Summerslam 98 Review

This is probably the WWF's second or third best ppv of 1998. The other two in the running would be Mania 14 and Royal Rumble. This ppv was nicknamed the Highway To Hell and even used ACDC's song. JR and King are on commentary.


Match #1

European Championship Match

D-Lo Brown Vs Val Venis


D-Lo is hailing from Helsinki Finland tonight. Brown attacks the back of Venis and tries a cloverleaf which Venis gets out of. Brown misses a senton off the second rope and Venis takes over. Venis goes up top and gets caught on the way down with the skyhigh. D-lo hits a powerbomb for 2 then a ddt for another 2 count. D-Lo goes up top and gets caught in a powerslam on the way down. Crowd is into it tonight. Venis hits a butterfly suplex then goes up for the money shot, but gets knees on the landing. Brown screws up a powerbomb terribly then does a correct running powerbomb. Brown goes up top for the lowdown but Venis rolls and Brown splats. Venis takes off Browns chest protector and sets up Brown for a money shot. The idiot ref is arguing with Venis and causes him to crotch on the top rope during the money shot attempt. Venis gets pissed and throws the ref drawing a dq at 15:09. Venis splashes the ref postmatch. 2 1/2 stars.


Match #2

Handicap Match

Kaientai Vs The Oddities w Luna Vachon and The Insane Clown Posse


ICP do a music bit to introduce the Oddities, and it's a joke match, showing how much the bookers (russo I bet) care about cruiserweights or wrestlers who are not white or american in general. Oddities win it at 9:47 which felt like it took forever. Dud.


Match #3

Hair Vs Hair Match

Jeff Jarrett w Southern Justice Vs X-Pac with Howard Finkle


Jarrett shaved Finkles head during Heat and now he's back in X-Pacs corner. Jarrett gives X-Pac the most vicious steel post ball shot in the history of our sport, putting X-Pac in an atomic drop position and running him into the post crotch first. Back inside Jarrett goes to the figure four. X-Pac fights it off an hits the bronco buster of doom. Jarrett goes up top and hits a crossbody which X-Pac rolls through for 2. Jarrett tries a rana but gets bombed instead. X-Pac tries another bronco buster, but Jarrett blocks it by lifting his foot and kicking Pac in the nuts. Finkle gets on the apron to protest and Jarrett knocks him off. X factor gets 2 and Southern Justice come to ringside with a guitar. Wild swing misses, X-Pac grabs it and ices Jarrett at 11:11 to win it. Headbangers, Droz, and Outlaws come out to hold Jarrett while Pac cuts his hair. Finkle does some struttin and cuttin aswell. Jarrett would begin his chavenous white trash gimmick that he's pretty much kept to this day. 2 1/2 stars.


Match #4

Mix Tag Team Match

Marvelous Marc Mero and Jaqeulyn Vs Sable and ??????????????



Sable brings in Edge as her mystery partner. Edge making his WWF ppv debute tonight. Edge and Mero do their stuff, and Jacky tags in, but Edge tags Sable and Jacky runs like hell. Pretty good match. Edge scores the downward spiral and slams Sable on Mero to pin him at 8:22. 2 1/2 stars.


Mankind is upset about Kane noshowing. McMahon talks him into a handicap match to defend the tag titles.


Match #5

Lions Den Match

Owen Hart Vs Ken Shamrock


Hard hitting stuff like the match from Fully Loaded. Owen gets a busted lip and they do alot of mat wrestling sprinkled with submissions. Both guys taking hard slams into the fenced in walls. Owen gets the sharpshooter but Shamrock grabs the cage and walks up with his hands to break it. Owen gets a dragon sleeper then Shamrock uses the cage to counter into an armbar and gets the ankle lock for the submission at 9:17. Sevren who was at ringside for Owen walks off disgusted. Im going 3 stars. Short match but good mat wrestling with good submission counters.


Match #6

Handicap Falls Count Anywhere Tag Team Championship Match

Mankind Vs The New Age Outlaws


Kane noshows and Mankind is now defending the tag belts against the guys that never should of lost them to begin with. Outlaws bring down a dumpster ala Mania 14. Outlaws beat up Foley with junk then Foley rallies but it's just too much. Outlaws powerbomb Foley on some set up folding chairs but it's only a 2 count. Outlaws get annoyed ans spike piledrive Foley on a tag belt and pin him at 5:18. They toss Mankind in the dumpster and Kane pops up in the dumpster and he has Foleys sledgehammer that he was looking for earlier and swings it down into the dumpster leading the viewer to believe he splattered Mankinds brains all over the dumpster with the hammer. JR ****'s himself and Kane shuts the dumpster and walks away. 1 star.


Match #7


Intercontinental Championship Ladder match

The Rock w Mark Henry Vs HHH w Chyna


Slugfest to start. Rock tries a rock bottom but HHH shrugs it off then goes for a pedigree and gets backdropped outside. Rock gets the ladder first and sets it up. HHH stops him halfway up the ladder. HHH starts climbing and Rock pulls him off and he lands weird hurting his knee. Rock does a sandwitch job with the ladder on HHH's bad leg. Rock climbs for the belt but HHH stops him short. Back to the floor Rock slingshots HHH into the ladder propped on the guardrail. HHH fights back and tries a pedigree on the ladder but Rock backdrops him onto the other half of it. Henry pulls out a backup ladder and Rock starts climbing. HHH goes after him and Mark tries stopping him. HHH fights him off and tips the ladder and Rock spills outside. Baseball slide into the ladder and it goes into Rocks face, and the champ is busted open!!! Rock sets up a ladder accross the top rope and gives HHH a ddt. Rock climbs the other ladder and HHH starts climbing the other side. Slugfest goes in Rocks favor and HHH gets knocked off, who lands on the ladder propped in the corner, bounces off and richoches into the set up ladder and Rock goes down with a thud. Rock is up first and he's got the ladder, HHH grabs a chair and whacks The Rock who collapses with the ladder falling on top of him and HHH whails on the ladder with Rock trapped underneath. Rock' still got something and he props HHH on the ladder and hits a nations elbow which is starting to get over after a year and a half. HHH takes over and starts climbing again but Rock stops him and hits a rock bottom. Rocky chant breaks out at several points in the match. Rock does the slow climb and HHH wakes up to stop him. HHH pedigrees Rock to another big pop. Henry tosses powder in HHH's eyes and he starts climbing the ladder but still can't see the belt. Rock starts climbing the other side and they fight on the ladder. Chyna makes the critical run in and ballshots Rock who goes down in a heap and HHH grabs the IC title at 24:53 to a big ovation. best damn match of the night. Im not one for gimmicky spot matches and I make a point to only go as high as 4 stars out of 5 for these types of matches. This one earns top marks. 4 stars makes this possibly the best WWF match of 98. Yes, possibly better than HITC from KOTR 98. The sad thing is this match was pretty much forgotten by the beginning of 99. In hindsight this HHH victory was a flop because he had to go for surgery on that knee so he had to forfeit the following night I believe.


Match #8

World Heavyweight Championship Match

Stone Cold Steve Austin Vs The Undertaker


Austin attacks first and they trade blows in the opening minutes. Kane walks out and is looking to interfere but Taker sends him away. Austin and Taker brawl into the crowd. Back to ringside Austin gets posted. Back inside Taker throws Austin back out and sends him into the steps. Uh oh. Taker is adjusting the spanish announce table. Taker chokes Austin on the table. Taker takes his time climbing the top rope, and he hits a guilotine legdrop on Austin and they go through the table!!! Austin is spitting blood. Taker gets Austin in the ring and Stone Cold kicks out at 2. Austin with a desperate clothesline and both guys are down. Taker sits up and they runs the ropes again. Lou Thez press!!! Austin gets sent into the corner and Taker charges in. Austin tries for a stunner but the spot is goofed and both guys fall down. Both guys back up and Austin tries a proper stunner, Taker blocks, picks him up, and crotches him on the ropes. Taker with a russian legsweep. Taker does the ropewalk and Austin does an ingenious counter, kick him in the nuts when he jumps off. Stone Cold Stunner!!!! Austin wins it at 20:52. Crowd was into it, Taker stays face (for a little while longer) and Kane wanders out to stare at both guys. Im going 3 1/2 stars.


Overall Opinion: Personally, I think I enjoyed this ppv more than Mania 14. It would be my second favorite wwf ppv of 98 after Royal Rumble.


Final Score: Im going with a solid 6.6 on this show. I feel bad for anyone who picked WCW's Road Wild over this show for their monthly ppv budget money.