The WWF continued their cartoon style with the introduction of a new match type. The buried alive match. This type of match would prove a major hit with the audience and was revisited. Undertaker and Mankind would put continue their fight only in this match one of the participants would have to bury the other in order to win the match.
Steve Austin was rising. He had a few weeks ago insulted Bret Hart in promos. At the beginning of the month the King reported on commentary that the Hitman had not took the comments well. His source was fellow heel wrestler Bret’s brother Owen. Austin was on a path that would lead him to the main event. First though he had to wait for the Hitman’s response.
Michaels took more of a back seat. He was not competing at IYH however during a match on RAW Vader and Sid continued interference. It was decided the two of them would face of at Buried alive to determine who was going to Survivor Series to face Michaels for the WWF title.
Buried alive arrived Psycho Sid won the number one contender match giving Michaels a fresh opponent for the Survivor Series and also one that was at that time a face.
Then in the main event Mankind defeated the Undertaker with the help of new Paul Bearer managed weirdo in the form of the executioner. It took many WWF heel superstars to help them bury the undertaker alive. Then before the show went off the air there was a bolt of lightening and the Undertakers purple glove rose from the soil. Seemingly from the dead.
It was cartoon yes. But it was also quite cool.
If only he could see the future. Don’t know what happens? Keep reading, things would change for the Hitman so much in one year. It was great to see the Hitman back in a WWF ring at that moment in time it felt like the WWF main event scene really needed him.
So we went from a cartoon like product to a very real speech from the Hitman. Like last year the October PPV felt like a stepping stone to Survivor Series. But it’s focus on the supernatural had been seasonal and given us a new type of match.
Next month the WWF would push their edginess in a way that almost got them kicked of TV.
← WCW October 1996 Hogan Savage at Havoc. More N.W.O, and a surprise Debut.