Survivor Series Count-Up – 1999 (2021 Redo): This Was Way Off
Survivor Series 1999
Date: November 14, 1999
Location: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Attendance: 18,735
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler
We’re back in the Attitude Era for this year’s redo and that could make for some interesting moments. This is also a strange time for the company as everything is changing again. That being said, we do have a dream match main event, with HHH defending the WWF Title against the Rock and Steve Austin with Vince McMahon as the guest referee. That should be enough to carry the show so let’s get to it.
The opening video looks at the triple threat and nothing more. Do you really need anything else?
Godfather/D’Lo Brown/Headbangers vs. Acolytes/Dudley Boyz
Survivor Series match and the Dudleys are brand new. Godfather gets in his big intro and my goodness his overness is something to behold. Brown is in his own Godfather style gear and it oddly suits him. The Headbangers do the same and….yeah it doesn’t have the same charm. Since everyone has to do something other than wrestle, Bubba asks about the Godfather’s women, but Godfather makes fun of the stutter (because we’re so early in his WWF run that Bubba still has a stutter) to say no.
Bubba and Mosh start things off, with Bubba stealing his afro to make it personal. A clothesline drops Mosh and it’s off to D-Von, who gets dropkicked and armdragged. It’s off to Thrasher as the crowd isn’t quite thrilled with what they’re seeing here. D-Von clotheslines his way out of trouble and it’s off to Bradshaw, who knocks Thrasher’s afro off. Thrasher misses the charge in the corner though and the Clothesline From Bradshaw is good for the elimination.
The Acolytes shoulder Mosh down but a Godfather distraction means no cover. Instead it’s D-Von’s turn to miss a charge in the corner, allowing Mosh to choke on the ropes for a bit. That’s too much for Bubba, who comes in off a blind tag and hits the 3D to get rid of the other Headbanger. Brown comes in and takes Bubba down for the headshaking legdrop. Bradshaw isn’t down with that so it’s a chair to Brown for the DQ. Another chair drops Bubba as well, leaving to D-Von and Faarooq brawling to the floor for a double countout, meaning it’s Bubba vs. Godfather/D’Lo.
A good side slam plants Brown for two and Bubba hits a snap jab, only to walk into the Sky High for a near fall. Brown takes his sweet time loading up a super hurricanrana and gets superbombed down for two more. There’s the double clothesline to put both of them down again and NOW Bubba realizes he has no one to tag. Godfather comes in to clean house in a hurry, including the Ho Train into the Low Down for the final pin at 9:37.
Rating: D+. Not exactly a great way to get going here as it just wasn’t that good of a match. The talent was there, but it felt like a way to get rid of a bunch of people before Godfather got the win. That isn’t the worst thing, but it isn’t an interesting way to kick the show off. Having the Godfather out there to start is a smart move, though I’m not sure how much of an impact it had after the nine minute build to the big ending.
Video on some guy who is making his debut tonight and has been successful everywhere else. His name is Kurt Angle.
Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Stasiak
This is Angle’s debut and Stasiak is so important that we see some footage of his dad during his entrance. Angle fireman’s carries him down to start and it’s an early standoff. Stasiak gets taken down again as they stay on the mat, drawing a LET’S GO RED WINGS chant. Back up and Angle scores with a slam, allowing him to pose a bit. You can feel the confidence starting to rise here and that’s exactly how Angle should be going here. Stasiak is back up with a clothesline and stomps away to take over.
The jumping back elbow sets up a chinlock but Angle is right back with a clothesline. Angle heads outside and grabs a chinlock, saying that YOU DO NOT BOO AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST! Back in and Stasiak knocks him right back down for another chinlock. Angle gets up again, this time with a powerslam but Stasiak hits a layout F5 of all things. That’s enough for Angle, who avoids a crossbody and debuts what would become known as the Olympic/Angle Slam for the pin at 5:57.
Rating: D+. This was only going to be so good as it was a pretty lame way to debut Angle. It was mainly Stasiak doing his usually bad stuff and Angle trying to get in a few things. That being said, Angle would catch fire in a hurry as the company figured out exactly how to use him in short order. He would be defending the WWF Title at this show next year, so he was doing something right.
Earlier tonight on Heat, Steve Austin flipped off HHH and the Rock, drawing out DX for a big brawl.
Gangrel/Mark Henry/Steve Blackman/Val Venis vs. British Bulldog/Mean Street Posse
In case you’re missing it, commentary points out that Venis and company have nothing in common. I mean, they all do have some pretty rocking theme music. Bulldog is European Champion as the WWF continues to try to make him something in the late 90s. Venis shoulders Bulldog down as JR is already talking about Montreal. Lawler wants more details on that as Pete Gas tags in, does nothing, and tags back out.
Bulldog takes Venis down and it’s back to Gas, who actually manages a belly to back suplex. That earns him a bulldog and it’s Blackman coming in (JR: “This could get ugly.”) and the beating is on in a hurry. The bicycle kick finishes Pete off and it’s 4-3. Gangrel sends Rodney into the corner but gets caught in a crucifix for two. That’s enough from Rodney, as Gangrel hits the implant DDT for the fast pin. Henry comes in to hammer on Joey Abs, including the running crotch attack to the back of the neck.
A big splash finishes Joey in a hurry (JR: “The first man to ever wear a green sweater vest at the Survivor Series has been eliminated.”) and it’s Bulldog vs. everyone else. Bulldog wastes no time in superplexing Gangrel for an elimination. Blackman comes in for a rollup but Bulldog is right back with a fisherman’s suplex to get rid of Blackman and make it 2-1. Bulldog’s sunset flip gets two, with Henry making the save. A double clothesline drops Henry and Venis but Henry is back up with a hard slam. The Money Shot gives Venis the pin at 9:06.
Rating: D. One of the problems with Survivor Series matches is you can see that a match is about one or two people, but that doesn’t work very well in an eight man match. This was about the Bulldog, Venis and maybe Henry, meaning the other people involved were just kind of there. The match was short but not very good, making this another weak entry on a show full of them so far.
Michael Cole goes into the women’s locker room and gets to rub Ivory’s stomach. Then he runs away in fear.
Mae Young/Fabulous Moolah/Debra/Tori vs. Ivory/Jacqueline/Luna/Terri Runnels
One fall to a finish, or sudden death as the introduction calls it. Lawler nearly loses it over Debra, as tends to be his custom. Mae jumps Ivory (Women’s Champion) on the floor to start as JR doesn’t think this is going to be a classic. Jacqueline and Luna can’t figure out a double DDT on Tori as Lawler keeps making old jokes about Mae and Moolah. Tori clotheslines Ivory and Luna and it’s off to Moolah for the forearms. Mae and Moolah hit a double clothesline to pin Ivory at 1:50. No this didn’t lead to the 77 year old Moolah winning the title. She had already done that back in October.
Clothing is removed post match.
X-Pac is ready for Kane because he knows he is the better man. Kane must have an inferiority complex because he’s 7ft tall and the 6’1 (HA) X-Pac can beat him.
Kane vs. X-Pac
Earlier today Kane’s girlfriend Tori talked about how he was ready to hurt X-Pac for making it personal. Oh and X-Pac’s testicular fortitude is lacking. X-Pac hammers away in the corner to start but Kane throws him into the corner and shows him it is properly done. A clothesline drops X-Pac again and some choking sends him into the corner.
Kane goes up but gets crotched down to send him outside in a crash. Back in and the spinwheel kick drops Kane into the corner but he’s fine enough to block the Bronco Buster with a hand around the throat. There’s the big boot into the top rope clothesline, setting up the chokeslam. Cue Road Dogg for the save so Kane beats him up before kicking out of the X Factor. The Tombstone looks to finish X-Pac but HHH comes in with the WWF Title to Kane’s head for the DQ at 4:15.
Rating: C-. This could have been on any given episode of Raw and that’s rarely a good sign on a pay per view. These two had a long feud and it only got so good as X-Pac got the better of Kane far too often. Tori would be leaving Kane for X-Pac soon enough, because Kane can never get to be a happy monster.
Post match the beatdown is on so Tori runs in, only to get kicked in the face by X-Pac. That’s too much for Kane, who gets up and scares DX off.
The Rock has something to say but here is HHH to shove him. The fight is nearly on referees break it up. Commentary isn’t sure what HHH was thinking here.
Big Show vs. Prince Albert/Mideon/Big Boss Man/Viscera
This is basically Boss Man and Friends vs. Big Show, who beat up his scheduled partners (Kai En Tai and Blue Meanie) on Heat. Show charges into the ring, chokeslams Mideon for the pin in about 20 seconds, chokeslams Albert for the pin in about 30 seconds, slams and chokeslams Viscera for the pin in about 55 seconds and wins by countout at 1:24 when Boss Man runs away (running past his partners in the process). Yeah that worked.
HHH breaks up a Steve Austin interview and the chase is on, with DX following. Austin winds up in a parking garage…and gets run over by a car, putting him on the shelf for the better part of a year. After commentary reiterates what we just saw, Stephanie and Vince McMahon and Test arrive as medics tend to Austin. Vince panics and wants security to find out what happened. HHH shows up as Shane is here too to yell at DX, who say this isn’t what they do. JR is back there as well as the medics (with Vince’s help) get Austin onto the stretcher. He’s finally loaded up and it’s back to the arena.
Intercontinental Title: Chris Jericho vs. Chyna
Chyna is defending and has Miss Kitty with her, while Jericho has promised to get a sex change if he loses. Jericho jumps them to start and shoves Kitty down, earning himself a clothesline. The double stomping has Jericho out on the floor but he chokes away with a camera cord.
Back in and Jericho hammers away in the corner until Chyna drops him throat first onto the top rope. Jericho gets sent into the corner, setting up a running baseball in the Tree of Woe. That’s too much for Jericho, who whips him hard over the corner and out to the floor again. Chyna gets whipped into the barricade, setting up the missile dropkick for two back inside. A delayed vertical suplex gives Jericho two more and there’s a bulldog to set up the slingshot splash.
The spinwheel kick lets Jericho nip up into the long walk (dang I had forgotten about that one) and then clothesline her outside. That’s not good enough for Jericho, who goes outside to kiss Miss Kitty, which brings Chyna back up to hammer away. Jericho isn’t into the hammering thing though and powerbombs her down for two more.
The Lionsault misses though and Chyna grabs a DDT for two of her own. A Pedigree connects for two more but Jericho is right back with the Walls. That’s broken up with a crawl to the rope for the break so Jericho takes her up top. Chyna manages a quick low blow though and a super Pedigree (read as they load one up and Jericho jumps backwards onto his face) retains the title at 13:35.
Rating: C. I know she was a legit big star and all that jazz, but there are times where Chyna’s matches really don’t hold up. That was the case here, as a lot of this stuff didn’t look good. What mattered is that it felt like a full on match, with both of them working hard and Chyna never looked like she was in totally over her head. It wasn’t great, but a woman holding the Intercontinental Title is still a pretty big deal, as she was having a straight match rather than some kind of screwy deal with all kinds of ways to protect Chyna.
DX comes in to see Shane McMahon and company but HHH swears he didn’t do it. HHH does ask if the main event is still a triple threat but gets thrown out.
Hollies/Too Cool vs. Edge and Christian/Hardy Boyz
Survivor Series elimination match with single eliminations rather than teams and Terri Runnels is here with the Hardys. Edge and Scotty start things off with the slugout until Scotty chops away in the corner. JR even flat out says he’s not into this match because of Austin, which does make sense in this case. Crash comes in and gets dropped ribs first onto his the mat for two before Matt drops an elbow for two.
Matt crotches him on the top and sends him outside for the slingshot dive. Another dive, this one from Grandmaster, takes everyone out so Hardcore backdrops Jeff onto everyone plus Grandmaster for the really big crash (you knew that was coming). Back in and Christian powerslams Crash for two but the Hollies come back with a Hart Attack of all things for two on Christian.
Grandmaster adds a bulldog for two but a second is countered with a shove into the corner for a crotching (and a kicked camera). The hot tag brings in Edge for a spear to both Hollies and another to Grandmaster. The fourth hits Matt though and Scotty sends Jeff into Edge, allowing Hardcore to grab a rollup for the elimination. Then Scotty hits a top rope DDT to get rid of Matt in a hurry so it’s Jeff coming in next. Scotty dropkicks the knee out and there’s the Worm to make it worse for Jeff.
Too Cool’s assisted sitout powerbomb gets two more as JR has had it with Lawler cheering for Grandmaster. A middle rope dropkick gets two on Scotty and another Hart Attack gets the same as everything breaks down. The Hollies start fighting with each other, allowing Christian to hit Too Cool low. Jeff is right back up with a 450 to get rid of Scotty and it’s 3-2.
Christian plays Matt in Poetry In Motion on Crash but Hardcore dropkicks Jeff out of the air for trying to do it again. Grandmaster adds the Hip Hop Drop to get rid of Jeff but Christian grabs the reverse layout DDT to make it 2-1 (the Hollies vs. Christian). Hardcore hits a suplex and Crash grabs a Boston crab so Hardcore can stomp away. Christian is right back up with the reverse layout DDT to get rid of Crash and it’s one on one. Back up and Christian tries a victory roll but Hardcore sits down on it Owen Hart style for the pin at 14:27.
Rating: D+. This was kind of a miss as there wasn’t much to keep me interested. It was a bunch of people hitting moves on each other until Hardcore was the only one left. That isn’t the most thrilling match and Hardcore getting the win is a little strange. You would think it would have been Edge/Christian or a Hardy after their big latter match earlier in the year. I guess Hardcore is a better prospect?
Shane McMahon says Austin is undergoing a lot of tests and that’s all we know. The main event will still be a triple threat, but no one is named. Test standing in the background is just a detail I’m sure.
Tag Team Titles: New Age Outlaws vs. Mankind/Al Snow
Mankind and Snow are challenging. The bell rings and Mankind says he knows Stone Cold will be fine. JR: “Mankind gave Al Snow Head last week on Smackdown.” Lawler: “WHAT???” Mankind and Gunn grapple around to start but Gunn grabs a backbreaker to take over. A sleeper doesn’t work well for Gunn as Mankind rolls them both outside, where Dogg hits Gunn in the head.
Snow comes in to hammer on Dogg as JR goes into a quick discussion of Snow’s ridiculously controversial action figure (when an annoying mother decided that the mannequin head was a severed head and no one looked into it before pulling the figure). It’s back to Mankind to pound Dogg down in the corner, setting up a chair to the back, which is pretty normal in this era.
The reverse chinlock doesn’t last long on Dogg so Mankind forearms him in the back instead. Snow stomps Dogg down in the corner and Mankind gets two off a running knee lift. Everything breaks down and everyone fights outside with the Outlaws taking over. Back in and it’s Snow getting pummeled in the corner until a clothesline gets him out of trouble. The hot tag brings in Mankind to clean house, only to have Gunn hit a quick Fameasser to give Dogg two. Everything breaks down and it’s a spike piledriver to plant Mankind and retain the title at 14:01.
Rating: C. I liked this a bit more than I would have expected to, though it probably needed to be a few minutes shorter. Above all else, they went with the right choice, as there was no reason to go back to Mankind and Snow as champions. They were never going to be a long term solution, especially not with Edge and Christian, the Hardys and the Dudleyz on the way.
Commentary gives us another quick recap on Austin but they still don’t know much.
WWF Title: The Rock vs. HHH vs. ???
HHH is defending and the other challenger is….the Big Show. Well that’s a surprise. Rock and HHH go right after the giant to start and get headbutted down in a hurry for his efforts. HHH can’t get very far with some right hands in the corner but Rock manages to post Show for a breather. Granted it’s a quick breather though as Show runs Rock over and kicks away at HHH in the corner.
Back in and Rock manages to knock Show down, setting up the People’s Elbow for two, with HHH making the save. Show sends HHH outside and punches him in various places until Rock catches up with a running clothesline. HHH is sent face first into the set and Rock punches him through a table. Show loads up a chokeslam on Rock on the floor but HHH hits him low for the save. They head back to ringside with Show sending HHH into various things.
Rock breaks that up and it’s a double suplex to put Show through the announcers’ table. That leaves HHH and Rock to fight into the crowd for all of a few seconds before heading back to ringside. The ref gets bumped so the Rock Bottom to HHH gets two from a running in Shane McMahon. Another Rock Bottom gets two as Show pulls Shane outside. Rock gets sent over the announcers’ table, leaving HHH to Pedigree Shane. Show comes back in but here is DX to go after him instead. Cue Vince McMahon with the belt to hit HHH In the face. Show chokeslams HHH for the pin and the title (with Vince counting) at 16:14.
Rating: C+. This was a bit of a weird one as it was mainly Rock and HHH trying to slow Show down and then fight each other. That only works so well when Show keeps getting back in and wrecking things, but it worked well for the wild card feeling they were trying to hit. Show was a good X factor here and it was a smart move to go with the new star with Austin going away for so long. He doesn’t have to hold the title long, but the company has a new focal point and that’s a good thing.
Show poses to end the show.
Overall Rating: D+. It got a little better by the end but this show started off badly and only improved a little. This was a weird time in WWE as Russo had only been gone for about a month and they were trying to figure out where they were going. Austin leaving made it even worse so they were kind of limited with their options. At the same time, we were starting to come out of the wacky Attitude Era but we were still a pretty good distance away from things getting serious (and better). That makes a pretty bad show, but the good times were on their way soon.
Ratings Comparison
Team Godfather/D’Lo Brown vs. Team Dudley Boys
Original: B-
2012 Redo: C
2021 Redo: D+
Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Stasiak
Original: C+
2012 Redo: D+
2021 Redo: D+
Team Val Venis vs. Team British Bulldog
Original: D+
2012 Redo: D-
2021 Redo: D
Team Mae Young vs. Team Ivory
Original: N/A
2012 Redo: N/A
2021 Redo: N/A
Kane vs. X-Pac
Original: C+
2012 Redo: C+
2021 Redo: C-
Big Show vs. Team Big Boss Man
Original: N/A
2012 Redo: N/A
2021 Redo: N/A
Chyna vs. Chris Jericho
Original: B
2012 Redo: B
2021 Redo: C
Team Too Cool vs. Team Edge/Christian
Original: B
2012 Redo: C+
2021 Redo: D+
New Age Outlaws vs. Al Snow/Mankind
Original: D+
2012 Redo: D
2021 Redo: C
Big Show vs. HHH vs. The Rock
Original: C+
2012 Redo: C-
2021 Redo: C+
Overall Rating
Original: B
2012 Redo: D+
2021 Redo: D+
This is all over the place even for me. I was confused by some of those older ratings as this really is quite the odd show.
Here’s the original review if you’re interested:
And the 2012 Redo:
https://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2015/11/06/survivor-series-count-up-1999-austin-fell-down/
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:
http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6
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