by Adam King

September 27, 1998
Live from Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario

First a quick note. Originally this card was going to have Triple H defending the Intercontinental Title against Mark Henry, but somebody attacked Triple H on Sunday Night Heat before the show (they didn't show who), injuring him and causing the match to be called off. In truth this was done to cover up Triple H's knee injury which he suffered shortly after SummerSlam. Triple H would have surgery and be forced to vacate the IC Title soon after.

Earlier on Sunday Night Heat: Golga defeated Mosh, The Hardy Boys beat Kaientai, and DOA member 8-Ball beat Billy Gunn and Skull in a three-way match.

We begin with an intro video about the Austin/Taker/Kane match and the "Master Plan", which features clips of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and some World War II stock footage. After that Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler welcome us to the show.

Owen Hart vs. Edge
Edge makes his way to the ring from the crowd, while Owen comes in wearing a Toronto Argonauts CFL jersey. They lock up to start before trading armbars back and forth until Edge gets back into a corner and Owen lands a series of elbows. Owen whips Edge into the opposite corner and monkey-flips him but Edge lands on his feet and hits a dropkick. Edge trips Owen with a drop toe hold and applies another armbar. Owen shoves him into the ropes and goes for a hiptoss but Edge blocks it and counters into the headscissors. Edge clotheslines Owen over the ropes to the floor. Edge starts to go for a high risk move, Owen thinks he's avoided it, until he turns around and Edge connects with a baseball slide. Edge leaps off the apron but Owen catches him into a powerslam. Owen throws Edge back into the ring then climbs to the top rope and connects with a missile dropkick for a two count. Owen plants Edge with a gutwrench suplex for a two count. Owen hits a backbreaker and follows up with a neckbreaker for two. Owen whips Edge into the ropes, Edge ducks a clothesline and leaps over him but Owen catches him with a belly-to-belly suplex for a two count. Owen applies a chinlock, Edge manages to fight out of it but Owen rakes the face. Owen goes for a whip, Edge reverses him into a corner but eats a boot to the face. Owen hops to the middle rope and rolls Edge into a victory roll for two but Edge reverses it into his own roll up for a two count. Owen nails Edge with a spinning heel kick for two, then chops him into a corner. Owen whips Edge into the opposite corner but Edge hops onto the middle rope and comes off with a crossbody for a near fall. Owen goes for a kick, Edge grabs the leg but Owen hits an enzuigiri. Owen climbs to the top rope but Edge sets him onto his shoulder and drops him with a front-face slam. Owen goes for a whip, Edge reverses and hits a flapjack for a two count. Edge hits a swinging neckbreaker for another two count. Edge slams Owen to the mat, then hops to the middle rope. Edge hops off, Owen rolls out of the way, but Edge lands on his feet and drills him with a DDT for two. Edge whips Owen into the ropes and lifts him up but Owen floats over into a waistlock. Owen goes for an overhead suplex but Edge lands on his feet and plants Owen with a Northern Lights suplex for two. Edge tries to suplex Owen but Owen floats over and hits a German suplex bridge for his own two count. Owen whips Edge into a corner and charges at him but Edge sidesteps him. Edge sets Owen onto the top rope and goes for a superplex, but Owen blocks him and throws him to the mat. Owen comes off the middle rope, Edge gets his feet up for the block but Owen doesn't go for it. Owen starts to apply the Sharpshooter but Edge kicks him away and rolls him up for a two count. Edge hits his own spinning heel kick. Suddenly somebody that looks like Edge comes from the crowd and appears at ringside, staring at him. Edge looks over and asks him what he's doing there when Owen rolls up the distracted Edge and gets the three for the win.

Winner: Owen Hart (9:16)

The stranger then heads back through the crowd and Edge goes out after him.

Comments: Great opening match. There was some good fast-paced action along with some nice near-falls and counters, plus both men looked great through the contest, especially Edge thanks to Owen. Incidentally the stranger at ringside was none other than Christian (or Christian Cage to you TNA readers), making his first WWF appearance as Edge's "brother". [Score: 8/10]

Too Much vs. Al Snow & 2 Cold Scorpio (w/Head)
The beginnings of the J.O.B. Squad. This was after Al Snow got reinstated into the WWF by beating Sgt. Slaughter in a Boot Camp match on Raw, and after Scorpio saved Snow from a beatdown by Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson. Why they're wrestling Brian Christopher and Scott Taylor on the PPV I don't know (probably just to fill time). Scorpio and Taylor start off by locking up and Scorpio forces Taylor into a corner. A brief shoving match starts until Taylor cowers into the ropes. Both men trade arm holds back and forth until Taylor elbows Scorpio away. Taylor comes off the ropes and slides under Scorpio but Scorpio blocks a kick and spins Taylor into an Atomic drop. Scorpio connects with a spin kick, then whips him into the ropes but Taylor rolls over him. Both men trade armbars again until Taylor hits a pump-handle suplex. Taylor moonwalks to his corner and tags in Brian while Scorpio tags in Snow. Snow applies a headlock, Brian shoves him into the ropes but Snow hits a shoulderblock. Brian starts mocking head and Snow grabs him by the arms and hits his multiple headbutts. Snow follows up with a clothesline and Brian tags in Taylor, who runs into a backdrop. Snow clotheslines Taylor and tags in Scorpio. Scorpio whips Taylor into a corner and hits a clothesline, then whips him across the ring for another clothesline. While this is going on, Snow goes out and grabs a chair. Snow tosses the chair to Scorpio, who sets it up in the middle of the ring. Scorpio then distracts the referee while Snow runs and jumps off the chair and connects with an Air Sabu-like move on Taylor. Brian nails Snow from behind, but while the referee is busy with Snow, Scorpio leaps off the chair for a dropkick (which he actually messes up but the guys still sell it). Brain falls backward and Taylor falls forward, accidentally headbutting his partner below the belt.

Snow is wandering around at ringside while Scorpio nails Taylor with a crescent kick. Brian goes out to the floor where Snow tries to nail him with a chair but misses. Brian sets the chair up and tries the move Snow used earlier but Snow sidesteps him and he hits the guardrail. In the ring Scorpio hits a top-rope splash on Taylor and covers but Scorpio pulls him up before the three. Meanwhile Snow nails Brian with a moonsault off the guardrail. Scorpio throws Taylor out of the ring, Taylor comes back in by rolling over Scorpio but runs into a clothesline from Snow. Snow slams Taylor to the mat while Scorpio climbs to the top rope but Brian causes him to crotch the top turnbuckle. Brian suplexes Scorpio on the floor, then holds him for Taylor, who hits a springboard sledge. Taylor drops and elbow before throwing Scorpio back into the ring. Taylor tags in Brian, and both men whip Scorpio into the ropes for a double backdrop. Brian hits a running bulldog, then tags in Taylor for more double teaming. They whip Scorpio into the ropes and go for another double backdrop but this time Scorpio lands in his feet and connects with a dropkick on both men. Scorpio tags in Snow, who comes in with Head in hand and begins swinging Head at everybody. He nails Taylor, he nails Brian, but gets too excited and accidently nails Scorpio. The referee tries to get Scorpio out of the ring while Snow nails a low blow on Taylor with Head. Snow covers Taylor but Brian breaks it up with a Tennessee Leg Jam off the top rope. Brian covers Snow but Scorpio breaks it up with a splash off the top rope. Scorpio covers Brian but Taylor breaks it up. Snow drills Taylor with the Snowplow and finally gets the three count for the victory.

Winners: Al Snow & Scorpio (8:05)

Although they're the winners, Scorpio still has words with Snow about hitting him with Head as they leave the ring.

Comments: This match wasn't great and a bit chaotic but it was still entertaining for the most part. I guess they were trying for an ECW-style match here which didn't quite work but still had its moments. [Score: 7/10]

Backstage Michael Cole interviews The Undertaker and Kane about the WWF Title match, asking which one of them will get the fall to win the title. Undertaker tells him it's none of his business, and that he and Kane have "come to an understanding". Cole reminds them that there can only be one WWF Champion and wonders if they'll see brother versus brother. Taker says what we will see is the total annihilation of one Steve Austin.

"Marvelous" Marc Mero (w/Jacqueline) vs. Darren Drozdov
I'm not aware of any angle leading to this match, so basically this match is just filler. I should also point out that Jacqueline had just won the reactivated WWF Women's Championship by defeating Sable the past Monday on Raw but she doesn't have a title belt yet. Mero starts off by nailing several right hands and ramming Droz into a turnbuckle. Mero rubs Droz's head across the top rope. Mero goes for a whip but Droz reverses and drops Mero to the mat. Droz hits a clothesline followed by a dropkick. Mero rolls out of the ring and starts to walk away but Droz goes and stops him, whipping him into the ringsteps. Droz throws Mero back into the ring, then turns toward Jackie before climbing back into the ring. Mero greets him with several kicks. Mero whips Droz into the ropes and hits a kneelift to the face. Mero chokes Droz on the middle rope, then distracts the referee while Jackie gets in a cheap shot. Mero whips Droz into the ropes but misses a clothesline and Droz hits a shouldertackle. Droz whips Mero into a clothesline and charges at him but Mero backdrops him over the ropes to the floor. Droz tries to regroup when Mero leaps over the top rope with a plancha. Mero throws Droz back into the ring then slingshots himself back in but Droz gets his knees up and blocks him. Droz whips Mero into a back elbow, then whips him into an inverted Atomic Drop. Droz whips Mero a third time and hits a powerslam. Droz covers but Jackie puts Mero's foot on the bottom rope to break the count. Droz yells at Jackie, allowing Mero to nail him from behind. Mero goes for a whip, Droz reverses but lowers his head and Mero kicks him in the face. Mero follows up with a clothesline, then unwraps some of his wrist tape and starts choking Droz with it. The referee reprimands Mero, but while his back is turned Jackie comes off the top rope and nails Droz in the head with her high-heel shoe (as if we didn't see enough of that in WCW). Mero slams Droz to the mat, then goes to the top rope and hits the Shooting Star Press for the win.

Winner: Marc Mero (5:10)

Comments: Pretty boring and short match that nobody seemed to care about. The crowd did pop for the Shooting Star Press, though. [Score: 5/10]

Vader vs. Bradshaw – No Holds Barred/Falls Count Anywhere
These two were teaming up at one point but then started feuding. As Vader makes his way to the ring first, we cut backstage where Michael Cole grabs a quick interview with Bradshaw, who says this match is "survival of the fittest, not the fattest". Both men lock up to start but quickly break. They lock up again and Bradshaw forces Vader into a corner. Bradshaw pounds Vader then whips him into the opposite corner and hits a clothesline. Bradshaw slams Vader to the mat and drops an elbow for a two count. Bradshaw goes for a whip but Vader reverses, ducks a clothesline and hits a bodyblock. Vader drops an elbow on the thigh, then hits a splash but only gets two. Vader whips Bradshaw but Bradshaw connects with a boot to the face. Bradshaw clotheslines Vader over the top rope to the floor, then goes out and rams him into the ringpost. Bradshaw nails a clothesline before ramming Vader into the timekeeper's table. Bradshaw clocks Vader with the ringbell then rams him into the Spanish announcers' table. Bradshaw connects with a short-arm clothesline then drop and elbow but only gets a two count. Bradshaw props Vader by the ringpost and goes for a right hook but misses and punches the ringpost. Bradshaw tries it again but again punches the ringpost. Vader headbutts Bradshaw before hitting a short-arm clothesline. Vader sends Bradshaw into the ringsteps, then grabs the steps and jabs Bradshaw in the back with them. Vader hits a pair of uppercuts before throwing Bradshaw back into the ring. Vader misses a pair of punches and Bradshaw fights him into a corner. Bradshaw rams Vader into a turnbuckle, Vader answers back with a headlock but Bradshaw plants him with a belly-to-belly suplex. Bradshaw charges at Vader but Vader ducks and Bradshaw sails over the top rope to the outside. Vader goes out and rams Bradshaw into the guardrail. Vader kicks Bradshaw below the belt and covers but only gets two. Vader whips Bradshaw into the apron and follows up with a clothesline. Vader throws Bradshaw back into the ring, climbs to the middle rope and hits a big splash. Vader goes up and hits the Vaderbomb. Vader covers and the referee counts 1….2….but Bradshaw kicks out?! Vader whips Bradshaw into the ropes but Bradshaw ducks a clothesline and connects with the Clothesline from Hell that only gets two. Bradshaw hits another Clothesline from Hell, then hits a modified Rude Awakening that finally gets him the three count.

Winner: Bradshaw (7:38)

Comments: Dull, boring and dreadful, even for a brawling match. They could have done so much more with the stipulation but didn't and we just had the two guys slapping each other around. The worst part was the ending; Bradshaw kicking out of the Vaderbomb was wrong on all levels. As you can tell this was the end of the road for Vader, as he would leave the WWF soon after this show, ending his disappointing 2-year run. It's a shame considering how he was always over with the fans yet was constantly jobbed out. [Score: 4/10]

D'Lo Brown vs. Gangrel
This is also a match that's just there to fill time. D'Lo is fresh off losing the European Title to X-Pac on the Raw before this show and is also still wearing the chest protector. Gangrel recently debuted in the WWF with his cool entrance and supposedly has some ties to Edge. D'Lo enters while being billed as "once again residing in Chicago, IL." Gangrel brings out a chalice with a mysterious red liquid in it. Gangrel charges at D'Lo to start but D'Lo sidesteps him and gets in some shots. D'Lo goes for a whip but Gangrel sidesteps him and nails a back elbow. Gangrel lands several shots until D'Lo comes back with rights of his own. D'Lo whips Gangrel and goes for a hip toss but Gangrel counters into a double-arm suplex. Gangrel drops several corkscrew elbows but only gets a two count. Gangrel rams D'Lo into a turnbuckle, then goes for a whip. D'Lo reverses, Gangrel ducks a clothesline but D'Lo connects with a jumping heel kick. D'Lo tells Gangrel "You betta recognize!" before ramming him into the turnbuckle and choking him on the top rope. Gangrel tries to fight out of the corner but D'Lo pops him with a hard right hand. D'Lo slams Gangrel to the mat, then hops to the middle rope. D'Lo goes for an elbow drop but misses when Gangrel rolls away. Gangrel grabs D'Lo for a tiger suplex but D'Lo counters with a low blow that goes unseen by the referee. D'Lo whips Gangrel into the corner hard before planting him with a running powerbomb. D'Lo takes a moment to pose for the fans before covering but only gets two. D'Lo hits the legdrop but still only gets two. D'Lo whips Gangrel into a corner and charges but Gangrel sidesteps him. Gangrel lands a series of kicks to the midsection. Gangrel hops to the middle rope but D'Lo shoves him off and hits a suplex for a two count. D'Lo hammers Gangrel in the corner before trash talking him, allowing Gangrel to come back. Gangrel whips D'Lo into a clothesline. Gangrel whips D'Lo again but lowers the head and D'Lo kicks him in the face and covers but only gets two. D'Lo grabs the legs and headbutts Gangrel in the chest. D'Lo sets Gangrel in the top rope, then goes up but Gangrel shoves him off and covers for a two count. Gangrel lands several shots to the head then goes for a whip, but D'Lo ducks a clothesline and lands his own clothesline. D'Lo plants Gangrel with a belly-to-back suplex for a two count. D'Lo applies a chinlock. D'Lo goes for a whip, Gangrel reverses and drops D'Lo onto the ropes with a Hot Shot (that doesn't quite work). Suddenly Mark Henry comes out to the ring. Gangrel whips D'Lo into a flapjack then climbs to the top rope and hits a flying clothesline for two. Gangrel goes for a whip, D'Lo reverses and Henry pulls the top rope down, causing Gangrel to tumble to the floor. Henry rams Gangrel into the ringpost, then throws him back in where D'Lo plants him with the Sky High powerbomb for the three.

Winner: D'Lo Brown (7:51)

As D'Lo and Henry celebrate, Gangrel drinks some of his red liquid and spits it into Henry's eyes. Gangrel then lays out D'Lo with an implant DDT.

Comments: A somewhat decent bout but not a very memorable one. These two seemed to clash at certain points, which hurt the match quite a bit. I'm sure they (or rather D'Lo) could have done better. [Score: 6/10]

The announcers then start talking about the situation between The Rock, Ken Shamrock and Mankind. In the weeks leading up to this show, the Rock, Shamrock and Mankind formed an alliance to combat the Undertaker and Kane. On the Raw before this show these three faced off in a triple threat match for a future title shot but Kane and Undertaker attacked all three men causing the match to be thrown out. So a rematch was made earlier on Sunday Night Heat for this card, with all three men going at it inside a steel cage.

Before the match, all three men get interviewed. Michael Cole interviews Ken Shamrock, who says he came to the WWF to become the champion, and he's been getting burned lately, so he's going to take his frustrations out on Rock and Mankind. Doc Hendrix interviews the Rock, who is in full face mode as he runs down his opponents by promising to lay the smackdown on both men before reminding us he's the People's Champion. Kevin Kelly interviews Mankind, who says everything the others said is stupid, but he's used to stupidity, even saying "the president sacrificing the country for a girl even I would have turned down in high school is probably a stupid thing". Mankind then runs down the People's Elbow, saying he won't sell that abortion.

The Rock vs. Ken Shamrock vs. Mankind – Steel Cage #1 Contender’s Match
This is the first-ever triple threat match inside a cage, which is the old blue cage for this match. First man to get the pinfall, submission, or escape the cage will get a WWF Title shot tomorrow on Raw. Shamrock comes out to a chorus of boos, Mankind gets a good response, and the Rock gets a massive pop from the crowd. Rock climbs in and Shamrock goes after him to start, ramming him into a corner. Rock rakes the eyes and throws Shamrock into the corner for some shots while Mankind looks on. Mankind starts heading out the door while Rock is busy with Shamrock, but Rock stops him in time and rams him into a corner. Shamrock chokes Rock on the top rope and applies a chinlock. Mankind breaks it up and pounds on him in the corner. Shamrock slumps into the corner and Mankind hits a running knee to the face but turns around into a clothesline from Rock. Rock starts heading out the door but Shamrock stops him and hits several knees to the chest. Shamrock whips Rock into a crescent kick. Shamrock turns his attention to Mankind, popping him a few times and ramming him into a corner. Shamrock lands a series of kicks and chokes him with his boot. Shamrock whips Mankind into the ropes and applies an Abdominal stretch. Rock comes up and puts an Abdominal stretch on Shamrock while he has the hold on Mankind. Eventually Shamrock hip tosses Rock away, and Mankind hip tosses Shamrock. As all three men have a staredown, Rock convinces Mankind to join forces against Shamrock. Mankind accepts, but as they move in Rock nails Mankind. Shamrock works over Rock, punching him into a corner. Shamrock goes after Mankind but Mankind stops him and rams him into a corner. Mankind starts climbing out of the cage but Rock pulls him off the cage to the floor. Rock tries to ram Shamrock into a turnbuckle but Shamrock blocks it and rams Rock into the turnbuckle. Shamrock slams Mankind to the mat and starts heading for the door. Rock grabs his leg to stop him and Shamrock shoves him away. Rock grabs a leg again and Shamrock kicks him away again. Rock grabs the leg a third time while Mankind grabs the other leg and they both pull Shamrock back into the cage. Rock and Mankind double-team Shamrock, laying the boots to him and holding him for the other to get in a shot. Both men choke Shamrock on the middle rope before sending him into the cage. After Mankind offers some advice Rock whips Shamrock into the ropes and belts him in the chest, followed by a knee to the face from Mankind. Mankind gives Rock the thumbs up, before Rock takes him down with a clothesline. Rock stomps Mankind in a corner then starts climbing out of the cage before Shamrock stops him.

Shamrock takes it to both men, and suddenly he and Rock start working together, with Shamrock wrapping Mankind's leg around the bottom rope while Rock chokes him. Both men whip Mankind into the ropes and hit a double clothesline. Rock and Shamrock lay the boots to Mankind, then Shamrock applies the Anklelock but Rock breaks it up. Rock rams Shamrock into a turnbuckle, but Mankind grabs him from behind, allowing Shamrock to kick him. Now Shamrock and Mankind team up, stomping down the Rock. Mankind nails a forearm shot to Rock, but Shamrock clotheslines him into a corner. Shamrock rams Rock into the opposite corner, then he and Mankind whip Rock into a double flapjack. Mankind drops an elbow, and Shamrock follows up with a headbutt. Shamrock rams Rock into a boot from Mankind and both men hit a double suplex. Mankind waves to the fans and gives Shamrock some advice. Shamrock whips Rock into the ropes and belts him in the chest. Mankind goes for a knee to the face but this time Rock stops him with a clothesline. Shamrock clotheslines Rock and pounds him to the mat. Mankind whips Rock into the ropes but Rock hits a DDT. Shamrock goes for a whip but Rock counters into another DDT. Rock slams Shamrock to the mat, slams Mankind to the mat, then hits a People's Elbow on BOTH men! Rock starts climbing out of the cage but Mankind stops him by grabbing a leg while Shamrock grabs the other one. Rock elbows Shamrock away but Mankind causes him to crotch the top rope.

Shamrock takes it to the Rock, until Rock hits a low blow. Mankind charges at him but runs into a Rock Bottom. Rock covers and the referee counts 1….2….but Shamrock pulls him off. Shamrock whips Rock into an elbow. Rock comes back with a clothesline, then pounds Shamrock in a corner. Rock whips Shamrock into a corner but misses a clothesline and Shamrock hits a belly-to-belly suplex. Shamrock applies the Anklelock and Rock tries to hold on but Mankind breaks up the hold. Mankind starts climbing up the cage and reaches the top. Rock climbs up and tries to stop him by grabbing the hair but Mankind fights him off and reaches the other side. Finally Rock pulls him back over by his tie. Shamrock climbs up to join them and gets knocked back down. Mankind rams Rock into the cage, knocking him down as well. Both men are down and it looks like Mankind has a clear shot. However instead of climbing down, Mankind decides to play Jimmy Snuka. He leaps back into the cage for a massive elbow drop but misses! All three men are down but Shamrock revives and starts crawling for the door. Shamrock makes it halfway through but Mankind stops him from escaping. Mankind pulls Shamrock back in, but not before Shamrock grabs a chair sitting at ringside. Shamrock shoves Mankind and swings the chair but misses. Mankind drills Shamrock with the double-arm DDT, then grabs the chair and blasts Shamrock in the head. Shamrock is KO'ed as Mankind starts climbing out of the cage. Mankind makes it to the top but while he's climbing the other side, the Rock crawls over and covers Shamrock, and the referee counts 1….2….3, giving Rock the pinfall before Mankind can reach the floor!

Winner: The Rock (18:33)

Mankind touches down and thinks he won, until the announcers tell him that the Rock won, causing him to pull out his hair in frustration. Shamrock is also frustrated he lost and starts banging the chair on the ringpost and onto the announcers' table before storming off.

Comments: Awesome cage match, one that continued The Rock's rise to the top. There was some great back-and-forth action with some nice double-teaming for the various combinations, and each man had their turn dominating the others. The finish was also pretty exciting and creative, and the crowd was really into it. Definitely the highlight of the night. Too bad the Rock would never get that title shot he earned with his win. [Score: 9/10]

Dustin Runnels vs. Val Venis (w/Terri Runnels)
Basically Dustin's been wrestling the past few months as a televangelist after burying his Goldust persona. Lately he's been speaking out against Val Venis, who struck back by featuring Dustin's wife Terri in one of his 'movies'. After they show the video package Dustin is already in the ring without music or an entrance, kneeling in prayer, while Val comes in and brings out Terri in a very (and I mean VERY) risquι outfit. Dustin kneels in prayer again at the start of the match, with Val ready to attack. Dustin comes off the ropes, ducks a pair of clotheslines but runs into a spinebuster. Val hammers away at Dustin and whips him into the ropes but lowers the head and Dustin drives him into the mat. Dustin blocks a kick and plants Val with a powerbomb. Dustin hammers Val with a series of rights but Val comes back with an elbow. Dustin rolls out of the ring while Val goes after him with a clothesline. Val lays the boots to Dustin before throwing him back into the ring. Val comes off the ropes but runs into a backdrop. Dustin chops Val in a corner, then goes up and hammers down at him. Dustin whips Val into the opposite corner but eats a boot to the face. Val lands some chops, then whips Dustin to some knees to the chest, followed by a Russian leg sweep. Val swivels his hops before hammering Dustin, then applies a Camel clutch. Dustin doesn't submit and calls out for Terri, so Val releases the hold. Dustin tries to make a comeback but Val rakes the eyes. Val chokes Dustin on the middle rope and kicks him under the ropes to the floor. Val goes out and slams Dustin onto the announcers' table before throwing him back into the ring. Val goes for a suplex, but Dustin counters into his own suplex. Dustin comes off the ropes for an elbow drop but misses and Val covers him for a two count.

Val applies a chinlock and Dustin tries to hold on while Terri stares at Val. Dustin starts to fade and the referee checks the arm. It drops once, twice but Dustin keeps it up the third time. Dustin fights out of the hold and whips Val into the ropes but Val floats over him and connects with a clothesline for a two count. Val tries to scoop Dustin up for a slam but Dustin counters into a DDT for a two count. Dustin climbs to the top rope but Val cuts him off, then goes up and throws Dustin off the top to the floor. Val brings Dustin back into the ring and goes for a whip. Dustin reverses and sends Val flying over the top rope to the floor. Terri helps Val up while Dustin watches in pain. Dustin tries to talk to Terri when Val sneaks up behind him and rolls him up for a two count. Val whips Dustin into the ropes but Dustin counters with a bulldog. Dustin covers but only gets two (even though Val didn't get the shoulder up). Dustin goes for a whip but Val reverses and hits a powerslam. Val then drops a few elbows. Val goes up to the top and connects with the Moneyshot for the victory.

Winner: Val Venis (9:08)

Val and Terri celebrate in the ring as only they can while Dustin sadly walks away from the ring.

Comments: Pretty dull, slow-paced match that seemed a little one-sided at times. It was also overshadowed by Terri's attire. Fortunately after this PPV Dustin would drop the preacher gimmick and go back to the very persona he left behind. [Score: 6/10]

X-Pac & The New Age Outlaws vs. Jeff Jarrett & Southern Justice
This feud stemmed from X-Pac beating Jarrett at SummerSlam and causing his hair to be cut. So both men have brought their stable mates along for the ride. This is also coming off Jarrett nailing Road Dogg in the throat with his guitar two weeks ago on Raw, damaging his vocal chords. The new-look Jarrett enters first with Dennis Knight and Mark Canteberry, carrying his guitar which is sporting his new credo "Don't P*** Me Off!" X-Pac enters the arena by himself but the Outlaws surprise Southern Justice from behind and the DX'ers clear the ring, after which Billy Gunn gets on the mic delivers the DX slogan. Jarrett and X-Pac start off the actual match by trading blows. X-Pac whips Jarrett into the ropes but Jarrett slides under him and connects with a dropkick. Jarrett whips X-Pac into the ropes and goes for a Frankensteiner but X-Pac counters into a powerbomb for a two count. X-Pac tags in Road Dogg, who goes for a whip but Jarrett counters into a knee to the chest. Jarrett kicks Road Dogg in the ribs then goes for a whip but Road Dogg reverses into an Atomic drop. Jarrett slumps into the ropes and Road Dogg straddles him. Road Dogg hits the shaky knee drop for a two count. Road Dogg goes for a whip but Jarrett reverses and Canteberry pulls him down by the hair. Jarrett tags in Knight, who nails Road Dogg with a hard right. Knight taunts Billy, drawing him in and distracting the referee while Canteberry comes in for a double-team. Canteberry takes over without making a tag and slams Road Dogg to the mat, then drops an elbow for a two count. Canteberry whips Road Dogg but misses a clothesline. Road Dogg lands the "Shake, Rattle 'n Roll" but Canteberry interrupts with a clothesline, after which he tags in Jarrett. Jarrett goes for a whip, Road Dogg counters but lowers the head and Jarrett hits a DDT for two. Jarrett rams Road Dogg into a turnbuckle then goes for a whip. Road Dogg reverses Jarrett into a corner, then lifts him up but Jarrett floats over and shoves him into the corner. The two then collide accidentally.

Road Dogg tags in X-Pac, who whips Jarrett into a spinkick. Canteberry comes in and X-Pac goes for another spinkick but Canteberry catches him and slams him to the mat. Canterbury gets in some shots before Knight comes over and chokes X-Pac. Knight connects with a headbutt and Jarrett nails X-Pac from the apron. Knight hits a delayed vertical suplex for two. Knight tags in Jarrett, who whips X-Pac into a corner. X-Pac stops Jarrett with a boot to the face and comes out of the corner but runs into a powerslam for a two count. Jarrett tags in Canteberry who splashes X-Pac and chokes him on the mat. Canteberry slams X-Pac to the mat and tags in Knight, who drops a knee on the face. Jarrett comes in without a tag and taunts the Outlaws, again drawing Billy in. Jarrett rams X-Pac into a corner then goes for a whip. X-Pac reverses Jarrett into the opposite corner and charges but Jarrett sidesteps him. Jarrett tags in Canteberry, who plants X-Pac with a front-face slam. Canteberry covers but Billy pulls him off. Knight comes in without a tag and drops X-Pac onto his knee. Both men exchange slaps before Knight hammers X-Pac. Knight tags in Jarrett who puts X-Pac in a sleeperhold. X-Pac tries to hold on but begins to fade. The referee checks the arm, and it drops once, twice, but stays up the third time. X-Pac fights out of the hold and comes off the ropes into another sleeper. X-Pac shoves Jarrett into the ropes and manages to apply a sleeper of his own. Jarrett tries to counters with a suplex but X-Pac lands on his feet and hits a suplex on Jarrett. Both men are down as their respective partners reach out for tags. Jarrett manages to crawl over and tag Canteberry while X-Pac finds his corner and tags in Billy.

Billy takes it to all three opponents nailing clotheslines and knockdowns. Billy press slams Jarrett then goes after Canteberry but gets backdropped out of the ring to the floor. Jarrett crawls to a corner when X-Pac comes in and hits the Bronco Buster. X-Pac tries to nail Canteberry with the X-Factor but Canteberry blocks it and hits a clothesline. The Outlaws brawl with Southern Justice outside the ring while Jarrett grabs his guitar. Billy takes the guitar from Jarrett and brings it into the ring where Canteberry is setting X-Pac up for something but the referee stops him from using it. Canteberry clotheslines X-Pac out of the ring and Billy is left fending off both Justices. Jarrett reclaims the guitar and clobbers X-Pac with it. In the ring Canteberry whips Billy into the ropes but Billy manages to hit the Rocker Dropper then get the three count for his team.

Winners: D-Generation X (11:14)

The Outlaws celebrate until they see X-Pac holding his eye. The announcers speculate that some splinters from the guitar shot may have gotten into his eye. The Outlaws help X-Pac to the back as the fans cheer him on.

Comments: This was a solid six-man match, not the best but still worth your time. It had a fast start, slowed down in the middle but picked up toward the end. Southern Justice would disappear soon after this show but one of them (Dennis Knight) would stick around under a completely different persona. [Score: 7/10]

The announcers start hyping the main event with a video package about the Austin/Taker/Kane feud. They then show what happened earlier on Sunday Night Heat, when Vince McMahon tried to force Austin to wrestle Mark Henry in a non-title cage match, but one of the ring technicians setting up the cage turned out to be Austin in disguise, who beat up Vince until Kane and the Undertaker came out and Austin escaped.

WWF World Heavyweight Title – Stone Cold Steve Austin © vs. The Undertaker vs. Kane
This is triple threat rules but again either Kane or the Undertaker must pin Austin for the belt and not each other. Also if anyone tries to help Austin he will immediately lose the title. Kane comes out to the ring first by himself and shoots off his pyro. The Undertaker comes out next but Austin attacks him during his entrance, hammering with a steel chair. Kane comes over to help but gets nailed with the chair as well. Austin leaves Taker lying in the aisleway and fights Kane back to the ring, ramming him into the ringpost. In the ring Austin goes for a whip but Kane reverses and nails an elbow. Kane slams Austin to the mat, then climbs to the top rope and goes for the flying clothesline but Austin sidesteps him. Austin chokes Kane on the middle rope while Taker slowly walks to the ring with the chair in hand. Austin goes for a whip but Kane reverses and sends Austin over the top rope to the floor, where Taker pops him. Taker hits a headbutt and goes for a whip but Austin reverses and sends Taker into the ringsteps. Austin snaps Kane's neck on the top rope, then pulls him into the ringpost by the legs twice. Austin drapes Kane over the apron and clubs him in the chest. Austin goes back into the ring, whips Kane into the ropes and hits the Stunner! Austin covers but Taker pulls Austin out of the ring and rams him into the ringpost before throwing him back in. While Kane is still down, Taker goes in and pounds Austin in a corner before choking him. Taker whips Austin into a corner but Austin stops him with an elbow. Austin whips Taker into the ropes but Taker comes back with a flying clothesline for a two count. Taker whips Austin but Austin ducks a clothesline and hits the Lou Thesz press, followed by the series of rights and the elbow drop. Austin clotheslines Kane over the top rope but Taker pops him with a right hand. Taker whips Austin but lowers the head and Austin hits a neckbreaker for a two count. Kane tries to come back in and Austin knocks him off the apron. Austin goes for a whip, Taker reverses and Kane trips him from the floor and pulls him out of the ring. Kane sets Austin up while Taker goes for a right but misses and nails Kane. The two brothers have a brief staredown while Austin shoves Taker into Kane. Austin chokes Kane with a TV cable when Taker chokes Austin with his own cable. Taker rams Austin into the Spanish announcers' table, then he and Kane drop him onto the table. Taker and Kane take turns nailing Austin before throwing him back into the ring. Austin staggers into a corner and tries to fight off both brothers but they quickly get the advantage. As Taker chokes Austin with his boot, Gerald Brisco, Pat Patterson and Sgt. Slaughter come out to the stage to observe the match.

Kane drapes Austin over the apron and clubs him in the chest. Taker goes out and rams Austin into the apron. The brothers continue their punishment as Austin staggers up the aisleway. Kane rams Austin into the guardrail and both men lay the boots to him. Taker goes for a right but Austin blocks it and starts fighting back, taking it to both men. Austin sets Taker up for a piledriver but Taker counters into a backdrop onto the concrete. Taker rams Austin into a guardrail. Austin charges at the Stooges and takes down Brisco but Slaughter stomps him and the brothers are back on him. The brothers drag Austin back to ringside and Taker rams him into the steps before throwing him back into the ring. Taker applies a legbar while Kane chokes Austin. Austin fights out of it and assaults Kane in a corner. Austin whips Taker into the ropes but lowers the head and Taker pokes the eyes. Taker stomps Austin out of the ring, where Austin grabs the chair and waffles Kane in the head with it. Austin goes back in and covers but Taker nails him with the chair. Taker covers Austin and the referee counts 1….2….but Kane pulls him off! They stand face to face but then go back to beating Austin. Taker drapes Austin and clubs him in the back, then holds him for Kane to land a sledge off the top rope. Kane covers Austin and the referee counts 1….2….but Taker pulls him off. The brothers have a discussion and Taker allows Kane to go after him. No sooner does Kane turn around that Taker nails him from behind.

Taker starts going at it with Kane, whipping him into a corner but eating a boot to the face. Kane and Austin then take turns punching Taker. Both men whip Taker into the ropes and Kane stuns Taker with a boot to the face, allowing Austin to clothesline him over the ropes to the floor. Austin nails Kane from behind, choking him on to the top rope before hitting a Russian leg sweep. Austin covers but Kane powers out of it. Kane headbutts Austin as Taker comes in and pops Austin. Taker stomps Austin out of the ring, and the brothers are working together again. Kane goes out and rams Austin into the steps before popping him with a right hand. The brothers bring Austin back into the ring. Kane goes in and covers Austin, and the referee counts 1….2….but Taker shoves him off. Taker goes for the cover and gets a 1….2….before Kane shoves him off. The brothers go at it again, with Taker punching Kane into a corner. Kane fights back and rams Taker into a turnbuckle. Taker whips Kane into the ropes and the brothers end up clotheslining each other. Both Kane and Taker are down, allowing Austin to regroup. Both brothers sit up and Austin takes it to both men. Austin whips Kane into Taker, knocking him through the ropes to the floor. Austin comes off the ropes but Kane scoops him up for a slam. Kane goes for an elbowdrop but misses. Austin goes for a whip, Kane reverses and scoops him up. Kane tries to maneuver Austin into a Tombstone while Taker climbs to the top rope but Austin escapes and shoves Kane into the ropes, causing Taker to crotch the top turnbuckle. Austin tries to go for a Stunner but Kane shoves him into a boot from Taker. Taker lays the boots to Austin before the brothers whip him into the ropes and hit a double chokeslam. Both Kane and Taker cover Austin and the referee counts 1….2….3! We have a new champion but we don't know which one it is!

Winner and NEW WWF Champion: ??????? (22:03)

Comments: Pretty disappointing main event. It started off with some fast action but then sputtered out, and the rest of the match just slogged along. It was also one-sided for the most part; most of the match was Kane and the Undertaker beating up Austin. There were a few moments where things picked up but not enough of them. The fact that there was a storyline finish instead of a real winner doesn't help either. [Score: 5/10]

Vince's master plan has come to fruition as Austin is no longer WWF Champion. While Kane and The Undertaker argue on who made the pin, Gerald Brisco takes Austin's WWF Title belt and hands it to Vince McMahon. Austin storms off after Vince, taking out Brisco along the way, but Patterson and Slaughter try to stop him while Vince takes the belt to his limousine. Austin dispatches the stooges and finds Vince in the back, who teases Stone Cold by saying "You don't have it anymore! It's mine! ALL MINE!". Vince then flips Austin the bird and takes off in his limo, with the WWF Championship belt in hand, and Austin is left seething as the show goes off the air.

CONCLUSION: Sadly this turns out to be a below-average pay-per-view. Most of the card ranged from mediocre to poor, though there were two worthwhile matches in the opener and the triple threat cage match. You can start to see Vince Russo's handiwork at this show, since half the card was just thrown together for no reason, and the main event not only didn't work but had a bad finish to set up a future bout. The only other memorable moment on the show was Austin losing the title, which would lead to the next part of the Attitude Era, Austin's quest to get his belt back that would also see the rise of men like the Rock and Mankind to the top of the mountain. So as it is, this show is only recommended for two matches, and they do keep the show from tanking, but otherwise I'd pass on it.

FINAL GRADE: [ C- ]