Slamboree ’98

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

Slamboree

May 17, 1998

The Centrum

Worcester, Massachusetts

News & Notes: Hogan attacked Savage again the night after Spring Stampede. He then challenged Randy for his WCW title. A vengeance-driven Savage accepted the match. Roddy Piper even made it a No Disqualification encounter. During the fight, Savage had Hogan beat until The Disciple took out the referee. Nash used the opening to jump Hogan, but then an unexpected ally came to Hogan’s aid. Bret Hart knocked out Nash with the belt and dragged Hogan on top of Savage. Hollywood scored the three count and the WCW championship! When Piper questioned Hart’s actions, Bret punched him and walked away. Hogan then reapplied the nWo paint to the title and declared Armageddon in the nWo. Nash split the faction. They would see whose side everyone chose. Nash gave his new faction a name. He called it The Wolfpac. They wore red and black. Hogan’s nWo Hollywood kept the white and black colors. Then Nash added his first recruits. Randy Savage, Konnan, and later Curt Hennig joined Kevin’s side.

In other news, a terrible accident occurred on the Thunder after Spring Stampede. Scott Steiner & Buff Bagwell fought Rick Steiner & Lex Luger in a rematch. During the bout, Rick did a flying bulldog to Bagwell. However, Bagwell slipped out in the middle of the move. He jammed his neck against Rick’s back. They halted the program to take Bagwell to the hospital. He had neck fusion surgery and will be out for months. After the injury, Rick confronted his brother. Rick wanted to reconcile the family. Scott appeared to accept this, but it was a ruse. Brian Adams attacked Rick with a bat and put Rick Steiner on the shelf. (They ran this angle to put the feud on hold for a while. Bagwell’s injury changed their plans.)

Meanwhile, the WWF’s ratings rise got inside Eric Bischoff’s head. When DX tried to invade an episode of Nitro, Bischoff had an idea. (I’ll explain more in my Over the Edge review.) Eric challenged Vince McMahon to a fight at Slamboree. WCW would be in the WWF’s backyard, so Vince was free to appear. Bischoff didn’t think he had the guts. Then Eric read a letter from the WWF’s lawyers. It said McMahon wouldn’t appear on the PPV. Bischoff left the invitation open. They’d even provide Vince with his own dressing room if Vince had the courage to show up.

The show opens with another voiceless video package. They show footage of the men involved in the two main events. We see the words controversy, power, and outrage on the screen. They cut these clips between scenes of demolition. (I don’t mean the tag team.) Sting, The Giant, Bret Hart, and Randy Savage are ready for Slamboree!

Tony Schiavone welcomes everyone to the show. When WCW goes worldwide, it invades New England! (That made no sense, Tony.) Tony then promises three hours of drama and controversy. Tenay and Heenan agree. It’s Savage’s chance for revenge, but Piper is the x-factor. Next, Schiavone discusses the tag title controversy. Where is Scott Hall? Whose side will Sting choose? Sting might join The Giant in nWo Hollywood! Heenan has no clue where Hall is, but he trusts Nash’s word. Then the commentators focus on Bischoff’s challenge. They show footage of Eric reading McMahon’s legal letter. Tony doesn’t think Vince will appear, but they have Doug Dillinger waiting outside. Doug asks some planted fans if they saw McMahon. They say no and call Vince a coward.

TV Title Match: Fit Finlay (c) vs. Chris Benoit

Notes: Booker saved Benoit from a nWo beating. Chris told him to stay out of his business. This led to another scuffle between them. After Booker had a few title defenses, he faced Benoit in a rematch on Saturday Night. It ended in a double count-out. Booker and Benoit also argued about the controversial finish at Spring Stampede. So a frustrated Benoit had enough. He distracted Booker while Booker wrestled Fit Finlay. It allowed Finlay to pin Booker and win the TV Title! When Booker interfered in Finlay’s first defense, JJ Dillon lost his patience. He booked Booker vs. Benoit. The winner would face Fit at the PPV. Benoit won the bout after using more ref shenanigans. Then Benoit and Finlay proved themselves by defeating members of High Voltage. Gene interviewed Finlay on the Saturday Night before this event. Fit claimed he let Booker and Benoit fight with each other so they wouldn’t see him coming. It worked because he won the belt!

The Match: They trade chops, mat holds, and pin attempts. Finlay blocks a Crossface and throws more strikes. Benoit answers with a hip toss and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. When Finlay rallies with a hard back elbow, Chris regroups. Fit follows him and slams Benoit on the floor. He also uses an axehandle and a short-arm clothesline. They return to the ring where Fit nails a double stomp and grabs a rear chinlock. Chris turns it into an electric chair drop, and they trade more pin attempts. This leads to kicks, chops, and eye pokes, but Finlay keeps grabbing sleeper holds. When that doesn’t work, Fit drags Chris to the apron and attacks him. Then Finlay grabs a chair. They fight with it, but the ref allows this. Benoit does a suicide dive, so Finlay raises the chair into his face! (I see Benoit did that move a few times in his career.) Next, Fit rolls Chris inside for more strikes and chinlocks. Benoit turns it into Rolling Germans, so Finlay runs him into the ropes. However, Benoit grabs a Crossface and Fit gets a rope break. This draws Booker T to the ring. He distracts Benoit. It allows Finlay to dropkick the back of Benoit’s head. He drags a groggy Chris into the ring. Chris uses a desperation inside cradle, but Finlay answers with a Tombstone for the win.

Thoughts: This was slow, but it was hard-hitting. I liked some of the storytelling. It was solid and enjoyable, despite the pace. Plus, they never lost the crowd. The fans reacted well to the bout. It’s not the typical opener, but I like that. WCW mixed it up.

Winner: Fit Finlay (14:53)

They go to an internet segment with Chris Jericho. This annoys Tony. Lee Marshall asks Jericho who he wants to face from the Cruiserweight Battle Royal. Jericho doesn’t care. He calls this a conspiracy against him. Chris dares Lee to enter the match. He’ll kick his butt! This makes Marshall laugh as the segment ends. Schiavone declares Jericho the most obnoxious of the three. Heenan questions the choice. He says Tony must not know Lee Marshall.

Lex Luger vs. Brian Adams (w/ Vincent)

Notes: Luger and Adams wrestled the night after Spring Stampede. It had the usual nWo run-ins. Luger racked Vincent and Konnan and finished Adams with a running forearm. Then Luger and Brian fought on opposite sides of a six-man tag. Adams abandoned Scott Steiner, Konnan, and Vincent to their fate. When Konnan defected to the Wolfpac, he challenged Adams for revenge. Bret helped Brian, so Nash helped Konnan. Adams tried to return the favor when Nash wrestled Luger, but Bret Hart stopped Adams. Sting & The Giant were already fighting with Nash. Bret said the situation was perfect, so Brian should leave it be. However, Adams attacked Rick Steiner’s arm with a bat and put him in the hospital. A fed-up Luger challenged either Brian Adams or Scott Steiner. He’d fight one or both of them, so Luger gets Adams on this show.

The Match: They brawl to the floor. Luger gives Adams and Vincent a double noggin knocker. Lex then rams Brian into the post, the steps, and the post again. Luger even stretches Adams’ arm against the post. Vincent tries to distract Luger, but it doesn’t work. Lex snaps Adams’ arm over the ropes and they enter the ring. (Lex is attacking the arm to avenge Rick Steiner. I’ll credit them for giving this a story.) Luger continues with a powerslam and fights off more Vincent interference. However, it allows Adams to grab Lex for a sloppy piledriver. After fighting in and out of the ring, Brian uses a backbreaker and leg drops. This leads to a double clothesline, but Brian almost no-sells it. Adams ducks for a backdrop and gets kicked, so Vincent intervenes again! Luger dispatches him, ducks a clothesline, and puts Adams in the Rack for the submission.

Thoughts: It was slow and uninteresting. Unlike the first bout, it wasn’t hard-hitting. This was basic. I doubt this was the planned encounter. Bagwell’s injury changed things. I mean no offense to Luger, but the PPV didn’t need this bout.

Winner: Lex Luger (5:05)

Saturn requested promo time, which surprises Tony. Perry says there will be no Gauntlet Match tonight. If The Flock doesn’t like it, they know where to find him. He trusted Raven to guide his career. Raven said, “What about Raven?” But Perry says, “No, what about Saturn?” Tonight is his opportunity to win the U.S. Title. No one can do anything about it. Not even Raven can.

Penzer begins his introductions for the Cruiserweight Battle Royal, but Jericho interrupts. Chris calls Dave a moronic, high-voiced dweeb. He knows nothing about the cruiserweights, so Jericho will do the announcements. Chris has amusing comments for each competitor. Super Calo is the master of trick-track and da-funk. Chavo was a great bartender, but he’s the scourge of the Guerrero family. Ciclope sold chimichangas. Damien uses paint because he can’t afford a mask. El Dandy is a Lou Ferrigno look-alike. Juvi drives a rusty El Camino, and he’s ugly! Marty Jannetty will rock rock never stop and rock rock till you drop! Kidman is a lost soul, but Jericho has some lotion for his itch. Lenny Lane still owes Jericho a Loverboy tape. Psychosis has a collection of hubcaps. And Silver King will become a Golden King after twelve victories! Once Jericho finishes, he heads backstage for coffee.

Competitors: Evan Karagias, Johnny Swinger, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Juventud Guerrera, Ciclope, El Grio, Silver King, Damien, Villano IV, Psychosis, Lenny Lane, Kidman, El Dandy, Marty Jannetty, and Super Calo.

Cruiserweight #1 Contender Battle Royal

Notes: Jericho continued mocking Dean Malenko. He carried a portrait of Dean to the arenas and interviewed it. Chris swore Dean worked at a burger joint now. Then Jericho trolled the fans by using Dean Malenko’s theme music. But that’s not all. Jericho said Boris Malenko was rolling in his grave because of his son’s failures. After this, Jericho fought a Malenko impostor named Bore-Us Malenko. The next week, Jericho brought all his trophies to a promo with Mean Gene. This included a fake leg. Chris claimed it was Mysterio’s injured knee. Jericho then revealed a now-defaced portrait of Malenko. He feigned shock at this disrespect! That was enough. Dean’s brother Joe interrupted and attacked Jericho with the fake leg. During this promo, Jericho also said he defeated all the cruiserweights. So Jericho vowed to retire the belt. JJ Dillon had none of that. He booked a Cruiserweight Battle Royal. The winner will face Jericho. In this bout, you can eliminate people over the top rope or by pinfall.

The Match: Everyone brawls until Evan Karagias and Johnny Swinger get dumped. Then Chavo nails a tornado DDT while Juvi dropkicks Super Calo to the floor. After this, El Grio hits a missile dropkick. The camera focuses on him, so we don’t see who throws out Silver King. Meanwhile, Damien misses a moonsault, and El Dandy backdrops Grio over the ropes. Dandy also rids the match of Jannetty. Damien disposes of Villano IV. A confident Lenny Lane poses, so Kidman throws Juvi into him. It knocks Lane out of the ring. Then Damien gets crotched and sent packing. Next, Chavo eliminates Dandy. He targets Kidman, but Billy low-bridges Chavo. (Final Four: Ciclope, Juventud, Kidman, & Psychosis.) Psych tumbles on a missed corner attack, and Juvi headscissors Kidman to the floor. This leaves Juvi and Ciclope. They stop and stare at each other. We can’t hear them, but they have a conversation. Juvi glances toward the back and nods. Then they shake hands, and Guerrera eliminates himself! Ciclope wins! Or does he!? Ciclope removes his mask to reveal—Dean Malenko! The crowd erupts.

Thoughts: This was a typical battle royal. It wasn’t thrilling, but it was worth it for that ending. The pop was insane for Malenko’s reveal. I liked the storytelling of the finish. It made up for the rest of the bout. I’m fine with this. (On a side note, El Grio was the real Ciclope under a different mask.)

Winner: Dean Malenko (8:27)

Cruiserweight Title Match: Dean Malenko vs. Chris Jericho (c)

The Match: Jericho rushes to the ring to see what happened. He arrives as Malenko unmasks, and they brawl. Dean attacks Jericho with rapid stomps and punches. Chris tries to regroup, but Dean suplexes him into the ring. Then he sends him outside with a leg lariat. Malenko follows with a dive and punches while Juvi watches the fight. When they return to the ring, Jericho pounces. He fends off Dean’s flurry and gives Malenko a hotshot on the ropes. Chris follows with a senton, a stalling suplex, a cocky pin, and a Lionsault. Next, they reverse through Jericho’s pumphandle slam attempt. Jericho counters with an underhook backbreaker and tries for a Liontamer. Dean almost reverses it, so Chris grabs the ropes. Jericho’s assault continues with a flying back elbow. After more traded strikes, they fight on the top rope. Dean catches Jericho with a Super Gutbuster and locks Chris in the Cloverleaf. Jericho almost reaches the ropes, but Dean pulls him away. Jericho taps.

Thoughts: The match was shaky, but it sold how frantic Dean was. Plus, this was a surprise match in kayfabe. I’m fine with a little sloppiness. It makes sense. The crowd loved this, and they reacted well to the finish. This did everything it needed to do. It’s great storytelling.

Winner: Dean Malenko (New Champion) (7:02)

Malenko celebrates with his belt and looks to the heavens to honor his dad. They show replays and Heenan says Mean Gene better shake Malenko’s hand next time he sees him. Gene better not get in Malenko’s face like the last time.

Then the cage lowers for the next match. While this happens, they go outside to the Vinnie Mac Cam! A white limo approaches the arena. Is it Vince McMahon? Tony says most of the wrestlers are inside, so who is this? However, the limo parks down the street. Dillinger investigates, but no one emerges. Schiavone says if Jim Ross jumps out and carries the bags, it’s Vince. Nothing happens, so they return to the arena.

They lowered the cage, so DDP enters the arena and climbs onto the cage’s roof. He poses and then pulls himself through the door. Tenay says the reaction is proof DDP is still the People’s Champ. Meanwhile, Raven arrives with his riot squad.

Bowery Death Match: Diamond Dallas Page vs. Raven

Notes: DDP interrupted Horace’s debut and attacked him for revenge. Then an infuriated Page gave everyone in the ring Diamond Cutters. He called out Raven, but Raven retreated. Dallas goaded him with accusations. DDP claimed Raven walked out on his own family when they needed him. Raven responded with a video. He insulted Page’s mother. Then Raven sent Kidman and Sick Boy as messengers, but Page dispatched them. Raven couldn’t avoid Page forever. DDP blindsided him with a stop sign and a bull-rope. He hanged Raven over the ropes. Because of this attack, Raven filed a complaint with WCW. They gave him riot police as protection. A confident Raven challenged Page to a Bowery Death Match. It’s a roofed cage filled with weapons. You win by knock-out. Raven hid behind his riot squad for two weeks and used them to attack Dallas. He returned the favor by hanging Page over the ropes.

The Match: DDP attacks Raven with strikes, but Raven keeps ramming Page into trash cans and the cage wall. The cans have weapons inside of them, so Raven dumps the plunder. One can contains a VCR. DDP answers with a discus clothesline and grabs a bull-rope. He hangs Raven over one of the cage’s support beams. Raven rises at the eight-count, so Dallas nails him with the VCR. It gets a seven-count. When Raven recovers, he rallies with trash cans, cookie sheets, and a chair. Then Raven grabs sleeper holds. Page backs him into the corner to break it and wipes out the ref. Dallas follows with a drop toe hold onto the chair, but The Flock arrives. They push through the riot police and open the door with bolt cutters. However, Hammer emerges from underneath the ring and attacks The Flock with a stop sign! He then cuffs Reese to the rail and leaves. This leaves the riot squad to clean up, but they enter the cage. Two members remove their helmets to reveal Kidman and Horace! But DDP uses their miscommunication to his advantage. He gives The Flock Diamond Cutters. This allows Raven to recover and nail Page with a fire extinguisher. He follows with the Even Flow. Dallas rises, so Raven stops DDP’s rally and blocks a Diamond Cutter. He then gives Page his own move! It’s not enough. Page stands, ducks a chair shot, and plants Raven with a Diamond Cutter. The ref counts both men, but Dallas reaches his feet at the last second.

Thoughts: This was an okay brawl. It dragged because of the last man standing rules, but it wasn’t bad. I liked the storytelling elements. There were some good moments. It wasn’t great, but I enjoyed it. They’ve had better encounters, but this was fine.

Winner: Diamond Dallas Page (14:35)

DDP crawls out of the cage and celebrates in the crowd. Meanwhile, another member of the riot squad handcuffs The Flock to the cage. Then he enters the ring and cuffs Horace and Kidman. When they’re neutralized, the cop rams Raven into the wall and cuffs him to it. He grabs a chair next and removes his helmet to reveal Mortis! But then Mortis unmasks and smacks Raven with the chair. (They don’t name him as Chris Kanyon yet, but it’s coming.) Tony recognizes Mortis as the drink vendor who attacked The Flock on Nitro. (More on that later.) Once he’s done, Mortis spits on The Flock and leaves.

Meanwhile, security shows the fans pictures of Vince McMahon and WWF Superstars. They also air security cam footage of the arena. Vince is nowhere. Tony wonders if he’s hiding.

Lee Marshall interviews Saturn in the internet room. He brings up Saturn’s match with Goldberg at Spring Stampede. Perry says he almost had him. Now he has a chance at the U.S. Title. Saturn claims Goldberg squeaked by last time, but Perry prepared for Goldberg. There’s no way he’s losing tonight. Saturn then leaves because he must prepare. (Didn’t he say he’s prepared? Make up your mind, Perry.)

While they clear the ring, the commentators recap the night. Tony says they’re getting The Flock out. (Well played, Tony.) Schiavone discusses Sting’s decision. The Giant gave him a nWo shirt, but Sting didn’t choose a side. He also wonders about Hall’s whereabouts. Tenay says The Giant predicted they would win. He assured Sting they could coexist. Heenan doesn’t know what will happen.

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

Notes: Eddie forced Chavo to shove Ultimo Dragon off the top rope during a bout. It cost Dragon a win against La Parka. So Chavo returned that favor to Eddie. He cost his uncle a chance at the TV title. Chavo distracted Eddie when he snitched to the ref about Eddie’s cheating. Then Chavo pissed off his uncle by trying to make peace with Ultimo Dragon. When Eddie confronted Chavo, Chavo slapped him. Dragon used the opening to put Eddie in a Dragon Sleeper. Because of this slight, Eddie made Chavo take his place in matches. Eddie feigned an injury as an excuse. Ultimo Dragon confronted Eddie about this behavior and put him in second sleeper. Then on Saturday Night, Eddie got his revenge. He made Chavo hold Dragon down for a Frog Splash. Now Eddie faces Dragon in this rematch. If Dragon wins, Chavo is free.

The Match: They trade takedowns, mat holds, and strikes. Dragon takes control with a headstand kick and more takedowns, so Eddie regroups. When he returns, Dragon locks Guerrero in a Half Crab, a Mutalock, and a rear chinlock. Eddie reaches the ropes and pokes Ultimo’s eyes. After more strikes and knockdowns, Eddie takes Dragon outside. He whips Ultimo into the rail and chokes him with a cable. Chavo snitches, so Eddie slaps his nephew. Then they return to the ring and fight on the top rope. Dragon crotches Guerrero and sends him back outside. There, Dragon nails an Asai Moonsault and returns Eddie to the ring. He follows with a spinning rack attack and another moonsault. However, Guerrero blocks a Super Frankensteiner and drills Dragon with a Tornado DDT. The Frog Splash is next, but Eddie misses it. Dragon capitalizes with a magistral cradle and a Dragon Sleeper. Eddie uses the ropes to flip through into his own version of the hold. He even puts his feet on the ropes for leverage, so Chavo stops this. It leads to another argument. Eddie and Chavo trade shoves and slaps. Dragon tries to hit Eddie with a wheel kick, but it nails Chavo by mistake. This allows Guerrero to land a brainbuster and a Frog Splash for the victory.

Thoughts: This was a solid match with great storytelling. It had a slow pace, but that’s fine. The finish was excellent. Chavo had a good performance. Everyone involved played their parts well.

Winner: Eddie Guerrero (11:09)

After the match, Chavo pulls Eddie away from Dragon and yells at him. But then Chavo snaps. He attacks Ultimo with slaps and stomps. A confused Eddie stops his nephew and slaps him. Eddie dares Chavo to do the same to him. However, Chavo can’t do it. Since Chavo shows restraint, Eddie tells Chavo to kiss him on the cheek. Chavo hesitates, but he complies.

Meanwhile, they show a special locker room for Vince McMahon. Someone put a star on the door. The sign says, “Vince The Reason for the Ratings McMahon.” Tony laughs and wonders about the catering in the dressing room.

U.S. Title Match: Goldberg (c) vs. Saturn

Notes: Goldberg defeated Raven for the US Title the night after Spring Stampede. Raven tried to get counted out, but some fans threw him back over the rail. Meanwhile, The Flock had internal issues. Saturn’s problems with Hammer escalated to a Loser Leaves the Flock Match. During the fight, a drink vendor jumped out of the crowd. He attacked both men, and Hammer landed on top of Saturn for the pin. (It was Kanyon, but the commentators didn’t recognize him. He hadn’t yet revealed he was the man under the Mortis mask.) They didn’t kick Saturn out, but Kidman mocked Perry for losing. However, The Flock beat up Hammer and removed him instead. While The Flock fought among themselves, Goldberg also fought with them. He saved Juvi from a Flock beating and attacked Riggs. WCW booked a Gauntlet. Goldberg would face The Flock. If a Flock member won, Raven would regain the US Title. But WCW changed those plans. Now it’s a one-on-one encounter between Goldberg and Saturn. (Bischoff realized he needed the PPV time for his Vince challenge.)

The Match: Saturn uses mat holds. Goldberg answers with strikes, a gorilla press powerslam, and another press slam. Perry regroups, so Goldberg follows him, and they return to the ring. They scuffle in the corners and Saturn scores some knockdowns. However, Saturn regroups when Goldberg shoves him around the ring. Bill follows again, but he hits the ring post on a missed clothesline. Saturn capitalizes. He shoves Goldberg into the post and nails an apron dropkick. When they enter the ring, Perry does a flying wheel kick. Goldberg powers out of the pin attempt. Then Perry slows the pace with sleeper holds, but Bill breaks free. He turns one into a belly-to-belly suplex. Saturn answers with a swinging neckbreaker and another sleeper. It still doesn’t work, so Perry looks for a suplex. Goldberg turns it into a twisting neckbreaker, but Bill misses a corner clothesline. Perry grabs the dazed Goldberg for an exploder suplex. While Bill is down, Saturn grabs a chair. He uses it for a double jump dropkick. Saturn tries a second one, so Bill spears him out of the air. He follows with the Jackhammer for a pinfall.

Thoughts: I liked this more than their Spring Stampede bout. It was short and explosive. Saturn once again got enough offense to look good. It was one of Goldberg’s better efforts. He looked crisp and hit some good moves. This was a better option than a Gauntlet, so it worked out in their favor.

Winner: Goldberg (7:01)

Next, they show a Great American Bash commercial starring The Flock. Raven had a misspent youth. It didn’t involve family picnics, baseball games, or hot dogs and apple pie. What is this useless American pastime? Times have changed! It’s The Great American Bash, and it comes in June!

Buffer introduces Eric Bischoff for a special challenge. Eric comes to the ring, throwing punches at the cameraman. Buffer praises Eric’s karate background. He swears Bischoff is putting his career and reputation on the line. Michael also says Bischoff single-handedly built the WCW empire. This offends Schiavone. Then Buffer welcomes the biggest star of the WWF. He’s from Stamford, CT. It’s the chief executive officer of Titan Sports, Vincent K. McMahon! Or is it? No one arrives, which doesn’t surprise Tony. Michael announces him again, but we get nothing. Bischoff asks the ref if this is a sanctioned WCW/nWo event. He confirms it is. The ref says he’ll ring the bell and count to ten. If Vince doesn’t show, the match is over. Bischoff invites the crowd to count with him. He hoped Vince would have the guts. Even Buffer joins the counting. They declare Bischoff the winner by forfeit and disqualification! (How can it be both?) Tony says he wouldn’t want to get in the ring with Eric. But he wants some of the catering from Vince’s locker room.

Then Buffer introduces the grudge match from Hell! Bret Hart is first. Michael lists his nicknames, but he calls him The Hitman Bret. (Did Buffer forget his last name? At least he didn’t call him Bret Clark.) Roddy Piper follows next. He’s the referee for the bout. After Piper’s entrance, Savage arrives. They haven’t debuted the Wolfpac theme. He still uses the regular nWo music. But he wears a red and black outfit. Buffer says Savage has a disregard for personal safety. He’s known for recklessness and madness! Bret bails outside, so Savage taunts him.

Bret Hart vs. Macho Man Randy Savage

Notes: After Bret cost Savage the title, Randy put him on his hit-list. He called Hart a con-man and a loser. Bret’s whining about screwjobs annoyed Savage. Then Gene questioned Hart about his actions. Bret gave a vague explanation. Sitting on the sidelines wasn’t good enough for Bret. He said people in WCW would pay for their crimes. No one was innocent in wrestling. Bret also praised Hogan for his success in the business, but he had a reason for wanting Hogan as champion. We never learned the reason because Savage attacked Bret. Randy threatened to screw Bret out of everything he has. So Bret jumped Randy’s Wolfpac buddies. Bret then accused Savage of cowardice. He said Randy ran to WCW to escape him, but now they would fight. An infuriated Savage needed to wrestle someone before the PPV, so he challenged Hogan. Bret ruined the bout. This drew the ire of Roddy Piper. He had enough, so he made himself the referee for this encounter. But he promised to not screw Bret Hart. After this, Savage fought Sting again. Bret ruined that too.

The Match: Bret stalls until Piper rolls him into the ring. Then Bret and Savage trade strikes and cheap shots. Bret shoves Roddy when he warns him about this. Next, they scuffle at the apron and on the floor. Hart grabs the ring steps, but Savage avoids the attack. After ramming Bret into the rail and the steps, the fight spills into the crowd. Randy sends Hart into the barricade and throws him over the rail. When they return to the ring, Bret targets Savage’s bad leg. Hart strikes the knee and jumps on it. Bret also wrenches the leg around the ropes. Then Hart uses a Russian Leg Sweep, a piledriver, a DDT, and a backbreaker. He complains to Roddy when they only get a two-count. This allows Savage to recover, so Bret misses his diving elbow. Savage capitalizes with the flying elbow, but he hurts his knee. Randy only gets a two when he covers. A worried Miss Elizabeth rushes the ring to distract Piper. While she does, Bret and Savage reverse through a Sharpshooter. Piper makes Randy break it when Bret reaches the ropes, so Liz argues with him. Savage also shoves Roddy for disrespecting Liz. The distraction allows Bret to nail a low blow, and Hart knocks Piper out with a weapon. However, Savage takes the weapon from Bret. He threatens Hart, who begs off into the corner. It’s a trap! Hogan arrives and clips Savage’s knee. He then rams Randy’s leg into the post. Piper regains consciousness and thinks Savage attacked him. Meanwhile, Bret puts Savage in a Sharpshooter for the submission.

Thoughts: This was slow and plodding. It had some good intensity. However, it was punching and kicking. I wanted to like it, but it was flat. This was decent but disappointing. I expected better from these two. Savage’s injury affected this.

Winner: Bret Hart (16:38)

Bret attacks Savage after the bout. He then spits on him. Tony says they don’t need that. After Bret poses, he leaves the ring. Savage writhes in pain. When they show a replay, Heenan explains why Hogan attacked the wrong leg. (Oops.) The replay shows Hogan crawling away, so Heenan compares him to a dog.

Then Buffer announces the final match of the evening! It’s for the WCW/nWo World Tag Team Championship. (That’s a mouthful.) The Outsiders arrive. Fans cheer when they see Hall is there. (The commentators announced his arrival during the previous match.) Dusty Rhodes is with them. Everyone wears the red and black of the Wolfpac. Hall grabs a mic and says he missed the fans. Scott does a survey. The nWo wins, so Hall calls it one more for the good guys. This leads to The Giant and Sting’s separate entrances. The Giant speaks with Sting, but Sting says nothing.

Tag Team Title Match: Sting & The Giant vs. The Outsiders (c) (w/ Dusty Rhodes)

Notes: Sting knew he wasn’t getting a WCW Title rematch with Hogan on top, so he focused on the man who cost him the belt. Since The Giant saved Sting from a beating, the two men challenged The Outsiders for the tag belts. But where is Scott Hall? (He’s in rehab.) Nash claimed WCW deemed him too dangerous for TV. Kevin and Dusty swore Hall would appear at the PPV. WCW still booked the Outsiders on TV. Dusty Rhodes took Hall’s spot. Nash & Rhodes beat The Public Enemy. Meanwhile, Nash called out Hogan. He wanted an apology for Spring Stampede. Hogan confronted Nash with his entourage, but Hogan had an ace up his sleeve. In a shocking swerve, The Giant attacked Nash and rejoined nWo Hollywood! When Sting wrestled Savage, The Giant interrupted. He told Sting he had a decision to make. The Giant handed Sting a nWo Hollywood t-shirt, but Sting wouldn’t wear it. When Sting didn’t give an answer, Luger pleaded with him. He told Sting not to do it.

The Match: Sting and Hall trade taunts and strikes. Scott blocks a hip toss, nails a chokeslam, and mocks The Giant. This allows Sting to recover. He does a facebuster, Manhattan Drops, and Stinger Splashes. A brawl erupts when Sting attempts a Scorpion Deathlock, but The Giant only attacks Nash. Then The Giant tags, so Hall swaps with Nash. Kevin does corner attacks and looks for a Jackknife. The Giant answers with a big boot, an elbow drop, and corner squashes. He even throws in a hip swivel before one of them. Next, Sting returns, but he gets in trouble. The Outsiders use frequent tags. Nash does his corner offense. Hall lands a fallaway slam and locks in an ab stretch. Hall & Nash use leverage until the ref catches them. That didn’t work, so Kevin puts Sting in a bear hug. Sting breaks free with head claps and jumps to tag The Giant. He cleans house with clotheslines, punches, and headbutts. Then The Giant leg drops Nash and climbs the turnbuckles! He takes a while, but The Giant leaps into a flying splash. It misses! Hall rallies Nash while Dusty distracts the ref. Kevin grabs The Giant for a Jackknife, so Scott enters the ring. Hall grabs a tag belt, and—nails Kevin Nash! The Giant covers for the win.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this. It was a basic tag match, but the storytelling elevated it. I like how The Giant and Hall never fought each other. The Giant only wanted Nash. It’s why he joined nWo Hollywood. They foreshadowed the ending without being too heavy-handed. This wasn’t a thrilling bout, but it was a good story-driven encounter.

Winners: Sting & The Giant (New Champions) (14:46)

A dumbfounded Sting watches as Scott Hall and Dusty Rhodes celebrate their actions. Hall gives the tag belt to The Giant and hugs him. The Giant also embraces Dusty. He invites Sting to join them, but Sting stands still. Then Hall drapes a Wolfpac shirt over Nash’s face. They place the tag title over Sting’s shoulder, but he still hasn’t moved. The Giant tells him to make the right choice, but the show ends without an answer.

The Good:

• The Jericho/Malenko stuff was great.

• Eddie/Dragon was solid.

• The main event was well done.

• Good storyline work.

The Bad:

• Luger vs. Adams

• Bret/Savage was a little disappointing.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Dean Malenko. He got the best reaction, and he showed a new intensity. These were some of my favorite WCW moments.

Final Thoughts:

This was another solid and enjoyable PPV. Only the Luger/Adams match was poor. Everything else was at least decent. Savage/Hart was a little disappointing, but it wasn’t bad. They advanced the storylines well. However, I do have a gripe. These shows are growing bloated. WCW tries to do too much. This will bite them later in the year. It isn’t unbearable yet, but it will become that way.

Thank you for reading. My next review is the WWF’s Over the Edge: In Your House. (No, it isn’t THAT Over the Edge. Don’t worry.) Look for it next Sunday!