Taped from Omaha, NE
Airdate: August 16, 1998 (taped 08/10)
Attendance: 7,601 (sold out)
Hosted by Jim Ross & Shane McMahon
How will the new WWF tag team champions fare? Can DX defeat Southern Justice? Will Edge win? Who’s the newcomer? What will happen when Undertaker and Austin go face-to-face? Slather on the sunscreen ‘cuz the heat will burn you!
Opening montage.
Match 1 for the WWF tag team titles: Kane & Mankind (champions w/ Paul Bearer) versus Road Warrior Animal & Droz
Highlights:
- Animal and Droz hit the ring, and the brawl was ON.
- When they double-clotheslined him over the top rope to the floor, Kane landed on his feet.
- They double-clotheslined Mankind, and Droz scored with a flying back elbow.
- As Mankind reversed an Irish whip, Kane nailed Droz from behind. SNEAKY!
- Mankind fed Droz a double-arm DDT, and Shane introduced Michelle to the Sunday Night Heat Yowza!
- After Kane tagged in, Michelle revealed her tongue JR was truly flabbergasted.
- Kane slammed Droz but missed an elbow drop.
- While Kane dealt Droz a short-arm clothesline, Mankind tagged in, gave Droz a cross corner whip, but ate boot on his follow-through.
- Droz delivered a lariat, and tags were exchanged on both sides.
- Bringing a chair into the ring, Mankind got intercepted by Animal.
- Speaking of Animal, he slammed Mankind onto the chair and hit a flying shoulder block to Kane.
- Mankind subdued Animal with a Mandible claw, but Droz launched another lariat to break it.
- Destroying Animal with a tombstone, Kane pinned him at 3:19.
Rating: DUD
Summary: Showcase match for the new champs.
We revisit RAW when Sable screwed Jacqueline costing her the match against Luna. Following the match, Sable presented Luna with Jacqueline’s bikini contest trophy.
In the ring, Jacqueline, accompanied by Marc Mero, calls out “Madison Avenue butt” Sable. As Sable emerges, Shane makes a Wayne’s World reference that goes over JR’s head. Jacqueline wants her trophy back, so she challenges Sable to an arm-wrestling match tomorrow night. When the Omaha faithful showers her with a “Sa-ble” chant, Sable remains confident.
Match 2: Edge versus “Too Sexy” Brian Christopher (w/ Scott “Too Hot” Taylor)
Highlights:
- Christopher clotheslined Edge who hadn’t yet removed his full-length jacket.
- As Christopher celebrated atop the second turnbuckle, Edge grabbed and fed him an electric chair facebuster.
- Meanwhile, Dustin Runnels paraded among the Omaha faithful with a “The choice is yours” sign.
- Edge gave Christopher a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
- When Edge blocked a cross corner whip, he dealt Christopher a belly-to-back suplex.
- He clotheslined Christopher over the top rope to the floor, joined, and crotched him on the ring post. OUCH!
- After Christopher distracted referee Jim Korderas, Taylor grabbed Edge by the boot.
- Christopher scored with a sunset flip that PLANTED Edge squarely on the floor.
- While Runnels paraded with a “He’s coming back” sign, I fathomed whether he meant Jesus or the Ultimate Warrior.
- Christopher mounted the second turnbuckle and bulldogged Edge.
- Upon receiving a chant from the Omaha faithful that questioned his bedroom habits, Christopher hair-mared Edge across the ring.
- Christopher mounted the second turnbuckle, leaped, but Edge caught and decimated him with a spinebuster.
- Spearing Christopher, Edge clotheslined him.
- Christopher rebounded with a Stroke, mounted the top turnbuckle, but missed a Tennessee Jam.
- Plastering him with a Downward Spiral, Edge pinned Christopher at 4:39.
Rating: **
Summary: Edge’s high-impact style is a breath of fresh air in the WWF.
After the match, Taylor jumps into the ring only to eat a clothesline from Edge.
Prior to the next match, we revisit RAW from three weeks ago when Bart FLATTENED Steve “Dr. Death” Williams knocking him out of action for weeks. Next, we revisit last week when Bart took down and brawled with Godfather. They’ll square off in the Brawl 4 All semifinals tomorrow night.
Match 3: Vader versus Bart Gunn
Highlights:
- Godfather joined the broadcast table, and Shane asked him about his PhD—“Pimpin’ ho’s degree.” HA!
- When Bart used his DEVASTATING LEFT HAND to Vader’s ample midsection, he gave Vader a cross corner whip.
- Vader exploded with a running body block and splashed Bart for 2.
- As Bart fed him another DEVASTATING LEFT HAND, he suplexed Vader. Impressive!
- Vader clotheslined him and applied a Fujiwara arm bar.
- After Vader missed a short-arm clothesline, both wrestlers spilled over the top rope to the floor.
- Bart rammed Vader shoulder-first into the steps, but Godfather stood up and blasted Bart from behind.
- While referee Jack Doan called for the bell, Bart won by DQ at 2:34.
Rating: ½*
Summary: More angle than match as the Bart-Godfather saga continues.
At the closing bell, Godfather makes Bart HIT THE POLE and joins him in the ring. Godfather slams Bart, and Vader mounts the second turnbuckle. As Vader SQUISHES him with a flying splash, Bart writhes in pain on the mat.
Video airs featuring Dan Severn, Owen Hart, and Ken Shamrock. They’ll face one another tomorrow night.
Summerslam ’98 will be LIVE on PPV on August 30. Order NOW!
POINT OF ORDER: The promo for the PPV cannot be shown as it contains AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” which is a shame because that song is a classic.
Match 4: Gangrel versus Scott “Too Hot” Taylor (w/ “Too Sexy” Brian Christopher)
Highlights:
- This match marked Gangrel’s WWF wrestling debut with a visually impressive entrance.
- For those unaware, Gangrel was portrayed by David Heath who also was a member of the Blackhearts in Uncle Herbie’s UWF and Luna’s husband since ’94.
- As he fed Taylor a back elbow, Gangrel gave him a HARD cross corner whip to injure the back.
- He backdropped Taylor, caught him mid-cross body block, and dumped him with a fallaway slam.
- When Taylor dealt him an elbow drop, he slammed Gangrel.
- Gangrel annihilated Taylor with an Impaler DDT.
- 1-2-3.
- Gangrel won at 1:47.
Rating: *
Summary: Impressive debut for Gangrel. Of course, Edge would borrow that move down the line.
Tiger Ali-Singh along with Babu are in the ring and offers $500 to anyone who will eat a live nightcrawler. A male contestant wearing a DX t-shirt takes the worm, begrudgingly eats it, and takes the money. Afterward, Singh believes all Americans are “slime.” Is he taking promo lessons from Commissioner Slaughter?
POINT OF ORDER: For those unaware Babu was portrayed by Pablo Marquez a.k.a. El Puerto Riqueño from ECW.
Prior to the next match, we revisit last week when DX swerved us, and Chyna mooned us.
HHH grabs the microphone and runs down his catchphrases. Interestingly, he acknowledges Shane’s presence at ringside and calls him the “heir apparent.” As we all know, that wouldn’t become the case.
Match 5: Southern Justice versus HHH & X-Pac (w/ Chyna)
Highlights:
- Knight gave X-Pac a HARD cross corner whip to injure the back.
- When Knight missed a clothesline, X-Pac connected with a spinning heel kick for 2.
- HHH tagged in and scored with a high knee to Knight for another 2.
- As Knight blocked a Thesz press, he fed HHH an inverted atomic drop. Poor Chyna.
- He clotheslined HHH and tagged in Canterbury.
- After Canterbury gave him a cross corner whip, HHH ducked a clothesline and dealt Canterbury a hangman’s neckbreaker.
- Tags were exchanged on both sides, and X-Pac gave Knight a cross corner whip followed by a spin kick.
- While he delivered a Bronco buster, X-Pac ate a clothesline.
- Canterbury tagged in and hit a wheelbarrow facebuster to X-Pac for 2.
- Belting Knight in the corner, HHH got clotheslined over the top rope and tasted the broadcast table. For those curious, it does NOT taste like the steel railing.
- Nevertheless, Southern Justice rammed HHH face-first into the broadcast table.
- Suddenly, Jeff Jarrett entered the ring and kicked a FIELD GOAL on X-Pac.
- Referee Earl Hebner called for the bell, and DX won by DQ at 3:58.
Rating: *
Summary: Just a setup for the X-Pac/Jarrett match at the PPV.
Following the match, Jarrett has an electric razor and threatens to cut X-Pac’s hair. Billy Gunn hauls ass to the ring to prevent any cheap haircuts.
Undertaker heads to the ring and grabs a microphone. As Undertaker mentioned his previous protection of him, he couldn’t protect Austin “from himself.” From the locker room, Austin makes a beeline to the ring. Undertaker promises to become WWF champion, and Austin heads to the ring. Before Austin reaches the ring, Kane emerges trapping Austin between the brothers. With that, the episode ends.
Conclusion: Cliffhanger to end a decent episode. WWF figured out how to use this show as an appetizer for RAW. Along with pushing matches scheduled for the PPV, JR shilled matches upcoming on the next RAW.
In addition, Edge left a strong impression against Christopher while Gangrel made an awe-inspiring debut against Taylor. The main event didn’t cheat anybody as it was meant to feature Jarrett, and the opener solidified Kane and Mankind as tag team champions.
What’s my recommendation? Not quite a blockbuster, but more…
TV Rating: 3.40
Stay tuned for WCW Monday Nitro 08-17-98!
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