WWF Sunday Night Heat (September 13, 1998)

 

Original Airdate: September 13, 1998 (taped September 1)

From Lowell, Massachusetts; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Shane McMahon

Vader v Ken Shamrock: Ken throws fists to start, but runs into a shoulderblock. Ken tries a bodypress, but gets caught in a slam, though Vader misses an elbowdrop. That allows Ken a dropkick and a clothesline for two, and he mounts Vader with punches from there. Ken tries for a cross-armbreaker, but Vader blocks, and rolls to the outside to regroup. Back in, Vader tags him with a bodyblock, and he adds a pair of splashes for two. Vader with a short-clothesline, and a 2nd rope bodyblock gets him two. Vader takes him into the corner to hammer on, and he takes Ken down for a fujiwara armbar, but Shamrock escapes. Vader responds by pounding him into the corner again, but an avalanche misses, and Ken starts throwing bombs at him. A powerslam gets Shamrock two, but a rana gets countered with a powerbomb. That allows Vader to go to the middle rope for another dive, but he gets caught in the anklelock on the way down for the submission at 4:13. Afterwards, Shamrock grabs the microphone, noting that he’s been in the promotion since early 1997, but he’s only had one title shot, despite being dominant. Considering he failed to win the Intercontinental title - after many, many shots at it - it’s hard to feel bad for him. He calls out Steve Austin for a shot at the big belt, and that would actually be a great program. I’m not sure how much Steve would be able to work with him due to his injuries, but I’m surprised they didn’t try something with Ken as Vince’s corporate champion. But then that would have overlapped with Rock, and that was a better fit anyway. *

Backstage, Steve Austin watches the monitor from his dressing room

Sable recently filmed a guest starring role on Pacific Blue, where she took a break to challenge Jacqueline to an Evening Gown match for RAW

Marc Mero v Val Venis: Val with a takedown right away, as we spot Dustin Runnels in the crowd with his religious message. Jacqueline dives in on Venis for the DQ at a very quick 0:43. Well, that’s a shame. Afterwards, Michael Cole stops Jackie in the aisle, and she accepts Sable’s challenge. Meanwhile, Runnels pops out of the crowd to attack Venis. DUD

Taka Michinoku v Gangrel: The WWF Light Heavyweight title is not on the line. Taka attacks from behind to kick start the match, but runs into a backelbow as they criss cross. Gangrel adds a clothesline, so Mr. Yamaguchi trips him up, and Taka dropkicks him out of the ring. Taka stays on him with a baseball slide, and a springboard moonsault press in the aisle. Gangrel beats the count in, so Taka uses a snapmare to set up a pair of seated dropkicks. A punch misses, allowing Gangrel a tiger suplex, and Gangrel drops him across the top rope. Gangrel with a northern lights suplex for two, and a floatover suplex sets up an elbowdrop. Gangrel with a powerslam, but Taka escapes a powerbomb, and throws a hip attack. Taka with a missile dropkick, but Gangrel counters the scoop brainbuster into a DDT at 3:50. The flow stuttered a lot. ¾*

Backstage, Jeff Jarrett swears revenge on X-Pac for cutting his hair at SummerSlam

WWF European Title Match: D-lo Brown v Kane: Brown throws down, but Kane no sells everything, and knocks him silly with a right hand. Brown bails, but is met with a roadblock in the form of Undertaker, and he heads back inside for more abuse from the challenger. Kane with a bodyslam to set up an elbowdrop, but D-lo dodges, and lands a seated dropkick. He stupidly gloats, and that ends badly when Kane sits up, and starts no selling again. Brown tries a dive off the middle, but Kane grabs him by the throat to block the effort, and Kane delivers a big boot. A clothesline sends Brown over the top, so Mark Henry tries getting involved, but Undertaker puts a stop to it. While that’s going on, Rock runs out with a chair and cuts Kane down to size, but D-lo is too slow to finish him off, and Kane is up. That draws Henry in for the DQ to save the title at 4:01. ¼*

Lumberjack Match: Jeff Jarrett v X-Pac: They take turns dumping each other to the outside for the lumberjacks to abuse, and X-Pac gets the better of it. He lands a lightning legdrop for two, and a cross corner whip sets up a charge, but Jeff dodges. That allows Jeff a single-arm DDT, and he hammers X-Pac in the corner. Jeff rattles the ring with a cross corner whip, and he launches X-Pac over the top for the lumberjacks. Inside, Jeff delivers a hanging vertical suplex for two, but a charge in the corner goes badly. X-Pac tries a backdrop, but gets nailed, and Jarrett side suplexes him. X-Pac manages to reverse him into the corner, and a spinkick finds the mark, ahead of a bronco buster. X-Pac with a corner whip, and the New Age Outlaws attack Jeff from the outside. That triggers Southern Justice to pull the top rope down on X-Pac as he runs the ropes, but the Outlaws save him from taking a guitar shot. That ends in all the lumberjacks brawling, and X-Pac gets killed, allowing Jarrett a somersault cradle at 6:29. *

WWF Champion Steve Austin is out, and he’s willing to give Ken Shamrock a shot anytime. So Ken comes out to get it, but here comes Vince McMahon and his entourage. Austin tells him to ring the bell to start the match, but Vince acts all flustered and confused, as we just go off the air with that. Good cliffhanger, I guess

BUExperience: This felt like a more eventful show than RAW (which was airing late night on a Saturday) this week. It certainly had more star power. A fun and super easy watch, especially because it’s only an hour.