Ladder match dominates SummerSlam
By JOHN POWELL -- SLAM!
Sports
Howard Finkle's new look courtesy of Jeff Jarrett.
(Click on the photo above for the SummerSlam '98 video clips.)
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The WWF did the right thing in building a rich storyline leading up
to the Undertaker and Steve Austin's titanic SummerSlam struggle. Fans want
to be drawn in by intrigue and the plot twists as the tension builds. The
importance of pay-per-view revenue to the business has pushed federations
into rushing out unfocused storylines within the tight time frame between
events. What the WWF did wrong was schedule what turned out to be an
extraordinary ladder match right before the main event.
Young lions Rocky (The Rock) Maivia and Hunter-Hearst Helmsley stole the
spotlight from the ring veterans in a classic contest that made those
watching damn proud to call themselves a pro-wrestling fan. Both gave
everything they had...and then some. The cuts, bruises and sore muscles are
the proof that erases any shadow of a doubt. As a promoter, you couldn't
ask anything more from your talent.
Following such an athletic display is impossible but Austin and the
Undertaker did the best they could. The much teased Kane - Undertaker
conspiracy to end Austin's WWF World Title reign never took place.
In an interview earlier in the evening, Mankind and WWF President Vince
McMahon discussed how Kane's no-show at SummerSlam would affect the WWF Tag
Team Title match. McMahon convinced Mankind to go it alone against The New
Age Outlaws. Once again, Poor Mick Foley got his head bashed in. At the
conclusion of the title bout, Kane appeared out of a dumpster and pummeled
Mankind with a sledgehammer off camera. In another interview the Undertaker
promised he would take Austin on without the assistance of his demonic
"brother".
The Undertaker leg drops Austin.
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Approximately half-way through the World Title match, Kane did march down
the entrance way but The Undertaker waved him off. Kane obeyed heading back
from whence he came. Austin attacked the distracted WWF phenom only to be
chokeslammed over the top rope. Stone Cold's spill on the outside had him
holding his already tender neck.
Austin regrouped clotheslining The Undertaker over the top rope as well
then connecting with a flying fist from the ring apron. Scripted too
similarly to Austin's past matches with Dude Love and Bret Hart, the main
event did drag on especially when the wrestlers battled into the crowd and
disappeared from view. Austin's attempted piledriver on the concrete floor
was met with a thunderous backdrop. The Undertaker clotheslined Austin over
a waist-high retaining wall substituting for the traditional steel fencing
then rammed his folically-challenged skull into a steel post.
The Undertaker used Austin's own momentum to throw him through the ropes to
the floor. Hurling the champ into the steel ring steps The Undertaker
planted him on the Spanish announce team's table, climbed to the top rope
and guillotined him with a flying legdrop. Taker rose up. Austin lay
deathly still.
Slicing his thumb across his throat, The Undertaker set-up Austin for the
Tombstone Piledriver. Austin slid out at the last moment. The Man From The
Darkside held Stone Cold for his cat walk punch. Austin yanked him down
landing a low blow in the process. A Stone Cold Stunner put The Undertaker
away. Conceding defeat, Taker handed Austin the WWF World Heavyweight title
belt in a show of respect. Austin saluted the crowd. Kane and The
Undertaker looked on standing side-by-side.
The next WWF pay-per-view is
INYH: Break Down on September 27th from
Hamilton, Ontario's Copps Coliseum.
WWF SummerSlam '98 Results
: WWF Heat aired promoting the event.
: Austin smashed The Undertaker's hearse with a sledgehammer and a fork
lift.
: Mankind picked up the sledgehammer voicing his anger at Kane's absence.
: The Rock sneak attacked Hunter-Hearst Helmsley using the Intercontinental
belt to whack Triple H in the back of the knee injuring him.
: Southern Justice and Jeff Jarrett shaved Howard Finkle's head.
Val Venis (challenger) Vs D-Lo Brown (champion) (WWF European Title
Match)
: Edge is shown standing in the crowd.
: Venis says: "I came. I conquered. I came again".
: In an obvious gaffe, sometimes Val Venis punches D-Lo's chest protector
hurting himself, sometimes the padding has no effect.
: Venis goes for the Money Shot at 12:17. A quick-thinking D-Lo counters
putting his knees up.
: D-Lo is supposed to powerbomb Venis. D-Lo loses his grip. Venis falls
awkwardly on his neck.
: Lawler says of Venis' kick-outs: "How does Val Venis continue to rise up
like that?".
: At 14:08, Venis rips off the chest protector and puts it on. Venis goes
for the Money Shot again. In pulling at the chest protector the ref
accidentally crotches Venis on the top rope. Venis retaliates by heaving
the ref across the ring. D-Lo strips Venis of the chest protector. The ref
DQ's Venis. Venis slams the ref and Money Shots him.
Winner:
At 15 minutes and 31 seconds...and still WWF European
Champion...D-Lo Brown by disqualification..
Match Rating: 7 / 10.
The Oddities Vs Kai En Tai
: The Insane Clown Posse performs. The Oddities dance in the ring.
: The match consists of Kurrgan and Giant Silva manhandling several Kai En
Tai members at once and Kai En Tai ganging up on the bigger brutes. It's a
total mismatch from the start.
: Golga steals Yamaguchi's shoes pouring water in it and on him.
: Luna powerbombing Yamaguchi receives a loud pop.
: Giant Silva and Kurrgan chokeslam two Kai En Tai members each. Golga
splashes and pins them all piled on each other.
: J.R. says: "You won't see any basketball players in the ring tonight".
Winners:
The Oddities at 10 minutes and 8 seconds..
Match Rating: 3 / 10.
X-Pac Vs Jeff Jarrett (Haircut Match)
: Double J is accompanied by Southern Justice. Commission Slaughter sends
the two hicks packing.
: Howard Finkle comes out wearing a DX shirt, joins X-Pac in the crotch
chop-fireworks bit and says to Jarrett over the house mike.."I've got two
words for you Jarrett: SUCK IT!".
:Way to go Howard! The Fink in DX?
We dig it, baby!
: At 1:22, Jarrett atomic drops X-Pac onto a steel post. Ouch! That's gotta
hurt.
: A courageous Fink argues with the ref on the ring apron. Double J
haymakers The Fink. The crowd really boos.
: Southern Justice returns. Knight swings at X-Pac with a guitar and
misses. X-Pac retrieves the guitar braining Jarrett with it for the three
count.
: The New Age Outlaws arrive steel chairs in hand to ward off Southern
Justice. The Headbangers and Puke hold Jarrett while X-Pac and The Fink
shave Jarrett's head. Double J's hair clogs the electric razor it is
replaced by scissors.
Winner:
X-Pac at 11 minutes and 9 seconds.
Match Rating: 8 / 10.
Sable and Edge Vs Mark Mero and Jackie
: A loud pop occurs when Sable kicks Mero in the crotch and Sable Bombs
him.
: Sable TKO's Jackie. Mero pulls Sable out of the ring before a three count
is rendered.
: Edge suicide leaps over the ropes onto Mero. Jackie jumps on Edge's back.
Edge puts her over his knee spanking her.
: Mero is crotched on the top rope. Sable hurracanranas Mero a la Scotty
Steiner off the top rope. Jackie misses Sable splashing Mero. Edge slams
Sable onto Mero for the pin.
Winners:
Edge and Sable at 8 minutes and 24 seconds..
Match Rating: 6 / 10.
Owen Hart Vs Ken Shamrock (Lion's Den Match)
: The Lion's Den is a wicked funnel-shaped, octagonal cage. The ref and
camera men are on a walkway above attached to the cage. The cage is locked
once both Hart and Shamrock are inside.
: Dan Severn is outside the cage holding a towel cheering Hart on.
: Shamrock rips off Hart's shirt choking him with it. Hart's lip is split
open.
: Hart catapults Shamrock into the metal cage supports. Shamrock bleeds.
: At 7:08, Hart locks on the Sharpshooter. Shamrock crawls up the cage wall
to break the hold, flips over and wraps Hart in the Ankle Lock submission
hold.
: Severn shakes his head in disgust walking away.
: Next up: Lion's Den match between Severn and Shamrock.
Winner:
Ken Shamrock at 9 minutes and 16 seconds..
Match Rating: 7 / 10.
Mankind (champion) Vs The New Age Outlaws (challengers) (WWF Tag Team
Title - No DQ Match)
: The Outlaws brings a garbage bin full of plunder to the ring.
: Mankind beans The Outlaws with a cookie sheet in the losing battle. The
fans are clearly on Foley's side.
: Mankind hip-tosses Gunn into a table shattering it. The Outlaws slam
Mankind on two steel chairs and spike piledrive him on one of the tag belts
for the victory. The fans aren't happy with the cheap win.
: Gunn says: "We are putting you in the garbage where you belong". The
Outlaws slam Mankind into the garbage bin. The lid pops open. It's Kane
holding a sledgehammer. He strikes Mankind but Foley's inside the dumpster
so we can't see the impact.
Winners:
...and new WWF World Tag Team Champions...The New Age Outlaws
at 7 minutes and 30 seconds..
Match Rating: 4 / 10.
Rocky Maivia (champion) Vs Hunter-Hearst Helmsley (challenger) (WWF
Intercontinental Title - Ladder Match)
: Mark Henry is with Maivia. Chyna with Triple H.
: The DX band plays in the middle of the ring. Triple H carries the lead
singer around on his shoulders then destroys the drum set.
: Way too much intense action to describe fully.
Match of the year
candidate.
: The Rock retrieves the ladder at 4:30. Triple H spikes the ladder onto
The Rock's chest.
: Maivia pulls Helmsley off the ladder. He falls and aggravates his knee
injury inflicted earlier.
: The Rock puts Helmsley's knee between the ladder stomping on it twice
then drills the ladder and Helmsley's trapped knee with a steel chair.
: The Rock positions the ladder between the ring and the retaining wall.
Helmsley is knee breakered on the ladder.
: Lawler says: "I've got two words for Helmsley: Ouch! Ouch!".
: The People's Champion slingshots Triple H into the ladder. Triple bounces
off his head striking the announce table.
: At 14:06, Mark Henry hands another ladder to The Rock. Triple H socks
Henry in the chops. Henry holds Triple H while Maivia climbs the ladder.
Chyna forearm shots Henry.
: Triple H tips the ladder over sending The Rock over the top rope. Hemsley
baseball kicks the ladder into The Rock's face. Maivia bleeds.
: Maivia punches Helmsley off the ladder. Triple H bounces off the other
ladder hitting the one Maivia is on. The Rock is guillotined on the top
rope. The Rock slams Triple H on the ladder and delivers The People's Elbow
and The Rock Bottom. The fans go nuts.
: Triple H yanks Maivia off the ladder and drops him with a Pedigree on the
ladder. The fan erupt.
: Mark Henry throws that blinding powder in Hunter's eyes. The belt is in
reach but Helmsley can't see it. Chyna punches Maivia in the family jewels
(Yawn! Haven't we seen this before?). Triple H grabs the belt.
Winner:
...and new WWF Intercontinental Champion...Hunter-Hearst
Helmsley at 24 minutes and 32 seconds.
Match Rating: 10 / 10.
Steve Austin (champion) Vs The Undertaker (challenger) (WWF World
Heavyweight Title Match)
Winner:
...and still WWF World Heavyweight Champion...Stone Cold Steve
Austin at 20 minutes and 50 seconds.
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Match Rating: 8 / 10.
Total Event Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Overall Event Rating:
8 / 10.
