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Monday Night Wars: The Reviews Edition!!
- Thread starter dukes07
- Start date
I have stated numerous times some of the baffling things surrounding WCW right now, such as the disappearance of the Yeti, how Hogan and the Giant's feud has become minimized and how each show starts with the faces feuding; they beat up the heels and then kiss and make up. Last week's build toward the Triangle Match at Starrcade left me a little confused, as to who was wrestling and why Hogan was not involved and so on. Not that I mind Hogan not being involved, but if the Giant was stripped of the title due to shenanigans then why didn't Hogan get another shot? Hopefully they will make some more sense of it or just hope it goes away. Or they are trying to keep Hogan fresh, give him some time off, as fans are tiring of him. I am starting to get the feeling that Hogan did not want to lose cleanly and they had to scramble for some sort of explanation. Then again that is probably my anti-Hogan bias speaking. Anyway this is the build to their biggest show of the year, and they need to deliver, the ratings are up and the Japanese angle has potential but it has not been explained too well, at least not on Nitro but hopefully they will build up the PPV properly and tie up the myriad of loose ends. As for ratings TWNP has Nitro sitting at a 2.6 for the second week in a row and RAW at a 2.5 thus beating the week before of a combined 5 rating. Wikipedia has the same rating. The year is ending quite strongly for both federations as the audience is continually increasing and we will see how it translates into 1996 as the boom is slowly building.
Match 1: Eddie Guerrero v. JL
The match starts while EB is speaking....and Eddie is control; the fans are solidly behind him. He applies an arm bar. Eddie goes for a power bomb but, JL reverses it and hits an arm drag. He now connects with a slow moving spinning head scissors. Eddie takes him down with an arm drag, but JL comes back by dropkicking Eddie while he is on the top rope and out goes Guerrero. JL flies from the top, and lands on Eddie. He drags him back into the ring getting a two count. Now he slams him down with a suplex, receiving another two count. Eddie is able to roll him up for the win.
A little shorter than some of their other matches but still quite good along with the chants of Eddie echoing through the arena.
Mean Gene is with Luger and Jimmy Hart. Gene makes fun of his clothes and Hart tells him to shut up. He thinks that Luger should be the champ. Luger states that he has destroyed Savage every time they have met. I love when Luger trips over his words, which happens a lot....he is mentioning the Triangle Match and it is now either Savage v. Luger/Sting/Flair and my guess now is that the winner of the match faces Savage or is there still confusion....okay it is explained the winner of the latter three will face Savage in the main event.
Match 2: Disco Inferno v. Mr. Wonderful
This match has bad news written all over it. Poor Disco, his whole career will be one dimensional. Boy is this a long beginning, a couple of minutes at least for a mid card match. Let's get it started for fuck sakes. Disco attacks and puts the boots to him. Disco is on fire as he pounds him and chokes Orndorff's head on the ropes. Paul comes back with a series of punches. He connects with an inverted atomic drop. Orndorff mocks Disco's dance and drops an elbow across his neck and smashes him with a back suplex for the win.
Disco is clearly the Santino Marella of WCW right now, except they let him wrestle a bit more. I like how Paul used the ropes during the pin even though Disco never moved.
Gene is calling out the Horsemen, and yells that they are back, but then again they have never had an introduction on Nitro. No Benoit though. Pillman is excited to be a part of the Horsemen, and says that Hogan even wanted to be a part of the Horsemen when he put on the black. However unlike Hulk they do not have the luxury to get rid of the black as they are the bad guys. Pillman is going off on everything going on in WCW. He mentions Mongo in pictures, Mr. Wonderful and the DoD. I am sure he is as high as a kite, well he sounds like it as he is not making sense. Flair is going on, but Mr. Wonderful comes out; he claims that he could have been a part of the Horsemen and that Pillman is just the baggage handler and he Pillman go at but the other Horsemen join in the beating. AA piledrives him into the concrete as Flair and Pillman guide his head into it. The EMT's are out and carting him off on a gurney. Mongo is busy telling stories about football players having career ending injuries (that is real though Mongo). At least they finally gave the Horsemen some heat.
Match 3: Lex Luger v. Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Nostalgia is awesome but when it comes to Duggan it has worn off. Duggan starts pounding away on Luger, bounces his head off the turnbuckle and then decks him to the mat. They pan to Orndorff who is lying on the gurney. Back to the ring and Duggan takes Luger down with an arm drag and follows up with a running clothesline. Luger is making a comeback but Duggan reverses an Irish whip and clotheslines Luger. Duggan tries to wrap tape around his fist, but Hart is on the apron waving Duggan's board, so Luger pushes him into the board and picks him up in the Rack for the win.
Short, and Luger is quite over with the crowd.
Macho Man is with Mean Gene. Savage will face a Japanese wrestler at Starrcade first before the winner of the Triangle Match. He also has to face the Giant next week. Savage is not worried about Starrcade, or Luger or Flair who hurt his dad last year. No mention of Hogan. He is taking it one week at a time as he is focused on the Giant.
Match 4: Arn Anderson and Ric Flair v. Sting and Hulk Hogan
Sting comes out first to quite the pop and the announcers are nervous that there is no Hogan yet. Hogan comes out and he is bitter that Sting came out without him but he enters the ring and throws his shirt at AA and Flair. I guess he is not bitter at Sting, just focused on the Horsemen. I swear I heard "Hogan sucks" chants that were quickly drowned out by the technical crew. Sting and AA start off, and he takes down Sting and hams it up for the crowd. They lock up again and Sting comes out on the winning end with a press slam. AA wants a piece of Hogan, so Sting tags him in, and Flair is tagged in and the crowd loves it. I love how Bischoff is covering up for Hogan by saying the crowd did not like AA calling for a time out. Ric hits some ineffectual chops. Hogan takes him out and Sting is working on Flair on the floor and Hogan takes out AA. Now Flair is in charge as he punches away at Hogan. AA is tagged in and works on the arm and Flair is back in and Hogan ducks an elbow and clotheslines Flair. Sting is tagged in and strikes with a gorilla press slam. Here comes Flair as he knocks down Sting but Sting counters back with a back slide and a two count. Sting wails away on Flair but Flair comes right back with an inverted atomic drop. AA is tagged in and he unwisely goes to the top and Sting throws him off and applies the Deathlock. Flair runs in but he too is put in the Deathlock while Hogan is being held back by the refs and AA uses the distraction to DDT Sting. Luger and Hart come down and Jimmy hops up on the apron and bellows into his megaphone while Luger and Hogan slug it out on the floor. Luger is able to put Hogan up in the Rack and the fans love it. Luger runs off and Sting is getting punished in the ring. Flair is working over Sting's knee and follows it up with a big chop. AA is in and he knocks Hogan off the apron, but Sting is able to mount a comeback but AA ends it as Flair is back at the knee. AA gets the tag and he too works on the knee as Hogan tries to limp over to help but the ref says no way. Flair puts Sting in the Figure Four! He starts slapping Sting, which riles him up, seen this a lot lately and the Figure Four is reversed and seen that too. He drags Flair to the corner and tags Hogan but the ref did not see it. Hogan tries to look to the crowd but they turn against him (EB is still trying to play it off that the crowd was upset that the ref did not see the crowd). Sting comes back and Hulks up. He tosses Flair off the top but Flair slows him down and tags in AA but he gets spiked off the mat and Sting is able to stagger over to make the tag. The tag looked awkward and Hogan stumbles in and gets slammed to the mat and the crowd roars. Much to their dismay he Hulks up and hits the big boot and Flair comes in too and gets taken out with the boot. Sting splashes Flair. Hogan drops the leg and gets the win. The crowd is not too happy. The Horsemen come running down, but Sting and Hogan is able to clear the ring. Savage for some reason gets behind Sting and gets decked and Savage wobbles around and weakly slaps Sting and Hogan tries to make peace. Hogan wants them to stop fighting amongst each other and Savage wants to know what is going on. Sting mentions looking into people's eyes and swinging first. Savage mentions he overreacts but he and Hogan really, really want Sting on their side and Sting agrees. Hogan reminds Savage he has the Giant next week and may not be champion if he does not get his act together. He also mentions that he himself is suspended, probably due to attacking the ref but it would be nice if they let us know that before it mentioned in passing, then they hug and make up again.
I forgot that this was in Charlotte so it was Flair country but the anti-Hogan reaction was quite loud as he was booed out of the building. The match was pretty good but Flair did not get too much offense in as Sting continues to dominate their feud and good luck getting in some offense against Hogan. It would be nice to see the heels getting a main event victory to get some momentum. Yet once again they are cleared from the ring and once again there is bickering among Sting, Hogan and Savage and it is getting really old. The show keeps ending with them clearing out the heels and making up at the end. While the show was okay, the set up for Starrcade is not great as the Triangle Match is convoluted and the Japanese invasion is poorly explained. I am sure some of it is seen on Saturday Nights but they can recap what little happens. Also, where does the Giant play into the title picture? He has a match next week but what about Starrcade and Hogan was not suspended as Bischoff made sure to tell us that he is on probation, so why he is suddenly out of the title picture. WCW is unnecessarily muddying the waters and hopefully they clear some things up. I keep saying they will clear things up or do something differently or make the Horsemen a threat. And they don't....Jesus it is Charlotte GIVE THE HORSEMEN A WIN. Have Savage come out and cost them. Luger even helped and they could not win. Jesus, a DQ, something, anything.
Match 1: Eddie Guerrero v. JL
The match starts while EB is speaking....and Eddie is control; the fans are solidly behind him. He applies an arm bar. Eddie goes for a power bomb but, JL reverses it and hits an arm drag. He now connects with a slow moving spinning head scissors. Eddie takes him down with an arm drag, but JL comes back by dropkicking Eddie while he is on the top rope and out goes Guerrero. JL flies from the top, and lands on Eddie. He drags him back into the ring getting a two count. Now he slams him down with a suplex, receiving another two count. Eddie is able to roll him up for the win.
A little shorter than some of their other matches but still quite good along with the chants of Eddie echoing through the arena.
Mean Gene is with Luger and Jimmy Hart. Gene makes fun of his clothes and Hart tells him to shut up. He thinks that Luger should be the champ. Luger states that he has destroyed Savage every time they have met. I love when Luger trips over his words, which happens a lot....he is mentioning the Triangle Match and it is now either Savage v. Luger/Sting/Flair and my guess now is that the winner of the match faces Savage or is there still confusion....okay it is explained the winner of the latter three will face Savage in the main event.
Match 2: Disco Inferno v. Mr. Wonderful
This match has bad news written all over it. Poor Disco, his whole career will be one dimensional. Boy is this a long beginning, a couple of minutes at least for a mid card match. Let's get it started for fuck sakes. Disco attacks and puts the boots to him. Disco is on fire as he pounds him and chokes Orndorff's head on the ropes. Paul comes back with a series of punches. He connects with an inverted atomic drop. Orndorff mocks Disco's dance and drops an elbow across his neck and smashes him with a back suplex for the win.
Disco is clearly the Santino Marella of WCW right now, except they let him wrestle a bit more. I like how Paul used the ropes during the pin even though Disco never moved.
Gene is calling out the Horsemen, and yells that they are back, but then again they have never had an introduction on Nitro. No Benoit though. Pillman is excited to be a part of the Horsemen, and says that Hogan even wanted to be a part of the Horsemen when he put on the black. However unlike Hulk they do not have the luxury to get rid of the black as they are the bad guys. Pillman is going off on everything going on in WCW. He mentions Mongo in pictures, Mr. Wonderful and the DoD. I am sure he is as high as a kite, well he sounds like it as he is not making sense. Flair is going on, but Mr. Wonderful comes out; he claims that he could have been a part of the Horsemen and that Pillman is just the baggage handler and he Pillman go at but the other Horsemen join in the beating. AA piledrives him into the concrete as Flair and Pillman guide his head into it. The EMT's are out and carting him off on a gurney. Mongo is busy telling stories about football players having career ending injuries (that is real though Mongo). At least they finally gave the Horsemen some heat.
Match 3: Lex Luger v. Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Nostalgia is awesome but when it comes to Duggan it has worn off. Duggan starts pounding away on Luger, bounces his head off the turnbuckle and then decks him to the mat. They pan to Orndorff who is lying on the gurney. Back to the ring and Duggan takes Luger down with an arm drag and follows up with a running clothesline. Luger is making a comeback but Duggan reverses an Irish whip and clotheslines Luger. Duggan tries to wrap tape around his fist, but Hart is on the apron waving Duggan's board, so Luger pushes him into the board and picks him up in the Rack for the win.
Short, and Luger is quite over with the crowd.
Macho Man is with Mean Gene. Savage will face a Japanese wrestler at Starrcade first before the winner of the Triangle Match. He also has to face the Giant next week. Savage is not worried about Starrcade, or Luger or Flair who hurt his dad last year. No mention of Hogan. He is taking it one week at a time as he is focused on the Giant.
Match 4: Arn Anderson and Ric Flair v. Sting and Hulk Hogan
Sting comes out first to quite the pop and the announcers are nervous that there is no Hogan yet. Hogan comes out and he is bitter that Sting came out without him but he enters the ring and throws his shirt at AA and Flair. I guess he is not bitter at Sting, just focused on the Horsemen. I swear I heard "Hogan sucks" chants that were quickly drowned out by the technical crew. Sting and AA start off, and he takes down Sting and hams it up for the crowd. They lock up again and Sting comes out on the winning end with a press slam. AA wants a piece of Hogan, so Sting tags him in, and Flair is tagged in and the crowd loves it. I love how Bischoff is covering up for Hogan by saying the crowd did not like AA calling for a time out. Ric hits some ineffectual chops. Hogan takes him out and Sting is working on Flair on the floor and Hogan takes out AA. Now Flair is in charge as he punches away at Hogan. AA is tagged in and works on the arm and Flair is back in and Hogan ducks an elbow and clotheslines Flair. Sting is tagged in and strikes with a gorilla press slam. Here comes Flair as he knocks down Sting but Sting counters back with a back slide and a two count. Sting wails away on Flair but Flair comes right back with an inverted atomic drop. AA is tagged in and he unwisely goes to the top and Sting throws him off and applies the Deathlock. Flair runs in but he too is put in the Deathlock while Hogan is being held back by the refs and AA uses the distraction to DDT Sting. Luger and Hart come down and Jimmy hops up on the apron and bellows into his megaphone while Luger and Hogan slug it out on the floor. Luger is able to put Hogan up in the Rack and the fans love it. Luger runs off and Sting is getting punished in the ring. Flair is working over Sting's knee and follows it up with a big chop. AA is in and he knocks Hogan off the apron, but Sting is able to mount a comeback but AA ends it as Flair is back at the knee. AA gets the tag and he too works on the knee as Hogan tries to limp over to help but the ref says no way. Flair puts Sting in the Figure Four! He starts slapping Sting, which riles him up, seen this a lot lately and the Figure Four is reversed and seen that too. He drags Flair to the corner and tags Hogan but the ref did not see it. Hogan tries to look to the crowd but they turn against him (EB is still trying to play it off that the crowd was upset that the ref did not see the crowd). Sting comes back and Hulks up. He tosses Flair off the top but Flair slows him down and tags in AA but he gets spiked off the mat and Sting is able to stagger over to make the tag. The tag looked awkward and Hogan stumbles in and gets slammed to the mat and the crowd roars. Much to their dismay he Hulks up and hits the big boot and Flair comes in too and gets taken out with the boot. Sting splashes Flair. Hogan drops the leg and gets the win. The crowd is not too happy. The Horsemen come running down, but Sting and Hogan is able to clear the ring. Savage for some reason gets behind Sting and gets decked and Savage wobbles around and weakly slaps Sting and Hogan tries to make peace. Hogan wants them to stop fighting amongst each other and Savage wants to know what is going on. Sting mentions looking into people's eyes and swinging first. Savage mentions he overreacts but he and Hogan really, really want Sting on their side and Sting agrees. Hogan reminds Savage he has the Giant next week and may not be champion if he does not get his act together. He also mentions that he himself is suspended, probably due to attacking the ref but it would be nice if they let us know that before it mentioned in passing, then they hug and make up again.
I forgot that this was in Charlotte so it was Flair country but the anti-Hogan reaction was quite loud as he was booed out of the building. The match was pretty good but Flair did not get too much offense in as Sting continues to dominate their feud and good luck getting in some offense against Hogan. It would be nice to see the heels getting a main event victory to get some momentum. Yet once again they are cleared from the ring and once again there is bickering among Sting, Hogan and Savage and it is getting really old. The show keeps ending with them clearing out the heels and making up at the end. While the show was okay, the set up for Starrcade is not great as the Triangle Match is convoluted and the Japanese invasion is poorly explained. I am sure some of it is seen on Saturday Nights but they can recap what little happens. Also, where does the Giant play into the title picture? He has a match next week but what about Starrcade and Hogan was not suspended as Bischoff made sure to tell us that he is on probation, so why he is suddenly out of the title picture. WCW is unnecessarily muddying the waters and hopefully they clear some things up. I keep saying they will clear things up or do something differently or make the Horsemen a threat. And they don't....Jesus it is Charlotte GIVE THE HORSEMEN A WIN. Have Savage come out and cost them. Luger even helped and they could not win. Jesus, a DQ, something, anything.
ShinobiMusashi
Getting Noticed By Management
Cool review man. I still remember these early Nitros, and just how fresh of a wrestling show it was compared to Raw.
If I may make a recommendation, could you perhaps find the ratings for these shows and post them with the review to kind of put things into perspective? It would be interesting to see who was getting the better ratings from week to week and why.
If I may make a recommendation, could you perhaps find the ratings for these shows and post them with the review to kind of put things into perspective? It would be interesting to see who was getting the better ratings from week to week and why.
The ratings for each show should be at the beginning. I might miss them here and there. Look in the first paragraph when I am usually repeating the same shit over and over!Cool review man. I still remember these early Nitros, and just how fresh of a wrestling show it was compared to Raw.
If I may make a recommendation, could you perhaps find the ratings for these shows and post them with the review to kind of put things into perspective? It would be interesting to see who was getting the better ratings from week to week and why.
Getting closer to Starrcade and I have made it clear that WCW needs to clarify what is going on. They have not explained the Hogan situation, and they briefly tell us who is fighting whom at Starrcade. Also, there has been little build or explanation about the Japanese angle, as I know only a couple of the wrestlers because they rarely talked about them. Hopefully tonight will finish differently, rather than having the faces clear out the ring leaving the heels looking weak, or Sting and his buddies fighting, and then making up again. I feel like I am with my crazy college girlfriend. The night would start fine. Then I would "ignore" her for a second and the rabbit would be in the fucking stew. Crazy bitch: But the make-up sex....WCW has hit a rut the past few weeks and they need to dig out of it. The wrestling has been solid though and that is always a bonus. The ratings are higher and have been hovering around 2.5, and tonight's show received an all time high of 2.7 according to TWNP and Wikipedia has it at a 2.7 too. RAW scored a 2.3 and it is one of it larger defeats in the past month or so (Both sites agree on the ratings). The audience seems to like seeing Sting, Luger, Hogan and Savage every week, and it is also the lead in to their biggest PPV of the year.
Alundra Blaze comes out from behind the announce table and she dumps the WWF women's title in the trash and that is what she thinks of the WWF title. She is now known as Madusa; she is where the big girls play. Mongo is upset that too many wrestlers keep coming up to the announce table, and he brings up the Refrigerator William Perry....no more mention of Madusa.
Match 1: Ric Flair v. Eddie Guerrero
Flair is looking at the crowd as they boo as well as cheer him. Eddie gets some crowd support. I did not realize how short Guerrero is; no vanilla midget joke I promise but the dude is Tom Cruise tiny. Anyway they lock up and Flair goes low, and takes down Eddie's leg, but Eddie pops right back up and they lock up again. Flair stops a whip by grabbing the ropes. However, Eddie dropkicks him, and then takes Flair back down, slapping him and taunting Flair. Flair is pissed so he leaves the ring. He re-enters and the lock hands and Flair kicks him and attempts a back suplex, but Eddie lands on his feet, and dropkicks him. Flair goes for the Figure Four, but gets rolled up for a two count. Flair has Eddie in the corner where he chops him up, and Eddie swings him to the other corner only to run right into a boot and Flair follows up with a high knee drop. Flair chops but Eddie comes back a right and then a few more and now a back body drop. Eddie is on the top rope and DDT's Flair and he gets a near fall. Eddie walks on the ropes, flips Flair onto his back, and gets another near fall. Guerrero goes to the well on to many times as Flair hits the ropes, and Eddie falls to the floor. He sells an injured knee. Flair starts going after the knee. Back in the ring, he continues the assault on the knee, and puts Eddie in the Figure Four but he will not give up and Flair keeps using the ropes as leverage. Eddie did not give up but passed out.
Pretty good match. Eddie did not look too bad, and Heenan keeps hyping him up. The little slap did not make him look that good but it is Ric Flair.
Gene enters the ring and AA is there too. Flair is still kicking Eddie and Gene yells at him to stop. AA mentions how the Horsemen have taken out Mr. Wonderful, Eddie and Johnny B. Badd on Saturday Night. Sullivan enters the ring. He has great respect for AA and Flair but he does not like Pillman and what he said about the Dungeon. Flair says that there is no problem and AA grabs the mic, and he tells Sullivan that if he goes to look for Pillman he will find the rest of the Horsemen. Sullivan babbles that it being WCW there are no allegiances in WCW....true, but that also leads to some confusing storylines.
Pittman comes to the announce table and he can barely hold the mic. EB holds the mic for him. Pittman wants Heenan to manage him to the championship. Heenan responds that he does not manage anymore but he can turn him onto someone like Jimmy Hart. Pittman responds that if he does not get some help soon he will take no prisoners. I am surprised that Pittman got a segment as he has not really been seen on Nitro or really wrestled since Fall Brawl. Oh well, see where they will take it.
Match 2: Marcus Bagwell v. Lex Luger
Luger slugs away but gets caught, and flipped onto his back, connecting with an arm drag. Bagwell dropkicks him and Luger fall to the floor. Luger slowly gets back in the ring, and regains his earlier momentum. He drags Bagwell's face across the ropes, but they exchange some blows until Luger charges him in the corner; however nobody is home and Bagwell follows up with a back body drop and he attempts a splash, but Luger gets his knees up, and slams Bagwell to the mat. He Racks him and it is over.
Bagwell looked pretty good, had some decent moves but Luger is clearly limited and the ending was quite sudden.
Gene is on the ramp and asks about his upcoming match at Starrcade. Hart yells that Luger is the uncrowned WCW champ and Luger agrees. He rambles about looking in a mirror with the belt....confusing.
Match 3: Earl Robert Eaton v. Sting
Eaton backs away as the bell rings and finally walks towards Sting and gets met with an arm drag. Eaton comes back with a side headlock, but gets tossed onto his back by Sting's legs. Eaton backs away again as Sting mugs for the crowd, and they love it. They finally they lock up again, and Eaton punches Sting then chokes him with the rope. Eaton takes him down, gets a one count, and then starts working on the arm. Sting gets up and fires at his head but Eaton comes right back with a backbreaker. Eaton climbs to the top, leaps, and Sting rolls away. Eaton lands on his knees, but he pops right back up and gets a blow in but it is time to the finish the match with a Stinger Splash and a the Deathlock for the win.
Match probably went on longer that it needed to but Eaton was not totally destroyed.
Gene climbs into the ring and wants Sting's thoughts on his match at Starrcade. Sting will not forget what Flair did and he is miffed by what Luger said earlier, about taking down the talent in WCW. He finishes by saying he wants to be champ for the sixth time.
Match 4: The Giant v. Randy Savage (c) for WCW Championship
Macho comes out and the crowd is fired up. The bell finally rings and Savage and the Giant stalk each other around the ring. The Giant attempts an axe handle slam but Savage ducks, and then leaps onto his back and applies a sleeper. He grabs Savage by the head and spikes him onto the mat. Savage recovers, runs and hits the Giant from behind and that also takes down Hart. Giant is in charge after Savage unwisely goes for a bodyslam and Savage is getting punished. The Giant bodyslams him and then picks him up and puts Savage in a bear hug. After the break Savage is lying on his stomach. When the Giant picks up Savage he attacks the Giants eyes and face. He hits two running clotheslines and on the third gets caught and breaks Savage with a backbreaker. He goes for the pin but Savage puts his foot on the ropes. He picks him up by the neck and tosses Savage like a rag doll and he rolls out of the ring. The Giant slowly climbs out and easily picks up Savage and throws him over the top rope. The Giant goes to the top and stumbles and pretty much falls off and Savage moves out of the way. Savage hits the Flying Elbow! But the Giant just throws Savage off at two and then dropkicks him to the floor. The Giant peels off the mats and attempts a suplex and Savage grabs the ropes and the Giant falls to the concrete. But Savage is wobbly and gets chokeslammed. The Giant takes his time but lands an elbow and before the count of three Hogan runs down and attacks the Giant. He takes a chair and beats everyone and even William Perry as he and Mongo calm him down. The crowd is going nuts and chanting Hogan. Gene is in the ring and he thinks Hogan will be suspended. Hogan is complaining that Flair is on probation and he gets a title shot. The Giant comes back and wants a piece of Hogan, so Hulk runs out and nails him with the chair a couple of times. He comes back and basically tells Savage that he should be champ and wants a title shot. First Savage has to get through Starrcade, and then he will defend it against Hogan. Hogan has great respect for Perry and Mongo on the football field but they need to stay out of the ring. Savage wants the chair because he can make money.....due to it hitting Sullivan and the Giant.
The Giant looked great and it would be wise to put the belt on him....someday. Savage is playing second fiddle to Hogan as it seems he is mocking Savage. It has made WCW confusing at the top of the card but at least they did not have all the faces bickering at each other, and the show actually flowed quite smoothly. The crowd was fired up and Hogan is not bad when he goes nuts and destroys everything as WCW is doing whatever it takes to repackage him and recapture the glory. His pop was huge this week and you could tell he was relieved but at the same time he is overshadowing Savage and nearly everyone else and it has been like that since the 80s and eventually it gets tiresome.
Alundra Blaze comes out from behind the announce table and she dumps the WWF women's title in the trash and that is what she thinks of the WWF title. She is now known as Madusa; she is where the big girls play. Mongo is upset that too many wrestlers keep coming up to the announce table, and he brings up the Refrigerator William Perry....no more mention of Madusa.
Match 1: Ric Flair v. Eddie Guerrero
Flair is looking at the crowd as they boo as well as cheer him. Eddie gets some crowd support. I did not realize how short Guerrero is; no vanilla midget joke I promise but the dude is Tom Cruise tiny. Anyway they lock up and Flair goes low, and takes down Eddie's leg, but Eddie pops right back up and they lock up again. Flair stops a whip by grabbing the ropes. However, Eddie dropkicks him, and then takes Flair back down, slapping him and taunting Flair. Flair is pissed so he leaves the ring. He re-enters and the lock hands and Flair kicks him and attempts a back suplex, but Eddie lands on his feet, and dropkicks him. Flair goes for the Figure Four, but gets rolled up for a two count. Flair has Eddie in the corner where he chops him up, and Eddie swings him to the other corner only to run right into a boot and Flair follows up with a high knee drop. Flair chops but Eddie comes back a right and then a few more and now a back body drop. Eddie is on the top rope and DDT's Flair and he gets a near fall. Eddie walks on the ropes, flips Flair onto his back, and gets another near fall. Guerrero goes to the well on to many times as Flair hits the ropes, and Eddie falls to the floor. He sells an injured knee. Flair starts going after the knee. Back in the ring, he continues the assault on the knee, and puts Eddie in the Figure Four but he will not give up and Flair keeps using the ropes as leverage. Eddie did not give up but passed out.
Pretty good match. Eddie did not look too bad, and Heenan keeps hyping him up. The little slap did not make him look that good but it is Ric Flair.
Gene enters the ring and AA is there too. Flair is still kicking Eddie and Gene yells at him to stop. AA mentions how the Horsemen have taken out Mr. Wonderful, Eddie and Johnny B. Badd on Saturday Night. Sullivan enters the ring. He has great respect for AA and Flair but he does not like Pillman and what he said about the Dungeon. Flair says that there is no problem and AA grabs the mic, and he tells Sullivan that if he goes to look for Pillman he will find the rest of the Horsemen. Sullivan babbles that it being WCW there are no allegiances in WCW....true, but that also leads to some confusing storylines.
Pittman comes to the announce table and he can barely hold the mic. EB holds the mic for him. Pittman wants Heenan to manage him to the championship. Heenan responds that he does not manage anymore but he can turn him onto someone like Jimmy Hart. Pittman responds that if he does not get some help soon he will take no prisoners. I am surprised that Pittman got a segment as he has not really been seen on Nitro or really wrestled since Fall Brawl. Oh well, see where they will take it.
Match 2: Marcus Bagwell v. Lex Luger
Luger slugs away but gets caught, and flipped onto his back, connecting with an arm drag. Bagwell dropkicks him and Luger fall to the floor. Luger slowly gets back in the ring, and regains his earlier momentum. He drags Bagwell's face across the ropes, but they exchange some blows until Luger charges him in the corner; however nobody is home and Bagwell follows up with a back body drop and he attempts a splash, but Luger gets his knees up, and slams Bagwell to the mat. He Racks him and it is over.
Bagwell looked pretty good, had some decent moves but Luger is clearly limited and the ending was quite sudden.
Gene is on the ramp and asks about his upcoming match at Starrcade. Hart yells that Luger is the uncrowned WCW champ and Luger agrees. He rambles about looking in a mirror with the belt....confusing.
Match 3: Earl Robert Eaton v. Sting
Eaton backs away as the bell rings and finally walks towards Sting and gets met with an arm drag. Eaton comes back with a side headlock, but gets tossed onto his back by Sting's legs. Eaton backs away again as Sting mugs for the crowd, and they love it. They finally they lock up again, and Eaton punches Sting then chokes him with the rope. Eaton takes him down, gets a one count, and then starts working on the arm. Sting gets up and fires at his head but Eaton comes right back with a backbreaker. Eaton climbs to the top, leaps, and Sting rolls away. Eaton lands on his knees, but he pops right back up and gets a blow in but it is time to the finish the match with a Stinger Splash and a the Deathlock for the win.
Match probably went on longer that it needed to but Eaton was not totally destroyed.
Gene climbs into the ring and wants Sting's thoughts on his match at Starrcade. Sting will not forget what Flair did and he is miffed by what Luger said earlier, about taking down the talent in WCW. He finishes by saying he wants to be champ for the sixth time.
Match 4: The Giant v. Randy Savage (c) for WCW Championship
Macho comes out and the crowd is fired up. The bell finally rings and Savage and the Giant stalk each other around the ring. The Giant attempts an axe handle slam but Savage ducks, and then leaps onto his back and applies a sleeper. He grabs Savage by the head and spikes him onto the mat. Savage recovers, runs and hits the Giant from behind and that also takes down Hart. Giant is in charge after Savage unwisely goes for a bodyslam and Savage is getting punished. The Giant bodyslams him and then picks him up and puts Savage in a bear hug. After the break Savage is lying on his stomach. When the Giant picks up Savage he attacks the Giants eyes and face. He hits two running clotheslines and on the third gets caught and breaks Savage with a backbreaker. He goes for the pin but Savage puts his foot on the ropes. He picks him up by the neck and tosses Savage like a rag doll and he rolls out of the ring. The Giant slowly climbs out and easily picks up Savage and throws him over the top rope. The Giant goes to the top and stumbles and pretty much falls off and Savage moves out of the way. Savage hits the Flying Elbow! But the Giant just throws Savage off at two and then dropkicks him to the floor. The Giant peels off the mats and attempts a suplex and Savage grabs the ropes and the Giant falls to the concrete. But Savage is wobbly and gets chokeslammed. The Giant takes his time but lands an elbow and before the count of three Hogan runs down and attacks the Giant. He takes a chair and beats everyone and even William Perry as he and Mongo calm him down. The crowd is going nuts and chanting Hogan. Gene is in the ring and he thinks Hogan will be suspended. Hogan is complaining that Flair is on probation and he gets a title shot. The Giant comes back and wants a piece of Hogan, so Hulk runs out and nails him with the chair a couple of times. He comes back and basically tells Savage that he should be champ and wants a title shot. First Savage has to get through Starrcade, and then he will defend it against Hogan. Hogan has great respect for Perry and Mongo on the football field but they need to stay out of the ring. Savage wants the chair because he can make money.....due to it hitting Sullivan and the Giant.
The Giant looked great and it would be wise to put the belt on him....someday. Savage is playing second fiddle to Hogan as it seems he is mocking Savage. It has made WCW confusing at the top of the card but at least they did not have all the faces bickering at each other, and the show actually flowed quite smoothly. The crowd was fired up and Hogan is not bad when he goes nuts and destroys everything as WCW is doing whatever it takes to repackage him and recapture the glory. His pop was huge this week and you could tell he was relieved but at the same time he is overshadowing Savage and nearly everyone else and it has been like that since the 80s and eventually it gets tiresome.
The go home show. This has been one of the better builds to a PPV. While a lot of the matches have not been announced yet RAW has improved exponentially. It is still not loaded with their top guys every week, but it gives the mid card a chance to shine and get over. Despite being the go home show Nitro is able to topple RAW 2.7 to 2.5 but with football ending both shows are starting to get a boost that will get larger in the New Year as well as wrestling becoming more mainstream.
They recap Backlund putting everyone in the Chickenwing and what happened with Michaels who will speak for the first time tonight.
Match 1: Owen Hart v. Jeff Hardy
Wow! It is Jeff Hardy and boy does he look tiny...pre Roids! Kidding. They show Diesel watching the match as Hardy gets in a couple of moves before Owen knocks him asunder. Hardy is flung into the corner; Owen then snap suplexes him, after which he yells at the crowd. Hardy is able to comeback and bounce Owen's head off the top buckle, but he gets destroyed by a vicious clothesline. Owen goes up top and connects with a missile dropkick, and he stands over Hardy and grabs the legs and pulls them over Jeff's head and gets the pin. Yoko climbs up to the second rope and Banzai drops poor Hardy. They keep panning to Diana Hart who continually has a befuddled look on her face. Owen places Hardy in the Sharpshooter, and out comes Diesel, and out goes Owen. Diesel goes after Yoko and kicks him out to the floor. I guess he is a tweener now, as he is still friends with Shawn and is wrestling Owen....
Squash but cool to see Hardy.
Match 2: Chaparita Asari v. Aja Kong
Jesus WWF was it that hard to finally give me a name spelled out? Asari does some flip kicks but bounces right off of Kong's chest after a flying cross body. Kong has her hair and flips her around and lands some big knees on the back. Kong holds her up and then drops her with a big suplex. She pulls her up by the hair and then grabs the legs and holds them an piledrives her. She lifts her head up again and literally kicks her head off and lands on her with a big splash and then lifts the head again. Asaris tries to fight back but it has no effect. Asari is bodyslammed and Kong heads to the top and Asair moves and she too goes to the top and Kong now punches her head clean off and finally pins her.
Squash. A little too long. Both WCW and WWF are highlighting Japanese wrestlers but the WWF has been using the women more as Nitro only had one match.
Todd is with Shawn Michaels, and Todd pretty much kisses his ass as he gushes about Shawn. Shawn plays the self deprecating guy again. He thanks the fans for their support. Shawn thinks he is okay and is not suffering any symptoms right now. Todd mentions that everyone is talking about him, but does not want to focus on that and asks when he is coming back. Shawn is ready now. Todd gushes again that it must be great to be Shawn despite not winning the WWF title yet, and that it could all be in jeopardy if he can come back. Shawn is upset that he is being questioned like this and it is about his reaction to being asked if he can come back. Wrestling is his livelihood it is not just a job. Ah, poor Shawn.....he does cry a lot.
Match 3: Ahmed Johnson v. Rex something....
Dean Douglas in a pre-taped interview rambles, but does say that the meteoric rise of Ahmed will come to an end. Rex attacks but just gets manhandled and down he goes after a spinebuster and it happens to the poor guy again. It is powerbomb time and all over....I guess it is called the Brown River Plunge....
King is with Ahmed again and he states that he knows Ahmed has been waiting for the match this Sunday and he may be nervous. Dean has done his homework and that Ahmed's toughest four years were the third grade! Now that was funny. Ahmed goes off and tells King to take a seat and to stop running his mouth, honestly hard to understand what he is saying.
Doc is wearing the Shawn Michaels Denim jacket and he shows off all of them and that they are only 59.00 dollars. Good God they look terrible. I want one.
A Christmas ad, or Happy Holiday's ad from the WWF with wrestlers dressed as Santa beating on a poor guy who told a kid there was no such thing as Santa. Don't kids watch this?
Vince is with DiBiase, Sid and Kid as those two are facing Razor and Marty at the PPV. Vince makes fun of Ted and the running Kid from last week. Kid cannot say a word and just passes it onto Ted who says that Razor is a baby and many thing that the tag team combo of Sid and the Kid will not mesh but they will prove that they are the best tag team. The Kid bellows that he does not like the fans but likes to win and likes money. He continues that Razor held him back, and while Marty is a good wrestler but he carried their team from a couple years ago. And I fucked that up. I could rewind but it is not that important. Something about Marty being carried by HBK. Sid bellows louder that he feels sorry for Marty as he is a victim of circumstance...He just pauses but does not feel sorry for Razor and he pauses again to scan the crowd. He and the Kid and Ted are family and he will not enjoy hurting Marty and he says this numerous times but he states he is not serious. Damn he makes no sense.
Match 4: Bob Backlund v. Bret Hart (c)
A revenge match for Bret Hart as they continue their feud from a year ago. The bell rings and it is Diana Smith not Hart anymore; she still has a concerned look on her face as Hart and Bob wrestle around the mat but Backlund gets to the ropes. A test of strength turns into an arm bar on Backlund but he twists free but gets taken down but puts Hart into bodyscissors. They are back up and Hart as a front headlock applied. Lawler is with Diana and he will not get to the point, but finally gets to it and asks who she is rooting for at the PPV. She wants him to go home happy and she will support him as no one was listening to him and she likes Cornette because he gave Davey a title shot. She seems a bit out of it. Backlund had been knocked to the floor but gets back in and they exchange some wrestling holds until Backlund is dropkicked to the floor.
Commercial.
Bret gets a two count after a backslide. Bob slides out of the ring and walks around clutching his back. Backlund is up on the apron and gets dragged into the ring and Bret works on the arm twisting it around. Bob goes for the Chickenwing but Bret gets to the ropes, and Bob holds it to the last second. He is now working on the arm and he wraps it around the top rope and kicks it. Bob circles him and stalks him and continues to work the arm and he flips him over and still works on the arm. Bob is waiting as if for the Chickenwing but instead takes Bret down by the arm again and rubs his elbow into it. Backlund looks at the crowd and quivers and shakes his head and stomps on Bret and goes after the arm again and elbows it too. Bret reverses the arm bar but gets an elbow in the head and now Backlund goes after the arm again. Bret powers out but Backlund picks him, however, Hart lands on him for a two count and then Hart rolls him up for two more. Hart is back in control with a blow to the gut and a backbreaker. Bret drops the elbow from the second rope and he sets him up for the Sharpshooter and Davey runs into the ring and Backlund comes from behind as Bret turns to face Davey and he applies the Chickenwing as the Bulldog pounds on Hart. Backlund is pissed that he lost via DQ but Davey does not really care.
The match was not too bad I like technical wrestling, but half of a match should not consist of arm bars. They finally have a confrontation between Hart and Smith, too bad it was right before the PPV. The show was okay, but the build to PPV's in both companies back in 1995 was lackluster at best. Most of the matches again were squashes with an over long Women's match. This week the storytelli
They recap Backlund putting everyone in the Chickenwing and what happened with Michaels who will speak for the first time tonight.
Match 1: Owen Hart v. Jeff Hardy
Wow! It is Jeff Hardy and boy does he look tiny...pre Roids! Kidding. They show Diesel watching the match as Hardy gets in a couple of moves before Owen knocks him asunder. Hardy is flung into the corner; Owen then snap suplexes him, after which he yells at the crowd. Hardy is able to comeback and bounce Owen's head off the top buckle, but he gets destroyed by a vicious clothesline. Owen goes up top and connects with a missile dropkick, and he stands over Hardy and grabs the legs and pulls them over Jeff's head and gets the pin. Yoko climbs up to the second rope and Banzai drops poor Hardy. They keep panning to Diana Hart who continually has a befuddled look on her face. Owen places Hardy in the Sharpshooter, and out comes Diesel, and out goes Owen. Diesel goes after Yoko and kicks him out to the floor. I guess he is a tweener now, as he is still friends with Shawn and is wrestling Owen....
Squash but cool to see Hardy.
Match 2: Chaparita Asari v. Aja Kong
Jesus WWF was it that hard to finally give me a name spelled out? Asari does some flip kicks but bounces right off of Kong's chest after a flying cross body. Kong has her hair and flips her around and lands some big knees on the back. Kong holds her up and then drops her with a big suplex. She pulls her up by the hair and then grabs the legs and holds them an piledrives her. She lifts her head up again and literally kicks her head off and lands on her with a big splash and then lifts the head again. Asaris tries to fight back but it has no effect. Asari is bodyslammed and Kong heads to the top and Asair moves and she too goes to the top and Kong now punches her head clean off and finally pins her.
Squash. A little too long. Both WCW and WWF are highlighting Japanese wrestlers but the WWF has been using the women more as Nitro only had one match.
Todd is with Shawn Michaels, and Todd pretty much kisses his ass as he gushes about Shawn. Shawn plays the self deprecating guy again. He thanks the fans for their support. Shawn thinks he is okay and is not suffering any symptoms right now. Todd mentions that everyone is talking about him, but does not want to focus on that and asks when he is coming back. Shawn is ready now. Todd gushes again that it must be great to be Shawn despite not winning the WWF title yet, and that it could all be in jeopardy if he can come back. Shawn is upset that he is being questioned like this and it is about his reaction to being asked if he can come back. Wrestling is his livelihood it is not just a job. Ah, poor Shawn.....he does cry a lot.
Match 3: Ahmed Johnson v. Rex something....
Dean Douglas in a pre-taped interview rambles, but does say that the meteoric rise of Ahmed will come to an end. Rex attacks but just gets manhandled and down he goes after a spinebuster and it happens to the poor guy again. It is powerbomb time and all over....I guess it is called the Brown River Plunge....
King is with Ahmed again and he states that he knows Ahmed has been waiting for the match this Sunday and he may be nervous. Dean has done his homework and that Ahmed's toughest four years were the third grade! Now that was funny. Ahmed goes off and tells King to take a seat and to stop running his mouth, honestly hard to understand what he is saying.
Doc is wearing the Shawn Michaels Denim jacket and he shows off all of them and that they are only 59.00 dollars. Good God they look terrible. I want one.
A Christmas ad, or Happy Holiday's ad from the WWF with wrestlers dressed as Santa beating on a poor guy who told a kid there was no such thing as Santa. Don't kids watch this?
Vince is with DiBiase, Sid and Kid as those two are facing Razor and Marty at the PPV. Vince makes fun of Ted and the running Kid from last week. Kid cannot say a word and just passes it onto Ted who says that Razor is a baby and many thing that the tag team combo of Sid and the Kid will not mesh but they will prove that they are the best tag team. The Kid bellows that he does not like the fans but likes to win and likes money. He continues that Razor held him back, and while Marty is a good wrestler but he carried their team from a couple years ago. And I fucked that up. I could rewind but it is not that important. Something about Marty being carried by HBK. Sid bellows louder that he feels sorry for Marty as he is a victim of circumstance...He just pauses but does not feel sorry for Razor and he pauses again to scan the crowd. He and the Kid and Ted are family and he will not enjoy hurting Marty and he says this numerous times but he states he is not serious. Damn he makes no sense.
Match 4: Bob Backlund v. Bret Hart (c)
A revenge match for Bret Hart as they continue their feud from a year ago. The bell rings and it is Diana Smith not Hart anymore; she still has a concerned look on her face as Hart and Bob wrestle around the mat but Backlund gets to the ropes. A test of strength turns into an arm bar on Backlund but he twists free but gets taken down but puts Hart into bodyscissors. They are back up and Hart as a front headlock applied. Lawler is with Diana and he will not get to the point, but finally gets to it and asks who she is rooting for at the PPV. She wants him to go home happy and she will support him as no one was listening to him and she likes Cornette because he gave Davey a title shot. She seems a bit out of it. Backlund had been knocked to the floor but gets back in and they exchange some wrestling holds until Backlund is dropkicked to the floor.
Commercial.
Bret gets a two count after a backslide. Bob slides out of the ring and walks around clutching his back. Backlund is up on the apron and gets dragged into the ring and Bret works on the arm twisting it around. Bob goes for the Chickenwing but Bret gets to the ropes, and Bob holds it to the last second. He is now working on the arm and he wraps it around the top rope and kicks it. Bob circles him and stalks him and continues to work the arm and he flips him over and still works on the arm. Bob is waiting as if for the Chickenwing but instead takes Bret down by the arm again and rubs his elbow into it. Backlund looks at the crowd and quivers and shakes his head and stomps on Bret and goes after the arm again and elbows it too. Bret reverses the arm bar but gets an elbow in the head and now Backlund goes after the arm again. Bret powers out but Backlund picks him, however, Hart lands on him for a two count and then Hart rolls him up for two more. Hart is back in control with a blow to the gut and a backbreaker. Bret drops the elbow from the second rope and he sets him up for the Sharpshooter and Davey runs into the ring and Backlund comes from behind as Bret turns to face Davey and he applies the Chickenwing as the Bulldog pounds on Hart. Backlund is pissed that he lost via DQ but Davey does not really care.
The match was not too bad I like technical wrestling, but half of a match should not consist of arm bars. They finally have a confrontation between Hart and Smith, too bad it was right before the PPV. The show was okay, but the build to PPV's in both companies back in 1995 was lackluster at best. Most of the matches again were squashes with an over long Women's match. This week the storytelli
This was the best series of RAW going into a PPV. There is still not enough build up as Diesel barely made an appearance and Hart showed up sporadically. Matches are booked and then there is some interference between those feuding, or after a squash match. One week the feud is hot and then it is ignored the following week before a brief recap or vignette. WCW is guilty too but their upper card feuds are highlighted every week while WWF is more scattershot trying to give the mid card more time. This is fine but more angle advancement needs to be done to make the show as well as the PPV more compelling. The PPV looks good on paper but at the same time, while RAW has improved the WWF needs a jolt. The PPV did poor numbers with only a .35 and just over 7000 in attendance. Ratings are up for WCW too and their buyrates while larger in some cases are not very high as they had less than stellar numbers for Starrcade. Six months ago WWF buyrates were double or more and now keep dropping while WCW's remain a little more consistent.
Match 1: Sid Vicious and 123 Kid v. Razor Ramon (c) and Marty Jannetty
They show Goldust in the audience creepily clapping for Razor. Jannetty and Kid start off; the Kid attacks as Marty points at Razor but he kicks the Kid in the back of head for his impertinence. They lock up again, Marty shoves him down, and he blocks an arm drag. He counters with a short clothesline. Kid is irate and shoves Marty, and so he gets picked up and nailed with an atomic drop. Ramon gets the tag and the Kid tries to run but gets slapped in the face. However, he is able to make the tag, and Sid clotheslines a turning Ramon. Kid is tagged in again and he spin kicks Ramon, and starts to punch him in the corner but it has little effect so he tags in Sid and his blows knock him to his knees. Razor fights back and both are down after a double clothesline. Both make the tag and the Kid gets bulldogged and powerslammed. Jannetty gets the near fall but the Kid gets his foot on the rope. Todd tries to interview Goldust who slurs out a Graduate reference and says some homoerotic things about Razor. In the ring Kid takes control with a spin kick to the head, and tags in Sid who pummels Marty in the corner. Marty fires back, hits both the Kid and Sid; he then goes up top but is caught and slammed down for two. Sid shoves Razor and Marty rolls him up, but the Kid kicks him in the head. The Kid is in, splashes Marty from the top for a two count. Marty runs into a boot from Sid, and so Razor gets pissed, and runs in to shove the Kid. Meanwhile, Marty is getting dismantled in the ring after a spinning around after a big Sid clothesline. Sid applies his chinlock.....weak looking. Marty fights to his feet, and punches free, but gets knocked down. The Kid is tagged in, and he continues the punishment. He makes the quick tag to Sid who gives it right back to the Kid. Kid charges Marty in the corner, but Marty dodges and wobbles over to Razor, makes the hot tag who floors Sid and nails the Kid in a fall away slam. He goes for the Razor's Edge on Sid but gets flipped back, but Sid misses the big leg drop, and Razor finishes him off with a bulldog from the second rope. Razor grabs the Kid and Sid makes a quick recovery pulling him to safety.
The match was not too bad but the ending was quite sudden. Sid has fallen pretty far since main eventing two PPV's from the Summer. Let's be honest, Sid has issues in the ring. He is a good mid/upper carder but should never be in a main event.
They call out the Nature Boy Buddy Rydell, and the King comes into the ring instead and promptly starts to taunt the fans. He invited a special guest, and it is Jeff Jarrett. Jeff introduces himself to the fans as the greatest singer, entertainer and wrestler. King concurs and he is all excited about his upcoming World Tour that he brought JJ a gift, which is a Gold Record, and I guess it has sold 500,000 copies....JJ says that this is the culmination of his tour, he said when he came to the WWF that he was going win the IC title and that he would do great things. He is readying a new album and to declare himself the first participant in the 1996 Royal Rumble and he will win the WWF title at WrestleMania. Lawler invites him to sit down at the announce table.
Match 2: Dean Douglas v. Ahmed Johnson
My "educated" guess is that Dean's push is over and the new flavor of the month is Ahmed Johnson. Vince probably realized that the other black guy: Mabel sucked balls, and he better come up with another one quick! Kidding of course....kind of. I will bet my third born that Ahmed goes over, and probably quite decisively. Dean grabs the mic and tells the fans that class is in session. Dean informs us that his back is, and that it is at only 65 percent. He calls out his Graduate Student Buddy Landell. Rydell/Landell whatever. Ahmed goes after Dean but Buddy hits him and it does nothing and he is placed on the top rope and spiked off and then finished off with the powerbomb. He whacks Dean after the match who limps away with Buddy. King calls hm down and asks if JJ was impressed and he says no
Well I was right about the second part. This would have been a decent match, hopefully the injury was legit as the WWF changes up a lot of PPV's lately. He makes fun of Ahmed and he snaps and calls JJ an Achy Breaky wannabe twice and goes off on Lawler. JJ grabs his Gold Record and destroys it on the head of Ahmed and starts bashing his head with a chair and onto the steel steps. Ahmed stops selling and just looks pissed and chases JJJ and they grasp at each other awkwardly and JJ finally escapes.
Todd congratulates Razor for the win and hypes up his match on RAW against Yokozuna tomorrow night. Razor opens a letter from Goldust and Razor looks baffled, and then angry as he crumples it and leaves.
Match 3: Henry Godwin v. HHH
Hillbilly Jim comes out to the announce table, but that is it, no comments, nothing. Godwin threatens Trips with his slop and throws it but it gets all over the ring announcer and HHH attacks Godwin. Hillybilly Jim is the referee. HHH gets out of the ring after a back body drop. HHH gets tangled up in the ropes and grabs some slop and rubs into the face of HHH who does not take to kindly to it and clotheslines Godwin to the ground and starts to hammer away at Godwin in the corner and he flings him to the corner and drops him with a swinging neckbreaker. Godwin is on the floor as HHH pounds away. They are on the outside and HHH runs into the steel steps and Godwin starts to carry him to the pig pen, but HHH escapes, and at the Pen they go at it until Godwin is shoved into the fence and HHH goes for Pedigree but gets flipped onto top of the Pen and he drops an elbow on top of Godwin. They make their back to the ring, and HHH gets caught. He is picked up by his legs and slammed face first onto the mat. Both are down but Godwin gets up, flings HHH into the corner, flies straight up and is unceremoniously dumped to the floor. Godwin takes him back to the Pen. He attempts to reverse DDT him. but HHH grabs the rail and down goes Godwin. Henry reverses a whip and HHH hits the gate and down goes HHH with the Slop Drop. Godwin charges, but gets flipped into the mud, and HHH gets the victory. HHH shoves Hillbilly Jim and Godwin comes in and press slams HHH into the Pen. Now the pigs are unleashed and HHH slips and slides all around and starts flinging mud in anger.
Guilty pleasure here. I liked the match. HHH can move and Godwin did a decent job too.
They recap the heel or tween turn of Diesel and the subsequent collapse of Michaels and the open contract put out by Owen.
Match 4: Owen Hart v. Diesel
Diesel comes out to a decent ovation and they pan to the black gloves in the audience. The bell rings and Owen tries to get around him but cannot. Diesel hits him with a series of knee lifts and then thrown to the mat and followed up with a sidewalk slam. Owen pounds him in the corner but gets shoved off and then clotheslined to the floor. Back in the ring he yanks Owen up by the head and slams him down but Owen comes back with a spin kick to the skull. He goes up top and missile kicks Diesel and starts to work on the leg and knee. Diesel gets to his feet and Owen works on the knee, but Diesel decks him, only to be booted to the back of his head. Owen goes for the Sharpshooter, but gets kicked into the post. Diesel shoves him on the middle rope and then leaps on the neck. He follows up with the big boot. He slowly picks him up and powerbombs him and takes his foot off at two, and then shoves the ref and powerbombs Owen again and so he gets DQ'd.
Owen got some work out of Diesel but it was pretty much a squash as they try to keep Diesel strong and the perfect person to do that against is Owen as the loss does not hurt him and he makes Diesel look good while getting a decent match out of him.
Ted says Bah Humbug and makes fun of the fans. He says everyone has a price including Savio Vega who had been walking down the aisle with Santa. DiBiase questions whether Santa can go around the world in one night and says that he is so fat that he cannot get from the chair to the fridge without blowing a fuse. Vega tells him in a long monologue that he believes in Santa and then DiBiase has Santa attack Vega as he too has a price. Vega is fired up and attacks Santa and unmasks him before being pulled away.
They recap Mabel and UT feud.
Doc is trying to sell WrestleMania the videogame that is supposedly sold out, and they are even giving you a free strategy videocassette!It only costs your first born.
Match 5: Mabel v. the Undertaker
Mabel attacks him as the UT enters the ring. UT fights back and starts punting and punching him in the corner. Mabel makes a comeback and gives a couple of splashes that are no sold but Mabel finally knocks him down but misses a splash from the top. UT comes back but gets distracted by Moe and is caught in a one armed slam and two huge splashes. Mabel stands over him and drags him and Moe drags him out and puts him over his shoulder and the casket is opened and UT is dumped in, but the lid is not shut. UT gets out and enters the ring and unloads on Mabel. UT finally knocks him down after a series of clothesline, picks him up and slams him to the mat. He kicks Mabel into the casket. Moe runs in from behind and all his blows have zero effect and he chokeslams Moe. UT rolls Moe into the casket too, but for some reason cannot or does not close it but instead grabs the power necklace....and now shuts the casket for the win. He makes a motion for the belt being around his waist.
This was short and not much to it. Mabel did what he could but it is obvious that any push he had is over, and it should be too as he sucks.
Jim Ross recaps the Bulldog/Hart feud. Cornette goes off about how Bret has not respected Davey. Diana who is looking sultry says that Davey will win tonight. Davey once again recalls his victory at Wembley and will win again.
Todd is with Bret and he brings up Wembley...again and again. Bret wants revenge and the Excellence of Execution is going to shine like never before.
Match 6: British Bulldog v. Bret Hart (c) for WWF Title
The fans erupt for Hart, and the bell rings. They circle each other and Davey shoves him away as the lock up and it happens again. Davey pulls him to the ground, but Hart toe hold drops him. He goes after the arm but Davey flips up and yanks him down by the hair and applies his own arm bar. Bret gets up and pushes him into the corner and the ref breaks them up and Bret slings Davey to the mat, and goes to work on the arm. Davey is up but Bret gets a two count after a cross body, and then follows up with an inverted atomic drop. He grabs Davey's arm and trips him but the Bulldog gets up and knees a running Hart in the gut. He picks him up by the hair again and slams him down to the mat. He picks up Hart, hangs him by his feet in the corner, and stomps on him. He knocks down the ref, but it was an accident, and so helps him up; he then continues stomping a hole in Bret. Bret is laying on his belly as Davey hammers away who then applies a rear chinlock. Bret gets up and gets caught in a back slam, and now a big leg drop. Two count. We are back to the rear chinlock. Vince is handed a note that the Undertaker will be facing the winner of this match at the Royal Rumble....whatever happened to building a feud? Cornette whacks Bret with the racket, and the Bulldog puts him back in the chinlock. Hart gets up and runs his shoulder into Davey but gets slung chest first into the corner and down he goes. Davey goes for the pin but Bret saves himself by putting his foot on the ropes. He follows up with a back body drop and now another chin lock. After running the ropes Bret is able to catapult him, and follow up with an inverted atomic drop and a headbutt to the sternum and a running bulldog for two. Bret catches a running Davey and gives him a big piledriver but he is slow in making the cover only getting a two count. Hart goes to the middle rope, and drops his patented elbow; he places Davey on the top rope, but Davey grabs him and tosses him crotch first onto the top rope, and Bret topples to the floor. Davey goes out after him and gives him a big chop that sends Bret crashing into the steel steps. He picks up Hart and runs him back first into the post. Bret is busted open and bleeding like mad as Davey continues punishing him by flinging him into the corner again. Davey nails him with a piledriver but only gets a two count. He holds Bret up and slams him down with a big vertical suplex and gets another two count. Now gorilla press slam and a bodyslam. Davey goes up top and headbutts his posterior and he gets another two count. He stretches Bret over his body but Bret counters, and almost applies the Sharpshooter but Davey frees himself. He shoulder blocks Bret to the floor. Hart comes back into the ring and almost gets the win after a German suplex, and now they are both down after a double clothesline. Davey is out on the floor and Bret kind of flies over the top and lands on the Bulldog. He goes up to the apron and flies back but is caught and powerslams him to the floor. Davey peels the mats and goes for a suplex but Bret blocks it and crotches Davey on the rail and clotheslines him to the floor. Back in the ring he continues to punish Davey and flings him head over heels into the corner. He places Davey back up top and superplexes him and Bret can only get a two count. The roll each other up, but neither gets the fall. Davey just flips over him and crashes to the mat, and Hart hammers away. However, Davey swings him into the opposite corner, but Davey runs into a knee and Bret rolls him up and gets the win.
This is easily one of the better matches in Davey's career, or at least ones that I have seen. This was great. I mean great stuff. Bret could make me look good in the ring. To be fair Davey did a damn good job too.
Todd is with Paul Bearer and the Undertaker and God I hate Bearer.....he is all excited about the Undertaker getting a title shot. Diesel comes in and he is pissed that he is not getting a title shot and he feels he is being dodged and he and the Undertaker have a classic staredown.
The main event and the ending was pretty good....the Diesel and Owen showdown, though brief. Otherwise the event was pretty short. Mabel and the Undertaker was not too good. Diesel had a short but decent match to keep him strong. Ahmed's match was a waste of time. The opening tag match was decent and the Pig Pen match was fun but otherwise I cannot help but feel disappointed by the overall show. A great main event does not make up for mediocrity.
Match 1: Sid Vicious and 123 Kid v. Razor Ramon (c) and Marty Jannetty
They show Goldust in the audience creepily clapping for Razor. Jannetty and Kid start off; the Kid attacks as Marty points at Razor but he kicks the Kid in the back of head for his impertinence. They lock up again, Marty shoves him down, and he blocks an arm drag. He counters with a short clothesline. Kid is irate and shoves Marty, and so he gets picked up and nailed with an atomic drop. Ramon gets the tag and the Kid tries to run but gets slapped in the face. However, he is able to make the tag, and Sid clotheslines a turning Ramon. Kid is tagged in again and he spin kicks Ramon, and starts to punch him in the corner but it has little effect so he tags in Sid and his blows knock him to his knees. Razor fights back and both are down after a double clothesline. Both make the tag and the Kid gets bulldogged and powerslammed. Jannetty gets the near fall but the Kid gets his foot on the rope. Todd tries to interview Goldust who slurs out a Graduate reference and says some homoerotic things about Razor. In the ring Kid takes control with a spin kick to the head, and tags in Sid who pummels Marty in the corner. Marty fires back, hits both the Kid and Sid; he then goes up top but is caught and slammed down for two. Sid shoves Razor and Marty rolls him up, but the Kid kicks him in the head. The Kid is in, splashes Marty from the top for a two count. Marty runs into a boot from Sid, and so Razor gets pissed, and runs in to shove the Kid. Meanwhile, Marty is getting dismantled in the ring after a spinning around after a big Sid clothesline. Sid applies his chinlock.....weak looking. Marty fights to his feet, and punches free, but gets knocked down. The Kid is tagged in, and he continues the punishment. He makes the quick tag to Sid who gives it right back to the Kid. Kid charges Marty in the corner, but Marty dodges and wobbles over to Razor, makes the hot tag who floors Sid and nails the Kid in a fall away slam. He goes for the Razor's Edge on Sid but gets flipped back, but Sid misses the big leg drop, and Razor finishes him off with a bulldog from the second rope. Razor grabs the Kid and Sid makes a quick recovery pulling him to safety.
The match was not too bad but the ending was quite sudden. Sid has fallen pretty far since main eventing two PPV's from the Summer. Let's be honest, Sid has issues in the ring. He is a good mid/upper carder but should never be in a main event.
They call out the Nature Boy Buddy Rydell, and the King comes into the ring instead and promptly starts to taunt the fans. He invited a special guest, and it is Jeff Jarrett. Jeff introduces himself to the fans as the greatest singer, entertainer and wrestler. King concurs and he is all excited about his upcoming World Tour that he brought JJ a gift, which is a Gold Record, and I guess it has sold 500,000 copies....JJ says that this is the culmination of his tour, he said when he came to the WWF that he was going win the IC title and that he would do great things. He is readying a new album and to declare himself the first participant in the 1996 Royal Rumble and he will win the WWF title at WrestleMania. Lawler invites him to sit down at the announce table.
Match 2: Dean Douglas v. Ahmed Johnson
My "educated" guess is that Dean's push is over and the new flavor of the month is Ahmed Johnson. Vince probably realized that the other black guy: Mabel sucked balls, and he better come up with another one quick! Kidding of course....kind of. I will bet my third born that Ahmed goes over, and probably quite decisively. Dean grabs the mic and tells the fans that class is in session. Dean informs us that his back is, and that it is at only 65 percent. He calls out his Graduate Student Buddy Landell. Rydell/Landell whatever. Ahmed goes after Dean but Buddy hits him and it does nothing and he is placed on the top rope and spiked off and then finished off with the powerbomb. He whacks Dean after the match who limps away with Buddy. King calls hm down and asks if JJ was impressed and he says no
Well I was right about the second part. This would have been a decent match, hopefully the injury was legit as the WWF changes up a lot of PPV's lately. He makes fun of Ahmed and he snaps and calls JJ an Achy Breaky wannabe twice and goes off on Lawler. JJ grabs his Gold Record and destroys it on the head of Ahmed and starts bashing his head with a chair and onto the steel steps. Ahmed stops selling and just looks pissed and chases JJJ and they grasp at each other awkwardly and JJ finally escapes.
Todd congratulates Razor for the win and hypes up his match on RAW against Yokozuna tomorrow night. Razor opens a letter from Goldust and Razor looks baffled, and then angry as he crumples it and leaves.
Match 3: Henry Godwin v. HHH
Hillbilly Jim comes out to the announce table, but that is it, no comments, nothing. Godwin threatens Trips with his slop and throws it but it gets all over the ring announcer and HHH attacks Godwin. Hillybilly Jim is the referee. HHH gets out of the ring after a back body drop. HHH gets tangled up in the ropes and grabs some slop and rubs into the face of HHH who does not take to kindly to it and clotheslines Godwin to the ground and starts to hammer away at Godwin in the corner and he flings him to the corner and drops him with a swinging neckbreaker. Godwin is on the floor as HHH pounds away. They are on the outside and HHH runs into the steel steps and Godwin starts to carry him to the pig pen, but HHH escapes, and at the Pen they go at it until Godwin is shoved into the fence and HHH goes for Pedigree but gets flipped onto top of the Pen and he drops an elbow on top of Godwin. They make their back to the ring, and HHH gets caught. He is picked up by his legs and slammed face first onto the mat. Both are down but Godwin gets up, flings HHH into the corner, flies straight up and is unceremoniously dumped to the floor. Godwin takes him back to the Pen. He attempts to reverse DDT him. but HHH grabs the rail and down goes Godwin. Henry reverses a whip and HHH hits the gate and down goes HHH with the Slop Drop. Godwin charges, but gets flipped into the mud, and HHH gets the victory. HHH shoves Hillbilly Jim and Godwin comes in and press slams HHH into the Pen. Now the pigs are unleashed and HHH slips and slides all around and starts flinging mud in anger.
Guilty pleasure here. I liked the match. HHH can move and Godwin did a decent job too.
They recap the heel or tween turn of Diesel and the subsequent collapse of Michaels and the open contract put out by Owen.
Match 4: Owen Hart v. Diesel
Diesel comes out to a decent ovation and they pan to the black gloves in the audience. The bell rings and Owen tries to get around him but cannot. Diesel hits him with a series of knee lifts and then thrown to the mat and followed up with a sidewalk slam. Owen pounds him in the corner but gets shoved off and then clotheslined to the floor. Back in the ring he yanks Owen up by the head and slams him down but Owen comes back with a spin kick to the skull. He goes up top and missile kicks Diesel and starts to work on the leg and knee. Diesel gets to his feet and Owen works on the knee, but Diesel decks him, only to be booted to the back of his head. Owen goes for the Sharpshooter, but gets kicked into the post. Diesel shoves him on the middle rope and then leaps on the neck. He follows up with the big boot. He slowly picks him up and powerbombs him and takes his foot off at two, and then shoves the ref and powerbombs Owen again and so he gets DQ'd.
Owen got some work out of Diesel but it was pretty much a squash as they try to keep Diesel strong and the perfect person to do that against is Owen as the loss does not hurt him and he makes Diesel look good while getting a decent match out of him.
Ted says Bah Humbug and makes fun of the fans. He says everyone has a price including Savio Vega who had been walking down the aisle with Santa. DiBiase questions whether Santa can go around the world in one night and says that he is so fat that he cannot get from the chair to the fridge without blowing a fuse. Vega tells him in a long monologue that he believes in Santa and then DiBiase has Santa attack Vega as he too has a price. Vega is fired up and attacks Santa and unmasks him before being pulled away.
They recap Mabel and UT feud.
Doc is trying to sell WrestleMania the videogame that is supposedly sold out, and they are even giving you a free strategy videocassette!It only costs your first born.
Match 5: Mabel v. the Undertaker
Mabel attacks him as the UT enters the ring. UT fights back and starts punting and punching him in the corner. Mabel makes a comeback and gives a couple of splashes that are no sold but Mabel finally knocks him down but misses a splash from the top. UT comes back but gets distracted by Moe and is caught in a one armed slam and two huge splashes. Mabel stands over him and drags him and Moe drags him out and puts him over his shoulder and the casket is opened and UT is dumped in, but the lid is not shut. UT gets out and enters the ring and unloads on Mabel. UT finally knocks him down after a series of clothesline, picks him up and slams him to the mat. He kicks Mabel into the casket. Moe runs in from behind and all his blows have zero effect and he chokeslams Moe. UT rolls Moe into the casket too, but for some reason cannot or does not close it but instead grabs the power necklace....and now shuts the casket for the win. He makes a motion for the belt being around his waist.
This was short and not much to it. Mabel did what he could but it is obvious that any push he had is over, and it should be too as he sucks.
Jim Ross recaps the Bulldog/Hart feud. Cornette goes off about how Bret has not respected Davey. Diana who is looking sultry says that Davey will win tonight. Davey once again recalls his victory at Wembley and will win again.
Todd is with Bret and he brings up Wembley...again and again. Bret wants revenge and the Excellence of Execution is going to shine like never before.
Match 6: British Bulldog v. Bret Hart (c) for WWF Title
The fans erupt for Hart, and the bell rings. They circle each other and Davey shoves him away as the lock up and it happens again. Davey pulls him to the ground, but Hart toe hold drops him. He goes after the arm but Davey flips up and yanks him down by the hair and applies his own arm bar. Bret gets up and pushes him into the corner and the ref breaks them up and Bret slings Davey to the mat, and goes to work on the arm. Davey is up but Bret gets a two count after a cross body, and then follows up with an inverted atomic drop. He grabs Davey's arm and trips him but the Bulldog gets up and knees a running Hart in the gut. He picks him up by the hair again and slams him down to the mat. He picks up Hart, hangs him by his feet in the corner, and stomps on him. He knocks down the ref, but it was an accident, and so helps him up; he then continues stomping a hole in Bret. Bret is laying on his belly as Davey hammers away who then applies a rear chinlock. Bret gets up and gets caught in a back slam, and now a big leg drop. Two count. We are back to the rear chinlock. Vince is handed a note that the Undertaker will be facing the winner of this match at the Royal Rumble....whatever happened to building a feud? Cornette whacks Bret with the racket, and the Bulldog puts him back in the chinlock. Hart gets up and runs his shoulder into Davey but gets slung chest first into the corner and down he goes. Davey goes for the pin but Bret saves himself by putting his foot on the ropes. He follows up with a back body drop and now another chin lock. After running the ropes Bret is able to catapult him, and follow up with an inverted atomic drop and a headbutt to the sternum and a running bulldog for two. Bret catches a running Davey and gives him a big piledriver but he is slow in making the cover only getting a two count. Hart goes to the middle rope, and drops his patented elbow; he places Davey on the top rope, but Davey grabs him and tosses him crotch first onto the top rope, and Bret topples to the floor. Davey goes out after him and gives him a big chop that sends Bret crashing into the steel steps. He picks up Hart and runs him back first into the post. Bret is busted open and bleeding like mad as Davey continues punishing him by flinging him into the corner again. Davey nails him with a piledriver but only gets a two count. He holds Bret up and slams him down with a big vertical suplex and gets another two count. Now gorilla press slam and a bodyslam. Davey goes up top and headbutts his posterior and he gets another two count. He stretches Bret over his body but Bret counters, and almost applies the Sharpshooter but Davey frees himself. He shoulder blocks Bret to the floor. Hart comes back into the ring and almost gets the win after a German suplex, and now they are both down after a double clothesline. Davey is out on the floor and Bret kind of flies over the top and lands on the Bulldog. He goes up to the apron and flies back but is caught and powerslams him to the floor. Davey peels the mats and goes for a suplex but Bret blocks it and crotches Davey on the rail and clotheslines him to the floor. Back in the ring he continues to punish Davey and flings him head over heels into the corner. He places Davey back up top and superplexes him and Bret can only get a two count. The roll each other up, but neither gets the fall. Davey just flips over him and crashes to the mat, and Hart hammers away. However, Davey swings him into the opposite corner, but Davey runs into a knee and Bret rolls him up and gets the win.
This is easily one of the better matches in Davey's career, or at least ones that I have seen. This was great. I mean great stuff. Bret could make me look good in the ring. To be fair Davey did a damn good job too.
Todd is with Paul Bearer and the Undertaker and God I hate Bearer.....he is all excited about the Undertaker getting a title shot. Diesel comes in and he is pissed that he is not getting a title shot and he feels he is being dodged and he and the Undertaker have a classic staredown.
The main event and the ending was pretty good....the Diesel and Owen showdown, though brief. Otherwise the event was pretty short. Mabel and the Undertaker was not too good. Diesel had a short but decent match to keep him strong. Ahmed's match was a waste of time. The opening tag match was decent and the Pig Pen match was fun but otherwise I cannot help but feel disappointed by the overall show. A great main event does not make up for mediocrity.
After a lackluster PPV where the matches were predominantly short the WWF needs to get back on track. The main event was easily the star attraction of the evening as Bret and Davey put on quite a show. The Undertaker gets a shot at the title at the Royal Rumble with no build, just given it. Then again who else is there? He has won all his matches and it is a prelude to the return of HBK setting him up to face off with Hart, so it actually works. To the credit of the WWF Diesel did confront him and was upset that he is not getting a rematch, and so this could get interesting. Nitro beat RAW again with a 2.7 to 2.3 as they build towards Starrcade their biggest event of the year, and a potential Flair v. Savage match.
Match 1: Jeff Jarrett v. Fatu
Double J struts around. They lock up, but Fatu misses with a big kick, and JJ struts again. This time Fatu decks him and then headbutts the nuts. JJ leaves the ring with Fatu in hot pursuit. He gets back in the ring, lures Fatu back, and starts to stomp away. JJ drops him on his head, but it does nothing as Fatu no sells it (hard head!) and throws some blows. JJ comes back, works over Fatu, and starts to choke him on the middle rope; he leaps on his head for good measure.
Commercial.
Fatu is down on the mat and JJ goes up to the middle rope and hits him with a double axe handle and he does it again, working the shoulder with the shots. He slings him into the corner, and does it again into the other corner. He snaps Fatu over, climbs to the second rope, but gets nailed with a right in the gut. Fatu follows up with a powerslam. Down he goes with a back body drop and he charges JJ with a big clothesline and he gets a near fall but Jarrett gets the arm up. JJ is down again after a running neckbreaker but Fatu is selling the injured shoulder and JJ gets up and runs him into the post shoulder first. Ahmed runs in and goes after JJ who quickly skedaddles from the ring. And JJ wins via DQ.
Not much here but it was good for angle advancement in JJ's feud with Ahmed. So I am taking it Dean is done for?
Doc is with Gorilla Monsoon and he is all ecstatic about the Royal Rumble. He asks Gorilla about Diesel being upset, and Monsoon tells him to suck it up and be a big boy. Doc asks about who else will be in the Rumble and JJ got his name tossed out and he is to face Ahmed Johnson instead. Doc insists millions want to get in the Rumble, and Monsoon reassures him that names will be dropped starting this weekend.
They go to Goldust who is breathing heavily, and whispering about his unbreakable bond between himself and Razor. Razor will remember the name: Goldust.
The go back to the confrontation between Diesel and Undertaker after the PPV. Which I think I accidentally deleted from my analysis. For some reason I only vaguely remember it.
Match 2: Buddy Landell v. Bob Holly
Doc is shilling out some more stuff: the WrestleMania videogame. A Ric Flair wannabe....come on WWF, this is almost as bad as the Renegade, almost. Holly takes him down a couple of times and Buddy comes back with a couple of blows and then a few more but Holly fires back and Buddy runs into a boot. They exchange arm bars until Landell clotheslines him and then Landell flings him into the corner. Buddy is in control; he takes Holly to the mat and keeps working on the arm. Holly is up, swings him into the corner, but just stands there and allows Landell to kick him in the head. Landell starts to work the legs and neck and it does not look painful. Holly is up but he gets caught and back body dropped, and another submission move is applied but Holly counters with a DDT. Landell keeps knocking him down, but Holly keeps popping back up. Now he starts wailing on Landell in the corner. Holly flips him over with a headscissors, followed up with a couple of clotheslines, but Landell suckers him and drops an elbow for the win.
I have to look this guy up as he is supposedly a veteran, but the Flair wannabe gets the win in a decent but overlong match, especially seeing as he got squashed at the PPV.
Brother Love is with Ted DiBiase, and he asks him about Santa last night at the PPV. It was not Santa Claus but Xanta Klaus, and he is from the Southpole and he is like the Million Dollar Man and he takes whatever he wants. 1996 is going to be the year of the Million Dollar Corporation and the Million Dollar Champion because everyone has a price. Xanta Klaus? Fuck me.
Advertisement for the RAW Bowl on New Years Day.
Match 3: Yokozuna v. Razor Ramon (c) for IC Title
Goldust is in the crowd watching for the arrival of Razor Ramon. Yoko decks Razor after the gold flecks fell from the ceiling left Razor baffled. Yoko though gets knocked to the floor. Yoko climbs back in, and Razor applies a side headlock but gets caught and slammed. Yoko misses with the elbow and Razor works on the arm yanking on it, ramming himself into Yoko. Razor comes off the ropes and clotheslines Yoko and tries to do it again but gets pushed to the floor and he just comes back in and unwisely goes for a sunset flip, but cannot get him over and Yoko drops down, but no one is home. Yoko goes after the arm and headbutts Razor in the corner. Yoko applies a nerve hold on Razor's neck and shoulder. Razor is up but gets dropped right back down with a big clothesline. However, Razor comes back as he slugs away and Yoko is wobbly and Razor hits him with a running punch.
Commercial.
Yoko was in control but Razor fires back but so does Yoko, and Ramon is on his knees as Yoko pounds away. Razor comes back and knocks Yoko to the mat again. Yoko is back up and Razor gets whipped into the corner, but now he comes back with a bulldog. The Undertaker comes down with a casket and Yoko runs away. Ramon wins via count out.
It was not quite main event material but it was okay.
Doc is with Razor and he wonders how he feels about Goldust. Goldust sent him a letter about how hot he is, and he agrees, but he only does those things with women. He does not care what Goldust does just not with him.
They do a horrible video package titled: "Say it Ain't so Shawn." It is highlights of his career with a maudlin song in the background. This is terrible and I mean really, really bad.
This is not how to follow up a PPV. The WWF cannot retain any sort of consistency. WCW is not much better, but the WCW title is in play nearly every episode, and they mention the PPV more too. The WWF is still going by the soon to be defunct adage of only showing the champ and other top stars on a couple of episodes a month and rarely on the same one. It works in the sense that it builds suspense and anticipation for their arrival, and for the PPV's but at the same time it stunts angle development and with Nitro now winning in the ratings the past couple of weeks, and RAW being preempted next week, it would behoove the WWF to change their ways and to bring out the big guns, if not every week, at least more often. To be fair there was some decent wrestling and there is plenty of time until the Rumble.
Match 1: Jeff Jarrett v. Fatu
Double J struts around. They lock up, but Fatu misses with a big kick, and JJ struts again. This time Fatu decks him and then headbutts the nuts. JJ leaves the ring with Fatu in hot pursuit. He gets back in the ring, lures Fatu back, and starts to stomp away. JJ drops him on his head, but it does nothing as Fatu no sells it (hard head!) and throws some blows. JJ comes back, works over Fatu, and starts to choke him on the middle rope; he leaps on his head for good measure.
Commercial.
Fatu is down on the mat and JJ goes up to the middle rope and hits him with a double axe handle and he does it again, working the shoulder with the shots. He slings him into the corner, and does it again into the other corner. He snaps Fatu over, climbs to the second rope, but gets nailed with a right in the gut. Fatu follows up with a powerslam. Down he goes with a back body drop and he charges JJ with a big clothesline and he gets a near fall but Jarrett gets the arm up. JJ is down again after a running neckbreaker but Fatu is selling the injured shoulder and JJ gets up and runs him into the post shoulder first. Ahmed runs in and goes after JJ who quickly skedaddles from the ring. And JJ wins via DQ.
Not much here but it was good for angle advancement in JJ's feud with Ahmed. So I am taking it Dean is done for?
Doc is with Gorilla Monsoon and he is all ecstatic about the Royal Rumble. He asks Gorilla about Diesel being upset, and Monsoon tells him to suck it up and be a big boy. Doc asks about who else will be in the Rumble and JJ got his name tossed out and he is to face Ahmed Johnson instead. Doc insists millions want to get in the Rumble, and Monsoon reassures him that names will be dropped starting this weekend.
They go to Goldust who is breathing heavily, and whispering about his unbreakable bond between himself and Razor. Razor will remember the name: Goldust.
The go back to the confrontation between Diesel and Undertaker after the PPV. Which I think I accidentally deleted from my analysis. For some reason I only vaguely remember it.
Match 2: Buddy Landell v. Bob Holly
Doc is shilling out some more stuff: the WrestleMania videogame. A Ric Flair wannabe....come on WWF, this is almost as bad as the Renegade, almost. Holly takes him down a couple of times and Buddy comes back with a couple of blows and then a few more but Holly fires back and Buddy runs into a boot. They exchange arm bars until Landell clotheslines him and then Landell flings him into the corner. Buddy is in control; he takes Holly to the mat and keeps working on the arm. Holly is up, swings him into the corner, but just stands there and allows Landell to kick him in the head. Landell starts to work the legs and neck and it does not look painful. Holly is up but he gets caught and back body dropped, and another submission move is applied but Holly counters with a DDT. Landell keeps knocking him down, but Holly keeps popping back up. Now he starts wailing on Landell in the corner. Holly flips him over with a headscissors, followed up with a couple of clotheslines, but Landell suckers him and drops an elbow for the win.
I have to look this guy up as he is supposedly a veteran, but the Flair wannabe gets the win in a decent but overlong match, especially seeing as he got squashed at the PPV.
Brother Love is with Ted DiBiase, and he asks him about Santa last night at the PPV. It was not Santa Claus but Xanta Klaus, and he is from the Southpole and he is like the Million Dollar Man and he takes whatever he wants. 1996 is going to be the year of the Million Dollar Corporation and the Million Dollar Champion because everyone has a price. Xanta Klaus? Fuck me.
Advertisement for the RAW Bowl on New Years Day.
Match 3: Yokozuna v. Razor Ramon (c) for IC Title
Goldust is in the crowd watching for the arrival of Razor Ramon. Yoko decks Razor after the gold flecks fell from the ceiling left Razor baffled. Yoko though gets knocked to the floor. Yoko climbs back in, and Razor applies a side headlock but gets caught and slammed. Yoko misses with the elbow and Razor works on the arm yanking on it, ramming himself into Yoko. Razor comes off the ropes and clotheslines Yoko and tries to do it again but gets pushed to the floor and he just comes back in and unwisely goes for a sunset flip, but cannot get him over and Yoko drops down, but no one is home. Yoko goes after the arm and headbutts Razor in the corner. Yoko applies a nerve hold on Razor's neck and shoulder. Razor is up but gets dropped right back down with a big clothesline. However, Razor comes back as he slugs away and Yoko is wobbly and Razor hits him with a running punch.
Commercial.
Yoko was in control but Razor fires back but so does Yoko, and Ramon is on his knees as Yoko pounds away. Razor comes back and knocks Yoko to the mat again. Yoko is back up and Razor gets whipped into the corner, but now he comes back with a bulldog. The Undertaker comes down with a casket and Yoko runs away. Ramon wins via count out.
It was not quite main event material but it was okay.
Doc is with Razor and he wonders how he feels about Goldust. Goldust sent him a letter about how hot he is, and he agrees, but he only does those things with women. He does not care what Goldust does just not with him.
They do a horrible video package titled: "Say it Ain't so Shawn." It is highlights of his career with a maudlin song in the background. This is terrible and I mean really, really bad.
This is not how to follow up a PPV. The WWF cannot retain any sort of consistency. WCW is not much better, but the WCW title is in play nearly every episode, and they mention the PPV more too. The WWF is still going by the soon to be defunct adage of only showing the champ and other top stars on a couple of episodes a month and rarely on the same one. It works in the sense that it builds suspense and anticipation for their arrival, and for the PPV's but at the same time it stunts angle development and with Nitro now winning in the ratings the past couple of weeks, and RAW being preempted next week, it would behoove the WWF to change their ways and to bring out the big guns, if not every week, at least more often. To be fair there was some decent wrestling and there is plenty of time until the Rumble.
It is the go home show for the biggest WCW PPV of the year. Since Savage has won the belt he has played second string to Hogan. The constant infighting between Hogan and his cronies has become really old. I am still baffled by the WWIII outcome and why Hogan did not get a title shot, but apparently he is getting one after Starrcade if Savage is champ, and it seems like that will happen otherwise why hype up the match. Last week Nitro was pretty good, and was probably the best one since the last PPV as it was more coherent and it brought the Giant back into the title picture and it allowed Hogan to get his match for the title. Nitro is on at Christmas and it has no competition this week as the WWF did not tape a show. Despite going unopposed and being the go home TWNP and Wikipedia has Nitro at a 2.5 but it is Christmas, so the rating is understandable as Nitro has been fairly consistent since it started.
Match 1: Lex Luger v. Scotty Riggs
Luger knocks him down and Mongo basically says that Riggs is no match for Luger, way to build up the talent there genius. Despite Mongo saying that he sucks Riggs goes off and hits a couple of dropkicks. Luger is on the floor. He is throwing a fit as Hart is trying to calm him down. After pouting Luger reenters the ring and pushes Riggs into the corner where he rams his head into the opposite corner. However he misses a running elbow and Riggs takes him down and applies an arm bar. He then slams the arm on the ropes, and then reapplies the arm bar. Riggs is still working on the arm and there is an Irish whip and Riggs goes for a dropkick but Luger grabs the ropes. Riggs comes right back with a flying cross body but Luger escapes a suplex and puts a front one on Riggs and hangs him on the ropes and then pushes him to the floor. Now Luger suplexes Riggs back into the ring. He swings Riggs into the corner, and walks right into a boot and cradles Luger for a two count. Riggs climbs to the top, nobody is home, and Luger scoop slams him and then puts him in the Rack. Game over.
Riggs did not look bad but whatever push the Males had is clearly over. Luger had a couple more moves this match but he is still reliant only on a couple, and his looks of course.
Gene is on the ramp and here comes Sting. He wants to know what is up with Sting and Luger: Sting is upset about it and that he is doing whatever he can to steer him in the right direction. He is also going to take out Flair at Starrcade. They pretty much tell us that Flair will not win tonight as they keep bringing him up for the Triangle Match.
Match 2: Big Bubba v. Sting
Bubba starts off strong and Sting Hulks up, but Bubba takes him right back down, and then hits a backbreaker. Sting blocks a punch and gives one right back to Bubba. He then kicks him and Bubba flees the ring holding his head. Sting comes from behind and jams Bubba's face into the mat. Bubba finally gets back in the ring, and Sting calls to the crowd and Bubba attacks the arm but Sting reverses it and tries to take it out of the socket but before he can Bubba rakes the eyes. Bubba hits his own Stinger Splash, and puts him in a chin lock. Sting is up and plants some elbows but Bubba catches him with a knee and a shoulder. Atomic drop now and Sting gets thrown to the floor. Bubba is right behind him, but Sting fights back, and rolls him back into the ring. Sting is on the top rope but Bubba stops him with a thumb to the eye but Sting rolls him up and Bubba plays dead and Sting wins.
Bubba looked better than Sting, and the match was not too bad except for the poor ending.
Gene, wearing a Santa hat, is with Luger and Hart. He asks Luger what is going on between him and Sting. Luger replies that they have been friends for a decade and they will remain that way. He is still the uncrowned champion and will win at Starrcade. Pittman comes down and Luger looks confused. He says that he has no bone to pick with Luger, and just wants Hart to manage him. Hart has him take off his shirt and compares him to Luger. He makes fun of Pittman and tells him to beat it and Pittman yells he will find a manager.
Match 3: Dean Malenko v. JL
Dean dropkicks JL from behind. JL is whipped into the ropes and Dean hoists him up and down goes JL. They reverse some moves and JL almost gets a pin until he is kicked but JL takes down Dean after he tried a tilt a whirl slam. JL flies and nails Dean. Dean is on the apron and JL suplexes him back into the ring. JL is in some sort of back bridge and then almost gets a pin. Dean comes back but JL flips onto the apron. He picks up JL from the top and hits a front backbreaker and then forces JL to submit.
Shorter than their earlier matches but still pretty solid. Some awkward spots but still good.
Gene is back, hat and all, this time with Flair. Gene wants to know if it will be his 12th title. Flair starts off by saying he is going to win. Hart taps him on the back and apologizes for what Sullivan did last week. Hart says that he owes Ric for saving his life. Hart butters him up and wants to be at ringside to see Flair become the next champ and Flair says no problem.
Match 4: Ric Flair v. Randy Savage (c) for WCW Championship
The crowd is torn between the two. They lock up and Savage pushes him into the corner. Flair comes out from the corner, pokes the eye, and drops Savage but misses with a knee drop. Savage drags Flair and bounces his knee off the post and then applies the Figure Four. Flair manages to make his way to the ropes but Savage will not break it and the ref is not too insistent but finally it is broken. Savage pounds Flair in the corner. Flair counters with an inverted atomic drop and tries for the Figure Four but Savage rolls him up for two. Savage is tossed to the floor and Hart kicks him a few times. Flair is now out on the floor going after Savage, and he is swinging him into the railing. Savage grabs a chair but the ref takes it away. Flair flips him back into the ring. He puts the boots to Savage after Hart choked him out. Flair pounces on Savage's arm and uses the ropes as leverage. Irish whip and Savage ducks a clothesline, and takes down Flair with his own. Savage going for a backslide and gets it but only a bare two count. Flair is begging Savage off but suckers him and kicks him in the nuts. Flair has him up and drops him with a suplex and gets a two count. Flair just pounds on Savage's head. Savage is in the corner and Flair is punishing him but Savage fights him off starts wailing away and Flair is down with a back body drop. Out on the floor Savage goes for a double axe from the top and Flair sees it coming and slugs Savage in the gut. Back in the ring Savage is able to apply the sleeper and Flair is able to pick him and slam to the mat. Flair drapes the leg on the bottom rope and jumps on it. Flair locks in the Figure Four using the ropes. Savage grabbed the ropes but it was fleeting. He is able to grab them again and the hold is broken. Savage gets kicked in the knee and down he goes. Flair goes to the top, Savage hops up and press slams him to the mat, and hits a clothesline but is stopped with a thumb to the eye and now it is Flair's turn to lock in the sleeper but Savage is able to lead him into the turnbuckle and both are down, Flair goes for a piledriver but gets a back drop instead and he gets a two count. Savage almost gets the win with a double axe handle. Hart grabs Savage's leg and gets decked. He starts pounding on Savage and Luger comes down and attacks Macho. Sting runs down and is intercepted by Flair but Flair is dismantled, and Savage takes out Luger. Sting and Savage back into each other and starts slapping, pushing and jawing.
A great main event as it was a see saw battle. The ending left the heels lying low again but it did add drama between Savage and Sting. Also, no Hogan seems to make the show better as he was "suspended" and maybe for the rest of 95, of course there is only a week left....they did state it could go on longer. When WCW allows the wrestling to tell the story it is good stuff. They did not overly complicated things and had a good go home show. The problem is the lack of build for the Wrestling Cup that is on the line against the Japanese. I did like how all the Triangle participants and Savage have been wrestling so they will go in tired and worn but why no Hogan and Giant rematch?
Match 1: Lex Luger v. Scotty Riggs
Luger knocks him down and Mongo basically says that Riggs is no match for Luger, way to build up the talent there genius. Despite Mongo saying that he sucks Riggs goes off and hits a couple of dropkicks. Luger is on the floor. He is throwing a fit as Hart is trying to calm him down. After pouting Luger reenters the ring and pushes Riggs into the corner where he rams his head into the opposite corner. However he misses a running elbow and Riggs takes him down and applies an arm bar. He then slams the arm on the ropes, and then reapplies the arm bar. Riggs is still working on the arm and there is an Irish whip and Riggs goes for a dropkick but Luger grabs the ropes. Riggs comes right back with a flying cross body but Luger escapes a suplex and puts a front one on Riggs and hangs him on the ropes and then pushes him to the floor. Now Luger suplexes Riggs back into the ring. He swings Riggs into the corner, and walks right into a boot and cradles Luger for a two count. Riggs climbs to the top, nobody is home, and Luger scoop slams him and then puts him in the Rack. Game over.
Riggs did not look bad but whatever push the Males had is clearly over. Luger had a couple more moves this match but he is still reliant only on a couple, and his looks of course.
Gene is on the ramp and here comes Sting. He wants to know what is up with Sting and Luger: Sting is upset about it and that he is doing whatever he can to steer him in the right direction. He is also going to take out Flair at Starrcade. They pretty much tell us that Flair will not win tonight as they keep bringing him up for the Triangle Match.
Match 2: Big Bubba v. Sting
Bubba starts off strong and Sting Hulks up, but Bubba takes him right back down, and then hits a backbreaker. Sting blocks a punch and gives one right back to Bubba. He then kicks him and Bubba flees the ring holding his head. Sting comes from behind and jams Bubba's face into the mat. Bubba finally gets back in the ring, and Sting calls to the crowd and Bubba attacks the arm but Sting reverses it and tries to take it out of the socket but before he can Bubba rakes the eyes. Bubba hits his own Stinger Splash, and puts him in a chin lock. Sting is up and plants some elbows but Bubba catches him with a knee and a shoulder. Atomic drop now and Sting gets thrown to the floor. Bubba is right behind him, but Sting fights back, and rolls him back into the ring. Sting is on the top rope but Bubba stops him with a thumb to the eye but Sting rolls him up and Bubba plays dead and Sting wins.
Bubba looked better than Sting, and the match was not too bad except for the poor ending.
Gene, wearing a Santa hat, is with Luger and Hart. He asks Luger what is going on between him and Sting. Luger replies that they have been friends for a decade and they will remain that way. He is still the uncrowned champion and will win at Starrcade. Pittman comes down and Luger looks confused. He says that he has no bone to pick with Luger, and just wants Hart to manage him. Hart has him take off his shirt and compares him to Luger. He makes fun of Pittman and tells him to beat it and Pittman yells he will find a manager.
Match 3: Dean Malenko v. JL
Dean dropkicks JL from behind. JL is whipped into the ropes and Dean hoists him up and down goes JL. They reverse some moves and JL almost gets a pin until he is kicked but JL takes down Dean after he tried a tilt a whirl slam. JL flies and nails Dean. Dean is on the apron and JL suplexes him back into the ring. JL is in some sort of back bridge and then almost gets a pin. Dean comes back but JL flips onto the apron. He picks up JL from the top and hits a front backbreaker and then forces JL to submit.
Shorter than their earlier matches but still pretty solid. Some awkward spots but still good.
Gene is back, hat and all, this time with Flair. Gene wants to know if it will be his 12th title. Flair starts off by saying he is going to win. Hart taps him on the back and apologizes for what Sullivan did last week. Hart says that he owes Ric for saving his life. Hart butters him up and wants to be at ringside to see Flair become the next champ and Flair says no problem.
Match 4: Ric Flair v. Randy Savage (c) for WCW Championship
The crowd is torn between the two. They lock up and Savage pushes him into the corner. Flair comes out from the corner, pokes the eye, and drops Savage but misses with a knee drop. Savage drags Flair and bounces his knee off the post and then applies the Figure Four. Flair manages to make his way to the ropes but Savage will not break it and the ref is not too insistent but finally it is broken. Savage pounds Flair in the corner. Flair counters with an inverted atomic drop and tries for the Figure Four but Savage rolls him up for two. Savage is tossed to the floor and Hart kicks him a few times. Flair is now out on the floor going after Savage, and he is swinging him into the railing. Savage grabs a chair but the ref takes it away. Flair flips him back into the ring. He puts the boots to Savage after Hart choked him out. Flair pounces on Savage's arm and uses the ropes as leverage. Irish whip and Savage ducks a clothesline, and takes down Flair with his own. Savage going for a backslide and gets it but only a bare two count. Flair is begging Savage off but suckers him and kicks him in the nuts. Flair has him up and drops him with a suplex and gets a two count. Flair just pounds on Savage's head. Savage is in the corner and Flair is punishing him but Savage fights him off starts wailing away and Flair is down with a back body drop. Out on the floor Savage goes for a double axe from the top and Flair sees it coming and slugs Savage in the gut. Back in the ring Savage is able to apply the sleeper and Flair is able to pick him and slam to the mat. Flair drapes the leg on the bottom rope and jumps on it. Flair locks in the Figure Four using the ropes. Savage grabbed the ropes but it was fleeting. He is able to grab them again and the hold is broken. Savage gets kicked in the knee and down he goes. Flair goes to the top, Savage hops up and press slams him to the mat, and hits a clothesline but is stopped with a thumb to the eye and now it is Flair's turn to lock in the sleeper but Savage is able to lead him into the turnbuckle and both are down, Flair goes for a piledriver but gets a back drop instead and he gets a two count. Savage almost gets the win with a double axe handle. Hart grabs Savage's leg and gets decked. He starts pounding on Savage and Luger comes down and attacks Macho. Sting runs down and is intercepted by Flair but Flair is dismantled, and Savage takes out Luger. Sting and Savage back into each other and starts slapping, pushing and jawing.
A great main event as it was a see saw battle. The ending left the heels lying low again but it did add drama between Savage and Sting. Also, no Hogan seems to make the show better as he was "suspended" and maybe for the rest of 95, of course there is only a week left....they did state it could go on longer. When WCW allows the wrestling to tell the story it is good stuff. They did not overly complicated things and had a good go home show. The problem is the lack of build for the Wrestling Cup that is on the line against the Japanese. I did like how all the Triangle participants and Savage have been wrestling so they will go in tired and worn but why no Hogan and Giant rematch?
The build up for Starrcade has been a little better than for WWIII. Perhaps more is shown on Saturday Night but that has become a showcase for mid card and squash matches with some interviews with the top stars sprinkled in. The lead to WCW's biggest PPV started out as confusing as that leading into the last PPV. The controversy surrounding the world title as the Giant was stripped and then Hogan "losing" at WWIII. I am not trying to attack Hogan but it does hurt Nitro that he cannot or will not lose. It is a cloud that is hurting Savage and the Giant too. The WWIII fiasco is puzzling because wouldn't WCW see the footage? Then they would know that he did not lose and thus requiring a rematch or stripping Savage of the title. It is asinine and there are so many holes you could drive a truck through it. WCW is doing whatever it takes to keep Hogan big: Flair, Vader, the DoD, the Giant, feuding with his friends, wearing black, going apeshit and getting suspended etc. Bischoff pounces on any positive Hogan response, and declares Hulkamania the greatest thing since the orgasm. In reality Hulkamania is diminishing as the fans are tiring of the same thing over and over since 1994 and in reality since 1984. Boos are cascading down on a more frequent basis and loud pops are becoming diminished. It is good he is taking a "break" and has not been seen too often since September. Though he did come out and wrestle more after Havoc and get involved in helping out his friends often overshadowing them, and I am sure we will see Hogan in some form at Starrcade despite being suspended. At the same time he is a big investment costing them millions and he is still a draw.....the problem like with Cena today is to find that right balance. Finally, I do not really understand the Japanese role in the PPV, they should have shown them wrestling more and maybe attacking US stars but it has just been mentioned in passing and other than that we have the Triangle match with the winner facing Savage. WCW needs to do a better job in hyping up their PPV's and hopefully as wrestling gets bigger and Nitro expands they do so. Looking at the buy rate I am rather surprised at how low it is at .35, clearly the lowest it has been for Starrcade and the lowest by far during the Nitro era despite increased ratings and exposure and the arena only had 8000 fans. The poor advertising, confusing storylines and even the lack of Hogan all contributed.
Match 1: Chris Benoit v. Jushin "Thunder" Liger
The lock up and Benoit knocks him down with a shoulder block but Liger takes him right back down. He slide kicks him on the floor. He slams him into him with a running, diving somersault. Benoit gets back in the ring. They start a test of strength with Benoit taking him down, but Liger comes back with a spinning kick and down goes Benoit. Benoit nails him with a spinning backbreaker. Benoit attempts a powerbomb, but Liger reverses it, and tosses Benoit. Benoit retreats to the floor in order to regroup. Back in the ring Benoit takes him down with a snap suplex and follows up with a back suplex. Liger is put in a half crab, Benoit releases it and gets a one count. Liger comes back with a series of slaps but Benoit counters with a German suplex getting a near fall. Liger stands on Benoit bending his arms, and legs up; he lifts him up and that does look painful. Liger applies a type of crossface and Benoit slowly gets up dropping Liger to the mat. He picks him up, but Liger falls on him. Benoit though gets right back up. He goes for a piledriver, but it is reversed, and Benoit is front slammed to the mat. Liger goes to the top but gets superplexed instead. Benoit slowly makes the cover. Liger kicks out and Benoit goes for a flying headbutt getting all mat instead. Liger is back in control; he powerbombs Benoit, but only gets two. He follows up with a brainbuster and gets a near fall. Benoit ducks a clothesline and nails Liger with a forearm and strikes with two German suplexes. He picks up Liger and powerbombs him through the mat. He climbs up and nails Liger with the flying headbutt. Sullivan came down to taunt Benoit. Benoit turns his back on Liger, so he gets rolled up for the defeat.
Great opening bout. Technically sound and fun to watch. The ending was lame but Benoit did not lose cleanly and clearly had the win. Liger looks great and while Sullivan needs to disappear from the scene it does set up a Horsemen feud, though I am unsure if the Horsemen have been victorious yet....
Gene is with Eddie Guerrero who is stumbling through his interview while he is upset that Sullivan interfered in the match he is happy to be here to fight for WCW.
Match 2: Koji Kanemoto (c) IWGP Champ v. Alex Wright
They lock up a couple of times but no one gets the upper hand. The third time is a charm as Alex taks Koji down and works on the arm but Koji back up on his feet and nails a leg take down and starts kicking the leg. Wright gets back to his feet and strikes with an enzuiguiri and yanks on the arm and begins to twist it around. Wright is hitting some nice moves with a big arm drag and a couple of head scissors take downs. He flies right into Koji and out and dumps him onto the floor. Alex gets back in the ring and slide kicks and then nails him with a flying cross body. Koji is upset on the floor and not really selling Alex's moves. Back in the ring he walks right into a snap mare and sitting headlock. Wright is dominating this match, a standing dropkick to the back of his head but Koji comes back with a series of karate chops and snap mares Wright to the mat. Koji spin kicks Alex onto the head and then lays him on the ropes in the corner and just punishes Alex with a standing dropkick. He is trying to suplex him back in the ring but cannot so he dropkicks him again. Alex is now not doing too much selling as Koji dives onto him from the mat to the floor. Alex flings Koji into the railing, and Alex climbs back into the ring. Alex tries to suplex him back into the ring, but Koji counters, and rolls him up for a two count. Koji goes up top and lands on Alex with a vicious moonsault but does not go for the pin. Alex back suplexes him and holds him and gets a two count and Alex is back in control as nails Koji with a running elbow and then slams him. Alex goes for the pin but Koji gets his leg on the rope. Both are down as the ref counts. Alex almost gets the victory after a flying cross body. Koji spin kicks him into oblivion, and then connects with another moonsault: he gets another close call. Koji goes up again but gets met with a dropkick and Alex follows up with a missile dropkick and then a superplex. Wright almost gets the win. Koji comes right back with a neckbreaker, and then rolls up Wright for the win.
This match was deceptive as it started slow and there was some no selling, but it was non-stop. The crowd was really into it like they were with the previous match. I was impressed. Two great matches so far.
Mean Gene is with Sonny Oono and he wants to buy WCW and then Iowa. Gene, not knowing the irony of this statement that will haunt WCW five years later, says WCW is not for sale but he is unsure of Iowa. Sonny responds that everything is for sale in USA (true).
Match 3: Masahiro Chono v. Lex Luger
It is sad that Luger will probably win and great wrestlers like Benoit lose, because Luger's skills are mediocre at best. Well, nothing is fair in wrestling as in life. The fans erupt for Luger and the fans chant his name. They stand face to face, and jaw at each other. Luger punches and kicks him; down goes Chono with a shoulder block. He comes right back by dropping him behind his back with a gorilla press slam. Chono though takes down Luger and then kicks him in the throat. Luger departs the ring, and is taking his sweet time. Chono finally goes out after him. Luger is meeting with Hart and finally climbs onto the apron. He is back in the ring and they tease a test of strength and Luger sucker punches him, and then runs him pillar to post. Chono reverses a suplex and it did not look too good and he goes after Luger with a knees to the chest and throat. Chono is raking the face and Luger fights back with some blows but gets caught in a sleeper and Chono applies the STF. Luger is crawling to the ropes and is able to grab it. Chono is in charge, connects with an inverted atomic drop, and then kicks him in the head again and slowly climbs to the top, but meets the back of Luger's elbow. Luger puts Chono in the Rack and it is over.
Wisely WCW limited the time of this match, and Chono did his best to make Luger look good. To be fair Luger is capable of a decent match, and did not look too bad. The Rack really does not look that painful but they sell it like it is the greatest move as they tap quickly thus giving Luger some mystique, or something like that. Ran out of adjectives.
Gene is with Sting who is happy that Luger won and Badd who is up next will win too. He wants revenge for losing the US belt in Japan. He is also ready for the Triangle Match. He is working things out with Macho and he is going to win that Match and take on Savage.
Match 4: Johnny B. Badd (c) TV Title v. Masa Saito
Kimberly is running to the ring doing cartwheels and bouncing all over the place, a little too happy for my taste but she is cute, so whatever. Sonny wants Kimberly to leave and Kimberly grabs the mic and says something derogatory and then says that if the ring is just for men that what is Sonny doing here and he is flabbergasted and cannot respond so he just leaves the ring. They lock up and break it off and Masa gives a slight bow. Masa comes back at him and Masa takes him down and then does so again and applies a chinlock. Badd gets up and Masa grabs the back of his hairs and yanks him back to the mat. They start slugging each other and they are just wailing away on each other until Saito decks him in the throat. Badd is on the mat and getting the life choked out of him on the mat and Sonny uses the Japanese flag to choke him too. Saito hits a belly to back suplex and gets a two count. Masa follows it up with a suplex, and is now sitting on his head choking him on the ropes. Sonny helps with that too as the ref is distracted. Saito is dominating and gets another two count after a Russian leg sweep. Badd comes back with a knee lift, and goes to the top connecting with a double axe handle, back to the top and a sunset flip takeover for two. They exchange blows again and Badd takes him down and gets a snap suplex. Sonny is on the apron and Badd chokes him and Masa grabs him from behind and flips him over the top and gets disqualified.....What the fuck?
The match was going well but the ending makes no sense, people go over the top rope all the time. I hate the rule but it was done to give Japan the win without making Badd eat a pinfall.
Gene is with Hart and Luger. Lex is flexing and grinning like a drunk at the camera. Hart is asked about Sullivan, and he says that the Horsemen will be in a lot of trouble. Poor Horsemen, stuck with feuding with the DoD because no one else wants to. Luger says that he Flair and Sting are synonymous with excellence. They are the best in the business, and he is going to beat Savage. Luger wants to walk that aisle alone without Jimmy for the Triangle Match.
Match 5: Shinjiro Ootani v. Eddie Guerrero
The fans are chanting Eddie as they finally lock up. My initial prediction is that Eddie will lose, thus only giving the upper card WCW guys the victories. Ootani takes him down and is working on the arm, using his hair as leverage. Ootani is a little rule breaker, he rakes the eyes but Eddie responds with a kick to the back of the head. Ootani is trying to twist Eddie's knee off. They go back and forth and Eddie just flipped him out of the ring with a head scissors. They slowly lock up and Eddie drops kicks him and somersaults over the ropes and turns him over into a Boston Crab, more of a half crab as Ootani crawls to the ropes and finally gets there. Eddie rolls him up and almost gets the win. He does not allow Ootani to get his bearings as he busts him up with a brainbuster, and then a running clothesline. Ootani comes back with a springboard dropkick; then a flying crossbody from the top onto the floor. Ootani is working over Eddie and applies a sleeper but Eddie gets out with a lateral press. Ootani counters right back with a German suplex and two count. Ootani is up top, and Eddie just frankensteiners him off the top and gets a near fall and the fans love it. He follows up with a Razor's Edge style powerbomb and gets a two count. But Ootani takes him right back down. He tries to break his leg and Eddie is able to get to the ropes. Eddie ducks as Ootani runs at him and out goes Ootani and now they are on the floor and Eddie runs him into the railing and then jumps onto the apron and springs back right onto Ootani. Back on the apron and Ootani is able to suplex Eddie into the ring. The back of Eddie's head was taken off with a missile dropkick, and goes for his finisher, but Eddie is able to roll him up and they do that over and over and finally Ootani is able to roll up Eddie for the win.
Great match! Eddie is loved by the fans and great in the ring so why not push him? He has not really lost since September and has had some great matches but at the same time he should be on Nitro more often and in the title hunt, US to start out with. Nevertheless great, great stuff and too bad the big boys only win and Badd due to a lame stipulation.
Gene is with Savage in the back, and mentions his match coming up along with the Triangle Match. Savage wants to discuss one thing at a time, he and Stinger are buddies and while he was rooting for Luger but that will change later tonight. He says Infinity and Beyond twice, and that he is also in the zone when Gene mentions he spoke to Hogan earlier who wanted to know what frame of mind he was in.
Match 6: Tensan v. Macho Man Randy Savage (c)
The crowd is fired up as the two lock up, and circle around the ring with Savage pushing him into the corner. They do it again but Tensan kicks him in the gut when they are separated. He is kicking Savage around and choking him in the corner. Tensan has him on the mat with a front facelock and Savage is just getting punished in the corner with kicks, punches, headbutts and now is getting choked. Savage is fighting back but Tensan does not feel it and just knocks Savage right back down. The match so far is all punching and kicking as Tensan is mauling him and now kicks him flush in the head and down goes Savage. Tensan continues his assault with a karate chop to the chest and Savage rolls to the floor. Tensan quickly follows him out, throws him into the post, and then the rail and starts stomping on him. Savage is thrown back into the ring and he picks up Savage on his shoulders and just drops him back to the mat. Tensan tries to finish him off with a flying headbutt but gets two. He goes back up but missed with the moonsault. Savage clotheslines him from behind and tries to suplex him but it is a busted move and looks quite sad. I guess Tensan is out because Savage climbs to the top and wins with the Flying Elbow....
Boy was that sudden. Most of his matches have ended like that lately. He got his ass kicked for almost ten minutes and gets two offensive moves for the win. Nothing great here as his last two PPV matches have been mediocre.
Gene is in the back and he calls in Flair who is wearing his Golds Gym shirt (I wonder if Flair has ever made a good investment or married someone that did not divorce him or beat his ass). Flair is excited about the WCW v. Japan battle but it all comes down to the WCW title and he will style and profile, and reminds Sting that to be the man, he will be the man. Also, he will be fresh for the match later tonight.
Match 7: Kensuki Sasaki v. Sting
Sasaki attacks and pounds away on Sting. Sting comes back with a series of punches and then nails a Stinger Splash, but gets bulldogged when he goes for a second. Sting though regains the initiative with a dropkick and then clothesline him out of the ring (isn't that over the top rope?). He tries his gorilla press slam but gets power slammed instead. Sasaki drops Sting on his head and mugs for the crowd. He goes after the arm as the crowd chants USA. He breaks the hold and stomps on Sting and then whips him to the mat with an arm drag. Sasaki puts Sting in his own finisher. Sting is able to get up and out and thus kind of ruins the mystique of the move. Sasaki gets kicked in the head as Sting shows some aerial competence. However Sasaki grabs him and attempts an awkward running slam but Sting is able to clothesline him and then apply the Deathlock and Sasaki is trying to get out and he cannot.
The fans are going apeshit. Savage comes out and hugs him as does Wright, Guerrero and Badd and Savage is hugging everyone. The match had to be short because Sting is fighting next. Not as good as Sasaki's match against Benoit last month but did its job, Sasaki controlled the early part and he did not tap out right away.
Gene is in the ring with Team WCW and he is excited and wants this to become a tradition at Starrcade (doubtful due to the low buyrate). Sting chants USA and Eddie and Chris are not American but oh well, and Alex is German and so maybe this is why they lost.
Match 8: Triangle Match for Title Shot, Lex Luger v. Sting v. Ric Flair
Okay two people start off via coin toss and they can tag the other person in at any time....not quite a three way and seems overly complicated. The three circle each other and it is Flair and Sting starting out and the fans are loving Flair as he flexes and struts. They lock up but neither get the advantage and they glare at each other. Sting hits his patented gorilla press slam, and then a clothesline; he gets a two count. He goes for the Deathlock, but Flair is right at the ropes, and then he gets out of the ring. Flair is back in and applies a hammerlock. Flair pushes him into the corner. He decks Sting and he topples to the mat and then he goes right back after the arm. Flair struts and Sting struts right back at him and then Sting does another press slam and then leaps on Flair in the corner punching and biting him. Flair is bulldogged and he scrambles out of the ring and Sting follows but he no sells everything including two swings into the rail. Back in the ring he goes for a dropkick but Flair sidesteps and down goes Sting. Flair is in control and tosses Sting over the top and Dusty is worried the ref saw it as it is a DQ, stupid rule. They are both back in the ring. Flair is taunting Luger with a tag and then drops a knee on Sting and goes for a series of pins but only gets two counts. Flair is stalking him with kicks and then a suplex and he no sells it and pops right back up and it is annoying when he does it. He connects with another press slam! He comes right back with a superplex. He goes for the pin and Luger stops it and Flair pushes Sting into Luger and he tags himself in. Flair is strutting down the aisle as eh tries to leave and Luger follows and carries him back to the ring. Luger is yelling at him to fight and he kicks Luger and then walks over and kicks Sting, classic. Luger knocks him down a couple of times and now another gorilla slam. Luger hits Flair in the neck ten times, and gets a two count. Flair rakes the eyes then takes a breather. Flair's recovered, goes right at the leg continuing to attack it. He hangs Luger out of the ring, well his legs over the apron and grabs a chair smacking the knees. He continues the attack on the knee and leg in the corner and all over the ring for that matter. Flair decides to jaw at Sting but then goes back at the knee and puts Luger in the Figure Four. He slaps Luger and this just pisses him off and it is reversed, Flair grabs the ropes and goes up top but gets slammed to the mat but pops back up but Luger has the advantage. Flair is jawing at both and then tags in Sting. Luger and Sting are just looking at each other and Sting puts out his hand and they shake, ah that was sweet. They lock up and Luger pushes him into the corner and the ref pulls them apart. Now it is Sting's turn and now they are about to lock up again but Luger kicks him. But Sting takes the reins and takes him down and now Luger is begging for mercy in the corner. Now they are eyeing each other and start circling one another. Luger drives him into the corner but runs into a boot and then a jogging knee (not quite running) but Luger counters with a big clothesline. Luger picks him up and throws him onto the top rope and then kicks him out of the ring. Sting though stops him with a gut punch on the floor and then hits a flying cross body for two. Sting climbs to the top and leaps for a Swagger Bomb but eats knees and both are down. Luger is up first and drops some fists and elbows on Sting and he goes for the pin and Sting just puts his hand out and grabs the ropes. Luger goes for a kick but Sting catches it and kicks him in return and decks him to the mat. Sting is trying to turn over Luger for the Deathlock but Luger is right by the ropes and he grabs them and then nuts Sting with his fist. Luger picks him up and takes him down with an inverted atomic drop. Sting though is able to get two quick pin attempts but only for two. Luger attempts a suplex but Sting hooks the leg and reverses it, now both are down. Irish whip and Sting kicks Luger and bulldogs him and is now running him post to post and then hits a Stinger Splash but delays the second and Luger moves and puts Sting in the Rack but the ref gets knocked down and Flair comes from behind and takes out Luger's knee and then tosses Sting out and both are counted out. Sting tried to get back in but Luger grabbed him....Flair wins! Sting is staring down at Luger, and just walks away. Hart runs down to congratulate Flair and gives him a shoulder rub: Flair says don't touch me (funny shit).
While the crowd died during the match, and it was not a technical masterpiece, it was still decent. Sting looked a little better and did some different moves. They were protected by having a double count out, but it would have been good to have a legit pin but in this era of big stars that is hard to come by though Savage did pin Luger back in October, so once again I am wrong. Kind of. Fuck that shit, I am never wrong.
Match 9: Ric Flair v. Randy Savage (c) for WCW Championship
The bell rings and they lock up. Savage backslides him to the mat for a two count. Savage takes off his shirt, and throws it at Flair. Flair comes back with a chop but his next punch is blocked, and Savage takes him down with a series of blows and Flair is down in the corner. They pan to Mr. Wonderful who is watching the match with an angry look on his face. Flair is able to take Savage down and goes for the Figure Four but gets kicked off of him. Savage is pounding on Flair. He tosses him into the corner, and Flair flips out to the floor but catches Savage in the gut when he goes for the double axe. Flair is now working him over by the rail and rams his arm off the post. Back in the ring Flair is working over the arm and of course he is using the ropes for leverage. Flair continues to pound on the arm, and starts to yank on it. However, Savage grabs his face and tries to tear it off, but Flair is able to continue the punishment on the arm by dropping a knee on it. Savage fights back with some punches only to be put into a sleeper. Savage though is back in control, takes Flair down getting a couple near falls. Savage attempts another double axe, but gets punched in the gut again. Jimmy has the ref distracted, throws in the megaphone, and Flair attempts to hit Savage with it. Yet Savage is able to grab it and busts Flair open. He looks a little lost but is able to strike with the Flying Elbow, but Hart still has the ref distracted, and as to why this does not lead to a DQ no one knows because the ref keeps getting after Hart. Pillman and Benoit run down to the ring, and Pillman is up top and gets thrown into Benoit and Savage attacks Pillman in corner. AA takes down Savage and rolls a brutally bloodied Flair on top of Savage and he gets the win.
It was a good back and forth match as they just brawled most of the time. Savage's title reign was not good as he needed Hogan to help him and while he had a lot of matches, it just was a horrible title reign and I hope this leads to a good long feud against Flair. I am confused as to why Flair was not DQ'd as it was blatant interference. Oh well the match was still pretty good, and it was Flair who went over and not Luger or Hogan so that is a positive. However, a DQ would have sucked. The Horsemen finally win. And I hope that this becomes a feud.
I am really surprised at how good this PPV was. It had some really solid wrestling throughout. Poor Eddie and Benoit but I should not get stuck on them as they had the two best matches, and they looked good. Luger and Sting's match was clearly the weakest but it was made up during the Triangle match, and Savage did not look good during his earlier match. The Badd match was solid until the asinine ending. Alex Wright also had a really good match and the main event was fun as Savage and Flair always put on a good show. It clearly could have had more time, around five minutes more. A couple of matches got short changed as the show did not reach 2.5 hours. Yet it was enjoyable and with the proper build could have had a better buy rate. It was a Wednesday but still....the arena looked pretty full and the crowd was pretty hot throughout it go quiet during some matches even the Triangle match but picked up again in the main event. As of right now WCW is better without Hogan. However, you have to put over midcard guys more. This is something that plagues wrestling today. You need to give new guys a legitimate shot and have them win, give them a push....and see what happens.
Match 1: Chris Benoit v. Jushin "Thunder" Liger
The lock up and Benoit knocks him down with a shoulder block but Liger takes him right back down. He slide kicks him on the floor. He slams him into him with a running, diving somersault. Benoit gets back in the ring. They start a test of strength with Benoit taking him down, but Liger comes back with a spinning kick and down goes Benoit. Benoit nails him with a spinning backbreaker. Benoit attempts a powerbomb, but Liger reverses it, and tosses Benoit. Benoit retreats to the floor in order to regroup. Back in the ring Benoit takes him down with a snap suplex and follows up with a back suplex. Liger is put in a half crab, Benoit releases it and gets a one count. Liger comes back with a series of slaps but Benoit counters with a German suplex getting a near fall. Liger stands on Benoit bending his arms, and legs up; he lifts him up and that does look painful. Liger applies a type of crossface and Benoit slowly gets up dropping Liger to the mat. He picks him up, but Liger falls on him. Benoit though gets right back up. He goes for a piledriver, but it is reversed, and Benoit is front slammed to the mat. Liger goes to the top but gets superplexed instead. Benoit slowly makes the cover. Liger kicks out and Benoit goes for a flying headbutt getting all mat instead. Liger is back in control; he powerbombs Benoit, but only gets two. He follows up with a brainbuster and gets a near fall. Benoit ducks a clothesline and nails Liger with a forearm and strikes with two German suplexes. He picks up Liger and powerbombs him through the mat. He climbs up and nails Liger with the flying headbutt. Sullivan came down to taunt Benoit. Benoit turns his back on Liger, so he gets rolled up for the defeat.
Great opening bout. Technically sound and fun to watch. The ending was lame but Benoit did not lose cleanly and clearly had the win. Liger looks great and while Sullivan needs to disappear from the scene it does set up a Horsemen feud, though I am unsure if the Horsemen have been victorious yet....
Gene is with Eddie Guerrero who is stumbling through his interview while he is upset that Sullivan interfered in the match he is happy to be here to fight for WCW.
Match 2: Koji Kanemoto (c) IWGP Champ v. Alex Wright
They lock up a couple of times but no one gets the upper hand. The third time is a charm as Alex taks Koji down and works on the arm but Koji back up on his feet and nails a leg take down and starts kicking the leg. Wright gets back to his feet and strikes with an enzuiguiri and yanks on the arm and begins to twist it around. Wright is hitting some nice moves with a big arm drag and a couple of head scissors take downs. He flies right into Koji and out and dumps him onto the floor. Alex gets back in the ring and slide kicks and then nails him with a flying cross body. Koji is upset on the floor and not really selling Alex's moves. Back in the ring he walks right into a snap mare and sitting headlock. Wright is dominating this match, a standing dropkick to the back of his head but Koji comes back with a series of karate chops and snap mares Wright to the mat. Koji spin kicks Alex onto the head and then lays him on the ropes in the corner and just punishes Alex with a standing dropkick. He is trying to suplex him back in the ring but cannot so he dropkicks him again. Alex is now not doing too much selling as Koji dives onto him from the mat to the floor. Alex flings Koji into the railing, and Alex climbs back into the ring. Alex tries to suplex him back into the ring, but Koji counters, and rolls him up for a two count. Koji goes up top and lands on Alex with a vicious moonsault but does not go for the pin. Alex back suplexes him and holds him and gets a two count and Alex is back in control as nails Koji with a running elbow and then slams him. Alex goes for the pin but Koji gets his leg on the rope. Both are down as the ref counts. Alex almost gets the victory after a flying cross body. Koji spin kicks him into oblivion, and then connects with another moonsault: he gets another close call. Koji goes up again but gets met with a dropkick and Alex follows up with a missile dropkick and then a superplex. Wright almost gets the win. Koji comes right back with a neckbreaker, and then rolls up Wright for the win.
This match was deceptive as it started slow and there was some no selling, but it was non-stop. The crowd was really into it like they were with the previous match. I was impressed. Two great matches so far.
Mean Gene is with Sonny Oono and he wants to buy WCW and then Iowa. Gene, not knowing the irony of this statement that will haunt WCW five years later, says WCW is not for sale but he is unsure of Iowa. Sonny responds that everything is for sale in USA (true).
Match 3: Masahiro Chono v. Lex Luger
It is sad that Luger will probably win and great wrestlers like Benoit lose, because Luger's skills are mediocre at best. Well, nothing is fair in wrestling as in life. The fans erupt for Luger and the fans chant his name. They stand face to face, and jaw at each other. Luger punches and kicks him; down goes Chono with a shoulder block. He comes right back by dropping him behind his back with a gorilla press slam. Chono though takes down Luger and then kicks him in the throat. Luger departs the ring, and is taking his sweet time. Chono finally goes out after him. Luger is meeting with Hart and finally climbs onto the apron. He is back in the ring and they tease a test of strength and Luger sucker punches him, and then runs him pillar to post. Chono reverses a suplex and it did not look too good and he goes after Luger with a knees to the chest and throat. Chono is raking the face and Luger fights back with some blows but gets caught in a sleeper and Chono applies the STF. Luger is crawling to the ropes and is able to grab it. Chono is in charge, connects with an inverted atomic drop, and then kicks him in the head again and slowly climbs to the top, but meets the back of Luger's elbow. Luger puts Chono in the Rack and it is over.
Wisely WCW limited the time of this match, and Chono did his best to make Luger look good. To be fair Luger is capable of a decent match, and did not look too bad. The Rack really does not look that painful but they sell it like it is the greatest move as they tap quickly thus giving Luger some mystique, or something like that. Ran out of adjectives.
Gene is with Sting who is happy that Luger won and Badd who is up next will win too. He wants revenge for losing the US belt in Japan. He is also ready for the Triangle Match. He is working things out with Macho and he is going to win that Match and take on Savage.
Match 4: Johnny B. Badd (c) TV Title v. Masa Saito
Kimberly is running to the ring doing cartwheels and bouncing all over the place, a little too happy for my taste but she is cute, so whatever. Sonny wants Kimberly to leave and Kimberly grabs the mic and says something derogatory and then says that if the ring is just for men that what is Sonny doing here and he is flabbergasted and cannot respond so he just leaves the ring. They lock up and break it off and Masa gives a slight bow. Masa comes back at him and Masa takes him down and then does so again and applies a chinlock. Badd gets up and Masa grabs the back of his hairs and yanks him back to the mat. They start slugging each other and they are just wailing away on each other until Saito decks him in the throat. Badd is on the mat and getting the life choked out of him on the mat and Sonny uses the Japanese flag to choke him too. Saito hits a belly to back suplex and gets a two count. Masa follows it up with a suplex, and is now sitting on his head choking him on the ropes. Sonny helps with that too as the ref is distracted. Saito is dominating and gets another two count after a Russian leg sweep. Badd comes back with a knee lift, and goes to the top connecting with a double axe handle, back to the top and a sunset flip takeover for two. They exchange blows again and Badd takes him down and gets a snap suplex. Sonny is on the apron and Badd chokes him and Masa grabs him from behind and flips him over the top and gets disqualified.....What the fuck?
The match was going well but the ending makes no sense, people go over the top rope all the time. I hate the rule but it was done to give Japan the win without making Badd eat a pinfall.
Gene is with Hart and Luger. Lex is flexing and grinning like a drunk at the camera. Hart is asked about Sullivan, and he says that the Horsemen will be in a lot of trouble. Poor Horsemen, stuck with feuding with the DoD because no one else wants to. Luger says that he Flair and Sting are synonymous with excellence. They are the best in the business, and he is going to beat Savage. Luger wants to walk that aisle alone without Jimmy for the Triangle Match.
Match 5: Shinjiro Ootani v. Eddie Guerrero
The fans are chanting Eddie as they finally lock up. My initial prediction is that Eddie will lose, thus only giving the upper card WCW guys the victories. Ootani takes him down and is working on the arm, using his hair as leverage. Ootani is a little rule breaker, he rakes the eyes but Eddie responds with a kick to the back of the head. Ootani is trying to twist Eddie's knee off. They go back and forth and Eddie just flipped him out of the ring with a head scissors. They slowly lock up and Eddie drops kicks him and somersaults over the ropes and turns him over into a Boston Crab, more of a half crab as Ootani crawls to the ropes and finally gets there. Eddie rolls him up and almost gets the win. He does not allow Ootani to get his bearings as he busts him up with a brainbuster, and then a running clothesline. Ootani comes back with a springboard dropkick; then a flying crossbody from the top onto the floor. Ootani is working over Eddie and applies a sleeper but Eddie gets out with a lateral press. Ootani counters right back with a German suplex and two count. Ootani is up top, and Eddie just frankensteiners him off the top and gets a near fall and the fans love it. He follows up with a Razor's Edge style powerbomb and gets a two count. But Ootani takes him right back down. He tries to break his leg and Eddie is able to get to the ropes. Eddie ducks as Ootani runs at him and out goes Ootani and now they are on the floor and Eddie runs him into the railing and then jumps onto the apron and springs back right onto Ootani. Back on the apron and Ootani is able to suplex Eddie into the ring. The back of Eddie's head was taken off with a missile dropkick, and goes for his finisher, but Eddie is able to roll him up and they do that over and over and finally Ootani is able to roll up Eddie for the win.
Great match! Eddie is loved by the fans and great in the ring so why not push him? He has not really lost since September and has had some great matches but at the same time he should be on Nitro more often and in the title hunt, US to start out with. Nevertheless great, great stuff and too bad the big boys only win and Badd due to a lame stipulation.
Gene is with Savage in the back, and mentions his match coming up along with the Triangle Match. Savage wants to discuss one thing at a time, he and Stinger are buddies and while he was rooting for Luger but that will change later tonight. He says Infinity and Beyond twice, and that he is also in the zone when Gene mentions he spoke to Hogan earlier who wanted to know what frame of mind he was in.
Match 6: Tensan v. Macho Man Randy Savage (c)
The crowd is fired up as the two lock up, and circle around the ring with Savage pushing him into the corner. They do it again but Tensan kicks him in the gut when they are separated. He is kicking Savage around and choking him in the corner. Tensan has him on the mat with a front facelock and Savage is just getting punished in the corner with kicks, punches, headbutts and now is getting choked. Savage is fighting back but Tensan does not feel it and just knocks Savage right back down. The match so far is all punching and kicking as Tensan is mauling him and now kicks him flush in the head and down goes Savage. Tensan continues his assault with a karate chop to the chest and Savage rolls to the floor. Tensan quickly follows him out, throws him into the post, and then the rail and starts stomping on him. Savage is thrown back into the ring and he picks up Savage on his shoulders and just drops him back to the mat. Tensan tries to finish him off with a flying headbutt but gets two. He goes back up but missed with the moonsault. Savage clotheslines him from behind and tries to suplex him but it is a busted move and looks quite sad. I guess Tensan is out because Savage climbs to the top and wins with the Flying Elbow....
Boy was that sudden. Most of his matches have ended like that lately. He got his ass kicked for almost ten minutes and gets two offensive moves for the win. Nothing great here as his last two PPV matches have been mediocre.
Gene is in the back and he calls in Flair who is wearing his Golds Gym shirt (I wonder if Flair has ever made a good investment or married someone that did not divorce him or beat his ass). Flair is excited about the WCW v. Japan battle but it all comes down to the WCW title and he will style and profile, and reminds Sting that to be the man, he will be the man. Also, he will be fresh for the match later tonight.
Match 7: Kensuki Sasaki v. Sting
Sasaki attacks and pounds away on Sting. Sting comes back with a series of punches and then nails a Stinger Splash, but gets bulldogged when he goes for a second. Sting though regains the initiative with a dropkick and then clothesline him out of the ring (isn't that over the top rope?). He tries his gorilla press slam but gets power slammed instead. Sasaki drops Sting on his head and mugs for the crowd. He goes after the arm as the crowd chants USA. He breaks the hold and stomps on Sting and then whips him to the mat with an arm drag. Sasaki puts Sting in his own finisher. Sting is able to get up and out and thus kind of ruins the mystique of the move. Sasaki gets kicked in the head as Sting shows some aerial competence. However Sasaki grabs him and attempts an awkward running slam but Sting is able to clothesline him and then apply the Deathlock and Sasaki is trying to get out and he cannot.
The fans are going apeshit. Savage comes out and hugs him as does Wright, Guerrero and Badd and Savage is hugging everyone. The match had to be short because Sting is fighting next. Not as good as Sasaki's match against Benoit last month but did its job, Sasaki controlled the early part and he did not tap out right away.
Gene is in the ring with Team WCW and he is excited and wants this to become a tradition at Starrcade (doubtful due to the low buyrate). Sting chants USA and Eddie and Chris are not American but oh well, and Alex is German and so maybe this is why they lost.
Match 8: Triangle Match for Title Shot, Lex Luger v. Sting v. Ric Flair
Okay two people start off via coin toss and they can tag the other person in at any time....not quite a three way and seems overly complicated. The three circle each other and it is Flair and Sting starting out and the fans are loving Flair as he flexes and struts. They lock up but neither get the advantage and they glare at each other. Sting hits his patented gorilla press slam, and then a clothesline; he gets a two count. He goes for the Deathlock, but Flair is right at the ropes, and then he gets out of the ring. Flair is back in and applies a hammerlock. Flair pushes him into the corner. He decks Sting and he topples to the mat and then he goes right back after the arm. Flair struts and Sting struts right back at him and then Sting does another press slam and then leaps on Flair in the corner punching and biting him. Flair is bulldogged and he scrambles out of the ring and Sting follows but he no sells everything including two swings into the rail. Back in the ring he goes for a dropkick but Flair sidesteps and down goes Sting. Flair is in control and tosses Sting over the top and Dusty is worried the ref saw it as it is a DQ, stupid rule. They are both back in the ring. Flair is taunting Luger with a tag and then drops a knee on Sting and goes for a series of pins but only gets two counts. Flair is stalking him with kicks and then a suplex and he no sells it and pops right back up and it is annoying when he does it. He connects with another press slam! He comes right back with a superplex. He goes for the pin and Luger stops it and Flair pushes Sting into Luger and he tags himself in. Flair is strutting down the aisle as eh tries to leave and Luger follows and carries him back to the ring. Luger is yelling at him to fight and he kicks Luger and then walks over and kicks Sting, classic. Luger knocks him down a couple of times and now another gorilla slam. Luger hits Flair in the neck ten times, and gets a two count. Flair rakes the eyes then takes a breather. Flair's recovered, goes right at the leg continuing to attack it. He hangs Luger out of the ring, well his legs over the apron and grabs a chair smacking the knees. He continues the attack on the knee and leg in the corner and all over the ring for that matter. Flair decides to jaw at Sting but then goes back at the knee and puts Luger in the Figure Four. He slaps Luger and this just pisses him off and it is reversed, Flair grabs the ropes and goes up top but gets slammed to the mat but pops back up but Luger has the advantage. Flair is jawing at both and then tags in Sting. Luger and Sting are just looking at each other and Sting puts out his hand and they shake, ah that was sweet. They lock up and Luger pushes him into the corner and the ref pulls them apart. Now it is Sting's turn and now they are about to lock up again but Luger kicks him. But Sting takes the reins and takes him down and now Luger is begging for mercy in the corner. Now they are eyeing each other and start circling one another. Luger drives him into the corner but runs into a boot and then a jogging knee (not quite running) but Luger counters with a big clothesline. Luger picks him up and throws him onto the top rope and then kicks him out of the ring. Sting though stops him with a gut punch on the floor and then hits a flying cross body for two. Sting climbs to the top and leaps for a Swagger Bomb but eats knees and both are down. Luger is up first and drops some fists and elbows on Sting and he goes for the pin and Sting just puts his hand out and grabs the ropes. Luger goes for a kick but Sting catches it and kicks him in return and decks him to the mat. Sting is trying to turn over Luger for the Deathlock but Luger is right by the ropes and he grabs them and then nuts Sting with his fist. Luger picks him up and takes him down with an inverted atomic drop. Sting though is able to get two quick pin attempts but only for two. Luger attempts a suplex but Sting hooks the leg and reverses it, now both are down. Irish whip and Sting kicks Luger and bulldogs him and is now running him post to post and then hits a Stinger Splash but delays the second and Luger moves and puts Sting in the Rack but the ref gets knocked down and Flair comes from behind and takes out Luger's knee and then tosses Sting out and both are counted out. Sting tried to get back in but Luger grabbed him....Flair wins! Sting is staring down at Luger, and just walks away. Hart runs down to congratulate Flair and gives him a shoulder rub: Flair says don't touch me (funny shit).
While the crowd died during the match, and it was not a technical masterpiece, it was still decent. Sting looked a little better and did some different moves. They were protected by having a double count out, but it would have been good to have a legit pin but in this era of big stars that is hard to come by though Savage did pin Luger back in October, so once again I am wrong. Kind of. Fuck that shit, I am never wrong.
Match 9: Ric Flair v. Randy Savage (c) for WCW Championship
The bell rings and they lock up. Savage backslides him to the mat for a two count. Savage takes off his shirt, and throws it at Flair. Flair comes back with a chop but his next punch is blocked, and Savage takes him down with a series of blows and Flair is down in the corner. They pan to Mr. Wonderful who is watching the match with an angry look on his face. Flair is able to take Savage down and goes for the Figure Four but gets kicked off of him. Savage is pounding on Flair. He tosses him into the corner, and Flair flips out to the floor but catches Savage in the gut when he goes for the double axe. Flair is now working him over by the rail and rams his arm off the post. Back in the ring Flair is working over the arm and of course he is using the ropes for leverage. Flair continues to pound on the arm, and starts to yank on it. However, Savage grabs his face and tries to tear it off, but Flair is able to continue the punishment on the arm by dropping a knee on it. Savage fights back with some punches only to be put into a sleeper. Savage though is back in control, takes Flair down getting a couple near falls. Savage attempts another double axe, but gets punched in the gut again. Jimmy has the ref distracted, throws in the megaphone, and Flair attempts to hit Savage with it. Yet Savage is able to grab it and busts Flair open. He looks a little lost but is able to strike with the Flying Elbow, but Hart still has the ref distracted, and as to why this does not lead to a DQ no one knows because the ref keeps getting after Hart. Pillman and Benoit run down to the ring, and Pillman is up top and gets thrown into Benoit and Savage attacks Pillman in corner. AA takes down Savage and rolls a brutally bloodied Flair on top of Savage and he gets the win.
It was a good back and forth match as they just brawled most of the time. Savage's title reign was not good as he needed Hogan to help him and while he had a lot of matches, it just was a horrible title reign and I hope this leads to a good long feud against Flair. I am confused as to why Flair was not DQ'd as it was blatant interference. Oh well the match was still pretty good, and it was Flair who went over and not Luger or Hogan so that is a positive. However, a DQ would have sucked. The Horsemen finally win. And I hope that this becomes a feud.
I am really surprised at how good this PPV was. It had some really solid wrestling throughout. Poor Eddie and Benoit but I should not get stuck on them as they had the two best matches, and they looked good. Luger and Sting's match was clearly the weakest but it was made up during the Triangle match, and Savage did not look good during his earlier match. The Badd match was solid until the asinine ending. Alex Wright also had a really good match and the main event was fun as Savage and Flair always put on a good show. It clearly could have had more time, around five minutes more. A couple of matches got short changed as the show did not reach 2.5 hours. Yet it was enjoyable and with the proper build could have had a better buy rate. It was a Wednesday but still....the arena looked pretty full and the crowd was pretty hot throughout it go quiet during some matches even the Triangle match but picked up again in the main event. As of right now WCW is better without Hogan. However, you have to put over midcard guys more. This is something that plagues wrestling today. You need to give new guys a legitimate shot and have them win, give them a push....and see what happens.
Happy New Year Bitches!!
After giving Nitro a week to allow RAW viewers to sample their product, RAW returns with their slightly hyped RAW Bowl, which I am unclear as to what it is. I stated that the WWF needs to step up their game. They had some good shows after Survivor Series but the last two have fallen back into mediocrity. There were no squashes last week and the wrestling was not terrible. I still harp that the lack of the big stars hurts the product, and the WWF is going to have to change and use them on TV more often. Still the week off did not hinder RAW as it edged Nitro 2.6 to 2.5.
They show fans chanting for "RAW Bowl" and it is four teams with a total of eight wrestlers. And we will get the beginning of the "infamous" Huckster vignettes.
Match 1: Smoking Gunns (c) v. Owen Hart and Yokozuna v. Razor Ramon and Savio Vega v. the 123 Kid v. Sid Vicious
Ramon is given flowers from Goldust's lackey and he beats him up. Each team is given a time out and a team is eliminated when one is pinned, submits, counted out or disqualified. Owen and Bart start in a three point stance, and Bart takes him down and Owen tags in Billy Gunn and Bart shoves him into the ropes and they lock up but run over and tag in Yoko and Owen Hart. Yoko gets in and waits for Owen who does not want to get in. Owen avoids Yokozuna as he ducks around but finally runs into him and down he goes. He tags in Vega who fires off some ineffective blows and gets bodyslammed and kicked and Yoko tags in the Kid. They exchange some moves and flip around until Vega clotheslines him and connects with a spin kick and gets a two count. Kid tags in Owen and Vega unloads on him until kicked into the side of the head. Razor is tagged in and they lock up and exchange arm bars until Owen gets dropped with a clothesline and so Owen tags in Bart who too gets dropped and does another arm bar and Razor tags in Vega and he promptly tags in Sid and Bart looks a little hesitant. He finally goes at Sid who hits him but Bart gets a tow count after a clothesline and then follows up with a suplex. They now circle one another and fire off some blows but Sid gets the upperhand and Vega, sorry Vega was tagged in, and he goes for a bodyslam but Sid falls on him and gets a two count. Sid tags in Owen who nails Vega with an Enzuiguri and he tags in Yokozuna but Owen is tagged back in and goes for the Sharpshooter on Vega but gets kicked off and the Kid is tagged in and he goes off as he kicks up a storm on Vega but misses in the corner. But he is able to tag in Sid who hits him with a blow or two and then tags in the Kid and Vega escapes and tags in Ramon who catches a leaping Kid and nails him with a fall away slam and he calls time out but Razor does not care and gives him the Razor's Edge and it does not count and Razor argues and Sid decks him from the rear and drapes the Kid on him and out goes Razor's team despite Vega trying to call time out. Bart is getting pounded in the corner and Owen is tagged in and he continues the assault. Owen hits a suplex, connects with a running knee and he tries it again but is rolled up and Bart gets a two count. Owen bodyslams him and goes up top and Bart moves out of the as Owen tries for the splash and Bart makes the hot tag and Billy goes off and unloads on everyone including Cornette, but he backs into a kick from the Kid and stumbles into a swinging neckbreaker from Owen and Yoko goes for the Banzai Drop but Billy pulls his partner to safety and Yoko drops on Owen and gets pushed to the floor and Bart makes the pin as Yoko tries to call timeout to no avail. Billy and Sid are in and Sid is stomping a hole in him. Billy is getting annhilated as he gets dropkicked by the Kid and then clotheslined by Sid, but he gets his arm up at two. Sid applies his one submission move, and Billy is up and elbows free but gets dropped. Sid gets another two count after a big leg drop. Billy rolls him up but only gets two and Sid continues to hammer away but Billy blocks a blow and fires back and ducks a clothesline but gets caught and chokeslammed with one hand! Sid celebrates and just stands there and now picks up Billy and he leaves him and kicks Bart in the face and he sets up the Kid to nail Billy, and Ted is running distraction but Razor shoves the Kid onto Sid and gets the pin.
Gimmicky and convoluted but still fun. Like WCW I had forgotten there were tag titles in the WWF! Still it was action packed and did the job.
We get a halftime report from Doc Hendricks and JR is in the back looking for Mabel, but cannot find him but he does report that Diesel is going to kick his can-can or something to that effect. Doc runs down the line up: Bret v. UT and Ahmed v. Jeff Jarrett Doc now goes over the rules of the Rumble.
They take us back to In Your House, focusing on the HHH v. Godwin match....and they actually show the entire thing....okay.
Match 3: King Mabel v. Diesel
There are a lot of black gloves so if anything his claim not to slap any one's hands without one was marketing genius even though he said he would not be corporatized. God Bless the WWF and its constant scams to make a buck. Well this one is over as Mabel is knocked down and pinned! Moe gets powerbombed. King wants a word with Diesel but he bypasses him and grabs Ms. RAW Bowl, and much to the chagrin of Lawler leaves with her.
Like I said, King Mabel is done for in the WWF as an upper card threat! Still the remake of Diesel as a monster is paying off. Hopefully they follow up with him and the Undertaker.
The Gunns are celebrating and the Brooklyn Brawler comes in with a trophy and he taunts them and he gets knocked down and gets a cooler full of tea dumped on him.
They go over some participants in the Royal Rumble. The WWF shows off their newest acquisition lifting weights and with lame guitar riffs: Vader!
They go to Billionaire Ted's War room. They show Ted who wants to spice up the action and they show some WWF moves performed, ironically by Diesel and Razor Ramon. Huckster and Nacho Man say they cannot do that. Huckster cannot perform aerial moves as his feet never leave the ground. So Ted asks what can they do: The respond with their signature poses! It heads to a graphic that says WWF: The New Generation, which is on top of the hill, not over it.
I liked the skit, it was short and to the point. Sure it was crass and is a sign of desperation but there is a modicum of truth. Now WCW has a lot of good wrestlers but Hogan remains stagnant on the top, and while RAW has gotten a bit stale too, they do showcase younger talent, but they too seem to be going back to the same guys on top as some like Mabel just cannot be main eventers, so they fall back on UT, Hart, HBK, Diesel etc. At the same time they use Razor and Diesel who are pushing 40, Shawn Michaels is around 30 and been around for some time but is still young (and Razor and Diesel have been only in the WWF for a couple of years). Bret Hart has been around for some time and the Undertaker for a few years, and bringing in Vader too as he has been around for some time too. But there is HHH, Ahmed Johnson, Goldust is still young and has had a revamped character. Of course they are not the New Generation but they are fresher faces. It was a good show as the RAW Bowl like I said was fun, it was a shame that they replayed an INYH match instead of showing a different one. And it is nice to see Mabel losing his push and giving Diesel a big win.
After giving Nitro a week to allow RAW viewers to sample their product, RAW returns with their slightly hyped RAW Bowl, which I am unclear as to what it is. I stated that the WWF needs to step up their game. They had some good shows after Survivor Series but the last two have fallen back into mediocrity. There were no squashes last week and the wrestling was not terrible. I still harp that the lack of the big stars hurts the product, and the WWF is going to have to change and use them on TV more often. Still the week off did not hinder RAW as it edged Nitro 2.6 to 2.5.
They show fans chanting for "RAW Bowl" and it is four teams with a total of eight wrestlers. And we will get the beginning of the "infamous" Huckster vignettes.
Match 1: Smoking Gunns (c) v. Owen Hart and Yokozuna v. Razor Ramon and Savio Vega v. the 123 Kid v. Sid Vicious
Ramon is given flowers from Goldust's lackey and he beats him up. Each team is given a time out and a team is eliminated when one is pinned, submits, counted out or disqualified. Owen and Bart start in a three point stance, and Bart takes him down and Owen tags in Billy Gunn and Bart shoves him into the ropes and they lock up but run over and tag in Yoko and Owen Hart. Yoko gets in and waits for Owen who does not want to get in. Owen avoids Yokozuna as he ducks around but finally runs into him and down he goes. He tags in Vega who fires off some ineffective blows and gets bodyslammed and kicked and Yoko tags in the Kid. They exchange some moves and flip around until Vega clotheslines him and connects with a spin kick and gets a two count. Kid tags in Owen and Vega unloads on him until kicked into the side of the head. Razor is tagged in and they lock up and exchange arm bars until Owen gets dropped with a clothesline and so Owen tags in Bart who too gets dropped and does another arm bar and Razor tags in Vega and he promptly tags in Sid and Bart looks a little hesitant. He finally goes at Sid who hits him but Bart gets a tow count after a clothesline and then follows up with a suplex. They now circle one another and fire off some blows but Sid gets the upperhand and Vega, sorry Vega was tagged in, and he goes for a bodyslam but Sid falls on him and gets a two count. Sid tags in Owen who nails Vega with an Enzuiguri and he tags in Yokozuna but Owen is tagged back in and goes for the Sharpshooter on Vega but gets kicked off and the Kid is tagged in and he goes off as he kicks up a storm on Vega but misses in the corner. But he is able to tag in Sid who hits him with a blow or two and then tags in the Kid and Vega escapes and tags in Ramon who catches a leaping Kid and nails him with a fall away slam and he calls time out but Razor does not care and gives him the Razor's Edge and it does not count and Razor argues and Sid decks him from the rear and drapes the Kid on him and out goes Razor's team despite Vega trying to call time out. Bart is getting pounded in the corner and Owen is tagged in and he continues the assault. Owen hits a suplex, connects with a running knee and he tries it again but is rolled up and Bart gets a two count. Owen bodyslams him and goes up top and Bart moves out of the as Owen tries for the splash and Bart makes the hot tag and Billy goes off and unloads on everyone including Cornette, but he backs into a kick from the Kid and stumbles into a swinging neckbreaker from Owen and Yoko goes for the Banzai Drop but Billy pulls his partner to safety and Yoko drops on Owen and gets pushed to the floor and Bart makes the pin as Yoko tries to call timeout to no avail. Billy and Sid are in and Sid is stomping a hole in him. Billy is getting annhilated as he gets dropkicked by the Kid and then clotheslined by Sid, but he gets his arm up at two. Sid applies his one submission move, and Billy is up and elbows free but gets dropped. Sid gets another two count after a big leg drop. Billy rolls him up but only gets two and Sid continues to hammer away but Billy blocks a blow and fires back and ducks a clothesline but gets caught and chokeslammed with one hand! Sid celebrates and just stands there and now picks up Billy and he leaves him and kicks Bart in the face and he sets up the Kid to nail Billy, and Ted is running distraction but Razor shoves the Kid onto Sid and gets the pin.
Gimmicky and convoluted but still fun. Like WCW I had forgotten there were tag titles in the WWF! Still it was action packed and did the job.
We get a halftime report from Doc Hendricks and JR is in the back looking for Mabel, but cannot find him but he does report that Diesel is going to kick his can-can or something to that effect. Doc runs down the line up: Bret v. UT and Ahmed v. Jeff Jarrett Doc now goes over the rules of the Rumble.
They take us back to In Your House, focusing on the HHH v. Godwin match....and they actually show the entire thing....okay.
Match 3: King Mabel v. Diesel
There are a lot of black gloves so if anything his claim not to slap any one's hands without one was marketing genius even though he said he would not be corporatized. God Bless the WWF and its constant scams to make a buck. Well this one is over as Mabel is knocked down and pinned! Moe gets powerbombed. King wants a word with Diesel but he bypasses him and grabs Ms. RAW Bowl, and much to the chagrin of Lawler leaves with her.
Like I said, King Mabel is done for in the WWF as an upper card threat! Still the remake of Diesel as a monster is paying off. Hopefully they follow up with him and the Undertaker.
The Gunns are celebrating and the Brooklyn Brawler comes in with a trophy and he taunts them and he gets knocked down and gets a cooler full of tea dumped on him.
They go over some participants in the Royal Rumble. The WWF shows off their newest acquisition lifting weights and with lame guitar riffs: Vader!
They go to Billionaire Ted's War room. They show Ted who wants to spice up the action and they show some WWF moves performed, ironically by Diesel and Razor Ramon. Huckster and Nacho Man say they cannot do that. Huckster cannot perform aerial moves as his feet never leave the ground. So Ted asks what can they do: The respond with their signature poses! It heads to a graphic that says WWF: The New Generation, which is on top of the hill, not over it.
I liked the skit, it was short and to the point. Sure it was crass and is a sign of desperation but there is a modicum of truth. Now WCW has a lot of good wrestlers but Hogan remains stagnant on the top, and while RAW has gotten a bit stale too, they do showcase younger talent, but they too seem to be going back to the same guys on top as some like Mabel just cannot be main eventers, so they fall back on UT, Hart, HBK, Diesel etc. At the same time they use Razor and Diesel who are pushing 40, Shawn Michaels is around 30 and been around for some time but is still young (and Razor and Diesel have been only in the WWF for a couple of years). Bret Hart has been around for some time and the Undertaker for a few years, and bringing in Vader too as he has been around for some time too. But there is HHH, Ahmed Johnson, Goldust is still young and has had a revamped character. Of course they are not the New Generation but they are fresher faces. It was a good show as the RAW Bowl like I said was fun, it was a shame that they replayed an INYH match instead of showing a different one. And it is nice to see Mabel losing his push and giving Diesel a big win.
The biggest WCW PPV of the year has come and gone and it was quite good. I enjoyed the Japanese v. WCW matches as they showcased the Japanese stars, and Eddie and Chris looked good in their matches. The upper card stars matches were much shorter, but it was still overall the best PPV of the Monday Night era for WCW. Now that Flair is champ after Savage's less than stellar run it will be interesting to see if they start a Savage/Flair feud because they have already had a Hogan/Flair feud. I was looking forward to the Hogan v. Savage match but perhaps Savage refused to do the job or they realize that Hogan needs a break, or they are waiting. They should have had it before Starrcade or not mentioned it all. Hopefully WCW becomes more consistent in the New Year as Nitro became scrambled with too many storylines at the end of they year. The Horsemen do not look too good so far and the DoD is just plain awful. Now they seem to be finding their footing, Hogan is taking a short break and Flair is champ and hopefully this can set up some solid storylines. TWNP has the first Nitro of 1996 remaining consistent with a 2.5 rating while RAW barely pulled ahead with a 2.6 and Wikipedia has the same rating for each show.
Match 1: Arn Anderson v. Randy Savage
Classic, AA just goes off and is wailing away on Savage, but Savage brawls right back. Savage throws him to the floor and starts beating him, slamming him against the railing. Savage gets back in the ring but is met by blows from AA. However, Savage comes right back and with numerous blows of his own, following up with an inverted atomic drop. He nails a groggy AA with a double axe keeping up the pressure. AA rakes the eyes and then does an arm take down on the injured arm of Savage. He now drapes it over the rope and yanks on it. He bodyslams him with the arm pinned behind his back. Out on the floor Savage meets him with a kick and then they get back in the ring. AA goes right back after the arm. AA is unwinding the tape off the arm as he pounds away. He is just wrenching on the arm of poor Macho Man, but wait, Savage fires back; however it is brief as AA comes back, and just demolishes Savage with a DDT. He goes for the pin but Savage puts his leg on the rope. Savage and AA bump the ref. Now AA brings out the knucks but Savage ducks, takes them and decks AA and gets the pin. Benoit and Pillman come down to protest but to no avail.
Really good opening match, just a brawl, but a wild one. Good stuff and a great start to Nitro.
Match 2: Steven Regal v. Chris Benoit
Bischoff is not messing around, he just gave away some WWF matches. Oh, how I love it! Anyway, two heels going at it and they lock up; Regal whips him to the mat and wrenches on the arm. Benoit kicks him off, but gets a headbutted twice. Benoit comes back. takes him down but only briefly. Regal has him in a front facelock, taking him down to the mat. Benoit gets up and goes after the arm but Regal takes him down again with a drop toe hold. He pulls Chris to his feet and uppercuts him. Regal ducks a short clothesline only to eat a German suplex instead. Benoit is pounding on him in the corner, but Regal counters with a belly to back suplex for a two count. Benoit is up and yanks him to the mat and then runs him into the corner. He places Regal on the top but gets elbowed off; he pops right back up and places Regal on his shoulders and slams him backwards. He goes to the top and flies through the air, across the ring but nobody is home (his flying headbutt). Regal goes for a piledriver but it is reversed and Regal rolls to the floor and Benoit flies over the top but eats concrete. Regal rolls him into the ring and gets the win.
Wow, a great match marred by a sudden ending. They want to get Benoit over, so they put him in the Horsemen but he loses to Regal? Regal is great but it is silly to have the Horsemen lose two matches in a row, I am bit confused.
Mean Gene is with three of the Four Horsemen and Pillman berates Benoit for losing tonight. Benoit counters back that he only loses if the other guy is lucky and his record speaks for itself. Pillman yells at AA for losing too and AA responds that they need to protect the title and that is their job. Pillman is getting quite good on the mic....Here comes the DoD, Sullivan and the Zodiac though but Hart and the Giant pull them back.
Match 3: The Masked Assassins v. Sting and Luger
Sting and Luger come out separately so the announcers play off that they are having issues. Pittman is at the announce table and he is asking Mongo for help. Why interrupt this match for this drivel. Luger starts off but tags in Sting who is destroying the Assassins. Mongo tells Pittman that he is a Marine so should be able to handle himself.....anyway the Assassins are back in charge as one of them is holding Sting above his shoulders in a submission move. He puts him down and knocks him to the mat. Assassin one tags in two and they double shoulder block him and gets a two count. They make another tag and holds him in a front chinlock but Sting is able to make the tag but the ref did not see it and Sting is getting worked by both with one jumping from the top with the other suplexing Sting and they get a two count. He follows up with a powerbomb and climbs to the top and misses a splash. Luger is tagged in and the Assassin just stands there! He basically waits for Luger to do his typical offense of punches. Lex puts him in the Rack and the other guy is so damn slow getting in the ring and must have been kicked and Sting puts the other guy in the Deathlock.
Not a bad match but the Assassins were a little slow on the ball and Luger is just not very good....
Mean Gene is with Jimmy Hart who is still calling the Giant the son of Andre. He and Hart exchange barbs, Hart says he will always be around to go after Hogan. Gene compares Hulk to Bobby Knight with his usage of the chair, and the Giant is upset, so he is going to take care of him tonight: that means he will interfere in the Flair/Hogan match tonight.
Match 4: Ric Flair (c) v. Hulk Hogan for WCW Championship
For some reason it irks me when the champ comes out first, I do not care if he is facing Hogan because the champ should always come out second. Bischoff is claiming the crowd is going ape feces for Hogan, but in reality the response is quite mixed. He gets an ovation but not a giant one. Hogan starts off with a couple of shoulder blocks until Flair applies a side headlock but then goes down with another shoulder block. They have a guy in Red and Yellow who is in every arena every week, and he starts a Hogan chant (of course some matches are taped the same night and air next week). Flair hits a few chops and Hogan shakes it off and glares at Flair and starts pounding away and swings Flair to the corner but catches an elbow. Flair goes to the top but gets caught and slammed down to the mat. Flair rolls out but Hogan goes right after him and Flair swings him not the railing but Hogan just runs right back at Flair and clotheslines him. Back in the ring Hogan whips Flair into the corner and he flips over the turnbuckle and then follows up with a clothesline. However, Flair clips the knee and starts working it over; then he struts around the ring. Flair applies the Figure Four (I love how Bischoff claims the fans are chanting Hogan when they clearly are not and are just as happy when Flair put the Figure Four on.). Hogan gets to his feet but Jimmy Hart runs down and screams at him with the megaphone. Flair takes advantage and suplexes him. but only gets a one count as Hogan Hulks up (why not run out of the ring instead of hitting him, I am over thinking it). Hogan does the big boot and leg drop but Jimmy is on the apron, and distracts Hogan. AA comes down with the knucks and decks Hogan but he no sells and then proceeds to take down all the Horsemen with it. Then the Giant comes down and has a stool, but Savage makes the save and Hogan clears out the Giant. Gene is with Hogan and Macho and now Hogan is getting booed. Hulk challenges AA and Flair to a tag match with Savage as his partner. Savage mentions having secret weapons, and Hulk says do not give away their weapons, and he shows the knucks. He still wants to take down the Giant, but is going to take down Flair and AA first.
Seriously? Hogan clears the ring out again. This is getting really old. The Horsemen are made to look like absolute jokes. I do not get it. The heels need to be strong and then have the faces rise up and defeat them, they have to be threats but they dominate nearly every match, every week. They need to make them credible so fans take them seriously. Hogan needs to stop no selling more often than not. They seem to be tiring of him Hulking up all the time and kicking every one's ass something he has done since Havoc. Despite the ending, the show was pretty good. The opening bout was solid and the Benoit one was too...but the outcome was not. Also the faces pretty much won every match and for me it is a disturbing pattern. But on the upside it was not a show filled with convoluted storylines and subplots, though seeing the Zodiac slur out words was enough to make me wish that I was drinking heavily. It is nice to see the higher ratings for both shows. Obviously giving away the results of RAW did not really pan out either. Funny. But RAW won this week.
Match 1: Arn Anderson v. Randy Savage
Classic, AA just goes off and is wailing away on Savage, but Savage brawls right back. Savage throws him to the floor and starts beating him, slamming him against the railing. Savage gets back in the ring but is met by blows from AA. However, Savage comes right back and with numerous blows of his own, following up with an inverted atomic drop. He nails a groggy AA with a double axe keeping up the pressure. AA rakes the eyes and then does an arm take down on the injured arm of Savage. He now drapes it over the rope and yanks on it. He bodyslams him with the arm pinned behind his back. Out on the floor Savage meets him with a kick and then they get back in the ring. AA goes right back after the arm. AA is unwinding the tape off the arm as he pounds away. He is just wrenching on the arm of poor Macho Man, but wait, Savage fires back; however it is brief as AA comes back, and just demolishes Savage with a DDT. He goes for the pin but Savage puts his leg on the rope. Savage and AA bump the ref. Now AA brings out the knucks but Savage ducks, takes them and decks AA and gets the pin. Benoit and Pillman come down to protest but to no avail.
Really good opening match, just a brawl, but a wild one. Good stuff and a great start to Nitro.
Match 2: Steven Regal v. Chris Benoit
Bischoff is not messing around, he just gave away some WWF matches. Oh, how I love it! Anyway, two heels going at it and they lock up; Regal whips him to the mat and wrenches on the arm. Benoit kicks him off, but gets a headbutted twice. Benoit comes back. takes him down but only briefly. Regal has him in a front facelock, taking him down to the mat. Benoit gets up and goes after the arm but Regal takes him down again with a drop toe hold. He pulls Chris to his feet and uppercuts him. Regal ducks a short clothesline only to eat a German suplex instead. Benoit is pounding on him in the corner, but Regal counters with a belly to back suplex for a two count. Benoit is up and yanks him to the mat and then runs him into the corner. He places Regal on the top but gets elbowed off; he pops right back up and places Regal on his shoulders and slams him backwards. He goes to the top and flies through the air, across the ring but nobody is home (his flying headbutt). Regal goes for a piledriver but it is reversed and Regal rolls to the floor and Benoit flies over the top but eats concrete. Regal rolls him into the ring and gets the win.
Wow, a great match marred by a sudden ending. They want to get Benoit over, so they put him in the Horsemen but he loses to Regal? Regal is great but it is silly to have the Horsemen lose two matches in a row, I am bit confused.
Mean Gene is with three of the Four Horsemen and Pillman berates Benoit for losing tonight. Benoit counters back that he only loses if the other guy is lucky and his record speaks for itself. Pillman yells at AA for losing too and AA responds that they need to protect the title and that is their job. Pillman is getting quite good on the mic....Here comes the DoD, Sullivan and the Zodiac though but Hart and the Giant pull them back.
Match 3: The Masked Assassins v. Sting and Luger
Sting and Luger come out separately so the announcers play off that they are having issues. Pittman is at the announce table and he is asking Mongo for help. Why interrupt this match for this drivel. Luger starts off but tags in Sting who is destroying the Assassins. Mongo tells Pittman that he is a Marine so should be able to handle himself.....anyway the Assassins are back in charge as one of them is holding Sting above his shoulders in a submission move. He puts him down and knocks him to the mat. Assassin one tags in two and they double shoulder block him and gets a two count. They make another tag and holds him in a front chinlock but Sting is able to make the tag but the ref did not see it and Sting is getting worked by both with one jumping from the top with the other suplexing Sting and they get a two count. He follows up with a powerbomb and climbs to the top and misses a splash. Luger is tagged in and the Assassin just stands there! He basically waits for Luger to do his typical offense of punches. Lex puts him in the Rack and the other guy is so damn slow getting in the ring and must have been kicked and Sting puts the other guy in the Deathlock.
Not a bad match but the Assassins were a little slow on the ball and Luger is just not very good....
Mean Gene is with Jimmy Hart who is still calling the Giant the son of Andre. He and Hart exchange barbs, Hart says he will always be around to go after Hogan. Gene compares Hulk to Bobby Knight with his usage of the chair, and the Giant is upset, so he is going to take care of him tonight: that means he will interfere in the Flair/Hogan match tonight.
Match 4: Ric Flair (c) v. Hulk Hogan for WCW Championship
For some reason it irks me when the champ comes out first, I do not care if he is facing Hogan because the champ should always come out second. Bischoff is claiming the crowd is going ape feces for Hogan, but in reality the response is quite mixed. He gets an ovation but not a giant one. Hogan starts off with a couple of shoulder blocks until Flair applies a side headlock but then goes down with another shoulder block. They have a guy in Red and Yellow who is in every arena every week, and he starts a Hogan chant (of course some matches are taped the same night and air next week). Flair hits a few chops and Hogan shakes it off and glares at Flair and starts pounding away and swings Flair to the corner but catches an elbow. Flair goes to the top but gets caught and slammed down to the mat. Flair rolls out but Hogan goes right after him and Flair swings him not the railing but Hogan just runs right back at Flair and clotheslines him. Back in the ring Hogan whips Flair into the corner and he flips over the turnbuckle and then follows up with a clothesline. However, Flair clips the knee and starts working it over; then he struts around the ring. Flair applies the Figure Four (I love how Bischoff claims the fans are chanting Hogan when they clearly are not and are just as happy when Flair put the Figure Four on.). Hogan gets to his feet but Jimmy Hart runs down and screams at him with the megaphone. Flair takes advantage and suplexes him. but only gets a one count as Hogan Hulks up (why not run out of the ring instead of hitting him, I am over thinking it). Hogan does the big boot and leg drop but Jimmy is on the apron, and distracts Hogan. AA comes down with the knucks and decks Hogan but he no sells and then proceeds to take down all the Horsemen with it. Then the Giant comes down and has a stool, but Savage makes the save and Hogan clears out the Giant. Gene is with Hogan and Macho and now Hogan is getting booed. Hulk challenges AA and Flair to a tag match with Savage as his partner. Savage mentions having secret weapons, and Hulk says do not give away their weapons, and he shows the knucks. He still wants to take down the Giant, but is going to take down Flair and AA first.
Seriously? Hogan clears the ring out again. This is getting really old. The Horsemen are made to look like absolute jokes. I do not get it. The heels need to be strong and then have the faces rise up and defeat them, they have to be threats but they dominate nearly every match, every week. They need to make them credible so fans take them seriously. Hogan needs to stop no selling more often than not. They seem to be tiring of him Hulking up all the time and kicking every one's ass something he has done since Havoc. Despite the ending, the show was pretty good. The opening bout was solid and the Benoit one was too...but the outcome was not. Also the faces pretty much won every match and for me it is a disturbing pattern. But on the upside it was not a show filled with convoluted storylines and subplots, though seeing the Zodiac slur out words was enough to make me wish that I was drinking heavily. It is nice to see the higher ratings for both shows. Obviously giving away the results of RAW did not really pan out either. Funny. But RAW won this week.
Last week was pretty good, and seeing as they are going into one of their biggest PPV's of the year, one of the top four, I am hoping they build up the momentum they lost in early December. The arrival of Vader certainly helps and we will see what they do with him when he debuts. I am also digging the new look Diesel as he has gone back to destroying opponents. Hopefully we will see some tension between Bret and the Undertaker leading to a good set up for the Rumble. RAW will receive a huge 3 rating as Monday Night Football is no longer a threat, and Nitro will not be too far behind as both federations should see an increase in ratings, and the wrestling audience in general will continue growing.
They have a new beginning for RAW and it is not that good.
Match 1: Jeff Jarrett v. Hakushi
I love the zebra outfit worn by JJ....anyway JJ takes charge with a bodyslam, and the fans boo him. Hakushi is back up only to get kicked in the belly. Hakushi trips him but gets flipped out to the floor. JJ caters to the crowd, so during the interim Hakushi goes up top, and jumps on him. He then follows up with a dropkick, and JJ heads to the floor; he starts to walk away then decides to come back. He trips Hakushi, climbs back into the ring, connecting with a short clothesline.
Commercial.
JJ has Hakushi in an arm bar, but gets flipped onto his back, however he comes right back with a neckbreaker. Hakushi is swung into the ropes, and Hakushi ducks and turns; he kicks him in the gut. JJ though takes control and now applies a rear chinlock. Hakushi comes back and kicks him again. He then cartwheels and nails him with a back elbow, and now bodyslams him after a near fall. Hakushi goes for a springboard splash but JJ raises his knees and applies the Figure Four and Hakushi taps.
Not bad, a good match to get Jarrett back over and give him some momentum before the PPV.
Jim Ross is telling us about the Rumble and how the winner will get a Championship match at WrestleMania. They go over some more participants (sorry they come to fast so I will just give a rundown at the PPV). They show the vignette of Vader again, replete with terrible guitar riffs. For some reason JR asks Scheme Gene what he thinks and he rambles something, the best part, is the Hitler mustache....
Match 2: Ahmed Johnson v. Jeff Somebody
They come back from commercial and Jeff is already holding his shoulder. Johnson literally rips him in half as he tosses him across the ring. He drops a big leg on the back of his head then kicks him in the head. Ahmed finishes him off with the powerbomb.
Squash.
JJ runs in with a guitar and goes to attack Johnson, but he turns around and scares him off. JJ drops the guitar and Johnson smashes it.
Ted DiBiase is in the ring with Brother Love. He has the Million Dollar Belt, and he searched for all of 1995 and has finally found him: The Ringmaster. Damn does Stone Cold look young and he has a kind of buzzcut. DiBiase says you will know why he is the champ when they see him wrestle. He has the camera pan on his head and tells everyone to touch the hand and how it feels like how it is to be destined for greatness. He is going to be in the Rumble, and he is going to toss everyone over the top then win at WrestleMania and he keeps saying "man." Not the most auspicious debut but it was not too bad.
Earl Hebner is asked why he did not stop the Bret Hart/Bulldog match and he says that Hart seemed lucid and was still raring to go.
Match 3: Goldust v. Aldo Montoya
Goldust attacks him from behind and starts to dismantle him. Goldust continues to attack him but Aldo gets a clothesline and connects with a back body drop. However he is caught, picked up by the back of his neck, and suplexed forward. Goldust wins.
Squash.
JR is in the Slam Jam and the talk of the WWF has been the future of Shawn Michaels. He is holding a press conference: he says his doctor tells him that he cannot compete but Michaels is going against doctor's wishes, and puts his hat into the ring for the Rumble. The attendees all cheer. That is odd if he was really hurt then why would anyone cheer, God I love wrestling. JR goes to Scheme Gene, and the actor is horrible, as he babbles about the hotline, but gives away his secret participant and it is Vader, and JR just shakes his head.
They go to reactions from WWF stars and Diesel says it will be all business in the ring. Razor thinks Michaels is going to win it. Owen says that Shawn is a marked man and will not win.
They recap the Bulldog/Hart match at the PPV.
Undertaker is with Paul Bearer says that Hart was great champion, but the creatures of the night deem it necessary to end his reign.
Back to Billionaire Ted, and they keep saying how it is not believable. WCW is where the good ol boys play, or the old boys, and Ted says he does not want to tell the truth. So Nacho and Huckster start their flexing and posturing and everyone giggles. It ends with saying that WCW does not have mandatory steroid testing....now that was a shot across the bow but also the pot calling the kettle black.
The show was decent, filled with squashes but also used to advance angles. It seems the WWF is getting a tad desperate, as they keep showing PPV matches on TV in the hopes of keeping viewers tuned in, and doing this instead of having a Davey/Bret rematch or another decent match instead. Okay, that is desperation. Jesus, show something new, not some half-assed PPV match. Also, while amusing and even nasty, the Billionaire Ted skits smack of desperation too. WWF needs to focus on wrestling rather and getting the stars on the show rather than worry about what WCW is doing, at least overtly.
They have a new beginning for RAW and it is not that good.
Match 1: Jeff Jarrett v. Hakushi
I love the zebra outfit worn by JJ....anyway JJ takes charge with a bodyslam, and the fans boo him. Hakushi is back up only to get kicked in the belly. Hakushi trips him but gets flipped out to the floor. JJ caters to the crowd, so during the interim Hakushi goes up top, and jumps on him. He then follows up with a dropkick, and JJ heads to the floor; he starts to walk away then decides to come back. He trips Hakushi, climbs back into the ring, connecting with a short clothesline.
Commercial.
JJ has Hakushi in an arm bar, but gets flipped onto his back, however he comes right back with a neckbreaker. Hakushi is swung into the ropes, and Hakushi ducks and turns; he kicks him in the gut. JJ though takes control and now applies a rear chinlock. Hakushi comes back and kicks him again. He then cartwheels and nails him with a back elbow, and now bodyslams him after a near fall. Hakushi goes for a springboard splash but JJ raises his knees and applies the Figure Four and Hakushi taps.
Not bad, a good match to get Jarrett back over and give him some momentum before the PPV.
Jim Ross is telling us about the Rumble and how the winner will get a Championship match at WrestleMania. They go over some more participants (sorry they come to fast so I will just give a rundown at the PPV). They show the vignette of Vader again, replete with terrible guitar riffs. For some reason JR asks Scheme Gene what he thinks and he rambles something, the best part, is the Hitler mustache....
Match 2: Ahmed Johnson v. Jeff Somebody
They come back from commercial and Jeff is already holding his shoulder. Johnson literally rips him in half as he tosses him across the ring. He drops a big leg on the back of his head then kicks him in the head. Ahmed finishes him off with the powerbomb.
Squash.
JJ runs in with a guitar and goes to attack Johnson, but he turns around and scares him off. JJ drops the guitar and Johnson smashes it.
Ted DiBiase is in the ring with Brother Love. He has the Million Dollar Belt, and he searched for all of 1995 and has finally found him: The Ringmaster. Damn does Stone Cold look young and he has a kind of buzzcut. DiBiase says you will know why he is the champ when they see him wrestle. He has the camera pan on his head and tells everyone to touch the hand and how it feels like how it is to be destined for greatness. He is going to be in the Rumble, and he is going to toss everyone over the top then win at WrestleMania and he keeps saying "man." Not the most auspicious debut but it was not too bad.
Earl Hebner is asked why he did not stop the Bret Hart/Bulldog match and he says that Hart seemed lucid and was still raring to go.
Match 3: Goldust v. Aldo Montoya
Goldust attacks him from behind and starts to dismantle him. Goldust continues to attack him but Aldo gets a clothesline and connects with a back body drop. However he is caught, picked up by the back of his neck, and suplexed forward. Goldust wins.
Squash.
JR is in the Slam Jam and the talk of the WWF has been the future of Shawn Michaels. He is holding a press conference: he says his doctor tells him that he cannot compete but Michaels is going against doctor's wishes, and puts his hat into the ring for the Rumble. The attendees all cheer. That is odd if he was really hurt then why would anyone cheer, God I love wrestling. JR goes to Scheme Gene, and the actor is horrible, as he babbles about the hotline, but gives away his secret participant and it is Vader, and JR just shakes his head.
They go to reactions from WWF stars and Diesel says it will be all business in the ring. Razor thinks Michaels is going to win it. Owen says that Shawn is a marked man and will not win.
They recap the Bulldog/Hart match at the PPV.
Undertaker is with Paul Bearer says that Hart was great champion, but the creatures of the night deem it necessary to end his reign.
Back to Billionaire Ted, and they keep saying how it is not believable. WCW is where the good ol boys play, or the old boys, and Ted says he does not want to tell the truth. So Nacho and Huckster start their flexing and posturing and everyone giggles. It ends with saying that WCW does not have mandatory steroid testing....now that was a shot across the bow but also the pot calling the kettle black.
The show was decent, filled with squashes but also used to advance angles. It seems the WWF is getting a tad desperate, as they keep showing PPV matches on TV in the hopes of keeping viewers tuned in, and doing this instead of having a Davey/Bret rematch or another decent match instead. Okay, that is desperation. Jesus, show something new, not some half-assed PPV match. Also, while amusing and even nasty, the Billionaire Ted skits smack of desperation too. WWF needs to focus on wrestling rather and getting the stars on the show rather than worry about what WCW is doing, at least overtly.
I made it abundantly clear last week that I did not like the faces dominating so much. Okay I am like a nagging girlfriend always bitching about it: Billy why did you stop texting me at 3 AM, why didn't you notice that I cut a strand off my hair. Billy, Billy....Ahhhh that is why men like beer bitch! Sorry. Anyway, it takes away from the drama from the show if you know that Sting, Luger, Hogan and Savage will win every time. It also makes the Horsemen and Flair look weak. And tonight's main event does not bode well for the heels once again. And I forgot to mention the Giant, Hogan kicks his ass every single time now and it is confounding: I really don't like this current iteration of Hogan. I want to punch him in the nuts. The Giant should be the one doing the ass kicking and hopefully they solve that. Nevertheless Nitro was still decent as they did not clog it up with various subplots, and we will see if they can continue that. The fans are liking the direction as this is the highest rated Nitro yet with 2.8 according to TWNP but RAW is on a roll too with a whopping 3.0 making this the most watched night in years for wrestling, and Wikipedia has the same rating too. I hope the high ratings portend a great show.
Match 1: Chris Benoit v. Alex Wright
Benoit attacks Wright right of the bat, punching him to the mat and then bodyslamming him. He attempts a pin after a snap suplex. Wright rolls to the floor, and Pillman (who came down with Benoit) starts to choke him out. Back in the ring Wright fires off a blow but Benoit pounds away on him in the corner. Wright takes him down with a wheel kick and then a flying cross body and then catapults him over the top (no DQ but Heenan wonders and EB tries to cover by saying it was not intentional, WTF). Back in the ring Wright stomps on him and then hits a dropkick. A bodyslam and a two count, and now a Boston Crab. EB brings up the WWF raising their PPV prices but WCW will not and have a Clash of Champions show to boot this month. Benoit gets up and the exchange chops but Wright whips him into the corner, crashing into him with a back elbow ,and now a back suplex for a two count. Wright slingshots himself over the top and lands on Pillman! Benoit meets him on the apron and they go back and forth and start countering each others moves but Benoit drops him and finishes him off with a German suplex, holding him down for the pin.
Great opening match. Wright has some skill and he Benoit worked well together. More importantly the Horsemen and Benoit got a win.
Match 2: Lord Steven Regal v. Eddie Guerrero
They lock up and no one can get the advantage. Eddie grabs the arm and Regal quickly makes his way to the ropes. Eddie takes him to the mat and Regal is able to get back to his feet and they lock up again and now Regal is working on the arm but Eddie reverses it. Regal takes him down and applies a side headlock and now goes back after the arm. Regal hammers away on Guerrero and then Regal knees Eddie but he counters with a flying head scissors that did not look too good but Regal sold it. However Regal sticks his thumb in Eddie's eye but Eddie wraps him up and almost gets the pin. Regal decks him and hits a series of knees and punches. He follows up with a reverse suplex (landed face first). Regal steps on his head and starts connecting with a bunch of forearms and almost gets a pin but Eddie reverses it and almost gets one right back. Regal is pissed, drops an elbow and gets a near fall. Eddie is fighting to his feet, but gets knocked down again and Regal hits a series of uppercuts. Eddie comes back with a dropkick but it seemed mistimed, and now Regal is back on the offensive with a big elbow that takes him down and he is now slapping him around. However, Eddie pins him with a backslide and Regal is pissed.
Not the greatest match, Regal put on a better show last week. They did not make Regal look weak and it helps to elevate Eddie who needed the victory.
Mean Gene is with Sting and Luger: Gene says that Sting has some questions for Lex. Luger is baffled and thought they talked about the Triangle match, still Sting has a question about what happened after the match when Luger held him out of the ring. Luger plays it like he was reaching for help because he was injured, and that Sting had always been there for him. Luger wants to become an actual tag team with Sting and Sting agrees.
Match 3: DDP v. Sting
Sting comes out to quite the ovation. DDP glares at him in jealousy, so he thrusts his stogie in Sting's face and attacks him. Sting though pushes him in between the ropes and dropkicks him out to the floor. He then leaps over the top and nails him. DDP attempts a leapfrog but lands on Sting's head and then puts the boots to him and comes back with a back suplex. He continues the assault with a swinging neckbreaker, and he gets a two count but goes right back after him with a chinlock and he is using the ropes for leverage. The ref raises the arm and Sting raises it up on the third try and gets to his feet but Page grabs the hair, and yanks him back to the mat. Sting is struggling to his feet; he breaks the hold with a bulldog. He then hits DDP flush in the face, knocking him down, and comes back with an inverted atomic drop along with a Stinger Splash. He goes for the Deathlock but Page is at the ropes, and gets out of the ring. DDP is able to knock down Sting, where he connects with an elbow as Sting reversed an Irish whip getting a two count. Sting lands on his feet after a back suplex attempt, and now the Scorpion Deathlock is applied and DDP taps.
Smart move in making DDP look good. He is actually really solid in the ring, and brought out Sting's skills too as they played off of each other quite well. In fact DDP got more offense in than Flair does against Sting. Also there was no plethora of clotheslines and gorilla press slams!
Bischoff is all excited for the main event and says that the former champ, Hogan is getting in the ring with Savage, but no mention of Savage being the former champ....the Hogan love fest continues.
Match 4: Ric Flair (c) and Arn Anderson v. Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan
Savage and Arn start off but he tags in Flair. Flair wants a piece of Hogan and Savage looks at the crowd. You would think Savage would want revenge. But, hey, what the fuck do I know. Hogan is tagged in and he promptly takes Ric down and then taunts him. They lock up and they start reversing hammerlocks. Flair kicks him and then chops the shit out of Hogan in the corner, but Hogan just grins, so now he gets a thumb to the eye. AA comes in and Hogan clotheslines both clearing out the ring. AA comes in and Hogan immediately works on the arm, Savage comes off the top with a double axe, and he too starts to work over the arm. AA gets rammed into Hogan's boot and Savage goes up with a double axe and he does so again in the ring. Flair is in the ring being chased by Hogan, but he is able to go after Savage and take him down with an elbow. He goes up top but gets tossed off. AA tries to make the save but Hogan puts him in the Figure Four (Savage had Flair in it). Flair gets out and AA is able to DDT Savage. Flair literally tosses Savage over the top and AA rams him into the railing. After the break, AA has Savage in an abdominal stretch. Flair comes in and rabbit punches Savage's noggin over and over. He follows it up with some stiff chops. Flair comes right back with a back suplex and goes for the pin and Hogan breaks the cover. AA is in and Savage puts him in the sleeper, but Flair helps out, and AA puts a boot on his throat. Savage is on the floor, and he gets flung into the railing. Hogan comes and chases him off. Savage reverses with a backslide but Flair goes for the Figure Four but Savage is able to roll him up for a near fall. Flair comes back with a big chop. They exchange blows, and down goes Flair, but Savage is stopped from making the tag by AA and they go back and forth. A wobbly Savage gets pushed into Hogan. The hot tag is made but Hogan is slow getting into the ring. Flair waits patiently for him and whispers in his ear. Flair comes up with an Irish whip and a chop and flexes for the crowd. Hogan no sells and takes down Flair and now AA but they double team, however Hogan clotheslines them both out. Savage works on Flair after rolling AA back in. Arn slams him, but, guess what, HULK UP BABY! And of course he gets the pinfall. The other Horsemen come out and so does the Zodiac and the Giant and it is chaos. Giant cleans house and chokeslams both Hogan and Savage, and I know that this is picking on Hogan, but he is not selling a damn thing as he just crumples to the mat, he is looking really stiff and out of sorts. Zodiac and Sullivan hold back the Giant as it fades.
The match was pretty good but what irks is that Savage takes all the offense while Hogan is barely touched and does not look good doing when he is or even moving that well. The crowd is still mixed when it comes to Hogan, but you can tell they are tiring of the act. At least the Giant finished off the faces. Other than the Horsemen looking terrible at the end the show was pretty good. Much better than RAW as we got some solid wrestling and no Huckster nonsense or recap bullshit. The three previous matches were fun, especially Benoit and Wright. Sting and DDP put on a good show and Regal and Benoit was solid too. The first two Nitro's of 1996 are far better than what was being shown the last couple of months in 1995. WCW is slowly finding a groove and while it is far from perfect and is too Hulk centric the show is improving. And to be fair while predictable, the main event was decent. Still, I don't always buy the age old adage that fans want to see a happy ending every fucking show. Then again this is 96 and Hogan is not the Hogan he was and in WCW, Flair is the shit, so it is almost inverted here and the fans want Flair to win....if it was Sting then it would be a different story.
Match 1: Chris Benoit v. Alex Wright
Benoit attacks Wright right of the bat, punching him to the mat and then bodyslamming him. He attempts a pin after a snap suplex. Wright rolls to the floor, and Pillman (who came down with Benoit) starts to choke him out. Back in the ring Wright fires off a blow but Benoit pounds away on him in the corner. Wright takes him down with a wheel kick and then a flying cross body and then catapults him over the top (no DQ but Heenan wonders and EB tries to cover by saying it was not intentional, WTF). Back in the ring Wright stomps on him and then hits a dropkick. A bodyslam and a two count, and now a Boston Crab. EB brings up the WWF raising their PPV prices but WCW will not and have a Clash of Champions show to boot this month. Benoit gets up and the exchange chops but Wright whips him into the corner, crashing into him with a back elbow ,and now a back suplex for a two count. Wright slingshots himself over the top and lands on Pillman! Benoit meets him on the apron and they go back and forth and start countering each others moves but Benoit drops him and finishes him off with a German suplex, holding him down for the pin.
Great opening match. Wright has some skill and he Benoit worked well together. More importantly the Horsemen and Benoit got a win.
Match 2: Lord Steven Regal v. Eddie Guerrero
They lock up and no one can get the advantage. Eddie grabs the arm and Regal quickly makes his way to the ropes. Eddie takes him to the mat and Regal is able to get back to his feet and they lock up again and now Regal is working on the arm but Eddie reverses it. Regal takes him down and applies a side headlock and now goes back after the arm. Regal hammers away on Guerrero and then Regal knees Eddie but he counters with a flying head scissors that did not look too good but Regal sold it. However Regal sticks his thumb in Eddie's eye but Eddie wraps him up and almost gets the pin. Regal decks him and hits a series of knees and punches. He follows up with a reverse suplex (landed face first). Regal steps on his head and starts connecting with a bunch of forearms and almost gets a pin but Eddie reverses it and almost gets one right back. Regal is pissed, drops an elbow and gets a near fall. Eddie is fighting to his feet, but gets knocked down again and Regal hits a series of uppercuts. Eddie comes back with a dropkick but it seemed mistimed, and now Regal is back on the offensive with a big elbow that takes him down and he is now slapping him around. However, Eddie pins him with a backslide and Regal is pissed.
Not the greatest match, Regal put on a better show last week. They did not make Regal look weak and it helps to elevate Eddie who needed the victory.
Mean Gene is with Sting and Luger: Gene says that Sting has some questions for Lex. Luger is baffled and thought they talked about the Triangle match, still Sting has a question about what happened after the match when Luger held him out of the ring. Luger plays it like he was reaching for help because he was injured, and that Sting had always been there for him. Luger wants to become an actual tag team with Sting and Sting agrees.
Match 3: DDP v. Sting
Sting comes out to quite the ovation. DDP glares at him in jealousy, so he thrusts his stogie in Sting's face and attacks him. Sting though pushes him in between the ropes and dropkicks him out to the floor. He then leaps over the top and nails him. DDP attempts a leapfrog but lands on Sting's head and then puts the boots to him and comes back with a back suplex. He continues the assault with a swinging neckbreaker, and he gets a two count but goes right back after him with a chinlock and he is using the ropes for leverage. The ref raises the arm and Sting raises it up on the third try and gets to his feet but Page grabs the hair, and yanks him back to the mat. Sting is struggling to his feet; he breaks the hold with a bulldog. He then hits DDP flush in the face, knocking him down, and comes back with an inverted atomic drop along with a Stinger Splash. He goes for the Deathlock but Page is at the ropes, and gets out of the ring. DDP is able to knock down Sting, where he connects with an elbow as Sting reversed an Irish whip getting a two count. Sting lands on his feet after a back suplex attempt, and now the Scorpion Deathlock is applied and DDP taps.
Smart move in making DDP look good. He is actually really solid in the ring, and brought out Sting's skills too as they played off of each other quite well. In fact DDP got more offense in than Flair does against Sting. Also there was no plethora of clotheslines and gorilla press slams!
Bischoff is all excited for the main event and says that the former champ, Hogan is getting in the ring with Savage, but no mention of Savage being the former champ....the Hogan love fest continues.
Match 4: Ric Flair (c) and Arn Anderson v. Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan
Savage and Arn start off but he tags in Flair. Flair wants a piece of Hogan and Savage looks at the crowd. You would think Savage would want revenge. But, hey, what the fuck do I know. Hogan is tagged in and he promptly takes Ric down and then taunts him. They lock up and they start reversing hammerlocks. Flair kicks him and then chops the shit out of Hogan in the corner, but Hogan just grins, so now he gets a thumb to the eye. AA comes in and Hogan clotheslines both clearing out the ring. AA comes in and Hogan immediately works on the arm, Savage comes off the top with a double axe, and he too starts to work over the arm. AA gets rammed into Hogan's boot and Savage goes up with a double axe and he does so again in the ring. Flair is in the ring being chased by Hogan, but he is able to go after Savage and take him down with an elbow. He goes up top but gets tossed off. AA tries to make the save but Hogan puts him in the Figure Four (Savage had Flair in it). Flair gets out and AA is able to DDT Savage. Flair literally tosses Savage over the top and AA rams him into the railing. After the break, AA has Savage in an abdominal stretch. Flair comes in and rabbit punches Savage's noggin over and over. He follows it up with some stiff chops. Flair comes right back with a back suplex and goes for the pin and Hogan breaks the cover. AA is in and Savage puts him in the sleeper, but Flair helps out, and AA puts a boot on his throat. Savage is on the floor, and he gets flung into the railing. Hogan comes and chases him off. Savage reverses with a backslide but Flair goes for the Figure Four but Savage is able to roll him up for a near fall. Flair comes back with a big chop. They exchange blows, and down goes Flair, but Savage is stopped from making the tag by AA and they go back and forth. A wobbly Savage gets pushed into Hogan. The hot tag is made but Hogan is slow getting into the ring. Flair waits patiently for him and whispers in his ear. Flair comes up with an Irish whip and a chop and flexes for the crowd. Hogan no sells and takes down Flair and now AA but they double team, however Hogan clotheslines them both out. Savage works on Flair after rolling AA back in. Arn slams him, but, guess what, HULK UP BABY! And of course he gets the pinfall. The other Horsemen come out and so does the Zodiac and the Giant and it is chaos. Giant cleans house and chokeslams both Hogan and Savage, and I know that this is picking on Hogan, but he is not selling a damn thing as he just crumples to the mat, he is looking really stiff and out of sorts. Zodiac and Sullivan hold back the Giant as it fades.
The match was pretty good but what irks is that Savage takes all the offense while Hogan is barely touched and does not look good doing when he is or even moving that well. The crowd is still mixed when it comes to Hogan, but you can tell they are tiring of the act. At least the Giant finished off the faces. Other than the Horsemen looking terrible at the end the show was pretty good. Much better than RAW as we got some solid wrestling and no Huckster nonsense or recap bullshit. The three previous matches were fun, especially Benoit and Wright. Sting and DDP put on a good show and Regal and Benoit was solid too. The first two Nitro's of 1996 are far better than what was being shown the last couple of months in 1995. WCW is slowly finding a groove and while it is far from perfect and is too Hulk centric the show is improving. And to be fair while predictable, the main event was decent. Still, I don't always buy the age old adage that fans want to see a happy ending every fucking show. Then again this is 96 and Hogan is not the Hogan he was and in WCW, Flair is the shit, so it is almost inverted here and the fans want Flair to win....if it was Sting then it would be a different story.
Forgot to post on the 12th Anniversary of the death of WCW. I think I am the only one who gives a shit....A forty poured out in its honor.
This is a huge Nitro, the ratings are off the chart (TWNP and Wikipedia are now agreeing on a weekly basis). Nitro received a whopping 3.5 as opposed to RAW's still respectable 2.4. Nitro has been getting better. Nitro is also focusing on its upper carders and the storylines have become less confusing and convoluted, the DoD has been taking a back seat and the wrestling has been pretty good. Clash of the Champions is only eight days away, so there is some anticipation towards that, however it will be interesting to see why the jump in ratings occurred. WCW is pulling out all the tricks, they are starting earlier and going later thus making the show longer (and trying to hook fans so they won't switch to RAW, and get RAW fans to turn the channel after it ends) and they are still giving away RAW matches as well as chastising them for raising the PPV price, all the while WCW is providing Clash for free....their words.
Match 1: Lex Luger v. Macho Man Randy Savage
Savage has a chair in the ring but the ref grabs it; Luger takes advantage, and throws him out to the floor. Once on the floor he throws him into the steps. Luger gets into the ring and flexes for the camera. Savage climbs onto the apron, Luger knocks him off. Savage does so again and when Luger goes after him he pulls him out. Savage then returns the favor by bouncing his head off the steel steps. Back in the ring he gets a two count after connecting with a double axe (there is a Luger chant). Savage hits an elbow getting another two count. Savage goes for two more pinfalls after continuing the offensive. Luger though comes back with a blow to the eye and a series of elbows. He now drops three elbows on Savage and gets a two count. Savage drops Luger and goes, really slowly, for the Flying Elbow and misses. Luger puts Savage in the Rack gets the win.
This was surprising. Neither put on a great match but Savage has been jobbing a lot lately and overshadowed too. However, he is still game and helping to put Luger back over....as he too needs some victories. Ultimately, the loss will not hurt Savage. The dude is like Sting or Jericho: Teflon.
The Dungeon of Doom comes out and they grab Okerlund. The Four Horsemen are trailing just behind them. They were to have a tag team match, oh and One Man Gang is the US champ. WCW needs to learn to broadcast things, also then why did not Benoit win? I really don't understand WCW sometimes. Why in the blue fuck is the One Man Gang champ of anything in 1996? AA is explaining that they want all the titles, but they only have one and WCW missed the boat. He continues that it is all about financial gain and there is none when fighting with the DoD. Sullivan says that Flair is the greatest champ of all time. They will let the Horsemen borrow the Giant. Sullivan goes on that AA does not get the respect due to him. His issue is with Benoit and Pillman. AA mentions fear but then slaps Pillman when he spouts off, and basically tells him to shut the Hell up. AA says that Pillman will learn respect and Sullivan slyly brings up that Hogan will be facing a member of the DoD tonight.
Match 2: Public Enemy v. the American Males
Public Enemy, an acquisition from ECW and they enter waving their arms. Yeah, I am doing with OPP! Males come strutting down and get into their grill. Enemy looks baffled. PE gets clotheslined out of the ring and Bagwell hits a flying crossbody. They follow up with dual dropkick but they clearly miss, but oh well, PE sells it. Riggs is now in with Johnny Grunge-I am getting the names down, and they go back and forth until Grunge is slammed to the mat by his hair. Bagwell is in now, cleaning house with clotheslines and a powerslam. Grunge rolls him up and holds it forever before the ref calls the count. PE is now attacking after the bell and setting up a table and then stack another on top. They place Bagwell on top and Rocco Rock somersault right onto him, and Riggs runs over to protect poor Bagwell who may be dead.
PE could barely move here, but they did sell some of the terrible moves from the Males. The match was alright, and the ending was weak but the aftermath, though cliche in this jaded age, was really good. Maybe I should have just looked up their fucking names on Wikipedia....Getting lazy.
Match 3: Sting v. Ric Flair (c) For WCW Championship
They lock up and Sting pushes him to the mat, and then does it again after Flair gets up. This time Flair takes him down three times and Sting pops right back each time. Flair punches him then throws him out to the floor, but Sting pops right back into the ring. He muscles Flair into the corner where he hits him seven times, and follows up with a dropkick as well as gorilla press slam. Flair is flipped over the buckle and clotheslined on the apron. Sting steps on him, and then suplexes him into the ring getting a two count. Flair chops him to the mat and now works on him in the corner and then again in the other corner. Flair goes for a suplex but is blocked and Sting places him on the top rope and superplexes him right off and Flair is twitching on the mat. Sting tries a big splash but Flair raises up legs. Sting flies at him again but gets all rope. Now Flair drops a big knee. Flair is attempting a pin with his leg hooked on the rope. But Sting kicks out. Jimmy Hart is running distraction and Flair uses it to throw Sting to the mat. Sting climbs up to the apron, and Flair whips him off the ropes and chops him down and gets a one count as Sting throws him off and he comes back with a clothesline as he bounces off the turnbuckle. Flair is able to back suplex Sting and now both are down. Flair and Sting are going back and forth; however, Sting starts punching away getting the upperhand....but Flair ducks a dropkick only to get rolled up for a close call. Another close one after a backslide. Sting gorilla press slams him again. Flair though goes up top and gets tossed off. But he is a gamer as he chops Sting who just asks for more. Flair does the flex thing again and Sting wags his finger at him. Sting is now working over Flair, and Hart climbs onto the apron and Luger kicks him off but "accidentally" hits Sting as he swung Flair into the corner and Flair gets the win. Luger is blaming Hart and he goes after Flair, kind of, but Hogan and Savage run them both off.
Holy shit Flair fucking won!
Gene enters the ring and wants to know how this will be be sorted out. Hogan wants Sting to see the light: That Luger is try to ruin him. Hogan is yelling at Sting and Savage tells him to wake up. Sting looks baffled and does not remember and keeps saying "Luger did it?" And the acting is terrible...So he finally goes to find Luger. Hogan says there is another problem and it is with Savage, he says that he has been on a roll but that Savage keeps losing to Luger. He thinks that Macho pulled a fast one, and signed for the title match next week before Hulk got there. Savage tells Hulk to back off and not push him into a corner or he will fire back. He got the title shot because he deserved it and yeah he lost to Luger, so what. Hogan thinks that he should have a title shot. Savage just leaves and Hogan does not like him walking away and babbles that they are friends and he goes after him....Christ God Almighty it is like fucking middle school. They just need to make out and get it over with.
Match 4: Meng v. Hulk Hogan
I though Sullivan went after a fan but it was a cameraman. Meng starts scratching and clawing at Hogan; I missed this. Sullivan was in the ring, but is out on the floor and so was either Meng or Hogan. Once back in the ring Meng hits a series of chops, continuing the assault. Meng is choking him in the corner. Meng chops him on the shoulders and squeezes between the shoulder blades. Hogan gets up but gets knocked right back down, and Meng starts choking him again. Meng bodyslams him and goes up top but misses the flying headbutt. Hogan kicks him and rakes the eyes and starts firing back with a clothesline in the corner. Hogan gets nailed with Meng's spike and he Hulks up. Sullivan tries to intervene but Savage stalls him and Hogan uses the spike to finish off Meng. And now Hogan and Savage are friends again. No making out. I am sure next week there will be more tears.
Surprisingly Meng got the most offense against Hogan in quite some time. Poor Savage continued to get knocked around, Sullivan even took him out. The wrestling was not that great tonight. Sting and Flair put on a good show but it was not much different than the matches they have had the past few months, though it was above average. They did have all the big boys wrestling tonight and so that probably had something to do with it. The show was above average but at the same time, the are we friends or not gets rather old with Hogan being the continual ringleader. It would add more drama if it did not happen so often, but at least it has not been as annoying as it was the last couple of months, despite Sting's terrible acting. I could give him lessons.
This is a huge Nitro, the ratings are off the chart (TWNP and Wikipedia are now agreeing on a weekly basis). Nitro received a whopping 3.5 as opposed to RAW's still respectable 2.4. Nitro has been getting better. Nitro is also focusing on its upper carders and the storylines have become less confusing and convoluted, the DoD has been taking a back seat and the wrestling has been pretty good. Clash of the Champions is only eight days away, so there is some anticipation towards that, however it will be interesting to see why the jump in ratings occurred. WCW is pulling out all the tricks, they are starting earlier and going later thus making the show longer (and trying to hook fans so they won't switch to RAW, and get RAW fans to turn the channel after it ends) and they are still giving away RAW matches as well as chastising them for raising the PPV price, all the while WCW is providing Clash for free....their words.
Match 1: Lex Luger v. Macho Man Randy Savage
Savage has a chair in the ring but the ref grabs it; Luger takes advantage, and throws him out to the floor. Once on the floor he throws him into the steps. Luger gets into the ring and flexes for the camera. Savage climbs onto the apron, Luger knocks him off. Savage does so again and when Luger goes after him he pulls him out. Savage then returns the favor by bouncing his head off the steel steps. Back in the ring he gets a two count after connecting with a double axe (there is a Luger chant). Savage hits an elbow getting another two count. Savage goes for two more pinfalls after continuing the offensive. Luger though comes back with a blow to the eye and a series of elbows. He now drops three elbows on Savage and gets a two count. Savage drops Luger and goes, really slowly, for the Flying Elbow and misses. Luger puts Savage in the Rack gets the win.
This was surprising. Neither put on a great match but Savage has been jobbing a lot lately and overshadowed too. However, he is still game and helping to put Luger back over....as he too needs some victories. Ultimately, the loss will not hurt Savage. The dude is like Sting or Jericho: Teflon.
The Dungeon of Doom comes out and they grab Okerlund. The Four Horsemen are trailing just behind them. They were to have a tag team match, oh and One Man Gang is the US champ. WCW needs to learn to broadcast things, also then why did not Benoit win? I really don't understand WCW sometimes. Why in the blue fuck is the One Man Gang champ of anything in 1996? AA is explaining that they want all the titles, but they only have one and WCW missed the boat. He continues that it is all about financial gain and there is none when fighting with the DoD. Sullivan says that Flair is the greatest champ of all time. They will let the Horsemen borrow the Giant. Sullivan goes on that AA does not get the respect due to him. His issue is with Benoit and Pillman. AA mentions fear but then slaps Pillman when he spouts off, and basically tells him to shut the Hell up. AA says that Pillman will learn respect and Sullivan slyly brings up that Hogan will be facing a member of the DoD tonight.
Match 2: Public Enemy v. the American Males
Public Enemy, an acquisition from ECW and they enter waving their arms. Yeah, I am doing with OPP! Males come strutting down and get into their grill. Enemy looks baffled. PE gets clotheslined out of the ring and Bagwell hits a flying crossbody. They follow up with dual dropkick but they clearly miss, but oh well, PE sells it. Riggs is now in with Johnny Grunge-I am getting the names down, and they go back and forth until Grunge is slammed to the mat by his hair. Bagwell is in now, cleaning house with clotheslines and a powerslam. Grunge rolls him up and holds it forever before the ref calls the count. PE is now attacking after the bell and setting up a table and then stack another on top. They place Bagwell on top and Rocco Rock somersault right onto him, and Riggs runs over to protect poor Bagwell who may be dead.
PE could barely move here, but they did sell some of the terrible moves from the Males. The match was alright, and the ending was weak but the aftermath, though cliche in this jaded age, was really good. Maybe I should have just looked up their fucking names on Wikipedia....Getting lazy.
Match 3: Sting v. Ric Flair (c) For WCW Championship
They lock up and Sting pushes him to the mat, and then does it again after Flair gets up. This time Flair takes him down three times and Sting pops right back each time. Flair punches him then throws him out to the floor, but Sting pops right back into the ring. He muscles Flair into the corner where he hits him seven times, and follows up with a dropkick as well as gorilla press slam. Flair is flipped over the buckle and clotheslined on the apron. Sting steps on him, and then suplexes him into the ring getting a two count. Flair chops him to the mat and now works on him in the corner and then again in the other corner. Flair goes for a suplex but is blocked and Sting places him on the top rope and superplexes him right off and Flair is twitching on the mat. Sting tries a big splash but Flair raises up legs. Sting flies at him again but gets all rope. Now Flair drops a big knee. Flair is attempting a pin with his leg hooked on the rope. But Sting kicks out. Jimmy Hart is running distraction and Flair uses it to throw Sting to the mat. Sting climbs up to the apron, and Flair whips him off the ropes and chops him down and gets a one count as Sting throws him off and he comes back with a clothesline as he bounces off the turnbuckle. Flair is able to back suplex Sting and now both are down. Flair and Sting are going back and forth; however, Sting starts punching away getting the upperhand....but Flair ducks a dropkick only to get rolled up for a close call. Another close one after a backslide. Sting gorilla press slams him again. Flair though goes up top and gets tossed off. But he is a gamer as he chops Sting who just asks for more. Flair does the flex thing again and Sting wags his finger at him. Sting is now working over Flair, and Hart climbs onto the apron and Luger kicks him off but "accidentally" hits Sting as he swung Flair into the corner and Flair gets the win. Luger is blaming Hart and he goes after Flair, kind of, but Hogan and Savage run them both off.
Holy shit Flair fucking won!
Gene enters the ring and wants to know how this will be be sorted out. Hogan wants Sting to see the light: That Luger is try to ruin him. Hogan is yelling at Sting and Savage tells him to wake up. Sting looks baffled and does not remember and keeps saying "Luger did it?" And the acting is terrible...So he finally goes to find Luger. Hogan says there is another problem and it is with Savage, he says that he has been on a roll but that Savage keeps losing to Luger. He thinks that Macho pulled a fast one, and signed for the title match next week before Hulk got there. Savage tells Hulk to back off and not push him into a corner or he will fire back. He got the title shot because he deserved it and yeah he lost to Luger, so what. Hogan thinks that he should have a title shot. Savage just leaves and Hogan does not like him walking away and babbles that they are friends and he goes after him....Christ God Almighty it is like fucking middle school. They just need to make out and get it over with.
Match 4: Meng v. Hulk Hogan
I though Sullivan went after a fan but it was a cameraman. Meng starts scratching and clawing at Hogan; I missed this. Sullivan was in the ring, but is out on the floor and so was either Meng or Hogan. Once back in the ring Meng hits a series of chops, continuing the assault. Meng is choking him in the corner. Meng chops him on the shoulders and squeezes between the shoulder blades. Hogan gets up but gets knocked right back down, and Meng starts choking him again. Meng bodyslams him and goes up top but misses the flying headbutt. Hogan kicks him and rakes the eyes and starts firing back with a clothesline in the corner. Hogan gets nailed with Meng's spike and he Hulks up. Sullivan tries to intervene but Savage stalls him and Hogan uses the spike to finish off Meng. And now Hogan and Savage are friends again. No making out. I am sure next week there will be more tears.
Surprisingly Meng got the most offense against Hogan in quite some time. Poor Savage continued to get knocked around, Sullivan even took him out. The wrestling was not that great tonight. Sting and Flair put on a good show but it was not much different than the matches they have had the past few months, though it was above average. They did have all the big boys wrestling tonight and so that probably had something to do with it. The show was above average but at the same time, the are we friends or not gets rather old with Hogan being the continual ringleader. It would add more drama if it did not happen so often, but at least it has not been as annoying as it was the last couple of months, despite Sting's terrible acting. I could give him lessons.
The go home show to one of their biggest PPV's. However, once again the build has not been too good and hopefully this changes tonight. RAW is better now than it was in September/October but not by much, and the ratings did slip this week. I would say that is a little disturbing going into the Rumble but ratings seem to have no rhyme or reason right now...Anyway RAW got pasted by Nitro 3.5 to 2.4.
We get a brief tribute to MLK for MLK Day. WCW is raycess from not doing the same thing!
They pan to Sunny looking quite alluring and I guess she has some sort of plan. They show Goldust with a Razor Ramon tattoo along with a heart! Damn, Sunny was hot. Now she looks like she got run over by a tractor and hit in the face with shovel: Ridden hard and put away wet (I would still do her!).
Match 1: Marty Jannetty v. Owen Hart
Marty has not done anything in the past month, but this match should be pretty good. They lock up and Marty takes him down. Owen thinks he pulled his hair, whines about it, and Marty takes him down, applying a front headlock. Owen is placed on top, and Marty flips off....Owen is down and now the go back and forth; down goes Owen after a clothesline and Marty applies a chinlock. Owen is up and swings Marty into the ropes but gets knocked down with a shoulder block. But Owen comes back, slams him, but gets caught in a flying cross body for two, however Owen kicks him in the back of the head. Owen has him in a chinlock but gets flipped over and Owen nails him with a standing dropkick. Owen drives his shoulder into Marty but he gets clotheslined and they continue to go back and forth until Owen gets a two count after a gutwrench suplex.
Commercial.
Owen is still in control, he drops a big knee on Marty. However, Marty grabs Owen's head and bashes it off the mat. He bodyslams Owen and then takes him out to the floor with a big clothesline. He tries to suplex Owen into the ring but Owen counters out, and manages to put him in a bridge getting the pin.
Good match, a little sloppy but still pretty athletic. Clearly, Marty's push is over. Well, it was not much of a push.
Todd or Tod or whatever the fuck his name is....Anyway, he is bouncing around and he too is hyping the Rumble. There will be a WWF Free for All an hour before the start of the show. There will even be a match, between who will either be number one or thirty....not bad. Diesel does not like the fact that everyone is talking about Vader because it is not Vader time but Diesel time. We get another vignette with Vader.
Now to Doc Hendricks who confirms that Razor Ramon is on his way to the arena and that he is fed up with Goldust.
Match 2: the Ringmaster v. Jobber
Sunny is playing pool and showing some cleavage as well as saying some naughty things....she is cute, I am smitten. I love the mid-90s styles! It is like the 80s never left. Now they go back to the match. Oh shit it is Matt Hardy! He looks skinny and has short hair. He gets in a couple of moves but is pretty much getting destroyed. Austin slugs him into the corner where he kicks him too. Hardy is hung on the ropes and he starts getting pummeled. The Ringmaster leaps off the rope front first and knees Hardy in the head. He gets a two count and Hardy comes back with a couple of kicks, but gets a front suplex for his troubles. Ringmaster moves away at the count of two. Ringmaster uses the ropes to choke him but he misses as he charges him, and for some reason Austin postures to the crowd, and so he gets hit a couple of times before hoisting Hardy up and carries him to the ropes where he drops him neck first on the top rope. He hooks in the Million Dollar Dream and it is over.
Hardy looked decent and it was not that big of a squash, but Austin put on a good show.
They show highlights of Michaels, and I predict a Michaels victory at the Rumble as he has been receiving a huge build as well as all the adversity he has faced. Well, I guess it is not much of a fucking prediction when I know the main event of WM XII! But I like to pretend I know what I am talking about.
Doc is back with an update and oh boy! Razor is only a few miles from the arena.....I wonder if he used 1800COLLECT!
Match 3: Smoking Gunns (c) v. Spiders
Uh, this was a random match as they joined it in progress! Bart cleaning house and Billy is up top and drops the leg as Bart holds him and it is over.
Um, okay....
Damn now they are moving to Ted's Warroom. He wants to know why he cannot buy the WWF and one of his lackey's says that the WWF has better wrestling, and they call Hogan a has been and Savage disloyal. Nacho does not like that and says he got his start in the 70s and not the 80s....Boy, Vince is still bitter about this too. I still don't know the fully story of why Savage never returned to the WWF/E. He would have fit in with the Attitude Era in 2000 and beyond. I have heard interviews where he declared (back in 00) that he wanted to go to the WWF. He was said to have wanted too much money. That could be a reason. I also wonder if later in the 2000s if he really cared about getting back into the ring as he seemed to have been smart with his money, and I like the fact that unlike some other wrestlers he did not overstay his welcome becoming a mockery. I would not really understand why Vince would be pissed because he left in 94 because Savage wanted to wrestle. In WWF he had taken on a minor role. Vince would do business with Satan if he thought it would bring in money. I will say that if Savage did bang Stephanie then that would be just awesome. Well, not if she was underage....that is creepy. Anyway, I am rambling....
Vince is with Goldust: Vince tries to get controversial as he wonders of Goldust is playing off of Homophobia especially when it comes to Razor. He asks if Vince has an extra microphone in his pocket or is just happy to see him! Goldust quotes another movie and states that he wants Razor more than any man, woman or human being! Whatever that means. Vince looks disgusted, and Lawler says he may be queer, but he is here to stay and will win the IC title. They go to Doc and Razor must be walking as he has not arrived yet but they are still anticipating his arrival.
Back to Doc and who says that Razor has not arrived...oh, here he comes and he wants to know where Goldust is and he goes to hunt him down.
Match 4: Isaac Yankem v. Undertaker
Portends for the future! Isaac departs the ring as UT climbs onto the apron. Lawler tries to comfort Yankem, as he tells him to bust UT's teeth out. The bell rings and they stand nose to nose and he goes to deck the UT but is blocked and the UT pours it on and drops him with a vicious clothesline. UT applies the claw! Now that is rarely seen. Yankem is flung into the corner but UT walks into an elbow and is dropped with a clothesline. UT rises up and then no sells a boot to the head. He has Yankem up but he manages to drop to the floor and he drags the Undertaker too. They go at it but UT grabs the throat, and he knees Yankem and he then scares off the official who starts the count over. UT continues to slowly attack Yankem, and throws him into the steps. Lawler tries to get the gold necklace from Bearer but UT chases him off. This allows Yankem to attack, he picks him up, and rams him back first into the post.
Commercial.
Yankem is in command and he is putting the boots to him in the ring and he starts to work over the leg. They go to Doc who says that Goldust will discuss his match against Hart next week. Anyway UT is back in charge, he kicks Yankem in the midsection. But the Undertaker runs into a powerslam; now he is nailed with two elbow drops. Yankem is taunting UT, he picks him up and goes for the Tombstone and they randomly pan to a pacing Doc, but they go back and the UT has slammed Yankem and now finishes him off with the Tombstone.
Yankem did well and meshes with the UT and this bodes well for the future.
Doc-You know I think I changed it once before but forgot: It is Dok and not Doc. Ah well. Same effing differnece.....Anyway he is with Goldust, and tells him about his match with Razor on Sunday, and then on RAW against Bret. He says he has no heart but then Razor charges and starts beating poor Goldust up. Goldust though knocks him down with a groin shot.....
Sunny is in the tub and drawls that we have been going at it for an hour and that it has been RAW or rubbed RAW or something....what the fuck? I could make some jokes about her getting rubbed raw....but I am a gentleman! This seems to be a precursor of things to come, time for the 15 year old virgins to watch wrestling!
Goldust is trying to leave but Razor attacks him again. He rams his head into the electrical supply, and then into and out the door. They brawl in the snow and Goldust throws him into a truck. He gets into a car and takes off with Razor tossing a garbage can at the car.
Well at least they had the Undertaker, I am still baffled that Bret has made zero appearances since winning the title but I have said my piece on this (It is fucking stupid). The show had two good matches and was overall pretty good. The precursor of things to come with Sunny and then the brawl between Razor and Goldust was interesting. I liked the brawl, but then again that type of stuff will take the place of actual wrestling in some cases, but for now it mixes things up. It is obvious the WWF is trying to become more controversial as they have been slowly getting away from the cartoon gimmicks, minus the Undertaker of course. Meanwhile WCW has the cartoon shit going on, so at least WWF is trying to differentiate itself....Diesel and Vader look to bring an edge and Goldust some controversy. Hopefully this carries into the PPV and subsequent RAW's.
We get a brief tribute to MLK for MLK Day. WCW is raycess from not doing the same thing!
They pan to Sunny looking quite alluring and I guess she has some sort of plan. They show Goldust with a Razor Ramon tattoo along with a heart! Damn, Sunny was hot. Now she looks like she got run over by a tractor and hit in the face with shovel: Ridden hard and put away wet (I would still do her!).
Match 1: Marty Jannetty v. Owen Hart
Marty has not done anything in the past month, but this match should be pretty good. They lock up and Marty takes him down. Owen thinks he pulled his hair, whines about it, and Marty takes him down, applying a front headlock. Owen is placed on top, and Marty flips off....Owen is down and now the go back and forth; down goes Owen after a clothesline and Marty applies a chinlock. Owen is up and swings Marty into the ropes but gets knocked down with a shoulder block. But Owen comes back, slams him, but gets caught in a flying cross body for two, however Owen kicks him in the back of the head. Owen has him in a chinlock but gets flipped over and Owen nails him with a standing dropkick. Owen drives his shoulder into Marty but he gets clotheslined and they continue to go back and forth until Owen gets a two count after a gutwrench suplex.
Commercial.
Owen is still in control, he drops a big knee on Marty. However, Marty grabs Owen's head and bashes it off the mat. He bodyslams Owen and then takes him out to the floor with a big clothesline. He tries to suplex Owen into the ring but Owen counters out, and manages to put him in a bridge getting the pin.
Good match, a little sloppy but still pretty athletic. Clearly, Marty's push is over. Well, it was not much of a push.
Todd or Tod or whatever the fuck his name is....Anyway, he is bouncing around and he too is hyping the Rumble. There will be a WWF Free for All an hour before the start of the show. There will even be a match, between who will either be number one or thirty....not bad. Diesel does not like the fact that everyone is talking about Vader because it is not Vader time but Diesel time. We get another vignette with Vader.
Now to Doc Hendricks who confirms that Razor Ramon is on his way to the arena and that he is fed up with Goldust.
Match 2: the Ringmaster v. Jobber
Sunny is playing pool and showing some cleavage as well as saying some naughty things....she is cute, I am smitten. I love the mid-90s styles! It is like the 80s never left. Now they go back to the match. Oh shit it is Matt Hardy! He looks skinny and has short hair. He gets in a couple of moves but is pretty much getting destroyed. Austin slugs him into the corner where he kicks him too. Hardy is hung on the ropes and he starts getting pummeled. The Ringmaster leaps off the rope front first and knees Hardy in the head. He gets a two count and Hardy comes back with a couple of kicks, but gets a front suplex for his troubles. Ringmaster moves away at the count of two. Ringmaster uses the ropes to choke him but he misses as he charges him, and for some reason Austin postures to the crowd, and so he gets hit a couple of times before hoisting Hardy up and carries him to the ropes where he drops him neck first on the top rope. He hooks in the Million Dollar Dream and it is over.
Hardy looked decent and it was not that big of a squash, but Austin put on a good show.
They show highlights of Michaels, and I predict a Michaels victory at the Rumble as he has been receiving a huge build as well as all the adversity he has faced. Well, I guess it is not much of a fucking prediction when I know the main event of WM XII! But I like to pretend I know what I am talking about.
Doc is back with an update and oh boy! Razor is only a few miles from the arena.....I wonder if he used 1800COLLECT!
Match 3: Smoking Gunns (c) v. Spiders
Uh, this was a random match as they joined it in progress! Bart cleaning house and Billy is up top and drops the leg as Bart holds him and it is over.
Um, okay....
Damn now they are moving to Ted's Warroom. He wants to know why he cannot buy the WWF and one of his lackey's says that the WWF has better wrestling, and they call Hogan a has been and Savage disloyal. Nacho does not like that and says he got his start in the 70s and not the 80s....Boy, Vince is still bitter about this too. I still don't know the fully story of why Savage never returned to the WWF/E. He would have fit in with the Attitude Era in 2000 and beyond. I have heard interviews where he declared (back in 00) that he wanted to go to the WWF. He was said to have wanted too much money. That could be a reason. I also wonder if later in the 2000s if he really cared about getting back into the ring as he seemed to have been smart with his money, and I like the fact that unlike some other wrestlers he did not overstay his welcome becoming a mockery. I would not really understand why Vince would be pissed because he left in 94 because Savage wanted to wrestle. In WWF he had taken on a minor role. Vince would do business with Satan if he thought it would bring in money. I will say that if Savage did bang Stephanie then that would be just awesome. Well, not if she was underage....that is creepy. Anyway, I am rambling....
Vince is with Goldust: Vince tries to get controversial as he wonders of Goldust is playing off of Homophobia especially when it comes to Razor. He asks if Vince has an extra microphone in his pocket or is just happy to see him! Goldust quotes another movie and states that he wants Razor more than any man, woman or human being! Whatever that means. Vince looks disgusted, and Lawler says he may be queer, but he is here to stay and will win the IC title. They go to Doc and Razor must be walking as he has not arrived yet but they are still anticipating his arrival.
Back to Doc and who says that Razor has not arrived...oh, here he comes and he wants to know where Goldust is and he goes to hunt him down.
Match 4: Isaac Yankem v. Undertaker
Portends for the future! Isaac departs the ring as UT climbs onto the apron. Lawler tries to comfort Yankem, as he tells him to bust UT's teeth out. The bell rings and they stand nose to nose and he goes to deck the UT but is blocked and the UT pours it on and drops him with a vicious clothesline. UT applies the claw! Now that is rarely seen. Yankem is flung into the corner but UT walks into an elbow and is dropped with a clothesline. UT rises up and then no sells a boot to the head. He has Yankem up but he manages to drop to the floor and he drags the Undertaker too. They go at it but UT grabs the throat, and he knees Yankem and he then scares off the official who starts the count over. UT continues to slowly attack Yankem, and throws him into the steps. Lawler tries to get the gold necklace from Bearer but UT chases him off. This allows Yankem to attack, he picks him up, and rams him back first into the post.
Commercial.
Yankem is in command and he is putting the boots to him in the ring and he starts to work over the leg. They go to Doc who says that Goldust will discuss his match against Hart next week. Anyway UT is back in charge, he kicks Yankem in the midsection. But the Undertaker runs into a powerslam; now he is nailed with two elbow drops. Yankem is taunting UT, he picks him up and goes for the Tombstone and they randomly pan to a pacing Doc, but they go back and the UT has slammed Yankem and now finishes him off with the Tombstone.
Yankem did well and meshes with the UT and this bodes well for the future.
Doc-You know I think I changed it once before but forgot: It is Dok and not Doc. Ah well. Same effing differnece.....Anyway he is with Goldust, and tells him about his match with Razor on Sunday, and then on RAW against Bret. He says he has no heart but then Razor charges and starts beating poor Goldust up. Goldust though knocks him down with a groin shot.....
Sunny is in the tub and drawls that we have been going at it for an hour and that it has been RAW or rubbed RAW or something....what the fuck? I could make some jokes about her getting rubbed raw....but I am a gentleman! This seems to be a precursor of things to come, time for the 15 year old virgins to watch wrestling!
Goldust is trying to leave but Razor attacks him again. He rams his head into the electrical supply, and then into and out the door. They brawl in the snow and Goldust throws him into a truck. He gets into a car and takes off with Razor tossing a garbage can at the car.
Well at least they had the Undertaker, I am still baffled that Bret has made zero appearances since winning the title but I have said my piece on this (It is fucking stupid). The show had two good matches and was overall pretty good. The precursor of things to come with Sunny and then the brawl between Razor and Goldust was interesting. I liked the brawl, but then again that type of stuff will take the place of actual wrestling in some cases, but for now it mixes things up. It is obvious the WWF is trying to become more controversial as they have been slowly getting away from the cartoon gimmicks, minus the Undertaker of course. Meanwhile WCW has the cartoon shit going on, so at least WWF is trying to differentiate itself....Diesel and Vader look to bring an edge and Goldust some controversy. Hopefully this carries into the PPV and subsequent RAW's.
They are in Vegas tonight (I like the present tense, so why not, but I am sure that I will switch back and forth as I will forget in about five minutes). The night before Clash of the Champions. Savage gets his return match against Flair much to the chagrin of Hogan. Of course I always thought the person who loses the title usually gets a return bout, but then again Hogan did not against the Giant or Savage. Hopefully the trend continues with above average shows. They have toned down the faces feuding all the time. Also, while the wrestling was not great last week the previous couple had been pretty good. RAW stormed back this week with a 2.9 to 2.7 victory and the ratings continue to be high especially because Monday Night Football is over, and now the more casual fan can focus on wrestling.
Konnan walks up behind the announce table. He is the Mexican Champion and he will be taking on Psicosis tomorrow.
Match 1: Randy Savage v. Ric Flair (c) for WCW Champion
Savage comes out with an entourage of hotties including Woman. Of course Hogan has to come out and spoil it; he wishes him luck but demands the first match when Savage wins the title. Flair goes for Woman, distracted by her, so he gets slapped by her. Savage runs in, hits him, but gets thrown into the rail. In the ring Savage comes right back with a clothesline, and works on Flair in the corner before running into an elbow. Now it is Flair's turn and he throws Savage over the top rope. Flair tosses Savage over the guard rail, and now Flair brings him back over. Now they are going back and forth until Savage back drops him onto the floor, and goes up for a double axe only to get all rail. Back in the ring they are slugging it out. Savage wins the battle, and now Flair is chucked to the floor; this time Flair gets a mouthful of railing. Savage brings him back into the ring and he is fired up and kicks him and while he is hurting he drops Flair. Flair picks up Savage, drops Savage's knee onto his own leg, and now Savage is in the Figure Four with Flair using the ropes for leverage but the ref catches him and breaks the hold himself. The ref and Flair jaw at each other, and Savage crawls towards Flair but gets a high knee drop. Flair goes up top, but gets caught and thrown to the mat, and Savage connects with the double axe. However, Savage stupidly goes after Jimmy Hart who is on the apron. AA comes down to hit Savage with the brass knuckles, but he ducks and down goes Flair and Savage drops the elbow for the win. The funny thing is that the bell rang before the elbow drop as if it was a DQ but nope Savage gets the pin and win. Oh, and Hogan came down after the fact and took out AA and is celebrating with him. Savage wants the music killed and is yelping at Hogan for celebrating like he won the title. Savage tells him that he is the champion and basically tells the Hulkster to stop embarrassing himself by prancing around the ring. Ha! Hogan wants the first title shot. Savage rambles that he is Nick Bockwinkle and that Hogan needs to get to the number one position, but that he will wrestle Hogan at Caesars Palace. Hogan says that seeing as he has had Savage's back that he needs Savage to watch for him when he wrestles the One Man Gang and then they can wrestle, I think at Clash of the Champions.....The best part was Hogan saying that Savage won due to his help but Savage had already ducked and did not need his help.
A bit sudden on the title change. Savage wins, then loses a lot and then wins....Curious to see what will happen at the Clash. At least he won without Hogan's help who has become that annoying person on Facebook who constantly updates their entire fucking life. No one cares Facebook man! Sorry....got a bit worked up there.
Match 2: Dean Malenko v. Flyin' Brian
Pillman is playing the Loose Cannon role that will lead him to the WWF, which I find infinitely amusing. Malenko goes at him with a hip toss and a dropkick. Pillman goes out of the ring, and starts saying random things to the fans. Pillman is yelling at the cameraman, and now he jams Dean's face into the mat and slaps him. Dean is pretty pissed and just takes him down with a running clothesline and now a suplex and mean looking neckbreaker. He gets a really close count. Pillman comes back with a tilt-a-whirl slam, but does not go for the pin but instead shows off. Dean makes him pay the price with a powerbomb but when he holds him for the pin he let's go at two....they brawl on the floor, and Pillman goes to the top with Dean in hot pursuit. They are both up there, however, Dean gets a thumb to the eye and down he goes. However he gets right back up and knocks Pillman down. He follows up with a front backbreaker. Pillman though tangles Dean's leg into the ropes and gets the pin. I am confused as to how the referee missed it, but oh well.
I do like Dean's skill in the ring, but Pillman needed the victory and I am starting to enjoy the Loose Cannon character, and a Horseman got a win! The match was pretty good too, some missed spots and a suspect ending but still pretty good.
Match 3: Harlem Heat (c) v. Sting and Lex Luger For WCW Tag Titles
Luger takes it to Stevie Ray but runs right into a boot. Ray punches away but Luger ducks a clothesline and takes him down with a flying tackle. But Ray comes back and drops an arm across the throat. Booker is tagged in but Luger ducks another clothesline and double clotheslines both. Sting is tagged in and hits a million Stinger splashes on both and is going for the Deathlock on Booker T but Luger is the one distracting the referee and Sting gets destroyed by an axe kick from Ray. Now Heat are in control, and Booker is working on the arm. Sting whips Booker into the corner, but runs right into his feet, and Booker climbs to the to where he bulldogs him. Luger makes the save before the three count. Both Heat are just punishing Sting but Sting comes back with a series of blows but Booker T stops him. Ray almost gets a three count and now starts pinching the nerve in Sting's shoulder and the ref raises his arm and he barely gets it up on the third attempt. Booker's turn and he drops a knee and he gets a two count. He puts him in a chinlock. Heat strike with a double front suplex and Booker is perched on the top rope and attempts a somersault splash but nobody is home. Luger is tagged in and he wails away on Harlem Heat, but the ref did not see it. Sting is on the floor but gets rolled back in, and he and Booker collide with a cross body collision. Hart had run down and gave him a foreign object. Luger is tagged in; he uses it on Booker, and coins burst out everywhere and the referee conveniently turns his head and he gets the win.
This is the first time since September that Nitro has shown the tag titles switching as it has happened on Saturday Night a few times and rarely mentioned on Nitro. And to make it worse how the Hades did the ref not see that? Coins went everywhere and....oh well, I am baffled. I mean come on WCW, you can do better. Look heels cheat but fuck me in the ass, don't make it so damn obvious and stupid. Moral of the story: DON'T USE COINS!
Match 4: One Man Gang (c) v. Hulk Hogan I think it is for US Title
Hogan and Gang waste no time and lock up. Hogan whips him into the ropes, goes for the boot but Gang grabs the ropes, and celebrates, but Hogan taps his back; knocks him to the floor and then throws him into the steps. Back in the ring, Hogan is busy punching him, and then sticks his thumb right into the eyes. Hogan clotheslines him and then whips him into the ropes, but gets walloped in the back as he goes for a back body drop. Gang nails him with a splash and it is Hulk up time and most of the fans are indifferent as he finishes him off with a series of splashes in the corner, the boot and the leg drop. Now the DoD and Horsemen slowly come out and get taken out by Hogan and Savage comes in to help, the Giant comes down but is held back. Pillman is hopping up and down like a spaz. Now Hogan and Macho are jawing about becoming the number one contender and it will be at Caesar's Palace....I am lost. Hogan mentions their secret weapons tomorrow: Kevin Greene and Elizabeth.
This was a non title match and it was terrible. WCW made the US title look like an absolute joke, I am confused as to why Hogan cannot take a pinfall, now and again, or even sell a move. Honestly, Hogan is holding the show back. It is impossible to not be biased as this is wrestling. I mean, Hogan is fucking annoying. Not that he should lost to One Man Gang but make it a fucking DQ. Of course hindsight is 20/20 but damn WCW should have seen it coming sooner. The fans are turning on Hogan. They need to take him out of the picture or stop doing the same old stuff, having him destroy every opponent and making his friends look weak is not good booking. They tried the man in black nonsense, and then making him a "bad ass" by getting "suspended" for a minute. It does not help WCW long term or even short term. Hogan needs to be vulnerable, and be threatened (Not weak, but at least make it look like his opponent has a shot, the Giant did at Havoc but Hogan was never really in danger and that was a rarity) because then you might as well have the title on him because since Havoc he has been untouchable. This right here is an issue with creative control in your contract because you stop doing what is best for the business and only think of yourself. Do not get me wrong, Hogan is an integral part of WCW but he sometimes needs to take a back seat because his act gets stale. Now the nWo is around the corner but he should have been backing out of the limelight before his heel turn even sooner than he did. Other than the Hogan issues, the show was decent. I am not sure about hot shotting the title again as Savage had been looking weak. The title has been ping ponging around since Havoc and that is not good. Enough with the bitching, now I sound like the annoying person on Facebook constantly looking for attention. Flair and Savage put on a good show but they need some consistency and that is lacking with the title and with the convoluted Hogan/Savage and Luger/Sting bromance as it is never ending. And WCW needs to handle cheating a bit better. The refs are blinder than I was during a college kegger and I woke up next to a heiffer....Hey, I was desperate!
One last thing, I will say that that has been Hogan's M.O. for years. But this is not the 80s anymore, and my memory may be failing me, and I am sure it is, but I swear he sold better back then and also looked vulnerable before winning. Finally: Familiarity breeds contempt and that is what has happened to me. Hogan kicked ass back in the 80s, and is now almost a caricature to me.
Konnan walks up behind the announce table. He is the Mexican Champion and he will be taking on Psicosis tomorrow.
Match 1: Randy Savage v. Ric Flair (c) for WCW Champion
Savage comes out with an entourage of hotties including Woman. Of course Hogan has to come out and spoil it; he wishes him luck but demands the first match when Savage wins the title. Flair goes for Woman, distracted by her, so he gets slapped by her. Savage runs in, hits him, but gets thrown into the rail. In the ring Savage comes right back with a clothesline, and works on Flair in the corner before running into an elbow. Now it is Flair's turn and he throws Savage over the top rope. Flair tosses Savage over the guard rail, and now Flair brings him back over. Now they are going back and forth until Savage back drops him onto the floor, and goes up for a double axe only to get all rail. Back in the ring they are slugging it out. Savage wins the battle, and now Flair is chucked to the floor; this time Flair gets a mouthful of railing. Savage brings him back into the ring and he is fired up and kicks him and while he is hurting he drops Flair. Flair picks up Savage, drops Savage's knee onto his own leg, and now Savage is in the Figure Four with Flair using the ropes for leverage but the ref catches him and breaks the hold himself. The ref and Flair jaw at each other, and Savage crawls towards Flair but gets a high knee drop. Flair goes up top, but gets caught and thrown to the mat, and Savage connects with the double axe. However, Savage stupidly goes after Jimmy Hart who is on the apron. AA comes down to hit Savage with the brass knuckles, but he ducks and down goes Flair and Savage drops the elbow for the win. The funny thing is that the bell rang before the elbow drop as if it was a DQ but nope Savage gets the pin and win. Oh, and Hogan came down after the fact and took out AA and is celebrating with him. Savage wants the music killed and is yelping at Hogan for celebrating like he won the title. Savage tells him that he is the champion and basically tells the Hulkster to stop embarrassing himself by prancing around the ring. Ha! Hogan wants the first title shot. Savage rambles that he is Nick Bockwinkle and that Hogan needs to get to the number one position, but that he will wrestle Hogan at Caesars Palace. Hogan says that seeing as he has had Savage's back that he needs Savage to watch for him when he wrestles the One Man Gang and then they can wrestle, I think at Clash of the Champions.....The best part was Hogan saying that Savage won due to his help but Savage had already ducked and did not need his help.
A bit sudden on the title change. Savage wins, then loses a lot and then wins....Curious to see what will happen at the Clash. At least he won without Hogan's help who has become that annoying person on Facebook who constantly updates their entire fucking life. No one cares Facebook man! Sorry....got a bit worked up there.
Match 2: Dean Malenko v. Flyin' Brian
Pillman is playing the Loose Cannon role that will lead him to the WWF, which I find infinitely amusing. Malenko goes at him with a hip toss and a dropkick. Pillman goes out of the ring, and starts saying random things to the fans. Pillman is yelling at the cameraman, and now he jams Dean's face into the mat and slaps him. Dean is pretty pissed and just takes him down with a running clothesline and now a suplex and mean looking neckbreaker. He gets a really close count. Pillman comes back with a tilt-a-whirl slam, but does not go for the pin but instead shows off. Dean makes him pay the price with a powerbomb but when he holds him for the pin he let's go at two....they brawl on the floor, and Pillman goes to the top with Dean in hot pursuit. They are both up there, however, Dean gets a thumb to the eye and down he goes. However he gets right back up and knocks Pillman down. He follows up with a front backbreaker. Pillman though tangles Dean's leg into the ropes and gets the pin. I am confused as to how the referee missed it, but oh well.
I do like Dean's skill in the ring, but Pillman needed the victory and I am starting to enjoy the Loose Cannon character, and a Horseman got a win! The match was pretty good too, some missed spots and a suspect ending but still pretty good.
Match 3: Harlem Heat (c) v. Sting and Lex Luger For WCW Tag Titles
Luger takes it to Stevie Ray but runs right into a boot. Ray punches away but Luger ducks a clothesline and takes him down with a flying tackle. But Ray comes back and drops an arm across the throat. Booker is tagged in but Luger ducks another clothesline and double clotheslines both. Sting is tagged in and hits a million Stinger splashes on both and is going for the Deathlock on Booker T but Luger is the one distracting the referee and Sting gets destroyed by an axe kick from Ray. Now Heat are in control, and Booker is working on the arm. Sting whips Booker into the corner, but runs right into his feet, and Booker climbs to the to where he bulldogs him. Luger makes the save before the three count. Both Heat are just punishing Sting but Sting comes back with a series of blows but Booker T stops him. Ray almost gets a three count and now starts pinching the nerve in Sting's shoulder and the ref raises his arm and he barely gets it up on the third attempt. Booker's turn and he drops a knee and he gets a two count. He puts him in a chinlock. Heat strike with a double front suplex and Booker is perched on the top rope and attempts a somersault splash but nobody is home. Luger is tagged in and he wails away on Harlem Heat, but the ref did not see it. Sting is on the floor but gets rolled back in, and he and Booker collide with a cross body collision. Hart had run down and gave him a foreign object. Luger is tagged in; he uses it on Booker, and coins burst out everywhere and the referee conveniently turns his head and he gets the win.
This is the first time since September that Nitro has shown the tag titles switching as it has happened on Saturday Night a few times and rarely mentioned on Nitro. And to make it worse how the Hades did the ref not see that? Coins went everywhere and....oh well, I am baffled. I mean come on WCW, you can do better. Look heels cheat but fuck me in the ass, don't make it so damn obvious and stupid. Moral of the story: DON'T USE COINS!
Match 4: One Man Gang (c) v. Hulk Hogan I think it is for US Title
Hogan and Gang waste no time and lock up. Hogan whips him into the ropes, goes for the boot but Gang grabs the ropes, and celebrates, but Hogan taps his back; knocks him to the floor and then throws him into the steps. Back in the ring, Hogan is busy punching him, and then sticks his thumb right into the eyes. Hogan clotheslines him and then whips him into the ropes, but gets walloped in the back as he goes for a back body drop. Gang nails him with a splash and it is Hulk up time and most of the fans are indifferent as he finishes him off with a series of splashes in the corner, the boot and the leg drop. Now the DoD and Horsemen slowly come out and get taken out by Hogan and Savage comes in to help, the Giant comes down but is held back. Pillman is hopping up and down like a spaz. Now Hogan and Macho are jawing about becoming the number one contender and it will be at Caesar's Palace....I am lost. Hogan mentions their secret weapons tomorrow: Kevin Greene and Elizabeth.
This was a non title match and it was terrible. WCW made the US title look like an absolute joke, I am confused as to why Hogan cannot take a pinfall, now and again, or even sell a move. Honestly, Hogan is holding the show back. It is impossible to not be biased as this is wrestling. I mean, Hogan is fucking annoying. Not that he should lost to One Man Gang but make it a fucking DQ. Of course hindsight is 20/20 but damn WCW should have seen it coming sooner. The fans are turning on Hogan. They need to take him out of the picture or stop doing the same old stuff, having him destroy every opponent and making his friends look weak is not good booking. They tried the man in black nonsense, and then making him a "bad ass" by getting "suspended" for a minute. It does not help WCW long term or even short term. Hogan needs to be vulnerable, and be threatened (Not weak, but at least make it look like his opponent has a shot, the Giant did at Havoc but Hogan was never really in danger and that was a rarity) because then you might as well have the title on him because since Havoc he has been untouchable. This right here is an issue with creative control in your contract because you stop doing what is best for the business and only think of yourself. Do not get me wrong, Hogan is an integral part of WCW but he sometimes needs to take a back seat because his act gets stale. Now the nWo is around the corner but he should have been backing out of the limelight before his heel turn even sooner than he did. Other than the Hogan issues, the show was decent. I am not sure about hot shotting the title again as Savage had been looking weak. The title has been ping ponging around since Havoc and that is not good. Enough with the bitching, now I sound like the annoying person on Facebook constantly looking for attention. Flair and Savage put on a good show but they need some consistency and that is lacking with the title and with the convoluted Hogan/Savage and Luger/Sting bromance as it is never ending. And WCW needs to handle cheating a bit better. The refs are blinder than I was during a college kegger and I woke up next to a heiffer....Hey, I was desperate!
One last thing, I will say that that has been Hogan's M.O. for years. But this is not the 80s anymore, and my memory may be failing me, and I am sure it is, but I swear he sold better back then and also looked vulnerable before winning. Finally: Familiarity breeds contempt and that is what has happened to me. Hogan kicked ass back in the 80s, and is now almost a caricature to me.
Yet another lackluster build, but to be fair they have been devoting whole segments in hyping up the PPV. However there is no compelling reason for the Undertaker and Bret to wrestle other than it is a marquee event. I just watched a bunch of shows, and I have no idea why they are wrestling. Well, I get why they are, but I have no emotional investment. At least Flair and Savage have some drama, as WCW has actually taken the time to build up their feud. Goldust and Razor have a good angle going. I am not sold on Johnson and Jarrett, and I cannot remember much else, so I am either old or the WWF has done a fairly poor job of advertising. The Rumble is almost always interesting and I expect this to be no different despite an obvious set up for a Michaels win. The buy rate was huge, as it was the largest in months and one of the larger Rumble ones in recent years as it did an extremely respectable 1.10 with 10000 in attendance.
I did not double-check the Rumble match. Too damn tired, hopefully it makes sense!
They start with Sunny taking a bath and drinking whine sexily saying viewer discretion is advised. She said indiscretion first but I initially thought she said viewer erection....my mind is in the gutter. Most likely she is higher than a kite too.
Mr. Perfect is back at the announce table.
Match 1: Jeff Jarrett v. Ahmed Johnson
I guess that Dean Douglas is done for in the WWF as he has not been seen since a brief appearance bowing out of his match at the last PPV. Well it was his last appearance...not sure why yet. Oh well, to the match: Ahmed chases JJ off but JJ shoves him into the corner, but none of his blows have any effect and he gets tossed to the mat. Jarrett applies a side headlock but gets thrown again. He fires off a blow or two but gets destroyed by a short clothesline and gets a two count after a powerslam. JJ is whipped into the ropes, and flies through the air with a big forearm. Ahmed dives at him but gets his wrist caught in the ropes as he flies over and JJ kicks it free and Johnson tumbles to the floor. Jarrett goes after him and rams him into the apron and then whips him into the steps. Back in the ring he chokes Ahmed on the ropes and then leaps onto his back. He climbs up and nails him with a couple of double axe handles but Ahmed is hopping up and down and not selling the blows and he catches him in a big bear hug and then pummels him with another big clothesline; he follows up with a spinebuster and Jarrett rolls to the floor but Ahmed dives over the top and strikes JJ. Back in the ring Ahmed climbs up top and somersaults off the top but no one is home and Jarrett applies the Figure Four and the fans get behind Johnson as he reverses the hold and Jeff has to release it and he drops an elbow on the knee and is going for it again but gets a boot to the posterior that sends him to the floor. Jarrett picks up his six string and leaps from the top and bashes Ahmed's head in with it and is promptly DQ'd. JJ leaves and Ahmed is pissed, runs after him, but slows down at the curtain when he is only a few feet from him and they pan away...
It would have been nice to see a clean finish, but it maintains JJ as a threat, and Ahmed as a powerhouse, ultimately setting up a rematch.
Todd is with Diesel and once again he is asked where his head is at, and he claims that he is like a Freshman: He is being left at home for the first time and he is not sure what he is going to do next, but that he is going to have the time of his life. He is asked about Michaels and Vader and he not too worried. Vader is unproven and it is not Vader time. He has no preference on who he is going to face for the title when he wins but that he has no problem with the Undertaker, but felt he should not have been the number one contender.
Match 2: The Body Donnas v. the Smoking Gunns (c) for WWF Tag Titles
At least the Gunns are getting more TV and PPV time for the first time in months. Billy and Skip start off and Skip applies a headlock only to be knocked to the mat. Billy back body drops him, charges into him and out goes Gunn. Bart runs in and the Donnas flip him over out to the floor and they double team Billy but Bart gets on the apron and he yanks the rope and out go the Donnas and Billy nails the two with a flying cross body. Billy and Skip square off again. Skip runs into blows from both and down he goes after a big blow from Billy. Sunny starts shaking her buttocks to distract Bart who is on the outside, and so Billy tags in Bart and I have no idea as to the name of the other Donna but he is getting worked over. He is gorilla press slammed. Okay so the guy is called Flip but it was changed to Zip later....why make it so damn difficult! Skip acts like his brother, and runs in for the attack, but the Gunns double team him and poor Skip gets clotheslined. Skip is whipped into the ropes and Sunny was on the apron and she tumbles to the floor. Billy goes to check on her, and the Donnas start to pummel him and Bart goes over and now it is a free for all. Skip nails Billy with a flying cross body. Back in the ring and Vince and Perfect have said Zip and Flip too....damn I am confused. Anyway Billy is getting his head rammed into the buckle and Skip gets slammed onto Billy by his partner and gets a two count. Now they are double teaming Billy and Flip (I will call him that) snaps Billy over, and works on the neck but Billy starts rising up and escapes but Skip is tagged in and and goes upstairs and drives his fist into Billy's belly and gets a two count. More double teaming and Billy is slammed forward and another near fall. Skip and Flip collide and now all three are down. Billy is able to make his way to Bart who cleans house and Bart gets a near fall but it is broken up and all four are in and Billy nails one of them with the big boot from the top. Sunny distracts the ref and the Donnas make the switch after nailing Bart but he gets his arm up and now all four are in but Bart is able to make the pin.
I despise not being able to figure out the names of the participants but Vince or Perfect could not do it either. Still the match was pretty good and Candido can work.
Highlights of the Billionaire Ted skits....oh the irony of trying to buy some of those New Generation grapplers! Of course the WWF gets the last laugh.
A recap of the Goldust and Razor feud.
Match 3: Goldust v. Razor Ramon (c) for WWF IC Title
Goldust comes down with Terri Runnels who is smoking an unlit stogie. Boy this is a long entrance for Goldust as he has been posing, or doing something in the ring for quite some time. Damn this is taking forever; now Goldust suggestively moves towards Razor. They circle each other and Goldust rubs himself and licks his lips. Razor throws his toothpick at him and Razor leaps at him but Dust jumps back and gyrates. He keeps doing the gyration; he moves to the corner and now the lock up and Razor grabs the arm and starts yanking on it, slamming Goldust up and down. Goldust is free and looks down at his lady friend, and Razor goes after him, but Goldust rubs his pecs. This angers Razor and Goldust escapes to the ropes. They lock up again and then shove each other into the corner. Dust rubs Razor's head and he responds by shoving him to the mat. Razor works on the arm and slaps Goldust and he likes it and then he takes him down and paint brushes him and slaps him again and out goes Goldust and he puts his lady in front of him as a shield. Razor seems unsure and so gets back into the ring and so does Goldust and they take each other down over and over until Ramon drops him with a blow and Goldust rolls to the floor and hides behind his lady friend again. Razor gets back in the ring and Goldust slowly reenters and blows a kiss at Razor. He starts to posture again but gets clotheslined to the floor and the crowd explodes. Once again he places the woman in front of him and Razor moves her and Goldust attacks. He slams him into the steel steps, and into the ring apron a couple of times. He follows up with a big uppercut. Back in the ring he goes up top nailing him with a double axe into the back. He starts to whip Razor from corner to corner, and gets a near fall after a bulldog. Goldust has him up and bounces him off the ropes leg first for momentum and bounces him back with a sling shot suplex. Terri blows some of the gold dust into the eyes of Razor, but Razor fights back only to get his head rammed into the mat. It is followed up with a neckbreaker and a two count. Goldust puts him in a sleeper. Razor topples to the mat, but starts to fight back to his feet and he is up and he back kicks Goldust in the nuts and both are down. Goldust rolls on top of Razor but only gets two. Now they are up and Razor fires off some shots and they each block an arm drag and Razor chokeslams him and gets a two count and he gets another one after his patented fall away slam. Goldust rakes the eyes then climbs up top; however he gets crotched, and Razor back suplexes him from the top. Terri enters the ring, feigns an injury and this allows the 123 Kid to come out, and spin kicks Razor in the head (did not really connect). Goldust gets the pin.
Really slow developing but still solid. The fans were pretty pissed off about the outcome and there were a lot of anti-gay slurs yelled during the match and some signs, so the WWF is getting the attention it wanted. Hey, homophobia brings the ratings!
We go back to Dr. Jeffrey Unger who now says that Shawn Michaels is ready, but he will be at ringside just in case. Uh that is complete reversal from the week before.
They go to a few of the wrestlers who all state that they are going to win. Nice to see Jake the Snake. Barry just rambles. Cornette is with Vader who screams it is Vader time. HBK is all fired up and he says he is going to win it again.
HHH lost to the Dumpster and will be the number one participant, and Drozy is thirty. I wonder how he lost to that thing.
Match 4: The Royal Rumble
HHH enters the ring and he was DQ'd and that is how he lost. Henry Godwin is the second participant. HHH goes right after him as the bell rings. They go back and forth but HHH gets the upperhand but is clotheslined and connects with a back body drop. HHH is flung into the corner and nearly flips over the turnbuckle and Godwin hoists him over his head and goes to the ropes but HHH rakes the eyes and he is back in charge and now tries to throw him over but to no avail and Godwin bodyslams him. Bob Backlund is number three. HHH is hanging over the rope but Backlund runs in and nails Godiwn which saves HHH and Bob tries to lift Henry but cannot and HHH hits Godwin but Bob goes after HHH. Godwin tries to take out Backlund and instead of helping him he pokes Godwin in the eyes and then he tries to take out Bob but he almost gets taken out but all three are pounding at one another. Lawler is number four. King goes outside, not over the top and grabs the bucket of slop and Godwin escapes and grabs the bucket and clears the ring as they all went through the middle ropes. Godwin throws the slop over and it hits all three and now they run and attack Godwin but he is cleaning house and number five is Bob Holly. Holly enters and goes right after Lawler. HHH is hung up but he gets free and leaps on Godwin and wails away. Lawler is hung up and HHH almost eliminates Godwin but he cannot and Backlund attacks Henry. Lawler is in control against Holly who is lying across the buckles. Godwin saves Holly and decks Lawler and now HHH. Number five is Mabel. Holly has Backlund up in the corner and Mabel enters and starts choking Godwin and tries to lift him over and the King comes over to help but gets his hair pulled for his efforts. HHH nails Holly with a back body drop and tries to take Holly over the top. Backlund runs over and tries to eliminate both HHH and Holly but cannot. Number six is Jake the Snake and the crowd erupts. He enters the ring and opens the bag and unleashes the Snake and places it on top of Lawler who scrambles away. The snake is gone and he gets back in the ring and Bob attacks him but only briefly. Mabel gets tangled in the ropes and but is able to escape. HHH is getting punished by Godwin and Jake. Number seven is Dory Funk Jr. Dory goes right after Backlund. Mabel is trying to push out Holly but cannot as he lands on the apron. Mabel starts pounding on Godwin in the corner and chokes him with his boot. HHH is working on Jake and Lawler is hiding underneath the ring! Bob bodyslams Dory and number eight is Yokozuna. HHH is hung up on the roeps as Godwin tries to get him over. Yoko is in and pounds on Backland and eliminates him. Now Yoko is going after Mabel and Godwin is being crushed behind them as Mabel gives Yoko a big splash and Godwin may be dead. Yoko fights off Mabel and Godwin is getting destroyed. HHH is trying to get Mabel but can barely budge him. Number nine is the Kid and Razor is not too far behind and is chasing him all over the place but is hauled away. Mabel and Yoko are working on a few people. Razor escapes and goes after the Kid again and Mabel takes a couple of pot shots. Jake is laying in the corner and Dory is beating on the Kid by spinning him around. Mabel has the Kid up and he is slammed down. Number ten is Omari and he runs right into Mabel. Mabel is being double teamed and the Kid is working on Dory and Jake is tearing into Yoko. Everyone is going back and forth. Number eleven is Savio Vega and he goes right at Mabel and spin kicks him to the mat. Now Yoko and Vega both eliminate Mabel. Jake takes out Omari. Yoko works on Dory but Holly makes the save and Dory, the Kid and Vega all go at it. Number twelve is Vader! Vader comes out to a decent pop and he goes right at Holly and Vega is on the apron. Vega is able to drop Dory to the floor and Vader snaps Vega back into the ring. Vega and Vader are rumbling in the corner and Vega is dropped. Number thirteen is Doug Gilbert and Perfect is baffled by him but then figures out it is Eddie Gilbert's brother his former tag partner. Kid is almost gone but manages to stay in but Vader hucks Jake the Snake to the floor. Yoko is gasping for breath and just holding onto Vega. Holly is kicking HHH in the corner and has him up on the corner, and Vader is just cleaning house until Vega nails him. Number fourteen is one of the SWAT team members but Vince gives no name....Vega and Yoko go at it and Gilbert is getting destroyed by Vader. HHH and the Kid are going at it and SWAT and Holly are brawling. Vader picks up Gilbert and dumps him to the floor. Vader just grabs SWAT and dumps him over the top too! Now Yoko and Vader start mixing it up and Cornette tries to split them up. Number fifteen is the other SWAT member and his brother comes back down with him and both enter the ring and they go at Vader and they slug it out and Yoko comes to help and both SWAT are out! God they were useless. Holly kicks Vader and he just keeps walking and goes at Vega and knocks him down. The Kid and Holly are going at it in the corner but HHH and Vega double team Vader in the corner. Number sixteen is Owen Hart. Owen gets on the apron and attacks Holly and starts working over a few people. Vega dropkicks Vader but it has zero effect and now he and Yoko double team him. Yoko is just sucking wind and Bob is working on Owen and Vega just got smashed by a Vader splash and Yoko leg drop. Number seventeen is Shawn Michaels and the crowd was not too excited. Vega is out courtesy of Vader and now he and Yoko exchange blows and Shawn is knocking everyone down. Yoko drops Vader as Shawn continues to punish everyone and he takes out both Yoko and Vader, and that was lame...but it did get the crowd fired up. The Kid is gone. Number eighteen is Hakushi. Yoko is knocked down by Vader and he reenters the ring and starts to beat on Michaels and he tosses him over the top and he starts cleaning house and tossing everyone out and refs and Gorilla Monsoon enter the ring to try and get some control and Vader gets into Monsoon's face and Cornette tries to calm him down as the crowd boos. Meanwhile, Number nineteen is Tatanka. Now everyone is back in the ring and Michaels tosses out Cornette! Tatanka goes right after Hakushi and HHH has Shawn up and Bob has him up now. Now everyone is exchanging blows. Tatanka is going at Owen and Hakushi has Shawn hung up but gts saved and HHH tries to do it too but cannot. Number twenty is Aldo Montoya. Hakushi is gone and it was Owen who dumped him to the floor. Shawn is on the floor but did not go over the top. Tatanka is beating on Montoya and HHH is writhing on the mat. Shawn crawls under the ring and pulls out Lawler! I had forgotten about him... He rolls him back in the ring and Number twenty-one is Diesel. Lawler is out and so is Montoya. Diesel grabs Tatanka and tosses him over. He goes after Owen and hammers him to the mat and decks Diesel but Shawn hits him too but Diesel knocks him down. Owen starts beating on Diesel in the corner. Michaels is hung up and Diesel saves him and Number twenty-two is Kama. Kama is attacking Diesel and Owen has HHH up and Michaels is working on Bob. Diesel comes back and pounds on Kama and Kama makes a comeback and Owen is stomping on HHH and Number twenty-three is the Ringmaster. He roll kicks Bob Holly and wails on him in the corner but Diesel comes in and attacks but Austin turns it around. Shawn hangs on and manages to stay in. Austin is almost dumped but he takes out Holly instead. Owen has Shawn hanging over the top and Owen is kicking away. Number twenty-four is Barry Horowitz. Diesel promptly nails him with a series of knees and punches. Michaels almost eliminates Owen but he is able to pull himself back into the ring. Michaels is beating on Barry and HHH and Diesel are going at it and he just launches HHH over the top and he is gone! Now that was a summarily dismissal. Number twenty-five is Fatu. Fatu kicks Kama in the head and takes on Michaels while Barry is working on Owen. Diesel is trying to get Austin over and now Barry/Michaels and Hart are going at it. Owen has Michaels up but cannot eliminate him. Number twenty-six is Isaac Yankem. Owen flips Horowitz to the floor. Michaels is lying on the mat after getting nailed by Owen in the head. However Owen is out and Austin charges and knocks down Michaels and flexes and so Diesel knocks him down and steps on his throat. Kama is hitting Yankem. Number twenty-seven is Marty Jannetty and he goes right after Diesel but Kama and Yankem double team him. Fatu almost has Shawn over but just stops. Ringmaster is pummeling Diesel in the corner. Marty and Shawn are firing off blows at one another and knock each other down. Diesel side slams Marty and Number twenty-eight is the Bulldog and he makes a beeline towards Michaels. Marty is out as the Bulldog flips him over, like I said his short push is over. Davey manages to get Michaels out onto the apron and Kama knocks Fatu to the floor. Perfect just asked where Austin is and I do not know. Fatu is gone. Number twenty-nine is Dumpster Drozy. Okay I cannot count as he is number thirty so I clearly missed one somewhere down the line. No biggie, anyway Bulldog and Shawn are going at it on the floor and Owen runs down and beats on Michaels too. Ringmaster is gone but it was not really shown to my recollection. Shawn dropkicks Yankem to the floor and the Dumpster was worthless and is gone. Michaels slides underneath Davey and eliminates him. Kama hits Michaels but he hangs on and Diesel takes out Kama and Shawn comes up from behind and knocks him out. Diesel attacks Davey from behind! Doc asks Diesel something but I cannot tell what Diesels says and Diesel yells something. Shawn is doing some lame dance and the crowd is really not too excited the girls and children are happy. He pretends to pull down his pants. Diesel comes in and Shawn looks worried but Diesel holds up his hand for a high five. It was a Superkick that took out Diesel.....Shawn is continuing to celebrate. I predicted a Shawn victory the way they set it up it was rather obvious that he'd win and he did. Diesel is wallowing against the ring post.
Match 5: The Undertaker v. Bret Hart (c) for WWF Title
Diesel confronts the Undertaker and goes after him but UT knocks him away. Then Diesel goes at him again before they are separated. He keeps telling UT that he is not afraid of the dark. This crowd has not been too lively tonight as Hart gets an ovation but not too big. UT goes at Bret who moves away, and he ducks another big blow and another and this time he fires off some shots of his own but to no effect and UT throws him into the corner and he pounds away on Hart. He whips him into the corner and picks him up by his neck and drops him to the mat. UT continues to pound away on Bret in the corner. flings him into the corner where Bret collapses. UT has him in the claw, and Bret drops to his knees, and now falls onto his back as Taker keeps a firm grip. Bret puts his leg on the rope but Bearer pushes his leg off but Bret finally gets the hold broken by wrapping his gam around the rope. UT goes up top, walks the rope, and drops onto the arm. Bret gets up and walks right into the claw. Bret makes a comeback as he runs into Bret's legs and Bret clotheslines him from the top and then out of the ring and Bret leaps over the top and finally topples the UT who rises back up but gets kicked into the rail and Bret leaps right into his arms and he gets rammed back first into the post. Bret is writhing on the floor and UT breaks the count, comes back and uppercuts him. Bret wobbles away, now Taker has him up, but he slides down the back of UT; Hart drives him into the post but he runs right into a big boot. He grabs Bret and slams his head into the railing and unloads with a series of big rights. However, Bret reverses a whip and the UT flies into and over the steel steps and Bret keeps up the pressure and the UT tries to limp away but Bret continues the attack and back in the ring he starts to work on the leg. He kicks it and jumps on the ankle for good measure. Bret is wrenching on the leg and drops his knee on it and continues to work it. He applies the Figure Four and the UT falls back to the mat but gets his shoulders up at two. Bearer brings the urn closer to the UT and he tries to power out and is able to turn the move over and Bret grabs the rope to get the move broken. UT is back up and limps at Bret and he too rises up and Bret attacks the leg again and down goes the UT. He continues to work over the leg, and UT is on his back as Bret drops elbows onto it then starts twisting it around in a submission hold. UT tries to punch his way free, but Hart tries to rip off his mask to no avail. They both are up and UT is dropped again as Bret hones in on the leg. UT finally breaks the hold by slamming his leg onto his face. UT is up and limps towards Bret and picks him up and throws him out to the floor and heads out after him. He throws Bret into the steps and starts to choke him with a power cord. Bearer had the official distracted. He throws Bret into the chairs at ringside and grabs one and drives it into Bret. He rolls Bret back into the ring and whips Bret, but he ducks a boot and drops him with a big kick to the legs and he keeps at it and he drops a knee on the head. He grabs the UT and drags him towards the post and wraps his leg around it. He has the UT in the middle of the ring and keeps at the leg by applying pressure. UT reverses the submission move and he drops Bret and drops an elbow or leg, I missed it. Hart is whipped into the ropes and nailed with a clothesline. He picks up Bret but he wiggles free, yet receives an uppercut for his troubles. UT goes for a big blow but Hart escapes to the floor and Bret comes in and UT goes for a back drop but Bret DDT's him and UT rises from the dead. Bret though comes back with Russian Leg Sweep and UT rises back up. Bret though knocks him down with a running bulldog, UT rises up again, and Bret catches him in a backbreaker. He goes up to the second rope and drops the elbow. He goes for the Sharpshooter but the UT grabs the throat and knees Bret in the gut and Bret ducks a clothesline and they clothesline each other and both are down. Bret is up first and he unties the turnbuckle pad; he starts pounding on Taker and he tries to take off the mask but UT escapes. The mask is off though. UT is pissed and tries to hit him, but Bret ducks and he hammers the UT and rams him into the exposed buckle. Bret keeps up the pressure but the UT grabs him and Tombstones him! Here comes Diesel, and he pulls the ref out of the way; the bell rings via DQ and UT thinks he won. UT cannot believe it and Bearer points at Diesel who is just smirking then gives Taker the finger. UT is not happy and goes after, well really slowly, after Diesel.
Monsoon has already sanctioned the next title match at the next PPV and it is between Hart and Diesel. What? Shouldn't Taker get a rematch after being screwed? The title situations confuse me for both feds....I guess things were a lot different. Also, Bret has not only been booked fairly weak but almost non-existent since becoming champ.
Doc is with Shawn Michaels who is all excited to be going to WM to face off for the title, and he says he told everyone so. He expresses his love for Diesel but he says he is going to defeat either one at WM.
Back to Monsoon and the Undertaker comes in and basically says it will be a cold day in Hell before he allows Diesel to win the title. Monsoon makes it a cage match.
Diesel is with Doc and brags that it is thanks to him that Bret is the champ. He is willing to take on anyone and he is not afraid of anyone but the Tax Man and it is his year. He tells the people who try to cut off the interview to shut up.
Cornette is going on about Vader and he thinks he should get a title match.
Not as good as the previous two matches but it was still solid. Both are capable of better matches. It makes Bret look pretty weak but keeps the Undertaker strong. I understand why they did it as it ramps up the feud between Diesel and the Undertaker. And Hart had a strong match. Overall the show was pretty strong. All the matches were given a decent amount of time. The Rumble match ended suddenly but it was still easy to follow and Vader put on quite the show. It is obvious that they are setting up a Hart/Michaels and UT/Diesel showdown at WM as it would not make sense otherwise, so unfortunately the outcome of the next PPV is preordained. And to be fair Fatal Four Ways are still in the future, and Threesomes are still uncommon. So, the WWF is ultimately doing the logical thing for the times, so I should not be too hard on them. This was the best PPV for the WWF of the Monday Night Era and may be the best one period as WCW was in a funk and only Starrcade has been the one to really stand out. Hopefully the success of this PPV extends to RAW as they are going for an edgier feel, but are still unsure of how to proceed and it will be interesting to see how they do so. It is like the WWF is hitting puberty, all these hesitant changes as they flirt with different things.
I did not double-check the Rumble match. Too damn tired, hopefully it makes sense!
They start with Sunny taking a bath and drinking whine sexily saying viewer discretion is advised. She said indiscretion first but I initially thought she said viewer erection....my mind is in the gutter. Most likely she is higher than a kite too.
Mr. Perfect is back at the announce table.
Match 1: Jeff Jarrett v. Ahmed Johnson
I guess that Dean Douglas is done for in the WWF as he has not been seen since a brief appearance bowing out of his match at the last PPV. Well it was his last appearance...not sure why yet. Oh well, to the match: Ahmed chases JJ off but JJ shoves him into the corner, but none of his blows have any effect and he gets tossed to the mat. Jarrett applies a side headlock but gets thrown again. He fires off a blow or two but gets destroyed by a short clothesline and gets a two count after a powerslam. JJ is whipped into the ropes, and flies through the air with a big forearm. Ahmed dives at him but gets his wrist caught in the ropes as he flies over and JJ kicks it free and Johnson tumbles to the floor. Jarrett goes after him and rams him into the apron and then whips him into the steps. Back in the ring he chokes Ahmed on the ropes and then leaps onto his back. He climbs up and nails him with a couple of double axe handles but Ahmed is hopping up and down and not selling the blows and he catches him in a big bear hug and then pummels him with another big clothesline; he follows up with a spinebuster and Jarrett rolls to the floor but Ahmed dives over the top and strikes JJ. Back in the ring Ahmed climbs up top and somersaults off the top but no one is home and Jarrett applies the Figure Four and the fans get behind Johnson as he reverses the hold and Jeff has to release it and he drops an elbow on the knee and is going for it again but gets a boot to the posterior that sends him to the floor. Jarrett picks up his six string and leaps from the top and bashes Ahmed's head in with it and is promptly DQ'd. JJ leaves and Ahmed is pissed, runs after him, but slows down at the curtain when he is only a few feet from him and they pan away...
It would have been nice to see a clean finish, but it maintains JJ as a threat, and Ahmed as a powerhouse, ultimately setting up a rematch.
Todd is with Diesel and once again he is asked where his head is at, and he claims that he is like a Freshman: He is being left at home for the first time and he is not sure what he is going to do next, but that he is going to have the time of his life. He is asked about Michaels and Vader and he not too worried. Vader is unproven and it is not Vader time. He has no preference on who he is going to face for the title when he wins but that he has no problem with the Undertaker, but felt he should not have been the number one contender.
Match 2: The Body Donnas v. the Smoking Gunns (c) for WWF Tag Titles
At least the Gunns are getting more TV and PPV time for the first time in months. Billy and Skip start off and Skip applies a headlock only to be knocked to the mat. Billy back body drops him, charges into him and out goes Gunn. Bart runs in and the Donnas flip him over out to the floor and they double team Billy but Bart gets on the apron and he yanks the rope and out go the Donnas and Billy nails the two with a flying cross body. Billy and Skip square off again. Skip runs into blows from both and down he goes after a big blow from Billy. Sunny starts shaking her buttocks to distract Bart who is on the outside, and so Billy tags in Bart and I have no idea as to the name of the other Donna but he is getting worked over. He is gorilla press slammed. Okay so the guy is called Flip but it was changed to Zip later....why make it so damn difficult! Skip acts like his brother, and runs in for the attack, but the Gunns double team him and poor Skip gets clotheslined. Skip is whipped into the ropes and Sunny was on the apron and she tumbles to the floor. Billy goes to check on her, and the Donnas start to pummel him and Bart goes over and now it is a free for all. Skip nails Billy with a flying cross body. Back in the ring and Vince and Perfect have said Zip and Flip too....damn I am confused. Anyway Billy is getting his head rammed into the buckle and Skip gets slammed onto Billy by his partner and gets a two count. Now they are double teaming Billy and Flip (I will call him that) snaps Billy over, and works on the neck but Billy starts rising up and escapes but Skip is tagged in and and goes upstairs and drives his fist into Billy's belly and gets a two count. More double teaming and Billy is slammed forward and another near fall. Skip and Flip collide and now all three are down. Billy is able to make his way to Bart who cleans house and Bart gets a near fall but it is broken up and all four are in and Billy nails one of them with the big boot from the top. Sunny distracts the ref and the Donnas make the switch after nailing Bart but he gets his arm up and now all four are in but Bart is able to make the pin.
I despise not being able to figure out the names of the participants but Vince or Perfect could not do it either. Still the match was pretty good and Candido can work.
Highlights of the Billionaire Ted skits....oh the irony of trying to buy some of those New Generation grapplers! Of course the WWF gets the last laugh.
A recap of the Goldust and Razor feud.
Match 3: Goldust v. Razor Ramon (c) for WWF IC Title
Goldust comes down with Terri Runnels who is smoking an unlit stogie. Boy this is a long entrance for Goldust as he has been posing, or doing something in the ring for quite some time. Damn this is taking forever; now Goldust suggestively moves towards Razor. They circle each other and Goldust rubs himself and licks his lips. Razor throws his toothpick at him and Razor leaps at him but Dust jumps back and gyrates. He keeps doing the gyration; he moves to the corner and now the lock up and Razor grabs the arm and starts yanking on it, slamming Goldust up and down. Goldust is free and looks down at his lady friend, and Razor goes after him, but Goldust rubs his pecs. This angers Razor and Goldust escapes to the ropes. They lock up again and then shove each other into the corner. Dust rubs Razor's head and he responds by shoving him to the mat. Razor works on the arm and slaps Goldust and he likes it and then he takes him down and paint brushes him and slaps him again and out goes Goldust and he puts his lady in front of him as a shield. Razor seems unsure and so gets back into the ring and so does Goldust and they take each other down over and over until Ramon drops him with a blow and Goldust rolls to the floor and hides behind his lady friend again. Razor gets back in the ring and Goldust slowly reenters and blows a kiss at Razor. He starts to posture again but gets clotheslined to the floor and the crowd explodes. Once again he places the woman in front of him and Razor moves her and Goldust attacks. He slams him into the steel steps, and into the ring apron a couple of times. He follows up with a big uppercut. Back in the ring he goes up top nailing him with a double axe into the back. He starts to whip Razor from corner to corner, and gets a near fall after a bulldog. Goldust has him up and bounces him off the ropes leg first for momentum and bounces him back with a sling shot suplex. Terri blows some of the gold dust into the eyes of Razor, but Razor fights back only to get his head rammed into the mat. It is followed up with a neckbreaker and a two count. Goldust puts him in a sleeper. Razor topples to the mat, but starts to fight back to his feet and he is up and he back kicks Goldust in the nuts and both are down. Goldust rolls on top of Razor but only gets two. Now they are up and Razor fires off some shots and they each block an arm drag and Razor chokeslams him and gets a two count and he gets another one after his patented fall away slam. Goldust rakes the eyes then climbs up top; however he gets crotched, and Razor back suplexes him from the top. Terri enters the ring, feigns an injury and this allows the 123 Kid to come out, and spin kicks Razor in the head (did not really connect). Goldust gets the pin.
Really slow developing but still solid. The fans were pretty pissed off about the outcome and there were a lot of anti-gay slurs yelled during the match and some signs, so the WWF is getting the attention it wanted. Hey, homophobia brings the ratings!
We go back to Dr. Jeffrey Unger who now says that Shawn Michaels is ready, but he will be at ringside just in case. Uh that is complete reversal from the week before.
They go to a few of the wrestlers who all state that they are going to win. Nice to see Jake the Snake. Barry just rambles. Cornette is with Vader who screams it is Vader time. HBK is all fired up and he says he is going to win it again.
HHH lost to the Dumpster and will be the number one participant, and Drozy is thirty. I wonder how he lost to that thing.
Match 4: The Royal Rumble
HHH enters the ring and he was DQ'd and that is how he lost. Henry Godwin is the second participant. HHH goes right after him as the bell rings. They go back and forth but HHH gets the upperhand but is clotheslined and connects with a back body drop. HHH is flung into the corner and nearly flips over the turnbuckle and Godwin hoists him over his head and goes to the ropes but HHH rakes the eyes and he is back in charge and now tries to throw him over but to no avail and Godwin bodyslams him. Bob Backlund is number three. HHH is hanging over the rope but Backlund runs in and nails Godiwn which saves HHH and Bob tries to lift Henry but cannot and HHH hits Godwin but Bob goes after HHH. Godwin tries to take out Backlund and instead of helping him he pokes Godwin in the eyes and then he tries to take out Bob but he almost gets taken out but all three are pounding at one another. Lawler is number four. King goes outside, not over the top and grabs the bucket of slop and Godwin escapes and grabs the bucket and clears the ring as they all went through the middle ropes. Godwin throws the slop over and it hits all three and now they run and attack Godwin but he is cleaning house and number five is Bob Holly. Holly enters and goes right after Lawler. HHH is hung up but he gets free and leaps on Godwin and wails away. Lawler is hung up and HHH almost eliminates Godwin but he cannot and Backlund attacks Henry. Lawler is in control against Holly who is lying across the buckles. Godwin saves Holly and decks Lawler and now HHH. Number five is Mabel. Holly has Backlund up in the corner and Mabel enters and starts choking Godwin and tries to lift him over and the King comes over to help but gets his hair pulled for his efforts. HHH nails Holly with a back body drop and tries to take Holly over the top. Backlund runs over and tries to eliminate both HHH and Holly but cannot. Number six is Jake the Snake and the crowd erupts. He enters the ring and opens the bag and unleashes the Snake and places it on top of Lawler who scrambles away. The snake is gone and he gets back in the ring and Bob attacks him but only briefly. Mabel gets tangled in the ropes and but is able to escape. HHH is getting punished by Godwin and Jake. Number seven is Dory Funk Jr. Dory goes right after Backlund. Mabel is trying to push out Holly but cannot as he lands on the apron. Mabel starts pounding on Godwin in the corner and chokes him with his boot. HHH is working on Jake and Lawler is hiding underneath the ring! Bob bodyslams Dory and number eight is Yokozuna. HHH is hung up on the roeps as Godwin tries to get him over. Yoko is in and pounds on Backland and eliminates him. Now Yoko is going after Mabel and Godwin is being crushed behind them as Mabel gives Yoko a big splash and Godwin may be dead. Yoko fights off Mabel and Godwin is getting destroyed. HHH is trying to get Mabel but can barely budge him. Number nine is the Kid and Razor is not too far behind and is chasing him all over the place but is hauled away. Mabel and Yoko are working on a few people. Razor escapes and goes after the Kid again and Mabel takes a couple of pot shots. Jake is laying in the corner and Dory is beating on the Kid by spinning him around. Mabel has the Kid up and he is slammed down. Number ten is Omari and he runs right into Mabel. Mabel is being double teamed and the Kid is working on Dory and Jake is tearing into Yoko. Everyone is going back and forth. Number eleven is Savio Vega and he goes right at Mabel and spin kicks him to the mat. Now Yoko and Vega both eliminate Mabel. Jake takes out Omari. Yoko works on Dory but Holly makes the save and Dory, the Kid and Vega all go at it. Number twelve is Vader! Vader comes out to a decent pop and he goes right at Holly and Vega is on the apron. Vega is able to drop Dory to the floor and Vader snaps Vega back into the ring. Vega and Vader are rumbling in the corner and Vega is dropped. Number thirteen is Doug Gilbert and Perfect is baffled by him but then figures out it is Eddie Gilbert's brother his former tag partner. Kid is almost gone but manages to stay in but Vader hucks Jake the Snake to the floor. Yoko is gasping for breath and just holding onto Vega. Holly is kicking HHH in the corner and has him up on the corner, and Vader is just cleaning house until Vega nails him. Number fourteen is one of the SWAT team members but Vince gives no name....Vega and Yoko go at it and Gilbert is getting destroyed by Vader. HHH and the Kid are going at it and SWAT and Holly are brawling. Vader picks up Gilbert and dumps him to the floor. Vader just grabs SWAT and dumps him over the top too! Now Yoko and Vader start mixing it up and Cornette tries to split them up. Number fifteen is the other SWAT member and his brother comes back down with him and both enter the ring and they go at Vader and they slug it out and Yoko comes to help and both SWAT are out! God they were useless. Holly kicks Vader and he just keeps walking and goes at Vega and knocks him down. The Kid and Holly are going at it in the corner but HHH and Vega double team Vader in the corner. Number sixteen is Owen Hart. Owen gets on the apron and attacks Holly and starts working over a few people. Vega dropkicks Vader but it has zero effect and now he and Yoko double team him. Yoko is just sucking wind and Bob is working on Owen and Vega just got smashed by a Vader splash and Yoko leg drop. Number seventeen is Shawn Michaels and the crowd was not too excited. Vega is out courtesy of Vader and now he and Yoko exchange blows and Shawn is knocking everyone down. Yoko drops Vader as Shawn continues to punish everyone and he takes out both Yoko and Vader, and that was lame...but it did get the crowd fired up. The Kid is gone. Number eighteen is Hakushi. Yoko is knocked down by Vader and he reenters the ring and starts to beat on Michaels and he tosses him over the top and he starts cleaning house and tossing everyone out and refs and Gorilla Monsoon enter the ring to try and get some control and Vader gets into Monsoon's face and Cornette tries to calm him down as the crowd boos. Meanwhile, Number nineteen is Tatanka. Now everyone is back in the ring and Michaels tosses out Cornette! Tatanka goes right after Hakushi and HHH has Shawn up and Bob has him up now. Now everyone is exchanging blows. Tatanka is going at Owen and Hakushi has Shawn hung up but gts saved and HHH tries to do it too but cannot. Number twenty is Aldo Montoya. Hakushi is gone and it was Owen who dumped him to the floor. Shawn is on the floor but did not go over the top. Tatanka is beating on Montoya and HHH is writhing on the mat. Shawn crawls under the ring and pulls out Lawler! I had forgotten about him... He rolls him back in the ring and Number twenty-one is Diesel. Lawler is out and so is Montoya. Diesel grabs Tatanka and tosses him over. He goes after Owen and hammers him to the mat and decks Diesel but Shawn hits him too but Diesel knocks him down. Owen starts beating on Diesel in the corner. Michaels is hung up and Diesel saves him and Number twenty-two is Kama. Kama is attacking Diesel and Owen has HHH up and Michaels is working on Bob. Diesel comes back and pounds on Kama and Kama makes a comeback and Owen is stomping on HHH and Number twenty-three is the Ringmaster. He roll kicks Bob Holly and wails on him in the corner but Diesel comes in and attacks but Austin turns it around. Shawn hangs on and manages to stay in. Austin is almost dumped but he takes out Holly instead. Owen has Shawn hanging over the top and Owen is kicking away. Number twenty-four is Barry Horowitz. Diesel promptly nails him with a series of knees and punches. Michaels almost eliminates Owen but he is able to pull himself back into the ring. Michaels is beating on Barry and HHH and Diesel are going at it and he just launches HHH over the top and he is gone! Now that was a summarily dismissal. Number twenty-five is Fatu. Fatu kicks Kama in the head and takes on Michaels while Barry is working on Owen. Diesel is trying to get Austin over and now Barry/Michaels and Hart are going at it. Owen has Michaels up but cannot eliminate him. Number twenty-six is Isaac Yankem. Owen flips Horowitz to the floor. Michaels is lying on the mat after getting nailed by Owen in the head. However Owen is out and Austin charges and knocks down Michaels and flexes and so Diesel knocks him down and steps on his throat. Kama is hitting Yankem. Number twenty-seven is Marty Jannetty and he goes right after Diesel but Kama and Yankem double team him. Fatu almost has Shawn over but just stops. Ringmaster is pummeling Diesel in the corner. Marty and Shawn are firing off blows at one another and knock each other down. Diesel side slams Marty and Number twenty-eight is the Bulldog and he makes a beeline towards Michaels. Marty is out as the Bulldog flips him over, like I said his short push is over. Davey manages to get Michaels out onto the apron and Kama knocks Fatu to the floor. Perfect just asked where Austin is and I do not know. Fatu is gone. Number twenty-nine is Dumpster Drozy. Okay I cannot count as he is number thirty so I clearly missed one somewhere down the line. No biggie, anyway Bulldog and Shawn are going at it on the floor and Owen runs down and beats on Michaels too. Ringmaster is gone but it was not really shown to my recollection. Shawn dropkicks Yankem to the floor and the Dumpster was worthless and is gone. Michaels slides underneath Davey and eliminates him. Kama hits Michaels but he hangs on and Diesel takes out Kama and Shawn comes up from behind and knocks him out. Diesel attacks Davey from behind! Doc asks Diesel something but I cannot tell what Diesels says and Diesel yells something. Shawn is doing some lame dance and the crowd is really not too excited the girls and children are happy. He pretends to pull down his pants. Diesel comes in and Shawn looks worried but Diesel holds up his hand for a high five. It was a Superkick that took out Diesel.....Shawn is continuing to celebrate. I predicted a Shawn victory the way they set it up it was rather obvious that he'd win and he did. Diesel is wallowing against the ring post.
Match 5: The Undertaker v. Bret Hart (c) for WWF Title
Diesel confronts the Undertaker and goes after him but UT knocks him away. Then Diesel goes at him again before they are separated. He keeps telling UT that he is not afraid of the dark. This crowd has not been too lively tonight as Hart gets an ovation but not too big. UT goes at Bret who moves away, and he ducks another big blow and another and this time he fires off some shots of his own but to no effect and UT throws him into the corner and he pounds away on Hart. He whips him into the corner and picks him up by his neck and drops him to the mat. UT continues to pound away on Bret in the corner. flings him into the corner where Bret collapses. UT has him in the claw, and Bret drops to his knees, and now falls onto his back as Taker keeps a firm grip. Bret puts his leg on the rope but Bearer pushes his leg off but Bret finally gets the hold broken by wrapping his gam around the rope. UT goes up top, walks the rope, and drops onto the arm. Bret gets up and walks right into the claw. Bret makes a comeback as he runs into Bret's legs and Bret clotheslines him from the top and then out of the ring and Bret leaps over the top and finally topples the UT who rises back up but gets kicked into the rail and Bret leaps right into his arms and he gets rammed back first into the post. Bret is writhing on the floor and UT breaks the count, comes back and uppercuts him. Bret wobbles away, now Taker has him up, but he slides down the back of UT; Hart drives him into the post but he runs right into a big boot. He grabs Bret and slams his head into the railing and unloads with a series of big rights. However, Bret reverses a whip and the UT flies into and over the steel steps and Bret keeps up the pressure and the UT tries to limp away but Bret continues the attack and back in the ring he starts to work on the leg. He kicks it and jumps on the ankle for good measure. Bret is wrenching on the leg and drops his knee on it and continues to work it. He applies the Figure Four and the UT falls back to the mat but gets his shoulders up at two. Bearer brings the urn closer to the UT and he tries to power out and is able to turn the move over and Bret grabs the rope to get the move broken. UT is back up and limps at Bret and he too rises up and Bret attacks the leg again and down goes the UT. He continues to work over the leg, and UT is on his back as Bret drops elbows onto it then starts twisting it around in a submission hold. UT tries to punch his way free, but Hart tries to rip off his mask to no avail. They both are up and UT is dropped again as Bret hones in on the leg. UT finally breaks the hold by slamming his leg onto his face. UT is up and limps towards Bret and picks him up and throws him out to the floor and heads out after him. He throws Bret into the steps and starts to choke him with a power cord. Bearer had the official distracted. He throws Bret into the chairs at ringside and grabs one and drives it into Bret. He rolls Bret back into the ring and whips Bret, but he ducks a boot and drops him with a big kick to the legs and he keeps at it and he drops a knee on the head. He grabs the UT and drags him towards the post and wraps his leg around it. He has the UT in the middle of the ring and keeps at the leg by applying pressure. UT reverses the submission move and he drops Bret and drops an elbow or leg, I missed it. Hart is whipped into the ropes and nailed with a clothesline. He picks up Bret but he wiggles free, yet receives an uppercut for his troubles. UT goes for a big blow but Hart escapes to the floor and Bret comes in and UT goes for a back drop but Bret DDT's him and UT rises from the dead. Bret though comes back with Russian Leg Sweep and UT rises back up. Bret though knocks him down with a running bulldog, UT rises up again, and Bret catches him in a backbreaker. He goes up to the second rope and drops the elbow. He goes for the Sharpshooter but the UT grabs the throat and knees Bret in the gut and Bret ducks a clothesline and they clothesline each other and both are down. Bret is up first and he unties the turnbuckle pad; he starts pounding on Taker and he tries to take off the mask but UT escapes. The mask is off though. UT is pissed and tries to hit him, but Bret ducks and he hammers the UT and rams him into the exposed buckle. Bret keeps up the pressure but the UT grabs him and Tombstones him! Here comes Diesel, and he pulls the ref out of the way; the bell rings via DQ and UT thinks he won. UT cannot believe it and Bearer points at Diesel who is just smirking then gives Taker the finger. UT is not happy and goes after, well really slowly, after Diesel.
Monsoon has already sanctioned the next title match at the next PPV and it is between Hart and Diesel. What? Shouldn't Taker get a rematch after being screwed? The title situations confuse me for both feds....I guess things were a lot different. Also, Bret has not only been booked fairly weak but almost non-existent since becoming champ.
Doc is with Shawn Michaels who is all excited to be going to WM to face off for the title, and he says he told everyone so. He expresses his love for Diesel but he says he is going to defeat either one at WM.
Back to Monsoon and the Undertaker comes in and basically says it will be a cold day in Hell before he allows Diesel to win the title. Monsoon makes it a cage match.
Diesel is with Doc and brags that it is thanks to him that Bret is the champ. He is willing to take on anyone and he is not afraid of anyone but the Tax Man and it is his year. He tells the people who try to cut off the interview to shut up.
Cornette is going on about Vader and he thinks he should get a title match.
Not as good as the previous two matches but it was still solid. Both are capable of better matches. It makes Bret look pretty weak but keeps the Undertaker strong. I understand why they did it as it ramps up the feud between Diesel and the Undertaker. And Hart had a strong match. Overall the show was pretty strong. All the matches were given a decent amount of time. The Rumble match ended suddenly but it was still easy to follow and Vader put on quite the show. It is obvious that they are setting up a Hart/Michaels and UT/Diesel showdown at WM as it would not make sense otherwise, so unfortunately the outcome of the next PPV is preordained. And to be fair Fatal Four Ways are still in the future, and Threesomes are still uncommon. So, the WWF is ultimately doing the logical thing for the times, so I should not be too hard on them. This was the best PPV for the WWF of the Monday Night Era and may be the best one period as WCW was in a funk and only Starrcade has been the one to really stand out. Hopefully the success of this PPV extends to RAW as they are going for an edgier feel, but are still unsure of how to proceed and it will be interesting to see how they do so. It is like the WWF is hitting puberty, all these hesitant changes as they flirt with different things.
After a successful PPV I am hoping that the WWF puts on a solid RAW tonight. RAW has been hit or miss the past two months and like I stated earlier they are unsure of their position in wrestling. They want to remain family oriented, but at the same time with Goldust and Sunny push the envelope, and the Billionaire Ted skits that while funny are also a sign of desperation as it acknowledges the competition and shows that with WCW giving away endings, starting earlier and going after the hour has irked Vince. They are also adding some more backstage vignettes and brawls along with more interference, so it will be interesting to see where they go from here and if they start bringing out the bigger stars or continue with trotting them out some of the time and relying on mid to upper carders to carry the show with some long matches interspersed with squashes. RAW recovered nicely from its squashing in the ratings from the week before at it beat Nitro 2.9 to 2.7 as WCW gets ready for its Clash of the Champions show, which will gain some high ratings and give WWF fans another chance to sample WCW when it airs on Tuesday.
We get Sunny playing pool in lingerie and advising us about Viewer Discretion.
They recap the Royal Rumble.
Match 1: Savio Vega v. Vader
Jim Cornette has the mic and says that he has the answer the answer to the most important question of our time and it is not Whitewater or international politics but asks rhetorically what time is it and quickly answers his own question by saying it is Vader time. Vader flexes and bellows at Vega and they lock up and Vader shoves him and he gets quite the ovation from the crowd as he poses for them. He has Vega in the corner where he starts to pound on him. He stops and flexes and then pounds on him again and Vega slumps to the mat. Vader charges but no one is home and Vega kicks him in the jaw and Vader helps him by flying out of the ring and Vega goes after him but gets dropped onto the rail. Back in the ring, Vader hits him some more, and this time connects with a big splash in the corner. Vader goes up to the middle rope and finishes him off with the Vader Bomb. Vader bodyslams him and hits him with another Vader Bomb. Vader grabs the ref, and headbutts him twice and tosses him to the floor. Cornette tries to calm him down but Vader shoves him. Another ref comes in and he gets slapped and powerbombed! Gorilla Monsoon comes in and gets in Vader's face. Gorilla calls for the ring announcer; he informs us that Vader has been indefinitely suspended and now Vader gets into Monsoon's face. Monsoon takes off his specs and backs him up while Cornette pleads with Vader. Vader ignores him and taps Gorilla and then harder a second time and Gorilla chops him a couple of times and then Vader gives him a splash from behind although Gorilla turned to see it coming. Vader gives him a Vader Bomb too but landed pretty softly. Razor and Shawn run down and clear him. The police arrive, and Vince yells at Vader that he cannot believe what he has done. Vader just walks away!
Now that was a debut! That was great and they put him over strong against a mid carder, and I initially felt that Monsoon should not have gotten a blow in but it makes sense as it is Gorilla. It shows that Vader is out of control. Hopefully the WWF will not mess it up.
They show highlights of the Rumble.
They are back and showing a recap of what just occurred as Gorilla is still being tended to. Vader has Cornette by the scruff of his neck; Vader yells that he is declaring war on everyone in the WWF and that includes Mr. McMahon. Cornette tries to undo the damage by babbling something incoherent. Now Vader starts smashing a garbage can.
Match 2: HHH v. Razor Ramon
HHH comes down with a valet but she does look rather old and worn out. The fans chant Razor over and over. They go to the Kid and DiBiase who are making fun of Ramon and they show a baby bottle and diaper and call him a baby. Anyway Razor throws his toothpick at HHH. He knocks him down and goes to work on his favorite body part and that is the arm. He throws HHH in the corner but he turns it around and works over Ramon but he gets knocked down and then launched with an atomic drop and he bounces into a clothesline, but Razor is suckered over the top and crashes to the floor.
Commercial.
HHH tries to suplex Razor into the ring but cannot. Razor attempts a suplex but cannot do it. However, HHH is able to crotch him on the top rope. HHH swings him into the corner and he does it again and Razor collapses to the mat as the fans get behind him. HHH runs into the back of him in the corner and then clotheslines him. HHH has him in the corner and is kicking and punching him and an uppercut drops Razor. The Kid comes down and squirts milk on him from an oversized bottle. This pisses off Razor and he knocks down HHH with a series of blows and he chases the Kid who runs away, at least he does not have a perm anymore! HHH wins via count out. Razor leaps back into the ring and his blows must have really hurt as HHH is still wobbly and he gets HHH up in the Razor's Edge, but HHH slides down his back and escapes.
If it is due to the Kliq that Razor made HHH look good then I am fine with it as it was a decent match, and HHH does not look too bad in the ring. Of course it is said he kissed Hall and Nash's ass in real life and carried their bags etc. But love him or hate him look at him now! I may not be a HHH fan and conspiracy theories (and personal feelings) aside, I have enjoyed watching him so far.
This is the last Billionaire Ted skit: He wants to buy everything because that is what he does. He is tired of stealing every idea from the WWF and wants to come up with an original idea. Scheme Gene has an idea but it is too hot to say on TV and you have to call the hotline!!
There is a band playing....wow, and Dok is juking and jiving. I have seen it all. Vince calls out Shawn Michaels, and it is obvious that the fans are torn as some rise up but many are sitting: and this is a pretty hot crowd tonight, but the ladies are going nuts. He did not want to say I told you so but he told us so. Not to be mean but he looks like a girl. Literally. Shawn is in a three step program and the first was to win the Rumble, and the second is WrestleMania (My really educated guess is that winning the title is the third step.). The Kliq has to take care of someone and that is Owen Hart as he did not put out Shawn but it was nine guys. He brings up the Kliq again, and it seems to be his fans and an insider thing too. Cornette comes out and does not like the fact Owen's name is being dropped. Also, he did knock out Shawn. Vince makes fun of Cornette for what Shawn did to his men and Cornette at the Rumble. Cornette will not let Owen get in the ring with Shawn as he has already taken him out. Shawn will do anything and Cornette says he wants his title shot if Owen wins. Shawn is reticent as Cornette makes fun of him and Shawn asks the Kliq what they want and they cheer so he puts his title shot on the line. And he tosses Cornette out.
It is Dok Hendricks and the RAW band....wow, this is awful.
Match 3: Goldust (c) v. Bret Hart (c)
Lawler reminds Vince not to be homophobic as Marlena (she has a name now) leads Goldust to the ring. We get pre-recorded comments from the two. He declares his performance Oscar worthy and his next role is against the Calgary Cowboy and he quotes a movie again. Bret "hurt" his knee at the Rumble but he is here anyway and the fans are stoked. They circle each other and finally lock up and Bret pushes him into the corner and the ref breaks it and Goldust rubs himself.
Commercial.
They are locked up and Goldust starts to punch and kick Hart. Bret goes down as Goldust works on the arm. The crowd starts to chant "Go Bret go" so Bret gets up and knocks Goldust to the floor.
Another commercial.
Goldust is up top and drives a fist into his head and down goes Bret. Goldust works on the arm and starts to wrench it. Bret makes a comeback and lands some blows that stagger Goldust but Goldust knocks him down but gets kicked out to the floor. Goldust backs away with Marlena and he runs into Razor who decks him and then throws him back into the ring.
Another damn commercial!
Hitman flies from the top and clotheslines Goldust. He follows up with a Russian leg sweep. He turns Goldust over into the Sharpshooter and Goldust promptly taps. Vince asks about last night and Bret is upset that his fans were robbed of a finish, and he thinks that he would have won. However he blames Diesel. He is tired of his interference and the pathetic corporate excuses and that he is going to beat Diesel at the PPV and offers the Undertaker a rematch down the road.
They are announcing some big matches next week with Shawn and Diesel wrestling. I guess the Billionaire skits are not done as Ted will respond.
Well that was a quick tap. It does not derail Goldust, but nor does not help his momentum either. Bret did need a victory as he nears Diesel and then Michaels, which is the obvious match no matter who Shawn and Bret face before WM. This is what the WWF needs to do as they put on a great show. It was filled with a long interview but there was no product placements, such as shirts and shit. No terrible Dok interviews and the Vader match and aftermath was just plain awesome. It also helped that the crowd was hot. The main event was decent but marred by a copious amounts of commercials, and we mostly saw lock ups and arm bars, which is disappointing. Yet this is clearly the best wrestling show of the past couple of months.
We get Sunny playing pool in lingerie and advising us about Viewer Discretion.
They recap the Royal Rumble.
Match 1: Savio Vega v. Vader
Jim Cornette has the mic and says that he has the answer the answer to the most important question of our time and it is not Whitewater or international politics but asks rhetorically what time is it and quickly answers his own question by saying it is Vader time. Vader flexes and bellows at Vega and they lock up and Vader shoves him and he gets quite the ovation from the crowd as he poses for them. He has Vega in the corner where he starts to pound on him. He stops and flexes and then pounds on him again and Vega slumps to the mat. Vader charges but no one is home and Vega kicks him in the jaw and Vader helps him by flying out of the ring and Vega goes after him but gets dropped onto the rail. Back in the ring, Vader hits him some more, and this time connects with a big splash in the corner. Vader goes up to the middle rope and finishes him off with the Vader Bomb. Vader bodyslams him and hits him with another Vader Bomb. Vader grabs the ref, and headbutts him twice and tosses him to the floor. Cornette tries to calm him down but Vader shoves him. Another ref comes in and he gets slapped and powerbombed! Gorilla Monsoon comes in and gets in Vader's face. Gorilla calls for the ring announcer; he informs us that Vader has been indefinitely suspended and now Vader gets into Monsoon's face. Monsoon takes off his specs and backs him up while Cornette pleads with Vader. Vader ignores him and taps Gorilla and then harder a second time and Gorilla chops him a couple of times and then Vader gives him a splash from behind although Gorilla turned to see it coming. Vader gives him a Vader Bomb too but landed pretty softly. Razor and Shawn run down and clear him. The police arrive, and Vince yells at Vader that he cannot believe what he has done. Vader just walks away!
Now that was a debut! That was great and they put him over strong against a mid carder, and I initially felt that Monsoon should not have gotten a blow in but it makes sense as it is Gorilla. It shows that Vader is out of control. Hopefully the WWF will not mess it up.
They show highlights of the Rumble.
They are back and showing a recap of what just occurred as Gorilla is still being tended to. Vader has Cornette by the scruff of his neck; Vader yells that he is declaring war on everyone in the WWF and that includes Mr. McMahon. Cornette tries to undo the damage by babbling something incoherent. Now Vader starts smashing a garbage can.
Match 2: HHH v. Razor Ramon
HHH comes down with a valet but she does look rather old and worn out. The fans chant Razor over and over. They go to the Kid and DiBiase who are making fun of Ramon and they show a baby bottle and diaper and call him a baby. Anyway Razor throws his toothpick at HHH. He knocks him down and goes to work on his favorite body part and that is the arm. He throws HHH in the corner but he turns it around and works over Ramon but he gets knocked down and then launched with an atomic drop and he bounces into a clothesline, but Razor is suckered over the top and crashes to the floor.
Commercial.
HHH tries to suplex Razor into the ring but cannot. Razor attempts a suplex but cannot do it. However, HHH is able to crotch him on the top rope. HHH swings him into the corner and he does it again and Razor collapses to the mat as the fans get behind him. HHH runs into the back of him in the corner and then clotheslines him. HHH has him in the corner and is kicking and punching him and an uppercut drops Razor. The Kid comes down and squirts milk on him from an oversized bottle. This pisses off Razor and he knocks down HHH with a series of blows and he chases the Kid who runs away, at least he does not have a perm anymore! HHH wins via count out. Razor leaps back into the ring and his blows must have really hurt as HHH is still wobbly and he gets HHH up in the Razor's Edge, but HHH slides down his back and escapes.
If it is due to the Kliq that Razor made HHH look good then I am fine with it as it was a decent match, and HHH does not look too bad in the ring. Of course it is said he kissed Hall and Nash's ass in real life and carried their bags etc. But love him or hate him look at him now! I may not be a HHH fan and conspiracy theories (and personal feelings) aside, I have enjoyed watching him so far.
This is the last Billionaire Ted skit: He wants to buy everything because that is what he does. He is tired of stealing every idea from the WWF and wants to come up with an original idea. Scheme Gene has an idea but it is too hot to say on TV and you have to call the hotline!!
There is a band playing....wow, and Dok is juking and jiving. I have seen it all. Vince calls out Shawn Michaels, and it is obvious that the fans are torn as some rise up but many are sitting: and this is a pretty hot crowd tonight, but the ladies are going nuts. He did not want to say I told you so but he told us so. Not to be mean but he looks like a girl. Literally. Shawn is in a three step program and the first was to win the Rumble, and the second is WrestleMania (My really educated guess is that winning the title is the third step.). The Kliq has to take care of someone and that is Owen Hart as he did not put out Shawn but it was nine guys. He brings up the Kliq again, and it seems to be his fans and an insider thing too. Cornette comes out and does not like the fact Owen's name is being dropped. Also, he did knock out Shawn. Vince makes fun of Cornette for what Shawn did to his men and Cornette at the Rumble. Cornette will not let Owen get in the ring with Shawn as he has already taken him out. Shawn will do anything and Cornette says he wants his title shot if Owen wins. Shawn is reticent as Cornette makes fun of him and Shawn asks the Kliq what they want and they cheer so he puts his title shot on the line. And he tosses Cornette out.
It is Dok Hendricks and the RAW band....wow, this is awful.
Match 3: Goldust (c) v. Bret Hart (c)
Lawler reminds Vince not to be homophobic as Marlena (she has a name now) leads Goldust to the ring. We get pre-recorded comments from the two. He declares his performance Oscar worthy and his next role is against the Calgary Cowboy and he quotes a movie again. Bret "hurt" his knee at the Rumble but he is here anyway and the fans are stoked. They circle each other and finally lock up and Bret pushes him into the corner and the ref breaks it and Goldust rubs himself.
Commercial.
They are locked up and Goldust starts to punch and kick Hart. Bret goes down as Goldust works on the arm. The crowd starts to chant "Go Bret go" so Bret gets up and knocks Goldust to the floor.
Another commercial.
Goldust is up top and drives a fist into his head and down goes Bret. Goldust works on the arm and starts to wrench it. Bret makes a comeback and lands some blows that stagger Goldust but Goldust knocks him down but gets kicked out to the floor. Goldust backs away with Marlena and he runs into Razor who decks him and then throws him back into the ring.
Another damn commercial!
Hitman flies from the top and clotheslines Goldust. He follows up with a Russian leg sweep. He turns Goldust over into the Sharpshooter and Goldust promptly taps. Vince asks about last night and Bret is upset that his fans were robbed of a finish, and he thinks that he would have won. However he blames Diesel. He is tired of his interference and the pathetic corporate excuses and that he is going to beat Diesel at the PPV and offers the Undertaker a rematch down the road.
They are announcing some big matches next week with Shawn and Diesel wrestling. I guess the Billionaire skits are not done as Ted will respond.
Well that was a quick tap. It does not derail Goldust, but nor does not help his momentum either. Bret did need a victory as he nears Diesel and then Michaels, which is the obvious match no matter who Shawn and Bret face before WM. This is what the WWF needs to do as they put on a great show. It was filled with a long interview but there was no product placements, such as shirts and shit. No terrible Dok interviews and the Vader match and aftermath was just plain awesome. It also helped that the crowd was hot. The main event was decent but marred by a copious amounts of commercials, and we mostly saw lock ups and arm bars, which is disappointing. Yet this is clearly the best wrestling show of the past couple of months.
This show has potential. They will have PPV quality matches on free TV and right when the WWF raised the prices of their PPV's. I am not too excited to see Parker and Sherri get "married" but overall with WCW keeping up the pressure on the WWF it should provide some quality wrestling. TWNP has the show at a solid 4.5 one of the larger audiences in recent years and it helps build momentum because it is not going head to head against RAW.
Mean Gene is at a White Chapel in Vegas where Sherri and Parker are going to get married. Gene cracks some lame jokes.
Oh boy they showed a random vignette of Public Enemy out by a broken down car, not sure what was going on there.
Match 1: Public Enemy v. Nasty Boys
The fans are behind the Nasty Boys as they start brawling, Knobbs and Grunge are going at it. Rotten is working over Saggs on the outside. In the ring Grunge hits a belly to back. Grunge is doing some dance and then charges Knobbs and he gets lured out to the floor. Saggs runs off and brings back a table. The table is set up in the corner but Rock, not Rotten stops the momentum and bulldogs Knobbs. There is brawling all over the place and now Knobbs is back in control and takes Rock out and he falls to the floor. Saggs barely gets Grunge up, and piledrives him. Knobbs opens the legs of the table and sets it upright. The ref calls for a DQ as PE makes a comeback and sets up Knobbs on the table. Rocco hits a moonsault and the table just bends and Saggs comes in and swings away with some of the broken parts. He then throws the table on top of Grunge and starts swinging away with the remains of it as Grunge tries to get to the back but he keeps getting belted with it. Saggs runs back toward the ring as they fade off....
Pretty good match for what it was supposed to be: a brawl. They went back and forth and Public Enemy looked a lot better in this match than against the American Males as they were more in their element and the Nasty Boys were in theirs too so overall it was enjoyable.
Eric Bischoff is by the entrance and Ric Flair is coming out along with the Giant. EB brings up that it was not a good night for Flair and now they are in Flair's town. Flair brings up the lights, women and that the title loss was secondary and besides he will get revenge tonight. The Giant is going to wipe out Hogan and Savage off the face of the Earth forever, along with Flair's help of course. Flair bellows that Savage cannot hide behind Slim Jim, and Hogan behind Baywatch as they have to face a real life Giant.
Match 3: Dean Malenko v. Alex Wright
They show highlights of Malenko tearing apart Wright on Saturday Night, and now it looks like that Wright wants a little payback. Dean takes him down applies a head scissors but Wright bridges up and takes down Malenko with a side headlock. Now both are up and facing off once again. They switch around holds, Dean flips backwards and handsprings over Dean, who was lying down and drops him when he stands with a dropkick. He waits for Dean to get up again and takes him out of the ring with a head scissors. Wright misses a punch, gets taken down with a bodyslam, and drops an elbow then a knee on his leg finishing off with a sliding kick. He takes the leg and bashes it into the post and he stalks him as Wright is limping around and grabs the leg. Wright painfully goes down as Malenko bends the knee continuing to work on it. Wright makes it to the ropes but Dean picks him up and keeps working on the knee but Alex hits an elbow and a soft cross body from the top as he sells the knee. Dean goes for the backslide but Wright flips back onto his feet only to get caught in a back suplex. Dean goes to the top but Wright catches him with a dropkick. Wright climbs up and flings Malenko across the ring with a superplex and he gets a two count with a German suplex. He goes for dropkick but Dean grabs the ropes and then Dean rolls up Wright to get the win. It almost looks like Wright kicks out but he does not, the announcers were a tad surprised too.
Good match, Dean and Wright both put on a pretty good show. They went back and forth and despite the slowdown in the middle and the abrupt end it was still solid.
Match 3: Taskmaster v. Disco Inferno
Oh boy, my two favorite wrestlers! Someone comes out dressed as Elvis and is acting like Elvis too. He is sending a singing telegram from Disco to the Taskmaster; Sullivan attacks hitting him and then stomps right on him. Disco was at the wedding tonight. Thank God we do not have to witness this match.
Gene is at the Chapel again and Bunkhouse Buck and Dick Slater arrive.
Bischoff is back at the entrance, and calls out the new tag champions in Luger and Sting. Luger says that they are the most dominant team on Earth, and EB concurs. The Road Warriors come out and Sting is happy to see them. Animal wants the belts and to be the best and that is the way to do it(Get the belts.). Luger begs off, and names off every WCW tag team that get a shot first and he mentions Animal's injury. Hawk counters that Animal's back, which what was injured, is too big for the Rack.
Tony and Bobby bring up the Loose Cannon Flyin' Brian and how upset Mr. Wonderful is about his neck injury. Orndorff is sitting on a park bench looking really sad that his career might be over, and he is really sad because he was on a roll and near to winning a belt. Wonderful does not like Pillman because of his lack of respect. The Horsemen are a gang and purposely tried to cripple him. He is a proud man and he will not take it sitting down. Well, he is sitting now....
Back to the Chapel and there is a random smiling couple. Parker shows up and he is running late and he needs fifty bucks because he lost all his money gambling. Parker whips out a giant cell phone and it is Sherri and tells her that he is waiting for her and for her not to worry.
Match 4: Brian Pillman v. Eddie Guerrero
Heenan keeps hyping up Guerrero. Pillman runs out and yells at the fans and then shoves the Horsemen symbol in Eddie's face, so Eddie shoves him out of the ring. They lock up and Eddie applies a side headlock but Eddie hits a shoulder block. Pillman grabs Heenan who yells at Pillman "What the fuck are you doing" as he grabs him. Funny shit! Pillman is still pulling the Loose Cannon stuff. Now wants to shake Eddie's hand but Eddie kicks him and chops him and then connects with a spinning backbreaker. I do love Heenan's recovery though as he comes back to the table, just business as usual! Pillman takes down Eddie and applies a rear chinlock but Eddie elbows out and nails a dropkick. Pillman recovers on the floor, but gets nearly pinned after a DDT off the ropes. They both exchange near falls with roll ups and Pillman is able to get the win by grabbing a fistful of tights.
I am pretty sure this is after EB refused to tell others what is going on with Pillman, acting as if he really is a loose cannon. Anyway, it is some funny stuff, the match was not great but Eddie puts on a good show no matter what.
EB calls out Savage, Hogan and Greene. Macho is the champ but they come out to Hogan's tune. Hogan claims that they have some positive momentum. Savage hypes up my boy Kevin Greene and all three scream Oooohhhhh Yeahhh! Greene is going to run over the Giant and Flair if they come at him, and he will bring it the Cowboys on Sunday....FUCK YOU NEIL O'DONNELL. Sorry, being from Pittsburgh I have never recovered. I also hope Aaron Rodgers burns in hell along with Rashard Mendenhall for fumbling...I am okay now! Hogan wonders who will take Liz out on the town and Greene pipes up first, Savage says that it would be easier to face the Cowboys, and Hogan said that she was too much for Macho to handle and Savage plays along....funny stuff.
Match 5: Bluebloods v. Lex Luger and Sting (c) for WCW Tag Titles
Regal strolls around the ring as Sting stares at him. Regal looks like he farted, and they finally lock up. They exchange arm twists until Sting knock him down with a shoulder block and he follows it up with a dropkick. Regal is stumbling around the ring and he is just classic and he finally makes the tag. Earl Roberts runs at Luger on the floor and gets back dropped to the floor. Neither of the Bluebloods want anything to do with Luger and Luger drives Regal into the corner and Regal begs for mercy but he hits a series of uppercuts. Roberts is tagged in and knocks Lex to the floor. However Luger fires back but gets raked in the eyeballs, and Roberts connects with a swinging neckbreaker. Regal is back in and he gets a near fall. Roberts is holding Lex as Regal fires away and Roberts goes up top and drives a knee into Luger. Regal is tagged in and he applies the Regal Stretch and Sting breaks it up. Roberts leaps from the buckle and it looks like Luger was supposed to catch him but he falls backwards, oh well, they knock each other down with a dual cross bodies. Sting is in and he is cleaning house. Regal knocks him back but Roberts leaps right into Regal and this allows Sting to finish off Roberts with the Scorpion Deathlock.
This was actually a really good match. The Bluebloods looked pretty good and got in some offense and carried the match.
Gene is back at the Chapel and Sherri finally arrives. She is upset that he has pissed away all his money and she is fake screaming in agony, well the acting was bad, but this is a lot funnier than I thought it would be.
Back to Bischoff and guess what, EB will be on CompuServe and will talk to us later! Jimmy Hart is on it right now yapping away, I love old technology. He calls out Pillman and Brian does not want him to be scared. He wants to know what EB will do if he spouts off the seven deadly words and EB gets upset; he responds that he will do what he has to do. Brian is going off about AA and Sullivan and he is not Savage, Hogan and Sting but he is Brian Pillman and he will get respect. Some fans yell you suck and you have to earn it. As he leaves EB tells no one in particular that Brian is treading on thin ice.
Match 6: Psichosis v. Konnan (c) for Mexican Championship
Mike Tenay joins the announce team and he is reminding us of when Konnan was in Starrcade 90 as well as all about AAA. Tenay is a legend, no Jim Ross but classic. They fly around the ring for a bit but Konnan wraps him up in a submission move with his legs draped over his head. Konnan nails two quick German suplexes. Konnan takes him down and catapults him into another submission move as he yanks Psichosis' arm behind him. Psi, as I will call him from now on, kicks Konnan down to the mat and puts him into a submission move but Konnan reverses it and works on the knee and leg. They circle each other and Konnan leaps onto the top rope where h walks it and takes down Psi and follows up with a headscissors and a series of dropkicks and arm drags. Konnan just kills him with a big DDT. Psi climbs up to the top and dropkicks Konnan; he comes back with a Topee dive over the top and both are down (I hope I spelled that right). Back in the ring Konnan places him on the top and German suplexes him off the top, damn that was incredible. He finishes him off with a standing Figure Four, or the Ziplock, I guess.
Damn Konnan looked great. I though Psi would get more offense in, but give Konnan a quality opponent and he can wrestle.
Gene is back at the chapel and Sherri is getting dressed in the Limo and Gene mentions that is probably not the first time she has done that. Holy shit this is great stuff! Parker wants 30 dollars from Gene and then goes to Sherri and asks if that is her purse, Gene then offers to walk her down the aisle.
Back from break, Gene is standing outside the Chapel and he is going to walk her down the driveway as Parker cannot afford the Chapel services. Sherri has not spoken with Parker since yesterday and she is baffled when Gene brings up the phone call. Disco runs up and dances in front of them both briefly. Parker wants Gene to back off and Sherri is really nervous dressed up in a Vampire get up. The woman doing the marriage is stammering over her words. There are no objections, and she is stuttering all over the damn place. Madusa shows up and attacks Sherri and throws her on the buffet table and now they are both rolling around brawling. They are finally separated and Disco has some champagne in his arms, oh God that was great!
Match 7: The Giant and Ric Flair v. Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan
I am sure Michael Buffer got paid a pretty penny doing this, WCW should have cut him off back in 98-9. To be fair he did lend an air of legitimacy to WCW and to wrestling in general, it had a big time feel, even when he fouled up the names. The downside is that the introductions are usually as long as the matches. Damn Elizabeth looks good, I was in love with her growing up, and she was awesome, such a damn shame what happened to her. During the break, Flair taunted Greene on the mic, wish they would have shown that. Savage and Flair start off and Greene walks into the ring wearing a wife beater and Flair skedaddles. Flair grabs the mic and claims he does not want to hurt Greene because of the game on Sunday. They finally lock up nearly ten minutes after the introductions. Savage is in charge with a big back body drop and then a couple of clotheslines. Savage sends Flair flipping out of the ring and into the cameraman and Hogan tosses him back in the ring and Savage slaps him but he walks right into a kick and now Flair slugs away. Macho stumbles right into a mighty blow from the Giant. Savage blocks a blow and takes down Flair and Flair tags in the Giant. Hogan wants the tag and Savage plays it up and finally makes it. Giant shoves Hogan into the corner. Hogan applies a side headlock but goes down when he runs into the Giant and he toppled slowly, not really selling. Giant picks up Hogan and slams him to the mat. Giant is in complete control whipping him into the corners and knocking Hogan down with a boot. Giant drops a headbutt into the nuts of Hogan then follows up with a backbreaker, bending him on his knee for a moment. He goes for a big elbow drop but nobody was home and Hogan makes the motion for a bodyslam and does so but Hogan falls to the mat. Flair is tagged in and it takes him awhile but he finally suplexes Hogan and Hogan no sells it. He pops right back up and takes Flair down with a back drop. Flair pokes his eyes and the Giant pulls Hogan to the floor, works him over, and rolls him back into the ring. Hogan no sells the chops but he runs into an elbow and Flair goes up top but Hogan slams him off. Savage is tagged in and strikes with a double axe handle. Giant comes in and Hogan attacks him and now they are brawling on the floor. Savage nails Flair with the Flying Elbow but Hart distracts the ref and Flair uses a foreign object and decks Savage getting the pin. Greene points out that Flair cheated and Zodiac and Pillman run down, but Greene cleans house. And Elizabeth helps Savage up and raises his arm.
It just continues with Hogan no selling everything, unless it is the Giant. Of course it is the champ that gets pinned but it is by Flair and it will hopefully extend their feud. Overall the show was really good. The wedding was actually pretty damn funny. Malenko and Wright put on a good show as did Konnan. Eddie did fine and Pillman as the Loose Cannon was classic. The Bluebloods looked good and carried Sting and Luger, and while short the main event was okay. Compared to two months, even one month ago WCW is finally hitting its stride with a great feud between Savage and Flair, the Horsemen, Pilman, and with Guerrero and Benoit helping the wrestling side of things.
Mean Gene is at a White Chapel in Vegas where Sherri and Parker are going to get married. Gene cracks some lame jokes.
Oh boy they showed a random vignette of Public Enemy out by a broken down car, not sure what was going on there.
Match 1: Public Enemy v. Nasty Boys
The fans are behind the Nasty Boys as they start brawling, Knobbs and Grunge are going at it. Rotten is working over Saggs on the outside. In the ring Grunge hits a belly to back. Grunge is doing some dance and then charges Knobbs and he gets lured out to the floor. Saggs runs off and brings back a table. The table is set up in the corner but Rock, not Rotten stops the momentum and bulldogs Knobbs. There is brawling all over the place and now Knobbs is back in control and takes Rock out and he falls to the floor. Saggs barely gets Grunge up, and piledrives him. Knobbs opens the legs of the table and sets it upright. The ref calls for a DQ as PE makes a comeback and sets up Knobbs on the table. Rocco hits a moonsault and the table just bends and Saggs comes in and swings away with some of the broken parts. He then throws the table on top of Grunge and starts swinging away with the remains of it as Grunge tries to get to the back but he keeps getting belted with it. Saggs runs back toward the ring as they fade off....
Pretty good match for what it was supposed to be: a brawl. They went back and forth and Public Enemy looked a lot better in this match than against the American Males as they were more in their element and the Nasty Boys were in theirs too so overall it was enjoyable.
Eric Bischoff is by the entrance and Ric Flair is coming out along with the Giant. EB brings up that it was not a good night for Flair and now they are in Flair's town. Flair brings up the lights, women and that the title loss was secondary and besides he will get revenge tonight. The Giant is going to wipe out Hogan and Savage off the face of the Earth forever, along with Flair's help of course. Flair bellows that Savage cannot hide behind Slim Jim, and Hogan behind Baywatch as they have to face a real life Giant.
Match 3: Dean Malenko v. Alex Wright
They show highlights of Malenko tearing apart Wright on Saturday Night, and now it looks like that Wright wants a little payback. Dean takes him down applies a head scissors but Wright bridges up and takes down Malenko with a side headlock. Now both are up and facing off once again. They switch around holds, Dean flips backwards and handsprings over Dean, who was lying down and drops him when he stands with a dropkick. He waits for Dean to get up again and takes him out of the ring with a head scissors. Wright misses a punch, gets taken down with a bodyslam, and drops an elbow then a knee on his leg finishing off with a sliding kick. He takes the leg and bashes it into the post and he stalks him as Wright is limping around and grabs the leg. Wright painfully goes down as Malenko bends the knee continuing to work on it. Wright makes it to the ropes but Dean picks him up and keeps working on the knee but Alex hits an elbow and a soft cross body from the top as he sells the knee. Dean goes for the backslide but Wright flips back onto his feet only to get caught in a back suplex. Dean goes to the top but Wright catches him with a dropkick. Wright climbs up and flings Malenko across the ring with a superplex and he gets a two count with a German suplex. He goes for dropkick but Dean grabs the ropes and then Dean rolls up Wright to get the win. It almost looks like Wright kicks out but he does not, the announcers were a tad surprised too.
Good match, Dean and Wright both put on a pretty good show. They went back and forth and despite the slowdown in the middle and the abrupt end it was still solid.
Match 3: Taskmaster v. Disco Inferno
Oh boy, my two favorite wrestlers! Someone comes out dressed as Elvis and is acting like Elvis too. He is sending a singing telegram from Disco to the Taskmaster; Sullivan attacks hitting him and then stomps right on him. Disco was at the wedding tonight. Thank God we do not have to witness this match.
Gene is at the Chapel again and Bunkhouse Buck and Dick Slater arrive.
Bischoff is back at the entrance, and calls out the new tag champions in Luger and Sting. Luger says that they are the most dominant team on Earth, and EB concurs. The Road Warriors come out and Sting is happy to see them. Animal wants the belts and to be the best and that is the way to do it(Get the belts.). Luger begs off, and names off every WCW tag team that get a shot first and he mentions Animal's injury. Hawk counters that Animal's back, which what was injured, is too big for the Rack.
Tony and Bobby bring up the Loose Cannon Flyin' Brian and how upset Mr. Wonderful is about his neck injury. Orndorff is sitting on a park bench looking really sad that his career might be over, and he is really sad because he was on a roll and near to winning a belt. Wonderful does not like Pillman because of his lack of respect. The Horsemen are a gang and purposely tried to cripple him. He is a proud man and he will not take it sitting down. Well, he is sitting now....
Back to the Chapel and there is a random smiling couple. Parker shows up and he is running late and he needs fifty bucks because he lost all his money gambling. Parker whips out a giant cell phone and it is Sherri and tells her that he is waiting for her and for her not to worry.
Match 4: Brian Pillman v. Eddie Guerrero
Heenan keeps hyping up Guerrero. Pillman runs out and yells at the fans and then shoves the Horsemen symbol in Eddie's face, so Eddie shoves him out of the ring. They lock up and Eddie applies a side headlock but Eddie hits a shoulder block. Pillman grabs Heenan who yells at Pillman "What the fuck are you doing" as he grabs him. Funny shit! Pillman is still pulling the Loose Cannon stuff. Now wants to shake Eddie's hand but Eddie kicks him and chops him and then connects with a spinning backbreaker. I do love Heenan's recovery though as he comes back to the table, just business as usual! Pillman takes down Eddie and applies a rear chinlock but Eddie elbows out and nails a dropkick. Pillman recovers on the floor, but gets nearly pinned after a DDT off the ropes. They both exchange near falls with roll ups and Pillman is able to get the win by grabbing a fistful of tights.
I am pretty sure this is after EB refused to tell others what is going on with Pillman, acting as if he really is a loose cannon. Anyway, it is some funny stuff, the match was not great but Eddie puts on a good show no matter what.
EB calls out Savage, Hogan and Greene. Macho is the champ but they come out to Hogan's tune. Hogan claims that they have some positive momentum. Savage hypes up my boy Kevin Greene and all three scream Oooohhhhh Yeahhh! Greene is going to run over the Giant and Flair if they come at him, and he will bring it the Cowboys on Sunday....FUCK YOU NEIL O'DONNELL. Sorry, being from Pittsburgh I have never recovered. I also hope Aaron Rodgers burns in hell along with Rashard Mendenhall for fumbling...I am okay now! Hogan wonders who will take Liz out on the town and Greene pipes up first, Savage says that it would be easier to face the Cowboys, and Hogan said that she was too much for Macho to handle and Savage plays along....funny stuff.
Match 5: Bluebloods v. Lex Luger and Sting (c) for WCW Tag Titles
Regal strolls around the ring as Sting stares at him. Regal looks like he farted, and they finally lock up. They exchange arm twists until Sting knock him down with a shoulder block and he follows it up with a dropkick. Regal is stumbling around the ring and he is just classic and he finally makes the tag. Earl Roberts runs at Luger on the floor and gets back dropped to the floor. Neither of the Bluebloods want anything to do with Luger and Luger drives Regal into the corner and Regal begs for mercy but he hits a series of uppercuts. Roberts is tagged in and knocks Lex to the floor. However Luger fires back but gets raked in the eyeballs, and Roberts connects with a swinging neckbreaker. Regal is back in and he gets a near fall. Roberts is holding Lex as Regal fires away and Roberts goes up top and drives a knee into Luger. Regal is tagged in and he applies the Regal Stretch and Sting breaks it up. Roberts leaps from the buckle and it looks like Luger was supposed to catch him but he falls backwards, oh well, they knock each other down with a dual cross bodies. Sting is in and he is cleaning house. Regal knocks him back but Roberts leaps right into Regal and this allows Sting to finish off Roberts with the Scorpion Deathlock.
This was actually a really good match. The Bluebloods looked pretty good and got in some offense and carried the match.
Gene is back at the Chapel and Sherri finally arrives. She is upset that he has pissed away all his money and she is fake screaming in agony, well the acting was bad, but this is a lot funnier than I thought it would be.
Back to Bischoff and guess what, EB will be on CompuServe and will talk to us later! Jimmy Hart is on it right now yapping away, I love old technology. He calls out Pillman and Brian does not want him to be scared. He wants to know what EB will do if he spouts off the seven deadly words and EB gets upset; he responds that he will do what he has to do. Brian is going off about AA and Sullivan and he is not Savage, Hogan and Sting but he is Brian Pillman and he will get respect. Some fans yell you suck and you have to earn it. As he leaves EB tells no one in particular that Brian is treading on thin ice.
Match 6: Psichosis v. Konnan (c) for Mexican Championship
Mike Tenay joins the announce team and he is reminding us of when Konnan was in Starrcade 90 as well as all about AAA. Tenay is a legend, no Jim Ross but classic. They fly around the ring for a bit but Konnan wraps him up in a submission move with his legs draped over his head. Konnan nails two quick German suplexes. Konnan takes him down and catapults him into another submission move as he yanks Psichosis' arm behind him. Psi, as I will call him from now on, kicks Konnan down to the mat and puts him into a submission move but Konnan reverses it and works on the knee and leg. They circle each other and Konnan leaps onto the top rope where h walks it and takes down Psi and follows up with a headscissors and a series of dropkicks and arm drags. Konnan just kills him with a big DDT. Psi climbs up to the top and dropkicks Konnan; he comes back with a Topee dive over the top and both are down (I hope I spelled that right). Back in the ring Konnan places him on the top and German suplexes him off the top, damn that was incredible. He finishes him off with a standing Figure Four, or the Ziplock, I guess.
Damn Konnan looked great. I though Psi would get more offense in, but give Konnan a quality opponent and he can wrestle.
Gene is back at the chapel and Sherri is getting dressed in the Limo and Gene mentions that is probably not the first time she has done that. Holy shit this is great stuff! Parker wants 30 dollars from Gene and then goes to Sherri and asks if that is her purse, Gene then offers to walk her down the aisle.
Back from break, Gene is standing outside the Chapel and he is going to walk her down the driveway as Parker cannot afford the Chapel services. Sherri has not spoken with Parker since yesterday and she is baffled when Gene brings up the phone call. Disco runs up and dances in front of them both briefly. Parker wants Gene to back off and Sherri is really nervous dressed up in a Vampire get up. The woman doing the marriage is stammering over her words. There are no objections, and she is stuttering all over the damn place. Madusa shows up and attacks Sherri and throws her on the buffet table and now they are both rolling around brawling. They are finally separated and Disco has some champagne in his arms, oh God that was great!
Match 7: The Giant and Ric Flair v. Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan
I am sure Michael Buffer got paid a pretty penny doing this, WCW should have cut him off back in 98-9. To be fair he did lend an air of legitimacy to WCW and to wrestling in general, it had a big time feel, even when he fouled up the names. The downside is that the introductions are usually as long as the matches. Damn Elizabeth looks good, I was in love with her growing up, and she was awesome, such a damn shame what happened to her. During the break, Flair taunted Greene on the mic, wish they would have shown that. Savage and Flair start off and Greene walks into the ring wearing a wife beater and Flair skedaddles. Flair grabs the mic and claims he does not want to hurt Greene because of the game on Sunday. They finally lock up nearly ten minutes after the introductions. Savage is in charge with a big back body drop and then a couple of clotheslines. Savage sends Flair flipping out of the ring and into the cameraman and Hogan tosses him back in the ring and Savage slaps him but he walks right into a kick and now Flair slugs away. Macho stumbles right into a mighty blow from the Giant. Savage blocks a blow and takes down Flair and Flair tags in the Giant. Hogan wants the tag and Savage plays it up and finally makes it. Giant shoves Hogan into the corner. Hogan applies a side headlock but goes down when he runs into the Giant and he toppled slowly, not really selling. Giant picks up Hogan and slams him to the mat. Giant is in complete control whipping him into the corners and knocking Hogan down with a boot. Giant drops a headbutt into the nuts of Hogan then follows up with a backbreaker, bending him on his knee for a moment. He goes for a big elbow drop but nobody was home and Hogan makes the motion for a bodyslam and does so but Hogan falls to the mat. Flair is tagged in and it takes him awhile but he finally suplexes Hogan and Hogan no sells it. He pops right back up and takes Flair down with a back drop. Flair pokes his eyes and the Giant pulls Hogan to the floor, works him over, and rolls him back into the ring. Hogan no sells the chops but he runs into an elbow and Flair goes up top but Hogan slams him off. Savage is tagged in and strikes with a double axe handle. Giant comes in and Hogan attacks him and now they are brawling on the floor. Savage nails Flair with the Flying Elbow but Hart distracts the ref and Flair uses a foreign object and decks Savage getting the pin. Greene points out that Flair cheated and Zodiac and Pillman run down, but Greene cleans house. And Elizabeth helps Savage up and raises his arm.
It just continues with Hogan no selling everything, unless it is the Giant. Of course it is the champ that gets pinned but it is by Flair and it will hopefully extend their feud. Overall the show was really good. The wedding was actually pretty damn funny. Malenko and Wright put on a good show as did Konnan. Eddie did fine and Pillman as the Loose Cannon was classic. The Bluebloods looked good and carried Sting and Luger, and while short the main event was okay. Compared to two months, even one month ago WCW is finally hitting its stride with a great feud between Savage and Flair, the Horsemen, Pilman, and with Guerrero and Benoit helping the wrestling side of things.
After a really good Clash of the Champions and a couple of decent Nitros, WCW seems to be on the upswing. Hogan does not have the belt and while he overshadows Savage and looms over WCW it is not what it was in November and December. Luger and Sting continue their dominance despite their limitations in the ring, but they are not hindering the product. I do not like how the Horsemen continuously get punked but Benoit puts on a great show each time in the ring, Pillman's "Loose Cannon" character is great and the Flair/Savage feud is just what WCW needed. Other positives are the consistency out of Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, Alex Wright, Regal and others. This ensures some good wrestling each week and the major bonus is the dwindling presence of the Dungeon of Doom, clearly Luger refused to be a part of it, and I cannot blame him; the Giant is slowly being siphoned away too. Hopefully the entire angle will die off sooner rather than later. Both TWNP and Wikipedia have Nitro handily beating RAW, 2.8 to 2.4.
Match 1: Ric Flair v. Hulk Hogan
Hulk comes down to a fairly large ovation as does Elizabeth. However there are still a lot of fans just sitting. They lock up and down goes Flair, and Hulk flexes and it happens two more times. Hogan no sells the chops and decks Flair and back body drops him and after a couple of clotheslines, clotheslines him to the floor. Hogan pokes the eyes and swings him into the rail but Hogan bounces up and and clotheslines him. Back in the ring Hogan clotheslines Flair in the corner for the sixth time. Hogan does not like the ref telling him to stop using a closed fist, so Flair takes advantage and takes out the leg and he works on it for a bit but gets caught on the top rope and tossed off but Hogan gets taken down and Flair drops a knee and Hogan pops up and no sells again and leaps onto Flair in the corner and pounds on Flair and then flings him into the corner and Flair flips over the top and gets clotheslined off the apron. Outside the ring Flair pokes the eyes and then back in Flair connects with a blow or two and throws Hogan out and Hart chokes him. Flair stalks him from the apron and stomps on him and Hart comes back and rabbit kicks him a few times. Hogan crawls back into the ring and Flair kicks the knee and picks up Hogan and drops Hulk's knee on his leg and applies the Figure Four. Hogan turns it over, and Flair escapes. Flair goes for a suplex and it is blocked and Hogan connects with a suplex and they stand toe to toe and Hogan hits him a few times but runs right into an elbow and down he goes. Flair strikes with a back suplex, starts taunting Elizabeth, and he goes for the pin and, guess what, it is Hulk up time and down goes Flair with the big boot and after the leg drop Hart runs distraction and AA comes down and gets taken out but this allows AA to slip Flair Liz's heel and Flair drives it into Hulk's eye, and believe it or not Flair gets a win.
Hogan no sold quite a bit but this was the most offense Flair has got in against Hogan in quite some time. Well, since I started watching. Of course he was about to lose but he got the win and the match was pretty decent to boot. I mean Flair fucking won! Cheating but a win is a win!
Match 2: Faces of Fear v. Road Warriors
The fans are loving the Warriors. Animal is in against the Barbarian, and they shove each other around. Barbarian hits a big boot and Animal reverses an Irish whip and power slams him. Hawk and Meng are now in and Meng is wailing away on Hawk and piledrives him but he gets right back up and power slams Meng and he quickly departs the ring. Animal is tagged in and tries to tear off the arm of Meng, but he gets whipped right into the boot of the Barbarian. Faces come in and both drop a headbutt on Animal's back. Barbarian whips Animal into the corner, working on the bad back and he gets a two count. Meng stomps Animal out to the floor and he is swung into the rail and then driven into the post. Meng elevates and just crushes Animal with a dropkick; he gets a two count. Meng shoves Animal into the corner and Barbarian is in and he powerbombs him and gets a near fall. Barbarian goes up to the middle rope and he collides with Animal with a clothesline, the Barbarian tries again but Animal returns the favor and Hawk gets the hot tag and he cleans house but they double team him but Hawk bounces out of the corner and drops them both with a clothesline. Barbarian sets up Hawk on top but Animal hoists Barbarian on his shoulders; Meng breaks it up, and then Barbarian piledrives Animal, and they wonder why he is not going for the pin. Hawk leaps from the top and clotheslines Barbarian for the pin.
Nothing more than a brawl, some missed spots but they did the job. However, no one really knew who the legal man was, but looking back it was Hawk, surprised EB or Heenan did not know. Then again Bischoff is probably thinking of Hollywood and Heenan is drunk.
Sullivan is with Gene in the middle of the ring, and he has a problem with the Horsemen. Arn had given Sullivan his word about Pillman and AA and Pillman come down and enter the ring. Sullivan is upset that AA has not kept his word and he will suffer the consequences. AA wants to know where Pillman was when Flair pinned Hogan. AA takes off his belt as if he is going to beat Pillman with it. Now Sullivan and Hugh Morrus attacks AA. Pillman hides and basically allows Sullivan to whip him. AA DDT's Morrus and then pushes Sullivan away from Pillman. Arn demands a match against Sullivan and Morrus. Pillman says he got them into this mess and will get them out.
Gene is now with Sherri and they recap the wedding disaster. Madusa climbs up to the top and nails Sherri from behind, and the bell rings, so I guess this is a match. The two are brawling on the outside. Now they are in the ring and Madusa is kicking away. But Sherri comes back and hits a leg drop. Sherri goes up top slowly only to get slammed off, however she is able to roll over on top of Madusa to get the win. The victory is short lived as Madusa grabs her head and bashes it into the mat over and over.
This was pretty good and rather violent and it did not overstay its welcome.
Match 4: the Giant v. Macho Man (c) for WCW Championship
Savage comes up from behind and attacks the Giant with the belt. He nails him three or four times then leaps onto his back and puts him in the sleeper. The ref throws the match out due to the belt, though most of it was before the bell. The Giant flips Savage off and Flair comes down, and he and the Giant start beating the crap out of Savage; the ref is laid out too. The Giant literally breaks Savage's back with a few backbreakers, and now he holds Savage up and chokeslams him. Hogan runs down with a chair and makes the save, and he also takes out the DoD. Flair is up at the announce table strutting all over the place and screams Whooooo in McMichael's face, and now the Giant comes up and he is going to kill Hogan. Flair is going to take the belt at the dual cage match at SuperBrawl. Flair is yapping at Mongo, saying he wants a piece....now that is awesome.
There was no main event, and the show was pretty bereft of wrestling in general. I was surprised that the Hogan/Flair match went as long as it did, and the outcome surprised me too. But WCW and Hogan were wise to give Flair the win to keep the feud going. The Road Warriors had the crowd fired up, with LoD chants echoing. More than anything the show was about setting up the PPV with Flair/Savage/Hogan and the Giant. At the same time, nothing has been said about the PPV, no matches announced, nothing. Saturday Night has been getting some better matches lately and they may be hyping up the PPV there, but it would make sense to transfer that to Nitro if they are indeed doing so. There will be a double cage match but I am not sure who is facing who in it....sounds like Flair and Savage but it also made it sound like the Giant and Hogan will be involved. This is a poorly planned PPV so far and this Nitro was not as good as some of the previous ones, but it did allow the heels to come off a little stronger. And there is next week to set up the PPV.
Match 1: Ric Flair v. Hulk Hogan
Hulk comes down to a fairly large ovation as does Elizabeth. However there are still a lot of fans just sitting. They lock up and down goes Flair, and Hulk flexes and it happens two more times. Hogan no sells the chops and decks Flair and back body drops him and after a couple of clotheslines, clotheslines him to the floor. Hogan pokes the eyes and swings him into the rail but Hogan bounces up and and clotheslines him. Back in the ring Hogan clotheslines Flair in the corner for the sixth time. Hogan does not like the ref telling him to stop using a closed fist, so Flair takes advantage and takes out the leg and he works on it for a bit but gets caught on the top rope and tossed off but Hogan gets taken down and Flair drops a knee and Hogan pops up and no sells again and leaps onto Flair in the corner and pounds on Flair and then flings him into the corner and Flair flips over the top and gets clotheslined off the apron. Outside the ring Flair pokes the eyes and then back in Flair connects with a blow or two and throws Hogan out and Hart chokes him. Flair stalks him from the apron and stomps on him and Hart comes back and rabbit kicks him a few times. Hogan crawls back into the ring and Flair kicks the knee and picks up Hogan and drops Hulk's knee on his leg and applies the Figure Four. Hogan turns it over, and Flair escapes. Flair goes for a suplex and it is blocked and Hogan connects with a suplex and they stand toe to toe and Hogan hits him a few times but runs right into an elbow and down he goes. Flair strikes with a back suplex, starts taunting Elizabeth, and he goes for the pin and, guess what, it is Hulk up time and down goes Flair with the big boot and after the leg drop Hart runs distraction and AA comes down and gets taken out but this allows AA to slip Flair Liz's heel and Flair drives it into Hulk's eye, and believe it or not Flair gets a win.
Hogan no sold quite a bit but this was the most offense Flair has got in against Hogan in quite some time. Well, since I started watching. Of course he was about to lose but he got the win and the match was pretty decent to boot. I mean Flair fucking won! Cheating but a win is a win!
Match 2: Faces of Fear v. Road Warriors
The fans are loving the Warriors. Animal is in against the Barbarian, and they shove each other around. Barbarian hits a big boot and Animal reverses an Irish whip and power slams him. Hawk and Meng are now in and Meng is wailing away on Hawk and piledrives him but he gets right back up and power slams Meng and he quickly departs the ring. Animal is tagged in and tries to tear off the arm of Meng, but he gets whipped right into the boot of the Barbarian. Faces come in and both drop a headbutt on Animal's back. Barbarian whips Animal into the corner, working on the bad back and he gets a two count. Meng stomps Animal out to the floor and he is swung into the rail and then driven into the post. Meng elevates and just crushes Animal with a dropkick; he gets a two count. Meng shoves Animal into the corner and Barbarian is in and he powerbombs him and gets a near fall. Barbarian goes up to the middle rope and he collides with Animal with a clothesline, the Barbarian tries again but Animal returns the favor and Hawk gets the hot tag and he cleans house but they double team him but Hawk bounces out of the corner and drops them both with a clothesline. Barbarian sets up Hawk on top but Animal hoists Barbarian on his shoulders; Meng breaks it up, and then Barbarian piledrives Animal, and they wonder why he is not going for the pin. Hawk leaps from the top and clotheslines Barbarian for the pin.
Nothing more than a brawl, some missed spots but they did the job. However, no one really knew who the legal man was, but looking back it was Hawk, surprised EB or Heenan did not know. Then again Bischoff is probably thinking of Hollywood and Heenan is drunk.
Sullivan is with Gene in the middle of the ring, and he has a problem with the Horsemen. Arn had given Sullivan his word about Pillman and AA and Pillman come down and enter the ring. Sullivan is upset that AA has not kept his word and he will suffer the consequences. AA wants to know where Pillman was when Flair pinned Hogan. AA takes off his belt as if he is going to beat Pillman with it. Now Sullivan and Hugh Morrus attacks AA. Pillman hides and basically allows Sullivan to whip him. AA DDT's Morrus and then pushes Sullivan away from Pillman. Arn demands a match against Sullivan and Morrus. Pillman says he got them into this mess and will get them out.
Gene is now with Sherri and they recap the wedding disaster. Madusa climbs up to the top and nails Sherri from behind, and the bell rings, so I guess this is a match. The two are brawling on the outside. Now they are in the ring and Madusa is kicking away. But Sherri comes back and hits a leg drop. Sherri goes up top slowly only to get slammed off, however she is able to roll over on top of Madusa to get the win. The victory is short lived as Madusa grabs her head and bashes it into the mat over and over.
This was pretty good and rather violent and it did not overstay its welcome.
Match 4: the Giant v. Macho Man (c) for WCW Championship
Savage comes up from behind and attacks the Giant with the belt. He nails him three or four times then leaps onto his back and puts him in the sleeper. The ref throws the match out due to the belt, though most of it was before the bell. The Giant flips Savage off and Flair comes down, and he and the Giant start beating the crap out of Savage; the ref is laid out too. The Giant literally breaks Savage's back with a few backbreakers, and now he holds Savage up and chokeslams him. Hogan runs down with a chair and makes the save, and he also takes out the DoD. Flair is up at the announce table strutting all over the place and screams Whooooo in McMichael's face, and now the Giant comes up and he is going to kill Hogan. Flair is going to take the belt at the dual cage match at SuperBrawl. Flair is yapping at Mongo, saying he wants a piece....now that is awesome.
There was no main event, and the show was pretty bereft of wrestling in general. I was surprised that the Hogan/Flair match went as long as it did, and the outcome surprised me too. But WCW and Hogan were wise to give Flair the win to keep the feud going. The Road Warriors had the crowd fired up, with LoD chants echoing. More than anything the show was about setting up the PPV with Flair/Savage/Hogan and the Giant. At the same time, nothing has been said about the PPV, no matches announced, nothing. Saturday Night has been getting some better matches lately and they may be hyping up the PPV there, but it would make sense to transfer that to Nitro if they are indeed doing so. There will be a double cage match but I am not sure who is facing who in it....sounds like Flair and Savage but it also made it sound like the Giant and Hogan will be involved. This is a poorly planned PPV so far and this Nitro was not as good as some of the previous ones, but it did allow the heels to come off a little stronger. And there is next week to set up the PPV.
I gushed about last weeks episode and still stand by live shows being better. Compared to what RAW had been offering up this show was hands above previous shows. They are slowly getting rid of the silliness that has marred earlier shows, and actually had some good wrestling to go along with it. They had more fleshed angles such as with Bret and Diesel, Goldust and Razor and Shawn and Owen so things seem to be more planned out and it seems that they are bringing out the big guns as both Diesel and Shawn will wrestle tonight. I hope I am not wrong as RAW really needed something to kick it into a higher gear, and hopefully that has happened. To show the back and forth aspect of the Wars, the announcement of big matches did not help RAW as Nitro won 2.8 to 2.4.
Did I mention that I hate the new beginning montage?
Match 1: British Bulldog v. Diesel
Bulldog goes after him but Diesel shoves him away, and works him over in the corner. He then flings him to the other and clotheslines him. He picks him up and slams him down and out goes Davey after a clothesline. Davey though grabs the leg and wraps it around the post. Back in the ring and Bulldog works on the leg. Diesel comes back and works on Davey but down goes Diesel after a blow to the leg and once again Davey does what he does best and that is work the leg.
Commercial.
Guess what? Bulldog is working on the leg. Yoko is at ringside and he decks Diesel. Bulldog slugs away and down goes Diesel. And he works the leg some more. Diesel is up and limping. Davey whips him into the corner and he knocks Diesel to the floor and rips off the turnbuckle pad. Yoko tosses Diesel back in and Davey goes to ram him into the exposed buckle but Diesel blocks it with his foot, and bashes Davey against it and then picks up Davey and does it again and goes for the pin. Yoko comes in and drops a big leg but Diesel moves and Davey gets the brunt of it and pinned to boot.
Davey is on again, off again, and tonight he was not on. He worked the leg and seemed lethargic. It keeps Diesel strong but does not harm Davey as an upper carder. Bret says he was high a lot and it would not surprise me too much as he was in constant pain and on Steroids and painkillers.
We go to the Slam Jam! And Dok Hendricks is there who hypes up the PPV. They go to Bret. He had a lot of respect for Diesel at one time but not anymore as he keeps involving himself in his matches. He wants to settle it once and for all in a cage match. Bret calls him a big dummy, damn that was amusing. Dok hyperventilates about Shawn and Owen. Also a Crybaby match, yes a crybaby match, between Razor and the Kid. Also, Dumpster v. HHH. Dok mentions that WCW sent a cease and desist letter about the skits and Doc says that the WWF will stand up for itself and its fans. They go to a Billionaire Ted press conference where he is upset about being called a redneck. He fends off questions about whether or not he is trying to buy out the WWF as well as trying to lure advertisers away. Now some reporters ask about Nitro and why it was put on at the same time as RAW, and how it hurts the fans and tries to put the WWF out of business. They bring up a match between Huckster and Nacho and Huckster rightly brings up that it is in his contract to win all his matches, now that hits close to home.
Match 2: The Body Donnas v. the Godwins
Skip gets punished and Skip gets hoisted up but Zip dropkicks him. Hank is getting worked over as the Donnas double suplex him. Zip is up top but misses a flying headbutt. Here comes Phineas and he is unloading but gets double teamed and Skip is pulled out. Phineas hits the Slop Drop for the win.
Holy shit, the announcers do not know who is who and nor do I and I do not really care. The match was fast paced but still mercifully short.
They recap the mean things that Vader has done. Clarence Mason is back, and he is siding with Vader by saying the WWF knew what it was doing when it signed him. People have placed hands on refs before with no consequences and so he has placed an injunction on the firing....sure, whatever.
Vince introduces Gorilla's replacement and it is Rowdy Roddy Piper! The fans go nuts. He asks if this makes him Vince's boss and Vince demurs. This is a surprise to Roddy and he brings up the Coconut again, and also brings up kicking Cyndi Lauper. Vince asks him what he thinks about the current crop of stars and Roddy thinks that the New Generation are tougher, faster and stronger, but he also thinks they are a little confused and he intends to straighten them out. He grabs the mic and there will be no government shutdown when he is president and makes fun of Newt (Gingrich...the dude who criticized Clinton for not being able to keep his dick in his pants but then cheated on two different wives, while one or both were sick: A real winner that one). He has a list of rules and Vince is flabbergasted. He states that Rowdy has never had rules; he agrees and puts them away. Vince wants to know what he has to say to the fans and he responds that he loves them. He tells Vince that the boys in the back have to Pay the Piper and then picks him up and spins him around and Vince asks what he is doing and Roddy basically tells him to relax and spins him again as he waves and Vince gives up a half wave. I love Rowdy, platonically of course.
The RAW band has its first CD out! I am going to get it right now!
They pan to a guy with a missing ear who wonders why people do not like him and fear him and he finishes off by saying have a nice day....Lawler calls him Mankind.
Match 3: Yokozuna v. Shawn Michaels
They point to each other and the crowd boos and cheers accordingly. Yoko hucks him and then Shawn bounces off where he crashes to the mat. They lock up again and Yoko pushes him to the ropes and chops him. Michaels ducks and slides underneath Yoko. He rubs Yoko's buttocks then he hammers away at Yoko, dropping him to the floor. Owen comes down to confer with Yoko, helping him regroup.
Commercial.
Shawn dodges a charging Yoko, and nails him from the top. Then he follows up with a moonsault from the top and he gets a two count. Yoko is up and tosses Shawn to the floor. Owen puts the boots to him and rams him into the post. Owen hits him again as the ref is distracted. Michaels staggers into the ring where Yoko snaps him over. He works the nerve in the shoulder and neck area. Shawn gets up and elbows free and ducks a clothesline but is dropped with a big elbow.
Commercial.
Yoko goes for the big leg drop and Michaels moves. Michaels goes up top and leaps but Yoko moves and both are down. Yoko lumbers to his feet, but Shawn blocks a punch and throws a series of rights and hits him with a flying forearm dropping him with a second one. Shawn goes up top but Yoko catches him and drives him into the turnbuckle. Owen comes and goes for a spin kick but Shawn ducks and he nails Yoko and Shawn finishes off Yoko with Superkick. Owen and Yoko are arguing and Cornette is trying to make peace, and Bulldog comes down too. They surround Shawn, and Diesel runs down now. Shawn makes fists at them as they leave the ring. Vince asks Cornette about his little group breaking up, and implies that Shawn and Diesel are gay! He wants a tag match next week on RAW and Diesel mocks him before they accept.
WWF's new tactic of adding a lot of commercials during the main events seems counter intuitive as they want people to stay tuned in to find out what is going to happen but a lot of people change channels during commercial breaks, so I am not a fan of doing that. Then again the idea is that they stay tuned or turn back to see the conclusion. So I guess it is worth a shot. Watching without worrying about what is going on with Nitro makes it annoying....so I am a bit out of the element. Anyway, they are even starting off the show with big matches to try and hook viewers and set up match on the show rather than just randomly announcing it. It seems that for all their whining Nitro is making RAW better. I loved the Billionaire Ted segment where he was asked why Nitro was put head to head. It does not hurt the fans, as it gives them choice, Vince has always been irked by this but it actually grew the audience and it forced the WWF to get better. The WWE does not think so but choice empowers the consumer and it is asinine to think otherwise look at where the WWE is at now compared to when it had competition and the results speak for themselves. It is like the wolf crying wolf, terrible. Still after my rant it was a good show and it is now two weeks in a row!
Did I mention that I hate the new beginning montage?
Match 1: British Bulldog v. Diesel
Bulldog goes after him but Diesel shoves him away, and works him over in the corner. He then flings him to the other and clotheslines him. He picks him up and slams him down and out goes Davey after a clothesline. Davey though grabs the leg and wraps it around the post. Back in the ring and Bulldog works on the leg. Diesel comes back and works on Davey but down goes Diesel after a blow to the leg and once again Davey does what he does best and that is work the leg.
Commercial.
Guess what? Bulldog is working on the leg. Yoko is at ringside and he decks Diesel. Bulldog slugs away and down goes Diesel. And he works the leg some more. Diesel is up and limping. Davey whips him into the corner and he knocks Diesel to the floor and rips off the turnbuckle pad. Yoko tosses Diesel back in and Davey goes to ram him into the exposed buckle but Diesel blocks it with his foot, and bashes Davey against it and then picks up Davey and does it again and goes for the pin. Yoko comes in and drops a big leg but Diesel moves and Davey gets the brunt of it and pinned to boot.
Davey is on again, off again, and tonight he was not on. He worked the leg and seemed lethargic. It keeps Diesel strong but does not harm Davey as an upper carder. Bret says he was high a lot and it would not surprise me too much as he was in constant pain and on Steroids and painkillers.
We go to the Slam Jam! And Dok Hendricks is there who hypes up the PPV. They go to Bret. He had a lot of respect for Diesel at one time but not anymore as he keeps involving himself in his matches. He wants to settle it once and for all in a cage match. Bret calls him a big dummy, damn that was amusing. Dok hyperventilates about Shawn and Owen. Also a Crybaby match, yes a crybaby match, between Razor and the Kid. Also, Dumpster v. HHH. Dok mentions that WCW sent a cease and desist letter about the skits and Doc says that the WWF will stand up for itself and its fans. They go to a Billionaire Ted press conference where he is upset about being called a redneck. He fends off questions about whether or not he is trying to buy out the WWF as well as trying to lure advertisers away. Now some reporters ask about Nitro and why it was put on at the same time as RAW, and how it hurts the fans and tries to put the WWF out of business. They bring up a match between Huckster and Nacho and Huckster rightly brings up that it is in his contract to win all his matches, now that hits close to home.
Match 2: The Body Donnas v. the Godwins
Skip gets punished and Skip gets hoisted up but Zip dropkicks him. Hank is getting worked over as the Donnas double suplex him. Zip is up top but misses a flying headbutt. Here comes Phineas and he is unloading but gets double teamed and Skip is pulled out. Phineas hits the Slop Drop for the win.
Holy shit, the announcers do not know who is who and nor do I and I do not really care. The match was fast paced but still mercifully short.
They recap the mean things that Vader has done. Clarence Mason is back, and he is siding with Vader by saying the WWF knew what it was doing when it signed him. People have placed hands on refs before with no consequences and so he has placed an injunction on the firing....sure, whatever.
Vince introduces Gorilla's replacement and it is Rowdy Roddy Piper! The fans go nuts. He asks if this makes him Vince's boss and Vince demurs. This is a surprise to Roddy and he brings up the Coconut again, and also brings up kicking Cyndi Lauper. Vince asks him what he thinks about the current crop of stars and Roddy thinks that the New Generation are tougher, faster and stronger, but he also thinks they are a little confused and he intends to straighten them out. He grabs the mic and there will be no government shutdown when he is president and makes fun of Newt (Gingrich...the dude who criticized Clinton for not being able to keep his dick in his pants but then cheated on two different wives, while one or both were sick: A real winner that one). He has a list of rules and Vince is flabbergasted. He states that Rowdy has never had rules; he agrees and puts them away. Vince wants to know what he has to say to the fans and he responds that he loves them. He tells Vince that the boys in the back have to Pay the Piper and then picks him up and spins him around and Vince asks what he is doing and Roddy basically tells him to relax and spins him again as he waves and Vince gives up a half wave. I love Rowdy, platonically of course.
The RAW band has its first CD out! I am going to get it right now!
They pan to a guy with a missing ear who wonders why people do not like him and fear him and he finishes off by saying have a nice day....Lawler calls him Mankind.
Match 3: Yokozuna v. Shawn Michaels
They point to each other and the crowd boos and cheers accordingly. Yoko hucks him and then Shawn bounces off where he crashes to the mat. They lock up again and Yoko pushes him to the ropes and chops him. Michaels ducks and slides underneath Yoko. He rubs Yoko's buttocks then he hammers away at Yoko, dropping him to the floor. Owen comes down to confer with Yoko, helping him regroup.
Commercial.
Shawn dodges a charging Yoko, and nails him from the top. Then he follows up with a moonsault from the top and he gets a two count. Yoko is up and tosses Shawn to the floor. Owen puts the boots to him and rams him into the post. Owen hits him again as the ref is distracted. Michaels staggers into the ring where Yoko snaps him over. He works the nerve in the shoulder and neck area. Shawn gets up and elbows free and ducks a clothesline but is dropped with a big elbow.
Commercial.
Yoko goes for the big leg drop and Michaels moves. Michaels goes up top and leaps but Yoko moves and both are down. Yoko lumbers to his feet, but Shawn blocks a punch and throws a series of rights and hits him with a flying forearm dropping him with a second one. Shawn goes up top but Yoko catches him and drives him into the turnbuckle. Owen comes and goes for a spin kick but Shawn ducks and he nails Yoko and Shawn finishes off Yoko with Superkick. Owen and Yoko are arguing and Cornette is trying to make peace, and Bulldog comes down too. They surround Shawn, and Diesel runs down now. Shawn makes fists at them as they leave the ring. Vince asks Cornette about his little group breaking up, and implies that Shawn and Diesel are gay! He wants a tag match next week on RAW and Diesel mocks him before they accept.
WWF's new tactic of adding a lot of commercials during the main events seems counter intuitive as they want people to stay tuned in to find out what is going to happen but a lot of people change channels during commercial breaks, so I am not a fan of doing that. Then again the idea is that they stay tuned or turn back to see the conclusion. So I guess it is worth a shot. Watching without worrying about what is going on with Nitro makes it annoying....so I am a bit out of the element. Anyway, they are even starting off the show with big matches to try and hook viewers and set up match on the show rather than just randomly announcing it. It seems that for all their whining Nitro is making RAW better. I loved the Billionaire Ted segment where he was asked why Nitro was put head to head. It does not hurt the fans, as it gives them choice, Vince has always been irked by this but it actually grew the audience and it forced the WWF to get better. The WWE does not think so but choice empowers the consumer and it is asinine to think otherwise look at where the WWE is at now compared to when it had competition and the results speak for themselves. It is like the wolf crying wolf, terrible. Still after my rant it was a good show and it is now two weeks in a row!
Poor WWF, acting like WCW is being the bully when they had been the big bully for a decade. It sucks to get a dose of your own medicine. And the WWF will gleefully put WCW out of business along with anyone else but by God do not do that to Vince because it is a crime to do so....and he will sue you! This is one of the main reasons I wish WCW was still around, to provide a modicum of competition. Monopolies suck balls, and don't work. WWE has been stale for years, because they can be. Also, Vince McMahon is a giant douchenozzle. I cannot keep all partisanship out. I am not going to deny that Vince has done a lot for wrestling. He has. He has also helped kill its popularity and he is a fucking douche. Anyway, two good shows, a solid build towards the PPV as RAW will not be on next week and it is the third time in six weeks that Nitro has gone on unopposed and it will get high ratings. RAW ticked up this week but still lost 2.9 to 2.7.
Match 1: Yokozuna and the Bulldog v. Shawn Michaels and Diesel
The bell rings and Diesel and Shawn do Rochambeau to see who starts off and it is Shawn and Davey. Michaels flexes and the fans erupt and Davey flexes: Gets booed. The two collide and out goes Michaels. Michaels slowly gets back into the ring, and neither one can get the arm drag but Michaels pokes the eyes and Davey press slams him but Michaels clotheslines him to the floor. Yoko comes in and whips Michaels into Diesel who picks him up and throws him into Yoko and out he goes. Yoko and Bulldog regroup; now it is Yoko and Diesel in the ring and they shove each other and Diesel hits him and nails him with a clothesline but Yoko catches him and drops him back but misses the elbow drop. Shawn is tagged in and whips into the ropes but Davey pulls the ropes down and out he goes and Davey runs him into the steps and tosses him back into the ring. Davey is in and he has him up in a vertical suplex and he slams him down to the mat. Bulldog has Shawn in the corner where they work him over.
Commercial.
Yoko is now in and slugs poor Shawn and down he goes. He applies the nerve hold. He continues to hold it and Bulldog is tagged in. He hammers HBK into the mat. Michaels ducks a clothesline but runs into a big knee and then Davey yanks the hair and slams him down. Davey does a flip and postures to the crowd! Yoko is in and Shawn fires off some ineffectual shots but he is able to move as Yoko attempts a big splash as the fans chant USA over and over. Shawn is able to make the tag as Yoko must be dead and Diesel unloads and takes Davey down with a boot and Yoko too. Shawn climbs up and leaps off of Diesel, and lands on Yoko and the Bulldog tries to break the count with a leg drop but Shawn moves and Diesel clotheslines him out of the ring. Shawn Superkicks Yoko to the floor. Owen runs down and he and Davey try to pick him up but cannot, so Yoko is counted out. Cornette is going off on Yoko. Yoko shoves him across the ring; he goes for him, but Davey and Owen and ambush Yoko. When he turns around they flee.
Great match, the faces are becoming invincible like in WCW, but Diesel is more of a tweener, and for a RAW opening this was pretty good as this rarely happens and the fans have been hot lately. It was a fun match.
Mankind again as they pan on the ear and he thinks he has found a home, a hardcore home.
Match 2: Hakushi v. 123 Kid
They warily circle each other and Hakushi takes him down but both are up and circle each other and Hakushi takes him down but gets caught in some headscissors. Hakushi is up and they lock up but Hakushi knocks him down and the Kid flips around and gets kicked in the throat. The Kid scatters to the floor to regroup with DiBiase. Hakushi lands some chops and Kid goes for a kick but gets his leg grabbed and is knocked down and Kid leaps back up. Kid lures him and throws him over the top. He follows up with a 360 and knocks Hakushi down and lands on his feet! Back in the ring and the Kid kicks away and whips him into the corner and the Kid kicks him in the chest.
Commercial.
During the break the Kid got a kick caught, but he used his other leg and kicked him in the throat. Kid goes up top and flies but Hakushi meets him with a big dropkick and both are down. Damn that looked painful. Both get up and Hakushi hits him in the throat and then does his cartwheel elbow and a kick for a two count. The Kid is knocked to the floor after a big kick and he goes up top and lands on the poor Kid and both are down again. Back in the ring and Hakushi goes up and nails him with a shoulder block but is slow to cover and the Kid kicks out. Kid ducks a blow and kicks Hakushi in the head and they each roll each other over and get a two count. Hakushi gets another near fall. Both are struggling to their feet and Hakushi goes up stairs and the Kid dropkicks him and the Kid goes up top and double underhook suplexes him off for the win.
Wow, that was good stuff. I was never a big fan of the Kid but he could pour it on when necessary. Hakushi is solid and while he loses more often than not he is still a credible opponent.
Cornette is with Clarence Mason in pre-recorded comments; Mason is upset that the WWF has not reinstated Vader, and he babbles about precedents and so forth and he threatens to sue. They go to Monsoon who tells us all about his injuries, which sound extensive but they will heal. He apologizes to the fans for his actions because he did not respond as the interim president but as Gorilla Monsoon. He will not apologize to Vader and he should not be reinstated but it is up to the Board. Lawler is baffled as to why Rowdy is now president and Monsoon responds that desperate times call for desperate measures. Monsoon will be back after WrestleMania. If Piper is president could he not reinstate Vader?
Match 3: Undertaker v. Bret Hart (c) for WWF Title
This is the first WWF title match on RAW since I started watching in September so this is a good thing. WCW is more unpredictable despite the WWF claiming that anything can happen in the WWF as the title has switched hands in WCW more often, and there are some long term feuds. There is no way the Hart v. Michaels and Diesel v. Undertaker at WM would be jeopardized, two years later, yes as the title would have switched hands before WM and restart the feud....damn cannot think of the word. Oh well, Bret ducks way from the UT and he does it again and he hammers away but Hart goes down after a headbutt. Bret hammers away again but the UT knocks him down and chokes him with his boot. If UT wins then it will be him against Diesel in the cage. UT slowly picks apart Bret, and starts to choke him in the corner and breaks it at four. He chops him in the throat and down goes Bret and the claw hath been applied. Bret rises up and Diesel strolls to ringside. UT is on the top and looks at Diesel and Bret yanks him to the mat and Bret attacks UT's leg. Diesel is at the announce table and jokes that he thought he could get a pay increase for commentating and to check things out. Bret is still working on the UT's leg. He snaps the leg back and keeps at it as he slowly takes him down. He grabs the leg and wraps it around the post. UT though hits Bret and floors him with the second one.
Commercial.
UT suplexes him and Bret is laid out. UT picks him up and shoves him to the floor and UT follows him out and runs him into the railing. Bret is in the ring and getting choked by the boot. He chops him in the throat and now the UT walks the rope and crashes on the back of Hart's head. UT flies through the air and clotheslines Bret. He hoists up Bret but it knocks down the official and Bret escapes and rolls up the UT but the official is out and the UT misses an elbow drop and Bret goes after the leg and he wraps it against the post again. Is the ref dead? Diesel gets up and he attacks Bret and bashes his head into the post. Undertaker goes after Diesel and runs him into the steps. Diesel grabs a chair and belts the Undertaker with it. He rolls him back into the ring and powerbombs the Undertaker! UT tries to sit up but cannot and Diesel does it again! Vince states that the fans are booing Diesel but they are not. He stares at Bret and just walks away.
Commercial.
During the break Bret goes after Diesel and they slug it out and refs come out to break it up.
Billionaire Ted press conference. He will not use his own money to put out the WWF. They ask if WCW has lost millions thus losing stockholders money, and Ted responds that it is just a plaything. Now when the merger goes through what will the shareholders think and he does not care because it is fun to own a rasslin' company. He just wants money and will tell his daddy to kiss his ass after he dies.
A somber Vince tells us that an ad was rejected by the NY Times and Wall Street Journal but a modified one was accepted where it says Time-Warner Beware! It states that he lost 40 million dollars in trying to put the WWF out of business and that it does not show up in TBS financial statements.
Well this has gotten personal! My opinion is known and it is petty and stupid and Vince, well he has issues. Anyway the show was great. Three in a row and a good set up to the PPV as both the UT and Bret came off strong as did Diesel. Bret is becoming the Savage of the WWF as he takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin.' I am glad the WWF is stepping up their game and I am surprised that the ratings have remained about the same though it does take time because WCW around SuperBrawl just was not good with Hogan dismantling the Horsemen. Nitro had some good shows lately. Still, I am really enjoying RAW and while mid carders get less of a shot as it seems they are on Superstars now until that show departs later in the year when RAW moves to two hours, it is good to see that Vince is starting to play hard ball and is willing to change to compete.
Overall a kick ass show. And it goes to show that A LOT can be crammed into an hour. Unlike WWE/TNA today where so much is filler. At least one hour of RAW is devoted to recaps, videos and fucking Twitter.
Match 1: Yokozuna and the Bulldog v. Shawn Michaels and Diesel
The bell rings and Diesel and Shawn do Rochambeau to see who starts off and it is Shawn and Davey. Michaels flexes and the fans erupt and Davey flexes: Gets booed. The two collide and out goes Michaels. Michaels slowly gets back into the ring, and neither one can get the arm drag but Michaels pokes the eyes and Davey press slams him but Michaels clotheslines him to the floor. Yoko comes in and whips Michaels into Diesel who picks him up and throws him into Yoko and out he goes. Yoko and Bulldog regroup; now it is Yoko and Diesel in the ring and they shove each other and Diesel hits him and nails him with a clothesline but Yoko catches him and drops him back but misses the elbow drop. Shawn is tagged in and whips into the ropes but Davey pulls the ropes down and out he goes and Davey runs him into the steps and tosses him back into the ring. Davey is in and he has him up in a vertical suplex and he slams him down to the mat. Bulldog has Shawn in the corner where they work him over.
Commercial.
Yoko is now in and slugs poor Shawn and down he goes. He applies the nerve hold. He continues to hold it and Bulldog is tagged in. He hammers HBK into the mat. Michaels ducks a clothesline but runs into a big knee and then Davey yanks the hair and slams him down. Davey does a flip and postures to the crowd! Yoko is in and Shawn fires off some ineffectual shots but he is able to move as Yoko attempts a big splash as the fans chant USA over and over. Shawn is able to make the tag as Yoko must be dead and Diesel unloads and takes Davey down with a boot and Yoko too. Shawn climbs up and leaps off of Diesel, and lands on Yoko and the Bulldog tries to break the count with a leg drop but Shawn moves and Diesel clotheslines him out of the ring. Shawn Superkicks Yoko to the floor. Owen runs down and he and Davey try to pick him up but cannot, so Yoko is counted out. Cornette is going off on Yoko. Yoko shoves him across the ring; he goes for him, but Davey and Owen and ambush Yoko. When he turns around they flee.
Great match, the faces are becoming invincible like in WCW, but Diesel is more of a tweener, and for a RAW opening this was pretty good as this rarely happens and the fans have been hot lately. It was a fun match.
Mankind again as they pan on the ear and he thinks he has found a home, a hardcore home.
Match 2: Hakushi v. 123 Kid
They warily circle each other and Hakushi takes him down but both are up and circle each other and Hakushi takes him down but gets caught in some headscissors. Hakushi is up and they lock up but Hakushi knocks him down and the Kid flips around and gets kicked in the throat. The Kid scatters to the floor to regroup with DiBiase. Hakushi lands some chops and Kid goes for a kick but gets his leg grabbed and is knocked down and Kid leaps back up. Kid lures him and throws him over the top. He follows up with a 360 and knocks Hakushi down and lands on his feet! Back in the ring and the Kid kicks away and whips him into the corner and the Kid kicks him in the chest.
Commercial.
During the break the Kid got a kick caught, but he used his other leg and kicked him in the throat. Kid goes up top and flies but Hakushi meets him with a big dropkick and both are down. Damn that looked painful. Both get up and Hakushi hits him in the throat and then does his cartwheel elbow and a kick for a two count. The Kid is knocked to the floor after a big kick and he goes up top and lands on the poor Kid and both are down again. Back in the ring and Hakushi goes up and nails him with a shoulder block but is slow to cover and the Kid kicks out. Kid ducks a blow and kicks Hakushi in the head and they each roll each other over and get a two count. Hakushi gets another near fall. Both are struggling to their feet and Hakushi goes up stairs and the Kid dropkicks him and the Kid goes up top and double underhook suplexes him off for the win.
Wow, that was good stuff. I was never a big fan of the Kid but he could pour it on when necessary. Hakushi is solid and while he loses more often than not he is still a credible opponent.
Cornette is with Clarence Mason in pre-recorded comments; Mason is upset that the WWF has not reinstated Vader, and he babbles about precedents and so forth and he threatens to sue. They go to Monsoon who tells us all about his injuries, which sound extensive but they will heal. He apologizes to the fans for his actions because he did not respond as the interim president but as Gorilla Monsoon. He will not apologize to Vader and he should not be reinstated but it is up to the Board. Lawler is baffled as to why Rowdy is now president and Monsoon responds that desperate times call for desperate measures. Monsoon will be back after WrestleMania. If Piper is president could he not reinstate Vader?
Match 3: Undertaker v. Bret Hart (c) for WWF Title
This is the first WWF title match on RAW since I started watching in September so this is a good thing. WCW is more unpredictable despite the WWF claiming that anything can happen in the WWF as the title has switched hands in WCW more often, and there are some long term feuds. There is no way the Hart v. Michaels and Diesel v. Undertaker at WM would be jeopardized, two years later, yes as the title would have switched hands before WM and restart the feud....damn cannot think of the word. Oh well, Bret ducks way from the UT and he does it again and he hammers away but Hart goes down after a headbutt. Bret hammers away again but the UT knocks him down and chokes him with his boot. If UT wins then it will be him against Diesel in the cage. UT slowly picks apart Bret, and starts to choke him in the corner and breaks it at four. He chops him in the throat and down goes Bret and the claw hath been applied. Bret rises up and Diesel strolls to ringside. UT is on the top and looks at Diesel and Bret yanks him to the mat and Bret attacks UT's leg. Diesel is at the announce table and jokes that he thought he could get a pay increase for commentating and to check things out. Bret is still working on the UT's leg. He snaps the leg back and keeps at it as he slowly takes him down. He grabs the leg and wraps it around the post. UT though hits Bret and floors him with the second one.
Commercial.
UT suplexes him and Bret is laid out. UT picks him up and shoves him to the floor and UT follows him out and runs him into the railing. Bret is in the ring and getting choked by the boot. He chops him in the throat and now the UT walks the rope and crashes on the back of Hart's head. UT flies through the air and clotheslines Bret. He hoists up Bret but it knocks down the official and Bret escapes and rolls up the UT but the official is out and the UT misses an elbow drop and Bret goes after the leg and he wraps it against the post again. Is the ref dead? Diesel gets up and he attacks Bret and bashes his head into the post. Undertaker goes after Diesel and runs him into the steps. Diesel grabs a chair and belts the Undertaker with it. He rolls him back into the ring and powerbombs the Undertaker! UT tries to sit up but cannot and Diesel does it again! Vince states that the fans are booing Diesel but they are not. He stares at Bret and just walks away.
Commercial.
During the break Bret goes after Diesel and they slug it out and refs come out to break it up.
Billionaire Ted press conference. He will not use his own money to put out the WWF. They ask if WCW has lost millions thus losing stockholders money, and Ted responds that it is just a plaything. Now when the merger goes through what will the shareholders think and he does not care because it is fun to own a rasslin' company. He just wants money and will tell his daddy to kiss his ass after he dies.
A somber Vince tells us that an ad was rejected by the NY Times and Wall Street Journal but a modified one was accepted where it says Time-Warner Beware! It states that he lost 40 million dollars in trying to put the WWF out of business and that it does not show up in TBS financial statements.
Well this has gotten personal! My opinion is known and it is petty and stupid and Vince, well he has issues. Anyway the show was great. Three in a row and a good set up to the PPV as both the UT and Bret came off strong as did Diesel. Bret is becoming the Savage of the WWF as he takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin.' I am glad the WWF is stepping up their game and I am surprised that the ratings have remained about the same though it does take time because WCW around SuperBrawl just was not good with Hogan dismantling the Horsemen. Nitro had some good shows lately. Still, I am really enjoying RAW and while mid carders get less of a shot as it seems they are on Superstars now until that show departs later in the year when RAW moves to two hours, it is good to see that Vince is starting to play hard ball and is willing to change to compete.
Overall a kick ass show. And it goes to show that A LOT can be crammed into an hour. Unlike WWE/TNA today where so much is filler. At least one hour of RAW is devoted to recaps, videos and fucking Twitter.
The go home show. WCW continues its ratings climb as it reaps a 2.9 to 2.7 victory, though both federations keep drawing record numbers. While the PPV has not been sold too well, hopefully something happens tonight to garner some sort of excitement for it. Not too much has changed story wise, the only real difference is that the Flair and Savage have had the best feud since September: Essentially what I am trying to slur out is that it is my favorite feud so far, perhaps for both WWF/WCW. Hogan may not have the title but his presence is felt throughout for better or worse. I do understand why they use him, and I am trying to put personal feelings aside, but what the fuck, I am writing this bitch, so I might as well do the American thing: Complain.
Match 1: Chris Benoit v. Randy Savage (c) for WCW Championship
The fans are going nuts for Savage, he and Benoit go right at it going around the ring with each trying to get the initiative. Benoit knees him and then throws him to the floor and rams him into the rail. Back in the ring Benoit swings him into the ropes and grabs his whole head and bashes it into the mat. In the corner he hits a series of chops and then slams him back to the mat. Savage hits him but gets a head butt for his troubles and the punishment continues as he snaps suplexes Savage. He then bodyslams Savage, crushes him with the flying headbutt, but does not go for the pin; instead he knocks him around some more. Savage tries to fight back but gets hit with a back suplex instead, and Benoit gets a two count and then whips him into the ropes and elbows him and follows up with a leg drop. Jesus, Savage is getting worked over but he is able to briefly escape after a backbreaker. But he is once again on his back in the corner and get choked by Chris' boot but he is able to push him out of the ring but he gets run into the steel steps. Savage is able to strike with a clothesline, but he gets taken out of the ring and Benoit flies after him but hits the concrete and Savage rolls him in and drills him with the Flying Elbow on the back of his head. Flair comes down and grabs Liz and Woman hits Savage and this allows Flair and Arn to start stomping a hole in Savage. Hogan runs down and Arn just walks into the chair and of course Hogan clears the ring....and damn does Liz look good. Gene asks Hogan what is going on, and Hogan states he wants to put an end to the Horsemen shenanigans. Flair comes from behind turns him, hits him in the eye and starts hitting him, of course Hogan starts a brief comeback but the Giant comes in with a chair and knocks Hogan down, and now Zodiac tries to stop him for some reason. Savage runs back to the ring and clears it and then yells at Liz for not warning Hogan and Gene says she tried too...uh oh, a swerve?
Wow they put Benoit over strong here. This has become the MO with Savage, gets his ass kicked and then suddenly erupts with the win or near win but not this time as Flair and Arn come down. Great match for Benoit and it does not hurt Savage.
Match 2: Kevin Sullivan and Hugh Morrus v. Brian Pillman and Arn Anderson
The bell rings and Pillman is still running wild and Morrus is giggling. Pillman is acting like a spaz and chops Morrus a few times to no avail. Morrus lifts him up over his head and slams him to the mat. Pillman is out on the floor and starts pushing the cameraman. He is back in the ring and hits Sullivan with a clothesline and he no sells it and Morrus is back in the ring and Pillman is hangin out on the apron and AA is tagged in. Morrus gets driven to the mat with a spinebuster and AA and Pillman attack him and Brian slaps him and now AA is back and works on the arm and applies a facelock as Pillman taunts the crowd. Morrus gets to his feet and Pillman tags in and he clips Morrus' leg and AA is back in and they start kicking Morrus and throw him to the floor and Pillman rams him into the railing and Morrus no sells it, and looks pissed. AA pulls him back into the ring, but Pillman is tagged in and Morrus fights him off. Sullivan is tagged in and he and Pillman start brawling and Sullivan bodyslams him, and then they start brawling on the mat and AA breaks it up and he and Sullivan fight back by the curtain but a broom comes out from behind it and hits Arn (not real hard mind you). Back in the ring Morrus strikes with a moonsault and then Sullivan whips out the belt and they are DQ'd but whip him a few times.
This match went on far too long. However, it did showcase Pillman as a nut job. Not a bad match, and while there was a lot of no selling there was action throughout the match.
Match 3: Marcus Bagwell v. Ric Flair
Mr. Wonderful shows up at the announce table, and all but announces that he was the one who hit AA with the broom. Flair comes out with Woman. Here we go as Flair toys with Bagwell and they start rolling around the mat. Flair has him in the corner and uppercuts Bagwell and starts kicking and chopping him. Bagwell comes back and takes him down with a big back body drop and then clotheslines him out to the floor. Flair is staggering around and Marcus springs right at him and nails him with a big clothesline. Back in the ring they are exchanging blows but Bagwell goes off and punches Flair out and gets a near fall. Flair gets hit with another back drop and then a dropkick and Bagwell attempts a couple of pins. He follows up with a dropkick but his momentum is stalled as Flair grabs the ropes and down goes Bagwell. I have no idea what happened there as Flair barely touched him and Bagwell flew out of the ring. Flair goes out and knees him and then rolls him back into the ring and then drops a knee. They fire off blows at each other gain and Bagwell takes charge but runs into a boot and Flair gets a two count. Flair goes up top and of course he gets caught and slammed; Bagwell clotheslines him. Flair is perched on the top rope and gets superplexed and Bagwell gets a close fall. Bagwell springs over the ropes, but lands on Flair's knees, and it is time to finish the match as Flair applies the Figure Four. The ref gets hit and he will not let go after the match and Savage chases him off. Savage knocks down a ref as he runs after him.
Flair made Bagwell look good as this was a good back and forth match.
Match 4: Road Warriors v. Lex Luger and Sting (c) for WCW Tag Titles
The fans are clearly behind the Warriors as they chant "LoD." Sting and Animal lock up and he shoves Sting to the mat. They lock up again and Animal picks him up and slams him forward. Sting comes back with a bulldog and he climbs to the top and takes him down with a flying clothesline. Luger is tagged in and so is Hawk. Luger does his usual offense with some elbows. He misses a piledriver that Hawk did not even bother trying to sell, and he takes Lex down. Sting is tagged in and he gets worked over but he reverses an Irish whip and takes out Hawk with a Stinger Splash. Animal makes the save and they brawl and Lex pulls down the ropes and out goes Animal. Lex is in and he starts to stomp on Animal's back. Luger runs right into a boot, but comes back with some more forearms and elbows, oh wait, we got a bodyslam. He goes back to his normal offense with some elbow drops. Luger works on the back after a power outage, classic. Sting is now in and he applies a front facelock. Animal rises up but Sting maneuvers him so he can tag in Lex who powerslams him, but Animal gets to his feet quickly and back suplexes him and gets a two count as Sting makes the save. Sting and Hawk are brawling on the floor. Animal is taking down Luger and Jimmy Hart comes down with some sort of foreign object that falls out. Animal grabs Hart and this allows Luger to knock him out with it, and get the win. Sting is not too happy with the questionable outcome. Gene comes in to the ring, and LoD want a match between the winner of Harlem Heat and Sting and Luger and they are upset. Well at least Animal recovered quickly.
Not the greatest match but it did the job. Luger is just terrible in the ring and Sting is not much better, though to be fair it depends on who he is facing, and he is fucking over to boot. I was really surprised at the amount of wrestling in the show tonight. Benoit and Bagwell both looked pretty good and even the Sullivan match was not too bad as it extended the Pillman angle. They did bring up some more matches at SuperBrawl as Sullivan will take on Pillman, Badd will be wrestling someone, Heat v. Sting and Luger but it was all mentioned in passing during a match rather than before or after the show. Hogan will be facing the Giant in a steel cage and Flair and Savage in another one, so not all four together. Saturday Night still has some solid matches such as Savage taking on Benoit again, as it has not fully become the "B" show yet as that more or less occurs after Nitro moves to two hours in April.
Match 1: Chris Benoit v. Randy Savage (c) for WCW Championship
The fans are going nuts for Savage, he and Benoit go right at it going around the ring with each trying to get the initiative. Benoit knees him and then throws him to the floor and rams him into the rail. Back in the ring Benoit swings him into the ropes and grabs his whole head and bashes it into the mat. In the corner he hits a series of chops and then slams him back to the mat. Savage hits him but gets a head butt for his troubles and the punishment continues as he snaps suplexes Savage. He then bodyslams Savage, crushes him with the flying headbutt, but does not go for the pin; instead he knocks him around some more. Savage tries to fight back but gets hit with a back suplex instead, and Benoit gets a two count and then whips him into the ropes and elbows him and follows up with a leg drop. Jesus, Savage is getting worked over but he is able to briefly escape after a backbreaker. But he is once again on his back in the corner and get choked by Chris' boot but he is able to push him out of the ring but he gets run into the steel steps. Savage is able to strike with a clothesline, but he gets taken out of the ring and Benoit flies after him but hits the concrete and Savage rolls him in and drills him with the Flying Elbow on the back of his head. Flair comes down and grabs Liz and Woman hits Savage and this allows Flair and Arn to start stomping a hole in Savage. Hogan runs down and Arn just walks into the chair and of course Hogan clears the ring....and damn does Liz look good. Gene asks Hogan what is going on, and Hogan states he wants to put an end to the Horsemen shenanigans. Flair comes from behind turns him, hits him in the eye and starts hitting him, of course Hogan starts a brief comeback but the Giant comes in with a chair and knocks Hogan down, and now Zodiac tries to stop him for some reason. Savage runs back to the ring and clears it and then yells at Liz for not warning Hogan and Gene says she tried too...uh oh, a swerve?
Wow they put Benoit over strong here. This has become the MO with Savage, gets his ass kicked and then suddenly erupts with the win or near win but not this time as Flair and Arn come down. Great match for Benoit and it does not hurt Savage.
Match 2: Kevin Sullivan and Hugh Morrus v. Brian Pillman and Arn Anderson
The bell rings and Pillman is still running wild and Morrus is giggling. Pillman is acting like a spaz and chops Morrus a few times to no avail. Morrus lifts him up over his head and slams him to the mat. Pillman is out on the floor and starts pushing the cameraman. He is back in the ring and hits Sullivan with a clothesline and he no sells it and Morrus is back in the ring and Pillman is hangin out on the apron and AA is tagged in. Morrus gets driven to the mat with a spinebuster and AA and Pillman attack him and Brian slaps him and now AA is back and works on the arm and applies a facelock as Pillman taunts the crowd. Morrus gets to his feet and Pillman tags in and he clips Morrus' leg and AA is back in and they start kicking Morrus and throw him to the floor and Pillman rams him into the railing and Morrus no sells it, and looks pissed. AA pulls him back into the ring, but Pillman is tagged in and Morrus fights him off. Sullivan is tagged in and he and Pillman start brawling and Sullivan bodyslams him, and then they start brawling on the mat and AA breaks it up and he and Sullivan fight back by the curtain but a broom comes out from behind it and hits Arn (not real hard mind you). Back in the ring Morrus strikes with a moonsault and then Sullivan whips out the belt and they are DQ'd but whip him a few times.
This match went on far too long. However, it did showcase Pillman as a nut job. Not a bad match, and while there was a lot of no selling there was action throughout the match.
Match 3: Marcus Bagwell v. Ric Flair
Mr. Wonderful shows up at the announce table, and all but announces that he was the one who hit AA with the broom. Flair comes out with Woman. Here we go as Flair toys with Bagwell and they start rolling around the mat. Flair has him in the corner and uppercuts Bagwell and starts kicking and chopping him. Bagwell comes back and takes him down with a big back body drop and then clotheslines him out to the floor. Flair is staggering around and Marcus springs right at him and nails him with a big clothesline. Back in the ring they are exchanging blows but Bagwell goes off and punches Flair out and gets a near fall. Flair gets hit with another back drop and then a dropkick and Bagwell attempts a couple of pins. He follows up with a dropkick but his momentum is stalled as Flair grabs the ropes and down goes Bagwell. I have no idea what happened there as Flair barely touched him and Bagwell flew out of the ring. Flair goes out and knees him and then rolls him back into the ring and then drops a knee. They fire off blows at each other gain and Bagwell takes charge but runs into a boot and Flair gets a two count. Flair goes up top and of course he gets caught and slammed; Bagwell clotheslines him. Flair is perched on the top rope and gets superplexed and Bagwell gets a close fall. Bagwell springs over the ropes, but lands on Flair's knees, and it is time to finish the match as Flair applies the Figure Four. The ref gets hit and he will not let go after the match and Savage chases him off. Savage knocks down a ref as he runs after him.
Flair made Bagwell look good as this was a good back and forth match.
Match 4: Road Warriors v. Lex Luger and Sting (c) for WCW Tag Titles
The fans are clearly behind the Warriors as they chant "LoD." Sting and Animal lock up and he shoves Sting to the mat. They lock up again and Animal picks him up and slams him forward. Sting comes back with a bulldog and he climbs to the top and takes him down with a flying clothesline. Luger is tagged in and so is Hawk. Luger does his usual offense with some elbows. He misses a piledriver that Hawk did not even bother trying to sell, and he takes Lex down. Sting is tagged in and he gets worked over but he reverses an Irish whip and takes out Hawk with a Stinger Splash. Animal makes the save and they brawl and Lex pulls down the ropes and out goes Animal. Lex is in and he starts to stomp on Animal's back. Luger runs right into a boot, but comes back with some more forearms and elbows, oh wait, we got a bodyslam. He goes back to his normal offense with some elbow drops. Luger works on the back after a power outage, classic. Sting is now in and he applies a front facelock. Animal rises up but Sting maneuvers him so he can tag in Lex who powerslams him, but Animal gets to his feet quickly and back suplexes him and gets a two count as Sting makes the save. Sting and Hawk are brawling on the floor. Animal is taking down Luger and Jimmy Hart comes down with some sort of foreign object that falls out. Animal grabs Hart and this allows Luger to knock him out with it, and get the win. Sting is not too happy with the questionable outcome. Gene comes in to the ring, and LoD want a match between the winner of Harlem Heat and Sting and Luger and they are upset. Well at least Animal recovered quickly.
Not the greatest match but it did the job. Luger is just terrible in the ring and Sting is not much better, though to be fair it depends on who he is facing, and he is fucking over to boot. I was really surprised at the amount of wrestling in the show tonight. Benoit and Bagwell both looked pretty good and even the Sullivan match was not too bad as it extended the Pillman angle. They did bring up some more matches at SuperBrawl as Sullivan will take on Pillman, Badd will be wrestling someone, Heat v. Sting and Luger but it was all mentioned in passing during a match rather than before or after the show. Hogan will be facing the Giant in a steel cage and Flair and Savage in another one, so not all four together. Saturday Night still has some solid matches such as Savage taking on Benoit again, as it has not fully become the "B" show yet as that more or less occurs after Nitro moves to two hours in April.
Like I have stated before WCW does not really tell you what the matches will be at the PPV's. I guess they are assuming that people will buy them for the main event, or just want to be surprised. However that is an unwise business practice as people want to know who is wrestling to see if their money will be well spent. While they hype a couple of matches the rest are just mentioned in passing. SuperBrawl only got a .63, which is far less than last year when Hogan took on Vader. Also there are only 7000 people in the building (not sure of capacity). WCW has increased in ratings and revenue in the past year as wrestling has slowly gained in popularity. Both Nitro and Saturday Night garner in the mid 2s so it is surprising that more people are not buying the PPV's. WCW needs to do better in building their PPV's, and while it is higher than Starrcade and with Savage v. Flair and Hogan v. Giant one would think with that line up the buy rate would be higher. Anyway, it is obvious WCW has some work to do as the build ups to PPV's remain lackluster, but hopefully the show turns out to be pretty good.
Match 1: Public Enemy v. Nasty Boys
This is a street fight and while PE look and act downright silly this match should be pretty good. The Nasty Boys are really loved, a big difference to a couple of years later, along with their disastrous 2010 run. They immediately start brawling and Knobbs is banging Grunge around. Rocko has a table and he is bringing it to the ring and Saggs nabs a chair and swings away. Grunge grabs one and he too swings away. Knobbs is set up on the table but he grabs Rocko and slams him onto the table. Saggs grabs a garbage can and lid and just walks up to Grunge and belts him with it. Grunge is in laying in the middle of the mat while Rock and Knobbs go back and forth in the aisle. Saggs piledrives Grunge onto the garbage can but he really just sits on it. Rock comes back and slams the garbage can and lid into Saggs. Grunge is suplexed into the table, and Knobbs nails him with the chair. They are brawling up by the curtain and are just going nuts swinging away with garbage can lids and chairs. Saggs is setting up a table, well he just slams it down on Rock then he comes right back with a lid and decks Saggs. Grunge slams both with lids and Rock sets up the table and he climbs up into the stands and somersaults off but Knobbs moves and he gets the pin.
It did not go too long but WCW still insists on putting over the Nasty Boys. Still the match was pretty violent for early 1996 WCW standards and did what it set out to do.
Gene is with Konnan and he has already beaten the One Man Gang to win the US title. This is great as they are pushing a relative newcomer. However, it still befuddles me that they did not give it to Benoit earlier as this would have made a great feud.
Match 2: Johnny B. Badd (c) v. DDP for TV Title and DDP's 6 million dollars
This feud goes back a few months but not too much has been done with it as it is on again and off again. Badd is popular but is being kept in the mid card. They have done more on Saturday Night, but they do need to explain a bit better on Nitro about what is going on. DDP comes out and tries to woo Kimberly with flowers, but Badd attacks him from behind, and the long introductions finally lead to the match as DDP starts stomping away. Badd flips him over the top and there is no DQ, Heenan is pissed about it, and that rule is fucking terrible. Badd almost gets a three count but DDP barely gets out and tries to regroup in the corner. They lock back up and DDP takes him over with a couple of snap mares but Badd comes back and blocks an arm drag and attempts to take him down with a backslide and does so and gets a two count. DDP is back on his feet and he knees Badd and then bounces his neck off the top rope. DDP is taking his time as he stomps on Badd and then teases a nut shot but drops an elbow. DDP punishes Badd with a big gutbuster. DDP grabs him and just flings him to the mat, jawing at both Kimberly and Badd but he almost gets rolled over, finally does so, and gets a two count and DDP is upset so he stomps a hole in Badd but continues to jaw at both he and Kimberly. DDP leaps up and DDT's Badd through the mat but he just delays as he wants a ten from Kimberly but she gives him a zero instead and Badd rolls him up and almost gets the win. DDP picks him as he has a chinlock applied and climbs the ropes, jumps off while holding it in place and then uses the ropes as leverage continuing the hold. But Badd is getting fired up, gets up, and elbows his way out. Page tries to back flip him but Badd lands on his feet, and rolls up DDP for another near fall. DDP comes right back with a couple of near falls himself. Badd is fighting back and takes DDP down and starts slugging away and down goes DDP. He climbs up and connects with a double axe handle. Kimberly gives him a ten as he too takes his sweet time. Badd drops an elbow right onto his nuts and then powerbombs DDP and he gets a near fall. DDP suckers him to the ropes dropping his throat onto it. However Badd gets another near fall but DDP knocks Badd down with an elbow and used the ropes for leverage but Badd kicks out. And the near falls continue as they try to pin each other every few seconds. DDP applies a modified sleeper, which looks more like a chokehold, Badd gets out with a jawbreaker. Now Badd returns the favor with a sleeper and jumps on DDP's back but Page gets out by ramming him back into the turnbuckle. Badd reverses a piledriver and finishes off DDP.
That was a sudden ending but the match did get a lot of time. I guess Kimberley would have reverted back to DDP had he won. I do not want to know the circumstances that led to the six million dollar match as it's clearly more wrestling fantasy stuff, just random booking. Oh well I am being a little too critical as the match was actually really good.
Mean Gene is with Harlem Heat. Stevie Ray is putting his foot down about what is going on and that Luger cheating to win, and Harlem Heat will win tonight. Booker T calls them sissified suckers (that is mean). Booker is not making too much sense as he admits that they may have cheated to win. Booker is not too worried about the Road Warriors if they win and are taking the titles into the future.
Match 3: Harlem Heat v. Lex Luger and Sting (c) for WCW Tag Titles
WCW is not messing around as the winners have to face the Road Warriors tonight, which probably means that Harlem Heat will not be victorious. Sting and Booker look like they are going to start off if it ever starts, ah here we go as Sting and Lex do not seem to be on the same page. Booker punches Sting in the corner but Sting bounces right off the turnbuckle and clotheslines Booker but he too comes right back with a head scissors. Sting gets up and tags Luger and he starts pounding Booker in the corner but rungs right into a boot and then Booker knocks him down and tags in Stevie and he tosses Lex out and he is taking his sweet time and this upsets Sting. He gets back in the ring and tags in Sting and Stevie stomps away on Sting but he comes back with a big dropkick. However Ray pokes him in the eye and applies a side headlock but Sting comes back with a boot and a bulldog and it is actually Booker T who is in now. Luger is tagged in and he does his usual of kicking and bouncing heads off of turnbuckles and then knees him in the face for a two count. Luger drops him back with a back suplex but then misses a big elbow drop. Booker comes back and hits a side slam but misses an elbow but spins back up and nails him with a spin kick. Ray is in and he bodyslams Luger not once but twice. He chokes Luger on the ropes and Lex stumbles into Booker and gets his throat bounced off the ropes and Ray drops an elbow, Irish whip and down goes Luger for a two count after a clothesline. Booker is back in and he knees Luger a few times but runs into a boot and Lex knocks him down with a clothesline in the chest. But he comes right back and is able to tag in Ray who picks up Lex and just drops him on his side. He applies a nerve pinch on his shoulder and he is holding it for at least an hour, oh wait, here comes Luger and he gets kneed back to the mat and Ray tags in Booker and drops a scissor kick on top of Lex's head. Lex is trying to get to Sting but Booker turns around and decks Sting and drives Luger back to the other corner. Once again Luger tries to push his way to Sting and he makes the tag but the ref does not see it but Sting does not care and I guess neither does the ref as he cleans house. This does not make sense, but Sting gets ousted and lands on the floor. Ray holds up Luger for an hour and preps him for a powerslam, and Animal runs down with a foreign object and takes him out and Luger gets the pin.
This match was dominated by Harlem Heat. It is a shame that they lost, but how they did was not too bad as it perpetuates the drama between Luger and Sting and the Warriors will try to get their revenge. The match was not great but it works for advancing the storyline.
Mean Gene is with with Sting and Luger and they are excited. Luger says that he held up his end of the bargain and Sting is stoked, and is with the program, and neither care about the interference.
Match 4: One Man Gang v. Konnan (c) for US Title
Gang did not even lose the title on Saturday Night but on Main Event. They should have given Konnan a stage on Nitro to help get him over. Konnan just turns his back on the Gang and of course the inevitable happens, he starts kicking his ass. Konnan leaps back off the turnbuckle and kicks the legs and then spin kicks him in the head. Konnan dropkicks him from the second rope and then kicks him again and both tumble onto the floor. Gang bangs Konnan's head off the top rope and climbs back into the ring and then drops a leg on the writhing Konnan and he starts choking him. Gang is still in control as he drops knees and smashes Konnan in the corner with his belly. Konnan fires back with a series of blows but he gets kneed back to the mat and the Gang connects with a mean forearm and starts stretching his face. Konnan fights him off but gets another boot and down he goes. He drapes Konnan over the middle rope and sits on him and Konnan gets a blow in and down he goes again. But now he fires off a barrage of shots and is able to head scissors Gang over, it looks awkward, but it works. However the offense is short lived as he gets taken out with the 747 but Gang picks up Konnan's head at two. Gang climbs up to the middle rope but Konnan moves as Gang tumbles awkwardly to the mat and Konnan gets up to the top and flips on the Gang and gets the win.
The right person went over but it was a slow moving match and too long. Not much Konnan could do, and Gang does move okay, but not well.
Gene is with the Road Warriors and they want revenge on Luger for cheating and they want a piece of him and Sting and they "apologize" for attacking Harlem Heat. Hawk reiterates the faux apology and he and Animal are going to tear out various body parts.
Match 5: Taskmaster v. Flyin' Brian
Brian runs into the ring with a leather strap. I guess they were supposed to be strapped up but that is not happening as they roll around the mat, swinging away at one another. Sullivan is clinging to his leg as Pillman swings at him and Sullivan decks him and then Pillman yanks the mic away from the ref and says "I Respect You Booker Man" and he leaves, leaving Sullivan stunned. He does not look too happy. The ref is still unwinding the straps. Arn is coming out with Jimmy Hart, I love his shorts, hiking boots and collared shirts. Sullivan whips him with the strap and Arn starts unbuttoning his shirt and he grabs the strap proceeding to wail on Sullivan. Arn is just pounding on Sullivan and ties him up and continues assaulting him until Sullivan nails him in the nuts and then starts strapping the BeJesus out of AA. Arn gets up and knees him in the nuts and wraps the strap around his neck and starts choking the life out of the Taskmaster. He refuses to say I respect you and just gurgles as AA continues to choke him but Sullivan is able to escape and pull Arn over the top. Sullivan slaps him with the strap but AA comes back and climbs to the top rope but he is really slow moving and Sullivan pulls him off the rope. Flair comes down and tries to put a stop to the fighting as the real enemy is Hogan and Savage. Flair is going on and on about the destruction of Hogan and Savage, and AA is willing to end the feud and they shake hands and Sullivan wants to know what is wrong with Pillman.
This was awesome and I wonder how much Sullivan knew about this. Pillman was working a series of worked shoots and outed him as a booker, and that part was deleted from subsequent broadcasts. He was honing his Loose Cannon character and apparently Bischoff knew and approved of it. Where they were going with it no one knows but he was "fired" and went to ECW to further the character and then he supposedly convinced EB to fire him for real and then he jumped ship to the WWF and wrestled there until he died. I am not sure what they would have done with his character had he come back; I am sure that he would no longer be a part of the Horsemen as his character does not fit. It would have been interesting to see what havoc he could have caused had he followed through and if he had been booked correctly. One of those things that could have been cool had it panned out but then again he thrived for some time in the WWF so Vince could thank EB for starting the character. Okay, one last thing, everyone covered it well, the announcers, Sullivan, Arn and Flair....so it makes me wonder how much was planned, seeing as it is wrestling I would say most if not all of it was.
Mean Gene is with Hart and the Giant. Giant is just standing there with his arms crossed and his head lowered as Hart goes on and on about Hulkamania dying. The Giant brings up his time in the DoD and how he has seen into mens souls and the last thing that will go through Hogan's mind is the Giant's fist and then he says some more nonsense. Wow that was confusing. The Giant runs back in and scares Mean Gene....
Match 6: Road Warriors v. Sting and Lex Luger (c) for Tag Titles
Sting did not see too much time in the last match and in fact they did very little wrestling, well less than they usually do, so as to set up this match. Luger is walking away and Sting goes to him and tries to convince him to come back and Lex slowly comes back towards the ring. However, Luger starts backing off again and Sting has to go and comfort him once again. Sweet Allah, Luger is backing off again. Good God get this show on the road. Luger is leaving again...the drama is fine but ten minutes worth is a little much. Here he comes again. Sting is in the ring and so is Hawk and the match actually begins!! Here we go as they lock up and Sting gets knocked down and right when he gets up he is knocked down again with a dropkick. Sting is walking around the ring with Hawk stalking him. However Sting lures him into a back kick and but back in the ring Hawk fouls up a neckbreaker or someone did but he takes him down and then applies a kind of Regal Stretch. Sting gets to the ropes but Hawk drags him over by Animal and tags him in and he starts ripping off Sting's arm. Sting is able to tag in Luger and he warily enters the ring and Animal is wary too and Luger kicks him but he gets whipped into the corner and gets hit with a big boot and then a powerslam for a two count. Animal applies an arm bar, and he tags in Hawk who runs him into a corner and then another and mashes him with clotheslines each time. Luger is out on the floor and Animal flings him into the railing. Back in the ring Lex pokes the eye and takes down Hawk with a big clothesline and he tags in Sting. Sting suplexes Hawk and he covers him for a two count and they roll on the mat as Sting has a headlock applied. The fans start a LoD chant and Hawk gets up and tags in Animal who goes on the offensive but it does not last and Sting headbutts him in the nuts and he tags in Luger who starts pounding on Animal. He picks up Animal and hits him with an inverted atomic drop. Sting is in and he maintains the offensive and bulldogs him and climbs to the top and attempts a splash but Animal gets the knees up. Hawk is tagged in but so is Luger and he runs through him and gets a near fall after a standing leg drop and follows up with big forearm smashes. Animal puts on the sleeper and Luger just drops down with a jawbreaker. Sting is tagged in and he strikes right away with a Stinger Splash and goes for the Deathlock but Hawk makes a belated save as Luger looks on. Hawk is in and he starts working over Sting. Sting attempts a sunset flip but gets punched and then nailed with a clothesline. Animal's turn and he starts yanking and pulling on Sting's head and neck. Luger comes in from behind and he starts stomping on Animal and Hawk runs in and takes out Luger. The ref finally kicks Luger out. Sting suplexes Animal and he pops right back up and Sting returns the no sell; Hawk is in and they both elbow Sting, and now all four are in and now they are brawling on the floor. Animal is beating on Luger and Hawk on Sting and now they are double teaming Luger....the match is over with a double count out as they brawl into the back.
For nostalgia, seeing the Road Warriors again the match was good. Certainly it was not a technical masterpiece. The beginning took forever and the ending was questionable but it does continue the angle and teases the break up of Luger and Sting.
Gene is with Flair and Woman and while the previous match was thrown out, Flair's will not be. Woman responds that what she wants she gets. Flair lets us know that Hogan's master plan of turning the Horsemen against the DoD has failed and he will even take Liz and after the match have both....
Gene is with Liz and asks her about tonight and Savage comes running in and interrupts. He bellows about the Mega Powers and how they will dominate tonight and that they are cool and Liz is the bond that keeps them together and then he brings Liz with him.
Match 7: Ric Flair v. Randy Savage (c) for WCW Title
I am baffled as to why this is not the main event but at least Savage and Flair get Michael Buffer. The introductions are really long and Flair gets on the mic and asks if Liz will kiss him and Savage gets on the mic and bellows "ooohhhh noooo." Flair is taking his sweet time as he finally enters the ring and Savage goes on the attack and he leaps up on the turnbuckle and pounds away but Flair comes right back with a chop but Savage drops him with a blow. The ref is not paying attention as the ref locks the cage. It takes him awhile but he finally gets it done. Meanwhile Flair hits him with a vicious chop and then drops a big knee. Savage gets driven into the cage and Flair knocks out the ref and stomps on him! Holy shit that was awesome. Savage tries to make a pin for some unknown reason but the ref is able to get back up as Macho connects with two clotheslines. Savage is choking Flair with his hands and his boot. Savage tries to throw Flair into the cage but Flair reverses it and both are down. Flair is up first and he decks Savage and follows up with an Irish whip and drops him with an elbow. Flair takes the skin off of Savage's chest with a chop. Savage ducks an elbow but the follow up connects. Savage is caught between the ropes and cage wall and Flair is ramming him into it. Savage makes a comeback and puts Flair in the Figure Four. Damn Woman is annoying as she squeals really loudly. Flair was in it for some time but he gets out and Savage just wallops him and gets a two count and follows up with a bodyslam. Savage climbs to the top of the cage and Savage goes for a double axe and Flair punches him in the gut. Flair hoists him up and holds him and then drops him back with a big suplex. Savage gets thrown into the cage and Flair now puts Savage in the Figure Four. Vintage Flair using the ropes as leverage. However Savage gets out but he is hurting as Flair chops him but Savage fires back and then flings him head first into the cage and he does it again. Savage rakes Flair's face back and forth across the cage and keeps ramming it into the cage and starts punching away but Flair is able to drop him with an atomic drop but he goes down too. They both are climbing up and they both fall off and the bell rings after it seems Savage gets a pin but the ref holds up two fingers. Flair's turn to go after Savage as he struts around the ring and takes him down and he climbs up the cage but Savage stops him and bounces his head off the top of the cage a few times but Flair pushes him off and Savage falls in between the ropes and cage and Flair topples off too. He swings Savage into the cage and Savage grabs the trunks as Flair tries to climb and his tights almost get pulled down again. The door swings open and the ref shuts it as they continue brawling. Woman has some powder and tries to throw it at Macho Man who ducks. Liz hands Flair her show, and Flair is rolled up but the ref is distracted, finally the ref makes the count but Flair kicks out and knocks out Savage with the shoe and the fans erupt as Flair gets the win. Liz is cheering for Flair and Hogan comes down with a chair and chases off Flair and Arn, so he does not get to celebrate his victory; in fact does anyone ever celebrate besides Hogan?
Straight up action from the start. It continues the Savage and Flair feud and it delivered. The intros were nearly as long as the match. However the match was pretty good and Liz's swerve was not unexpected.
Gene is in the back with Hogan and he is all fired up and for some reason his entire eye is covered, and it was not on Nitro. I do like the fact that he brings up Savage's and Liz's actual separation. His blindside will be guarded by the Hulkamaniacs and God tonight.
Match 8: The Giant v. Hulk Hogan
This is an unsanctioned match and the only way to win is to climb over the top or go over the door. Other than kids the fans are not too excited. In fact there is a vocal Hogan sucks chant as he and the Giant go at it. Hogan starts choking him with his tape. The ref is still trying to lock the door so the only way must be over the top unless they unlock it. Hogan nails the Giant about twenty times as he stands over him and then starts standing on top of him in the corner, and even bites him twice. It has been all Hogan but he goes for the bodyslam and the Giant slams him on the back. He starts elbowing and booting him. Now the fans are getting behind Hogan as the Giant continues to pound away and puts him in a bear hug. Hogan rakes the eyes to get out but he gets his head slammed into the cage and then starts choking him with Hogan's own shirt. Hogan goes down after an elbow to the back of the head. Now the Giant goes after the eye and yanks off the bandage and Hogan falls to the mat. He places Hogan's head between his legs and jumps up and down, not sure what that did but the bodyslam was effective. However Hogan moves out of the way as the Giant drops a big elbow and he jumps right up and hits the Giant a couple of times and motions for the bodyslam but there is little crowd reaction and the attempt fails as the Giant lands on Hogan. The Giant is back in control as he is wearing down Hogan, throwing him into the cage. He has Hogan up and suplexes him. The door is open now and the Giant tries to depart but Hogan grabs his leg and is able to stop him but the Giant picks him up and gives him a backbreaker. Hogan is slammed back into the cage and again. The fans are really dead for this match as the Giant continues the assault and applies the bear hug again. Hogan is trying to fight off the Giant but the fans are still not too loud as the announcers are still trying to hype up Hulkamania. This is a really long bear hug and the crowd is sitting, not excited. Well, despite no real crowd support Hogan pounds his way out but the Giant knocks him right back down. The Giant grabs Hogan by the throat and nails him with a weak looking chokeslam. Hogan Hulks up and the fans are not really reacting as Hogan starts throwing the Giant into the cage over and over and the Giant is bleeding. The Giant is wobbling after the big boot and Hogan bodyslams him and then drops three leg drops. Wow! The Giant pops up and nails Hogan as he tries to climb out and they start chopping at each other on the top rope. Hogan manages to knock the Giant off and Hogan climbs over, well he struggled too, and he gets the win. Sullivan hits him with a chair and Hogan jumps up and chases Sullivan into the cage and here comes the DoD and Hogan is beating all of them with a chair, and I mean beating every single one of them. They go get this thing called the Loch Ness Monster and they are trying to hold him back as he wants a piece of Hogan.
I really do not know what to say about this debacle. So they ruin the Giant as he is another victim of Hulk Hogan. The fans are tiring of it and yet it barely seems to register. Sure the DoD sucks, and sucks hard, but they turned it into even more of a mockery, if that was even possible. Then they go and get a bigger guy? So it will be rinse and repeat over and over. This is awful. The match was not terrible, but it certainly was not good. It just goes to show that WCW is revolving around Hogan and they are doing everything in their diminishing power to keep him fresh and of course to keep him happy. It is no wonder that Vince kept him on a short leash soon after he returned to the WWE. Overall the PPV was decent. None of the matches really stood out. In fact none had really great wrestling as it was a card filled with brawls and tables. This is not necessarily a bad thing as the fans got to see the Road Warriors, Flair, Luger, Savage, Sting and Hogan. However it did hurt the PPV. It was nice to see Konnan get the victory, the PE/NB opening match was not too bad. Harlem Heat looked decent in a loss. Flair and Savage put on a good show and the strap match was good for obvious reasons. And I almost forgot the DDP/Badd match which other than the Flair/Savage bout was the best of the night. The weak links were once again Sting and Luger and Hogan. Also, hopefully they will get back to some good wrestling but the next PPV will have even less wrestling. I am nit picking as I enjoyed the show but at the same time it was disappointing, and Clash of the Champions was superior.
Match 1: Public Enemy v. Nasty Boys
This is a street fight and while PE look and act downright silly this match should be pretty good. The Nasty Boys are really loved, a big difference to a couple of years later, along with their disastrous 2010 run. They immediately start brawling and Knobbs is banging Grunge around. Rocko has a table and he is bringing it to the ring and Saggs nabs a chair and swings away. Grunge grabs one and he too swings away. Knobbs is set up on the table but he grabs Rocko and slams him onto the table. Saggs grabs a garbage can and lid and just walks up to Grunge and belts him with it. Grunge is in laying in the middle of the mat while Rock and Knobbs go back and forth in the aisle. Saggs piledrives Grunge onto the garbage can but he really just sits on it. Rock comes back and slams the garbage can and lid into Saggs. Grunge is suplexed into the table, and Knobbs nails him with the chair. They are brawling up by the curtain and are just going nuts swinging away with garbage can lids and chairs. Saggs is setting up a table, well he just slams it down on Rock then he comes right back with a lid and decks Saggs. Grunge slams both with lids and Rock sets up the table and he climbs up into the stands and somersaults off but Knobbs moves and he gets the pin.
It did not go too long but WCW still insists on putting over the Nasty Boys. Still the match was pretty violent for early 1996 WCW standards and did what it set out to do.
Gene is with Konnan and he has already beaten the One Man Gang to win the US title. This is great as they are pushing a relative newcomer. However, it still befuddles me that they did not give it to Benoit earlier as this would have made a great feud.
Match 2: Johnny B. Badd (c) v. DDP for TV Title and DDP's 6 million dollars
This feud goes back a few months but not too much has been done with it as it is on again and off again. Badd is popular but is being kept in the mid card. They have done more on Saturday Night, but they do need to explain a bit better on Nitro about what is going on. DDP comes out and tries to woo Kimberly with flowers, but Badd attacks him from behind, and the long introductions finally lead to the match as DDP starts stomping away. Badd flips him over the top and there is no DQ, Heenan is pissed about it, and that rule is fucking terrible. Badd almost gets a three count but DDP barely gets out and tries to regroup in the corner. They lock back up and DDP takes him over with a couple of snap mares but Badd comes back and blocks an arm drag and attempts to take him down with a backslide and does so and gets a two count. DDP is back on his feet and he knees Badd and then bounces his neck off the top rope. DDP is taking his time as he stomps on Badd and then teases a nut shot but drops an elbow. DDP punishes Badd with a big gutbuster. DDP grabs him and just flings him to the mat, jawing at both Kimberly and Badd but he almost gets rolled over, finally does so, and gets a two count and DDP is upset so he stomps a hole in Badd but continues to jaw at both he and Kimberly. DDP leaps up and DDT's Badd through the mat but he just delays as he wants a ten from Kimberly but she gives him a zero instead and Badd rolls him up and almost gets the win. DDP picks him as he has a chinlock applied and climbs the ropes, jumps off while holding it in place and then uses the ropes as leverage continuing the hold. But Badd is getting fired up, gets up, and elbows his way out. Page tries to back flip him but Badd lands on his feet, and rolls up DDP for another near fall. DDP comes right back with a couple of near falls himself. Badd is fighting back and takes DDP down and starts slugging away and down goes DDP. He climbs up and connects with a double axe handle. Kimberly gives him a ten as he too takes his sweet time. Badd drops an elbow right onto his nuts and then powerbombs DDP and he gets a near fall. DDP suckers him to the ropes dropping his throat onto it. However Badd gets another near fall but DDP knocks Badd down with an elbow and used the ropes for leverage but Badd kicks out. And the near falls continue as they try to pin each other every few seconds. DDP applies a modified sleeper, which looks more like a chokehold, Badd gets out with a jawbreaker. Now Badd returns the favor with a sleeper and jumps on DDP's back but Page gets out by ramming him back into the turnbuckle. Badd reverses a piledriver and finishes off DDP.
That was a sudden ending but the match did get a lot of time. I guess Kimberley would have reverted back to DDP had he won. I do not want to know the circumstances that led to the six million dollar match as it's clearly more wrestling fantasy stuff, just random booking. Oh well I am being a little too critical as the match was actually really good.
Mean Gene is with Harlem Heat. Stevie Ray is putting his foot down about what is going on and that Luger cheating to win, and Harlem Heat will win tonight. Booker T calls them sissified suckers (that is mean). Booker is not making too much sense as he admits that they may have cheated to win. Booker is not too worried about the Road Warriors if they win and are taking the titles into the future.
Match 3: Harlem Heat v. Lex Luger and Sting (c) for WCW Tag Titles
WCW is not messing around as the winners have to face the Road Warriors tonight, which probably means that Harlem Heat will not be victorious. Sting and Booker look like they are going to start off if it ever starts, ah here we go as Sting and Lex do not seem to be on the same page. Booker punches Sting in the corner but Sting bounces right off the turnbuckle and clotheslines Booker but he too comes right back with a head scissors. Sting gets up and tags Luger and he starts pounding Booker in the corner but rungs right into a boot and then Booker knocks him down and tags in Stevie and he tosses Lex out and he is taking his sweet time and this upsets Sting. He gets back in the ring and tags in Sting and Stevie stomps away on Sting but he comes back with a big dropkick. However Ray pokes him in the eye and applies a side headlock but Sting comes back with a boot and a bulldog and it is actually Booker T who is in now. Luger is tagged in and he does his usual of kicking and bouncing heads off of turnbuckles and then knees him in the face for a two count. Luger drops him back with a back suplex but then misses a big elbow drop. Booker comes back and hits a side slam but misses an elbow but spins back up and nails him with a spin kick. Ray is in and he bodyslams Luger not once but twice. He chokes Luger on the ropes and Lex stumbles into Booker and gets his throat bounced off the ropes and Ray drops an elbow, Irish whip and down goes Luger for a two count after a clothesline. Booker is back in and he knees Luger a few times but runs into a boot and Lex knocks him down with a clothesline in the chest. But he comes right back and is able to tag in Ray who picks up Lex and just drops him on his side. He applies a nerve pinch on his shoulder and he is holding it for at least an hour, oh wait, here comes Luger and he gets kneed back to the mat and Ray tags in Booker and drops a scissor kick on top of Lex's head. Lex is trying to get to Sting but Booker turns around and decks Sting and drives Luger back to the other corner. Once again Luger tries to push his way to Sting and he makes the tag but the ref does not see it but Sting does not care and I guess neither does the ref as he cleans house. This does not make sense, but Sting gets ousted and lands on the floor. Ray holds up Luger for an hour and preps him for a powerslam, and Animal runs down with a foreign object and takes him out and Luger gets the pin.
This match was dominated by Harlem Heat. It is a shame that they lost, but how they did was not too bad as it perpetuates the drama between Luger and Sting and the Warriors will try to get their revenge. The match was not great but it works for advancing the storyline.
Mean Gene is with with Sting and Luger and they are excited. Luger says that he held up his end of the bargain and Sting is stoked, and is with the program, and neither care about the interference.
Match 4: One Man Gang v. Konnan (c) for US Title
Gang did not even lose the title on Saturday Night but on Main Event. They should have given Konnan a stage on Nitro to help get him over. Konnan just turns his back on the Gang and of course the inevitable happens, he starts kicking his ass. Konnan leaps back off the turnbuckle and kicks the legs and then spin kicks him in the head. Konnan dropkicks him from the second rope and then kicks him again and both tumble onto the floor. Gang bangs Konnan's head off the top rope and climbs back into the ring and then drops a leg on the writhing Konnan and he starts choking him. Gang is still in control as he drops knees and smashes Konnan in the corner with his belly. Konnan fires back with a series of blows but he gets kneed back to the mat and the Gang connects with a mean forearm and starts stretching his face. Konnan fights him off but gets another boot and down he goes. He drapes Konnan over the middle rope and sits on him and Konnan gets a blow in and down he goes again. But now he fires off a barrage of shots and is able to head scissors Gang over, it looks awkward, but it works. However the offense is short lived as he gets taken out with the 747 but Gang picks up Konnan's head at two. Gang climbs up to the middle rope but Konnan moves as Gang tumbles awkwardly to the mat and Konnan gets up to the top and flips on the Gang and gets the win.
The right person went over but it was a slow moving match and too long. Not much Konnan could do, and Gang does move okay, but not well.
Gene is with the Road Warriors and they want revenge on Luger for cheating and they want a piece of him and Sting and they "apologize" for attacking Harlem Heat. Hawk reiterates the faux apology and he and Animal are going to tear out various body parts.
Match 5: Taskmaster v. Flyin' Brian
Brian runs into the ring with a leather strap. I guess they were supposed to be strapped up but that is not happening as they roll around the mat, swinging away at one another. Sullivan is clinging to his leg as Pillman swings at him and Sullivan decks him and then Pillman yanks the mic away from the ref and says "I Respect You Booker Man" and he leaves, leaving Sullivan stunned. He does not look too happy. The ref is still unwinding the straps. Arn is coming out with Jimmy Hart, I love his shorts, hiking boots and collared shirts. Sullivan whips him with the strap and Arn starts unbuttoning his shirt and he grabs the strap proceeding to wail on Sullivan. Arn is just pounding on Sullivan and ties him up and continues assaulting him until Sullivan nails him in the nuts and then starts strapping the BeJesus out of AA. Arn gets up and knees him in the nuts and wraps the strap around his neck and starts choking the life out of the Taskmaster. He refuses to say I respect you and just gurgles as AA continues to choke him but Sullivan is able to escape and pull Arn over the top. Sullivan slaps him with the strap but AA comes back and climbs to the top rope but he is really slow moving and Sullivan pulls him off the rope. Flair comes down and tries to put a stop to the fighting as the real enemy is Hogan and Savage. Flair is going on and on about the destruction of Hogan and Savage, and AA is willing to end the feud and they shake hands and Sullivan wants to know what is wrong with Pillman.
This was awesome and I wonder how much Sullivan knew about this. Pillman was working a series of worked shoots and outed him as a booker, and that part was deleted from subsequent broadcasts. He was honing his Loose Cannon character and apparently Bischoff knew and approved of it. Where they were going with it no one knows but he was "fired" and went to ECW to further the character and then he supposedly convinced EB to fire him for real and then he jumped ship to the WWF and wrestled there until he died. I am not sure what they would have done with his character had he come back; I am sure that he would no longer be a part of the Horsemen as his character does not fit. It would have been interesting to see what havoc he could have caused had he followed through and if he had been booked correctly. One of those things that could have been cool had it panned out but then again he thrived for some time in the WWF so Vince could thank EB for starting the character. Okay, one last thing, everyone covered it well, the announcers, Sullivan, Arn and Flair....so it makes me wonder how much was planned, seeing as it is wrestling I would say most if not all of it was.
Mean Gene is with Hart and the Giant. Giant is just standing there with his arms crossed and his head lowered as Hart goes on and on about Hulkamania dying. The Giant brings up his time in the DoD and how he has seen into mens souls and the last thing that will go through Hogan's mind is the Giant's fist and then he says some more nonsense. Wow that was confusing. The Giant runs back in and scares Mean Gene....
Match 6: Road Warriors v. Sting and Lex Luger (c) for Tag Titles
Sting did not see too much time in the last match and in fact they did very little wrestling, well less than they usually do, so as to set up this match. Luger is walking away and Sting goes to him and tries to convince him to come back and Lex slowly comes back towards the ring. However, Luger starts backing off again and Sting has to go and comfort him once again. Sweet Allah, Luger is backing off again. Good God get this show on the road. Luger is leaving again...the drama is fine but ten minutes worth is a little much. Here he comes again. Sting is in the ring and so is Hawk and the match actually begins!! Here we go as they lock up and Sting gets knocked down and right when he gets up he is knocked down again with a dropkick. Sting is walking around the ring with Hawk stalking him. However Sting lures him into a back kick and but back in the ring Hawk fouls up a neckbreaker or someone did but he takes him down and then applies a kind of Regal Stretch. Sting gets to the ropes but Hawk drags him over by Animal and tags him in and he starts ripping off Sting's arm. Sting is able to tag in Luger and he warily enters the ring and Animal is wary too and Luger kicks him but he gets whipped into the corner and gets hit with a big boot and then a powerslam for a two count. Animal applies an arm bar, and he tags in Hawk who runs him into a corner and then another and mashes him with clotheslines each time. Luger is out on the floor and Animal flings him into the railing. Back in the ring Lex pokes the eye and takes down Hawk with a big clothesline and he tags in Sting. Sting suplexes Hawk and he covers him for a two count and they roll on the mat as Sting has a headlock applied. The fans start a LoD chant and Hawk gets up and tags in Animal who goes on the offensive but it does not last and Sting headbutts him in the nuts and he tags in Luger who starts pounding on Animal. He picks up Animal and hits him with an inverted atomic drop. Sting is in and he maintains the offensive and bulldogs him and climbs to the top and attempts a splash but Animal gets the knees up. Hawk is tagged in but so is Luger and he runs through him and gets a near fall after a standing leg drop and follows up with big forearm smashes. Animal puts on the sleeper and Luger just drops down with a jawbreaker. Sting is tagged in and he strikes right away with a Stinger Splash and goes for the Deathlock but Hawk makes a belated save as Luger looks on. Hawk is in and he starts working over Sting. Sting attempts a sunset flip but gets punched and then nailed with a clothesline. Animal's turn and he starts yanking and pulling on Sting's head and neck. Luger comes in from behind and he starts stomping on Animal and Hawk runs in and takes out Luger. The ref finally kicks Luger out. Sting suplexes Animal and he pops right back up and Sting returns the no sell; Hawk is in and they both elbow Sting, and now all four are in and now they are brawling on the floor. Animal is beating on Luger and Hawk on Sting and now they are double teaming Luger....the match is over with a double count out as they brawl into the back.
For nostalgia, seeing the Road Warriors again the match was good. Certainly it was not a technical masterpiece. The beginning took forever and the ending was questionable but it does continue the angle and teases the break up of Luger and Sting.
Gene is with Flair and Woman and while the previous match was thrown out, Flair's will not be. Woman responds that what she wants she gets. Flair lets us know that Hogan's master plan of turning the Horsemen against the DoD has failed and he will even take Liz and after the match have both....
Gene is with Liz and asks her about tonight and Savage comes running in and interrupts. He bellows about the Mega Powers and how they will dominate tonight and that they are cool and Liz is the bond that keeps them together and then he brings Liz with him.
Match 7: Ric Flair v. Randy Savage (c) for WCW Title
I am baffled as to why this is not the main event but at least Savage and Flair get Michael Buffer. The introductions are really long and Flair gets on the mic and asks if Liz will kiss him and Savage gets on the mic and bellows "ooohhhh noooo." Flair is taking his sweet time as he finally enters the ring and Savage goes on the attack and he leaps up on the turnbuckle and pounds away but Flair comes right back with a chop but Savage drops him with a blow. The ref is not paying attention as the ref locks the cage. It takes him awhile but he finally gets it done. Meanwhile Flair hits him with a vicious chop and then drops a big knee. Savage gets driven into the cage and Flair knocks out the ref and stomps on him! Holy shit that was awesome. Savage tries to make a pin for some unknown reason but the ref is able to get back up as Macho connects with two clotheslines. Savage is choking Flair with his hands and his boot. Savage tries to throw Flair into the cage but Flair reverses it and both are down. Flair is up first and he decks Savage and follows up with an Irish whip and drops him with an elbow. Flair takes the skin off of Savage's chest with a chop. Savage ducks an elbow but the follow up connects. Savage is caught between the ropes and cage wall and Flair is ramming him into it. Savage makes a comeback and puts Flair in the Figure Four. Damn Woman is annoying as she squeals really loudly. Flair was in it for some time but he gets out and Savage just wallops him and gets a two count and follows up with a bodyslam. Savage climbs to the top of the cage and Savage goes for a double axe and Flair punches him in the gut. Flair hoists him up and holds him and then drops him back with a big suplex. Savage gets thrown into the cage and Flair now puts Savage in the Figure Four. Vintage Flair using the ropes as leverage. However Savage gets out but he is hurting as Flair chops him but Savage fires back and then flings him head first into the cage and he does it again. Savage rakes Flair's face back and forth across the cage and keeps ramming it into the cage and starts punching away but Flair is able to drop him with an atomic drop but he goes down too. They both are climbing up and they both fall off and the bell rings after it seems Savage gets a pin but the ref holds up two fingers. Flair's turn to go after Savage as he struts around the ring and takes him down and he climbs up the cage but Savage stops him and bounces his head off the top of the cage a few times but Flair pushes him off and Savage falls in between the ropes and cage and Flair topples off too. He swings Savage into the cage and Savage grabs the trunks as Flair tries to climb and his tights almost get pulled down again. The door swings open and the ref shuts it as they continue brawling. Woman has some powder and tries to throw it at Macho Man who ducks. Liz hands Flair her show, and Flair is rolled up but the ref is distracted, finally the ref makes the count but Flair kicks out and knocks out Savage with the shoe and the fans erupt as Flair gets the win. Liz is cheering for Flair and Hogan comes down with a chair and chases off Flair and Arn, so he does not get to celebrate his victory; in fact does anyone ever celebrate besides Hogan?
Straight up action from the start. It continues the Savage and Flair feud and it delivered. The intros were nearly as long as the match. However the match was pretty good and Liz's swerve was not unexpected.
Gene is in the back with Hogan and he is all fired up and for some reason his entire eye is covered, and it was not on Nitro. I do like the fact that he brings up Savage's and Liz's actual separation. His blindside will be guarded by the Hulkamaniacs and God tonight.
Match 8: The Giant v. Hulk Hogan
This is an unsanctioned match and the only way to win is to climb over the top or go over the door. Other than kids the fans are not too excited. In fact there is a vocal Hogan sucks chant as he and the Giant go at it. Hogan starts choking him with his tape. The ref is still trying to lock the door so the only way must be over the top unless they unlock it. Hogan nails the Giant about twenty times as he stands over him and then starts standing on top of him in the corner, and even bites him twice. It has been all Hogan but he goes for the bodyslam and the Giant slams him on the back. He starts elbowing and booting him. Now the fans are getting behind Hogan as the Giant continues to pound away and puts him in a bear hug. Hogan rakes the eyes to get out but he gets his head slammed into the cage and then starts choking him with Hogan's own shirt. Hogan goes down after an elbow to the back of the head. Now the Giant goes after the eye and yanks off the bandage and Hogan falls to the mat. He places Hogan's head between his legs and jumps up and down, not sure what that did but the bodyslam was effective. However Hogan moves out of the way as the Giant drops a big elbow and he jumps right up and hits the Giant a couple of times and motions for the bodyslam but there is little crowd reaction and the attempt fails as the Giant lands on Hogan. The Giant is back in control as he is wearing down Hogan, throwing him into the cage. He has Hogan up and suplexes him. The door is open now and the Giant tries to depart but Hogan grabs his leg and is able to stop him but the Giant picks him up and gives him a backbreaker. Hogan is slammed back into the cage and again. The fans are really dead for this match as the Giant continues the assault and applies the bear hug again. Hogan is trying to fight off the Giant but the fans are still not too loud as the announcers are still trying to hype up Hulkamania. This is a really long bear hug and the crowd is sitting, not excited. Well, despite no real crowd support Hogan pounds his way out but the Giant knocks him right back down. The Giant grabs Hogan by the throat and nails him with a weak looking chokeslam. Hogan Hulks up and the fans are not really reacting as Hogan starts throwing the Giant into the cage over and over and the Giant is bleeding. The Giant is wobbling after the big boot and Hogan bodyslams him and then drops three leg drops. Wow! The Giant pops up and nails Hogan as he tries to climb out and they start chopping at each other on the top rope. Hogan manages to knock the Giant off and Hogan climbs over, well he struggled too, and he gets the win. Sullivan hits him with a chair and Hogan jumps up and chases Sullivan into the cage and here comes the DoD and Hogan is beating all of them with a chair, and I mean beating every single one of them. They go get this thing called the Loch Ness Monster and they are trying to hold him back as he wants a piece of Hogan.
I really do not know what to say about this debacle. So they ruin the Giant as he is another victim of Hulk Hogan. The fans are tiring of it and yet it barely seems to register. Sure the DoD sucks, and sucks hard, but they turned it into even more of a mockery, if that was even possible. Then they go and get a bigger guy? So it will be rinse and repeat over and over. This is awful. The match was not terrible, but it certainly was not good. It just goes to show that WCW is revolving around Hogan and they are doing everything in their diminishing power to keep him fresh and of course to keep him happy. It is no wonder that Vince kept him on a short leash soon after he returned to the WWE. Overall the PPV was decent. None of the matches really stood out. In fact none had really great wrestling as it was a card filled with brawls and tables. This is not necessarily a bad thing as the fans got to see the Road Warriors, Flair, Luger, Savage, Sting and Hogan. However it did hurt the PPV. It was nice to see Konnan get the victory, the PE/NB opening match was not too bad. Harlem Heat looked decent in a loss. Flair and Savage put on a good show and the strap match was good for obvious reasons. And I almost forgot the DDP/Badd match which other than the Flair/Savage bout was the best of the night. The weak links were once again Sting and Luger and Hogan. Also, hopefully they will get back to some good wrestling but the next PPV will have even less wrestling. I am nit picking as I enjoyed the show but at the same time it was disappointing, and Clash of the Champions was superior.
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