In August 1998, WWE expanded it’s programming suite with a show on MTV called Sunday Night Heat. Like with most new shows, it got some attention from WWE in its early years, particularly when it acted as a lead-in to pay-per-views, before being turned into yet-another recap show and rebranded as “Heat”. This week on Random Reviews, we look at some action from the first six months-or-so of Sunday Night Heat!
Vader vs. Mark Henry (WWE Sunday Night Heat, taped July 27, 1998; aired August 9, 1998)
This battle between two hosses took place on the second ever episode of Heat, and we’re treated to the commentary stylings of Jim Ross and Shane McMahon – a heaven and hell pairing if there ever was one.
Henry shoves Vader in the face to start us off, before Vader returns the favour and is given a press slam by the World’s Strongest Man. Vader immediately spills to the outside, and Henry joins him with some shots to the head, before returning to the ring.
An axehandle floors Vader, and Henry follows up with an elbow drop for a two-count. Vader reverses an Irish whip, before the two bulls collide in the middle of the ring. Henry follows up, but Vader ducks a clothesline, and then flattens Henry with a belly bump. A body splash gets the Mastodon a two-count, with Vader hitting a short-arm clothesline as the bloodied Henry goes outside once more.
More shots from Vader, but he gets sent into the ring steps. Back inside, and another Henry clothesline decks Vader, before following up with three big splashes, but Henry refuses to go for the cover. A fourth big splash follows, and for some reason the referee throws this out for a disqualification – so Mark Henry loses for kicking too much ass? The match was alright, but the finish… yuck! *
Mankind vs. Dustin Runnels (WWE Sunday Night Heat, taped September 15, 1998; aired September 20, 1998)
The Rock and Ken Shamrock accompany Mankind to the ring here, and Runnels immediately takes him to the corner, before breaking cleanly. Dustin does it again, but this time Mankind takes a cheapshot, and that starts the offence with a back elbow off the ropes, as Dustin tries to walk out of the match.
Mankind attacks him in the aisle and brings him back to the ring, and we’re suddenly cut away to a shot of Vince McMahon with Kane and the Undertaker. Mankind kicks the head of a kneeling Runnels, who hits an uppercut as Mankind tries a back body drop, but out of nowhere, Mankind hits the double arm DDT and goes for the Mandible claw to get the win via submission.
For a TV match, that was a lot of nothing – the conflicted Dustin Rhodes character was no fun to watch. **
Jacqueline vs. Starla Saxton (WWE Sunday Night Heat, taped September 29, 1998; aired October 11, 1998)
Pre-dating her run in WCW as Mona, Starla Saxton (in an 1980s GLOW-era outfit) was the future Molly Holly here, getting the “already-in-the-ring” treatment against the future Hall of Famer.
This time, we swap Jim Ross for Jim Cornette on commentary – still with Shane McMahon – and we’re treated to a recap of Jacqueline cutting Sable’s hair, as the match starts with a simple headlock, then takes a shoulder block before hiptossing the champion. They run through a nice sequence of chain-wrestling starting with a full nelson, ending with a spinning heel kick to Saxton.
Jacqueline nails a butterfly suplex for a near-fall, with Saxton then going down to a hair-assised snapmare. Marc Mero jumps up on the apron, because… reasons, and eventually gets knocked off by Jacqueline as Saxton charges into the champion and scores a near-fall with a schoolboy. An angered Jacqueline fires back with a clothesline, but Starla cuts her off and rams her head into the turnbuckles. A Northern Lights suplex gets Saxton another near-fall, but out of nowhere, Saxton telegraphs a back body drop, allowing Jacqueline to float over and hit a DDT for the win.
Good little TV match – considering they only had three minutes, they did what they could ***
Steve Blackman vs. Bradshaw (WWE Sunday Night Heat, aired live on October 18, 1998)
Airing as the lead-in to the Judgment Day pay-per-view, we had a live Sunday Night Heat here, opening with in-ring pyro and a hot crowd! Bradshaw gets the “already in the ring” treatment this time, which is so weird considering the career paths these guys took.
Bradshaw – still in his New Blackjacks gear – starts off with a headlock on Blackman, but gets taken down by an awkward dropkick. Blackman follows up with a diving uppercut, before sending Bradshaw out of the ring with a kick to the midsection.
Some kicks and punches from Blackman make Shane McMahon think this is the Brawl For All, but Bradshaw catches “the Lethal Weapon” and turns a crossbody attempt into a fallaway slam. A big boot downs Blackman, with Bradshaw getting a near fall from some elbow drops.
Bradshaw goes for a powerbomb, but Blackman blocks by grabbing the leg, then back body drops his way out of it, before hitting a snap suplex for a near-fall. Blackman ducks a big boot then connects with a diving shoulder tackle off the ropes, before hitting a pump kick off the ropes to get the win. **
Immediately after the pin, Blackman gets jumped by the Blue Blazer, who lays some boots to him before leaving. Good God, Shane McMahon is insufferable on commentary, isn’t he?
Mosh vs. Golga (WWE Sunday Night Heat, taped December 15, 1998; aired December 27, 1998)
Oh, what a nice late Christmas present we end with! One half of the Headbangers against Golga – the late John Tenta, accompanied by the Oddities. Shane McMahon’s now moved onto Kevin Kelly as his commentary partner, I presume because everyone else is sick of him?
Golga starts the match by knocking Thrasher off the apron and tries to lock-up with Mosh, before pounding away in the corner. Golga follows up with a Stinger splash in the corner, then follows up with an elbow drop and a leg drop, before going for the old Earthquake sit-down splash. However, Thrasher grabs the leg as he hit the ropes, and that distraction lets Mosh choke Golga in the ropes.
After one instance of double teaming, George “The Animal” Steele climbs into the ring and attacks Mosh with a fork, earning an instant DQ. Kurrgan joins in for comedy effect, and this one is over. Thank God. DUD.
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