Judgement Day 98 Review
The McMahon/Austin feud continues as Austin is made the special referee between Kane and the Undertaker for the vacant world title. If Austin doesn't play he is fired.
Match #1
Singles Match
Marvelous Marc Mero w Jaqueline Vs Al Snow
Before the match kicks off, Jeff Jarrett comes out and demands the opening match with Snow who cost him a loss to Scorpio a few minutes ago on Heat. During the squabble Mero attacks Snow and were off and running. Snow with some clotheslines for a two count. Mero with a flying elbow to take over. Then he decides to go punt the Head and gets rolled up for two. They trade fake out clothesline spots and then Snow with a DDT. Moonsault from Snow, and then Jackie is on the apron, allowing a low blow and DDT from Mero. Jackie chokes Snow out on the ropes. Kick and kneelift from Mero. Mero to the top with the Merosault for two. Snow with the headbutt combos, but eats a clothesline. Enzuigiri from Snow. Skyhigh powerbomb and Snow goes to the top but misses the moonsault. Mero with a rolling cradle for two. Whip to the corner and Samoan Drop by Mero, and he goes to the top. Shooting Star press misses. Snow gets two on the resulting cover. Mero goes for the TKO but Snow counters and Snowplows Mero for the win at 7:13. Crowd was more into Snow's character than anything in the match. 2 stars.
Match #2
Six Man Tag Team Match
The Legion Of Doom Vs The Disciples Of Apocolypse w Paul Ellering
Droz has been brought in as the third member of LOD and this is the beginning of that hideous suicide attempt by Hawk. Standard issue sixman match. Faces beat up the heels, Droz the rookie gets in trouble and hottags Hawk who cleans house and the doomsday device finishes things at 5:55. Hawk shows resentment that he was the legal man and Droz ran over and pinned 8-Ball for the win. Feh. 1 star.
Match #3
Light Heavyweight Championship Match
Taka Michinoku w Yamaguchi-San Vs Christian w Gangrel
Christians first ppv match. Edge is watching from the cheapseats. Crowd wasn't into this one and im not really into it either. Crowd is dead. Chinlock by Christian doesn't help. Taka fights out but misses a move and dives right to the floor. Christian off the top with a somersault to the floor. Back in the ring with a nasty powerbomb for a two count. Christian to the top and it misses. Taka up, but Christian with forearms. Taka hits the dropkick and baseball slides him out, then nails a nice Asai moonsault. Taka with chops in the corner, then a whip to the other corner. Taka with a cross-body off the top, Christian rolls through for two. Taka with a rollup for two. Taka with a seated dropkick for two. Cross corner whip, and another, but Christian catches him with a russian legsweep on the third try. Powerbomb, but Taka escapes and goes up for a Tornado DDT. He calls for the driver, but Christian reverses to a cradle for the pin at 8:34. I wasn't feeling it for it being a light heavyweight match. 2 stars. Christian does get a big cheer from the crow for the upset so thats something.
Match #4
Singles Match
Goldust Vs Val Venis w Terri Runnels
Good, Dustin ditched that stupid preacher gimmick and is now Goldust again, he gets a big pop which he hasn't received in MONTHS. He cuts off Veni's intro speech and we begin. Goldust attacks right off but Val comes back with elbows. Goldust gets tossed and they fight outside, as Val gets whipped to the railing and then dropped face first on the steel steps. Back inside where Venis sends GD out again. Val to the top with a cross body to the floor. Goldust back in and Val off the top, but hits Goldust's fist. Atomic drop and slingshot belly-to-back from Goldust. Cross corner whip and clothesline for two. Val with a wristlock and Goldust throws him off. Back outside and Goldust goes shoulderfirst to the post. Val works on his arm. Short-arm scissors from Val. Goldust fights out but Val goes back to the arm. Goldust loses a glove somwhere along the way, Two count from Val, Goldust up, and Val clotheslines him for another two. Russian legsweep for two. Whip and powerslam, and Val goes for the Money Shot. Goldust knocks him down with punches and superplexes him for two. To the second rope and it misses. Sleeper from Goldust and Val suplexes his way out of it. Clothesline and a backdrop from Goldust, then the bulldog. Terri is up on the apron and screaming something at Goldust. Val goes for the sneak attack but Goldust moves and almost nails Terrir. While the ref yaks with Terri Goldust simply kicks Venis in the nuts to drop him and gets the pin at 12:07. I liked that finish, very effective and simple. 2 1/2 stars.
Match #5
European Championship Match
D-Lo Brown Vs X-Pac w Chyna
D-Lo grabbed the belt some time in between now and the last ppv, now he's hailing from Milan. D-Lo made the title worth while. Shoulderblock from D-Lo to start. Shots in the corner and an arm wringer from D-Lo. X-Pac rolls out of it. Clothesline by D-Lo for two. Slam and elbow from D-Lo. D-Lo Sucks chant from the crowd. Cross-corner whip but the charge misses. X-Pac fights back with the spinning kicks in the corner. D-Lo with a two count off a ballshot. Long chinlock. X-Pac fights out but D-Lo hits the flying body attack thing for a two count. Running powerbomb for two. D-Lo offers a crotch chop to Chyna. He tries a superplex but X-Pac blocks and shoves him down. Cross-body but D-Lo rolls through for a 2 count. Knee to the neck to slow it down again. X-Pac elbows out and kicks him right in the face in the corner, but misses a charge. D-Lo to the top with an elbow for two. Backbreaker for two. Texas Cloverleaf by D-Lo. X-Pac powers out?? They trade blows. Slam by D-Lo and he goes for a somersault senton. It misses. X-Pac recovers and hits a spinning kick and flying clothesline. To the corner and this time he hits the Bronco Buster. Chyna nails D-Lo for a two-count. Ref gets bumped and X-Pac hits the belly-to-back and Mark Henry waddles out. D-Lo grabs the European title while Henry runs interference on Chyna, and nails X-Pac...for two!!! D-Lo with a cross-corner whip and another running powerbomb for two. X-Pac is either gone or selling being gone really well. D-Lo to the top and X-Pac hits the X factor on the way down for the title at 14:37. Best match of the night so far. 3 1/2 stars.
Headbangers cut an insulting promo on the Outlaws prematch.
Match #6
Tag Team Championship Match
The New Age Outlaws Vs The Headbangers
Mosh gets double teamed by the Outlaws. Neckbreaker by Mr. Ass for two. RD in with a hiptoss and a pair of dropkicks? as Thrasher comes in. Two count. Thrasher begs off and gets nailed in the corner. Cross corner clothesline and a headlock, but Mosh tags in and nails James to take control. Two count. Throat first drop on the top rope. Bangers double team as the crowd yells "Suck it" to encourage the champs. Roaddog with a belly to back and hot tag to Gunn. Gunn cleans house with an avalanche to Thrasher and a press slam on Mosh. Thrasher pulls down the top rope and Gunn ends up outside, getting beat up by Thrasher. Two count by Mosh. Thrasher suplexes Mosh onto Gunn and comes off the top himself. It gets a two count. Side headlock, which Gunn powers out of. Flying headscissors by Gunn. Thrasher in to prevent a tag to Roadie. Jawbreaker by Thrasher for two. Mosh hammers Gunn while the ref is distracted. Sleeper by Thrasher, meanwhile. Billy reverses but gets suplexed. Mosh whips Thrasher into Gunn and charges, but Mosh gets caught with a suplex. Flapjack by the Headbangers as Roadie gets escorted out, and finally he flips out and finds a boom box at ringside, then blasts Mosh with it, drawing the DQ at 14:01. They recycled the boombox angle from last year. 2 stars.
Match #7
Intercontinental Championship Match
Lawler drags Patterson over the coals with homo inuendo about the IC title tournament in Tierra Del Fungo or wherever the hell it was. Shamrock does his stuff and Mankind takes it to the floor on occassion. Oddball ending as Shamrock gets the ankle lock and Mankind puts the mandible claw on himself??? and he passes out at 14:36. Shamrock wins but not by his own submission, he snaps takes out the ref and winds up getting clawed. 2 stars.
Match #8
Singles Match
The Rock Vs Mark Henry
No more Nation. D-Lo is supposed to be with Henry but he's awol. Rock with a Cross corner whip and clothesline. Suplex on Henry for two. Outside and Henry goes face to the steel steps and the table, Lawler saves his crown before it gets squashed and JR gets on his case for some reason. Rock gets sent to the table and Henry tosses him back in. Another clothesline from the Rock but a Henry elbow turns the tide. Big elbow for two. Clothesline and choking on the rope. Cross corner whip and posing. Rock fights out but gets caught with a clothesline. Legdrop for two. Knee to the back, which Rocky fights out of and then lays the smack down in the corner. DDT for two. Slam and the peoples elbow. D-Lo comes down and distracts Rock, allowing Henry to hit a clothesline and the big splash while D-Lo holds Rocks legs for the pin at 5:02 for the uber upset. 1 star.
Match #9
Vacated World Heavyweight Championship Match
The Undertaker Vs Kane
Austin is the special ref and will be fired by McMahon if he doesn't count the three or shows favortism. UT attack, hammering Kane in the corner. Powerslam by Kane. Clothesline and zombie situp. Kane kicks away, and a cross corner whip, but he eats boot on the charge. Clothesline by UT and he tries a pin. Austin refuses to count. Kane with a clothesline for a fast two count. The brothers fight outside the ring and UT rams Kane to the steps. Austin helpfully offers a cable to UT to use. UT chooses a chair instead but misses on a home run swing. Kane rams UT into the table and puts him headfirst to the post. Back in the ring and UT with a suplex, but Kane does the zombie situp right away. Clothesline and UT with the zombie situp. Big boot misses and UT goes back to the leg. Kane gets tied in the Tree of Woe and UT goes back to the knee. Choking in the corner. UT charges and gets caught with a spinebuster. Clothesline by Kane. Shots in the corner and a cross-corner whip, and suddenly Austin gets bumped and chokeslammed by Kane. They suddenly put aside their differences to beat the hell out of Austin, they lay him out with a double chokeslam. But Undertaker clips Kane from behind, but Kane chokeslams him. Paul Bearer shows up. Bearer asks Kane to step aside so he can hit Taker with a chair, but hits Kane instead. Kane no sells and without showing any confusion is ready to kill Paul. UT gets the chair and wallops Kane, then Austin revives and stuns Taker then KO's him with the chair and counts both guys out giving the match to himself at 17:41. Austin leaves to find McMahon backstage but he isn't there. He heads back to ringside and Taker, Kane and Bearer are all gone which seems odd. Austin calls out McMahon who was hiding behind the entrance way and he fires Austin, for about a week or so. Austin toasts a beer and were outta here. Im going 1 star. Standard Kane/Taker with a dumb ending, but I guess it had to be done that way.
Overall Opinion: Totally forgettable show by todays standards but suprisingly solid ppv the main event which would be of interest to a McMahon/Austin feud compilator.
Final Score: 4.8