WWF SummerSlam 1998

The summer of 1998 was such a great time to be a WWF fan – and a wrestling fan in general. With the Attitude Era in full swing (but not yet becoming the stale, cliché filled program it would later), the WWF had recently managed to overtake WCW in the ratings war, and both promotions were fiercely fighting for viewership and pay per view buys. With wrestling the hottest it had been since the 1980s, and getting mainstream attention for the first time in my fandom, SummerSlam because a highly anticipated show – and the WWF delivered, putting on one of the most well remembered editions of their summer spectacular.

From New York, New York; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler.  


Opening WWF European Title Match: D-lo Brown v Val Venis: Jim Ross doesn't even let the entrances finish before making a point of noting that both guys are in their twenties - a frequent barb at geezer loaded WCW at the time. The first couple of lockups end in a stalemate, until Brown takes a cheap shot, and hides in the ropes. Val tries a forearm, but Brown's loaded chest-protector saves him, and he gives Venis an avalanche with it. A second one misses, however, and Val hits a Russian legsweep. Dropkick sends the champ to the outside, so Venis forces him back in with a slingshot. A long criss cross ends with a Venis spinebuster for two, and another (shorter) criss cross ends with Venis missing a splash, and getting side suplexed. Slugfest goes Val's way with a head-and-arm suplex, but he walks into a clothesline, and a spinheel kick gets Brown a two count. 2^nd rope elbowdrop gets two, and he hooks a Texas Cloverleaf, but can't execute it properly, and lets off while Venis is still crawling for the ropes. Ross diplomatically notes that Brown looked like an out of shape, rookie fool there, so D-lo tries a 2^nd rope senton - only for Val to move. Venis with a pair of kneelifts and a backdrop to set up the Money Shot - but Brown counters into a sitout-powerbomb for two. DDT gets two, but a 2^nd rope bodypress is countered with a powerslam for two. Val with a butterfly suplex, and he goes for the Money Shot again - but Brown lifts his knees to block. Powerbomb gets badly botched, but they try again, and D-lo manages to properly hit it before heading to the top to miss a frog splash. Venis tears the chest-protector off to even things up, and hits a powerslam before putting it on himself for the Money Shot. The referee protests, but ends up crotching Val on the top rope while he does, and Venis shoves him to get himself officially disqualified at 15:22. I liked this one a lot live, but watching now, they looked horrible out there - inexperienced and unsure of themselves. It had a good enough pace to keep you engaged for fifteen minutes, but the ending was ridiculous, and the match fell flat. *

Handicap Match: Kaientai v The Oddities: While I didn't like the Oddities at the time, they're kind of entertaining in a nostalgic way now, basically since they look like my middle school exploded on them - with the Insane Clown Posse (who play them down to ringside) and all the South Park references. Taka Michinoku starts with Golga (John Tenta, under a mask), but Golga destroys him - and the rest of the team for good measure. He finds a sneaker at ringside to do some abuse (Honestly! Who uses a shoe?!), and Kurgan tags in. He drops to his knees to give Funaki a fighting chance, but still manages to toss him across the ring. The rest of Kaientai run in, but get slaughtered again, and more wardrobe oriented offense comes into play - this time a necktie. Giant Silva gets his chance to pound some Japs (it would be rude to leave him out), and the Golga splashes and pins the entire team in one cover at 10:11. Just a harmless comedy match - this was basically the Doink/Lawler match from Survivor Series in 1994, but with slightly bigger midgets, and infinitely more annoying clowns. ¼*

Hair v Hair Match: Jeff Jarrett v X-Pac: Jarrett had been shaving heads and taking names to set this up. Big criss cross ends with X-Pac hitting a spinheel kick, and a clothesline puts Jarrett on the floor. X-Pac follows with a springboard bodypress, so Jarrett tries so sunset flip in - only for X-Pac to simply sidestep him. That's actually the most simple, elegant, and effective counter I have ever seen to a sunset flip. Jeff doesn't agree, however, and blasts X-Pac with a pair of dropkicks, and he crotches him on the post for good measure. Inside, Jarrett unloads on him, as Ross works in the ages again. Jarrett with a powerslam for two, but he gets caught with a tornado DDT when he tries a blind charge. X-Pac with the lightning kicks in the corner, so Jarrett puts him in a sleeper - only for Pac to make the seizure comeback, and reverse the hold. Jeff counters by setting him on the top turnbuckle for a side superplex, but Pac knocks him off and goes for a flying bodypress, but now Jarrett sidesteps. He capitalizes by hooking the Figure Four, but X-Pac makes the ropes, so Jarrett drags him back to center ring - only to get shoved into the corner and side suplexed. Roundhouse kick sets up the Bronco Buster, but he misses a blind charge, and Jarrett hits a flying bodypress - rolled through by X-Pac for two. Sitout powerbomb gets two, but a second Bronco Buster misses, and Jarrett cradles him for two. That gets Howard Finkel involved (in X-Pac's corner after getting his head shaved by Jarrett), and the distraction allows X-Pac the X-Factor - but it only gets two. He steals Jarrett's guitar for some proper revenge, and one big shot with it later Jeff's getting his head shaved at 11:10. Fun back-and-forth match, though the crowd wasn't into it at all. **

Mixed Tag Team Match: Marc Mero and Jacqueline v Edge and Sable: Edge acts as Sable's mystery partner, this just shortly after his debut. He starts with Mero, but gets a faceful of fist, so he counters into a headscissors takedown out of the ropes. A pair of Japanese armdrags have Marc scurrying to tag Jacqueline, but she bails right back to Mero once Sable tags - trying to psych her out. Edge responds with a flapjack on Mero, but a distraction by Jackie allows the heels to take control, and cut the ring in half. Mero goes for the TKO, but Edge counters into a DDT, and both men do a dramatic crawl to tag out - though really, that's silly since either man tagging automatically gets his partner in. Sable's a bridge of fire either way, and the TKO looks to finish Jackie, so Mero breaks up the count. That triggers a four-way brawl (less 'four way' more 'Edge standing around while Sable takes them both out'), and Edge finishes Mero by slamming Sable on top of him for the pin at 8:25. I'd have loved to have seen a healthy Mero against a more experienced Edge, but this was just the usual mixed tag garbage. ¼*

Lion's Den Match: Ken Shamrock v Owen Hart: The 'Den' is a UFC style octagon cage (referencing Shamrock’s MMA background) set up in the theater adjacent to Madison Square Garden, where they sometimes tape Wheel of Fortune. Owen is cautious in locking up, and understandably, as Shamrock railroads him into the cage, and takes him down with a fireman's carry. Hart with a spinebuster takedown, so Shamrock throws a couple of closed fists, and side suplexes him. Sleeper, but Owen blows him low with a mule kick, and whips him into the cage - expecting Ken to bounce at him, but there are no ropes. Instead, Shamrock fires out with a clothesline, and blasts him with a couple of kneelifts - busting him open hardway from the mouth. He chokes Owen with his t-shirt, and springboards off the cage with a kick. Belly-to-belly suplex hits, but Hart whips him into the steel a couple of times, and hits an enzuigiri. Stungun against the cell sets up a backbreaker, but Ken backdrops his way out of a powerbomb. Owen retains the momentum with another takedown, but Shamrock blocks the Sharpshooter, and bounces him off the mat - hard - with a powerbomb of his own. Springboard backelbow sets up a roundhouse kick, but another try at springboarding gets him powerslammed. Hart with a belly-to-belly suplex to set up the Sharpshooter, but Ken powers out - impressively climbing the side of the cage while still in the hold. That forces a break, and Shamrock plants him with a DDT before slapping on the Anklelock for the tap out at 9:14. This could have been a train wreck, but it ended up a really stiff, original, engaging match - with the theater atmosphere making it seem like a deleted scene from Fight Club. ***

No Disqualification WWF Tag Team Title Handicap Match: Mankind v The New Age Outlaws: Mankind's tag partner (and co-champion) Kane is nowhere to be found, so Vince McMahon convinces him to go it alone, and make history. Gosh, Vince sure is convincing. He should think about running for office. Mankind manages to hold his own against the Outlaws, but gets pinballed between cookie sheet shots, and overwhelmed with double-teams to stop any and all comeback attempts. The Outlaws Russian legsweep him against a dumpster, but he reverses a Billy Gunn hiptoss through a table, and DDT's Jesse James. The Outlaws overwhelm him again with a side suplex/neckbreaker combo, and then the spike powerbomb him onto a pair of chairs for two. Frustrated, the Outlaws grabs the tag title belt, and a spike piledriver onto it wins the titles at 5:16. Afterwards, the Outlaws dump him in the dumpster - where Kane's hiding with a sledgehammer to bash his brains in. Very ECW-ish tag match, with Mankind's usual bump clinic keeping it entertaining. ¾*

WWF Intercontinental Title Ladder Match: The Rock v Triple H: The Rock's Nation and Triple H's DX had been feuding for months to set this up. Big slugfest to start, and Rocky catches him with a shoulderblock coming off the ropes, but gets caught with a clothesline, and pounded. HHH with a knee, but an attempt at the Pedigree gets him backdropped to the floor. That allows Rocky to go for the ladder, but Hunter meets him in the aisle, and rams him into the guardrail before taking the action back into the ring. Criss cross ends in HHH hitting a high knee, and he runs out after the ladder, but gets knocked up the aisle for his troubles. Rock returns the 'ram into the rail' favor, and whips the challenger into the ladder. Rock takes it into the ring and begins to climb, but HHH dives off the top rope with a flying axehandle to stop him. Triple H whacks him with the ladder as both men get to their feet, and follows by driving it into the Rock's abdomen. He climbs, but Rock pulls him down (twisting Hunter's knee in the process), though Rocky's too battered to capitalize. HHH limps over after him, but Rock sweeps the leg, and starts kicking at it. Rock tips the ladder over onto the knee, then sandwiches the leg between the legs of the ladder for a couple of stomps. He grabs a chair for some steel on steel violence, and drags HHH to the corner to post the knee. Kneebreaker onto the ladder puts the cherry on top, and Rock makes a climb, but HHH desperately dives into the ladder to knock him off. He pushes the ladder out of the ring to make sure Rock doesn't use it while he's still battered, but ends up getting whipped into it with a slingshot on the outside. They fight up the aisle, and HHH tries a Pedigree onto the ladder - only to get backdropped onto it. Rock takes it inside, but Nation member Mark Henry passes him a more sturdy version to properly protect his leader. Rock climbs, but Hunter fights his way into the ring (literally, as he had to get past Henry) to shove the ladder over - sending Rocky crashing to the floor. Hunter baseball slides the ladder at him from there (busting the champ open), but stupidly walks out to post him instead of making a climb. Satisfied, Triple H sets the ladder back up, but Rock violently shoves it over, and starts unloading closed fists. A well executed DDT hits, but both men end up staring up at the lights. Both men end up scaling opposite sides of the ladder, with Rock shoving his challenger off, but Hunter (on pure instinct alone) falls into the ladder to knock Rock over, too. Rock grabs the ladder to attack HHH, but is met with a chair shot, but Rock retains control with a slam onto the ladder. People's Elbow onto the ladder, but HHH blocks an attempt to climb - only to jump right into a Rock Bottom. Rock climbs, but HHH pulls him down by the tights at the last second, and hits a Pedigree. Mark Henry responds with a handful of powder, but Hunter climbs blindly anyway. He can't find the title belt up there, but he doesn't reach the Rock - who knocks him off with a series of right hands. Chyna hops in with a ball shot, however, and Triple H limps up the ladder for the belt at 26:03. Very historically significant, this had the burden of the other legendary Madison Square Garden ladder match riding heavily on its shoulders, but they managed to buck it off, and put on a great, hard-hitting, back-and-forth match that solidified both guys as players - much like it did for Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon at WrestleMania X. While it suffered from some excessively slow ladder climbing spots (one of the worst examples I've seen of it), the bumps and ladder spots were brutal enough to make you buy it. *** ¾  

Main Event: WWF Title Match: Steve Austin v The Undertaker: Austin dodges an incoming Undertaker at the bell, but loses a slugfest, so he just starts another one. He loses that one as well, so he responds by flipping 'Taker the bird, and hooking an armbar. Undertaker reverses, but Austin ducks a short-arm clothesline, and schools boys him for two before taking it to the mat with a wristlock. Undertaker fights up to a vertical base, uses his boot to break the hold, and suplexes the champion. The leaping elbowdrop hits the mat, so Austin tries the Thesz press, but gets countered with a stungun for two. Undertaker starts hammering Austin's lower back, but gets swept off his feet, and Austin posts the challengers knee. Criss cross ends with 'Taker hitting a jumping clothesline, but Austin pulls him down to the mat when he tries the ropewalk forearm. Steve stomps the knee, drawing Kane out to ringside, but Undertaker sends him back to the locker room, and tells Austin to bring it. Steve wins another slugfest, and rams his challengers knee into the ring apron, but ends up getting chokeslammed. They spill to the floor for the obligatory brawl towards the entrance set, but since this is one of the old school, smaller MSG entrance sets, they decide to go into the crowd instead. 'Taker dominates out there, and bashes Austin into the post back at ringside. Austin tries the Stunner, but 'Taker counters into a running bearhug - right into the ringpost again. He throws Austin onto the Spanish announce table, and after choking him down climbs to the top rope for a visually impressive flying legdrop - cracking the table, but not quite breaking it. It ends up collapsing as both men try to get back to their feet, and Undertaker rolls Austin in for a two count. Blind charge misses, but Austin can't capitalize, and 'Taker whips him around some more until a criss cross ends in a double knockout. They get up for a slugfest, and Austin manages to hit the Thesz press this time around, but 'Taker blocks the Stunner, and chokeslams him again. Tombstone, but Austin counters into the Stunner - only to get picked up and crotched on the ropes like a child. Undertaker pulls him down for a Russian legsweep, but another try at the ropewalk forearm gets countered into the Stunner, and Austin retains at 20:52. This was something of a dream match at the time, and it managed to live up to the hype as a very satisfying main event. Both guys worked hard to keep a good pace for over twenty minutes, and they avoided the common Attitude Era overbooking platitude. ** ½

BUExperience: Very well received at the time, this one still holds up quite well today – unlike many other shows from the period. Perhaps it was because the Attitude Era was still fresh (filled with stuff that would later become cliché, but that was all still new and exciting in the summer of 1998), perhaps it was the reinvigorated WWF (and its fans) putting on their Sunday best against stiff competition, but whatever was in the water worked. One of my favorite Attitude Era shows, it has good, exciting action top to bottom, a classic ladder match, a hot MSG atmosphere, and all set to AC/DC’s rock and roll soundtrack. ***