[1998-01-19-WWF-Raw] Steve Austin, Vince McMahon and Mike Tyson

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[soup23]

Vince introduces Iron Mike Tyson and he comes down with his entourage. Mike says his favorites were Bruno and Nikolai Volkolff? Vince starts to announce Tyson's involvement at mania when the glass shatters. Austin gets a great reaction and this just feels like a big moments. Austin says he is sick and tired of Tyson shaking everyones hand and that he wants a piece of his ass. Funny moment where Shane shakes his head when Austin says he will knock Vince out too. Austin flicks Tyson off and we get the iconic shove that Tyson gives Austin. JR's call is of course great and the crowd is electric. I really enjoyed seeing Brisco finding a wrestling base to restrain Austin and how legit they made everything look. Vince starts berating Austin telling him that he ruined the moment and gets flicked off to a huge pop as a result. Vince almost kicks Austin. Honestly, probably a top ten moment in the history of the WWF.

[stomperspc]

Honestly, probably a top ten moment in the history of the WWF.

 

I think that's a fair statement. Just a classic segment in every way.

 

Vince is brimming with excitement at being able to officially announce Tyson's participation at WM. Before they get there, however, Vince makes small talk with Tyson (who looks impressive surrounded by his entourage). Austin interrupts though. In not all dissimilar fashion to how Flair is acting over on Nitro, Austin is peeved that someone else (Tyson) is walking into his world and claiming his title ("the baddest man on the planet"). Tyson's reaction to Austin's middle finger gesture is totally natural, as is the entire pull apart. I loved how one of Tyson's guys held Tyson back long after Austin was contained. It really got across the idea that Tyson was just as pissed as Austin was and that if he wasn't being held back he might go right after him.

 

Vince kicking at Austin in frustration and anger was a great touch too that set the seeds for their increased involvement with one another later in the year.

[Loss]

This was so amazing. I think everyone involved was great, but Vince just took the cake for me. I loved him on the apron so mad that he's trying to take shots at Austin. Austin is no longer on the way to cementing himself as the WWF's top guy. He's there. Classic.

[Zenjo]

I love the Mike Tyson's favourite historical WWF superstars part. Vince has to go back to Bruno Sammartino to find someone who wasn't in WCW. Then Mike mentions Nikolai Volkoff, which is awesomely random.

 

A classic segment. The Austin vs Tyson brawl is one of the iconic moments from the era.

[bradhindsight]

I liked the Volkoff touch because you could tell Tyson was a such a fan, he was almost gushing when having the chance to recall guys he watched. He very much wants to shake Stone Cold's hand is pretty much marking out before the push happens and everything breaks down.

 

This was so huge at the time it made Sportscenter.

[Childs]

Not much else to say. Classic stuff, with Tyson really pulling off his part along with Austin and Vince delivering at their absolute best.

[tim]

One of the best angles ever in wrestling, easily. Almost unbelievable how good this is really. Such a great feel of exciting unpredictability, to the timing of Austin coming out and all the officials hurrying into the ring to keep him from ruining everything. Totally feels like a careless badass ruining the boss's crowning moment. Vince is great too, playing the clearly furious boss who is still trying to keep his decorum, then totally going crazy after the brawl, screaming at Austin and kicking at him. WWF earned their boom with how great this segment was.

[PeteF3]

Our first 1998 segment that reaches or maybe even surpasses the heights of 1997--and that's some high praise indeed, considering there was a span of a few weeks where the WWF was topping itself with historically great angles. Everyone else has explained why this segment is so great and so legendary, so I'll try to point out that this is a rare instance of the WWF actively using a celebrity to get a wrestler over instead of just piggybacking off of them. And of course, the Austin-Vince rivalry is back on after a month-long hiatus.

 

And so, as it was on Memorial Day '96 and Montreal in '97, things will never be the same again.

[TravJ1979]

Agreed with everything said. I'd go Top 5 all-time WWF moment. Top to bottom a fantastic segment executed to perfection. Knowing how Flair's year goes, I'm pretty certain Austin wins best on the mic for 1998. This was pretty much RIP WCW. Not a quick death, but a slow, painful one, just as Vince would want it. the only negative is during the backstage where Vince is trying to calm Tyson down, right before the camera goes dark we hear Tyson yell out a homophobic slur.

 

RATING: As I said. RIP WCW.

[Exposer]

Classic segment. A top 5 WWF segment of all-time. Austin confronts Tyson. I loved Tyson offering to shake his hand. Tyson's shove is one of the most pivotal moments in WWE history. The chaos after it is incredible with Vince having to held back & one of Tyson's bodyguards laying motionless in the ring. Intense scene.

[slabinski611]

For my money, this is the biggest moment in raw history and near the top of biggest wrestling moments ever. The wwf was on its way to overtaking wcw anyway, but this is what got them over with the mainstream public. Best use of a celebrity ever.