Great build, terrible match

[SpursRiot2012]

I think the Hogan/Sting yearlong build to Starrcade was fantastic and that the match itself for the blow+off, despite both guys having their issues with rung rustiness or being Hogan in 1997, could have been satisfactory, except maybe in the work rate area. It should have been Sting beating Hogan clean in the middle. If they really wanted to work the at that point months old Montreal screwjob into their PPV, fine. But then the ref needs to *actually fast count* Sting! Not only did they piss off a lot of fans who'd dedicated a year to following this storyline, they also hurt Bret because he looked like an idiot given the first pinfall was fine. And I don't think that he ever recovered from being brought in in that manner.

One match that comes to mind for me is more 'great build, bit of letdown match.

Austin Vs Undertaker at SummerSlam '98. The match just didn't do it for me, which was annoying as I enjoyed the build a lot.

It's funny now if I ever hear that AC/DC song, I immediately think of that match.

[air_raid]

21 hours ago, SpursRiot2012 said:

One match that comes to mind for me is more 'great build, bit of letdown match.

Austin Vs Undertaker at SummerSlam '98. The match just didn't do it for me, which was annoying as I enjoyed the build a lot.

I agree, and there's a thing about that match that bugged me for years, and it's all about context. The build was superb, indeed, because this was a titanic collision. Yes, they'd wrestled before, but the 1998 WWF Champion version of the Rattlesnake was a completely different proposition, he was unstoppable, he was the hero, he was on top, and we were acutely aware of the mainstream attention and wrestling being "in" again, to the point of knowing they'd finally found another Hulk Hogan after several misfires. But he's fighting the fucking UNDERTAKER.

Anyone looking back through 2018 eyes with an awareness of how many times Undertaker has lost over the years now, including plenty of clean losses (fucking Kozlov, anyone?) may not understand what an obstacle The Dead Man presented to Austin watching it in 1998. The man had been booked to lose so few times, and every time he had, it usually meant shenanigans, and it was a gigantic deal. The two big defeats he suffered at the end of 97 to Bret and to Shawn were huge, pivotal, unforgettable moments, and neither left you considering him any less of the big fucking deal. Losing clean was something you couldn't entertain the thought of, even to another babyface. It's the Undertaker! He turns up, kicks out of your finish (sometimes two or three times) then beats you, more often than not. The image of the Undertaker was still so enormous - seriously, bollocks to The Streak, he could have got to 30-0 and he still wouldn't have had the impact he had on me for more than half of that as he did 1998 at a mere 7-0. In my circle, Stone Cold vs The Undertaker was the match we expected to look back on as the biggest match since Hogan vs Warrior.

So.... it didn't really happen, on the night. I remember Fin Martin writing that so much was made of the Undertaker/Kane "cahoots" (wrestling vernacular klaxon) storyline that to have the match pass with Kane having so little to do with it was a massive letdown, but it was more than that. Something didn't click. JR's hyperbolic ranting about Austin getting the biggest pop in MSG history was almost a foreshadowing of "this won't be the epic you expect or want. Not happening." The big table spot was memorable but somehow nothing else really stood out as special. It wasn't that they didn't gel, they had a fair few fun matches before and after SummerSlam. The only thing I truly remember is that in the build up, while you knew Austin coming out on top was a distinct possibility, it would have to be the fight of his life to do so. Except.... it wasn't. It was pretty routine. Wham, Stunner, go home. Watching live it drew an audible "Is that it?" from teen raid. It just came and went, and worst of all, legdrop aside, the Undertaker was just another guy Steve Austin beat. It only just now dawns on me that he was probably never as special to me again after that loss apart from maybe one hand's worth of confrontations and matches involving Hunter or Shawn.

Expectations set too high, maybe just an off night, could be reasons the match didn't live up to the build. But for me I just don't think the statement of "Steve Austin pinned The Undertaker clean" resonated as much as it could or should have, because the execution was flat.

[SpursRiot2012]

You've described it much better than I could have but I totally agree. In 1998, Austin vs The Undertaker was, for me, to that point, the biggest and most anticipated match the company could have booked. And, yeah, it ended up being...just a match. But fuck if 1998 me wasnt desperate to get to that match.

I do however think there was an element of not gelling in that particular outing that even Austin himself has commented on. It's not that they weren't capable of putting on a great, tear down the house match, hugely paying off the build. They were. But that night, they just didn't or couldn't do it.

I didn't watch Hogan and Andre at WrestleMania 3 until years after the event. 1998 me viewed the upcoming Austin/Taker match as on that level. Not in terms of fans in the building but in terms of the position and status of both guys at that time. Shit, even the poster added to that anticipation.

 

[air_raid]

Also the go home Raw had that brilliant AC/DC video which 15 year old me loved because there was wrestling clips, fire and a few brief glimpses of dancing girls tit. I made a super edit of the Sky broadcast of SummerSlam which both started and ended with that video, even after watching the match, because I wanted to preserve the show as special because.... shit, look how good the build was. I still have the tape at mother's house too. The Network is brilliant but sometimes I want to remember AC/DC and when they used to smuggle nipples in. They really nailed late 90s teenage boys needs for a while.

I mean, "it doesn't hold up" and "it's aged horribly" and that but at the time it was great.

[tiger_rick]

Austin/Taker is a brilliant shout. Did they ever have a great match? I can't think of any. I know they got some tough deals like the SummerSlam match in which Austin was knocked out, a buried alive match, first blood, the night Owen died and then 2001 when Taker wasn't working well. But for two megastars, they really didn't click.

[Supremo]

I’ve half way through the Something to Wrestle With episode regarding Summerslam 98, so haven’t got to the main event yet, but wasn’t Austin knocked silly, or something? Or weren’t both guys banged up? I’m sure there were reasons why the match was so average.

Agreed, though. It’s a great shout. Even as a fourteen year old I remember being disappointed. Not only was the match a bit crap, but nothing even came of the Kane storyline, did it? Didn’t Kane just come out and Taker told him to shoo away? Hardly a fitting pay-off to such a big storyline.

[SaitoRyo]

Yeah, Austin and 'Taker cracked heads early on (during the moment where Undi goes for backdrop and Austin kicks him). From that point on, Austin didn't know he was even in Madison Square Garden. He's told the story himself several times on his podcast but I can't find a clip at the moment. 

[air_raid]

6 hours ago, tiger_rick said:

Austin/Taker is a brilliant shout. Did they ever have a great match? I can't think of any. I know they got some tough deals like the SummerSlam match in which Austin was knocked out, a buried alive match, first blood, the night Owen died and then 2001 when Taker wasn't working well. But for two megastars, they really didn't click.

I have memories of the First Blood match being really good, but that might be influenced by my excitement at X-Pac being involved at the finish and the idea that a run with Taker was going to mean him knocking on the main event door. In July 99 I don't think there was a babyface I liked more than Pac. I might watch it tonight and reassess.

[Liam O'Rourke]

Watch the Raw after as well...a disgraceful reversal of tact on pushing Pac.

[Supremo]

I was going to say I also remember their First Blood match being great, but I’ve not seen it since it aired so there’s every chance Austin pissing blood out of his face was enough to impress me as a teenager.

[Pinc]

On 8/23/2018 at 12:12 AM, Briefcase said:

He definitely wasn't pissed at the meet before the HOF though, and as soon as that finished HOF was on within the hour so doubt he would of got himself intoxicated in that time.

Renee Young interviewed him on the red carpet for the HOF pre-show and he was clearly off his nut, to the point that Renée had to acknowledge it.

[Carbomb]

One that comes to mind is Survivor Series 1992. Despite losing Warrior, they did an excellent job with that tremendous one-show angle getting Mr. Perfect to not only turn but come out of retirement as well. And as someone who only started watching the WWF around SS91, I was massively excited for it, because I knew of Mr. Perfect, knew he was part of the sort-of main event singles (in that there was always a kind of "Big 8" you always saw in the magazines kids at school had - Hogan, Warrior, Jake, Bulldog, Tornado, DiBiase, Macho, and Perfect), but was massively disappointed he'd "retired through injury" by the time I got round to watching. Therefore, I was hyped to see one of the biggies come out of retirement, and he was somebody I could cheer for!

The match itself wasn't terrible, but was pretty forgettable. The thing I remember most about it was Perfect's entrance - that entrance theme, when you've not heard it before, blows you away.

[King Pitcos]

On 8/22/2018 at 4:12 PM, Briefcase said:

He definitely wasn't pissed at the meet before the HOF though, and as soon as that finished HOF was on within the hour so doubt he would of got himself intoxicated in that time.

He was definitely off kilter by the time he got to the Hall have Fame. Maybe he’d been told that Brock had turned down all have his ideas for the match, and he was going to of to get used to being suplexed a lot and pinned. He probably thought he might as well of a drink at that point. 

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Well, this probably isn't the best example because it was a fantastic match and one of my favourites of that decade, but the main event of No Way Out of Texas was bitterly disappointed at the time. Come bell time, it was incredible, but I remember being legit fucking gutted when they said Shawn wasnt going to be in it. Especially after the all-time heat getting build in the lead up, with Owen, Cactus and the Funker all getting kickings and Austin getting outsmarted at several turns. Its considered a really good match, but if you had HHH, the Outlaws and Shawn vs Cactus, Terry, Owen and Stone Cold, that might have been one of the most memorable matches of the 90s. I watched it all back recently, and it was a classic build. The heels all got mega heat, and you were dying for the babyfaces to get their revenge.

[King of Hamptons]

Not sure if this counts.. but i remember looking forward to Tanaka Vs JOe at a 1PW event.. which ended in a dull double count out for political reasons..  I cant remember if there was much "build up" to it.. but it was hyped a lot on the 1PW forums..