World War 3 ’97

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

World War 3

November 23, 1997

The Palace of Auburn Hills

Auburn Hills, Michigan

News & Notes: It’s World War 3, again! (Shouldn’t this be World War 5?) There’s a three-ring 60-man battle royal, a bunch of rematches, and some Flock goodness! But first, there are other things happening in WCW.

Sting vs. Hogan is now official for Starrcade. Hogan had a TV movie called Assault on Devil’s Island. It premiered on TNT and the nWo threw a party in Vegas. Hogan dared Sting to appear and sign a match contract. Sting answered his challenge. They showed clips of the contract signing. These aired during the commercial breaks of the premiere. (That’s one way to get people to watch his film.) Hogan accused Sting of cowardice, despite Sting answering the invitation. So Sting slammed his bat down on the contract. It made Hogan back away in fear. Then Bischoff complained. He found a movie poster with Sting on it. Sting had a small part in a film called The Real Reason (Men Commit Crimes). (Bischoff was the executive producer. But they didn’t mention that part. Also, this is out of character for Sting. It’s an odd choice to mention it.) Hogan accused him of encroaching on his territory. He challenged Sting and got him. But Savage distracted Sting for a nWo beating. Hollywood gave Sting multiple leg drops and Bischoff taunted him.

Meanwhile, Larry Zbyszko had enough of Scott Hall. He dared Hall to sign a match contract. But Hall refused. Scott said Larry couldn’t even beat Bischoff. He teased Zbyszko with the footage of Eric pinning Larry at Halloween Havoc. Then Hall faced Jericho in a match and lost in an upset. So Larry taunted him about it and offered the match once more. Hall refused again. However, Hall antagonized Larry the following week. He lured Zbyszko away from the announce table and the nWo jumped him. Eric Bischoff posed with his foot on Larry’s chest for a second time.

In other news, the nWo made two shocking announcements. The first one happened the night after the Montreal Screwjob. The nWo opened Nitro with a rousing rendition of “Oh, Canada.” They did this to welcome their newest member into the fold. Bischoff said Bret Hart joined the nWo! The commentators and wrestlers were torn. Some believed it. Others were skeptical. Bret hasn’t appeared yet to set the record straight. However, the nWo’s next announcement was legitimate. Rick Rude joined the group! Nitro was live and RAW was taped. So Rude appeared on both in the same night! He had a beard on RAW. But he shaved before Nitro. Rude was on a per-appearance agreement with the WWF. He easily signed with WCW after the screwjob. Appearing on both programs was his way of sticking it to Vince McMahon. (Rude also appeared on ECW TV the same week. He’s the only man to appear on all three in such a short span of time.)

We open on a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Some guy in a gas mask scours the wreckage for survivors. He reports to a lady in WCW Control. His goggles can see into the past. The man stands before the wreckage of what appears to be a ’92-era WCW ring. (It has the old ring skirt.) But he can see footage from late 90s WCW. The idea of a three-ring 60-man battle royal astounds him. He goes in for a closer look, which apparently means time travel. The lady in the control room tells him to pull out. It’s too dangerous! But it’s too late. A portal pulls the poor sap into Tony Schiavone’s intro for World War 3 ’97.

Tony welcomes everyone to the Palace of Auburn Hills. He’s with Mike Tenay and Bobby Heenan. (Dusty isn’t there! Boo, again!) 60 men will battle, but only one will stand in the end. Will he be with WCW or the nWo? We aren’t too far away from the answer! Then Tenay says many people are looking toward Starrcade. (Yeah, including the WCW booking committee. It becomes obvious as this show progresses.) But he says the battle royal is equally important. The winner will face either Hogan or Sting at SuperBrawl in February. (Those plans change. But we’ll get to that.) Meanwhile, Heenan says you can’t pick a winner until the final ten men. It’s all about luck before then. People in the ring range in size from The Giant to Rey Mysterio.

The Faces of Fear (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. Glacier & Ernest Miller

Notes: Glacier faced The Barbarian on Nitro. Jimmy Hart got involved, so Glacier kicked him off the apron. However, Glacier learned you don’t mess with Jimmy! Meng avenged his manager by putting Glacier in the Tongan Death Grip. The next week, Glacier wrestled Meng. Glacier hit Hart again! (When will he learn?) So The Barbarian jumped Glacier. But Ernest Miller came to the rescue. It earned Miller a Tongan Death Grip for his troubles.

The Match: It begins with a wild brawl. Then Glacier & Miller control the bout with kicks and leg sweeps. They also use arm wringers and armbars. The Barbarian tries to grab Glacier from the floor. So Miller enters the ring. He vaults off Meng’s chest into a flying crossbody onto Barbo. Glacier follows with a slingshot crossbody. But he goes after Jimmy Hart. (He still hasn’t learned.) Barbara attacks and fends off Glacier’s kicks. Then The Faces of Fear give Glacier a backdrop bomb. Meng continues the assault with a dropkick and a backbreaker. He also nails a shoulderbreaker after Barbarino wears Glacier down with a chinlock. Next, Meng uses the dreaded nerve hold! Glacier finally rallies with a back suplex and tags Miller. Ernest cleans house with kicks and jumping clotheslines. But Hart climbs on the apron and distracts him. Miller shoves Jimmy. This allows Meng to recover and grab a Tongan Death Grip. (Miller should have learned!) The ref counts Ernest’s shoulders on the mat.

Thoughts: It wasn’t bad. But it was messy and slow. The closing moments were good. I like how they continued the continuity from the build. Glacier & Miller’s focus on Jimmy Hart was their undoing. Overall, I didn’t mind the match. But this wasn’t a hot opener. This belongs more in the middle of the card or in the second match slot.

Winners: The Faces of Fear (9:09)

DDP is in the wcwwrestling.com room with Mark Madden and Jeff Katz. Madden asks Page about his strategy for the WW3 Match. DDP confuses Mark with Okerlund. But he quickly realizes his mistake. Katz stares at DDP like he doesn’t realize it was a joke. (I can hear Gene’s response now. “Is DDP going blind? Call the hotline to find out more!”) Then Page gives his answer, but Tony speaks over it.

Disco dances to the ring for his bout. But Saturn enters through the crowd. Tenay notices a new member of The Flock (Lodi). So Heenan says they let someone else out of the nuthouse. Raven accompanies Saturn and sits in the corner of the ring. He takes a mic and says, “Let the stretchings begin!” (Somewhere, Stu Hart’s ears perk up.)

TV Title Match: Perry Saturn (c) (w/ Raven) vs. Disco Inferno

Notes: Saturn faced Disco for the TV title on Nitro. Perry won the belt in a dominant performance. But Disco gets a rematch. So Saturn & The Flock antagonized Disco the following week. (This included The Flock’s newest member, Van Hammer. Bischoff wanted Raven to add him to the group. Eric had to justify still having Hammer on the payroll in 1997.) Kidman threw a drink in Disco’s face and The Flock jumped him. But Disco isn’t the only person The Flock pissed off. Saturn also defended against Benoit. Saturn used the ropes to get the win. So Benoit attacked after the bout. He received a beating from The Flock for his troubles. (Remember this. It sets up an upcoming feud. Also, I have a side note about The Flock. Stevie Richards left. He had a real-life falling out with Raven and asked for his WCW release. A man named Lodi replaced him as the sign guy of the group.)

The Match: Saturn controls the bout with takedowns and headlocks. He also slaps Disco a few times. Disco answers with hip tosses, a slingshot, and a Manhattan Drop. Then Disco uses strikes and avoids a boot to the face. But he misses an elbow drop and Saturn lands a t-bone suplex. Next, Saturn misses a springboard moonsault. But he almost catches Disco with pin attempts. One is a nice sit-out backslide. When those don’t work, he crotches Disco on the ropes. Saturn then takes him to the floor with an awkward springboard crossbody. While outside, Disco argues with The Flock. They attack, so Disco hands out Chartbusters. (It’s a Stunner. Yes, they gave Disco The Stunner. Go figure.) But Van Hammer blocks one. This allows Saturn to attack Disco. Saturn attempts a Tiger Suplex, so Disco runs him into the ropes. Then Disco nails a swinging neckbreaker and does a flying crossbody. However, Saturn rolls through the move and locks Disco in the Rings of Saturn. Disco submits.

Thoughts: I liked the finish of the match. But the rest was slow and uninteresting. Was Saturn dealing with injuries? He seemed a step off in this bout. I know what he’s capable of. It felt like he was holding back. This wasn’t bad. But it’s another lackluster encounter. Maybe Disco was conserving energy for the WW3 Match. Saturn isn’t in it, so he wouldn’t need to do so.

Winner: Perry Saturn (8:19)

Gene is backstage to interview The Giant. But he plugs the hotline first. Gene went through all the locker rooms. Who he saw will surprise you! Call the hotline for more information! Then Gene welcomes last year’s winner, The Giant. He calls him a favorite to win. But The Giant has a disadvantage. Scott Hall broke The Giant’s hand! Gene shows the footage. Then he asks for The Giant’s mindset. The Giant says he can’t chokeslam anyone with his bad hand. But he can throw people over the ropes. This is his position and his SPOT! The Giant claims he’s blown to the gills. (Isn’t that a bad thing?) Someone will pay for his hand! (How sad. Is WCW not helping him pay his medical bills? Oh, what am I saying? That doesn’t happen in wrestling.)

Yuji Nagata (w/ Sonny Onoo) vs. Ultimo Dragon

Notes: Dragon took the month off to get surgery for his bone chips. But now he’s back for his revenge. If Dragon wins, he gets Sonny Onoo for five minutes! Meanwhile, Nagata was busy during Dragon’s time away. Yuji got another decisive win over Psychosis. He also defeated Alex Wright with Onoo’s help. Sonny first tried to bribe Debra. When that didn’t work, he kissed her. This was enough to distract Alex for Nagata’s attack. (On a side note, check out the screencap for this match. Yes, that fan’s sign says, “Hogan fears Harlan Ellison.” Is that the most obscure sign ever? Hogan has no hair, and he must shave!)

The Match: Dragon uses kicks and leg sweeps and trades strikes with Yuji. But he sells pain in his arm. Nagata pounces on the injury after catching a handspring elbow. Yuji puts Dragon in two armbars. But Dragon breaks free. Then they head outside and Ultimo confronts Sonny. He absorbs Onoo’s kicks and tries a suplex on Onoo. Nagata stops this and they return to the ring. Next, both men take turns turning headlocks into Saito Suplexes. So Yuji answers with piledrivers, sleeper holds, and a Camel Clutch. He also uses a Fujiwara Armbar, but Dragon reaches the ropes. Dragon then rallies with kicks, face washes, and crossbodies. (The camera glitches and misses one to the outside.) Dragon continues with a super Frankensteiner and a Dragon Sleeper. So Onoo becomes desperate. He doesn’t want to face Ultimo. Sonny puts Yuji’s foot on the ropes and distracts the ref. These tactics don’t work, so Onoo climbs on the apron. Dragon attempts a back suplex too close to Sonny. Nagata takes advantage by pushing off of Onoo and turning the suplex into a pin. (The ref counts to four, for some reason. Also, the replay shows Nagata munching on Dragon’s crotch during the pin. How odd!)

Thoughts: It started slow, but it picked up by the end. They had me worried at first. Both men forgot about working the arm. They also repeated spots. However, it found momentum as it progressed. But then the finish was sloppy. It wasn’t as good as their last bout, but I liked it well enough. This was still the best bout of the night, so far.

Winner: Yuji Nagata (12:45)

Tag Team Title Match: The Steiner Brothers (c) (w/ Ted DiBiase) vs. Steve Regal & Dave Taylor

Notes: Steve Regal reformed his team with Dave Taylor because WCW has nothing else for him. Regal & Taylor then got victories over Harlem Heat. The first happened on Saturday Night and it was tainted. So Harlem Heat got a rematch after Chris Adams snitched on Regal. But Regal & Taylor won again. Now, they get a title shot. Meanwhile, The Steiners have their own issues. First, they wrestled The Public Enemy twice. Rick almost got decapitated by a scary double table spot. DiBiase pulled him away at the last second. Rick walked away with a bad scratch. The Steiners’ other concern is The Outsiders. Nash returned and called The Steiners title win phony. Kevin wasn’t in the match, so it didn’t count. Now, The Outsiders have their own tag belts. (They have the new belts. So The Steiners use the old WCW tag titles.) They claim to be the real champions. The nWo jumped The Steiners on the go-home Nitro.

The Match: Dave Taylor uses forearms and uppercuts. So Scott Steiner answers with a hip toss, shoulder blocks, and a Tiger Bomb. Then Regal & Taylor regroup after Rick hands out Steinerlines. Regal yells at DiBiase while he’s on the floor. Next, Regal and Rick fight. But Regal does his bicep pose first. They trade knucklelocks and arm wringers. Regal also nails uppercuts and knees. Then Scott tries mat wrestling with Regal. Scott nails a belly-to-belly and turns a heel hook into an STF. After more back and forth, Regal & Taylor take control. Steve attacks Scott from the apron and sends him to the floor. Regal then attacks Scott and rolls him inside for more hard strikes. Regal also cuts off Scott’s rallies and his tags. But Scott lands another belly-to-belly and crawls for a tag. This brings Rick in to clean house with Steinerlines and slams. But Taylor breaks up a pin. It leads to a wild brawl and the Steiners backdrop Regal. Next, they throw Taylor outside and nail a Steinerizer on Regal for the win.

Thoughts: This was a fun, hard-hitting, and technical bout. It was what I expected from these teams, and that’s a good thing. It wasn’t overly thrilling, but I enjoyed it. This doesn’t change the fact it was a pointless filler feud. But that’s fine.

Winners: The Steiner Brothers (9:45)

Gene is in the aisle with JJ Dillon. Okerlund stumbles over the introduction because Dillon has too many titles. And in recent weeks, Dillon had his hands full. Some people signed contracts and others didn’t. This leads to Dillon discussing Raven. Tonight might be Raven’s last match. He hasn’t signed his contract yet. WCW allowed him to sit in the crowd and come and go as he wants. They even gave him TV time to express his opinions. But Dillon had to draw the line. Raven has twenty-four hours to sign his contract, or he’s gone! They show Raven on the screen behind them, but he seems nonplussed. Gene asks why Raven hasn’t signed. Dillon doesn’t know because he can’t understand Raven. Then Dillon restates his ultimatum.

This leads to Scotty Riggs’ entrance. He’s wearing an eye patch because of events I’ll explain in a moment. Raven is his opponent. He comes out of the crowd without music. Kidman grabs a mic and explains the deal. The match is No DQ or no fight! Riggs answers by diving onto The Flock. Then Riggs turns his focus to Raven. So The Flock takes their seats and watches the match. But Saturn stays beside the ring.

Raven’s Rules Match: Raven (w/ Perry Saturn) vs. Scotty Riggs

Notes: Raven hasn’t signed his contract yet. WCW wants him to fully commit, but Raven is stubborn. Raven also demands all his matches are No DQ. He calls this Raven’s Rules. Raven faced Riggs in such a bout on Nitro. But he first invited Scotty to join The Flock. Raven says he fights for the bullied and disenfranchised and wants to set Riggs free. Scotty refused, so Raven gave him a drop toe hold onto a chair! It injured Scotty’s eye. Raven apologized for going that far. He claimed the fans made him do it. Then Scotty returned with an eye patch. He got involved in The Flock’s scuffle with Disco Inferno. But Riggs picked no side. He attacked both Saturn and Disco. So Raven made his offer to Riggs again. Scotty declined and leaped onto The Flock during his match. They had no choice but to attack him for it. But Raven still wants Riggs to join his crew.

The Match: Riggs fights Raven on the floor. He rams him into the steps and rolls Raven inside. Then Scotty throws punches, stomps, and kicks. He dares Raven to bring it and hits a swinging neckbreaker and a splash. Raven finally answers by pulling Riggs into the corner. He also chokes Scotty with his flannel shirt. This leads to another fight on the floor. Riggs chokes Raven with a cable and rolls him into the ring. But Raven hits a jawbreaker and Saturn gives Raven a chair. Raven clocks Riggs with it and opens the chair up. However, Riggs gets his revenge. He sends Raven into the chair with a drop toe hold! Next, Scotty dropkicks the chair into Raven’s face and nails a bulldog onto it! But Riggs keeps hesitating and only gets two counts. Riggs continues with a suplex, but Raven drops behind him and nails an Even Flow DDT. Then Raven asks for a mic. He says he didn’t want to do this. Why didn’t Scotty join him? Raven feels his pain! Raven then gives Riggs another Even Flow. He claims it hurts him more than it hurts Scotty. Raven screams, “Why didn’t you listen to me!?” He follows with another Even Flow. So the ref administers a ten count. Raven wins by knockout.

Thoughts: I enjoyed the storytelling of this bout. It was more focused on the drama, and that’s okay. A good wrestling card has a variety of presentations. We need more story-driven encounters. This did a good job building Raven’s character. Plus, there were some good chair spots. It also had good intensity and performances.

Winner: Raven (9:43)

Mickey Jay calls for help while Raven sits against the ropes. No help comes. So The Flock enters the ring and carries Riggs’ lifeless body into the crowd.

Then Steve McMichael enters the arena with a pipe in his hand. I swear Penzer announces him as Mongo McMichah. Mongo is supposed to face Bill Goldberg. The music plays, but there’s no Goldberg. Mongo grabs a mic. He says the fans aren’t getting the advertised match! Goldberg isn’t the only one who can sneak up on someone! Mongo learned some new tricks! Steve tells the camera to look backstage. This leads to a shot of Goldberg having a nice nap on the concrete floor. Oh, I mean, someone laid him out. (They did this because Goldberg was dealing with injuries. They moved the Goldberg/Mongo match to Starrcade.) When they go back to Mongo, Tony points out Steve regained his Super Bowl ring. Then Mongo asks for an opponent. So Debra drags Alex Wright to the ring. He doesn’t want to be there.

Steve Mongo McMichael vs. Alex Wright (w/ Queen Debra)

Notes: First, I want to send my thoughts to Mongo. He’s battling ALS. This blog gave me an amused appreciation for his work. It’s sad to see him in his current state. (You can contribute to the Team Mongo Go Fund Me by clicking here.) With that said, on with the match notes. WCW is saving the Mongo vs. Goldberg match for Starrcade. Aren’t you glad? Mongo attacked Goldberg on Nitro while Bill scuffled with Disco and Wright. But Goldberg tackled him. They brawled until Dillinger broke up the fight. Goldberg got a measure of revenge the next week. He distracted Mongo and McMichael lost to Ray Traylor. Then a frustrated Mongo got disqualified during his bout with Alex Wright. He pushed the ref after Debra got in his face. Now, you see the results of McMichael’s growing angst. We’ll have to wait another month to see his five-star encounter with Goldberg.

The Match: Mongo poses on the turnbuckles, so Alex jumps him. Wright whips McMichael with his jacket and nails chops. But Mongo answers with clotheslines, slams, and strikes until Alex regroups. Then Wright jumps Mongo again while Steve chats with Nick Patrick. So Mongo gives Alex a press and drop and a side slam. (Oh, here we go again!) Alex rallies with more strikes until Mongo reverses him into the corner. Then McMichael does some three-point stances into chop blocks and clotheslines. He continues with a second side slam. (I’m having flashbacks!) Next, Mongo finishes Wright with The Mongo Spike (Tombstone).

Thoughts: This was basic. It was also not what the fans wanted. They booed when Goldberg didn’t arrive. It’s another WCW bait and switch. We didn’t even get some amusing Mongo botches. The action was fine. But it wasn’t interesting.

Winner: Steve McMichael (3:36)

After the bell, Mongo speaks to the camera. He took out both Goldberg and Alex Wright. Who wants more? Tenay points out Mongo never scored a touchdown during his career. He was a defensive player. So this was Mongo’s chance to spike Wright like a football.

Then we go to Perry Saturn in the wcwwrestling.com room. He says he’s still the TV champion. He told Disco he’d win. Saturn says he beat Disco with his hole. (Wait, that can’t be right. Oh, he said hold. My bad.) Then Saturn dares someone to take his belt. He also berates Madden for wasting his time. (Thank you, Perry. You speak for all of us!) Madden doesn’t know why he’s so upset. Mark also calls them Raven’s Nest. (No, that was their ECW name.)

Next, Rey Mysterio enters for his match. Tony is shocked to hear Penzer bill Rey from San Diego. Tenay tells him Rey moved to the United States. Then Rey gives one of his masks to a fan. (That was nice of him. Lord knows WCW wasn’t selling those at the merchandise stand.)

Cruiserweight Title Match: Eddie Guerrero (c) vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.

Notes: WCW announced this rematch after Halloween Havoc. However, they held the bout early. (Gotta win those TV ratings!) Eddie defeated Mysterio to regain his Cruiserweight title! Afterward, Dean Malenko confronted Guerrero. Dean hadn’t forgotten their previous issues! So Malenko and Guerrero fought the next week. The commentators stated Mysterio would face the winner at WW3. Eddie vs. Dean ended in a draw. A brutal back superplex knocked both men out cold. Mysterio appeared during the encounter and watched the action. But he left during the commercial break. (I mentioned Saturn/Benoit stuff earlier. That Eddie/Dean match was setting up another feud for Starrcade. The build for many of the matches tonight involves a setup for future plans. You can tell they’re already focused on Starrcade. This PPV is almost an afterthought.)

The Match: They trade arm holds. But Rey keeps taking Guerrero down with arm drags, shoulder blocks, and headscissors. Eddie complains to the ref about it. Then Guerrero catches Rey sliding and gives him a release German. He also locks Mysterio in some holds. But Rey breaks free and fluffs a victory roll. However, Rey recovers with a springboard headscissors. Next, they head to the apron and Eddie blocks a sunset bomb. Guerrero turns it into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Then they head to the top where Eddie blocks and reverses a superplex. He follows with a Frog Splash, but he rolls through when misses it. Rey takes advantage by turning Eddie’s powerbomb attempts into hurricanranas. Mysterio also nails a somersault plancha and moonsaults. So Eddie tries to slow the pace with a Gory Special. But Rey turns it into a sunset flip and gets more pin attempts. Next, Mysterio botches a hurricanrana reversal, but he recovers. Rey follows with a moonsault, a springboard leg drop, and a springboard hurricanrana. The latter almost gets a three count. (The fans boo because they thought the ref messed up.) They continue and Eddie blocks a springboard tornado DDT. Guerrero turns it into a hotshot and nails a Frog Splash for the victory.

Thoughts: This wasn’t bad. But it’s nothing compared to their Havoc match. It had some slow and shaky moments. Even these two are conserving their energy for the battle royal. Either that or they’re dealing with injuries. Both men were a step off and out of sync. It was still solid. But it was disappointing.

Winner: Eddie Guerrero (12:42)

Eddie speaks to the camera after the match. He says he’s the best thing in WCW. Everyone knows it and no one can do anything about it! Then they show a replay. Heenan says Eddie is still the Cruiser—Heavyweight champion. (It can’t be both, Bobby.)

Next, they show a commercial for Starrcade. Sting broods on a rooftop in the rain. He witnessed the ruin of an empire. Now, Sting seeks the ruin of a man! Paybacks are hell. It’s Sting vs. Hollywood Hogan! Call your local cable networks now! Heenan says he’d crawl to see it, even if he was in a body cast.

Then Hennig enters for his No DQ Match with Flair. (He grabbed the correct belt this month.) Curt carries a chair and sits on it for a moment. He casually crosses his legs and smirks at the crowd. Tony doesn’t care. He talks about Hogan vs. Sting and the possible winner of the WW3 Match. Then Hennig swats his gum at the fans, as Flair enters the arena. Ric takes his time this month. He poses for his pyro and takes off his robe.

No DQ Match for the U.S. Title: Curt Hennig (c) vs. Ric Flair

Notes: Flair took out his frustrations on Randy Savage the night after Halloween Havoc. It was a wild fight. But the bout ended in DQ. Hennig hit Flair with the US title. The episode closed with Savage & Hennig beating Flair up. The next week, Luger got a US title match. However, an angry Flair ruined Luger’s shot by attacking Curt. This pissed Lex off. So Ric and Luger fought on the next episode. It resulted in another DQ because of Hennig’s interference. So tensions were high for all three men. They brawled to the back.

The Match: Hennig stalls, so Flair chases him around the ring. This leads to a wild crowd brawl. They fight around the arena and trade chops and punches. Both men ram each other into the rail. Then Hennig uses the camera cable. Curt takes it back to the ring. But Flair wasn’t done outside! The fight returns to the floor and Flair lands—a flying axehandle! But Ric hurts his knee on the landing. (This is why you don’t do top rope moves, Ric!) Curt capitalizes with punches and a backdrop on the floor. When they return to the ring, he gets a two-count. Hennig pokes the ref’s eye by accident during the kick-out. Randy Anderson complains about it. Next, Hennig focuses on Ric’s leg. He jumps on it and uses a spinning toe hold and a deathlock. Then they trade punches and eye-pokes. This leads to Flair returning the favor on Curt’s leg. But Ric goes to the top again and gets slammed. Flair flops and flips. But he keeps firing back with chops. They fight outside again, but Flair still comes back with suplexes. Hennig keeps getting his foot on the ropes during pins. So Flair grabs a chair and gives Curt an atomic drop onto it. Hennig’s leg is caught in the chair and Flair kicks it a few times! Ric also slams the chair into Curt’s knee. Then Ric grabs the US belt and throws it at Hennig before placing him in a Figure Four. However, Curt grabs the belt. He hits Ric in the leg and the head and covers for the win.

Thoughts: This was better than their last match. But it was slow and plodding. It gained some steam by the end. So I didn’t hate it. But it wasn’t great. However, I liked the stuff Flair did with the chair. It had its moments, but it ultimately fell flat.

Winner: Curt Hennig (17:57)

Michael Buffer introduces the main event. They changed the rules this year. You can freely move from ring to ring. But you can’t go to the floor by any means. There’s no more sliding under the bottom rope. It results in elimination. Then everyone enters for the match. The WCW guys come out to generic music. But the nWo enters to their own theme. However, Kevin Nash is missing. The match begins with 59 men. The commentators wonder if Nash’s injury is still an issue. Meanwhile, Savage carries Syxx’s t-shirt. They send their well-wishes to him. (Syxx is out with an injury.) Rick Rude and Miss Elizabeth accompany the nWo to the ring.

Participants: Chris Adams, Brad Armstrong, Buff Bagwell, The Barbarian, Chris Benoit, Bobby Blaze (a former SMW wrestler), Booker T, Ciclope, Damien, El Dandy (Who are we to doubt him?), Barry Darsow (Smash/Repo Man), Disco Inferno, Jim Duggan, Fit Finlay, Hector Garza, Glacier, Johnny Grunge, Juventud Guerrera, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Eddie Guerrero, Curt Hennig, Prince Iaukea, Chris Jericho, Lizmark Jr., Lex Luger, Dean Malenko, Steve McMichael, Meng, Ernest Miller, Rey Mysterio Jr., Hugh Morrus, Mortis, Yuji Nagata, John Nord (The Berzerker. Yes, I’m serious.), Diamond Dallas Page, La Parka, Steve Regal, The Renegade, Rocco Rock, Randy Savage, Silver King, Norman Smiley, Louie Spicolli, Rick Steiner, Scott Steiner, Stevie Ray, Super Calo, Dave Taylor, Ray Traylor, Ultimo Dragon, Greg Valentine, Villano IV, Villano V, Vincent, Kendall Windham (Barry’s brother), Wrath, Alex Wright, & ????

60-Man World War 3 Match

Notes: The Giant was the first to declare his entry into WW3. He interrupted a Lucha battle royal and went chokeslam crazy. Then The Giant called out Nash again. He threatened to throw Kevin into the crowd. But Kevin wasn’t there. He returned the following week in a wheelchair. However, Nash leaped to his feet to show he was fine. (He’ll use that again in the future.) Kevin then cut a Lou Gehrig-like promo about his comeback. He also told The Giant he’d see him at WW3. Next, The Giant fought Scott Hall in a bout. Scott Hall injured The Giant’s hand during the encounter. So the nWo jumped the injured Giant. It led to a wild melee between WCW and the nWo. Meanwhile, DDP also entered WW3. Page received a match with Hogan. But it ended in DQ when a fake Sting attacked him. Page gave the phony a Diamond Cutter and fought with the nWo. So the real Sting came to his aid. DDP vowed to win the battle royal to get another shot at Hogan.

The Match: The Giant eliminates a few luchadores because they keep running at him. But he stands in the corner to protect his hand. If anyone ventures close, The Giant attacks them. Meanwhile, the nWo congregates in one ring. They work together to eliminate some of the jobbers. Then everyone gangs up on poor Stevie Ray. But Booker rescues him. This leads to Harlem Heat eliminating more luchadores. DDP also dumps a few men. While this happens, we see Wrath and The Renegade brawl to the back. (Is that a feud now?) Back inside the ring, Mysterio almost eliminates Hall. But the nWo stops this. Next, a foolish Alex Wright attempts to pin Mongo. The refs remind him it’s a battle royal. (Pins won’t count until next year.) The numbers dwindle and Rey eliminates Eddie. However, the nWo jumps Mysterio and kicks him outside. Mysterio clings onto the ring skirt until they knock him to the floor. This leaves the nWo alone in ring one, so they huddle.

Then Mortis and Wright double-team The Giant, but he dumps both men. But he can’t rest. Meng jumps on The Giant next and they fight. Luger and DDP eliminate Stevie Ray while this happens. The Giant follows that by dropkicking Meng out of the ring. So Penzer tells everyone to enter ring two. The nWo refuses. They dare WCW to enter their domain instead. A ref warns them, so Hall tosses him to the floor. WCW takes the challenge. DDP scuffles with Savage. But The Giant prevents Randy from hitting a flying elbow. This allows Page to nail a Diamond Cutter on Savage. But The Giant stops the elimination. He wants to do a chokeslam. Page lets him and they knock Randy out of the match. This leaves Hall alone with DDP and The Giant. So Hall moves to another ring and points at the entrance! The nWo music plays. The commentators think it’s Nash, but no one shows up. But wait! The music switches to “Voodoo Child”. (On the network, they play the nWo music again. They don’t have the rights to the song.) Hollywood Hogan is the 60^th man! He’s there to ensure no one gets a title match!

Hogan fights with The Giant and slams him. Then Hogan crotches DDP on the ropes while The Giant puts Hall in a bear hug. As the melee continues, a fake Sting repels from the ceiling. This Sting is seven feet tall and has different hair. But it fools the announcers for the moment. (Also, Hogan eliminates DDP during the fake Sting’s entrance. The cameras miss it.) When Hogan spots this Sting, he eliminates himself in mock fear. But the fake Sting turns and nails The Giant with a bat. It sends Giant over the ropes and leaves Scott Hall as the winner!

Thoughts: As usual, this only got interesting at the end. But even that wasn’t great. They used less of the split-screen view, which is good. But the camera still missed key moments. It was impossible to follow. Even the live crowd lost steam as the match progressed. These matches are never thrilling. It’s WCW’s way of one-upping the WWF. They almost always fail when trying to do that. (See the cage match from last month.) With that said, I’m fine with the winner. Hall has been a major focus for the past few months. It makes sense. This run over the next few shows is the height of his WCW tenure.

Winner: Scott Hall (29:48)

The fake Sting then turns to Hall and points the bat at him. Hall looks scared until Sting unmasks to reveal Kevin Nash. He grins at his friend, as they announce Hall won the battle royal. Meanwhile, Hogan gives DDP a Diamond Cutter on the floor and Bischoff mocks him. Inside the ring, the nWo raises Scott Hall’s arms. Then Hogan goes back to DDP and drags him into the ring. Hogan gives him another Diamond Cutter and does a silly victory dance. An annoyed Tony Schiavone says goodnight.

The Good:

• Yuji/Dragon was solid.

• I liked the storytelling of Raven/Riggs.

• The Steiners/Regal & Taylor match was fun.

The Bad:

• The battle royal was hard to watch.

• Mongo/Wright.

• The show was an afterthought.

Performer of the Night:

This will be an odd choice, but I’m giving it to Raven. He had some great character work. His segments never felt like filler. And he was one of the few people who didn’t seem a step off on the show.

Final Thoughts:

WCW was so focused on Starrcade they made this show feel like filler. This was apparent in the weeks building to the event. Most of the talk was about Starrcade. The build for many of the matches sowed seeds for the next event. They might as well hang a banner that says, “This is the Starrcade preshow!” I get it’s their premiere event. But this PPV suffered for it. It had some good action. But much of it fell flat.

Thank you for reading. My next review is ECW’s November to Remember ’97. Look for it next Sunday!