RAW after RR 98 (1/18/98)
Paul Bearer coming out to Undertaker's music was pretty meh. Was pretty obvious what was happening when Taker's music hit again with Kane coming down in the casket but damn if I didn't markout like a giddy kid when I first saw this. The delivery of Kane was just impeccable.
Brandi vs Mero!!!! Better match than the week before but hopefully this **** is over. I looked for that Mero burial mentioned earlier. Was pretty funny with the "he's just not up to where we thought he would be".
HBK coming out of the rafter (ala Sting) as The Undertaker. I actually remembered this despite not seeing it since it happened. Marked the f out for this too. The party in the hearse in the back that preceded this segment was also pretty damn good.
Ahmed vs The Rock - ugh. Ahmed is so terrible in the ring and always with a disturbing wedgie. I just can't get into him at all. As a kid I ate him up.
Some pretty terrible filler in this episode. I mean, Owen/Taka/Headbangers vs Los Boricuas? That's the nut low.
But then there was the epicness that people still talk about today: "Tyson and Austin!!! Tyson and Austin!!! All hell has broken loose!!!" jfc, JR was so damn elite. I actually didn't realize the segment was that long and Austin talked for that long. His promo was gold (weren't all of them?).
The RAW was trash for wrestling but the two main story lines along with the HHH/Owen and Rock/Shamrock stuff was just top tier storyline advancement.