WWF Over the Edge 1999

Over the Edge ’99 is, without a doubt, the WWE / WWF’s most infamous show. For me, as a fourteen year old hardcore WWF supporter, it was one of the most surreal, visceral moments in my wrestling fandom.

I didn’t order the show live, as the monthly pay per view wars were too pricey for my family to compete in, but I heard about the death of Owen Hart that same night, on the local news. It was indescribably devastating, as Hart had always been one of my favorite Superstars – and, in fact, one of the reasons I turned on to the product to begin with in early 1994. I was heart broken not only as a fan, but thinking of how his family must be feeling – especially parents Stu and Helen, and brother Bret. I stood in front of my bedroom television set shocked – it couldn’t be true – and in an era before DVR, I couldn’t go back to make sure. Unfortunately, the internet quickly confirmed what the newscaster had said.

The next day at school, classes happened to be put off for an end of the year field trip to a local amusement park. It was the first opportunity I had to talk to my ‘wrestling buddies’ about what had happened. Everyone was shocked, not at all in the mood to go on rides, or have any real fun. I remember talking of the incident, and general Owen memories, at the picnic table lunch over our peanut butter sandwiches. It was very overwhelming – and maybe more so for me than some of my friends, as I had recently lost a close family member, and Owen’s death brought on a flood of memories. Fittingly, it rained all day.

Watching Over the Edge ’99 is not a part of the usual process, especially for review. Obviously, it isn’t the type of show we watch for the purpose we usually tune into wrestling: enjoyment and escapism. To suspend disbelief. Watching Over the Edge is the wrestling equivalent of watching the Zapruder film. Of watching a Holocaust documentary. It isn’t entertainment… but it’s a major part of the pseudo-sport we love – one of the most tragic.

From Kansas City, Missouri; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler.


Opening WWF Tag Team Title Match: Kane and X-Pac v Mark Henry and D-lo Brown: X-Pac and Brown start, with D-lo controlling an early criss cross. He grabs a standing side-headlock, but X-Pac flips out (literally - not as in 'loses his mind.' I'm talking actual flips). He catches D-lo with a side suplex, but Brown bails before getting hit with the Bronco Buster. Henry in, so X-Pac tags Kane to properly handle the big man. He gets caught with a Stinger Splash, though, and Henry press slams him. Kane no-sells it, however, and hits a dropkick. Chokeslam, but Henry bails to Brown before Kane can grab him. D-lo doesn't quite know how to go at the Big Red Machine, so he tries fists of fury - but that just gets him a bit boot. X-Pac tags in with the lightning kicks, and a spinheel hits. He makes the mistake of getting too close to Mark Henry, however, and gets crotched. The heels work X-Pac over, cutting the ring in half, and D-lo looks to finish with his running sit-out powerbomb, but Kane saves. Springboard somersault senton misses, and X-Pac gets the tag to Kane. He's a house of arson (no shit!), and a four way brawl breaks out, with the heels ganging up on X-Pac. Kane saves with a flying clothesline to the floor, and inside, gives Henry another one - while X-Pac rides D-lo with the Bronco Buster. Chokeslam finishes Mark Henry at 14:44. Well booked match - allowing Brown and X-Pac to do the bulk of the work, with Henry to do some power stuff during the heat segment, and Kane used limitedly to clean house and make saves. ** ¾

WWF Hardcore Title Match: Al Snow v Hardcore Holly: They immediately brawl on the floor, with Holly getting whipped into the ring steps. Snow tries to bring him in, but gets leveled with a cookie sheet for two. Holly grabs a fire extinguisher, but it won't go off, allowing Snow to nail him for the cookie sheet for two. He gets the extinguisher, and properly blinds the challenger with it. Back to the outside, they spill into the crowd, brawling up the stairwell. They end up at the concession stands, and trade shots with various snacks - including both guys blinding the other with powdered sugar from a funnel cake stand. That actually gets Snow a two count, and they start brawling back to ringside. Snow clobbers him with some cotton candy on the way (maybe 'clobbered' isn't the right word there – it’s a fucking snack that literally advertises its softness), and back in the ring, punts a field goal down low. He sets up a table, but Holly counters with an impressive hanging vertical suplex for two. He argues the count with the referee, allowing Snow to catch him from behind with the Snowplow (a cradle brainbuster), but Holly blocks another go at the table. Snow grabs his trusty mannequin Head, but Holly doesn't swing that way, and DDT's him on a chair for two. He goes for the table, but Snow blocks, and powerbombs him through it to retain at 12:53. Fun, well paced brawl - if a bit silly at times ('he got him with the ketchup!') ** ¼

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: The Godfather v The Blue Blazer: The Blazer is Owen Hart, under a mask, and playing a superhero character he used in the WWF in the late 80s. The angle was that Hart would moonlight as the Blazer (with everyone knowing it was him), going on quests to clean up the WWF's smutty product – here targeting The Godfather (Charles Wright, doing a pimp gimmick), and, ironically, that is what led him into doing the exact type of stunt he was protesting against - and his death. He cuts his final promo (in Blazer character) before the match, promising to change everything that's wrong with the WWF. We then cut back to the arena - the camera focused on Jim Ross - who explains (in what would become known as 'The Owen Voice') that Owen had been in an accident during his entrance (he would repel from the rafters - flying like a superhero). The camera alternates between Ross and wide shots of the fans - veiling the EMT's desperately trying to save Owen's life in the ring. Unfortunately, falling some 70 feet, and landing chest first on the ring post was more than any man could take, and he was pronounced dead on arrival to the local hospital. Most people thought this was still an angle at this point (despite Ross repeatedly assuring us otherwise), but unfortunately, no - it wasn't. Hart's legacy continues to inspire fans and wrestlers alike - and he's often ranked among the best wrestlers to have ever lived. As noted here and elsewhere, his angle with Bret Hart in 1994 is what turned me into a fan in the first place, and this remains one of the saddest, most tragic things to occur in a business filled with hard luck stories. As the EMT's finish clearing Hart's lifeless body out of the ring (off camera), the WWF cuts to Jeff Jarrett and Debra (scheduled for the next match) to cut a promo. Owen and Jarrett were a regular team at this point, just coming off of a recent run with the Tag Titles. Both are obviously distraught over the situation - but still try to cut a promo. To quote Jim Ross, 'unfortunately, the show must go on.'

Mixed Tag Team Match: Jeff Jarrett and Debra v Val Venis and Nicole Bass: Jarrett and Venis start, both stalling. They finally get into a tame slugfest, and Venis hits a butterfly suplex for two. Backdrop, but Jarrett catches him with a swinging neckbreaker. Single-arm DTT gets two, but Venis catches him with a powerslam, and tags Bass in. That forces Jarrett to tag Debra (no mixing allowed), and she manages to slap Bass across the face before bailing back to Jarrett. Venis unloads on him, hitting a Russian legsweep, but a 2^nd rope flying elbowdrop misses, so Bass comes in to defend her man. Debra whacks her with Jarrett's guitar while she's distracted, but Bass no-sells, so Jarrett gives it a go, only to get caught in a side suplex. Venis finishes him with the Money Shot (a flying splash) at 6:07. Basic house show stuff, as obviously their minds were elsewhere – I’d imagine particularly Jarrett and Debra, who had been working with Owen frequently during this period. Star ratings don’t matter anymore at this point (everybody gets five-stars for just going out there), but, objectively: ¾*

Backstage, Vince McMahon gets carted into an ambulance, due to an attack that ‘broke his ankle’ during the pre-show, preventing him from refereeing the main event. Normally this would be fine, but less than an hour after the real life death of Owen Hart, having the face of the promotion do an angle where he needs emergency medical attention is not only tacky, but cruel. Obviously, the angle was planned in advance of the Owen incident, but it would have been easy to just have the announcers say, ‘Vince is hurt, and can’t make it to referee the main event’ without actually showing him being put into an ambulance. It’s also the reason people thought Owen’s death was a work at first – as the WWF kept insisting ‘what you’re seeing now is real’ and then immediately run an angle with another guy getting put into an ambulance.

Jesse James v Billy Gunn: This was part of the New Age Outlaws breakup angle, with Gunn getting the bigger push (he would go on to win King of the Ring, and face The Rock at SummerSlam). Slugfest to start – dominated by Billy - and he chokes away. They spill to the outside, brawling up the aisle, with James taking control. He whips Billy into the ring steps, but Gunn gives him a taste of his own medicine, and posts him for good measure. Hanging vertical suplex gets two, and he grabs a chinlock. Jesse wrestles out, so Gunn drops him with a standing neckbreaker. He jaws with the fans instead of finishing him, and then tries a sleeper. James comes back with a faceslam, and unloads the fists of fury for two. They spill outside, but Gunn nails his former partner with the timekeeper’s hammer - which gets him a two count in the ring. James tries to make another comeback, but walks into a Fameasser at 11:14. Obviously this wasn't the match they had in mind, but they did the best they could under the circumstances. *

Eight-Man Tag Team Elimination Match: The Corporate Ministry (Viscera, The Big Bossman, and The Acolytes) v The Union (Mankind, The Big Show, Ken Shamrock, and Test): This is basically a Survivor Series-style elimination match. Viscera starts with Test, using his size to dominate, and tags Bradshaw in. Russian legsweep gets two, but Test catches him with a fluke clothesline to takeover. Powerslam gets two, and a sidewalk slam hits. Flying elbowdrop, but Faarooq makes the save, allowing Bradshaw to hit a lariat for the pin at 3:00. Shamrock in, but he quickly walks into a blockbuster. Big boot, but Shamrock counters with a rana, and the Anklelock gets the submission at 4:30. Faarooq comes in with powerslam, and Viscera with a sidewalk slam for two. They cut the ring in half on Ken, but he catches Faarooq with a spinkick. Anklelock, but Bossman helps Faarooq grab the ropes. Shamrock won't break the hold, however, and gets disqualified at 6:30. That allows Big Show to walk in and easily chokeslam Faarooq at 7:00. Bossman in, but he stalls - fearing the big man. He stupidly calls for a test-of-strength, and gets tossed out of the ring for his efforts. He decides to pack it in, and bails to the locker room (and we were supposed to buy this guy as a mercenary), but Show drags him back in for more abuse. Bossman kicks him in the nuts, however, and hooks a chinlock. That leads to a four-way brawl, with Show pulling off a bodyslam on Viscera. They end up spilling outside, and brawl up the aisle for a double countout at 12:30 – despite the fact that Viscera wasn't the legal man, and the referee never even bothered counting. Bossman and Mankind slug it out - with Bossman controlling - and he tries another chinlock. Mankind fights out, however, and catches him with a double-arm DDT, before finishing with the Mandible Claw at 14:58. This is probably the point at which the show really started to fall apart, as they didn't even bother working proper transitions into the match. Everyone seemed rattled - including the announcers, with Jim Ross miscalling moves, and referring to Faarooq as 'Ron Simmons' (his real name), while Jerry Lawler stayed silent for most of the bout. The reason becomes obvious after the bell, as Ross somberly reports that Owen Hart died from the accident earlier – which he likely learned during the match.  ¾*  

The Rock v Triple H: HHH jumps The Rock in the locker room before he comes out, and then demands the referee give him a ten count to get to the ring, or lose by forfeit. Rock shows, of course, and unloads with clotheslines. To the outside, Rocky keeps the assault going, but HHH rams his 'broken,' cast covered arm into the announce table (yeah, let's traumatize poor Jerry Lawler a little more!). Inside, Triple H works the arm, and hits a high knee for two. Single-arm DDT, and he drives his knees into Rocky's arm. He bashes it into the post and steps for good measure, but walks into a Rock Bottom. He tugs at the arm to break free, and hits another DDT, then grabs a chair to finish him. He loses it to Rocky, though (blading off of the shot), and they go back to the floor - but the referee has disqualified Triple H for bringing the chair into things at 11:41. These two had many fine matches over the years, but this obviously wasn't going to be one for the DVD compilations. Good psychology overall, but the match had no flow. ½*

Main Event: WWF Title Match: Steve Austin v The Undertaker: Vince and Shane McMahon are both scheduled to be guest referees here, but Vince was 'injured,' and required EMT's to take him to the hospital, leaving only Shane. Austin charges right in, slugging it out with the Undertaker, and pulls off a flying clothesline for two. He stomps a mud hole, but referee Shane breaks it up before he can walk it dry. 'Taker responds with his own mud hole stomping, and a bootchoke - but referee Shane doesn't seem to mind too much. Leglock, so Austin uses that old Karl Gotch counter: punches to the face. They spill outside for more punching, and Austin reverses a whip into the steps. He rams 'Takers ankle into the steps, and grabs a leglock of his own inside. 'Taker tries to counter into a primitive version of Hell's Gate, but Austin easily escapes. Outside again, they pointlessly spill into the crowd for 'Taker to choke him a bit, and then back to ringside for a choke with the electrical cables. Man, 'Taker's really trying to work every variation of 'choking' into this one. I'm surprised they didn't try to get Lex Luger as the guest referee, instead of messing around with the McMahon's. Inside, more choking, so Austin tries the Thesz Press, but gets spinebustered. They don't keep up the pace, however, plodding to the outside again for more punching. They brawl to the entrance area, where Austin throws him through a glass windowpane, though 'Taker barely sells it. He throws him onto a stretcher (nice...), but 'Taker no-sells that as well – though at least that was more believable. I mean, it was a toss into a mobile mattress - it shouldn't hurt. Inside, Austin catches him for the FU elbow - but referee Shane refuses to count past two. Austin responds by throwing 'Taker into him, and blasting him with a chair for two, as another referee hits the ring. 'Taker takes the second referee out, and catches Austin with the jumping clothesline. That draws out Vince McMahon - limping to the ring - as they work a double knockout to establish that Vince will make an impartial count. Austin catches him with the Stunner, but Shane breaks up his fathers count at two. Vince goes after him, and in the chaos, Shane shoves Vince and Austin into 'Taker, who rolls the champ up for a Shane fast count at 22:58. They were just going through the motions here. Dull match, as no one had their heart in it. ½*

BUExperience: The big debate remains ‘should the show have gone on?’ To paraphrase Jim Ross, ‘unfortunately, it must.’ While some things like Vince McMahon being stretchered into an ambulance should have certainly been cut from the program right away, the WWF had to finish the show. Owen’s death happened so early on the card, that sending 16,000 people home (not to mention a large pay per view audience) would have been disastrous – and not just to the revenue stream. Yes, everyone would have likely understood – but stopping the show wasn’t going to change what had happened, and certainly wasn’t going to make anything better.

Owen’s death led to many in the industry questioning whether or not wrestling ‘had gone too far,’ as the WWF was at the height of the sleaze filled Attitude Era, and WCW running angles to match. Many thought this would likely lead to a toned down product, but business continued as usual – more or less until the Benoit murder-suicide eight years later.

As mentioned earlier, the quality of the wrestling doesn’t matter for this card. Everyone gets five-stars for even going out there and doing anything at all. Over the Edge is a part of wrestling history – a very dark part – but a part nonetheless. Every serious observer should see it once, especially if they lived through it. *****