Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

‘The Highway to Hell’ which overtook the WWF throughout the summer of 1998 finally came to a head when the wrestling organization presented its 10th annual SummerSlam pay-per-view event from the very site it originated, Madison Square Garden.

The main event pitted the WWF’s new icon WWF World Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin against #1 contender The Undertaker. Austin had only recently captured the heavyweight title in March by defeating Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIV, while The Undertaker had been a perennial contender and champion since his WWF debut in 1990. These two fan favorites became reluctant partners in June and July as they collectively fended off Mankind and Kane, but their focus soon switched to one another once Taker was named the top contender to the championship.

Austin, while still having to fight off the owner of the company – Vince McMahon, soon found himself face-to-face with one of the most respected and accomplished wrestlers on the roster. As successful as his title reign had been, could it survive a meeting with The Undertaker, especially with possible interference from Vince McMahon and the challenger’s brother Kane?

In addition to the well built-up main event, the card would feature seven other bouts. This was perhaps the most profitable and successful time in the history of the WWF for many reasons, one of which being the slow buildup to several of the big matches on this show. Major feuds between Austin / Taker, The Rock / Triple H, Sable / Marc Mero, Ken Shamrock / Owen Hart, and DX / The Nation all saw their beginnings in the spring and had months of buildup to this show.

Some fans may disagree with me but I believe it doesn’t matter who is featured in a feud – if it has good buildup then people will watch the TV show and buy the pay-per-view. Often times the WWF will just throw big names together on the fly in an attempt to bring in viewers but as an overall that’s not a very successful decision. Shows like this and WrestleMania X-7 are memorable not only because of what went on inside the ring but also because there were stories behind the matches that made the fans care who won.

The date: Sunday, August 30, 1998
The setting: Madison Square Garden; New York City, NY
The commentary team: Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler

WWF European Championship – Val Venis vs. D-Lo Brown ©

The opening contest would feature two of the WWF’s newest young stars, the former porn star in Venis and the Nation of Domination member D-Lo. Both of these men had quickly made a name for themselves thanks to their amazing aerial offense and very crisp mat wrestling – this match is a great showcase for both.

“Well you know something…I came, I saw, and I came again!” – Val Venis in a pre-match promo

The match features some good psychology as the two men mix very well with each other. The champion controls the early moments, thanks in part to his protective chest guard that he controversially wore after having his pectoral muscle torn in June. The challenger’s back is soon in bad trouble and a Texas CloverLeaf from D-Lo doesn’t help matters. Val regains the momentum, only to have a top rope offensive move turned into an awesome sit-down powerbomb by the champion.

Val takes a number of punishing moves from the champion but continues to kick out of pinfall attempts. The champion attempts a running powerbomb only to lose his grip mid-move and have Venis fall on the back of his head (ouch); the second attempt is much more successful. D-Lo tries to put the match away with his Lo-Down frogsplash, only to have Val roll out of the way. The challenger takes the offensive advantage, tears D-Lo’s chest guard off, and puts it on himself. Val goes to the top rope to hit his Money Shot splash but the referee accidentally makes the challenger lose his balance and land crotch-first on the turnbuckle. The champion retakes the advantage temporarily, only for Val to soon dispose of him and the referee – getting himself disqualified in the process.

With the fans yelling foul for the decision, Val turns his attention to the referee and soon lays him out with the Money Shot. D-Lo escapes with the title but Val proved he was more than a worthy contender.

Bottom Line: The WWF’s new talent keeps getting better and better
Winner via disqualification and still champion at 15:22: D-Lo Brown

3-on-4 Handicap Match – The Oddities (w/ Luna and ICP) vs. Kaientai (w/ Yamaguchi-San)

This is the comedic match of the night. There is no ring psychology, no crisp mat wrestling, no steady pace…but hey, it does feature a performance from the Insane Clown Posse before the match.

The Oddities were made up of The Giant Silva, Kurrgan, and the South Park-loving Golga – three men that had the gimmick of being circus freaks (because of their immense size). Kaientai were four small Japanese wrestlers that were very talented but could never get over with the American fans because of the language barrier.

Kurrgan and Silva, the two 7fters, easily dominate their much smaller opponents one-on-one or four-on-one. It’s not until Golga is tagged in that Kaientai gains the advantage (following four consecutive top rope splashes). Golga eventually clotheslines all four of his opponents, makes the tag, and his two partners finish the match with double chokeslams on each member of Kaientai. It’s a very slow paced match with lots of stalling but barely does a thing to hamper the overall quality of this event.

Bottom Line: Good for a few laughs or a bathroom break
Winners of the match at 10:11: The Oddities

Hair vs. Hair Match – X-Pac (w/ Howard Finkel) vs. Jeff Jarrett

Jarrett and his friends Southern Justice (aka The Godwinns) had cut ring announcer Howard Finkel’s hair just minutes before the pay-per-view went to air and, as payback, Howard shows up in X-Pac’s corner and cheers him on during the match. Not since WrestleMania III had a Hair vs. Hair match taken place within the WWF but one of these men would leave MSG without their trademark long hair.

X-Pac was easily one of the most popular stars of the WWF in ’98, thanks in part to his association with Degeneration-X. Both of these men had nearly 10 years of ring experience prior to this match, yet X-Pac was only 26 (Jarrett no older than early 30s). The experience is evident within the first few minutes as both men put on a very crisp exchange.

With 7 minutes removed, Jarrett locks on his trademark figure-4 leglock in the center of the ring. X-Pac eventually grabs the ring ropes and saves himself, but the 20-30 seconds spent in the hold did their damage. X-Pac and Jarrett soon fight for supremacy, with X-Pac blocking a dropkick into a great looking sit-down powerbomb. Jarrett soon blocks X-Pac’s Bronko Buster by placing his boot right into X-Pac’s groin. Pac soon regains the momentum and the outside interference of Southern Justice backfires, as Jarrett’s own guitar is used on him to allow X-Pac to win.

Jarrett yells and argues with the referee as he’s held down by The Headbangers, New Age Outlaws, and Droz while X-Pac trims away. This would result in a number of matches pitting X-Pac and The Outlaws against Jarrett and Southern Justice later in the fall.

Bottom Line: A very crisp battle with predictable outside interference
Winner at 11:10: X-Pac

Mixed Tag Team Match – Sable & Mystery Partner vs. Marc Mero & Jackie

For weeks there had been rumors concerning who Sable’s tag team partner would be. Would it be a new member to the roster? Someone from WCW or ECW? Would someone agree to do double-duty by wrestling twice in the same night? The answer to all of those is no, as Edge is revealed to be the mystery man. Edge had arrived in the WWF during the spring and quickly became known as an ‘enigma’ as he would consistently be seen watching the matches from the crowd.

The rules of a mixed tag team match allow the men to be in the ring together and the women to be in the ring together, but a man cannot be in the ring at the same time as his female opponent. This match is rarely used today as the WWF has slowly allowed its female stars to battle the male stars in ‘intergender’ matches instead (Andy Kaufman would be proud).

Sable is double-teamed for much of the match, both in and out of the ring. This was a time in which Sable was the top female star of the WWF and could get away with almost anything – including bad acting and not selling her opponent’s moves (may as well call her the female version of Goldberg). Once Edge is tagged in, he immediately makes an impact by executing a fantastic suicide dive onto Mero on the floor. Jackie attempts to intercede but is spanked for her efforts.

Edge and Sable continue their dominance inside the ring as Edge drops Mero with the Downward Spiral, then drops Sable on top of her real-life husband to pick up the win.

Bottom Line: A great sign of things to come from Edge
Winners at 8:25: Edge & Sable

Lion’s Den Match – Ken Shamrock vs. Owen Hart (w/ Dan Severn)

This feud had begun in April when Hart surprised the world by turning heel during a tag team match, attacking his partner (Shamrock), and joining the Nation of Domination. Owen had broken Shamrock’s ankle that night, putting ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Man’ on the shelf, but all that would come back to haunt Hart in the weeks and months that followed. Shamrock returned to the ring in May – soon winning the King of the Ring tournament – and then turned his attention to paying Owen back for his actions.

This grudge would finally meet its end as these two men would enter the ‘Lion’s Den’ cage (much like the UFC’s Octagon) and battle in a submission match. In the weeks prior to the match, it was revealed that Shamrock’s UFC rival Dan Severn was training Owen. Would that prove to be the determining factor or would Shamrock thrive inside the cage?

This match actually takes place at the Theater at MSG, which is adjacent to the arena. Just because a UFC-style cage is used it doesn’t mean the match is a strictly submission bout. Within just the first few minutes, clotheslines, suplexes, powerslams, and using the cage as a weapon are all used – likening this to nothing more than a wrestling match within a new kind of cage.

With 7 minutes removed, Owen locks on his trademark Sharpshooter in the middle of the cage – only for Shamrock to crawl to the cage and scale it high enough to break the hold. Within moments, Owen attempts the Dragon sleeper taught to him by Severn. Shamrock reverses, sending Owen to the mat, and locks on his ankle lock to end the match – as Severn walks away in disgust.

Bottom Line: Shamrock ends his feud and turns his attention to championships
Winner at 9:14: Ken Shamrock

No DQ, Falls Count Anywhere WWF Tag Team Championship Handicap Match – The New Age Outlaws vs. Mankind ©

Earlier in the night, it was announced that Kane – Mankind’s partner – would not be competing. Vince McMahon then talked Mankind into going into the match alone, risking his life and limb but were he to win it would guarantee him a spot in the MSG Hall of Fame. Feeling as though this was his kind of match, Mankind agreed. This was a rematch of sorts since it was Kane and Mankind that defeated the Outlaws for the belts 6 weeks prior.

The challengers come to the ring pulling a dumpster, equipped with various objects of destruction. Mankind gains the early advantage by nailing each of his opponents with a cookie sheet as they enter the ring. The Outlaws soon regain the momentum and its clear that Mankind is in for a great deal of punishment in the match. However, the sole champion has no quit in him and continues to fight back despite the odds. This was an interesting match for the fans because The Outlaws were the most popular tag team in wrestling, but many were cheering for Mankind simply because he was the underdog.

Mankind gets in some scarce offense but soon falls victim to a double powerbomb onto two steel chairs set up in the ring. Road Dogg makes the lazy cover and amazingly Mankind kicks out before the 3. A spike piledriver onto one of the title belts ends the match moments later. The Outlaws had finally regained what was rightfully theirs, while at the same time planting the seeds for a Mankind face turn.

The new champs toss Mankind into the dumpster after the match and celebrate inside the ring, while Kane shockingly appears out of the dumpster and nails his former partner with a sledgehammer.

Bottom Line: I never thought a handicap match could be entertaining; I was wrong
Winners and new champions at 5:16: The New Age Outlaws

WWF Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match – Triple H (w/ Chyna) vs. The Rock © (w/ Mark Henry)

This match was four months in the making, ever since DX and the Nation began their feud, which went down as perhaps the most exciting of the year. This would pit the leader of each faction against each other in what many predicted to be the match of the night. The ladder match had a lot of history within not only the WWF but also MSG. WrestleMania X, which was held in this very same arena, saw Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon do battle in a similar ladder match that went down as the Match of the Year. Adding to that was the fact that the SummerSlam IC title matches usually stole the show.

Rocky had held the title since December ’97 and had survived all challengers, so if he were to be defeated it would take quite an effort from Triple H (especially an injured Triple H; he was attacked earlier in the night by Rock to cover up a real-life leg injury). The challenger is ‘serenaded’ to the ring by the DX band and, although it was a surprise to have them featured, they sound horrible.

The two men do battle in and out of the ring for the first 5 minutes of the match, sending each other into the ringside barrier and ladder. Once the ladder is brought into the ring, Rock takes the early advantage by targeting the already-injured leg of his opponent. Trapping the leg inside of the ladder and then nailing it several times with a steel chair, the champ is in full control of the bout.

Triple H, although injured to the point where he can barely walk, continues to fight back and prevent Rocky from capturing the title belt 15ft in the air. Mark Henry soon intercedes, giving his Nation teammate a second ladder to use while also holding Triple H back outside the ring. Chyna soon remedies the problem by nailing Henry from behind, allowing Triple H to knock the ladder over – sending Rock over the top rope and to the floor. A baseball slide from the challenger soon sends the point of the ladder right into the face of the champion, busting him open.

Rock soon regains the advantage, dropping the People’s Elbow onto Triple H – who was laid upon the ladder. With 24 minutes removed, Triple H brushes off the effects of a Rock Bottom and drops the champion with his trademark Pedigree. However, Mark Henry throws powder into the challenger’s face only seconds later – immediately changing the momentum of the match. The champion immediately scales the ladder, only to have Chyna enter the ring and give him a low blow, allowing Triple H to grab the title belt.

The Outlaws, Chyna, and X-Pac celebrate the huge victory after the match, helping the new champion backstage. In exclusive footage shot only for home video, the former champion – still bleeding from the face – vows that there will be payback.

Triple H had ended Rocky’s title reign, but there would be no title defenses for the new champion as he would soon require surgery. The belt was eventually taken from Triple H in October, with Ken Shamrock winning it during a one-night tournament.

Bottom Line: Both men prove that they are main event material while DX goes 3-0 for the night
Winner and new champion at 26:03: Triple H

WWF World Heavyweight Championship – The Undertaker vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin ©

After all the buildup, all the twists and turns that had the WWF’s full attention in previous weeks, this meeting of forces would finally happen. While Austin was on top of the world and had fans in awe, the challenger had the experience edge and a long list of victims under his belt (including Hulk Hogan). Would Kane intervene in this match as many predicted? Would Vince McMahon’s quest of stripping Austin of the title finally come to fruition?

The first 5 minutes are very fast paced as each man attempts to gain the momentum through brawling. Austin soon goes for the legs of the challenger, slamming them against the steel ring post. However, The Undertaker soon uses his patented flying clothesline to put the champion down on the mat. Austin soon regains the momentum by pulling The Undertaker to the mat as the challenger attempted his patented top rope arm attack. Within seconds, Kane makes his way to ringside – stopping Austin dead in his tracks. The Undertaker waves his brother away, opting to go the match alone, and then calls on the champion to bring it on – which he does.

The challenger soon takes full control of the match after throwing Austin into the steel ring steps. After laying the champion across the Spanish announce table and feeling as though Austin was in a compromised position, The Undertaker scales the top rope and flies onto the table – crushing Austin underneath. Both men battle for the advantage back inside the ring, with Austin pulling out occasional spirts of offense. The challenger once again goes to the top rope and attempts his armbar attack, only for Austin to step out of the way, give the challenger a low blow, and drop him with the Stone Cold Stunner to win the match.

Austin had silenced his toughest challenge to date, while at the same time elevating his status within the company. Previous battles between the two before Austin’s title reign always saw The Undertaker emerge with the win, this match showed that Austin was no longer a midcard talent – he was the unstoppable world champion that could beat any man one-on-one. The only problem was that he would soon be pitted against two men – The Undertaker and Kane – and his title reign was about to come to a sudden close.

The Undertaker hands Austin his title belt after the match and, in a post-match interview shot exclusively for video, congratulates Austin on his win but says there will be another meeting.

Bottom Line: A solid contest that caps off a stellar show
Winner and still champion at 20:50: Stone Cold Steve Austin

The WWF had come to MSG and once again put on a classic event. Much like the 1991 SummerSlam (also held at MSG), this show was full of great matches and memorable moments. Many would refer to this show as the greatest SummerSlam of all time and prior to seeing the event I was hesitant to agree. However, now that I’ve seen it, I believe that the flow of the event, the performances given, and the overall results make this the best summertime event in WWF history.


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older