Survivor Series ’99

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

Survivor Series

November 14, 1999

Joe Louis Arena

Detroit, Michigan

News & Notes: I only have a few extra storylines and news items to discuss before we begin. After No Mercy, Stephanie regained her memories. So she made up for the drama by proposing to Test. The wedding is back on, and Shane gave his blessing. But Triple H caused trouble. He even broke Test’s nose when Test defended Stephanie’s honor. Meanwhile, someone else suffered through real drama. Stores pulled Al Snow’s action figure when a teacher complained about it. She thought Head was a woman’s severed head. So she accused the toy of promoting domestic violence. Lastly, the WWF invited Arnold Schwarzenegger to an episode of Smackdown. He promoted his new movie, End of Days. Then Vince gave him a replica of the WWF Title. Plus, Arnold did commentary and helped Rock and Austin fend off Triple H.

The show opens with a video about the Triple Threat for the WWF Title. JR calls Survivor Series the most controversial PPV in the WWF’s history. Then we hear how much the championship means to Triple H, The Rock, and Austin. But who can they trust? Did Vince McMahon hit Shane and Austin on purpose, or was it an accident? The Rock will never trust a roody poo candy ass. And Austin thinks Vince is an asshole either way. As far as Helmsley, he promises to keep his gold because his enemies are screw-ups.

Afterward, fireworks explode and JR welcomes everyone to Detroit for the 13^th Survivor Series. Lawler compares it to the 1997 show, but he says we have seen nothing yet! Before Jerry can say more, the Godfather’s music distracts him. Lawler overloads on excitement. They will see puppies, kittens, and hoes on tonight’s show! However, JR wants to discuss the matches, but he can’t get Jerry’s attention.

Once the Godfather reaches the ring, he does his spiel about pimping and smoking weed. But then his music plays again, which confuses him. This brings us D’Lo and the Headbangers in pimp outfits. Mosh and Thrasher even added large Afro wigs. The sight makes Godfather roll on the mat with laughter. But the Dudleys arrive to spoil the fun. Bubba stutters while asking for some hoes, so the Godfather mocks him. To make matters worse for the Dudleys, their partners, the Acolytes, get in their faces. Faarooq and Bradshaw tell them to do as they say.

The Godfather, D’Lo Brown, & The Headbangers (w/ The Hoes) vs. The Acolytes & The Dudley Boyz

Storyline: After Chaz’s drama ended, the Headbangers reformed. Then the Dudleys defeated them on Heat, so the Headbangers cost the Dudleys a win. They also mocked Bubba Ray’s stutter. Meanwhile, the Godfather tried to help Mark Henry. He convinced him nothing was wrong and offered him a lady. But Henry sided with Viscera against the Godfather when Viscera promised him all the women. However, Viscera attacked them. This led to the Dudleys pissing off Godfather by laughing at the injured hoes. So Godfather and D’Lo wrestled the Dudleys, but they lost when the hoes distracted the ref by accident. Elsewhere, the Acolytes played poker with the Fink and caused a few bar fights.

The Match: The Headbangers keep the Dudleys at bay with backdrops and a jawbreaker. But then Bradshaw makes a blind tag. He shakes off dropkicks and eliminates Thrasher with the Clothesline from Hell. Next, the Dudleys tag in and take out Mosh with a 3D! This angers Bradshaw, so he decks D’Lo and Bubba with a chair to get disqualified. Once Bradshaw leaves, D-Von and Faarooq argue over who will fight. It leads to a brawl down the aisle, so the ref counts them out! Now Bubba is alone against D’Lo and Godfather. D’Lo scores a Sky High, but Bubba responds with a superbomb. Neither gets the job done, and Bubba has no one to tag. So Godfather and D’Lo finish him with a Ho Train and a Lo Down.

Thoughts: This felt like it was in fast forward, but maybe it’s for the best. They kept it to a good length and never let the action drag. Plus, it contained amusing moments. This will win no awards, and you’ll probably forget it by the end of the show. But it served its purpose. The crowd liked it.

Survivors: The Godfather & D’Lo Brown (9:36)

After the bell, the Godfather, D’Lo, and even Tim White celebrate with the ladies. This amuses JR, but Lawler loses his mind again. So JR says, “Take it easy, Tiger!”

Then we get a hype video for the debuting Kurt Angle. People know he is an Olympic champion, but that’s not all. Kurt succeeded his whole life. He also won wrestling championships in high school and college! Plus, Kurt was the athlete of the year and a five-time national champ. So destiny brought him to the WWF to showcase his talents. With that said, the narrator ends the vignette. He calls Kurt the most celebrated real athlete in the WWF’s history!

This leads to the entrances. Shawn Stasiak arrives to wrestle Kurt Angle, so JR and King discuss his background. He is the son of Stan the Man Stasiak, who was a former WWWF champion. Lawler says the footage of Stan is as old as Moolah and Mae. Next, JR calls Angle a blue chipper. (Not again! That moniker is the kiss of death!)

Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Stasiak

Storyline: Two weeks before this event, the WWF aired vignettes for a new superstar. His name is Kurt Angle, and he is an Olympic gold medalist. According to Kurt, this makes him the only real athlete in the WWF. But you can be like him if you follow his three Is for success. The Is are Intensity, Integrity, and Intelligence. This is his debut match against the former Meat, Shawn Stasiak.

The Match: They exchange takedowns, facelocks, and hammerlocks. When Shawn gains the advantage, Kurt answers with a hip toss and overhead belly-to-belly. But Shawn rallies again with strikes and chinlocks. Once Angle breaks free, he has enough of the fans booing and chanting boring. Kurt grabs a mic and tells them you don’t boo an Olympic gold medalist! He is there for them because he’s the best in the world! With that said, Angle returns to the ring. There, he escapes another chinlock and counters Stasiak’s moves. Plus, Angle nails a powerslam. It isn’t enough, so Shawn hits a fireman’s carry flapjack and climbs the ropes. But he misses a flying crossbody. This opens the door for Angle’s Olympic Slam and a pin.

Thoughts: It wasn’t thrilling, but it established Kurt’s character well. Plus, Kurt looked good in this bout. Everything was crisp and well-executed. Kurt will have much better matches in the future, but this was a fine start.

Winner: Kurt Angle (5:57)

Lawler claims Angle stole the Olympic Slam from him, but he still likes Angle. In fact, the fans’ reaction to Kurt annoys Jerry. It bothers him so much he interrupts JR’s replay commentary.

Then JR and King recap what happened on Heat. Triple H called Austin and Rocky to the ring for a DX ambush. But it failed because The Rock and Austin fended off the attack.

Now we get the entrances for the next elimination contest. Val Venis will team with Mark Henry, Gangrel, and Steve Blackman, but JR says they have nothing in common. Lawler disagrees. He says they all like the ladies. Gangrel even enjoys nibbling on their necks! Meanwhile, Ross talks about Bulldog’s inexperienced partners, the Mean Street Posse.

Val Venis, Gangrel, Mark Henry, & Steve Blackman vs. The British Bulldog & The Mean Street Posse

Storyline: Test came after Bulldog for what he did to Stephanie, so the Mean Street Posse sided with Bulldog. This led to two meetings between Bulldog and Test, including a Cage Match. The Posse aided Bulldog both times. Plus, they helped Bulldog defeat D’Lo Brown to win the European Title. As far as their opponents, they have their own ongoing issues. Val continued antagonizing Mankind. He burned copies of Mick’s book and cost him the tag belts. Then there is Gangrel. The Hardys kicked him to the curb when Gangrel lied about scoring with Terri. Also, Gangrel defeated Blackman by spitting blood in his eyes. Yet here they are as a team. Once they announced this bout, Blackman, Henry, and Gangrel saved Val from a Posse beating.

The Match: Val and Bulldog begin with headlocks and shoulder blocks. The Posse want to join, but Val would rather fight Davey. Once the Posse members enter the ring, they don’t fare well. Blackman eliminates Pete with a bicycle kick. Then Rodney scores a crucifix pin, but he falls to Gangrel’s Impaler. Next, Abs rallies against Henry until Mark squashes him on the ropes. Afterward, Henry takes out Joey with a splash. It leaves Bulldog by himself. However, he pins Gangrel after a superplex. Plus, Bulldog gets Blackman with a fisherman’s suplex. Now Val and Henry double team Bulldog. Davey tries to separate them, but it fails. Val and Henry end it with a splash and a Money Shot.

Thoughts: This was forgettable and pointless. There was no storyline reason to explain why these two heel teams fought each other. The fans couldn’t care less until the finish. Also, why are Val and Blackman teaming? They hated each other two months ago. Plus, Gangrel cheated to defeat Blackman on TV. This made no sense.

Survivors: Val Venis & Mark Henry (9:08)

Elsewhere, Michael Cole barges into the women’s locker room for an interview. He finds Terri half-dressed, so Cole apologizes and turns to leave. Before he can retreat, Ivory stops him. She asks Cole to rub lotion on her belly, which makes Michael nervous. Plus, Ivory says he can return later and wash it off. She then swats Cole on the butt as he exits. Lawler wonders how Cole got this job instead of him.

This leads to the entrances for the women’s bout. Mae Young wears a crown to the ring. Jerry says she won it in a match with King Tut. In fact, Jerry has insults for most of the competitors, except Debra. She makes Jerry lose his mind. Meanwhile, the Fink informs everyone this contest has sudden death rules. It will end with one pinfall. So Moolah and Mae waste no time. They jump Ivory when she arrives.

Debra, Tori, The Fabulous Moolah, & Mae Young vs. Ivory, Jacqueline, Luna Vachon, & Terri Runnels

Storyline: After Moolah won the Women’s title, Mae wanted a shot. This caused a catfight between them and even a match. But Ivory ruined it, so Tori came after her. Then Moolah realized she was too old to defend the belt. She offered to return it to Ivory, but Ivory wanted to pin her for the gold. So they had a short contest where Ivory rolled Moolah up for the win. Next, Ivory faced Tori on Smackdown. It ended in a schmoz when all the women in this bout interfered.

The Match: Luna stops the attack and throws Mae into the ring, but she tosses her out the other side. Then Tori enters the fight and tackles Luna. This draws Jacqueline into the ring, so Jackie and Luna try a double suplex. But Tori thinks it’s a DDT and drops to the mat. However, they succeed on the second try. Next, Ivory joins the fray only for Tori to rally with a double clothesline. It leads to Moolah’s tag. She performs a hairmare on Ivory. Plus, Mae joins her for an awkward double clothesline. With Ivory down, Moolah covers her for a three!

Thoughts: At least they kept it short, but what we got was still an awful mess. How is Tori this sloppy after wrestling for years? She’s not green. Her career started in the late 80s! I see why they move her to more of a non-wrestling role.

Winners: Debra, Tori, Moolah, & Mae (1:52)

The fight continues after the bell. Debra rips off Terri’s top, but her bra was the same color and size as the garment Debra ripped. It made little difference. While this happens, Moolah swipes the Women’s Title and holds it in the air. So Ivory attacks her until Teddy Long stops it.

Then Lilian Garcia interviews X-Pac about his meeting with Kane. She asks if he’s ready for a determined and angry Kane. After mocking her question, X-Pac says he already proved everything he needed to prove. X-Pac calls Kane a big goof and says he carried him. In fact, Kane begged him to team for months! So Pac calls Kane sexually frustrated and impotent. Despite their size difference, X-Pac claims he could whip Kane’s ass. With that said, X-Pac tells Kane to bring it on.

JR wonders how X-Pac knows Kane is impotent. They weren’t that close! This comment amuses Lawler, as they cut to a clip from Heat. Cole interviewed Kane and Tori. He said X-Pac made it personal, and he asked for Kane’s thoughts. But Tori offered an answer. Why wouldn’t Kane take it personally? He had X-Pac’s back in the land of giants, but Pac betrayed him! And as far as X-Pac’s insult, she heard X-Pac was the one with the little hose.

Tori doesn’t accompany Kane to the ring, so X-Pac jumps Kane while he sets off his pyro.

Kane vs. X-Pac

Storyline: Kane continued telling X-Pac not to help him, but Kane had trouble with the Dudleys. A concerned Tori told X-Pac to do something about it. Tori felt bad for Kane and developed feelings for him. The problem is, X-Pac sided with the reformed DX. This meant Kane had to go. X-Pac turned on his partner with a low blow and an X-Factor. He said he was sick of carrying Kane. X-Pac even mocked him for having a burned off penis. Plus, Pac insulted Tori, so Kane came after him. Kane and X-Pac brawled into the crowd while Triple H wrestled Shane McMahon. Afterward, Kane teamed with Rock, Austin, and Shane to face DX. But X-Pac eliminated Kane after a low blow, Fameasser, and X-Factor.

The Match: Kane throws X-Pac around, but Pac sticks and moves with kicks and punches. Then Pac crotches Kane on the top rope with a dropkick. This leads to fighting outside where Pac sends Kane into the steps and the post. Back inside, Pac scores wheel kicks and tries to do the Bronco Buster. As X-Pac charges, Kane grabs him by the throat and does a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Plus, Kane nails a big boot and flying clothesline. Afterward, Kane covers, but Road Dogg pulls him out of the ring! Kane fends Road Dogg off only to take an X-Factor when he heads back inside. Since it only gets a two, X-Pac climbs the turnbuckles. But Kane catches him as he dives and attempts a Tombstone. So Triple H arrives and hits Kane with the WWF Title to cause a DQ.

Thoughts: What we got was pretty good, but the disappointing finish brought it down a notch. I don’t mind them drawing out the feud, but it doesn’t make this any less of a letdown. The fans in the arena agreed. They booed the ending.

Winner: Kane (by DQ) (4:15)

DX continues attacking Kane. They drag him to the corner for a Bronco Buster, but Tori runs to the rescue. She grabs X-Pac, so he spins around with a heel kick before he realizes who it is. Pac looks remorseful for his actions, but he retreats with DX. Then the EMTs arrive, including our blonde friend. They revive Tori with smelling salts, as Lawler mocks her relationship with Kane. This makes JR snap. Ross points out Jerry has multiple ex-wives, so he’s one to talk!

Next, Cole tries to interview The Rock, but Triple H interrupts them. Rocky calls Hunter a jabroni, so Triple H shoves them and they fight. As they scuffle, the WWF officials arrive to stop it. Sgt. Slaughter damn near puts a chinlock on The Rock. Once they restore order, we return to the announce desk. JR wonders why Triple H did that, but Lawler says it’s mind games.

Afterward, Prince Albert arrives for the next elimination bout. JR calls him Boss Man’s protégé, which leads to a discussion about Boss Man’s horrible behavior. They show a clip of Boss Man reading a nasty sympathy card for Big Show’s dad. We also see Boss Man crashing the funeral. The WWF tried to assign Big Show partners for this contest, but he wanted no help. Big Show beat up Kaientai and the Blue Meanie on Heat, so he is alone. (On a side note, Finkel messed up Big Show’s introduction. He called Big Show Boss Man’s partner, but he corrected himself and said opponent.)

The Big Show vs. Big Boss Man, Prince Albert, Mideon, & Viscera

Storyline: Boss Man made Big Show’s life hell while his father was sick. He paid someone to tell Show his dad died, but Gtv exposed the lie. Then Boss Man and Albert worked together to steal a watch Show’s dad gave him. They destroyed it. Later, Show’s dad passed, and Boss Man mocked him with a horrible poem. Afterward, Boss Man regained the Hardcore belt from Al Snow. But he couldn’t celebrate because Show came after him. Big Show trapped Boss and Albert in a car and shoved a dumpster onto it. In retaliation, Boss ambushed Show with a smoke grenade. Finally, Boss Man crashed the funeral in the Blues Brothers’ car. He used the car to drag the casket with Big Show on top of it. So an angry Big Show took out his frustrations on his partners during Heat.

The Match: Big Show clears the ring and then eliminates Mideon with a chokeslam. Albert receives the same fate. Plus, Show slams Viscera before taking him out with another chokeslam. This leaves only Boss Man, who drops to the floor. He acts like he is going to return, but Boss Man waves goodbye. So the ref counts him out to give Big Show the win.

Thoughts: It wasn’t much, but they made Big Show look dominant. Given the storyline, it fits, so I have no issues with this. Plus, I know why they kept it short. Hindsight makes this more bearable. This was what it needed to be.

Survivor: The Big Show (1:24)

Afterward, Kevin Kelly tries to interview Austin, but Triple H once again interrupts them. He lures Austin backstage, and DX joins the chase. Then we see Austin searching the parking garage for Hunter. As he looks, a car appears in the distance. It rams through a locked gate and runs over Steve Austin! The camera follows the car for a moment before turning to show Austin lying on the ground. So Vince McMahon rushes to the scene. As EMTs work on Austin, Triple H approaches them. Vince calls him a son of a bitch and blames him for this. But Hunter says he had nothing to do with it. He won’t take the blame! Vince doesn’t believe him. He says Triple H will pay.

It’s time for another bout, but JR is backstage checking on Austin. Lawler sits alone while Jericho enters the arena. Once Ross returns, he says Austin passed in and out of consciousness. Meanwhile, Chyna arrives. She has new theme music. This is the PPV debut of her “Who I Am” song. Also, she has Miss Kitty with her.

Intercontinental Title Match: Chyna (c) (w/ Miss Kitty) vs. Chris Jericho

Storyline: After No Mercy, Chyna made Kitty her sidekick. Kitty even changed her look to resemble Chyna. Then Chyna issued an open challenge, which Jericho answered. Chris said Chyna as the IC champion made him feel ashamed. So Jericho wanted a match, but Chyna mocked him by saying she couldn’t because she had a PMS headache. Afterward, Chyna cost Jericho a chance at the European belt. Because of this, Jericho recruited Stevie Richards. Stevie wore disguises, including dressing as Jericho and Chyna. Jericho used the distraction to put Chyna in the Walls of Jericho. However, Chyna thwarted most of Stevie’s antics. Every time Stevie failed, Jericho attacked him. So it appeared Stevie turned on Jericho by giving him a Stevie Kick. It was a ruse. Stevie once again distracted Chyna with an Elvis costume. Finally, on Heat, Jericho claimed he would get a sex change if he lost.

The Match: Shoving leads to brawling on the floor. Miss Kitty helps Chyna, but Jericho fends her off and chokes Chyna with a cable. Then Chyna has a brief flurry after Jericho throws an ineffective low blow. But it ends when Jericho whips Chyna over the ropes to the floor. He slaps her around, pours water on her, and nails a triangle jump plancha. Jericho even does his cocky pin before scoring a facebuster and slingshot splash. Afterward, Jericho taunts Kitty and struts around the ring. So Kitty jumps on his back.

The distraction allows Chyna to nail a spear and ram Chris into the post. Back inside, Jericho hits a powerbomb, but he misses the Lionsault. Next, Chyna does the handspring elbow and lands a DDT. When they aren’t enough, Chyna takes Jericho to the corner, but she hits Hebner by accident. Jericho uses the opening to clock Chyna with the belt. It only gets a two! Chyna’s Pedigree also earns the same result. So Chyna tries a hurricanrana, which Chris turns into the Walls of Jericho. It ends with a rope break, but Jericho thinks he won. Finally, they fight on the top rope. Kitty distracts the ref while Chyna throws a low blow. She then ends it with an awkward super Pedigree.

Thoughts: It was messy, but I can’t deny they got the crowd into it. This told a good enough story to make up for the awkwardness. So I didn’t dislike it like some do. It wasn’t great, but I’d call it decent. The only problem is, the fans cheered Jericho and booed Chyna. They will have to turn Jericho face soon. Oh, and don’t worry. Jericho doesn’t get a sex change like he said.

Winner: Chyna (13:45)

Then Triple H and X-Pac walk into Shane’s locker room. Shane tells them to get out, but Hunter wants to speak with Vince. He isn’t there. Shane says Vince went to the hospital with Austin because of what Hunter did. Triple H denies it again. He says they set Austin up, but not for that! Hunter even calls it a tragedy, but he also asks if this means the triple threat is off. Shane calls Hunter unbelievable and tells him to leave. As Helmsley exits, he offers a sarcastic apology for his recent actions.

Now we get another elimination bout. The Holly Cousins carry their scale to the ring. Fink says they weigh over 800 combined pounds. Next, Too Cool joins the party. JR mocks their silly names and bad dancing. He even mentions Grandmaster Sexay is Lawler’s son, which Jerry denies. Meanwhile, Terri’s appearance flusters Jerry. He stumbles over his words while making a bad joke.

The Holly Cousins & Too Cool vs. Edge & Christian & The Hardy Boyz (w/ Terri Runnels)

Storyline: The Hardys and Edge & Christian put their differences aside and shook hands. The fans even gave them a standing ovation for their Ladder Match. Then Edge & Christian challenged the Hollys for the tag belts, but Too Cool cost them the victory. So the Holly Cousins returned the favor and helped Too Cool defeat Edge & Christian. However, the Hollys also faced Too Cool, despite being partners for this bout. The Hollys beat them. Later, Edge wrestled Hardcore Holly, and Jeff Hardy fought Grandmaster Sexay (Brian Christopher). Edge won his contest, but Jeff lost. Plus, Edge & Christian aided the Headbangers against Bulldog and the Posse. It led to Edge receiving a European Title shot, which the Posse ruined.

The Match: Edge and Scotty start the fight with a chop-fest. Then the Hardys throw Crash around and end up outside. There, Grandmaster hits a sunset bomb. This leads to everyone diving onto each other. But the Hollys end the flurry with a Hart Attack on Christian. Later, Sexay dons his goggles for an attack which backfires. After more chaos, Scotty shoves Jeff into Edge and Hardcore rolls Edge up for a pin. Scotty also scores a flying DDT to take out Matt. Next, Scotty does the Worm before Too Cool hits their own Hart Attack on Jeff. But no one can capitalize because the Hollys argue with each other. So Terri runs interference and Jeff eliminates Scotty with a 450 splash.

Now Christian and Jeff work together for a vaulting splash on Crash. However, Hardcore stops them with a missile dropkick. This opens the door for Sexay’s Tennessee Jam to get rid of Jeff. But Christian rebounds with a reverse DDT that sends Grandmaster packing. So the Hollys double team Christian to end his rally. They use a Boston Crab, powerslam, and backbreaker until Christian sends Hardcore outside. The opening allows Christian to pin Crash after an Unprettier. Unfortunately for Christian, Holly counters a victory roll to earn the three.

Thoughts: This was pretty good. Everyone shined. Plus, the closing minutes made Christian look great. The only problem is the crowd didn’t care. They were silent for this, which I don’t understand. This was the best Survivor Series match of the night, but it got no reaction.

Survivor: Hardcore Holly (14:27)

Afterward, they go back to Shane, who is with Test and Stephanie. JR asks for an update about Austin. Shane says he got off the phone with Vince. The good news is, Austin didn’t lose consciousness. But he suffered severe head and neck trauma. Then JR asks if this makes the main event a one-on-one contest. Shane says no. It will still be a triple threat, but not with Austin. This announcement makes the fans boo.

But they recover once the Outlaws enter the arena. It appears Billy Gunn forgot his tag belt. Only Road Dogg wears his. While Road Dogg does his spiel, JR and King continue arguing about the Austin situation. Lawler thinks Billy Gunn drove the car because no one saw him until now. Meanwhile, Mankind and Al Snow join the Outlaws in the ring. Mankind says Austin is a tough S.O.B., so he will recover. In the meantime, he and Al Snow will kick the Outlaws’ asses.

Tag Team Title Match: The New Age Outlaws (c) vs. Mankind & Al Snow (w/ Head)

Storyline: Tensions rose between Mankind and The Rock when Al Snow discovered Mick’s book in the trash. Mankind yelled at The Rock. Then he refused to wrestle in their tag title defense. So Triple H attacked The Rock and aided the Holly Cousins in winning the belts. Mick even faced The Rock, but Venis and Helmsley interfered. Afterward, Mankind found a new friend in Al Snow. Al helped Mick sign books, while Mick consoled Snow over his action figure woes. This led to Mankind and Snow defeating the Hollys for the tag team gold! Later, Mankind sought revenge on Venis. He looked for him at a porn store, but Val was in the arena attacking Al Snow! To make matters worse, Venis interrupted the Outlaws vs. Mankind & Al Snow. The attack allowed the Outlaws to win the gold. Now Mankind and Snow get a rematch.

The Match: The Outlaws score a neckbreaker and use double-teaming. So Mankind and Snow answer with chair shots behind the ref’s back. Plus, Mankind and Snow do their own double-teaming and choking. They keep Road Dogg controlled through frequent tags until Road Dogg fires back. He does Shake, Rattle, & Roll. Snow almost stops it, but Road Dogg finishes. However, Mankind and Snow prevent a hot tag. Gunn doesn’t care. He enters anyway and causes a brawl. Once things calm down, the tag finally happens. But a ref bump leads to renewed chaos. Gunn nails a Fameasser on Mick, and Dogg tries a pumphandle slam. Mankind counters with a double claw on the Outlaws. Snow even uses Head! But Road Dogg takes out Snow and the Outlaws give Mankind a spike piledriver for the win.

Thoughts: I wanted to like this, but it was a mess. Also, it made little sense. The Outlaws are heels now, but Dogg played the face in peril for most of the bout. Plus, Mankind and Snow cheated and used double-teaming. Then the second half became disjointed and repetitive. You could tell the fans didn’t know who to cheer for because of how they structured the fight. So this fell flat.

Winners: The New Age Outlaws (13:59)

After the match, JR and King recap the Austin situation while they show replays of the incident. Lawler says Vince can’t referee the main event because he’s at the hospital. Plus, they don’t know the identity of the third man in this bout. Then Lawler claims he saw a glimpse of the driver, and they have blonde hair. When JR questions this, Lawler accuses Jim of having no sympathy for Austin. So JR calls Jerry an idiot and says that’s asinine.

This leads to The Rock and Triple H’s entrances. JR notices Hebner is the ref instead of Vince, so Lawler references the screwjob. Jerry also says he sympathizes with Triple H. Hunter fought to the top, but now he has to face a mystery opponent! With that said, the Fink introduces the third man. It’s the Big Show! This confuses the Rock and pisses off Triple H.

Triple Threat for the WWF Title: The Big Show vs. Triple H (c) vs. The Rock

Storyline: After No Mercy, Vince booked Triple H in a Triple Threat with Rock and Austin. This led to wild brawls and everyone hitting their finishers. So Hunter reformed DX to watch his back. Vince tried to counteract this by pitting Rock, Austin, and Shane against DX, but it backfired. Vince hit Shane and Austin by mistake during these fights. Or was it an accident? Rock and Austin didn’t think so. DX capitalized on the dissension. They jumped Rocky and stuffed him in a car trunk. However, Austin outwitted DX. He caught them in a bear trap, a snare, and a net. Later, DX also threatened Stephanie and Linda. Hunter implied he took advantage of Stephanie, which infuriated Vince. So Vince pitted DX against Rock, Shane, Test, and Kane with Austin as an enforcer. Austin accidentally hit Rocky, but faces still won with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s help.

The Match: Rocky and Hunter double-team Show until the action spills outside and becomes a brawl. Back inside, Rock scores a Russian Leg Sweep and the People’s Elbow, but Hunter breaks the pin. Next, the fight heads to the entrance, where Rock uses a table and a fire extinguisher to take out his opponents. When they return to ringside, Rocky and Hunter double suplex Show on the announce table. Later, Rock wipes out Hebner by mistake. So there is no ref when he lands a Rock Bottom. However, Shane McMahon takes over! But Big Show interrupts his count. Worse yet, Hunter attacks Shane when he stops a belt attack. This opens the door for DX interference until Vince storms to the ring! Big Show fends off DX, and Vince hits Hunter with the belt after two tries! Finally, Big Show chokeslams Helmsley and pins him!

Thoughts: This was a fun brawl, and the fans enjoyed it, despite the bait and switch. They chanted for Austin, which you expect. But the surprise finish got a decent response. Vince’s involvement helped. With that said, I’m unsure Big Show was ready for the WWF Title. He was a heel two months ago. Was the Boss Man feud enough to sway the fans’ opinions of him? Let’s face it. Show is only holding the belt while Triple H does other things for a month.

Winner: The Big Show (New Champion) (16:16)

DX helps Hunter out of the ring while Vince checks on Shane. Meanwhile, Big Show celebrates with his belt and cries. He yells, “I did it, Dad!” The sight makes Triple H furious.

The Good:

• The main event was fun, despite the bait and switch.

• Edge & Christian and The Hardys vs. The Hollys and Too Cool was good.

• Kurt Angle’s arrival.

The Bad:

• Most of the Survivor Series matches felt like an afterthought.

• The awful women’s match.

• Deceiving the fans with Austin.

Observations:

• It felt like half the participants in the Survivor Series matches were in the wrong match. A lot of the pairings didn’t fit ongoing storylines.

Performer of the Night:

I’m going to give it to Triple H. He was all over this show, and I thought he did well. Plus, they had a good main event. Also, I want to give an honorable mention to Austin’s stunt double. He made the stunt look effortless.

Final Thoughts:

Most of this show fell flat. None of the bouts in the first hour went over ten minutes. Then almost all the elimination contests felt thrown together. On top of this, the WWF deceived the fans with Steve Austin. They knew he wouldn’t compete in the triple threat, yet they promoted the PPV as if he would. Austin takes almost a year off to get his neck surgery. We won’t see him for a while. So why didn’t they write him off on TV and promote someone else for the event? I expect this level of baiting and switching from WCW, not the WWF.

Thank you for reading. My next review is WCW’s Mayhem ‘99. Look for it next Sunday.