WWF Sunday Night Heat (September 20, 1998)

 

Original Airdate: September 20, 1998 (taped September 15)

From Sacramento, California; Your Hosts are Jim Cornette and Shane McMahon

Dustin Runnels v Mankind: Rock and Ken Shamrock are out to watch Mankind’s back here. Mankind catches him with a backelbow, so Dustin bails, but Mankind drags him back in, as we see Vince McMahon talking with Undertaker and Kane backstage. Dustin fights off a backdrop attempt, and delivers mounted punches, but Mankind gets the mandible claw on at 2:38. This was just going through the motions. Afterwards, Val Venis comes out to personally unveil his latest film for Dustin to see - again co-starring Terri Runnels. DUD

Backstage, Michael Cole catches up with Undertaker and Kane, wanting to get more details on the ‘business deal’ they have with Mr. McMahon. They clarify that they have no love for Vince, they just have the same goals. But before they can tell us much more, Rock, Mankind, and Ken Shamrock burst onto the scene to attack them

Backstage, Vince chews Mankind out for his behavior 

Luna v Jacqueline: Jacqueline kick starts the match, and catches Luna with a backelbow after beating her down in the corner. A charge hits a boot, however, and Luna delivers a facebuster for two. Luna with a swinging neckbreaker to set up a pump-splash for two, but a corner dropkick misses, and Jacqueline gets a figure four on for the submission at 2:20. Afterwards, Jacqueline challenges Sable to an actual wrestling match tomorrow on RAW. ¼*

Backstage, DX walk around

Backstage, Rock, Mankind, and Shamrock get ejected from the building

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Triple H, Billy Gunn, and X-Pac v D-lo Brown, Jeff Jarrett, and Owen Hart: Gunn and Brown start, and Billy works a wristlock, so Brown goes to the eyes. Brown throws a backelbow, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and Gunn press-slams him. Billy with a rocker dropper, and he passes to X-Pac, but Brown catches him with a fist on the way in. Tag to Owen, and he blasts X-Pac with a shoulderblock, but loses a criss cross to a hiptoss. Over to HHH to hammer on Hart, and a high knee gets two, as we get all kinds of odd screen wipes mid-match here, leading Cornette to wonder if Kerwin Silfies is ‘drinking early.’ There are so many of them in such short order that it has to be an angle, though I can’t remember what. The heels get control and work HHH over, but X-Pac gets the hot tag, and hits Brown with a spinheel kick. Jarrett runs in, but DX is there to meet the heels, and Roseanne Barr the door! Mark Canterbury manages to sneak in to slam X-Pac, allowing D-lo a flying frogsplash at 5:38. Afterwards, Mark Henry shows up to splash Helmsley on the way out. Not much, but competent. ¾*

Out in the truck, we discover Al Snow is messing around, which was the cause of all the weird A/V issues. I know, I’m shocked I couldn’t remember such a substantial angle either

Taka Michinoku v Edge: The WWF Light Heavyweight crown is not on the line here. Edge hammers him, as we immediately cut away to see security heading to the truck to go after Snow. Edge tries a powerbomb, but gets blocked, so he delivers the reverse STO instead at 0:32. Well, that was to the point. Afterwards, Kaientai runs in on him, but Gangrel makes the save. DUD

Out in the truck, Al Snow gets arrested… and led out to the ring. As most police situations go. Sgt. Slaughter is waiting for him there, and reminds him that he’s banned from the WWF, and that no one here likes him. Well, that’s not very nice. Snow laughs it off, so Slaughter books them in a Bootcamp match for RAW tomorrow, in an effort to teach him some respect. And, as an incentive, Slaughter promises to reinstate him, should Al somehow win

Backstage, Skull and 8-Ball sit on their bikes

Undertaker and Kane v Skull and 8-Ball: Vince McMahon is out to do commentary here. Vince’s country accent seems to come out when talking to Shane, interestingly. Maybe that’s what he sounds like at home. A big brawl breaks out, and Kane no-sells a piledriver, before finishing Skull with a tombstone at 4:00. DUD

BUExperience: This mostly just namechecked all the major angles, without any real advancement. Which is fine for a B-show. Though, I wish they’d take a page out of Thunder’s book, and make it into a more wrestling focused show to compliment angle heavy RAW.