The SummerSlam 1998 Ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship between D-Generation X's Triple H and the Nation's The Rock took the elements that made the Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon bouts so effective and so great and increased the physicality and intensity to create a their own take on the classic gimmick match.Triple H and Rock had been engaged in a heated rivalry for months leading into the show and the no contest decision of their Best 2-Out-Of-3 Falls match a month earlier had necessitated one final blow-off to the program. Said blow-off would occur inside Madison Square Garden, home of the revolutionary Ladder match at WrestleMania X and would be one of the marquee matches of a jam-packed SummerSlam card. Triple H and Rock brutalized and battered one another, using the ladder to enhance the punishment of more traditional wrestling moves. Rock punished Triple H's knee, which provided a handicap that the popular former King of the Ring would have to overcome if he were to capture the title he once held. The interference from Chyna and Mark Henry, who had accompanied the competitors to the ring and had been involved in their own side program leading into the show, only added to the story being told. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xzv1wa_summerslam-1998-the-rock-vs-triple-h-ladder-match-for-the-wwf-intercontinental-championship_sport The Rock displayed great aggression, the likes of which his character had not really shown to that point, and the New York fans responded accordingly. Chants of "Rocky" echoed throughout the hallowed halls of MSG, giving management the first indication that the character had not only struck a nerve with the audience but that audience was ready to accept him as a star at the next level of competition. Though he lost that match and was bloodied in the process, the self-proclaimed People's Champion walked out of the arena a far bigger star than he was when he walked in. Unfortunately for Triple H, a knee injury killed his momentum and ended his Intercontinental Championship reign prematurely.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
