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Note: Two complete Torch Newsletter back issues from five years ago and ten years ago are republished at the Torch VIP website (pwtorch.com/members) every week featuring full reviews of Raw, Nitro, other TV shows, and PPVs, plus the Torch cover story, WWF Newswire, WCW Newswire, ECW Newswire, ETC Newswire, "Torch Talk" interviews, columns, and more. The following is an excerpt of that feature with a full review of WWF Raw from five years ago this week...

Torch Newsletter Archive
By Wade Keller, Torch editor
December 28, 1998 - WWE Raw
Originally published: Pro Wrestling Torch Weekly newsletter #527
Cover dated: January 2, 1999

(Live from Albany, N.Y.)... [Q1]... The show opened with footage of Mankind beating on Shane McMahon last week followed by footage of Kane joining Team Corporate last week... Michael Cole again introduced Raw as the "greatest action-adventure series on television"... Backstage Shane McMahon asked Vince McMahon why he didn't fire Shawn Michaels last night. Vince said you fire people when you want to fire them, not when they want to be fired. He then said they will humiliate and fire Shawn Michaels as soon as he arrived, but first they should find Mankind. Vince, Shane, Kane, Test, Big Bossman, Pat Patterson, and Gerald Brisco walked around backstage in the heating room looking for Mankind. Mankind attacked Kane, but soon was overwhelmed by Team Corporate. When Vince left the back room, he asked Shane what was going on. Shane said Commissioner Michaels scheduled a Hardcore Title defense by Road Dog against Val Venis. Vince wasn't happy... (1) Road Dog fought Val Venis to a no contest at 2:02 when Test interfered. Road Dog did some pre-match spiel similar to the tag title announcement, but spoke Bad Ass's role himself since Bad Ass wasn't with him. Val announced to the ladies that his left leg is known as Christmas and his right leg is known as New Year's, "So ladies why don't you come visit the Big Valbowski between the holidays." Very good line. At 1:20 Test, Ken Shamrock, Bossman, and Kane came to ringside. As Val gyrated over Road Dog, Test gave him a bulldog from behind. Team Corporate attacked Val, so X-Pac, Bad Ass, and Hunter ran to the ring for the save. Vince McMahon came out and told Road Dog he'll be defending the Hardcore Title again later on Raw against Mankind. Vince told X-Pac for Bronco Busting his son last week, he'll get payback. "Nobody ridicules the McMahon family," he said. "Nobody laughs at my son, Shane. Nobody." Vince said there is some DX left in Michaels because he didn't come to Shane's aid last week and actually held the Corporation back from helping Shane. Vince said when Michaels arrives he's going to "publicly fire his ass"... Cole and Jerry Lawler previewed the rest of Raw... Backstage Al Snow threw Head, whose mouth was taped shot, into a crate backstage. Snow was covered in the blood-like substance. Cole said, "Snow hasn't changed all week!"

[Q2]... McMahon talked to Kane backstage. He told Kane he did a good job on X-Pac last night, saying he'd never be the same. Patterson and Brisco mocked Kane from behind. Vince told them to stop, but then yelled at Kane, demanding that he bring another head of a DX member to him during the night... (2) Edge beat Al Snow via DQ at 2:00 when Snow pummelled Edge with his new Head. When Christian and Gangrel made the save, the rest of the JOB Squad attacked the Brood... They showed Sable warming up backstage for her WWF Women's Title defense... They showed footage recorded earlier of Dennis Knight, "formerly of Southern Justice," talking to X-Pac backstage. Cole didn't mention Mark Canterburry's injury... Before Sable's match, a woman entered the ring who Cole referred to as "a fan." She gave Sable a flower. Security entered the ring and escorted her out of the ring. Spider Lady ran to the ring and whipped Sable with a belt before the referee even officially began the match. The Oddities (George Steele, Golga, Giant Silva, Kurrgan) ran to the ring to save Sable. Spider Lady unmasked as Luna Vachon. Luna left without the Oddities, who tended to Sable...

X-Pac (artist Joseph Borzotta, PWTorch)

[Q3]... (3) X-Pac fought Big Bossman to a no contest at 5:00. Lawler made a topical comparison of all of the NFL coaches getting fired and Michaels getting fired later. At 4:00 X-Pac made a comeback with a series of kicks followed by the Bronco Buster, which popped the crowd. Test then walked to ringside which distracted X-Pac. Val Venis attacked Test from behind. Bossman slid out of the ring and saved Test. X-Pac dove onto Bossman at ringside. The four were separated by security... A skit aired with Shane breaking open several raw eggs and giving Vince a pep talk. Vince looked at the raw eggs as if Shane was crazy. They went to the gym where Shane talked Vince through a workout. Shane yelled, "You've got to eat lightning and crap thunder." As McMahon did sit-ups, he screamed, "I hate Austin! I hate Austin!" Vince finally drank the raw eggs. McMahon posed in front of the mirror. Good skit, reminiscent of Hulk Hogan training Gene Okerlund for his tag match in Bloomington, Minn. in the mid-'80s, except McMahon seemed to benefit from the workouts, unlike Mean Gene...

[Q4]... (4) Steve Blackman & Goldust beat Jeff Jarrett (w/Debra McMichael) & Owen Hart when Blackman pinned Owen thanks to a distraction by the returning Dan Severn at 3:32. Severn wore a neckbrace... They showed footage of what happened in the back alley during the break. As Dennis Knight was about to drive away in his car, Bradshaw and Faarooq attacked him, threw him into his own trunk, and drove away with him...

[Q5]... (5) Hunter Hearst Helmsley (w/DX) beat Ken Shamrock (w/Team Corporate) via DQ at 6:34. Hunter led DX in their pre-match spiel. At 6:00 Shamrock applied his anklelock. Hunter struggled to reach the ropes. Shamrock wouldn't break the hold. A DX-Corporate brawl broke out. Kane just stood and watched until Patterson and Brisco ordered him to enter the ring. Kane entered the ring, but didn't get involved in the fight. The Outlaws helped Hunter to the back. Cole wondered how bad Hunter's injury was...

[Q6]... Kevin Kelly interviewed Billy Gunn backstage. Gunn said the IC Title should be his. Shamrock got in his face briefly... Mark Henry and D-Lo Brown came to the ring. Henry got on his knees and begged Chyna for forgiveness. Jackie and Terri came to the ring and told Henry to get back on his knees where they like him. D-Lo called them "glorified ring rats." He told them to keep their distance after what they did to Henry last week. DX's music interrupted D-Lo, then out walked Chyna. Chyna told Terri and Jackie to stay away from her man, then pointed at Henry. The crowd popped as Henry smiled. Jackie mocked Chyna. Chyna grabbed Jackie across the throat and shoved her to the mat. Henry jumped up and down in excitement. Jackie and Terri fled. The crowd chanted, "Chyna." Chyna said, "Next time I'm not going to be so lady-like." Chyna told Henry, "I'll see you later," then walked to the back. It was Chyna's biggest speaking role to date... Before cutting to a commercial, they showed Vince, Pat, Jerry, and Shane having a conference backstage... They showed Team Corporate backstage looking for somebody... A six-minute "Best of 1998" video aired... They went to the back where Kane was attacking Godfather as Team Corporate cheered him on...

[Q7]... They continued to show a view of the entrance of the arena, awaiting Michaels's arrival... (6) Kane beat Billy Gunn at 3:57. As Billy Gunn gave his pre-match spiel and talked about Shamrock, Shane walked out and said there was a change of plans and he'd have to face Kane instead. At 2:30 Shamrock gave Gunn an ankle lock at ringside. Kane then continued to beat on Gunn until X-Pac ran to the ring and dropkicked Kane off the top rope. Road Dog and X-Pac helped Gunn to the back...

[Q8]... Rock came to ringside to join Cole and Lawler on commentary for the TV main event of Road Dog vs. Mankind. He mocked Road Dog for "saying the same thing every night." Rock said he made a special reservation for Mankind at the Smack Down Hotel right on the corner of Know Your Role Blvd. and the Jobroni Drive. They showed Michaels arriving backstage, then cut to a commercial... (7) Road Dog pinned Mankind at 9:08 to retain the Hardcore Championship. The match was joined in progress after the commercial break. During the wild "hardcore" match - which included brawling up the rampway, table shots, and chairshots - Cole mentioned that Jim Ross should really be enjoying the action. He wished Ross a speedy recovery at home and said they wanted him back. Lawler said he really couldn't wait until he returned. At 7:00 they brawled into the crowd. Mankind dove off the stands with an elbow onto Road Dog driving him through a table. Rock then gave Mankind a Rock Bottom on the floor leading to the pin. Road Dog saw a replay on the TitanTron and yelled, "I don't want to win like that"...

[Q9]...Vince McMahon came to the ring. He challenged Michaels to have the guts to come to the ring. Michaels's music started and he walked out. McMahon played footage of Michaels from last March saying McMahon needs him and he doesn't need McMahon. When they returned to live action, Michaels was laughing at the clip. McMahon told Michaels he gave him a second chance, but while Shane was getting beaten up last week, Michaels was laughing and holding back Team Corporate from making the save. McMahon told Michaels, "As commissioner, you suck." McMahon said he doesn't lay down for anybody. "Read my lips," he said. "As far as the WWF commissionerhsip is concerned, you're fired." Michaels gave McMahon "Sweet Chin Music," knocking him cold. Michaels then began dancing over McMahon and even briefly humped his face. Team Corporate then made the save... [WK]



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