Keith's Sunday Night Heat Review Thread

[Keith]

Sunday Night Heat 4/10/98

X-Pac (W/DX) VS. Owen Hart
The former Euro champ D-Lo comes out to hype up his Euro title shot against Pac on Raw. The story of the match is that Owen is so upset over having injured Dan Savern by accident with a botched piledriver on raw (clearly a reference to Owen's real life botch at Summerslam 97) that he is not in the right frame of mind to wrestle. Pac wins easily. Nothing match and lame storyline. Fuck you Russo



Some nerd who looks about 15 tries to interview Stone Cold for WWF.com

We get a Raw recap of Vince's leg injure at the hands of Taker/Kane. From his hospital bed Vince sells his injuries, lays on the melodrama and says he's gutting it out



Matt Hardy VS. Funaki
Funaki looks for pay back from his team's tag loss the previous week. They have a solid match but it should have been longer. Matt's crucifix into a powerbomb looked good. Funaki turns the tables with knees up from a Matt moonsalt. A fisherman surplex and elbow off the top gets Funaki his win. **


Headbangers VS. The Oddities (W/ICP)
Throw away match. The Oddities get the win with help from the Clowns. *1/2



We get an early Steven Regal "Real Man's Man" video

Ken Shamrock & Mankind VS. D.O.A. (W/Paul Ellering)
The tension between Shamrock and Mankind goes on. Maybe Ken's sharper than he looks! He attacks the DOA in the dark from Mankind's entrance. The heels soon take over with a double team. Later Mankind tags himself in which pisses Ken off. During the match with see Austin break into the production truck with a axe! Break in the match Shamrock is not too keen to tag in. A Mankind double arm DDT gets a big pop. When Paul Ellering grabs his leg Mankind locks the mandible craw on the manager Shamrock grabs a chair and seems to be about to hit Ellering with it but instead strikes his partner. The DOA get the win. **

Austin cuts the wire linking the satellite to Vince's hospital room

The Rattle Snake join Shane and Cornette for the main event. During the match Vince calls in on a cell phone and has heated words with Austin who has fun intimidating Vince's kid.

Jeff Jarrett (W/Southern Justice) VS.The Rock
These two click from the off and have a very watchable main event. Credit to the Rock who really sells for Double J. The People's Champ gets a near fall from a Samoan drop. Jarrett responds quickly with a clothesline and shows his aggression putting the boots to the Rock. The number one contender side steps a Jarrett drop kick, but then takes a swinging neck breaker. Dennis Knight clotheslines the Rock on the floor and runs him into the steps. A Jarrett crossbody off the top is smoothly reversed for a near fall. Double J again responds quickly. The Rock catches a breather by reversing a surplex on Jarrett. He then scores two and an half. Moments later the Rock hits a DDT followed by a low blow, a slam and a people's elbow. Before the three count Knight breaks up the count. The heels double team the Rock. Austin makes the save stunning both heels. The show ends with a stare down between The Rock and Austin. This is impressive forward thinking. Planting the seeds for a future main event feud. ***

 

[Keith]

Sunday Night Heat 11/10/98

Women's Title match Jacqueline (c) (W/Marvelous Marc Mero) VS. Starla Saxton
What's this a women's jobber match? Wait that's no jobber! That's pre-Molly Holly, Molly Holly! A quick sidebar. This early in Molly's career when she was still working her way up the indie circuit. Molly signed for WCW in 99 and appeared as part of Macho's Entourage. It was upon returning to the WWF around 2000-2001? when her career started to get going. More on that in future reviews.

Good for Corny putting Molly/Starla over as a promising local talent. Jacqueline is wearing streaks of Sable's hair. Which I like a lot! Corny says she looks like a skunk Molly give the champ a run for her money with some stiff shots and a nice hip toss. They exchange some chain wrestling holds, before Jackie takes over with a nice spinning heel kick and a double under-hook surplex for a two. Starla steals a near fall from a roll up after a mix up with Mero and Jackie. The challenger also scores a two from a over head surplex bridge. Jackie counters a move off the rope and gets the pin with a nice looking DDT. A few years later these two would have a more stand out match. Post-match the overrated Bimbo Sable comes out and decks Jackie with some naff kicks. **



Kai En Tai (W/Yamaguchi-San) VS. Too Much & The Hardy Boyz
Having the heels Too Much team up with faces the Hardy's was probably a give away to how this one might end? Its another rush job which was watchable because of the talent. Scotty's pump handle slam into a surplex looks good. Christoper does his annoying/entertaining heelish laugh. He's so impressed with his face plant on Tanka he laughs again Jeff's tilt til whirl legdrop off the ropes is a bit sloppy. The Handy's double team leads to a Matt pin, but the ref's out of position. All eight brawl. Too Much double team leads to a Christoper top rope leg drop. Tao miss times a save but the heels reverse the pin to steal the win. Predictably the Hardy's and Too Much have a bust up post-match. **



In a Raw flashback Vince is visited in the hospital by Mankind. He thinks its Austin. Foley tries to cheer the boss up with "entertainment" Says he has a second guest. Says its "female entertainment" Well he wasn't lying its a female clown!! How progressive of them!! Vince kicks them both out.

Vader VS. Edge
The shackles are off Vader for a change. He feels a bit like the old Vader. Dominates Edge in the corner. Awesome splash in the other corner He hits a powerbomb which Edge kicks out off. Now I get they are trying to put Edge over strong, but if that was WCW it would have been a win for Vader. Or at the very least it would have been made a big deal of. Edge reverses Vader into the steps. To show his aggression he picks up the ring steps but the ref stands in his way. Edge hits a nice spin wheel kick. Then his a top rope clothesline for two. Vader catches him coming off the top with a power slam for a near fall. Edge hits the downward spiral for the win. If WWF weren't jobbing Vader out at this point they could have made this a proper feud. The two could have met at Judgement Day the following week. Vader could have put the rookie over properly. **1/2



Ken Shamrock VS. Al Snow (W/Head!)
Who is the nuttier of them all?! Ken quickly hits a belly to belly and hooks in an ankle lock. Snow makes the ropes but Shamrock holds on and gets the DQ. The sick puppy Al is he loves the pain! Scorpion tries to pull Shamrock off before Foley comes out with a chair to force him off. Good ol' Al is still grinning like a madman biting the rope.



Another fun Regal "Man's Man" video This time he's squashing oranges!

Road Dog VS. Double J Jeff Jarrett
Top work from Corny again selling their past heat. They are still selling a Outlaws bust up? Since its Vinnie Ru writing no doubt it will soon be revealed as a trick and dropped. Typically solid, puch, kick, brawl back and fourth. Road Dog does a good job of working crowd. It ends in a hurry when the face gets himself DQ'd (yes another one) after hitting Jarrett with his own gutiar.



The second Raw recap video from the hospital is of course a classic. Its Austin dressed as a doctor attacking VInce He hits him with a bed pan and gives him a bit of a shock Its a hoot once again!



D-Lo Brown (W/Mark Henry) VS. Stone Cold Steve Austin
We get highlights of Brown winning the Euro title back from X-Pac. During the match Henry gives Chyna a love letter Its been years since I've watch this storyline. I know I'm even going to love it or hate it Austin runs through Brown in a quick main event. He gives Henry a stunner for good measure. *1/2

 

[Deezy]

Baby fat Molly.....would reach final form just a few years later.

 

[Smart Marx]

WCW would sign her shortly after this. They really missed out not capitalizing on some of the women talent they began to hire around this time.

 

[Deezy]

Naw...they needed strippers, not athletes....that didn't happen until 2000.

Too bad 2003 Molly wasn't wearing that onesie

 

[Keith]

Yes knock it off with the trolling this is a review thread thank-you

 

[Deezy]

Expressing a thought isn't trolling.....you should know by now when I do that.

 

[Keith]

Sunday Night Heat 18/10/98 (Judgement Day pre-show)

Steve Blackman VS. Bradshaw
Blackman battles a knee injury suffered at the hands of Shamrock (which he doesn't seem to be selling..) to take on Bradshaw. Its a nothing match with no heat. Blackman gets the win with a jumping kick off the ropes. The Blue Blazer makes another appearance post-match attacking Blackman. **



The Oddities VS. Los Boricuas
Another throw away match. Golga does his Earthquake routine to get the win. The New Age Outlaws and the Headbangers brawl at ringside afterwards. The two teams would face each other for the tag titles on the PPV. *



The Godfather VS. Faarooq
The story of this match is the Nation falling apart. Godfather offer Faarooq one of his ladies, but Faarooq isn't playing that game. Godfather wins a rubbish brawl. D'Lo Brown and Mark Henry attack both Faarooq and the Godfather after the match. The Rock makes the save. *



Jeff Jarrett VS. Scorpio
The stand out match. Sadly the focus is on Val Venis on commentary. Check out these weird comments from Val, "When Dustin was a hardcore right wing conservative he had his feet on the ground. But now he's a hardcore left-wing liberal his brains all over the place. There's no telling what he will do" WTF?! Val gets a gift at ringside from Goldust's usher, a gold cup There is a match in the ring and its a solid one even though it only gets 3.42. In a dumb finish Al Snow comes out and Head gets caught up in the ref's pants. The distraction allows Scorpio to sneak a roll up win. **1/2



Arriving at the building Stone Cold is told he must dress in the ref's locker room (a broom closet). Austin is the ref for the main event of the PPV.

The injured Triple H is told he must give the Intercontinental belt to Shamrock in person. The Stooges and Vince use this public act to send a message to Austin watching in the back because he is expected to crown a new WWF Champion later on. The highlights of a drawn out segment is Pat Patterson referencing the one night (made up tournament) in Rio where he won the first ever IC Title and Patterson mistakenly saying it was Wrestlemania not Summerslam that Triple won the title The Game predictably ends the segment with a "Suck it"! to Shamrock and the Stooges. Later in the parking lot Shamrock slams a car door on Triple H's leg.

Vince ends the show with one final push for the PPV and final message for Austin.

 

[Keith]

WWF Heat 25/10/98

Michael Cole joins Cornette behind the desk this week. 98 Cole is very green. But he's still miles better than Shane.

Light Heavyweight Title
Christian (c) (W/Gangrel) VS. Brian Christopher (W/Scotty Too Hotty)
The rookie Christian debuted at Judgement Day and beat Taka for the belt in his first match. He became the third member of the Brood and was announced as Edge's brother. The two have a pretty smooth match. Christian hits a reverse neck breaker. Christopher telegrams a miss on a twisting second rope cross body. The champ gets a two from a reverse spin wheel kick. Christopher comes back with a slick reverse Russian leg sweep. Too Much hug to mark the move A float over surplex gets a two. A running bulldog is countered by the Canadian who sends the challenger flying into the turnbuckles balls first. Christian takes control with a series of surplexes, the last one a pancake. The Champ misses a top rope headbutt, but Christopher fails to connect with his Tennessee Jam finisher. Christian hits the unprettier to retain the belt. **1/2



Jeff Jarrett (W/Debra) VS. Golga
The Oddities theme on the Network version just doesn't sound right. I'm pretty sure its a dub since its so loud I can't hear a thing from Cole and Cornette. A forgettable, cartoonish match. Golga is a watered down version of the beast John Tenta played during his Earthquake days (even his WCW run was better). The finish comes when Debra tosses in Golga's toy Cartman distracting the big man. Jarrett picks up the win. Before the match Jarrett makes a big fuss about the Oddities at ringside. This leads to the ref cutting down the bodies in the face corner. Around this time the writers were suggesting that Jarrett was getting advice from Debra, as dumb as that sounds **



D.O.A. (W/Paul Ellering) VS. The Headbangers
A boring match. Neither team were over. The finish comes when D.O.A. do a switch a woo. The Bangers toss a D.O.A. member back inside and he is rolled up. But was it the legal man? Who cares! BTW who were the faces meant to be? *



Cole and Cornette phones Vince at home. They ask the boss the contents of the letter Austin gave McMahon on Raw? Vince says its none of their business and tells them and the fans to go to hell

The Blue Blazer makes another appearance attacking Scorpio before his match. Was Scorpio paid for that brief appearance? If so result for him!

D'Lo Brown and Ken Shamrock VS. Mankind and X-Pac
A very enjoyable main event with great talent involved. Pac hits a nice spinning heel kick with great height. He then takes a hard Shamrock clothesline. A double switch sees D'Lo take a running clothesline from Mankind. Brown hits an awesome Sky High on the Euro champion for a two count with Mankind making the saves. A Shamrock snap surplex gets a two. The IC champ hits a good looking flying heel kick. Brown tags in and the heels cut the ring off. A knee drop off the second rope gets two. Double tags and a fresh Foley dominates both Shamrock and Brown, he gets so excited he even nails his own partner Shamrock hits a belly to belly and follows it up with the ankle lock, but X-Pac clearly holding no grudge saves his partner. Pac dives onto Brown over the top to the floor. Mankind scores with his a double arm DDT. Mr. Socko comes out to a big pop! In an odd finish the mandible claw is locked on, Shamrock counters with a belly to back surplex and pins Mankind who doesn't release the hold. ***

 

[Keith]

WWF Heat 1/11/98

Its Vince McMahon appication night . The rumour is that his son Shane is about to take over the company. Throughout the night they show highlights of Vince's career. At one point Cole describes him as, "the most innovative force in Sports Entertainment"


L.O.D. 2000 (W/Hawk) VS. The Hardy Boyz
Animal smasheds though the Hardys, until Hawk and Droz start arguing again at ringside. Matt and Jeff take pounce on the distraction with a double surplex and stereo splash/legdrop off the top for the upset win. Hawk challenges Droz to a match on Raw. *1/2

In another cheesy skit William Regal presented as "The Real Man's Man". Wears a hard hat a lumberjack's uniform and digs some cerement.

He then challenges anyone to a match. Bradshaw accepts and goes striaght for Regal from the bell hitting a back surplex. Regal comes back with a chop block, some stiff European uppercuts and a back surplex into a bridge for the win. *1/2



The Brood VS. The Oddities
In their first match as a six man The Brood bump around for the big men . The finish comes when Edge nicks Golga's Cartman doll. Luna jumping on his back is something too! This leads to a double DDT for the Brood's win.

D-Lo Brown (W/Mark Henry) VS. Steve Blackman
Henry has a sign saying "I Miss Chyna". These two have a decent scrap which is once again cut short as the Headbangers come out . D-Lo hits the lowdown and goes up top as Henry tussles with the Bangers. Thrasher breaks away a knocks Brown off the top, Blackman gets the pin from a cradle. Brown and Henry brawl with the Bangers afterwards. They will meet on Raw in a number one contender's match for a tag title shot at Survivor Series.



Jeff Jarrett (W/Debra) VS. Val Venis
At first Val's manager and girlfriend Terri Rennels doesn't appear, they've been having a rift recently (that didn't take long!). She appears later and starts jawing with Debra (because you know in Vince Russo's tiny mind all women are jerious of each other and secretly want to fight). Jarrett gets a hot near fall off a DDT. A Venis powerslam also gets two. After Double J backdrops Venis to the floor, Debra seems concerned for Val. Venis hits a nice ventical surplex back inside. Venis is once again destracted by the ladies at ringside, Jarrett hits a face first Russian legsweep for the pin. Post-match Terri tells Val "we're pregnant". Venis bascially plays the sexist pig and says its her problem and kicks Teri to the curb. At least Cole treats Venis like the heel. As successful as WWF was at this time, these realistic/soapy angles never got over. They just left the fans bemused. **




Dan Severn in a neckbrace from home says he will be at Raw tomorrow and has something to say to Owen Hart.

We get a recap of last week on Raw when Shane showed up and turned on his father, telling him it was he who rehired Stone Cold. In an in-ring interview Shane says he has a new vision for the WWF, one where they will be no stooges or screwing etc... This fuels rumours of him taking over. Vince has an announcement on Raw tomorrow.

The Godfather VS. The Undertaker (W/Paul Bearer)
This is Bearer's first time in Taker's corner in two years after recently turning on Kane. The Godfather says he knows Taker and knows he like his Ho's. He tries to offer Taker one off the three ladies instead of a match. BTW at least two of the three can't act and look awkward. In the end Godfather goes too far and Taker smashes into him. So fired up Taker knocks down the ref. Other refs hit the ring and are taken out. Kane appears in the rafter to end the show sending a message to the Deadman.

 

[GARBAGE]

I was watching Heat from 98 earlier in the year but decided to skip ahead to 2002 because I wanted something more in the vein of velocity and less in the vein of Attitude Era Raw-lite, but there was definitely some fun stuff. The thing that most stood out to me was that 1998 Vince is about as good a wrestling television personality as you can get. I'll co-sign the X-Pac/Jarrett lumberjack match being a goody, too.

There's a one minute Luna Vachon vs. Babu (Tiger Ali Singh's lackey) coming up in December that's kind of amazing. Babu almost spikes himself on his head while selling his hair getting pulled and then he quickly kicks his shoes off before an Irish whip into the steps and it's the best thing I've ever seen.