Post by Chicago on Nov 27, 2008 13:30:01 GMT -5
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I would start up a discussion on a ppv that I recently watched again for the first time in years, that being Survivor Series 1998.
For those not in the know, here is what all happened prior to, at, and after the Survivor Series 1998 event.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor_Series_(1998)
So, what are your opinions of the show? Also, if you can remember, state where you were when this event happened.
Did you enjoy the concept of a tournament for the WWF title at the time (or looking back now) or were you disappointed at the absence of the traditional Survivor Series tag team matches?
What changes (if any) would you have made to the event as a whole or just the tournament structure? Is there anyone you wish would have been included that could've led to a feud afterwards or possibly won the tournament?
What did/do you think about The Rock winning over Mankind in the finals of the tournament, and did the ending surprise you at all? Was this the right move to make, and in the spirit of this past week's Raw, did Austin's return to the ring and subsequent beatdown of The Rock bother you at all (obviously, it wasn't on the same level as Cena beating up Jericho, but still worth mentioning)?
I'll start with my thoughts, and I thoroughly enjoyed the frantic booking of the event. The multiple appearances of several wrestlers in the same night was something you didn't get to see too often, and while the match quality was not very good due to time constraints, I thought the WWF pulled off the tournament concept well. Bossman's frequent appearances always led to something important, and I never really got sick of seeing the same guys over and over again.
I also found it interesting when, before Vince introduced Duane Gill as Mankind's mystery opponent, several fans were cheering for 'HBK', which would have definitely made a strong impact if it had occured at the time. Regal and X-Pac put on a fairly good match (up until the finish), but the same can't be said for the Triple Threat Tag Team title match (cluster
, anyone?). There isn't much to say about the Women's title match, except that it was the first title defense since the belt was re-introduced after the Alundra Blayze fiasco (credit Wikipedia for that tidbit). Also, you have to love Shane McMahon's work as referee and refusing to count the pin for Austin.
Overall, I enjoyed the ppv for what it was and the entertainment value it brought throughout, which I found to be a perfect example of the Attitude era. Match quality was decent, but storylines and potential feuds obviously guided and/or highlighted the show. The Rock becoming the corporate champion was a great move, in my opinion, and I didn't have a problem with Austin's run-in at the end of the show either. The crowd was into the matches for the most part, and I believe the show turned out better as a result of Austin not winning the title, as the chase was always more entertaining than the title reigns themselves during the era.
Oh, and the reason I was watching this particular ppv is because I found a blank VHS tape that I had no idea what was on it, and found it was my original taping of the event from when it aired on Nov. 15, 1998. It's crazy to think the event is already ten years old, as I distinctly remember watching ppvs from that year (most I still have on tape), and I can honestly say I would take this show 100 times over the most recent Survivor Series from last weekend.
For those not in the know, here is what all happened prior to, at, and after the Survivor Series 1998 event.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor_Series_(1998)
So, what are your opinions of the show? Also, if you can remember, state where you were when this event happened.
Did you enjoy the concept of a tournament for the WWF title at the time (or looking back now) or were you disappointed at the absence of the traditional Survivor Series tag team matches?
What changes (if any) would you have made to the event as a whole or just the tournament structure? Is there anyone you wish would have been included that could've led to a feud afterwards or possibly won the tournament?
What did/do you think about The Rock winning over Mankind in the finals of the tournament, and did the ending surprise you at all? Was this the right move to make, and in the spirit of this past week's Raw, did Austin's return to the ring and subsequent beatdown of The Rock bother you at all (obviously, it wasn't on the same level as Cena beating up Jericho, but still worth mentioning)?
I'll start with my thoughts, and I thoroughly enjoyed the frantic booking of the event. The multiple appearances of several wrestlers in the same night was something you didn't get to see too often, and while the match quality was not very good due to time constraints, I thought the WWF pulled off the tournament concept well. Bossman's frequent appearances always led to something important, and I never really got sick of seeing the same guys over and over again.
I also found it interesting when, before Vince introduced Duane Gill as Mankind's mystery opponent, several fans were cheering for 'HBK', which would have definitely made a strong impact if it had occured at the time. Regal and X-Pac put on a fairly good match (up until the finish), but the same can't be said for the Triple Threat Tag Team title match (cluster
, anyone?). There isn't much to say about the Women's title match, except that it was the first title defense since the belt was re-introduced after the Alundra Blayze fiasco (credit Wikipedia for that tidbit). Also, you have to love Shane McMahon's work as referee and refusing to count the pin for Austin.Overall, I enjoyed the ppv for what it was and the entertainment value it brought throughout, which I found to be a perfect example of the Attitude era. Match quality was decent, but storylines and potential feuds obviously guided and/or highlighted the show. The Rock becoming the corporate champion was a great move, in my opinion, and I didn't have a problem with Austin's run-in at the end of the show either. The crowd was into the matches for the most part, and I believe the show turned out better as a result of Austin not winning the title, as the chase was always more entertaining than the title reigns themselves during the era.
Oh, and the reason I was watching this particular ppv is because I found a blank VHS tape that I had no idea what was on it, and found it was my original taping of the event from when it aired on Nov. 15, 1998. It's crazy to think the event is already ten years old, as I distinctly remember watching ppvs from that year (most I still have on tape), and I can honestly say I would take this show 100 times over the most recent Survivor Series from last weekend.
