A fan of the WWE today, in 2005, wouldn't even began to recognize the WWF that was 1998. Not that many guys on this tape are around today: HHH, JBL, Kane, Rock (he's still in the RAW intro, so I guess he counts), and that's really it.
As for the stars of today and where they were in 1998...Chris Benoit? In WCW. Rey Mysterio? Ditto, as was Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Booker T, and Big Show. John Cena? Probably in college. Batista? I'd say a bouncer. Kurt Angle? Trying to make a living outside of wrestling. Edge? In the Canadian and Northeast independents, teaming with Christian. In other words, if you're looking for these guys on the '98 version of No Way Out, you're out of luck.
What you do get on this show: a great main event between the makeshift team of Steve Austin, Owen Hart (RIP), Cactus Jack, and Terry Funk against the pre-DX team of HHH and the New Age Outlaws, along with Savio Vega. You also get pre-JBL Bradshaw taking on Jeff Jarrett; take a look at Bradshaw on this tape and look at JBL today and you almost can't connect the two. (Jarrett's defending the NWA North American title on this show; today he runs NWA:TNA.) And you see the Rock, pre-Hollywood and a member of the Nation of Domination, with the CLASSIC old Intercontinental championship belt. I miss that belt; imagine how great Carlito (probably in middle-school back in '98, as young as he is) would look with the old I-C belt. Now that would be COOL! Is this show worth buying? For workrate, not really. For a solid waste of 2 1/2 hours and to see how the WWF (not WWE) did things back in 1998, then get this tape, and also get the '98 Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 14. After writing this review, I almost feel nostalgic and want to see this show myself...
As for the stars of today and where they were in 1998...Chris Benoit? In WCW. Rey Mysterio? Ditto, as was Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Booker T, and Big Show. John Cena? Probably in college. Batista? I'd say a bouncer. Kurt Angle? Trying to make a living outside of wrestling. Edge? In the Canadian and Northeast independents, teaming with Christian. In other words, if you're looking for these guys on the '98 version of No Way Out, you're out of luck.
What you do get on this show: a great main event between the makeshift team of Steve Austin, Owen Hart (RIP), Cactus Jack, and Terry Funk against the pre-DX team of HHH and the New Age Outlaws, along with Savio Vega. You also get pre-JBL Bradshaw taking on Jeff Jarrett; take a look at Bradshaw on this tape and look at JBL today and you almost can't connect the two. (Jarrett's defending the NWA North American title on this show; today he runs NWA:TNA.) And you see the Rock, pre-Hollywood and a member of the Nation of Domination, with the CLASSIC old Intercontinental championship belt. I miss that belt; imagine how great Carlito (probably in middle-school back in '98, as young as he is) would look with the old I-C belt. Now that would be COOL! Is this show worth buying? For workrate, not really. For a solid waste of 2 1/2 hours and to see how the WWF (not WWE) did things back in 1998, then get this tape, and also get the '98 Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 14. After writing this review, I almost feel nostalgic and want to see this show myself...