WWE RAW IS WAR REPORT - 10 years ago
AUGUST 8, 1999
LIVE FROM CHICAGO, ILL.

[Q1: 5.2]... The "Countdown to the Millennium" was just under 90 minutes... The Raw opening montage aired... Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler introduced the show as The Rock walked to the ring. Backstage Big Show was about to go to the ring to disrupt Rock before he even began talking, but Undertaker stopped him and told Big Show he wanted to hear what he had to say. Rock called Big Show "Big Slow" and said when fans see him, they say: "I'm gonna take a leak. This guy sucks." He mocked Big Show for stepping over the top rope "as if that's supposed to impress somebody." He then mocked Big Show's yell when he enters the ring. Funny stuff. Undertaker and Big Show attacked him. X-Pac made the save, but was immediately overwhelmed by Rock and Undertaker. Road Dogg came out next, but met the same fate. Kane then made the save and had more luck. X-Pac, Road Dogg, and Kane cleared the ring... Lawler and Ross plugged the rest of Raw including an appearance by Jesse Ventura... A limo drove up and Shawn Michaels stepped out. Ross and Lawler wondered what he was doing there... [C]... X-Pac, with Kane by his side, gave an expletive-filled promo that was largely bleeped. He challenged the Acolytes to a tag title match later...

[Q2: 6.2]... (1) Gangrel pinned Christian at 2:18. At 1:45, the Hardy Boyz came to the ring. Christian fought them at ringside. When he returned to the ring, Gangrel sprayed him in the face with mist and scored the pin. The Hardys and Gangrel attacked him after the bell. Edge came out for the save, but he was beaten up, too. Michael Hayes came out and called off the Hardys. They didn't like his orders so they turned on him. Several referees ran out to break up the fight. The Hardys left with Gangrel... The Acolytes accepted X-Pac's challenge. Faarooq called X-Pac "Kane's little Chihuahua"...

[Q3: 6.9]... Lawler interviewed Ventura [C]... Footage aired of D-Lo and Mark Henry jogging. Henry said he had to take a leak. D-Lo told him to go into the woods. Jeff Jarrett and Debra drove up. Jarrett leaped out of the car and attacked D-Lo with a garbage can. Debra complained about Jarrett's temper. Jarrett got in the car and drove off, leaving D-Lo lying on the ground... (2) Val Venis pinned Jeff Jarrett (w/Debra) at 1:23. As the match began, Ross said something had happened in the stairwell of the arena. Debra stood on the ring apron to distract Val, but Val moved. Jarrett almost ran into Debra on the apron, but stopped short. Val then gave Jarrett a powerbomb from behind and scored the pin. Jarrett complained to Debra and got in her face over her interference backfiring. Val made the save. Debra eyed Val. They left together... They went to footage backstage where Austin lay knocked out on his back at the bottom of a stairwell. He was being tended to by officials... [C]

[Q4: 6.6]... Michael Cole said there was a cinder block on the floor next to Austin, so he believed somebody attacked him. An ambulance drove away... Michaels came to the ring and asked the crowd who should be held responsible for the attack. He suggested it was the man who was supposed to face Austin and Undertaker later that night in a Triple Threat match. Michaels called Hunter to the ring. Hunter and Chyna stepped onto the stage and plead ignorance of what happened to Austin. Michaels said the match was changed to a falls count anywhere match for the no. 1 contender spot at Summerslam. Triple H said he earned that slot. Michaels said he can do "whatever he damn well pleases." Michaels said he'd be special referee for the match. Hunter asked who would replace Austin, someone who would take advantage of this opportunity, who would stab their mother in the back just for that chance, who has been living in someone else's shadow for so long they'd be jumping at the chance to go to Summerslam and get a title shot. He said the third wrestler would be Chyna. Triple H laughed and said Chyna is "just a girl" and she could get hurt. Chyna was upset with that characterization and grabbed the mic out of Hunter's hands. Chyna said she'd accept the opportunity. "Just a woman?" she asked. "Try me, Triple H"... [C]

[Q5: 6.3]... Backstage Chyna chewed out Hunter. Hunter claimed it was just a figure of speech to call her a girl. Chyna said she was taking that opportunity... (3) Kane & X-Pac beat The Acolytes when X-Pac pinned Faarooq at 4:33 to capture the WWF Tag Team Titles. They combined the pyro for Kane and X-Pac which looked cool. X-Pac is showing more energy and fire than ever, but it's reached a point that it's costing him some of the cool street credibility that he had during his first year back in the WWF. His babyface character is straying too much into Ricky Morton territory these days. There was a huge pop for X-Pac hot-tagging Kane. After a four-way brawl, X-Pac escaped Faarooq's powerbomb set-up. He then gave Faarooq a (weak-looking) kick to the gut and the X-Factor for the win. Road Dogg ran to the ring to help celebrate. X-Pac told the crowd that if they aren't down with him and the Big Red Machine together, then they've got two words for you. X-Pac then handed Kane the mic, but he took away his electronic voice enhancer. He said Kane could say it without help. Kane then managed to utter, "Suck it!" The crowd popped. Big Show and Undertaker attacked Kane, X-Pac, and Road Dogg... [C]... They went to a clip of G-TV of Mr. Ass getting a massage by a woman. He told her to put some oil on Mr. Ass's "money-maker." She put on gloves first, saying her hands weren't worthy of touching him there...

[Q6: 6.8]... (4) Test & Ken Shamrock beat Joey Abbs & Steve Blackman when Test pinned Abbs at 2:31. Shane McMahon, who was at ringside for commentary, punched Test early in the match. Shamrock used Blackman's kendo stick against him. Shane lifted a chair, but Shamrock knocked the chair into his face with a swing of the stick. In the ring Test hit his finisher for the win. Test put Abbs's ankle in a chair and leaped off the top rope onto the chair. Shane watched in a panicked state from the stage. Test then jumped onto the chair a second time. Shane screamed, "You're gonna pay"... Backstage Mr. Ass shoved Terri Runnels out of the make-up chair and said he had more pressing matters. He told the make-up woman that his ass was itching him. He pulled down his pants revealing a g-string and red buns. The woman said it looked like poison ivy. The camera zoomed in on his ass. Mr. Ass said he hadn't been walking around exposed in the woods and called the woman a pervert... Rock made his way toward the ring as they cut to a break... [C]... Backstage, Cole interviewed Test who was highly emotional... Terry Taylor interviewed Blackman backstage. He challenged Shamrock to a weapons cage match. He said that match would end things one way or another. (He screamed the word "another!" and rattled some lockers in the background with the decibel level)... Rock entered the ring and told Big Show if he had "any fortitude in those little itty bitty things he calls balls," he'd agree to face him later....

[Q7: 6.5]... Then the Millennium Countdown interrupted Rock and Jericho made his debut (see "WWF Newswire" for details)... They went backstage where Big Shot shouted that he was looking for Big Show... [C]... After the break, Holly continued poking his head in every room telling whoever would listen he was looking for Big Show... They showed Chyna getting ready for her match... (5) Road Dogg pinned Big Bossman at 1:08 after Al Snow hit Bossman in the head with a small animal cage... They showed Big Show, then Rock, getting ready to wrestle backstage... [C]...

[Q8: 6.1]... (6) Rock beat Big Show via DQ at 3:34 when Jericho and Gunn interfered. Late in the match Holly came out to interrupt the match. He stepped onto the ring apron. Big Show headbutted him off the apron. Rock then gave Big Show a low-blow. The camera missed it (a rare miss by WWF directors). Rock then set up the People's Elbow, but Jericho hit Rock from behind, then ran out of the ring. Billy Gunn then entered from the other side and gave Rock a Jackhammer... [C]... Ventura walked out to do color with Lawler and Ross. Michaels came out wearing those much-too-small '70s gym shorts. Hunter and Chyna exchanged words before the match...

[Q9: 6.9]... (7) Chyna won a Triple Threat match with Triple H and Undertaker when she pinned Triple H at 6:50 to become no. 1 contender at Summerslam. Ventura told Ross there is no proof that anyone knocked Austin down the stairs. Instead, he suggested maybe Austin had a few too many and stumbled himself. As Undertaker was about to chokeslam Hunter, Chyna gave Undertaker a low-blow from behind. Ventura said Chyna won't interfere in the Summerslam match. Lawler pointed out she might be the no. 1 contender. Ventura laughed and said he forgot about that. Undertaker chokeslammed Chyna. Hunter hit Undertaker from behind and covered Chyna for a nearfall. Backstage they showed Austin arriving from the hospital. He made his way to the ring, and KO'd Hunter with a vicious chairshot. He then put Chyna over Hunter. Michaels counted to three. Michaels raised Chyna's arm and Undertaker grimaced in the ring to end a very newsworthy and watchable edition of Raw... [WK]

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