THE ROCK (C) VS. KEN SHAMROCK

 Tennessee Lee is in the ring, and he introduces Gennifer Flowers and Jeff Jarrett. The Rock makes his way out first, with Kama, D’Lo Brown, and Mark Henry closely following. We see Ken Shamrock taking a brutal chair shot directly to the face, a couple of weeks previously, on Raw. 6 nights previously, it was Farooq who was hit with a chair by The Rock, which may explain his absence for this match. Ken Shamrock makes his way out.

Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler are on commentary for this match, our ring announcer

THE ROCK © VS. KEN SHAMROCK (WWF Intercontinental Championship) 

WWF WrestleMania 14 (29th March 1998)

  Ken Shamrock wastes no time, knocking Rock down with a right hand. The Rock is sent off the ropes, he ducks the clotheslines but not the kick, The Rock is sent over the top to the floor.

  The Rock tries to walk out of the match, but Shamrock follows him up the ramp and takes him over by the stage and the crowd. Shamrock sends Rock into the guard rail on his way back to the ring to break the count. The momentary breather gives The Rock a chance to fight back with right hands. The Rock tries to send Shamrock into the steps, but it’s blocked and countered. Ken Shamrock brings it back into the ring. The Rock reverses an irish whip, but Shamrock explodes out of the corner with a clothesline. Another clothesline knocks The Rock down, Shamrock connects with a hook kick and mounted punches. The Rock drags Shamrock through the ropes to the floor and sends him into the ring steps. Back in the ring, The Rock slams Shamrock and hits the People’s Elbow for 2.

  Ken Shamrock sends The Rock into the ropes, Rocky ducks a clothesline but Shamrock sidesteps him and sends the champion over to the floor. Shamrock leaves the ring too and knocks The Rock down with a clothesline and throws him back into the ring, Ken Shamrock grabs the timekeeper's chair and argues with the referee before shoving him. The Rock picks up the chair and hits Shamrock in the face again. The Rock covers, 1,2, no! Ken Shamrock has found His Zone. he connects with right hands and sends The Rock off the ropes into a back elbow and a jumping leg lariat. Ken Shamrock sends The Rock across the ring, he runs into a powerslam, but The Rock kicks out at 2. The replay of The Rock’s chairshot to Shamrock means that we miss the Belly to Belly suplex, which sets up the Ankle Lock. The Rock taps out, but Ken Shamrock refuses to release the hold. 

WINNER: THE ROCK via Disqualification (STILL WWF Intercontinental Champion)

 This was an angle disguised as a match, with the tension between The Rock and Farooq boiling over whilst Ken Shamrock gets a taste of the Intercontinental Championship. [STARS] /10

After the match, Ken Shamrock takes out the members of the Nation of Domination, he goes back to the Ankle Lock on The Rock and Farooq runs out, but stops on the apron before returning to the back. A crowd of referees and office staff run out to the ring, Ken Shamrock attacks anything that moves as The Rock is stretchered out.

  Howard Finkel announces that the referee has reversed his decision due to Ken Shamrock not releasing the Ankle Lock, and The Rock retains the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Ken Shamrock sprints to the top of the ramp, attacking The Rock and throwing him from the stretcher before posing with the belt.

KANE VS. UNDERTAKER

 Before the match, Baseball legend Pete Rose makes his way out, he gets some heat mocking the fans in Boston before introducing Kane (kind of) since he’s the guest ring announcer. Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler are on commentary for this match. Lawler doesn’t like Pete Rose being called the hit king, Paul Bearer is accompanying Kane to this match. Kane gets in the ring and grabs Pete Rose by the throat, before planting him with a Tombstone Piledriver, a group of referees get Rose out of the ring as the fans cheer for Kane. The crowd loses their collective minds as Druids walk out towards the ring holding torches. Undertaker makes his way out for the first of 11 one on one matches with his brother.

 

KANE VS. UNDERTAKER

WWE Wrestlemania 14 (29^th March 1998)

  The bell rings and there’s a staredown, Undertaker strikes first but it’s not phasing Kane at all, Taker ducks a shot from Kane and carries on with right hands and kicks to the midsection, Kane moves back a step and Undertaker shoves him into the corner. More shots in the corner from Undertaker but he walks into a back elbow from Kane, cutting him off. Kane throws Undertaker into the corner, but Undertaker moves out of the way and gets more shots in as Lawler says Taker’s never been thrown like that. Kane sends Undertaker into the corner but runs into the boot, Kane hits a short-arm clothesline but Undertaker sits straight back up. Undertaker gets in more shots with his right hand but he’s sent off the ropes, Kane picks Undertaker up for a Tombstone but hangs him in the tree of woe instead. Undertaker’s too tall so it looks awkward as Kane stomps on Taker, Kane starts choking Undertaker on the mat. Kane sends Undertaker into the turnbuckles, then back across the ring then collides with a clothesline in the corner.

 

  Kane uppercuts Undertaker and Bearer shouts from ringside. Undertaker is draped over the top rope, Kane hits him with an ax handle from the top rope. Undertaker struggles to the ring and tries to block Kane’s punches. Kane makes use of the 5-count, choking Undertaker in the corner. Undertaker tries to cut Kane off with kicks to the midsection but gets sent off the ropes, Undertaker climbs on Kane’s shoulders and drives down right hands as Kane tries to drop him in the electric chair. That looked awkward. Kane kicks Undertaker to ringside and follows, dropping Undertaker over the guard rail and sending him into the ring steps. The referee is distracted with Bearer as Kane drops the steps across Undertaker’s back. Undertaker’s head is sent into the other half of the steps and Kane drops them across his spine again. Kane breaks the referee’s count and keeps his attention whilst Paul Bearer gets a cheap shot in.

 

  Undertaker makes it back to the apron and Kane suplexes him back into the ring. Undertaker’s head meets the turnbuckle, Kane connects with more right hands as Undertaker tries to cover up, he makes space shoving Kane away but is kicked in the midsection. Undertaker hits a clothesline, but Kane doesn’t feel anything. Undertaker hits the ropes and ducks clothesline attempts by Kane, but he runs into a Chokeslam. Kane covers but Undertaker kicks out at 2. Kane puts a chinlock on Taker as King says he wants to destroy his brother. It doesn’t give that message, but OK. Undertaker finally starts making it to his feet but Kane keeps his weight above Undertaker, dropping him back down to knees. Undertaker fights back to his feet using punches to wear Kane down, he releases the chinlock but runs Undertaker down with a clothesline. Kane hits the ropes for momentum before hitting Undertaker with a jumping elbow drop, then goes back to the chinlock. Undertaker gets back to his feet and crotches Kane over the top rope, but Kane lands on his feet on the floor!

  Undertaker meets Kane with right hands over the top rope. A big boot drops Kane to the floor, but he’s still on his feet. Undertaker crosses the ring with a jumping plancha! That was close to the corner post, and he hits the Spanish Announce Table, taking Hugo Savinivich out, too. Kane brings Undertaker back into the ring and hits a flying clothesline from the top rope. He covers but Undertaker kicks out at 2. Undertaker stays on defense as Kane wails right hands, picking his spots to fight back. They exchange right hands, but it’s a stalemate, Kane is kicked in the midsection but counters a Tombstone Piledriver into one of his own. 1, 2, 2.9! The referee shits his pants as he tells Kane it was 2. Kane sends Undertaker into the turnbuckle and connects with more right hands, Undertaker makes some space and takes a walk, picking more shots. He jabs at Kane as JR mentions his rope-a-dope strategy could be coming into effect.

  Undertaker knocks Kane down with a great call from JR. Undertaker ducks a bog boot and Chokeslams Kane, he signals for the Tombstone Piledriver, Kane stands up, takes the Tombstone Piledriver, 1, 2, NO! Undertaker doesn’t have time for a shocked look, hitting Kane with a leg drop. KANE SITS UP! Undertaker plants him with another Tombstone and it’s still not enough to keep Kane down. Undertaker climbs to the top rope, he clotheslines Kane down, but Kane sits up again. Undertaker hits a third Tombstone Piledriver on Kane to end the match.

WINNER: UNDERTAKER

It wasn’t going to win a match of the year award for in ring work, but it was two unstoppable gimmicks facing off. Undertaker seemed to have met his match, if not more, during the match, needing 3 finishers to win before that was common. It was a decent match for what it needed to be and had some cool moments. [**½] 4.25/10

  Bearer brings a steel chair into the ring as Undertaker struggles to his feet. Bearer lays into Undertaker on the mat and goes to check on Kane, who is using the ropes to stand ip. Undertaker knocks Paul Bearer down with a right hand but collapses with exhaustion. Kane hits Undertaker across the back with the chair. Kane lifts Undertaker and hits one final Tombstone on the steel chair. Undertaker sits up before they make it to the back, in one final act of defiance before staggering through the curtain.

Tag Needed: Paul Bearer