WWF Sunday Night Heat (October 11, 1998)

 

Original Airdate: October 11, 1998 (taped September 29)

From East Lansing, Michigan; Your Hosts are Jim Cornette and Shane McMahon

WWF Women's Title Match: Jacqueline v Starla Saxton: Jacqueline has the hair she cut off of Sable’s head tied into her own. Meanwhile, Starla is a pre-fame Molly Holly, and dressed like a full on jobber. Did she run down to Target and pick up a swim suit right before the show, or something? Marc Mero tries to assist, but it backfires, and Starla hooks a schoolboy for two. She adds punches, and a bridging northern lights suplex gets her two. Clothesline, but Jacqueline ducks, and delivers a floatover DDT at 2:33. Afterwards, Sable runs in to attack, and she runs Jacqueline off. ½*

Eight-Man Tag Team Match: Taka Michinoku, Dick Togo, Sho Funaki, and Men's Teioh v Brian Christopher, Scott Taylor, Jeff Hardy, and Matt Hardy: Taka and Taylor start, and they do a reversal sequence, trading wristlocks. A criss cross goes Scott’s way with a pumphandle-suplex, and he passes to Brian for a Russian facebuster. Tags to Teioh and Jeff, and Hardy hits a slam to set up a slingshot moonsault for two. Tag to Matt for a combo on Teioh for two, so everyone runs in, and Roseanne Barr the door! Too Much dominate everyone, but can’t get along with their partners, and Funaki hits Taylor from behind to allow Teioh the pin at 2:45. This was too short to ever get into gear. Afterwards, Too Much get into a brawl with the Hardy’s. ½*

Vader v Edge: One of those ships passing in the night cross generational matchups you never realized happened. Vader knocks him around early, and a cross corner whip sets up an avalanche for him. Vader adds an elbowdrop, and a powerbomb gets him two. Vader adds a clothesline, so Edge bails, but Vader is on him with a headbutt on the outside. He tries a whip into the steps, but Edge reverses, and adds mounted punches. Inside, Edge lands a spinheel kick, and a flying clothesline is worth two. Back up for a flying bodypress, but Vader catches him in a powerslam for two. A criss cross ends in Vader missing a sitdown splash, and that allows Edge to deliver a reverse STO at 3:26. Vader would be out of the promotion by the end of October, and this marked his final TV match. ¾*

Backstage, Steve Austin storms around

WWF Attitude ad

Ken Shamrock v Al Snow: Shamrock kick starts the match, but Al manages to fight him off in the corner. Snow tries a cross corner whip, but Shamrock reverses, and catches Al with a belly-to-belly suplex on the rebound. Anklelock, but Snow makes the ropes. Ken refuses to release the hold, so the referee disqualifies him at 0:46. Scorpio runs out to make the save, but Ken runs him off, so Mankind comes out with the chair, and that does the trick. DUD

Michael Cole catches up with WWF Tag Team Champion Jesse James, who is sick of talking about Billy Gunn, because he’s got business with Jeff Jarrett tonight. The Joe Marshall version of the tag belt design is such a downgrade after the Reggie Parks version

Steve Regal vignette

Jesse James v Jeff Jarrett: They’re still on about the lip synching angle from three years and six gimmicks ago. Jesse with a takedown for a kneedrop for two, and they trade wristlocks, won by James. Jesse takes him into the corner for a ten-punch count, but Jarrett manages a dropkick to send Jesse over the top, as Cornette makes a joke about how the ‘McMahon dynasty’ may end with Shane. Or, you know, it never even makes it that far. I mean, you never know. Jarrett misses a straddling ropechoke, so Jesse grabs the guitar, and knocks him silly for the DQ at 2:33. DUD

Backstage, Austin is still ornery 

D-lo Brown v Steve Austin: The WWF European title is not on the line here. Austin kick starts the match, and whips D-lo around. Steve with a vertical suplex, but a backdrop gets blocked, and Brown slugs Stone Cold down. A criss cross allows Steve a Thesz press to set up mounted punches, and he punctuates it with a pointed elbowdrop. Steve with another vertical suplex, and a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop gets him two. Steve misses a straddling ropechoke, but D-lo takes too long celebrating, and gets punched. Stunner, and good night at 1:58. This was a complete and unapologetic squash of the European champion. I’m not saying Brown should have gone over here, but I’m not sure Steve gobbling him up made sense either. DUD

BUExperience: A really easy watch, even if not the most consequential.