[narrator] Behold the face of fear, the mind of madness.
Behold the horror that may soon be champion.
[Mankind] I am afraid of what I might do
when I no longer have control of my mind.
[narrator] Pray that this man can stop the insanity.
Pray for him, if he doesn't.
[Mankind] Have a nice day.
[narrator] In the theater of the mind,
the stage can be treacherous.
These performers are enigmas.
One is ethereal, the other bizarre.
One wears the mask of deception.
He exposes the hidden fears imprisoned within his opponent.
Battered egos are his plaything.
But this man fears no one.
He is the shadow of death.
With the stench of betrayal still hanging in the air,
the mastermind of its origin may be within his grasp.
Tonight, one will bow when the final curtain falls.
If the eyes are the window to the soul,
what horrors are locked in the basement of this man's tortured mind?
Is his sanity trapped in a maze of madness,
or is he a willing soldier in the realm of darkness?
In the light, there is hope, a champion whose body is virile,
whose will is unmatched.
In his usual battlefield, he has achieved
the highest of honors.
But when war begins in the psyche
and sanity struggles with lunacy, which will survive?
Can the champion continue to live his dream,
or will he awaken in this man's nightmare?
[fire crackling]
[tense music playing]
[fireworks]
[Vince] Welcome, everyone, to the City of Brotherly Love.
Welcome to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
and the brand-spanking, brand-new CoreStates Center,
the site of In Your House: Mind Games.
Hello, everyone.
Vince McMahon here along with Mr. Perfect, along with Jim Ross.
And we're likely to see some mind games here tonight.
Well, there's no doubt there's gonna be some mind games played.
There's also gonna be some severe games
played with the body and some games played from the soul as well.
I can guarantee this is going to be an extraordinary event.
What are you trying to say-- that the final curtain will
fall on The Undertaker and that Shawn Michaels
will lose the World Wrestling Entertainment title and his mind?
Anything could happen here in the World Wrestling Entertainment.
No question about that.
And with that in mind, here comes Justin Hawk Bradshaw.
[bell ringing]
This contest is a special Caribbean Strap Match, in which
the winner will be that individual who can touch all four corners…
[Vince] On a WWE Free for All, Justin Hawk Bradshaw
in the Free for All match-up with Savio Vega and Marty Jannetty,
Bradshaw interjected himself after the match was over,
broke into the ring and gave Savio a pummeling.
Savio challenged him right after that
to a Caribbean Strap Match.
And I might add, JR, I don't think
Savio's lost a Caribbean Strap Match in the past.
[J.R.] He certainly has not.
Of course, we all remember that Savio Vega
beat Stone Cold Steve Austin, which was no small feat,
back in May at In Your House.
This is gonna be a war, I can tell you.
[Vince] All right, let's take you now to Kevin Kelly along with Savio.
Kevin, take it away.
Here with Savio Vega.
Challenge issued.
Challenge accepted.
You're ready for the Caribbean Strap Match, Savio?
Justin Hawk, you wanna be in a Pay-Per-View?
You wanna be in a WWE Pay-Per-View?
You got it.
You got it, sneaky cowboy.
Tonight, right now, you and me.
Gonna be a Strap Match. [speaking Spanish].
Want to fight with Savio Vega?
Let's fight right here, right now, In Your House,
Here, in your house, in your face.
Get ready, Justin Hawk, because Savio Vega
gonna whip your butt!
[Vince] All right.
Thank you very much.
And here he comes, Savio Vega.
Is he ready for action or what?
But maybe-- maybe a little too ready.
[J.R.] Well, he's a little bit too ready.
He's already been out here on the Free For All,
and he had a match with Marty Jannetty. He's not at 100%.
[Vince] All right, here comes Savio diving in-- oh, wait a minute. Oh!
Look at this.
[bell dinging]
[Curt] Oh, ho, ho.
I said it earlier.
You don't want to make this big Texan mad at you.
[Vince] And look at that. Oh, my goodness!
Now, the official better stop this.
They're-- both right wrists should be bound by that leather strap.
[Curt] Oh, boy!
[Vince] So I don't know that this match is really officially underway
until both wrists are-- are bound by that strap.
Look at this.
[J.R.] It's absolutely not underway officially.
Harvey Whitman's got to get his act together here
and get Savio Vega's left wrist in that leather strap.
[Vince] Oh!
And the official now trying to get a hold of this match. But--
-[Curt] Oh, boy! -[Vince] Oh, my goodness.
[J.R.] Remember, this match has no disqualification,
no time limit, no count-outs.
It can only win when one man drags his opponent
and that man is able to touch all four
top turnbuckles in succession without interruption.
[Vince] And it looks like Justin Hawk Bradshaw
obviously has an advantage.
And here comes the first buckle. Taps one corner.
[Curt] This one could be over already.
[Vince] Very quickly. Well, you brought out earlier
that Savio has wrestled prior to this match-up
in the Free For All in a tough encounter with Marty Jannetty.
And Savio pulling on the strap,
trying to keep Justin Hawk Bradshaw away from that corner.
[J.R.] We have to remember that these two men
can use that leather strap just like a weapon.
That's a part of the rules.
That's a part of this very unique game,
this Caribbean Strap Match.
[Vince] Uh-oh, and Savio Vega to the outside.
And things can really get dangerous out there.
Look at this.
Savio Vega being choked by that strap.
[J.R.] Well, the referee's out.
There's a formality.
He can't-- the referee cannot count anybody out.
There can be no disqualification.
[Vince] Oh no!
[J.R.] Hello!
[Vince] And Savio Vega, again.
[J.R.] That ringpost is not very forgiving.
[Vince] Neither is Savio Vega.
If we have an opportunity, we're-- oh!
Wow!
Hey, wait just a moment.
There is-- there's a local wrestling group here
in Philadelphia and obviously trying
to make a name for themselves here…
at the expense of the World Wrestling Entertainment.
And we will not shoot this ugly incident that is occurring.
But meanwhile, Savio Vega and Justin Bradshaw
are ignoring what's going on outside the ring,
as well they should.
[J.R.] Some folks will do a lot of things
with their 15 minutes of fame.
[whistling]
[Vince] All right.
Savio Vega, I think, great degrees of difficulty
here with that leather strap.
Could it be that Justin Hawk Bradshaw
is gonna be the first person to have ever defeated Vega
in a-- really, his own match?
[J.R.] Savio Vega, to the best of our knowledge,
has never lost a Caribbean Strap Match.
It would be a great feather in the hat, so to speak,
of Justin Hawk Bradshaw
-[Vince] Wow! -[J.R.] …if he could be the first one.
[Curt] Well, Bradshaw couldn't have picked a better night to do it.
[J.R.] I guess Bradshaw thinks he's been slighted
a little bit by WWE officials.
I don't know for sure that to be the case.
Boy, these strap matches are so very physical.
Remember, the only way to win it is to drag your opponent
and touch all four top turnbuckles.
And you can use the belt, this leather strap, as a weapon.
Oh, my!
Right in the face.
[groaning]
[Vince] Savio Vega taking it to Justin Hawk Bradshaw.
And Vega, with all the justification in the world,
considering what happened after the Free For All match-up with Savio and Jannetty.
[J.R.] And let's not forget what happened at SummerSlam
when Bradshaw jumped Savio Vega.
And right now, Vega's whipping Bradshaw
like a government mule.
[Vince] All right, there's one buckle.
And here comes two.
Go ahead, Savio, making the rounds.
Savio dragging Justin, trying to drag him so he could
tag the third corner, and he--
and he does.
There's only one left to go.
[J.R.] All he's gotta do is make contact.
Whoa!
[Vince] No, he doesn't. And down to the canvas.
Savio Vega and Justin Hawk Bradshaw,
and you should see the welts all over the back
of Justin Hawk Bradshaw.
Oh, my goodness!
That leather strap has left its mark,
literally, across the back and shoulder area of Justin Hawk Bradshaw.
[Vince] There it is!
Nicely done.
[J.R.] Spinning heel kick by Savio Vega.
That may be able to incapacitate
Bradshaw enough for Savio to touch all four
of these turnbuckles.
[Vince] And there's one.
[Curt] Bradshaw over 300 pounds.
I don't know if Savio can drag the dead weight of him.
[Vince] Savio Vega going to three now and here we go again.
Just one more!
[J.R.] Boy, Savio made a U-turn.
[Vince] You might say that.
Whoa.
Again, you must touch all four corners in succession.
Look at that big Texas boot
right into the head of Savio Vega.
Justin Hawk Bradshaw, a mean Texas hombre for sure,
has made a big reputation for himself thus far.
[J.R.] Oh, my… man.
[Curt] That's what you call a clothesline.
[J.R.] Indeed, that's an-- that's some impact right there.
And I think this match is gonna set
the tone for the intensity for the rest of the night
right here from Philadelphia.
This is gonna be a very special night.
I can feel it in my bones.
[Vince] All right.
Here we go.
Bradshaw now has touched one corner.
Trying to drag Savio Vega over to another one,
and Savio trying to put on the brakes.
And the big, powerful Texan inching his way and…
and there we go, number two.
Again, look at this.
Bradshaw dragging Savio Vega, going for number three.
And he's made it!
Has he?
[J.R.] He's 3/4 of the way home.
Come on. Come on.
[J.R.] He's turned-- he's turned the final pole,
and he's headed for home.
One more.
You need one more.
[Vince] Vega.
That's three!
[J.R.] Vega's touched three as well.
[Vince] Yes, Vega has been touching each buckle--
There it is!
He's just an inch away!
Just an inch away!
[bell dinging]
Savio Vega has officially won the match!
Bradshaw pulled Vega.
Vega catapulting into the corner.
[J.R.] Savio Vega continuing to be undefeated
in these leather strap matches,
but this one really took its toll.
Man, what a intense match-up.
Bradshaw's got the marks all over his body.
Just take a look.
It's something.
[Vince] What physicality, and it's only the very first
match-up tonight, ladies and gentlemen, In Your House:
Mind Games.
You want to talk physicality and anything can happen.
I would suggest this is more in the category of
anything can happen.
The match-up that we're gonna be talking about momentarily--
Jose Lothario one-on-one against James E. Cornette,
whom we saw in the Free for All.
Here are some of the events that led up to this most unusual match-up.
See, I know Jose Lothario has been doing a lot of training.
He's been drinking three bottles of Geritol every day.
[grunting]
He's been using his walker for parallel bars.
And he went out and got some Extra Strength Poligrip
for when I knocked his dentures out of his mouth!
Watch out!
But I've been doing training, too.
Here comes the WWE champion Richard Simmonds.
Vader has released the beast in me!
Oh, wait a minute.
Jose is so old, when he was in school
they didn't have history.
He's so old, his Social Security number is one.
And he is so old that he's the man
that taught Jonah how to fish.
So I'm gonna kick your butt like nobody's done it before.
[Vince] Oh!
Jose, you're gonna go down at the hands of a younger man.
And Jim Cornette's got the chance to beat a legend.
Jim Cornette, I think he's got a big mouth, tell you the truth.
[Vince] Here we go.
Ladies and gentlemen, Jim Cornette on his way to the squared circle,
as well as Jose Lothario.
And take a look, if you would, at James E. Cornette.
One-on-one against Jose-- we're told-- wait a minute.
Something going on in the locker room area, ladies and gentlemen.
[J.R.] What is it?
I'm a bigger man than you people realize. Get out of my way!
[J.R.] Do we-- do we have a camera back in the locker room?
What's going on back there?
Something-- wait!
That's Razor and Diesel down there!
That's Razor and Diesel!
And that's Savio Vega!
Razor and Diesel apparently have just
done a number on Savio Vega!
James E. Cornette back out here,
ladies and gentlemen, part of this extraordinary crowd.
I can't believe what we just saw!
Jim Ross, you said you were gonna
deliver Razor and Diesel live tomorrow night on Monday Night RAW!
[J.R.] I also said on LiveWire yesterday,
they could be right here tonight.
And I hate to be like Jerry Lawler, but--
and say I told you so-- but I told you so.
All somebody had to do was give me a little bit
of the benefit of the doubt.
[Curt] I believed in you, Ross. I believed you.
[Vince] I must say, from my standpoint, I…
You know, I gotta little something to say here tonight.
[Vince] …figured it was a television ratings ploy.
And I bet it's great because you people finally get
to see a real man for once!
Jose Lothario is a legend.
Jose Lothario was a great wrestler,
and Jose Lothario taught Shawn Michaels everything he knows.
But Jose Lothario is an old, broken down cripple.
He's 150 years old.
So I'm gonna give him a chance here tonight.
If he turns his tail and he runs out
that door like the yellow stinking coward that he is,
I won't hurt him.
But if he comes to this ring, me, James E. Cornette,
I'm gonna beat his stinking brains out.
[Shawn Michaels' music playing]
♪ I think I'm cute ♪
[Vince] Now, when we talk about mind games, ladies and gentlemen,
James E. Cornette sometimes is a master of mind games.
What kind of mind games is he gonna have for Jose?
[J.R.] I don't think there's anything Cornette
can do but worry about the next double cheeseburger
he's gonna eat.
He's wearing a-- looks like he's wearing a pair
of Yokozuna's old tights.
And they're a little snug on Cornette.
[music continues]
♪ I'm just a sexy boy ♪
Cornette may have set all-time record for cholesterol level.
It's got to be over 300.
[Vince] Yeah, but give him credit.
[J.R.] For what?
[Vince] Jim Cornette, we said before,
you can bet he's going to have something up his sleeve.
What sort of mind games is Cornette gonna play here?
[Curt] I don't know. I'm-- I'm waiting to see this myself.
I'll tell you what, though, Jose Lothario I know
is a legend when it comes to the wrestling world.
[Vince] And what great condition--
[Curt] Look out! Look out!
-[Vince] Oh! -[bell dinging]
[Curt] He's 62 years old, is Jose Lothario.
[Vince] And he just slapped the mucus right out of the nose of Cornette.
Cornette coming off the rope.
Oh, my goodness!
Right in the butt of the jaw.
Cornette doesn't know where he is.
Cornette's trying to get out of there.
[J.R.] Cornette looks like a giant Twinkie being bounced around.
His outfit is sponsored by Hostess.
[Vince] Forget about it!
Cornette, look at him!
James E. Cornette has yet to mount an offense.
[Curt] Look at Cornette. He looks like the Michelin tire man.
[Vince] And Jose Lothario, 62 years old,
they call him Super Sock Jose.
Oh, forget about it!
On the butt of the jaw again.
I think Cornette's out.
Uh-oh.
[J.R.] Well, Cornette's biggest fan, Richard Simmons,
I'm sure, is just-- just having a-- a rough time
watching this one.
[Vince] Oh, forget about it! What an uppercut there!
Hard cover! One, two, and that's it.
[crowd cheering]
[Shawn Michaels' music playing]
Talk about short work.
♪ I know I'm sexy ♪
♪ I've got the looks and the drive ♪
James E. Cornette, talk about a foot in the mouth.
Oh, my goodness.
Cornette got more than that.
James E. Cornette caught completely
off guard by Jose Lothario.
[Curt] I think--
I think Jose could use some different ring music.
He's far from being a sexy boy.
[Vince] Obviously, in honor of Shawn Michaels,
the individual whom, of course, he has trained.
Yes, Jose Lothario, the mentor whom we will see no doubt later on
in the corner of Shawn Michaels, when Michaels
defends the World Wrestling Entertainment Championship
against Mankind.
And are you surprised that Cornette
showed us very little offense?
[J.R.] Absolutely not.
-That's what happens when you-- -[Vince] Uh-oh. Wait a minute.
And let us tell you what's really hot. It's not Jim Cornette's athleticism.
It's the WWE Superstar Line, exclusive post-match interviews
with the winners and the losers of every contest tonight.
And of course, The Wildman and Faarooq
meet tomorrow night on RAW for the Intercontinental Championship.
You see our numbers in North America.
The United States number on your left,
our number in Canada on your right, the respective charges.
And remember, you've got to be 18 years of age
or have your parents' permission before calling.
These should be some red-hot interviews.
They're uncensored.
They're after every match on the WWE Superstar Line.
[Vince] All right, Mr. Perfect, who do you pick
tomorrow night live on wire-- rather, live on RAW?
LiveWire, of course, was earlier in the weekend.
Who do you predict to win the Intercontinental Championship?
-Will it be Faarooq or The Wildman? -[Curt] Well, I'll tell you what.
The Wildman has all the assets to be a champion,
but he's gonna really have to do some wrestling
to get around Faarooq.
-[Vince] You're picking Faarooq. -Yeah, I am.
[Vince] Faarooq is a new Intercontinental Champion.
No doubt Ahmed Johnson
will be watching live tomorrow night on RAW,
ladies and gentlemen.
Of course, Ahmed having to surrender
the belt due to a-- uh-oh-- an injury.
But right now-- uh-oh-- talk about a loose cannon.
Talk about mind games.
Brian Pillman recently embarrassed by the comments
of Bret The Hitman Hart, that you were there
to pick up from South Africa.
Brian Pillman said he was gonna deliver Bret Hart.
Bret Hart called him this-- watch.
I just want to say one thing to Brian Pillman.
Brian Pillman, you are a liar.
I never, ever once made any commitment
to you that I was ever gonna be in Philadelphia
for a Pay-Per-View.
You're a liar.
As for Owen, my lovable brother, Owen,
you're as bad a liar as Brian Pillman.
You're both liars.
So don't talk to me anymore either, Owen.
So I'm gonna go ahead and prove…
[Vince] Uh-oh.
…that I'm an honest man.
You know all those beautiful sites of Philadelphia
we've all been seeing--
the landmarks, the Liberty Bell, this gorgeous state-of-the-art facility?
Well, they represent less than 1/2 of 1% of this sewer!
Our founding fathers are rolling over in their graves
right now because the birthplace of freedom
has become a cesspool of drug abuse, battered women,
and welfare recipients!
[Vince] Wow.
And if you need any more proof,
just take a look at the scum,
the illiterate degenerates
that sit before me.
[Vince] We apologize for the disparaging remarks of Brian Pillman.
Well, I'm gonna do us all a favor.
I'm gonna bring some class to this program.
I'm gonna bring out the King of Harts, Slammy Award-winner,
and in my book, the best there is, the best there was,
and the best there ever will be, Owen Hart!
[Vince] Brian Pillman, obviously,
promised he was gonna deliver Bret Hart,
and Brian Pillman has a great deal of egg on his face.
And I would suggest that's why
he is taking the offense here live
at the beautiful CoreStates Center.
[music continues]
I don't know what Bret said, Owen,
and I know there's been bad blood over the years
between you two.
He's always resented your youth, your athleticism.
And it certainly didn't help matters
when you beat him at WrestleMania X.
But when Bret started facing retirement in the eye,
I thought you had made amends.
You had reconciled.
Well, you know, Pill, I thought everything was great between me and Bret.
We kind of patched everything up.
The last few months, Bret has started to accept
that I truly am the best Hart.
He's getting older.
He's getting slower.
He's not the technical wrestler he once was,
and he's finally admitted that I truly am the best
there is, was, and ever will be.
But for Bret to come out and call not only me, but you as well, a liar…
Yeah, he called me one.
…that is uncalled for.
And he gave us his personal guarantee.
Positively.
You know how I remember is he said in Philadelphia,
the City of Brotherly Love, he would be right here
and give a speech to all these people
just about what we had talked about previously.
All these losers, I might add.
So, you know, I'm a little bit confused about Bret.
You know, he might be getting senile
or something because we made an arrangement for him to be here.
And for some reason, he's not here.
Why do you think he's not here?
Well, the only thing that I can think of that would keep
my brother Bret away from this Philadelphia
is that he's scared.
Of me, right?
No, no, he's not scared of you.
He's not even that scared of me.
He's a little scared of me.
But the reason that he is scared--
and that fear is in his eyes-- is for none other reason
than the 1996 King of the Ring,
a man none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Well, it looks like we need to talk to this man.
-[Vince] Stone Cold Steve Austin… -[Brian] Let's bring him out!
[Vince] …has challenged Bret The Hitman Hart
on numerous occasions.
[Owen] This is the man that my brother Bret is scared of.
[Vince] We had hoped that Bret was gonna join us.
[Vince] Certainly there was no promise whatsoever
to the World Wrestling Entertainment
that he would be here, only allegedly to Owen.
Austin 3:16. Someone's gonna get their ass whipped.
[Vince] Nonetheless, I'm sure Bret will soon be making up
his mind as to whether or not he's gonna return to action at all.
And some believe, and there's certainly a lot of his
family members believe, he should just retire and accept
all of the wonderful accolades
that he has achieved here in the World Wrestling Entertainment.
And folks, he's done it all.
He really has nothing more to prove.
[Curt] Quit while he's ahead is what you're saying.
Stone Cold, you've heard our thoughts on this.
Why do you think Bret's not here?
The whole world knew that Bret Hart wasn't gonna show up.
Stone Cold sure as hell knew that.
The bottom line is when Stone Cold's in the house,
Bret Hart is at his house
because he's scared of Stone Cold.
And that's the bottom line.
As soon as I rolled into the WWE, Bret Hart,
you packed your bags and took your carcass back to Canada.
Are you trying to say Bret Hart's a chicken?
Bret Hart doesn't even qualify as being a chicken.
He's a slimy substance that runs out
of the south end of a chicken.
Let me make myself clear.
If you put the letter S in front of hitman,
you've had my exact opinion of Bret Hart.
[Vince] All right, I don't think we have to go there.
I don't think we have to go there at all.
Bret, you and me are alike in a lot of ways.
You say you're the excellence of execution.
I live it every day of my life.
The problem with you is you always cared
what these people thought.
Stone Cold never gave a rat's ass about anybody.
[crowd cheering]
Bret, if you ever do come back, and I hope you do, son,
we're gonna get in this same ring,
and somebody's gonna get their ass whipped.
And Austin 3:16 says it's gonna be your ass.
And that's the bottom line because Stone Cold said so!
And Philadelphia sucks!
[Vince] All right.
'Cause I said so.
[Vince] Stone Cole Steve Austin and his commentary,
along with Brian Pillman.
Again, we do apologize to the younger members
of our viewing audience for some of that commentary.
The world's strongest man, Mark Henry, ladies and gentlemen,
is set for action here tonight against Jerry "The King" Lawler.
And, well, Mark Henry was out visiting Philadelphia
earlier on to City Hall.
Notwithstanding that, Mark, there he is.
Liberty Bell-- from Independence Hall over to Liberty Bell.
Taking a look there.
And Mark really enjoying-- there's a statue of George.
And what do you do to get around?
Well, there's only one way the 400 pounder can get around,
horse and carriage, of course.
He's bigger than a horse.
Skyline of Liberty Tower.
And of course, that brings us right into,
ladies and gentlemen, the brand spanking beautiful new
CoreStates Center.
It's absolutely a magnificent edifice.
And everyone in the greater Philadelphia area
very, very proud, as they should be,
of this extraordinary arena.
And proud as well of what's going to happen right here--
Mind Games In Your House.
[announcer] The following contest scheduled for one fall
is for the World Wrestling Entertainment
Tag Team Championship.
[Vince] Now, this is gonna be most interesting.
[announcer] For the challengers…
[Vince] The WWE Tag Team title
up for grabs. And conspicuous by his absence here
is James E. Cornette.
[J.R.] Well, Cornette may be having to have some sort
of a heart resuscitation.
I don't know anybody that would give him mouth to mouth, but in any event,
I always thought that Cornette was the edge in this match-up.
I think Cornette's a better manager than Sunny.
But without Cornette here--
[Vince] He might be on his way, I believe.
Standing by, JR, we've got Dok with a report.
Dok, can you hear us?
Yes, I can, Vince.
I'm here in the first aid room.
Obviously, you can see James E. Cornette is being attended to
by the ring physician.
It doesn't look like he's in any condition
to accompany his team to the ring or anything--
Right now.
[Vince] Thank you very much.
No, he's in no condition at all in there,
with Clarence Mason by his side.
He's through. He's through.
[Vince] I wonder who Mr. Cornette's gonna sue now.
All right, here we go, ladies and gentlemen, tag team action.
Here come Sunny and The Smoking Gunns,
the WWE Tag Team Champions.
[announcer] Sunny!
From the great state of Texas, at a total combined weight
of 524 pounds, the World Wresting Entertainment
Tag Team Champions…
[Vince] And Billy, along with Sunny,
getting a few last-minute tips.
[J.R.] Yeah, I guess Sunny giving Billy some last-minute advice.
Well, that's kind of how this whole thing has evolved,
as far as The Smoking Gunns are concerned.
It looks like Billy's a little closer to Sunny.
[Vince] I'm not so sure about that.
Billy and Bart, the Tag Team Champions, ladies and gentlemen.
And certainly, Sunny loves Tag Team Champions,
no doubt about that.
[Curt] Well, she's a woman. She likes any kind of gold.
[Vince] Oh, wait a minute, now.
And Sunny...
there with The Gunns ready to defend
the WWE Tag Team Championship.
[Vince] Whoa!
[J.R.] Whoa!
[Vince] Hey, wait a minute.
Hey, let's get a shot of that.
That's not the usual huge Sunny poster.
Bulldog and Owen, obviously-- Oh, my.
Look.
Look what they did to that poster!
Davey Boy and Owen Hart, look what they did to that poster.
Yeah. It--
[Curt] Oh, I know it was Owen.
[Vince] Wasn't even there.
-[Curt] Yeah, it was Owen. -[Vince] No, he wasn't there.
I don't know who did it.
They both did it.
[music continues]
[J.R.] Boy, Sunny is upset.
[Vince] Yes, he is.
[J.R.] She's distraught.
You know, she's got a huge ego.
[Vince] No.
[laughter]
[Vince] What an ego.
And that's what it's all about.
Whether it's ego or not, it's about
the WWE Tag Team Championship.
And there, Billy consoling Sunny.
And right away, Bulldog and Owen
perhaps have a psychological edge, would you say?
[Curt] No doubt about it.
I mean, they dropped that big poster down of Sunny.
[Vince] Uh-oh.
It's not fair!
[J.R.] Sunny and Cornette…
Why'd they do that to me?
[J.R.] …had a more spirited debate than the Bob Dole,
Bill Clinton debates coming up… It's not fair!
[J.R.] …yesterday morning on Live Wire, live on the USA Network.
Go away!
[Vince] And I must say, LiveWire, ladies and gentlemen,
oh, you do not want to miss that
on Saturdays, that's for sure.
Saturday morning starting off, yes, with a tremendous…
[bell dinging]
…event on the USA Network.
You guys think you're real funny, don't ya?
[crowd cheering]
[Vince] All right.
Who will be the favorites in this match-up,
if there are any? JR, what would you guess?
[J.R.] Well, I think the team with the advantage at the moment
probably will have the crowd behind them.
I don't see any clear cut favorite here.
-[Vince] Shifting back and forth then? -[J.R.] Absolutely.
Here comes Clarence Mason.
There goes a cover.
[Vince] One, two-- oh, my goodness.
Owen distracted by the presence of Clarence Mason.
And I guess Clarence might be filling in for the ailing
Jim Cornette.
I don't know.
A little consultation going on here.
[J.R.] Well, you know, Mason, I guess,
is still the attorney of record of Cornette,
camp Cornette, far as we know anyway.
[Vince] And also, the official manager
of an individual known as Crush, a monster
with a rather checkered past.
In any event, coming off the rope, Billy with a nice tackle.
[Curt] Yeah, this is gonna be a classic wrestling match.
-I could see this coming right now. -[Vince] Toss, nicely done!
Right back up on that takedown.
And Owen Hart in control.
Owen Hart off the rope.
Oh, body drop. That'll do it! One, two…
Only a count of one.
And Billy, backdoor real quick.
[J.R.] I really believe that Owen Hart
is the most technically sound athlete in this match-up.
I think he's the quickest athlete as well.
And that's what happens when you're a second generation wrestler.
Owen Hart could be the big difference in this contest.
[Vince] I would suggest it would be Davey Boy with those very same attributes.
I see Davey Boy as the difference.
[J.R.] Well, you also thought that
my situation with Razor and Diesel was a ratings ploy,
and it wasn't.
[Vince] I'd like to reserve comment on that, if you don't mind.
[J.R.] Well, don't you think everybody should
have the benefit of the doubt?
You got the benefit of the doubt when you were indicted.
[Vince] And over there now, wait a minute. From the other side!
Leapfrog.
Nicely done.
Hard count!
It's two and-- no!
So quick!
And Billy with a boot to the midsection.
[Curt] Tell you what, Billy Gunn, he's one of the best athletes
in the World Wrestling Entertainment now.
You watch the way he moves with authority. He knows what he's doing inside the ring.
[Vince] No doubt about that. And so does Bart.
Bart, now… nobody there.
Lined up.
Boy, you're in rare form here tonight, aren't you, JR?
[J.R.] What do you mean?
[Vince] You're really cranked up.
[J.R.] Well, all I'm saying--
[Vince] You've been on a roll lately, haven't you?
Hart standing side headlock now.
Bart Gunn off the rope.
Nice tackle.
Bart and the powerful British Bulldog going at it.
Leapfrog nicely done.
And look out, off the rope, and--
Knee to the midsection!
Look at that! One, two…
[Vince] Oh, The Bulldog almost--
dropkick by The Bulldog!
Pound for pound, perhaps the most powerful man
in all the World Wrestling Entertainment, the British Bulldog.
And that's saying something.
[Curt] No doubt about it.
All the experience that Owen and--
[J.R.] There it is!
There you go!
That's the move right there.
I told ya!
Owen Hart could make the difference in this match-up.
That chop block was executed to perfection.
It may be unethical.
It may not be philosophically agreeable to everybody,
politically correct, but it was a great move.
[Curt] It's for the World Wrestling Entertainment
Tag Team Championship. That's a great move.
[Vince] Oh-ho! And again, Owen trying to take
advantage of the injury.
Owen Hart with Bart Gunn.
We'll take a look at this double feature.
The dropkick.
And after that, in control, The Bulldog.
And unfortunately, Clarence Mason--
as we were looking at that double feature, we were a bit distracted.
Clarence Mason came over and gave each and every one of us his card.
-[Curt] Well, you never know. -[J.R.] You never know. That's right.
[Vince] Wait a minute. Clarence Mason, Attorney at Law.
I'm reading from his professional card.
"Halls of Justice Building, Suite Seven, Sue City, USA.
Guaranteed justice at any price."
[Curt laughing] Sue City?
[J.R.] Sounds like my second wife's lawyer.
[Vince] Meanwhile, unfortunately for Bart,
he's gonna need some assistance, but not legal,
perhaps medical.
[J.R.] Good strategy right here.
The biggest Gunn, that's Bart, he's isolated in the corner
of the challengers.
That's classic tag team strategy.
Just cut that ring off in half and make your opponents compete
in your half of the ring.
And that's exactly what Bulldog and Owen are doing.
[Vince] Forget about it!
[grunting and groaning]
Owen Hart and the British Bulldog, brother-in-laws.
[yelling]
[Mason] He gave it up.
[Vince] You have to wonder whether or not
Bret The Hitman Hart was listening to the commentary
earlier on made by his brother Owen,
as well as Stone Cold Steve Austin.
[crowd chanting indistinctly]
[J.R.] Maybe a Boston crab coming up here.
[Vince] Trying to get him over.
[J.R.] Submission maneuver.
[Vince] And Bart just about as tough as they come.
Reaching for the rope. The hold must be broken.
[J.R.] Another tag has been made.
And look at the very quick exchange.
Bart Gunn not even able to regain his feet before the tag.
Bulldog is in firm control here.
[Curt] Bulldog and Owen, they've been wrestling like they been
a tag team for their whole life.
[Vince] And this is gonna hurt.
[J.R.] Bam.
[Vince] Bulldog, letting the blood rush all the way down to the head.
Look at that.
[J.R.] I'll tell you something. Bart Gunn is 6' 4", 270.
[Vince] Cover.
We got one.
Look out, Billy coming in!
And they don't care if they're disqualified.
Billy risking disqualification.
Uh-oh, look out from behind.
Owen Hart now right in front of the official.
Was there a tag?
Obviously, from our vantage point, we didn't see one,
and there wasn't one.
Now, wait a minute.
[J.R.] Well, if the referee didn't see the tag,
he should not allow it.
[Vince] That's for sure.
You'd have to be rubber man or plastic man or Andre The Giant
to have an arm that long to make that tag.
[J.R.] Spinning leg lock here
supplied by Owen Hart, continuing to stretch those
knee ligaments on Bart Gunn.
[Vince] Oh, and it may be done!
Got him! No, he didn't.
That was close.
[Vince] Forget about it!
[J.R.] That was an enzuigiri head kick.
[Vince] One, two…
Again, Billy interfering.
[J.R.] I think Billy Gunn wants to get disqualified.
-[Curt] Sure he does. -[Vince] I think so too.
Anything to save those titles.
You can only gain a title by a pinfall or a submission.
Uh-oh, look out.
Distraction there.
Raking the face, in from behind, a clothesline.
[J.R.] Bart Gunn got--
[Vince] Look at Billy Gunn hammering away.
Billy Gunn kicking away as the official's distracted.
[Billy] Come on!
Come and get it!
[Vince] Billy Gunn now.
With The Bulldog.
What-- oh!
Oh-- oh, man.
[J.R.] And The Bulldog took a bite out of the steps that time.
[Vince] And Clarence Mason doesn't like what he is seeing.
And you can bet if Jim Cornette is back in the first aid room
watching this one, he's going to have a little mental anguish,
-rather, to go with his physical. -[J.R.] Clarence Mason ain't exactly
the Jimmy Johnson of the WWE, if you know what I mean.
Not a lot of big-game experience for the barrister.
[Vince] All right.
Bart right back in now.
Bart game, always has been.
Tag was made. Billy the legal man.
Uh-oh.
Look out.
To the buckle, and here comes Billy Gunn!
[J.R.] Well, the Smoking Gunns got the fresh man in,
and that's Billy Gunn.
And now let's see if Billy Gunn can turn this momentum around.
[Curt] He's got to get on him.
He's wasting time.
[J.R.] Wasting--
What you got, big boy?
[J.R.] And he made a tag.
Why did he make the tag?
I don't understand that.
[Vince] Well, I think we will in a moment.
Bart, the more powerful of the two.
Is it time to try and set up the British Bulldog?
All right.
Bulldog off the rope now.
And yes, here we go.
Sidewalk slam coming up, from the top.
That's exactly what they're trying to do.
[J.R.] He's way out there.
[Vince] He's on the top now.
This one's history.
[J.R.] Sidewinder.
[shouting]
[Vince] Wait a minute.
Did you see what Owen Hart did behind the official's back?
And Clarence Mason saved the day.
[J.R.] Boy, this is anybody's ball game right here.
The WWE Tag Team Championship on the line.
Owen Hart without that cast.
I guess after--
[Vince] One, two, three-- no!
[Curt] Oh, wow.
[Vince] No, that was only two.
And Sunny almost having a heart attack.
And Billy Gunn pouring it on now.
Come on!
Come and get it!
[J.R.] Billy Gunn's like a lot of Texans.
He gets a little bit out of control.
He didn't go for the cover right there and made the tag.
I think that was another mistake by Sunny's team.
[Vince] Well, I don't think they've made many mistakes.
The one you brought out earlier on, I don't think it was a mistake at all.
And as for Clarence Mason--
and I think we're gonna see the change in the tag
was actually a successful defense.
[Curt] I think you've got to give Sunny credit. The Gunns are ready.
[Vince] Driving the knee repeatedly there, Bart Gunn.
You may not like the politics of the Smoking Gunns.
But thus far from what I've seen,
contrary to what you're looking at, JR,
I think the Smoking Gunns are the superior team.
Wide open, The British Bulldog.
And…
Come on and tag.
[Vince] Raking the face behind the official's back.
…two, three. Come on.
-Stay off the face. -You…
-Stay off his face. -…shut up!
Come on.
Stay off it!
[Vince] Billy Gunn attempting to intimidate the official.
Thus far, neither Billy nor Bart
have been able to intimidate The Bulldog,
or for that matter, Owen Hart.
Keep it over there.
[J.R.] Billy Gunn's left wrist heavily taped.
Certainly-- at least it's not a cast.
Owen Hart finally got that cast removed.
[Vince] Well, thanks to the Wildman Marc Mero,
it was removed.
[J.R.] It got physically removed last Monday night on RAW.
[Sunny] Come on!
[Vince] The Smoking Gunns here, ladies and gentlemen,
at Mind Games In Your House,
defending a WWE Tag Team Championship.
The Smoking Gunns coming to you live
from the beautiful CoreStates Center from Philadelphia.
And there's very little brotherly love
in this ring at the moment.
What a physical match.
[J.R.] It has been absolutely off the page.
But the stakes are so high.
They can't get any higher in tag team action here in the WWE.
[Curt] Gonna beat The Bulldog with his own--
[Vince] No! Bulldog down, right into the corner.
And right into Billy.
Oh, wait a minute!
[J.R.] What a dumb move by Billy Gunn.
[Vince] Power slam.
This could do it.
-One, two… yes, he got it! -[Curt] Wow!
[Vince] He got it!
[Curt] Holy mackerel!
[J.R.] New champions!
New champions!
New champions have been crowned.
[announcer] The winners of this match and new World Wrestling Entertainment
Tag Team Champions, The British Bulldog and Owen Hart!
[British instrumental music]
[Vince] Sunny can't believe it, ladies and gentlemen.
[J.R.] Sunny made a big mistake.
She distracted her own man on the apron.
[Vince] And there you have it.
Clarence Mason standing with the new WWE Tag Team champions.
And Sunny is really putting a bad mouth on the Smoking Gunns.
[J.R.] Well, it's obvious Sunny's gonna blame in the Gunns
for her own deficiency.
Hang on just a minute!
[Vince] Sunny acting like a petulant child.
I gave my time to you.
I gave my money to you.
Heck, I gave everything to you.
-[J.R.] Well. -[Vince laughs]
[J.R.] Beg your pardon.
I thought you guys could be champions.
I thought you guys could really be winners.
But you know what?
You're nothing but no-good cowboy wannabes.
[Vince] Wow.
And I have had it!
You two are fired!
Do you hear me? Fired! Fired! Fired!
[J.R.] Well.
[Vince] Can you believe this?
Losing the Tag Team Championship is one thing.
Being publicly berated is something else.
Sunny! Come back.
[screaming]
[Vince] Well, we've had one WWE championship
change hands, ladies and gentlemen.
Here tonight, live, will there be another one?
With that in mind, let's take you
to Kevin Kelly somewhere down in the bowels of the building.
Kevin, where are you?
[Kevin] I'm in the bowels of the CoreStates Spectrum
right now with Paul Bearer and Mankind.
Paul Bearer, you have already led
one man to the World Wrestling Entertainment championship.
Will you make Mankind the next champion tonight?
Oh, you hit the nail right on the head.
Right here tonight, my Mankind
will be the new World Wrestling Entertainment champion.
And you know what's so funny about it?
The creatures of the night, it was your fault that I did
what I did to The Undertaker.
And Shawn Michaels, your Kliq--
it's your fault that Mankind is going to beat Shawn Michaels
right here tonight.
Oh, yes!
Mankind, what do you have in store for Shawn Michaels?
Misery and destiny.
You see, I live to make Shawn Michaels miserable.
I live to make his Kliq feel the pain
that I've known my whole life.
You see, Uncle Paul has told me
that it's my destiny to hear Shawn Michaels' gurgled screams.
It's my destiny to hear his liver rupture.
It's my destiny to hold my hand aloft,
Uncle Paul, and cuddle that heavyweight title.
Destiny.
And after that, we'll all have a nice day.
[Vince] Thank you very much.
And, ladies and gentlemen, we're back and ready for more WWE action.
Here comes Jerry "The King" Lawler,
who has been very active as far as mind games are concerned.
It all started, ladies and gentlemen, earlier today,
live from the CoreStates Center.
Jerry "The King" Lawler threw some coffee,
or what we thought was coffee, into the face of…
well, Mark Henry.
And Mark Henry was absolutely flabbergasted that the King
would even show up.
Let's take you to that footage.
Here's what happened, live on Superstars.
And we thought, for a second, it was really hot coffee.
Look at this.
Yeah.
He thought it was real funny.
And that wasn't all because then,
during the Free For All, Jerry "The King" Lawler,
at face to face--
look what he did to Mark Henry.
Now, Mark Henry, as you know, JR--
[J.R.] Yeah.
[Vince] Mark Henry is--
well, he must have butterflies in his stomach.
[J.R.] Got to be nervous, but he's got to also
be a little bit embarrassed and humiliated
by Jerry Lawler as well.
[King] I hate the Olympics.
[Vince] And there he is.
Jerry "The King" Lawler.
[J.R.] See, I think Lawler is the heavy favorite in this match-up.
[King] The only reason I watched any Olympics at all
was to see if one synchronized swimmer drowns,
if they all have to drown.
That's the only reason I watched any.
[Vince laughs]
[King] Now, I want you people to keep a close eye on Mark Henry
because I'm fixing to take him to school.
It's gonna become Wrestling 101.
And he is gonna get the wrestling lesson of his life,
I promise you that.
He's gonna be so scared.
He's gonna be so nervous.
Keep a close eye because I think he might wet his pants
-when I get through with him. -[Vince laughs]
[J.R.] That's a pretty big student he's talking about.
[Vince] Yeah, well, The King
definitely putting the pressure, for sure,
on the Strongest Man in the World.
[announcer] Introducing, from Austin, Texas…
[Vince] Yeah, here he comes.
[announcer] …weighing 410 pounds and making his world…
[J.R.] Lawler's beaten some of the biggest names in the game.
[announcer] …debut, The World's Strongest Man…
[J.R.] And this is going to be another one right here.
[announcer] …Mark Henry.
[J.R.] Mark Henry,
as far as his technique is concerned,
is not ready to compete. But he accepted the challenge.
-[Vince] No doubt about that. -[J.R.] You know, Mark is
a fine young man, but he's not ready to go yet.
[Vince] And with The King goading him
into this match-up-- whoa, there goes the lid.
[laughs] Hey, at the next Olympics,
maybe you can be a javelin catcher.
[laughs] Let me tell you something, Mark Henry.
Get ready.
Because, like I said, you're fixing to get
a wrestling lesson of your life.
I've forgotten more about wrestling than you'll ever know.
I'm gonna go ahead and tell you right off the bat.
I'm gonna start it off with some real simple for you,
just a basic headlock.
I'm gonna show you he can't even get out of a basic headlock.
He's got no business being in a wrestling ring.
[Vince] What are you--
unbelievable.
The King?
Look at him.
You talk about mind games?
Oh, Jerry Lawler knows all about mind games, doesn't he?
Sometimes the psychological ploys of The King
are actually his greatest asset.
[J.R.] He's got a PhD in mind games, an advanced degree.
He wrote the book on it.
[Curt] He knows Mark Henry doesn't have any experience.
He's going right after the weakness.
[crowd chanting] USA! USA!
USA!
[Vince] Jerry "The King" Lawler knows
full well that Mark Henry has those
butterflies in his stomach.
His first match on pay-per-view.
Oh, my.
And he hasn't been training all that long.
But nonetheless, the King must be leery of the power
of Mark Henry.
[Curt] There's a headlock Lawler said he's going to put on him.
Went out and did what he said he was going to do.
[Vince] See if a-- wait a minute.
Into a hammerlock.
Oh, my goodness.
The King goes face first.
[Curt] Better get out of there, King.
[J.R.] That was a pretty good counter,
right into the hammerlock.
And then you see that overwhelming power take over.
Mark Henry doesn't have to do anything
fancy to be successful.
[Vince] Look at the size of Mark Henry.
400 pounds of him.
My goodness.
Strongest Man in the World, and maybe now, Jerry "The King" Lawler
has a little more respect for the Strongest Man in the World, Mark Henry.
Uh-oh.
[J.R.] Boy, that right there can beat Lawler.
That headlock can beat Jerry Lawler.
[Vince] A headlock?
[J.R.] Absolutely.
A headlock from Mark Henry can beat Jerry Lawler.
[laughs]
[Vince] Well, let's see if Mark Henry has any idea how to--
here, how about that?
Oh, no! To the buckle!
Somebody has really been coaching Mark Henry.
You wonder who it is, don't you?
-Is it you, Mr. Perfect? -[Curt] No, it's not me.
[Vince] Come on. Give it up.
[Curt] If I'd be coaching Mark Henry--
if I'd have taught him anything about wrestling,
he'd have come right out and took over on Jerry "The King" Lawler.
[Vince] He's not doing so badly, is he? Even if he loses this match-up--
[Curt] He's doing better than I thought he would do.
He's got to get aggressive. He's got to get on him.
[Vince] And that's exactly what Mark Henry wants to do.
The King's backpedaling now.
Locking back up in the middle of the ring.
[Curt] No, no way.
[J.R.] That ain't gonna work.
[Vince] Whoa!
That went well.
Wow!
[cheering]
And Mark Henry wants to take it to the King,
and the King now cowering over in the corner.
[J.R.] The King better pull something out of his playbook
here or this is going to be over
and he will be embarrassed.
[Vince] And take a look at those tree trunks
Mark Henry calls legs.
[J.R.] Can you imagine all the people
Lawler's beat in Lawler's illustrious career?
[Vince] And there-- oh, yeah I can imagine.
[J.R.] A lot of them.
[Vince] Whoa! And he has the tape to prove it.
Down to the canvas, Jerry "The King" Lawler.
[J.R.] I think Lawler has gotten frustrated.
I think Lawler is out of his own game plan here.
[Vince] Here we go. And… the King, just like running into a Mack truck.
[J.R.] That's not going to work.
King, you got to take him down if you're gonna beat him.
[Vince] The King is going to reach down in his bag of tricks any second now.
Look out.
Oh!
Head first.
Mark Henry, sidestepping the King, and the King
was driven head first to the outside.
I don't think the King's going to be getting back up after that.
Oh, wait, look. Look at this.
Let's take another look at it and listen to it.
-[Curt] Oh, man! -[Vince] Oh, my goodness.
Gamely, the King is-- ah, the King
complaining of a hair pull? Oh, here we go.
[J.R.] Oh, look out. King got airmailed.
He got airmailed outside.
And now look at him.
He's reaching in his tights.
Lawler's got something, I think, in his right hand.
[Curt] You know Lawler. He's a lot smarter than Mark Henry.
We're at Mind Games.
Lawler is a master of.
[Vince] Right on the butt of the jaw.
And Mark Henry certainly felt that.
[J.R.] Lawler's got something in his right hand,
I can almost guarantee you.
If not, he's got some personal problems he's taking care of.
[Vince] Oh, I think it is that
there was something in his right hand.
Nonetheless, the King packs a pretty powerful punch, in any event.
And Mark Henry must find some measure…
[Curt] I don't think you want to make this guy mad.
[Vince] Oh!
Oh, no!
Mark Henry driving those knees into the midsection.
Oh!
And a chop across the top of the head.
And Mark Henry with another one.
And the King feeling the effect of those chops.
And the King trying to get out of Dodge.
Nothing doing.
[J.R.] The last thing a sane individual wants to do
is to anger Mark Henry.
You don't want to make the World's Strongest Man mad.
[Curt] I don't think the King's been the same since he hit his head.
[Vince] Oh, wait a minute.
The backbreaker.
It's a backbreaker.
The King wasting no time in submission.
It's a backbreaker.
Jerry "The King" Lawler's back has
just about been broken here by the Strongest Man in the World.
Look at the smile on that man's face.
Can you believe it?
Mark Henry successful in his very first pay-per-view match.
[Curt] Hey, wait a minute.
[Vince] Look out.
That's Marty Jannetty and Leif Cassidy.
One of the Rockers there trying to spoil the victory of Mark Henry.
Oh, wow!
[J.R.] What a moment for Mark Henry. These guys are trying to ruin it.
[Vince] He was celebrating. Wait a minute.
Jannetty coming in.
Jannetty, the partner of Leif Cassidy.
Geez.
Here's Hunter Hearst Helmsley!
[Vince] Everyone trying to make a name for themself
at the expense of this Olympian,
at the expense of Mark Henry.
Mark Henry set up now. Wait a minute.
Coming off the ropes and-- oh, no!
[cheering]
Oh, no!
Unbelievable!
[cheering]
The Strongest Man in the World, Mark Henry,
has made a lasting impression not only
on Jerry "The King" Lawler, but other individuals who would
attempt to take advantage of his notoriety
right here tonight.
[J.R.] Mark Henry beat the King
and knocked down all the King's men in one fell swoop.
The World's Strongest Man.
Oh, he has rocked the house.
[Curt] Look at this guy. He just picks up Hunter Hearst Helmsley,
throws him out of the ring.
[Vince] Unbelievable!
Yeah, kudos to Mark Henry.
And I can tell you, we'll be seeing a great deal
more of Mark Henry, no doubt.
You have to wonder whether or not
he'll be joining us for our next pay-per-view extravaganza.
Yeah. Go ahead and celebrate.
Why not?
Mark Henry, one of the favorite Olympians,
no doubt, of all of us, representing the United States of America
and now representing the World Wrestling Entertainment.
By the way, ladies and gentlemen,
we spoke of our next pay-per-view extravaganza,
which takes place in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Market Square Arena, October the 20th.
That's a Sunday night.
And believe it or not, it's the very first unsanctioned match
in the history of the World Wrestling Entertainment
because someone--
and the title is not up for grabs here.
I can tell you that, being unsanctioned.
Someone is going to literally be buried alive.
JR, your point.
[J.R.] Well, I'll tell you something.
They're going to build a graveyard on the floor
of the Market Square Arena.
It's going to be 6 feet deep.
It's going to be somebody's gravesite.
Will it be for The Undertaker, or will it be for Mankind?
And I'm wondering why the WWE has
not sanctioned this match-up.
Well, it's pretty obvious considering the danger
in this match-up.
Nonetheless, both principals would like to have it that way.
You've been in matches that got a little out of hand,
but nothing quite like this.
I thought the final curtain match was tonight.
But I'll tell you what, both men-- The Undertaker and Mankind--
they're ready for it.
The people I know would love to see it. I'd like to see it.
[Vince] And again, the WWE title will not be up for grabs.
Indeed, we're not even officially sanctioning that match-up.
Someone literally buried alive
right before your very eyes in Indianapolis
on the 20th of October.
But speaking of The Undertaker... well, The Undertaker
and Goldust, no doubt, are going to have a go of it
right here live at the CoreStates Center, ladies and gentlemen.
They are ready for the final curtain.
[narrator] The unearthly Undertaker
has always been considered the master of mind games.
His very persona remains an enigma.
Few have had the temerity to challenge The Undertaker
within this realm.
But Goldust and his twisted entourage embrace the bizarre.
The psyche of their opponent is their playground.
When they met four months ago for the Intercontinental title,
The Undertaker used his casket for intimidation.
But the mind games were just beginning.
[J.R.] Wait!
What is happening?
That's Mankind.
Mankind.
He was... How did...
What... How?
Mankind Mandible Claw.
Mankind with the claw on The Undertaker.
The Undertaker's out.
[narrator] Goldust had beaten The Undertaker at his own game,
but the mind games were about to escalate.
At International Incident, they met again, and The Undertaker was noticeably
more aggressive than before.
For The Undertaker, revenge was in hand, when the Bizarre One's
minions struck again.
[Vince] Coming up from the bottom of the ring.
[J.R.] He's got the Mandible Claw on Undertaker.
[Vince] Mankind sucking The Undertaker down to the bottom of the ring.
Can you believe it?
[narrator] The Undertaker's anger
is turned toward an obsession with Mankind.
At SummerSlam in the Boiler Room Brawl,
the inconceivable happened.
When Paul Bearer turned his back on The Undertaker
in favor of Mankind, it shocked the world.
Can this betrayal be linked to the Bizarre One?
Has Goldust perpetrated the ultimate mind game?
Tonight, the final curtain will fall on one of these superstars.
There must be a winner,
and it must be by pinfall.
[Vince] Yes, and there you have it, ladies and gentlemen.
In the squared circle right now,
the most bizarre individual in the history
of the World Wrestling Entertainment.
And of course, that's saying something.
Yes, there he is, Goldust along with Marlena.
[J.R.] Goldust, a former two-time Intercontinental Champion.
Don't let that packaging fool you.
This is one tough hombre that has great athleticism.
Granted, he isn't very popular, and perhaps rightfully so,
but he's a heck of an athlete and has been much, much
more aggressive in recent weeks.
This is going to be a physical match.
[Vince] No doubt about that.
And surely, Goldust, along with both--
well, both he and Mankind have had the number, so to speak,
of The Undertaker.
[J.R.] They certainly have.
And I'll tell you, The Undertaker--
I really believe, as we said earlier--
as soon as The Undertaker got here today,
he sequestered himself in a private locker room.
We haven't seen him since, but we're about to right now.
[Vince] And it's raining Goldust all over out here at ringside.
[cheering]
[Undertaker music playing]
But soon-- yes, darkness is falling.
The Final Curtain Match.
The only way to win this match-up is by pinfall.
[J.R.] Well, that means that anything goes.
There's no disqualification.
It's going to be an all-out war.
Only one way to end it.
That's to pin your opponent.
[cheering]
[music continues]
[Vince] The greatest phenom in the history
of the World Wrestling Entertainment.
The Undertaker.
What a chill over this capacity crowd.
[music continues]
[cheering]
[Vince] Wow.
[cheering]
[Vince] Ah!
[bell dinging]
[Vince] The Undertaker is taking it to Goldust.
To the buckle.
The Undertaker wasting no time. Look what he's doing to Goldust.
From pillar to post, up he goes.
[Curt] Wow.
[Vince] Goldust in the clutches of The Undertaker.
Your opponent has to fall. No disqualification.
No count-out.
The only way you win the match is by pinfall.
[J.R.] And this is going to be physical
before it gets all over.
The Undertaker with a huge score to settle.
You got to wonder…
-[Vince] Oh, forget about it! -[J.R.] …what kind of relationship…
wait a minute.
[Vince] Two and he got him. No, he didn't.
[J.R.] You got to wonder what kind of relationship
Goldust and Mankind really have.
If they have a relationship, and we think they do,
then where does Paul Bearer fit in?
This whole-- this bizarre triangle.
[Vince] Where does Marlena fit in?
Where does any of this fit in?
And Goldust, right now, fitting in very nicely into the plans
of The Undertaker.
[Curt] Oh, Marlena with a slap.
[J.R.] Well, that's not gonna hurt The Undertaker.
It's just gonna make him more angry, I think.
[Vince] Thus far, The Undertaker, the aggressor.
Goldust for the ride.
Off the rope, neckbreaker.
[J.R.] The swinging neckbreaker by Goldust.
-[Vince] You said he'd be more aggressive. -[J.R.] Uh-oh.
[cheering]
[Vince] The Undertaker up before Goldust.
Goldust now with his histrionics.
Oh! Forget about it.
What a shot by The Undertaker.
The Undertaker sets Goldust for the ride again.
Ooh, big boot right there.
Right to the midsection.
The Undertaker with Goldust in hand, and Goldust goes up.
Wow.
[Curt] Well, Jim Ross, you were right.
Undertaker is much more aggressive than we've seen him in the past.
Once again, you are right.
I should say.
[Vince] Hard cover and count and he--
no, a kick-out again.
[J.R.] Goldust will not give up.
A lot of people misjudged Goldust.
They look at all this histrionic events, as you said.
But this guy is a heck of an athlete.
He's one of the toughest competitors
I've ever seen in the WWE.
[Vince] The Undertaker.
Hip toss nicely executed.
All that has happened to The Undertaker in recent weeks.
No!
[Vince] Imagine Paul Bearer turning
his back, literally, on The Undertaker at SummerSlam.
Paul Bearer now managing Mankind,
who could be the next WWE champion.
And The Undertaker goes up.
[J.R.] Unbelievable.
Unbelievable.
[Vince] What power!
And The Undertaker setting the tempo of this match.
Goldust has not been on the offensive
all that much in this match-up.
[J.R.] Certainly hasn't.
-He's taking a beating. -[Vince] Over the top now.
[J.R.] The Undertaker so aggressive.
This hellacious attitude of The Undertaker since Paul Bearer turned his back--
[Vince] Wait a minute. What do you mean by hellacious attitude?
He hasn't changed that much. Wait a minute.
Look at this.
Goldust.
Marlena's pocket book.
Goldust may have a hand of gold dust.
[cheering]
Definitely not!
No!
Put her down.
[J.R.] Well, The Undertaker needs to keep his hands off the lady,
-but she needs to sit down. -[Curt] Whoa!
[Vince] Whoa! Right in the face.
Unbelievable.
[J.R.] Right in his eyes.
I think that's right in The Undertaker's eyes.
[Vince] The Undertaker now having great difficulty.
Imagine the pain of whatever that substance is in his eyes,
and obviously, his vision is impaired.
[Curt] It was gold dust.
[Vince] And even more impaired now.
Goldust risking no disqualification here
because there is no disqualification.
Here, let's watch it again now.
Right in the eye.
[J.R.] That's the equalizer.
I don't care how big and strong you are.
Your eyes are vulnerable.
And Goldust went for the most vulnerable part,
perhaps, of The Undertaker's anatomy-- his eyes.
[Vince] Right out in front of us now.
And look at Goldust shoving the head of The Undertaker
into those steel steps.
Look at that.
Kick to the ribs.
Goldust, unmerciful.
Goldust just hammering away on The Undertaker.
The Undertaker, his vision still impaired.
He can only feel his way into the ring.
[J.R.] Hope they don't swing at us here.
[Vince] You got that right.
I don't need a right hand of that Undertaker.
[Vince] Look out.
From up above.
Oh, right hand.
Goldust.
And ramming The Undertaker into that table.
[J.R.] This is getting out of hand here.
[booing]
The Undertaker's got to regroup and reach down.
The worst may be yet to come.
One, two…
[Vince] No disqualification, no count out.
[J.R.] That's the way it ought to be between these two.
Let's get this settled once and for all.
[Vince] Uh-oh.
The Undertaker.
Clothesline. He's onto the canvas.
The cover.
One, two-- he's gone.
No, he just-- no, no.
And Goldust asking for a little quicker count by the official.
[Curt] This is a great approach by Goldust,
staying on the eyes.
[Vince] And if Goldust was not the aggressor
earlier on in the match, he unquestionably is now.
[Curt] We all know Goldust can get the job done,
beat The Undertaker in the Casket Match.
[Vince] No question, thanks to Mankind.
And you wonder whether or not Mankind will
be involved in this match.
You wonder whether or not Mankind
is counting the moments.
Oh, wait a minute.
[J.R.] Suplex.
Good counter there into the suplex.
And The Undertaker just drove Goldust right into the canvas.
[Vince] And whether you can see or not,
as long as you can feel your opponent,
you can get the job done.
Just ask any high school wrestler who's ever competed
against DSDA in Virginia.
Goldust in the ribs.
[crowd chanting indistinctly]
Goldust for the ride.
Hard cover. One, two and-- no.
[J.R.] What is that, a claw or a smother?
What is that maneuver Goldust is using here?
[Vince] It's more of a smother, as he leans all of his weight down on him.
[J.R.] Well, that's one way to break the smother.
Right hand to the face will do it every time.
[Vince] Might break a nose.
And Marlena, nonplussed about this whole thing.
She never gets excited.
[cheering]
Goldust again hammering away.
Goldust, the aggressor.
Goldust-- could it be that Goldust
will be the individual who polishes off The Undertaker?
-For the ride. -[Curt] Wow.
[Vince] The Undertaker has lost his urn.
He's lost Paul Bearer.
And he just may be moments away from losing this match-up.
And those histrionics cannot even be seen by The Undertaker.
[Curt] It's got to be hard for Goldust.
He cannot see the face of The Undertaker.
-He doesn't know how much pain he's in. -[Vince] Oh, wait a minute!
[cheering]
Oh!
Look at that! Look at that!
[cheering]
[J.R.] Good God almighty. Right hands, then left.
The Undertaker, he's gonna crack some ribs, there, of Goldust.
[Vince] The Undertaker exploding on Goldust,
moving back into the corner.
Goldust for the ride. No, reversal. Oh!
Forget about it! Oh, no!
Both men colliding in the ring.
Both men still on their feet, and body slam.
One, two-- he lifts the leg again.
Almost a count of three.
Whoa, that was close.
[J.R.] That was quite a powerslam by Goldust.
Under-- uh-oh.
What does it take to keep The Undertaker down?
I don't think anybody's ever figured it out.
[Vince] Well, he doesn't seem, The Undertaker, that is,
to be lacking in any power.
Well, I'm not so certain that the urn
had any significance at all, at least not in this match.
[J.R.] I think both men connected right there.
The Undertaker, perhaps, a little bit more of the two.
[Vince] Here we go with the double feature here.
That's a turnbuckle cam, if you would.
Oh.
Oh, what impact.
From that side and now the right side of the ring as well.
Goldust again.
High-risk maneuver coming up.
Goldust-- oh, no, he's caught by The Undertaker!
[J.R.] Choke slam! Choke slam!
[Vince] Oh, no!
[Curt] Oh.
[cheering]
[J.R.] Boy, that was a choke slam and a half. Big time!
[Vince] The Undertaker with an opportunity to finish this off.
This, the final curtain.
Here we go.
Will we see the tombstone?
[cheering]
[J.R.] Done! That's all. That's gotta be it!
[Vince] One, two, yes!
[bell ringing]
[cheering]
[announcer] Here is your winner, The Undertaker!
[Undertaker music playing]
[Vince] And for a moment, I must say,
I thought Mankind was going to pop up through the bottom of the ring.
I didn't have any idea.
I thought maybe Mankind was going to make his way to ringside.
But I guess Mankind, right now, intent on one thing--
becoming the WWE champion.
And The Undertaker, finally, has indeed finished this off
with Goldust.
[J.R.] Well, has the final chapter been
written between The Undertaker and Goldust?
Of course, only time will tell.
But The Undertaker with a resounding victory here.
The choke slam.
My gosh, what a choke slam, and then a Tombstone Piledriver
to end it all.
[Curt] The way Goldust's head bounced off the canvas
from the choke slam, I don't think anybody
could get up from that.
[music continues]
[J.R.] The Undertaker's got to be so full of hate
because of what Paul Bearer has done to him.
[Vince] And Mankind as well.
And ladies and gentlemen, it will be October the 20th
when we next return In Your House
to have that privilege.
And it will be that man right there.
That man, The Undertaker, will perhaps be buried alive.
[J.R.] Somebody is gonna be buried alive, six feet under,
in that cemetery on the floor of the Market Square Arena,
October 20.
Boy, I'll tell you-- I can understand
quite fully why the WWE will not sanction that one.
It's too dangerous.
I understand that.
[Vince] What an unbelievable impact The Undertaker continues
to make here in the World Wrestling Entertainment,
but it could come to an end in the buried-alive match-up.
And speaking of coming to an end,
you wonder whether or not the reign of Shawn Michaels
as the World Wrestling Entertainment
might be coming to an end,
as we take you now to Kevin Kelly along with the Heartbreak Kid.
Kevin?
I'm right here with Shawn Michaels,
the World Wrestling Entertainment champion.
We are moments away from the match where you face Mankind.
Mankind spoke earlier, saying that Paul Bearer
is leading him to his destiny.
But, Shawn, everybody in the Kliq
knows that this is your destiny,
the World Wrestling Entertainment title.
Not since I won the World Wrestling Entertainment title
have I gone out and defended this belt
and been really, really nervous, you know?
And the reason for that is because I feel like I can out-wrestle anybody
in the World Wrestling Entertainment.
But let's face it, I am wrestling the wackiest cat
that the World Wrestling Entertainment has ever, ever seen.
If I could go out there and wrestle him, I'd have all the confidence in the world.
But you never know where this guy is coming from.
So I'm a little bit jittery.
I'm a little bit nervous. But one way or another,
the Heartbreak Kid is going to do what he always does,
and that's find a way to get the job done.
Mankind is obviously one of the most
unorthodox superstars in World Wrestling Entertainment history.
You found out a little earlier today on Superstars.
Could Mankind and Paul Bearer be planning some kind of plot?
We've seen Paul Bearer use that casket before
many times with The Undertaker.
Now that he's on Mankind's side,
this could spell more trouble for you.
That's really a politically correct statement.
Unorthodox.
That's very nice.
This guy is whacked as the day is long.
And, yeah, they got caskets. They're playing mind games with me.
And believe me, if there was a mind up here that you could play with,
you'd be getting the job done. But unfortunately, [whistles]
there's not a whole lot upstairs when it comes to Shawn Michaels.
And thank goodness, because otherwise,
I'd really, really be in trouble.
And I'm already nervous enough as it is.
Mankind, Paul Bearer, one way--
and I really don't know how up to this point
when I'm about to walk up to the ring.
And I've got no idea how it is I'm going to deal with you two.
I guess I'll just think on the job, I suppose.
All right.
Thank you very much.
World Wrestling Entertainment champion Shawn Michaels.
-[Vince] Boy, he is nervous, isn't he? -[Curt] His voice was cracking.
His voice was cracking. His confidence is gone.
-[Vince] I mean, he's really nervous. -[Curt] His confidence is gone.
[Vince] But who wouldn't be?
Let me ask you, Mr. Perfect-- and look at this.
The Druids bringing down a casket.
Look at this.
[announcer] …is for the World Wrestling Entertainment Championship.
[Vince] That's the same casket that we saw
on Superstars earlier today.
Paul Bearer and Mankind playing mind games.
How would you, Mr. Perfect,
counter the extraordinary skills, if you can call them skills,
of Mankind?
[Curt] Well, if you're Shawn Michaels,
with the great athletic ability that he has--
[Vince] No, no. I know he has great athletic--
I ask about you.
[Curt] He has to use his whim and his endurance
to outlast Mankind.
He has to wear him down.
And I don't know if Shawn Michaels is thinking that way
because he's the one that's walking
out to the ring, not me.
I mean, if I was walking out the ring, I'd have a different answer for you.
[Vince] And where is Mankind?
And will that man that we see on the video wall, Paul Bearer,
play a part in this match-up, JR?
[J.R.] Yep, absolutely.
Paul Bearer, the inspirational leader of Mankind.
Paul Bearer has led one other athlete--
that's The Undertaker-- to the WWE title.
It could certainly happen here again.
Mankind is so unorthodox.
And Mankind will do anything to his own body to win this match.
I can assure you.
[Vince] He will sacrifice.
No question about that.
And there's going to be-- wait a minute!
[J.R.] There will be injuries in this match tonight.
[Curt] I can feel it in the air, McMahon.
I could feel it.
[Vince] Mankind.
The next World Wrestling Entertainment champion
arriving, if in fact he is arriving, in a casket.
[J.R.] Well, he will certainly be a challenging image
as the WWE champion to market, I would assume.
That's why I said earlier, the whole course of the WWE
could change right here, just moments from now.
[Vince] All right!
[Shawn Michaels' music playing]
[announcer] From San Antonio, Texas,
weighing at 229 pounds,
[the World Wrestling Entertainment champion,
The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels!
[music continues]
[Curt] No lack of confidence in the Kliq.
[Vince] It's as if the Philadelphia Flyers
have won the Stanley Cup or the 76ers, the NBA championship.
Listen to this if you would.
Listen to the roar of the crowd!
The most flamboyant WWE superstar in history.
[Curt] I don't know what they see in this guy,
but I can tell they love this guy.
[music continues]
♪ I'm just a sexy boy ♪
♪ A sexy boy ♪
♪ I'm not your boy toy ♪
[Vince] Well, there's no doubt that the Kliq is out in force
here tonight live from the brand spanking new beautiful CoreStates Center,
an apt location for Shawn Michaels
to defend the WWE Championship.
Is he defending it for the very first
or, actually, the last time?
[J.R.] Look at Mankind.
He doesn't even know what's going on with all these people
cheering and yelling.
[Vince] Shawn Michaels applauding the Kliq,
a few moments ago up on the top rope.
And José Lothario with a few last-minute words
of advice for Shawn Michaels.
And hopefully, Michaels is as successful
as José was earlier on with Cornette.
[Curt] It's almost like Shawn Michaels
was saying goodbye to the fans, to tell you the truth.
[Vince] Well, he does seem very, very nervous in that interview.
Very nervous.
[J.R.] I thought Shawn was losing his focus a little bit.
I thought he was, as you said, Vince, very--
I don't know-- nervous, apprehensive.
But very concerned, obviously.
[Vince] Oh! Elbow in the butt of the jaw.
And this is not the way Shawn Michaels wanted to start this one off.
Well, I'm not so sure you're going
to see a great deal of scientific knowledge
and skill applied by Mankind,
but you are going to see a quintessential brawler for sure.
[J.R.] Mankind would like to get this one over early.
[Curt] I like the style of Mankind. He's going right out to get the job done.
[Vince] Michaels off the rope.
Back body drop.
Whoa!
Perhaps it began earlier, live, here in the CoreStates center this morning.
For Super-- oh, my!
Forget about it.
Mankind went right out with Michaels.
Oh!
Right into the retaining barrier.
[Curt] Mankind has no regard for his own body.
Do you think he's going to have any for Shawn Michaels? Here we go.
-[Vince] Oh, no. -[J.R.] Exposed concrete.
[Vince] And a dropkick!
[cheering]
[Vince] Look at that!
[cheering]
[Curt] Well, you talk about mind games,
this is gonna be one of the weirdest
World Wrestling Entertainment championship matches of all time.
[Vince] Wait a minute!
Look at this!
Michaels!
[cheering]
[J.R.] For the crossbody, Michaels taking a hell of a chance here early.
Very early.
Shawn taking a chance.
Putting his body at risk.
[Curt] That's what he's going to have to do
if he's going to hold on to the World Wrestling Entertainment championship.
[Vince] Mankind in trouble.
Michaels now.
Look at this.
Crashing down to the concrete.
[J.R.] The back of Mankind's head
just bounced off the concrete floor.
And he probably enjoyed it.
[Vince] Mankind, back in the ring.
Shawn Michaels now going up to the top.
One leap, all the way up to the top.
And, yes, double axe.
[cheering]
Shawn Michaels trying to set up Mankind.
A bit of a reversal there.
Michaels, underneath the roundhouse.
Michaels starting to pepper. Look at this.
Michaels with the right hand now. This is good ol' Shawn Michaels.
Michaels off the rope.
Shawn Michaels with the clothesline.
[J.R.] The faster the pace, the better it is for the champion.
Michaels has got so much quickness and so much speed.
[Vince] And Michaels has proven time
and time again that he can mix it up in any style match you want.
If you want a brawl, he can brawl
because he's quicker than most people.
If you want a scientific match-up--
look at this--
you can have that, too.
Michaels just may have finished off Mankind.
Michaels senses victory.
Here we go.
[J.R.] Sweet Chin Music.
This is gonna be over!
[Vince] No, it's not.
Mankind.
[J.R.] Mankind saw the kick coming and leaped from the ring.
Mankind.
Hey, you got to give the devil his due.
Well, Mankind well-prepared.
He saw that kick coming, and Mankind bolted.
He leaped from the ring.
And now he's been given the urn for a little comfort, I guess.
[Curt] Well, Paul Bearer's got to tell him
it's for the World Wrestling Entertainment champion.
[Vince] And look at that. Oh, my goodness.
That turnbuckle cam.
And Paul Bearer encouraging Mankind to get back into the ring.
[J.R.] Paul Bearer wants to manage a WWE champion.
Paul Bearer knows the power
he will have if he controls the World Wrestling Entertainment title.
[Vince] And Michaels…
Look at this. Hammering away.
Shawn Michaels now trying to set up Mankind.
One, two…
[Vince] Michael's humbling Mankind.
Mankind out in front.
Michaels now.
And Michaels is angry.
Michaels is hot.
And this one has turned out to an all-out brawl.
[J.R.] My gosh.
Look at those right hands.
Hard, hard right hands by Michaels.
[Curt] What a move!
[J.R.] Wait, that's the back of the claw.
[Vince] He's trying to choke him out.
[J.R.] But he went-- he's doing the claw.
[screeching]
Mankind blocked that claw there-- that Snapmare there.
[Vince] And Michaels now with an elbow, breaking it up.
[J.R.] Mankind's got a waist lock on Michaels.
Mankind wants the Mandible Claw.
[Vince] And Shawn Michaels taken down by Mankind.
Shawn Michaels was very, very angry.
And his temper may have gotten the best of him
there a few moments ago.
But right now, it's Michaels getting the best of Mankind.
[J.R.] Mankind trying to get in some sort of safety position.
[Vince] You talk about spunk.
You talk about spirit.
There's no human being who has
as much as Shawn Michaels has when it comes
to competing here in the WWE.
[Curt] I think Mankind has got Shawn Michaels rattled.
[Vince] Wow.
[J.R.] What a right hand.
This one's gonna get nasty.
It's nasty now.
It's out of hand.
I mean, you almost feel this thing
about ready to erupt out of here.
[Vince] Through the ropes to the outside now.
Shawn Michaels, and Mankind coming outside right after him.
Mankind pulling our…
Look out!
Our Spanish commentators were manhandled just a moment ago.
[shouting]
Right now, it's Mankind! Oh!
[J.R.] Hit his leg!
Mankind's knee struck the steel steps. His left knee struck violently,
the steel steps.
Mankind's knee may have just been destroyed by that suplex
of Shawn Michaels.
-[Vince] All right. -[J.R.] Listen.
[Vince] Yeah, let's listen up again. Here we go.
[thuds]
[Curt] Oh, man.
[J.R.] You talk about needing an orthopedic surgeon.
I wonder if there's one in the house.
Mankind has got to be crippled from that.
[Vince] Mankind…
[Curt] He doesn't know the word "pain."
[Vince] I don't think he does. Look at that.
Shawn just takes out his leg.
[J.R.] What a chop block. Good move right there.
[Vince] On top of the casket now.
[J.R.] And this is not a Casket Match.
[Vince] And driving the knee.
[cheering]
[J.R.] That knee is taking a beating right here.
How is Mankind gonna be able to stand?
Michaels is so pugnacious.
Michaels is-- He's more aggressive tonight, too,
than we've ever seen.
[Vince] But he has to be.
He has no choice.
[Curt] I've never seen this side of Shawn Michaels before.
[J.R.] I'm not criticizing him. I like it.
[Vince] Michaels now, doing what he thinks
he has to do to protect--
[J.R.] Uh-oh, uh-oh.
Well, that's pretty stupid right there.
[Vince] Is it?
I mean, let's face it.
If Michaels is…
[J.R.] He doesn't want to win it that way, though, Vince.
He wants to beat Mankind.
[Curt] He knows he can hang on to the belt that way by getting disqualified.
[J.R.] I think it's just an emotional thing he did.
I don't think he meant to do it.
[Curt] Well, then the mind games have taken effect on Shawn Michaels.
[J.R.] Look at Mankind's leg.
[Curt] Look at Mankind's knees getting better.
[Vince] The point is Michaels is losing his cool.
And both of you have made that point over and over.
And that just speaks to it.
-Oh! -[J.R.] Leg drag!
[J.R.] And Michaels took him down by the leg and wrist
as he went down.
That was a heck of a move, a leg drag with a twist.
[Vince] And Michaels, figure four coming up.
Here we go.
[cheering]
[J.R.] Well, the figure four leglock is not going to--
[Vince] I don't think Mankind is going to submit, however.
I don't think he's the kind to submit,
but he may be counted out.
[J.R.] Mankind's left knee has got to be--
it's got to be exploding in pain.
[Vince] Michaels still has the hold on.
Oh, now released.
All right. Listen to this.
[cheering]
Back to live action. Michaels set up for the ride.
Coming off the rope now.
-Oh! [J.R.] Michaels dropkicked--
Michaels dropkicked Mankind in that injured knee.
That was a great move by the WWE champion.
And look at this.
Watch this move right here.
[Curt] Wait a minute!
[J.R.] Michaels just trying to break Mankind's leg.
That would end this thing.
[Curt] That was one of my moves he just used right there.
Shawn Michaels is wrestling this match perfectly.
[Vince] Why not steal from the best?
Michaels in complete control at the moment.
However, you never know what's going to happen here
in World Wrestling Entertainment,
as Mankind inches his way over to Paul Bearer, to the ropes.
Hold must be broken.
[shouting]
[referee shouting]
Well, we knew it was going to be a physical match.
I must say I had no idea it was going to be quite like this.
Oh-ho! And actually, I thought the physicality
was going to be supplied by Mankind, not by Shawn Michaels.
Look at this.
Michaels now.
What a maneuver.
One, two… he got him!
[Curt] No, he didn't.
Michaels off the rope.
Michael's now going upstairs and oh, my!
[J.R.] Michaels thrown right across the top rope.
Shawn Michaels throat-- he may have just destroyed
his larynx right there.
Mankind went south with that maneuver,
and Shawn Michaels is paying for it.
[Curt] I don't think he meant to throw Shawn Michaels into the rope.
His knee gave out on him.
On the other hand, Mankind has got Shawn Michaels--
[Vince] Wait, what-- what's he doing?
[grunting]
[J.R.] That's a pen or a pencil.
He's trying to strike his own knee to get some feeling
back into it, I would assume.
[Curt] Oh, this guy's gone.
[J.R.] He don't care about self-mutilation.
It doesn't bother him a bit.
Look at his body. It's ravaged.
[Vince] What about his mind?
A blatant choke hold.
Come on, ref.
[Curt] Can you imagine if Mankind wins
the World Wrestling Entertainment championship tonight?
What's he going to do with the belt?
[J.R.] I don't ever remember a WWE champion being
in a match like this ever, ever.
And that's a hell of a long time. Ever.
[Vince] And there's no doubt that this
is Mankind's type of a match.
More so, I would suspect, than it has been Shawn Michaels,
or that we thought it was going to be Michaels.
But Michaels has been competing much like we thought
Mankind was going to compete.
[J.R.] Well, that's why they call it Mind Games, Vince.
I don't know.
Who knows what's going to happen here?
And I don't know how Mankind's even standing.
And Shawn Michaels may be ripe for the picking right now.
[Vince] Michaels, hammered.
Look at the-- oh, hard right hand across the forehead.
Mankind.
Look out. Head of steam and drives the leg.
[Curt] Oh, man, did you hear that?
[J.R.] That's 287 pounds running
right into Shawn Michaels face.
[Curt] He just rearranged pretty boy Shawn Michaels' face with that one.
[Vince] And Michaels has had a history of concussions, as we know.
Let's listen up.
[exclaims]
Unbelievable. Right on the side of the head.
Look at this.
Right hand.
And Michaels…
His greatest asset now would be mobility,
and there's not much of that.
[J.R.] Michaels can't even defend himself.
Mankind's biting him.
Shawn Michaels,
as you said, Vince, his greatest asset
is speed and resiliency.
He better be resilient because he's
lost his speed at this point in time in the match.
[Vince] And driving him down to the canvas, Mankind.
[Curt] Can you imagine if Mankind wins the title tonight?
I guess that makes--
I can't-- I'll tell you what--
[Vince] You're about as confused, I think, as Paul Bearer is out there.
[Curt] I'm not that confused. I know what's going on.
That man would be a genius tonight if Mankind wins
the World Wrestling Entertainment championship.
[Vince] We have yet to see the Mandible Claw applied.
And of course, we know there is no escape.
[J.R.] Good suplex by Shawn Michaels.
Michaels bought himself some time there.
Shawn Michaels has got to regroup,
or Shawn Michaels is going to lose the WWE title
right here tonight in Philadelphia.
[Vince] Michaels with a right hand on the butt of the jaw.
Michaels with another one. Mankind back to the rope.
Uh-oh.
And a boot to the midsection turns it right back around for Mankind.
The most deranged individual in the history
of the World Wrestling Entertainment.
Should he win the title, unquestionably, the most deranged champion.
[J.R.] Kick right to the sternum.
Mankind was aiming for the heart and got the sternum.
[Vince] Off the ropes. Look at this maneuver by Michaels.
Michaels taking down Mankind.
A strikefest developing here.
And Shawn Michaels trying to set up Mankind.
Oh, no!
[J.R.] Oh, no!
[Vince] Michaels moving…
[J.R.] Michaels tied upside down,
and Mankind took advantage of it.
I don't think Michaels can withstand this.
[Curt] Mankind's got that leg working for him again.
[Vince] Well, you said before, Jim Ross, that Shawn Michaels is
one of the most, if not the most, resilient WWE champion ever.
This is really taking him to the limit.
[J.R.] Yeah, we're going to find out
if that cliche is really true.
Is Shawn Michaels the most resilient
superstar ever in the WWE?
We'll find out before we leave here tonight.
[Vince] And dropping a leg, Mankind.
[J.R.] Michaels could get another concussion
here before it's all said and done
if he hasn't already got one.
[Vince] The Heartbreak Kid may be broke at this time.
Mankind moving back in on the World Wrestling Entertainment
champion Shawn Michaels.
Oh, my goodness.
Over the top to the outside.
[J.R.] That big left foot caught Shawn Michaels right in the jaw.
Michaels went for the ride over the top.
What's Mankind doing now?
They need to put that table back.
[Vince] I don't think our Spanish announcers
are going to touch that table, not when Mankind's around.
-[J.R.] I don't blame 'em. -[Vince] And look at this.
Shawn Michaels. Look out!
[J.R.] Oh!
This is like a Demolition Derby,
but they're not using cars.
They're using their bodies.
[Vince] Shawn Michaels moving out of harm's way,
and look out!
Oh!
[J.R.] A drop toe hold, and Mankind went face first
right on the steel.
[Vince] And here comes Mankind.
Michaels moved out of the way just in the nick of time.
All right, Michaels back in the ring now.
Glitter all over him from the previous match-up with Goldust.
Will we see Goldust again?
Will we see The Undertaker here again tonight?
Who knows what's going to happen?
Anything can happen here in World Wrestling Entertainment.
And Mankind-- no.
Oh, no!
Michaels can't get Mankind.
Oh!
Michaels on the apron.
Oh, no!
[cheering]
A perfect maneuver on the part of Michaels.
And again, we alluded to Shawn Michaels' speed and quickness,
and it certainly was in his favor on that last exchange.
[J.R.] That may have been
the turning point in the match right there.
[Curt] I have seen it all in this one.
[audience chanting]
[Vince] And down. One, two-- no, he didn't.
[J.R.] Oh, what a match.
What a WWE Championship Match we are seeing right here.
Oh, man.
[Vince] All right. Mankind set up now.
Michaels wants to get back body drop-- no.
A bit of a telegraph there.
Off the rope and, oh, no!
Look at this!
[cheering]
Oh, wait, wait!
The Mandible Claw!
[J.R.] Mankind, he had the Mandible Claw
for just a few moments on Shawn Michaels.
And both men are down.
Both men are down.
[Vince] Mankind caught between the ropes.
He was literally hanging himself, and Michaels came over.
Mankind put the mandible claw on Michaels,
and it stopped him in his tracks.
The official opening up those ropes,
and Mankind dropped out.
Now both men on the outside.
Oh, no!
[J.R.] Oh!
[Vince] Michaels!
Oh!
[cheering]
[Curt] This is a little bit too close for me.
[Vince] And there is carnage all over the place.
Our Spanish announcers.
Look out, Michaels has chair!
Oh! Did you hear that?
Oh, no!
Oh, the hand!
Michaels took the chair and rammed it
into the hand-- the right hand of Mankind.
And he may have broken the fingers of--
oh, wait a minute, Michaels again, with that same hand,
pulling Mankind in the ring.
[J.R.] He's biting him.
Michaels is biting Mankind's Mandible Claw hand.
[Vince] And Michaels trying to destroy that hand.
That very hand that was stuffed down
his throat just a moment ago.
Michaels stomping on the fingers.
[J.R.] Michaels is trying to break Mankind's right hand to pieces.
[Vince] Well, he certainly is attempting to incapacitate it.
Let's put it that way.
And if those fingers are incapacitated,
then Michaels doesn't have to worry
about Mankind's Mandible Claw.
Oh, my goodness.
[J.R.] He's trying to break fingers.
He stomps the knee, does Michaels, and then follows it
with the right hand.
Mankind is being physically dissected here.
Every part of his anatomy is getting
contorted and rearranged.
[Vince] And, listen, here we go.
Michaels--
Oh, no!
Unbelievable.
[J.R.] He's gonna try to break both hands.
[Vince] And Shawn Michaels is going
to make sure he will not feel that Mandible Claw
anymore tonight.
And maybe, just maybe, he has taken
that lethal weapon, if you would, away from Mankind.
[Paul] Not your hand!
And look at this, over the top to the outside.
[J.R.] Shawn Michaels is hurt very badly.
He went over the top, landed right on his hip
on the outside.
[Vince] And look where he landed.
[J.R.] Mankind's writhing in pain back in the ring.
[Vince] Mankind.
[Curt] I'll tell you what, whoever wins this match-up
deserves to be World Wrestling Entertainment champion.
[Vince] Mankind.
[J.R.] That protective covering is off.
[Vince] Here we go.
Oh!
And Mankind finds his mark.
And Shawn Michaels is perhaps moments away from losing
the WWE championship.
And if he does, who can blame him?
All right, here we go.
Here's what happened a few moments ago.
Followed up by the elbow.
Mankind driving the elbow right into the sternum area,
and Michaels is still suffering the effects.
[J.R.] Mankind not aware that he can't win
the championship by count-out.
-Shawn Michaels-- -[Vince] Look out.
Look out. Here comes Mankind.
Oh, no!
Get in the ring, Mankind, or be disqualified.
[Vince] And the official is having
great difficulty in maintaining any order
whatsoever in this match.
[J.R.] Michaels' head bounced off that concrete floor
like an egg.
What a swinging neckbreaker, and what strategically placed
swinging neckbreaker by Mankind.
[Vince] Yeah, but look at this.
Michaels is making his way back to the ring.
Shawn Michaels now on the apron.
Look out. Oh, no!
-[J.R.] This is a-- -[Vince] And Mankind dropped a leg.
[J.R.] This is a genuine walk through Hell for the WWE champion.
[Vince] Oh! Forget about it.
[J.R.] Double arm DDT.
[Vince] It's over.
Cover him.
Mankind covers Michaels.
-[Curt] That's it! -[Vince] One, two, three… no!
[Curt] How does he do that?
[cheering]
[booing]
[Vince] Paul Bearer extracting some boos.
And look at-- oh, no.
[J.R.] Mankind, not known for his technical skills,
is using every wrestling maneuver that he knows here.
[Vince] Hard cover, hard count.
It's two, and it's-- no!
Close one there. Come on, ref.
One, two, and no.
Michaels…
Look at this maneuver.
Nicely done, 2, and he's got it. No, he doesn't.
Oh, that was so close.
[J.R.] That was a good move by Mankind.
[Vince] And look at this.
[J.R.] He's frustrated, pulling his own hair out.
[Vince] He's yanking his own hair out.
Mankind totally frustrated.
[J.R.] Mankind can't believe he didn't pin Shawn Michaels there.
[Vince] His greatest weapon has been taken away from him.
Uh-oh. No.
Here we go with chairs.
[J.R.] What in the world is he doing?
[Vince] And Shawn Michaels is feeling the effect
of the attack of Mankind.
And why in the world Mankind has not-- look at this.
[J.R.] The referee is really being lenient here.
[Curt] If you can't beat him, bury him.
Throw him in the casket.
[Vince] It's not a Casket Match.
Yet psychologically, Mankind with his lethal weapon.
That Mandible Claw taken away from him just now.
Dropped in the casket.
[cheering]
[J.R.] Michaels is fighting back with all he's got.
What a war for the WWE gold!
[Vince] Oh, yeah! Yes!
[cheering]
[Vince] Oh, come on!
Shawn Michaels, somehow,
feeling the spirit of this capacity crowd, the Kliq.
They're all behind him.
And Michael's trying to take it to Mankind.
Michaels going upstairs.
High-risk maneuver. Mankind's on his feet.
Look out.
Oh!
One, two…
No.
No, no.
What does Shawn Michaels have to do to beat
this deranged human being?
[Vince] Oh, no.
Oh.
Michaels writhing in pain, upstairs.
Mankind on his feet.
Mankind right up there with Michaels.
Oh!
[cheering]
[J.R.] Good lord!
Oh, my god.
Their backs may be broken.
Michaels is splattered here on the concrete.
Mankind has broken that table.
Both of them are hurt.
[Curt] Well, this one's--
I don't think either one of them could continue.
[J.R.] The referee should stop this thing.
[Curt] There's glass.
-There's-- -[J.R.] My God.
[Curt] Take a listen to this.
[cheering]
[J.R.] One more time.
[cheering]
You'd think this…
Paul Bearer's got the referee distracted.
Here comes Mankind with a chair.
This could be all right here.
Hey, ref!
Oh. Sweet Chin Music!
Sweet Chin Music!
[Vince] Shawn Michaels dragging Mankind into the ring.
A cover here. Yes!
One, two-- no!
-[J.R.] It's Vader! -[Vince] Vader!
[cheering]
[bell dinging]
Off the ropes.
Look at this.
[cheering]
No!
Did you see that?
[J.R.] The referee didn't see it.
Everybody else saw.
This match is already over.
There's Sid! Sycho Sid!
[bell dinging]
-[Vince] Sycho Sid. -[Curt] Wow.
Shawn Michaels is out.
[bell dinging]
[J.R.] Michaels is gonna retain the title, I think, by disqualification.
But that's not the story.
The story is these two men and what they have gone through.
[Vince] And look at this.
Wait, Mankind-- Mankind on his feet.
Oh, no!
[cheering]
[bell dinging]
Mankind driving the Mandible Claw down into the throat,
right into the gullet of Shawn Michaels.
And asking for, now, the lid to be lifted up on the casket.
The lid to be lifted up on the casket.
-Oh, no! -[J.R.] Oh, my God!
[cheering]
How the hell did he get there?
[Vince] I don't believe it!
[bell dinging]
[cheering]
[J.R.] I don't believe what we're seeing!
Oh, what a match!
What a situation!
[Vince] You talk about mind games?
We've seen it all here tonight, live from the CoreStates Center.
[announcer] The winner of this bout, as a result of a disqualification,
and still World Wrestling…
[J.R.] Well, he did it again.
[announcer] …the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels.
[Vince] Shawn Michaels successfully
defended the World Wrestling Entertainment championship
in a match-up, ladies and gentlemen,
that will live in the annals of WWE history.
Michaels defending the title in a match-up that was even
more grueling than the night at WrestleMania
when he won the WWE championship.
And Michaels applauding this capacity crowd.
It should be the other way around.
[J.R.] He is the man. There's no doubt about it.
Shawn Michaels is the man
in World Wrestling Entertainment.
[Vince] If ever there was any doubt
whatsoever in anyone's mind about this man's resilience,
about this man's athleticism, and whether or not this
this man had more guts than brains,
it was proven right here tonight.
[J.R.] Shawn Michaels' physical toughness was off the page
tonight in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
But to think that Mankind is out of the picture
is a big, big mistake.
[Vince] But give credit to the foe.
Give credit to Mankind, who took Michaels to a limit
we thought he or no one could ever attain here tonight.
And it will be Mankind who takes
The Undertaker to the very same limits in October.
[J.R.] Somebody is going to be buried six feet under
in the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis on pay-per-view
Sunday, October the 20th.
And it's not sanctioned.
The WWE wants nothing to do with The Undertaker and Mankind
in Indianapolis, Buried Alive.
[Vince] Shawn Michaels reigns, at least at the moment still,
as the World Wrestling Entertainment champion.
How does he do it?
Again, kudos and applause, ladies and gentlemen,
to a man who definitely is making a name
and a mark for himself like no other WWE champion,
perhaps, in history.
And I must say, from my standpoint,
my hat's off to him.
Unbelievable.
[J.R.] Hey. Tremendous.
-Unbelievable. -[J.R.] Tremendous.
[Vince] Unbelievable.
[J.R.] Tremendous.
Absolutely tremendous.
[Vince] You talk about a showman.
You talk about a man with charisma.
You got to be talking about the most charismatic WWE champion ever,
Shawn Michaels, as he is saluting members of the Kliq.
Let's go back, JR, and let's take a look at some of these highlights.
[J.R.] Shawn Michaels is also a man's man.
What an athlete.
And watch this.
A suplex off the top that Michaels countered
into a crossbody that destroyed the table.
Monitors went flying.
Nobody giving a damn about their own personal anatomy,
their own welfare.
Sweet Chin Music got Mankind right in the face with a chair.
Unbelievable.
[Vince] And then there. Look!
Who would have ever thought, and how did he do that?
You talk about mind games.
Unbelievable.
We look forward, ladies and gentlemen, to once again
joining you in October.
It's only in the World Wrestling Entertainment.
No doubt about it.
And we're talking about October the 20th,
and we're talking about somebody
who will be buried alive.
So long, everyone, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
[Shawn Michaels' music continues]
[J.R.] This is going to be a very special night.
I can feel it in my bones.
That's Razor and Diesel.
And I hate to be like Jerry Lawler, but--
to say I told you so-- but I told you so.
Cornette looks like a giant Twinkie being bounced around.
[Austin] And if you ever do come back-- and I hope you do, son--
somebody is going to get their ass whipped.
And Austin 3:16 says it's going to be your ass.
And that's the bottom line.
[Vince] Davey Boy and Owen Hart.
Look what they did to that poster.
[J.R.] New champions! New champions! New champions!
You two are fired. Do you hear me? Fired! Fired! Fired!
[King] Now, I want you people to keep a close eye on Mark Henry.
He is going to get the wrestling lesson of his life.
I promise you that.
[J.R.] Mark Henry has beaten the King
and knocked down all the King's men in one fell swoop.
The World's Strongest Man.
Oh, he has rocked the house.
That means that anything goes.
There's no disqualification.
It's going to be a all-out war.
Only one way to end it. That is to pin your opponent.
The Undertaker's got to be so full of hate
because of what Paul Bearer has done to him.
[music continues]
Concrete-- A dropkick!
[Vince] Look at that.
Michaels now, look at this. Oh, he got the concrete.
But that was fantastic.
[J.R.] Oh! He hit his leg!
This is like a Demolition Derby,
but they're not using cars.
They're using their bodies.
[music continues]
What a war for the WWE gold!
[cheering]
[music continues]
-[bell dinging] -[Paul screaming]
[cheering]
[bell ringing insistently] aming]