WWF Sunday Night Heat 08-02-1998

Can Kane and Mankind earn another shot at the tag titles, or will Rock and Owen prevail and achieve it? Will Shamrock become European champion by defeating Brown? It’s an action-packed premiere. Fire it up!

As the show begins with fireworks exploding, Mr. McMahon emerges and introduces Shane as an announcer. The Anaheim faithful roundly boos. Shane hugs his father, goes back to Gorilla, and retrieves two women. As Shane and company heads to the broadcast table, Edge’s entrance music emanates throughout the arena.

Jarrett ambushed Edge at the onset and gave him a cross corner whip.
When Edge reversed an Irish whip, he flapjacked Jarrett.
He speared Jarrett but inexplicably meandered toward the apron.
As Jarrett nailed him from behind, Edge flew offthe apron and tasted the steel railing. It must have tasted like the Phat Jack at Heroes.
Jarrett connected with a baseball slide to give Edge a second helping. Waiter, could you give the long blond gentleman in black a Spicy Piggy.
Back in the ring, Edge reversed an Irish whip, but Jarrett fed him the not-yet-named Stroke. JR and Shane had quite the discussion about it.
Nevertheless, Jarrett mounted the top turnbuckle and dealt Edge a cross body block.
After Edge used momentum to land on top, he got 2.
Jarrett responded with a DDT and attempted a suplex.
While Edge escaped, he delivered consecutive snap suplexes.
He destroyed Jarrett with a sit-out front suplex and got 2.
Ensuring Jarrett’s night was lonely, Edge hit an inverted atomic drop and clotheslined him over the top rope to the floor.
Jarrett jumped onto the apron, but Edge suplexed him back into the ring.
Unfortunately for Jarrett, referee Jack Doan halted any hint of chicanery on Lee’s part as he was preparing to trip Edge.
Jarrett nodded to Lee but got reversed on an Irish whip.
As a result, Lee tripped Jarrett instead of Edge.
1-2-3.
Edge won at 3:59.

Summary: Showcase match for Edge as tension between Lee and Jarrett is brewing.

To canned applause, DX emerges and enters the ring. HHH offers his spiel while besmirching Lawler. When Lawler interviews X-Pac, he mentions that Mr. McMahon ordered an upcoming #1 contender match on RAW between HHH and him. To the winner goes the match against Rock at the PPV.

Regardless, X-Pac retorts that they’ll be professional and for Mr. McMahon to “suck it.” HHH goes off on a “titillating” rant, encourages female nudity, and a beautifully well-endowed woman responds in kind. As a matter of fact, she was one of the Godfather’s escorts. In exuberant fashion, Shane revels in DX’s testosteronal behavior.

DROZ’S WORLD: Reality-based fun including seeing Mark Henry scamper away quickly when Droz upchucks. As fun as it sounds.

Prior to the next match, Val Venis emerges with Mrs. Yamaguchi, and they flaunt their admiration for one another.

Funaki leapfrogged him but Mosh returned the favor and backdropped him.
As Droz tagged in, he along with Mosh double-guillotined Funaki with the top rope.
Togo tagged in, but Droz clotheslined him. Togo celebrated with a 360° sell. Woohoo!
When he gave Togo a cross corner whip, Droz ate boot on his follow-through.
Teioh tagged in, and Kaientai double-bulldogged Droz for 2.
After Droz slammed Teioh, SNH took a commercial break.
Upon its return, JR informed us that Lawler has been dismissed from the broadcast.

While Togo spilled in the corner like a carton of eggs, Funaki mounted the top turnbuckle but missed an elbow drop.
Droz tagged in and cleaned house. Considering his penchant for puking, he should implement heavy amounts of Clorox.
Nonetheless, with all six wrestlers in the ring, the babyfaces rammed Kaientai into one another.
Droz slammed Teioh and followed with a sit-out powerbomb.
1-2-3.
Droz and the Headbangers won at 3:54 shown.

Summary: From what we saw, the action was high-flying tandem offense combined with Droz’s high-impact style which always puts me in a good mood.

While we’re on the subject, Venis saunters to the ring and stares down Kaientai. He finds Amy Hunter Cornelius and swivels for her pleasure. When fellow Pacific Blue co-star Mario Lopez tries to intervene, Venis pie-faces him. Lopez jumps the rail and takes down Venis before WWF officials escort him backstage. Methinks he was saved by the bell.

We revisit highlights from the PPV including the bikini contest. Next, we revisit RAW when Sable’s disqualified, and Jacqueline wins. Mr. McMahon warns her not to become “an ungrateful bitch,” so Sable responds by flipping him off.

Match 3 for the WWF European title: D’Lo Brown (champion w/ Mark Henry) versus Ken Shamrock

Brown reversed an Irish whip, but Shamrock evaded a dropkick.
When Brown sent Shamrock down to the floor, he distracted referee Tim White.
That enabled Henry to clothesline Shamrock. SNEAKY!
As Brown fed Shamrock a short-arm clothesline, Dan Severn seconded Shamrock.
Brown dealt Shamrock a spinning heel kick and slammed him.
After he mounted the second turnbuckle, he landed a flying elbow smash for 2.
Shamrock reversed a cross corner whip and delivered a belly-to-belly suplex.
While Shamrock reversed an Irish whip, he hit a huracanrana sending Brown to the floor.
Brown encountered Severn, and a shoving match ensued.
Jumping back into the ring, Brown temporarily escaped him until Severn quickly caught up to him.
Immediately, Steve Blackman arrived to limit the damage, but White called for the bell.
Brown won by DQ and retained at 2:53.

Backstage, Shanna Moakler of Pacific Blue and Bart Gunn discuss his improbable victory over “Dr. Death” Steve Williams, and she encourages him to show her some moves. I bet Bart can hook her up so to speak.

Mankind clotheslined Owen but missed an elbow drop.
As tags were exchanged on both sides, Kane gave Rock a cross corner whip followed by a clothesline.
Rock rebounded with a DDT and got 2.
When Rock clotheslined Kane over the top rope to the floor, the Anaheim faithful showered Owen with a “nug-get” chant. How ghastly!
Kane guillotined Rock with the top rope, mounted the top turnbuckle, and uncorked a flying clothesline.
Following a commercial break, Owen tagged in but missed a spinning heel kick.
Mankind spiked Owen with a double-arm DDT, and Kane tagged in.
After he gave Owen a cross corner whip, Kane fed him a standing choke.
He dealt Owen a big boot and attempted a chokeslam.
While Owen blocked it, he delivered an enziguri.
He mounted the top turnbuckle and unleashed a missile dropkick for 2.
Chokeslamming Owen, Kane attempted a tombstone, but Rock made the save.
Mankind pulled Owen to the floor, and he and Kane double-teamed Owen. How dastardly!
To save his partner, Rock maneuvered around the ring, but Kane rammed him face-first into the steps.
Mankind tried to ram Owen into the steps but ate them himself.
Next, Owen crawled back into the ring, and referee Earl Hebner called for the bell.
Owen and Rock won by countout at 6:47.

Summary: Quality main event with a schmozz ending to bait wrestling fans to watch RAW the following night. Rock and Owen will challenge Austin and Undertaker for the tag titles.

Backstage, Cole interviews Stone Cold Steve Austin. After a quick glimpse of Austin sharing beer with Undertaker, Austin didn’t claim solidarity. Instead, he stated that Undertaker looked thirsty. HA! While Austin and Undertaker haven’t bonded any closer, he believes there still might be some collusion between the brothers.

Conclusion: Despite being around the dinner hour, this is an impressive debut for an Attitude Era program. I enjoyed Shane’s over-the-top character as well as the matches. While Edge took advantage of the miscommunication between Jarrett and Lee, Brown escaped with his title by the skin of his teeth thanks to interference by none other than Severn. Venis’ involvement is merely a tease for the events happening the next night. Finally, the main event helps to elevate Rock and Owen above a midcard tag team as they were victorious over Kane and Mankind.