15 Tag Team Battle Royal
As well as a battle royal, this is also a #1 contenders match to earn a shot at WWF Backlash 1998. Like most battle royals, it’s pretty unremarkable. People get eliminated. It’s hard to keep track, the ending happens. L.O.D is easily the most over team in the match and are deserved winners. I like their new look, too. But Sunny wouldn't last long though and neither would their new found momentum. *1/2
WWF Light Heavyweight Title Match - Taka Michinoku (c) vs. Aguila
Oh dear, this match was rife with Jerry Lawler race jokes. I preferred the height jokes from the Rumble. The match was decent for just a standard spotfest. I don't think it was better than the Taka/Sasuke match, which I didn't love either, but for a showcase, it was decent enough. There were a lot of lucha libre inspired sequences, almost always leading to a dive in the entrance way. The crowd reacted to some of the spots, but I wouldn't say that they were totally into what the Light Heavyweight Division was trying to present. Probably the most prolific match of the title’s history, which sums the title belt up. **1/4
WWF European Title Match - Triple H (w/Chyna) (c) vs. Owen Hart
I much preferred this match the second time around of watching it. It was fairly predictable with Chyna being handcuffed to Sgt Slaughter, which goes exactly how one would think it would. The crowd was behind Triple H over Owen Hart which would lean into his (and DX’s face turn late next month) but Owen Hart was able to gain some support through his work. I dug the fight feel of the match. There was a lot of animosity between the two and they projected that to their benefit. Other than HHH initially working the wrong ankle, this was a solidly good match. ***
Mixed Tag Team Match - Luna & TAFKA Goldust vs. Marc Mero & Sable
This was actually tons of fun to watch. It was decently put together. It maximised Sable’s efforts and kept who needed to be in the ring in the ring. Goldust is super underrated in terms of his in-ring work in this period. He can still go. His gimmicks are pure death though. **1/2
WWF Intercontinental Title Match - The Rock (w/D-Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa & Mark Henry) (c) vs. Ken Shamrock
Sigh. This was a nothing match where Shamrock squashed the Rock and submitting him before getting DQ’d for continuing on. It was intended to end the feud with somehow Shamrock looking strong and keep Rock as champion. They only did the latter though as Shamrock looked totally stupid in the process. Faarooq flipping off the rock was the best part of the match. *
WWF World Tag Team Title Dumpster Rules Match - The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn & The Road Dogg) (c) vs. Cactus Jack & Chainsaw Charlie
Short but precise match. Some decent spots by both teams like the Outlaws using the dumpster lids as weapons. The ladder spot into the dumpster although why did they climb it? Some decent selling and excellent character work by both teams. Terry Funk is insane and is easily one of my favourite wrestlers of the era which speaks volumes on how transcendent Terry Funk is. ***
Kane (w/Paul Bearer) vs. The Undertaker
This is the most developed feud of the lot. All stemming from the Bearer and Taker break up in 1996. They looked like they dropped the Kane story in 1997, but thankfully, they brought it back for Bad Blood and we get this match. They teased and teased it and...it didn’t deliver. At least from my point of view. It just didn’t pop me at all, or reach the peaks of what I enjoy about wrestling. Two big men going together really should’ve been a great hoss battle but it was just okay. There was a 5 minute chinlock. Three tombstones and a table bump. It was a basic opening match, leaving room for more matches that would come down the line. **1/2
WWF World Heavyweight Title Match - Shawn Michaels (w/Chyna & Triple H) (c) vs. Steve Austin
Given the circumstances, this was a superly worked match. Both wrestlers were injured - Shawn Michaels had the more infamous injury - and worked a solid match to work around said injuries. They keep to the basics of a main event and use their charisma to carry the rest. I have to imagine that this could've been a main event on the level of Austin/Dude Love at Over The Edge if not for the injuries. The pay off to the Mike Tyson build wasn't all that strong as Tyson literally did nothing except count the pin and then punch Shawn Michaels. He endorsed Austin, but you'd like to have more between the two. Job done nonetheless. The Austin era has begun. ***1/4
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