This Day In Wrestling History - February 14

Date: February 14, 1999 (15 years ago)

Feature: Vince McMahon wrestled his first official WWF/E match, Big Show debuted as Paul Wight, and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin advanced to face The Rock for the WWF Title at WrestleMania 15 in an historically significant "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" PPV 15 years ago...

Torch Back-Issue: PWTorch Newsletter #536.

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TORCH #536: COVER STORY
Vince McMahon impresses in PPV match
Takes Foley-like bump off the side of cage, crashes through table, then bleeds later;
Paul Wight debuts to make save
By Wade Keller, Torch editor

Sunday night Vince McMahon stepped into the ring for his first ever official match. Not just a match, but a pay-per-view main event. And at 53 years old he put in a performance that was actually better than many PPV main eventers (especially former WWFers now atop WCW).

The match was meticulously booked, yet it flowed naturally. Austin did a superb job carrying McMahon, walking him carefully through the match step by step, yet it was McMahon who - for the first time ever - was the star of the match. The bump that will be talked about for years came before the match actually officially started. After about ten minutes of Austin chasing McMahon and occasionally beating on him around ringside, McMahon began climbing the cage to get away. Austin hit McMahon, knocking him off the cage. McMahon flew from near the top of the side of the cage to the announcing table below. He landed flat-backed with a thud, bounced off of the table into the air a half inch or so, then the table gave out and both he and the table collapsed to the floor.

For a moment, even though the bell had yet to ring, it appeared that could be the end of the match. Paramedics and WWF officials surrounded McMahon. He legitimately could have ended up too hurt to continue (at which point a Plan-B would have kicked in). Instead, the storyline played out as planned. As McMahon was put in a neck brace and carried toward the back on a stretcher, Howard Finkle began to announce that Austin was the winner because McMahon was unable to continue. Austin said, "That's bullsh--." He said he made some guarantees that he intended to keep, such as drawing blood. "You ain't gonna lose that easy," he said. "Is the son of a bitch still breathing?" Austin then chased down McMahon, tipped him off the backboard into the side of the cage, and then the bell rang to start the match officially.

Austin clotheslined and stomped away at McMahon. At 1:00 Austin was ready to leave the cage, but a groggy and beaten McMahon gave him the finger to taunt him into returning. Austin continued to stomp McMahon in the corner, but McMahon fought back with a low blow. Vince climbed the cage, but Austin yanked him off. McMahon took a nice flip bump to the mat. Austin whipped McMahon into the cage. When McMahon landed, he put his hands up to his head and appeared to blade his forehead. He came up bleeding. Austin, meanwhile, climbed the cage. A bloody McMahon gave Austin the double middle finger gesture. McMahon was establishing that he is a "tough son of a bitch" who wouldn't give up. He also had an "insurance policy" waiting under the ring in case things got too rough for him. When Austin climbed down the cage to get back at him, Vince made a mad dash for the other side of the cage. Austin caught him and dragged him into the ring again. As Austin beat on McMahon, Paul Wight (a/k/a The Giant) ripped his way from under the ring through the canvas. He entered the ring and attacked Austin. McMahon got much braver suddenly. As Wight held Austin down, McMahon yapped in his face. Giant picked up Austin and threw him into the side of the cage. The force of the throw actually broke the cage. Half of one of the cage walls swung open like a gate. Austin held on, then fell to the ground. By the rules of the match, Austin touched the ground first and was the winner.

McMahon, disheveled and disheartened, looked at Austin who had just managed by fluke to avoid sure fate - all because of a "weak cage." A frustrated Giant stood next to McMahon. Austin looked shocked at Wight's appearance, but then smiled when he realized McMahon's master plan backfired.

It was probably the climax of the actual physical portion of the McMahon-Austin feud which began last May on Raw. It also seemed to lay the groundwork for an eventual babyface turn of McMahon. He showed tremendous guts, refused to quit, and even egged on Austin to beat him up further. It set the stage for Austin to eventually admit that Vince McMahon is "one tough son of a bitch." Sunday night he proved there is some reality to that statement.

***

WWF ST. VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE PPV RESULTS
February 14, 1999
Memphis, Tenn.
By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

The PPV opened with a great black and white video previewing the PPV... Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler introduced the program...

(1) Goldust pinned Blue Meanie at 3:03.

(2) Bob Holly pinned Al Snow at 9:55 to capture the held up Hardcore Title.

(3) Big Bossman pinned Midian at 6:16.

(4) Owen Hart & Jeff Jarrett (w/Debra) beat D-Lo Brown & Mark Henry (w/Ivory) at 9:34 to retain the WWF Tag Team Titles.

(5) Val Venis (w/Ryan Shamrock) beat Ken Shamrock to capture the WWF Intercontinental Title at 15:49 when ref Billy Gunn made a fast count.

(6) Chyna & Kane defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley & X-Pac when Chyna pinned Hunter at 14:42. Well booked and executed match. Chyna had credibility without making the guys look weak. (***1/4)

They showed two ambulances warming up outside of the arena in case there were injuries in either of the next two matches.

(7) The Rock fought Mankind to a draw at 21:51 so Rocky retained the WWF Title. Fans chanted "Rocky sucks" early in the match. They brawled at ringside and down the aisle in the early minutes. Finish: Mankind put on Socko and applied the Mandible Claw at 20:30. Rock broke the claw with a Rock Bottom. Both men got up and grabbed chairs. They swung the chairs, knocking each other out at the same time. The ref counted to ten and neither man got up, so the match was declared a draw. The crowd didn't like the finish. They booed, wanting to see a winner. A brief "bullsh--" chant broke out. The match was better than their I Quit match. Good intensity and psychology. (****)

(8) Steve Austin defeated Vince McMahon at 7:52 in a cage match to earn a WWF Title shot at Wrestlemania. (***1/2)

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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