Nickrj’s rant for Unforgiven 1998
This is the first WWF PPV under the new attitude label and it kicks off the new era as both Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels are now gone and Steve Austin as the new champion.
Live from the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina on April 26,
1998. Vince McMahon promises something catastrophic is going to happen in the
title match between Steve Austin and Dude Love.
Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler
Six Man Tag: Farooq, Ken Shamrock and Steve Blackman VS The Rock, D’Lo Brown and Mark Henry (with Kama Mustafa)
The Nation fired Farooq the night after Wrestlemania and so now Farooq wants revenge. Huge “Rocky sucks!” chant goes up. Blackman starts out with Brown. Brown gets a shoulderblock. He misses a right and Blackman comes back but Brown hits a snap suplex and misses an elbow. Blackman with a dropkick and an armdrag takedown into an armbar. Ken Shamrock gets the tag and takes an eyepoke but comes back with an elbow. He goes to a spinning leg lock and tags Blackman but then tags Farooq who wants the Rock. But he takes a slap from Brown and comes back with a spinebuster and lashes him with his belt. Blackman is back in and hits a snap suplex but misses an elbow. He gets and armdrag though. Brown tags in Mark Henry who powers over Steve. 2 back breakers by Henry followed by an elbow. Lame clothesline by Henry and he tags in Brown once again. Blackman gets a crossbody for 2 but takes a tiger bomb for 2. Blackman counters a headdown and tags Farooq. Brown counters a headdown. He tags the Rock who comes in to some heat. Rock starts kicking away and he hits a clothesline on Farooq. Henry comes back in and he slams Farooq and hits a series of elbows. Farooq starts fighting back and he tags Blackman. Rock hits Blackman from behind and Henry gets a powerslam. Brown comes back in and slams Blackman and hits a 2nd rope elbow for 2. Steve powers Brown in the corner but runs into an elbow. Rock gets the tag back in and kicks away at Steve. Steve starts to fight back again but takes a clothesline. Henry gets the tag again and he hits a snapmare followed by an elbow. Rock comes back in and covers Steve for 2. Blackman gets a small package for 2. Rock slams Blackman and he hits the People’s Elbow. Rock to the chinlock now. Brown gets the tag and hits a kidney breaker and he misses a moonsault. Farooq gets the tag and he pounds on all 3 Nation members. 6 man brawl erupts as Rock hits a DDT on Farooq for 2. Farooq hits the Dominator on Rock for the pin at 13:07. Decent enough opener *3/4
Steve Austin comes out and he brings the timekeeper in the ring. He says that if Vince screws Austin out of the title that he’ll beat up Vince and the timekeeper.
Rematch from Wrestlemania when Chyna was handcuffed to Sgt. Slaugther and she throws powder in the face of Slaughter and interferes for his man. Chyna is going to be held in a cage and suspended high above the ring for this match. Owen jumps Triple H from behind and pounds him in the aisleway. He rams him into the cage with Chyna and hits a suplex. They finally get back in the ring and Triple H is clotheslined to the outside as Chyna is being raised. Owen drops Triple H on the rail and rams him on the Spanish announce table. Owen with a backbreaker back in. Chops by Owen. Owen is dropped onto the turnbuckle. Triple H with some right hands now and a high knee. He kicks away on Owen and chokes him. He hits a suplex and a kneedrop for 2. Chyna is pulling on the bars trying to bend them. Inverted Atomic Drop and clothesline by Triple H for 2. Triple H with a neckhold now. Chyna pulls out a saw as Triple H rams Owen into the corner for 2 ½ and Chyna drops the saw. Owen with a sunset flip for 2. Swinging neckbreaker by Triple H for 2. He goes back to the neckhold. Owen starts fighting back but rams his shoulder to the post. Triple H with a facebreaker for 2. Back to the neckhold. Owen gets up and hits a German suplex for 2. Chyna has bent the bars open as Owen hits a belly to belly and a enzuguri for 2. Inverted Atmoic drop and a spinning heel kick for 2. Owen with a piledriver. He goes to the top and hits a flying elbow as Chyna climbs down from the cage but she’s still high in the air. Owen knocks Triple H and hangs him up on the ropes as Chyna is hanging for her life. Owen with a DDT inside and the Sharpshooter as the Cage is being lowered by Road Dogg (in the control room) Chyna tries to intervene but Slaughter and a bunch of officals come to restrain her. Owen gets a slingshot followed by Triple H’s own Pedigree but X-Pac comes in and nails Owen with a Fire Extinguisher and Triple H gets the pin at 12:38. Good match but Owen should’ve went over this time. **1/2 Afterwards Owen says that “Enough is Enough! This bullsh*t is gotta stop and it’s time for a change around here.” The next night Owen would join the Nation and Owen would get some revenge on Triple H at Over The Edge by pinning him in a six man tag.
NWA Tag Title Match: The Midnight Express (with Jim Cornette) VS The Rock N Roll Express
Cornette draws some heat by insulting the fans here at ringside. These two teams are renewing a long time rivalry here. Robert Gibson starts with Bob Holly. Gibson tackles Bob to the outside and Cornette hugs Bob. Gibson with an armdrag and he tags Ricky Morton and they do a double leg snap. King asks what color panties that Sable’s wearing tonight. More on that later. Bob drags Gibson in the ring and he sends him into Bart Gunn. Little dissension between the ME now. Bart continues with Morton and hooks an ab stretch using Bob for leverage. The ref sees it and breaks it. Cornette comes in and takes off his jacket and almost fights with Tim White the ref. Boring stuff. Morton continues with Bart and Cornette intervenes to allow the ME to take advantage. Bart hits a backreaker and another one for 2. Drop toe hold and an elbow drop by Bob for 2. Bart is in again and he hits a powerslam for 2. Bob is back in and he goes to the top and misses a Senton. Gibson gets the hot tag and he hammers on both ME. 4 man brawl now erupts. Double dropkick on Bart but the ref is diverted and Cornette hits an elbow on Bart inadverntally. Gibson rolls up Bart but Bob hits a bulldog and Bart gets the pin at 7:20. Old school match but the crowd was dead. 3/4*
Evening Gown Match: Sable VS Luna (with TAFKA Goldust)
King is really hyped up for this one. JR says that one of these ladies may end up with a black eye like Madonna. The winner of this match is the one to strip her opponent to her bra and panties. King confuses Marc Mero with Mark O Meara. They circle around and try to protect their gowns. Luna tears off a shoulder of Sable’s gown and Sable does the same. Luna takes off another sleeve.
King: Take your time Luna, The best part of getting a present is unwrapping it.
JR: You’re like a little kid with an unlimited Toys R Us gift certificate.
Luna takes off the bottom part of Sable’s dress but she kicks Luna and they brawl on the floor. Marc Mero is on the apron now as Luna from behind tears up the rest of Sable’s gown to win the match at 2:35. Thank god this was short. DUD. Sable then powerbombs Luna and strips Luna to her B-Day suit. They go underneath the ring and Sable comes out with Luna’s B-Day suit!! We don’t get to see Luna naked though as Goldust covers up Luna to the back.
Vince McMahon comes down to the ring with Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson. He says that something catastrophic will occur tonight. He talks about his mother giving birth to him in North Carolina. He won’t be held responsible for what happens in the title match if Steve Austin screws himself.
WWE Home Video leaves in a WWF hotline ad with Kevin Kelly and Sable!
Tag Team title Match: The New Age Outlaws VS LOD 2000 (with Sunny)
The Outlaws come out with
a blowup doll of former NC basketball coach Dean Smith. These guys knew how to
draw heat. Animal starts with Billy Gunn. They tie up and Animal gets a
shoulder block and a shove. Animal hits a flying shoulderblock and a
clothesline. The Outlaws’ double team fails on Animal. Animal goes to work on
the right arm of Road Dogg. Hawk is tagged in and he continues to work on the
right arm. He hits a powerslam. Hawk hits a fistdrop which looked like it
missed by a foot. Gunn is sent in the ring the hard way and he is backdropped.
Hawk gets a shoulderblock and messes up a slam but he gets a shoulderbreaker
for 2. Animal is back in and they hit a double elbow for 2. Animal goes to the
chinlock. Animal hits a power slam for 2. 4 man brawl erupts now and the LOD go
for the Doomsday device but Gunn clips the leg of Animal. Dogg is back in and
he starts working on the injured leg of Animal. Dogg goes to a spinning toe
hold and continues to work on the right leg. Gunn works on the right leg by
ramming it to the ringpost. Back in Dogg gets a kick to the fanny and continues
to work on the right leg. Gunn is back in and hits a knee on knee as JR called
it. Dogg pounds away on Animal. Gunn hits a fameasser for 2. Dogg comes back in
and hits a butt splash as I’m falling asleep. Gunn gets back in and Animal
reverese a piledriver into a backdrop. Animal gets a legdrag and makes the hot
tag to Hawk. Hawk pounds on both Outlaws. 4 Man brawl erupts but the crowd is
DEAD. Hawk hits a top rope splash but Gunn hits Hawk with the Tag title for 2.
Dogg then inadvenrtanly hits Gunn with the title and Hawk hits a German suplex
for the pin at 12:13. But the ref counted Hawk down instead of Dogg so the
Outlaws remain the champs. What is this? Protect DX night? Bad ending to a bad
match 1/2* The LOD hit the Doomsday Device on the ref and he is stretchered
out. Poor Jack Doan can’t catch a break. He was also Powerbombed by Vader in
January 1996 the same night Vader attacked president Gorilla Monsoon.
Jeff Jarrett and Sawyer
Brown perform a duet. Not a bad song. Steve Blackman comes out afterwards and
attacks Jeff and locks him with his finisher but Tennessee Lee nails Blackman
with Jarrett’s guitar and Jarrett hooks the Figure Four leglock.
We look at the Undertaker
and Kane. UT beat Kane at Wrestlemania but Kane tombstoned UT onto a chair. Kane
later smashes his parent’s grave and sets fire to it. UT was severely pissed
and he destroys the Headbangers. On another night Kane sets fire to one coffin
and chokeslams UT onto another. Tonight’s match is an inferno match where the
first person to be set on fire will be the loser.
Inferno Match: The Undertaker VS Kane (with Paul Bearer)
The ring is surrounded by
flames of fire and the first person who is set on fire loses. The ring is going
to be up to 200 degrees Farhreinheit and that’s another obstacle for these two
will have to deal with. The both slug it out to start. Kane powers UT in the
corner. UT hits a stinger splash on the other corner. He does the top rope walk
and forearm and the flames shoot up 6 or 7 feet in the air! UT is almost backdropped
onto the fire. Kane starts to pound on his brother now. UT’s face is almost in
the fire now. He gets up and eyerakes Kane’s bad eye. Kane gets a powerslam.
The flames continue to shoot 7 feet in the air at time. Kane gets a chair and
nails UT with it. Kane continues to work on UT. He almost gets UT in the fire
again. He rams UT in the corner. He chokes out UT in the corner and throws him
to another. UT gets a kick and hits a Russian leg sweep. Never seem him do that
before. UT hits a legdrop but Kane sits up. They grab each others throats and
Kane gets the chokeslam. Kane sets up the Tombstone but UT gets out of it and
hits a chokeslam of his own. Kane sits up again. They kick each other in the
face. UT misses a flying clothesline and almost gets in the fire. Kane gets a
sidewalk slam. He goes to the top rope but UT crotches him. UT with a
superplex! Clothesline by UT and he throws him over the top rope but Kane
hasn’t been burned. Kane starts to leave the ring area and Vader catches him
and fights him back towards the ring and UT hits a flying plancha over the top
rope on both men!!! What a move!! UT hammers on Kane outside the ring now but
Paul Bearer hits UT with a chair. Big mistake pal! UT knocks Kane down with the
chair and he goes after Bearer. They go to the stage where Jarrett was singing
earlier and UT places a drum on Bearer’s face busting him open. UT hits Bearer
with the Mike stand. He goes back towards the ring and he knock Kane’s covered
right arm into the fire to end the match at 15:57. Kane’s right arm is
obviously covered with plastic and newspaper and other protective stuff and
they put the fire out once he reaches the backstage. Good matchup and a pretty
cool visual! **1/4 I thought this would be the end of Kane but it’s not true.
We look at the feud
between Steve Austin and Dude Love. Austin wins the title at Wrestlemania. One
week later Vince McMahon presents Steve Austin wearing a suit and tie. Austin
tears up his suit enraging McMahon. One week later Austin challenges Vince to a
matchup for the title. Austin says he can beat Vince with one arm tied behind
his back and Vince does tie Austin’s arm to his back. Dude Love comes out and
is knocked down by Vince. Love is about to put the Mandible claw on Vince but
instead he does it on Austin turning heel. Austin thinks there’s a conspiracy
that Vince will screw him out of the WWF title. JR thinks so as well and he
says it on Raw Is War. Vince makes JR apologize on TV for his remarks.
WWF Title Match: Steve Austin VS Dude Love
Love jumps Austin from
behind. Austin gets out of the corner and does the mudhole stomp. Austin sends
Dude outside with an elbow. Back in Austin hits his Lou Thesz press. Austin
slams Dude’s head on the mat and slams Dude’s back to the mat and hits an
elbow. Austin hits a butt splash on the ropes and an apron elbow. They battle
out on the aisleway now. Austin hits a running clothesline to the neck of Love.
They go up on the stage now. Austin slams Dude on the stage and he throws Dude
7 feet to the concrete in a sick bump! Austin is rammed into the apron but
comes back with a clothesline. He drops Dude on the rail and he hits a double
axhandle. They go back in the ring. Austin misses a butt splash. Mick hits a
bulldog now followed by an elbow. Mankind kicks Austin in the corner and chokes
on him. Austin is back up and he clothesline Love but takes a knee to the gut.
Snapmare into a kind of a chickenwing lock by Love as Vince McMahon and his two
goons come down to ringside. McMahon takes a seat at ringside and takes some glances
at the timekeeper remember the Montreal Screwjob. Austin fights back but is
almost pinned on a roll up. Austin counters a headdown and he rams Dude’s leg
into the post twice. He rams his left leg now and looks at Vince. Austin kicks
Dude to the outside. Dude counters a piledriver into a backdrop outside. Dude
hammers on Steve outside and rams him to the railing. Vince comes over to
Austin and taunts him. Austin gets up and goes after Vince but is clotheslined
from behind by Dude. They go back in the ring and Dude hits a stungun. Vince
taunts Austin again and tells him to get back in the ring. Dude hooks an Ab
Stretch and Vince tells the timekeeper to ring the bell but the timekeep isn’t
buying it. Austin reverses the hold but is hiptossed. Austin is rammed into the
steps outside and Austin reverses a suplex and Dude hits the steps. Dude goes
over the railing and Austin goes after him. Austin throws Dude back in the ring
but Dude counters a headdown into a neckbreaker. Dude warms up his foot but
Austin blocks it and Dude clotheslines the ref inadvertanly. Dude blocks the
stunner and hooks the Mandible Claw. Austin comes out but takes a headbutt.
Vince tries to wake the ref up as Dude continues with the claw and he tries to
wake the ref up. Dude is backdropped to the outside. Austin and Vince fight for
a chair and Dude hits Austin with it. Austin nails the chair in Dude’s face.
Vince tries to help Dude up but Austin nails Vince right in the head with the
chair. Vince is out!! Back in the ring Austin hits the stunner on Dude and
counts his own pin at 18:52. However Austin is DQ’d for hitting Vince with a
chair. Terrific match but they would go on to have an even better one one month
later at Over The Edge! ****1/2. Meanwhile Vince is DEAD and he has to be stretchered
out.
Summary: Well most of the
show was throwaway but the last match saves it somewhat. I’d give this show NEUTRAL
FEELINGS. Don’t avoid it but don’t rush out to
get it right away.