WWF Sunday Night Heat (August 9, 1998)

 

Original Airdate: August 9, 1998 (taped July 28)

From San Diego, California; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Shane McMahon

Kane and Mankind join us to start, and Mankind is still a little, like, annoyed that Undertaker tried to kill him at King of the Ring, and challenges him to a match tonight. Cheaper than therapy. Just a basic segment to set up a match, but Mankind is such a good promo that he takes even this simple bit and makes it engrossing  

Vader v Mark Henry: They slug it out to start, ending in Mark press-dropping Vader. Vader wisely bails, but Mark is on his tail, and hammers him on the outside. In, Mark delivers an axehandle to set up an elbowdrop for two, but Vader reverses a whip into the ropes, and shoulderblocks him down. Vader with a splash for two, and a clothesline leaves Henry bailing. Vader chases, but Mark reverses him into the steps out there, and delivers a clothesline on the way back in. A pair of splashes follow, but Mark lets off at two. Another splash connects, still no cover. Henry with a fourth splash, and the referee disqualifies him at 3:34. In what world does that constitute a disqualification? Vince Russo’s, I guess. This was… not good. They were working like they were afraid of the ball out there. DUD

Michael Cole is outside of Undertaker’s dressing room, trying to get an answer to Mankind’s challenge, but Undertaker won’t open the door

Southern Justice v The Headbangers: It’s really weird to me that they’re openly acknowledging that Justice are the ‘former Godwinns,’ despite now having different names, and with no explanation of what happened to their supposed relation. They had the same last name, and now they don’t. Feels like it needs an explanation. Justice work Mosh over, and man, I never noticed what a big dude Mark Canterbury is. He didn’t look as huge as Henry Godwinn, for whatever reason. Things break down and everyone brawls, so Jeff Jarrett comes in to help Justice, and that’s a no-contest at 3:25. Another confusing decision, as that seems like a pretty clear DQ win for the Headbangers, but nope. DUD

Cole is still lurking outside of Undertaker’s dressing room. Dude, back off. He’s probably taking a shit, or something. Let the man shit in peace 

Taka Michinoku v X-Pac: The WWF Light Heavyweight title is not on the line tonight. It feels like X-Pac kept getting non-title matches with various champions during this period. I do like the effort to make the title shots mean more, though. A criss cross ends in Mr. Yamaguchi tripping X-Pac, and Taka capitalizes with a spinheel kick. Taka with a snapmare to set up a seated dropkick, followed by a missile dropkick. Taka with a bodyslam to set up a flying splash, but X-Pac rolls out of the way, and makes a comeback. X-Pac nails the bronco buster, so Yamaguchi tries more interference, but X-Pac fights off Taka’s sneak attack, and delivers a sitout facebuster at 2:08. Too short. Afterwards, Kaientai comes out to attack, but DX makes the save, and treat them like a group of jobbers. *

Cole is still outside of Undertaker’s locker room, but his ‘breaking news’ update is that someone pushed him while his back was turned earlier. And he’s not sure who it was. I think he needs a clearer definition of the words ‘breaking news’

Dustin Runnels v Bradshaw: Bradshaw answers a request for a handshake with a big boot, and he adds a cross corner clothesline. Bradshaw with a single-arm DDT, and another big boot puts Dustin on the outside. Dustin pulls him out for a slugfest on the floor, and Dustin turnbuckle smashes him on the way in, but Bradshaw no sells. Bradshaw with a turnbuckle smash of his own, and a side suplex gets him two. Bradshaw goes back to the arm, but Runnels finds a backdrop, and a clothesline. Bradshaw fires back with a jumping shoulderblock, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and Dustin blocks. Another criss cross, and Bradshaw catches him with a lariat at 2:13. ¾*

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Jeff Jarrett v Darren Drozdov: They trade wristlocks to start, and a criss cross ends in Drozdov delivering a scrapbuster. Drozdov with a jumping backelbow, and a powerslam gets him two. That draws Southern Justice out, allowing Jeff to knock Drozdov to the outside for a baseball slide. Jeff with a flying bodypress for two on the way back in, and a short-DDT sets up a pair of fistdrops. Jarrett uses a Russian legsweep and a vertical suplex for two, and he grabs a sleeper, but Drozdov fights him off in the corner. Jeff responds with right hands, as the Headbangers join us. Jarrett and Drozdov collide from a double knockout, so Tennessee Lee passess Jeff his cowboy boot, but Drozdov ends up blasting Jarrett with it at 4:06. This was practically a marathon compared to some of the other matches tonight. And it felt like it, too. Afterwards, Jeff gets in Lee’s face, so Tennessee sends Justice after him - only for them to to attack him instead. I’m not sure if this was Lee’s final WWF appearance, but if it wasn’t, it was close. ½*

Undertaker v Mankind: Before Undertaker makes his entrance, Kane throws Mankind through a table, and then beats up a protesting Paul Bearer. Kane grabs the ring steps and bashes Mankind with them, before delivering a tombstone on the floor, and unmasking as Undertaker. So no official match, sorry. Decent angle, though.

BUExperience: Hardly must see TV. Definitely not on the same level as RAW.