Live Feed Mania – WWF Monday Night Raw 06/01/98
By Maffew Gregg on 26 February 2025
Chicago, IL – Rosemont Horizon – June 1, 1998 (16,157; sell out)
Another week, another live feed courtesy of Wonder-Boy-In-Monster’s brother: Richard Land!
We’re on the road to King Of The Ring and the video quality is rubbish.
J.R. and Jim Cornette, Michael Cole and Kevin Kelly practice their audio and start playfully jabbing at one another immediately. They spot some ugly women in the arena and Cornette calls them a “bowling team.”
Dick Togo & Sho Funaki (w/ Yamaguchi-San & Mens Teioh) vs. Christopher Daniels & Steve Boz
Aired on Shotgun Saturday Night 06/06/98
Steve Boz has been enhancing his talent for WWF & WCW since ’93 and is still going strong in 2025 at the age of 50. Christopher Daniels is clearly jealous of a run like that.
Yamaguchi-San and Teioh distract the jobbers so the others can attempt a Pearl Harbour job. The jobbers counter with backdrops and some double teaming involving legdrops and basement dropkicks. Daniels yells “wooo!” after every move to get the crowd into it. A legdrop Demolition Decapitation kickstarts a “USA” chant. Cornette puts over Boz’s work as he’s seen his tapes. Kelly says fans online agree with him. Was Boz an IWC favourite? Daniels lands a lionsault for a nice reaction and another “wooo!” for two. Funaki knees Daniels on a charge and is intent on throwing strikes rather than bust out any moves. Teioh holds his hands over Yamaguchi-San’s ears so he can’t hear the USA chants. Cornette approves of that and a sign that reads “Sable: Got Milk?”
Togo lands a Swanton Bomb as J.R. asks Cornette if there’s a name for that “as it’s a nice move.” Ross then descends into his Gordon Solie impression. “Oh the dreaded Japanese nerve hold, those bastards!” Cornette says WWF should have brought The Crusher to this show. Of course he’d be thinking about a guy like him during a match like this. Reverse powerbomb/Bulldog surprisingly only gets two as Daniels makes a comeback to land a stunner/DDT combo to a stunned Cornette. Hot tag Boz as this match has been structured to put over the jobbers so you wonder what could have happened to change their minds and…oh there it is, the jobbers get whipped into one another and Daniels attempts to leapfrog over Boz but doesn’t and tries to carry on while pretending he didn’t just eat shit a second ago.
Commentators all go “urghhhhh” in unison before Togo finishes with a Back Senton to end it at 7:19.
As Cornette tells J.R. afterwards “that was a nice piece of business!” Basic structure, flashy moves and a loud crowd do a good opener make.
In a rare moment, we catch Russo heading to ringside to do his opening for the New York feed. Kelly says he looks like he’s being lead to the electric chair and he’s not wrong. His intro passes without incident.
Scorpio vs. Jesus Castillo
Aired on Shotgun Saturday Night 06/06/98
For whatever reason, Scorpio gets Cactus Jack’s theme. None of the commentators mention it as being incorrect. (edit: I checked the aired version and apparently this was a thing at the time? News to me.)
Cornette is distracted by a sign that says something about his Mom that he doesn’t dare repeat to J.R. Cornette also spots a sign that says “Vince sucks and so does Utah” and wonders what that has to do with the price of eggs? Ross is like “uhhh have you heard of this gentleman called Michael Jordan?” and updates Cornette on this little thing called the NBA Finals. My feed dies so I only get to see Scorpio missing an elbow as Ross and Cornette wonder if Ricky Steamboat had the best armdrag ever. The crowd are making like the feed and losing energy. Bloody hell, Jesus is still wrestling to this day at the age of 62? I mean so is Scorpio but he tends to stick to street fights.
Superplex connects on Scorpio for two as the crowd were ready for that to be the finish. Ross for some reason brings up the talent on Johnny Polo. Cornette disagrees (or realises Ross is not being sincere) and says Polo’s work is suspect at best unless there’s weapons involved, he’s always hurt and he sounds like he’s reading his promos off of cue cards…but everyone on the internet raves over him. “I haven’t figured that out yet.” Kelly suggests he’s giving those type of fans what they want whereas Ross suggests the positive comments are coming from Polo himself under a different name. Wow, not sure where that rant came from but it was fascinating to hear them talk about Raven. It’s better than his piss average match which thankfully ends with Scorpio powerbombing and 450ing Jesus at 6:28. Match was nothing but the commentary was amazing.
Cornette is impressed that fans are bringing heads to the arena already. Yeah that was a thing. Ross is disgustingly impressed with a sign that says SINATRA 3:16 SAY I JUST BURIED YOUR ASS. He’d only just died.
Vader vs. Rex Regal
Aired on Shotgun Saturday Night 06/06/98
Regal’s a local guy that used to wrestle as Col. Corruption. He retired in 2007. Ross takes one look at him and says “bye bye Rex.”
Crowd love Vader even though he just lost a mask vs. mask match to Kane the day before and he’s continuing to wear it. Did he ever stop wearing it? Vader clubs away with chops and avalanches in the corner before yelling “OH YEAH!” causing Ross to remark “Wow what a white meat babyface. He’d sell a lot of photos in Memphis.” Belly-to-belly sets up a second rope splash which the crowd get excited for before landing a Vader Bomb for the pin at 1:40. “There you go Leon, get yourself some” dead-pans Ross.
Ross was very happy with the positive reaction for Vader, something that hadn’t been consistent during this period. Well luckily WWF would keep that flame burning by having him lose to Mark Henry, The Rock and Bradshaw over the next two months.
A fan starts mouthing off and J.R. laughs at the things he’s saying. I assume the comments were about Cornette being fat, that always tickles Ross’ funny bone.
Too Much (Brian Christopher & Scott Taylor) vs. The Headbangers (Mosh & Thrasher)
Aired on Shotgun Saturday Night 06/06/98
Both members of Too Much have their goofy expressions down to a tee as they mock the fans for not being hot or much. The Headbangers get a ridiculously loud pop and a beach ball is being played with in the crowd.
Something something Headbangers Ball something something.
Too Much take a breather to be camp and get heat. Taylor dodges a monkey flip by strutting around it. Christopher starts mouthing off to fans and gets bounced off the apron by a running Taylor. Taylor and Christopher have a little hug in the corner as I keep forgetting they were briefly very gay. Feed keeps dying so I’m sorry I can’t give you play by play on a Headbangers match. I feel like I’ve let you all down.
Commentators discuss their hotel situation and how expensive places are around here. “Almost as bad as Boston!” Mosh is being worked over and takes a decent Hart Attack double team. Christopher tries to stop Mosh from making the hot tag but grabs him by the skirt which Mosh escapes out of, tags in Thrasher who kicks the skirt of Christopher’s hands and lands on his head to blind him. This match has been nothing special but that was a nice spot. The Headbangers nearly finish off Taylor via Thrasher delivering a Frankensteiner to Mosh so he swantons onto his opponent which looked painful and has Cornette yelling “Jesus H. Christ!” Christopher breaks up the pin however, allowing Taylor to grab a chair, which gets taken off him by Thrasher who then uses it in front of the ref for the DQ at 4:40. Yeah that was a 1998 WWF finish alright. Match was two good spots and ham.
Too Much get chased out the ring as The Headbangers’ music plays. Cornette is furious. “They didn’t win the match!” Tell ’em Jim.
Ross and Cornette let the good viewers of Walker, Texas Ranger know that LOD will be taking on DOA in a Chicago Street Fight! And DX take on NOD in a six-man elimination match! Wait why would you have those very similar match-ups on one show? Also appearing: that Austin guy.
Also on this episode of Raw:
Dustin Runnels defeated Golga
Edge defeated Kevin Quinn
Raw is War – featured the Undertaker calling out Vince McMahon and demanding a shot at the WWF Championship; McMahon then ordered Taker to face Kane for the chance at the title; included a vignette promoting the debut of Edge, scheduled for June 15:
The Legion of Doom & Droz fought Chainz, Skull, & 8-Ball to a no contest in a streetfight when the Undertaker appeared, took out the remaining members of each team, and demanded to speak to Vince McMahon
Val Venis pinned Papi Chulo with the Money Shot
KOTR Qualifying Match: Marc Mero (w/ Jackie) pinned Steve Blackman with the Shooting Star Press after a low blow and Samoan drop; prior to the bout, Mero introduced Jackie as his new valet (Jackie’s surprise debut)
WWF IC Champion the Rock, Owen Hart, & D-Lo Brown defeated WWF European Champion Triple H, WWF Tag Team Champions the Road Dogg & Billy Gunn in an elimination match; Gunn pinned D-Lo with a piledriver at 1:29; Rock pinned Road Dogg with the Rock Bottom at 2:23; Owen pinned Gunn with a spinning heel kick at 3:44; Triple H pinned Rock with the Pedigree at 6:55; Triple H was disqualified when Ken Shamrock interfered and attacked Owen at 7:28; after the bout, the Nation was cleared from ringside after Dan Severn came to the ring
KOTR Qualifying Match: Jeff Jarrett (w/ Tennessee Lee & Southern Justice) pinned Faarooq after hitting him with Lee’s belt buckle as Southern Justice distracted the referee; prior to the bout Tennessee Lee introduced the repackaged Godwinns as Southern Justice
WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Taka Michinoku pinned Sho Funaki with the Michinoku Driver; during the bout, Al Snow made a brief appearance in an Asian costume before being escorted out of the building
KOTR Qualifying Match: Mark Henry pinned Terry Funk with a powerbomb and splash after Funk failed a moonsault to the floor, hitting his thighs against the guardrail
Kane pinned the Undertaker with the tombstone after Mankind came ringside and distracted Taker; due to pre-match stipulations, Kane became the #1 contender to the world title; WWF World Champion Steve Austin did guest commentary for the bout
Dark match after the taping: WWF World Champion Steve Austin pinned WWF IC Champion the Rock
Overall: Video quality is too rough to enjoy for the matches but listening to happy Ross and fatter Cornette shooting the shit is always fun. Put it on in the background while you do your ironing.
