Taped from Lowell, MA
Airdate: September 13, 1998 (taped 9/01)
Attendance: 10,000 (sold out)
Hosted by Jim Ross, Jerry “The King” Lawler, & Shane McMahon
What happens when X-Pac and Jarrett battle in a lumberjack match? Will Kane capture the European title? What’s on Shamrock’s mind? Is it even decipherable? Can Venis defeat Mero? Since the Monday Night War is heating back up, you’d better get ready for some heat!
Opening montage.
Match 1: Ken Shamrock versus Vader
Highlights:
- Shamrock ducked a clothesline, attempted a cross body block, but got caught.
- When Vader dumped him, he missed an elbow drop.
- Shamrock dropkicked and clotheslined Vader for 2.
- As Vader reversed an Irish whip, he fed Shamrock a running body block.
- He splashed Shamrock twice and got 2.
- After he dealt Shamrock a short-arm clothesline, Vader mounted the second turnbuckle and flattened him with a flying shoulder block for another 2.
- He gave Shamrock a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
- While Shamrock connected with a flying back elbow, he couldn’t get Vader off his feet.
- He hit a high knee and followed with a powerslam for 2.
- Attempting a huracanrana, Shamrock got caught and powerbombed.
- Vader mounted the second turnbuckle, leaped, but Shamrock sidestepped and caught his arm.
- Shifting to an ankle lock, Shamrock earned the submission victory at 4:15.
Rating: **
Summary: Shamrock was one step ahead of Vader and gained victory because of it.
After the match, Shamrock grabs the microphone and remarks that he’s only had “one title shot (in the WWF).” He challenges Stone Cold Steve Austin “anyplace, anytime.”
On the set of Pacific Blue, Sable performs some stunts and cuts a promo on Jacqueline. She challenges Jacqueline to an evening gown match on RAW. The WWF is not pulling any punches whatsoever.
We revisit last night when Venis held up a “I have come” sign at Runnels belittling Runnels’ Christian values.
Prior to the next match, Venis grabs the microphone and makes a baseball joke.
Match 2: Val Venis versus Marc Mero (w/ Jacqueline)
Highlights:
- At the beginning of the match, Runnels paraded his Christian values among the Lowell faithful.
- Venis fed Mero a pair of knees to the midsection followed by a side Russian leg sweep.
- As Venis swiveled above Mero, Jacqueline mounted the top turnbuckle and jumped onto him.
- Referee Jack Doan called for the bell; thus, Venis won by DQ at 0:51.
Rating: DUD
Summary: What’s the fucking point?
Following the match, Venis chucks Jacqueline over his shoulder and down to the mat. Hopefully, Mero and Venis will compete against one another with a boatload more time.
In the aisle, Michael Cole interviews Jacqueline who accepts Sable’s challenge.
In the ring, Runnels ambushes Venis from behind and clotheslines him over the top rope to the floor. He vaults Venis face-first into the steps, returns to the ring, removes his belt, and whips Venis with it. Upon belting Venis, Runnels follows with a lariat. WWF officials separate him to end the segment. Somehow, I feel Venis believes that sticks and stone may break bones…
Match 3: Gangrel versus Taka Michinoku (w/ Mr. Yamaguchi)
Highlights:
- Michinoku attacked Gangrel before the bell, got reversed on an Irish whip, and ate a back elbow.
- When Gangrel clotheslined him, he got tripped by Yamaguchi coming off the ropes.
- Michinoku dropkicked him from behind sending Gangrel to the floor.
- As Gangrel manhandled Yamaguchi, Michinoku caught him with a baseball slide.
- He connected with an Asai moonsault, fed Gangrel a snap mare, and followed with a pair of seated dropkicks.
- After Gangrel rebounded with a release tiger suplex, he guillotined Michinoku with the top rope.
- Gangrel gave him a cross corner whip, but Michinoku floated over.
- While Gangrel blocked a kick, he dealt Michinoku a Northern Lights suplex for 2.
- He suplexed Michinoku and followed with a corkscrew elbow drop. Someone get “Nature Boy” Buddy Landell on the horn please.
- Nevertheless, Gangrel flattened Michinoku with an enziguri, reversed an Irish whip, and powerslammed him.
- Michinoku escaped a powerbomb and delivered a spinning heel kick.
- Mounting the top turnbuckle, Michinoku launched a missile dropkick and attempted a Michinoku Driver.
- Gangrel blocked it and decimated Michinoku with an Impaler.
- 1-2-3.
- Gangrel won at 3:51.
Rating: ***
Summary: You’d think this would be a huge contrast in styles making for a horrible match, but you’d be…
Before the commercial break, Jarrett cuts a quick promo on X-Pac.
Prior to the next match, we revisit RAW when Rock ran subterfuge for Brown but paid the price for it. During Kane’s entrance, we revisit the PPV when Kane demolished Mankind with a sledgehammer inside the dumpster.
Match 4 for the WWF European title: D’Lo Brown (champion w/ Mark Henry) versus Kane (w/ Undertaker)
Highlights:
- Brown employed a stick-and-move technique to avoid Kane. Crafty!
- As Kane nailed him, a frustrated Brown sought refuge on the floor.
- Upon confronting Undertaker, Brown exclaimed “Oh, damn.” HA!
- Kane slammed Brown but missed an elbow drop.
- When Kane sat up, Brown scored with a seated dropkick.
- He clotheslined Kane but couldn’t take him off his feet.
- After Brown mounted the second turnbuckle, Kane caught and choked him.
- Brown tried to sneak up on him, but Kane noticed and clotheslined him.
- While he fed Brown a big boot, Kane clotheslined him over the top rope to the floor.
- Henry jumped onto the apron to distract Kane but returned to the floor having been intimidated.
- Sensing his brother in danger, Undertaker swooped in and clocked Henry.
- He rammed Henry into Brown bowling him over.
- Suddenly, Rock stormed the ring and BASHED Kane with a chair twice.
- Undertaker chased after Rock allowing Brown to dish out some smack talk to Kane.
- Not to be besmirched, Kane throttled Brown and attempted a chokeslam.
- Henry inserted himself into the match and bulldozed Kane from behind.
- Due to his brother’s imminent danger, Undertaker returned to the ring.
- Kane chokeslammed Brown, and the Brothers of Destruction double-chokeslammed Henry. Wow!
- Walking directly into Kane, Brown was set up for a tombstone.
- Even worse, Undertaker mounted the top turnbuckle, and the Brothers of Destruction dealt Brown a spike tombstone.
Rating: NONE
Summary: More storyline than match as Rock got involved to further set up his match against Kane on RAW.
Match 5 (lumberjack): X-Pac (w/ New Age Outlaws) versus Jeff Jarrett (w/ Southern Justice)
Highlights:
- Jarrett avoided a strike by X-Pac and followed with a dropkick.
- When X-Pac soared between the ropes to the floor, Southern Justice tossed him back into the ring.
- X-Pac tossed Jarrett over the top rope to the floor, so the NAO taught him something before returning him to the ring.
- As X-Pac landed a leg drop, he got 2, brother.
- He gave Jarrett a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
- After Jarrett fed him a single-arm DDT, he gave X-Pac a HARD cross corner whip to injure the back.
- He tossed X-Pac over the top rope to the floor, so Southern Justice and the other heels mauled the smallest member of DX.
- While Jarrett suplexed X-Pac, he got 2.
- He gave X-Pac a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
- Driving X-Pac down to the mat, Jarrett dealt him a belly-to-back suplex.
- Shane begged USA Network not to go to commercial but to no avail.
- Following the break, X-Pac reversed a cross corner whip but ate boot on his follow-through.
- He almost decapitated Jarrett with a leg lariat and scored with a spinning heel kick.
- Next, he delivered a Bronco buster much to the delight of Shane.
- X-Pac gave Jarrett a cross corner whip and distracted referee Mike Chioda.
- In effect, that allowed the NAO to crotch Jarrett on the ring post. OUCH!
- X-Pac missed a clothesline, so Southern Justice low-bridged him sending him to the floor.
- Attempting to flatten X-Pac, Knight wielded Jarrett’s guitar.
- On the other hand, Road Dog swiped it and annihilated Knight with it.
- The lumberjacks brawled with one another, yet X-Pac decimated Jarrett with an X-Factor.
- Meanwhile, Canterbury jumped into the ring and destroyed X-Pac with a pumphandle slam.
- Jarrett hooked a somersault rollup and pinned X-Pac at 5:35.
Rating: ***
Summary: Not a bad main event as the heels scored a victory thanks to subterfuge and chicanery.
As Austin approaches the ring, JR equates the ovation to the one Mark McGuire received upon hitting home run #62 on September 8, 1998.
Nonetheless, Austin gives Undertaker kudos for keeping his word about the PPV match being one-on-one. He won’t give Mr. McMahon “the satisfaction of taking (the WWF) belt from (him).” With respect to Shamrock, Austin accepts his challenge.
Shamrock emerges and enters the ring. When they get nose-to-nose, WWF officials scramble to separate them. Before a match can occur, Mr. McMahon and his stooges arrive. Austin demands McMahon assert his authority to ring the bell. Before anything can happen, the show leaves the air.
Conclusion: Can you smell that? The WWF is cookin’! If you thought Sunday Night Heat was meaningless at this point, think again. All the main players were here, several angles were mentioned or advanced. RAW should be quite interesting given everything here.
What’s my recommendation?
TV Rating: 3.1
Stay tuned for WCW Fall Brawl 09-13-98!
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