Fall Brawl ’97

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

Fall Brawl

September 14, 1997

Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

News & Notes: Welcome to Fall Brawl. Arn Anderson retired and gave Curt Hennig his spot in The Horsemen. Now, The Horsemen face the nWo in War Games! Plus, Lex Luger & DDP team to fight Scott Hall & Randy Savage. And The Giant wrestles Scott Norton. But there are other things happening in WCW.

JJ Dillon offered Sting another match contract against Syxx. Sting tore it up, so both Gene and Dillon asked what he wanted. The fans chanted Hogan and Sting pointed at them. He even held up a Sting vs. Hogan sign. However, Dillon wasn’t getting it. JJ wanted Sting to open his mouth and speak. Sting had until Clash of the Champions to talk. At the end of the Clash, the nWo celebrated one year of existence. Sting crashed their party. He appeared in the rafters with a vulture on his shoulder. Sting then sent the bird to the ring. The nWo stared in disbelief while an ominous recording played over the speakers. A creepy voice spoke about Sting’s journey into darkness. But now the battle of good vs. evil begins! Dillon accepted this as Sting’s answer. He vowed to sign Sting vs. Hogan. But Bischoff & Hogan weren’t having that. Who has Sting beaten in the past year? They called Dillon to the ring and Hogan attacked him. Hollywood gave JJ leg drops and the nWo spray painted him. With JJ out of the picture, the nWo mocked Sting. They dropped a mannequin in Sting’s clothes from the ceiling. Hogan acted like the fall hurt Sting. He showed pretend concern. (This is regrettable in hindsight after the Owen tragedy.) But WCW wouldn’t let this stand. They appointed an acting chairman of the executive committee. It’s Roddy Piper! Roddy wasted no time in making changes. He booked himself in a Cage Match with Hogan at Halloween Havoc. Then he changed the War Games teams. Piper also vowed to get the Sting vs. Hogan match.

There are two other storylines I want to mention. First, Raven wrestled his first match in WCW at The Clash. They didn’t sign Raven yet. But Stevie Richards wanted a match with him. Raven requested the match be No DQ. (This becomes a theme with him. He calls it Raven’s Rules.) He got his wish and defeated Richards. Then Raven cut cryptic promos on Nitro about scars, pain, redemption, and emotions. The next time we saw Raven, he attacked Richards’ opponent [Damien] and gave him a DDT. Stevie didn’t see it. When Raven rolled Damien in the ring, Stevie tried to give him CPR. Raven told him to pin the guy, so Stevie did it. But Raven slapped Richards anyway. The second storyline is the return of Big Bubba Rogers. However, he wants people to call him by his real name. He’s Ray Traylor and Ray is sick of the nWo. Traylor spent a while in the hospital. The nWo never visited and Bischoff fired him from the group. So Ray wants revenge. This led to Hall & Hogan attacking him. They gave him the Outsiders Edge and a leg drop. Then Hogan called Ray the Big Lost Man. Hall spray painted Ray Who on his back.

The show opens with a montage of the Horsemen/nWo rivalry. An angry Ric Flair speaks about friendship in wrestling. You’re a lucky man if you have even one person you call a friend at the end of the road. These clips include footage of the nWo mocking Arn Anderson’s retirement speech. We also see Roddy Piper changing the War Games match to The Horsemen vs. the nWo. Then a CGI tank shoots at us! (Duck and cover!)

Tony Schiavone welcomes everyone to Fall Brawl. He’s with Mike Tenay and Bobby Heenan. They’re proud to bring you this PPV! Then Tony says Larry Zbyszko will join them later. (Larry does commentary for storyline reasons. Dusty isn’t on this show and it made me sad.) Meanwhile, Tenay believes Roddy Piper brought unity and solidarity to WCW. Tony also confirms the nWo team includes the men Flair wanted. It’s the four guys who did the Arn Anderson parody. Heenan says their team is a good mix of size and speed.

Cruiserweight Title Match: Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Jericho (c)

Notes: After Road Wild, we learned Eddie Guerrero was in cahoots with Jarrett & Debra. Guerrero convinced them to stick it to Malenko. The problem is, Debra only works with champions. So Eddie needed to win the Cruiserweight title. Jericho regained the belt from Alex Wright on Saturday Night. Then Eddie faced Jericho at Clash of the Champions. However, Jericho beat him. Eddie’s woes continued when he lost to both Mongo and Mysterio on episodes of Nitro. A frustrated Eddie tried to convince Jericho’s Nitro opponents to step aside. He wanted Jericho in a match. One of these occasions led to a wild cruiserweight brawl. Guerrero used the opportunity to attack Jericho with the belt and give him a Frog Splash. Then Eddie attacked a second time. Jericho almost fended him off. But his opponent that night [Brad Armstrong] helped Eddie get the advantage. (On a side note, Jericho debuted his “Even Flow” rip-off theme. So the WWE Network dubbed over it with his WWF music.)

The Match: They trade arm drags, takedowns, and mat holds. Eddie complains of hair-pulling. But Jericho keeps taking him to the mat. Chris locks in his favorite move, the ARMBAR! Then Eddie and Chris trade magistral cradles until Jericho returns to the arm. Chris also uses a hotshot and a Lionsault. However, Eddie ends the arm attack with his own hotshot. Guerrero then places Jericho in various submissions. He turns a surfboard into a bow and arrow. Jericho makes an amusing face. (Heenan says he has a beer face.) Next, Guerrero uses a slingshot senton and puts Chris in a Gory Special. But Jericho lifts Eddie into an inverted Electric Chair Drop.

Eddie fights back and does a ropewalk, but Jericho crotches him. Chris then shakes the ropes and they fight on the apron. Guerrero trips Jericho and tries another slingshot senton. It misses. So Jericho nails a release German that plants Eddie on his head! Guerrero gets his foot on the ropes. They fight back and forth and Eddie blocks another magistral cradle. But Jericho catches him with a double powerbomb. Then Chris attempts a superplex and Eddie reverses it in mid-air! Guerrero follows with the Frog Splash for the win.

Thoughts: This was a solid technical bout. It built to a crescendo and had some great spots. These two busted out submissions I have never seen. I remember being slightly disappointed by their SuperBrawl match. But this delivered. I enjoyed this opener. Plus, this leads to a great run for Eddie.

Winner: Eddie Guerrero (New Champion) (17:19)

Then Larry Zbyszko joins the announce team as they go to Jeff Jarrett on wcwwrestling.com. The intern got a haircut. I almost didn’t recognize him. He asks Jarrett how Jeff feels about facing Curt Hennig at an upcoming show. Jarrett says you’ll see him put the Figure Four on the Horsemen’s newest member. He’ll find out why Jarrett is the greatest wrestler in the world! Next the intern asks about Jarrett’s match with Malenko. But Harlem Heat’s entrance interrupts the answer.

The Steiner Brothers (w/ Ted DiBiase) vs. Harlem Heat (w/ Miss Jacquelyn)

Notes: The Steiners said they wouldn’t cry about the events of Road Wild. But DiBiase questioned Nick Patrick’s officiating. Patrick claimed he made the right call. Nick felt WCW should be more concerned about Randy Anderson’s referee work on the main event. Since controversy surrounded The Steiners’ win, WCW still considered them the #1 contenders. Harlem Heat once again took exception to this. They confronted The Steiners. But the nWo interrupted. Harlem Heat & The Steiners worked together to attack them. However, that comradery didn’t last. Two weeks later, Harlem Heat & Jackie attacked The Steiners during a tag match with The Faces of Fear.

The Match: Scott and Stevie exchange strikes, takedowns, and boots to the face. Stevie uses a side slam. Scott answers with a belly-to-belly. So Stevie regroups. Booker is next. He grabs a full nelson and reverses Scott’s suplex. But Scott catches a diving Booker and hits another belly-to-belly! Then a press slam leads to a brawl. Rick cleans house with Steinerlines until Harlem Heat regroups. When they return, The Steiners control the bout with frequent tags. Harlem Heat tries that too. But Rick catches Booker with a powerslam.

Then Harlem Heat takes control when Stevie kicks Scott from the apron. Booker sends Scott to the floor where Stevie and Jackie attack him. Stevie then rams Scott into the rail and chokes him with a cable. Back inside, Booker wears down Scott with chinlocks and elbows. However, Scott catches Book on a wheel kick and turns it into a back suplex. Then Rick makes a hot tag. He cleans house with more Steinerlines, slams, and a backdrop. Rick follows with the flying bulldog. But Stevie breaks up the pin. Next, Harlem Heat nails the Heat Seeker (missile dropkick Doomsday Device). They cover, but Scott breaks up the pin. The Steiners then send Booker to the floor. This allows Rick to clothesline Stevie into Scott’s German Suplex. It gets the victory.

Thoughts: Most of this bout was basic. The closing moments were nice. But it didn’t thrill me. It doesn’t help I’m tired of this pairing. This match is WCW’s go-to encounter when they have nothing else for these two teams. If they want Harlem Heat to look strong, they can’t keep losing these.

Winners: The Steiner Brothers (11:44)

TV Title Match: Alex Wright (c) vs. Ultimo Dragon

Notes: Alex Wright approached Debra & Jarrett about joining their group. Debra told Alex she wouldn’t give him the time of day unless he had a belt. Alex had none because he lost to Jericho. So Wright challenged Ultimo Dragon at Clash of the Champions and won! Wright was the new TV champion. Then Wright had a successful defense against Hugh Morrus. He had help from the returning Disco Inferno. (Disco and Alex had a dance-off before the bout.) Morrus faced Disco the following week. Alex tried to return the favor, but it backfired. Meanwhile, Dragon gets his rematch. But he has his own issues. Ultimo ran afoul of Sonny Onoo’s crew again. It led to Onoo putting the Dragon Sleeper on Ultimo. However, Dragon got his revenge. Then Ultimo scuffled with Wright during the aforementioned cruiserweight brawl. Dragon hooked Wright in the Dragon Sleeper.

The Match: They trade takedowns and mat holds. Dragon gets the advantage, so Alex regroups. Wright also pulls Ultimo to the mat by his mask. But Dragon answers with shoulder blocks, kicks, and chops. He whiffs on a wheel kick, but the second one sends Alex outside. However, Wright takes control with strikes and sleeper holds. No matter how Dragon fights back, Alex returns to the sleeper. Then Ultimo surprises Alex with a sunset flip. Wright blocks it and does his techno dance. But Dragon pulls him over anyway. Next, they take turns booting each other in the face on diving nothings. This leads to the fight spilling outside. Dragon lands an Asai Moonsault and a hurricanrana. Alex fires back with dropkicks and a slingshot crossbody. Then Dragon hits Alex with a butterfly suplex and a tiger suplex. Ultimo also nails another moonsault and a hurricanrana. Dragon tries more high-flying moves, but Alex dropkicks him out of the air. Then they trade pin attempts until Dragon lands a super Frankensteiner. He follows with the Dragon Sleeper, but Wright reaches the ropes. When Alex reaches his feet, they reverse through a regular sleeper. But Wright gives Ultimo a jawbreaker. Alex then follows with a German Suplex for the win.

Thoughts: This match was a sleeper hold. It was dull, especially when Wright controlled the bout. Dragon did his best. But this dragged. It almost found momentum toward the end. However, the closing moments were sloppy. WCW is determined to continue the Alex Wright push. But it isn’t working.

Winner: Alex Wright (18:43)

Mean Gene is backstage. He plugs the hotline. You can call to hear Arn Anderson’s thoughts about the nWo’s parody. Gene is in mid-sentence when the nWo’s War Games team runs through his shot. He calls them rude. But Gene seems oblivious to the noise in the background. When Nash and company run by him again, Gene realizes something is up. Okerlund enters the locker room and finds Curt Hennig laid out on the floor. He calls for help. Doug Dillinger needs to get back there! The attack infuriates Tony. Zbyszko says the Horsemen should know better. You always stick together at an event like this.

U.S. Title #1 Contender Match: Jeff Jarrett (w/ Queen Debra) vs. Dean Malenko

Notes: Malenko tried to get revenge on Jarrett the night after Road Wild. But he tussled with both Guerrero and Mongo instead. Dean wasn’t the only one who wanted Jarrett. Mongo faced Jeff for the US title at Clash of the Champions. McMichael won the belt when Eddie hit Jarrett by mistake! Jarrett took out his frustrations on Dean the next week. He attacked Malenko when Dean faced Alex Wright. Jarrett, Eddie, & Wright got the better of Malenko. This led to Jeff and Dean interfering in each other’s matches. They cost each other victories. So WCW announced a bout between Jarrett and Malenko. The winner will face Mongo for the US title at Halloween Havoc. It seemed Jeff wanted this fight early. He challenged Dean on the go-home Nitro. But Jeff retreated when Malenko looked to attack him. (Before the bout, Jarrett says he needs no distractions. Jeff sends Debra to the back.)

The Match: They exchange arm drags and mat holds. Jarrett struts and poses when he’s in control. But Jeff complains of hair-pulling when Dean takes over. Then Jarrett works on Dean’s arm. However, Dean takes him to the mat and walks on Jarrett’s back. Jeff returns to the mat holds and even a sleeper, but it’s not enough. Dean answers with a flying axehandle, a superplex, a German Suplex, and the Cloverleaf. Jeff reaches the ropes. (Debra then returns to ringside out of concern.) Next, they fight outside and Dean attacks Jeff’s leg. Jarrett tries to return that favor until Malenko lightly crotches him on the ropes. Then they fight at the apron and reverse sleeper and pin attempts. Jarrett also avoids a boot to the face when he dives. But Dean surprises him with a roll-up and a backslide. Jeff counters with a swinging neckbreaker before trading more suplexes and near falls. Then Dean tweaks his knee on a leapfrog. So Jarrett pounces with a chop block. Jeff follows with a Figure Four for the submission.

Thoughts: This wasn’t bad. But I found it dull. Most of the moves were well executed. The finish was fine. However, the heat didn’t match the build. It feels as if Dean should be angrier. After everything Jarrett did to him, the match was too subdued. Even Larry called out the lack of intensity. This was a passable but lackluster encounter.

Winner: Jeff Jarrett (14:53)

Then Tony says they have to step out. The nWo paid for promo time on the PPV. Larry says he’ll give them their money back. But they show the promo anyway. Kevin Nash can’t believe it. They went for a soda and Curt Hennig attacked them! Kevin leaves the room for a moment because he’s verklempt. So Syxx says the Four Horsemen are finished. Then Konnan speaks Spanish. He calls their team crazy dogs and promises to take care of the Horsemen. Nash is back, and he says they have a plan. It’s a doozy. Buff then reveals the plan. They end the Horsemen’s careers! Nash then reiterates the point. Konnan speaks more Spanish. And the nWo mentions the Horsemen are finished a few more times. Next, Nash asks if they’re with him in ending the Horsemen. Everyone says it would be an honor and they make the Wolfpac hand sign. (They’re mocking Hennig saying it would be an honor to join The Horsemen. This was repetitive and annoying.)

Mortis & Wrath (w/ James Vandenberg) vs. The Faces of Fear

Notes: This feud began when Wrath defeated The Barbarian on the 100^th Nitro. Meng came to Barbie’s aid, but Vandenberg told his men to stand down. Then all four men traded victories against each other. Vandenberg’s crew no longer backed off. The teams brawled multiple times. Meng locked Wrath in a Tongan Death Grip, and Mortis couldn’t break it. This led to two tag team encounters between the teams. Both ended with wild fights. It wasn’t enough. Vandenberg called out the Faces of Fear for yet another chaotic melee. Then Mortis & Wrath attacked again after The Faces of Fear wrestled The Steiners.

The Match: Mortis and Barbie trade strikes and clotheslines. Barbs gives him a press slam. But Meng misses a corner charge. This brings in Wrath. He catches Meng with a diving clothesline. However, Mortis finds himself in trouble again. Meng backdrops Mortis into a Barbo powerbomb. Then The Faces of Fear absorb Mortis’ strikes. Mortis kips up after a move, but Meng knocks him back down. Mortis & Wrath finally take control through Vandenberg’s distractions. They give Barbara a Powerbomb/Neckbreaker. Wrath follows with a backbreaker and a springboard elbow drop. Mortis even lands a second-rope Rocker Dropper. Then Wrath continues with a flying clothesline and Barbarino regroups. But Mortis seizes the opportunity. He rams Barbs into the steps and shoves them into Barbarian’s head. Next, Mortis & Wrath do a tower of doom superplex. But it dazes everyone involved. This allows Meng to tag and hand out powerslams and big boots. Meng follows with a flying splash. Vandenberg tries to interfere, but Meng stops him. He puts both James and Mortis in the Tongan Death Grip. But this leaves Meng vulnerable. Wrath uses the opening to grab him for the Death Penalty (Uranage). It gets the victory.

Thoughts: This was a decent hoss fight. They had some good spots and double-team moves. The problem is, there was little heat. The reactions picked up toward the end. But they cared little for it. These teams fought multiple times on TV. This pairing burned out the fans. Many of the bouts on this PPV are retreads of stuff we’ve already seen.

Winners: Mortis & Wrath (12:22)

Mean Gene is in a somber locker room with The Horsemen. Gene doesn’t know the status of Curt Hennig. But it doesn’t look good. Then Benoit says it’s an honor to give the nWo a taste of reality. Benoit also calls Konnan a wannabe. Syxx is just a number. We all know what Buff is about. (We do? Does Benoit mind telling us?) And Nash has been so many characters they don’t know what he’s about. But they’ll know what The Horsemen are about! (I don’t know what this promo was about! What was Chris saying?) Next, Mongo tells the nWo they can run but not hide. He asks if they know what Armageddon is. (Yeah, it’s a future WWF PPV.) The Horsemen bring the apocalypse tonight! Then Gene turns his attention to Flair. Ric says he wouldn’t be here if he quit when his back was against the wall. Hennig isn’t there. But he’ll stand tall if they put him back together. Ric also sings the praises of Benoit & Mongo. McMichael apparently wears his Super Bowl ring in his leisure time. And Benoit is the best wrestler alive today. As for Ric himself, he has more heart, desire, soul, and reality than the nWo will ever know! The Horsemen will bleed and sweat and the nWo will pay the price for life! Woo!

During the entrances for the next bout, Tony rants about no one stepping up to help WCW. If a member of the nWo went down, they’d replace him. Why can’t another member of WCW take Hennig’s place? He implores someone to come forward.

The Giant vs. Scott Norton

Notes: The Giant and Zbyszko attacked Bischoff before Road Wild. So Eric placed a restraining order on both men. The Giant was supposed to face Norton on Nitro. But he couldn’t approach the ring because of Eric. The nWo goaded The Giant until he broke the restraining order and the police arrested him. Zbyszko tried in vain to convince The Giant not to do it. The next week, Bischoff appeared during The Giant’s match. He claimed the Giant violated the order again because of this. But Dillinger told Eric it doesn’t work that way. Since Eric was the aggressor, it didn’t count. So The Giant and Larry chased Bischoff into the crowd. The Giant also helped Mysterio, Luger, & DDP fend off the nWo. This led to The Giant brawling with Norton at the end of the go-home Nitro.

The Match: They trade punches until The Giant sends Norton over the ropes with a clothesline. Then The Giant sends Scott into the rail. But Norton slides off The Giant’s back and shoves him into the post. Norton follows with punches and headbutts. He also tries to suplex The Giant, but it’s reversed. Next, The Giant sends Scott back inside. But they tumble to the floor again within seconds. The Giant clubs Norton with elbows and forearms. So Scott answers with a low-blow and a hotshot. Norton continues with strikes to the throat and ribs. He also uses chops and choking. Then Norton lands corner splashes and a back suplex. However, The Giant signals for the chokeslam while on his back. This leads to a Giant kip-up! The crowd goes crazy for the feats of athleticism, especially when The Giant nails a dropkick! The Giant then hits the chokeslam for the victory.

Thoughts: It was short and explosive. Norton had a few feats of strength. Plus, the finishing sequence was fun. It served its purpose. They’re keeping The Giant strong until they’re ready for his next big feud. I didn’t mind it.

Winner: The Giant (5:27)

Lex Luger & Diamond Dallas Page vs. Scott Hall & Randy Savage (w/ Miss Elizabeth)

Notes: Luger & DDP were originally in the War Games Match. But Piper removed them because they couldn’t get along. The Luger & Page pairing started because Luger saved Dallas from a nWo beating. So Luger & Page faced Hall & Savage at the Clash. But the nWo tricked a blinded DDP into giving Luger a Diamond Cutter by accident. The following week, Luger put Page in The Rack. DDP bumped into Lex from behind and Luger didn’t realize it was him. Both men were angry. They said the attacks were accidents. But they refused to talk it out face-to-face. However, Lex & Dallas agreed to face Hall & Savage a second time. It ended with Luger nailing Page with an inadvertent running forearm. Lex & Dallas realized they had to settle their differences in a match. The nWo interfered and stirred the pot. But it didn’t work. Luger & Page worked together to fight them and then embraced. (On a side note, Zbyszko is still on commentary. He had a few run-ins with Scott Hall on Nitro. We’ll see if it factors into this bout. He gets a few digs at Hall on commentary. Larry compares him to Miss Elizabeth.)

The Match: Hall and Luger start and do long lock-ups. They shove each other back and forth. Then both Hall & Savage enter the ring. So Luger cleans house. He nails running forearms, whips them into each other, and hits a double clothesline. Luger also press slams Savage onto Hall. After a regroup, Hall takes control on DDP. Scott uses shoulder blocks, arm holds, and slaps. Page answers with punches, a Manhattan Drop, and a pancake. But Savage trips Dallas. Hall & Savage then goad Luger into the ring for ref distractions. They use the opening to hit a flying knee and a fallaway slam. Hall & Savage also double-team and choke Page in their corner. Next, Hall & Savage lure Luger in between the rings and knock him down into the gap.

With Luger out of commission, Hall & Savage throw DDP in and out of the two rings. They pass him back and forth and choke him on the ropes. The ref complains, so Hall knocks him out. It pisses off Zbyszko. Then Savage & Liz double-team Page. They slap and choke him. Meanwhile, another ref arrives to check on Mark Curtis. Hall sneaks around behind him and stomps this ref. Larry has enough. He throws down his headset and approaches the ring. Zbyszko confronts Hall while Luger rises from between the rings. Larry spots him, so he shoves Hall into a roll-up. Larry makes a quick three-count and calls for the bell. The commentators love it. If the nWo can make up their own rules, so can WCW! Tony says, “You lost! Go home!”

Thoughts: This was good fun. It was more storyline than match. But I’m fine with that. The heat was insane for this. These teams already had regular matches against each other. A more story-driven bout is good for variety. Plus, this does a good job setting up events for the future.

Winners: Luger & DDP? (I guess it counts.) (10:19)

Gene still doesn’t know the update on Hennig. But he knows all about the hotline! Arn Anderson will share what he experienced during the horrible nWo parody. You can also get results from Fall Brawl. (Why would people watching the PPV call for results?) Then Gene introduces a commercial for Halloween Havoc.

Randy Savage welcomes everyone to his world. Every day is Halloween! (Savage’s world looks like an orange post-apocalypse. There are burning trash barrels and oddly dressed characters.) Savage says there’s no way out! (The WWF writes that down for later.) Then Savage says WCW will rest in peace. (The Undertaker calls his lawyers.)

Michael Buffer calls this the climax of the evening! (Oh, my!) Honor, glory, and bragging rights are on the line. It’s nWo vs. WCW. Then Buffer says it’s time to set the stage for rage in the cage. (He’s a poet and he didn’t know it.) Fireworks explode as the cage lowers over the ring. Buffer explains the rules for the bout. Next, Buffer introduces the nWo team as the now ready for prime time players. (Are they making millions of dollars?) The Horsemen are next, but Hennig isn’t there. It’s only Flair, Benoit, & Mongo. Nash says they have the numbers advantage. The nWo is cocky as they send Buff in first. The Horsemen start with Benoit. Tony once again asks why WCW didn’t send someone out to take Hennig’s place.

War Games Match: (nWo) Kevin Nash, Syxx, Buff Bagwell, & Konnan vs. (The Four Horsemen) Ric Flair, Chris Benoit, Steve McMichael, & Curt Hennig

Notes: Hennig still hesitated to call himself a Horseman. In fact, Flair spotted Curt talking to Bischoff! But Ric & Curt teamed to beat Konnan & Syxx at The Clash. Afterward, Ric needed an answer and he knew how to convince Curt. Arn Anderson returned and announced his retirement. His neck issues were too severe. He lost feeling in one of his hands. So Arn offered Hennig something special. It was Arn’s spot in the Horsemen! Curt said it would be an honor and finally accepted the offer. Then WCW dedicated a Nitro to Arn’s career. But Nash, Syxx, Konnan, & Buff made a parody of Arn’s retirement. They dressed as the Horsemen and mocked Arn for giving up his SPOT. The nWo even referenced Arn’s alcoholism. (This caused legitimate anger from Flair & Anderson.) A furious Flair cut a passionate promo about friendship in the wrestling business. Then he demanded a match with the nWo. So Piper saw a solution. He changed the War Games Match. Now, The Horseman faces the four men who mocked Arn’s retirement. Flair & Hennig also got a warm-up bout against Konnan & Buff, which they won.

The Match: Benoit and Buff trade strikes, slaps, and ram each other into the cage. Then Benoit misses a flying headbutt. So Buff backdrops him into the wall. They continue trading strikes until the first round ends. The nWo won the coin toss, so Konnan enters the bout. Chris fends them off with dropkicks and slams. But Bagwell boots him. Konnan follows with a DDT and they throw Chris into the other ring. Mongo is next. He chokes Konnan on the ropes while Benoit takes Buff to the other side. Chris uses chops and forearms until Syxx enters the fray. Syxx eats some Benoit chops too. Then Chris whips Syxx into Buff. And Mongo presses Syxx into the ceiling. Benoit follows with a Crossface, but Buff stops it. While this happens, Curt Hennig arrives with his arm in a sling! Flair checks on him, but Curt says he’s ready.

Syxx & Konnan double-team Benoit. But Flair enters next to stop it. He hands out chops for everyone on the nWo team and rakes Syxx’s face on the mesh. Meanwhile, Mongo gives Konnan a backbreaker. Then Syxx & Ric fight to the other end of the cage and trade punches. But Nash joins the fight. He gives Flair a side slam, rams Benoit into the wall, and nails a big boot on Mongo. Syxx & Buff also double-team Flair until Ric uses a low-blow. This allows Ric to put the Figure Four on Syxx as Hennig is the last man in! Curt immediately removes his sling and reveals handcuffs! Hennig then turns to Nash and—pulls him aside. Curt nails Mongo instead! It’s a swerve!!

The nWo attack The Horsemen. Konnan & Nash handcuff Mongo & Benoit to the wall. Everyone else beats up Ric Flair. Then Hennig rips up his Horsemen t-shirt while Nash grabs a mic. Kevin asks Mongo & Benoit if they surrender. They spit in his face and tell him to bite them. Benoit even tries to rip the cuffs off the wall. So the nWo continues attacking Flair. Nash gives Ric a Jackknife. (Syxx holds Ric’s head to make sure they don’t repeat the Sid/Pillman spot.) Benoit & Mongo still won’t quit. Then Hennig drags Flair to the door. Nash says they’ll slam it on Ric’s head if the Horsemen don’t surrender. Mongo says they have to stop it. So Nash accepts that as his answer. But Hennig slams the door on Ric anyway!

Thoughts: From a standalone point of view, I like the storytelling of the finish. It’s a unique way to end a War Games match. But this is another in a long line of people betraying WCW. Even the crowd seemed tired of it. As for the rest of the bout, it was mindless brawling until the final round. That’s typical for War Games. Plus, the nWo team lacked star power. This was decent with a memorable ending. But it wasn’t great.

Winners: The nWo (19:37)

I want to give a side note about the finish. Flair scheduled cosmetic surgery for the day after this event. WCW used footage of it on Nitro to sell Flair’s injuries. For years, I heard rumors Ric got legitimately hurt by the spot. He didn’t. It’s clever of WCW to use Flair’s real surgery images to make it seem that way.

Flair writhes around in pain. Buff asks the Horsemen how they feel now. Then Nash says it’s the death of the Horsemen in their backyard. The nWo celebrates and calls the Horsemen idiots. A dejected Tony Schiavone says goodnight.

The Good:

• Jericho/Guerrero was great.

• Mortis & Wrath vs. Faces of Fear was a decent hoss fight.

• The Luger/DDP vs. Hall & Savage match was fun.

• I liked the Zbyszko stuff.

The Bad:

• Wright/Dragon was dull.

• Jarrett/Malenko was lackluster.

• That depressing ending.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Eddie Guerrero. The heel turn did wonders for him. Plus, I’m excited about what’s coming.

Final Thoughts:

This felt like another filler show. Both Hogan and Sting weren’t on it. The fans chanted for Sting more than once during the program. Plus, the nWo team in War Games was mostly B-team members. It wasn’t a terrible PPV. But it was disappointing. It didn’t help half the bouts were repeats. WCW gave away many of the encounters on free TV. Some of them happened more than once. It’s another example of WCW filling time while Hogan is busy. Then the PPV had another dire ending for WCW. That was a theme of the Nitros leading up to this event. I get they want Sting to be the conquering hero. But it’s depressing to watch.

Thanks for reading. My next review is the WWF’s One Night Only. Look for it next Sunday.