WWF Unforgiven (September 1999)

From Charlotte, North Carolina; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler.

Opening Match: Val Venis v Steve Blackman: Blackman charges right in with rights on Venis, but walks into a clothesline, and Val tosses him into the corner for a beating. Elbowdrop misses, however, and Blackman dropkicks him out of the ring, then sets up a suplex back in - only to drop Val across the top rope instead. Inverted atomic drop, and they spill out for Steve to whip him into the steps. He posts him next, and inside that gets two. Steve with a few cross corner whips, and a backbreaker follows. Man, this has been just ALL Blackman at this point. He keeps it going with a snap suplex, and slaps on a chinlock. Venis escapes, and clotheslines him, and finally manages a follow-up move with a backelbow. Short-knees set up a Russian legsweep for two, as Ross and Lawler hype everything from the newfangled 'Smackdown' show to Man on the Moon. Val with a powerslam and a bulldog, then a DDT sets up the Money Shot at 6:31. This was like a Randy Savage WCW match, with Val getting nothing until making a quick comeback at the end, and finishing with his top rope move. ¼*

WWF European Title Match: Mark Henry v D-Lo Brown: This is during Mark's entertaining 'Sexual Chocolate' phase. Henry tries attacking in the aisle, but D-Lo is ready, and they slug it out. Inside, they go through a long counter sequence (to establish that they know each other well), ending in D-Lo hitting the Sky High for two. 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop follows for two, but a Stinger splash is countered with a stungun onto the turnbuckle - only for Henry to miss a straddling ropechoke, and end up on the floor. Brown follows with a wild tope suicida, and hits a flying bodypress on the way back in for two. It's too bad they didn't do more with D-Lo - we was not only good, but constantly trying to improve himself. Henry manages a press-slam for two, and a bodyslam follows. Clothesline sets up a chinlock, and D-Lo's escape attempt ends in him taking a straddling ropechoke. Mark quite viciously slams him into the steps out there (ouch!), and inside, another bodyslam sets up a legdrop for two. Avalanche sets up an inverted powerslam, but a powerbomb is countered with a rana. Diving forearm sets up a leg lariat, and a legdrop gets two. Henry reverses a cross corner whip and avalanches him again, but a ten-punch count backfires when D-Lo counters with a sitout powerbomb, then hits the Lo Down for the title at 9:11. Boring match, with Brown working hard enough, but Henry just killing anything D-Lo got going whenever he took control. ¼*

Intergender WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Jeff Jarrett v Chyna: Jeff attacks her on the way into the ring, and chokes her on the ropes, but misses a straddling ropechoke, and gets shoulderblocked. Big clothesline, but she misses a cross corner charge, and Jeff tries a 2^nd rope axehandle - only to get blown low on the way down! Chyna clotheslines him over the top, but he sweeps her, and crotches her on the post. That worked surprisingly well. He knocks her into the steps next, then into the post for good measure. We get a look at Miss Kitty while we're out there, and DAMN, is she too hot for Lawler. Never underestimate the power of fame over pussy. Jarrett with a flying bodypress on the way back in for two, and a dropkick follows. Cross corner whip, but Chyna Flair flips - only to get superplexed off the top for two as she tries a follow-up. Jeff with a tornado single-arm DDT, but he misses a charge into the corner, and takes an electric chair from the challenger. Both stagger up, and Jeff tries to retain control with a sleeper, but Chyna escapes with a vertical suplex. She follows with a powerslam for two, and hits a sitout powerbomb for two. Rana, but Jarrett counters with a powerbomb of his own, and tries the figure four - only to get shoved off with such authority that he goes flying out of the ring. Chyna follows for a chairshot, and she backdrops him onto the announce table. Inside, Chyna tries the Pedigree, but Jeff counters into a slingshot - taking out the referee in the process. Cue Kitty with the guitar, but Mae Young and Fabulous Moolah run in to stop him. They pinball him for a bit (to a great crowd reaction), but end up getting clotheslined, and kicked out of the ring in quite vicious fashion. Figure four for Chyna, but here's Debra, and she breaks the guitar over Jarrett's head - Chyna covering for the title at 11:51 - to a huge pop. Unfortunately for her, another referee runs down, and reverses the decision due to the interference - Jarrett awarded the bout via disqualification. Fine for what it was, and entertaining (the overbooked was well utilized here), but intergender matches are not my thing, as a general rule. * ½

The Acolytes v The Dudley Boyz: Big brawl to start, with the Acolytes controlling. Inside, Faarooq starts with Bubba Ray Dudley, but quickly blows his lead, and gets suplexed. Bodyslam sets up a splash, but Faarooq blocks with the knees, and tags Bradshaw for a double-team flapjack. Big boot gets two, but a blind charge misses, and Bubba slams him to set up a 2^nd rope senton splash for two. Back up onto the middle rope, but this time Faarooq distracts him, and Bradshaw manages a superplex for two. Spear knocks Bubba out of the ring, and Bradshaw whips him into the steps out there, then rolls him in for two. Clothesline misses, however, and Bubba belly-to-belly suplexes him for two, then tags D-Von Dudley with a diving shoulderblock. Neckbreaker gets him two, but a bodypress is countered with a blockbuster for two. You'd think guys would stop trying to bodypress Bradshaw eventually. Faarooq with a powerslam, and he tries a powerbomb, but D-Von slides out, and DDTs him. Bradshaw prevents the tag, however, and bodyslams him, but misses an elbowdrop. Bubba tags for a side suplex/cutter combo for two, and Bubba powerbombs him for D-Von to flying headbutt for two. D-Von tries a moonsault, but Faarooq shakes the ropes to crotch him, and Bradshaw side superplexes him down for two. Bubba sneaks up on him with a bulldog for two, and Faarooq takes the Dudley Death Drop, but Stevie Richards runs out to superkick D-Von, and Faarooq pins him off of it at 7:28. Didn't really have any flow, and the Dudley's weren't over yet, but it had some decent power sensibilities. ¾*

WWF Women's Title Hardcore Match: Ivory v Luna Vachon: Luna tries making the Goldberg entrance, but forgets the security crew, and Ivory attacks her backstage. Always pay for the security, kids. They brawl around the hallways, and end up in a small office for Luna to use a Xerox machine to copy Ivory's face. Ivory sells it like she's been shot (maybe she's got severe migraines, and is just super photosensitive?), but manages to dump Luna in a trashcan. Luna comes back with a splash off of a forklift, but Ivory sends up hitting her with a pole for the pin at 3:37. Um, okay. DUD

WWF Tag Team Title Match: The New Age Outlaws v Edge and Christian: Billy Gunn starts with Edge, and Billy condescends to him almost immediately. Edge responds by nearly ripping his arm out of the socket with an armbar, and he follows with a pair of quick armdrags into a headlock on the mat. Gunn with a side suplex to escape, and he tags to Jesse James with a schoolboy for two. Headlock of his own, but Edge blindtags to Christian, and he blasts Road Dogg with a dropkick before armdragging him into an armbar. Distraction by Billy breaks that up, and he comes in to double-team a bit - press-slamming Christian onto James' knee. Tag back to Edge, and he dropkicks James as well, but walks into the dancing punches, and the dancing kneedrop. Cheapshot from Christian turns the tide, however, and the challengers cut the ring in half on James. How are E&C not the babyfaces here? Lots of nice double-teams from the challengers as they really make Jesse work for his money tonight, but a double-team flapjack ends up getting them both DDTd, and Billy gets the tag. He's a house of arson to trigger a four-way brawl, with Gangrel and the Hardy Boyz running in on E&C - allowing Gunn a Fameasser on Edge to retain at 11:08. Fine for what it was, but I would have liked it better with a clean ending. *

WWF Hardcore Title Kennel from Hell Match: Al Snow v Big Bossman: The idea here is that they battle inside a standard blue-bar steel cage, with the Hell in a Cell surrounding that, and 'vicious' Rottweiler’s in between the two cages. You must escape both cages to win. Snow tries to keep Bossman out of the ring, and beats him with his own nightstick on the floor so the dogs can kill him. Unfortunately, the dogs haven't even been led down the aisle yet. Cue the dogs, and awww! They're the cutest things you ever did see! Bossman 'runs' from them, but they're literally wagging their tails, and trying to play with him. Slugfest on top of the cage, as both guys tease falling onto the dogs. Snow hops down, and climbs the cell, but has a hard time finding an exit. No shit, it's a cell. Bossman superplexes him back in from the top of the cage, in what will undoubtedly be the only nice spot of the match. Meanwhile, the camera crew desperately tries to find a shot of the puppies looking intimidating, but they're still just cute. Inside the cage, Bossman whacks him with a cookie sheet to draw blood, but is reluctant to escape due to the dogs. Maybe Chandler trained him? He climbs the inside cage, and cuts a hole in the roof of the cell with pliers, but Snow prevents an escape. Bossman uses the pliers on Al, and tries to blind him with some powder, but it backfires, and Snow whacks him with a stick, then a snow shovel. Even the poor announcers have given up trying to make anything about this sound dangerous, and shot of the dogs playing with each other is not helping the cause. Bossman handcuffs Snow to the turnbuckle, and climbs for the hole he cut earlier, but Snow breaks the cuffs, and shakes the cage to crotch Bossman on the top rope. He whacks him with Head, and climbs out for the win at 11:40. Man, Hell in a Cell matches are just not Bossman's thing. This one is quite infamous, of course, and definitely falls under 'so bad, it's good.' Though, if you're going to watch it, I recommend the version on Hard Knocks and Cheap Pops, with the alternate commentary that acknowledges how utterly terrible this was, and openly makes fun of it. -*

X-Pac v Chris Jericho: They exchange counter holds to start, with Chris taking him down first, but X-Pac fighting up before Jericho can get a hold applied. Criss cross goes Chris' way with a shoulderblock, but X-Pac hiptosses him, and they end in another stalemate when both guys kip up. Another counter exchange, and Jericho clotheslines him, then dumps him across the top rope in a forward suplex to take control. Into the corner, Jericho chops him, but a cross corner charge misses, and X-Pac unloads lightning kicks - only for Chris to roll out and avoid the bronco buster. He stalls out there to kill the momentum, and suckers X-Pac into a chase, then stomps him on the way back in. He counters the X-Factor with a powerbomb, but X-Pac blocks the Walls of Jericho by shoving Chris right out of the ring, then springboard diving out after him. X-Pac ends up knocking himself a bit silly during the dive, however, and Jericho rolls him back in, then follows with a missile dropkick for two. Bow-and-arrow, and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker when he escapes. Bodyslam sets up a slingshot splash for two, and Jericho chinlocks him. X-Pac fights out, so Jericho springboard moonsaults him for two, as I spot a guy walking around the crowd with a fucking pool cue. I have nothing to add to that, really. Just found in interesting. Chris knocks him onto the apron for a springboard dropkick, and Mr. Hughes beats X-Pac on the floor before helping him back in. Chris goes for the kill, but a blind charge misses, and X-Pac cracks him with a spinheel kick. Spinkick, and a springboard clothesline get two. Lightning kicks in the corner set up the bronco buster, but Jericho blocks it again - this time with a boot to the nuts. 2^nd rope senton splash gets two, and a butterfly backbreaker follows. To the top rope, but X-Pac crotches him, and superplexes him down for two. Rana, but Chris counters with a two-alarm no-release powerbomb for two, but misses a charge, and gets caught in a tree of woe. X-Pac capitalizes with the bronco buster, so Mr. Hughes runs in to kill him, and that's a disqualification at 13:08. Good outing, with Jericho working hard to get his spots in, and X-Pac game to hang with him. Plus, most of Chris' stuff was fairly foreign to WWF audiences (he certainly wasn't working WWF style yet), and it made him unique. ** ½

Main Event: WWF Title Six-Pack Challenge match: The Rock v Triple H v Mankind v Kane v Big Show v Davey Boy Smith: This is for the vacant title, with Steve Austin as the special guest enforcer. Rock starts with Smith, and unloads on him with closed fists, then cross corner whips him to set up a clothesline. More abuse in the corner, but Davey manages to clothesline him, and pass to Triple H. Rock quickly clotheslines him as well, then adds a stungun for two, but Kane tags himself in before Rock can finish. Rock is none too pleased, but obliges, and Kane double-chokeslams HHH. Bodyslam and a powerslam hit, and Kane shoves Show out of the way to free up a corner to do his flying clothesline - only for Show to retaliate by pushing him down off the turnbuckle. Well, what's good for the goose, and all that. Hunter tags Mankind in the process, but punches him in the face as he comes in. That triggers a beat down from Mankind, and he adds a running kneesmash in the corner before getting clobbered with a clothesline from Kane. Show tags himself in off Mankind, and pounds Kane with forearms, then hits a backbreaker into a backbreaker submission. Kane fights back with an enzuigiri, and Show tags Bulldog - who walks right into a big boot from Kane. Tags to Rock and Mankind, but Rock would rather fight Bulldog, and does that instead. Davey with a low blow to stop the effort, and a hanging vertical suplex hits before Mankind comes back in - only to tag Kane. Kane goes for the Tombstone right away, but Rock slips free into a Russian legsweep for two. Kane fires back with a sidewalk slam, but a short-clothesline misses, and Rock turnbuckle smashes him on the way to tagging Mankind. I don't want to jinx it, but we're a good ways into this, and they haven't even brawled into the crowd, or over to the entrance set! Mankind in with a pulling piledriver on Kane for two, and HHH tags in to knock Mankind out to the floor. He follows, and they brawl into the aisle. Oh fuck, I had to open my big mouth, didn't I? Mankind with a suplex in the aisle, but HHH reverses, so Rock charges down and clotheslines him! He adds a ballshot for good measure, so the other three run down to turn it into a proper brawl. Well, you knew it was coming, I guess. You didn't really think they'd stick to tags for an entire match, did you? Back at ringside, Mankind gives HHH a pulling piledriver onto the steps, and inside, he whips Davey into the corner. He and Rock double-team the Bulldog, and tags are made to Show and Kane. Show with a big boot, and Mankind tags in, but takes a headbutt from the big guy. Bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop for two, saved by Rock. Mankind tags him in, and Rock dominates a slugfest with Big Show, then takes him down with a series of clotheslines. HHH runs in to break up the count, and he kicks Rock out of the ring for a slugfest on the floor, as enforcer Austin relaxes on commentary. Mankind tries a sleeper on Kane, but gets muscled into a Tombstone, and then tags Show to Chokeslam him, but Kane comes off the top with a flying clothesline to break it up. HHH runs in with a Pedigree on Bulldog, and Mankind with a double-arm DDT on Rock. Claw on Rock, but he Bottom's out for two. Show with a chokeslam on Mankind for two, when the referee gets pulled out by a gang of other referees, and stomped. See, the referees were all on strike, and they didn't take kindly to the scab. Austin does his job and beats the shit out of all of them, though. Meanwhile, Rock DDTs HHH for two (counted by Austin), and the Rock Bottom sets up the Peoples Elbow for two - Show pulling Austin out to break up the count. That allows Davey to crack Rock with a chair, and HHH Pedigrees him for the pin at 20:29 - counted by a reluctant Austin. Far from perfect, but you know what I liked about this main event? It took place almost entirely INSIDE OF THE DAMN RING! And with TAGS, to boot! Yes, they brawled up the aisle, but the spot made logical sense, was exciting, and didn't last for 2/3 of the match - which is exactly how it should be used, to add to the match, not replace it altogether. **

BUExperience: 1999 was a bad year for pay per view.

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