King of the Ring ’98

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

King of the Ring

June 28, 1998

Civic Arena

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

News & Notes: I have little extra info for this review. Most of the storyline information fits into the match notes. This leaves me with only two news pieces. First, Marc Mero wasted no time in replacing Sable. He debuted a new manager the night after Over the Edge. It’s Miss Jacqueline! However, Sable is back. Mr. McMahon rehired her. Sable now works for Vince. He made her read a press release. It stated Vince did not use a charitable organization to further his beef with Steve Austin. (I’ll explain later.) A furious Marc Mero and Jackie confronted JR. They wanted to know why Vince brought Sable back, but Ross didn’t know. So Mero and Jackie took out their frustrations on Tennessee Lee and Jeff Jarrett. Marc vowed to take matters into his own hands, but Sable struck first. She distracted Marc during his bout with Dustin Runnels and cost Mero a victory.

The second piece of news is about Edge. He debuted on RAW. They spotted him in the crowd throughout the night. He entered from the stands and faced Jose Estrada. This is Edge’s entrance. He enters and exits through the fans. It adds to his mystique. Edge scored an easy win, but it included an unfortunate moment. He did a somersault plancha and kicked Jose in the head. The impact caused a concussion and pinched nerves for Estrada. Because of the botch, the match ended in a count-out. They scrapped the planned finish. Despite the disastrous debut, Edge will do better things.

Freddie Blassie narrates another epic intro package. He speaks of the premonition, prophecy, and revelation surrounding the main event. They wrote these in the book of 3:16. Vince predicts a Kane victory in the First Blood Match. It is his destiny. Not even Stone Cold can stop it. But Austin says Kane’s dead ass belongs to him. He’s bled before, and he isn’t afraid to do it again. However, a confident Kane vowed to set himself on fire if he loses. Meanwhile, The Undertaker is an avenging black angel. He threatens Hell on Earth for the sins of Mankind. May god have mercy on these men’s souls! Super Soaker presents the 1998 King of the Ring!

JR welcomes everyone to Pittsburgh. Fireworks explode as we see Hell in a Cell hanging over the ring. Ross calls it the WWF’s most demonic structure. Lawler says it’s perverted and awesome. (Jerry would know about perversion.) He also calls tonight a win-win situation. We will either see a new WWF champion, or a man will set himself on fire! Two gas cans sit on the announce table to drive this point home.

The Headbangers & Taka Michinoku vs. Kaientai (w/ Yamaguchi-san)

Notes: They didn’t build this. It’s a special added attraction. Since Over the Edge, Taka defended his Light Heavyweight Title against Funaki. Then Michinoku & Bradshaw competed in a Tag Team Royal Rumble. (More on that later.) The Headbangers were also in the mix. Now Taka teams with The Headbangers to continue his issues with Kaientai. Taka even dresses like The Headbangers for this encounter.

The Match: Thrasher fends off Teioh’s strikes and gives him a tilt-a-whirl slam and a powerslam. Then Mosh and Funaki fight. Mosh turns a hurricanrana into a powerbomb. He follows with a reverse corner splash and a Boss Man Attack on the ropes. Taka joins him in the move. Funaki regroups after Taka flusters him with kicks, chops, and a missile dropkick. But Michinoku won’t let him rest. Taka nails a springboard plancha. However, Kaientai takes control when Togo cheap shots Taka from the apron. Togo and Funaki do a double chop and a double elbow drop. Next, Dick sends Michinoku outside and hits a baseball slide headscissors. Taka rallies. Kaientai cuts him off with a Yakuza Kick and a double-team wheelbarrow bulldog. After Togo does a springboard headbutt, Funaki returns. He hits Teioh with a wheel kick by accident. It allows Taka to tag both Headbangers. This confuses the ref. They backdrop Teioh before the ref makes Mosh leave. Thrasher is legal, so Funaki slams him. He climbs the corner and misses a flying elbow. The Headbangers tag Taka and press slam him onto Funaki. Taka then finishes Sho with a Michinoku Driver.

Thoughts: This was a fun opener. They kept a fast pace and used cool moves. Despite the lack of build, the fans were into the action. It did everything a first match should. They energized the crowd and didn’t overstay their welcome.

Winners: The Headbangers & Taka (6:44)

JR asks King for his thoughts on Al Snow & Head vs. Too Much. Lawler tells Too Much not to take Snow lightly. They won’t have Jerry’s help in this bout. (We’ll see about that.)

Then Sable arrives to introduce Vince and The Stooges. When McMahon appears, Lawler says the fans gave him a standing boo-vation. Patterson and Brisco escort Sable out of the ring. He gives her a pat on the butt, so Sable slaps the taste out of Pat’s mouth! An angry Patterson says, “I dare having a woman slap me! Get out of here!” (JR says Pat was in unfamiliar territory when he slapped Sable’s butt.) Brisco then berates the fans for their boo-vation and hands McMahon the mic. Vince thanks everyone and polls them about the main event. Do they want to see Austin defeated and a new champion crowned? Or are they ready to see a man set on fire? Lawler calls the fans sick for cheering the latter. Vince says they’re setting themselves up for disappointment. However, that’s not unusual for the fans. They already disappointed their parents. Then they blamed their parents for their defects and failures. Because of this, McMahon knows he can’t soften the blow. Tonight, they’ll hear Fink announce a new WWF champion. The crowd better prepare for this disappointment.

Semifinals: Ken Shamrock vs. Jeff Jarrett (w/ Tennessee Lee)

Notes: Before Jarrett’s first-round encounter, he debuted new bodyguards. Jeff gave The Godwinns makeovers and renamed them as Southern Justice. They ditched their old monikers for their real names. Phineas is Dennis Knight. Henry is Mark Canterbury. Then Jarrett defeated Faarooq to advance. His second victory was over Marc Mero because of a Sable distraction. Meanwhile, Shamrock returned to get revenge on Owen Hart. He interrupted a DX/Nation bout, much to Triple H’s chagrin. When Ken fought with The Nation, Dan Severn surprised everyone by aiding Shamrock. He did it again when Ken beat Kama in round one. Next, Ken passed the Quarterfinals with a victory over Mark Henry. Vader helped because Mark cost him his shot at the King of the Ring.

The Match: Jarrett jumps Ken. Shamrock answers with strikes and a snap suplex. Then Jeff catches Ken ducking and nails a swinging neckbreaker. He follows with a short-arm clothesline and a dropkick. Jeff tries more offense, so Shamrock ducks and clotheslines Jeff to the floor. There, Shamrock rams Jarrett into the apron, the rail, and the steps. He also chases Tennessee Lee, so Lee trips Ken. This allows Jeff to hit a chop block and work on Shamrock’s leg. Double J jumps on the knee, stomps it, and kicks it. He even wraps Ken’s leg around the ropes. Jeff doesn’t answer the ref’s count, so the referee pulls him away. But this allows Lee to cheap-shot Shamrock. The leg attack continues until Ken uses back elbows and wheel kicks. Shamrock also lands a powerslam and a hurricanrana. When he puts Jarrett in the anklelock, Jeff taps. Tennessee Lee jumps Ken afterward, so Shamrock gives him a belly-to-belly.

Thoughts: This was okay. I don’t mind short tournament matches. They shouldn’t drag. But this wasn’t great. Ken sold the leg as long as Jarrett attacked it. Then he stopped selling. It didn’t factor into the result. The right man won, but it’s a forgettable encounter.

Winner: Ken Shamrock (5:29)

Michael Cole interviews Shamrock. Cole says it’s one down and one to go. Ken says he has one more mountain to climb. He didn’t come to be second best, and he won’t be. JR mentions Ken faces the winner of The Rock vs. Dan Severn.

Speaking of The Rock, he arrives with The Godfather and Mark Henry. Mike Chioda spots this and ejects The Nation members. He won’t allow them at ringside. Lawler notices D’Lo Brown isn’t there. JR reminds him Dan Severn injured D’Lo’s pec. They show a replay of the moment. An angry Rock threatens the ref for sending his buddies to the back.

Semifinals: The Rock vs. Dan Severn

Notes: Dan Severn’s first win was over D’Lo Brown. He won with a bow and arrow submission. It tore D’Lo’s pec! Owen Hart attacked Severn after the match for revenge. So Shamrock returned the favor and came to Severn’s aid. This led to Severn’s second-round encounter with Owen. X-Pac cost Owen Hart the bout with a chair. (I’ll explain later.) Meanwhile, The Rock escaped round one with a win over Vader. Mark Henry attacked Vader to give Rocky the victory. The Rock’s next opponent was Triple H. Maivia advanced with a low blow and a Fisherman’s Suplex. This caused a brawl between DX and The Nation.

The Match: Severn flusters Rocky with takedowns and mat wrestling. The Rock gets rope breaks and curses at Dan. After breaking free of a Half Crab, Rock throws strikes. He misses a corner charge, so Severn hits a fireman’s carry takeover and grabs an armbar. Then Severn tries a Dragon Sleeper, but Rocky grabs the ropes again. Maivia answers with more strikes and a suplex. He even mocks Severn’s fighting stance. This leads to traded strikes until The Rock pokes the eyes. However, both men go down to a double shoulder block. The Godfather and Mark Henry run to the ring. They distract the ref while D’Lo emerges from the crowd. He wears a chest protector because of his injury. Brown gives Dan the Lo Down (Frog Splash), and Rocky covers for the three.

Thoughts: It was awkward. Dan Severn isn’t a smooth wrestler. He has his moments, but he didn’t gel with The Rock. You could tell it frustrated Rocky. The finish was fine, but the rest was sloppy. They at least kept it short.

Winner: The Rock (4:25)

Cole interviews The Rock. He calls it a big victory. Now Rocky faces a confident and intense Shamrock. The Rock tells Cole to know his role and shut his mouth. He heard Ken talking about climbing mountains. Shamrock has to climb this man and a half. Before Ken reaches any peaks and valleys, The Rock will make him hit rock bottom. Rocky punctuates this point with a People’s Eyebrow.

Al Snow returned to the WWF as a fan. It didn’t take long to discover his true intentions. He wanted a meeting with Vince McMahon. The WWF officials didn’t put up with this. They ejected him from every arena. So Al approached Lawler for help. Jerry sneaked him into the building, but it didn’t work. Then Snow used disguises to return. He even swiped Lawler’s crown. He may obtain his wish after this antic. It led to this match.

Too Much dances and prances to the ring. Lawler thinks they’re great. Then Jerry interrupts an argument between Al Snow and Head. Lawler interviews Snow from the announce table. After some head-based puns, Jerry reminds Al of the stipulation. If he wins, he gets his meeting. But a loss means Snow is gone forever! Al says The Head lays down for no one. Prepare to get head as you’ve never gotten head before! After the promo, Snow arrives for his match. JR notices there is no ref. The King knows why. He says Snow won’t get his meeting because there’s a special referee. It’s Lawler! Jerry laughs and puts on a referee shirt when Fink introduces him. JR says this is unfair. Al Snow agrees. He yells at Head for not keeping track of this stuff.

Too Much vs. Al Snow & Head

Notes: Al Snow continued using disguises to sneak into arenas. First, he interrupted Taka’s match in an unfortunate Japanese costume. Al blamed Head when security removed him. Then Al crashed Vince’s award ceremony to talk with Lawler. Security ejected him again, to Lawler’s amusement. However, Snow returned in an Avatar disguise. He confronted Lawler and threatened a citizen’s arrest on Jerry and Vince. Snow accused McMahon of attempted career murder. Lawler’s crime was lewd conduct. He screwed Snow out of his meeting! When Lawler retaliated, Snow gave him head. (I mean he hit him with Head!) The next week, Snow dressed as a cleaning lady and swiped Lawler’s crown. He put it on Head, so Jerry had enough. The King presented Al with a letter confirming Snow’s meeting with Vince. It was a swerve! The document was a contract to face Too Much. (Brian “Too Sexy” Christopher & Scott “Too Hot” Taylor.) Snow’s partner is Head! If he wins, he earns his meeting. But a loss means Al must leave the WWF forever. Al fended off Lawler & Co. with Head. On his way out, he told the commentators Head lays down for nobody!

The Match: Snow and Taylor trade strikes and takedowns, but Snow keeps arguing with Head. Christopher tags and spits at Head. An angry Snow takes Brian to the corner. Brian complains of hair-pulling, so Lawler admonishes Al. He even blocks one of Snow’s punches. This allows Christopher to attack. Brian climbs the turnbuckles, but Al slams him into the ring. Then Al climbs, and Taylor crotches him. Christopher fights with Snow on the top rope. Al turns it into a sunset bomb, but Lawler does a slow count. After arguing with The King, Snow sends Too Much to the floor. Al slams Brian and gets a running start. He charges down the aisle for a clothesline. But Taylor cuts off Snow’s rally with a springboard clothesline. Too Much then takes control with a missile dropkick, a double atomic drop, and a double dropkick. Christopher taunts Al when he looks to Head for a tag. Meanwhile, Lawler does fast counts when Too Much covers. Next, Taylor and Snow trade suplexes. Al almost tags Head, but Christopher stops it and lands a bulldog. After this, Too Much tries a double backdrop. Al turns it into a double DDT and tags Head! Snow hits Brian and Scott with it. He even does the Snow Plow to Brian, but Lawler won’t count. Al isn’t the legal man. Jerry then gets an idea. He collects something from ringside. Snow gives Taylor a Snow Plow and pins him, but Lawler is busy. The King throws Christopher a bottle of Head & Shoulders shampoo. Brian attaches it to Head and covers for a three. Snow thinks he won because he was also covering Taylor, but he soon learns the truth.

Thoughts: This was stupid fun. If you don’t take it too seriously, you can enjoy it. I’m unashamed to say it amused me. I know I’m in the minority, but I don’t care. The Head & Shoulders gag made me laugh.

Winners: Too Much (8:26)

Snow berates Head for his failure while Too Much gloats. Brian Christopher says they beat the Head with the Head & Shoulders. JR promises they’ll get serious with the next encounter. It’s Owen Hart vs. X-Pac. We see replays from RAW. Owen cost X-Pac his King of the Ring match. X-Pac retaliated with a chair shot on Owen. It busted open Hart’s head. They used seven staples to close the wound.

X-Pac (w/ Chyna) vs. Owen Hart

Notes: Owen and X-Pac competed in round one of the tournament. Hart defeated Scorpio. X-Pac fought Triple H. Owen interfered and crotched X-Pac on the railing. Triple H checked on his buddy, but X-Pac told him to take the count-out win. DX avenged X-Pac later. They jumped Owen during Owen & Henry vs. Shamrock & Severn. Then X-Pac interfered in Owen vs. Severn. He hit Hart with a chair and cost him his chance at the King of the Ring crown.

The Match: X-Pac meets Owen at the ropes with a dropkick. Then they whip each other around the ring and trade chops and punches. Owen nails a backbreaker and a wheel kick. X-Pac answers by sending Owen into a corner sternum bump. Next, they exchange more strikes until Owen nails suplexes and pin attempts. X-Pac catches Hart with a backdrop and sends him outside. Pac uses clotheslines, but Owen reverses a whip. He sends X-Pac flying over the timekeeper’s table. Owen even suplexes Pac onto the Spanish announce desk. (It’s a good thing he didn’t crash it. Taker and Foley need that for later.) When they return to the ring, Owen hits a missile dropkick and does a jackknife pin. After this, they both use sleeper holds. Hart breaks free, so X-Pac does the X-Factor. He continues with strikes and a Bronco Buster. This leads to fighting on the top rope. Both men crash and tumble. Mark Henry capitalizes on the opening. He splashes X-Pac, so Chyna confronts Mark. As they argue, Vader jumps on Henry. (Vader falls over after an avalanche attack.) Meanwhile, Owen puts X-Pac in a sharpshooter. The shenanigans on the floor distract the ref. It allows Chyna to DDT Owen, and X-Pac covers for the win.

Thoughts: This was a decent short match. These two are great at brief explosive bouts. They had some exciting spots, especially on the outside. I’m even fine with the finish. It furthers the DX/Nation feud and sets up a future Chyna/Henry storyline.

Winner: X-Pac (8:30)

Paul Bearer arrives for a promo. This disgusts JR. He calls him a pagan and a heathen. On the other hand, Paul’s appearance impressed Lawler. Taker beat up Bearer twice, but Paul is here. Ross wonders why Bearer didn’t press charges. When Bearer reaches the ring, he speaks. The fans didn’t think he’d be there. He wouldn’t miss this for the world! After two of the worst beatings ever, Paul cursed The Undertaker. He still remembers Kane’s childhood. Kane couldn’t go into the sunlight or play with other kids. He stayed indoors and watched his brother on TV. Taker was Kane’s idol. How do you think that made Paul feel? Tonight will make Bearer feel good for once. He will become the manager and father of the WWF champion! So laugh at the fat man all you want. Bearer promises to laugh all the way to the bank.

Tag Team Title Match: The New Age Outlaws (c) (w/ Chyna) vs. The New Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette)

Notes: This is another encounter with no build. The Outlaws defended their gold against LOD 2000 and The DOA in a Triple Threat. This bout had the WWF’s usual rules. You could tag anyone, which meant partners could fight each other. The Outlaws exploited this. Gunn pinned Dogg, so The Outlaws retained their belts. It leads to a rule change. The WWF refers to this as The Outlaw Rule. Next, they held a Tag Team Royal Rumble to determine #1 Contenders. Kane & Mankind won. It led to singles matches. Kane fought Road Dogg. Mankind wrestled Gunn. Both Kane and Mankind were victorious. However, Kane and Mankind are busy tonight. The New Midnight Express is a filler match for The Outlaws. Kane and Mankind will receive their shot on RAW. (The New Midnights are still the NWA tag champs if anyone cares.)

The Match: Dogg and Bob trade headlocks, leapfrogs, hip tosses, and strikes. Then Billy and Bart tag. The brothers face each other with their own leapfrogs and hip tosses. Bart flips through Billy’s attempt and nails a clothesline. After some traded pin attempts, Billy hits a Fameasser. He tells his brother to suck it. (Um, what?) Then The Outlaws use a drop toe hold/knee drop combo. The Midnights stop this rally with a cheap shot from the apron. Bart & Bob do frequent tags to control the action. They land their own drop to hold combo and Bob press slams Bart onto Dogg. The Midnights also draw Billy into the ring for more distractions. On one occasion, Bob does the suck it taunt. Billy gives him a bulldog for this disrespect. It allows Dogg to get a few pin attempts. Next, Bob dives into Road Dogg’s boot, and Dogg tags Billy. He cleans house with punches and rams Bart into the corner. When Billy tries a piledriver, Cornette nails him with the NWA belt. Billy kicks out. This causes a brawl. Dogg and Bart fight on the floor, so Cornette enters the ring. He threatens Billy with the belt, but they stand and stare at each other. Chyna remembers her cue and hits a low blow on Cornette. (It took forever.) Then The Outlaws press slam Bob onto the ropes for the victory.

Thoughts: It was dull and basic. Then they screwed up the finish. Chyna missed her cue. Cornette and Gunn stood still like fools until she remembered. The fans didn’t care. They chanted for the Steelers during the bout. This was a throwaway encounter.

Winners: The New Age Outlaws (9:34)

Triple H and Chyna join the commentary table for the finals. Hunter won last year, so he’s there to give his expertise. During the bout, Chyna joins the Spanish announcers. JR asks Helmsley if he’s bilingual. Triple H says, “I’m bi a lot of things. Lingual isn’t one of them. Wait a second. Did I mean to say that?” Then The Rock arrives for his match. Triple H calls him The Crock. He wants Shamrock to beat Rocky’s butt all over the building.

Finals: Ken Shamrock vs. The Rock

The Match: They shove each other and trade strikes. The Rock regroups whenever Ken gains the advantage. Then Shamrock sends Rocky over the ropes. The ref stops Ken from following. While outside, The Rock gets in Triple H’s face. Hunter spits water on him and they scuffle. This opens the door for Ken’s attack. He rams Rocky into the announce tables. Rock answers with a low blow and rolls Shamrock inside. Ken reverses a suplex, but Rocky throws him into the ropes. Shamrock catches his arm in them as he falls. This leads to more fighting on the floor. They whip each other into the rail and return to the ring. Rocky controls the action. He hits a swinging neckbreaker, DDTs, a People’s Elbow, and chinlocks. Shamrock rallies with suplexes, a leg lariat, and a powerslam. After another strike exchange, Rocky uses his own powerslam. He tries another float-over DDT. Ken turns it into a Northern Lights Suplex. Next, they swap short-arm clotheslines. Ken continues with a hurricanrana, but Rocky counters into a hotshot. When he only gets a close two, Rock argues with the ref. Ken uses the distraction. He grabs Rocky with an anklelock. The Rock taps.

Thoughts: It wasn’t their best encounter, but it was still solid. They built to a strong finish. Plus, it contained good storyline work. It’s nice to see Ken get a clean victory over The Rock for once. Now Rocky can move into his feud with Triple H.

Winner: Ken Shamrock (King of the Ring) (14:09)

Ken Shamrock celebrates his King of the Ring win while JR repeats his name. Triple H tells Ross to say it five more times. Ken beat The Rock, but Hunter says he didn’t beat him. While they show replays, Lawler questions the finish. He denies Rocky tapped out, despite the footage.

They lower the Hell in a Cell with ominous music. JR and King use every adjective in the book to describe it. Ross thinks they should call the Red Cross. This leads to Mankind’s entrance. He wears a tattered dress shirt and tie. It’s a holdover from his corporate Dude Love run. Mankind carries a chair and throws it on top of the cell. He then climbs onto the roof and waits for The Undertaker. This confuses the commentators. When Taker arrives, he climbs to join him.

Hell in a Cell Match: The Undertaker vs. Mankind

Notes: A dejected Dude Love apologized for his failure. Foley retired the Dude Love character as penance. Vince wasn’t having it. He berated and insulted him. Mick threatened McMahon with a chair. When Vince brought up Foley’s family and mortgage, Mick backed off. A smug McMahon then fired Foley. However, Vince changed his mind when Foley reappeared as Mankind. He helped Kane defeat Taker in a #1 Contender opportunity. The next week, Taker took out his frustrations on multiple wrestlers until he got Vince. He even attacked Slaughter! But Vince used Taker as a pawn in his beef with Austin. He made Taker and Austin team against Kane and Mankind in a Hell in a Cell. Paul Bearer locked himself in the cell to escape the chaos. Taker appeared through a hole in the ring. He battered Paul Bearer while Austin fought Mankind. Kane tried to aid Bearer, but he couldn’t break through the cell’s roof. After these actions, Vince made Taker vs. Mankind a Hell in a Cell Match! Bearer stayed home to recover from his beating. So Taker invaded the house. He trashed Paul’s living room and destroyed Bearer again. Mankind vowed revenge for Uncle Paul. He promised a surprise for Taker in this bout.

The Match: They trade punches until Mankind uses a chair on Taker’s back. As they walk, the roof sags under their weight. Then Taker blocks a Double-Arm DDT and—throws Mankind off the cell! He crashes onto the Spanish announce table. (JR screams they killed him. He’s broken in half!) The action halts as Vince, Slaughter, the doctors, and Terry Funk check on Mick. They raise the cell with Taker still on the roof. This allows a stretcher to reach Mankind. JR and King watch replays and apologize for the brief encounter. However, it isn’t over. They wheel the stretcher up the aisle and lower the cell. But Mankind rises. He fights off officials and returns to the ring. Mankind climbs to the roof, so Taker joins him again. They exchange punches until Taker grabs Mankind’s throat. He chokeslams Mick—through the roof of the cell! Mankind crashes into the ring. A chair lands on his face and busts a hole in his lip. (JR yells, “Somebody stop the damn match!)

Taker lowers into the ring and meets an angry Terry Funk. The Undertaker chokeslams him out of his shoes! Then Taker tries Old School. Mankind crotches him. While this happens, the refs lock the door to prevent any more roof shenanigans. We see Foley smiling. A tooth hangs out of his nose. (He wasn’t smiling. Mick tried to stick his tongue through the hole in his lip.) Next, Mankind grabs the steps, but he can’t lift them. Taker rams them into Mankind’s separated shoulder. He follows with a suicide dive, but Mankind crumples. Taker hits the wall on the missed attack. Mankind capitalizes by ramming Taker into the wall. He returns Taker to the ring and nails a pulling piledriver on the chair. Mick even leg drops the chair onto Taker’s face. After a Double-Arm DDT, Mankind rolls outside. He grabs a bag. It contains thumbtacks! Mankind covers the mat with them and punches Taker toward the pile. Taker counters with chokeslam and Tombstone attempts. Mick blocks both and grabs a Mandible Claw. Taker fades, but he shifts Mankind onto his back. Then Taker drops Mankind back-first into the tacks! He also chokeslams him into them! Taker finishes it with a merciful Tombstone.

Thoughts: What can I say about this that others haven’t said? It’s insane. This is the most brutal thing I’ve seen in wrestling. You have to see it to believe it. Do I ever want to see anything like it again? No, I don’t. But everyone should watch it at least once. Mankind remains a heel, but this night pushes him toward the main event babyface run in his future. The ridiculous spots were Foley’s idea. He felt the frequent persona changes watered down his character. Taker had a foot injury. They overcompensated for the issues and delivered the damnedest thing in wrestling history.

Winner: The Undertaker (17:00)

They try to carry Foley on a stretcher, but he wants to walk. Terry Funk and Mike Chioda help him to the back while fans cheer. Someone hands Jerry Lawler some thumbtacks. He can’t believe his eyes. Jerry pokes JR with one of them, so Ross says, “What’s wrong with you?” Then JR talks about the main event.

Taker wanted a WWF title opportunity, but he pissed off Vince. McMahon made him fight his brother again for the shot. Mankind helped Kane win. Then Vince aimed a deeper and darker plot at the rattlesnake. Mankind and Kane attacked Austin and placed him in a casket. An angry Austin unleashed his rage in the specter of Hell in a Cell. He fought Kane on the roof. Next, Kane challenged Stone Cold to a First Blood Match. If he doesn’t win, Kane will set himself on fire! Austin vowed to stoke the fire with logs if he does. Vince calls it Kane’s destiny. Austin says Kane’s dead ass belongs to him. Kane answered with a bloodbath.

When Kane arrives for the bout, we see he has a new outfit. This one has two sleeves. It leaves little exposed skin, which gives Kane an advantage. Then Kane ignites his pyro with gas cans sitting on the steps. (Is that wise?) Austin enters next. He has a bandaged elbow. (Austin spent a few days in the hospital with a staph infection.)

First Blood Match for the WWF Title: Kane (w/ Paul Bearer) vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin (c)

Notes: Kane earned this shot by beating Taker with Mankind’s help. Then Vince forced Austin to attend an award ceremony. Vince received a Humanitarian Award for his charity donations. The representative decried the small donation. Austin remedied this. He swiped cash from McMahon’s pocket and handed it to the man. During the festivities, Taker appeared. Police kept him at bay, so he couldn’t save Austin from an attack. Kane and Mankind wheeled a casket to the ring and placed Stone Cold inside it. The next week, McMahon stirred the pot. He swore Taker was in on the assault. Taker denied this. He wanted a WWF title opportunity, but he would ask for it like a man. However, Paul Bearer backed up Vince’s claims. Then Vince upped the ante. He made this a First Blood Match! McMahon told Kane this was his destiny. Since Bearer was at home, Kane spoke for the first time. He used an electrolarynx because of his burned vocal cords. Kane said he would set himself on fire if he didn’t win! Austin accepted the stipulation. If Kane was dumb enough to self-immolate, Austin promised to cook marshmallows on him! This drew Kane to the ring. He motioned for his pyro, but blood fell from the ceiling instead. It drenched Austin from head to toe.

The Match: Austin attacks with a Thesz Press and a belt to the face. Then Steve exposes a turnbuckle. They trade strikes and Austin blocks a Tombstone. This leads to fighting outside, and someone lowers the cell! Kane whips Austin into the rail, the steps, and the lowering cell. He even places Austin underneath so the cell will land on him. Austin gets loose and drapes Kane over the threshold of the cell door. The cage raises again with Kane on it, so Austin punches him. Kane answers with a choke. Next, Steve pulls Kane down and they fight to the entrance. Both men ram each other into every piece of metal they find. (Vince watches the action from a skybox. Sable joins him.) They reverse suplex and piledriver attempts. Then Kane drops a piece of railing on Austin.

After this, they return to the ring. Stone Cold rams Kane into the exposed buckle and takes him to the floor. They fight on the announce table. Austin hits Kane with a fan. (The blowing kind, not a spectator.) However, Kane shoves Austin into Earl Hebner. He’s unconscious as Kane and Austin enter the ring again. Kane nails a flying clothesline. Steve answers with more buckle shots. Meanwhile, the cell lowers once more! This is Mankind’s cue to interfere. He brings a chair, but Austin stuns him. When Stone Cold hits Kane with a Stunner, Undertaker appears. He swings a chair at Mankind, but Mick ducks. Taker’s weapon knocks Austin’s chair into Steve’s face. It busts him open. Taker then dispatches Mankind and retrieves Hebner. He wakes Earl with the gasoline. But Kane sends Taker out of the ring. Even though Austin is bleeding, he continues attacking Kane. Austin whacks Kane in the head multiple times with a chair. It’s too late. Hebner spots Austin’s cut and calls for the bell.

Thoughts: This was a decent brawl. It wasn’t as good as Over the Edge. But it had enough bells and whistles for me to enjoy it. Once again, I liked the storyline work. Plus, the visual of a bloody Austin was a good one. The only shame is Kane’s WWF title run lasts one day. Austin wins it back the next night. There’s no WWF title bout at the next PPV. They could have given Kane a month-long reign.

Winner: Kane (New Champion) (15:58)

The Fink announces Kane as the new WWF champion. Austin is in shock. A pleased Vince McMahon smiles and nods. He turns to Sable and gloats about Austin losing his gold.

The Good:

• The Hell in a Cell Match.

• The main event was a decent brawl.

• The opener was good.

• The Al Snow match was silly fun.

The Bad:

• The semifinal matches were lackluster.

• The pointless tag title match.

Performer of the Night:

It can only be Mick Foley. I can’t give it to anyone else. What he put himself through was amazing. It’s hard to watch, but it’s also fascinating.

Final Thoughts:

Everyone remembers this show for Hell in a Cell, but it’s more than that. Outside of the opener, the first hour was weak. It got better from there, except for the tag title bout. This show finished strong. The good far outweighed the bad. Overall, the PPV was an enjoyable watch. Of course, Hell in a Cell is must-see, but the rest isn’t bad.

Thank you for reading. My next review is WCW’s Bash at the Beach ’98. Look for it next Sunday!