Let's see if RAW will be as good as Nitro.

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A recap of Mankind's actions last week is aired first, and then, the intro to the show. Remember, Mankind lit a fireball in Undertaker's face.

Commentators this week are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and the Honky Tonk Man. Half the roster is overseas. The other half is what you'll see tonight.

The first match is a non-title tag team match (why non-title?), with Owen Hart and the British Bulldog facing the Godwinns.

Before the match, Owen says that he's thankful for Bret Hart, and when Shawn Michaels has his interview later, he better not have anything bad to say about his brother. Henry starts the match off with a press slam that gets 2, OHHEGOTHIMNOHEDIDN'T. Henry slams Phineas onto Owen, and after the Hart Foundation members retreat, Owen gets an armwringer and tags Bulldog in. Phineas gives Bulldog a hiptoss, and sorta freaks out, making the Harts retreat. I have no idea what that was about, but at the same time, the picture went into splitscreen mode, with Shawn Michaels on the other side. Of course, he didn't have much to say. Owen gives Phineas a spinning heel kick as he gets back into the ring, then Phineas gets a backslide for 2. It's hard to describe the action, just picture it in slow motion. An Owen enziguri gets 2, and we go to a

commercial break.

Back from the break, Henry gets tagged in, and slams both men. Split screen with LOD, as Henry gives Bulldog a slop drop, but the referee's not paying attention. Owen comes off the top rope with a double axhandle onto Henry, and puts Bulldog on top of Henry for the cover and victory, at 7:11. 1/4*, junk. LOD make their way to the ring, and the Godwinns slop them on accident. Is that how the Godwinns turn heel?

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Owen and Bulldog are in the promo area, and they enlighten us with reasons why America is a joke, namely referring to the Godwinns slopping LOD. Steve Austin happens to wander by, and he looks pissed off. Anyway, it's his match coming up right now, Steve Austin vs. Billy Gunn.

Austin beats up Gunn, then backdrops him, as the match starts. He dumps Gunn to the outside, and chokes him on the top rope on Gunn's way back in. He rams Billy's arm into the ringpost, and applies an armbar, before Billy gives him a neckbreaker. Austin stomps a mudhole in Gunn, and kicks him in the nuts. Stone Cold gives the referee two middle fingers (crowd liked that), and goes up to the top rope. Billy shakes the ropes so Austin gets crotched, and gives Austin a middle finger, which is blurred out by the censors, just like the last one. Gay. Gunn misses a clothesline and that's it, kick, STUNNER at 6:08. Not very good, and distinctly different from Austin's matches after the neck injury at Summerslam 1997. 1/2*, Honky Tonk Man comes into the ring and tells Gunn that he believes in him, and will fix him up. However, Billy Gunn punches his lights out. Gunn wants no part of that.

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Shawn Michaels interview was filled with a lot of shootish comments, but nothing we don't know now. It was probably groundbreaking at the time, but in hindsight, it came off as boring. Shawn talks about sucking up your problems backstage in order to give the fans a show, which is such hypocritical bullshit for a guy that's gotten out of jobbing titles at the rate he has. He says Bret's reason for his return was horseshit, and Bret played the WWF and a "rival organization" in order to get paid as much as possible. There's truth in that. Shawn says the WWF did the best business with him as champ that they did in 6 years previous. LOL. I like Shawn as a wrestler, but he has no business making comments like this. Anyway, the interview got boring, just like Bret's interview a week or two ago. Owen and Bulldog make their way to the ring, but Shawn grabs a chair, so we don't get to see a fight. Pretty much a pointless segment, I suppose.

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Warzone time.

The Headbangers have a match against Barry Horowitz and Freddie Joe Floyd.

Horowitz has a Star of David on his trunks. Does it make me a bad person to have laughed at that? This match goes about 4:14, and the Headbangers win it after a Mosh powerbomb leads to a Thrasher legdrop off the top rope. It was a DUD, so I just made it easier on myself.

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Ken Shamrock vs. Vernon White in an exhibition fight, and I won't give a full review, because worked "shoot" fights, especially this one, aren't very good. Vince McMahon plugs UFC's next PPV before the fight, which is something I guarantee you wouldn't see now. Shamrock wins via ground and pound at 1:57, after White kicked him in the gut. Vince McMahon says, this fight was supposed to be an exhibition, but White took it further than that. I don't know how, or if the blood was real at all, but there was blood everywhere after the ground-n-pound by Shamrock. Vader comes to the ring, does his WHO'S DA MAN thing, and confronts Shamrock. The usual officials come to the ring in order to prevent a scrum, and there's Pat Patterson, with a cigarette in his ear. Hello Pat!

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To follow up on Vader's appearance, he came to the ring, along with Paul Bearer, because Vader's facing Frank Stilleto. Vader does what he usually does to jobbers, and that's beat the shit out of them. He gives Stilleto a release german suplex, then pounds on his face. Splitscreen to Mankind, and he says he'll be at the ring soon. Vader gives Stilleto two VADER BOMBS, and a powerbomb, which leads to a Vader pinfall victory at 2:15. *.

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Gorilla explains the situation for what was supposed to be a Sid v. Mankind match later, and it's that Sid just isn't there. He bailed out on the company, really. Stone Cold comes into the picture after Gorilla says that Austin will have to face Mankind. It's surreal to see Austin cussing up a storm at Gorilla, what with Gorilla being the obvious link to old time wrestling on the show, and all. Austin says he'll face Mankind if he gets to face Bret Hart at Revenge of the Taker. Gorilla gives in, and says Austin can have what he wants.

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Mankind comes to the ring, and explains why he burned Undertaker. He wanted Taker to know what it was like to burn, cause Mankind already knows what it's like. He somewhat references the Deathmatch Tournament in Japan, but not by name, and how he had to fly home with the smell of burnt flesh bothering everyone around him. He gets in a subtle dig at the salary of Marc Mero, by saying he's sick of getting paid less than pretty boys who open the show. Heh. Mankind says it COULD be his last match, but if it is, it'll be Taker's too. He made himself a reservation for a bed at the hospital in Rochester, but he did the same for Taker. Taker's music sounds, and his voice echoes through the arena. Hell hath no fury like the Undertakers, Mankind will know what it's like to burn for eternal damnation, blah blah blah. Pretty good segment.

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Now, Mankind w/Paul Bearer stays in the ring, waiting for Steve Austin to arrive so they can have their match.

Blow-by-blow: Austin comes to the ring, but the crowd gives him very little pop. What's up with that? Austin and Mankind brawl on the outside, and Austin suplexes Mankind on the entrance ramp. Mankind gets a clothesline, and then is tossed into the stairs by Austin. Mankind chokes him, and then legdrops Austin on the ring apron. We go splitscreen with Owen Hart, and he calls Sid a "gutless coward." Good job of explaining the situation, Owen. Mankind whips Austin into the guardrail, and grabs a steel chair. He's unable to hit Austin with it, and Austin drops him onto the guardrail. Austin comes off the ring apron with a double axhandle, which, like I said, is far different than the type of things he'd be doing in the ring a year later. The style he's wrestling here doesn't fit the character. He clotheslines Mankind, but gets put into the bell table afterward. Finally the combatants come inside the ring, and Austin tackles Mankind, then punches him. He kicks Mick in the gut, and gets a back elbow for two. Austin goes to the chinlock, and Bulldog and Owen make an appearance in the crowd. Austin breaks the hold, and tells them to come on down.

commercial break

As we come back, we get a vignette for the upcoming PPV. Not a big deal. Mankind can't suplex Austin in, so he chokes Austin on the top rope. During the break, Mankind hit Austin with a chair. Mankind goes to the chinlock, and during the hold, you can see Austin holding his hands up so he can call a spot. If I wasn't smartened up, I never would've noticed. Austin breaks the hold, but misses an elbowdrop. Mankind gives him another legdrop on the apron, and Mankind peels back the padding on the floor. Mankind gives Austin a Cactus style elbow off the apron, and an eye rake afterward. Mankind attempts to piledrive Austin on the ramp, but gets pushed off the ramp, HARD, into the guardrail. No wonder this guy has brain damage. The two wrestlers get in the ring again, and Owen and Bulldog have decided to make their way down from the crowd. The Legion of Doom join them at ringside, and chase the Hart Foundation members. Austin gives Mankind a clothesline while this is happening, then stomps a mudhole in Mankind. Vader comes out to help Mankind, but hits him instead. The bell sounds at 11:10, denoting a no-contest. Vader and Mankind fight, but Uncle Paul gets them to stop. **1/2. That's the end of the show.

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Rating: Poor. If not for the Austin/Mankind match, the show would have been completely forgettable.

Best Match: Obviously, Austin vs. Mankind.

Worst Match: Owen Hart and the British Bulldog vs. The Godwinns.

Loudest Sound: Shawn Michaels, then Vader and Shamrock's confrontation.

No Sound: The Headbangers and Billy Gunn. Jobbers don't really count.

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Nitro wins this battle. Better matches, and it was more consistent throughout the course of the show. It was to be expected though, with half the roster being overseas, the show was bound to suck.