WWF Sunday Night Heat (September 27, 1998)

 

Original Airdate: September 27, 1998

From Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Your Hosts are Jim Cornette and Shane McMahon

Vince McMahon is out to kick us off, and he offers apologies to Rock, Mankind, and Ken Shamrock for the inconclusive finish in their top contender’s match on RAW. But he’s going to rectify that tonight at Breakdown, booking them in another top contender’s match - only this time in a cage, to prevent interference. And speaking of ‘interference,’ Austin will be stripped of the title if anyone interferes on his behalf in the main event tonight

Backstage, Michael Cole is waiting at the door, hoping to catch Steve Austin with the news the moment he arrives at the building. He seems so excited to share bad news, what a dick

Mosh v Golga: Golga attacks, but Mosh fights him off, and delivers a straddling ropechoke. Thrasher takes some cheap shots from the outside, and Mosh delivers a 2nd rope legdrop for one. Mosh chokes him down, but Golga catches a bodypress, and slams him. That allows Golga a running sitdown splash at 2:02. Well, they had to blow off that hot Cartman angle. Afterwards, the rest of the Oddities come in, and powerbomb both Headbangers. DUD

Backstage, Cole discovers that Triple H has been attacked in his dressing room, though it isn’t clear by whom 

Mark Henry is out, and feeling badly that HHH is hurt, since he’s supposed to be challenging him for the Intercontinental title at Breakdown. That draws Vince out, and he wants to make Mark feel better, so he’ll give Henry a match against a champion right here on Heat. Non-title, but he’ll let him have the match in a cage, and if he wins, hey, he’ll be a top contender. Because the champion Vince has in mind is Steve Austin

Backstage, Cole reveals that Austin has arrived, but Michael hasn’t talked to him yet

Sho Funaki and Men's Teioh v The Hardy Boyz: This is the ‘debut’ of the Hardys, despite years as enhancement talent, even under their own names. Sho and Jeff Hardy start, and Teioh is quick to take a cheap shot. Jeff strikes back, so Kaientai stomps him down, but Matt Hardy saves. Funaki bodyslams Jeff, and the heels take turns elbowdropping him. Teioh with a flying bodypress for two, and Sho delivers a corner splash ahead of a bulldog. Jeff dodges a double team, and throws a double dropkick, allowing him the tag to Matt - Roseanne Barr the door! The Boyz clean house, so Jeff tries a suicide dive, but misses, and wipes out in the aisle in dramatic fashion. Wasting no time here, those two. Kaientai try using a weapon, but it backfires, and the Boyz hit Funaki with a combo at 3:33. This was about as much as you could hope for with a three minute match. *

Earlier today, Steve Austin unveiled Stone Cold Way here in Hamilton 

Cole visits Austin’s dressing room, but Steve isn’t in there

Triple Threat Match: Billy Gunn v Skull v 8-Ball: This is Mr. McMahon’s punishment for Billy volunteering to tag with Austin back on RAW. Gunn shows some fire early, but gets overwhelmed, and double teamed. DOA deliver stereo big boots, then take turns dropping elbows on him. Gunn keeps kicking out of whatever they throw at him, but eventually he just can’t keep fighting, and gets pinned following the two hundredth double team in a row at 3:19. A nothing match, but it had a storyline purpose. Afterwards, DOA continue the assault, but X-Pac and Jesse James make the save. They clear DOA out, but here come Jeff Jarrett and Southern Justice to leave them laying. DUD

Cage Match: Steve Austin v Mark Henry: Vince is out to personally oversee Austin’s cage match with Mark Henry, but no one comes out where Mark’s music plays. We cut to the back, and see that Mark is being attacked by Chyna, who leaves him knocked out after whacking him with a lead pipe. Back in the arena, Vince is pissed, and wants to go see what’s going on for himself, but some long haired ring crew guy can’t get the cage door open to let him out. He then reveals himself to be Stone Cold in a wig, and he beats Vince down, as Undertaker and Kane scale the cage to go after him.

Austin/Undertaker/Kane hype video

A fuming McMahon reminds us that ‘he who laughs last, laughs loudest,’ and he guarantees that Steve will not leave this building with the title

BUExperience: This was a hell of a go home show, really making you want to see the pay per view. You can’t call this anything less than a success.