Live from San Antonio, TX
Airdate: January 11, 1999
Attendance: 8,303 (sold out)
Hosted by Kevin Kelly
Who will HHH face in the main event? What happens when Owen and Blackman lock horns in the lion’s den? What’s up with the “tag team titles of the universe”? Will there be a surprise tonight? You’d better prepare yourself, as HeAT is on fire!
The Corporation heads to the ring, and Mr. McMahon grabs the microphone. He plans to “take action against WWF champion Mankind” and promises “dire consequences.” As Shane takes the microphone, we revisit RAW when Kane dismantled both Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson. He chews out the Stooges for not having his back.
Next, Mr. McMahon brings up hometown hero Shawn Michaels but states he’s not in the building. Wait a minute! Aren’t we supposed to be notified when Shawn Michaels has left the building? Nevertheless, the San Antonio faithful dubs him an “asshole,” so Mr. McMahon promises “hard time” for HHH. As he claims no responsibility over Michaels’ destruction, Mr. McMahon apologizes to him while namedropping the doctor and facility that will “put (him) back together again.”
When they point the camera at him, Jose Lothario enters the ring. Mr. McMahon asks if Lothario will accept his apology to Shawn Michaels. After Lothario first pumps him up then alters course, he tells Mr. McMahon: “No way, Jose.” HA! To emphasize his point, Lothario informs him that he “suck(s).” Lothario shoves Mr. McMahon who retaliates with a kick and punch before the Stooges gang up on Lothario.
Shane McMahon joins the broadcast table for the remainder of the show while WWF officials assist Lothario.
POINT OF ORDER: While they rightfully acknowledge Lothario as a San Antonio legend, the WWF swerves the local audience by pummeling their hero which becomes a WWF trope for many years. Truthfully, I find it repulsive.
Backstage, Michael Cole interviews the Blue Meanie and Al Snow with Head.
Prior to the opening match, we revisit RAW from a month ago when Snow received his first bloodbath from the Brood.
Match 1: Al Snow (w/ the Blue Meanie & Head) versus Christian
Highlights:
Snow stepped into the ring and began pummeling Christian instantly. When the match segued to the floor, Snow caromed Christian face-first off the barricade. Blue Meanie joined the broadcast table for this match. As Christian rebounded with a gourdbuster, he got 2. Snow obliterated him with a series of headbutts while Meanie placed pencils up his nose. HA!
After Christian dropkicked Snow to the floor, he launched a springboard cross body block atop him. Goldust approached ringside while Snow gave Christian a cross corner whip. While Snow caught Christian mid-float-over, Goldust snatched Head. How dastardly! Meanie chased after Goldust who clobbered him with Head. With Snow distracted by the shenanigans in the aisle, Christian dumped Snow with an inverted DDT. 1-2-3. Christian won at 2:11.
Rating: **
Summary: It appears that a program between Goldust and Snow is on the horizon.
After the match, Snow scampers from the ring in pursuit of Head.
HeAT is sponsored by Skittles and AOL.
Highlights of Sable and Luna are shown including the Spider Lady footage.
Earlier today, Cole interviewed Sable on the Riverwalk. She promoted positivity being the WWF Women’s champion but can’t say anything kind about Shane McMahon. When Cole mentioned Luna, Sable stated she’ll defend the title against her at the PPV.
SLAM OF THE WEEK: Rock delivers the Rock Bottom to Mankind through the broadcast table. The schtick where each competitor got a quick moment on commentary during the match was well done.
Match 2 (lion’s den): Steve Blackman versus Owen Hart
Highlights:
Dan “The Beast” Severn was the special guest referee. As Owen entered the cage, Blackman ambushed him. He suplexed Owen against the cage and grabbed a lower body submission maneuver. When Owen escaped, he used his knee to taxi Blackman WAY DOWNTOWN. Owen applied a knee lock while the San Antonio faithful referred to him as a “nugget.”
After he suplexed Blackman, Owen split him in two with a backbreaker. Blackman ducked an enziguri attempt and hooked a Muta lock. While Owen again took him WAY DOWNTOWN, Blackman escaped a piledriver attempt. He rammed Owen into the cage, slammed him, and landed a diving head butt. Upon getting rammed into the cage again, Owen reversed an Irish whip sending Blackman into the cage. He dealt Blackman a standing spinning heel kick and planted him with a double underhook suplex.
Responding with a standing dropkick, Blackman attempted a thrust kick. Owen evaded him and retaliated with a belly-to-belly suplex. Escaping a belly-to-back suplex attempt, Blackman bounced Owen face-first off the cage once more. Another standing dropkick from Blackman stymied Owen until a drop toe hold sent him directly into the cage.
Locked in a dragon sleeper, Blackman scaled the cage, but Owen maintained momentum to flatten him on the mat. Owen trapped him in a Sharpshooter, but Blackman countered with one of his own.
Suddenly, Severn jumped from the top of the cage and obliterated Blackman with a clothesline to the back of the head. WE HAVE A HEEL TURN! Severn removed the neck brace and secured his own dragon sleeper on Blackman. To halt the chaos, WWF officials stormed the ring to assist Blackman. Methinks Blackman won by DQ at 5:41.
Rating: ***
Summary: It was a solid back-and-forth encounter until Severn intervened.
Back in the locker room, Blackman tosses furniture around in anger.
Match 3 for the “tag team championship of the universe”: The Headbangers (“champions”) versus the Oddities (w/ George “The Animal” Steele & Giant Silva)
Highlights:
For those unaware, the “titles” are the replica belts the Headbangers wore to the ring as props. The Oddities entered the ring, and the Headbangers were all over them like a cheap suit. When Golga reversed a cross corner whip, he came up empty on his follow-through. Mosh jumped on his back, but Golga SQUISHED him in the corner.
As he slammed Mosh, Golga landed an elbow drop but missed a leg drop. Steele got hungry and began to gnaw on Thrasher’s leg. HA! After Kurrgan tagged in, Mosh dropkicked his knee. He dealt Kurrgan a running guillotine but fell victim to a chokeslam. While Golga tagged in, he annihilated Mosh with a senton splash. 1-2-3. Golga and Kurrgan won at 1:45. WE HAVE NEW “champions”???
Rating: *
Summary: More of a handicap match because Thrasher suffered a knee injury and wouldn’t return until May.
Backstage, Blackman chases after Severn, but Owen intervenes to put him at a disadvantage. Severn separates himself from Blackman, and the heels peel away in the rental car.
WWF REWIND: The historical moment when Austin got involved in RAW’s main event and assisted Mankind in toppling Rock for the WWF title. The pop was GIGANTIC.
Video airs featuring the iconic moment of Austin’s interference, DX’s involvement, and Mankind’s unfathomable victory over Rock. Next, a biographical feature airs about Mick Foley.
Backstage, Mr. McMahon instructs Bossman to dismember HHH.
Match 4 (lion’s den): HHH (w/o Chyna) versus Big Bossman
Highlights:
As soon as HHH made his entrance, he bolted into the cage. Bossman whipped him into the cage, but HHH used it as a springboard to blast him with a flying forearm. When HHH sent him into the cage repeatedly, he planted Bossman with a DDT. Shane McMahon left the broadcast table and began to climb the trellis.
After he ended up on the rim above the cage, Shane held Bossman’s nightstick. HHH tried to get to him, but Shane tossed the nightstick to Bossman who clobbered HHH. While Shane joined him in the cage, Bossman held HHH so that Shane could administer payback for last Monday. He slapped the BEJEEZUS out of HHH while the San Antonio faithful chanted “Aus-tin.”
Immediately, DX tried to rescue HHH, but Kane and Test held them at bay. Road Dog climbed the trellis to climb into the cage and manhandled Shane…
…until Bossman decimated him with the nightstick. The Stooges broke the chain that locked the cage and escorted Shane to safety. To end the episode, all six wrestlers brawled within the cage.
Rating: NONE
Summary: Purely a setup by the Corporation to destroy HHH.
Conclusion: Was this RAW or HeAT? Incredibly explosive episode of the sister show with two lion’s den matches, a “title” change, and an appearance by Jose Lothario.
As far as a recommendation goes, sometimes at a restaurant the appetizer is just sufficient. Other times, it can compare greatly to the entrée. In this case, it’s the latter, so I wholeheartedly recommend watching this episode prior to dining on RAW.
TV Rating: 4.9
Stay tuned for ECW Guilty as Charged ‘99!
Comments? Suggestions? Send them to me at rsg@rockstargary.com and follow me on Twitter (@rockstargary202).