10 Fascinating WWE SummerSlam 1998 Facts

10. The Sunday Night Heat Pre-Show Was The Lowest Rated Edition Yet

On August 2, 1998 (four weeks before SummerSlam), WWE premiered Sunday Night Heat on the USA Network. A full year before SmackDown became the secondary show, Heat was a one-hour accompaniment that showcased prominent stars and midcard feuds, and even featured the awesome debut of Gangrel.

On the night of SummerSlam, Heat aired live for the first time ever, functioning as a SummerSlam pre-show. Putting aside filler matches like Gangrel vs. Dustin Runnels, and Too Much vs. LOD 2000, Heat did its best to sell home viewers on the pay-per-view. The most memorable part was Austin smashing a parked hearse with a sledgehammer.

Incredibly, it did a lower rating than the four episodes preceding it. The 3.23 rating was still impressive, but a live airing before a major PPV losing out to four in-the-can shows preceding it is still surprising.