WWF Monday Night Raw (August 9, 1999)- Y2J Debuts, Kane Speaks, The Rock Says, and Chyna Changes The Game for SummerSlam

Welcome to the review for a classic episode of WWF Monday Night Raw. This show takes place just 13 days before SummerSlam in Minneapolis, MN. The big storylines going in are Triple H challenging Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWF Championship while wreaking havoc all throughout the company. Minnesota Governor and WWF legend (at this point) Jesse "The Body" Ventura has controversially been announced as the Special Guest Referee for the match and will make an appearance on Monday Night Raw to build up the PPV. The Rock is stuck in a feud with Billy Gunn but finds a way to anger The Big Show in the process the previous night on Sunday Night Heat. Kane wants revenge on The Undertaker and Big Show for beating up his best friend, X-Pac. Oh, and there's some Millennium Countdown clock thing going on that is expected to go off sometime during the show. It's not like anyone significant makes their WWF debut that night. :) 

In all seriousness, this is on my list of top episodes in the history of Monday Night Raw. It exemplifies everything about the show, and it completely sets up and flips everything you thought you knew about SummerSlam on its head by the time it finishes. So, without further ado, HERE WE GO!!!!

The classic WWF Attitude Era opening brings us into the Countdown to the Millennium clock which clocks down past 1 hour and 24 minutes, meaning we're getting the big reveal tonight.



The Iconic Monday Night Raw "Thorn In Your Eye" intro plays, the fireworks go off, Chicago is its usual hot self, and Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross are calling the action. And all is right in the wrestling world once again!!!!

DO YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKIN'?  And The Rock comes out to a THUNDEROUS ovation! The amount of signs in the crowd is insane. I seems like everyone made their own sign and brought it to the arena. Undertaker, Paul Bearer, and Big Show are looking through the curtain in the back. Big Show goes to go to the ring, but Undertaker says "Wait, big man. Let him entertain us. We'll get him. Don't worry."
The Rock: "Finally, The Rock has come back to Chicago. Big Show, last night on Sunday Night Heat, you did something you never should have done. And that's put your big sweaty palms on The People's Champion." The Big Show has never AND THE ROCK MEANS NEVER impressed The Rock from the time his music hits and every one of The Rock's fans go to the bathroom while he walks out. The Rock's not impressed when The Big Show comes out, walks over the top rope, lifts his hand in the air, and screams "Ohaohahaohoha!"
Here come The Undertaker, Big Show, and Paul Bearer. The Rock tells them he's not running away from "you two jabronis." The Rock fights both of them but gets stomped to the ground. Here comes X-Pac right after The Undertaker, but Undertaker knocks him down. Here comes Road Dogg. He's juking and jiving with punches to The Big Show, but Big Show and Undertaker stop that. Then, here comes the (NEW MAYOR OF KNOX COUNTY, TN) Big Red Machine Kane to help fight off The Big Show and Undertaker. They clear the ring. DX music hits. Hot open to the show here.

JR and King run down the card. The Body is in the building. Christian vs. Gangrel is coming up tonight as well. Test and Ken Shamrock vs. Joey Abs and Steve Blackman and The Big Boss Man vs. Road Dogg in a hardcore match. The Millennium Clock is hyped up again, and STONE COLD will be here tonight!

Here comes a long black limousine. They speculate it's The Body, but it's SHAWN MICHAELS, the WWF Commissioner.

A commercial for StoneCold.com plays. I remember that!

X-Pac and Kane cut a promo on APA, saying they want a tag title shot tonight.

1) Gangrel vs. Christian- Christian is still doing a Brood-esque entrance, but the storyline is that Edge and Christian have broken off from Gangrel. Gangrel's entrance is still amazing all these years later with the fire surrounding Gangrel as he emerges from under the stage. (I wish Gangrel were around when Twilight was popular. That way, I could say my vampire could kick your vampire's ass.) Here we go.
Both men start a fast pace of punches in the corner. Christian flips over and hiptosses Gangrel. Christian misses a dive from the apron onto Gangrel at ringside. Both men are back in the ring. Running elbow drop by Gangrel. Christian fighting back. (Gangrel sucks chant from audience.) Both men counter moves in the corner, but Christian gets the tornado DDT in. Reverse DDT by Christian. Christian going for the Unprettier. But here are the Hardys and Christian dives on both of them. Christian comes off the top rope and dives into the red mist spit from Gangrel. Impaler DDT by Gangrel for the 3 count.

Winner: Gangrel.
Match Rating: N/A. Too fast and too short to grade. But it was a serviceable TV match.

Edge runs down afterwards and helps fight off The Hardys. But Gangrel DDTs Edge for his problem. All three men beat down Edge and Christian. Michael Hayes, the manager for The Hardys, runs down and tells them to come back with him. But they turn on Hayes with a Twist of Fate and Swanton Bomb. This is the formation of The New Brood, a group that would die once The Hardys beat Edge and Christian in their historic Tag Team Ladder Match at No Mercy in October.

The Acolytes say they accept the challenge. They'll take on any team, including The Undertaker and The Big Baboon. (Odd challenge since if I remember correctly, the Ministry of Darkness had just recently ended.)

Here comes The Body with security in the backstage area. And Get Cheffy with it with The Rock hosting a Chef Boyardee commercial. God, that's laughable considering how jacked The Rock continues to be 20 years later.
The King interviews The Body in the ring. Jesse puts himself over about his busy schedule, his history as a referee at SummerSlam, and his military service (which he is a LEGITIMATE Navy Seal). He goes on for a good minute about his military accolades, and frankly, he had every right to do so. Then he transitions to the main event of SummerSlam, his role as Governor/referee, and why the WWF turned to him for the match. He says "If you don't believe the power that I have, notice, you don't see that scumbag Vince McMahon anywhere around." Lol. Here comes Triple H and Chyna to "My Time." Triple H says Jesse may have been face to face with The President, but he is "nose to nose" with him. (I don't think that's humanly possible. Lol.) Triple H doesn't care who Jesse is, thinks he is, or who he used to be. If he feels like kicking his butt, he will.
Here comes Shawn Michaels. Jesse has to follow by practices and standards, but Shawn doesn't. Triple H may think that this is his world, but everyone knows who it was that brought him INTO this world. Triple H pushes Shawn off, and they both act like they're ready to fight. But Jesse whispers into HBK's ear. Jesse: "This is politics." Shawn decides that if Hunter wants to get physical, he can get physical in a triple threat match involving himself, Undertaker, and Stone Cold. God, the pop in that crowd is hot. And it's even louder once they see Stone Cold walking in the backstage area.

Commercial for the first episode of the Smackdown series.

Earlier Today footage is shown of D-Lo Brown helping Mark Henry run around to lose weight. Mark says he has to go to the restroom. Henry jogs off. As luck would have it, Jeff Jarrett find D-Lo, gets out of his car, rams D-Lo's head onto the hood, and smashes a trash can over him before running off.

2) Jeff Jarrett (w/Debra) vs. Val Venis- Last night apparently, Val was going to beat D-Lo on Heat but Jeff beat up Val to stop that. Jeff jumps Val during his "Hello Ladies" intro. Jeff with punches to Val followed by a whip into the corner. Jeff hits an inverted armbar DDT. Val catches Jeff during a Thesz press and gives him a spinebuster. Clothesline for a 2. Val with knees to Jeff followed by a Russian Leg Sweep. Val goes for the finish, but Debra gets on the apron to distract Val. But Jeff almost runs into her when he slids away. He hits Jeff with a spinning backsuplex bomb for a 3. After the match, Jeff harasses and berates Debra into the corner, but Val chases Jeff away.

Winner: Val Venis
Match Grade: N/A. Another match too fast to give a grade too. But it did what they set out to do: make Jeff Jarrett look like a chauvinistic pig. This is slowly building to SummerSlam and in some ways the angle with the women's roster that followed.

Backstage, Stone Cold is found laying at the base of some stairs backstage with a cinder block near him. HBK yells at the medical staff for not putting the pieces together for what happened. After the break, they are loading Austin into the ambulance while Triple H shows up out of nowhere asking "What happened?" Michaels says basically that Triple H knew dang well what happened, and he's not getting away with it.
HBK walks out to the ring. He tells Triple H to get out there. Triple H and Chyna come out to the stage. Triple H denies any knowledge of what happened. Shawn knows better. So, he changes the match to a FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE ANYTHING GOES TRIPLE THREAT MATCH and makes it for the #1 Contendership at SummerSlam. And Shawn's going to be the guest referee. Triple H asks who his third opponent is going to be.
Shawn: "Who is the type of person who would take advantage of this kind of opportunity? Who is the kind of person who would stab their own mother in the back to get this one chance? Who is the kind of person who has been living in somebody else's shadow so long that they would just be jumping at a chance at SummerSlam to face the WWF Champion? Well, I think I've got that person." He eventually names CHYNA as the third person in that match. Triple H: "Enough is enough, Shawn. Enough is enough. With all due respect, Chyna's just a girl..." Triple H keeps talking while Chyna stares bolts at him. Chyna takes the mic and the match, telling Triple H "Try me."

After the break, Chyna says I'm taking the match. Stop talking.

3) WWF Tag Team Championship Match
Kane and X-Pac vs. The Acolytes (c)
X-Pac and Kane come out to a mix of DX and Kane's music (the Kane organ plays into the "Break it Down" part of the song). The Acolytes get to the ring, and it's on!!! Both teams are brawling. Bradshaw and Kane start inside while Faarooq and X-Pac fight on the outside. Kane is whipped into the corner but checks Bradshaw and knocks him down. Bradshaw and Faarooq work over Kane in the corner. Double Shoulder Block by The Acolytes. Kane gets Faarooq with a big boot and tags X-Pac. Spinkick by X-Pac, but in seconds, he turns into a SPINEBUSTER from Faarooq. Bradshaw tagged in and starts with the beatdown on X-Pac. X-Pac whipped HARD into the opposite corner. X-Pac tries to chop Bradshaw down, but Bradshaw catches X-Pac's spinkick with a modified powerbomb for a 2. Faarooq in, nails a backbreaker for a 2. Tag back to Bradshaw. Bear hug by the big Texan.
X-Pac gets out but runs into a BIG BOOT from Bradshaw. Bradshaw goes for the clothesline, but X-Pac gets an enziguri in. X-Pac gets the tag to Kane, who dives off the top rope and clotheslines Bradshaw. He tries to chokeslam Faarooq, but it's blocked. Double clothesline by Kane. Faarooq clotheslines Kane over the top and stops X-Pac's Bronco Buster. Kane pulls Bradshaw out, and X-Pac hits the X-Factor! 1-2-3!

Winners: Kane and X-Pac (New Tag Champs)
Match Notes: C-. Sloppy, but it got the job done. The crowd loved it. That's all that matters in the end.

Road Dogg runs out to celebrate with them. X-Pac tells the crowd that if they're not down with he and Kane winning the belts, Kane has two words for them. Kane goes to use his voice box, but X-Pac tells him he doesn't need it. Kane gets the mic and says "Suck it," speaking his first words ever. BUT here comes The Undertaker and Big Show who decimate all three of them to set up the match at SummerSlam.

After the break, a replay of the end of the tag match, the words from Kane, and the beatdown that happened afterwards plays out.

Jim Ross and The King play a GTV clip (a surveillance camera gimmick) with Billy Gunn getting "herbs" put on his "moneymaker." The woman involved puts gloves on her hands because she's not worthy.

4) Joey Abs (w/Shane McMahon) and Steve Blackman (w/ pain, just kidding) vs. Test and Ken Shamrock- Shane goes on commentary for the match. Test has been running through Mean Street Posse members to get them out of the way of a match between him and Shane. Meanwhile, Blackman and Shamrock have had a bit of a war themselves lately with Blackman running into Shamrock with a car not too long before this.
It's on!!! Blackman and Test, Shamrock and Abs going at it. Blackman kicks Test down and goes out to work on Shamrock. Shane goes after Test and starts attacking him on the outside. Shane runs back to the announce team. "That was for Stephanie," King and Shane say. Test has Abs alone in the ring, nailing a swinging neckbreaker. Abs hits Test from behind and nails a suplex for a 2. Abs whips Test into mutliple corners. But Test gets him down with a Russian Leg Sweep. Blackman gets the Kendo sticks out to attack Shamrock. This is carnage!!! Gutwrench Powerbomb in the ring. Shamrock has the Kendo sticks and nails Shane with them. Test hits a Pumphandle Slam in the ring for a 3.

Winner: Test and Ken Shamrock.
Match Grade: N/A. Too quick, but it was a fun brawl.

After the match, Test "Pillmanizes" Abs by jumping off the ropes and stomping a chair into Abs' ankles. There are now no more Posse members between Test and Shane for the fight over Stephanie.

Backstage, Billy Gunn flashes the makeup artist (of all people) and the audience about the rash on his behind. She says "It's looks like poison ivy."

The Rock is walking back towards the ring!!!

JVC KABOOM of the Week involves The Rock being attacked by The Big Show on Sunday Night Heat.

Test says all he wanted was for him and Stephanie to be left alone. He runs down all the injuries to the Posse, leaving no one but Test and Shane. Terry Taylor (Cockadoodledoo!!!!) interviews. Blackman who suggests The Lion's Den to settle the score between him and Shamrock.

The Rock comes back out for a second time tonight and challenges The Big Show to a match tonight. The countdown clock meanwhile shows up on the Titantron. It counts down to 0. Lights start flickering in the arena. Fireworks go off, and music starts playing. The song says "BREAK THE WALLS DOWN," the screen reads "JERICHO," and the crowd absolutely loses it!!!! "Welcome to RAW IS JERICHO!"

Y2J's Debut Plus Rock Response

Jericho struts out to the stage. He introduces himself to the audience, saying "to those of you who do know me, all hail the Ayatollah of Rock and Rollah!" He goes on a long promo about how he's come to save the WWF from its boring self and its boring performers, including the guy in the ring. Nothing will ever, EVER be the same again!!! "After 3 boring minutes, The Rock says KNOW YOUR ROLE AND SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" The Rock asks Jericho what his name is, but IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT HIS NAME IS!!!! The Rock has a plan of his own that involves lubing his size 13 boot real good, turning it sideways... and I think you know how this ends. IF YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING! Jericho looks like that kid whose party was just ruined by the coolest kid at the school.  Absolutely classic moment here with Rock and Jericho at their best.

Hardcore Holly: "If any of you see the Big Show, tell him the Big Shot's looking for him."

Commercial for SummerSlam 1999

Hardcore continues to go looking for The Big Show and telling everyone about it. Hey! There's a Coke machine.

Chyna is getting prepared for tonight's match.

5) Hardcore Match (non-title)
Big Boss Man vs. Road Dogg
God, Road Dogg/The Outlaws were over. Of course, this is after Billy and Road Dogg had split up. Baking sheet to the head of Boss Man. Road Dogg gets a table and puts it in the ring. Road Dogg nails Boss Man with another baking sheet. Table is now set up inside the ring. Boss Man with a chair shot to Road Dogg. Road Dogg powerbombed through the table, but Boss Man gets nailed with a Dog Carrier from Al Snow!!!! Road Dogg wins this in a minute, at most. We're made to believe that Al Snow's dog, Pepper, may have been in the carrier.

Winner: Road Dogg
Match Grade: n/a. That was just there.

The Big Show is walking towards the ring backstage, as is The Rock.

Stonecold.com commercial

6) The Rock vs. The Big Show
This is the third time The Rock has been out in front of the fans, and the crowd's reaction has diminished somewhat with the third appearance.

The Rock jumps Big Show as soon as he gets in with strikes and punches. Side Russian Leg Sweep by The Rock for a 2. The Rock continues with more strikes, but he gets a flying forearm from The Big Show for a 2. Big Show chops The Rock in the corner a couple times. A headbutt now by The Big Show. Elbow to the back of the neck by The Big Show. Rock fights back, but he gets hit back down. Big Show tries to throw The Rock in the corner, but The Rock just kinda side steps. The Big Show works on The Rock in the corner, and he whips The Rock into the ropes and hits a big boot. (Size 23 boot from The Big Show apparently.) Bear hug on The Rock. The Rock fights out, but he takes a Sidewalk Slam for his troubles. 2 count. Here comes Hardcore Holly. The Big Shot found The Big Show. Big Show headbutts him down, but The Rock gives The Big Show the Nakamura Low Blow special. DDT puts The Big Show down. Here comes Jericho to knock over The Rock, and Billy Gunn walks in to attack The Rock while he's not looking. Jackhammer takes down The Rock.

Winner: The Rock (by DQ?)
Match Grade: N/A. Again, too quick to grade. But it was a bit underwhelming. Are there enough storylines going on here? But that's still better than no storylines going on, I guess.

Here comes Chyna...
A replay of the last moments of the previous match...

7) #1 Contenders Match for the WWF Championship Match at SummerSlam
Triple H vs. Chyna vs. Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer)
Special Guest Referee: Shawn Michaels
Special Guest Commentator: Jesse "The Body" Ventura
HBK runs over to Chyna before the match and does a pretty vulgar sexual gesture at her while her back is turned. Triple H and Chyna argue as soon as he comes out to the ring, and The Undertaker's entrance just completely changes the mood. Chyna gets in his face, and Undertaker just face pushes her away to start the match.
Undertaker and Triple H exchange punches. Triple H working on Undertaker in the corner, and you know what this means? Throat grab, and Triple H gets thrown in the corner. Undertaker strikes at him. Chyna tries to beat up on Undertaker, but Undertaker places her on the top rope and knocks her to the outside. Triple H seconds later is thrown over the top rope for his troubles. Taker and Triple H are fighting on the ramp. Chyna is still down at ringside. Triple H is thrown into the steps. Uppercut by The Deadman.  Triple H trying to fight back, but Undertaker gets a right hand. Undertaker gets sent into the ring post shoulder first. Triple H gets a knee plant on The Undertaker for a 2. Triple H now continues the attack on The Undertaker, ramming him into the steel steps. Undertaker is rolled into the ring. Triple H climbs the ropes, but he jumps into a chokeslam position. He gets Triple H up, but Chyna hits the low blow on Undertaker. Triple H and Chyna gang up on a prone Undertaker. Triple H tries to make amends, but Chyna clotheslines him. LOW BLOW!!!! Chyna turns and takes a soft chokeslam by Undertaker. (Undertaker definitely took it easy on her with the landing. The audience could even tell and was booing.) Triple H knocks The Undertaker down. He covers Chyna, but The Undertaker breaks it up at 2. Both Taker and Triple H exchanging punches. Headbutt by Undertaker now. Triple H kicks out at 2. Undertaker continues the strikes, attacking Triple H in the corner. Triple H fights back, and there's Austin in the backstage grabbing a chair. Chyna is knocked down. Triple H is knocked over. Undertaker is in the ring arguing with HBK. Undertaker goes to attack Triple H. HERE COMES AUSTIN!!!!
Austin NAILS TRIPLE H WITH A HELL OF A CHAIR SHOT! Chyna is rolled over onto Triple H, and HBK counts the 3 while Undertaker stands in the ring angry as hell!!!! Chyna is the #1 Contender.

Winner: Chyna.
Match Grade: C. An average main event on Monday Night Raw, but the excitement was there, especially at the end with Austin getting his revenge on Triple H.

Show Grade: A. Now, I know what some of you are thinking. "The matches were short and kinda sucked compared to today's standards." And you're right. But look at what was accomplished here and the masters WWF was serving back in 1999.

Why This Worked
1) SummerSlam is built up on this show. Almost every segment on this show connected somehow to SummerSlam in some micro or macro sort of way.
2) A new character is introduced- Chris Jericho.
3) The Raw formula of "Anything Can Happen" continues here. No one going into this show would have predicted how it was going to end.
4) Character and storyline development continues. Triple H continues to be promoted as an opportunist villain. Kane is given the ability to speak for the first time. Jeff Jarrett and Debra continue to have issues. Test and Shane are destined to fight now. Blackman and Shamrock gets built up. The New Brood are formed.
5) It's Fun and Fast- The show doesn't drag. You see all your favorite superstars, even Stone Cold for just a minute. You get the big celebrity/legend return for Ventura and for Michaels. The matches don't overstay their welcome, although some were too brief to notice. It's a rapid pace type of show that serves its purpose and gets as much done as it can.

Raw wasn't over because it was great wrestling. It was over because it was storyline driven with a lot of boundary pushing theatrics and captivating characters. On this night, the show delivered that in spades.

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What Happened Next
In the long-term, Chyna's #1 Contendership would last only a week (or a day with WWF taping schedules back then). Chyna would lose her #1 Contendership to Mankind, and then Mankind and Triple H would tie a match which resulted in the Triple Threat Match at SummerSlam. There, Mankind would basically be the way Stone Cold would drop the belt to Triple H. Mankind got a one day championship reign (and a photo op with Ventura raising his hand) before Triple H would win the title the next night on Raw. Many say this was Austin playing politics in order to not do the clean job to Triple H. All I know is it's fishy and unfortunate that Foley was basically just given the title just to lose it 24 hours later. Then again, Kane went through a similar thing in 1998. Austin would return for his title shot against Triple H at No Mercy. Again, Austin was given an out of a sledgehammer shot by The Rock to accidentally help Triple H retain that night. Then, Austin's neck required surgery after years of problems. So we got Austin getting ran over by a car at Survivor Series by supposedly a fat Samoan guy dancing around in a thong that hadn't even debuted on TV around that time. 

As for The Rock and Billy Gunn, Gunn's singles push would be put to rest at SummerSlam essentially. The Rock would defeat him rather soundly, and Gunn would be put back with Road Dogg a month later to reform The New Age Outlaws. The Rock found himself feuding with Triple H and The British Bulldog in singles action and forming The Rock N Sock Connection with Mankind as a tag team (a hilarious one at that).

X-Pac and Kane continued their partnership even after losing the Tag Team Titles to Big Show and Undertaker at Summerslam. But when DX reformed later in October, X-Pac would betray Kane and end up stealing Kane's girlfriend eventually. (Yeah. That was a thing too.)

Al Snow would regain the Hardcore Championship from The Big Boss Man at SummerSlam. But Boss Man would abduct Pepper, holding it hostage until he beat Snow for the title. Then, in a "who wrote this" segment, Boss Man fed Pepper to an unsuspecting Snow. This resulted in the infamously terrible Kennel from Hell match between Boss Man and Snow, a match in which the guard dogs were too busy peeing and trying to get frisky with each other than actually doing their job. (But, according to Bruce Prichard, Vince McMahon loved it. So, that's all that matters really.)

The Hardys would continue their association with Gangrel until after the aforementioned Ladder Match with Edge and Christian. Afterwards, they were managed for a few months by Terri. The Dudley Boyz were the injection of extreme that the Edge and Christian vs. Hardy Boyz rivalry needed. The result was perhaps the greatest series of tables, ladders, and TLC matches in WWF history. 

Jesse Ventura got paid. And he stayed governor until his term in office ended. He also called a bunch of XFL games, but no one, including him, want to remember that.

Jeff Jarrett would claim the Euro-Continental Championship from D-Lo after revealing the Debra rift was a set-up and that Mark Henry had turned on his best friend. Henry would be gifted the European Championship while Jarrett went on a campaign against the female gender. This resulted in a feud with Chyna, culminating in Chyna becoming the first woman to hold the Intercontinental Championship. And it led to Jeff Jarrett leaving the company. The details? You can listen to Jeff's explanation on Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast in a very in-depth interview (I think it's on the Part 2 episode; it could also be on YouTube by now). D-Lo would win back the European Championship, but hardly anyone cared.
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Until next time, take care of yourselves and spread some awesomeness