Spring Stampede ’98

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

Spring Stampede

April 19, 1998

Denver Coliseum

Denver, Colorado

Announcements: I’m back! It’s been a while. I needed a break, but I’m good now. However, I reserve the right to take breaks when needed. Going three years without stopping was a mistake. With that said, on with the show.

News & Notes: We won’t see Ric Flair for a while on this blog. Eric Bischoff suspended him for no-showing a Thunder taping. Then Eric sued him for breach of contract. Flair requested the night off to attend Reid’s wrestling tournament. WCW initially granted his request, but then Bischoff asked Flair to appear on the episode. They hyped Flair’s appearance. He was going to make an announcement about his career. However, Ric was already fed-up with his creative direction. He decided his son was more important. Flair attended the wrestling tournament instead. So Bischoff suspended him. Ric won’t return until the fall. They turn the real-life issues into a storyline upon his arrival.

In other news, the 83-week winning streak ended! RAW defeated Nitro in the ratings for the first time since 1996. The shows trade wins for the rest of the year, but the WWF pulls into the lead by 1999. Things are heating up!

According to Hogan, there is no power struggle in the nWo. No one is taking over because Savage was never part of the plan! Randy disagrees. He’s going to win the belt and push Hogan to the bottom of the pecking order. Meanwhile, Nash told Hogan to heed those words. He might put a bullet between Hogan’s eyes himself. If Hogan keeps doing what he’s doing, Nash will use the bat on him! Hogan tells Nash to have his back. Oh, and Sting is part of this too. You wouldn’t know from this video. They never mention him.

Tony welcomes everyone to Denver. It’s three solid hours of problems in the nWo! Oh, I mean wrestling action. Mike Tenay and Bobby Heenan are with Schiavone. They have breaking news about the main event. Savage removed his cast. He will wrestle. Sting and Savage agreed to make their bout a No DQ Match. Also, there’s a Bat Match! Despite these announcements, something distracted Heenan. He looks around until Tony asks what he’s doing. Bobby smells something in the air, but it isn’t spring. He smells fear. Then Heenan compares the night to a baseball doubleheader. They have the big sluggers, and someone will get hurt! Tony almost responds, but Saturn’s siren interrupts. They talk about Goldberg instead. His winning streak is now 73-0.

Goldberg vs. Saturn (w/ Kidman)

Notes: Goldberg drew the ire of The Flock. He squashed Lodi, who labeled Goldberg a meathead. The Flock attacked him for this disrespect, but Saturn picked his battles. Perry watched from afar. He wanted a piece of Goldberg, but he was smart about it. However, Saturn’s frustrations boiled over when he couldn’t get his hands on Goldberg. Perry attacked Hammer and Kidman. Then Saturn called Goldberg out after defeating Tokyo Magnum. Goldberg obliged, but Hammer pulled Saturn to safety. This was a mistake. Saturn and Hammer brawled. It led to a Saturn vs. Hammer bout. Saturn won and called out Goldberg again. This time, Raven pulled Saturn away while Goldberg demolished The Flock. Meanwhile, Goldberg’s winning streak impressed JJ Dillon. He announced Goldberg will get a U.S. Title match on Nitro. He will face the winner of DDP vs. Raven.

The Match: Saturn throws punches and kicks and attempts an ab stretch. Goldberg turns it into an overhead throw and lands a belly-to-belly. He follows with a bodyscissor takedown, so Kidman pulls Saturn to safety. Goldberg grabs Billy and press slams him onto Saturn. Saturn uses the opening for quick strikes, a springboard leg drop, and a diving elbow. When Saturn attempts a suplex, Goldberg turns it into a twisting neckbreaker. Then he does a gorilla press powerslam. Kidman distracts Goldberg again, and Saturn nails a hotshot and a slingshot splash. Next, Saturn knocks Goldberg to the floor and does a hurricanrana off the apron. However, Saturn slips on an Asai Moonsault and almost eats it. When they return to the ring, Saturn hits a flying wheel kick and grounds Goldberg with holds. Goldberg powers out of them and rams Saturn into the corners. Saturn answers with strikes and dropkicks. It doesn’t last because Goldberg nails a superkick, a clothesline, and a spear. Things look bad, so Kidman distracts the ref. It allows Saturn to block a Jackhammer with a low blow. He then puts Goldberg on the top rope, but Goldberg turns it into a super press slam! This draws out the entire Flock. Goldberg fights them and spears Kidman, but Saturn locks Bill in The Rings. Goldberg rises to his feet and muscles Saturn into a Jackhammer for the win.

Thoughts: It was sloppy, but I still enjoyed it. They kept it short, but not too short. Saturn had enough offense to look strong. Plus, that finish was impressive. Goldberg dead-lifted Saturn into the Jackhammer. It also helps the crowd was hot for this.

Winner: Goldberg (8:10)

Ultimo Dragon vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Eddie Guerrero)

Notes: Eddie continued tormenting his nephew. He made Chavo wear a t-shirt that says, “Eddie Guerrero is my favorite wrestler.” Eddie also made Chavo apologize to their grandmother for embarrassing the family. Grandma Guerrero’s potluck club banned her! They don’t associate with a family of losers! When Chavo couldn’t defeat Ultimo Dragon, Eddie showed him how to beat a Japanese wrestler. Eddie defeated Kaz Hayashi. Then Eddie stole Chavo’s TV title shot and made Chavo face Benoit instead. But Chavo ruined the TV title bout. Eddie made Chavo attack Booker with brass knuckles as a punishment. He also made Chavo fight Dragon again and slapped him for losing. Then when Chavo lost to Jericho by DQ, he slapped him again. Eddie said Chavo couldn’t beat someone of Jericho’s caliber. He gave Chavo one more opportunity to defeat Dragon. If Chavo wins this bout, he’s free. But if he loses, Eddie will double his torment.

The Match: Chavo takes Dragon to the mat, but Ultimo answers with rapid strikes. This makes Eddie hide his head under a towel. The fans tell him he sucks. Then Dragon cycles through his list of submissions. He puts Chavo in a sleeper, a chinlock, a bow & arrow stretch, and a stump puller. Eddie looks into the camera and tells his mother he’s trying his best. Chavo fights with more strikes, but Ultimo catches him in pin attempts. Then they fight on the top rope and Chavo falls to the floor. Dragon nails an Asai Moonsault, so Eddie warns his nephew about the consequences. This motivates Chavo. He sends Ultimo to the floor and lands a somersault plancha. After a double down, they trade chops and kicks. Dragon flies off the top, but Chavo dropkicks him in the nuts! It hurts Dragon, so Chavo hesitates. This infuriates Eddie. He demands Chavo pounce on his opponent. Eddie even slaps Chavo, so Chavo attempts a brainbuster. Dragon turns it into a roll-up. However, Chavo nails a second attempt. He says it’s for Eddie, but Eddie complains about the stalling. Sure enough, Chavo waited too long. Dragon turns a tornado DDT attempt into a Dragon Sleeper. Chavo taps out.

Thoughts: This was a solid technical encounter. The storytelling and Eddie’s antics elevated it. I enjoyed this. The shame is the crowd only reacted to Eddie. The action itself didn’t get a reaction. Despite the fans, it was great.

Winner: Ultimo Dragon (11:49)

A frustrated Eddie enters the ring. He yells at Chavo. Eddie wants to know what he has to do to get through to him! Then Eddie says Chavo is crazy and slaps him. Chavo replies he won’t cheat to win, despite what the t-shirt says.

Next, DDP is in the internet room with Lee Marshall and a new intern. They replaced Jeff Katz with what appears to be the love child of Jonathan Coachman and The Big Show. Lee asks Page about Goldberg. DDP says he isn’t thinking about him, brah! A year ago, DDP beat Randy Savage. No one believed he could do it. Tonight, he’ll regain his stolen belt from Raven. Marshall finds this all agreeable. He smiles and nods as they fade to black.

TV Title Match: Booker T (c) vs. Chris Benoit

Notes: Booker and Benoit fought to two time-limit draws on TV. They brawled after the second one. Because of this, WCW announced the rematch would have no time limit. Meanwhile, Booker defended his TV Title against Chavo, Eddie, Disco, Finlay, Jericho, and Rick Fuller. Booker had another defense against La Parka. After losing, an angry Parka attacked with a chair. Benoit saved Booker, so Booker offered a handshake. Benoit shoved him instead, and they scuffled. However, Booker returned the favor. He saved Benoit from a nWo beating, but Benoit shoved him again. He didn’t want Booker’s help.

The Match: They tussle into the corner and trade knockdowns. Benoit goes after Booker’s leg, but Chris regroups after some hard falls. When he returns, Booker throws kicks and uses armbars to control Benoit. Chris answers with hard strikes, takedowns, and a snap suplex. Then Benoit lands the flying headbutt, but Booker gets a foot on the ropes. Booker reverses a suplex, but Benoit surprises him with a back elbow. Chris continues with more suplexes, including rolling Germans. Next, Benoit places Booker on the top rope and lands a back superplex. It hurts both men. Chris gets a two-count after recovering. When Benoit attacks again, Booker reverses into a spinebuster. He follows with a jumping forearm, a flapjack, and a Spinaroonie. Booker then attempts the axe kick, but Benoit pulls the referee into it. He locks Booker in the Crossface. Booker taps, but there’s no ref. Benoit thinks he won until he remembers the ref is unconscious. Benoit helps the ref to his feet, but Booker leaps over the ref and nails a Harlem Sidekick for the victory.

Thoughts: I liked most of this. It started slowly, but it built into something good. Plus, they won over the crowd. They were unsure at first, but the fans reacted to the big spots as it progressed. However, the finish made no sense. Why would Benoit pull the ref into the axe kick? And why did he forget the ref was out afterward? It was a good match with a poor ending.

Winner: Booker T (14:11)

An angry Benoit scowls in the ring. He made Booker tap, but the ref missed it. The commentators believe he has a valid complaint. Meanwhile, WCW officials help Mickey Jay out of the ring. Heenan mocks him, so Schiavone calls Bobby a bad person.

Then the participants for the next match arrive. Jim Neidhart accompanies Bulldog while Rude backs Hennig. A policeman wants to handcuff Rude to Neidhart, but Rude stalls. Tony calls the cop one of Detroit’s finest. Tenay corrects Schiavone. They’re in Denver. Tony blames a producer in his headset. He told him the cop flew in from Detroit. While the commentators commiserate about their mistake, Mark Curtis threatens Rude. He’ll eject Rick and award the match to Bulldog if Rick doesn’t comply. Rude does as he’s told.

Curt Hennig (w/ Rick Rude) vs. The British Bulldog (w/ Jim Neidhart)

Notes: Hennig & Rude found a new kink. They handcuff people to the ropes and beat them. It happened to Bulldog, Anvil, Duggan, and Yuji Nagata. This angered Bret Hart. He vowed to end these group beatings. There’s a new sheriff in town! However, Bret rarely appeared to fulfill this promise. In fact, he allowed one of these beatings on an episode he attended! (There’s something shady about Bret’s behavior. Call it a hunch, but I smell a turn coming.) Bret wasn’t always there, but Bulldog & Anvil interrupted Hennig & Rude’s weird fetish play. This led to matches. Bulldog faced Brian Adams. Anvil fought Hennig. They ended with more beatings and handcuff shenanigans. Bret intervened twice. WCW grew tired of the handcuff nonsense. They handcuffed Rude to Neidhart for this encounter.

The Match: Bulldog grabs Hennig and uses strikes. He attacks Curt’s leg, so Hennig regroups and begs off. Hennig counters with chops and knees, but Davey targets Curt’s braced leg. After some corner shoulders and headbutts, Bulldog stomps the leg and uses a legbar. Anvil prevents Rude from interfering. Then Hennig throws more desperate chops and elbows. Bulldog answers with punches to the knee and rams Hennig into each turnbuckle. Next, Davey puts Hennig in a Sharpshooter. However, something is happening outside. What’s this!? Anvil is choking the cop! Rude uses the opening to swipe the handcuff key. Anvil somehow doesn’t notice Rude cuffed him to the post. Wait a second! That’s no cop! It’s Vincent! This nonsense distracts the ref, so Hennig throws Bulldog into the post. He then covers for a three.

Thoughts: What a mess. The finish was confusing and weak. It took the commentators forever to realize the cop was Vincent. The finishing move was lame. Bulldog didn’t hit the post. Hennig rammed him into the turnbuckle bar. Everyone involved looked foolish. It also doesn’t help the match was boring. This failed on every level.

Winner: Curt Hennig (4:48)

Rude drops knees and punches on Bulldog. A still-cuffed Anvil found a nightstick. Scratch that! Vincent took it from him. Rude chokes Bulldog with the stick while Hennig slaps him. Then Rude chokes Anvil with it. While Hennig & Rude leave, the officials release Anvil. Heenan suggests they leave him. Tony calls Heenan a bad person again.

Chris Jericho arrives for his match, but he cuts a promo first. He wants the fans to want him! There are thousands of Jerichoholics screaming his name. So Chris dedicates the match to Dean Malenko. Dean resides in the where are they now file, but he can live vicariously through the Man of 1004 Holds! Meanwhile, Heenan claims he spotted Malenko in Florida. Dean had a sign that said, “Will wrestle for food.”

Cruiserweight Title Match: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Prince Iaukea

Notes: Jericho claimed he added Malenko’s dignity to his trophy collection. Chris also beat up his partner-in-crime, Lenny Lane. Jericho said Lenny didn’t wash his gear and stole his Loverboy tape! Then Jericho stole Disco Inferno’s headband and added it to his collection. But the best part came later. After a victory, Jericho read his list of 1004 holds. Every other move was an armbar. He called one a Moss-Covered Three-Handled Family Gredunza. This drew out Jericho’s new challenger, Prince Iaukea. He destroyed Jericho’s list! An angry Jericho didn’t understand how Prince got a title shot after two victories. In fact, Jericho thought Prince was too heavy to be a cruiserweight! He made Iaukea weigh in and then attacked him with the scale. Jericho feared reprisal. So Chris accused Super Calo of being Prince in disguise. He wasn’t, but Iaukea kept interfering in Jericho’s business. Prince even attacked Jericho with the same scale.

The Match: Prince controls the bout with knockdowns, takedowns, and headlocks. Then he throws Chris over the ropes. Jericho skins the cat, but Iaukea nails a baseball slide. Prince follows with a somersault plancha off the apron. When they return to the ring, Iaukea uses more headlocks until Jericho stomps him. Jericho throws chops, kicks, and suplexes. Then he blows a kiss to the crowd and does a cocky pin. Chris also turns a victory roll into a Liontamer. He thinks he won, but Prince reached the ropes. Next, Jericho does a springboard sunset flip for a two. After this, they tussle on the top rope and lose their balance. Jericho hurts his knee when they tumble to the floor. This leads to a slap fight before Iaukea gets some close two-counts. Jericho grabs the ropes on a bridging Northern Lights Suplex. They fight on the top rope again, and Prince lands a flying sunset flip. But Jericho rolls through into a Liontamer for the submission.

Thoughts: This was decent, but it wasn’t thrilling. The last two minutes were good, but the rest was dull. Plus, there were some shaky moments. Prince is better than he was a year prior, but he’s still uninteresting. There are better opponents for Jericho.

Winner: Chris Jericho (9:55)

Jericho cries tears of joy. He makes the ref raise his arm twice. Then Chris spots Prince’s entrance skirt. (I don’t know what it’s called.) Jericho calls it a Mahi-Mahi. He says it’s his size, so Jericho takes it as his new trophy.

Raven is backstage with Lee Marshall. Lee calls him out for not being the real U.S. Champ. Raven interrupts to quote Shakespeare. Revenge is a dish best served cold. DDP can’t hide. He will feel the Even Flow. They fade to black as Lee gives up trying to speak.

Scott Steiner and Buff Bagwell arrive for their match. Or do they? Bagwell taped up his own hand. Tony can’t believe his eyes. He calls it a lame excuse for a cast. Buff says he canceled the bout. He dressed to wrestle, but his lawyers told him not to do it. JJ Dillon said no one can wrestle without a doctor’s release. Scott Steiner pretends he’s sad he can’t wrestle Rick. This nonsense draws out Dillon and Mean Gene. Dillon says Buff is correct. He needs a doctor’s note. Thankfully, a doctor is there to clear Randy Savage. So Dillon invites Dr. Michael Cipello to examine Bagwell. The doctor removes the tape, but Dillon gets too close. An angry Buff grabs him with his bad hand. It exposes the ruse, so the fight is on!

Rick Steiner & Lex Luger (w/ Ted DiBiase) vs. Scott Steiner & Buff Bagwell

Notes: Scott Steiner is on a winning streak. He defeated Ray Traylor, Wayne Bloom, Disco Inferno, and Fit Finlay. During these bouts, Scott did push-ups, and Buff Bagwell measured his biceps. Buff even presented Scott with a trophy. Then Scott tried to rain on Rick’s parade. He interfered in Rick vs. Norton, but it backfired. Meanwhile, Bagwell dragged Luger back into this mess. Buff reminded Luger he defeated him in the past. This led to Luger and Scott brawling during a Bischoff promo. Because of this, Bischoff interfered in Luger vs. Bagwell. Lex put Eric in The Rack. When Scott came to Bischoff’s aid, Rick fought with his brother. Next, Rick wrestled Buff, but it became a two-on-one beating when Scott interrupted. Luger saved the day. WCW booked this tag encounter because of the drama, so Scott freaked out. He refused to do it. WCW was tearing his family apart! The Steiner family didn’t want Rick and Scott to fight! However, Dillon insisted the bout would happen.

The Match: Rick charges his brother, but Buff stops him. Luger and Scott fight on the floor while Buff and Rick trade strikes. Rick catches Bagwell with a powerslam and a Steinerline. However, Scott jumps Rick. Then Scott and Bagwell use frequent tags. They take turns doing snapmares, chinlocks, and punches. Buff remembers to sell his bad hand. Scott & Buff also choke Rick on the ropes. This continues until Rick backdrops Buff and tags Luger. Lex cleans house with clotheslines and a running forearm. When Luger attempts to Rack Bagwell, Scott stops it. He holds Luger for an attack, but Rick throws Steinerlines. It scares Scott, so he runs away. Rick chases his brother to the back and leaves Luger alone with Bagwell. Buff misses a Blockbuster, so Luger Racks him for the win.

Thoughts: I get they’re drawing out the Rick vs. Scott feud. This accomplished what it needed to for that purpose. I can’t fault it for that. However, it wasn’t interesting. They at least kept it short. But this is something you do on TV, not the PPV. (On a side note, Bagwell suffers a horrible neck injury before the next PPV. I’ll provide more information in the next WCW review.)

Winners: Rick Steiner & Lex Luger (5:58)

Tony can’t believe Scott Steiner ran away. He says it doesn’t seem like the nWo. Heenan disagrees. They only care about themselves. Schiavone realizes Bobby is right. In a rare moment, he agrees with him! Meanwhile, Mean Gene plugs the hotline. He spotted someone backstage. Gene thinks a nWo member will return soon based on who he saw. Call the hotline for more!

Psychosis vs. La Parka

Notes: This is a special added match, but it has some build. While La Parka suffered frustrating losses, Psychosis had a mini-feud with The Flock. (Who isn’t feuding with them?) Once he finished that, Psych and La Parka teamed in a six-man tag. During the bout, Psych kicked Parka in the nuts by accident. They won, but La Parka got his revenge with a chair. However, he wasn’t finished. La Parka attacked Psychosis again on Thunder. He cost Psych a victory against Kidman.

The Match: Parka dances before and after they trade hard chops and leapfrogs. Then Psychosis flusters Parka with headscissor takedowns. La Parka regroups, so Psych nails a plancha. Parka tries a new tactic. He lures Psych into the ropes and kicks them into Psych’s crotch. Next, Parka sends Psychosis to the floor with a bodyscissors. He lands a split-legged moonsault. However, Psych surprises him with a boot in the corner and a hotshot. After this, they fight on the top rope and tumble outside. When they return to the top, Psych crotches Parka. He slips, but he lands a Super Frankensteiner. Psych follows with a dropkick that sends Parka outside. He continues with a corkscrew moonsault. But Psych misses a flying splash. Parka covers and pulls him up at two. He does it again after an Alabama Slam. This confuses the commentators. Parka’s overconfidence allows Psych to turn a powerbomb into a hurricanrana. Parka answers with a kick to the face, but he poses. Psych pounces and knocks Parka into a prone hanging position. Then he lands a guillotine leg drop for the win.

Thoughts: This was disappointing. It wasn’t bad, but it had no heat. They did some cool spots, but there was no rhyme or reason to them. Then the finish was weak. I wanted to like this, but it was decent at best.

Winner: Psychosis (6:59)

The ring crew sets up the Bat Match, so the commentators fill the time. Tony sings the praises of Denver’s sports teams, but Heenan dumps on the Nuggets. Then Tony discusses the build for Sting vs. Savage. Sting convinced Dillon to reinstate Nash’s powerbomb. Meanwhile, Heenan compares Savage to a wounded animal. That makes him dangerous. Next, Tony asks for strategies in the Bat Match. Heenan talks about the friction between Nash and Hogan. Tony gives him a sarcastic reply, but Heenan points out it might be a ruse. Tony once again agrees with him. (That’s twice in one night!) However, Heenan ruins the moment with an insult.

Speaking of Hogan and Nash, they arrive for their bout. They enter separately. Penzer announces Bischoff is with Hogan, but he’s not there. This disappoints Tony. He wanted someone to use the bat on Eric. Nash and Hogan argue when Hogan reaches the ring. Then Piper and The Giant emerge. A fan throws a t-shirt at Roddy, but it doesn’t faze Piper. While Hogan trash-talks The Giant, Piper goes for the bat.

Baseball Bat on a Pole Match: Hollywood Hogan & Kevin Nash vs. Roddy Piper & The Giant

Notes: WCW appointed Piper as a consultant on the nWo issue. His first proclamation was a baseball bat ban. He saw the nWo’s bat attack on The Giant. However, they’d lift the ban at the PPV for this Bat Match. Piper spent the next few weeks cutting promos from The Giant’s shoulders. He made gay jokes about Hogan & Nash. Meanwhile, Nash avoided The Giant on the Spring Break Nitro. He did a cannonball into the pool. However, all is not well in the nWo. Hogan & Nash are at each other’s throats. Nash accused Hogan of running Syxx out of the company. (More on that in my Unforgiven review.) They teamed together, but it always ended in scuffles. Nash said he wouldn’t shoot Hogan in the back. He’d place a bullet between Hogan’s eyes, and he might use the bat on him after they fight Piper & Giant! Nash refused to tag with Hogan again on TV. He paired with Savage instead. Nash also received two title matches against Sting, but Hogan ruined both of them. Once Hogan ran over Savage, Nash knew he couldn’t trust him. (More on that in a moment.) Nash doubled down on his threat to attack Hogan after the Bat Match. Despite the drama, Bischoff swore there was no division in the nWo. This bout will still happen.

The Match: Hogan stops Piper and punches him into a tree of woe. Hogan and Nash then use frequent tags and punches to subdue Roddy. This lasts until The Giant headbutts Hogan and Piper boxes his ears. Then Roddy rips out Hogan’s hair, but another headbutt knocks Piper loopy. Hogan uses the opening to whip Roddy with his weightlifting belt. After more whipping, Hogan goes for the bat, but Roddy tags The Giant. He stops Hogan by pulling down his pants and spanking him with the belt. Then Giant places Hogan across his knee and spanks him with his hand. (This is getting weird.) Next, Piper uses the belt to clear the ring. The nWo and even the ref regroup. Hogan rubs his butt on the apron to soothe it.

When they return, Hogan uses a low blow on Piper and tags Nash. Kevin demands The Giant and gets him. They trade punches until Nash does his usual corner offense. Hogan also chokes The Giant during a ref distraction. However, The Giant rises. Hogan warns Nash, but both men go down to a double big boot. This leads to Hogan and Piper tagging. They trade punches, eye pokes, kicks, and clotheslines. Nash tries to stop it and receives a low blow. The Giant follows with a dropkick that sends Nash outside! After Piper puts Hogan to sleep, The Giant assists Roddy in getting the bat. But Nash pulls The Giant down, and Hogan throws the bat away. The Disciple sneaks to the ring with his own bat and hands it to Hogan. Hollywood uses it on The Giant and tells Nash to hold Piper. Hogan swings, but he hits Nash by mistake! Piper grabs the bat and makes Hogan beg off until The Disciple grabs Piper’s bat. This allows Hogan to nail Roddy with his bat for the victory.

Thoughts: This was better than I expected. I’m not calling it great, but they kept it entertaining enough. It did its job in furthering storylines. Plus, it didn’t last any longer than it needed to. I’m fine with this. For what it was, it exceeded expectations.

Winners: Hogan & Nash (13:23)

A furious Nash refuses to let the ref raise his arm. Kevin drops his straps and confronts Hogan. Hollywood swears it was an accident. He tells Nash to Jackknife The Giant. Nash complies, but Hogan nails Kevin with the bat when Nash grabs The Giant. However, The Giant recovers and grabs the bat. He snaps it over his knee while Hogan runs in fear. The Giant says Hogan will pay. Nash lies unconscious in the ring while everyone leaves.

Next, they show a commercial for Slamboree. Controversy, outrage, and misfortune surround WCW. But Slamboree is so big and important, it will change history! Why are they selling this like it’s the biggest PPV? It’s Slamboree.

Raven’s Rules Match for the U.S. Title: Raven (w/ Sick Boy) vs. Diamond Dallas Page (c)

Notes: DDP and Raven appeared on MTV’s TRL to promote a music video they filmed. (This is the infamous appearance where Dave Grohl heard DDP’s theme and called his lawyers.) During the show, Raven gave DDP an Even Flow through a table. Raven then stole the U.S. Title belt. Dillon offered to retrieve it, but Page wanted to do it himself. Raven also accused DDP of not helping him get a job in WCW. He accused Page of cowardice. DDP denied this. He called Raven a spoiled rich kid masquerading as a tortured soul. This didn’t stop Raven from cutting more promos. Raven asked the question, “What about me? What about Raven?” A fan took exception to this and attacked Raven during one of these segments. Meanwhile, Dallas faced various Flock members. Raven distracted him during these bouts, so DDP chased him. Raven escaped when WCW security stopped another fan attack. (Don’t forget. The winner of this bout faces Goldberg on Nitro.)

The Match: Sick Boy and Raven jump DDP, but he fends them off. Page does a slingshot crossbody onto both men. Then they fight at the rail and the apron. DDP and Raven avoid each other’s finishers before Raven regroups. Page chases him and they fight at the set. This includes a stagecoach. DDP climbs it and dives onto Raven. After this, Page whips Raven into wooden fences and wagon wheels. They also use trash cans. Page even slams Raven through Lee Marshall’s table! Raven answers with a plastic sign, more tables, and a bull-rope. He drags Dallas to the ring, where Sick Boy has a kitchen sink. However, this backfires. DDP gives Raven a drop toe hold onto the sink. This draws out Kidman, but he accidentally splashes Raven. Raven calls for more Flock help. Sick Boy, Hammer, and Reese all interfere. Dallas fends them off, and Hammer hits Raven with an accidental flying clothesline. Reese nails a choke bomb on Page, but it only gets a two-count. Then Lodi throws a stop sign into the ring. DDP shoves it into Raven’s face and uses it to stop The Flock. Kidman jumps on Page’s back and receives a Diamond Cutter for his troubles. But then a member of the ring crew enters the ring. He nails Page with the stop sign. Raven follows with the Even Flow for the win.

Thoughts: This was a fun brawl. The ending was over-booked, but I didn’t mind it. This keeps DDP looking strong. It took the entire Flock to defeat him. Besides, they weren’t feeding Page to Goldberg. That’s Raven’s unfortunate fate. It’s a shame Raven’s reign lasts one day.

Winner: Raven (New Champion) (11:52)

The Flock’s newest member escorts Raven to the back. Tony thought he was a key-grip on the ring crew. No, it’s Horace. (Hulk Hogan’s nephew.) Get used to him. Horace is around until 2000. It’s good to be Hogan’s family. Meanwhile, Heenan predicts a short reign for Raven. He must face Goldberg on Nitro.

Michael Buffer then announces the main event. He calls it a rematch between two men who despise and respect each other. When did Sting and Savage last fight? How is this a rematch? Did Buffer think this was another Sting vs. Hogan encounter? Buffer also says Savage has a will to win at any cost. Then Sting arrives. He looks 1000% done with this title run. Sting barely lifts the belt. Savage jumps him when he enters the ring.

No DQ Match for the WCW Title: Macho Man Randy Savage (w/ Miss Elizabeth) vs. Sting (c)

Notes: Savage said his actions at Uncensored were self-motivated. He wants the championship, and he plans to push Hogan to the bottom of the pile afterward. However, WCW still booked Hogan & Savage vs. Sting & Luger on the Spring Break Nitro. Hogan thought Sting wouldn’t show, but Sting repelled from a helicopter! The fight ended in nWo interference while Hogan and Savage scuffled. Next, Savage interrupted a Sting vs. DDP title defense. Randy then threatened Hogan again after the bout. Savage even messed up Hogan & Nash vs. Sting & Luger, so Hogan had enough. Someone ran over Savage on the next Nitro. It was a red and yellow Viper, so everyone suspected Hogan. Hogan all but admitted he did it. He believed he deserved the opportunities, not Nash. Savage’s injury put the Sting vs. Savage bout in jeopardy. Savage had a broken arm. Because of the uncertainty, Nash received two championship matches. Savage attacked Sting with his cast and almost gave Nash the belt, but Sting kicked out. Dillon contemplated replacing Savage in this PPV encounter. But Savage vowed to be there. He even teamed with Nash to fight Sting & Bret Hart. Randy knocked Sting out with his cast. However, Hogan & The Disciple ruined the match before Savage won. (They did the injury angle because of Savage’s injuries. WCW was unsure this bout would happen. Sting also has injuries, so the title picture is in shambles. I’ll explain more after the match.)

The Match: They fight to the floor and the rail. Savage chokes Sting with everything from the ropes to his bandanna. However, Savage retreats when Sting takes control. They head to the set, and Sting rams Randy into the fences and wagon wheels. Then Sting bashes Savage with a bail of hay. It gets everywhere. Savage retakes control when Sting crashes on a missed Stinger Splash. Randy rams him into the post and gets a two-count with his feet on the ropes. Next, Savage attempts a piledriver, but Sting backdrops him. He also suplexes Savage on the floor. Sting follows with chokes and punches until Savage stumbles and regroups. It was a trap. Savage uses a low blow and crotches Sting on the ropes. But Sting punches Randy on a flying axehandle. Randy responds by pulling the ref into Sting’s way. He stops short, but Savage shoves him into the ref anyway. Then Savage gives Sting a piledriver. Sting no-sells it, so Liz enters the ring and hits him with a chair. Sting also no-sells that. He then tries another Stinger Splash. This time, Savage puts Liz in the way and she gets squashed! The officials help Elizabeth to the back while Randy uses a chair on Sting. He goes for a chair-assisted flying elbow, but Hogan appears. He pushes Savage off the top rope and retreats. Sting then reverses a suplex into a Scorpion Death Drop! When Sting covers, Nash arrives to stop it. He attacks Sting, and Kevin gives Sting a Jackknife. He then pulls Savage into a pin and wakes the ref. Savage wins.

Thoughts: This was disappointing. You could tell both men worked hurt. It was slow. Much of the brawling was spots we saw in the previous match. The ending was the only interesting part. They had to overbook it to get around their limitations. It’s fine, but the match wasn’t great. Also, Savage’s reign lasts a day. He’s working hurt, so he can’t continue as champion. However, he sticks around a little longer. I’ll give you one guess who wins the belt.

Winner: Randy Savage (New Champion) (10:08)

Tony calls Nash the nWo’s playmaker. Heenan believes this will tear the nWo apart. While they discuss this, Nash collects the belt. He drags the ref by his hair and makes him present the championship to Savage. Randy can’t stand. Then Hogan and The Disciple reappear. Hogan is livid. That’s his belt! Nash can’t do that! This all confuses Hogan. The Disciple can only speak in clips and phrases. He says, “BELT! KEVIN NASH!” Is he a caveman?

The Good:

• The Goldberg match was good.

• Chavo/Dragon was solid.

• Jericho was entertaining.

• Booker/Benoit was good, outside of the finish.

• DDP/Raven was a fun brawl.

The Bad:

• Bulldog/Hennig was bad.

• The finish of the Steiners match.

• The main event was a little disappointing.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Eddie Guerrero. He was entertaining in the Chavo match. Eddie found a way to make the crowd hate him. He gets great heat.

Final Thoughts:

This was an enjoyable PPV. The Bulldog/Hennig match was the only misfire. Some of the other matches were disappointing, but they weren’t bad. The overall quality of this show was good. Plus, it furthered storylines well. Some of the booking decisions were a shame, but the show is decent on its own merits.

Thank you for reading. My next review is the WWF’s Unforgiven: In Your House. Look for it next Sunday!