Bischoff-Era WCW Main Events

[Nikkolas]

So I was watching Legends of Wrestling and I think it the episode on the Monday Night Wars where they bring up an interesting observation.

WCW were great at building up main events for PPVs. They had a hype machine like no other.
....then the actual main event happened and it did not live up to the hype at all. The obvious example and the example they used was Hogan/Sting at Starrcade.

This got me to thinking about another Starrcade. Nash/Goldberg the next year was arguably just as big as Hogan/Sting but it wasn't that great of a match. I don't remember it being terrible but I haven't watched the PPV in years. In my opinion, by far the best match of the night was the Cruiserweight Title match. Wait, I mean the the TWO Cruiserweight Title matches.

So the question I pose to you all is this - What WCW main events during Bischoff's time actually lived up to the hype? Did any of them? Were there any **** or ***** matches then?

 

[harrythem]

During the Bischoff era WCW was famous for having the best quality undercard matches (at that point) in wrestling history. Their main events were filled with the names that people paid to see, but the matches very rarely delivered anything of worth in the ring. I'd say the only real exception to that, IMO, is Randy Savage vs DDP from (I believe) Slamboree or SuperBrawl 1997. DDP won the match and was cemented as a "top" guy in WCW. It helped it was a cracking match as well. That's about the only outstanding match quality main event I remember (although the name value for the time made me love most of their main events anyway).

 

[Defekt]

The only one that comes to mind is Goldberg vs DDP at Halloween Havoc 1998.

WCW main events were generally terrible. Most of the guys on top were over the hill, not particularly talented, or completely unmotivated. WCW's penchant for run ins, terrible booking, and ridiculous angles didn't help.

 

[TheGame2029]

Keep in mind as well that Bischoff's primary concern at the time was making Nitro go toe to toe with RAW. Because of this, you saw PPV quality main events on Monday nights like Lex Luger VS Hollywood Hogan for the world title a week before they squared off at Road Wild in '97, or Goldberg VS Hogan for the world title on Nitro sometime in '98. Had they saved the latter match for a PPV like Starrcade or SuperBrawl, it would have been spectacular, but Turner and Bischoff were too preoccupied with running McMahon out of business.

 

[rokuma]

I have to disagree...Sting/Hogan lived up to the hype. The match was solid and the crowd was into it. The ending was iffy, but it kept the feud going. Sting absolutely should've won clean and ended the NWO, but they dropped the ball there.

I think DDP/Goldberg at Halloween Havoc 98 delivered better than advertised. Hogan/Flair/Sting/DDP at Spring Stampede 99 was terrific as well w/Savage as the referee. It was a nice four way dance between 4 legends.

WCW usually had great PPVs and honestly, they had good wrestling on Nitro as well. In fact, TNA is extremely similar to WCW in this regard. Their wrestling TV quality is as good as the PPV wrestling quality. Helps build the product.

 

[obamartins]

Kevin Nash vs. Goldberg was a great big man match which Nash you could clearly tell called carrying the green Goldberg. I don't know why most smarks think a good match needs to be a Benoit/Malenko technical catch as catch can masterpiece...there is little psychology in a 7t giant chain wrestling.

Monday Nitro Main Events were awesome because there was nearly always that cliffhanger that you couldn't wait to watch next week.

From BATB 96 to Uncensored 97 id say only PPV Main Events that delivered were BATB 96 & arguably Fall Brawl 96.

Spring Stampede 97 - Savage vs. DDP - Delivered
Slamboree 97 - Nash/Hall/Syxx vs. Flair/Piper/Greene - Delivered
GAB 97 - Savage vs. DDP - Delivered
BATB 97 - Luger/Giant vs. Rodman/Hogan - Delivered
Road Wild 97 - Hollywood Hogan vs. Lex Luger - Didn't Deliver
Fall Brawl 97 - Nash/Syxx/Bagwell/Konnan vs. Flair/Hennig/Benoit/Mongo - Delivered
Halloween Havoc 97 - Hollywood Hogan vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper - IMO it delivered
WW3 97 - 60 Man Battle Royal - IMO it delivered
Starrcade 97 - Hollywood Hogan vs. Sting - Didn't Deliver

Souled Out 1998 - Savage vs. Luger - Didn't deliver & i don't recall where i read it but Savage flipped out backstage because prior matches had went to long which meant he had to shorten his match.

Superbrawl 98 - Sting vs. Hogan - IMO delivered.
Uncensored 98 - Savage vs. Hogan - IMO delivered until the finish
Spring Stampede 98 - Savage vs. Sting - Delivered
Slamboree 98 - Sting/Giant vs. Outsiders - Delivered due to shocking Hall heel turn

GAB 98 - Sting vs. Giant - Hard to say as it was good little match that fans were into but wasn't real main event of show

BATB 98 - DDP/Malone vs. Hogan/Rodman - Didn't deliver but it did at box office & in PPV revenue which is all that matters

Road Wild 98 DDP/Leno vs. Hogan/Bischoff - See above excluding gate receipts
Fall Brawl 98 - Hogan/Hart/Ray vs. Piper/DDP/Warrior vs. Nash/Sting/Luger - EPIC FAIL
Halloween Havoc 98 - DDP vs. Goldberg - Delivered
WW3 98 - Bret Hart vs. DDP - Don't know, good match but didn't feel like Main Event
Starrcade 98 - Goldberg vs. Kevin Nash - Delivered
Souled Out 99 - Goldberg vs. Scott Hall - Delivered. Great Ladder stun gun match
Superbrawl 99 - Hollywood Hogan vs. Ric Flair - Delivered
Uncensored 99 - Hollywood Hogan vs. Ric Flair - Delivered
Spring Stampede 99 - Flair vs. DDP vs. Hogan vs. Sting - Delivered
Slamboree 99 - DDP vs. Kevin Nash - recall them working hard, would have to rewatch
GAB 99 - Kevin Nash vs. Savage - Didn't deliver
BATB 99 - Nash/Sting vs. Savage/Sid - Didn't deliver
Road Wild 99 - Kevin Nash vs. Hulk Hogan - Didn't deliver
Fall Brawl 99 - Hulk Hogan vs. Sting- - Didn't Deliver