatest looking young tag team
in the entire World Wrestling Entertainment.
[Jim] We need a referee here for one thing if… Might be here for the fact.
But in any event, I think Al Snow and of course, the Head is standing by.
-[Jerry] Well, listen to this. -Don't yell at me. Don't…
-[Jerry] Hey, Al Snow, let me… -Don't put me under pressure.
-I could take it. -[Jerry] Al Snow, can you hear me?
-I can hear you just fine. -[Jerry] Let me yell at you, you moron.
Don't talk. Very important, I listen to this guy.
-Quite. -[Jerry] It's now time.
I know, I smell something fishy too.
[Jerry] I hope you've had that head working out.
I hope that head has been doing chin ups, I don't wanna see any headlocks out here.
I don't wanna see any flying headscissors
and we better not see any headbutts,
but you got to win this match or either you're out of here.
You win, you get the meeting with McMahon but if you don't,
Head and you, Al Snow, are out of the WWE.
Well, King, me and Head have had a little discussion.
We've decided the Head don't lay down for anybody.
So boys, get ready because you're about to get a little head
like you've never gotten it before.
[audience cheering]
[Jerry] Oh, he's really funny, ain't he?
Their opponents about to enter the arena,
Al Snow and Head.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] We have a little problem.
As a matter of fact, Al Snow and Head on their way out here momentarily,
but I made this comment earlier.
[Jerry] And Head, and Head.
[Jim] A lot of Head fans here seems like.
-[Jerry laughs] -[Jim] We need a referee out here.
[Jerry] It goes without saying, a lot of Head fans.
Look at this moron.
[Jim] He might be quarter low.
[Jerry] He didn't have any music, he don't deserve any.
He's not even officially a part of the WWE.
[audience cheering]
And I got a little surprise for him too. He ain't gonna get no meeting with Vince.
[Jim] Well, he does if he wins.
[audience chatter]
[Jerry] If he wins. [scoffs]
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, you're attention please.
-I have been informed… -[Jerry] Listen to this.
[announcer] …that for this contest, a special guest referee has been assigned.
-May I introduce him to you now? -[Jerry] The fine print in the contract.
["The Great Gates Of Kiev" music playing]
-What? -[Jim] Oh, come on.
[announcer] Jerry "The King" Lawler.
Hang on. I got to take care of a little business.
Well, that's not gonna be fair at all.
["The Great Gates Of Kiev" music continues]
[Jim] King, come on now, that's…
Well, you're talking about a deck stacked against Al Snow
if he didn't already have enough problems emotionally.
And look at this, oh, don't forget your crown.
You're supposed to keep track of that stuff.
-[Jim] I don't think… -[inaudible]. Damn.
He's gonna be the referee. Now, I gonna take on three.
[Jim] Well, this is gonna be a first for good old JR.
[audience chatter]
[bell ringing]
First for everybody and the King is gonna referee
Too Much's match with Al Snow
and, of course, you hear the grand ovation for Al Snow and the Head.
But… I don't know if these fans here in Pittsburgh
are gonna be able to carry Al Snow with this stacked deck to victory here.
[Jim] Al is a… He's a little different, folks.
He's a… About a quarter low, he's a little eccentric,
there's no doubt about that, he does hear voices.
He's had some stress in his career.
He had his amateur outfit a couple weeks ago.
[Jim] A nice takedown there by Al Snow who's a very accomplished competitor.
We may see our first tag here, if you know what I mean.
[audience chatter]
[grunting]
[Jim] Scott Taylor.
Taylor and Al Snow now and Snow's gonna reverse.
Snow's going to… basically, alone here.
Well, I guess the Head fans out there apologized
for denigrating… What am I saying?
[grunting]
[Jim] That will drive your spine, and contacted there.
Now, well, look, I'm concerned about Al Snow's situation here
but he's doing pretty darn good here right now.
-Man, go and get him. -[audience chatter]
[Jim] Folks, an interesting situation right now.
Right now on the WWE Superstar line, you can hear an interview
with The Rock and Ken Shamrock on the Superstar line as we speak.
[audience chatter]
Look at the strong family resemblance between Brian Christopher and Jerry.
You know what I think about the Head?
[audience chatter]
[Jim] That's certainly disrespectful.
[audience chatter]
Hey, he's pulling my hair.
He's pulling my hair.
Hey, he's pulling my hair.
What's the hair pulling?
-You pull my hair. -You pull his hair.
[Jim] Even though the King didn't see the hair pull,
he's taking Brian Christopher's word for it.
[indistinct chatter]
[groaning]
[Jim] Obviously, Brian Christopher the double handful of hair there,
taking Al to the corner.
Oh, come on.
How fair is that? How objective is this official?
Let me tell you one thing, folks, this wasn't a handicap match before.
It is certainly one now with Jerry "The King" Lawler as a referee.
Who would allow this to happen?
[audience chatter]
Right on the kidneys there
by that slam off the top, it's not gonna make you feel any better.
-And now, look at the… -[Al groans]
[Jim] Scott Taylor on the outside illegally getting involved.
And the King shaking a finger at Al Snow or at Scott Taylor.
Oh, look at that move.
Lower back again of Brian Christopher. There's a cover.
That's one, two, three and King checking those shoulders really good.
[audience chatter]
Give me a break. He must've went to the Mr. McMahon referee academy.
[audience booing]
[Jim] Of course Mr. McMahon's arms are a great deal,
that must be 20 inches around and lot better than Lawler.
And all… Oh, look out here.
Well, Too Much has had a little meeting on schedule, a caucus.
[audience chatter]
Well, that ain't gonna make him feel any better tomorrow.
Now, where's Al going?
Who knows where he's going. Who knows where he's been.
He doesn't know where he's been.
[audience chatter]
Al Snow in a full head of steam there and, oh, look out.
Scott Taylor. Too Hot Taylor.
[grunts]
Coming off the ropes there and now nailing Al Snow
and certainly, it's two on one, three on one if you count the King.
I hope Al Snow read that contract. Apparently, he didn't read it too good.
There's a dropkick off the top and now Al looking for a tag.
Hey.
[Jim] Brian Christopher was, believe it or not, taunting the Head
and Al Snow, well, there's a tag made.
Well, certainly, Too Much not wanting the Head
to get that tag, folks, obviously, sure.
That's a double team atomic drop.
And what's that gonna do to your spine and your posterior?
Arrogance, cocky.
Scott Taylor and Brian Christopher, they are a great young team.
They're gonna… They really gonna make… Uh-oh, look out here.
This could be it. This should be… Good grief. That was a quick count.
[audience chatter]
I don't understand how the WWE officials
would allow Lawler to referee knowing his lack of integrity.
[audience chatter]
But then again, who signed this match?
Then again, who's signing the checks here?
Oh, little pump pedal action.
Now, Scott Taylor as hideous as his attitude has become
since becoming associate with Brian Christopher.
You got to admire this young kid.
This is all he's ever wanted to do,
been preparing for this since he's a teenager, Scott Taylor.
And it's a one-man show there by Al Snow. Good move.
Al Snow is reaching for the tag on the Head. And I said it.
[audience chatter]
Bulldog headlock by Brian Christopher.
[audience chatter]
And look at this kid.
Boy, the acorn doesn't fall apart from the tree, folks.
[audience chatter]
I think the King is talking over strategy.
King spent more time in the Too Much corner than he has [indistinct] match.
A double DDT.
And now maybe the tide will turn.
[audience chatter]
Al Snow, believe it or not, folks, I think he's gonna make a tag to the Head.
[audience cheering and applauding]
The Head is a [indistinct]
What the hell am I saying?
Al Snow using the Head to his advantage.
And Snow now, Snow plow, big move there.
And the King is not making the count and quite honestly…
And here again, I know Al Snow is not the legal entity in this match.
The Head is.
What are you doing over here?
[audience chatter]
[groans]
Lawler just came over and got something.
And Al Snow just beating the fire out of Too Much with the head
and Lawler just threw something, too.
I don't get what they got here.
Al Snow has won this match two or three times.
Oh, great.
[bell ringing]
So the count has been made but it ain't what Al Snow thinks, folks.
It's… Oh, look, what they've got. I can see it from my spot here.
It's a bottle of Head and Shoulders.
Take this.
[announcer] The winners of this match, Too Much.
[dramatic music playing]
[Jim] Well then, that is a first, ladies and gentlemen,
and likely be our last one on that little piece of business.
Folks, that wasn't exactly what you'd call a [indistinct] down there in Muskogee,
He got the Head [inaudible]. Head and Shoulders, we win the Head.
[Jim] Here's another look at it.
Again, look at Brian Christopher putting the Head and Shoulders
on the Head, making the cover and his dear old daddy,
makes that three count.
Al Snow thought he had won the match obviously
and quite frankly, had several opportunities to win the match.
Well, folks, we'll get more serious here momentarily.
I guarantee you that because it's hot.
We'll meet Owen Hart and you know there's a lot of motivation
for both these athletes in this matchup.
As a matter of fact, let's take you back to Raw a couple of weeks ago.
Remember, it was X-Pac and Triple H in a qualifying match
in the King of the Ring.
Owen Hart comes through the people, through the crowd,
and does the damage on X-Pac
that led to a count-out victory for Triple H.
But then, last week on Raw, watch this shot.
Watch the back of the back of the head. And one more look in slow motion.
X-Pac, he got in some, folks, that took seven staples
to close that wound and here we go.
♪ You think you can tell us what to do? ♪
♪ You think you can tell us what to wear? Wear it down ♪
♪ You think that you're better ♪
♪ Well, you better get ready To bow to the masters ♪
♪ Suck it! Degenerate into something fool ♪
♪ I just got tired of doing What you told me to do ♪
♪ But that's the breaks boy, yeah ♪
♪ That's the breaks little man You tell him ♪
♪ X-Pac putting more minds To a stop speak my mind ♪
♪ I keep it rocking that bottom line Suck it, two tears in the bucket ♪
♪ You hate it or love it, I'm not the one That tried your luck with ♪
♪ Hit hard like brass knuckles ♪
♪ See your face through The turnbuckle, dude ♪
♪ I got no love for you Make some noise! ♪
♪ D-Generation X Who's gonna kick your ass? ♪
♪ D-Generation X Make some noise! ♪
[bell ringing]
[announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, accompanied by one of D-Generation X member,
the Ninth Wonder of the World, Chyna.
From Minneapolis, Minnesota, weighing 202 pounds, X-Pac.
[audience cheering]
♪ D-Generation X Who's gonna kick your ass? ♪
♪ X-Pac ♪
♪ D-Generation X Who's gonna kick your ass? ♪
[Jim] You think this kid's not fired up?
[Jerry] He's fired up all right, JR, just like I am.
[Jim] You're an embarrassment. You know that.
[Jerry] Come on. Who's the smartest man in wrestling and why am I?
[Jim] Who gave you a one-night referee license?
[X-Pac] Well, enough is enough and it's time for a change.
[Jerry] Thank goodness, we've seen the last of Al Snow.
You kept telling me you wanted him hanging around here?
[announcer] …from Calgary, Alberta, Canada
-weighing 225 pounds, Owen Hart. -[Jerry] I was trying to be a nice guy.
[Jim] Well, I don't necessarily wanna see ever again in my life
another match like we just saw, quite frankly.
[Jerry] I don't either. And now, thanks to me,
you won't ever have to witness another abomination
with Al Snow in that those… What a move. Beautiful.
[Jim] That last match was uglier than a bowling shoe. I tell you.
[Jerry] What?
[Jim] And now, X-Pac not wasting any time here against Owen Hart
and Owen Hart knows what it's like
to rise of the occasion at a King in the Ring event.
He's been the King of the Ring. X-Pac starting off very aggressively here.
-X-Pac has… -[Jerry] Oh, man.
[Jim] …recovered from a serious neck injury.
Just returned to action a couple of weeks ago and…
Oh, there's nobody home. Whoo!
[audience chatter]
Owen Hart has a bona fide mean streak
and the Ninth Wonder of the World, Chyna looks on.
[Jim] Did you feel that impact? Did you see…
[Jerry] The whole ring move.
[Jim] It looked like a kid just got ejected from a car collision.
[Jerry] Here it is again. Oh, my God.
[Jim] That's got to do things to your spine which is not meant to be.
-[Jerry] Duh. -[Jim] If somebody has got a neck problem,
that whiplash is not gonna do any favors
and again Owen Hart focusing on that back, the mid back.
[Jerry] I'll tell you, The Nation and DX have been having problems
for weeks, months, a long time,
I know that and it's coming to a head right here, a part of it
but I'll tell you, man, I like both of these guys.
These are two great athletes. These guys are just…
[Jim] Wait a minute. There's the cover.
[grunts]
[Jerry] They both got the kind of attitudes I like.
[Jim] These kids got a great attitude. He was another kid that…
He left school before he graduated high school.
He borrowed money to go to wrestling school when he was 14.
He left home for good when he was 15.
Much like Ken Shamrock too, this kid has been on his own.
Well, most of his life.
[Jerry] Somebody just told me now in my earphone that Al Snow
and the Head are having a conversation now on the Superstar line with Too Much.
What could that stupid Head be saying?
[Jim] One way to find out, call the Superstar line.
[Jerry] Maybe he's saying goodbye. [laughs]
[Jim] We got 17,087
in this sellout tonight in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Fisherman suplex, kid caught,
it's a great move, with a bridge and a near fall.
[audience chatter]
Owen Hart has done it all here in the WWE,
folks, he's been a two-time Intercontinental Champion,
two-time Tag Champion, a gut-wrench into a pinning situation,
European champion, he's virtually done it all here.
[Jerry] He's even been a King.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] More experience does Owen Hart possess.
You gotta believe he's stronger.
The youngest of Stu and Helen's 12 children.
[Jerry] Don't mention them now.
[Jim] I'm sure they're watching as many of the fans are throughout Canada
and we thank you for joining us throughout North America.
[Jerry] It's the only thing I don't like about Owen.
[Jim] There's an inside cradle and Owen Hart certainly has…
made a name for himself down in South Africa
where we are live on M-Net.
-[Jerry] You sure had mentioned them. -[Jim] United Kingdom as well.
We got big news for all the fans in the UK,
so I suggest you get your pencil and… Oh, my. What a clothesline.
Well, that was a hard clothesline that took Owen Hart
up and over all the way out to the floor
and when they get out here, King, I get a little bit uneasy,
they're in no man's land and the clothesline from the back,
the back of the head, X-Pac caught Owen Hart.
[Jerry] Looks like he caught him with that big metal chair and put…
Whoa. Look at that.
[audience clamoring]
Oh, my gosh.
[audience chatter]
[Jerry indistinct chatter]
[Jim] Well, there's no mats over here.
There are steel chairs, there's a concrete floor and a steel railing.
-[Jerry] A lot of steel. -[Jim] How good do you think that'll feel?
[Jerry] Better than this.
Ow.
[Jim] A suplex right on our Spanish announce team's table.
They got a bull's eye on them or what?
[Jerry] Poor guys. Couldn't happen to nicer fellows.
[groans]
[Jim] You could see it and you could hear it.
[Jerry] You know what was bad about that? They missed Howard Finkel.
[Jim] Owen Hart now, there's a pinning situation.
And a near fall there by Owen Hart
who is now firmly in control of this matchup.
[audience chatter]
And knowing that X-Pac is very, very resilient.
Many doctors said his career was over.
He's had two serious neck injuries,
one of the breaks done by former WWE star Hakushi in Germany.
[Jerry] Well, you wanna talk about resiliency,
X-Pac bust open Owen Hart's skull,
the flesh is ripped apart on his head and what does he do?
He don't get stitched up like some sissy.
He gets his head stapled. Nine staples. That's a man for you, JR.
How do you like that, your skull is stapled?
-[Jim] I'll pass. -[Jerry giggles] I guess.
[Jim] Another thing about that,
Owen Hart never missed one match without serious injuries.
[Jerry] Well, talking about people getting their head stapled up,
what about first blood later on?
[Jim] Well…
[Jerry] Because I smell gasoline all around the ringside here.
[Jim] And the "Hell in a Cell", that ain't gonna pretty either.
We got two main events and they'll not be for the weak of heart.
And the kid gets back up to his vertical base now
where he can deliver a blow and now reverses a sleeper.
And Owen quickly turned into the sleeper.
[Jerry] Look out. Oh, man.
[Jim] Very unique move there by X-Pac.
[Jerry] What a move that was.
Owen could be having his teeth stapled back in.
Come on, referee. Insert some authority in there.
[Jim] You know a lot about of authority and inserting yourself, don't you?
-[Jerry] Right. -[Jim] He's using you as a role model.
[Jerry] What a great referee, a while ago.
-[Jim] And, God, you counted slow. -[Jerry] Huh?
[audience chatter]
[Jim] I mean, a resilient X-Pac, there's the martial skills,
he'll use a… Oh, my gosh.
[audience chatter]
[Jerry] I do think Owen lost some teeth then.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] Great opportunity here now for X-Pac to put Owen Hart away.
This kid can't afford to make any mistakes here. He'll take a chance.
He likes to live in a… His life has been high risk.
And now, look at Owen Hart trying to lock that front face locked on X-Pac.
[Jerry] What if they fell from there out to the concrete floor?
[Jim] Yeah. Well, then we'll call them alligator roll… Oh, my…
Both of them,
Owen Hart and X-Pac the worse for wear and now Chyna…
[Jerry] Look Owen Hart is busted and here comes Mark Henry,
Chyna's up on one side, Mark Henry's out in the other. Oh, no, no, no.
He squashed him. Squashed him.
[Jim] 400 pounds on a 200-pounder.
And here comes Chyna. The referee was detained with Chyna.
[Jerry] Look at this.
[Jim] And Chyna and Mark Henry are getting on.
[Indistinct chatter]
She's not backing away and there's Vader.
Wow. Vader is like a freight train and Owen is back in the ring.
Owen Hart got the sharpshooter on X-Pac and Chyna with the DDT.
Chyna with the DDT.
[audience cheering]
X-Pac is down.
Vader and Mark Henry are fighting, Owen Hart's on his back.
[audience cheering]
Chyna delivered a thunderous DDT.
The kid on top and… Yes, he did.
-[bell ringing] -[audience cheering]
♪ You think you can tell us what to do? ♪
♪ You think you can tell us What to wear? ♪
♪ Wear it down You think that you're better ♪
♪ Well, you better get ready To bow to the masters ♪
♪ Suck it! ♪
[Jim] Well, that was a hard fought to say the least contest
and certainly the DX-Nation rivalry is far, far from settled.
[Jerry] I wanna tell you, I think Owen lost the battle and a little more there,
not only did he lose the match,
he may have lost some teeth, his eye is busted open.
He absorbed a lot of punishment there
and not only at the hands of X-Pac but also at the hands of Chyna.
[Jim] Well, X-Pac may have some internal injuries.
Thanks to the world's strongest man, Mark Henry,
busted ribs, or, you'll never know there.
[Jerry] Now, look at this.
[Jim] Well, The Nation and DX will fight again.
-They will find another day, King. -[Jerry] Without a doubt.
[Jim] First of all, you know, Vader and Mark Henry
been having their problems and Vader with a lot of force there…
and then look here, we got Owen Hart, in match one,
the kid is tapping out.
Here's X-Pac but Chyna… Chyna comes in, hooks up the DDT.
Now watch this impact.
-Face first caught on that bad eye. -[audience cheering]
[Jerry] Uh-oh, look at this.
-[Jim] You're talking about carnage. -[Jerry] What?
-[Jim] You're talking about heathen? -[Jerry] A what?
[Jim] A first class pagan, despicable human being as Paul Bearer.
[Jerry] You're saying all of these horrible things about Paul Bearer,
at least he's here after absorbing all of the assault and battering
that The Undertaker has perpetrated on this poor man the last few weeks.
And this guy, just to show you what kind of a benevolent soul he is,
he did not even file legal charges against The Undertaker
after breaking and entering, destroying his property.
Did you see when The Undertaker turned over that big china cabinet,
they were family heirlooms of the Paul Bearer family
and that they were smashed to smithereens not to mention Paul's ankle.
[Jim] Why didn't Paul Bearer file charges?
Why didn't he have The Undertaker arrested?
That's what I'd like to know.
[Jerry] I don't know either. Maybe he'll tell us now.
You didn't think I was gonna be here tonight, didn't you?
[audience chatter]
I'll have you know that I wouldn't miss this night for the world.
I took two of the worst beatings
I've ever taken at the hands of your "Phenom", The Undertaker.
[audience cheering]
[Jerry] Look, and he's still ticking.
And last week where the doctor was taking the stitches out of my head,
every stitch that came out, Deadman,
I cursed you to hell
and, tonight, I still curse you to hell.
But for 20 years, my son, Kane
sat all alone in his home,
in his room surrounded by pictures of his brother.
On Saturday he would watch WWE Superstars,
he would tell me, "Dad, I wanna be like him."
His whole life, he suffered,
his whole life he was ridiculed,
he couldn't play Little League,
he couldn't be in the boy scouts.
He couldn't go outside in the sunshine because the sun hurt his scars so bad.
But he would say, "Daddy, I wanna be like him."
How do you think it makes me feel?
[audience chatter]
Tonight will be the happiest night of my life
because when I leave this ring,
I will be the father
and the manager of the WWE Champion.
[audience chatter]
And then you can laugh at the fat man all you want
because I'll damn sure laugh all the way to the bank.
[Jerry] Vengeance is mine sayeth Paul Bearer.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] As you said, King, earlier, something's gotta give.
There's no doubt about it.
[rock music playing]
And still to come here tonight.
First blood, the first time in the history of the WWE
and remember, ladies and gentlemen, nobody does pay-per-view
like the World Wrestling Entertainment, California, here we come.
[Road Dogg] ♪ Oh, you didn't know? ♪
♪ Your ass better call ♪
♪ Somebody ♪
Pittsburgh…
you and the New Age Outlaws are gonna get along just fine
because as you can see, my partner, Badd Ass
is harder than steel and my wrath can melt it.
[rock music playing]
Cut it off.
[Jim] There's our second bonus match, folks.
WWE tag titles on the line here momentarily.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages,
D-Generation X proudly brings to you
an accompanied to the ringside area by the Ninth Wonder of the World, Chyna.
We are the World Wrestling Entertainment
Tag Team Champions of the world,
the Road Dogg, Jesse James,
the Badd Ass, Billy Gunn,
the New Age Outlaws.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Billy's got two words for you, King.
-[Jerry] For me? -[Jim] Yep.
Now, everybody here knows that D-Generation X
and the New Age Outlaws are in the house.
Now, if you don't like that, we got two words for you.
[audience chatter "Suck it"]
[Jerry] Hey, Ross.
[rock music playing]
[Jerry] You said he's got a word for me.
[announcer] Their opponents
in this World Wrestling Entertainment Tag Team Championship match,
coming to the ring with their manager, James E. Cornette
at a total combined weight of an even 500 pounds,
the NWA Tag Team Champions,
Bodacious Bob, Bombastic Bart, the Midnight Express.
[rock music playing]
[Jim] What a golden opportunity here for James E. Cornette's Midnight Express.
They are the reigning NWA Tag Team Champions,
that title will not be defended here.
It will be the big one,
the WWE Tag Team title and certainly, Bart's no stranger to that
and neither is Bob Holly
but Bob has been a Tag Team Champion
and Bart has been a three-time Tag Team Champion.
[Jerry] James E. Cornette has managed champions throughout his entire career,
but nothing he has done better than to manage the WWE Tag Team Champions.
-[Jim] The threatening hell in the cell… -[bell ringing]
…looms overhead, hanging over our heads here
and that is the war zone that The Undertaker
and Mankind will get it on right here tonight.
[audience chatter]
So it's gonna be Bob and the Road Dogg.
Remember WWE Tag Title on the line,
our second bonus match here at the King of the Ring.
[audience chatter]
[Jerry] Bodacious Bob.
[Jim] King, are you surprised that the popularity of DX
and specifically the Outlaws?
[Jerry] You know, no, I'm not because… I mean, even I like these guys
and it's one of those kind of things, they like…
they're like Beavis and Butt-Head. They're like South Park.
They're like The Simpsons
I mean, you know, they're offensive but… Hey.
That's what's happening today. They're in, they're hip. They're with it.
And you're lost out there somewhere in the generation gaps,
so you wouldn't understand, JR, but the kids today,
that's their way of thinking.
They love these guys because they say what's on their mind.
They go around and tell people what they really feel.
Everybody like to be able to do that
but sometimes at school or sometimes at work, you can't do that.
These guys, DX would do it for you.
[Jim] Cornette looks very, very happy that his team has this opportunity.
Now, it wasn't just a few weeks ago on Shotgun Saturday Night
that the Midnight Express came within an eyelash
of winning the Tag Team Championship
and certainly X-Pac stopped that particular opportunity
as a… Billy Gunn…
Mr. Ass as the Pac say, gets a tag and…
[Jerry] See, the cool thing about DX is…
[Jim] And his brother is in as well which makes this very, very unique.
[Jerry] Cool thing about DX is,
they don't really care if anybody likes them or not.
They're just being themselves. [laughs]
-[indistinct chatter]
And that's why people do like them.
[Jim] Billy and Bart, Billy on the left, Bart on the right are brothers,
former tag team partners, former tag team champions
but, man, their philosophies are diametrically opposed.
[Jerry] They got different mothers, too right?
-[Jim] I don't think so. -[Jerry] Oh.
[Jim] Both of them are great athletes. I can tell you that.
Look at this, what agility, Bart… Oh, power.
Power and agility. A cover and oh, my…
Come on!
[Jerry] You know what, JR, I just can't help but glance up over the ring
every few seconds and see that ominous cell that's hanging up there.
-[Jim] Look out here. Look at the power. -[Jerry] Wow.
[Jim] A lot of strength in that move into a back slide and a near fall.
[Jerry] And you got to realize that that cell very shortly,
is gonna be dropping down.
Two men are gonna go inside and look at that thing.
Two men, The Undertaker and Mankind are gonna go inside that cell
and like you said, it ain't gonna be pretty and that's what I love.
[Jim] One of them, I don't think is gonna walk out and quite frankly…
Perhaps neither will walk out.
Are you talking about an inside out?
Taking you out of your boots clothesline, that's what you got there.
Suck it. Suck it. Suck it.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] No brotherly love from Billy to Bart.
Road Dogg, gets his shot at it, comes back in.
Look at this teamwork.
We got a drop toe hold, took Bart off his feet,
put in perfect position for that knee drop…
and Bart is having trouble getting up, King.
[Jerry] Well, I guess, you would, too.
Uh-oh, look out.
Uh-oh.
[Jim] Cheap shot from the outside by Bob there and…
-I didn't see a tag but… -[Jerry] They tagged, they did tag.
[Jim] I'm not supposed to take your word for it.
[Jerry] Hey, I'm a referee. I'm an official now.
[Jim] You had a one night license, well, I'm hoping.
[Jerry laughs]
[audience chatter]
[Jerry] Let me ask you, JR. You know Undertaker,
I guess you maybe actually being considered his friend.
What do you think is going through his mind?
What do you think The Undertaker is thinking
knowing that he'll step into that cell, the Hell in a Cell match?
[Jim] I think he has to be realistic and think this could be his last match ever.
There you see some more double teaming.
I think he has to prepare his mind for what his body's gonna feel
and another… Well, that was a long two count that time.
Scoop slam there by Bodacious. No, it's…
-[Jerry] Bombastic. -[Jim] Bombastic. Excuse me.
[Jerry] No, it's Bodacious Bob, isn't it?
[Jim] No. Bombastic Bob, Bodacious Bart and the cover
and looks as if the Midnight Express now has decided to isolate the Road Dogg.
[Jerry] But, no, it's Bodacious Bob, Bombastic Bart and Bulbous Jim Cornette.
[Jim] That's close enough for me.
And now here you see some more, great teamwork by the Midnight Express.
And again, you got a near fall quite… Oh.
Quite frankly and the Midnight Express at this match in and out
certainly be ahead on points if there were such a thing.
[Jerry] Cornette is besides himself.
[Jim] And that's about 600 pounds.
And the other issue is that the Outlaws' taking this match on short notice.
They didn't know anything about this match until this morning.
Late this morning as a matter of fact.
[Jerry] Well, now, and that's a move I don't agree with on their part.
I know your champions, you're supposed to take on all comers
but give me a break, let's have a little preparation.
Let's think about who your opponents going to be.
Let's give you time to study them.
[Jim] They didn't have any choice. They have an open contract. They went for it.
Nice dropkick by Bob.
[audience chatter]
-Suck it. -[Jerry] Uh-oh.
[Jim] Well, there's a…
Oh, Billy took exception to the Bob, hook up and no, it's not…
That's a hard right hand and again that's the closest the Road Dogg
has been to this corner in the last few moments.
Thought he might try to make a tag there
but he's somewhere out on Allegheny and Monongahela.
[Jerry] One thing that I'm surprised
that is Cornette has been, well, un-Cornette like in this match.
I am not doing anything.
[Jerry] He said it right there.
-He's not doing nothing. -Shut up.
[Jerry] I think if Cornette is going to have a championship team here,
I mean, the WWE Tag Team Championship team.
He's gotta have to do a little more.
[Jim] I hate to… I shudder to think about Cornette's ego
if he were managing the WWE Tag Champion.
Cornette's dream is to die in his own arms.
-[Jerry] What? -[Jim] He loves himself.
[grunting]
Oh, right through the face, I'll tell you something, folks,
it's gonna be like home for Mankind when the cell lowers around the ring
and this demonic steel structure will not be forgiving.
[Jerry] It's another good thing about it, you and I are on the outside of it.
Oh, man.
[Jim] Road Dogg's foot almost in the inside
of Bombastic Bob's mouth there and…
James E. trying to motivate his man to make a tag.
-[Jerry] Drag him over here, James E. -Come on, Bobby.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] Cornette imploring Bombastic Bob to make the tag.
[Jerry] How about Road Dogg's hair, that style would look good on you too, JR.
-[Jim] Uh-oh. -[Jerry] Wow.
[Jim] And big right hands by Billy Gunn.
[Jerry] Oh, man.
[Jim] Man, he is a hoss.
6'5", 270.
[Jerry] Quit calling him hoss, that's Mr. Ass to you.
[Jim] And look out.
Get out. Come on.
[Jim] Well, where the Cornette's at, oh, on the back of the head.
Cornette with those NWA tag belts.
Midnight Express is gonna steal this thing.
[Jerry] So much for not doing nothing but… now… It's not over. What?
[audience cheering]
-Jesus. Why? -[Jerry] Get in there again. Cornette?
[Jim] Cornette couldn't believe that.
[Jerry] He's [inaudible] with the belt.
Road Dogg tripping Bart.
And another near fall, I thought that be it.
[audience shouting]
Road Dogg and Bart fighting on the outside
and now Bombastic Bob back with the advantage.
And that's a roll out.
Here comes Cornette again.
Uh-oh. He's in very bad… He's in no man's land.
[Jerry] I suggest… that you run.
Run, you idiot.
[Jim] And look out Chyna. Here comes Chyna from behind.
Turn around.
[audience cheering]
Oh.
[audience cheering]
[Jerry] Oh.
[Jim] She hit her right below the belt.
-[Jerry] She hit who? -[Jim] I mean him.
[Jerry] He hit her?
-[Jim] Look out here. -[Jerry] Oh.
[Jim] Bombastic Bob went for the legs. On that hot shot.
And the Outlaws win it
and Cornette's plans for the evening have been changed.
[announcer] The winners of this fall
and still World Wrestling Entertainment Tag Team Champion,
the New Age Outlaws.
[triumphant music playing]
[Jim] I don't know what would have been worse for Cornette,
face-to-face with Billy Gunn or face-to-face with Chyna.
Cornette would rather shave a lion with a dull razor than fight Chyna.
[Jerry] Poor Cornette.
-Can we see that again? -[Jim] Certainly worth another look.
[Jerry] I think my eyes…
-[Jim] Deceived you? -[Jerry] Maybe.
-I know Cornette hoping that it is. -[Jim] Look at Cornette's face.
Oh, he was tough. He was ready to do some threatening.
-[Jim] He looked like Barney Fife. -[Jerry] Look at his face now.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Now he'll never forget this and neither are we.
There you see the finals, it's been a long arduous journey.
Sixteen men started, eight qualified, four made it here tonight.
And now there are two remaining.
Ken Shamrock will meet The Rock and the winner
and there must be a winner, will be the 1998 King of the Ring.
[X-Pac] ♪ Are you ready? ♪
[X-Pac] ♪ You think you can tell us what to do? ♪
♪ You think you can tell us What to wear? ♪
♪ You think that you're better ♪
♪ Well, you better get ready ♪
♪ To bow to the masters ♪
♪ Break it down ♪
♪ Degenerate into something fool ♪
[Jim] Ladies and gentlemen, we are be gonna joined here at ringside
by Triple H, the leader of The Nation, the reigning European Champion,
he'll be providing color commentary for this matchup.
[Jerry] I like those sleeves they're wearing there, JR.
Triple H is last year's King of the Ring award winner, look, whoa.
[Jim] Lot of great athletes have used the King of the Ring
to catapult their careers including Triple H,
including the incomparable Rattlesnake,
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Owen Hart for the King in the Ring.
[Jerry] And, JR, I got two words for you, Hunter and Chyna.
[X-PAC music playing]
I love them.
♪ You think that you're a big man ♪
[Jim] And certainly, Triple H has had his share of situations where The Rock…
[The Rock] You smell what The Rock is cooking.
-[Jim] Here he comes. -[Jerry] Oh, yeah.
["The Rock" music playing]
[Jerry] JR, when Triple H comes over and sits down to do commentary,
don't try to suck up to him and try to be pal and all that stuff.
[announcer] …the King of the Ring, this contest is scheduled for one fall,
introducing first weighing 270 pounds…
[Jerry] You said Triple H has had problems with The Rock,
what about Shamrock?
Shamrock and The Rock's problems go way back.
-[Triple H] Do you mean the croc? -[Jerry giggles]
[Jim] Triple H is here.
He is geared up, headsets on and ready to rock.
So to speak.
I got the headset on but the last thing I am is ready to rock.
I'm here to see The Rock get his butt kicked all over this building by Shamrock.
[Jerry] Maybe.
[Jim] The winner of this match will be the 1998 King of the Ring
and we were talking as you were on your way out here
that the King of the Ring has a way of helping, elevate careers,
would you agree that it helped elevate yours after last year's business?
It helps elevate everybody's career.
Look at "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, look at Triple H,
the King of the Ring is without a doubt a stepping stone
to the top rung in this business.
You just can't pose in any nude-y magazine to take that crown away.
[announcer] His opponent from Sacramento, California weighing 245 pounds,
the World's Most Dangerous Man, Ken Shamrock.
[Jim] Ken Shamrock with a very outstanding ovation.
Look at the eyes of Shamrock.
What do you think he's thinking about right now, Triple H?
[Triple H] He's probably in the zone.
Either that or he's thinking about that ham sandwich he had earlier today
which is starting to come up around his chest area.
He's got to have butterflies now 'cause this is the King of the Ring.
This is gonna determine who's the man right here.
[Jim] This is the finals as we said, it's been a tough journey,
16 men started, eight qualified, four made it here tonight,
there are two remaining, that man, Ken Shamrock and The Rock.
[Triple H] And keep it clear. This is the WWE. These are athletes.
These are not old men stumbling around the ring.
This is where the athletes go
and this is gonna determine who is the king.
[Jerry] You know what I think, Shamrock, no offense taken,
it's good to be the King, nobody knows more than I do.
Look at Shamrock. I'll tell what I think he's thinking.
He's thinking, this is the biggest match in my life and I got a bad ankle.
[Jerry] He's worried about that, JR. [Jim] Ankle's got to be an issue.
And you know The Rock very well aware
that Shamrock got that ankle dinged earlier tonight.
[Triple H] He better hope but Shamrock doesn't end up with that ankle
shoved away up between those two gluteal cheeks of his.
[Jim] We can remember what happened
back in the Survivor series in Montreal last year,
Shamrock was a one man band
and eliminated two members of The Nation including The Rock.
[Triple H] Now when you say he was a one man band,
you mean, he like played his own instrument?
[Jim] Well, not quite.
It was a figure of speech if you know what I mean.
-[Jerry] Two words, JR. -[Jim] I got it.
[Jerry] Own instrument. [laughs]
[Jim] Shamrocks got to control his rage, his temper
and stay in his zone and not jump out of it.
Remember, you can lose this match by disqualification or a count-out.
Don't want that to happen.
[grunts]
Pace has quickened here.
Shamrock scores with a martial arts kick right to the solar plexus
and now The Rock is gonna distance himself here
one way or the other from the world's most dangerous man.
[Jerry] You can't say that sometimes that's not a smart move.
It's better to be a coward for a minute than dead for the rest of your life.
Let me ask you this, Triple H.
I know you're not really crazy about seeing The Rock win this
but in what point of view, if The Rock did win
and become the King in the Ring, then later on you'll kick his butt,
how great that makes you look?
[Triple H] It doesn't matter which one of these guys wins this.
I walk in that ring kick Ken Shamrock's butt.
I walk in that ring kicking Rocky Maivia's butt. It doesn't matter to me.
[Jim] He'd rather be called The Rock.
[Triple H] He can be called… No, this is a family show, right?
[Jerry] I like The Croc, that was good.
[Triple H] The Croc, he's full of it all right.
Chyna has joined our Spanish commentators.
[speaks in Spanish]
[Triple H] Take no crap from those guys, Chyna.
-[speaks in Spanish] -[speaks in Spanish]
[speaks in Spanish]
[Jerry] I think he insulted her.
[speaks in Spanish]
[speaks Spanish]
[Jim] What did she say?
[Triple H] Something about Taco Bell. I don't know.
They wanna go to Taco Bell or something.
-They want a Burrito Supreme. -[Jerry] Run for the border.
[Jim] You're not bilingual?
[Triple H] There's a lot of bi things I am but lingual is not one of them.
Wait a minute, did I mean to say that?
[Jim] I don't think you did but be that as it may, we're live
and The Rock, Shamrock sidestepped The Rock
and over he went to the Intercontinental Champion.
[audience chatter]
And he has had some injury issues to address.
He is a hundred percent however here tonight,
can't say the same for Shamrock, at least that's our suspicion
that the ankle that Owen Hart and The Nation
almost destroyed has been aggravated again.
[Jerry] So far Shamrock has done a good job
of keeping The Rock away from his ankle.
He better continue to do that or it could cost him the King of the Ring
after he's worked so hard.
[Jim] We haven't talked about "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's hospitalization.
He was hospitalized last week for three days
with a high fever and a severe staph infection.
[Triple H] You just keep your mind on your business right there.
You don't want none of me, fussy top. You don't want none of me.
I'm telling you right now, you get your…
Oh…
[audience chatter]
[Jim] Hey, come on here.
[Jim] I had a feeling something like that might happen.
And Shamrock and The Rock now are…
[Jerry] JR, I think you instigated that.
[Jim] I didn't do a damn thing to instigate anything.
[Jerry] Watch it. Watch it. Watch out.
[Jim] Shamrock has got to snap here and he might…
Oh, The Rock with a low blow there.
I don't know if the referee was too close to see it maybe.
Triple H is trying to get his headset back operable
and Shamrock now at a disadvantage as The Rock has regained control here.
-[Jerry] Are you unplugged, Triple H? -[Triple H] Testes, one, two, three.
[Jerry] Yep, you're on. [chuckles]
-[Triple H] Testes. -[Jerry] You're on.
[audience chatter]
[Jim] A little skirmish, we could live without but…
Hard suplex by Shamrock,
who floats over and looks for three but finds only two.
[Triple H] I tell you. Rocky Maivia better save a bit for after this is done.
He and I can have a couple words in the back.
[Jim] Oh, Shamrock got his arm… He's got his wrist hung up on the ropes.
[Triple H] That could end a match right there.
[Jim] And now Shamrock right out here in front of us, not again.
[Triple H] If he ain't gonna Pie Face me, I tell you, I'll knock him out too.
[Jim] Here comes The Rock. Triple H back up here.
Look out. Shamrock just took a right hand to the face.
And it's all… [inaudible]. Oh. And The Rock… Oh.
He catapulted off the steel with a clothesline.
-[Triple H] You want some more? -[Jim] Take it easy here.
[Jerry] Come on, JR, assert yourself.
[Jim] I'm not the assertive kind actually.
[Jerry] I heard that.
[Jim] Shamrock…
[Triple H] I'll tell you, Rocky's lucky that my middle name is Sportsmanship
or I'd get up and end this foray right now by sticking my right foot up Rocky's ass.
[Jim] Well, I wish you wouldn't do that.
-[Triple H] Wish I wouldn't either. -[Jerry] So does the Rock.
[Jim] Shamrock' re-injured that ankle.
I know he's really limping trying to get up there
and I see if The Rock can capitalize on the injury to Shamrock.
Look at Shamrock. He's hopping. He's skipping.
[Jerry] We knew that was gonna happen
just a matter of time before The Rock zeroed in on that ankle.
[Jim] Swinging neckbreaker with a lot of authority. A very lax press.
Somewhat arrogant in the cover was The Rock.
[Triple H] Here's where Shamrock gets a test.
Let's see if he can suck it up so to speak.
[audience chanting]
[Jim] Shamrock who knows-- no quit.
He won't back up, well, Shamrock.
And he's fighting with everything he's got on one leg here.
Couldn't connect with the right hand and that would be all.
Shamrock's head driven into the canvas with a DDT and Rock…
-Oh, my, close, near fall there. -[Jerry] How did he kick it all out?
[Jim] And The Rock seems to be getting frustrated, Hunter.
[Triple H] This is a hell of a match. Rocky should be frustrated.
Shamrock is showing he's pretty tough in there.
He's got more than I thought he had,
lot of guys lay down on, stuff like that, not Ken Shamrock.
[Jim] I'll tell you what, the athletes in the WWE
are beyond compare as far as playing through an injury
or playing when they're hurt, competing when they're hurting.
That's what Shamrock is doing here. Everybody has had it, you've done it.
It's just the way that it is here in the World Wrestling Entertainment.
That's what separates champions from losers in the WWE,
not how much stroke you got with the guy with running the show,
not how much you can stick your nose up somebody's butt
that's running the show. It's about who's got it in that ring.
[Jim] Does Shamrock have it? Does he have enough?
We know he has it. But does he have enough left here?
And The Rock now going for another cover. The Rock is a magnificent athlete.
-[Jerry] He's a thoroughbred. -[Jim] Oh, man, he is.
Either you like him or you don't, but you got to admire his athleticism
and now it just maybe a matter of time.
[Jerry] What do you think The Rock's parents are thinking in Tampa?
Uh-oh, here it comes.
[Jim] I'm sure they're pulling for him and rightfully so.
[Jerry] Yo. Ha-ha. -[audience cheering]
[Jim] And another lax cover and could be…
Oh, man, I'd like to see how close that one was.
Referee Chioda must have been just inches away from a three count.
One of several three counts that The Rock has earned here.
[Triple H] Why don't you run up there, JR, drop your pants
and measure just how close it was?
-[Jim] Well, I'd rather not. -[Triple H giggles]
[audience cheering]
King, he's an experienced official, we saw him earlier in that travesty
that only set our business back about, I don't know, 20 years?
[Triple H] Hey, some attempts at humor are missed by everybody.
I like it.
[Jerry] Thank you. And I got two words for you, JR. Shut up.
Let's talk about this match.
I like to talk about The Rock
but you can't count Shamrock out, Shamrock can beat you quickly.
I mean, in a flash out of nowhere,
you can have your leg locked into that submission hold.
He's like Double J.
Well, Double J had the upper hand and then bang, he was beat.
[Jim] Shamrock will fight his way back up here.
And he's going back to what he learned in the streets.
Just a hand-to-hand physical combat and again a DDT. The second one.
That's got to be it here. I can't believe this guy.
Shamrock kicked out before three.
[Triple H] I dare Rocky Maivia to give a serious cover.
[Jerry] I guess Shamrock got dropped on his head a lot in the streets, JR?
What about these sob stories, Hunter,
when JR tells about these guys and their background.
Their fathers ran away from home. They had a tough…
Look, when life hands you a lemon, throw it at somebody.
[Jim] And there's a suplex, they're true stories.
[Triple H] Who really cares? Do you think I give a crap
if Shamrock's family dumped him when he was a kid.
I would probably have dumped him, too.
I don't care what these sob stories, it doesn't matter
except for what's happening today right here in this ring.
[Jim] Both men are down.
Now this is an interesting situation. where both men are counted out.
-[Jerry] I think The Rock is out. -[Jim] Do we go over time?
[Jerry] Or maybe Hunter would remain the King of the Ring from last year.
[Triple H] Which is what should happen anyway.
[Jim] I'm seeing some movement here on eight.
They're gutting it out here, they're moving at nine.
[Jerry] They're up, they're up.
[Jim] That was a nine count there.
[audience cheering]
Shamrock meeting The Rock.
[Triple H] Here comes Shamrock, he's getting the second win.
-[Jim] And the Irishman… -[Jerry] He snapping.
[Jim] …is reaching down.
[Jerry] He's snapping.
-He [inaudible], that could be, oh… -[Jim] No, it is not.
[Jerry] Can you see The Rock?
The Rock has had his eyes right on the hand of the referee.
He knew where he was at. He wasn't out of it,
he watched and made it to the very last second.
[Triple H] He knows where that referee is every second.
[Jim] Suplex, this time, another two, the tables have turned here
and now that Shamrock seemingly in control but here comes,
here comes The Rock right back.
[Triple H] The interesting thing is, is how tough both these guys are
but neither one tougher than me. It's amazing, isn't it?
-[Jim] It's a real fun fact. -[Triple H] I'm full of fun facts, man.
[Jim] That's got to be it, that's got to be… It's… No.
[Jerry] No, he didn't get it.
No doubt about the fact that both of these guys
wanna be the King of the Ring.
[Triple H] This shows you how important being King of the Ring is right here.
Both these guys are pulling out everything in their arsenal to win this.
[Jerry] They're about to get exhausted.
[Jim] The Rock must think that he's gotta knock Shamrock out to win this thing.
[Triple H] That'd be a good idea.
[Jim] They've already competed once earlier tonight.
And again, Rock looking for a DDT.
Uh-oh, he's hooked and Shamrock countered.
[Jerry] No, wooh, how close was that, Hunter?
[Triple H] Too close to call.
[Jim] And the fatigue, as you mentioned,
King, gotta be setting in here on these two guys,
they're competing in a double header here tonight at the King of the Ring.
[Triple H] You could see the fatigue setting in now though.
[Jim] Shamrock doesn't have the sting
and those punches he had in his first match with Double J, that clothesline.
This [inaudible] are good… Cover and… What a near fall.
[Jerry] The cover was good in the end
but the ammunition beforehand was just not enough.
[Jim] They're slower and slower getting up are these two magnificent athletes.
Look at the speed, they've lost the step, they just beat the hell out of each other.
There's a cover, again and again, nobody is gonna stay down here.
[Jerry] You got to give them both credit.
[Triple H] Look around at these people, there's not a person sitting down in here.
They're all on the edge of their seats.
[Jim] And The Rock now. The hot shot, get it… No.
[Jerry] How could that referee stop that count?
[Jim] The King of the Ring Championship on the line here.
[Jerry] Now Rock is frustrated. I don't blame him.
[Jim] Don't wanna be stupid and go get yourselves disqualified.
[Jerry] I'd already counted… Oh, no. [Jim] Oh, look out.
-Shamrock, Shamrock. -[Jerry] There it is.
[Jim] It's a lock, it's a lock.
[Triple H] He's screaming like a girl, look at him.
Rocky Maivai's screaming like a broad.
-[Jerry] This is it. -[Triple H] Ring it.
[Jim] He tapped. Shamrock, Shamrock, Shamrock, King of the Ring.
[announcer] The winner of this fall and the King of the Ring…
[Triple H] JR, maybe you should say this five or six more times.
[audience cheering]
[triumphant music playing]
[Jim] Ken Shamrock, the 1998 King of the Ring and he did it,
with that ankle lock submission and would never ever quit.
[triumphant music continues]
[Jim] Nothing was handed to Ken Shamrock.
Nothing has been handed to him his entire life and now he can say
that he's the 1998 King of the Ring and joins the mighty elite company.
[rock music builds up]
[audience cheering]
[Triple H] I'll tell you what,
Ken Shamrock didn't beat me, that's all I've gotta say.
[Jerry] Let's look at how he did beat The Rock though
and still a little questionable, if you ask me.
-[Jim] What was questionable about it? -[Jerry] I wanna tell you this. Look.
I'll give Shamrock great credit right there. That was a beautiful move.
He stepped right into that and unsuspected Rock was in trouble
but I got to question this tap-out.
I don't see The Rock screaming that he quits,
I don't know… Wait, let's see, wait, does he actually tap out?
He hasn't yet, watch, the referee throws his hand away.
[Jim] He tapped, he is tapping out right there, King.
Don't try to degrade the victory of Ken Shamrock.
Will you have a little bit of dignity? For God sake.
Well, Triple H, the leader of DX.
He has some pretty unique things to say here tonight
and congratulations again to Ken Shamrock.
Ladies and gentlemen, I tell you what, maybe we ought to call the Red Cross
because I think in our next two contest as we said, they'll be very unique,
the first, the Hell in a Cell, it is lowering down as we speak.
[Jerry] It's coming down.
[Jim] We have only seen one Hell in a Cell matchup in WWE history.
[Jerry] It was the most unbelievable match that I think I've ever witnessed, JR.
[Jim] It is a perverse, vile,
diabolical structure.
[Jerry] Satanic, hellish.
[Jim] That will absolutely be unforgiving as this night progresses.
It is custom built for injury.
It maybe the last structure that The Undertaker
and Mankind stand in before they arrive
at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.
And I hope and I pray that that does not happen.
[Jerry] This match has so much riding on it, JR…
that the loser may not even stop at the hospital,
they may go straight to the morgue.
[Jim] Well, let hope it isn't that drastic, King, obviously.
[bell ringing]
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen,
the following contest is the Hell in a Cell match.
[Jerry] JR, what's he got there?
[announcer] Introducing the participants.
First, weighing 287 pounds,
Mankind.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] He was born Mick Foley on Long Island, New York.
His manifestations as Dude Love and Cactus Jack are infamous
but none are more deranged than Mankind.
[audience cheering]
His scarred body, he's missing half an ear.
[Jerry] Look at this.
[Jim] He says when he gets inside the steel, he will feel at home.
[Jerry] There's no place like home, there's no place like home.
[Jim] Can you imagine what this human being will do to himself?
[Jerry] That's what's great about this, JR, that's what's great.
I'm telling you, I've watched this guy. I've competed against this guy.
It's like, especially when you're in there in the ring against him,
all of a sudden you start thinking "nothing that I do hurts this guy".
This guy feels no pain or if he feels pain, he enjoys it, look.
[Jim] He just threw that chair on top of the cage.
-[Jerry] What is he doing? -[Jim] Well, he's climb…
Mankind is climbing the cage.
[Jerry] You're supposed to start out inside the cage.
[Jim] The Undertaker has not even been introduced.
[Jerry] What's he doing?
[Jim] He's trying to get up to the top of the cage.
[Jerry] Well, I see that but why?
[Jim] He's not very logical. I mean, he needs therapy.
Who knows what he's thinking. God only knows.
[Jerry] Of all the things he's lost, I think he misses his mind the most.
Uh-oh. Here we go.
[audience cheering]
["Rest In Peace" music playing]
[Jerry] Wooh, it's totally dark in here, he may fall off that cell.
[announcer] His opponent from Death Valley, weighing 328 pounds,
The Undertaker.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] On this warm summer's night in the Igloo,
there is a chill in the air that signifies the arrival
of the one and only, the "Phenom" of the World Wrestling Entertainment.
[audience cheering]
[Jerry] Man. God.
That's like one of the true hell right there.
I think that maybe an omen, JR.
[Jim] The Undertaker is changed man for many reasons.
He is almost…
And I hate to say this but he's almost satanic in his attitude.
[Jerry] Now, you talk satanic, you're looking at him right there,
Mankind above top of the cell.
[Jim] Mankind with a steel chair on top of the cell.
[Jerry] Wait a minute, do you think he's daring The Undertaker
to start this match up there?
That's where the last one we saw ended.
[Jim] If so, I don't think that Mankind will have to ask twice.
["Rest In Peace" music continues]
[Jim] The pain that these two men are preparing to endure is inhuman.
How they will put their bodies on the line here is beyond description.
And The Undertaker says, "You want me up there?
You wanna put up there and fight, I'm gonna come up and whip your butt."
[Jerry] Oh, my God.
No, he may not make it up.
[Jim] Undertaker in a very precarious position.
Nothing between The Undertaker and the concrete floor but imagination.
[Jerry] He's there. He is there.
[Jim] And apparently the Hell in a Cell match
is officially underway
-in the most God awful location. -[Jerry] God. Look at this.
[Jim] A chair shot, this makes you sick, makes you…
Your blood just… Your blood curls.
[Undertake groans]
-[Jim] That is a… -[Jerry] It puts goosebumps on my back.
It makes the hair on my neck stand up. I like it.
[Jim] They're fighting on a steel roof of this cell,
they're using a… that's a steel chair that Mankind is using.
[Jerry] Look at this, it broke through. It broke through.
[Jim] That's a lot of weight, there's over…
There's two, three hundred pounders up there.
They're destroying the Hell in a Cell.
And my God, don't get him over here where we are.
What's gonna happen here?
Undertaker fighting back. He's fighting back.
They're on above us, folks. And I don't like it a damn bit.
Oh, my God.
-Look out. -[Jerry] Oh, no
[Jerry] Good God, Almighty, that killed him.
Oh, my God.
[Jim] As God is my witness, he is broken in half.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Oh, my God.
Somebody get out here, really. I mean it.
[Jerry] We need some help.
[audience cheering]
-[Jim] My God. I can't believe what we… -[Jerry] This is over right here.
[Jim] I can't believe…
-[Jerry] It's over. -[Jim] That cage is 16 feet high.
-Look at this, folks, just listen. -[Jerry] Unbelievable.
[audience shouting]
[Jim] My God. Un…
[Jerry] Oh, my God.
[Jim] I don't care if he's… My God, look at this, folks.
Oh, our Spanish announce team are down. We need doctors out here.
If somebody can get off their butt in the back and get some people out here.
[Jerry] Look, Mankind is moving.
[Jim] There's Terry Funk.
And we all know that Terry Funk
and Mankind professionally have not gotten along
but there still got to be a bond there.
[indistinct chatter]
-Watch his arm. -[Jerry] There's got to be bones broken.
[Jerry] Dr. Francois Petit is out here.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] The Undertaker is still on top.
The Lord of Darkness has real…
This maybe the shortest Hell in a Cell match that we have ever had.
[Jerry] But without a doubt, the most violent.
Can some… Hey, hey, hey, can you help these guys right here?
[indistinct chatter].
[Jim] I don't quite know how to close this.
This match could be over.
-Here's another look, everyone. -[Jerry] It could be over.
Look at that. The guy's life could be over.
[Jim] My God, this is insane.
[Jerry] I've never seen any… This is inhuman.
[Jim] Oh, the pain and the misery that Mick Foley must be enduring…
[Jerry] Look at this, look out. Is he gonna jump out here?
[Dr. Francois] Give me some towels, guys.
[Jim] Mr. McMahon is out here, with Mister Slaughter,
hopefully to apologize,
this match has stopped dead in the stretch.
And we'll take another look down in here. This is beyond belief.
-[Jerry] Oh, oh, oh. -[Jim] There's no net.
And somebody again, you know, oh, yeah, they know how to fall.
-[Jerry] Look at that, look at this. -[Jim] Give me a break.
[Jerry] We got a lot of people hurt here.
[Jim] And professionally the rivalry
between Terry Funk and Mick Foley are in the other character…
[Jerry] They're raising the cage and The Undertaker is still on top.
[Jim] This match is maybe over, I'm telling you.
[Jerry] Why is the cage raising,
do they realize The Undertaker is still on top of the cage?
[Jim] They're raising the cage with The Undertaker still on top.
[Jerry] What?
[Jim] And the EMTs now bringing a stretcher here.
[man] Yeah, finish the match, man. Do it.
[Jerry] Look at this… But look up there, JR, the cage is still going up.
[Jim] I think they raised the cage somewhat.
So that we can get the EMTs here with the stretcher.
[Jerry] What about this…
[Jerry] There's the Lord of Darkness.
And he has put Mankind in the darkness, possibly permanent darkness.
[Jim] Again, ladies and gentlemen, we know that this was a much hyped,
much talked about main events…
One of the two main events you'll see here tonight.
[audience chatter and applauding]
And apparently as quickly
and as unusually as this match started, it has ended.
[Jerry] Now the cage is coming back down.
I guess they got to get The Undertaker off of the top of this cage. Look out.
Look out.
[Jim] The Undertaker is coming down…
[Jerry] He's climbing down before the cage is even on the ground.
-[Jim] He's coming down on our side, King. -[Jerry] Yeah, I'm out of here.
[Jim] Might not be a bad idea for you to… And this is a…
But the bigger story is there in the aisleway.
Again, this match has ended, we apologize.
[Jerry] I have never seen… Why do you apologize for that?
[Jim] Well, the fans were…
[Jerry] I've never seen anything like that in my life.
[Jim] I'm not… Yeah, fine.
But people were expecting a Hell in a Cell match.
-[Jerry] Look. You're kidding me? -[Jim] How in the hell is he standing?
[Jerry] Oh, my God.
[Jim] And look at this, he's got a smile on his face for God sakes.
Are you kidding me? He wants to go back up.
[Jerry] Uh-oh.
-[Jim] Mankind is going back up. -[Jerry] No way.
-[Jim] And so is The Undertaker. -[Jerry] No way.
[audience cheering]
[Jerry] How can he climb… How can his body…
Oh, my God, The Undertaker has gotten the chair.
[Jim] This is absolutely amazing,
absolutely amazing here.
A headbutt by The Undertaker and a right hand.
Now there's a…
[Jerry] If he throws him out on the other side, there's… Oh.
[audience cheering]
-[Jim] Good God, good God. -[Jerry] That's it, he's dead.
[Jim] Will somebody stop the damn match, enough is enough?
[audience cheering]
The poor son of a… He's broken in half.
And The Undertaker likes it.
But I think enough is enough.
[audience cheering]
[Jerry] Oh, my God, The Undertaker is still coming down, stop him.
-[Jim] The Undertaker coming… -[Jerry] Stop him.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Mr. Slaughter, Terry Funk, can you see the…
-From a television perspective… -[Jerry] Oh.
[Jim] Now Terry Funk trying to help Mick Foley
and Terry gets a chokeslam for his trouble.
[audience cheering]
[Jerry] Somebody stop him.
[Jim] Terry Funk.
He just got chokeslammed out of his shoes it looked like.
Watch this. My God.
That ring is like concrete.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] He's either crazy as hell or he is the toughest SOB
that I have ever seen to this sort of environment.
-[Jerry] How is he still standing up? -[Jim] I don't have a damn clue.
There are shoes, there's chairs, there's tacks,
there's a cage hanging.
[Jerry] And there's a human being in there that is unbelievably indestructible.
I never thought I would say about somebody but this guy is indestructible.
What more can you do to a human being?
[audience chatter]
[Jim] Mankind bleeding. He may have internal bleeding…
[Jerry] He's gotta have internal bleeding.
[Jim] Got to have internal injuries here.
-My God, this has just gone too far. -[Jerry] Well, stop it.
[Jim] And, oh.
[Jerry] Jeez. He still mounting an offense
and they're locking these guys inside there.
[Jim] Now, who made that ruling?
Why don't you just let them… And he's smiling.
-[Jerry] Uh-oh. -[Jim] He is smiling.
[Jerry] You had to know this…
You had to know that it was gonna be something like this.
I mean, you knew these guys wanted to get at each other in the worst way
but I never dreamed it would be this kind of stuff.
[Jim] I don't know if a tooth went through his lip, on Mankind,
if he bit his tongue.
His left arm is dangling.
[Jerry] I think that the blood that's coming out of his mouth
is coming up from inside him. It's internal bleeding.
This man weighs 300 pounds and he fell over 16 feet… twice.
[Jim] You can hear the steel being moved around.
-[Jerry] He wants more. -[Jim] He can't even lift it up.
[Jerry] His shoulder gave out, he can't even lift…
His shoulder's probably broken and he's smiling about it.
What is that sticking out of his nose?
[Jim] Oh, God, that arm has gotta…
Oh, second dose, the steel right to the shoulder
and then he got him in the head. The Undertaker is like an animal.
The Undertaker is like a mad man, a man possessed.
[Jerry] He's been this way ever since McMahon challenged him.
Oh, oh, oh. Oh.
[Jim] Mankind can't even defend himself.
Do you think he feels like he's at home now?
[Jerry] Well, I mean, you know, some things are unexplainable.
What has come over The Undertaker?
I mean, he attacks Paul Bearer, he goes to Paul Bearer's house,
he breaks and enters and he destroys Paul Bearer's… Look at this.
Well, he missed him.
[Jim] Undertaker tried a missile like dive and found nothing but the steel that time.
[indistinct chatter]
[Jim] Mankind almost seemingly just passed out.
The Undertaker was in midair, and couldn't change direction obviously.
[Jerry] Mankind or Mick Foley, whatever you wanna call him.
His shoulder's gotta be separated at the least.
Oh, I think Undertaker is busted.
[Jim] Undertaker just tasted the steel and it doesn't taste good.
Oh, one more time right in that…
[Jerry] Oh, he's cut.
[Jim] Undertaker has been lacerated.
[Jerry] Oh, look at this.
[audience chatter]
Come on, now.
[Jerry] JR, this is Hell in a Cell and it's not a pretty sight.
We knew it was gonna be like this.
[Jim] This is… They're in hell.
Undertaker and Mankind are in hell.
Hell is in Pittsburgh tonight in this match.
[Jerry] They're both in hell, you're right
but both of these men have claimed to like it in hell.
[Jim] The chair's in the ring. Mankind going for a piledriver.
And did you hear the crack of The Undertaker's skull on that chair?
-[Jerry] Or his neck… -[Jim] One, two… Two and a half.
We said this one was not gonna be for the weak of heart, it is not.
-What a wretched environment. -[Jerry] Oh, oh.
This is brutal, oh, my gosh.
[Jim] Chair across The Undertaker's face, unprotected.
What a leg drop.
The steel just ramming and jamming into the flesh of The Undertaker.
-And there's a cover. -[Jerry] That's it, that's got to be it.
[Jim] No, it's not over.
[Jerry] How do these guys continue on, JR?
[Jim] It's absolutely baffling, it's desire.
[Jerry] Look at Mankind's face, honest to God he's laughing.
[Jim] It seems like now that Mankind is enjoying himself.
Oh, wow.
What is that out of his nose, King?
[Jerry] Something has… Probably a piece of that wooden table that he landed on,
probably it pierced right through his nose.
-[Jim] Maybe a tooth. -[Jerry] Oh, God, you don't think.
What's he got now? Uh-oh.
[Jim] He went out of the ring to get something.
What is it?
-A sack. -[Jerry] Some sort of bag or something.
[Jim] What's he got in that?
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Oh, God.
-[Jerry] What is that? -[Jim] Thumbtacks.
[Jerry] Uh-oh.
[Jim] Thumbtacks.
My God.
This is off the page.
Thumbtacks.
[Jerry] He's fixing to send The Undertaker to hell and back.
If he knocks him down on that.
[grunts]
[Jim] Right hands, Undertaker reeling here.
Mankind's coming.
[Jerry] No way.
[Jim] Undertaker tried to chokeslam, Mankind stopped him
and foot right to the face by the "Phenom".
-[Jerry] He got him. Mandible claw. -[Jim] Mandible claw.
Mankind's got the mandible claw on The Undertaker.
[Jerry] He's gonna try to throw The Undertaker right onto those tacks.
[Jim] Undertaker is fading, no one has ever had the one-lose record
against The Undertaker as Mankind has earned.
And some of them with that very move, the mandible claw.
Thumbtacks.
[Jerry] Oh, man.
He's sick, he is literally sick.
[Jim] Undertaker is fading.
Referee Tim White will check it one more time…
and Undertaker…
[Jerry] My God, I've never ever see anything like this.
The Undertaker has got Mankind back on his back now.
-Wait a minute, no, you… -[Jim] He's near those tacks.
[Jerry] Don't tell me, no. No. Oh, my God.
[Jim] God, he's throwing him in those thumbtacks.
Good God Almighty, he's a human pincushion.
Demonic. Oh… He's got those tacks sticking in his…
Oh! Oh, no!
[Jerry] Unbelievable.
Those sticking…
-[Jim] A chokeslam. -[Jerry] No way.
[Jim] What a sadistic thing. A chokeslam on the tacks.
My God, what else can be done,
what else will The Undertaker do to Mankind.
[Jerry] These people are cheering this, JR, no way.
[Jim] And there's the tombstone, tombstone.
[Jerry] On his back.
-One, two, three. -[bell ringing]
["Rest In Peace" music playing]
[announcer] Here is your winner, The Undertaker.
[Jerry] I think they both had tacks sticking.
[Jim] I'll tell you what folks, in 25 years,
I have never witnessed anything
that even closely resembles what we have just witnessed.
This was the most unbelievable.
[Jerry] I'm gonna say that nothing anywhere in any other federation,
I'm telling you, far none has ever come close to this.
[Jim] These two men gave you everything in their body.
They gave you all their soul here tonight.
These two WWE Superstars
and these people are standing and cheering for the effort,
for the desire,
for what they have just seen from two phenomenal athletes.
[Jerry] We gotta get some medical attention in here.
Look at The Undertaker standing there with those tacks,
they're sticking out of his arms as well.
[Jim] This has been the most ungodly match
that I think we won't perhaps ever see.
["Rest In Peace" music continues]
As Dr. Francois Petit in the ring and the EMTs are in now.
We said that that…
[Jerry] Get him off of his back,
there's probably about 500 nails and tacks sticking in his back.
[Jim] We said that one of these men probably will not walk out,.
The Undertaker is walking out but very slowly.
He may never be the same…
and then you have Mankind.
[Jerry] Never seen anything like it in my life.
[Jim] If there is a more courageous individual
in this sort of environment,
I would like, folks, for you to introduce them to us.
[Jerry] JR, this match should've been over in the first minute and a half
when he was thrown off the top of that cage,
when Mankind was hurled of the top of the cell, right here.
This happened in the first minute and half of the match. Look at this.
[Jim] We thought that the match would be over at that point.
[Jerry] Then from there he came back.
[Jim] The sickening thud, Mankind and give him a big basket of--
-[Jerry] And then this. -[Jim] The thumbtacks.
[Jerry] This happened about 30 minutes after he was thrown off
from the top of the cell.
[Jim] And then with thumbtacks sticking in his flesh,
in his ring attire, the tombstone piledriver
and as a result of that hellacious matchup.
Mankind is being… He's gonna have to be carried out of here.
[Jerry] Look at these guys in the ring.
Look at the thumbtacks sticking out of their boots.
[Jim] Look at Mankind, he's almost as if he doesn't want to lean on a stretcher.
[audience cheering and applauding]
And Terry Funk putting aside their personal issues and they have those.
[Jerry] How can he stand, much less walk?
-[Jim] Dr. Romascavage. -[Jerry] Right.
Look at this, JR. I've just been handed… Look at this.
[audience chanting]
[Jim] Amazing.
[Jerry] Unbelievable.
Standing ovation, mates.
[cheering and applauding]
[Jim] My God, if anybody ever deserved a standing ovation
whether you like him or you don't. That's your business.
But how anybody could not admire the effort of this man, Mankind,
Mick Foley and The Undertaker is beyond me.
[Jerry] So I have just been handed
some of the thumbtacks that Mankind was just planted on.
First of all, let's take a look at this one more time.
-[Jim] We will never forget this moment. -[Jerry] Astounding.
[Jim] As long as I live,
I will never forget what we just witnessed right there.
Folks, both of us have had the opportunity,
and the privilege of seeing a lot in this business.
-What about that? -Take it easy. What's wrong with you?
[Jerry] Thousands of thumbtacks and this guy was just planted on him.
And as physical and as intense as what we just saw,
you have to believe our next match,
the stakes can't be higher, the WWE title on the line.
The richest prize in the industry
but this whole thing started between Stone Cold and Kane
with Vince McMahon saying some very pointed things
to The Undertaker, take a look.
[Vince] You wanna be the number one contender?
You deserve to be the number one contender.
Let's see what happens when you have to face your brother, Kane.
[Jim] The Undertaker and Kane
and the winner is gonna be the number one contender to the Rattlesnake's title?
[Jim] Hey, look at this. Look at this. A distraction by Mankind.
Tombstone. Tombstone.
-[Jim] Will that be enough? -[Jerry] He got him.
-[Jerry] One, two, three. -[Jim] He got it, Kane wins.
[announcer] The seven-foot monster is out to [inaudible].
[announcer 2] With Kane now the number one contender,
a deeper, darker, more confusing plot was aimed at the Rattlesnake.
[Jim] Wait a minute, those druids, that's a set-up,
could The Undertaker be coming out
to make yet another challenge to Stone Cold?
They placed that casket right here at the edge of the ring,
but wait a minute, Mankind is under the ring.
[Jerry] Right in front of us.
[Jim] Mankind was under the ring all the time. And there's Kane.
[Jerry] Kane in the casket. [Jim] Kane in the casket.
Kane and Mankind doing a number on Stone Cold.
[Jerry] Look at this.
They are pounding the life out of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin right here.
This is the celebration, JR.
[Jim] Kane and Mankind, well, Stone Cold…
Austin is in the casket.
[Jerry] Is Stone Cold's career getting buried?
Do you know what this means?
[Jim] Kane has buried the WWE Champion before the King of the Ring.
[announcer] One week later, in the specter of the ominous Hell in a Cell,
Austin unleashed his rage in pure 3:16 fashion.
-[Jim] Austin got a steel chair. -[Jerry] Oh, my God.
[Jim] God Almighty, God Almighty,
right in the face and now Austin is going for Kane.
Oh, no. The Rattlesnake wants Kane, let's get it on.
[Jerry] Oh, my God.
-[Jim] Austin and Kane, Austin and Kane. -[Jerry] Look at this.
[Jim] My God, look at him get him.
[Vince] Kane challenges you Austin
to a match in which clearly the winner will be the man
who draws first blood on his opponent.
[Jerry] What does he mean?
[Stone Cold] To Kane, I say this,
I'll accept any kind of match you wanna throw
on "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
If I do not win the title,
I will set myself on fire.
[Stone Cold] You could be the human campfire
I'll sit around and watch you burn all day long.
-He'll do it. -[Stone Cold] If you start to go out,
you can rest assured, that old Stone Cold to be right there
to throw another log on the fire.
[Vince] A first blood match.
[Stone Cold] I bled before, I ain't afraid to bleed again.
[Vince] This, Kane, is your destiny.
[Stone Cold] But when you put this son of a bitch on the line,
that means your big dead ass belongs to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
-[Jim] What? What the hell is that? -[Jerry] What is that?
[Jim] Austin is covered. What is that?
[Kane] Austin…
this Sunday, the blood on you will be for real.
[Jim] He just said, this Sunday, the blood on you will be for real.
[Vince] Welcome to your worst nightmare.
[bell ringing]
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen,
the following contest is a first blood match
for the World Wrestling Entertainment Championship.
[audience cheering]
["Rest In Peace" music playing]
[announcer] Coming down the aisle, accompanied by Paul Bearer,
it's the challenger,
weighing 326 pounds…
Kane.
[Jim] Seven feet tall, 326 pounds,
he is a superhuman destroyer intending on complete annihilation,
intending on leaving this arena as the WWE Champion
and if he does not,
Kane will set himself on fire and breathe his last breath.
[Jerry] Wow.
[Jim] This match can only be stopped by the referee.
It stops when one man draws first blood on his opponent.
I wanna say it's gonna be stopped by the referee or Red Cross.
-[firecrackers crackles] -[Jerry] Oh.
[Jim] The fires on hell couldn't be any more intense than this.
[Jerry] Right. Let's get this gasoline away from me.
Look at this.
[Jim] Containers of gasoline awaiting Kane if he's not victorious.
[audience] Austin! Austin! Austin!
Austin! Austin! Austin!
[Jerry] Look at these people, JR. They are anticipating.
-["Hell Frozen Over" music playing] -[audience cheering]
[announcer] His opponent, from Victoria, Texas,
weighing 252 pounds,
World Wrestling Entertainment Champion,
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
[audience cheering]
[Jerry] JR, he's got that same look on his face we saw last Monday.
-Here we go. -[Jim] Let's get it on here.
[bell ringing]
Austin, chest press, look at the right hands.
Remember the match can only win
when one man draws first blood on his opponent.
That means no disqualifications and no pinfalls, no countouts.
Look at Kane get back up.
Austin laying that belt right into his face.
[Jerry] Austin is going for blood right away.
He's not wasting any time, whatsoever.
[Jim] Austin now taking the turnbuckle pad away
to expose that steel ring that holds the ropes there.
Oh, Austin with that badly infected elbow.
Austin was in the hospital three days last week,
dehydrated, with staph infection to the elbow.
He had over a hundred degree fever for a couple of days.
Though he may not admit it
but there ain't no way in hell he can be in a 100% here.
[Jerry] Austin removed that turnbuckle cover
and exposed that metal ring like you said
but he was not able to put Kane's face into that ring,
and Kane almost rammed Austin's head into there.
If he did, that could open Austin up immediately and this match is over.
[Jim] Nothing but misery for the competitors in this matchup.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Listen to this.
[audience chanting] Austin! Austin!
[Jerry] One thing I noticed, JR.
Look at Kane's outfit, there's no exposed skin.
Ordinarily his arm,
ordinarily his right arm, I believe, is exposed.
He's taking no chances.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Referee Earl Hebner, who is no stranger to controversy
assigned in this matchup.
-And look at Kane. -[Jerry] He's going with the tombstone.
[Jim] He'll try to turn Austin upside down.
Austin counters it and takes Kane over the top.
[Jerry] Landed on his feet though.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] Kane seemingly the manifestation of the devil himself
with that diabolical Paul Bearer, his father leading the way
and again that leather mask of Kane providing a great deal of protection.
What's going on here? The Hell in a Cell is lowering.
-[Jerry] The cell is coming down. -[Jim] Who's lowering the cell?
[Jerry] What is going on here?
[Jim] We've seen enough of this cell for one night.
Who's controlling the cell?
Austin dropped right over the security railing.
[Jerry] Now they're outside of the canvas, no, now they're back.
[Jim] This is no wrestling match. It's nothing but a fight.
Austin… took a shot right to his hips.
[Jerry] What is going on with the cell? Continuing to come down.
Can anybody back there hear us? The cell is coming down.
[Jim] Hello out here.
Austin and Kane now.
And this is a dangerous situation.
-[Jerry] Oh, my God. -[Jim] Austin, face-first.
He went face-first right into that cell, and referee Earl Hebner looking for the…
Look at Austin.
[Jerry] Did that draw blood? If it did, this is over.
[Jim] That cage is gonna land on Austin.
That cage is coming down on Austin. That cage is coming down on Austin.
Good God, stop the… Who's lowering the cage?
[Jerry] It's coming down on his throat.
[Jim] Austin is in the firing line here,
and Kane now choking the Rattlesnake.
And the Hell in a Cell has been low… has been lowered, oh,
and now it surrounds this ring.
That really puts Austin at a vulnerable situation.
[Jerry] A huge disadvantage for Stone Cold here. Oh, man.
[Jim] Now, referee Earl Hebner said in the free for all,
he wasn't gonna stop this thing for a bloody nose
or a skinned elbow or something minor.
[Jerry] No, you're gonna have to be busted open by your opponent.
-Like this, ooh. -[Jim] Austin…
The flesh cannot withstand too much of that into the steel.
[Jerry] Do you think Paul Bearer may have had something to do
with bringing this cage down?
[Jim] Or somebody with more authority.
Austin's got a little scrape on his back that's being ignored.
Austin again ran into the cameraman, right into the steps.
Austin's gotta… There's some blood right there but again as we said…
[Jerry] You'll have to get your face or head busted open.
[Jim] The referee's gotta use some common sense and good judgment here,
that's what he said earlier today in the free for all.
-[Jerry] Oh, my gosh. -[Jim] Did you hear that impact?
[Jerry] If he's busted, if Kane is busted, that was done by Steve Austin.
Look at the cage, the cell is going…
-[Jim] Now, the cell is being raised. -[Jerry] What is going on?
[Jim] What in the hell is going on?
Look at Kane.
[Jerry] He's hung on the cell.
[Jim] He's teetering on the cell and now he's got Austin around the neck.
Austin now…
Kane almost landed on his feet. Much like his older brother,
The Undertaker, that uncanny agility for a seven footer.
And again as we can see, as you can see,
Austin is bleeding at the back but as we said earlier today,
the referee said it was gonna take something significant
for him to stop this match.
Not a scrape, not a skinned face and not a bloody nose.
[audience cheering]
Austin now…
[Jerry] Even that leather mask that Kane is wearing
is not gonna protect him long from this kind of abuse.
Austin now looking to piledrive Kane on the concrete.
-[Jerry] He can't get him up. -[Jim] Oh, no.
Kane elevated Austin, that back body drop…
and there you see Mr. McMahon
up in the owner's luxury box here in the Igloo.
[Jerry] Wow, he's viewing this from the comfort of a luxury box.
And he's got Sable with him.
[Jim] That ain't a bad detail. Right hand by Kane, Austin knocked down.
Whenever he punches, you'll think there could be a laceration,
as big, as strong, as intense as these guys are.
[Jerry] Wow. JR, it's good to be the King but it maybe even nicer to be the owner
to sit up there in that luxurious box
and sweet [indistinct] with Sable viewing this carnage down here.
[Jim] Austin and this Hell in a Cell hanging around here.
-[Jerry] Uh-oh, going for a suplex. -[Jim] He may be better off where he is.
Austin, oh, a suplex right on the ramp way.
The Rattlesnake got suplexed right on the ramp way.
[Jerry] Look at Paul Bearer. -Move.
[Jerry] He's not doing anything.
[audience cheering]
[Jim] The crowd chanting for the Rattlesnake.
[audience cheering]
Kane is in charge. Remember, he is seven feet, 325.
Austin is in trouble.
He is in big trouble, and the WWE title is on the line.
[Jerry] Austin needs to stay away from anything made out of metal.
The safest place for him would be to get back into the middle of the ring.
Then all he's got to worry about is Kane himself.
Here, he's got to worry about things like this.
[Jim] Austin got his hands up to block that security railing
from catching him right in the face.
[audience cheering]
-[Jerry] Oh. Is he busted? -[Jim] Hard shot right to the head.
Mr. McMahon with the security force in place with Sable there
and McMahon obviously is cheering and rooting for Kane.
[Jerry] Right, no doubt about who Mr. McMahon is pulling for in this match.
[Jim] Mr. McMahon told everybody earlier, it was gonna be Kane's night.
And now Austin bringing Kane back to the ring here.
This has been a grueling, physically intense matchup.
[Jerry] There's that exposed turnbuckle now and the cell is still halfway down.
[Jim] That leather mask of Kane…
[Jerry] I just got to think that some way Austin is gonna have to get that mask off.
[Jerry] Why is the cell halfway down like this, JR? What is the deal here?
-[Jim] I don't know who's controlling it. -[Jerry] Come on, you know everything.
Look at this.
[Jim] Austin is trying to weaken Kane now
and get Kane in some sort of helpless position,
maybe then Austin can rip that mask off Kane,
and then go to work, go to town on that face or what's left of his face.
[Jerry] That's what I was gonna say. Do you think for one minute
that Kane is gonna sit still and let the world see a face
that he has hidden,
that he's protected from sight for 20 years? Oh, look out.
[Jim] Again, Kane has got that body covered up.
The only thing exposed on Kane is his left hand.
They're right on your ass and I don't like that a doggone bit.
[Jerry] You don't like it. Watch it.
[Jim] And Kane got face-first right onto this table.
-[Jim] Watch it. -[Jerry] Austin's got that fan now.
-[Jerry] Look at this. Oh, my God. -[Jim] Good God Almighty.
[Jerry] That'll bust him open.
[Jim] That fan just got used as a weapon.
You gotta believe if Kane didn't have that leather mask on,
then he'd be busted from ear to ear.
[Jerry] Oh, the referee's down.
[Jim] Referee Earl Hebner just got pancaked into the rail.
[Jerry] That's a dangerous situation.
[Jim] My God, there's no referee now.
There's no referee. We need another referee out here, King.
[Jerry] Yep.
-[Jim] You're licensed. -[Jerry] Not on your life.
Not in this one.
[Jim] Kane up on the top nailed Stone Cold.
[Jerry] You wanna be the man to tell "Stone Cold" Steve Austin that,
"Oh, hey, Austin, I see that you're bleeding,
you're no longer the WWE champ."
Or you wanna be the man that says,
"Hey, Kane, I see blood on your face, you gotta set yourself on fire." Uh-uh.
[Jim] Poor referee Earl Hebner who had an aneurysm right before the WrestleMania.
[Jerry] We need to get some medical attention out here for him.
[Jim] I guarantee he needs some help out here.
[Jerry] Look at McMahon.
[Jim] Kane on the outside now.
Austin, if he loses the title without being pinned,
-I don't know what… -[Jerry] Oh, yes.
[Jim] I shudder to think how he will react.
Austin now stomping away.
[Jerry] Kane, you're in trouble.
[Jim] Remember, if Kane doesn't win the WWE title…
Now he's next to that exposed corner,
the turnbuckle pad has been removed by Austin.
If Kane doesn't win this match, he's gonna set himself on fire.
[Jerry] And that patented gesture from "Stone Cold" Steve Austin,
just for good measure there to Kane.
[Jim] Now back at Kane's head, ramming at that exposed bulk that…
[Jerry] Yeah, I guess if he opens up the back of Kane's head,
that's as good as the front.
The blood will flow from there as well as it would from the front.
[Jim] And again that Hell in a Cell.
[Jerry] Oh, my God, looks who's coming down here.
[Jim] Oh, my God, my God, tell me that's not…
It's Mankind with a chair.
Remember, there's no disqualification and there's no referee either.
Austin now fighting for his life.
The Rattlesnake is fighting for his life here.
[Jerry] He's fighting for his life and the WWE title.
And the cell is being lowered. Who in the hell is controlling…
[Jerry] Stunner, stunner, stunner on Mankind.
[Jim] Austin and…
Stunner, a stunner on Kane, a stunner on Kane.
Kane is down, Kane is down.
-[Jerry] And the cage is down. -[Jim] My God, here comes The Undertaker.
Here comes The Undertaker.
[audience cheering]
The Undertaker's got a chair.
Mankind is the target.
Oh, God, oh, God, Austin's chair just [indistinct].
Undertaker's chair met Austin's.
Mankind knocked outside.
Kane knocked outside.
Oh, God, Austin is busted, he is busted open…
And The Undertaker is putting the referee back in the ring.
-What the hell. -[Jerry] Huh?
[Jim] The Undertaker is taking the gas.
Austin is bleeding.
-And… -[Jerry] What?
[Jim] The Undertaker pouring that gasoline on the referee.
A chair shot by Kane on his brother.
[Jerry] What in the hell is going on, JR?
[Jim] Hebner has been revived. My God, those fumes are just horrifying.
Austin is bleeding.
[Jerry] It's first blood, he's bleeding, what?
[Jim] The referee still hasn't seen it. Austin, a clothesline, there goes Kane.
[audience cheering]
Kane trying to take that chair away from Austin.
Oh, God Almighty, what a shot,
what a shot and Austin's bleeding.
The Undertaker… Referee is calling for the bell.
Referee calling for the bell…
at the first blood match.
Austin is bleeding and the title is on the line here.
[announcer] The winner of this fall…
and new World Wrestling Entertainment Champion,
Kane.
["Rest In Peace" music playing]
[Jim] No.
No.