Halftime Heat ’99

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

Sunday Night Heat

January 31, 1999

America West Arena & Tucson Convention Center (Empty Arena Match)

Phoenix & Tucson, Arizona

News & Notes: Vince McMahon proved his point at the Royal Rumble, so he gave up his right to face The Rock at WrestleMania. But in doing so, Vince fell victim to the WWF rule book. Austin traveled to San Antonio and consulted with a recovering Shawn Michaels. HBK said the runner-up in the Rumble receives the title bout if the winner won’t compete. However, Austin put his Mania title shot on the line to get a fight with Vince! Austin wants McMahon in a cage at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.

Meanwhile, DX’s issues with the Corporation continued. First, the Corporation made Kane apologize on his knees for defying them. So X-Pac confronted Kane and reasoned with him. He told Kane to run with DX instead. It didn’t work. Shane ordered Kane to chokeslam X-Pac. Then Shane gave X-Pac a Bronco Buster. Triple H had enough. He challenged The Rock to an I Quit Match for the WWF Title. During the bout, Shane had Kane threaten to chokeslam Chyna if Hunter didn’t quit. Triple H caved in, but it was a swerve! Chyna turned on DX and joined the Corporation!

If you wondered, Halftime Heat happened during Super Bowl XXXIII. It was the Denver Broncos vs. the Atlanta Falcons. The Broncos won 34-19. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Stevie Wonder, and Gloria Estefan performed during the halftime show.

Heat opens with a recap of the I Quit Match. Mankind didn’t remember saying he quit. The Corporation screwed him again. The Rock didn’t make him say the words. He didn’t win, and he sure as hell wasn’t the champion. Mankind demanded another fight during Halftime Heat. He didn’t want anyone in the arena. One of them will walk out as the champion. The other will get their ass kicked all over the arena.

Kevin Kelly welcomes everyone. He is at the America West Arena, but Cole is in the empty Tucson Convention Center. Michael says only Mr. McMahon, Earl Hebner, and the competitors will enter the building. He calls this the third in a brutal series of matches between Mankind and The Rock. (Did he forget about Survivor Series and Rock Bottom? It’s their fifth meeting.) But this may be the most brutal and fatal of them all. One man may walk out as the champ. The other may not walk out at all. (That’s going overboard.)

Then Kevin’s broadcast partner, Shane McMahon, arrives. He leads the Corporation to the ring. Kelly says Chyna’s official induction is next. After the commercial break, we see the Slam of the Week. It is footage of Kane and Shane attacking X-Pac. The clip leads to Shane introducing Chyna. He calls her the newest and hottest member of the Corporation. The Stooges accompany her to the ring.

Chyna says she can finally speak! DX used her to get ahead. She carried those degenerates on her back for two years. But where is her gratification? What did they do for her? They didn’t do a damn thing! Chyna says Vince approached her at the Rumble. He expressed his appreciation for her. Chyna has something the Corporation needs, and Vince gave in order to get it. She says it’s about greed. The buck stops here. Chyna tells DX to suck it. She can buy and sell them like cheap bitches.

This draws DX to the stage. Triple H commends Shane for pulling one over on them. He says it won’t happen again. Then the crowd chants Chyna sucks. Hunter asks if she’s happy. Chyna wanted them to treat her like an equal. But Hunter says they were never equals. They are men. Chyna always wanted a set of balls, but she could never get them! He also calls Chyna a two-dollar whore for selling out. Next, X-Pac vows to get his hands on Shane. He wants to shove the silver spoon up Shane’s ass. Road Dogg reminds him he can’t say ass on Heat. Shane doesn’t think X-Pac has the guts, but he gave him an idea. McMahon books Triple H in a Cage Match against Kane on RAW. Shane then asks Chyna if she has any words for her DX buddies. She has one word. The word is corporate.

A fan drops Mankind off at the Tucson Convention Center. Mankind pays him for the ride. Kevin Kelly says Mankind can’t drive. Mick sees fans standing outside the building, so he waves at them. Kelly says they will have the championship match when the Super Bowl goes to halftime.

Back in Phoenix, Jeff Jarrett and Debra arrive for Jeff’s bout. Shane says the puppies are loose! They show a replay of the Blue Blazer helping Jarrett and Owen win the tag titles. Shane wonders who this black and blue Blazer is. He promises the Corporation will regain the gold.

Big Boss Man vs. Jeff Jarrett (w/ Debra)

Notes: Jarrett and Owen received their tag title match on the RAW after the Royal Rumble. During the fight, another Blue Blazer interfered. (This time Koko B. Ware was under the mask.) He helped Jarrett and Owen win the tag gold! Owen claimed this proved he wasn’t the Blue Blazer.

The Match: Boss Man jumps Jarrett, whips him around the ring, and hits a choke toss. Then he clotheslines Jeff over the ropes. Jarrett appears to retreat, but it’s a trap. Boss Man doesn’t fall for it. He rams Jeff into the apron and throws the steps at him. They miss. Next, Jarrett stomps Boss Man when they enter the ring. Jeff uses a dropkick and a hip attack on the ropes. But Boss reverses him into the corner. They trade strikes and face rakes. Boss Man wins the exchange and smothers Jarrett. He also catches Jeff with a spinebuster. A worried Debra climbs on the apron for a distraction. It fails. Boss Man nails the Boss Man Slam for the win.

Thoughts: It was heavy on the punching and kicking, but it wasn’t bad. This did a fine job of furthering the current feud. It made Boss Man look vicious. I liked the storytelling aspects. For a quick TV bout, it served its purpose.

Winner: Big Boss Man (3:25)

Boss Man grabs the nightstick. He nails Jarrett, but the camera cuts away before the impact. We see Shane’s reaction. He loves it.

The Rock and Vince McMahon arrive at the Tucson Convention Center in a limo. The fans outside boo them, so Rocky spits at them. Shane says this will be emotional.

Then we return to Phoenix. Ken Shamrock enters the arena. Kevin says he looks angrier than ever because of Val Venis’ new feature. They show another one called “Sister Act.” Kelly says they can’t air that on Heat, so it cuts off after a few seconds. Owen Hart then joins them after the break. They focus on a fan’s sign that says, “Forget Iraq. Bomb Canada!” (That’s rude!)

Ken Shamrock vs. Owen Hart

Notes: Ken’s issues with Val Venis took a turn for the worse. Val debuted another of his infamous videos. He called this one “Saving Ryan’s Privates.” As you can guess, it starred Ryan Shamrock. Venis then had a match with Test. Shamrock attacked Val with a chair, so Billy Gunn intervened. However, Venis thought Gunn hit him. It led to a brawl between Venis and Gunn.

The Match: Ken attacks Owen from behind. Shamrock uses strikes, clotheslines, and knee lifts. Then he tries to suplex Owen to the floor. Hart reverses it into the ring. Owen answers with a wheel kick and a gut-wrench suplex. He also chokes Ken with his t-shirt. Ken breaks it with a jawbreaker and nails a headbutt to the crotch. Owen responds with his own low blow, but he misses an enziguri. Next, they go to commercials. When they return, Ken hits a hurricanrana. This draws out Koko B. Blazer. He climbs the turnbuckles, but Ken spots him. Shamrock whips Owen into ropes and crotches the Blazer. Ken then lands a belly-to-belly for the three.

Thoughts: Again, I like the storyline advancement. But you could tell they were filling time until the end. They moved at half their speed. The action wasn’t bad, but they’ve had better bouts. This slightly disappointed me because I expected more from them.

Winner: Ken Shamrock (4:43)

Next, they present the WWF’s Super Bowl commercial. Austin says people have the wrong idea about the WWF. They are a non-violent form of entertainment. He says this as he clocks someone with a chair. It sparks chaos at Titan Towers. Everyone brawls while wrestlers walk through the building. The Rock claims the WWF contains positive role models. Taker calls it wholesome family entertainment. Mick Foley wants to make the world a better place for Mankind. Then the madness ends with explosions and someone falling from a window. A smirking Vince McMahon turns to the camera and says, “Get it?”

The Super Bowl reached halftime, so they head to the empty arena. Mankind is already in the ring. He still has a bandaged head from the I Quit Match. Finkel announces the rules. He says falls count anywhere. Then The Rock and Vince join him. Seeing his pops excites Shane. Vince dons the headset to do commentary. He complains about this bout. McMahon says Mankind forced The Rock into this!

Empty Arena Match for the WWF Title: Mankind vs. The Rock (c) (w/ Mr. McMahon)

Notes: Since The Rock helped Vince win the Rumble, McMahon promised him the $100,000 bounty. But Mankind got to the money first. Mick claimed he never said I Quit. The voice we heard at the Rumble was a recording. They used audio from Mankind’s promo on Heat. Mick even provided video evidence. Then Mankind threw The Rock’s money into the crowd. He promised to stop if Rocky agreed to a rematch. Mick wanted an Empty Arena Match during halftime of the Super Bowl.

The Match: They trade strikes. Mankind scores an early Double-Arm DDT and Socko Claw. Rock tumbles outside to break it. They fight on the floor, and Mankind threatens Vince. So Rocky whips Mick through the barricade! He then buries Mankind in chairs and chats with McMahon. Rock puts on the headset and gloats, but Mick rises and grabs another Claw. Next, they move into the stands. The Rock uses a trash can and dumps the contents on Mankind. He also boots Mick down the steps. They head into the concourse and end up in the kitchen.

Rocky breaks a broom over Foley and shoves him into some cotton candy. With Foley down, Rock removes Mr. Socko and stuffs him in an oven! Then Rocky tosses Mankind over the counter and hits him with loaves of bread. Rocky also finds a bottle of Jack Daniels. He takes a drink, but Mankind attacks. He pushes The Rock into a stack of plates and grabs the deadliest weapon in the room. Mick selects—a giant bag of popcorn! He whacks Rock over the head. Vince can’t believe his eyes.

The action then spills into the catering area. We see the ring crew eating at the tables. Rock gets the advantage and eats some popcorn. He says it has too much salt! So Rocky finds a new weapon. He hurls salsa into Mankind’s eyes. Mick cries in pain, so Rock dips a chip into the mess and tries it. He berates Mankind because it’s only mild salsa! After the hot sauce, Rock hits Mick with a squash. He says he doesn’t know what it is. Mankind answers with a low blow. Vince calls him lousy. But Rocky dumps ice water on Mankind and pours a soda on him.

They continue moving through the building. The brawl ends up in an office. A phone rings, so Rock answers it. He says Mankind is busy with The Rock’s foot in his mouth. Then the phone rings again. This time, Rock answers and says it is the Smackdown Hotel. Mankind can’t talk because he’s tied up. The Rock chokes him with the phone cord. However, he stops to flirt with the office lady. She isn’t interested, so The Rock calls her fat and tells her to get lost. This allows Mick to recover. He punches and bites Rocky before throwing him into the hallway.

They reach the loading dock. A worker lifts a pallet of kegs into the air. Mankind and The Rock scuffle underneath it. We get a double down from simultaneous punches. Mick recovers first and pulls off his remaining sock. He does another Socko Claw and Rock passes out. Then Mankind gets an idea. He politely asks the forklift driver to move aside. Mick climbs onto the lift and lowers the pallet onto Rock’s chest. The Rock looks scared and helpless. Mick then pins him down for the three.

Thoughts: I love this. It’s a fun match. Yeah, it ventures into silly territory, but that’s fine. This is the palate cleanser they needed after the brutal Rumble encounter. (Yes, that pun was intentional.) Plus, it would entertain new fans tuning in during halftime. They blended enough violence and humor to give new viewers a taste of this feud. This gave both men a chance to show their personalities.

Winner: Mankind (New Champion) (17:19)

Mick sits on the pallet and taunts The Rock with the belt. Vince and Shane can’t believe it. Mr. McMahon says anything can happen! Mankind holds up the belt and says, “Yo, Adrian! I did it again!”

The Good:

• Mankind/Rock was great fun.

• The rest of the episode had good storyline advancement.

• I liked the Super Bowl commercial.

The Bad:

• Owen/Shamrock was a little disappointing.

Observations:

• Most of the episode built the Owen & Jarrett vs. Boss Man & Shamrock feud. But Owen & Jarrett are facing D’Lo & Henry at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. I don’t understand.

• The NFL called the Super Bowl halftime show a celebration of soul, salsa, and swing. Is that why The Rock used salsa as a weapon during the match?

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to The Rock. He was entertaining as ever during this bout. I’m not taking anything away from Mick. He was also great, but I already gave him the accolades in my last review.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this. If I tuned in for Halftime Heat as a new viewer, it would have hooked me. This did exactly what it needed to do. If you never watched the Empty Arena Match, go see it. It’s on the network. Search for the January 31, 1999 episode of Heat. You can even watch the entire show. Everything was good.

Thank you for reading. Don’t forget my normal review on Sunday. I am covering St. Valentine’s Day Massacre: In Your House.