WWF Sunday Night Heat (August 2, 1998)

 

Original Airdate: August 2, 1998 (taped July 27)

From Anaheim, California; Your Hosts are Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, and Shane McMahon - in his debut as an onscreen character, with Vince personally introducing him

Jeff Jarrett v Edge: Jarrett attacks before the bell, and unloads in the corner. Jarrett with a cross corner whip, but he loses a criss cross when Edge uses a flapjack. Edge adds a spear, but gets distracted by Tennessee Lee, and knocked to the outside. Jarrett with a baseball slide out there, and a Russian facebuster follows as they head back in. Jarrett with a flying bodypress, but Edge rolls through for two. Jeff cuts him off with a DDT, however, and he chokes Edge down from there. Edge tries a backdrop, but gets cut off again, and Jarrett tries a suplex, but Edge reverses into a two-alarm rolling vertical suplex into a sitout gourdbuster for two. Edge with an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline to send Jarrett over the top, and Edge suplexes him back into the ring. Jarrett goes to the eyes, and Lee tries some interference, but it backfires, and Edge hooks the leg at 3:58. This was competent. *

Backstage, DX conference

Lawler brings DX out, and they’re tired of Vince McMahon trying to keep them down, like he has since day one. And then Triple H gets a few women in the crowd to flash their breasts, since it’s 1998. Sure, a lot of this doesn’t age well, but you can’t deny how energetic and entertaining it is compared to what WCW was presenting at the time

Backstage, Steve Austin pops one open for the workin’ man

Droz’s World features a story of Mark Henry blowing his nose on Darren Drozdov’s shirt, causing Droz to (you guessed it) puke

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Darren Drozdov and The Headbangers v Dick Togo, Sho Funaki, and Men's Teioh: I’m lowkey very into Kaientai’s music. Val Venis shows up with Mrs. Yamaguchi to taunt them as the bell sounds, with Mosh and Funaki starting. Mosh wins a criss cross with a backdrop, and an armdrag allows him an armbar. Tag to Droz for a straddling ropechoke for two, so Sho goes to the eyes, and tags Togo. Droz catches him with a clothesline, and a corner whip follows, but the charge in hits a boot. That allows the tag to Teioh, and a tandem bulldog gets two on Darren. Bodyslam, but Droz reverses, and Thrasher tags in. He gets into trouble right away, however, and Kaientai work him over, as Venis continues making moves on Mrs. Yamaguchi on the ramp. Sho misses a flying elbowdrop to allow the hot tag to Droz, and Roseanne Barr the door! The babyfaces clear Funaki and Togo out, and Droz hits Teioh with a sitout powerbomb at 4:48. Afterwards, Val puts the moves on actress Amy Hunter (in the crowd), but Mario Lopez objects, and ends up getting into a fight with Venis at ringside - Mario actually managing a takedown before it gets broken up. I get that this is the era of Crash TV, but what’s the point of running an angle like this when it’s not going to build to anything anyway? At least WCW was actually going somewhere with the Jay Leno bullshit. Also, Val looked to be working a little rough with Mario here. *

Backstage, D-lo Brown shines up his title belt

WWF European Title Match: D-lo Brown v Ken Shamrock: Brown tries to sneak attack, but Ken has him scouted, and dodges. Shamrock goes to work, but gets caught up in the ropes, and Brown backdrops him over the top. Mark Henry clotheslines Shamrock on the floor before helping him back inside, where D-lo delivers a short-clothesline. D-lo with a spinheel kick as Dan Severn and Steve Blackman arrive at ringside. Brown uses a bodyslam to set up a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two, but Ken comes back with a belly-to-belly suplex. Brown bails, and he feels his momentum slipping, so he picks a fight with Severn, and when Dan takes the bait, it draws the DQ to save D-lo’s title at 2:53. ¼*

Backstage, Paul Bearer gets Kane and Mankind ready for action

Backstage, actress Shanna Moaker flirts with Bart Gunn, as the Pacific Blue crossover continues

#1 Contender's Match: Rock and Owen Hart v Kane and Mankind: The winners get a WWF Tag Team title match tomorrow night on RAW. Owen and Mankind start, and Mankind dominates with a wristlock. Owen reverses, but Mankind slugs free, and manages a clothesline. Elbowdrop, but Hart dodges, and tags Rock. Rock unloads in the corner, so Mankind goes to the eyes, and passes to Kane. Kane with a turnbuckle smash, and a cross corner whip rebounds Rock into a clothesline. Another one, but Rock ducks, and delivers a DDT for two. Rock clotheslines Kane over the top, but Kane snaps his throat across the top rope, and dives with a flying clothesline. Tag to Mankind, but he gets into trouble in the Naton’s corner, and they work him over. Mankind manages a double-arm DDT on Owen to allow the tag to Kane, and he comes in hot on Hart. Chokeslam, but Hart blocks, and delivers a leg-feed enzuigiri. Hart with a missile dropkick for two, but Kane fires back with the chokeslam. Tombstone, but Rock comes in to prevent him from executing it, so Mankind pulls Owen to the outside to abuse. That draws Rock over, and everyone brawls on the floor. Owen is most mindful of the count, however, and he slips back in to beat it, with Kane counted out at 7:30. ¾*

Michael Cole catches up with Steve Austin backstage, so they can analyze what various beer drinking etiquette with Undertaker means for their relationship

BUExperience: This whole promotion was on fire at this point, and all the shows are very easy watches. This was also a good debut episode, with star power, and actual angles of consequence.