Heat Results

As the live Sunday Night Heat from Bakersfield, California, got underway, Mr. McMahon and "Big Show" Paul Wight came out. The principal owner called out Mankind, who was clad in his customary white shirt painted with black stripes. The owner congratulated Mankind for successfully beating Stone Cold Steve Austin (via countout) last week on RAW. Mr. McMahon said Mankind only had to pass one more "small" challenge if he wanted to be the referee for the main event at WrestleMania—he had to beat Paul Wight in singles competition! The "Big Show" and the Deranged One will meet at WrestleMania—and the winner will be the guest official for the main event! Upon hearing that announcement, Mankind hit the owner with the Mandible Claw! But Wight came to the aid of the owner, and assaulted Mankind. He even held the Deranged One so that the owner could kick him! After the break, officials were attending to Mankind, who was so irate that he attacked them! He went after Shane at the commentator’s table and when Shane ran off, Mankind grabbed the headset and said he didn’t want to wait until WrestleMania to face the "Big Show", he demanded a match on HEAT! As he walked back to the dressing room, he crossed paths with Test, who made his way out for his match with D’Lo Brown. So angry was the Deranged One that he attacked the Corporate Insurance Policy! Before the Test-D’Lo match got underway, X-Pac came down to provide commentary. Shane returned to the ringside area and threw his belt into the ring before being chased away by X-Pac. Test grabbed the title and clocked D’Lo with it! But before he could get the three count, X-Pac interrupted and caused a disqualification. Backstage, Mankind grabbed a chair and went searching for Paul Wight. In another area backstage, Mr. McMahon told Wight to lay low. Back in the ring, Al Snow came out, but he too was attacked by the Deranged One! Seizing the opportunity, Droz emerged from the back to further assault the fallen Snow, but Mankind tapped him on the shoulder and then clobbered him with a chair! Mankind grabbed the microphone and said he would continue this all night, and insisted if Wight wouldn’t come to him, he would go find him!Michael Cole interviewed Hardcore Holly and Val Venis before their match with the New Age Outlaws, but before the two superstars could make any comments, Mankind attacked Holly! Just seconds after getting clobbered with a chair, a dazed Holly made his way out for the match. The match didn’t last long—Val grabbed the Road Dogg from behind and hit him with a belly-to-back suplex into a bridge and got the pin! The Dogg said he had gotten his lesson in humility and on RAW it would be Val’s turn—he challenged the Intercontinental Champion. Mr. Ass said that if Road Dogg was getting a shot at the Intercontinental Title, it was only fair for Billy to get a shot at the Hardcore Championship, and he challenged Hardcore Holly! A still livid Mankind attacked the Hardy Boyz backstage. Meanwhile, the "Big Show" tried to convince Mr. McMahon to let him go out and put his fist down Mankind’s throat. The owner said he would think about it. Michael Cole tried once again to interview someone—this time the Public Enemy. However, the Brood attacked Johnny Grudge and Flyboy! Just a few seconds later, The Rock arrived at the arena intent on getting answers. Tiger Ali Singh offered any American peasant $500 to do an impression of Jim Ross. A "lucky" volunteer was picked, and in the middle of his impression, "Dr. Death" Steve Williams came out with JR and nailed him with an overhead suplex. Then Williams hit Tiger with a Doctor Bomb. JR and Dr. Death stayed in the ring and JR reiterated that he just wanted to go back to work. Mr. McMahon, watching from backstage, told the "Big Show" to go clear the ring, and then if Mankind showed up, he could do whatever he wanted with him. Wight went out and JR and Dr. Death left, but it was The Rock who came out next. The champion said he was giving Wight three seconds until he layed down the smack. The Rock counted the three and then attacked the big man. Wight head butted him and then picked him up for a chokeslam, but before he could drop him, Mankind smacked him from behind with a steel chair. It didn’t phase the "Big Show" much, as he turned around, grabbed Mankind, and chokeslammed him on the chair. Suddenly Stone Cold Steve Austin came out and told The Rock that maybe the champion wasn’t paranoid after all, and maybe Austin and Wight were working together. Austin said that Wight would call things down the middle at WrestleMania, and the Rattlesnake would be the next champion! HEAT ended with an amazing display of strength as an angry Wight lifting the entire ring with The Rock inside!