[narrator] To be the World Wrestling Entertainment champion,
there is no parallel, no higher accolade in the sport.
To be champion is the dream of every competitor
who's ever entered the squared circle.
From collegian champions to former gridiron greats.
From second generation Superstars with championship pedigree,
to first year rookies with youthful aspirations.
From Olympic heroes to the master of the octagon.
From a renegade with a cold-blooded identity,
to a man who would willingly exchange three personas
for one with a champion's label.
Tonight, 30 men who dare to dream.
Thirty battle-scarred warriors who have spilled blood,
sweat and endured the agonies,
who have labored in the cold shadows for that one precious chance
to cease the championship spotlight are on a collision course with destiny.
Tonight, 30 men will batter each other, sacrifice their bodies,
betray friendships,
embrace the soulless ally that is desperation.
To the victor go the spoils. To the winner,
a once in a lifetime chance to become the next heir apparent to the throne.
And now, 1-800-COLLECT presents the 1998 WWE Royal Rumble.
[crowd cheering]
[upbeat music playing]
[Ross] Hello, everybody. And welcome to the 11th annual Royal Rumble.
We are live in San Jose, California.
Eighteen thousand five hundred and forty-two fans are here
and King, we are ready to get it on. Three titles to be decided,
not to mention the Royal Rumble match itself and no doubt,
Stone Cold Steve Austin is gonna be a marked-man here tonight.
Stone Cold Steve Austin knows it, but more importantly,
29 other Superstars know it,
they all want him and it's gonna happen tonight.
No telling what's gonna happen.
Look at the excitement and somewhere I think
-Mike Tyson's even here. -He certainly is.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are gonna be joining on
with by the Spanish broadcasters.
[speaking Spanish]
[Ross] And certainly, our French commentators are here as well,
Ray Rougeau and Jean Brassard.
[speaking French]
[Ross, in English] We are live here in North America,
live in the United Kingdom.
And of course, our special invited guest, there you see him,
-the man on the-- -[Jerry] Yes. There he is.
[Ross] Iron Mike Tyson is here.
Iron Mike, a huge WWE fan is here and we are ready to go.
["Goldeneye" playing]
-[bell ringing] -[Howard] Ladies and gentlemen,
the following contest is scheduled for one fall with a 20-minute time limit.
Approaching to the ring,
accompanied by Luna, from Hollywood, California,
weighing 260 pounds,
the artist formerly known as Goldust.
[Ross] The controversial Goldust,
the attention star, second generation Superstar
and you got to believe that his family tree
certainly needs trimming.
Goldust has certainly been in the forefront of controversy,
not only since arriving in the World Wrestling Entertainment,
but especially as it started back in November.
King, we all remember
when Goldust walked out on his wife, Marlena.
[Jerry] Walked out? He dumped her, he dumped her. Look at that.
That shocked the world.
[Ross] And then three weeks ago,
we saw Goldust in an outrageous New Year's baby getup.
[Jerry] Well, it was New Year's and then whoa, look at that.
I couldn't tell-- Well, obviously it wasn't Sable,
but looked pretty good.
[Ross] And then you see right here, Goldust attacking his adversary tonight,
Vader, with a coconut.
[Jerry chuckling] A couple of coconuts on the coconut.
[music concludes]
-["It's Time" playing] -♪ It's time ♪
-[Jerry] Uh-oh. -♪ It's time ♪
-[crowd cheering] -♪ It's Vader time ♪
[Howard] His opponent, from the Rocky Mountains,
weighing 458 pounds,
the man they call Vader.
[Ross] Here comes the mastodon.
And you got to believe that this big monster is ready for war,
scores to be settled.
Goldust who was a teammate of Vader at the Survivor Series of Team U.S.A.
and it was Goldust who not only refused to tag that man,
but he also turned his back on this entire country.
[Jerry] He was just basically getting his life in order, J.R.
Let's get it right as the artist formerly known as Goldust,
he's gone through a lot of changes.
[Ross] Vader, the former Colorado Football All-American,
who's bad to the bone, you got to believe
-if Vader and King Kong in a dark alley… -[Jerry] Oh, here we go!
-…only one will come out… -[bell ringing]
-…and it wouldn't be the ape. -[song concludes]
[Ross] And Goldust trying to gain an early advantage
which perhaps is very sound strategy.
You don't wanna let Vader get untracked here.
[Jerry] Without a doubt. I'm just glad to see the artist
formerly known as Goldust
back in men's clothing here for this match.
-[Ross] Vader reverses the Irish whip. -[Jerry] Look out. Oh, no.
[Ross] That 458 pound mass,
Vader will be able to manhandle physically Goldust.
Goldust has got to use his quickness and Goldust is a great athlete,
former Intercontinental Champion,
and his outrageous ring attire sometimes allows us
to overlook his tremendous athleticism.
Steve Austin is not here yet, ladies and gentlemen.
[Jerry] Watch yourself, watch yourself, Goldust.
-Look out. [shrieks] -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Vader introducing Goldust again to Luna.
-[screams] -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] What? J.R., did I hear you right? Did you say Austin is not here?
[Ross] He was-- he's in San Jose. He was in his truck earlier today,
but Austin who no doubt is a huge marked-man
for the Rumble match tonight.
[Jerry] Austin, maybe smarter than I thought,
it's smart of him not to show up.
He's gonna get his brains beat out if he-- if he does arrive.
Twenty-nine men are awaiting Stone Cold's arrival
and Vader with those hard body shots.
-[Jerry shrieking] What's he gonna do?
-Oh… -[Ross] Goldust almost rammed,
perhaps was rammed,
crown of his head first into the ring steps.
-[Jerry] Look at this. -[Ross] Oh, Vader
making himself disqualified here.
Referee Jack Doan stepping in between Vader and Goldust.
And Vader is an irate big man
as good and as athletic a big man,
a super heavyweight as I've ever laid eyes on.
[Jerry] Yeah, but like you said,
"Don't forget the athleticism of the artist formerly known as Goldust."
Oh, ow, jaw's stiff ref.
-[shrieking] -[Ross] High back body drop,
tremendous elevation by Vader on Goldust
and Luna grabbing the foot, trying to distract Vader,
let's see if it works.
-And Goldust connects… -[Jerry] Yes, yes.
…with a stiff clothesline and down goes Vader.
He is my man!
[Jerry] How pretty. Look out. Ooh!
[Ross] Vader went straight south and Goldust able to avoid the contact
and before Vader could get up, Goldust striking quickly,
that's what Goldust has to do, use quickness,
use his athleticism and there's an elbow
right to the quadricep, that big thigh muscle.
[Jerry] It's a good thing he used his quickness to get out of the way
of the rear end of Vader, that would've squashed Goldust like a bug.
Here we go.
-Oh! -[crowd exclaims]
[Ross] Goldust starved for attention.
He is-- he loves the spotlight.
The son of the American dream,
Dusty Rhodes wants to step out of his shadow.
He was even jealous of the attention of his own wife who should've been here.
And a right hand by Goldust and the six-six youngster,
showing that he is not intimidated…
-[Jerry] Look out. -…of the monster.
And Vader again right in front of us three,
right into those steel steps.
[crowd shouting]
-[Ross] And here comes, Luna. -[Jerry chuckles] Look at this.
[Ross] Goldust has the referee's attention diverted.
[Jerry] She got a high heel shoe.
[Ross] Luna trying to choke some of the oxygen out of Vader.
And the big Colorado buffalo…
shaking it loose, six-five, 458 pounds.
[Jerry] You got to admit, turnabout's fair play.
He was the first one to knock Goldust into Luna.
-[Jerry] There you go. -[Ross] Goldust wrecking the face
of Vader.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry chuckles] Do it. Do it.
Goldust with right hand…
trying to beat Vader down.
-I've never seen anybody… -[Jerry] Uh-oh.
-…this could've beaten Vader down. -[crowd cheering]
-And… -[Jerry shrieks] It's the old Goldust.
[Ross] Again, seeking the attention that he is so starved for.
Inside out, left handed clothesline
and the former Intercontinental Champion almost knocked out of his paint.
[Jerry] Can you check and see if Austin's arrived yet?
[Ross] I'm sure we will be informed
when Stone Cold arrives and we hope that he's okay.
[Jerry] I bet he's chickened out.
[Ross] Oh, I don't think that would ever happen.
[Jerry] Oh, why not?
[Ross] Now, Goldust looking for a scoop slam.
May have-- may have pulled his lower back.
Both Goldust and Vader will both compete in the Royal Rumble match
-later here at the Royal Rumble. -[Jerry] Ooh.
[Ross] Front Facelock by Vader.
-[Jerry shrieks] -[Ross] Easily suplexing
the 265-pound Goldust up and over.
[Jerry] Look out. Here we go. Look out. Oh!
[Ross] Big splash, leg hooked
and Goldust just barely, barely able to kick out.
[Jerry] Miracle.
[Ross] Well, Luna's a piece of work out here on the outside.
[Jerry] Ooh!
[Ross] Another knockdown by Vader.
[Jerry] Vader is thick.
[Ross] I guess he's thick. I think he gotta eat some satellite dishes.
[crowd cheering]
-Four fifty-eight… -[Jerry] Uh-oh.
…and then maybe time for a-- for a Vader bomb here.
[Jerry] Oh, no.
[Ross] He's really is gonna be the artist formerly known as anybody in a minute.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Vader taking too much time.
-[groans] -[Ross] The referee's distracted
and Goldust with a low blow on Vader…
and that'll certainly change your mind about a Vader bomb or anything else.
[Jerry] Yeah.
[Ross] Vader was building some momentum, had slowed the tempo down
using his bulk and his mass, his power until that low blow.
[Jerry] Come on. You got to get-- whatever it is,
you got to pull a rabbit out of your hat now, Goldust.
You got to do something.
-No. -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Luna, where are you?
Ooh, oh.
Nothing pretty about that move.
-[Ross] Sunset flip and… -[Jerry] Oh, he got him that time.
-He got him. -[Jerry] Goldust didn't move.
You can almost see the air rushing out of Goldust's body
-and Vader like a big old hungry… -[Jerry] Was that air?
[Ross] …Kodiak bear pulling his food into the-- his cave for winter.
[Jerry] I don't think that was air that was rushing out.
Oh, my gosh.
Look at this, look.
[Ross] Luna, the referee not gonna disqualify.
-[Jerry] What? -[Ross] She's up on Vader's back.
-[Jerry] One, two, three. Look at this. -[Ross] I don't believe this.
-[Jerry] No. -[crowd cheering]
-[Ross] Vader bomb with Luna on his back. -[Jerry] Unbelievable.
[Ross] Over 500 pounds!
-And Vader wins it! -[bell ringing]
[crowd cheering]
[Howard] Here is your winner, the man they call Vader.
["It's Time" playing]
[Ross] With Luna on his back,
the monster from Colorado was able to execute the Vader bomb.
What an unbelievable maneuver by Vader.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] I've never seen anything like that in my life.
[Ross] What a ride that Luna just went on.
[Jerry] Whoo! Look at this.
She's on the back of Vader. Watch Luna's face.
Her face drove right into the mat, but more importantly,
all the weight of Luna and Vader driven right down into Goldust.
Let's see it again. Look at this.
Watch poor Luna, poor Luna. Oh, my gosh.
[Ross] What power by Vader.
[Jerry] That's worse than an E-ticket ride in Disneyland.
I guarantee that she didn't wanna to take that trip again.
Who's the man? Tell me who the man is.
[song concludes]
Stone Cold Steve Austin is here.
He has arrived in the Stone Cold pickup truck.
He is one of the 30 participants in tonight's Royal Rumble match
and we're going to attempt to get a word with Mr. Austin
about tonight's match.
-Mr. Austin, what do you think are your-- -I got nothing to say to you.
Just park my damn truck and if you scratch it,
-you're gonna get your ass whipped. -Well, Mr. Austin, what about--
Mr. Austin apparently heading back to the locker room area.
He is in the Royal Rumble match.
He is in the San Jose arena tonight. He is a marked man, however.
Twenty-nine other participants are going to try to get their hands
-on Stone Cold Steve Austin. -Where in the hell did Austin go?
-Uh… [stammers] -Where's he at?
-You were talking to him. -I'm not sure, I'm not sure.
-["I Know You Want Me" playing] -♪ I know you want me ♪
♪ I know you want me ♪
[Howard] Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you
our special guest referee for the upcoming match,
the one, the only, Sunny.
[Ross] Well, as Sunny makes her way to the ring,
certainly, Stone Cold Steve Austin
has got that giant bullseye painted right on his chest,
not only are the Godwinns looking for Stone Cold,
you got to believe the other 27 men are as well.
I'm not so sure Austin is gonna go into the Rumble tonight
one hundred percent healthy
-if everybody has their way. -[song concludes]
[Jerry] Well, you're right.
Everybody's looking for him in the dressing room.
Somebody's bound to find him
and when they do, it's gonna be a black day for Stone Cold.
[crowd cheering]
[bell ringing]
[Howard] The following six-man tag team match
involves six of the world famed
-mini Superstars. -[wrestler theme music playing]
[Howard] Approaching the ring,
team number one at a total combined weight of 379 pounds,
here are Battalion,
Tarantula and El Torito.
[Ross] This should be a very fast-paced match-up, always entertaining
-and very athletic minis. -[Jerry] Look out, Sunny.
[song concludes]
[Ross] Certainly when the good lord made these minis,
-the button stuck on fast forward. -[wrestler theme music playing]
[Howard] And their opponents,
at a total combined weight of 257 pounds,
Nova, Mosaic and Max Mini.
[Ross] Max Mini is the smallest professional athlete in the world today.
There you see Max.
[Jerry] Yeah, he'd make a great refrigerator ornament or a magnet
or maybe like a hood ornament for my car.
I know you love him but I can't stand him, Ross.
[Jerry] I thought you were gonna tell me he was playing football there in Mexico,
playing in the sawed-off shotgun formation or something.
[Jerry] Yeah, right.
[Ross] Sunny will have her hands full, surrounded by six men.
They may be small, in fact they're vertically challenged,
but please do not over-- underestimate
-their athleticism. -[song concludes]
-[Jerry] You said under. [laughs] -[bell ringing]
Let's go, guys. Come on.
[Jerry] Max Mini could walk underneath a closed door.
That's short. He's the world's smallest athlete.
That's Nova in there and Tarantula starting it out.
And certainly, you got to believe
a lot of rumblings back in the locker room area right now
-regarding Stone Cold Steve Austin. -[Jerry] Whoa.
[Ross] Austin, a marked man, as we mentioned.
Now, headscissors takeover by Nova on Tarantula.
You'll see a lot of high risk offense in this six-man tag team match-up.
[Jerry] Oh, ow, right on his little head.
[Ross] Dropkick outside goes Tarantula.
Got to wonder what's going through the mind of Shawn Michaels
and D-Generation X.
-[Jerry] Look at this. [chuckles] -[Ross] There's Max and Battalion.
[Jerry] Whoa.
[Ross] That's 187 pounds, given about 50 pounds
-to the-- maybe the world's largest mini. -[Jerry] Yeah.
-[Ross] Modified arm drag takeover. -[Jerry] Look out.
I like that outfit Battalion's got on.
He could be a security guard in a roach motel or something.
-[Ross chuckles] -Let's go, let's go. Let's get it on!
-[El Torito shouts] -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Blast from the old days, at King's Army.
-[Jerry] That's one of your old uniforms. -[Ross] Oh, yeah, right.
Left it in the dryer too long.
El Torito.
[Jerry] Look at this, he's strong.
[Ross] And that's Mosaic he's in there with.
-Nice press slam by El Torito. -[crowd exclaims]
Certainly are happy you're with us, ladies and gentlemen,
wherever you're watching.
Live throughout North America. We're live in United Kingdom as well.
-[Jerry] Whoa. -[Ross] And a nice elevation
by El Torito on Mosaic.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] You're the man, El Torito.
Look at this. Whoa. Ow.
[Ross] Elevation, but coming down with an arm drag by Mosaic.
Waist lock takedown, nip up and another arm drag.
And outside goes El Torito.
Sunny has maintained pretty good control here.
She has a way of controlling the men in her life.
[Jerry] Huh?
[Ross] Tarantula sending Mosaic for a ride here.
[Jerry] Whoa. Nice move.
[Ross] Flying clothesline by Tarantula.
[Jerry] I want your favorite Max Mini to get in there.
He's trying to learn English, apparently.
I saw him reading a book before the match back there.
[Ross] Oh, yeah. What was it?
-[Jerry] Little Women. -[Ross laughs]
-And Nova-- -[Jerry] Ooh!
[Ross] Oh, boy, outside goes Battalion.
El Torito in.
A lot of quickness and leverage…
by the combination of Max Mini, Nova, and Mosaic.
[Jerry] Oh, these guys are in good shape, all right.
They're getting a lot of exercise
running one of those wheels in a hamster cage. [laughs]
Oh, you're a mess. Look at this.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] Uh-oh. Whoa.
[Ross] Nice move by Nova.
Iron Mike Tyson is here, ladies and gentlemen.
The baddest man on the planet up in the skybox.
Wow!
[Ross] He's been a life-long World Wrestling Entertainment fan.
-[Jerry] Look out. -Whoo!
-[Jerry] Uh-oh. [grunts] -[Ross] Headscissor takeover.
[Jerry] Geez.
[Ross] These men are quicker than a hiccup.
I'll tell you, up and down they go.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] Yeah.
[Ross] Right in front of our Spanish broadcasters,
-Carlos Cabrera and Tito Santana. -[Jerry] Here's your man, Max Mini.
[laughs] That was beautiful.
You know, the San Jose Sharks play in this arena.
Max Mini can play hockey on an ice cube. That little, this guy is.
[Ross] Tarantula using that size advantage quite prominently here on Max.
Max quickly moved out of the way that time however.
[Jerry] Oh.
[Ross] Max Mini, 87 pounds.
-[Jerry] Whoa. Look out. -[Ross] Oh, a dropkick
and headscissor takedown.
[Jerry] Max Mini hopes to win this match.
I heard if he wins, he's gonna take the money
from the purse to buy a new car.
Those Matchbox cars are pretty expensive, you know.
[Ross] Oh, stop that. Max Mini baseball slide through.
[crowd clamoring]
[Ross] And Tarantula wants no part of Max Mini.
[Jerry] Beautiful.
[Ross] El Torito on the 87-pound world's smallest athlete, Max Mini.
[Jerry] I guarantee you, that hurt him. He got hurt real bad one time before.
He tried to commit suicide by jumping off a curb.
[Ross] And you worked on these short jokes, didn't you?
[Jerry] Oh, I'm ready for these guys.
[Ross] Long plane flight for you, huh, King?
[Jerry] Yes. Yes.
-[Ross] Oh, test of strength. -[Jerry] Ow.
-Ooh. -[crowd cheering]
-[Ross] Right on the top of the head by… -[Jerry] Nice.
…El Torito and he's being admonished now by Sunny the referee.
Well…
-[Jerry] Look out. -[Ross] Uh-oh.
-[Jerry] No. -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] What a-- Sunny…
[Ross] Sunny with a little assist.
Sunny and Max may be an item. I heard she always liked short guys.
-[Jerry] Yeah. -[Ross] Max, with the chop
on the outside now.
[Jerry] That'd be a short relationship.
But, you know, Max Mini needs to find somebody and have a kid.
That way, you have somebody to look up to.
-Look out. -[Ross] Nice move.
Back to the arm drag. Nice counter and reversal.
-And… -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Oh, man.
[Ross] A little cannonball action there by Mosaic.
And, oh, boy, what a move there by El Torito.
-[Jerry] Beautiful. -[Ross] The plancha.
-[Jerry] Look at Max Mini. -[Ross] A corkscrew.
-Springboard corkscrew by Max Mini. -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] It's like an anthill out there.
-[Jerry shrieks] -[Ross] Tarantula, topé.
And here comes Nova getting a head of steam.
-And Nova-- Oh, makes a U-turn. -[Jerry] Whoa. Take them all.
-[Ross] Nova, Asai Moonsault. -[crowd cheering]
Max Mini, now, back--
I think Max is the legal guy but he's keeping score.
-[Jerry] Oh. -[Ross] Hard slam
by the much larger El Torito.
And now let's see if Max Mini can capitalize.
[Jerry] What stamina.
[Ross] That's a long way up for the 87-pounder.
[Jerry] Look out. Oh.
[Ross] Max, headscissor takeover.
Arm drag into a cradle.
-[Jerry] No. -[Ross] Leverage, cradle, three.
-[crowd cheering] -[bell ringing]
[upbeat music playing]
[Howard] Here are your winners, the team of Nova, Max Mini,
and Mosaic.
[Jerry] Look at Sunny. She's exhausted.
Come on over here, Sunny. My lap is the best seat in the house.
Oh, come on. Give me a break.
[Ross] Look at this. Aren't you jealous of the carry?
[Jerry] Well, a little bit. [chuckles]
[Ross] Ladies and gentlemen, we understand that the Nation of Domination
looking for Stone Cold Steve Austin. They've found his [indistinct] back there.
-[song concludes] -Let's go.
-What? What? What? What? -Wait a minute. Get up here.
It was my idea for you to join the Nation, first of all.
Now you got to prove to me you're worth being in here.
I want you to get in there and kick Steve Austin's ass right now.
[Savio] Go on in. Yeah. Come on. Let's get it.
[Kama] Go. Break it down. Break it down.
-Let's get him. Let's get him. -[Mark] Where is he, man?
-[Faarooq] Where is he? -[Mark] What's this?
-[Kama] What the hell is this? What is it? -What's this?
Wait a minute. What's this crap, man?
Let's go find him. Let's go find him.
And of course, as we've mentioned, Iron Mike Tyson is here.
The baddest man on the planet to-- he was doing some negotiations
and trying to finish negotiations with Vince McMahon earlier today.
And I understand that-- of course, Mike's got a great vantage point up there.
Vince McMahon is even up there now, as a matter of fact.
Where is he, in the skybox up there or what?
Right up there. Right above us there.
There you see Iron Mike and Vince's son, Shane.
There's the baddest man on the planet sitting there in the center.
Can you imagine those negotiating sessions with Vince and Don King?
That'd be pieces of-- pieces of work, wouldn't it?
Oh, you're not kidding.
I just wish maybe they would let Mike Tyson come on down here.
If he's such a big fan, maybe he wants to ask me for my autograph.
I'd like to get within arm's reach of Mike Tyson.
Yeah. Well, I'll see if I can help you out there.
Ladies and gentlemen, we know that the Royal Rumble match
is gonna determine the man that will face the WWE champion at WrestleMania.
But another great championship match-up will be for the Intercontinental title.
It features The Rock defending against the world's most dangerous man,
Ken Shamrock. And there has been a long history
between Shamrock and the Nation of Domination.
Right before Christmas, Shamrock put away the young prodigy
of the Nation, D'Lo Brown
with a belly to belly and then the ankle lock.
-[bell ringing] -[Ross] But then it would be
the next week, the supreme fighting machine, Kama--
[Jerry] That's right. Kama went down and he suffered the same fate.
He had to tap out at the hands…
-[bell ringing] -…of Ken Shamrock.
[Ross] And then it would be Faarooq and a mistake there.
Rocky was trying to coach Faarooq and D'Lo, caused the mistake.
And then the belly to belly.
And there is certainly no disgrace in tapping out
to Shamrock's vaunted ankle lock.
-[bell ringing] -[Ross] And that's exactly what happened.
-And then it would be Shamrock… -[Howard] Here's your winner,
-the world's most dangerous… -in a tag team match-up…
-…man, Ken Shamrock. -…with Mark Henry
against The Rock and D'Lo Brown.
Shamrock had everything under control until he was double-crossed.
Shamrock setting up The Rock for ankle lock submission hold.
-What? -[Jerry] What is this?
[Ross] Mark Henry. What the hell is he doing?
[Jerry] Henry just floored Ken Shamrock.
[Ross] Mark Henry…
has attacked his own partner and the 415-pound powerslam.
Good lord. Shamrock could be broken in half.
-[Jerry] Oh. -[Ross] What an elbow
right to the heart.
And The Rock just told Mark Henry elbow time.
The former U.S. Olympian has absolutely…
-[referee] Ring the bell. Ring the bell. -[bell ringing]
[Jerry] Oh, this is disgusting.
[Michael] I'm here with the WWE Intercontinental Champion, The Rock.
We're going to speak with The Rock in just a moment.
But first, if you missed the free-for-all, we're gonna take you back
and show you what happened.
And my colleague, Kevin Kelly, was at backstage
interviewing the Nation of Domination.
Now, each member of the Nation, including The Rock,
said that they would indeed win the Royal Rumble match.
[indistinct chatter]
Obviously, a bit of dissension in the Nation of Domination.
A little argument ensuing.
And Rock, obviously, dissension within the ranks of the Nation.
Obviously, according to your comment, you're a complete idiot.
But hey, before The Rock gets in anything,
I know all The Rock's fans wanna know exactly
how The Rock feels about President Clinton and Paula Jones.
Hey, hey, Prez, take some advice from The Rock.
When you lay down with a dog, you're gonna wake up with fleas.
Hey, man, don't be silly. You got to cover it, Willy.
Hey, but anyway, the fact of the matter is this,
Ken Shamrock, the world's most dangerous man, one-on-one.
As you could see, The Rock stands alone exactly how you want it
and exactly how The Rock likes it.
So one-on-one, the world's most dangerous man, Ken Shamrock,
against the people's champ, the Intercontinental Champion, The Rock.
But don't worry, Ken Shamrock, somebody will be standing by
to carry your sorry ass out of the building.
J.R. and King, here he comes, The Rock.
-[bell ringing] -[Howard] Ladies and gentlemen,
the following contest scheduled for one fall
with a one hour time limit is for the World Wrestling Entertainment
Intercontinental Championship.
-["We Are The Nation" playing] -♪ We are the Nation of Domination ♪
[crowd cheering]
[Howard] About to enter the arena representing the Nation of Domination,
weighing 270 pounds, the World Wrestling Entertainment
Intercontinental Champion, The Rock Rocky Maivia.
[Ross] Well, I'm under the impression that the balance of the Nation,
the other board members are preparing for the Royal Rumble match
because it's very uncharacteristic for The Rock to be traveling solo, King.
[Jerry] Well, I think you saw, even though The Rock is denying it,
there was some obvious dissension back there, and rightfully so.
I mean, you can't expect anybody to walk into the Royal Rumble match
without expecting themselves to win it.
They all-- everybody wants to win this big match.
-[crowd chanting] Rocky sucks! -[Jerry] Uh-oh.
-[song concludes] -[crowd chanting] Rocky sucks!
[Jerry] Look at that guy. I've seen better heads on pit bulls.
[Rock] You do your chants of "Rocky sucks" but the fact of the matter is this,
it's that The Rock is your Intercontinental Champion.
-[Jerry] That's right. He's right. -[crowd boos]
And as we all know, The Rock is the best
Intercontinental Champion there ever was.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Well, he's a great athlete. The first third-generation athlete.
-["The Ultimate" playing] -[crowd cheering]
-[Ross] It's time to knuckle up. -His opponent and challenger
from Sacramento, California, weighing 235 pounds,
the world's most dangerous man, Ken Shamrock.
[Ross] Ken Shamrock, one of the most focused,
one of the most disciplined athletes to ever compete.
I'll tell you what, when Shamrock snaps,
he's like trying to handle a rolling ball of butcher knives.
You know you're gonna get cut to pieces.
Eighteen thousand five hundred and forty-two fans,
thousands have been turned away
from the beautiful San Jose arena for this.
the 11th annual Royal Rumble.
And this match is for the Intercontinental Championship.
[Jerry] And it looks to me like
-Ken Shamrock maybe in that zone… -[song concludes]
…he loves to talk about.
[bell ringing]
[crowd chanting] Rocky sucks!
[Jerry] See, now, I don't think this is fair, J.R.,
got over 18,000 people screaming "Rocky sucks."
That's a huge-- I mean, that's a distraction.
[Ross] Maivia, six-five, 275,
has a leverage and a weight advantage on the challenger, Ken Shamrock.
Shamrock, who came from the ultimate fighting more known
primarily as a submission specialist has worked very diligently
to improve his catch-as-catch-can skills.
Shamrock never wanted to be known
as a one-dimensional submission-only athlete.
But you got to wonder with a match this high stakes,
if Shamrock will dance with what brought him here
and that was that in-your-face submission style.
[Jerry] Well, don't think for one minute
that The Rock hasn't been prepared for that.
He's probably thought a way by now to counter that ankle submission.
[Ross] Collar-and-elbow tie up.
Maivia forcing Shamrock back into the corner.
Back it off. Back it off, please.
[Jerry] Look at The Rock. He's a gentleman. Whoa.
[Ross] Rock looking for a cheap shot but Shamrock with great reaction time
and certainly has The Rock well scouted.
Knows he's not very likely to get a clean break
from the first third-generation athlete.
And certainly the fans here in California, very well aware of the late great
"High Chief" Peter Maivia, Rocky Maivia, The Rock's grandfather.
[Jerry] How do you remember all that useless statistical information?
I can't remember any of that stuff.
I can, however, tell you Sunny and Sable's bra size.
One, two, three, four.
[Jerry] Yeah. Oh.
[Ross] Oh, The Rock trying to get a little cheap shot in there.
[Jerry] No, that was a cheap shot by Shamrock.
[Ross] Shamrock blocked the right hand by the Intercontinental Champ
and followed with one of his own.
Shamrock, considered the greatest ultimate fighter of all time,
certainly an arguable point. Some say it's Dan "The Beast" Severn.
Maivia going downstairs, down the right hand.
[Jerry] Look at this. You can see it in the face of The Rock.
Watch it. Oh.
[Ross] Shamrock with the karate kick right to the solar plexus.
And Shamrock with the hard right hand and Maivia, with tremendous velocity,
goes up and over.
[Jerry] That's right. I'm telling you these "Rocky sucks" chants
are tremendous distraction. It's not fair.
[crowd chanting]
[Jerry] That guy thinks The Rock's number one.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Referee Mike Chioda trying to restrain
the volatile Ken Shamrock.
We've seen Shamrock snapped on more than one occasion.
And again, as we've documented earlier,
when that happens, it isn't a pretty sight.
[Jerry] Yeah. Well, let me ask you this.
Straighten me out on one little subject here.
When he's in the zone-- when Shamrock's in that zone
and he's so focused, well, when he snaps,
is he out of the zone and unfocused or what?
[Ross] Well, I think he leaves the zone there and goes to another level.
A level that quite frankly sometimes doesn't pay dividends.
And The Rock now with right hands has Shamrock backed into the corner.
-Irish whip, far side. -[Jerry] Oh, yeah.
[Ross] Maivia follows it up with the clothesline.
[Jerry] That's the best way to quieten this crowd.
Stay on top of Shamrock.
-These people will-- Oh. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Shamrock retaliating,
a couple of knockdowns by the challenger for the Intercontinental title.
-Going for the hurricanrana… -[Jerry] Oh, beautiful.
…but Rocky blocked it
and was able to drop Shamrock throat-first right over the top rope.
[Jerry] Beautiful.
-[Ross] Rock cover, two. -[Mike] Two.
[Ross] Maivia with the advantage now.
Certainly doesn't wanna waste any time
with an athlete the caliber of Ken Shamrock.
Maivia does-- won't make too many mental mistakes, highly intelligent.
Has a degree in criminology and exercise physiology from Miami.
[crowd chanting] Rocky sucks!
[Ross] And a rake to the face before Shamrock could build much momentum.
It was The Rock asserting himself.
[Jerry] Yes.
Now, he's just doing a little stomping.
Stomp him into the zone, the twilight zone.
-[Ross] Maivia turning it up here… -One, two, three, four.
…wants to build on his advantage.
And referee Mike Chioda having words with the Intercontinental Champion.
One, two, three, four.
[Ross] You got to wonder where Stone Cold slipped off to.
[Jerry] Probably hiding--
probably slipped off into one of those lockers
back there and he's hiding.
[Ross] Nice gesture he left for the Nation of Domination.
And look at Shamrock fight back. Shamrock fighting back.
Right hands and lefts and rights.
-[Jerry] Uh-oh. -[Ross] Maivia's in trouble.
But again, Maivia raking the eyes of Shamrock
and the eye rake, quite frankly, has been one of Maivia's--
The Rock, I should say, his best offensive weapons. Crossbody.
-And two. -[Jerry] Come on.
Nearfall.
Shamrock beating The Rock to the punch.
-[Jerry] Uh-oh, watch this. -[Ross] Fisherman suplex.
One, two, and another nearfall. And look at Maivia getting up quick.
[Jerry] Show these people you don't suck, Rock.
Maivia was an outstanding defensive lineman
for the University of Miami on their national championship team.
They beat Nebraska that year on the Orange Bowl, 22 to nothing.
You shut out Nebraska, you got a great unit.
And Maivia was a huge part of that for Dennis Erickson.
[Jerry] Look at this.
[Ross] Shamrock tasting that steel ring step
and I'm not sure it's too palatable and certainly isn't--
it's kind of tough to digest.
[Jerry] I bet Shamrock knows nothing about football.
He probably thinks a quarterback is a refund.
The Rock's great at every sport. He excels at everything.
[Ross] Shamrock relying on those fists again
to get back on the offensive.
-[Jerry] Look at this. -[Ross] Maivia.
[Jerry] Goodnight, nurse. Woo-hoo!
-[Ross] Tremendous DDT. -[Jerry laughs]
[Ross] And a leg hook and another real close near fall.
Great float over into the DDT by The Rock.
[Jerry] How did Shamrock kick out of that though?
[Ross] And The Rock with that big arm in a reverse chinlock.
[Jerry] I think this is a mistake by Shamrock, or by The Rock right here.
He is allowing Shamrock to recover from that DDT.
He almost had the match there.
He should have-- he should have gone and stayed right on the offensive.
-[crowd chanting] Rocky sucks! -No.
No.
[Jerry] Come on, Rock, pick him up, drive him on his head again.
[Ross] And we should add that both these men, folks,
will also compete in the Royal Rumble match tonight.
-[Jerry] Ooh. -[Ross] Right hand,
and another knockdown by The Rock on Ken Shamrock.
[Jerry] Right. And did you see the force,
the power, the intensity of Vader earlier against Goldust?
And did you see what The Rock is doing right now?
Do you think that Stone Cold Steve Austin is not shaking
in his boots knowing that he's gonna have to be in the ring
with all of these men painting a big bullseye on his chest?
Austin's got to be scared.
[Ross] Shamrock back up to his vertical base.
Reversal of the whip.
-And The Rock again. -[Jerry] Again, he got him again.
-No. -[Ross] DDT. But it's countered.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Modified fireman's carry takeover.
-One. -[Ross] Good elevation there by The Rock
-on Ken Shamrock. -Two.
-Three. -[Ross] Long way from the octagon
-for that man. -[Mike] Four.
[Ross] Two great young athletes.
-Part of the Young Foundation. -Six.
Seven.
-[Ross] This is not a senior's tour. -Eight.
-[Ross] Young athletes in their prime… -[Mike] Nine.
…and this is quite the contest.
-Boom, right hand. -[Jerry] Ow.
-[Ross] A knockdown. Another knockdown. -[crowd cheering]
Irish whip and…
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Shamrock able to block the right hand
and the Intercontinental Champion wants a break.
He wants a timeout. He wants Shamrock to back off.
But that's not going to happen.
-Powerslam. -[crowd cheering]
-[Jerry] Oh, my. -[Ross] This is it.
-[Jerry] And, no. Whoo! -[Ross] Oh, no. Two and a half.
[Ross] And Shamrock now.
[Jerry] Has he snapped? What's he doing? Uh-oh.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Shamrock's got to keep himself under control.
The Intercontinental title is on the line.
Maivia again going to the face, follows with the right hand.
The reversal by Shamrock and a hurricanrana.
[Jerry] Ow.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] But Maivia-- and Maivia reaching to his tights.
-[Jerry] Hey, look at this. -[Ross] Here comes Kama.
There's D'Lo, down they go-- oh, my goodness.
He's hung up in the ropes. The Rock's got some knucks on his hand.
Brass knucks by The Rock. And he's put them in Shamrock's tights.
Shamrock has been knocked out. That's got to be all.
-And no, no, no, Shamrock kicked out. -[crowd cheering]
-[Jerry] What? -[Ross] Shamrock kicked out.
[Jerry] Unbelievable.
[Ross] The Rock used the knucks almost for a victory here.
They're in Shamrock's tights. D'Lo brown is hung up there in the ropes.
Shamrock. Shamrock. Suplex.
One, two, three.
-[Jerry] Oh, no. He's got him. -[bell ringing]
-He's got him. Shamrock's the champion. -[crowd cheering]
[Howard] Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of this bout
and new World Wrestling Entertainment Intercontinental Champion,
Ken Shamrock.
["The Ultimate" playing]
[Jerry] Shamrock has done it. Ken Shamrock.
[Ross] Wait a minute.
[Jerry] The Rock--
The Rock is telling the referee that he got his jaw jacked by Shamrock.
[Ross] Referee Mike Chioda.
-[Jerry] What's Rocky telling him? -[Ross] I don't know.
[Jerry] He's saying he hit him on the jaw.
[Ross] All I know is we got a new Intercontinental Champion.
[Jerry] What's he…
-No. -[Ross] Uh-oh.
-[Mike] What is this? What is this? -[song concludes]
[bell ringing]
[Ross] Oh, this is a controversial decision here.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] Oh.
[Ross] Shamrock won the match fair and square. Come on.
[Howard] Ladies and gentlemen, your attention, please.
The referee has reversed his decision, and the winner of this bout
as a result of a disqualification and still
World Wrestling Entertainment Intercontinental Champion,
-The Rock Rocky Maivia. -["We Are The Nation" playing]
-[Ross] Shamrock must feel like a fire… -[Jerry] Look out.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] And he just suplexed Mike.
Oh, no. Shamrock with the ankle lock on the referee.
He'll be suspended. He'll be fined. What's he doing?
[Ross] Shamrock has snapped.
Here comes two more officials, three more officials.
Boy, I'm telling you one thing,
if lessons are learned in defeat, Shamrock just learned a great lesson.
Never put anything past Rocky Maivia or any member of the Nation of Domination.
[Jerry] Come on. He was justifiably disqualified.
Shamrock reaching in his own tights and produced a pair of knucks.
-The referee saw it. He had no choice. -["The Ultimate" playing]
[Ross] Shamrock never used the knucks. Maivia brought the knucks.
-Shamrock. -[Jerry] I think Shamrock
had an own-- his own pair of knucks.
He got both contacts in one eye, J.R., what's the deal here?
[Ross] Well, let's take one more look at it.
I don't think your story is gonna hold water in there, King.
There you see The Rock put the knucks right on his right hand.
He nailed Shamrock with it.
Caught Shamrock right in the ear, it looks like.
And then stuck the knucks right into the tights.
And then right here. Belly-to-belly suplex.
The leg was hooked. Perfect technique. Perfect form.
And we got a new Intercontinental Champion.
[bell ringing]
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] Oh, no, we don't.
[Howard] Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of this bout…
[Ross] And right here, Shamrock,
that'll cost him some bucks and maybe even a suspension.
Shamrock going for the ankle lock on the referee.
-And… -[Jerry] Look at him.
He's still going for the referee.
[Ross] Well, I'll tell you what, Iron Mike Tyson…
Shane McMahon there looking at this 11th annual Royal Rumble event.
-[song concludes] -[Ross] Well, ladies and gentlemen,
there you see the 1-800-COLLECT airship
hovering above this 18,542 of fans turned away.
We're so happy you're with us wherever you are, ladies and gentlemen.
And King, I got good news for you.
Cactus Jack is gonna be in the Rumble match
but I understand thatDude Love and Mankind had to stay home.
Watch the blimp. I think Captain Kerwin Silfies
is at the helm or either, is that Max Mini? It's out of control.
[Ross] You mean you can't tell the difference?
-[Jerry] No. -Ladies and gentlemen, again--
well, wait a minute.
Well, apparently the Boricuas are searching for Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Somebody's gonna find him.
Yeah, that's him. That's him. That's him. That's him.
Hey, you, come with us, we want the world to see this. Come on.
[all grunting]
[Jerry] They got him.
[Ross] Wait a minute, that's not-- that's not Austin.
That's either Skull or 8-Ball.
And now, there's a brawl between Boricuas and the DOA.
Get out of here. Hey.
Everybody is looking for Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Obviously, the most marked man in the history of the Royal Rumble.
Well, all they got to do is just wait a little while
because once the Royal Rumble match starts, he's got to show.
He's got to get in that ring and when he does, goodbye Mr. Austin.
-[laughs] -Ladies and gentlemen,
the tag team Championship will be on the line momentarily.
The New Age Outlaws to defend against the legends, the timeless Legion of Doom.
[victory music playing]
[Michael] They are powerful.
[crowd cheering]
-[bell ringing] -[commentator 1] Inside out. Inside out.
What a clothesline.
[Michael] They are indestructible.
[commentator 1] Doomsday device.
The doomsday device. -[commentator 2] Oh.
[Michael] They are champions.
[commentator 1] We got new champions.
-[commentator 2] He got him. -[bell ringing]
[commentator 2] What a night.
[Michael] They are legends.
[commentator 1] For 14 years, they've been together, Hawk and Animal.
And they are the originals, getting a standing ovation.
[Michael] They are the Legion of Doom
and they have defined tag team wrestling. They are tag team wrestling.
[somber music playing]
[music concludes]
[Ross] But the Road Warriors like true champions
get up after getting knocked down.
They will make their return tonight against the New Age Outlaws
with the tag team titles on the line.
And you can bet Animal and Hawk have only one thing on their minds
tonight at the Royal Rumble and that's revenge.
-["Oh You Didn't Know" playing] -[Road Dogg] Oh, you didn't know?
Your ass better call somebody.
Because you see
unless you live under a rock or in California,
you know that I'm the Road Dogg Jesse James
and this is B-A-D-D a, double crooked letter,
Badd Ass Billy Gunn.
Just like your precious 49ers,
your precious LOD is about to become a part of history as well.
Steve Young will play a major role in the Super Bowl next year.
He'll be the one telling his fat wife to fetch him another brewski. [laughs]
[Ross] The tag team Champions never had a loss for words
wearing the Green Bay jerseys,
certainly nothing more to antagonize these 49er fans here in the Bay Area.
And folks, they are legends. They're timeless.
The Legion of Doom standing by with Michael Cole.
[music concludes]
Animal and Hawk. Animal, there's been some speculation
that you weren't going to be involved in this match-up
because of a back injury.
Let's take you back. It was a few weeks ago.
Legion of Doom in the ring, and Animal, you were tossed
out of the ring by both D-Generation X and the New Age Outlaws.
Take a look at the footage.
Now, you sustained a back injury, Animal. Now, doctors have told me backstage
that they did not want you to compete in this match-up this evening.
Are those rumors true?
Well, let me tell you something first, Michael.
There wasn't a chance in hell that I was gonna miss this match tonight
at Royal Rumble.
Now, it ain't a matter of being hurt or what the doctors say.
Doctors don't know what they're talking about.
It's a matter of having a heart,
being a World Wrestling Entertainment Superstar,
sucking it up, not sitting it out and nursing your injuries.
Get your damn butt in the ring and kick some butt.
New Age Outlaws, you're going down.
Whether we become champs or not, you are gonna get your butts kicked.
Tell them, Hawk.
Well, you know something, Mikey Cole? These guys, the New Age Outlaws,
they think they're as cool as the other side of the pillow.
Well, they'll even be cooler when we're done with them tonight
because we're gonna put them on ice. [grunts] What a rush.
Gentlemen, back to ringside.
[Jerry] No doubt this-- uh-oh. Never mind.
-[crowd cheering] -[Hawk grunts] Rush!
["What A Rush" playing]
[Howard] Introducing the challengers in this tag team Championship match.
From Chicago, Illinois at a total combined weight of 583 pounds,
Road warrior Hawk, Road Warrior Animal,
the Legion of Doom.
[Ross] American originals Hawk and Animal redefining tag team wrestling in the '80s.
They won the AWA titles at '84. The NWA titles at '88.
They've been the WWE Tag Team Champions.
And no team in wrestling history…
can match-up to that, King.
-AWA, NWA, and WWE… -[grunts]
…every major tag team title that matters, the Legion of Doom have won.
[Jerry] Yeah, they've had some impressive statistics in the past
but the key word there, J.R., it's in the past.
We're talking about New Age. We're talking about today.
Look at these New Age Outlaws. Look at these guys.
This is what it's all about now. Watch this.
-[Ross] Road Dogg and Billy now. -[song concludes]
[bell ringing]
[Ross] Getting it started here with Hawk and Animal.
And if you want a street fight,
you want a back alley brawl, LOD will certainly accommodate you.
[Jerry] Uh-oh. No, no. Boom.
[Ross] Powerbomb. It may be over.
And Billy saving Road Dogg from sure defeat in the early going.
Up and over goes Billy Gunn, and Road Dogg and Billy Gunn regroups.
The Legion of Doom, tougher than week-old bread.
They come to fight.
Hawk with that one mohawk missing,
Animal with the bad back that has been documented.
As a matter of fact, ladies and gentlemen, earlier today…
[Jerry] Hey, look, look, look at this.
You know, if they walk away, they're still champions.
If they get counted out, they keep the belts.
[Ross] LOD now gonna bring the champions back.
Earlier today, it was a touch and go situation
if Animal was even gonna be able to compete in this match-up.
[Jerry] He's still under doctor's care, right?
[Ross] Absolutely. And the doctors almost didn't let him go here.
-[Jerry] Oh! -[Ross] Hard shoulder block by Hawk.
Throughout the years, the Legion of Doom had beat them all,
the Horseman, Rock 'n' Roll Express, Midnight Express, Minnesota Wrecking Crew.
Boom. There's the clothesline.
And Bob Armstrong's baby boy is in trouble.
And right to the face. And this one may just be, King,
a matter of time and no disrespect meant for the reigning tag team champions.
[Jerry] Road Dogg right now looks like Brett Favre without an offensive line.
He's getting sacked.
Right now, it's all Legion of Doom and again,
Animal with that very bad back but throughout their career,
LOD has been written all four times in the business lunch
but they keep coming back.
-[grunts] -[Ross] And it looks like Road Dogg
is either missing some teeth, busted a lip.
[Jerry] Ow.
[Ross] He's bleeding from the mouth.
Tag made. Animal tagging Hawk. These two men grew up together.
They were born in Chicago, raised in Minneapolis.
And a neckbreaker.
-[Jerry] Oh, look out. Oh. -[Ross] And certainly Hawk giving
-Road Dogg plenty to think about. -[Jerry] Yeah.
And if the Legion of Doom got anything to say about it,
there'd probably be a lot more blood seen in this match.
Look out.
[Ross] Far side. Lou Thesz press there by Hawk.
Right hands by Hawk, and Billy Gunn trying to cover up
from that right handed onslaught of Road Warrior Hawk.
I've seen this LOD on scaffolds…
-[Jerry] Look out. Look out. Look out. -…and Chicago street fights.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Well, the New Age Outlaws shaved Hawk's head,
he's trying to pull their hair out by the roots.
-Look how stupid that looks. -[Ross] Well, that's different.
I don't imagine too many folks come up to him
in the airport and tell him that.
Gunn missed the right hand. Nice suplex by Animal.
[Jerry] Yeah, but J.R., let me just say this.
The longer-- yeah, there you go.
The longer this match goes, it's got to favor the New Age Outlaws
because let's face it, the Road Warriors, they're not like wine.
They get worse with age.
-[Ross] Well, Animal-- -[Jerry] They don't have the stamina
that the New Age Outlaws have.
[Ross] Oh, powerslam. And make it a pair.
Equal opportunity man-handler is Animal.
[Jerry] They remind me right now of John Glenn. You remember him, J.R.?
The first man in space. First man to orbit the earth.
Now, he's gonna go up and fly on a shuttle again this year.
He's 77 years old. He's trying to relive his former glory.
I think that's what the Road Warriors are trying to do here.
They wanna recapture that youth. They wanna relive that former glory.
But I don't think the New Age Outlaws are gonna let them do it.
[Ross] LOD keeping Billy Gunn in their half of the ring.
We're talking about Animal's back. There's an STF.
A step over to a crossface. That's a submission move.
-I'm not so sure how… -[Jerry] STF. [chuckles]
[Ross] Another tag made.
-Quick exchanges by… -[Jerry] Look out.
…Hawk and Animal.
Isolating Billy Gunn now.
And, oh, and a trip by Road Dogg Jessie James from the outside.
Animal, up and over.
Animal has had back spasms all morning, and a right hand.
-He maybe… Wait a minute. -[Jerry] Look out.
[Ross] There's the reversal-- ow,
and that's gonna jar your insides, your liver quiver.
Cliche is apropos there.
And you got to wonder what that's gonna do to the lower back
of Road Warrior Animal that's lying-- he's lying here in front of us.
[Jerry] The lumbar, the vertebrae
and all that kind of stuff is being damaged right now.
Oh!
[Ross] Sickening thud right to the kidneys
and the lower back by Road Dogg.
Take a picture of that, Buchanan.
[Ross] What an obstinate young man is Road-- I mean, well, he's a nice kid.
[Jerry] I think Animal's trying to crawl up and retreat under the ring.
-I don't blame him. -Come on.
[Ross] I don't think the LOD can even spell "Retreat."
They're certainly not professed to it, and Hawk is in there now with Billy Gunn.
[Jerry] Ooh.
[Ross] We got the Tag champions now double-teaming Hawk.
I thought Animal was the legal man. Double clothesline, knockdown.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] Animal is hurt.
He's still outside.
[Ross] You know, the truth be known, I have a problem,
they should not have even competed in this match-up.
But that's a kind of guts.
That's a kind of fortitude
that the Legion of Doom had professed their entire career.
[Jerry] Yeah, the truth be known, both of them should be home
-watching this on TV. -[Ross chuckles]
Nothing but ring post for Hawk.
[Jerry] I bet Hawk wishes he was there right now in front of the big screen.
[Ross] So, now, Hawk has got to contend with that shoulder
as Animal is trying to get back in the ring.
And you got to know that his lower back has got to be killing him.
-[Jerry] Uh-oh. Oh. -[Ross] Hawk face-first into the steps.
-[man] LOD. -[crowd cheering] LOD.
[Jerry] What's he got?
He's got something.
-[Ross] Billy… -[Jerry] He's got a pair of handcuffs.
[Ross] What?
[Jerry] The Road Dogg is handcuffing-- who-- what,
he's handcuffed Hawk to the ring post.
[Ross] Well, Referee Jim Korderas was detained there and look at Hawk.
Animal.
[Ross] Hawk is helpless now. Hawk has been handcuffed.
[Jerry] He looks like Christian Slater over there.
[Ross chuckles]
Uh-oh.
[Animal] What's wrong?
[Ross] And the referee finally sees. Who do you think did that, ref?
-It should be a disqualification. -[Jerry] Look out.
-What? -[Ross] Double clothesline.
I would think the referee would make a judgment call here.
Wouldn't it be amazing if Animal wins the tag team titles
for the LOD single-handedly?
-[Jerry] It would be amazing all right. -[Ross] It's over.
-[Jerry] The unbelievable. -[Ross] One, two…
-[Jerry] No. -And the right shoulder
comes off the canvas.
Ow. Thumb right to the eye by Billy Gunn.
tag team titles. Hawk has been handcuffed by-- there's Hawk.
[Jerry] He's a little tied up at the moment.
[Ross] And nowhere to go.
-Billy Gunn on top. -[Jerry] Look at that. No.
[Ross] Oh, and he turned it to a powerslam.
-[Jerry] No. -And it's over now--
-hey, wait a minute. -[bell ringing]
[Ross] That would have been all of it. The LOD had the match won.
[Howard] Ladies and gentlemen, the winners of this bout
as a result of a disqualification, the Legion of Doom.
[Ross] Oh, right on the back with that chair.
-[Jerry] Ow. -[Ross] Oh, you can hear that.
-[bell ringing] -[Ross] Right on that injured back.
[Jerry] They're trying to break his back.
[Ross] And Hawk is handcuffed. He's helpless.
Come on. Two men on the injured Animal.
LOD won the match for disqualification
but that is very academic at this juncture.
The New Age Outlaws wanna end the LOD's career.
That's-- it's as simple as that.
[Jerry] And I think they're gonna get the job done.
Oh. What are they gonna do now?
[Ross] Road Dogg and Billy don't wanna ever have to face the LOD again.
-[Jerry] Oh. -[Ross] Splash right into the lower back.
-[Jerry] Oh, look. Look at that. -[Ross] Oh.
[Jerry] He just-- Hawk just broke the handcuffs.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Oh, my gosh. He's gone nuts.
[Ross] Hawk has broke those handcuffs. What an adrenaline rush he had to have.
But the bottom line here
is that the New Age Outlaws are gonna retain the Tag titles.
And man, Animal is hurt.
-He is hurt badly. -[crowd boos]
[Ross] New Age Outlaws are lucky.
They're lucky that they didn't lose the titles
because Animal had the match won
-with the powerslam. -[Howard] The winners of this bout
as a result of a disqualification, the Legion of Doom.
-[Hawk grunts] Rush!
-["What A Rush" playing] -[Ross] New Age Outlaws are lucky
they are still the tag team champions.
They're like the old boy that went out on his lawn,
the sprinkler came on and started spilling oil. They're lucky.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] I got to say they're smart.
They simply outsmarted
the legendary Legion of Doom and left them laying.
[Ross] Now, it's time to give our truck away.
-[song concludes] -Stone Cold Steve Austin
giving his truck away
-and I'm pretty excited about this, King. -Well, I'll tell you what.
You know what, I don't think Stone Cold is gonna need it
because believe me, he's not gonna be driving away
from that Royal Rumble match. He's gonna be carried out.
He'll be leaving here in an ambulance. He's not gonna need truck anymore.
[Ross] Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of Stone Cold's truck
-is from Nashville, Tennessee. -[Jerry] Hey.
[Ross] Her name is Mildred Bowers and Mildred,
Jerry Lawler will be by every other Saturday
to make sure that truck stays nice and shinny.
-King, good job. -[Jerry] Boy, I'll tell you.
Mildred, I understand she's having a big Royal Rumble party
there in Nashville.
I bet she's going right through the roof of her trailer. [laughs]
Well, folks, we are just about-- it's about time now
for the Royal Rumble match. And as we have documented,
Stone Cold Steve Austin,
no doubt has the big bullseye on his chest.
Austin has kind of marked
-his turf in the last several weeks… -Right.
-…going into the Royal Rumble. -He's made his bed.
-Now, he's gonna have to lie in it. -No doubt about it.
Let's take you back, ladies and gentlemen,
and show you why Stone Cold is a marked man.
[rock music playing]
[Ross] Wait a minute, that's no limousine.
That's the toughest sob in the WWE. Stone Cold is here.
And I have to promise you, business is about to pick up.
Austin's got a bullseye on his chest.
If I'm a marked man, I'll tell any one of the WWE Superstars, whoever they are,
in my book, they ain't nothing but trash.
[Ross] Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
The rattlesnake strikes.
All you got to do is bring your ass out of here
because Stone Cold has got-- his time has come.
[Ross] And it didn't take Austin long to begin where he left off last Monday.
[Jerry] Certainly did not. The Godwinns found themselves recipients of stunners.
Steve Austin does what he wants, when he wants.
-[Jerry] What's he doing? -[bell ringing]
[Ross] Austin with the stunner on Goldust.
You say I'm a marked man. I say you're full of you know what.
[Ross] Something going on, ladies and gentlemen,
back in the locker room.
And that's the bottom line, why, because Stone Cold said so.
[Jerry] What's he doing? Look out.
Oh, hell yeah.
No more Mr. Nice Guy until after this Rumble.
They could just think they could win the Rumble,
give me a, "Hell yeah," and I'll give a, "Oh, hell yeah."
[Jerry] Everybody's gonna come out for him tonight.
And you know what, he deserves it.
[music concludes]
[Ross] Well, ladies and gentlemen,
there you see the baddest man on the planet.
He's a huge Stone Cold Steve Austin fan from what we understand.
There you see it. Stone Cold is number one.
Iron Mike having a great time there with Shane McMahon.
-They both look ready. -[Howard] Ladies and gentlemen,
it is now time for the 1998 Royal Rumble match.
-[Jerry] Here we go. Yoo-hoo. -[crowd cheering]
[Howard] Here are the rules, in just a few moments those individuals
who drew numbers one and two respectively will enter the ring
and the Rumble match begins.
Every two minutes thereafter, another Superstar enters the ring
according to the number he drew.
Elimination occurs in this contest when a Superstar
is thrown over the top rope and both feet must touch the floor.
-[Jerry] Both feet. -[Howard] The individual
who remains in the ring after all competitors
have entered will be declared the winner of the Rumble match
and will go on to WrestleMania 14
for a WWE championship match.
And now, let's find out who drew number one.
[Jerry] Oh, here we go.
-Do you know, J.R.? -["Whole Lotta Groove" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Howard] Ladies and gentlemen, from Truth or Consequences, New Mexico,
Cactus Jack.
There are some Dude Love fans.
Too bad, Dude couldn't be here.
[Ross] Cactus Jack, the alter ego of Mick Foley
can be colder than a mother-in-law's kiss.
And he will pull out every stop. It's every man for himself.
The winner of this match will meet the WWE champion,
whomever that maybe at the one and only WrestleMania 14.
[Jerry] Let's find out who's number two. Come on, Fink.
[song concludes]
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Number two, here we go.
-[Howard] And now… -[Ross] Hey, listen.
-…number two. -[Chainsaw buzzing]
-[Jerry] Whoa, wait a minute. -[crowd cheering]
[Howard] Chainsaw Charlie.
[Ross] I wonder what Cactus Jack thinks of this.
They have been tag team partners in recent weeks here in the WWE.
Their alter egos have-- well, I mean, Terry Funk, of course…
[Jerry] Watch this, J.R., watch this chainsaw.
This guy is a complete lunatic.
He's just taking the chainsaw in the ring.
Watch it. He can throw that thing right over here.
[shrieks]
[Ross] Good grief, we got chairs and chainsaws.
And we're just getting started.
[Jerry] This is gonna be a war.
-[bell ringing] -[Jerry] A chainsaw.
[Ross] And the match is underway. Now, remember in this match,
there's only one way to be eliminated.
It's gonna be thrown over the top rope and both feet have to hit the floor.
Or you'll have one of your major limbs lopped off by a chainsaw.
I bet that was a memo made late yesterday.
-Ooh. What a chair shot there. -[Jerry] Yeah, get that out of there, ref.
Hear that all the way out in Amarillo, Texas,
that old double cross ranch. We got dueling chairs.
Long way from dueling banjos.
[Jerry] Look at Chainsaw Charlie.
I thought these guys are supposed to be friends, J.R.
-[Ross] It's every man for himself… -[Jerry] Look.
…in the Royal Rumble, King.
-It's almost like Chainsaw… -[Jerry] Oh, my goodness.
Good lord. What a shot right to the cranium.
[Jerry] And that-- he asked for it. He said, "Go ahead, give it to me."
I think that might have knocked the funk out of him.
-[Ross] Let's listen… -[Jerry] He wants another one.
-[Ross] Please give me another, sir. -[Jerry] He's a nut.
Oh, now they're gonna… Wait a minute.
Oh, you talk about a nut. Look at this.
Oh, my God.
[Ross] Folks, any way you slice it,
the human anatomy was not constructed to take these shots to the head.
Let's be honest about it.
Those are not stuntman chairs. They're just metal folding chairs.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] These guys are tag team partners.
-[Ross] Uh-oh. Look out here. -[Jerry] It's every man for himself.
[crowd] Five, four, three, two, one.
[Ross] We'll have another man coming out here momentarily.
-[bell buzzes] -["Killing Me" playing]
-[Jerry] Look. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Tom Brandi, the big Italian on his way to the ring.
And Chainsaw Charlie also known as Terry Funk,
Cactus Jack double-teaming Brandi
who's had his troubles in recent weeks with…
-[Jerry] Look out. -[Ross] Well, goodbye Tom.
And now we're back to our chair shot contest.
Funk, Cactus Jack, Chainsaw Charlie, whatever you wanna call it.
-Chainsaw, the left-hander. -[Jerry] Funk has those fists taped up.
The whole Funk family, you know, they're all a bunch of idiots.
I think their gene pool could've used a little more chlorine.
And Terry's the most stupid one of them all.
[Ross] Chainsaw Charlie elevated there by Cactus Jack.
Cactus Jack,Dude Love, these guys all got an identity crisis.
Terry Funk's so stupid. He thinks he's Chainsaw Charlie.
-In fact, you're a King. -[Jerry] Look at this.
-[Ross]There's no sense… -[Jerry] Oh.
[Ross] Oh, my goodness. Oh, goodness gracious.
Chainsaw Charlie may be middle-aged and crazy
but he is quivering in pain
after that suplex on those two metal folding chairs.
[Jerry] I know one thing. These two guys will never be the same.
Uh-oh, that's it for Chain.
[Ross] No. They were never normal to start with.
-[Jerry] You're not lying. -[Ross] Remember, to be eliminated,
you got to be thrown over the top rope to the floor.
[crowd Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
-[Ross] Our fourth competitor. -[bell buzzes]
["Electrifying" playing]
-[Ross] Oh, it's The Rock. -[Jerry cheers]
[Ross] The Intercontinental Champion, The Rock,
who earlier tonight had a grueling match with Ken Shamrock.
[Jerry] As you like to say it, business is about to pick up.
The Rock is so good. He reminds me of myself.
Let's see what he does.
-Oh. -[Ross] Chainsaw Charlie
and Cactus Jack both may have sustained some concussions here.
-It may be like shooting fish in a barrel… -[Jerry] Yeah.
…for the Intercontinental Champion.
[Jerry] Go ahead. The Rock will flip these guys
out of the ring like a cheese omelet.
[Ross] Boy, this is gonna test The Rock's conditioning.
Look at Chainsaw. He's getting his overhaul-- his overhaul right now.
Hard right hands by The Rock. And now, Cactus Jack's got that trash can.
[Jerry] Oh, Rock. Look out, Rock. Rock, behind you.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] Look at the dent in the trash can.
Rocky's head…
[Jerry] Look out.
…made a dent in the trash can.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Oh, no way. Oh, oh.
These guys are idiots.
[Ross] Maivia is not gonna last long
-in that ring. -[Jerry] Oh, no. Oh, no.
[Ross] Maivia goes through the ropes. Not over the top.
He is still in this match-up. Remember-- oh, look at that shot.
Chainsaw just went death stare on his friend.
Can you imagine what he would do to his enemies?
[crowd] Four, three, two, one.
[bell buzzes]
-["The Headbangers" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Headbanger Mosh now on his way.
-And… Oh, my. -[Jerry] Whoa.
[Ross] Chainsaw has thrown a chair at Mosh.
[Jerry] Mosh just likes to get his head banged.
[Ross] Headbangers will be making
their first appearance in the Royal Rumble here.
Expect to see Thrasher at some point.
[Jerry] Well, when Thrasher comes out here,
it could wind up Thrasher against Mosh.
-It's every man for himself, J.R. -[Ross] Absolutely.
[Jerry] Nobody is playing favorites. Nobody is being partners.
You saw that with Chainsaw and Cactus.
[Ross] Chainsaw able to hold on there and not going to the floor.
Very simple concept.
No disqualifications, no count outs, there's no pinfalls.
Literally, anything goes and the only way to be eliminated
is to be thrown over the top rope
and both of your feet must touch the floor.
[Jerry] Just look at the idiots that are in this ring right now.
Chainsaw, Mosh, Cactus Jack.
I feel like calling Unsolved Mysteries and say, "Hey, I found everybody."
-[Ross] What's Chainsaw doing here? -[Jerry] Look at that.
-[Ross] Chainsaw, a moonsault. -[Jerry] And he missed it. [laughs]
[Ross] Well, he is-- by his own admission, he's middle-aged and crazy,
as Cactus Jack left-footing it all, stomping away at The Rock.
[crowd] Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…
-[Ross] You hear the fans counting down. -…five, four,
three, two, one.
-[bell buzzes] -[Jerry] Who is it?
-["The Godwinns" playing] -[Ross] Uh-oh.
He's six-seven, 300 plus pounds.
He's about a biscuit away from 315 is Phineas Godwinn.
Living proof of what happens when first cousins marry.
I'm gonna tell you something. We're fixed to have
five Superstars in the ring
and only one brain between them and that's in the head of The Rock.
[song concludes]
Phineas Godwinn.
Certainly the rivalry between
the Godwinns and the Headbangers is well-documented.
Both Godwinns and Headbangers had been tag team champions
but this is not about the tag team title.
This is about wrestling in the main event at the biggest event in history,
WrestleMania 14, and wrestling for the title.
That's what's at stake for 29 athletes that remain.
Tom Brandi, the only man to be eliminated thus far.
[Jerry] And that was all because he had the misfortune
of being in there with Chainsaw Charlie and Cactus Jack at the same time.
[Ross] Remember, it's every man for himself here.
As Phineas Godwinn is working over Chainsaw Charlie,
we got Cactus Jack paired up with headbanger Mosh,
and The Rock is coasting, taking a cheap shot there.
I guess there's really no such thing as a cheap shot
when it's every man for himself.
[Jerry] Every man for himself and the winner gets to meet the champion
-at WrestleMania. -[crowd] Ten, nine,
eight, seven, six, five, four,
-three, two, one. -[Jerry] I think The Rock is hoping
for somebody sane to come through that opening.
-[bell buzzes] -[crowd cheering]
-[“8 Ball” playing] -[Jerry] Uh-oh. He won't like that.
[Ross] There's our seventh entrance, 8-Ball.
I wonder if seven will be his lucky number.
And no love lost
-between DOA and the Nation. -[song concludes]
[Ross] Phineas hanging on for dear life in that bottom rope.
[Jerry] And look at 8-Ball, he's right on The Rock.
Look out. There goes Cactus Jack. He's out. He's out.
[Ross] Cactus Jack got out-maneuvered there,
outsmarted perhaps by Chainsaw Charlie. And Cactus Jack has been eliminated.
[Jerry] J.R., I got a little scoop for you.
I got sources in the back and somebody has just informed me
that someone, and I'm not gonna say who, has got to Stone Cold Steve Austin.
He may not even make it into the Rumble.
[Ross] Austin would have to be hospitalized not to get out here.
-If he had come out on one leg, Austin… -[Jerry] That may be the case.
[Ross] The Rock hammering away on the veteran, Chainsaw Charlie,
-who just eliminated Cactus Jack. -[Jerry] And look at this.
Look at Chainsaw.
He knows how to twine those legs around that rope
to keep him from falling.
[Ross] But there's not a trick that Chainsaw doesn't know.
He's holding on.
[Jerry] He's been around since Colonel Sanders was a private.
[crowd] Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,
-five, four, three… -[Jerry] I'll tell you who this won't be.
-It won't be Stone Cold Steve Austin. -…two, one.
-[bell buzzes] -["Hawk" playing]
-[Jerry grunts] -[Ross] Look at this big man.
-[Ross] Blackjack Bradshaw. -[Jerry] He's mean.
-[Ross] 6'6". -[Jerry] He's real mean.
-[Ross] Three hundred pounds. -[Jerry] He's meaner than mean. Look out.
[music fades]
[grunts]
[Ross] This is right down on Bradshaw's alley.
He's a street fighter,
-Barroom Brawler, if you will. -[Jerry] All this--
-All these Texans love a good fight. -[grunts]
-Let's go! -Come on!
[Ross] Bradshaw and company trying to get Chainsaw Charlie up and over.
Chainsaw has pretzeled himself in the ropes on more than one occasion.
8-Ball hammering away at Bradshaw.
[Jerry] I wonder what Mike Tyson thinks of all this. [chuckles]
-Let's go! Let's go! -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Well, I'll tell you what. Every time we've seen Mike,
he's been a-- He had a smile on his face, having a great time…
-[Jerry] Yeah, well, I'll tell you what. -[Ross] …and we hope you are too, folks.
[Jerry] I wish Mike Tyson would come down here
and sit with you and I, J.R.
I wish he would get within arms' reach of me.
-[Ross] Oh, come on, King. -[Jerry] Yeah,
Don King and Vince McMahon made him out to be Superman.
Well, I'm showing a little kryptonite right here on the end of my right arm.
-[Ross] We'll have a big announcement… -[Jerry] Look out.
[Ross] …from Mike Tyson tomorrow night.
We think Mike Tyson will be in the ring tomorrow night on Raw.
[Jerry] Huh?
[Ross] I can't wait to see that and hear that major announcement.
[indistinct clamoring]
[Jerry] A lot of speculation about what's gonna happen
-when Mike Tyson shows up at raw. -[crowd] Nine, eight, seven, six,
-five, four, three, two… -[Jerry] Who we got? Who we got?
-Bring him on. -[Ross] Here come number nine.
-[buzzer buzzes] -[crowd cheering]
-[upbeat music] -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Wait-- It's.
Wait a minute. That's Jeff Jarrett and Cornette.
The N.W.A representatives attacking Owen Hart from behind.
[Jerry] Oh, look at Cornette.
-Oh. -[crowd booing]
[Jerry] Cornette, what a dastardly attack.
-[Jerry] Ow. Wow. -[Ross] Owen rammed face-first.
Cornette's a-- and Cornette's a stain on the underwear of life.
[indistinct clamoring]
[Jerry] Jarrett and Cornette,
all for the N.W.A, should really be proud of these guys.
Owen Hart, the number nine entrant.
[Ross] No way Owen Hart is gonna be able to compete here.
[Jerry] They can not get Jeff Jarrett off of him, uh-huh.
[Ross] Boy, I bet that makes all the folks in Tennessee proud of that jumper.
Jarrett is no more than a back jumper.
[Jerry] I guarantee you, Mildred Bowers up in Nashville is real happy now.
[Ross] Well, that-- That certainly throws a monkey wrench
in the sole survivor, the Black Hart,
Owen Hart's opportunity to wrestle the champion at Wrestlemania.
Looks like Owen Hart is gonna be out of the Rumble.
[Jerry] And it took a little wind out of the sails of Mike Tyson.
Did you see Mike Tyson jumping up, cheering for Owen Hart?
Phineas knocking down The Rock.
-Maivia was the fourth guy in this thing. -[crowd] Ten…
-[Jerry] We're up to number nine. -[crowd] …nine, eight…
[Jerry] And our tenth entrant… -[crowd] …seven, six…
-[Jerry] …is coming out momentarily. -[crowd] …five, four, three, two, one.
-[crowd cheering] -[buzzer buzzes]
-["Groundshaker" playing] -[Ross] Uh-oh.
The martial arts expert Steve Blackman, from Annville, Pennsylvania
making his first Rumble appearance.
And Blackman going right for Chainsaw Charlie.
And you got to know that the fatigue has got to be setting…
-[Jerry] Oh! -[Ross] Chainsaw…
[Jerry] No, his feet haven't touched the ground. He's still in.
[Ross] Boy, I'll tell you what, that old dog can hunt.
He knows his way around that squared circle
as well as anybody possibly could.
I'll tell you what. I'm impressed by Maivia, as I--
-as I said, the fourth guy in. -[Jerry] Oh, no, look at this.
-Chainsaw… -[Ross] Piledriver.
[Jerry] …dropped right on his head.
8-Ball dropping Chainsaw on his head with the piledriver.
I don't know if Chainsaw didn't like that.
He might like having his brain scrambled, who knows.
[Jerry] What brain? I'm still getting information fed to me
through my headphone from my very reliable source.
I'm not exactly sure yet who got to Stone Cold Steve Austin,
but it may have been Ken Shamrock.
[Ross] Well, as soon as that's confirmed-- Uh-oh.
As soon as that's confirmed
if that is what happened, folks, we'll pass it on to you.
[Jerry] What do you mean as soon as that's confirmed?
Do I look like I'm factually challenged or something?
[Ross] Well, uh, you've been known to, yes.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Man, Bradshaw can manhandle him.
He is a monster, this young man.
[Jerry] Look at Blackman.
[Ross] Blackman teetering on elimination here.
[Jerry] And look at The Rock. This guy is in great condition.
[Ross] Blackman hanging on. Blackman is gonna…
-[crowd] Nine, eight… -[Ross] …hang in there.
-Wait a minute. Chainsaw almost goes out. -[crowd] …seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one.
-[buzzer buzzes] -[crowd cheering]
-["We Are The Nation" playing] -[Ross] Here comes the second member
of five Nation of Domination members
that will be competing here in the Royal Rumble match-up
and if the old cliché means anything, strength in numbers,
the Nation may be the entity, the team to beat.
[Jerry] It's every man for himself, J.R.
[Ross] Chainsaw upside down in more ways than one,
holding on for dear life. You see Bradshaw.
And now, Mosh trying to eliminate the veteran,
Blackman pairing off with The Rock.
[Jerry] I did see a little bit of a look of relief on the face of The Rock
when he heard that music for the Nation and D'Lo Brown on his way out here.
I would think that they would try to eliminate everybody else
before they went at each other.
[crowd clamoring]
[Ross] And now, Bradshaw is hitting anything than moves,
The Rock choking Blackman, D'Lo goes head-first into the turnbuckle.
[Jerry] Well, that's the way to nullify Steve Blackman.
He's a martial arts expert.
He's got to be up on his feet trying to kick you or something,
as long as he's down like that, he's no threat.
[Ross] This is a new environment for Blackman who admittedly
is still learning his way around.
[Jerry] Well, this is a good way to get a degree in the school
of hard knocks right here, the Royal Rumble match.
[Ross] Rock and D'Lo.
Oh, look at--
-Now, Rocky and D'Lo hooking it up. -[Jerry] Look at this. Look at this.
-I can't believe this. -[Ross] It's every man for himself.
-[Jerry] I thought I said that. -[crowd cheering]
-[Ross] Bradshaw, this-- -[crowd] Ten…
-[Ross] The kick right to the face… -[crowd] …nine…
-[Ross] …gets D'Lo in the face. -[crowd] …eight, seven, six,
-five, four, three… -[Jerry] No matter who wins this
-is gonna get a shot at the champion. -[crowd] …two, one!
-[buzzer buzzes] -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] It could be anybody-- Uh-oh.
[Ross] It could be that guy. Seven feet tall, 350 pounds.
This guy is a big, big, huge monster. It's Kurrgan "The Interrogator."
[Jerry] And look at Chainsaw. He's extending a hand.
[Ross] Yeah, I'll try to make friends with this guy myself.
Boy, he's gonna take a-- It's gonna take a winch,
as in a backhoe type machinery, to get this Kurrgan over the top rope.
[Jerry] Everybody's pounding on him. He's taking it all so far.
[Ross] I haven't seen Kurrgan go off his feet
unless he's delivering an offensive move.
[bone cracking]
[Jerry] These guys are smart. They'd all gang up on him.
That's their only hope.
[Ross] That used to be the strategy with the late great André the Giant.
Several men will gang up on him and usually that didn't work either.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] And there goes Mosh.
[Jerry] I don't know if there are enough men
in the ring right now to gang up on Kurrgan to get him out.
-[Ross] Kurrgan easily eliminates Mosh. -[Jerry] Wow. Wait--
That might have gotten him out if it had connected.
[Ross] I don't know.
[Jerry] Oh.
-[Ross] Kurrgan is seven feet tall. -[shouts indistinctly]
He's a freak of nature if I ever saw one.
[Jerry] What?
What do you think he would look like to Max Mini?
Whoo, a hideous freak of nature.
-Ow. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] We're trying to get you an update on Owen Hart, ladies and gentlemen.
He's attacked, as you saw, by Jeff Jarrett
-along with that slime Jim Cornette. -[crowd] Ten, nine, eight,
-seven, six… -[Jerry] How about trying to get an update
on Steve Austin?
I've already told you half the facts.
[Ross] Well, that hasn't been confirmed.
My word is my bond.
-[buzzer ringing] -[crowd cheering]
-["Rough Rock" playing] -[Ross] Whoa.
Marvelous Marc Mero and the lovely Sable on their way out here.
[Jerry] Marvelous Marc, now there's a boxer.
I wonder what Mike Tyson thinks about Marvelous Marc.
[Ross] Sable very popular,
but Mero needs one of those charisma bypasses
and the former New York State Golden Gloves Champion
is going right for his fists.
Suddenly this Royal Rumble match--
Oh, look at Bradshaw and Kurrgan, resembles a street fight.
Every man for himself, anything goes.
-And-- -[Jerry] And there he goes, Blackman.
Kurrgan eliminated another one. Anything goes and anyone goes.
I asked earlier, I wonder what Tyson thinks
about Marvelous Marc,
more importantly I wonder what-- I wonder what Mike Tyson thinks of Sable.
Whoo!
Hard right hand connected there
on poor Chainsaw Charlie from Marvelous Marc.
-Look at The Rock. -[Ross] The Rock, a thoroughbred,
the Intercontinental Champion, the fourth man in.
-We're up to 13 entrance… -[Jerry grunts]
[Ross] …and Maivia-- The Rock I should say,
is, uh, he's just getting a second win, it looks like.
[Jerry] That's right. He's got to pace himself, J.R.
He's got it goin' out.
[Ross] Kurrgan just manhandled Phineas Godwinn.
-And look at Bradshaw, six-six, 300… -[crowd] Ten…
-[Ross] …he doesn't look so big compared -[crowd] …nine, eight…
-[Ross] …to Kurrgan. -[crowd] …seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one. [cheering]
-[buzzer buzzes] -[crowd cheering]
-["The Ultimate" playing] -[Jerry] Uh-oh.
Here's the man that did in Stone Cold.
[Ross] You better look out, Rocky Maivia.
Here comes Shamrock.
And Shamrock going right to the biggest man of the match.
Look at Shamrock. Those kicks right to the quadriceps.
-A karate kick knocks down the giant. -[Jerry] He knocked Kurrgan down.
Look at this.
-[Ross] They're ganging up on Kurrgan. -[Jerry] They must have heard me.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] Oh, there he goes.
-Kurrgan. -[grunts]
[Ross] It took six or seven men
-to eliminate Kurrgan. -[grunts]
[Jerry] Am I smart or what?
Where's the Jackyl when you need him? Where's the Truth Commission?
[crowd cheering]
[shouting indistinctly]
[Jerry] Well, you got to give Ken Shamrock credit.
He helped eliminate Kurrgan the Giant
but I'm surprised they even let Shamrock come back out here
after the way he attacked that referee. He should be suspended.
[Ross] Well, I'm sure Commissioner Slaughter
appreciates your input on that one.
Shamrock now is gonna hammer away on Phineas Godwinn.
Old Chainsaw Charlie is hanging tough. He was the second man entered.
He eliminated Cactus Jack earlier.
And look at Bradshaw.
-Well, Bradshaw is a big horse. -[Jerry] Huge.
-[Jerry] Oh. -[Ross] Big foot right to the face
of D'Lo Brown by Bradshaw.
Do you-- Rocky Maivia, The Rock, knocks down Chainsaw Charlie.
[Jerry] We're about halfway through this Royal Rumble match.
The 15th guy is gonna be coming out here
-in about eight seconds. -[crowd] Eight, seven, six,
five, four, three…
[Jerry] Where is Stone Cold, is what I wanna know.
It's not gonna be him.
-[buzzer buzzes] -["Mosh & Thrasher" playing]
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] Who is--
Oh. The other Headbanger.
Headbanger Thrasher will not have his partner Mosh
to assist him even though it's every man for himself.
-Mosh… -[Jerry] I miss Mosh. Is Mosh gone?
[Ross] He's the fifth man in. He went-- He's already been eliminated.
-Mosh is eliminated by Kurrgan. -[Jerry] Oh, that's right.
[Ross] And now D'Lo. He's choking The Rock.
[Jerry] What is up with D'Lo?
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] That's a great example of every man for himself,
if there ever was one and what a knockdown by Thrasher and by Bradshaw.
Bradshaw, if he just chills you with those right hands.
[Jerry] You know what, we guess it boils down to this.
Everybody wants to be the champion.
Whether it makes brothers go against brothers,
tag team partners go against partners, doesn't matter.
Every man wants to be the man.
Look at Marvelous Marc.
Hey, Tyson, can you see that? Take some lesson. Look at that footwork.
Oh.
[Ross] I don't think there's anything that…
[Jerry] That the great Mero can teach Mike Tyson about boxing, huh?
[Ross] Get Tyson down here. I'll show him a thing or two.
[grunts]
[Jerry] What's Tyson? About 5'11"?
-If I hit him with one of my uppercuts…
-[Ross] Oh, you. -[Jerry] …he'll be six-five.
[Ross] Good grief, King.
[Jerry] Look at D'Lo now. It's not too smart to be up that high, D'Lo.
[crowd] Ten, nine, eight…
-[Ross] We're past the halfway point here. -[crowd] …seven, six, five…
[Ross] Will this be Stone Cold Steve Austin?
-[Jerry] No. -[Ross] Where is Austin?
-[buzzer buzzes] -[crowd cheering]
-[Jerry] Hey. -[Ross] Wait a minute.
-[Jerry] Wait a minute. -[Ross] Yeah.
[Jerry] Oh, my gosh. This ain't right.
[Ross] Wait, I'm a little confused here.
[Jerry] Somebody is not gonna have a nice day.
-[Ross] Well, Mankind… -[Jerry] Look at this.
[Ross] Going right for Chainsaw Charlie.
Though Chainsaw is about to lose…
[Jerry] It's déjà vu all over again.
-And Mankind… -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] …eliminates Chainsaw Charlie. Turnabout is fair play.
Yeah, Chainsaw Charlie had eliminated Cactus Jack.
[Ross] Well Chainsaw did a yeoman's effort there.
He was the second man in.
We've had 16 men in.
Do you think he's on his way back to the zoo for more training?
That guy's a nut. Chainsaw or Terry Funk or who ever he is.
-All right. -[Jerry] Oh, did you see that?
[Ross] Rock and D'Lo double teaming Mankind.
Bradshaw taken down.
-[Jerry] 8-Ball is hanging tough too. -[Ross] He certainly is.
This-- Oh, look at Shamrock.
Shamrock wants some more of The Rock.
[Jerry] He got him.
[Jerry] What an uppercut, like one of mine.
Shamrock should be the Intercontinental Champion right now
-but he's not. -[Ross] The Rock is.
[Jerry] Well, if Shamrock hadn't brought those brass knuckles in the ring.
Rock is teetering on elimination.
[crowd] Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,
-five, four, three, two, one! -[Jerry] Who is it? Who is-- Oh.
-[Ross] Number 17. -[buzzer buzzes]
-["Gold-Lust" playing] -[Jerry] Oh, wow.
[Ross] Goldust with his sidekick Luna.
[Jerry] The artist formerly known as Goldust gets a rude welcome
from Mankind.
[Ross] He is a emotional indolent.
-[Jerry] A what? -[Ross] It's the Dream's boy.
Talk about dysfunctional.
[Jerry] You got to admit. Goldust puts the fun in dysfunctional.
You got to love him, J.R.
[woman] Go Shamrock!
[Jerry] We have Mero-- He's taking a-- He's taking a hiatus.
[Ross] Mero's at-- Look at Mero.
-What an egomaniac. -[Jerry] Yeah.
[Ross] He wants all the attention
and can't stand it when people chant Sable.
-Oh! -[Jerry] There went…
-Goldust just eliminated Mankind. -[Ross] Mankind.
[Jerry] Yeah, you're out, Mankind. Beat it.
[Ross] Mankind has been eliminated… by Goldust.
[Jerry] The artist formerly known as Goldust.
-[Ross] And Shamrock get taken by… -[Jerry] And look at Marvelous Marc.
He's chipping away at The Rock, is Shamrock.
-A shot to the kidneys by Bradshaw. [crowd] Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,
-five, four, three, two, one! -[crowd cheering]
-[Ross] It's… -[buzzer buzzes]
-It's, uh… -["New Kind of Power" playing]
[Jerry] Yes. It's my fellow Tennessean.
[Ross] The N.W.A. North American heavyweight champion
and his first-- Well, mentor, I guess, I don't know what Cornette's association.
Look who's here.
[Ross] And Jeff and Owen Hart earlier, Owen Hart received medical attention.
We don't know Owen Hart's status.
[Jerry] I'd tell you this. He won't be back. He's hurt.
[Ross] Jarrett, the N.W.A. representative in this matchup.
I'm sure Lou Thesz is watching in Virginia Beach.
Probably just getting a little nauseous
looking at the representation led by Cornette.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] I would say that Owen Hart…
[Ross] There's Owen Hart. There's Owen Hart.
[Jerry] What's he doing here?
[Ross] Owen Hart go right after Jeff Jarrett.
-Wait a minute. -[Ross] Owen Hart,
the sole survivor, is manhandling Jeff Jarrett.
[Jerry] He's a Black Hart. He's not supposed to be out here now.
He was eliminated. Look at this.
[Ross] He was not eliminated. He never even made it to the ring
until he was ambushed by Cornette and Jarrett,
specifically Jarrett.
Where's Cornette now? Do something, Jimmy.
The concessive stand. What a back heel kick.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] A what?
[Ross] Owen Hart, who has won every championship…
-but the big one. -[crowd cheering]
-[Ross] Owen would not go over. -[Jerry] Look out Jeff. Behind you.
[Ross] And Jeff Jarrett,
-he's just thrown this way to elimination. -[crowd cheering]
-Goodbye, N.W.A.. -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] No way. Jimmy.
[upbeat music playing]
[Jerry] The greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time,
-The Honky Tonk Man. -[Ross] Wait a minute.
[Ross] There's-- What is Helmsley and Chyna, the D-Generation X.
That's the European champion Hunter Hearst Helmsley along with Chyna.
Helmsley is not entered in this matchup. He is not been cleared to wrestle.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] And--
And The Rock just eliminated Shamrock.
Beautiful.
Great.
[Jerry] Look at that.
[Jerry] Owen Hart has major difficulties with DX, specifically Triple H.
The European champion.
-Owen is-- Whoa, Chyna… -[Jerry] Whoa, no.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] Oh, my--
What a cheap shot.
-[Jerry] What are you talking about? -[Ross] What a dastardly shot by Helmsley.
[Jerry] Owen was gonna hit Chyna with a crutch.
-[Ross] I was not. -[Jerry] I saw it.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley not even in this match
-has eliminated Owen Hart. -[Jerry] Yeah, hospitalize him.
Put him back there with Stone Cold Steve Austin.
[Ross] Well, there's gonna be hell to pay someday for Owen Hart
and Hunter Hearst Helmsley going nose to nose.
-[crowd clamoring] -[Ross] Leave him alone, he's injured.
-What an arrogant man, is Helmsley. -[Jerry] What?
Watch your language, Ross.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Man, that's a fight. It's pandemonium.
-[crowd cheering] -[whistle blowing]
-[Jerry] Believe me ain't gonna be Austin. -[buzzer buzzes]
["Pearl River Rip" playing]
[Jerry] Owen found out.
[Ross] Owen Hart has been injured, I'll tell you why.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] Uh-oh.
[Ross] Ahmed Johnson. I guess he's gonna be the only man
to compete in the Royal Rumble wearing earrings.
[Jerry] What a fashion statement.
If he was a little smarter, he'd know how stupid that looked.
[Ross] Ahmed Johnson certainly has had his share
of injuries in his career.
He says he's at a 100 percent.
[Rossmy] Well, he's got to be tested right now.
[Ross] Uh-oh.
Oh, big headbutt.
[Jerry] Ahmed with a headbutt on Phineas going right to D'Lo Brown.
Ahmed's had a rivalry with the D-Generation X well-documented.
Oh, my cousin, The Honka Tonk Man, I mean, The Honky Tonk Man.
He's safe now.
[Ross] Ladies and gentlemen, we're gonna show you momentarily
what led to Shamrock's elimination by The Rock.
And, uh, you'll see here,
keep your eye there on Rock getting up to his knees
and boom, the low blow, no doubt about it,
and the low blow then was followed by tossing Shamrock up and over.
So, by any means necessary.
[Jerry] You see everything, don't you, J.R.?
-[crowd] …six, five… -[Ross] Well, it pays to pay attention,
-King. -[Jerry] Yeah.
[crowd] …four, three, two, one!
[buzzer buzzes]
-["We Are The Nation" playing] -[Ross] And here comes the biggest
and the newest member of the Nation
of Domination, the 400-plus pound Mark Henry,
the world's strongest man.
[Jerry] Whoa. You know what, he might just lift up one corner
of that ring and dump everybody out of it.
[Ross] Mark Henry, one of 17 Superstars
making their first Royal Rumble match appearance.
[Jerry] And I'd say he's an odds-on favorite right now.
-Look out. -[Ross] Ooh.
[Ross] Mark Henry going right to Ahmed Johnson.
And Mark Henry is handling the big Johnson
with those clubbing tree-like arms.
[Jerry] This match power here.
[Ross] Look at D'Lo Brown and he's just, uh,
giving Mark Henry some encouragement, but not helping,
but give him some encouragement.
And now the double team on Ahmed Johnson, here comes 8-Ball.
[Jerry] Hey, what about The Honky Tonk Man,
give him some credit.
He's still hanging in there-- Oh, he is hanging.
[Ross] Honky Tonk Man…
[Jerry] I think he would tell The Rock
that he is the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time.
[Ross] Ironically enough, this is the Honky Tonk Man's only
second appearance in a Royal Rumble match.
[Rossmy] Is that right? He's like a rookie.
[Ross] Ahmed Johnson now hurting for certain
and the fatigue factor has got to be setting in.
[Jerry] Whoa. Hey, did you see that?
-[crowd] Seven, six, five, four, three… -[Ross] Ahmed got powder on his eyes.
-[Jerry] From what? -[crowd] …two, one!
[buzzer buzzes]
[Jerry] Don't stand up, J.R., it won't be Austin.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Is that-- I wonder if this was Austin's…
[Jerry] Yes, I guarantee it, that's it. This was supposed to be Austin's turn.
I told you I'm always right, J.R. Don't ever doubt me.
What number was that?
-[Ross] I think it was, uh, 22. -[Jerry] Yeah, that's it.
-Oh! -[Ross] Ahmed Johnson eliminated there…
by the Nation of Domination.
-They needed some help… -[Jerry] Look out, there goes Phineas.
[Ross] Phineas Godwinn up and over, took out the referee as well.
[Jerry] Right on top of the referee's head.
[Ross] Ahmed has been eliminated. Phineas Godwinn eliminated.
Hang in there, Honky Tonk.
[Ross] Ahmed and Phineas are gonna fight all the way to the back.
We'll show you how Phineas Godwinn was eliminated.
-Right here. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Mark Henry with great power elevated Phineas Godwinn
who smacked Jack Doan inadvertently in the face, the referee.
-[Ross] Uh-oh. D'Lo Brown… -[Jerry] What are they doing?
[Ross] …every man for himself, D'Lo working over his new teammate,
the world's strongest man, Mark Henry.
[Jerry] You know what-- You know what I love,
I love the fact Stone Cold Steve Austin got beat in his own game.
He was running around, bragging. "Do unto others before they do unto you."
Well, you finally got it done unto you, didn't you Steve Austin?
-You're dumb. -[buzzer buzzes]
[Jerry] Look at that. He's done.
[Ross] Well, I tell you what, it just keeps getting--
Uh-oh, Ahmed Johnson… going to face to face here
with Kama Mustafa which may be a bad mistake.
The biggest made-- Well…
I guess now that Mark Henry's in the Nation,
he's not the biggest anymore but he's still maybe the baddest.
[Jerry] Look at this, you got The Rock,
you got Mark Henry, you got D'Lo Brown, and you got Kama.
-[Ross] The four strong. -[Jerry] Almost the entire Nation.
[Ross] Faarooq is still to come, the leader of the Nation.
Kama was the 23rd men entered and I guess, folks, that Steve Austin…
-[Jerry] Look at this. -[Ross] …has been assaulted,
mugged, or whatever.
Apparently also was number 22 which was an entrant ago.
But we're not positive about that.
[Jerry] And look at The Rock. Here's two members of the Nation
about to eliminate each other
but The Rock is still hanging tough over there.
The Rock has been in there for over 38 minutes.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] And a--
My man Honky Tonk Man is about to eliminate him.
[Ross] Honky Tonk Man about to eliminate the reigning Intercontinental Champion.
Honky Tonk has a record
for the longest Intercontinental title reign and uninterrupted.
[Jerry] 8-Ball-- 8-Ball is still there.
[Ross] Remember what's at stake…
the opportunity to wrestle the champion at the biggest event in the industry.
The biggest event of all time…
-[Jerry laughs] Right. -[Ross] …WrestleMania XIV in Boston.
And that rug has been yanked out right up
-from Stone Cold Steve Austin. -[crowd] Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…
-[Ross] Well, that's the truth. -[crowd] …five, four…
-three… -[Ross] That's gonna be a heartbreaker
-for the Rattlesnake. -[crowd] … two, one!
-[Ross] He brought it on himself. -[buzzer buzzes]
-[crowd cheering] -["I Won't Do What You Tell Me" playing]
[Jerry] What?
[Ross] Stone Cold, that's Austin's music.
The action has stopped.
Everybody is awaiting the arrival of Stone Cold Steve Austin.
-[Jerry] Look out, he's behind. -[Ross] Austin came from the crowd.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] There goes Mero.
Stone Cold is like a man possessed.
[Jerry] But they got him trapped. No, he's out.
-Look out, there goes 8-Ball. -[Ross] Also eliminates 8-Ball.
-[crowd cheering] -[whistle blowing]
[Ross] Everybody was awaiting Austin.
Austin now taking over on Thrasher.
Low blow to D'Lo.
[Jerry] I can't believe this.
[Ross] Austin said, "No more Mr. Nice Guy,"
as if he ever was one.
The old Texas Rattlesnake.
The Rock takes D'Lo face first into the corner-- The turnbuckle.
[Jerry] Well, just about all of these other Superstars ganged up
on the Rattlesnake but that didn't last long.
[Ross] Here's Austin coming into the ring
right over the press commentator's table through the crowd.
He nails Marvelous Marc Mero. Mero is eliminated.
And look at Mike Tyson.
Mike Tyson, I guess he can identify it was Stone Cold Steve Austin.
-[Jerry] Why? -[Ross] Who's the toughest SOB.
-No doubt Tyson, the toughest SOB… -[crowd] Six, five…
-[Ross] …to have lace boxing gloves on. -[crowd] …four, three, two, one!
-[buzzer buzzes] -[crowd cheering]
-[Ross] Henry Godwin. -[Jerry] He'll do some damage.
[Ross] Well, he's 300 pounds plus.
[Jerry] He's got that big score to settle with Stone Cold.
Look at him go right after him.
[Ross] …former boyfriend Henry Godwinn flailing away
at Stone Cold Steve Austin.
The Godwinns were looking for Austin earlier today.
I tell you one thing.
You got to tip your hat to Justin Bradshaw.
Blackjack Bradshaw has been in this match
for over 38 minutes and for a six-six, 300-pounder that's one hell of a feat.
[Jerry] But who was that--
Who was the poor sucker that never made it out, number 22?
It was probably somebody that got stunned by Steve Austin in the back.
[Ross] Look at the teetering right here.
Henry Godwinn, Blackjack Bradshaw.
-Bradshaw is walking tall here. -[crowd cheering]
-[Jerry] It's getting narrowed down. -[Ross] Austin…
[Jerry] Down to a select few. Whoever wins this thing
is gonna meet the champion at WrestleMania.
[Ross] No matter who the champion may be.
Look at The Rock.
The Rock and Kama just flailing at each other's knob here.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] Look at Mark Henry.
[Ross] Henry Godwinn held on. Remember you gotta--
Both feet gotta touch the floor to be eliminated here.
[Jerry] Godwinn is back in.
[crowd] Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four…
[Jerry] Honky Tonk Man, get over here… -[crowd] …three…
-[Jerry] …and get on Austin. -[crowd] …two, one.
-[buzzer buzzes] -["Los Boricuas" playing]
[Jerry] What is this?
[Ross] Savio Vega has entered the Royal Rumble match
but the Boricuas, the rest of his crew are not
and they're going right for Steve Austin.
Three of those men are not even in this matchup.
Well, good, Savio. Good.
-[Ross grunts] -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] No. Stone Cold Steve Austin is fighting for his life.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] Oh, Austin, go for the stunner.
-Savio got away. Oh, my gosh. Man, did… -[crowd cheering]
…that would give ol' Goldust an attitude adjustment
if you will, from the Stone Cold Steve Austin.
And now, Austin-- Well, look at the size of Mark Henry.
Thrasher hammering away on Mark Henry.
[Jerry] Who's gonna be able to throw Mark Henry over those ropes?
Nobody.
[Ross] I don't know, somebody with a Caterpillar,
Massey Ferguson or somebody might get him over.
Uh-oh, look at Stone Cold and the artist formerly known as Goldust.
Oh, look at Luna trying to talk Austin out.
-[Jerry] No. -[Ross] But to no avail. [chuckles]
Oh, look at Bradshaw. He has manhandled everybody
in this ring at one time or another, has Blackjack Bradshaw.
He is one big young stud from the state of Texas.
[Jerry] Look at The Rock, he's trying to grab a breather over here.
Oh, no. [chuckles]
He just nailed D'Lo. We're up to 26 entrants.
[crowd] Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five,
four, three…
-[Ross] Twenty-seven… -[crowd] …two,
-one. -[Ross] …coming up.
-[buzzer ringing] -[crowd cheering]
["We Are The Nation" playing]
[Ross] Here comes the leader of the Nation of Domination.
[Jerry] And finally the final member of the Nation.
But what an… what an advantage that gives them, J.R.
Maybe the most gifted athlete.
-[Ross] Faarooq now… -[screams]
-[Ross] …and Faarooq going for The Rock. -[Jerry] What?
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] What's up with this?
Faarooq taking The Rock to the woodshed. And that hits D'Lo.
-He's hit Kama. -[women screaming]
[Ross] Rock and Austin on the outside.
I think they went through the ropes. I'm not sure.
Has… has Austin been eliminated? Has The Rock been eliminated?
[Jerry] Yes, Austin has been eliminated.
I can confirm it here, he's been eliminated
and he's been eliminated from more than the Royal Rumble match,
he may have just been eliminated from his career right there.
[Ross] Let's take a look and see how Austin went out of the ring.
[Jerry] Take my word for it. He's gone.
[Ross] Well, I prefer not to, a videotape I would prefer.
[Jerry] There he is, keep your eyes on him.
[Jerry] The Rock did another one,
-there you go. -[woman screaming]
He does, both feet touched-- Both feet touched.
[Ross] What? You're lying again. He didn't go over the top rope.
-[Jerry] Huh? -[Ross] Huh?
-Austin is still in this thing. -[Jerry] He's out.
[Ross] He has not been eliminated.
The Rock has not been eliminated.
Boy, I tell you what, this is the most exciting 60 minutes
-on pay-per-view television. -[crowd] Nine, eight…
-seven… -[Ross] And we're getting right down…
-[crowd] …six… -[Ross] …to the nitty-gritty.
-Who's number 28. -[crowd] …five, four, three,
-two, one. -[Ross] The luck of the draw
-has everything to do with this. -[buzzer buzzes]
-["Dude Love" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] What? Oh, no.
I don't believe it.
I don't wanna believe it.
This is Foley's baby boy, is pulling a triple header.
Somebody knock his head off.
-Wait a minute. -[woman screaming]
[Ross] Oh,Dude Love just eliminated Bradshaw.
Bradshaw--
Bradshaw survived for over 40 minutes. There goes Goldust.
[Jerry] I think he's been eliminated… No, I don't think so.
I think he went through the ropes.
Austin's definitely been eliminated.
[Ross] He has not been eliminated, King. You saw it on tape.
-Oh! -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Austin knocking down Bluedust.
[Jerry] You're gonna believe me or your lying eyes?
I'd say he's eliminated.
[Ross] I say you got a problem
-with the truth. -[Jerry] Watch this.
[Ross] And The Rock just threw over the elbow
-and for D'Lo-- Look at Stone Cold. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] With a fury of the rattlesnake.
Those right hands right to the face of The Rock.
[Jerry] Why is he picking on The Rock?
[Ross] Why not?
[Jerry] Look out here.
-[grunts] -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Austin paired up with Maivia, The Rock,
Dude Love and Kama in one corner.
We've got action all over the ring.
-The Honky Tonk Man is still in it. -[crowd] Ten, nine, eight…
-[Jerry] Yeah, why don't Austin pick… -[crowd] …seven, six…
…on somebody else. Poor old Rock has been there for so long.
He's obviously a little tired.
-[Ross] Here comes number 29. -[buzzer buzzes]
-["D.O.A." playing] -[Ross] And it's Chainz of the DOA.
What a draw he got. We got one man left.
-And Chainz of the DOA. -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] J.R., you got to take your cowboy hat off
to the Honky Tonk Man.
Oh, no.
[Ross]Dude Love almost eliminated.
It would be a moment too soon.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] Look at Austin.
The Rock has been in this matchup, ladies and gentlemen,
over 50 minutes.
-[Jerry] Unbelievable. -[Ross] After wrestling
for the Intercontinental title earlier
-against Ken Shamrock. -[Jerry] And winning.
[Ross] That's amazing athleticism.
There is one man left. Who is it?
Oh, give me a minute to do my math and I think I can tell you.
[Jerry] Mike Tyson, why don't he come down here and get in this.
[Ross] We'll see Mike Tyson in the ring tomorrow night on Raw.
-With that major… -[Jerry] I can't be held responsible
for my actions when I get face to face with Mike Tyson.
[Ross] I'm sure. Well, I'll try to help restrain you.
Just don't drink any caffeine all day
-and you'll be all right. -[Jerry] Don't you hold me back.
Come on Mark Henry, do him in.
This is your chance. Look at Stone Cold just laying there.
[Ross] Austin has been hammered. He was the marked man coming in…
and look at the world's strongest man.
[Jerry] Put the bear hug on him, crush those ribs.
[Ross] The 1996 Olympian Mark Henry the newest member
-of the Nation of Domination… -[crowd] Ten, nine, eight,
-[crowd] …seven, six… -[Ross] …and the best draw…
-[crowd] …five, four… -[Ross] …of the night number 30.
-[crowd] …three, two, one! -[Ross] …is moments away.
-Here comes Mr. Lucky. -[buzzer buzzes]
-["Vader Time" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Uh-oh.
That big ol' stinky grizzly bear is coming to win the Royal Rumble.
He's got the best draw of many in the 30.
I guess he's your new favorite now, right, J.R.?
[Ross] I don't know if he's the favorite.
-[Jerry grunts] -[Ross] He's going right for…
-for Bluedust or Goldust. -[Jerry] Goldust has--
He's had all the paint knocked off his face.
[Ross] One of these men will meet the champion…
-[Jerry] Look out Honky. -[Ross] …WrestleMania.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] There goes cousin
-Honky Tonk Man over the top. -[Jerry] He's your cousin?
[Ross] Mark Henry flailing away at Thrasher.
Stone Cold Steve Austin is being hammered by Chainz.
[Jerry] Well, take a look, J.R., take a look and survey the ring.
One of these men is gonna be facing the champion
for the WWE title at WrestleMania.
Mark Henry or Stone Cold Steve Austin…
[Jerry] I… I think not…
[Ross] …or Chainz, or Vader.
[Jerry] Or heaven forbid is Dude Love still over there?
[Ross] Chainz is six-six, 300 pounds hammering away.
Yeah,Dude Love in there.
[Jerry] And The Rock… The Rock… The Rock still there.
[Ross] And look how strong the Nation is.
The Rock knocked down by Vader.
Five members of the Nation are still in this matchup.
-You know, that… -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] …Stone Cold just eliminated Thrasher.
[Jerry] If the Nation would work together just for about four more minutes,
one of them would be insured of winning it.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] Austin eliminated another one.
It was Kama Mustafa. So much for all the Nation.
The Rattlesnake is cooking with gas here.
And Savio knocks down Stone Cold. He got gassed right there. [laughs]
Oh, this could be--
Oh, look a piledriver on Stone Cold would end him.
[Ross] Nice back bodydrop by Austin. Instead of waiting for the piledriver.
Man, fatigue has gotta be setting in.
What an amazing effort by The Rock, quite frankly.
D'Lo Brown has been in there a long time too,
he went in at number 11.
-Austin, what-- -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Goes Savio, launched up and over.
Savio Vega is history for this Royal Rumble.
[Jerry] Look at that. Look at that. They goes Vader.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] They got Vader.
[Jerry] Well, what about Dude Love. How has--
How long has Dude Love and Cactus Jack and Mankind have all been in there.
[Ross] Oh, Henry Godwinn.
Mr. Dude found nothing but the outside, so, the hog farmer from Bitters,
Arkansas can go back and slap the hogs, he's through for the night.
-[Jerry] And there goes Goldust. -[Ross] Goldust is through.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Now, it's coming down to the nitty-gritty here
and again, look out how strong the Nation is.
The Nation sent three men in.
[Jerry] Mark Henry though is teetering.
[crowd cheering]
-[Ross] Stone Cold just… -[Jerry] I thought they were gonna
stick together and win this thing but--
No, he-- His feet-- Mark Henry's feet did not touch the floor.
Now, they did then.
[Ross] Four men remain.
Let's show you how Chainz was eliminated.
-Oh, here you see Chainz, Stone Cold… -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] …who's eliminated more men than anybody
in this Rumble, eliminates Chainz.
There are final four. The final four men remain
and remember Dude Love and Austin used to be tag team champions
but that means nothing. It's every man for himself.
The Rock and Faarooq, Dude and Stone Cold.
One of these four will meet the…
-[Jerry] Wait a minute. These guys… -[Ross] …champion at WrestleMania.
[Jerry] …are cooperating.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] They're working together here.
-Sweet chin music. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] And a double arm DDT.
[Jerry] Look at Stone Cold. He is a rattlesnake.
[Ross] Uh-oh. Dude's got the mandible claw, shades of Mankind.
Oh, a low blow. Austin kicking Dude
-around south Truth or Consequences. -[crowd cheering]
-[Jerry] Oh, there goes Dude. -[Ross] Faarooq eliminates Dude.
There are three men left.
Austin, Faarooq, and The Rock. And look at Maivia just sit down.
-[Jerry] He's hurt, he's hurt. -[Ross] He's not hurt.
He's letting Faarooq do all the work.
-[Jerry] He's smart. [laughs] -[Ross] Well, he is smart.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] And look at The Rock.
[Ross] Oh, The Rock just eliminated Faarooq.
[Jerry] But he didn't get Stone Cold.
[Ross] The Rock is gonna go coast to coast.
Austin fights back. The Rattlesnake strikes.
Rights and lefts and rake to the eyes.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] Oh no.
No, he didn't make it.
-Stone Cold stunner. -[crowd cheering]
And The Rock is gone.
-[bell ringing] -[Ross] Stone Cold, Stone Cold,
-Stone Cold is going to WrestleMania. -[upbeat music playing]
[Howard] Stone Cold Steve Austin.
[Ross] Iron Mike Tyson on his feet, cheering for Austin 3:16.
Stone Cold will meet the champion at WrestleMania XIV.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Stone Cold survived. He was a marked man.
He had to walk through broken glass barefooted
but he did it.
Let's take a look… the Stone Cold stunner.
[Jerry] This is what did The Rock in, after that there was no stopping.
Over the top rope and I can't believe it.
-[Jerry] Mike Tyson on his feet. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] He is pumped, his man Stone Cold has won the Rumble.
Man. And the toughest SOB
is on his way to WrestleMania to meet the champion.
Oh, what a hell of a Rumble matchup.
Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Cole is standing by with Iron Mike.
J.R., I'm here with Iron Mike Tyson.
What did you think of the Royal Rumble match?
-What do you think of Stone Cold? -Intense man. Stone Cold is my man.
He won. And you know, man, I won fortune, I'm gonna celebrate tonight
and no one believed that he could win. I'm just happy, man.
What… what about the upcoming championship match
between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, your pick?
That's gonna be tough because I'm a great fan
of The Undertaker for many years.
Shawn Michaels, the young up and coming hungry tiger
and I'm looking forward to the match,
[Michael] All right. That's Iron Mike Tyson.
-Back to ringside. -Thank you.
Okay. Michaels, thank you very much. I'll tell ya something.
Mike Tyson is obviously a huge fan. WrestleMania is gonna be so special.
Ladies and gentlemen, on March 29th in Boston.
One thing is for sure, we don't know who the WWE champion is gonna be.
That's gonna be decided momentarily
but we know who the challenger is gonna be, Stone Cold Steve Austin.
I still can't believe it.
Twenty-nine WWE Superstars had the chance to do him in
but they couldn't get the job done.
But the question is, ladies and gentlemen, will Austin meet Shawn Michaels,
the incomparable Shawn Michaels or the phenom known as The Undertaker.
That would be decided in a matter of moments
as a matter of fact, the rivalry that has cultivated
between Michaels and The Undertaker is absolutely off the page.
-[upbeat music playing] -Let's take you back folks
and show you how these two men came together.
It was absolutely amazing and it all started with Shawn Michaels.
-[gentle music playing] -[narrator] The champion.
-[crowd cheering] -[Michael] HBK will fly.
[narrator] The attitude.
[Shawn] I am simply the very best
sports entertainer in the world today.
[Michael] The heartbreak kid Shawn Michaels.
[Ross] Whether you love Shawn Michaels or you hate him, it's really irrelevant.
He's a magnificent athlete with a tremendous fighting spirit.
[narrator] The challenger.
Oh.
[narrator] The phenom.
[crowd cheering]
Did you see that? A six-ten missile, a plancha over the top.
Incredible. Unbelievable, my gosh.
[narrator] The Undertaker.
Somebody is gonna rest in peace.
[narrator] The last time these two Superstars met,
both went to hell and back.
Michaels down.Oh, no. This is not gonna be pretty.
Just hitting the post. That's Hell in a Cell right there.
Michaels is going up now. And-- Oh.
-Oh, my. -And the elbow.
On the top of the steps, he got him.
Oh, my God.
I don't believe that.
Oh.
Michaels from the top driving the elbow.
Michaels driven into the cage. Michaels catapulted right into the cage.
Undertaker-- No. Where is he…
I mean, he's going up on top of the cell. He's on top of the cell.
-Oh, my God. -The Undertaker is going right after him.
Oh, my God. Oh, no.
Incoming, incoming.
I've never seen anything like that in my life.
Oh, my God.
It's all over.
Now will come the tombstone-- Well, it's gonna be Kane, The Undertaker.
Looking at him. Look into the eyes of that giant
who stands in front of him.
[narrator] If not for a demon from the Undertaker's past,
the outcome of Hell in a Cell may have been different.
[intense music playing]
[narrator] This time the stakes are higher.
The challenge graver.
[Undertaker] My history in casket matches.
[Jerry] Will The Undertaker shut the lid?
-Yes, yes, yes. -[bell ringing]
It's legendary.
[Ross] Oh, my goodness.
-Oh, he got him. [indistinct] -[bell ringing]
[Shawn] Ooh, I'm scared. Bogey, bogey, bogey, bogey.
[Jerry] It was Shawn Michaels in The Undertaker's casket.
[Shawn] If you two are up there then…
who's in the casket?
[Jerry] Oh, it's The Undertaker. The Undertaker.
The Undertaker's got Shawn Michaels.
[narrator] Despite the power of the dark side,
D-Generation X had strength in numbers and we're poised to sink
one more huge nail into the phenom's coffin.
-Ladies… -[Ross] What…
-…and gentlemen… -[Ross] What I thought…
…the newest member
of D-Generation X, Kane.
[Jerry] D-Generation X calls out Kane but they get The Undertaker.
This is mix in the pick up.
This has nothing to do with my little brother, Kane.
-[Ross] Oh. -[Jerry] Oh, look out!
-[Ross] Undertaker… -[Jerry] Look out from behind.
[Ross] And now he's got Chyna.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] For the ride? No. Helmsley with a crutch.
You don't wanna have one leg in a butt-kicking contest.
Sweet Chin Music.
It's the highly strung versus the highly motivated.
Oh, my. Don't tell me. Nobody wants any part of Kane.
Kane has came to help his brother.
[Michael] And one incredible moment. Years of separation and painful memories
were cast aside by an unspoken bond between brothers.
[Ross] Kane apparently, is extending his hand,
in some sort of, bond or friendship to his older brother
and The Undertaker is returning it. What a-- oh, what a moment.
[Michael] Suddenly, everything has changed.
Will Shawn Michaels' degenerate reign as champion be laid to rest
or will the greatest athlete in WWE history
once again rise to the occasion?
Will The Undertaker stand atop the WWE and become champion once again
or will Shawn Michaels and his dysfunctional family
continue to rule?
-[music concludes] -[bell ringing]
Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is a casket match
for the World Wrestling Entertainment Championship.
-["Are You Ready?" playing] -♪ Are You Ready? ♪
[crowd cheering]
♪ You think you can tell us what to do? ♪
♪ You think you can tell us What to wear? ♪
♪ You think that you're better? ♪
♪ Well, you better get ready ♪
♪ Bow to the masters, break it down! ♪
[Howard] Introducing first, accompanied by fellow D-Generation X members,
the WWE European champion, Triple H, Hunter Hearst Helmsley
and Chyna, from San Antonio, Texas,
weighing 227 pounds, the World Wrestling Entertainment champion,
the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] The icon, J.R., he's the showstopper.
[Ross] Certainly, Shawn Michaels arguably the greatest athlete
in the history of the WWE and that covers a lot of ground.
He may not be in the class by himself folks
but it doesn't take too long to call the role.
He is the Grand Slam winner.
The only man to win the WWE title, Intercontinental title,
European title, and tag team title in WWE history.
Nobody can match Michaels' success in championship matches.
Not Hogan, not Savage, not anybody.
-Michaels has owned that page alone. -[song concludes]
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] And he always turns it on
-during these pay-per-views. -["Rest In Peace" playing]
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] Here comes the challenger.
[Howard] His opponent and challenger,
from Death Valley, weighing 328 pounds,
The Undertaker.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Eighteen thousand five hundred forty-two fans
have jammed this San Jose arena for this, the main event.
The title at stake, a casket match.
To win this match, one man must place his opponent
in the casket and shut the lid.
There are no pinfalls, there are no disqualifications
and it goes without saying, folks,
that this casket match is The Undertaker's specialty.
But I'm wondering where is The Undertaker's brother Kane?
I thought-- I just thought he might be here at ringside.
[crowd clamoring]
-[blast sound] -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Ladies and gentlemen,
Shawn Michaels just left the ring in a hurry.
-I don't blame… -[Jerry] J.R., you got 18,542 people
plus Mike Tyson in the building. Look at this.
-He's doing that to Shawn Michaels. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] I don't know if Mike likes Shawn Michaels or he doesn't.
[Jerry] Uh-oh.
[Ross] Well, I guess it really doesn't make any difference.
[Jerry] X marks the spot, I tell you that.
[Ross] I tell you what, Shawn Michaels' record
on pay-per-view main events
is better than John Wayne's in movie shootouts.
Michaels always rises to the occasion.
He loves to be the showstopper,
-the scene stealer if you will. -[Jerry] That's right.
If you ain't talking about him, he ain't listening.
I'm sure he's been a little upset about all this talk about Mike Tyson.
[Ross] Hunter Hearst Helmsley, the reigning European champion,
who suffered a, uh, dislocated knee cap, two or three weeks ago.
-[bell ringing] -[Ross] We'll be about as welcome here,
-as a phone call during Raw. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Of course on Raw tomorrow night…
The baddest man on the planet is gonna make a major announcement.
He's gonna be in the ring as Shawn Michaels has got to hit-and-run,
goes without saying. Michaels stinging lefts and rights.
-And the challenger… -[Jerry] Uh-oh.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] Oh my.
Michaels avoiding the right hand. Michaels is quicker than a hiccup.
[Jerry] He's sending a little message to Mike Tyson, throwing those jabs.
[Ross] Michaels, the champion…
and the last time he met The Undertaker
-on pay-per-view, it was a bloodbath. -[Jerry] Whoa.
[Ross] Michaels is so resilient and pugnacious.
-And look at the-- He-- Uh-oh. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Shawn Michaels been-- Oh, he went downstairs to the knee.
The Undertaker is about to give Shawn Michaels
a very uncomfortable ride in that chokeslam.
-Michaels puts on the brakes. -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Oh, my gosh. Look at the strength.
[Ross] Look at the power… power of The Undertaker.
-The Undertaker manhandling… -[Jerry] Oh, no. This could be over quick.
[Ross] He's trying-- He's gonna put him in that casket.
-Michaels… -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Missed.
Michaels back dropped on that big old wooden casket.
Remember there are no pinfalls and no submissions
and you can't be disqualified or counted out.
Man, what a-- What power by The Undertaker.
Michaels is lucky, he's even able to stand
-and look at this… -[Ross] I know. Look at this.
-He would have been lucky. -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] The… the edge of that casket right on the lower back of Shawn Michaels
-and we talked about Michaels' resilience. -[Jerry] Oh.
Michaels is introduced to the ring post.
[Jerry] Oh, my gosh. Look at this.
Ooh.
[Ross] Wow. Undertaker is just, right now, manhandling Shawn Michaels
-and Michaels inside the casket… -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] …and he's gotta get right back out of there.
If the lid had been shut with Michaels in the casket,
we would've had a new champion.
That is the concept of this match.
We got Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Chyna both
trying to find a little refuge over here. I don't blame them.
Look out.
Michaels shows great agility. Quickening the pace,
The Undertaker holds on and Michaels back up to his feet.
-And The Undertaker caught… -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] …the champion with a big time right hand
and down goes HBK.
-[buzzer buzzes] -[Jerry] I don't usually see things
from your point of view, J.R.,
'cause I can't get my head on my rear, but I agree with you on this.
I think we're gonna have a new champion tonight…
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] …despite what we just saw there,
I think The Undertaker, this is his match, the casket match,
I think, he's gonna be the new champion.
[Ross] Undertaker needs to keep this thing in a slow pace, methodical.
Nothing but high impact stuff and use that power and body weight.
He's got, obviously, a leverage advantage over the reigning champion.
Because then you can wear Michaels down.
-[Jerry] Uh-oh. -[Ross] That's the game plan.
And look at his agility, the 6'10" and a half, 328 pound challenger
-walking the top rope. -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] That's gotta put a smile on the face of Mike Tyson.
[Ross] And the creatures of the night, but not D-Generation X.
Body shots and an uppercut.
The Undertaker now physically in control.
[Jerry] Look out. Oh. Whoa.
[Ross] Michaels up and over, takes out a camera.
[buzzer buzzing]
[Ross] The Undertaker not getting any… any hurry here.
[Jerry] This cameraman, their lives are in danger.
Remember Hell in a Cell, Shawn Michaels beat up a cameraman.
[Ross] And Michaels able to hang The Undertaker
on that top ring rope, buys Shawn a little bit of time.
And San Antonio's own HBK now up to the top.
-And-- Oh, he got planted. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] He got planted but there's no pinfall, remember that.
The casket match is as simple as it gets.
It doesn't build character, does the casket match,
but it sure as heck eliminates the weak ones.
[Jerry] And Taker just asked for the casket to be opened.
[Ross chuckles] Oh.
Michaels being… rolled to the casket.
[crowd cheering]
-[Ross] And Michaels is… -[Jerry] He's in.
[Ross] That lid shuts, it's over.
[Jerry] It's over.
[Ross] Michaels has gotta be completely inside the casket and he's not.
-Whoa! -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Michaels with some sort of powder or some…
some substance right in the eyes of The Undertaker.
And The Undertaker obviously has had his vision impaired.
-Whoa. -[crowd cheering]
-[Jerry] Not completely impaired. -[Ross] And I didn't say I don't
but he found his mark but look at Michaels fighting back.
Folks, we've got a camera inside the coffin.
I think we've got a very unique look at, uh, Shawn Michaels preparing to--
-Oh, look at Michaels. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Oh, look at his hands with some powder
or whatever it was.
Now, The Undertaker fighting back. Unique perspective
-from the coffin. -[Jerry] Oh, my gosh.
[Ross] The Undertaker going for the Chokeslam
and Michaels able to use the ropes as a tag team partner, so to speak.
-[Jerry] Look at this. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Nice move by Michaels.
And Michaels now, after the takedown
with right hands on the man from the dark side.
[Jerry] See, I'm telling you, this is why this match favors The Undertaker.
If there'd been a pinfall there,
Michaels could've possibly secured a pinfall then.
[Ross] Michaels clotheslines The Undertaker over
who landed on his feet.
-Michaels skins the cat right back in. -[Jerry] Uh-oh.
[Ross] Great athleticism by both men.
-Oh. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Michaels being introduced to the ring-- Security railing
which is a very unforgiving structure, much like the casket.
The Undertaker has lost only one casket match
in his entire career.
And then it took a 600 pound opponent
-and about ten… -[Jerry] Watch it.
[Ross] …Superstars to do the damage.
And Michaels getting a little close to our French…
cohorts there.
Oh. We are live in Montreal.
[Jerry speaking French]
[Ross, in English] Watch yourself.
-[Ross] Oh, my God. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] The Undertaker's knees just drilled
-into the ring steps. -[Jerry] That may have--
That may have broken both his legs.
[Ross] That was an amazing move by Shawn Michaels.
And now Michaels using the ring steps…
[Ross] …he caught The Undertaker right on his hip.
-[Jerry] Geez. -[Ross] Probably his kidneys.
Remember there's no disqualification.
[buzzer buzzes]
-[Jerry] Not again. Oh. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Just as legal as a wristlock are those steel ring steps.
And now The Undertaker certainly in a weaken state
but remember again,
The Undertaker has gotta be put in the casket and the lid has to be shut.
[Jerry] Easier said than done,
even though he's almost crippled right now.
[Ross] Oh my gosh, what's this? What's he gonna do?
-Michaels… -[Jerry] A piledriver on metal steps.
-Oh no, steel steps. -[Jerry] Oh--
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] That-- The Undertaker's skull.
You can hear his skull crack on the steel steps.
All he's gotta do is get him to the casket and put him in.
[Ross] My gosh, that was as sickening a noise
as I've ever heard. It was right in front of us here.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] Look at this accident,
just happened moments ago, ladies and gentlemen.
Shawn Michaels reversing
and The Undertaker goes knees first into the steps and then this.
Listen to this.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] The Undertaker's head--
His cranium, smacking and bouncing,
and now the European champion, Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
[Jerry] Just like a wristlock, just like you said.
[Ross] There's nothing the referee can do.
There's nothing anybody can do because that's the nature of this match.
The rules are as such, we've explained it.
No disqualifications. I thought Kane would be here.
If Kane were here,
-this would not be happening. -[Jerry] Look out.
[grunts]
[Jerry] Both these men, both Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker
agreed to these rules.
They knew the stipulation going in.
Nothing stops this match until one man's in the casket.
-Look at this. Oh. -[Ross] Oh my gosh,
right in the lower back,
Michaels with a vicious shot with that steel chair.
-[speaks indistinctly] -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Boy, I'll tell you what, Michaels is one of a kind.
He took a hell of a lot of punishment
and a pounding from this near seven foot opponent.
-And look at now who's in charge. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Yeah, he's on top of the world.
Right, he's strutting his stuff.
I may wanna change my, uh, my prediction here.
[Jerry] Michaels has a great track record against big guys.
He's beaten Diesel, he's beaten Sycho Sid.
He's beaten all of the tough top guys.
But, uh, The Undertaker is in a different league
than those aforementioned gentlemen, I can assure you.
[Ross] Well, I mean, refresh your memory, J.R.
He's beaten Shawn Michaels and beaten The Undertaker
at Hell in a Cell.
[Jerry] Yeah, well, there was a little-- I didn't want any circumstances, but yes--
[Ross] Look, look, he's asking for the lid to be raised on the casket.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] I suspect this is about over folks.
[Ross] I don't know how The Undertaker's lasted this long.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Piledriver on the steps, shots with a chair.
-[Ross] He's in. -[crowd cheering]
-[Undertaker grunts] -[Ross] Whoa!
[Jerry] No, he's gonna come out.
The Undertaker with tremendous will to win.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] The will to fight.
-[Undertaker grunts] -[Triple H groans]
[Jerry] He nailed Helmsley.
[crowd cheering]
-[grunts] -[Jerry] Headbutt by the challenger.
-Oh. -[Ross] Oh!
[Jerry] Great move by Michaels, what a move by the champion.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] I'll tell you what, there's a lot of…
been a lot of bigger men in a pound for pound.
Michaels not only may be the greatest athlete,
but pound for pound, he may be the toughest man to ever compete.
-[groans] -[Ross] Oh, look at this.
You put The Undertaker to sleep, you let him sleep it off in a casket.
-[Jerry exclaiming] -[Ross] And call it a night.
The big dirt nap.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] The Undertaker is fading.
The flow of blood to the brain has been restricted
through the positioning of the sleeper hold.
[Ross] That's an eerie sight gazing across the top of that casket
to the action in the ring.
And The Undertaker is so close to be put in his own casket for good.
-He's out. -[Jerry] Nope.
Michaels is pugnacious in his approach with the sleeper hold.
-It's a very smart move. -[crowd cheering]
But The Undertaker getting that adrenaline rush
from these thousands upon thousands of creatures of the night.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] Look at this.
[Jerry] The Undertaker trying to regain his vertical base.
[Ross] He's up.
-[Jerry] Face lock. -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] And a suplex out of the sleeper, a great counter move.
The Undertaker reaching down deeply.
And now, sat up, he's still in this thing.
We're a heck of a long way from this one being over.
-[grunts] -[Ross] Oh, man.
[Jerry] Flying forearm and flip that body, champion.
[Ross] We may not be as far away from it being over as you think, J.R.
[Jerry] He talks a heck of a game and he can wrestle a heck of a game.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Undertaker in a prone position, the challenger is helpless.
Michaels goes up top, the ladder has been climbed.
-[Ross] Oh. -[Jerry] Oh.
A dynamic elbow drop right off the top.
-[Ross] That's it. -[Jerry] And nobody in the industry
-delivers it like Shawn Michaels does. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] And he makes it look easy, doesn't he?
-[Jerry] He really does. -[Ross] Hey, watch this.
[Jerry] Oh, The Undertaker's up but The Band is warming up.
[Ross] We saw this last Monday. Sweet Chin Music.
[Jerry] Undertaker is wobbly, and got caught.
[Ross] He got him. He got him.
[Jerry] Michaels with a knockout blow on The Undertaker.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] The champion…
may have just won this match.
[Ross] All he's got to do is get The Undertaker
in the casket, close the lid.
-[Jerry] Michaels… -[Ross] And there…
-[Jerry] Undertaker-- -[Ross] He's in!
-[Jerry] If the lid shuts, it's over. -[Ross] Shut it.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] The lid shuts all the way, it's over.
It's a matter of time.
-[Jerry] Uh-oh. -[Ross] Oh.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] But that's not a chokeslam.
[Ross] You get the message. And what a fist.
Michaels knocked over the top rope from the outside back in.
The Undertaker still has a grip on the situation.
He's not out yet. Oh.
[grunts]
[Jerry] The Undertaker firing back up.
-Oh, my! -[Ross] Oh!
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Michaels with tremendous elevation in that back body drop,
and the elevation, upside down, goes Shawn Michaels.
And a clothesline, and The Undertaker now is walking tall.
The title on the line.
He was in the casket, J.R. It was this close to being over.
But somehow, someway, The Undertaker pulled it out.
Oh!
[Jerry] Tremendous kick right to the face.
And now, you got to believe it's just a matter of time.
-Shawn Michaels is hurting. -[Ross] Look out!
[Jerry] Oh, Michaels able to avoid the contact there.
The Undertaker goes inside the casket.
What's Michaels gonna do here? The Undertaker's in the casket.
-Oh, my God! -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Michaels with an elbow drop right on The Undertaker…
-[Ross] What? -…in the casket.
[crowd cheering]
-[Jerry] Hell, they're both in the casket. -[Ross] What?
Both men are in the casket, Michaels and The Undertaker.
-[Ross] What is that? -Knock him down! Knock him down!
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] And both-- Michaels trying to come out,
the match is gonna continue here.
[Ross] Look at Michaels. Look at the look on his face.
-He knows what's next. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] The Undertaker dragging Michaels right down in the depths of hell.
-[crowd cheering] -In fact, I don't know. [grunts]
[Jerry] What is going on in there, Ross?
-[grunts] -[Jerry] Right hand by The Undertaker.
The champion, knocked right out of the casket.
[Ross] Shawn is out. Shawn is out. Now, 'Taker's out.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] And we're right back to where we started.
Undertaker going for that big foot again.
-[Ross] Oh, no! -[crowd cheering]
-[Ross] Chokeslam. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Chokeslam.
Good gosh. Shawn, a chokeslam.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] If pinfalls would count, this one would be over.
[crowd cheering]
It's gonna be over anyhow.
[Jerry] You and I were right, J.R.
New champion in the World Wrestling Entertainment.
He's gonna plant him hard.
[Ross] Oh, Undertaker with Michaels on his shoulder.
The Undertaker steps over the top rope. And…
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] Oh, my God!
-My God, can you believe it? -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Chyna just rammed the referee into the steps.
-What is this? -[Ross] Wait a minute.
There's Road Dogg, and Billy Gunn, and Savio, and the Boricaus.
-What in the hell is going on? -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] This is not right. This is not right.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] They're ganging up on The Undertaker.
DX all the way.
Six men are pounding the Undertaker into oblivion.
[Jerry] And remember, there's no disqualifications.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] Oh, my God, is that Kane?
["Burned" playing]
-[Jerry] It is Kane. -[Ross] It's Kane.
He's coming to help his brother. All hell is gonna break loose.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] There he is. There he is.
[Ross] The unholy alliance of the brothers of the night.
Kane is coming to help his brother.
Business is about to pick up.
[Jerry] Look out.
-Oh. -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Kane manhandling anything that's moving.
[Jerry] He has cleared the ring.
[Ross] Kane coming to his brother's aid.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] And man, we-- The playing field just got level in a hurry.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] The Undertaker had Shawn Michaels beat.
[Jerry] Look at Shawn. They got Shawn out of the casket.
[crowd cheering]
-[Jerry] Kane has saved The Undertaker. -[Ross] Kane has saved his big brother.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] We thought it might happen.
-[Jerry] Oh, no. -[Ross] Whoa! Come on.
[Jerry] No, damn it.
Damn it! What?
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Kane is assaulting his brother. We thought he'd come to help him.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Look at The Undertaker. He cannot believe it.
Paul Bearer looks-- Is coming down here with a smile on his face.
[Ross] A chokeslam into the casket. And the lid is shut.
[Jerry] The-- Shawn wins.
[Ross] The Undertaker in the casket. Michaels shut the lid.
Michaels will retain the title-- Wait a minute.
Kane.
What are they doing? Kane and Paul Bearer.
Paul Bearer has some locks apparently in his pocket.
They're locking the casket.
They're gonna make sure The Undertaker stays in the casket.
-[crowd cheering] -[indistinct chatter]
[Ross] Kane and-- Where are Paul Bearer and Kane taking The Undertaker?
The Undertaker is in that casket. It has been locked.
[crowd cheering]
-[Ross] Where are they going? -[Jerry] I don't know.
I still can't believe it.
[Ross] Paul Bearer is instructing Kane to do something.
The Undertaker is in that casket, ladies and gentlemen.
-Shawn Michaels has retained the title. -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Where is Kane going?
Oh, my God, look at this. He's got an axe.
-What are they-- -[Ross] He's got-- That's an axe.
[Jerry] What is he doing?
[Ross] Obviously, he's destroying the casket
but The Undertaker is in that casket.
[Jerry] They locked The Undertaker in the casket with padlocks
and they'll take an axe to it.
[crowd clamoring]
[Ross] Well, this is hideous.
This is nothing but carnage.
[Jerry] I thought-- I thought that The Undertaker and Kane
had reconciled their differences.
But obviously, we were all wrong.
He's broken through.
[Ross] He's broken through with that pickaxe.
They've locked The Undertaker, Kane and Paul Bearer.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] And I just-- I don't understand why.
[Jerry] What are they doing-- What is that? Is that gasoline?
[Ross] I don't know what it is.
-That smells like gasoline. -[Jerry] What are they trying to do?
[Ross] They're-- they could not be that heinous.
Kane and Paul Bearer could not…
-[Jerry] No way. -[Ross] Come on. Come on now.
Come on.
-Paul Bearer… -[Jerry] No way.
[Ross] …handing the matches to Kane and-- My God.
-[crowd clamoring] -The casket's on fire.
-[crowd clamoring]
The casket is on fire. The Undertaker is in the casket.
[crowd clamoring] ire. The Undertaker is in the casket.