Welcome to another edition of UnWrest Focus REWIND! In this edition, we will travel back to May 1998. Business for WWF is BOOMING in 1998. After a long drought against WCW in which business almost tanked for WWF, 1998 saw the WWF reap the rewards for the creative decisions made during the previous year. Stone Cold Steve Austin journey to the WWF Championship was completed at WrestleMania XIV. Following that, however, a new threat stood in Austin's way. That threat was the now-evil Chairman of WWF Mr. McMahon. McMahon and Austin's rivalry began in earnest before WrestleMania when they continuously butted heads on several occasions. McMahon even proclaimed "OH HELL NO!" when asked if he wanted Austin to win at WrestleMania XIV.
However, the night after WrestleMania XIV, McMahon tried to smooth things over with Austin and bring him to his side.
The feud between Austin and McMahon was officially on. At one point, we even had a teased match between the two on Raw. However, Dude Love (Mick Foley) would interfere before the match started and attack Stone Cold Steve Austin. Dude would face Austin at Unforgiven 13 days later and win the match by disqualification when Stone Cold hit Mr. McMahon with a steel chair. The following weeks saw Mr. McMahon convert Dude Love into a corporate image of what he wanted.
Then, the match was set: Stone Cold vs. Dude Love at Over the Edge with Vince McMahon as the Special Guest Referee, Pat Patterson (a McMahon stooge) as Guest Ring Announcer, and Gerald Brisco (another McMahon stooge) as Guest Timekeeper.
HOWEVER, another wrinkle would be added to this situation. McMahon, trying to one up Stone Cold, would force him to face The Undertaker 6 days before Over The Edge with McMahon serving as Special Guest Referee. And, well, The Undertaker didn't exactly play along with that request... (Check this out for how HOT this time in wrestling was)
You can't manufacture that reaction from the live crowd, ladies and gentlemen. So, without further ado, Stone Cold has the world against him here as he defends the WWF Championship against Dude Love.
Let's Do This!
Over The Edge 1998
May 31, 1998
WWF Championship Match
Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) vs. Dude Love
Special Guest Referee: Vince McMahon
Special Guest Timekeeper: Gerald Brisco
Special Guest Ring Announcer: Pat Patterson
A good heat-seeking introduction here with Howard forced to give a great big introduction to Pat Patterson. Patterson continues to give great introductions to everyone, including Dude Love (who is wearing dentures and sporting a Blue Blazer to the ring, which you have to imagine as being a rib to Owen). As far as Austin goes, he runs him down with the crowd just cheering louder and louder for Austin with every insult. And the pop is thunderous as he comes out. The tension is in the air as Austin hands the title to McMahon. The fix is in....
GONG!
The Undertaker is now at ringside. He's not so much in anyone's corner as just there to make sure McMahon calls it right down the middle.
The bell rings. McMahon gets the bird early on. Fast count by McMahon early on. Dude and Austin trade blows and headlocks early on. The crowd is a little homophobic (it is 1998). Dude gets his teeth kicked out of him, and Austin stomps on them and throws them away. Lol. "Dude Love has lost his smile." (To be fair, those dentures were more authentic than when Shawn lost his smile.) Thesz Press by Austin.
They are brawling outside now. Dude presses the attack. Both men gegt back in the ring. Dude presses the attack some more. Russian Leg Sweep, kicks in the corner, biting, etc. Meanwhile, McMahon continues to look back at Undertaker knowing that one false move is his doom. Neckbreaker by Austin. Austin now goes after Dude. Mudhole Stomps. Mandible Claw! Dude's hanging from the ropes again. Dude escapes.
Both men are on the floor and now they're destroying the Spanish Announce Table. Pat Patterson reminds us that this is a NO Disqualification Match. J.R.: "SINCE WHEN?! SINCE WHEN?!" Dude chokes Austin with cable cord. Austin now unloads on Dude and nails a sick clothesline over the railing to the concrete floor. (How is Foley still alive after all this stuff over the years?!) Both men get back in the ring. Dude gets the advantage on Austin. Baseball slide by Dude and a running neckbreaker/cutter on the outside. McMahon runs over to Pat again. Pat reminds us that it's "FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE!" J.R.: Since when?! Since now?!
Dude tries several different pin attempts to no avail. They are brawling now near the car lot at ringside. Dude backdrops Austin on the hood of the car. A pin attempt on the car hood now. 2 count. Dude eats another car's roof. 2 count. Undertaker is hovering over the action to make sure everything is on the up and up. Austin tries to stun Dude on top of a car, but Dude pushes him off onto another car and to the floor. DUDE HITS A SUNSET FLIP OFF THE CAR FOR A 2 COUNT! Dude now has a muffler. He hits a really weak shot to the back. Austin is bleeding in the face. Backdrop on the floor by Dude. 2 count. DUDE IS CRAWLING UP ON THE CAR. HE DIVES FOR THE ELBOW AND HITS NOTHING BUT CONCRETE! Austin covers. McMahon counts while looking back at Undertaker in fear. 2 count. (Fun fun Attitude Era brawl here. A lot of action going on around the arena which again gets more attention from the live crowd who probably feel they're getting their money's worth and more.)
They're back in the ring. Pat Patterson trips up Austin. Dude goes on the attack. The turnbuckle pad has been removed. And Austin hits it face first. Running knee into the corner. Chinlock on Austin. Austin fights out. Every offensive move Austin gets in just stokes the fire in this crowd. Pat Patterson gives Dude a chair, and Dude uses the chair to assault Austin. Double Arm DDT on the chair. Only a 2 count! Austin fights back against Dude! Austin gets the chair and accidentally hits himself in the face with it. LOL. A BIG SWINGING UNPROTECTED CHAIR SHOT ON DUDE! GEEZ! AND THIS GUY WROTE 4 BEST SELLING MEMOIRS BY HAND?! McMahon refuses to count. DUDE ACCIDENTALLY NAILS MCMAHON WITH THE CHAIR! STUNNER!!!! 1-2-PATTERSON PULLS OUT THE REFEREE! HE DECKS HIM!
MANDIBLE CLAW BY DUDE!!!! AUSTIN'S SHOULDERS ARE DOWN! PATTERSON COUNTS TO 2... BUT UNDERTAKER PULLS HIM OUT AND CHOKESLAMS HIM THROUGH ONE OF THE ANNOUNCE TABLES! This crowd is going absolutely insane! HERE COMES BRISCO! BRISCO GETS AN ANNOUNCE TABLE AS WELL! STUNNER!!!!
Austin grabs the unconscious body of Vince McMahon! 1-2-3! Austin uses McMahon's hand to count the victory! WOW!
Winner: Stone Cold Steve Austin (STILL WWF Champion)
Match Grade: A-. This is a perfect Attitude Era main event: a ton of emotion and a lot of hardcore action. The crowd was completely eating everything that this match had to offer, from the heel actions of the McMahons, the hardcore action by Dude, and the antiheroic actions of Steve Austin. You add in The Undertaker being the presence of awesomeness that he is and his role in the finish, and what you have here is a crowd-pleasing, fun match that was worth the price of admission alone for this show.
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I hope you enjoyed this latest edition of UnWrest Focus REWIND. Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
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