Taped from Lowell, MA
Airdate: September 12, 1998 (taped 09/01)
Attendance: 10,000 (sold out)
Hosted by Jim Ross & Jerry “The King” Lawler
What happens when DX and Kaientai collide in an eight-man tag match? What is Snow up to now? What else can happen? You don’t need an invitation, but here’s one anyway.
It’s another RAW on Saturday night! Let’s hope it’s much better than their last effort.
Opening montage.
Match 1: Jeff Jarrett versus Edge
Highlights:
- Edge fed him an enziguri while Southern Justice sauntered to ringside.
- When he gave Jarrett a cross corner whip, Edge followed with a corner clothesline.
- Jarrett reversed a cross corner whip but ate boot on his follow-through.
- As he powerslammed Edge, Jarrett got 2.
- Edge reversed an Irish whip, but Jarrett clocked him with a soupbone.
- After Edge dealt Jarrett a Northern Lights suplex, he got 2.
- Jarrett reversed an Irish whip, and Mark Canterbury nailed Edge coming off the ropes. SNEAKY!
- While Jarrett clotheslined Edge over the top rope to the floor, he delivered a baseball slide.
- Edge mounted the top turnbuckle and scored with a cross body block for 2.
- Hooking a Stroke, Jarrett planted Edge with a DDT.
- The Lowell faithful informed Jarrett that he indeed “sucks,” and Edge rolled up their nemesis for 2.
- Rebounding with a clothesline, Jarrett missed a dropkick.
- Edge catapulted him into the top turnbuckle and rolled him up again for 2.
- Suplexing Edge, Jarrett got 2.
- Edge hit a pair of suplexes followed by a gourdbuster.
- With Canterbury on the apron, Edge nailed him back down to the floor.
- Meanwhile, Dennis Knight slid a guitar into the ring.
- Jarrett took the guitar and BLASTED Edge with it. Hope Edge didn’t get vertigo from it.
- Without hesitation, referee Jim Korderas called for the bell.
- Edge won by DQ at 5:15.
Rating: ***
Summary: Solid chemistry kept the match flowing until the dastardly finish.
RAW is sponsored by Castrol GTX, Snickers, WWF: The Music Volume 2 and 10-10-321.
Match 2: Bradshaw versus Droz
Highlights:
- Bradshaw gave Droz a cross corner whip but ate boot on his follow-through.
- As Droz clotheslined him, Bradshaw rebounded with a belly-to-back suplex for 2.
- He slammed Droz and followed with an elbow drop for another 2.
- When Droz reversed an Irish whip, he leapfrogged and powerslammed Bradshaw.
- Bradshaw backdropped him over the top rope to the floor, joined, and rammed him into the steps.
- After Bradshaw gave him a cross corner whip, he followed with a corner clothesline.
- Droz ducked a big boot and launched a flying shoulder block.
- While he clotheslined Bradshaw, Droz reversed an Irish whip and connected with a back elbow.
- Droz attempted a piledriver, but Bradshaw countered with a back drop.
- Demolishing Droz with a big boot, Bradshaw missed a lariat.
- Droz capitalized with a DDT and got 2.
- Flattening Bradshaw with a three-point stance clothesline, Droz got another 2.
- Bradshaw swept the legs and rolled up Droz with his feet in the ropes.
- 1-2-3.
- Bradshaw won at 4:02.
Rating: **
Summary: Veteran heel psychology enabled Bradshaw to steal the win.
After the match, Bradshaw levels Droz with a Clothesline from Hell.
Breakdown will be LIVE on PPV on September 27. Order NOW!
Video airs featuring the saga between Undertaker, Kane, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Included are stills from the WWF title match at Summerslam ’98. The devastation by Kane and Undertaker from last week rears its ugly head along with the annihilation of Brisco and Patterson on Sunday Night Heat. As Mr. McMahon summons Austin into the ring, he declares a WWF title match at the PPV against both Undertaker and Kane.
Match 3: “Marvelous” Marc Mero (w/ Jacqueline) versus Miguel Perez
Highlights:
- Mero blocked a hip toss, but Perez fed him a dropkick.
- When Jacqueline tripped Perez, Mero hammered him with an axe handle.
- He gave Perez a cross corner whip followed by a corner clothesline.
- As Mero dealt him a knee lift, Perez spoiled a back drop attempt and delivered a series of dropkicks.
- He scored with a standing moonsault and got 2.
- After he hit a DDT, Perez earned another 2-count.
- Out of nowhere, Mero connected with a TKO and pinned Perez at 3:40.
Rating: **
Summary: Perez brought some lucha libre, but Mero’s strong finisher overtook him.
Backstage, Michael Cole interviews the Oddities and the Insane Clown Posse. Luna tries to cut a promo, but Golga must’ve eaten a platter of bean burritos judging by the antics of Silva and Kurrgan. Violent J cuts a viable promo for the next match.
Match 4: The Oddities (w/ Luna & ICP) versus the Disciples of Apocalypse (w/ “Precious” Paul Ellering)
Highlights:
- Kurrgan missed a clothesline but didn’t miss a big boot to Skull.
- As Golga tagged in, the Oddities double-shoulder-blocked Skull.
- Golga’s a South Park fan, so he placed his Cartman doll on the broadcast table with Lawler’s crown on top. HA!
- When he slammed Skull, Golga tried to bounce off the top rope but it BROKE.
- He hesitated and missed an Earthquake splash, so 8-Ball tagged in.
- After the top rope completely collapsed, all hell broke loose.
- ICP jumped into the ring prompting referee Tim White to call for the bell.
- As a result, DoA won by DQ at 1:55.
Rating: DUD
Summary: On a fucking taped show, they couldn’t reattach the top rope and redo this match?
Following the “match,” DoA beats up both members of ICP until Kurrgan chases them away.
PENNZOIL REWIND: The Rock talks trash to the Brothers of Destruction and suffers the consequences.
WAR ZONE!
Speaking of the Rock, he strolls to the ring which has been miraculously repaired. Upon snatching the microphone, Rock runs down HHH about the ladder match at the PPV and turns his attention to the Brothers of Destruction. He cuts a promo on Kane using his catchphrases.
We revisit Summerslam ’98 for the Lion’s Den match between Ken Shamrock and Owen. If you want my $.02, here’s my review.
Match 5: Southern Justice versus Too Much
Highlights:
- Christopher hip-tossed Knight but ate a mule kick.
- When tags were exchanged on both sides, Canterbury obliterated Taylor with a clothesline.
- Christopher put a boot to Canterbury coming off the ropes and tagged in.
- As Too Much double-suplexed him, Canterbury reversed a cross corner whip.
- Christopher leaped to the second turnbuckle, dove, but got caught.
- After Canterbury powerslammed Christopher, Knight tagged in and fed him a jawbreaker.
- Canterbury tagged in, and Southern Justice dealt Christopher a drop toe hold/elbow drop combo for 2.
- While Canterbury gave Christopher a cross corner whip, he came up empty on his follow-through.
- ICE COLD tag.
- Taylor tried to take either Southern Justice member off his feet, but a double dropkick by Too Much was necessary to Canterbury.
- Following a double dropkick to Knight, Christopher attempted a cross body block to Knight but sailed over the top rope to the floor.
- Canterbury destroyed Taylor with a Problem Solver and pinned him at 4:05.
Rating: *
Summary: Despite tag team synchronization by both teams, this match was unappealing to all involved.
Prior to the next match, we revisit Sunday Night Heat from two weeks ago when Bradshaw cost Vader a match, and they brawled at ringside. Fast-forward to last week when Bradshaw confronted Vader. Fortunately, they didn’t provide the follow-up to it.
Match 6: Vader versus Dustin Runnels
Highlights:
- At the very beginning of the match, Val Venis paraded around ringside with a sign reading: “I have come.” HA!
- Vader gave him a cross corner whip, but Runnels exploded from the corner with a clothesline.
- As he clotheslined Vader over the top rope to the floor, Runnels joined and rammed Vader into the barricade.
- He sent Vader reeling into the steps almost taking out a cameraman.
- When Vader thumped Runnels from behind, he got 2.
- Runnels rebounded with a clothesline but got distracted by Venis.
- After Vader gave Runnels a cross corner whip, he followed with an avalanche.
- He fed Runnels a short-arm clothesline, mounted the second turnbuckle, and launched a Vader bomb.
- 1-2-3.
- Vader won at 3:25.
Rating: *
Summary: Showcase match for Vader, but the story of the match was between Runnels’ born-again Christian character and Venis’ not-so-family friendly one.
Prior to the commercial break, Lawler advises “Stacy” to set the VCR. For those unaware, Stacy Carter was Lawler’s significant other at the time. They would wed in September 2000.
Missing from the episode is the Sable portion. Please send your complaints directly to the WWE Network and not me.
Afterward, Al Snow and Head enter the ring, and Snow demands a meeting with a WWF official. Brisco, Patterson, and Commissioner Slaughter approach the ring while Snow refers to them as “stooges.” As Snow gives them silly names, Slaughter demands Snow’s exit. Brisco also instructs him to leave, but Snow moves on to Patterson. When he’s done playing games, Snow hits Patterson down in southern Quebec before hightailing it through the Lowell faithful. Character development, ladies and gentlemen.
Backstage, Cole interviews the Headbangers who make fun of the fact that they normally wrestle on Shotgun Saturday Night. They cut a promo on Brown and Henry noting that Brown grew up not too far from them in New Jersey. HA!
Match 7: D’Lo Brown & Mark Henry versus the Headbangers
Highlights:
- Mosh leapfrogged Brown and made a second attempt.
- When Brown caught him, Mosh sunset-flipped him for 2.
- He dropkicked Brown and tagged in Thrasher.
- As the Headbangers double-flapjacked Brown, Thrasher got 2.
- Henry tagged in and straddled Thrasher across his chest.
- After Henry got near the heavy metal corner, Mosh connected with a missile dropkick.
- That put Thrasher atop Henry for 2.
- While Henry blocked a suplex from Thrasher, Mosh joined in, and the Headbangers double-suplexed him.
- Mosh tagged in, mounted the top turnbuckle, and lowered the boom onto Henry.
- Reversing an Irish whip, Henry vaulted Mosh into a flapjack.
- Brown tagged in, slammed Mosh, and followed with a leg drop.
- Mounting the second turnbuckle, Brown landed a fist drop for 2.
- Mosh gave him a cross corner whip, but Brown fed him a running powerbomb for another 2.
- With Thrasher’s distraction of referee Mike Chioda, Brown and Henry dealt Mosh a double back elbow.
- Henry delivered an elbow drop but couldn’t get 3.
- Slamming Mosh, Henry tagged out, but Brown fell victim to a flying headscissors.
- Mosh clotheslined Brown while Lawler told an Airplane!
- Lukewarm tag.
- Since all four wrestlers were in the ring, the Headbangers rammed Brown and Henry together.
- The Headbangers double-teamed Brown on the floor, so Chyna stormed the ring to tackle Henry.
- As a result, Chioda called for the bell, and Brown and Henry won by DQ at 5:24.
Rating: **
Summary: Decent tag match but zero heat until Chyna intervened.
After the match, Chyna pounds on Henry until WWF officials separate them. She takes exception and destroys them one by one before attacking Henry again. As HHH and NAO enter the ring to calm things down, Henry exiting the ring. HHH mockingly crotch-chopped him repeatedly. That’s YOUR Chief Content Officer, folks.
Prior to the main event, HHH grabs the microphone and declares triumph from the PPV. Road Dog recites his spiel before HHH performs his “suck it” rendition of Michael Buffer.
Match 8 (eight-man): DX versus Kaientai (w/ Mr. Yamaguchi)
Highlights:
- Road Dog reversed an Irish whip, and Gunn blasted Michinoku from behind.
- As he fed Michinoku a shaky-shaky knee drop, tags were exchanged on both sides.
- Gunn reversed a cross corner whip, gorilla-pressed Funaki, and flung him directly at Teioh.
- When Gunn did the same to Teioh, Funaki got a taste of the same medicine.
- HHH, still wearing his hat backwards, tagged in and dealt Teioh a facecrusher.
- After HHH delivered a high knee, Road Dog tagged in but ate a dropkick to the knee.
- Togo tagged in, and he along with Funaki double-dropkicked Road Dog.
- While they double-suplexed Road Dog, Kaientai took turns landing four consecutive elbow drops to him.
- Road Dog was held at bay by Togo and Teioh, so Michinoku planted a seated dropkick.
- Following a double belly-to-back suplex by Funaki and Teioh, Togo mounted the top turnbuckle and uncorked a frog splash to Road Dog for 2.
- Togo and Michinoku gave him a cross corner whip, but Road Dog exploded from the corner and wiped out Togo with a clothesline.
- Hot tag X-Pac.
- Scoring with a leg lariat, X-Pac flapjacked Michinoku.
- With Michinoku slumped in the degenerate corner, X-Pac unloaded a Bronco buster.
- Kaientai tried to intervene, but the rest of DX arrived to steamroll them.
- Triple-teaming Michinoku with a double flapjack into an X-Factor, DX won at 4:33.
Rating: ***
Summary: The ONLY match with any heat whatsoever, and DX bulldozed their smaller opponents mightily.
Afterward, Mr. Yamaguchi jumps on the apron, so Chyna pummels him. HHH encourages a young female fan to moon them, and she obliges as she’s wearing a thong.
Conclusion: They say competition breeds success. So, without competition, the WWF put two incredibly crappy shows together that I wouldn’t want my worst enemy to endure. Absolutely nothing consequential happens on this episode. The Monday Night War resumes on 9/14 following the WCW PPV.
TV Rating: 2.6
Stay tuned for WWF Sunday Night Heat 09-13-98!
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