Third generation wrestler, Rocky “The Rock” Maivia, is your new WWF World Heavyweight Champion. Though don’t call him the “people’s champion” any more. He’s the “corporate champion” now. Laying the smack down on his fans, Maivia aligned himself with both Vince and Shane McMahon in duping the 13 other competitors in the Deadly Games tournament to decide the new WWF champion.
Altogether the most solidly booked pay-per-view wrestling broadcast so far this year, Survivor Series ’98 held at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri, had more swerves than a twenty car pile-up on the Trans-Canada Highway. The unpredictable fast-paced matches had each WWF superstar on the card last night going for broke and performing at their very best. It is rare that such an outstanding overall effort can be found throughout an entire wrestling card.
In the bombshell of the night, Shane McMahon showed his true colors refusing to lay down a three count for “Stone Cold” Steve Austin during his bout with Mankind. Austin had Mankind beat executing a Stunner on a steel chair. The younger McMahon slapped the canvass twice then suddenly stopped flashing Austin the two-finger salute backpedaling out of the ring as fast as his feet would carry him. McMahon’s three stooges (Brisco, Slaughter and Patterson) punked Austin softening him up for Mankind’s victory.
The joyful McMahons and crew fled the building as Austin gave chase in a stolen van. Both parties would return at the end of the night.
Austin was not the only conspiracy victim tonight. Mankind – who had endeared himself to McMahon when Shane went against his father’s wishes and re-signed a “fired” Austin weeks ago – played the part of Bret Hart in a main event match deliberately meant to imitate the controversial events surrounding last year’s Survivor Series.
Fans knew something was afoot even before the final match in the tournament began. Still yucking it up backstage, the McMahons dismissed the Big Bossman for the night saying they would “handle this one themselves”.
In order to reach the final bout, Mankind was victorious over jobber (the mystery opponent) Duane Gill, Al Snow and Steve Austin while The Rock laid out Triple H substitute Big Bossman, Ken Shamrock and The Undertaker.
Rock and Mankind beat on each other in the ring corners. The Rock scored a quick two-count. A frustrated Mankind teased a count-out heading for the locker room. The Rock and Mankind brawled in the entrance way back to the ring. Mick Foley hurled Maivia into the ringside steps. He pounced upon Maivia mauling him, tossed The Rock back in the ring applying a headlock. Shane and Vince McMahon (without his wheelchair) came to ringside foreshadowing the 1997 Survivor Series finish.
The Rock suplexed his way out of the headlock throwing Mankind threw the ropes and to the floor. Mankind attempted to suplex Rock on the concrete floor. Maivia blocked it snap-suplexing Mankind. The Rock faked a confrontation with the McMahons at ringside then suplexed Foley over the ring barrier into the first row. Maivia beaned Mankind with a plastic garbage can to the head. They returned to the ring where it was The Rock’s turn to put a headlock on Mankind. The McMahons were shown whispering secretly to each other.
Foley’s famous running suicide clothesline sent the Rock and himself over the top rope. They fell hard to the floor. Mankind brought a chair down across Maivia’s back. Foley hoisted the ringsteps over his head. Maivia met them with a steel chair. The impact sent Mankind sprawling and the stairs landed on top of him. The Rock beat the stairs (and consequently Foley underneath them) six times using the steel chair. Standing up dazed, Foley took a chair shot to the noggin’.
Mankind recovered ramming Rock’s head into Lawler and Ross’ table. Pummeling Rock on the vacated table, Mankind leg dropped him.
Mankind went for a flying elbow smash off the ring apron. The Rock moved and Foley went through the Spanish announce team’s table. Maivia took a part of the shattered table and beat Mankind with it. Returning to the ring, Rock dropped the People’s Elbow on Foley to a standing ovation. Mankind kicked out at two and DDT’d him. Mankind readied Socco for the Mandible Claw. Maivia fought the Claw raising his arm to narrowly avoid a submission. Reversing the hold, Maivia hit the Rock Bottom but couldn’t keep Foley’s shoulders down. Flipping him over, Maivia locked in Bret Hart’s Sharp Shooter finishing move. As he did to strip the Hit Man of the WWF world title last year, McMahon called for the bell even though Mankind never submitted.
Foley stood stunned as The Rock and the McMahons group-hugged in the middle of the ring.
“You can believe this,” said McMahon addressing the crowd in attendance, “The people screwed the people. You people are as gullible as Mankind is.”
As McMahon explained the situation to a bewildered Mankind, The Rock hit Foley from behind with the WWF world title belt and the Rock Bottom. Austin did a run-in Stunning Maivia. The Rattlesnake heaved The Rock over the top rope and Stunned Mankind. The McMahons ran for cover. Austin wailed on a spent Rock outside the ring. He left giving the crowd his two-finger salute.
The next WWF pay-per-view is INYH: Rock Bottom from Vancouver, British Columbia on December 13th.
WWF Survivor Series ‘98 Results
: McMahon comes out in a wheelchair to introduce Mankind and his opponent Duane Gill. The crowd chants “HBK! HBK!”.
WWF World Title Tournament: Round One
Mankind Vs Duane Gill
: Mankind DDTs Gill and rolls him up for the pin.
Winner: At 29 seconds, Mankind.
Match Rating: 0 / 10.
Jeff Jarrett Vs Al Snow
: Jarrett grabs the Head, Snow the guitar. Snow regain possession of the Head busting Jarrett in HIS head.
Winner: At 3 minutes and 52 seconds, Al Snow.
Match Rating: 6 / 10.
Big Bossman Vs Steve Austin
: Big Bossman runs interference for McMahon most of the night.
: Bossman takes the nightstick to Austin. He’s disqualified but wails away on Austin outside the ring as per McMahon’s plan. No security comes out to aid Stone Cold.
: Afterwards, McMahon says…”The night is young. There’s more where that came from.”
Winner: Steve Austin via DQ at 3 minutes and 25 seconds.
Match Rating: 5 / 10.
X-Pac Vs Steven Regal
: At 5:17, Regal suplexes X-Pac off the top rope. X-Pac lands awkwardly and is hurt. Regal puts on a rest hold to check on X-Pac’s condition. Shawn Waltman continues the match.
: Regal crotches X-Pac on the top rope sending him falling to the floor. X-Pac suplexes Regal on the floor. They are both counted out brawling.
: McMahon sends Sgt. Slaughter out to overrule the officials and send the match into overtime. McMahon doesn’t want Austin to get a “bye” in the tournament. X-Pac can’t continue. Regal chases him to the back. The decision stands.
Winner: None. Double count out.
Match Rating: 7 / 10.
Ken Shamrock Vs Goldust
: Belly-to-belly suplex and the Ankle Lock Submission has Goldust tap out.
Winner: Ken Shamrock at 5 minutes and 51 seconds.
Match Rating: 7 / 10.
The Rock Vs The Big Bossman
: McMahon’s stooges come out to DX’s music doing crotch chops.
: Brisco says McMahon sent Triple H tickets but he no-showed and will be fined.
: Patterson introduces…the Big Bossman as The Rock’s new opponent.
: Bossman sprints to the ring. The Rock rolls him up for the win. Bossman sells his anger to the crowd. Hmmmm. Mighty strange that. Could it be a set-up?
Winner: The Rock at 3 or 4 seconds flat.
Match Rating: 0 / 10.
WWF World Title Tournament: Round Two
The Undertaker Vs Kane
: The Undertaker Tombstones Kane. Paul Bearer holds Kane’s foot so he can’t kick out.
Winner: The Undertaker at 7 minutes and 16 seconds .
Match Rating: 7 / 10.
Mankind Vs Al Snow
: Mankind tears Socco off the head. He stomps on the head and haymakers it. McMahon takes credit for the Socco theft backstage as a means to entice Foley to win.
: Snow submits to the Mandible Claw.
Winner: Mankind at 3 minutes and 56 seconds .
Match Rating: 5 / 10.
Ken Shamrock Vs The Rock
: Bossman throws the nightstick into the ring. The Rock catches it and hits Shamrock knocking him out.
Winner: The Rock at 8 minutes and 18 seconds .
Match Rating: 8 / 10.
Sable (challenger) Vs Jackie (champion) (WWF Women’s Heavyweight Title Match)
: Shane McMahon is the referee.
: Sable hits the Sable Bomb early but Mero pulls her out of the ring.
: Sable kicks Mero in the crotch and Sable Bombs him on the concrete floor.
: Jackie tries a Tornado DDT off the second ropes. Sable slams Jackie and executes the Sable Bomb.
Winner: …and new WWF Women’s World Heavyweight Champion…Sable at 3 minutes and 10 seconds .
Match Rating: 4 / 10.
WWF World Title Tournament: Round Three
Mankind Vs Steve Austin
: Austin Stuns Mankind on the steel chair. The ref is ready to slap the three count. McMahon pulls the ref outside the ring and punches him in the face. Shane slides into the ring, shows Austin the two-finger salute refusing to slap the three count.
McMahon’s stooges beat Austin with a chair. Shane counts Austin out. Winner: Mankind at 10 minutes and 29 seconds .
Match Rating: 10 / 10.
The Undertaker Vs The Rock
: Kane enters at 8 minutes and 26 seconds chokeslamming The Rock. The Undertaker is DQ’d. Kane and Undertaker brawl to the back.
Winner: The Rock via DQ at 8 minutes and 26 seconds .
Match Rating: 7 / 10.
: In an interview Foley says…”That’s one more mountain…make that one more ROCK to climb. If you smell what the sock is cooking.”
The New Age Outlaws (champions) Vs Mark Henry, D-Lo Brown (challengers) Vs The Head Bangers (challengers) (WWF World Tag Team Title – Four Way Match)
: Gunn DDTs D-Lo for the win. Wearing a G-String he moons the crowd.
Winners: …and still WWF World Tag Team Champions…The New Age Outlaws at 10 minutes and 5 seconds .
Match Rating: 10 / 10.
WWF World Title Tournament: Round Four
Mankind (challenger) Vs The Rock (challenger) (WWF World Heavyweight Title Match)
Winner: …and new WWF World Heavyweight Champion…The Rock at 17 minutes and 19 seconds .
Match Rating: 10 / 10.
Total Event Time: 2 hours and 50 minutes.