5 Things You Probably Don't Remember About WWE SummerSlam 1998

From the time The Undertaker coldly glared at Steve Austin in the post-match of Austin's successful title defense against Dude Love at May's Over the Edge, the stage was set for what became known as The Highway to Hell - a winding and wild three-month ride into the 1998 SummerSlam, in which the era's stars were deadlocked in heated conflict, and the headliners of tomorrow got ready for their own career-making performances.

The 1998 SummerSlam proved to be a monumental success for the then-World Wrestling Federation. Its 700,000 pay-per-view buys are a SummerSlam record, and the second-most for any non-WrestleMania in company history (the 2001 InVasion wins out there). As for the event itself, it doesn't get much better than Austin vs. 'Taker up top, The Rock vs. Triple H in a ladder match for the IC title, Shamrock vs. Owen in a brutal Lion's Den match, X-Pac vs. Jarrett hair-vs-hair, all confined within the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden at its most raucous. This event was undistilled Attitude in a bottle.

As we approach the 2020 SummerSlam, let's look back at one of the finer events from the show's chronology, and a few things you may not have known about it.

From the time The Undertaker coldly glared at Steve Austin in the post-match of Austin's successful title defense against Dude Love at May's Over the Edge, the stage was set for what became known as The Highway to Hell - a winding and wild three-month ride into the 1998 SummerSlam, in which the era's stars were deadlocked in heated conflict, and the headliners of tomorrow got ready for their own career-making performances.

The 1998 SummerSlam proved to be a monumental success for the then-World Wrestling Federation. Its 700,000 pay-per-view buys are a SummerSlam record, and the second-most for any non-WrestleMania in company history (the 2001 InVasion wins out there). As for the event itself, it doesn't get much better than Austin vs. 'Taker up top, The Rock vs. Triple H in a ladder match for the IC title, Shamrock vs. Owen in a brutal Lion's Den match, X-Pac vs. Jarrett hair-vs-hair, all confined within the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden at its most raucous. This event was undistilled Attitude in a bottle.

As we approach the 2020 SummerSlam, let's look back at one of the finer events from the show's chronology, and a few things you may not have known about it.

5. WCW Monday Nitro Was Winning At This Point

Sometimes lost to history is how close the battle between Raw and Nitro was in 1998. Following the 83 week streak of Nitro victories ending, some believe Nitro was doomed from then on, and by the 1998 SummerSlam, Vince and company had begun routinely lapping their fading competitor.

Actually, the opposite is true. Despite the great build for SummerSlam and the big business that it did, Nitro dominated Raw in the ratings throughout August. That grip was only temporary, however, and Raw assumed the lead for good after October, and through to the end.

4. It Marked Edge's PPV Debut

A full 22 years before he and Randy Orton had A Pretty Good, Totally Acceptable Wrestling Main Event, the future "Rated R Superstar" was cutting his pay-per-view teeth inside the Garden, as a mystery partner in a mixed tag for the incredibly-popular Sable.

Sable and Edge had no prior on-screen connection, and none following (unless you count Edge's matches with Brock Lesnar in 2002). The 24-year-old brooding mute came in with a bit of intrigue two months earlier, so this match was meant to give the ascending star some rub.

3. Billy Gunn Became A Tag Team God

The match was merely a backdrop for the violent split between Tag Team Champions Mankind and Kane, who weren't getting along. In fact, Kane no-showed the match, leaving poor Mick Foley to get battered by The New Age Outlaws, en route to their winning of the belts.

But the win was historic in its own right: Gunn became the first person in WWE history to have six reigns as Tag champion, (three with Road Dogg and three with Smoking Gunns partner Bart). Previously, he'd been tied at five reigns with Mike Rotunda, Mr. Fuji, and Tony Garea.

2. Triple H Had A Severe Knee Injury

It was one of those matches where the loser came off the bigger star. The Rock maxed out the Garden's barometer with his performance in the Intercontinental ladder match, drawing an ungodly reaction for his People's Elbow. He was still a heel at the time, mind you.

Rock and Triple H's ladder match was each man's best showing to that point, made doubly impressive by the fact that Helmsley worked the lengthy, hard-hitting contest with a mangled knee. He won the match, but ultimately vacated the belt by the end of September to have surgery.

2. Triple H Had A Severe Knee Injury

It was one of those matches where the loser came off the bigger star. The Rock maxed out the Garden's barometer with his performance in the Intercontinental ladder match, drawing an ungodly reaction for his People's Elbow. He was still a heel at the time, mind you.

Rock and Triple H's ladder match was each man's best showing to that point, made doubly impressive by the fact that Helmsley worked the lengthy, hard-hitting contest with a mangled knee. He won the match, but ultimately vacated the belt by the end of September to have surgery.

1. Stone Cold Got Knocked Out

Stone Cold wishes he could look back fondly on the highly-anticipated main event he and Undertaker had that night. It wasn't an all-time classic, but it was still a very good main event between old pros. But Austin later expressed a bit of disappointment in it.

Part of that is attributed to the fact that Austin got knocked silly early on from a very innocuous spot - he and 'Taker bonked heads off of an Irish whip counter, and Austin lost his bearings temporarily. Still beats almost getting paralyzed from a piledriver gone wrong, though.

1. Stone Cold Got Knocked Out

Stone Cold wishes he could look back fondly on the highly-anticipated main event he and Undertaker had that night. It wasn't an all-time classic, but it was still a very good main event between old pros. But Austin later expressed a bit of disappointment in it.

Part of that is attributed to the fact that Austin got knocked silly early on from a very innocuous spot - he and 'Taker bonked heads off of an Irish whip counter, and Austin lost his bearings temporarily. Still beats almost getting paralyzed from a piledriver gone wrong, though.