5 Lessons to Learn from WWE SummerSlam '98

The party of the summer has come and gone.

Maybe you're still feeling a little hung over, or maybe just a bit disappointed.

It was a big event, but most seem to think it failed to live up to expectations. WWE has put on better SummerSlams in the past, so what's not working?

Arguably the best SummerSlam was the 1998 show. It took place near the height of the Attitude era, the crowd was explosive that night, and it had a hot main event with Steve Austin vs. The Undertaker.

WWE should do itself a favor and rewatch the show to pick up a few lessons it's forgotten.

Somehow, within 14 years, we've gone from the "Highway to Hell" to "Don't Give Up." Too bad it almost seems like WWE has given up on putting out a well-rounded card these days.

No, I’m not advocating a return to the Attitude era with edgy TV programming. I’d love to see it, but such a large tonal shift in WWE programming is not going to happen anytime soon.

Even without the edgier product, there are still things WWE could do to improve its current shows.

Here are five lessons WWE could learn by comparing SummerSlam 1998 to SummerSlam 2012.

5. No Commercials

Slim Jims are delicious. I wish I had one right now.

But I don’t need to see an ad for them during a pay-per-view. Do they expect me to leave the house and go buy one?

Likewise, drunk driving is a terrible thing, but do we really need to be reminded of it during a show we’re paying a lot of money for?

I'm all for PSAs, but they could easily be saved for the free show, and even more people would see them.

WWE is also guilty of showing us a trailer for its upcoming film. That just seems kind of rude. We just spent $60 on your company, don’t try and hit me up for $10 more right now.

At the time, SummerSlam '98 cost $30. Granted, there was no HD feed then, but the price has still basically doubled in 14 years.

The length of the shows was the same, but WWE now takes time between matches to promote other brands.

It was an unnecessary addition to pay-per-views. Someday we'll be telling our grandchildren how we didn't have to pay to watch commercials on a show.

4. Distinct Music

Whether it was the smooth saxophone for Val Venis in the opening match, or the sound of glass breaking for Steve Austin in the main event, fans knew exactly who was coming out within seconds.

Every act from DX to D’Lo Brown and The Oddities had distinct music that perfectly complemented their character.

Today, guys like Dolph Ziggler and Sheamus have very generic rock songs accompanied by male vocals. There’s nothing overly exciting or distinct about them.

Others, like The Big Show, need something fresh. How many more times do we need to hear “Yeah, it’s a big man’s show tonight y’all"?

Distinct music is one of the easiest things WWE could do to freshen up its product a bit and give an edge to its characters.

3. Don't “Bring Down the Crowd”

WWE seems to have this philosophy lately of putting a really weak match or segment on before the main event.

In theory, this is supposed to bring down the crowd from the previous match and give the fans a chance to catch their breath.

Sometimes, though, (like on Sunday) it just seems to kill any heat the show has going.

At SummerSlam '98, the match prior to the main event was the Intercontinental title match. We had The Rock vs. Triple H in the best match on the show to that point.

Now, Hunter and Rock weren’t the superstars they are today, but they were on the verge of reaching the top.

They were involved in one hell of a ladder match that kept the crowd’s interest all through the match, and that excitement transferred right into the main event.

Literally no one in the entire country (probably) bought the SummerSlam pay-per-view because Kevin Rudolf performed in it. Instead of adding to the show, it took away from the reactions that HHH and Brock received on their entrances.

WWE should mix things up and sometimes do two hot matches back to back, and it might be surprised at how well it can still work.

2. Emphasis on the Tag Titles

When SummerSlam '98 took place, Kane and Mankind were the tag team champions.

Their opponents? The New Age Outlaws. To top it off, there was an actual storyline for the match.

The match had the hook of wondering if Kane was actually going to show up. He didn’t, but Mankind still put on a hell of an effort.

In the end, an incredibly popular team won, and it set up bad blood between the former champs after Kane bashed Mankind in the head with a sledgehammer.

Compare this to The Prime Time Players vs. Kofi and R-Truth. Listen to the crowd reaction they received.

It wasn’t impressive.

The match lasted seven minutes and could have easily taken place on Raw or even Superstars. It didn't feel special.

The tag division has been a great place to put main eventers who don’t have the top storyline like Kane and Mankind. Those stars mix with legitimate tag teams to create a dynamic division that people pay to watch.

But instead, WWE now treats tag teams as a place where midcarders can go until they actually have something interesting to do.

1. Younger Talent

SummerSlam '98 was a loaded show with a lot of great, young talent.

Val Venis, D’Lo Brown, Mark Henry, Edge, Taka Michinoku, Togo, Funaki, Kurrgan, The Road Dogg, X-Pac, Triple H and The Rock were all under 30 when this show aired.  

How many WWE wrestlers from the SummerSlam 2012 card were under 30?  Zero.

Not one.

Think about that—WWE didn't trust one single guy under 30 to put on this show.

Yes, guys like Dolph, Daniel Bryan and The Miz are in their early 30s, but it’s clear that WWE is taking way too long to get serious about their talent.

Meanwhile, HHH, Big Show, R-Truth, Chris Jericho and Kane all had big spots on this year’s show and all are over 40.

WWE has been dragging its feet for far too long on pushing young talent. They keep getting older before they actually get a shot.

The problem with that method is we see guys like Dolph Ziggler and The Miz having to job for years before they get a substantial push. In turn, this makes it more difficult for fans to take them seriously when WWE actually decides to get behind them.

Let's hope by SummerSlam 2013, WWE can get a little younger.