WWF Breakdown (Version II)

 

Original Airdate: September 27, 1998

From Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

Opening Match: Owen Hart v Edge: Edge gets a huge pop after being announced from neighboring Toronto. They feel each other out to start, evenly matched. Owen tries a monkeyflip, but Edge lands on his feet, and throws a dropkick. He grabs an armbar, but Owen gets to a vertical base, so Edge uses a rana, then clotheslines him over the top. Edge stays on him with a baseball slide, but a dive from the apron gets caught with a powerslam on the floor. Hart delivers a missile dropkick for two on the way back in, and a gutwrench suplex is worth two. Hart with a backbreaker, and a neckbreaker gets him two. Hart wins a criss cross with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex for two, and he grounds Edge in a chinlock from there. Edge fights to a vertical base, and manages to whip Owen into the corner, but Hart blocks the charge. Hart with a victory roll for two, reversed by Edge for two, so Owen blasts him with a spinheel kick for two. Hart chops him into the corner, but Edge blocks a cross corner whip with a 2nd rope bodypress for two, so Hart uses a leg-feed enzuigiri. Owen goes up, but Edge pulls him off with an electric facebuster, and he manages to follow up with a flapjack this time. Edge keeps it going with a swinging neckbreaker for two, and a bodyslam sets up a 2nd rope dive, but Hart dodges. Edge manages to land on his feet, and he drills Hart with a DDT for two. A reversal sequence ends in Edge using a bridging northern lights suplex for two, but Hart counters a vertical suplex into a bridging German suplex for two. Hart with a cross corner whip, but a corner dropkick misses. That allows Edge to try a superplex, but Hart counters with a gourdbuster. Sharpshooter, but Edge blocks, and hooks a small package for two. Edge follows up with a spinheel kick, as someone (an unnamed Christian) hops over the guardrail. That distracts Edge, and Owen sneaks up with a double-underhook cradle at 9:17. A very strong effort here, though the finish was weak. Not the worst, since it had a purpose, but it was such a good match that you really hate to see it used in that situation. ** ¾ (Original rating: *** ¼)

Too Much v Al Snow and Scorpio: Scott Taylor and Scorpio start, and they feel each other out. A reversal sequence allows Scorpio an atomic drop, and he adds a spinkick. Backdrop, but Taylor blocks, and they do another reversal sequence, ending in Scott delivering a pumphandle-suplex. Tags all around, and Al grabs a side-headlock, but Brian Christopher forces a criss cross, and decks Snow to win it. He gloats, allowing Al to recover with a series of trapping headbutts, and Snow adds a clothesline. Tag to Scott, but Snow clotheslines him as well, and passes to Scorpio for a corner clothesline on Taylor. Scorpio with a second one, and he grabs a chair, but the referee protests. That allows Too Much to double up on Snow, so Scorpio springboards off the chair to hit them both. That looked terrible, as Scorpio botched the springboard, and then Brian nearly cracked his head open on the out of place chair while falling back. Scorpio with a flying splash on Taylor for two, as Snow takes Brian to the outside for a moonsault on the floor. Snow comes back in to clothesline Taylor, and a bodyslam looks to set up a dive from Scorpio, but Christopher knocks him off the ropes, and Scorpio takes a bump to the outside. Taylor springboard flying bodyblocks him on the outside, and Too Much double up. Too Much work Scorpio over, but a tandem backdrop ends in Scorpio landing on his feet, and double dropkicking them, ahead of the tag to Snow. Al runs wild, but accidentally nails Scorpio in the process. Everyone trades off, making saves on pin attempts, and Snow puts Taylor away with a scoop sitout brainbuster at 7:34. Hard work around the horn here, though some noticeable sloppiness from Scorpio. ** (Original rating: *)

Marc Mero v Darren Drozdov: Mero pounds him into the corner right away, and Marc uses a ropeburn. A criss cross allows Drozdov a pop-up flapjack, and he adds a clothesline, then a dropkick to put Mero on the outside. Marc decides to walk out, but Drozdov chases, and feeds him the rail, before whipping him into the steps. He gets distracted by Jacqueline, allowing Mero to nail him on the way back in, and Marc adds a kneelift. A ropechoke allows Jackie to take a cheap shot from the outside, but Drozdov wins a criss cross with a jumping shoulderblock. Drozdov follows with a clothesline, but a charge goes badly when Mero backdrops him over the top. Marc is on him with a somersault plancha, and he rolls Drozdov in for a slingshot splash, but Darren blocks. Drozdov with a jumping backelbow, and an inverted atomic drop follows. A powerslam gets two when Jackie puts Marc’s foot in the ropes, and Drozdov stupidly goes after her, allowing Mero to recover. He hammers Drozdov down and chokes him with some wristtape, and Jackie hits Drozdov with her show as the referee chews Mero out for the choke. Mero with a slam to set up a flying shooting star press at 5:12. So I guess that’s the trick to landing a woman like Sable in real life… master the shooting star press. Explains Billy Kidman/Torrie Wilson as well. I really appreciated how both guys were going at each other here, neither afraid of the ball. * ½ (Original rating: ½*)

Falls Count Anywhere Match: Vader v Bradshaw: Bradshaw dominates with his fists early, and a bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop for two. Clothesline, but Vader ducks, and bodyblocks him down. That allows Vader an elbowdrop to the leg, and a splash gets him two. Bradshaw fires back with a big boot, and a clothesline sends Vader over the top. Bradshaw follows to post him, and a short-clothesline follows out there. Bradshaw bashes him into the timekeeper’s table, and he whacks Vader with the ring bell, then feeds him an announce table. Bradshaw with another short-clothesline to set up an elbowdrop on the floor for two, but a punch misses, and Bradshaw hits the post. That allows Vader a short-clothesline of his own, and he whips Bradshaw into the steps from there. Vader nails him with the steps, and they go back inside, where Bradshaw throws fists to gain momentum. Vader tries going to the eyes, but Bradshaw side suplexes him, and they spill back to the outside, where Vader dominates. Vader with a 2nd rope splash on the way back inside, and a pump-splash is worth two. A criss cross allows Bradshaw a clothesline for two, and he nearly takes his head off with a lariat, but doesn’t cover. Instead, he demands Vader get up, and then drills him with a neckbreaker for the pin at 7:54 when he does. This was stiff, and little else. ¾* (Original rating: ¾*)

D-lo Brown v Gangrel: Brown kick starts the match, but Gangrel blocks a hiptoss, and uses a trapping suplex. Gangrel with a pair of elbowdrops for two, but he loses a criss cross to a leg lariat. Brown has got tights that bill him as the ‘European Champion,’ which is some Tito Santana level of bad break up sad. D-lo hammers on him, and a bodyslam sets up a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop, but Gangrel dodges. Gangrel tries a tiger suplex, but Brown uses a mulekick to block, and corner whips him. Brown with a running sitout powerbomb for two, and a legdrop gets two. Brown with a cross corner whip, but the charge in misses, and Gangrel tries a DDT, but D-lo blocks. D-lo with a vertical suplex for two, but Gangrel throws a clothesline. He tries a backdrop, but Brown blocks, and hooks a somersault cradle for two. Brown with a headbutt drop to the groin, but Gangrel blocks a superplex, and hooks the leg for two. A criss cross allows D-lo a clothesline, and a suplex is worth two, but Gangrel dumps him into the ropes. Gangrel with a backdrop, as Mark Henry shows up at ringside. Gangrel with a flying clothesline for two, so Mark pulls down the top rope during a criss cross, and Gangrel takes a spill over the top. That allows Mark to post him, and Brown finishes with a sitout spinebuster at 7:50. Two good workers, but they just couldn’t get it going here. ¾* (Original rating: ½*)

#1 Contender’s Triple Threat Cage Match: Rock v Mankind v Ken Shamrock: I think this is the first time they’ve ever had the classic blue bar cage hanging over the ring, instead of needing to be assembled. Rock and Ken slug it out to start, so Mankind just kind of quietly goes for the door, but they stop him. Rock is hugely over here, and the crowd is hanging on his every move. Mankind delivers a running kneesmash on Shamrock, but gets clotheslined by Rock. Rock goes for the door, but Ken cuts him off, and then unloads on Mankind in the corner. Ken with a bootchoke on Mankind, and he slaps on an abdominal stretch… in a triple threat cage match. Well, they openly refer to him as stupid, so at least he’s living up to it. Rock comes over and puts Ken in an abdominal stretch to make it a triple abdominal stretch - perhaps the only time that’s ever happened. Never caught on like the triple sleeper, tower of doom, or all the other spots you see in these matches. Rock and Mankind work together to dominate Shamrock, but Rock quickly turns on him, and unloads in the corner. Rock makes a climb attempt, but Shamrock cuts that off before Rocky even gets past the top rope. Rock responds by working with Ken to double team Mankind, but that falls apart when Ken goes for the kill with an anklelock. Rock hammers him into the corner, so Mankind saves, and forms his own alliance with Ken to beat on Rock. That earns them some anger from the very pro-Rock crowd. Rock gets them down and delivers a double People’s elbow, and he makes a climb, but Mankind crotches him on the top rope to put a stop to it. Rock responds with a uranage on Mankind for two, broken when Shamrock saves. That earns him a ‘Shamrock sucks’ chant, as Lawler refers to Canada as ‘bizzaroworld,’ so that one goes way back. Ken gets the anklelock on Rock, but Mankind saves, and tries to climb out, but Rock stops him. Mankind tries a flying elbowdrop from the top of the cage, but misses, and Ken gets a chair into the ring. A swing misses, allowing Mankind a double-arm DDT, and he brains Shamrock with the chair. That allows Mankind to climb, but as he wastes time with that effort, Rock just crawls over and covers Shamrock for the pin at 18:47. I don’t generally like this style of match. This wasn’t an exception, but watching Rock become one of the biggest stars in the world in real time was amazing. ¾* (Original rating: ***)

Dustin Runnels v Val Venis: Val attacks while Runnels is praying, and delivers a spinebuster for two. Dustin fights him off with a powerbomb to set up mounted punches, but Val catches him with a backelbow to send Runnels to the outside. Venis chases with a clothesline in the aisle, but Runnels manages a backdrop on the way back in. Runnels with a ten-punch in the corner, and a cross corner whip follows, but the charge in hits a boot. That allows Val a pair of short-knees, and a Russian legsweep follows. Venis with a camel clutch, then a chinlock, as things slow way down. Dustin slugs free, but loses a criss cross to a clothesline that gets Val two. Val tries a suplex, but Runnels blocks, and delivers a DDT for two. Runnels goes upstairs, but Venis follows, and drops him to the outside with a gourdbuster. That was quite the bump for Runnels. Back in for a criss cross, and Dustin sidesteps him, sending Val over the top. Val responds by making out with Terri Runnels on the outside, and that distraction allows Venis to sneak in with a schoolboy for two. Runnels fights back with a bulldog for two, and it looked like Val might have forgotten to kick out there. Val with a trio of elbowdrops, and he goes up with a flying splash at 9:10. Unlike a lot of other stuff on the card tonight, this actually had some build, but it didn’t work at all as a match. ½* (Original rating: DUD)

Six-Man Tag Team Match: X-Pac, Billy Gunn, and Jesse James v Jeff Jarrett, Mark Canterbury, and Dennis Knight: The Outlaws run in from the crowd to attack the heels from behind, which feels like kind of a miss, since it takes away the hottest part of their act. The dust settles on X-Pac and Jarrett, and Jeff wins a criss cross with a dropkick. Rana, but X-Pac counters with a sitout powerbomb for two, and he passes to Jesse for a Greco-Roman kick to the balls. Jeff wins a criss cross with a knee, however, so James goes to an inverted atomic drop. Psychology! Ball psychology, but still. Jesse with a straddling ropechoke and a kneedrop for two, so Mark takes a cheap shot from the outside, and Dennis tags in. The heels work Jesse over, until X-Pac catches a tag, and hits Jeff with a spinheel kick. That brings Mark in, so X-Pac tries the same, but gets caught in a slam for his trouble. They work X-Pac over next, cutting the ring in half, until he manages to reverse a side suplex on Jarrett. Hot tag to Gunn, and Roseanne Barr the door! Jeff grabs the guitar, and lays X-Pac out with it on the floor, but Billy catches Dennis with the rocker dropper inside of the ring to get the pin at 11:19. This was just kind of there. * (Original rating: *)

Main Event: WWF Title Triple Threat Match: Steve Austin v Undertaker v Kane: Undertaker and Kane are prohibited from defeating one another, and Austin will be stripped of the title if anyone interferes on his behalf. Austin attacks Undertaker with a chair in the aisle during the entrances, and gets some shots in before Kane can head over. By the time Kane makes it over, Undertaker is down and hurt, and Steve resumes swinging on Kane. At ringside, Steve feeds Kane the post, and they go into the ring, where Kane fights him off with a bodyslam. Kane goes up with a flying clothesline, but Steve sidesteps, and he ropechokes Kane to set up a straddling ropechoke. Kane tosses Steve over the top, where Austin lands at the feet of an angry Undertaker. Undertaker beats on him out there, but Steve reverses him into the steps, and sweeps Kane off of his feet to crotch on the post a few times. Steve hits Kane with the stunner, but Undertaker pulls him out at two. Undertaker posts Austin before rolling him back inside for a turnbuckle smash, and Undertaker goes to town in the corner. Undertaker with a cross corner whip, and a jumping clothesline gets him two. A criss cross goes Austin’s way with a Thesz press into mounted punches, and Steve adds a pointed elbowdrop. Kane is recovering from the stunner, so Steve clotheslines him over the top, but that buys Undertaker enough time to hit Austin with a clothesline. Backdrop, but Steve counters with a swinging neckbreaker for two. Kane pulls Austin out to abuse on the floor, and Undertaker follows for some good ol’ double teaming, but accidentally tags Kane with a punch out there. They get in each other's faces, but look to be cooling out, when Austin shoves them into one another. Steve stays on Kane with some electrical cable, but Undertaker pulls it away, and uses it to choke Steve instead. The brothers finally get a chance to properly double team the champion, as Vince McMahon’s stooges arrive to keep an eye on things, though Austin remains frisky. Steve goes after the stooges when the brawling heads over to the entrance set, but he’s five-on-one, and it ends badly for him. Back to the ring, Undertaker goes for the kill with a leglock, but Steve fights him off, and manages to beat Kane down in the corner. Austin tries a backdrop on Undertaker to keep it going, but he gets blocked, and the brothers go back to work. Undertaker smacks Austin with a chair, and covers, but Kane breaks it up at two. Uh oh. They have words, but cool things back down… until Kane covers, and now Undertaker breaks it up. This time Undertaker actually slugs him, and he beats Kane into the corner for a cross corner whip. Kane blocks the charge in, and Austin recovers, pinballing Undertaker with Kane! Steve clotheslines Undertaker over the top before immediately nailing Kane, and ropechoking him. Steve with a Russian legsweep for two, but Undertaker is back, and reforms the alliance with his brother. They destroy Austin some more, but things break down again when they can’t decide who gets to end it. That results in a slugfest, and both guys end up down, as Austin gets back up. Steve throws shots at both challengers, and he manages to knock Undertaker out of the ring. Kane grabs a bodyslam on the champion, but an elbowdrop misses, and Austin shoves Kane into the ropes - right in time to knock a recovering Undertaker off of them. Stunner, but Kane blocks, and shoves Steve into a big boot from Undertaker. The brothers follow up with a tandem chokeslam, and both cover at the same time for the pin at 22:52. It’s not clear who the winner is, and Howard Finkel doesn’t know who to announce. But ultimately it doesn’t matter, as Vince comes out, grabs the title belt, and marches to the back - all he cares about is that Austin isn’t the winner. The match was generally well structured, and Austin did a great job of being fiery and making the hope spots work, but the overall piece was badly hurt by an overlong heat segment. It was entertaining enough, and felt like it delivered as a storyline match, even if not so much as a workrate one. * ½ (Original rating: *)

BUExperience: There were good in-ring bits, but certainly nothing to write mama about. It also doesn’t help that the best matches were ones that had no build, and most of the ones that did were lackluster. But still, I enjoyed and was entertained by this show, even if a lot of the wrestling wasn’t very good.

**