WWF In Your House- Rock Bottom 1998

Introduction: I don't know many of the exact specifics of this show. Its named after the Rock. Its mainevented by Stone Cold/Undertaker in a Buried Alive Match.

In all honesty, this show has the reputation for being quite awful, so this should be fun.

Our opening match should be a classic:

Val Venis and The Godfather vs. Mark Henry and D'Lo Brown

I miss these old shows when four random midcarders can get thrown into a tag-team mach on an important PPV.

D'Lo and Val start, D'lo with some punches and kicks. He drives Val to the corner, stops to showoff and gets run over with a clothesline, and a couple more. Whip off, Val with a shoulderblock. Val runs the ropes D'lo avoids it, ducks and takes a kick to the face off a backdrop attempt. Whip reversed now, Val knocked down. Back up, Val leapfrogs D'lo and catches him with a spinebuster.

Godfather tagged in now. He kicks and punches away, D'Lo whipped in and he eats a reverse elbow. Godfather with a running clothesline, as Michael Cole refers to the Godfather as "an expert in the martial arts." Wow. I never would've guessed.

D'Lo's head to the buckles now, Godfather with a whip but the Ho Train misses. D'LO pounding away now. Godfather ducks a punch and gets a vaguely martial arts looking kick in.

An odd moment as D'Lo stands back up, and Godfather just watches him walk across the ring and tag Mark Henry.

Godfather all over Henry with some clubbering blows in the corner. Henry whipped across, Godfather hits the Hoooooo Train. Henry with a whip now and he gets a big powerslam. Henry with some stomps. Henry with some choking. Bodyslam now. Henry misses a big bodysplash.

Venis tagged in. He comes in with a flurry of rights and gets knocked down with a backelbow for his troubles. Val whipped into his opponent's corner, D'Lo holds him while Henry splashes him.

D'Lo tagged in, he gets a whip and an elevated pancake powerbomb for two as Godfather breaks it up. D'Lo with a bodyslam. D'Lo to the top and he misses the Sky High.

Double tags now, Godfather in and he's hammering on D'Lo and Henry. D'Lo gets whipped and backdropped. D'Lo rolls to the floor as Venis and Godfather hit a doulbeteam vertical suplex on Henry. Meanwhile on the floor Jacquie and Terri (who were with D'Lo and Henry) and Godfather's Ho's start to get into it.

Back inside Val and Henry are slugging it out. Jacquie runs in distracting Val, Henry levels him with a clothesline and a bodysplash for a much welcomed three count.

3/4*- I sure picked a winner here. Crap match to start off the show. Venis is good, as is D'Lo. But their partners both sucked.

The Headbangers vs. The Oddities

As a mark I'm sure I would've loved this match. Now? Not so much.

Mosh to start with Kurrgan. This one's gonna be ugly. Lockup, Mosh gets a headlock but Kurrgan simply tosses him away. Kurrgan charges Mosh in the corner and takes a kick to the gut. Mosh with some clubbing blows. He slaps Kurrgan, a whip is reversed. Kurrgan tries a splash but Mosh moves and goes to some mounted punching. Kurrgan dumps Mosh, but gets his neck snapped over the top rope.

Mosh charges Kurrgan and gets caught with an odd looking front slam.

Kurrgan dances, whips Mosh in tries for a big boot, Mosh avoids and tags in Thrasher. Thrasher in with some kicks, whip reveresed. Kurrgan with a sidewalk slam. Thrasher whipped to the corner, Kurrgan with a Kevin Nash boot choke. Mosh tries to intervene but Kurrgan simply ploughs through him. Now Kurrgan whips Mosh to the corner and he gets a Kurrgan splash (like a Stinger Splash, only with more tie-dye) on both men.

Golga tagged in now, and we get another doublesplash. Golga with a beal on Thrasher. Elbowdrop now, and a legdrop for two. Kurrgan tagged back in now. Kurrgan with knees and clubbing blows. Bodyslam now. Kurrgan with a second rope splash that misses. Thrasher with a couple stomps, a vertical suplex attempt goes un -answered. Mosh in illegally and both men get a suplex on Kurrgan. Thrasher covers for only one.

Mosh in illegally again and The 'Bangers get their version of WGGT's double team move over the top rope. Mosh now taking advantage with some kicks and clubbing blows.

Golga tries to interfere illegally allowing The 'Bangers to choke Kurrgan some more.

Mosh with a whip, Kurrgan reverses and gets a backdrop. Kurrgan with a clothesline now.

Kurrgan finally makes the hot tag, as we're set to (hopefully) bring this one home. Golga in with some pounding and a dropkick on one of the 'Bangers. Golga with a running corner splash on Thrasher. Golga with some shots to the gut on the ropes now. Thrasher makes a blind tag that Ray Charles could see as Golga gets a powerslam.

Golga now runs the ropes, setting up for an apparent splash but Mosh hits him with a Stagedive (at least that's what I think it was supposed to be) for the abrupt three.

Winners: The Headbangers

1/2*- I'll be nice here. I've got a soft spot for the gimmicks involved in this match. That, and to be honest, the work here wasn't really offensive or anything.

Allright. That's enough for now. Mull over what I've got so far.

I think I've got this DVD somewhere. I don't blame you for quitting early.

Even I couldn't stand the main event without hitting the FF button. So... fucking... bad. And the rest of the card was OK, but too much like a 3 hour Raw.

Looks like crap. I always thought that the Headbangers were a stupid gimmick and about 14 years too late. Nobody called themselves a "headbanger" after 1986 or so. Well, except for bands like Cinderella and Whitesnake.

Since this show is Of The Stink, I think we can bust out some lyrics...

"Out on the streets for a living..."

Shit... wrong track. Hang on.

"Good times ain't around
Now I got the mind to say
Well, you hit rock bottom
And you're there to stay"

I will say, this was the show that made me notice how over New Age Outlaws were. I didn't get it then, and I still don't now.

To be fair, they were pretty entertaining at first. But it wasn't long until their act really ran thin.

I wasn't watching much WWF at the time, just the occasional show. I was never into the sing-along promos, which seemed to be all NAO were good for.