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Summerslam is usually second to Wrestlemania when it comes to WWF events, but this year I think Summerslam came awfully close to completely surpassing Wrestlemania altogether! It was a great PPV with great buildup to some great matches! I won't review Sunday Night Heat (but seeing HBK was cool!)
D'Lo Brown vs. Val Venis A great match by two of the WWF's up and coming stars. Quite easily the best match that either guy has put on. Lot's missed finishers, lots of suspense, and even a sweet Texas Cloverleaf by D'Lo that might have made Malenko proud! Val hit some awesome moves two, showing how much he has improved since his WWF debut. Unfortunately it was a lame finish with a DQ because Val shoved the referee. I can't wait for a rematch at the next PPV, and hopefully Val takes the belt, making my theory of using the European title a belt to be handed around midcarders.
The Oddities vs. Kaientai Though I hate seeing Kaientai wasted like this, this was a good match for comedic value only! It was a just for laughs kind of match. I never thought I'd see the day when Kurrgan entertained me, and I enjoyed watching him. But remembering his old image of a monster and now to see him in tye die slapping hands and dancing. Well, he's found his niche I guess. The Oddities are a great way to get otherwise losers like John "Earthquake Avalance Shark Golga" Tenta over. ICP performed as well, and weren't bad. They ain't my thing though. And of course the Oddities won with a four man choke slam, and the a four man pin.
X-Pac vs. Jeff Jarrett Good match by both guys. Jeff Jarett is going to have to put on some good matches for the fans to care about him. Does anyone else think he's done a fantastic job at wearing out the "Don't Piss Me Off" catchphrase? XPac was looking good, and both guys put on a good match. Jeff lost the match and his hair. I think the highlight of it was when Howard Finkle came out with X-Pac doing the crotch chop and then giving Double J two words! I laughed my ass off at that! These little funny bits are what make the WWF so awesome!
Sable & Edge vs. Mero & Jackie Poor Mero. This has got to be so degrading. He's probably been degraded to the point that WCW is looking good to him. Not only did Sable hit the SableBomb, but a very impressive top-rope hurricaranna. And Edge was very impressive. He has a good future, but he shouldn't stick with Sable. He is supposed to be a loner.
Ken Shamrock vs. Owen Hart Although this was better than the Dungeon match, the gimmick matches just aren't working. Especially for Shamrock who bases a lot of his moves on throwing his opponent against the ropes. Screw the cages and put these two good workers in a ring dammit! But both adapted well to the situation. Dan Severn being at ringside was pointless. I think a big four way feud between Severn, Shamrock, Owen and Blackman could be pretty damn good. It could lead up to the big one between Severn and Shamrock, preferably at Wrestlemania!
New Age Outlaws vs. Mankind Kane bailed out on Mick, so it was Mankind defending the titles on his own. I thought, okay this will be good. It would give Mankind a lot of credibility if he held his own for a long time and finally succumbed to the power of the NAO. But no. The Outlaws won in about five minutes with a piledriver. I think the Outlaws better defend against real competition soon, because them winning the belts that way, makes them mean next to nothing if you ask me. Really cheap match. I was dissapointed. No DQ, Falls Count Anywhere, that's Mick's domain! But the match barely even left the ring. Buy do I feel gipped. But I'm willing to bet Mick will do some outstanding things in the near future and I'll be happy again!
HHH vs. The Rock Oh, ye naysayers, we have two words for you! HHH and the Rock surprised everyone by putting on a good match and taking some good bumps! I think the Rock is now destined to become a world title competitor. Just don't let the Rock's rising popularity run away ala Steve Austin. As long as the Rock stays as a pure heel he can be the guy to beat Austin. Which would lead up to a HBK\Rock feud (which could be awesome). But back to the present, this match wasn't as good as Michaels and Hall, but few people can put on matches like the Showstopper. And HHH was doing this with a legitly injured knee. With a small amount of assistance from Chyna, HHH snagged the gold.
Austin vs. Undertaker It was nothing special in my opinion. However, a wicked suicide legdrop from the Undertaker over the top rope onto Austin (who was on the announcers table) made the match worthwhile. I sort of expected the Undertaker to win. But Austin hit the stunner and got the win. I was happy to see that Kane did not interfere anywhere. That really would have wrecked a great match. But it was a good match, despite being a little predictable and a little slo0w in parts. A good climax to the Austin\Taker feud with Undertaker handing Austin the belt.
Fantastic PPV by the WWF. WCW could take a serious lesson from this. Good buildup, good workers, good matches, good endings. Highlighted by Venis\D'Lo and HHH\Rock this makes this the best event the WWF has put out in a long, long time. Good job! Only disapointment was maybe the tag title match. The 1998 Summerslam gets, and totally deserves, 9.5\10
