1998 Survivor Series Review
This was probably Vince Russo's crowning achievment in storylines. He peaked with this show and his career was all downhill from there. The world title is vacant and the ppv consists almost entirely of a tournament for the vacant title. JR and the Kang are on commentary.
Vince McMahon is wheeled out with Bossman and the goons to do a long winded proclomation as to who the mystery partner for Mankind will be. I giggled when McMaster mentioned WCW:) The fans were chanting for Shawn Michaels throughout the speech but who were they kidding??? Shawn Michaels suffered a career ending, smile destroying back breaking injury that made him live in an iron lung and there was no way that he was going to EVER, wrestle again.........for 4 years annyway. Forever is a short time coming. So McMahon hypes up the mystery man and we get:
Match #1
Tournament Round 1 Match
Hardcore Champion Mankind Vs Dwayne Gil
Gil gets sparklers and his own titantron package. A grueling brawl as Mankind gets an upset victory 33 seconds in with the double arm ddt and a cradle to advance. Mankind is also wrestling with a full blown tuxedo. DUD!!!
Match #2
Tournament Round 1 Match
Jeff Jarrett w Debra Vs Al Snow
Debra making her WWF ppv debute here. I like tournaments but the downside is the matches are usually rushed hatchet jobs. They do a little sequence and things break down. Jarrett steals head and Snow grabs the guitar, confusion follows and Snow gets head back and whacks JJ for the KO and pins him at 3:48. 1 star
Match #3
Tournament Round 1 Match
Stone Cold Steve Austin Vs The Big Boss Man
Fight starts on the floor, into the ring where Austin hits a Lou Thez press but Bossman gives him a ball shot to take over. Bossman does his standard stuff and Austin starts fighting back, they go outside and Bossman pops Austin with the nitstick for a DQ at 3:40. Boss Man works over Austin good and leaves him laying. 1 star.
Match #4
Tournament Round 1 Match
X-Pac Vs Steven Regal
What the hell did Regal do to the WWF to deserve this gimmick??? Usually you have to first run out on McMahon for WCW then go crawling back to the WWF to get stuck with something like this. Spin kick from X-Pac and a backdrop suplex gets two. Legdrop gets two. He tries the broncobuster but misses, and Regal stretches him. Regal rolls through a sunset flip and slingshots him across the ring. Suplex gets two, then back to the submission holds. X-Pac counters and comes back, but misses twice on the broncobuster. Regal hits a nice double arm superplex for two. Regal keeps stretching him, but X-Pac fights back and FINALLY hits a broncobuster. He goes up and gets crotched, and they fight on the floor for the double countout at 8:07. 4 matches in and we haven't broken into the 2 star range. 1 1/2 stars.
Match #5
Tournament Round 1 Match
Intercontinental Champion Ken Shamrock Vs Goldust
They trade some stuff to start. Shamrock hits some knee strikes and controls with restholds. Shamrock punches out of a powerbomb, but gets bulldogged. GD goes for shatter dreams but the ref blocks, allowing Shamrock to get a rana, belly to belly and anklelock for the submission at 5:52. 1 1/2 star.
Match #6
Tournament Round 1 Match
The Rock Vs ?????????????
It's supposed to be HHH but he's been out with an injury since the night after Summerslam 98. McMahon makes Boss Man the opponent. BB runs in and gets small packaged in 4 seconds. Biggest pop of the night. That is the end of round 1. DUD!!!
Match #7
Tournament Round 2 Match
The Undertaker w Paul Bearer Vs Kane
This is another storyline that has Russo stink all over it. Taker is evil now and Kane is good now. But Kane is working for McMahon who is evil, but he really doesn't like Vince. Mediocre Taker/Kane match. Kane clotheslines him out of the ring and they brawl.. Back in, and UT dominates with punches. He works the knee. Kane starts shrugging him off and fights back. Flying clothesline gets two and they slug it out. Kane chokeslams him, then goes after Paul Bearer, cause he's dumb and he turns around and walks into a tombstone for the pin at 7:14 to send Undertaker to the semi-finals. 1 1/2 star.
Match #8
Tournament Round 2 Match
Hardcore Champion Mankind Vs Al Snow
Mick still has his tuxedo on, to impress McMahon. Snow dominates to start and they fight on the floor. Mick catches Snow coming off the railing, and drops him on a chair. Back in, Snow hits an enzuigiri and takes a swing with Head, but misses. Mick reclaims Socko from the Head and beats up Head. He gets caught with a Rydien bomb for two. Mick comes back with the double-arm DDT and the Mandible Sock to finish at 3:56. 1 1/2 star.
Match #9
Tournament Round 2 Match
Intercontinental Champion Ken Shamrock Vs The Rock
McMahon also doesn't wan't Rock to win tonight because the heel is in tweener country and teasing a face turn, and that's a threat to Mr McMahon. They slug it out to start as Shamrock gets suplex for two. They brawl outside and Rock takes a swig of something from a green bottle and spits it in Shamrocks face, maybe it was lemon juice? Shamrock sends him to the steps. Back in, Shamrock gets a Russian legsweep for two. Big Bossman joins us at ringside as Shamrock holds a chinlock. Shamrock snaps off a rana and hooks the anklelock. Rock makes the ropes. Double knockout follows. Rock gets two and comes back. Floatover DDT sets up the People’s Elbow for two. Shamrock counters Rock Bottom with a belly to belly. Bossman tosses in the nightstick and Rock intercepts, then puts Shamrock’s lights out and gets the pin at 8:19. Best match so far but nothing special either. 2 stars.
Match #10
Womens Championship Match
Jacqueline VS Sable
The resurrected Womens/Ladies championship was won by Jaquelyn when she beat Sable. Title was almost totally useless until 2000ish. Shane O Mac is the ref as punishment from Vince for going AWOl and helping Austin which right off the bat demeans the division by making it look like second class citizenship. Sable gets a quick TKO for two, but Marc Mero pulls her out at two. She powerbombs him on the floor. Jackie gets the advantage, but Sable blocks a tornado DDT and powerbombs her for the pin and the title at 3:12. Bleh 1/2 star.
Match #11
Tournament Round 3 Match
Hardcore Champion Mankind Vs Stone Cold Steve Austin
Austin beats up Mankind, tearing off the tuxedo jacket and leaving Mick in a ragged dress shirt, tie, and pants, The look he would use throughout 99. Vince is wheeled to ringside to ensure Austin gets screwed over. Mick escapes the Stunner and runs away. Austin follows and they brawl down the aisle. Back to the ring, where Mick takes over. Austin fights back and stomps a mudhole in him but goes outside and gets rammed into the post. Mick grabs a chair and DDTs Austin on it for two. Piledriver attempt is reversed and the Stunner gets two, because Vince is "miraculously" able to leap out of his wheelchair and punk out the ref. Disowned son and referee Shane McMahon comes in as Austin hits another Stunner!! ONE!!!........TWO!!!..........Shane pauses on the three and flips off Austin right in his face shocking the hell out of everyone watching. Austin is so shocked he doesn’t have time to regroup and the goons come in and bop him with a chair and Mankind gets a steady 3 count from Shane to win it at 10:27. The corporation bugger off and get in their limo and Austin gives chase, hijacking some shmoes truck in the parking lot. Ill go 3 stars. Russo's only GOOD storyline.
Match #12
Tournament Round 3 Match
The Undertaker w Paul Bearer Vs The Rock
Slugfest to start. They fight outside, giving UT the advantage. They fight into the crowd. Back in, another slugfest. Rock comes back with a Samoan drop as Bossman joins us at ringside. Rock gets a DDT and a low blow, but Bossman prevents the People’s Elbow. Undertaker takes a shot at Bossman (because he doesn’t like Vince, although it would turn out that he was really working with him all along, which is the same storyline swerving mindfk BS that WCW and WWF were so hard for from the 98,99 season) goes for a chokeslam on Rocky. Kane runs in before he can do so, chokeslams Rocky himself, and thus gets his brother disqualified at 8:23 so Rock skips into the finals. Taker and Kane fight into the crowd back to parts unknown. 1 star.
Match #13
Triple Threat Tag Team Championship Match
The New Age Outlaws Vs The Headbangers Vs D-Lo Brown and Mark Henry
This is just here to give Rock and Mankind a chance to take a break. Nothing special. Road Dogg takes a running powerbomb early on and gets beat on for awhile. Dogg gets the hot tag to Billy Gunn, but he promptly gets powerbombed by D-Lo. The fameasser gets two, and we get a ugly series of saves and finishers that looks bad because everyone is off on the timing and the ref looks dumb stopping his count where somebody is supposed to break it up. Gunn finally gets a piledriver on Mosh to end it at 10:08 and retain. 1 star.
Turns out Vince, Shane and Bossman are still here. Bossman is sent somewhere to look for Austin or something.
Match #14
Vacant World Heavyweight Championship Match
Hardcore Champion Mankind Vs The Rock
Rock gains control but Mick goes to a chinlock. To the floor, where the Rock gets a suplex and goes after Vince, who has joined us at ringside. Rock suplexes Foley into the crowd, where they brawl. Into the ring, back to the chinlock for another planning session. Mick fights out and gives him the Cactus clothesline to the floor, and they brawl again. Mick grabs the stairs but gets bashed with a chair, then takes another shot in the head with it for good measure. It gets a two count for Rock back in the ring. Mick comes back and drops a Cactus elbow on him. Mick legdrops Rock on the announce table, which gives him a two count back in the ring. Rock gets a fluke DDT and mounts a comeback. He hits the floor again, and Mick launches himself, but misses and goes through the Spanish table. Back in, the People’s Elbow gets two. Foley comes back with the double-arm DDT and gets the Mandible Sock. Rock counters with Rock Bottom. It gets two. Rock then hooks his shty Sharpshooter, and of course Mr. McMahon plays his part and tells the timekeeper to "ring the bell." Rock gets his first WWF title at 17:12, turning heel in the process (although he never really turned face after leaving the Nation, officially) and becoming the Corporate Champion. 3 stars.
McMahon gives his victory speech, Mankind complains that he never quit and the Corporation beat him up and he turns face in the process. Austin shows up, chases off the goons and stuns Mankind again.
Overall Opinion: This show has two viewing groups. The entertainment crowd and the wrestling crowd. This ppv was way more towards the entertainment crowd as the matches for the most part were sucky. Im more for wrestling than angles but it was an alright ppv, even though it doesn't have much to offer today outside of the McMahon/Austin battle.
Final Score: Im going 4.6, mostly for storyline. Too many matches result in short matches and 90% of them were not clean finishes, with 2 screwjob finishes.