The Sunday Night Heat Workrate Report
A weekly look at what did and didn't work on Sunday Night Heat by Phil Rippa

Sunday, December 13th, 1998

Excuses. We've got excuses: My apologizes for not being as prompt as usual. It is finals week at American which means a lot of punk kids who were born in a different decade than I was are deciding they don't want to come to work. Add that to the fact that my new girlfriend is commandeering my free time and wrestling comes in a distant third this week.
 


What Worked

Where the Hell did that Brian Christopher/Kevin Quinn match come from? Golly gee, that was good. I mean Christopher is talented but that was the most surprising match I have seen in awhile (well besides DDP/Goldberg). Quinn takes a big bump to nothing. He hits a very an above average handspring splash that I give him a B+ for effort. Christopher uses the powerbomb to the floor which I haven't seen him use in awhile. If threatening Christopher with a marriage angle is going to get him to wrestle like that then I am all for it. Sure the ending was blown but Quinn is still learning. Plus it was clean and it works.

Former OMEGA Heavyweight Champion, one half of the current OMEGA Tag Team Champions and Future of American Wrestling, MATT FREAKIN' HARDY, gets a Light Heavyweight Title shot on my TV screen.

I almost fast forwarded through the Rock interview segment, then Mankind showed up and the beat down was on. You got to hear Mankind yelling, "Here is a white guy, he must be corporate! Here's the Corporate Elbow! Here's a Corporate Table! Here's the Corporate Whatever This Thing Is Called (A overhead projector)! Here's the Corporate Rhododendron!" Then listen as Mankind mumbles that is wasn't actually a Rhododendron. Wow, a wrestler and a botanist.

The fan with the sign that said "Bure is the Blue Blazer." I got a big kick out of that since Mr. Pavel Bure will soon be lighting the lamp for my Rangers.
 


What Didn't Work

Well being an official Hardy Boy fanboy, I will openly complain about a LH match that lasted 20 seconds. Matt busted out a splash mountain that got a good pop from crowd and then the top rope Quebrada which was SWEET. But then the Blue Meanie gives me more reason to hate him and Hardy is screwed out of a title. You know Meanie, I'm a gangly 6-6 white guy with limited physical strength and no wrestling experience but you keep this up and I am coming to get you. You have been warned.

Mr. McMahon comes out and deepthroats THE STICK for tremendous amount of time and doesn't really say anything . But it does remind. Hey Vince, I am having a hard enough time finding a job. I don't need you encouraging thousands of Canadians to cross the boarder and come to DC.

Jeff Jarrett and Debra come out for no other reason than to get the crowd all fired up since they have nothing else to do. It is funny that everyone thinks how hot Debra suddenly has become. It is not because she has gotten more attractive. It is because compared to the mutated freaks of Sable, Jackie, Chyna and Luna even the south end of a dog is going to look good.

Boy, that Triple H/Droz sure was no good. Not one bit. Can I help you blow out the other knee Mr. Hemsley?

Speaking of not good, the whole fiasco of a match between the New Age Outlaws and the Acolytes. Then you through in the Bossman and Ken Shamrock and it was a big clusterfuck. They still managed to let Roadogg Ricky Morton to get his ass kicked in a match that was three minutes long. No, the WWF isn't formalistic at all.

Let me get this straight. Matt Hardy wrestles for a minute so I can get a tour of the gravesite. THE FUCKING GRAVESITE!!!!!!!!! I'll make sure I visit that during my next vacation to the biggest ball of twine in Minnesota.

You know how bad Kevin Kelly is at announcing. He made me want to hear more from Shane McMahon. Why don't they just hire me? I could misidentify all of the moves and I will take a lot smaller salary then any of those morons.
 

"Watch Out! Hardcore Champion Coming Through"
Phil Rippa