★ ★ ★ ★ ★
WWF In Your House 22: Over The Edge 1998
May 31, 1998
Wisconsin Center Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Steve Austin vs. Dude Love - No Disqualification, Falls Count Anywhere Match
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| A VHS from Cliff Morgan's personal wrestling collection |
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Being a kid that didn't grow up in the Attitude Era, I spent a lot of time trying to watch, with my own eyes, the magic that people always said was in the Attitude Era. I would dig through reviews, video and text alike, scour forums, watch top rated matches, endlessly talked about promos, and read the lore around the most popular time in wrestling to try and figure out what "it" was. This intangible feeling people felt about the Attitude Era, the gleam in someones eye when they recollect what it was like when RAW was appointment viewing in the late 90's. To see for myself what people still pine for, claim up and down that WWE needs to "bring back the Attitude Era" and "it's just not as good anymore." What made it so timeless, so pure, that many people refuse to believe that wrestling will ever be that good again?
In truth, it's not just one thing. It's not a single match, promo, title win or character turn. It's not a date on a calendar or show that is universally agreed upon. Its like I said before, an intangible feeling. Its the feeling of nostalgia that so many people feel when they recollect what it was like to experience something from so many years ago. Those fond, soft memories of laying on your living room carpet, action figures in hand, watching every Monday night to see The Undertaker try and sacrifice someone or bury a man alive, listen to The Rock tell people to "turn them sumbitches sideways," or Steve Austin go to war week after week with Vince McMahon. It's almost impossible for someone, almost 30 years later, to try and binge RAW like any other Netflix series and feel those same emotions. None of the pieces are there to make you really feel the same as the "it used to be better" crowd feels.
But still, many of us try in vain, sitting through awful TV matches, poorly aged segments, and a litany of "could have been's" that leave us feeling worse off then when we started.
But that's not to say there's no gold to be mined in these hills, that it's truly impossible to find a spark left over from that lightning in a bottle period of time.
There's a reason that this period of wrestling took off like it did. Somehow bigger than the "Rock and Wrestling" era with Hulk Hogan on top, and far and away bigger than anything that has happened since. Almost everyone on the card, from the guys on the bottom and especially those on the top, were performing in a way that was more engaging and enjoyable. And I can think of no greater example, a more shining beacon of this insistence to authenticity and intensity than "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
It's almost the summer of 1998, Wrestlemania 14 is in the rear view and Austin is on top of the world with the WWF Championship. We're in the early days of the Austin/McMahon feud, the pinnacle of the Attitude Era, and for my money, I can think of no match that better encapsulates everything great about this golden era of wrestling than this very match;
Steve Austin vs. Dude Love - No Disqualification, Falls Count Anywhere Match - WWF In Your House 22: Over The Edge 1998
For the sake of "authenticity," I've taken my VHS copy of this show and converted it to an MP4 file to capture screenshots and clips for this review. I could have found a higher quality version of this show to record quite easily, but I can't help but feel that part of the magic of this period of wrestling is the grainy, fuzzy quality that these clips can often turn into in your mind. We aren't fooling anybody when we watch these shows on Peacock or Netflix or wherever else you happen to watch your wrestling and get treated to the best upscaling the 'fed is willing to offer, it never looked that good! So I've decided to sacrifice visual quality for the sake of making it all feel "real." If you have any issues with how I format this review, my email isn't hard to find.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
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| You must conform. Defiance will not be tolerated. Conform. WWF |
Over the Edge 1998 starts with one of the best opening packages I've ever seen. As soon as it started, I was in the zone, more ready and ever for what was to come. There's some less-than-subtle imagery comparing McMahon to some of histories most famous dictators. Stalin, Mussolini, footage of soviet tanks rolling through the streets and people shuffling along as they are forced to "conform," they aren't leaving a lot to the imagination here but man does it work. We're reminded of Austin "selling out" after winning the championship at Wrestlemania 14, being arrested the following night on RAW, until Mr. McMahon presents us with the "new and improved" Steve Austin. Dressed to the nines in a full on suit, not to mention a baseball cap, this new "corporate champion" even shows restraint in climbing the turnbuckles during his entrance. Man, McMahon really got through to this guy!
Obviously, it was all a ruse, he rips the suit off and screams in Vince's face that he will never change Stone Cold Steve Austin. On the one hand, it makes sense for these two characters to go at each other like this. The toothpaste is out of the tube about McMahon being the owner of the WWF by now and he's fully leaning into being an asshole, corporate stooge. On the flipside, Austin is the complete antithesis of McMahon, beer drinking, foul mouthed, take no prisoners ass kicker that wouldn't be caught dead wearing a $400 pair of dress shoes.
So, it stands to reason that when this brash, unclean man of the people wins the biggest prize your company has to offer, you want him to clean up his act, right? Can't have this guy representing the WWF!
But at the same time, it's indicative of Vince's philosophy regarding what a top babyface should look like. Take a look at the champions of the past, the babyface heroes that turned away all challengers and kept the company afloat through their popularity alone. Bruno, an Italian American icon with a blue collar, man of the people attitude. Hogan, squeaky clean Mr. America, fighting for the rights of every man. Bret Hart, the one guy they could turn to when the ship was sinking, pure work ethic and someone you could easily respect and try to emulate. Vince had a formula for top faces that he knew was tried and true. It didn't work 100% of the time, nothing in this world ever does, with Diesel coming to mind as an easy example. What happens when you take a cool, tough badass and make him into a smiling, corny, hero of the people once he wins gold? You find yourself in one of the worst periods in your companies history (the blame can't entirely be put on Kevin Nash's shoulders, but you get my point).
Surely, McMahon was starting to worry. We were just coming out of the doldrums of the Monday Night Wars, with Nitro whipping RAW week after week after week with no end in sight. Bret Hart was WCW bound after The Montreal Screwjob, Shawn Michaels was out immediately after Mania 14 with a back injury that would end up forcing him to hang up the boots for four years. Undertaker wasn't going to be the one to save them and both Sid and Diesel were gone. By now, McMahon is out of options for falling back on former champions. Unless he wanted to go all the way back to Backlund, who last held gold in 1994. He needed to find a champion that would lead the charge, someone that would be the face of a new era, whether they realized it was on their doorstep or not.
More than that, they needed someone who broke the mould-the old formula wasn't going to work anymore. I'm not saying that Vince McMahon, the owner, was having discussions with Steve Austin, his employee, trying to convince him to be a nicer guy. But do I think Mr. McMahon, the character, was scared that having someone like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the wrestler, sitting at the top of the mountain would be a force that even he couldn't control? Absolutely. McMahon even recruited Dude Love-one of Mick Foley’s alter egos-after Cactus Jack, another of Foley’s personas, felt the fans only cared about Austin. Seeking McMahon’s approval, Cactus shed his identity and returned as the Dude. He fully embraced this alliance, getting veneers to fix his crooked smile, putting his long, shaggy hair in a ponytail, and wearing an ill fitting suit, all to further win Mr. McMahon's approval.
The boss was stacking the deck against his newly crowned champion, making sure things would go his way. He has Gerald Brisco, an NWA wrestling icon who was deep in McMahon's pocket, appointed the timekeeper for the match. Pat Patterson, McMahon's right hand man, appointed to ring the bell. And finally, the only person in the world McMahon could trust to call this match as the referee, himself. Mr. McMahon was hell bent on doing whatever it took to force Austin to comply. Give him no other choice than to conform. To put him in a position where he must respect authority.
But what happens when you back a dog into a corner?
He bites, and this dog bites hard.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
A common criticism of WWF during this era was that it could often be an "overbooked mess." With writer Vince Russo making a lot of the creative decisions during this time, one of his favourite tropes was to have matches end via DQ from outside interference, having a bunch of people involved for no real reason, Russo and overbooked wrestling became synonymous with each other. Look no further than his time with WCW, turning the second largest promotion in America into a joke during it's final few years.
When watching this match, it's very easy to call it an overbooked nightmare, and in a lot of ways it is. But for my money, the amount of bullshit, interference, and extra ingredients help to make this cake so much better. Any other time it would ruin the taste, but for this meal? It's divine.
First, you have Patterson and Brisco being added to the match. Mr. McMahon's long time stooges were a key part of the attitude era, never far from McMahon when he was up to something nefarious. Then, you have McMahon himself as the referee, there to add some extra pressure in his war against Austin. Dude Love being a corporate sellout adds some extra spice to the mix, and then you need to factor in what went on before this match and how it bleeds over into out main event.
Prior to Over the Edge, Steve Austin was attacked by... Steve Austin? The May 18th episode of RAW featured the main event match of Patterson and Brisco vs. Steve Austin in a street fight, with the camera focusing on a Steve Austin mask wearing fan in the front row. This was no ordinary fan, however, as "Faux Cold" Steve Austin attacked the champ with a steel chair. The mask was quickly removed to reveal none other than Mr. McMahon himself.
The following week on RAW, McMahon stood inside the ring, with police in there with him, mind you, and couldn't help but gloat after his success the week before. "It felt so good when I had that steel chair in my hand... and it struck Austin squarely in the back. I assaulted 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin and got away with it!" Well, not for long. He was quickly arrested and taken away, with Austin close behind to antagonize him. Eventually, Austin agreed to drop the charges and let McMahon walk if he agreed to his terms.
One such term, was that he apologize. It took some convincing but McMahon finally did, but took it back soon after.
The second, was that there be a third party ringside to make sure McMahon didn't get up to any funny business during the match. McMahon happily agreed to this, claiming there isn't a single person in the locker room that he's afraid of!
Following his release from the cuffs, McMahon found the time to referee the main event match of Monday Night RAW, the final RAW before Over The Edge, pitting The Undertaker against Steve Austin. Undertaker is in the ring first, getting in the face of McMahon and making him visibly uncomfortable before the match starts. He chokeslams McMahon into the canvas before picking him up for the tombstone, only for Kane to interfere as the brothers brawl ringside. The match is a no contest as Austin comes down and clears house, leaving McMahon tied up in the ropes to look helplessly at the carnage in front of him.
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| By my hand only. WWF |
So that's it then, right? That's all we need to remember?
Not quite.
In a pre-match backstage interview, McMahon announces that if Austin attacks him in any way, he will be stripped of the title and it will be awarded to Dude Love. Further stating that "By my hand only, will this match end." Prophetic words.
So, let's recap all the pieces of this puzzle.
Brisco and Patterson are timekeeper and bellringer, respectively. McMahon is the referee and will strip Austin of the title if he so much as breathes on him. Dude Love is in McMahon's pocket and is challenging Steve Austin, and The Undertaker is the only person who is on Austin's side tonight.
Winning this match will be a long shot, but Austin thrives when the odds are against him.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
We return to the ring with Howard Finkel, reading off a stack of cue cards. "A man who built a career on pride, dignity, honour and integrity." The tongue is firmly in cheek for these introductions, and having everyone play it off like it's someone's commencement speech makes it even better. Sure, JR and King are hamming it up on commentary, but when it comes to the ring announcing, they're as serious as ever. I mean, when he says "This man made World Wrestling Federation history by becoming the first ever Intercontinental Champion by surviving a gruelling tournament held in Rio De Janeiro," you know they had some fun writing these cards up. Thankfully, no record of this tournament or match exist, (because it never happened, but let's kayfabe it brother) so we'll never know how gruelling it really was! It's of course revealed that The Fink is announcing Patterson to the ring, met with a shower of boo's.
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| "A role model for children, a friend to us all. WWF" |
Pat climbs in the ring and takes over for The Fink, pulling out his own stack of cue cards along with a pair of reading glasses, prepared for his important assignment tonight.
"Inside this man beats the heart of America," he begins. I didn't think Mr. America made his debut until 2003, brother? Now, Brisco makes his way down to the ring, taking his time to pose and point at the wrecked car in the entrance way with "BRISCO BROTHERS BODY SHOP" spray painted on the door, which seems to still be in business! Even if the camera did cut to a sign in the crowd that says "BRISCO BROS STOLE MY HUBCAPS. " Pat even goes so far as to shout out the address of the body shop as well, hoping that this show will bring them some business! I mean, it probably did. Maybe not the kind of business they were hoping for.
Brisco is in the ring now, smiling and as happy as can be. He raises a fist in the air as the crowd boo's as well. "There is no word to describe what this American icon has meant to all of us" Patterson starts. Gee, I wonder who he could be talking about now? "We've laughed with him... we've cried with him, but through it all, he made all of our lives worth living. He's given us hope, love, understanding and the will to say 'yes I can!' Ladies and gentlemen, and children of all ages! Please stand in honour of our special guest referee, and the owner of the World Wrestling Federation, Vince McMahon!"
And out comes McMahon, striding down the entrance in a cutoff referee shirt that I can only assume he stole from a child, given how tight it is on him, and no music! "No Chance in Hell" wasn't used until the 1999 Royal Rumble, with the shows tagline being "No Chance in Hell." In fact, McMahon still came out to no music during that match, it wasn't until the January 25th episode of RAW, the night after the Rumble, that McMahon came to the ring with his now iconic theme. But tonight, the only sound accompanying him to the ring is the shower of boo's as the crowd pelts him with garbage. He's smiling and trying to play it off like everything is cool and he's receiving a heroes welcome, but he's fighting a losing battle.
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| An "American icon," allegedly. WWF |
Brisco holds open the ropes for the boss but he still gets his foot caught on the middle rope and almost falls. Intentional or not, I'd have loved to see McMahon eat it right before this match. He shakes hands with Patterson and Brisco, McMahon surprisingly calm before this main event assignment. Patterson begins to announce one of the participants of the match, the crowd with a mixed reaction, though still predominantly negative. Tough crowd.
Patterson announces the man as one of the greatest success stories in the business, a rags to riches tale for the ages, "what can happen by following Vince McMahon's example." He continues with the grandiose adulation, claiming he's "adored by million," yes, million, Patterson forgot the S, I didn't. The number one contender Dude Love makes his way to the ring, suit on, face trimmed and hair pulled back, he's even got false teeth in! The Dude has sold out and looks better than ever!
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| A face any corporation could love. WWF |
"And now! His opponent!" Patterson begins, with the crowd's reaction quickly turning positive. "Just sit back and relax for a minute," he urges the crowd, the uproar going against their narrative. "First of all, he's a beer swilling fool!" Patterson shouts, his hair flopping around with indignation. "He's a foul mouthed punk!" The crowd cheers louder, with Brisco patting his friend on the shoulder to try and reassure him. "He's a disgrace to every human being alive today!" Again, the crowd gets louder, as Patterson darts his head around the arena, stuck in the eye of the storm. "Well I've got news for you! I am not going to introduce a bum! That's all there is!" I'm inclined to believe he says "to it" as well, but he pulls the mic away in disgust before he finishes his thought.
The air is tense, as there's a brief pause as Patterson hands the mic back to a ringside staff member.
Then, the glass shatters. and the Wisconsin Center Arena explodes.
First, to the music. Then, to the man. The roar growing louder as Austin parts the curtain, marching to the ring with purpose. Title belt in hand, Austin is ready for a fight.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
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| Walking with a purpose. Focused. Ready for war. WWF |
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I distinctly remember one of the first times I watched this match a couple years ago with a friend of mine who recommended it for one of our wrestling nights. I told him that one of the things that separated Austin from the rest of the roster was how he walked. I know, it sounds insane, but watch any show from this time period and watch how someone makes their entrance. Ignore the pyro and posing, but look at how someone actually walks. One foot in front of the other, the most basic thing we know how to do. Austin always, and I mean always, walks with purpose. Each step gets him one step closer to what he's looking for, his entire body is driven with a singular purpose; fight. He's almost marching, body coiled like a spring, his face vicious and focused, if you saw this man coming at you down the sidewalk, you'd cross the street without a seconds hesitation whether the coast was clear or not. That is what separated Austin from the pack, that is what sent Austin into the stratosphere. He moved with a purpose that was believable, that people connected with, and in a way that he backed up the second that bell rang. His entire presentation screamed "authentic ass kicker."
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Austin climbs in the ring as Patterson and Brisco clear out, leaving referee McMahon and Dude Love alone in the ring. Austin hits all four corners, holding his title high as the crowd cheers and yells each time. There's no other way to describe this entrance than pure electricity. You could power Milwaukee for a month from the energy this crowd puts out the entire time Austin is out there. There's nothing quite like it. Jim Ross is quick to point out that this is the same building that King of the Ring took place in two years ago. The night "Austin 3:16" was born, the night everything changed for Austin.
When Austin finished his posturing, McMahon confidently strolls up to him in the corner, holding his hands out in front of him, wanting Austin to hand over his gold to his sworn enemy. He's hesitant, but eventually relents, McMahon's stern face curls into a wicked smile, the first step of his grand, master plan has gone off without a hitch. Austin is here, alone, and he's willingly given up his WWF Championship.
Wait, alone? Surely, that's not right! Doesn't Austin have a man in his corner? Are we not going to wait?McMahon is about to start the match! He's gesturing for the bell to ri-
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| A bad omen approaches. WWF |
GONG
The ominous sound fills the arena, heralding the arrival of The Undertaker.
McMahon turns white as a sheet, he does a perfect cartoon-style *GULP* as the arena is plunged into darkness. The only light comes from the tiny flames of lighters held high above, and the deep purple light that follows The Undertaker. He walks to the ring, taking his time to make sure McMahon sweats. He climbs the steps, throwing his arms in the air as a loud BANG rings out. "Let there be light!" exclaims Jim Ross, and there was light.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
McMahon is pacing back and forth in the ring, trying to quell the anger inside him. Austin, on the other hand, finds it in him to smile, knowing that someone has the good sense to try and make sure this thing goes smoothly-even if that man is as friendly as death warmed over. Literally. McMahon calls for the bell to ring, his anger starting to boil as he gestures and shouts at Austin and Dude to fight. For a minute, it seemed everything would go smoothly for McMahon's camp. But all it took was the arrival of one man and suddenly it seems like this train is close to derailing before his very eyes.
Austin and Dude (who I will be referring to as Mick Foley for the rest of this) lock up in the middle, with Austin driving Foley into the corner as both men jockey for position. McMahon gets right between them once Austin is on top, forcing him to break. He shoves Austin off and gets right in his face, the champion responding with a two finger salute. He backs off and leaves McMahon and Foley to converse, the general standing on the front lines and giving his soldier direct orders, doing whatever he can to keep this thing on track.
Foley sends Austin to the canvas with a short lariat, falling on top for the cover. McMahon follows to count in a flash but he only scores two. Austin gets back to his feet without wasting any time, getting right in the face of McMahon and berating him for the speed of the count. McMahon tries to play it off like it was a simple accident as The Undertaker climbs the steps, his mere presence at the top enough to defuse McMahon. He climbs back down as McMahon nervously adjusts his headset, a furious Austin staring at the boss with eyes like daggers.
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| Who the hell hired this ref?! WWF |
Foley fights to a knee in a side headlock, Austin wrenching it tighter and tighter. Foley backs into the ropes and holds him there-McMahon noticeably absent. Breaking free, Foley lands a quick punch and tries to whip Austin, but it's reversed. Austin yanks the tie-dye and sends Foley into the ropes instead. On the rebound, Austin boots him in the gut, dropping him to his knees. As Foley rises, Austin grabs a fistful of hair, slams him down-and his eyes catch something on the apron.
Austin marches over and reaches at the object, too small for anyone in the arena to notice but the Texas Rattlesnake hones in on it immediately. He picks it up, holding Foley's fake pearly whites between his fingers. He drops them to the canvas and stomps them with vicious intent, tossing the broken pieces to the crowd.
With Foley stumbling to his feet, finding his footing against the ropes, Austin lines him up and 'lines him over the top rope to the outside. Foley crashes and burns like only he can as Austin climbs through the ropes to follow him. Austin grabs Foley to whip him into the steps, with the Dudester reverses to send Austin crashing shoulder first into the heavy steel steps that shift with a disgusting CRASH. With Austin writhing around in pain, Foley catches his breath and undoes his hair, his "corporate" image slipping more and more with each passing moment.
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| Drifting in on the cold night air. WWF |
With the champ prone on the floor near the ring steps, McMahon takes the opportunity to holler and berate the wounded rattlesnake, reminding him that he could very well be counted out and lose here. The Undertaker slowly rounds the corner, standing just behind the champion as he stumbles to his feet, never too far away from a referee with questionable intentions.
McMahon climbs back inside the ring, running to count the pinfall attempt from Foley. He drops and hollers his count, "One! Two!" but Austin survives. When McMahon rises to his knees after the count, he turns his head and locks eyes with The Undertaker, shaken by the steely gaze of the reaper. Foley chokes Austin in the corner, McMahon standing right beside Foley the whole time. Even letting his charge bite the face of Austin! He turns to look at The Undertaker for a moment before looking back at Foley, self preservation likely to kick in the next time Foley tries to bend the rules like that again.
Pulling Austin to centre again, Foley backs him to the ropes and shoots him off, the Dude ducking for a back body drop but gets caught in a front facelock and twisted around into a neckbreaker, the crowd exploding as Foley crashes into the canvas! Austin is still in this!
Firing off the turnbuckle pads after being whipped to the corner, Austin misses a quick lariat as both men turn on a dime to face each other. Acting first, Foley snatches the champion by the jaw with the mandible claw! Foley's got a tight hold on Austin but the champ turns with the pressure and sends Foley into the ropes, trying to send him over the top but Foley gets caught between the middle and top strand and gets hung out to dry! McMahon is over to try and release Foley without a second thought. Eventually, Foley is released from his makeshift noose, the Dudester falling to the floor in a heap.
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| "He's behind me, isn't he?" WWF |
"This is a reminder," says Patterson, his voice booming through the speakers, "that this match is a no disqualification!" McMahon marches back to where Foley is choking Austin behind the table, nodding in approval. I guess when you're the boss, you can make these kinds of changes on the fly, eh?
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
There's a consistent theme throughout not only this match, but the McMahon/Austin feud that is in it's infancy here, of control. McMahon tried stacking the deck with his stooges, wearing the zebra suit, and having Dude Love in his pocket. Realistically, McMahon should have this match well in hand with all of these factors working in his favour. But what he doesn't factor in is that Austin is a force of nature right now. He's laser focused and as dangerous as he's ever been, willing to do whatever is necessary in this match to win.
So, when McMahon starts to feel that the match is slipping through his fingers, he changes the stipulation. No DQ can be a benefit for both men, untying their hands of any restrictions, but for someone as wild and unpredictable as Mick Foley, having free reign to use the arena in whatever way he pleases puts Team McMahon at a clear advantage.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
When Austin finally pulls himself to his feet behind the announce table, Foley lunges forward, catching him by the throat with a cable-slowly draining the life out of the Texas Rattlesnake. It’s all perfectly legal now. Desperate, Austin charges and dives into the timekeeper’s area, Foley still holding tight as he goes for the ride. Both men crash and burn, with Foley landing flat out alongside Gerald Brisco.
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| "You guys wanna see a dead body?" WWF |
It's complete bedlam at ringside, with Foley seated on the guardrail after getting his head bounced off of it. He's not up for very long as Austin fires off a heinous lariat, sending Foley crashing to the concrete floor head first into the ravenous crowd. Austin and Foley climb back over the barricade, with McMahon encouraging them to do so the entire time, but Austin takes a few extra seconds to stand and stomp on Gerald Brisco, still laid out near the bell table.
McMahon was adamant that Austin couldn't lay a hand on him, but he never said anything about his stooges.
They're in the ring for but a heartbeat, with Austin escaping to the floor after missing a leg lariat against the ropes. He's halfway up the ramp and writing around in pain, with Foley sliding out to join him and continue the assault in the form of a swinging neckbreaker. McMahon is with them, but suddenly takes off in a sprint. He catches up with Patterson, the only word that gets picked up this time is "reminder."
"This is a reminder," Patterson declares, getting to his feet to address the crowd properly. "In this match, falls count anywhere!" The crowd cheers as Jim Ross protests on commentary. When we return to the action, McMahon is on his stomach counting as Foley lays across Austin, managing to kick out at two.
Once again, McMahon tries moving the goal posts further and further away from Austin, but the champ is determined to see this match through. No matter what it takes.
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| Clear the tracks! WWF |
Feeling confident, Foley walks up the ramp and does a little jig, feeling a certain kind of way now that any and all restrictions have been removed. Unfortunately, Austin gets to his feet in that period of time and is still feeling violent. He charges at Foley and fires off another lariat, decapitating Foley as he lands hard on the concrete. They brawl up to one of the cars parked at the entrance way, with Austin taking a few steps back to get a running start for his next lariat. He runs for Foley but gets back body dropped onto the hood, his foot smashing the windshield as he lands, sliding down the hood and landing head first on the concrete.
Foley goes for a pinfall in front of the car, but Austin gets out. He slams his head against the hood and flips Austin over on his back, pinning him to the hood but Austin still escapes. They're fighting like they are possessed and using whatever they can around them to inflict more damage. It's now Austin's turn to send Foley into steel, flapjacking him into the rear end of an SUV before trying a cover on the concrete, but it's not enough.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
There's something exciting about these types of brawls, the organic nature of them makes them feel more authentic and violent. It's one thing to drag out a table to put someone through it or wield a chair you've retrieved from under the ring to inflict maximum damage. But it's another thing entirely to have someone stumbling around a building, using whatever isn't bolted down as a weapon or sending them into something extra solid to try and scramble their grey matter. It's what made those concession stand brawls from the 80's so effective, you can believe that this is a real fight. This is the kind of stuff you'd find in a bar when the patrons hear happy hour is coming to an end or someone has been cut off earlier than they were wanting to quit. It's unpredictable, it's visceral, and by god is it exciting.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Drifting around the arena like a shadow, The Undertaker follows the action up the ramp, with Brisco and Patterson a few steps behind for "immoral support," as JR puts it. On the roof of a wrecked car, Austin goes for a stunner but gets pushed off, crashing into and sliding across the hood of another wrecked car before landing on the concrete below. It's a glorified scrapyard at the entrance ramp, every square inch either unforgiving concrete or harsh metal.
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| Dukes of Head Trauma. WWF |
With Austin laid out, Foley staggers away, ignoring McMahon as he barks at Foley to cover Austin and get it over with. Going for absolute broke, Foley climbs the wreckage and stands high above Austin on the hood of a car. He takes a running start before leaping at his foe, landing elbow and hip first in an empty pool as Austin rolls out of harms way. He lays one arm over Foley as McMahon goes in to count. The Undertaker steps forward. McMahon feels the cold grip of death draw near, looking up to the eyes of the Deadman as he counts two, knowing what awaits him if he pulls back on counting three.
Thankfully for McMahon, Foley survives, McMahon rising to his feet but moving further away from The Undertaker as he does. The bloodied champion pulls Foley back to the ring and tosses him legs first into the steps, the horrible CRASH sound ringing out through the arena again. He tosses Foley back in the ring, wanting to win this match in the ring as a true act of defiance to the boss.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
One could argue that the modified rule set benefits the wild, brawling champion as much as it does the hardcore icon, and it's a completely valid argument! But Austin knows the only reason these rules were tacked onto the match was because he was actively going against what McMahon had planned for this match. Surely, McMahon hoped this would be a pretty quick, between the ropes affair. But once it became obvious this could not be contained to a 20x20 piece of land, he had to think on his feet. "You think you can change the rules to make it harder for me? Screw you Vince, I'm winning this match despite your rules" had to be the prevailing thought running through the mind of the rattlesnake.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Austin gets sent into the ropes but gets his foot caught by Patterson, tripping him up as he nearly falls flat on his face, the ropes the only thing keeping him standing. The distraction is enough for Foley to keep the advantage, going to the corner to rip the padding off a turnbuckle, exposing the metal eye beneath. Wasting no time, Foley drives Austin's bloodied skull into the steel, the champion staggering around in a haze. Again, Foley shoots Austin's face into the corner, sitting on his back with a modified camel clutch, holding Austin by the chin. McMahon is right in Austin's face, waiting for him to submit while he berates him to give up. So much for calling it down the middle, eh?
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| McMahon? Biased? Never! WWF |
Now, Foley cracks Austin across the back with the steel. He drops the chair in the centre of the ring before pulling Austin to his feet, butterflying his arms as he drives the champion face first into the chair with a DDT. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" McMahon barks as Foley turns Austin to his back for a cover, but he still gets out at two! McMahon's hand freezes above the canvas a heartbeat longer than normal, his rage fully boiled over as he fires up to his feet.
From one corner to another charges Foley, chair in hand as he looks to collide with Austin, barely standing in the corner. At the last possible second, Austin gets a boot up and feeds the chair back to Foley, stumbling to the centre as Austin fires off with a huge lariat. He's barely able to walk, let alone stand, but he is still able to grab the chair to defend himself. In a brief moment of unintentional comedy, Austin bounces the chair off the top rope enough for it to bounce back; just barely hitting him in the nose. It's not quite a Kyle O'Reilly self-inflicted chair shot, it's more the younger brother of that move.
With the chair now firmly in hand, Austin swings for the fucking fences, clattering the steel against the skull of Foley as he hits the canvas. The gunshot-like sound of the chair shot matches the ferocity of the impact perfectly, nothing was held back. McMahon's head is in his hands as Foley lays helpless. Austin falls for the cover and looks directly at Vince, but he refuses to count. He stands in the corner, defiant, rooted in place, now white hot with rage. Austin gets off Foley and moves to the referee, his boss, Mr. McMahon. He gestures a three count by clapping his hands, inches away from the nose of McMahon. He's too distracted from cussing him out to notice Foley rising to his feet behind him, brandishing the chair above his head as he runs up behind Austin.Foley swings the chair in a huge arc...
And cracks Mr. McMahon on the top of his skull!
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| A stray bullet! WWF |
He falls in the corner as Austin catches Foley in the gut with a kick, snatching his head before sitting out, connecting with the Stunner. He falls to the canvas himself, pulling himself on top of Foley and grabbing the tights to make the cover, but McMahon is out! From down the entrance way, Mike Chioda slides in and starts the count. He makes it to two before Patterson yanks him out by the legs, clocking him square in the nose after he lands.
Austin gets off the cover, locking eyes with Patterson, but gets caught with the mandible claw! Foley can be heard shouting something, the mumbling sounding a lot like "Count it Pat! Count it!" Patterson obliges, awkwardly climbing in over the bottom rope to start the count. He lands one, he lands two!
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| Thanks for coming, Pat! WWF |
The Undertaker moves in, yanking Patterson out by his feet and grabbing him by the throat. The cold grip of death sends Patterson for the ride, his feet kicking out like a child on a swing as he goes crashing through the announce table!
Foley lays across Austin now, gesturing for someone to come count the pinfall again. This time, it's Brisco! Again, he climbs over the bottom rope but The Undertaker is there for the save! He snatches Brisco by the neck, ripping him through the sky before driving him through the Spanish announce table!
Both men are on their feet in the ring now, the mandible claw locked in again. Desperate, Austin fires off a kick that lands a bit low on Foley, but it's enough. He snatches him by the head and lands the Stunner, looking around as he lays across Foley for the pin. Thinking on his feet, he drags the corpse of McMahon over to Foley, still out cold from the chair shot.
He grabs McMahon's wrist, slapping his hand on the canvas once.
Then twice.
Then three times.
By my hand only; Austin pins Dude Love!
 |
| By my hand only. WWF |
He fires up to his feet, shooting off a salvo of middle fingers as he barks in defiance at the boss of the company. The arena explodes with cheers, not a soul sitting down. Austin hits the corners and holds his fists high. Despite the entire deck being stacked against him, Austin is still the WWF Champion.
The Undertaker stays at ringside for a moment longer, catching the eyes of Austin and giving him a knowing look, as if to say "now you owe me." He marches back up the ramp, the highway to hell waiting for both men. Howard Finkel hands Austin his title and he rips it from his hand, walking across the corpse of Vince and holding his gold high above his head in the corner, defiance conquering compliance. He sits on the back of McMahon and berates him, surely saying something alone the lines of "I told you I'd win you stupid son of a bitch!"
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
If this match doesn't make you feel something, I think you need to see a doctor ASAP. Like I said before, it may be insanely overbooked, especially the last few minutes, but it's overbooked perfectly. It managed to straddle that line so well, I honestly didn't think it was possible to have a clusterfuck finish look and feel that good. It's a damn near perfect way to make sure the excitement of the Austin era stays white hot as long as possible. 1998 was a banner year for the WWF and this match, in my opinion, was no small part of it. It solidified Austin as the guy, it established the Austin/McMahon feud, it set up the "Highway to Hell" SummerSlam match between Austin and The Undertaker. So much is set up with this match, it's hard to view it in any other way than massively impactful to 1998 as a whole.
It was a risky move for the WWF at this time-hitching their wagon to someone so antithetical to every top champion in the company’s history. Usually, when the hero needed to win the gold and save the day, the villain never held the title for long. Never before had a foul-mouthed, surly anti-hero stood atop the mountain. But Austin took that spot by force, and there isn’t a suit-wearing megalomaniac alive who can take him down.
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| Champion. WWF |
I'll never forget how I felt watching this match for the first time a few years ago for the simple fact that I feel almost the exact same way every time I watch this match. I feel giddy, like a kid at a theme park. I'm smiling like an idiot and I can barely sit still. I'm hooting when Austin brains Foley and hollering when Foley cracks McMahon. The finish is one of the most adrenaline fuelled things ever with the final pinfall being so goddamn perfect, I can barely put into words how good that simple "by my hand only" finish is. Couple that with Austin's barrage of middle fingers after scoring three? Gah, it's incredible.
I may not have been able to live through the Attitude Era, but it's moments like this that encapsulate it in a way that it becomes possible for someone almost 30 years later to watch and understand what made this point in time so damn special. Pure lightning in a bottle, electricity that can be felt for miles, with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin the lightning rod that the entire federation revolves around.
For this, and so much more, Steve Austin vs. Dude Love at Over The Edge 1998 is a 5 star match.
Until next time, be well, and stay safe.
Cliff Morgan
cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
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