King of the Ring ’99

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

King of the Ring

June 27, 1999

Greensboro Coliseum Complex

Greensboro, North Carolina

News & Notes: After Over the Edge, the Undertaker vowed to sacrifice Austin to the Higher Power. A match between Taker and Austin ended with Stone Cold tied in the ropes. So the Higher Power revealed his face to Austin. A week later, he would introduce himself to the world, but this gave Austin an opening to thwart his plans. Austin visited Linda McMahon and told her the truth. The Higher Power was Vince McMahon all along! Vince fooled everyone to get back at Austin! Linda and Stephanie confronted him. Stephanie called her father cruel and uncaring. But Vince said it was only business. However, it didn’t amuse Linda. She stepped down and appointed Austin as CEO in her place! Austin’s first proclamation was booking himself in a fight against Vince and Shane at the PPV.

Now for a rundown of other news, and there is a lot! First, someone used a hidden camera to expose people in compromising situations. They call it Gtv. Next, we have new champions. Jeff Jarrett beat the Godfather for the Intercontinental belt. Also, Mideon found the European Title in Shane McMahon’s bag and claimed it for himself. Then Ivory took Debra’s Women’s gold with Nicole Bass’s assistance. Elsewhere, the Mean Street Posse returned for vengeance on the Stooges. They added a new member (Joey Abs) to aid them. Meanwhile, Test asked Stephanie McMahon out on a date. It went well, and Stephanie even protected Test when Boss Man attacked him. Later, Val Venis ran afoul of Droz and Albert. They pierced his nose, so Val tattooed his initials on Albert. Finally, Beaver Cleavage dropped his gimmick on live TV. He said he couldn’t do it anymore and walked away.

(UPDATE: I forgot one more piece of news. Triple H hit Mankind in the knee with his sledgehammer and put him out of action. But Mick will return later in the summer.)

The opening video compares Vince and Shane’s power struggle to other embattled leaders. We see clips of Jesse Jackson, JFK, and Nixon. Sometimes a leader’s plans go awry. Stone Cold is the CEO of the WWF, and Vince hates this. But the McMahons understand the corporate ladder. They challenged Austin to a Ladder Match for control of the company. An undeterred Austin said the McMahons’ asses belong to him.

After welcoming everyone to the show, JR and King discuss a breaking development. Shane McMahon wrestled Shamrock on Heat. Now they don’t know his status for the main event. Lawler calls Shane brave. He also praises Steve Blackman for giving Shamrock what he deserved. Blackman caned Shamrock until he spat up blood. They show the EMTs trying to help Ken, but he refused their care. Lawler calls him an idiot.

Michael Cole is backstage with an update on Shane. Vince’s plans backfired, so Shane might not participate in the Ladder Match. Cole promises a word from Vince later. Lawler says this isn’t fair. Vince might be on his own!

Quarterfinals: X-Pac vs. Hardcore Holly

Storyline: Hardcore Holly defeated Al Snow in the first round while X-Pac scored a surprise pin on Boss Man. X-Pac’s win led to a brawl with the Ministry, so the Acolytes challenged X-Pac and Kane for the tag belts. The Acolytes took the gold with Shane McMahon’s help. Later, the quarter-finalists teamed against each other. It was Show and Holly vs. X-Pac and Kane, but Show and Holly couldn’t coexist. Show chokeslammed Holly and left. Because of this attack, Holly demanded a Hardcore fight with Show. Big Show won after almost pushing a car onto Holly! Meanwhile, they held another quarter-finalist contest. Chyna, Holly, X-Pac, and Dogg wrestled a Fatal 4-Way. Holly eliminated X-Pac with outside interference.

The Match: They do headlocks, shoulder blocks, and leapfrogs, but it hurts X-Pac’s neck. Holly capitalizes with a clothesline and front facelock until X-Pac escapes. Then Pac scores a springboard crossbody. Next, Holly rebounds with a powerbomb and choking, so the ref argues with him. This allows X-Pac to nail a back suplex, heel kick, and Bronco Buster. Afterward, Holly regroups and grabs a chair. He wallops X-Pac to cause a DQ.

Thoughts: The action was fine, but this was more about setting up a storyline for the show. It did its job. They established sympathy for X-Pac. Plus, it made Holly look brutal, so it builds upon his hardcore character.

Winner: X-Pac (by DQ) (3:02)

Holly continues his attack with a neckbreaker and stomps, so Road Dogg chases him away. Lawler says X-Pac doesn’t look like a winner. X-Pac holds his neck in pain and shakes some feeling back into his arm. Then Road Dogg helps him to the back.

As Holly steps through the curtain, Terry Taylor stops him for an interview. Taylor reminds Holly he got disqualified, so Holly asks, “Who the hell are you?” Terry introduces himself, but Holly doesn’t care. He calls himself the Big Shot. Everyone will play by his rules and like it! Holly also says, “Oh, and by the way, I haven’t forgotten about you, Big Show!” With that said, Holly walks away and does a fake laugh.

Quarterfinals: Kane vs. The Big Show

Storyline: Big Show beat Droz in the first round, and Kane advanced with a win over Test. Later, CEO Austin offered the Union members anything they wanted. Big Show asked for the Undertaker. During the contest, Show chokeslammed Taker through the ring. Afterward, the Ministry jumped Show. Next, Vince made Big Show and X-Pac wrestle. Show showed hesitation, but X-Pac looked to fight. The problem was, Kane stepped in to confront Big Show, which annoyed X-Pac. It caused an argument between Kane and X-Pac, and they scuffled. Big Show walked away and let them vent their frustrations. Finally, during another quarter-finalist 4-Way, Kane and Big show brawled to the back.

The Match: They trade strikes until Show shoves Kane and gives him a beal toss! After more punches and choking, Show boots Kane in the face and lands an elbow drop. Next, Kane scores an enziguri before both men fall to a double big boot. It leads to fighting at the apron. Kane hits a hotshot and does a flying clothesline. But Show rebounds with a jawbreaker. Then Show wipes out the ref with a missed big boot! This opens the door for Hardcore Holly. He brings a chair only for Kane to stop him with a chokeslam. Holly retreats as Kane grabs Show by the throat. He chokes him for a long time! Show fades, but the ref is still unconscious. After an eternity, Show breaks Kane’s grip. So Kane grabs the chair and whacks Show in the head. The ref recovers to count a three.

Thoughts: Until the long choke spot, they had a good big man match. But they lost the crowd with that decision. It was a poor choice in an otherwise decent bout. If they had done something else, I would have enjoyed this.

Winner: Kane (6:36)

Michael Cole visits Vince in his office for an update about Shane. Vince says he will never forgive Shamrock for what he did. Shane claims he can still fight, but Vince won’t let him. He says Shane needs medical attention. So Vince tells Cole to leave and calls for the EMTs.

Next, Mr. Ass arrives for his first-round bout. JR says “Ass Man” is Lawler’s favorite song, but then he remembers King likes puppies. Also, Gunn wears one of the tag belts, but he isn’t a champ. They show a clip of Gunn stealing the title from Bradshaw. Afterward, Gunn grabs a mic and taunts Shamrock. He accuses Ken of running scared and calls him the world’s most dangerous horse’s ass. Shamrock attacks the EMTs in anger and enters the arena. JR says he is a sandwich short of a picnic, but Ken is coming to fight! Teddy Long tries to talk him out of it until Gunn jumps Shamrock.

Quarterfinals: Mr. Ass vs. Ken Shamrock

Storyline: Gunn defeated Viscera to qualify, and Shamrock beat Jarrett. Ken’s victory caused a feud with Jarrett. Jeff attacked him with a guitar and interrupted Shamrock’s matches. He even prevented Ken from getting revenge on Vince. Then McMahons sent Blackman after Shamrock. Blackman targeted Ken with Kendo Stick attacks, which left Shamrock bleeding internally. Meanwhile, Gunn still had issues with Road Dogg, so Mr. Ass allied with Triple H and Chyna. However, Gunn and Chyna won their 4-Way bouts and wrestled each other. Gunn asked Chyna to lie down for him. It didn’t work. She pinned Gunn when Hunter gave him a Pedigree. Finally, Gunn partnered with the Acolytes in a six-man with the tag belts on the line. He scored the pin and claimed he was one-half of the tag champs. Gunn swiped a belt, much to the Acolytes’ chagrin.

The Match: They exchange strikes until Gunn catches Ken on a crossbody. He turns it into a backbreaker and targets Shamrock’s ribs. Ken almost scores an anklelock, but Billy uses punches to escape. This leads to fighting on the floor. Mr. Ass rams Ken’s ribs into the barricade only for Shamrock to grab a rolling leglock. Once Gunn breaks free, they head inside, where Gunn misses a flying splash. Ken capitalizes with a jumping back elbow and leg lariat. This hurts Ken’s ribs, but he still tries a hurricanrana. Gunn counters with a powerbomb, and Teddy Long stops the match because Ken is spitting up blood.

Thoughts: Again, this was more about the storytelling than the action. That is fine. It made Gunn look vicious, and it furthered Shamrock’s story. Gunn needed an aggressive streak. They haven’t booked him strong since his heel turn.

Winner: Mr. Ass (by ref stoppage) (3:37)

JR says it is a controversial call, but he thinks Teddy Long made the right decision. Shamrock disagrees. He throws Long out of the ring and almost collapses. Lawler worries about the hospital attendants that will help him later.

Afterward, Kevin Kelly interviews Triple H and Chyna. He asks Chyna what it is like to be the first woman to enter the King of the Ring tournament. She says she wanted to be a princess when she was little. But tonight, she will be a queen! Chyna also says Road Dogg has brass balls to step into the ring with her. Then Kevin asks Triple H about his challenge to the WWF champion. What are his thoughts about The Rock vs. The Undertaker? Triple H says no one gives him orders. He marches to the beat of his own drum!

This leads to Road Dogg and Chyna’s entrances. Road Dogg does his usual shtick. Lawler mocks him for talking about DX. King announces DX’s demise! Meanwhile, Chyna uses Triple H’s “My Time” theme. It is complete now. They added the lyrics.

Quarterfinals: Road Dogg vs. Chyna (w/ Triple H)

Storyline: Triple H focused on the WWF Title, so he told Chyna to enter the King of the Ring tournament. Chyna beat Val Veins while Road Dogg advanced with a victory over the Godfather. Later, Dogg and Shamrock teamed against Chyna and Gunn. It led to a brawl with Triple H, Chyna, X-Pac, and Kane involved. Dogg threw Chyna into the ring to take a chokeslam from Kane. Next, Road Dogg wrestled Mr. Ass in a Dog Collar bout. Chyna helped Gunn defeat Road Dogg. Afterward, Triple H warned Dogg to treat Chyna like any other competitor instead of seeing her as a woman. But Dogg didn’t heed the warning, so Triple H and Chyna jumped him on Heat.

The Match: They trade arm wringers, hammerlocks, and headlocks, but Dogg hesitates to strike her. Chyna uses this to her advantage. She nails Dogg with forearms and kicks. Next, the fight spills outside, where Helmsley distracts Dogg. It allows Chyna to shove him into the post. This leads to more strikes and a DDT. Chyna even does the shaky knee drop! Later, they exchange sleeper holds. Hunter puts Chyna’s foot on the ropes to break it. Then we get a ref bump, so Hunter decks Dogg with a chain and puts Chyna on top. It only gets a two, and Dogg recovers to hit the Shake, Rattle, & Roll. When Triple H tries to interfere, HBK ejects him from ringside. While Dogg watches this, Chyna does a low blow, but it hurts her arm. Dogg reveals he wore a cup. After removing it, Dogg lands a pumphandle slam for the win.

Thoughts: It was a decent match. Road Dogg led Chyna to a good showing. You could hear him calling spots a few times, but it was still fine. Plus, the closing minutes got a good reaction. I also liked the story they told about Road Dogg’s hesitation to punch her.

Winner: Road Dogg (13:21)

Cole interviews The Rock about his WWF Title shot. Rocky threatens Michael and makes him flinch before answering the question. He says Taker didn’t impress him by lighting a Brahma bull on fire. The Rock has been on fire since he came to this son of a bitch! Also, speaking in tongues isn’t impressive. The Rock can do that too! He says, “Ooh-la-la. Sa-bee-dah! The Rock kicking your monkey ass all over god’s green Earth!” If you smell what The Rock is cooking.

Up next is a match they tried to do on Heat, but the Acolytes interrupted it. It’s the Hardy Boyz vs. the Brood. They show clips of Bradshaw’s attack. He called out Billy Gunn and demanded he return the tag belt. Afterward, HBK ordered the Hardys and the Brood to redo this bout. They will consider the winners the #1 contenders.

Tag Team #1 Contender Match: The Hardy Boyz (w/ Michael Hayes) vs. The Brood (Edge & Christian) (w/ Gangrel)

Storyline: The issues between the Hardys and the Brood continued. The Hardy Boyz cost Christian a match against Beaver Cleavage. Then the Hardys jumped the Brood again, but the Brood backdropped the Hardys onto Hayes. Afterward, the Brood gave the Acolytes a bloodbath to get a tag title shot. Their efforts failed, so they returned to their rivalry with the Hardy Boyz. This time, the Brood asked Too Much for help. After aiding the Brood, Too Much rechristened themselves as Too Cool. The gimmick is they try to act hip and fail miserably. Finally, they tried to hold this contest on Heat, but the Acolytes ruined it. Now they have a second chance.

The Match: After Christian and Matt exchange takedowns, the Hardys double team the Brood. So the Brood returns the favor with a double hip toss and a gutbuster. Next, Jeff Hardy does headscissors out of the corner, but Edge turns one into an Alabama Slam. Once they recover, the Hardys do Poetry in Motion. This leads to the teams trading DDTs and suplexes. It causes a brawl, and Hayes scores a cheap shot during the chaos. When Hayes tries it again, Edge spears him! Afterward, the Hardys do another Poetry in Motion. But Edge spears Jeff out of the air! More interference starts a fight between Hayes and Gangrel. Plus, Christian lands a triangle jump plancha on Matt. While this happens, Gangrel tries to spit blood in Jeff’s face. He hits Edge by mistake, so Jeff nails a Twist of Fate for the victory.

Thoughts: It was short, explosive, and fun. They had little time, but they made the most of it. This is a teaser for what is coming with these teams. It provided the Hardys with a chance to shine. I enjoyed this.

Winners: The Hardy Boyz (4:49)

Edge stumbles around the ring and complains to Gangrel about his mistake. However, Gangrel calms him down and they embrace.

Next, Cole interviews The Undertaker about the WWF Title match. Can he withstand the charge of the Brahma bull? Taker mocks Cole for his stupid question. Then he asks Michael what happens when you rip the balls off of a bull. Taker walks away before Cole can answer, so JR does it for him. Ross says it makes you a steer.

After the interview, Vince enters the arena. He berates the rude fans and announces the Ladder Match won’t happen. HBK put Shane in harm’s way, so Shane can’t compete. But HBK has none of that. Shawn says Vince can’t weasel out of the bout, which makes Lawler lose his smile. Because of Shawn’s ruling, Vince accuses Austin of hiding behind Michaels. Vince also offers a compromise. He will find a suitable replacement for Shane. Vince promises to be the 100% owner of the company after tonight. Lawler claims Vince outsmarted Shawn Michaels.

Semifinals: Mr. Ass vs. Kane

The Match: Kane shoves Gunn into the corner. Then he nails Billy with uppercuts, a short-arm clothesline, and a headbutt. When Gunn regroups, they fight outside. Kane grabs the steps, so Mr. Ass dropkicks them into Kane’s face! He also rams Kane into the post and the barricade. Back inside, Gunn throws more strikes, chokes Kane, and attempts a Fameasser. But Kane counters into a powerslam and does clotheslines and a big boot. As a result, Gunn retreats to the apron only for Kane to dropkick him! Next, Mr. Ass grabs a chair, but Big Show arrives and takes it. As Kane intervenes, he knocks over the ref. This allows Big Show to hit Kane with the chair, so Gunn rolls Kane up for the win.

Thoughts: This wasn’t great. It’s strange when Billy Gunn is the one wrestling the slower pace. Things picked up more when Kane took charge. Then it ended with outside interference. I get they are continuing the Kane/Big Show feud, but the match fell flat.

Winner: Mr. Ass (5:25)

Kevin Kelly interviews X-Pac about the semifinals. Will he have mixed feelings about facing Road Dogg? Pac calls it a dumb question. There are always mixed feelings when you face a friend. However, this is an opportunity to reach the next level. X-Pac says he hates to sound corny, but may the best man win.

After X-Pac’s entrance, Kelly asks Road Dogg the same question. Dogg says X-Pac is his best friend. This might be the hardest match in his career, but they are professional wrestlers. With that said, Road Dogg discusses the honor of winning the tournament. But he stumbles over his words. He also mispronounces X-Pac’s name and corrects himself. When he finishes, Road Dogg takes Kevin’s mic and does his usual spiel.

Semifinals: X-Pac vs. Road Dogg

The Match: Dogg does headlocks and shoulder blocks until X-Pac counters with a back suplex. He follows with a snapmare and a sliding leg drop. Afterward, Dogg escapes a chinlock and nails Shake, Rattle, & Roll and a shaky knee drop. Chops and choking follow, but X-Pac scores a wheel kick and Bronco Buster. The latter hurts Pac’s neck, so Dogg attempts the pumphandle slam. X-Pac reverses it and lands an X-Factor for the win.

Thoughts: This was too short to find any momentum. The action wasn’t bad, but it was forgettable. However, the story made sense. X-Pac wanted to end it early to protect his neck. They got where they needed to go, so that’s fine.

Winner: X-Pac (3:08)

X-Pac holds his neck in pain, so Lawler expects drama. It doesn’t happen. Instead, Road Dogg raises X-Pac’s arm and hugs him. Lawler calls it corny and stupid.

Next, they recap the Rock/Undertaker feud. The Undertaker’s aggression awakened a fury in the Brahma bull. Rocky wanted a title shot, but Vince made him jump through hoops to earn it. He faced Taker and Triple H in a Triple Threat. Chyna’s mistake helped Rocky pin Triple H, so Taker and Hunter brawled. Is the Corporate Ministry disintegrating?

Then, during The Rock’s entrance, JR sings his praises. But Lawler doesn’t think he will win tonight or any night. Also, Lawler hesitates to quote Taker’s promo from earlier. When Jerry can’t say balls, JR finishes it for him. Ross says testicles, which makes Lawler giggle like a child.

WWF Title Match: The Undertaker (c) (w/ Paul Bearer) vs. The Rock

Storyline: CEO Austin booked Triple H vs. The Rock in a Cast Match where Triple H wore a cast on his leg. During the bout, the Undertaker Tombstoned The Rock on a chair. Because of the attack, Rocky challenged Taker for the belt. However, Vince said The Rock didn’t deserve it. He had to defeat Taker and Helmsley in a Triple Threat to earn the shot. Rocky won because of Chyna’s botched interference. It caused tensions between Triple H and Taker. So Triple H demanded to face the winner of this contest. He also claimed he was inside Taker’s head. Vince attempted to play peacemaker, but Triple H still wrestled Taker. The Rock used the opening to give Taker a Rock Bottom. Afterward, he tried to cuff Taker and Bearer to a Brahma bull symbol. Finally, on Heat, Taker set Rock’s Brahma bull symbol on fire.

The Match: Within seconds, Taker decks the ref, but Rock lands a Rock Bottom. When another referee arrives, Paul Bearer pulls him outside! This leads to crowd brawling. Taker reverses a suplex on the floor and they return to the ring. It doesn’t last. Rock crotches Taker during Old School and spits water in his face. Next, we get more fighting in the stands around the hard camera. They also head to the announce tables, and Taker knocks a chair into Rock’s face with the ring bell. Afterward, Taker slows things with chinlocks. But Rocky escapes to nail a Samoan Drop and DDT. Another ref bump follows before Rock scores a People’s Elbow. So Bearer gives Taker an ether-soaked rag. However, Rocky steals it and smothers Taker. This draws out Triple H for a Pedigree on Rocky. Taker regains consciousness and only gets two, but a Tombstone ends it.

Thoughts: Part of this was an entertaining brawl, but the rest dragged. They added bells and whistles, and it almost worked. But I found it disappointing. Despite not being terrible, I’m glad it didn’t close the show.

Winner: The Undertaker (19:11)

JR complains about Triple H’s interference, but he also noticed Hunter wore his gear. Is Hunter Vince’s suitable replacement? HBK believes he is, so Michaels tells Helmsley to leave the building. Vince confronts HBK, but it is too late. McMahon yells, “He’s my tag team partner!” Shawn says he knows, but it doesn’t matter. When Shawn leaves, Vince grabs his cell phone and calls someone. He tells him to return to the arena.

Then Cole interviews Mr. Ass before the finals. Gunn says he is in a good mood, so he will tell X-Pac about his strategy. He plans to go after X-Pac’s scrawny neck. When Gunn wins, he will have four words for Pac. Those words are kiss my royal ass.

Finals: Mr. Ass vs. X-Pac

The Match: Gunn jumps X-Pac and whips him around the ring. Then he does Stinger Splashes until he misses one. This allows X-Pac to send Gunn outside for a slingshot crossbody. When they return, Pac also nails a flying clothesline. But Gunn rebounds with a bulldog and targets the neck. He does a press slam, knee drop, and front facelock. Plus, Billy lands a powerslam and a Fameasser. However, a nonchalant cover only gets a two. Billy calls this bullshit, and the argument lets X-Pac recover. When Gunn turns, X-Pac kicks him and hits the X-Factor. It’s not enough because Pac is slow to cover. So Pac also uses the Bronco Buster. Afterward, Gunn responds with a neckbreaker and they fight on the top rope. Gunn knocks Pac down and plants him with a diving Fameasser for the victory.

Thoughts: It was another short bout, but I liked the storytelling and near falls. Plus, that was a nice ending. X-Pac put up enough of a fight to seem valiant, but it’s a dominant win for Gunn. It’s a shame it amounts to nothing. His push goes nowhere.

Winner: Mr. Ass (King of the Ring) (5:33)

Gunn celebrates and teases showing his ass, but they cut to a replay. Lawler tells the truck to hurry or they will miss it. However, JR doesn’t want to see that.

Next, they recap the main event feud. Austin’s victory at Mania was Vince’s saddest day. So Vince launched a diabolical plot. This was about betrayal, deception, and power! Vince fooled everyone, including his family. But he swore it was only business. The plan backfired. Linda appointed Austin as the CEO. Vince called this a disgrace and challenged Austin to a Ladder Match.

Vince arrives alone, but he found Shane’s replacement! It is Steve Blackman! But wait! They show Gtv footage of Shane and the Mean Street Posse backstage. They gloat about their deception. JR says there is nothing wrong with Shane! Then Pete Gas notices they are live. When he tells Shane, they run out of the room. HBK catches them and makes Shane head to the ring. Michaels says Shane can compete. Therefore, they don’t need Blackman. He tells Steve to get his G.I. Joe-looking ass out of there, or Shawn will disqualify the McMahons.

Handicap Ladder Match for Control of the WWF: Mr. McMahon & Shane McMahon vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Storyline: CEO Austin wasted no time in making changes at Titan Towers. He stole Vince’s parking spot and held drinking contests during board meetings. Then Austin redirected Vince and Shane’s salaries to a beer fund. He also dumped manure in Vince’s office and poured beer on it. Vince had enough. He demanded a Ladder Match for control of the company. Austin wanted a stipulation that said no corporate members could interfere. He had to defeat Boss Man to get his wish. HBK made himself the referee, and Austin won. Because of Boss Man’s loss, Vince fired him from the corporation. He even put Boss Man in a handicap fight against Mideon and Viscera on Heat. HBK countered by booking Vince vs. Shamrock, but Vince asked Shane to take his place. Shane fought Ken until Blackman interrupted the bout.

The Match: Austin prevents the McMahons from getting a ladder and stomps them. So Vince leads Austin on a chase, and they scuffle in the aisle. They climb an entrance set made of ladders. Austin collapses it on the McMahons and returns to the ring. But Vince and Shane rally and move the action outside. There, Austin puts Shane through the announce table. However, Vince dumps Austin off the ladder. When the McMahons try to climb, Austin won’t let them have the ladder. So Vince places Shane on his shoulders and tries in vain to reach the case. Austin taps them on the shoulder and hands out Stunners. It allows Austin to climb only for someone to raise the briefcase twice! Austin confronts the ring crew, but they don’t know what happened. Finally, Austin and Vince climb. Shane sacrifices his dad to wipe out Austin, and Shane grabs the case.

Thoughts: This was entertaining chaos and violence. Vince and Shane took a lot of punishment, and it helped. Plus, I liked the spot with the entrance set. I’m even fine with the finish, except for one thing. The WWF never explains who raised the briefcase. They imply it was Boss Man. Since they fired him, it doesn’t violate the stipulation. The Corporate Ministry rehires him on the following night. But they never outright state he did it.

Winners: The McMahons (17:13)

Shane and Vince escape with the case while Austin cusses them out from the ring. JR says they will make Austin’s life a living hell now. Then Vince flips Austin off as they leave. Once they are gone, Austin confronts the ring crew again as the show ends.

The Good:

• The main event was wild and chaotic.

• The Hardys/Brood match was fun.

• There were some good running storylines throughout the show.

The Bad:

• The Rock/Taker match was disappointing.

• That long choke spot during Big Show/Kane.

• Gunn/Kane was dull.

Observations:

• The action is good, but the storylines are off the rails. The Higher Power reveal made no sense. The WWF is lucky their show is exciting enough to make up for it.

• JR discovered the phrase who’s your daddy before this show. He said it twice. Vince must have thought it was hilarious.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Vince and Shane. They took some nasty bumps to put on a good match. Austin’s injuries caught up to him in the summer of ’99, but you wouldn’t know it seeing that bout. They worked around his limitations perfectly.

Final Thoughts:

People hate this show, but I disagree. I’m not saying it was great. However, it gets a bad reputation. I found it to be an easy watch with some entertaining moments. People view this through the lens of hindsight. The main problem is the lack of followup. Billy Gunn’s push goes nowhere, and Austin gets the better of Vince again the following night. The show isn’t bad on its own merits, but the results become inconsequential. Plus, the nonsensical Higher Power angle sours everyone’s perception of this event. I know I’m in the minority, but I thought this was fine.

Thank you for reading. My next review is WCW’s Bash at the Beach ’99. Look for it next Sunday!