Nickrj’s rant for No Way Out (In Texas)
This event aired on Feburary 15th 1998 at the Compaq Center in Houston Texas. The same day the Wrestling World lost Louie Spicolli aka Rad Radford in the WWF who passed away that afternoon.
The announcer in the opening talks about how far the WWF athletes will go.
Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler
Marc Mero comes out with Sable who gets all the cheers and Mero doesn’t get any. Goldust is dressed up like Marlyn Manson here. So Mero sends Sable to the back. We get a look at the last Raw Is War with Sable interfering to make Thrasher beat Goldust. Sable then gets into a fight with Luna and slaps her. Speaking of Rad Radford the Headbangers have his old music from when he was in the WWF. Match starts with Mero and Mosh. Mero starts pounding on Mosh to start. He hits an elbow. Mero misses an elbow in the corner and Mosh hits a back splash in the other and Mero is clotheslined out of the ring. Thrasher comes in and hits a drop kick. Goldust comes in and gets into a drop toe hold. Thrasher counters a Monkey Flip. Mosh comes in and nails a double ax handle and a back drop. Mosh slams Goldust and Thrasher throws him from the top rope onto Goldust for 2. Mosh hits another drop kick and tags Thrasher. They double team Goldust. Mero makes a blind tag and gives Thrasher a knee lift. An elbow drop gets 2. Thrasher with a side head lock. He gives Mero some shoulder blocks. He goes the ropes and Goldust pulls the top rope and Thrasher goes to the outside. Goldust drops Thasher head first and Thrasher blades on camera. Thrasher is thrown head first into the steps again. Mero is pounding on the busted open Thrasher now. Mero drops Thrasher stomach first in the ropes. Goldust comes in and hits a clothesline. Mero comes back in and works over Thrasher into a chin lock. Thrasher gets up but gets caught in a knee. Goldust comes in and coves Thrasher twice. He pounds on Thrasher. Thrasher hits a cross body for 2 but gets caught again. Mero comes in and does a snap mare. He pulls the tape off his wrist and uses it to choke Thrasher. Mero nails Mosh in the corner. Mero hits a double underhook power bomb for 2. Mero goes for the TKO but Thrasher gets out and hits a DDT. Mosh gets the tag and pounds on both Goldust and Mero. The Bangers give Goldust an double face slam for 2. The Headbangers go for their finisher but Luna pulls Thrasher down from the top rope. Sable having seen enough of Luna comes out as Mero hits the TKO on Mosh. Mero goes outside and stops Sable while Goldust restrains Luna. Meanwhile Thrasher goes in the ring in place on Mosh and lies unconsciouness. Mero gets back in and Thrasher cradles him for the pin at 13:52. An okay way to start the show *1/2. Luna and Sable want to get at each other outside the ring and they are having to be restrained. Sable gets into an argument with her real life husband Mero and shoves him down. This is a mean woman here.
Sunny is the guest ring announcer here just like she was at Badd Blood. We get a look at the tag team match at Raw Is War with Taka and Agulia VS Pantera and Brian Christopher. Pantera puts a foreign object given by Brian into his mask and uses it as a headbutt as Christopher pins Taka. Brian comes out and joins JR and his father for color commentary. Pantera works on Taka to start. Taka hits a spinning heel kick followed by some chops. Pantera hits a spinning arm drag and a cannonball on Taka outside the ring. Pantera hits another spinning arm drag followed by a spinning huricurana but goes outside the ring and Taka hits a springboard plancha from the top rope followed by a flying forearm. Taka works on Pantera inside the ring and hits a drop kick to the back and another one in the face. Pantera gets flipped to the apron but Taka misses an ax handle and Pantera hits a hurricurana that takes Taka to the outside followed by a Towpae and Taka’s lower back goes into the railing. Pantera works on Taka’s injured back. Pantera hits a double underhook backbreaker followed by a camel clutch. Taka gets to the ropes. Pantera hits a hip toss followed by a kick and goes for a surfboard. Pantera continues to work on the lower back. Taka fights back but gets backdropped over the top rope and drop kicked. Pantera hits another cannonball on the outside. Pantera works on the back of Taka inside the ring. He goes for a sharpshooter type hold and gets 2. Pantera hits a backbreaker and goes to the top and hits an elbow in the back. Pantera hits a tilt a whirl backbreaker. Taka hits a slap and goes to the top and gets caught and Pantera hits a hurricurana from the top rope. Pantera drops Taka on his back for 2. Pantera hits a moonsault for 2. Pantera misses another one and Taka hits a flying kneedrop from the top. He goes for the Driver but Panter small packages him for 2. A rolling cradle gets another 2. Taka counters a hurricurana into a power bomb for 2. A missle dropkick from the top rope form Taka. Taka hits the Michinoku driver for the pin at 10:11. A very good match ***1/4. Lawler and Christopher go after Taka but Taka is too quick for both of them. He nails both of them from the top rope.
Now why are these two teams facing each other? We get a look at both teams interfering in each others singles matches involving the Boricuas. Jacques starts with Phineas. Henry slams Phineas in the face trying to wake him up. Phineas and Jacques ties up and Phineas hits a shoulderblock. Jacques comes back with a back suplex. Henry comes in but gets nailed by Pierre. He comes in and pounds on Henry. Pierre looks nothing like he did in 1993-94. He was Jean Pierre Lafite in 1995. Henry works on the right arm on Pierre and does an Arm Bar. Pierre hits a drop toe hold and tags Jacques. The Quebecers nail a double boot and Henry hits a double clothesline. Phineas comes in and hits a hard kick followed by a DDT with the arm. Henry comes back in and hits a kneedrop from the 2nd rope. Henry hits a shoulder breaker. Phineas comes in gives Jacques a spinebuster followed by a legdrop for 2. Henry comes back in and slowly pounds on Jacques. Jacques kicks Henry in the head but can’t tag out. Phineas comes in and works on Jacques some more. Phineas covers Jacques for 2. Jacques starts fighting back and hits a sunset flip for 2. Henry comes in hits a kneedrop for 2. He goes to the chin lock. Jacques gets up and hits a jawbreaker. Jaqcues tries a piledriver but gets backdropped. Phineas comes back in and hits a headbutt to the lower abdomen. Phineas works on the breadbasket of Jacques. Henry comes in and slingshots Phineas and Phineas runs into a boot and Jacques hits an elbow. Pierre comes in and hits a clothesline and hits a legdrop. Phineas hits a power slam for 2. The Quebeces double clothesline Phineas over the top rope. Jacques hits a piledriver and tags Pierre and they go for their finisher and hit it but Henry breaks up the cover and is knocked to the outside. Jacques nails a flying clothesline on the top on Henry outside. Henry clothesines Pierre from the outside and Phineas gets the pin at 11:13. Oh boy this match reeked ½*. The Godwinns then nail The Quebecers with their slop buckets.
Jarrett brings his manager Jim Cornette, Barry Windham and The Rock and Roll Express. Bradshaw comes into the ring and clears the ring with his bullwhip. The ref then throws Windham and the Express out of the ringside area. They don’t leave so Bradshaw has to chase them out and he nails Jarrett from behind. They go back into the ring and Bradshaw nails Jarrett with his chaps and pounds on him in the corner and hits a high hip toss. Bradshaw is really pounding on Jarett now. He gets kicked in the head but kicks Jarrett in the face. Jarrett hugs Cornette outside and Bradshaw rams them both together. Bradshaw goes after Cornette and Jarrett hits him from behind. Jarrett is working on Bradshaw now. Bradshaw runs into an elbow and Jarrett hits a drop kick from the top for 2. Jarrett chokes Bradshaw on the 2nd rope and so does Cornette. Jarrett hits a sitting butt splash. Bradshaw goes after Cornette again and gets nailed by Jarett for 2. Bradshaw does a small package for 2 ½. Jarrett hits a sunset flip but Bradshaw nails him. Bradshaw works on Jarrett in the corner. But he gets kicked in the head. Jarrett misses a sitting butt splash on the ropes and Cornette hits Bradshaw’s injured knee with his tennis racket. Jarrett goes after the injured left leg of Bradshaw. Jarrett goes for the figure four leglock but Bradshaw counters. Jarett hits a DDT. Jaret climbs to the top but Bradshaw nails the ropes knocking Jarett off. Bradshaw goes for a superplex but gets knocked off. Bradshaw catches Jarrett from the top rope and hits a fallaway slam. Bradshaw pounds on Jarrett and hits a power bomb. Cornette is thrown into the ring and cornered and thrown into Jarrett. Jarrett grabs the tennis racket and nails Bradshaw and is DQ’d at 8:57. Bad ending to a decent match. **1/4. The Express and Windham come back in and they destroy Bradshaw but the Legion Of Doom come out and chase the NWA out of there.
War Of Attrition Match Ken Shamrock Ahmed Johnson The DOA (Chainz Skull and 8-Ball) VS The Nation of Domination (Farooq D’Lo Brown Kama Mustafa Mark Henry The Rock)
Match starts with Skull and Brown. Skull pounds on Brown to start it out but Brown hits a inverted atomic drop and spinning heel kick. Skull hits a spinning neck breaker to counter. Shamrock comes in but Brown works on him. Shamrock hits a spinning elbow and nice arm drag. Brown tags to Kama. Chainz comes in and Kama pounds on Chainz in the corner. Chainz hits a big boot followed by a slam and 3 quick elbow drops. Kama gets an eye rake and tags Henry. Henry says he wants Ahmed so the former nation member comes in and Henry pounds away on Johnson. Henry hits a clothesline on Ahmed. Ahmed slams Henry and he tags out to Brown. Brown pounds on Ahmed who turned his back. Brown goes for a suplex but Ahmed counters into a face first suplex. Brown goes to the top rope and hits a frog splash on the injured kidney from 2 years ago. Farooq who injured that kidney comes in and works on Ahmed but he hits a spinebuster. He goes for the Pearl River Plunge but gets nailed from behind by The Rock. 8-Ball comes in and hits a power slam for 2. Shamrock comes in and hits a flying elbow but Farooq hits a low blow. The Rock comes in and hits a DDT for 2. He pounds on Shamrock in the corner. Rock tags Kama and he works on Shamrock as well but misses a charge. Skull comes back in and he quickly tags 8-Ball. They both hit a clothesline on Kama. Skull comes back in but he gets nailed by Kama and the Nation pounds in the corner. Kama hits a spinning thrust kick for 2. Brown is back in and works on Skull in the corner. Skull fights back but runs into an elbow. Brown hits a snap mare and goes to the top and hits a flying elbow for 2. The Rock comes back in and slams Skull and hits the People’s Elbow for 1 and Chainz breaks it up. Farooq comes in and puts his head down and gets face slammed. The Rock comes in and Skull hits a flying clothesline. Rock slams Skull and hits a low blow. Henry comes back in and hits a clothesline. Kama works on Skull in the corner and slams him. Kama goes to the chinlock. Skull comes back up and takes a kick. Brown comes back in and chokes out Skull in the corner. Brown hits a back breaker and he goes to the top and misses a moonsault. Skull tags to Shamrock as the Rock comes in and a 10 man brawl erupts. Shamrock is left alone with the Rock and he hits the Belly To Belly suplex. The armbar into the Ankle Lock for the submission at 13:46. Pretty good war of attrition match despite the number of bad wrestlers in there **1/2. Afterwards there is some dissention in the Nation. Rock argues with Farooq and they all brawl in the ring while trying to get Farooq and Rock serparated and The Rock leaves the ring but Farooq tells him to get back in the ring and they all do the salute.
We look at the feud between Vader and Kane. We look at what a powerful wrestler Vader is and how much havoc Kane has created since entering the WWF including the horrible “burning” of the Undertaker at the Royal Rumble one month earlier. Vader and Kane get into it in an altercation and Vader hits a reverse piledriver but Kane sits up and hits the tombstone. Vader comes back the next week and sprays a fire extinguisher at Kane.
They both hammer
each other to start. Kane hits a clothesline. They both hammer each other on
the outside. Vader has his head rammed into the railing. Kane hammers on Vader
on the apron. Kane rams Vader’s head into the steps. Vader gets a waist lock
and pounds on Kane and dumps him outside the ring. Vader rams Kane into the
ringpost. Kane goes to the top and hits a flying clothesline. Kane chokes Vader
in the corner. He pounds on him in the corner. Kane hits a suplex and an elbow
drop. Kane hits a flying fistdrop from the top onto Vader on the ropes. He
chokes Vader out again. Kane hits a clothesline. Kane throws Vader into the
corner and follows with a clothesline. Vader starts fighting back but Kane
drags him back in the corner. Kane slams Vader and hits a fistdrop. Kane
clotheslines Vader across the top rope. Vader bumps him and knocks him out of
the ring. Kane hits a DDT. Vader nails Kane with a shot and fights back. Vader
hits an avalanche and hits a low blow when Kane goes for the chokeslam. Vader
hits a splash and Vader goes for the moonsault and hits Kane with it but Kane
sits up but Kane is clotheslined over the top rope again. They both fight on the
outside where Vader is rammed into the steps. Vader grabs a fire extinguisher
and blasts Kane with it. Vader hits a power bomb and nails Paul Bearer. Kane
gets up and nails Vader with a chokeslam and the Tombstone for the pin at
10:59. Another decent match **. Afterwards Kane grabs a wrench outside the ring
and nails Vader with it and Vader is strechered out. Vince booked this because
Vader was going to have face surgery and he would be out of action for 3
months.
We look at the Non
Sanctioned 8 man tag team match. These 8 men have reeked havoc in recent times
here in the WWF including the New Age Outlaws pushing Cactus Jack and Chainsaw
Charlie over the edge in a dumpster. However Shawn Michaels is injured and is
replaced by a mystery partner
Non Sanctioned 8
Man Tag Team Match Steve Austin Owen Hart Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie VS
Triple H The New Age Outlaws ???
The Outlaws come out
wearing Tennesee Oiler t-shirts for this Houston crowd because the Oilers one
year earlier moved from Houston to Tennesee. Savio Vega of the Boricuas is
introduced and he brings a roll of barbed wire. Cactus Jack brings a dumpster
full of weapons with him. Austin gets a huge homestate pop. He pounds on Billy
Gunn to start and hits a Lou Thesz Press. An 8 man brawl erupts as Gunn is hits
with a trash can lid and almost hit with the stunner. Austin nails Road Dogg
and Triple H with it. Austin hammers on Triple H now and he hits a clothesline
for 2. Austin attacks Triple H with a broomstick. Jack pounds on Roadie inside
the ring. Austin breaks the broomstick over Triple H’s back. Charlie nails
Roadie with Austin’s vest. Jack sets up a table in the corner. Roadie is thrown
into it. Jack sets the table in the ropes and throws him into Owen who throws
Gunn into the table. Owen hits the sharpshooter but gets nailed by Triple H.
Roadie hits Charlie with a trash can. Austin hammers on Savio outside but
Austin is nailed with a trash can lid by Gunn. Austin is then nailed face with
it. Triple H hammers on Owen in the ring. Triple H hits a power bomb and Savio
uses the trash can lid on Chainsaw Charlie. Triple H hammers Charlie with the
trash can but won’t go down. Triple H hits a DDT on the trash can lid for 2 and
Owen breaks the count. Owen hits an enzurgiri. Owen hits a spinebuster and goes
for the Sharpshooter but Roadie breaks it up. Austin and Savio go at each
other. Roadie hits a low blow on Charlie and power bombs him thru two chairs.
Gunn piledrives Funk on the trash can lid for 2. Triple H comes in and works on
Charlie in the corner. Savio pounds on Charlie as well. He nail Jack and Roadie
nails Funk with the trash can lid. He suplexes Charlie on the lid for 2.
Charlie hits some head butts and tries to make the tag and Austin throws the
trash can in Gunn’s face. Triple H comes in and hits an inverted atomic drop.
Savio comes back in and does a front face lock. Owen gets the tag but the ref
doesn’t see it. Triple H hits Charlie with a chair outside twice and Charlie is
fallen head first onto the table. Charlie knocks down Raodie and tags Jack.
Jack pounds on all 4 heels. He pounds on Roadie in the corner and he grabs a
piece of board and throws Gunn into it on the Roadie. Jack hits a double arm
DDT for 2. Owen hits Savio with a missle dropkick. Jack has the Mandible claw
on both Outlaws but Triple H hits a low blow. Jack kicks Gunn and clotheslines
him out of the ring. Gunn hits a DDT on Jack on the floor. Roadie nails Jack
with a broomstick and is slammed on the floor. Gunn hits Jack in the head with
the steps. Back in the ring, Triple H hits a suplex on Jack for 2. He pounds on
Cactus. Gunn tags in and he and Triple H make a wish with Jack’s legs. Savio
comes in and wraps Jack with the barbed wire he brought in. Charlie comes in
and tries to stop it. The barbed wire is in Jack’s mouth now. Jack’s head is
introduced into another chair. Owen comes in and tries to stop it but Savio
nails Jack in the head with a chair. Roadie comes in and Gunn inadvertanly hits
Roadie with a chair and Jack tags Austin and he comes in and cleans house on the
heels and nails the Stone Cold Stunner on Roadie for the pin at 17:40. Great
brawl match ****1/4. He stuns Gunn as well and knocks Triple H into the
announce table. As Austin celebrates, Chyna comes into the ring and gets in
Austin’s face and shoves him. Chyna then gives Austin the double bird and she
gets stunned as a result.
Austin continues his
celebration in the ring to end the show.
Summary: This was a very good show although it some
how gets lost in the shuffle today. But it was a solid show pretty much all
around and it helped set the stage for Wreslemania XIV RECOMMENDED