Rock Bottom '98: In Your House

Legacy Review

Rock Bottom '98: In Your House

December 13, 1998 from General Motors Place in Vancouver, BC

Commentary: Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler

A small bit of history here as Michael Cole, the longest tenured play by play announcer in WWE history if not all of wrestling history (I'd need to run some numbers on Gordon Solie to say for sure), is manning his first ever PPV from the big chair. He's there because JR suffered his second attack of Bell's Palsy during the PPV in the UK the previous week and would be out the next few months.

The show opens with the Rock welcoming us to the Rock's PPV from Planet Hollywood. He drops some names for future Rock-themed PPVs that never materialized, though one did get shortened and became WWF/E's second longest running weekly show. I'm honestly not sure if this bit was on the PPV broadcast or a Coliseum Video exclusive. Rock Bottom is sponsored by Glover! Glover?......Hold on *checks Al Gore's interwebs*.....huh, it was an N64 game. That's one that passed me by completely, I don't remember anything about it at all. Looks like it's getting ported to modern consoles so I guess it wasn't a complete disaster. In keeping with the "Rock's personal PPV" theme the stage is little more than a couple of giant Rock posters. It's good to be the Corporate Champion.

Lots of tag matches tonight. Unusual for a WWF PPV.

Mark Henry and D'Lo Brown (w/Terri and Jacqueline) def Val Venus and The Godfather (w/hos) in 5:56- Venus and Godfather do seem like a logical pairing from a business standpoint. I mean their business. Godfather comes in with a 4 girl Ho Train, and like most of his entourages there's maybe one that's actually attractive. Terri and Jacqueline formed their own pairing before hooking up with Brown and Henry. For those of you who've been following along, no Terri's not pregnant. Never was. Don't ask, it's Russo. Brown and Venus start with some spunky back and forth reminiscent of their better than expected opener at Summerslam. Venus hits a spinebuster. Godfather works Brown over a bit before Brown dodges an avalanche. Godfather hits a sort of back kick. The match stops for a "D'Lo sucks" chant and Brown responds by tagging out. Godfather gets in position and does the full setup so I guess we can say he hits the Train even if it's not called that yet. Henry responds with a powerslam and.....lots of regular body slams. He's still learning. Godfather dodges an elbow drop and tags. Brown holds Venus by the tights in the corner so Henry can avalanche him. Brown hits his spinebuster. He goes for the frog splash but Venus dodges and tags. Godfather barely gets Brown over on a backdrop. Double suplex on Henry. The women all start bitching at each other outside. While that's going on Jacqueline gets in the ring, pulls Venus' tights down to expose his thong, and Henry kills him with a clothesline. Henry big splash and it's over. 1/2*

Triple H is in the back with Dok Hendrix for his only scheduled appearance on the PPV (he had a match on Heat) and says he's not worried about DX being banned from the Outlaws' tag title defense tonight. After that we get footage from Heat of Mankind attacking the Rock in the Corporate Skybox and injuring his Corporate Ribs. Rock tells the Corporate Doctor to beat it, then coming back live Rock tells Corporate Vince and Corporate Shane he'll be fine.

 

The Headbangers def The Oddities (w/Giant Silva and Luna Vachon) in 6:52- Kind of surprised the Oddities are still around to be honest. Cole keeps calling Cartman "Cart Man", which as a long (LONG) time South Park fan myself is both chuckle worthy and eye rolling. Kurrgan and Mosh start with Kurrgan subjecting us to his attempts to wrestle. Yeah, he's still awful. Mosh dodges in the corner and Cole commends his quickness. Quickness? An arthritic grandfather with a walker could have dodged that. Or Joe Biden. After a Kurrgan slam Mosh rolls under a big boot and tags out. Kurrgan plants Thrasher with his one and only move, the side suplex. Mosh runs back in and Kurrgan easily handles them both. Golga (Earthquake with a mask) tags in, pulls his shirt up, and squashes them both with an avalanche. Hip toss and elbow drop from Golga for 2. Mosh dodges Kurrgan timbering off the second rope. He tries for a suplex. That's dumb. Thrasher comes in and they manage to get Kurrgan over. In a suplex. An endorsement from Wayne Gretzky himself couldn't get Kurrgan over in Canada. The 'Bangers work through some double teams. Eventually Kurrgan decides enough selling, hits a backdrop and clothesline, and tags out. Golga pounds away on both 'Bangers. Dropkick! Ol' Quake could still go a bit, I'll give him that. Another avalanche. The 'Bangers do a "blind tag" that there's no way Golga didn't see. Golga hits his powerslam and sets up for the Quake splash. Mosh takes forever waiting for the setup after the tag, then jumps on Golga from the top while he's running for the splash, and gets the pin. DUD

We get some footage of Austin inspecting the gravesite for his Buried Alive match before the show.

 

Steve Blackman def Owen Hart by countout in 10:28- Big Canada pop for Owen. I'm sure it won't surprise anyone, but he hasn't exactly had a banner year being the last Hart family member standing in WWF after the Montreal Screwjob. There's been a whole crazy story going on about Owen retiring after injuring Dan Severn with a piledriver (a nod to his injuring Austin), then the Blue Blazer starting to show up, then Owen unretiring and other people being the Blazer and is Owen really the Blazer anyway and it's all Russorific and in the end completely pointless. Owen jumps Blackman as he gets in the ring. Snap suplex and dropkick. The crowd unsurprisingly is all Owen. Blackman gets a backdrop and hook kick to a chorus of boos. He clotheslines Owen 360 to the floor. Owen takes a walk so Blackman runs out and clotheslines him. Back in Blackman hits a suplex. Backbreaker into a bow and arrow. Owen does a nice enzuguri counter that wasn't nearly as telegraphed as it usually is. Then he hits suplex #3 in the match. Gutwrench suplex for 2. Owen grabs Blackman's legs and the crowd goes crazy, but he does the gut stomp instead of the Sharpshooter. He tries coming off the second rope but Blackman gets a boot up. Corner kicks and chops from Blackman. Match suplex #4 and an elbow drop for 2. Owen grabs the ropes on a whip and bails. Blackman lets him think about it, then hits him with a baseball slide. Owen catches Blackman coming back in and hits a blatant low blow. Inverted atomic drop and spinning heel kick for 2. Suplex #5 for the match. Owen hits an elbow off the top for 2. Chinlock with arm drops. Owen goes for a crossbody. Blackman rolls through it for 2. Another Owen enzuguri for 2. Owen takes a top turnbuckle pad off. Blackman reverses the whip and Owen Bret bumps into the exposed pad. Blackman tries to put on a sleeper. Owen quickly counters with a sleeper of his own, then switches to a dragon sleeper! Nice to see that back. That's been an important hold in this feud. Blackman knees out of it. Owen hits a DDT. Blackman dodges a missile dropkick. Sharpshooter! The crowd is not happy about that. Owen gets to the ropes. Chop exchange on the floor. Blackman gets back in. Owen walks and takes the countout. The crowd is even less happy about that. What a shit finish. I guess they didn't want Owen to lose in Canada or for Blackman to lose at all. The match tried so hard to be good but just had too many issues to get there. **1/2

Vince is looking for Mankind backstage. He sees a sign for "Mankind's office" on the door of a small closet under the arena stairs and disgustedly rips it off. Knock and Mankind asks him in and offers him a seat, saying they have a lot to talk about....

 

The Brood def The JOB Squad (w/Head) in 9:08- This is six man action, with the full Brood going against Al Snow, Scorpio and Bob Holly. Edge attacks Holly before the bell. Holly's got a new short blonde haircut that he'll keep the rest of his career. A falcon arrow from Holly hits. Edge gets a boot up in the corner and plants Holly with a face first electric chair drop. Holly double underhook powerbomb on puffy shirt Christian. Scorpio hits some full speed stiff corner clotheslines on Christian. Welcome to the big leagues, kid. Spinning legdrop off the second rope from Scorpio for 2. Snow tags in and goes nuts with headbutts. Christian does a Bret bump and Snow clotheslines him. Dropkick from Christian and he tags Gangrel. He knocks Snow around for a bit. Standing switches and Snow hits a northern lights suplex for 2. Gangrel boot up and clothesline. Snow wheelbarrow suplex for 2. DDT from Gangrel. Snow gets trapped in the heel corner. He fights out of a chinlock and hits a front enzuguri. Edge holds him back from tagging. Snow dodges, clotheslines Gangrel, spinebusters Edge, and gets the tag to Scorpio. Scorpio heel kick on Christian. Everyone in the pool! Scorpio dumps Christian over the top rope but Christian dodges a plancha and Scorpio splats on the mat. Holly dodges a Christian splash off the top rope. Snow lays Christian out with Head. Scorpio moonsault legdrop off the top! Edge JUST breaks the pin up in time! Edge springs off Gangrel's back for a big dive to the floor. Christian hits Scorpio with the as yet unnamed Unprettier and it's over. That match wasn't very pretty. *1/2

Vince and Mankind are still talking in Mankind's office.

 

Striptease Match: Goldust def Jeff Jarrett (w/Debra) by DQ in 8:02- The rules for this one are if Jarrett wins, Goldust strips. If Goldust wins, Debra strips. Needless to say Lawler's tongue is rolling out like a Loony Tunes cartoon. The crowd is also super hot for a Goldust win like real nudity is actually going to happen or something. Please. WWF was edgy at the time but they knew what lines to not cross. Plus no one really wants to see Debra anyway. Now if it was pre-train wreck Sunny, I'd be freaking out right there with Lawler. Basic start from what at heart are two old school southern pros. Goldust works some headlocks. Jarrett hits the jets and goes into dodge mode but runs into a spinebuster. A back elbow sends Goldust to the floor. Jarrett snaps Goldust over the top rope. Crossbody off the top from Jarrett that Goldust rolls through for 2 and a big crowd reaction. The crossbody rollover counter was definitely the move de jour in WWF at this point. Jarrett hits the armbar slam. Swinging neckbreaker for 2. Fistdrop off the second rope in what might be a little shoutout to his buddy Lawler. Goldust hits a suplex. Jarrett ducks a clothesline and hits a dropkick for 2. Sleeper. After arm drops Goldust fights up and hits a back suplex for 2. Jarrett clothesline. He signals Debra to ready the guitar. He tries to whip Goldust into it, but Goldust reverses and Jarrett and Debra barely hit the brakes in time. Ref Tim White catches them and Debra plays innocent. Goldust uses the distraction to plant Jarrett with the Curtain Call! But Debra still has the White distracted. Jarrett tries a sunset flip but Goldust stacks him up for 2. Bulldog for 2. Goldust calls for the Shattered Dreams nut shot. Debra gets in the ring and tries to slink him out of it. Goldust says nah and hits Jarrett with Shattered Dreams. Jarrett falls out of the ring. Debra nails Goldust with the guitar! Jarrett just beats the count in, plants Goldust with his Skull Crushing Finale like new finisher (honestly can't remember right now what his name for it turned out to be), and gets the pin. Commissioner Shawn Michaels and his suit make their way out. Shockingly little hate for him from the Canadian crowd. He tells Jarrett to leave and Debra to stay. He saw the foreign object that was used, therefore the decision is reversed and Goldust wins by DQ! And that means, per the match contract, Debra must strip. Debra's pissed at first but quickly gets into it. Shawn gets his play money out. Jarrett is pissed watching from the back. Just when Debra's about to get past PG-13, Jarrett and, oddly, the Blue Blazer run out to cover her up and shuffle her off even though she doesn't want to stop now. The match was OK, and I know those two have a better one in them. **1/4

Vince leaves Mankind's office and looks happy.

 

WWF Tag Team Championship: The New Age Outlaws (c) def The Corporation (w/Shawn Michaels) in 17:04- It's Intercontinental champ Ken Shamrock and Hardcore champ the Big Boss Man representing the Corporation here. It was Shawn's edict to ban DX from ringside and it actually makes some rational sense outside Russo swerviness. Shawn and Trips started DX, then Shawn gets hurt and literally the day after Trips is bringing in all these new guys to replace him. Now Shawn's getting a measure of revenge. Shamrock chases the Outlaws around. After a bit of stalling and jawing Dogg jumps Shamrock. Shamrock quickly gets the upper hand on him. Boss Man hits a slam but misses a splash. He slides under Gunn in the corner and tries to crotch him but Gunn pulls him into the post. Outlaw double backdrop. Shamrock hits corner clotheslines on Dogg. Dogg ducks a kick and does his dancing jabs and kneedrop. While he's down Shamrock grabs the ankle lock! Gunn quickly comes in to break it up. Shamrock pounds on Gunn until Gunn hits a fameasser. Dogg tags in but runs into a belly to belly suplex. Boss Man goes into slow beatdown mode on him. Dogg fights out of a facelock but Boss Man gives him a knee to the gut. Shamrock back elbow for 2. Dogg continues to be in peril as the heels sucker Gunn in for double teams. Heel kick from Shamrock and more front facelock. Shamrock cuts off another comeback with a clothesline. During this title run the Outlaws have used a very consistent formula of Road Dogg taking long, Ricky Morton style beatdowns before Gunn (the man being eyed for a singles push) got the hot tag runs. The problem is Dogg is no Ricky Morton. The Corporation continue to go to the facelock and we get the "ref didn't see the tag" spot in. Dogg drops Boss Man over the top to the floor....then goes after him instead of tagging. Dufus. He gets caught on the floor in the heel corner by all three with Shawn getting a shot in. Back in Dogg gets a boot up in the corner, back elbow and finally tags out to Gunn. Gunn runs wild, until running into a Shamrock heel kick. Shamrock goes for a hurricanrana but Gunn catches and powerbombs him. Cover. Shawn pulls ref Tim White out! Boss Man works everyone over with the nightstick. Shamrock covers. Gunn kicks out! After a bit of obvious maneuvering, Gunn lifts Shamrock up for a suplex. Shawn trips Gunn and Shamrock falls on top of him, but Gunn rolls over and gets a pin! Shawn is so pissed after he takes his suit off. They weren't doing near enough to sustain a match this length. Honestly I don't think the Outlaws had it in them to sustain a match of this length period. *

Vince tells Rock and Shane backstage that he's made a deal with Mankind, it's all good, he just wants witnesses so we'll all go to the ring. After everyone makes their entrances Vince takes a mic. First off he tells Mankind he has a hole in the knee of his tights like a little kid. Then he and Mankind go over their deal: Mankind will strike the clause in the match contract saying that if Rock's not able to wrestle for any reason, Mankind wins the title. But before that, Mankind wants Vince to admit that he never said "I quit" at Survivor Series. Vince hedges and finally says he thinks he heard something and Shane heard something and Rock heard something so it might have been Mankind submitting. Mankind tears the contract up right then and there. No deal. Rock jumps him from behind and the bell rings to start the match.

 

WWF Championship: Mankind def The Rock (c) (w/Mr. McMahon and Shane McMahon) in 13:32- Mankind quickly gets the edge attacking Rock's hurt ribs. Rock gets whipped into the steps and Mankind drops the steps on him. Rock tries to fight back but Mankind whips him into the ring apron and clotheslines him. Vince gets a mic and says enough of that crap, and tells ref Mike Chioda to immediately DQ Mankind for "ANY legitimate reason". While Mankind's distracted by the announcement Rock clotheslines him. Back to the floor and Rock chokes Mankind with a TV cable, then suplexes Mankind on the floor. Kick exchange back in the ring and Rock gets tossed over the top back to the floor. Mankind with a baseball slide! That's a new one. He sets up on the second rope to hit the Cactus Elbow but Shane grabs his foot to block it. Rock comes up and flips Mankind off the second rope down to the floor! Moderate Foley bump. Rock takes Cole's headset and adds the Rock's own commentary to the Rock's beatdown. Mankind gets a chair but the ref stops him. Rock DDTs Mankind on the chair. Cover back in for 2. Setup slam. Pad off. Corporate Elbow! Still gets a huge pop even with Rock a heel. Mankind kicks out! Mankind ducks a clothesline and hits a swinging neckbreaker. He spins Rock around on a kick counter and clotheslines him for 2. Legdrop for 2. He drops the groinal legdrop. Vince says that's it and demands Chioda DQ Mankind. Mankind piledrives Chioda before he can! Vince orders the bell to ring. Mankind takes timekeeper Mark Yeaton out before he can do that! Rock comes from behind with a chairshot and gets Mankind back in the ring. Rock Bottom! But there's no ref. Shane sets up for a belt shot but whacks Rock instead! Ref Tim White slides in as Mankind covers! Rock kicks out! Oh the crowd bit hard on that one. Rock hits the spinny DDT for 2. Mankind double underhook DDT for 2. Socko's out! Mandible Claw! Rock goes out! White calls it! Huge pop. Vince snatches the mic right out of Fink's hand mid-announcement before he can say "AND NEWWWWWWW". Vince gets on the apron, acknowledges that Mankind won the match, but the "only way a title can change hands is pinfall or submission", Rock didn't submit and therefore he's still the champion. If you're looking for a next level screwjob, you found it. Mankind Claws Vince and takes out Shane and the Stooges before Shamrock and Boss Man come in and save everyone. Not the best match between these two. There's enough overbooking here to fill three main events, or one Bischoff era WCW PPV, so how you feel about the match will come down to how you feel about that. Personally I think it was generally entertaining enough. **3/4

This is very much the "weekly TV over PPV" business plan cropping up again, very typical for the Monday Night Wars when weekly ratings were just as if not more important than PPV buys. After a few more weeks of hounding the Corporation Mankind would finally get another title shot on the first Raw of 1999 and, as spoiled by Tony Schiavone under Bischoff's orders that night on Nitro in a massive WCW own goal, finally win the WWF Title that had eluded him for so long in a very popular victory that did indeed put butts in seats. That would also be just the beginning of the title hotshotting that would take place between these two the following couple of months.

 

Buried Alive Match: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin def The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) in 21:30- Putting a temporary bow on this very long running feud before everyone moves on for Royal Rumble/Wrestlemania season. Speaking of, per Vince's orders Austin must win this match in order to qualify for the '99 Rumble. Taker has gone full Ministry of Darkness the past couple of months, with he and Bearer attempting to embalm Austin alive one week, then last week on Raw they crucified Austin on a giant Undertaker logo in one of the seminal images of the Ministry of Darkness days. Austin climbs up and checks the grave on his entrance, then meets Taker in the aisle to kick things off. Austin chokes Taker with his vest and a TV cable. They find a classic style guardrail conveniently placed near the grave and throw some shots with it. Cole talks about the various implements available around the grave: "a wheelbarrow, shovels, hoes". No, the hos were in the Godfather's match. I don't think that's the kind of work they do either. ......Fine, I'll show myself out for that one. Very slow Taker walkaround beatdown around the grave and they work back toward the ring. Austin hits the Thesz Press back in. Taker gets crotched on the post. He beats Austin down around the Spanish announce table and pushes the table over. They should count themselves lucky that's all that happens to it tonight. They work back to the grave with Taker in control. Austin slugs back and Taker rolls down the hill. Austin grabs the barricade and runs Taker over with it. He slowly (I mean SLOWLY) works Taker into the grave. Taker hits Austin with the wreath stand and Austin falls in. The brawl continues with both guys trying to get out and getting drug back in. Taker punches Austin in his bad knee to fully get out. More brawling around the floor and slow walking back to the ring. They get back in just so Austin can 360 clothesline Taker right back out. Austin's back is posted. Back in Taker hits a chokeslam. He rolls Austin out, drags him all the way over and dumps him in the grave, repositioning a gas can he introduced at the start of the match for some reason. Some idiot throws a nearly full drink right into the grave area from the stands. Taker takes a shovel and starts slowly pushing dirt in. Austin slowly fights out and whacks Taker with his own gas can. Taker falls in the grave. Austin shows he's clearly smarter than Taker because instead of faffing around with shovels he dumps the pre-prepared wheelbarrow full of dirt down on Taker. He chases Bearer off and then goes to the back for some reason. Taker gets out of the grave, takes a shovel, and hides himself behind the hill. It looks like he's setting up an ambush for Austin, but the real reason is so the grave is hidden from the cameras. Pyro explosion in the grave! Kane's here! I mean, you knew he'd show up at some point. Taker and Kane brawl around the grave a bit. Taker scoops for a Tombstone but Kane escapes. Austin is out with a backhoe! While that's happening Kane Tombstones Taker off camera and he falls in the grave. Piss poor timing all around but that's not the last problem they'll have with the industrial equipment. The guy working the backhoe has to do a ton of maneuvering, then finally dumps a load of dirt down on Taker. The backhoe is supposed to scoop up more dirt and dump it down, but the guy working it can't get to it. Finally Austin gets a shovel and does it himself. While all that's going on off camera Taker is escaping through the same trapdoor in the grave Kane used to get in. Austin goes back in the backhoe, gets a bunch of beers, opens one up and I guess that's good enough because Hebner calls the match for Austin. As usual when Taker loses matches like this he's "resurrected" as a different version of Taker. In this case, he'll come back more satanic than ever. That was a mess. Started slow, only got slower, and the ending was horribly executed. Just a near disaster all around. 3/4*

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- They tried to make this more important than the usual wheel spinning December PPVs. They partially succeeded, but it doesn't help the fact there's little worth watching on this show and it's a chore to sit through. It's probably the worst WWF PPV of 1998. Fortunately for them Raw was still so hot week to week they didn't really need good PPVs.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: D