WWF Sunday Night Heat (September 6, 1998)

 

Original Airdate: September 6, 1998 (taped August 31)

From New Haven, Connecticut; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Shane McMahon

Gangrel v Dick Togo: Gangrel hammers him down to start, but Togo throws a spinheel kick, and adds a bodyslam. Togo with a springboard moonsault for two, but Gangrel catches him with a powerslam, followed by an elbowdrop. Gangrel with a tiger suplex to set up a headbutt drop, since apparently everyone who hooks up with Luna needs to use a headbutt drop. It’s a rule. Gangrel with a vertical suplex for two, and the implant DDT finishes at 2:13. Solid enough for a two minute sprint. *

Earlier this week, Marc Mero presented Jacqueline with a replacement bikini contest trophy to make good on the one Sable broke

Outside, Steve Austin is drinking a beer out by one of the production trucks

Ken Shamrock v Bradshaw: Ken with a bridging fisherman suplex for two right away, and a jumping shoulderblock follows. Bodypress, but Bradshaw catches him in a fallaway slam, and turnbuckles smashes Shamrock. Bradshaw with a pair of cross corner clotheslines, but Ken manages a bodyslam. Ken with a pair of jumping backelbows and a spinheel kick, but another bodypress is caught in a powerslam for two. Bradshaw lands a big boot, but Vader runs in on him for the DQ at 1:51. This was fine while it lasted, but of course it needed a DQ finish. It wouldn’t be the fall of 1998 without it. Wouldn’t want anyone to think we’ve time traveled. ¾*

Jesse James v Dennis Knight: Knight pounds him down at the bell, but a clothesline misses, and Jesse throws a series of jabs. Jesse with a straddling ropechoke for two, and he tries an armbar, but Knight rakes the eyes. Knight with a headbutt, and he goes to a chinlock, but James makes the ropes, so Mark Canterbury smacks him. Knight unloads in the corner, but Jesse starts firing back, so Jeff Jarrett runs in on James for the DQ at 2:20. Jeff and Southern Justice triple team the Outlaws, so X-Pac runs out to even the odds, and everyone brawls until it’s broken up. DUD

Backstage, Undertaker and Kane walk around

Undertaker and Kane v Animal and Darren Drozdov: Kane and Droz start, and Kane hammers him into the corner, as Hawk calls in to commentary, announcing that he’s checking into rehab. Thanks for keeping us posted, Hawk! Kane lands a clothesline, but an elbowdrop misses, and Droz throws a three-point stance to knock him down. Tags all around, and Undertaker hits Animal with a big boot. A clothesline sets up an elbowdrop, but Animal dodges, and hits a jumping shoulderblock for two. A cheap shot from Kane allows Undertaker to clip the leg, and a grapevine finishes at 2:43. It’s so weird seeing Undertaker doing submission holds pre, like, 2008. Afterwards, they continue to beat Animal and Drozdov up, as Vince McMahon shows up to cheer them on. DUD

Backstage, Steve Austin hangs out with his title belt

Taka Michinoku v Edge: The WWF Light Heavyweight title is not up here. Edge with a pop-up flapjack right away, and he adds a bulldog. Edge with a cross corner whip, but Taka blocks the charge in, and delivers a tornado DDT. He tries another one, but Edge blocks, and lands a spinheel kick for two. Edge with an inverted vertical suplex (that has Shane marking out), and Edge adds a pair of clotheslines, then a flapjack. Edge with a flying headbutt drop, but Taka dodges, and throws a missile dropkick. Taka tries for the scoop sitout brainbuster, but Edge counters with a reverse STO at 2:08. Again, about as much as you can expect out of a two minute sprint. Shane is like a high school kid doing commentary on a backyard wrestling match circa 2001, though. ¾*

Undertaker and Kane drag Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco out, and demand that Vince show his face, or they’ll destroy them. Yeah, I’m thinking Brisco can handle himself. Anyway, no Vince, so they make good on the threat 

Austin is outside again, hanging out

WWF European Title Match: D-lo Brown v Val Venis: Val attacks during the entrances, and sends Brown into the post before taking it inside. Val with a DDT for two, but Brown counters a rana with a sitout powerbomb, as Dustin Runnels hangs out in the crowd to promote Jesus Castillo. Nice of him to look out for the underneath guys like that. Brown with a backbreaker on the floor, but climbing onto the barricade for a dive backfires when Venis drops him on it. Val with a backdrop on the way back in, and a backelbow sets up an elbowdrop. Val with a ten-punch in the corner, so D-lo pulls off a top turnbuckle pad, then suckers Venis into trying a corner splash - and dodging. That allows Brown a bridging German suplex to retain at 2:54. These two had a good match to open SummerSlam, but this was too short to reach that same level. ¾*

Vince is out, and tells Undertaker and Kane to come and get him already. Here they come, so Vince quickly apologizes for calling them ‘pussies’ on RAW. But it was just motivational, damnit! Undertaker deserves to be WWF Champion! So all this draws Austin out, and Vince announces that Steve will defend the title at Breakdown against both Undertaker and Kane in a Triple Threat match. And apparently this is Vince’s ‘master plan’ that they’ve been hyping up over two shows that weekend. Gosh, I feel like this whole thing could have been accomplished with a single segment to open RAW, and wouldn’t have lost anything in translation 

BUExperience: This was actually much better than the horrible Saturday RAW that preceded it, but still, what’s up with all the DQ finishes? I know it’s TV, and I know it’s part of the time period, but this is beyond.