IYH 23: Fully Loaded

PPV poster

- July 26th 1998, Fresno, California.

- Buyrate 0.90
- Attendance - 9,855

Jeff Jarrett (w/ Tennessee Lee) Vs. Val Venis

 Country singer vs. adult movie star. Venis hasn't been in WWF long as this is his PPV debut. Yamaguchi, Kaientais manager, joins commentary. (The Kaientai that pre dates just TAKA and Funkai) Venis had done a 'film' with his wife or something. Jeff gets Val down then struts, Val gets Jeff down and gyrates. Counters galore as no-one gets an advantage. Knees to mid section then Side Russian Legsweep by Val. Jarrett gets a powerbomb then clotheslines Venis ringside. Chops are traded back in ring until Jeff gets a DDT. Atomic drop, clothesline and Fisherman Suplex gets Val 2. Tennessee Lee crotches Val when he goes up top which enables Jeff to get a superplex. Venis rolls Jeff up after he runs into Lee for 3. *** - Good opener, crowd liked Val. Next RAW is WAR had the 'choppy, choppy your pee-pee' (Though never on a main event level or anything I do think Val as a wrestler was under rated in the grand scheme of things at least pre 2001 he was worth watching)

D-Lo Brown Vs. X-Pac

 D-Lo won European Title off of HHH on RAW is WAR 6 days earlier but it isn't on the line here. D-Lo is rocking the chest protector of annihilation. I always liked D-Lo, he busts out the head wobble early. 'D-Lo sucks' chant. Hip toss, heel kick by X-Pac. D-Lo gets a chinlock, for a while. Hard irish whip, snapmare and leg drop gets 2. X-Pac misses a spinning heel kick and D-Lo gets another 2 off a second rope elbow. Chinlock with a knee dug into X-Pacs neck, which makes sense due to Sean's neck problems through the years. Moonsault misses, did D-Lo ever hit it? Heel kick, bronco buster but Godfather cheap shots X-Pac and a Sky High ends it. ** 1/2 - Alright match but they'd have better ones over the following months.

Faarooq/Scorpio Vs. Terry Funk/Bradshaw

 Pre-match Funk says it's his last match for a while and Bradshaw is surprised and angry that his tag partner of about a week didn't tell him. Wow Faarooq has fallen, just 2 months ago he was feuding with Rock/Nation. Bradshaw runs through Scorpio until he is hurricanraned. Future Acolytes explode! as Farrooq is in. Top rope shoulder tackle gets Bradshaw 2. Funk in to cheers, neckbreaker to Faarooq who responds with a backbreaker. Bradshaw goes up top 'Put him closer Terry' he shouts, but Faarooq powerslams him when he jumps off. Vader bomb off the apron by Funk and it seems to not go completley right. 'Boring' chant then Scorpio busts out the 450' on Funk for 3. Post match Bradshaw lays the 3 men out. *1/2 - Got a boring chant so there you go. I did like Scorpios 450 though to be fair. Not sure if Funk ever did come back to WWF. (A-ha trick statement there as I don't think he returned in WWF but did in WWE so technically that statement is right but I do hate people who state things like that)

Vader Vs. Mark Henry

 I like Vader but his WWF run was average or even poor. He should've gone over HBK at SummerSlam 96 but politics intervened. Henry is in Nation. 'Vader' chant. Scoop slam is screwed up but Henry then does it again, it goes right this time (I hate when a move is done wrong so they do it again straight away). Shoulder barge by Henry who is dominant so far, then he busts out a sunset flip *spits out pepsi* Vader takes Henry ring side and whips him into steps. Middle rope splash gets Vader 2. Powerslam and Splash gets Henry 3. * - Poor, Vader seemed unmotivated they were working at a snails pace. Match seemed about 4 minutes long.

In ring promo that would end up setting up the NAO/Mankind/Kane match at SummerSlam.

LOD Vs. DOA (w/ Paul Ellering)

 Dont know which is Skull and which is 8-Ball so they'll be in-ring baldy and apron baldy. In-ring Baldy beats on Animal in the corner. 'LOD' chant. Double clothesline by Animal then LOD do the Hart Attack. Hawk is attacked ringside by Ellering and apron baldy. Hawks been beaten on for about 31 minutes, if anyone works out why I said 31 minutes then you should become a police investigator right after you've read this. Be easier if Chainz was here as he had hair. In-ring baldy gets a backbreaker. Animal in and cleans house. Crowd wakes up when DoomsDay Device is signalled and it connects but other baldy breaks the pin. The baldies do the old switcheroo and Animal is DDTd for 3. * - Boring, nothing more, nothing less. (Power matches either tag or single are not my thang)

In ring promo time as Vince says if Taker doesn't appear then Brooklyn Brawler will be Austins partner.

Dungeon Match - Owen Hart Vs. Ken Shamrock

 Dan Severns Magnum PI tash is special ref. Only submission can get the win and it's in Stu Harts basement aka The Dungeon, so Owen has home advantage for real. Ken goes for an armbar from the mount position. Belly-to-belly style throw by Ken but Owen responds soon by slamming his head into the wall. Owen uses a pipe to help get a hurricanrana then tries to hit him with a dumbbell. Ken tries the pipe hurricanrana but is powerbombed, thrown into the pipe and finally has his head put through the ceiling (Imagine if Bret had popped his head into the basement through the hole like a sitcom). SharpShooter countered to an Ankle Lock. Special Ref Bump! as Dan Severn is accidentally KOd with a kick, Owen hits Ken with a dumbbell then makes it look like Ken is tapping to a crossface. Dan says Owen wins. **1/2 - After last few matches this looks like a *****er. Next month they fought in a Lions Den, which is like UFC's Octagon.

2/3 Falls - IC Title - HHH Vs. The Rock

 DX, Nation are cleared from ringside yet Chyna is allowed to stay. This is a 30 minute time limit. Rock tells Chyna to suck it. HHH goes for an early Pedigree but is backdropped. Suplex, knee drop gets HHH 2 after they'd been fighting in the aisle. Rock suplexes HHH on the outside then Henry appears and splashes HHH but Billy Gunn fights him off. Title Shot and a neckbreaker both get Rock 2. 'Rocky Sucks' chants happens between 2 chinlocks by Rock. Godfather comes down bu NAO block his path. D-Lo tries to interfere but HHH stops him however he turns into a Rock Bottom for 3, Rock leads 0-1. Fighting ringside, by my count X-Pac is only person due an appearance now also D-Lo is still recovering ringside. Peoples Elbow gets 2. X-Pac is here and X-Factors Rock but it only gets HHH 2. Ref Bump!! then Chyna DDTs Rock on a chair and HHH gets 3, we're tied at 1-1. Fink announces 2 minutes remaining so HHH takes Rock ringside which makes no sense at all. Samoan drop gets Rock 2, Rock Bottom is avoided and a Pedigree connects but time expires. Rock retains IC Title via a draw. DX/Nation fight post match. ** - Match was kind of slow and plodding but I suppose that may of been as they had to go 30 minutes, annoying ending as well. (They'd top this at SummerSlam with the ladder and would arguably surpass that in 2000 when they found their groove together)

Bikini Contest - Sable Vs. Jacqueline

 Sable just has hands painted on.

WWF Tag Titles - Kane/Mankind (c) Vs. Undertaker/Stone Cold

 Austin is WWF Champion after he dropped it at KOTR to Kane then won it back the next night on RAW is WAR. Taker meets SCSA in the aisle. Before I forget the SummerSlam main event was already announced as Taker/Austin. Austin suplex Mankind. Thesz Press to Kane but he avoids the Stunner. Taker russian leg sweeps Kane then flips off Austin. Old School to Mankind. Taker is Chokeslammed as Kane beats on him. Double Arm DDT by mankind gets 2. Cactus Clothesline then he goes for cactus Elbow but Austin knocks him off apron onto announce table. Back in and Taker gets a DDT now Austin, Kane tag in, chairshot to Kane gets 2. Heels are soon in control, Austin starts a comeback but gets elbowed. Scoop slam, leg drop gets Kane 2. Chokeslam as Mankind shouts 'Spike him' Stunners to both Tag Champions. Taker now in and it's Chokeslams all round. Tombstone to Kane gets 3. ** - Not as bad as I remembered to be fair. It was okay but didn't always seem to click, you know? (Kane and Mankind would regain the gold(s) in a four way match on RAW in August then Mankind would drop them at SummerSlam on his billy)

15.5 / 40 - I cant recommend a PPV that was a filler one, SummerSlam main event was announced before this PPV so it's pointless really. Average to poor matches bar Owen/Ken. skip this and get SummerSlam, my next review (that turned out to be a premature announcement as I still haven't done that but have done many since this one). In the tagged classics this PPV comes with IYH 24: Breakdown which is my second to next planned review. So till next time Have No Fear Clough Will Be Here.