[1999-02-15-WWF-Raw] Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, Mankind, Vince McMahon & The Rock

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Shawn is out to talk to the WM main event participants - Steve Austin and Mankind. A beat up Vince interrupts, wearing bandages on his forehead and a neckbrace while walking with a limp. Vince somberly tells us he stands before us a humbled and broken man. He simply wants to bury the hatchet and wants a fresh start. All he wants is for Austin to say he's sorry. Austin says some stuff that gets bleeped. Vince wants Shawn to do his job and order Mankind to face The Rock tonight in a ladder match with the title on the line. This closes out with Vince introducing Big Show (still billed as Paul Wight) as the special guest referee at Wrestlemania when Austin and Rock square off. Kind of a typical 20-minute dueling promo of the time.

[Tim Evans]

Now this is a way you build up a main event. Multiple storylines in one segment. I also like HBK's dig at Rock calling him little boy. Also interesting that Rock is saying all his babyface lines.

[soup23]

This may be Austin's biggest pop. It was absolutely massive. This is a 20 minute promo that will get played out but still felt fresh here and got over the events of tonight to set up the Mania main event.

[PeteF3]

One of Austin's bigger pops, but also maybe the most heat you'll ever see Vince McMahon get. This is at least two notably jacked-up crowds in Birmingham to see wrestling on Monday nights. It's a 20-minute promo, but no one gets too much time and numerous stories are moved forward. Paul Wight is named the guest referee for the WM15 title match, which might telegraph the result of tonight's main event just a little.