Sunday, Cruddy Sunday (WWF Survivor Series 1999 (DVD))

Member Name: Smark1985

Product:	WWF Survivor Series 1999 (DVD)
Date:	15/09/01 (82 review reads)
Rating:

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The Battle of Britain, that is what the majority of people will first think of when World War 2 is mentioned. World War 1? Going over the top. On a different note, the Champions League final of 1999, straight away you will think about Manchester Uniteds remarkable recovery. The MTV VMA Awards of 2000? Britney Spears faking an orgasm will probably spring to most minds. The film 'When Harry Met Sally' is all about 'that kiss, as Bridget Jones' Diary is equally linked with 'those pants'. We like to pigeon hole everything, and always tend to look back on an event or happening with one image or motion. This is exactly the same in the hated wrestling world. Pay-Per-View events are generally remembered for just one match, or, perhaps more so, one part of one match. Generalisation, could it be just because we are too lazy to remember anything else. Eh?

One particular WWF Pay-Per-View event has always attracted controversy over the years, and they always get remembered for the wrong reasons, well, in 1997 it was a 'wrong reason' anyway! Survivor Series 1994? Helen Hart throwing in the towel for her son, costing him the WWF World Title. 1996? Jose Lothario, Shawn Michaels' mentor, getting hit by a TV camera by Sid. 1997? The screw-job incident that, four years on, remains by far the most controversial and talked about incident in wrestling history. 1998? A storyline written mock ending of 1997's ending, which was slammed by critics and fans alike. Oh, hang on, that brings me to 1999 does it not? Well, better get writing then really. But before you start writing in with disgust at how I skipped the first 7 years of the PPV event that is Survivor Series, I'll just tell you that those events, while still fairly good, were as controversial as Countdown, with or without Richard Whitely. Just for the benefit of those who don't know the controversial incident at the '99 Series, let me tell you. Hey, ANDREWSJK might not kno
w!

Well, boys and girls, ladies and gents, WWF superstar Stone Cold Steve Austin was "ran down" by a car in the car park area of the arena where the event was held. Don't cry though, it was all an angle (story-line) and was only devised because Stone Cold was otherwise injured. Hand it to them though, they made a year long angle out of it! Anyway, the ABC blocks are in the cupboard, and the etch-a-sketch is in the drawer, and I'm getting writing.

Oh yeah, just to enhance my "straight-shooting" image I'll just give a warning. Fans who don't want to know what happens behind the scenes and how things work please click away... now, as I will mention certain developments backstage. Oh, and if you aren't reading at all, but are simply giving me 5p in the hope I give you it back, bugger off, you're not wanted. Just one final word, if you plan to diss wrestling in the comments section, you can also bugger off. Go read an opinion on Politics or something.

Card

The Running Down Of Stone Cold Steve Austin

Forget the hype before the event, Stone Cold Steve Austin is not, I repeat, is NOT, in anyway involved in this match. So don't be gutted when The Big Show is called in as a replacement, for jeepers creepers, he is on the front cover, you are not being cheated out of anything! Not long into the event, Austin gets involved in a slight scuffle with Triple H backstage, and chases him out to the parking lot. Triple H hides himself somewhere, and Austin is left alone. [Cue evil laughing, and possibly some Victorian music}. NOT FOR LONG! As a car, wait, I want to say American, so I'll call it a vee-hick-le if that's OK with everyone? Anyway, a vee-hick'le flashed it's lights at the other end of the parking area, and Austin stands, slightly confused. Suddenly [create tension please, grip your mouse] the vee-hick-le drives forward and knocks over Stone Cold Steve Austin, leavi
ng him a crumpled heap on the floor, after flying over the top of the mysterious vee-hick-le. Well, actually, he wasn't really ran over like a dawg, it was in fact a stunt double. Clever huh, they used a back shot so you just saw a guy with the same clothes and a bald head, obviously presuming it was Austin? Shock was sent through the arena, as all the fans wondered what the main event would now be. As the vee-hick-le drove off, everyone was just stunned. Don't be silly though, WWF wouldn't deliberately sabotage their main event, heavily billed with Austin involved. No, no, no. Very shortly before the event, Austin was deemed injured, and needed urgent surgery. So, as opposed to just announcing Austin wouldn't compete, which would seem really lame, he was ran over, which would explain why he would be out of action for nearly a year. Not a particularly bad idea, but not a good one, especially as Jim Ross (Commentator) would now have to repeatedly say the word vee-hick-le. It could have been quite good actually, if it was executed well, unfortunately, it looked like the rush job that it was, and was greeted by as more guffaws than fans screaming in despair.

Sadly, this dominates the whole event, to the detriment of some great matches on the card. Oh yeah, the card...

WWF Championship Triple Threat Match
Triple H (Champion) vs. The Rock vs. Big Show

Very few people accepted Triple H as the World Champion at this point, as this was one of his first title defences, and wasn't seen as a main event wrestler. Despite his established WCW run, at one point as their Champion, Big Show was nowhere near a wrestler of main event status, and didn't receive much crowd reaction. With that in mind, this is actually a great match, considering the crowd (and audience as a whole) only recognised one of the wrestlers as a superstar. For this match though, they were actually quite hot, and were dishing out Triple H the boos that he c
ommands, and deserves. All for good reason mind you, this was a fast paced, exciting match. With the feeling among WWF officials that the crowd should go home happy, following the Austin incident, the ending is not a great surprise... but don't jump to the immediate, and perhaps more obvious conclusion. With three wrestlers involved, the capability for fast moving, and perhaps more varied action, to take place, was evident as two wrestlers could battle, with one taking a breather as he sold the last attack. Credit where it is due, Triple Threat matches are hard to pull off with a good result, but these three do one of the better jobs I've seen in recent years.

WWF Intercontinental Championship Match
Chyna (Champion) vs. Chris Jericho

In case you didn't know, Chyna is a woman, and this is then a very unique encounter as not only does it pit a man against a woman, it also sees the woman holding a WWF Title normally held by men. While these matches are beginning to become more popular, this was a rarity at the time, and was surrounded by some controversy amongst a few old timers. Personally, the inter gender factor just added more intrigue to a great mid card feud between two very talented athletes. Unfortunately, in what is a real shame, this match is after the running over of Austin, and therefore neither the crowd (genuinely) and the commentators (for selling purposes only) simply couldn't seem to concentrate on what was a really good match, the best of the night in fact. The first Pay-Per-View match of their feud, this is perhaps the pick of the crop, amid some terrific matches, this, for me, stands out as the defining point in their rivalry, even though in essence it was only beginning.

X-Pac vs. Kane

Not a bad feud, granted. But could they really have a decent match? Given their very different sizes (Kane is a 7ft giant, X-Pac weighs as much as me) it seemed unlikely. Hmmph, I really wish I could say it was
any different, but their differences are just too much of an obstacle to mount, even with the incredible effort put in by both. It starts off interestingly enough, but soon begins to get boring as they run out of spots (moments during a match) that they can execute with the big guy and small guy. Still, while nothing to particularly remember, this is entertaining enough for a mid card match. The chemistry is there, make no mistake, but the fuse was just not lit. (Note to Smark: what are you doing?!)

WWF Tag Team Championship Match
New Age Outlaws (Champions) vs. Mankind and Al Snow

Held at a time when Mick Foley's first book was just being released, this is nothing more than a shrouded 20 minute plug for his literary skills. Perhaps they should have concentrated more on the wrestling skills, as, with the exception of Al Snow who puts in just about an acceptable effort, this really must go down as one of the worst Tag Team Championship matches in memory. I do not exaggerate, this really is appalling, and you will have to really try not to fall asleep. The action is slow, the moves are messed up, the crowd is bored, the wrestlers are lazy, the match ending was never in question, basically, this is dire. You will be hard pushed to find a worse match in WWF's 1996+ history, and this is definitely one of the worst matches I have ever had the displeasure to see. Given the Al Snow is rarely featured on PPV's, you would have thought he would have tried that little bit harder. But to be fair, it is not really his fault. Ignore the legend and myth for this match, Mick Foley is astonishingly bad, and at times you may wonder if it is really him. Taking into account younger readers may come across, I will say nothing about the New Age Outlaws as it will involve more four letter words than you can throw a scrabble board at. Don't even watch this once, let alone repeatedly, as a fellow dooyoo-er, I urge you to fast forward this match straight
away. Please, for me, do the right thing!

Eight Man Elimination Match
The Hollys and Too Cool vs. Edge, Christian and The Hardy Boyz

Yes, I haven't made a boo boo, Edge, Christian and The Hardyz really are on the same team. Nice! For me, this is what Survivor Series is all about. The traditional eight men melee, Survival match, the likes of which have created some fabulous matches down the years. This is no classic, but it is certainly entertaining. The entertainment factor, as always, is created by the teams of E+C and The Hardyz, as they fly across the ring with the intent of causing harm to their opponents. These really are a marvel to see, and between them they have contributed some of the truly great hardcore matches in WWF history. In fact, just one month earlier, the two teams were wrestling each other in a Tag Team Ladder match at No Mercy, it has gone down as one of the best matches of all times. Admittedly, you will usually find 10 year olds saying such things as that, as the matches feature very little wrestling... they just make creative use of weapons! No weapons here I'm afraid, well, body parts don't count. Surely the bookers could have thought of a more creative foursome to face the high flying quartet than Hardcore and Crash Holly, and the dancing punks Too Cool? As much as the Anti Too Cool fan inside me hates to admit it, they performed well in this match, and combined some great offence with some top notch selling. The veteran of the match, and possibly the most underrated man in wrestling, Hardcore Holly is, as usual, on fine form, but you just feel he should be facing the bigger stars. Bide your time Hardcore, your time will come. Also, look on the bright side, this is a great match!

One Fall - Sudden Death Match for the WWF Women's Championship
Ivory (Champion), Jacqueline, Luna and Terri vs. Tori, Debra, Fabulous Moolah and Mae Young

Without question one of the most confusing and rid
iculous matches of all time, this is just a complete mess. Apparently, their are two teams against each other, but that never really comes together as it just seems to turn into an eight woman battle royal. The ending is extremely confusing, as there never really seems to be one. Fabulous Moolah manages to pin Ivory, but the win is never announced, and they all just carry on catting about. The female equivalent of the Tag Title match I mentioned earlier, this is nothing more than crap. I'm being nice with that.

Five Man Elimination Match
Big Boss Man, Prince Albert, Viscera and Mideon vs. Big Show

This event just gets more and more confusing. Yes, you would be right in thinking this is The Big Show's second match of the evening, but quite why he is wrestling it alone is never really known. He was meant to have three partners, and this would be a traditional eight man battle, but for some reason Big Show just comes out on his own, leaving the crowd very confused. Jim Ross does mention something about Big Show attacking some wrestlers, but seems unable to finish a sentence without mentioning Austin and vee-hick-le. For what it's worth, this match is finished before it's over, and is what can lightly be described as a squash. One on four... since when did Hulk Hogan return?!

Eight Man Elimination Match
Val Venis, Mark Henry, Gangrel and Steve Blackman vs. British Bulldog and The Mean Street Posse

Ah, we all love it do we not? The tradition that is putting four good guys and four bad guys together in a match and hoping it is a passable encounter. Quite easily, this is. Bulldog, returning from a lengthy absence is close to his top form, as he shows some of his considerable wrestling skills in this match as he is effectively left with a 'Jake Roberts' as he is faced with all four of his opponents after his not so great team-mates are quickly eliminated. Making use of mid card wrestlers can be a hard job,
but this isn't a bad idea as this is an entertaining match, spoiled only by a less than conclusive ending that kind of makes the match pointless in hindsight.

Eight Man Elimination Match
Godfather, D-Lo Brown and The Headbangers vs. The Acolytes and Dudley Boyz

Now this is what Survivor Series eight man matches are supposed to be about. Eight good wrestlers who know a bit or lots about Tag Team wrestling and letting them execute some dangerous, and at times, innovative moves to please the crowd. This was required tenfold here as this was the curtain jerker (first match of the night) and was at the time when the crowd were at their hottest. Therefore, some high impact and high flying moves are needed to get the crowd on their feet and into the event. That was what was asked of them, and they certainly delivered as this is a superbly entertaining encounter featuring some really pulsating moves. It might be worth mentioning that this was The Dudleyz first PPV appearance too, so it was all new to the fans. As eight men matches go, they don't come much better than this.

Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Stasiak

Likewise to The Dudley Boyz, this is Kurt Angle's first WWF Pay-Per-View appearance, and, up until recently, Shawn Stasiak's last. With that in mind, this is a good match, one of the better of the night in fact.. The crowds almost immediate "boring" chants were completely uncalled for, as they always are, but especially here as this was quite a good technical match. Angle looks like the rookie he was, as he lacks any crowd psychology, and seems genuinely annoyed by the boring chants that hamper the match. If nothing else, this is great to look back on, as Kurt Angle is now one of the WWF's biggest superstars and an ex (and possibly future?) WWF World Champion. Nice to see where it started y'know, if just to laugh at the rookie errors he blatantly makes throughout the match.

Rating/Content
<
br><br>In what can perhaps be seen as a questionable decision, this has been given a 15 certificate by the BBFC. Obviously the running down of Austin (by, of course, the vee-hick-le) may not be viewing suitable for a younger audience but I can't see why a 14 year old would be disturbed or affected by it. In all honesty, it doesn't that bad, so if the 15 rating is based solely on that, then it is just a tad harsh in my book.

Extras

Guess what? Yeah, more of the vee-hick-le malarkey as we are treated to some exclusive backstage segments and developments surrounding the running down, but they could have gone amiss really. By the end of the Video I was sick of hearing about the "callous vee-hick'le assault" on Austin and just wished more time was devoted to the matches. Other than these exclusive peaks, there is nothing on offer that you wouldn't have seen on TV. Laziness is catching it seems.

Conclusion

A mixed bag would put this nicely, as Survivor Series 1999 is nothing more than an attempt to excuse Austin's imminent year long absence, which really is a shame as there are some excellent matches hidden amongst all the activities surrounding Austin, and the, ahem, vee-hick'le. Don't be fooled into thinking you should buy this because of the Austin incident, if anything, that should be the reason why you shouldn't buy this. To give you some sort of picture, I am a collector and like to buy every WWF Video there is... yet I regret buying this.

As ever, thanking you.
Smarky.

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