Road Wild ’98

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

Road Wild

August 8, 1998

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

Sturgis, South Dakota

News & Notes: Since Goldberg is now the WCW champion, WCW vacated the United States belt. They named Bret Hart and DDP as the two top contenders and signed a match on Nitro. Bret attacked Page backstage and asked for an early start to the bout. JJ Dillon refused. He gave Dallas time to recover. DDP put up a valiant fight, but Bret won with a Sharpshooter. He’s the US champ. Then Hart set his sights elsewhere. Sting & Nash defended the tag belts against Hall & The Giant. Bret intervened and cost The Wolfpac their tag gold. Hart told Sting to learn from the defeat. He picked the wrong crowd. Bret said the fans led Sting down a bad path. Hart is Sting’s real friend! Bret tried to speak with Sting more than once. Sting fought him, but Hart never hit back.

They booked Hall & Giant to defend their titles against Sting & Luger. Someone (Hall) jumped Luger backstage, so Bret offered himself as a partner. No one thought Sting would agree, but he did. Sting repelled from the rafters in his old white and black paint. He stood in Bret’s corner. During the contest, Bret grabbed a bat. He swung at Sting, but Sting ducked and Bret nailed Hall. Sting then covered for the win. It appeared Hart & Sting were the new champions. But the ref reversed his call because of the bat. An angry and confused Bret swiped the belts anyway and left. Hall & Giant blindsided Sting while Hart left him to his fate. Sting rebounded from this lapse in judgment and returned to The Wolfpac for Thunder. (It made no sense and Sting looked like a fool. But it fits Sting’s tendency to fall for these ruses.)

We get a distorted opening video. It’s filled with static. A mechanical voice talks about Hogan, Bischoff, Jay Leno, and DDP! They include footage of Leno mocking Hogan with a small impostor. The nWo invaded The Tonight Show to avenge the disrespect. DDP stopped them and suggested a match. DDP will team with Leno to fight Hogan and Bischoff! It’s Road Wild.

A helicopter flies over Sturgis as Schiavone welcomes everyone. He calls it the most intriguing and talked about nights in pro-wrestling. We see the announcers. Tony and Tenay wore jackets, but Heenan didn’t bother. Tony says the entire world is talking about Leno and DDP! Hogan and Bischoff are dead serious, but Page and Leno had some fun. Then Tenay speaks about the war of words. Bischoff and Hogan crossed the line. Meanwhile, Heenan believes Leno could surprise people. He’s in good shape and he’s ready. (How did he not laugh while saying that?) Bobby also wonders about the nWo Battle Royal. Who can make a name for themselves by eliminating Goldberg? Finally, Tony mentions a Travis Tritt concert after the event. (They removed it from the network version.)

Elsewhere, Gene is on a motorcycle. He counts 200,000 bikers in the Black Hills. Okerlund thanks them and thanks their sponsor, American Iron Horse. Everyone spent a week on their bikes. Gene says they cook! It’s party time, so let’s begin the action!

Meng vs. The Barbarian (w/ Jimmy Hart)

Notes: The Flock attacked Barbarian after he defeated Horace. Meng came to his aid. Barbie didn’t care for this. He didn’t need Meng’s help. But you don’t get in Meng’s face! This disrespect earned Barbo a Tongan Death Grip. Meng wasn’t done. He jumped his former partner after a tag bout. To make matters worse, Barbarino lost to Duggan by a roll-up. Afterward, Meng appeared. He scuffled with Morrus and used a Death Grip. Barbarian stepped in to break Meng’s hold. Duggan saved Meng and offered a handshake. Meng gave him The Grip instead. When Barbs tried to avenge himself on Duggan, Meng and Hacksaw cleared the ring. This time, there was no violence. Meng stared Duggan down and left. It led to a Duggan vs. Meng encounter. Barb and Morrus ruined it. Jimmy Hart even nailed Meng with a flying 2×4 attack! Meng no-sold it. Then he and Duggan once again cleaned house together. It happened one last time on Saturday Night. Duggan and Meng gained each other’s respect.

The Match: Barbara jumps Meng when he enters. They tussle into the corners and trade hard strikes. Barb lands a belly-to-belly. Then both men attempt piledrivers. Meng succeeds, so Jimmy Hart distracts him. It leads to Meng missing a diving headbutt. But he shakes it off and throws a thrust kick. Next, they fight on the top rope. Barbie uses a super belly-to-belly, but Meng puts his foot on the ropes during the pin. When Meng counters with a powerslam, Hart runs more interference. Barbecue opens up a chop house on Meng’s chest. He also dishes out headbutts and forearms. Hart gets the ref’s attention, so Barnaby drags Meng to the apron. However, Bubs forgets the spot. After a pause, he rams Meng into the steps and rolls him inside. Barbarian then backdrops him and stomps on the mat. The commentators say he loaded his boot. He doesn’t notice Meng recovered. Meng grabs a Tongan Death Grip and brings Barbo down for a pin.

Thoughts: It had potential. The first few minutes made me think it would build into a good hoss battle. Then Barbarian forgot his spot. They went to an awkward finish. This was short, forgettable, and disappointing. Plus, who thought this was a feud anyone wanted?

Winner: Meng (4:48)

Meng won’t release the hold, so Jimmy Hart attacks. Hugh Morrus arrives to help. They break Meng’s grip and triple-team him. Then Burb and Morrus hold Meng down for Jimmy’s awful flying splash. Meng powers Jimmy off of him, but the beating continues. Morrus lands No Laughing Matter. Finally, Jim Duggan remembers he’s involved in this feud. Duggan clears the ring with his 2×4 while Meng rises to his feet. They stare at each other before Meng leaves.

Next, they show shots of Sturgis and talk about the guests. The network clipped something here. It jumps to the next match. We miss the wrestlers’ entrances. Disco Inferno, Alex Wright, and Tokyo Magnum talk to the camera. Disco complains about the dirty bikers. Inferno asks Wright if they have motorcycles in Germany. He also asks Tokyo if the bikers speak English.

The Public Enemy vs. The Dancing Fools (w/ Tokyo Magnum)

Notes: Tokyo Magnum wouldn’t give up until he got his wish. He danced with The Fools to their dismay. But then Magnum saved Disco & Alex from Public Enemy’s table antics. Grunge crashed through the table instead. He cursed Magnum for his interference. The Public Enemy scored payback on Saturday Night. They jumped The Fools. Disco & Alex once again left Magnum to the wolves. However, Tokyo earned Disco’s approval. With Wright out for two weeks, Disco teamed with Magnum. They even gained a fluke victory over The Public Enemy because of Tokyo’s shenanigans. An angry Johnny Grunge chucked pieces of a table at them. Then Disco fought Eddie Guerrero. Magnum tried to aid him. It backfired. Tokyo shoved Eddie off the top rope. But he pushed him into a Frog Splash for the pin.

The Match: Rocco and Alex trade arm wringers and reversals. The Fools dance and pose. They control the action with strikes, dropkicks, and clotheslines. However, chaos erupts after The Public Enemy lands a double flapjack. Wright grabs a trashcan. Rock brings a ladder. Things escalate, so The Fools disappear. They return with a table and request a street fight. Disco claims they have everything but the kitchen sink. The ref agrees to the change. The Street Fight is on! Public Enemy arm themselves with more weapons, including a toilet seat!

Everybody uses cans, cookie sheets, a mailbox, and a kitchen sink! (Disco lied.) Alex throws uppercuts and chops between weapon attacks. Rock counters with a trashcan lid and fights Disco on the floor. Back inside, The Public Enemy whips The Fools into each other. Wright rallies with a leg lariat. Then Tokyo helps. Wright holds Grunge for Magnum’s punch, but Magnum nails Alex! Wright complains and leaves in disgust. Tokyo follows him. They leave Disco to his fate. Rocco does a see-saw ladder spot. It misses, but Disco sells anyway. Afterward, PE takes forever to set up a stack of three tables. They use a ladder to place Inferno on top. Rock leaps off the scaffolding to put Disco through the plunder. When they drag Disco into the ring, Magnum returns. He does a flying splash, but it hits Inferno by mistake! Public Enemy covers for the win.

Thoughts: It was a disjointed mess. The finish looked cool, but it took too long to prepare. These men didn’t want to wrestle a normal match in the heat. They resorted to weapons shenanigans. It was a mindless garbage brawl. The only thing that could have saved it was Dusty Rhodes’ commentary. But he wasn’t there.

Winners: The Public Enemy (15:27)

Lee Marshall interviews Dean Malenko in the internet area. Dean is the special referee for the Cruiserweight title bout. (Why is he wearing stripes? WCW refs wear blue dress shirts.) Lee says Dean must remain impartial and unbiased. Can Malenko do that? Dean puts it plain and simple. He’ll referee how he sees it. Malenko claims he’ll do the same thing Jericho would do in his situation. Marshall wonders what he means by it.

Afterward, Raven and Lodi arrive ahead of the Triangle Match. They dubbed over Raven’s music with his WWF theme. (Raven started using a rip-off of “Come As You Are” by Nirvana.) Lodi’s signs say, “Sturgis is for losers and their fat old ladies. We hate Harleys!” When Saturn enters, the commentators question Kanyon’s allegiances. Raven says Kanyon joined The Flock. Is it true? It leads to Kanyon’s arrival. I swear Penzer calls him Kan-jun. Dave also tells us this contest is falls count anywhere. Kanyon reaches the ring, so Raven tells him to get Saturn!

Raven’s Rules Triangle Match: Saturn vs. Raven (w/ Lodi) vs. Kanyon

Notes: They had this contest already on Nitro. Raven won by count-out because Saturn and Kanyon brawled. Then Raven and The Flock jumped Perry multiple times. Kanyon aided him. But Saturn warned him about this. He didn’t need Chris’ help! Perry nailed Kanyon with a Death Valley Driver twice. So when Saturn went after Raven, Kanyon stopped him from giving Raven the DVD. Next, Kanyon fought Riggs on Saturday Night. It led to more chaos. Raven clocked Saturn with a chair and blamed it on Kanyon. Perry attacked Chris in retaliation. However, Raven changed his tactic. Kanyon no-showed a bout with Sick Boy. Raven claimed Kanyon switched sides. He was with The Flock. This Triangle Match would become a handicap encounter! To prepare Saturn, Raven made him face The Flock. During the action, Perry targeted Lodi’s broken fingers. (Raven broke them to punish Lodi.) But The Flock was too much. Raven hit an Even Flow. Then on Saturday Night, Raven dropped the charade. He beat up both Saturn and Kanyon.

The Match: Raven lets them wrestle. He even tosses Kanyon a chair. Saturn knocks it into the face of the confused Kanyon. Raven attacks both men when they go outside. But he watches them beat each other again. When Kanyon and Saturn realize this, they jump Raven. Perry and Chris give Raven a back suplex/neckbreaker combo and Total Elimination. However, they break up each other’s pins. Afterward, Kanyon rams them together and gives Raven rolling Russian Leg Sweeps. Saturn follows with a flying elbow, but Kanyon stops the pin. Chris nails a fisherman’s neckbreaker and trades punches with Saturn. When Raven recovers, he uses a chair. It leads to fighting on the platform. Everyone brawls to the stage.

Raven reverses a suplex on the ramp. (Tony thinks it’s asphalt.) Then Kanyon piledrives Saturn. Raven breaks up the cover and kicks Kanyon down the incline. As Raven and Chris scuffle on the ground, Saturn dives on them! Next, they return to the ring. Saturn suplexes Raven and puts him in a sleeper. Kanyon joins to make it a three-way hold. Raven ends it with a jawbreaker. Perry and Chris attempt a superplex. Raven makes it a tower of doom! He then tries a double Even Flow. Kanyon blocks it. Saturn isn’t as lucky. With Perry down, Raven and Kanyon fight on the floor. Chris climbs the scaffolding for a flying splash. He misses when Lodi moves Raven. Back inside, Saturn hits a Death Valley Driver on Raven, so The Flock interferes. Horace brings a sign. Lodi has powder. He throws it in Horace’s eyes by mistake! A blinded Horace decks all the wrong people with his sign. It allows Perry to nail another DVD on Raven for the three.

Thoughts: It was a fun and wild brawl. They did cool spots and used the set well. Also, they’re the first competitors unaffected by the hot temperatures. They worked their usual pace, despite the heat. It wasn’t outstanding, but I enjoyed it.

Winner: Saturn (12:26)

Cruiserweight #1 Contender Match: Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Psychosis

Notes: Mr. Loophole struck once more! Jericho still has the WCW rule book. If a suspended wrestler interrupts a championship fight, they render it null and void. JJ Dillon was reluctant, but he agreed. They returned the Cruiserweight belt to Jericho. Rey accepted his fate. He fought Juvi, but Bret Hart interrupted. He put Mysterio in a ring post Figure Four. WCW offered Rey a #1 Contender Match against Juvi. But Jericho cost Mysterio the victory. It led to a non-title bout between Jericho and Rey. Jericho lost when Malenko counted the pinfall. (He’s a licensed ref now. I’ll explain later.) An enraged Jericho threw a fit. Rey’s win and his recent woes convinced WCW to give him a second #1 Contender opportunity. Psychosis is in this because he pinned the current contender with Jericho’s help.

The Match: Psych controls the early action with takedowns, mat holds, and pin attempts. Rey hops onto his shoulders for a sunset flip. Psychosis answers with a front suplex and whips Mysterio into the corners. Then Psych does a diving nothing into Rey’s boots. After a 619 feint, Rey leaps into a hurricanrana. Rey also uses a flying crossbody after Psych regroups. When Mysterio tries another hurricanrana, Psych counters with a sit-out bomb. Afterward, Psych slows things with nerve holds, pinning predicaments, and a half crab. Rey escapes, so they tussle on the top rope. Psychosis lands a Super Frankensteiner. He climbs again, but Rey dropkicks Psych to the floor. Mysterio follows with a springboard somersault dive. Back in the ring, Mysterio hits a springboard sunset flip. It gets two, so Rey does a Rocker Dropper and an Arabian Press. Psych rallies with a spinebuster, but he bounces on the ropes with a missed attack. It allows Rey to pin him with a springboard hurricanrana.

Thoughts: It was solid. There were good moments. However, they moved at a quarter of their speed. My description makes it sound faster than it was. This is proof that an outdoor event in August is a mistake. When the heat affects even these guys, it’s time to retire this PPV. I wanted to like this, but the slow pace hurt it.

Winner: Rey Mysterio Jr. (13:38)

Chavo Guerrero Jr. arrives with Pepe and a notarized letter. He says his match is null and void. Everybody knows Chavo is the real Television Champion. It says so on the note Chavo typed and notarized. Stevie Ray tore up the other one, but he made a copy! So Stevie needs to come show him what he’s got! Chavo gets his wish. Stevie joins him. Penzer calls Stevie Ray the self-proclaimed TV champ. Tony labels both men’s claims as silly. Heenan suggests Chavo leave him Pepe in his will. Meanwhile, Chavo confronts Stevie. He tells Ray to get it through his skull. He’s not the titleholder. Chavo demands his belt! He even asks Pepe. Is he the champion? Pepe says yes in a voice Chavo provides. Stevie Ray has none of it. He wants to start the fight. Chavo says they have to do a ceremonial handshake first.

TV Title Match: Stevie Ray (c) vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Notes: Is Stevie the TV champion now? I’m unsure if WCW even knows. Here’s the story. Bret put Booker on the shelf with his attack. Stevie appeared on Nitro with the belt. He claimed his brother gave him power of attorney to defend the gold. Stevie promised a notarized note to prove it! However, Chavo rained on Stevie’s parade. He exposed cracks in Ray’s claims. One week, Stevie didn’t have the title. He swore he left it with Booker. Chavo discovered it in Dillon’s office and brought it to Stevie. Next, Stevie produced the notarized note. But Chavo found a notary stamp in Stevie’s bag, along with some sweet gloves! It didn’t stop Stevie from continuing the charade. So Chavo used the notary stamp. Chavo declared he also had the power of attorney! He swiped the championship and galloped away on Pepe. Stevie chased him to the back. Pepe was too fast of a horse. Chavo escaped! (Wait, what am I saying!? This storyline is absurd, but I find it amusing.)

The Match: Stevie refuses the handshake. He’s not falling for it again. Chavo acts like he can’t control his hand, so Ray calls him crazy. Since Stevie lowered his guard, Chavo nails a dropkick. He evades Stevie and uses punches. It leads to a chase around ringside. Ray catches Chavo with strikes. Chavo answers with a sunset flip. Stevie lifts him. Chavo rakes the eyes to escape and throws fists. When they don’t work, Chavo leads a second chase. He kicks Stevie as he enters the ropes and runs once more. But Stevie stops and waits. Chavo freaks out when he realizes Ray is behind him. Stevie kicks Guerrero and gives him The Slapjack (Pedigree) for the win.

Thoughts: It was amusing, but it wasn’t much of a match. This gave me a chuckle, but it’s forgettable. It’s is a PPV, not an episode of Nitro. They aren’t taking this show seriously. Most of tonight’s wrestlers don’t want to overexert themselves in the hot environment. They find clever ways to do less work.

Winner: Stevie Ray (2:38)

After the match, Stevie addresses the fans. Everyone thinks he’s a joke. But anyone who messes with him gets what Chavo got. If they don’t like it, do something about it. Then Stevie says he isn’t done with Chavo. Ray threatens him, so Eddie arrives. He grabs the belt from Stevie. However, Eddie doesn’t want trouble. He has no problem with Stevie. Eddie returns the gold to him and Ray leaves. When Eddie turns to his nephew, Chavo looks annoyed. Chavo didn’t need his uncle’s help. Why is he there? Eddie tries to talk sense into him.

Marshall has Chris Jericho in the internet area. Lee says fans came to see Chris wrestle. No more law books and whining! Now Jericho faces Juvi with Malenko as the ref. Jericho says Lee should know he always gives 100%. Malenko better call it down the middle. Chris is sick of the conspiracies. He has people watching Dean tonight! Jericho also reminds Marshall he already took Guerrera’s mask. He exposed his ugly face. Chris will beat him again as long as Malenko keeps his nose straight!

Rick Steiner vs. Scott Steiner (w/ Buff Bagwell)

Notes: Buff Bagwell tried to create peace with Rick Steiner. He wanted to blame Rick for the accident, but he realized it wasn’t right. When he heals, he wants to face Rick to prove himself. This display sickened Hogan and the nWo. Hollywood dumped Buff out of his wheelchair and left. The nWo’s assault on Bagwell was too far. Rick demanded a fight against his brother. What happened to Buff was a tragedy, so Rick would make Scott pay. A grateful Bagwell hugged Rick, but it was a swerve! Scott and Buff attacked Rick. Bagwell removed his neck brace and posed. He mocked both Rick and the fans for sympathizing with him. Despite Bagwell’s injury, he’s still nWo for life! Scott accepted Rick’s challenge. Then he changed his tune the following week. Once again, Scott feigned a reconciliation with Rick. He brought out Bagwell in a Rick costume. Buff acted like a dog. An angry Rick stormed the ring and decked Scott with a chair. On Thunder, Buff called the show. He claimed Rick injured Scotty. So this fight won’t happen!

The Match: JJ Dillon arrives and apologizes to Rick. There won’t be a match tonight. Because of Rick’s attack, the doctors didn’t clear Scotty. Rick doesn’t believe him. He saw his brother at the event. As he says this, Bagwell wheels Scott out on a stretcher. Scott’s arm and leg are in casts. He wears an oxygen mask on his face. Buff says he wants Rick to see what he did to his brother! Buff asks Scotty if he’s okay. The mask muffles Scott’s reply. Fans chant bullshit as Bagwell talks about his neck. Rick’s actions hurt him too!

Dillon has enough of the nonsense. He reminds everyone WCW can reschedule matches. Therefore, the bout will happen at Fall Brawl. This annoys the crowd. They boo. Buff claims Scotty might not be ready by then. JJ says he better be. If Scott doesn’t compete, they’ll bar him from wrestling! The announcement makes Scott leap off his gurney. Rick storms the stage and chases Scott and Buff away. The commentators call Scott’s recovery a miracle.

Thoughts: It was a storyline instead of a contest. But I’m fine with it. This amused me. Scott sounded like Kenny from South Park. They did a fine job of continuing the feud. I have no issue with this. However, it’s another example of something they should do on TV. On a PPV, it’s a bait and switch. People paid money for it.

Winner: No Contest

Steve Mongo McMichael vs. Brian Adams (w/ Vincent)

Notes: This match has no build. Poor Brian Adams wasn’t good enough for the battle royal. He gets Mongo as a consolation prize. Since there’s no story, I’ll discuss the ongoing Horsemen saga. Dean Malenko joined Mongo’s campaign. He spoke with Benoit and heard his pleas. Anderson helped Dean at Bash at the Beach, so Malenko requested a meeting with Arn. He thanked Anderson for bringing him to WCW. Then Dean asked Arn to reform the Horsemen. Arn reminded everyone his career is over. Besides, Dean and Mongo need to prove their work ethic! They dropped the ball in recent weeks. Dean lost his cool and blew his final shot at Jericho. The nWo outwitted Mongo. They made this about personal friendships. But Arn’s best friend is sitting at home! It’s over! Arn told them to drop it and move on!

The Match: They tussle into the corners for clean breaks. (Mongo says that’s how a good guy does it!) Then Adams kicks McMichael when they try a test of strength. After Brian botches a clothesline spot, Mongo does a facelock takedown. It makes Adams regroup with Vincent. (Tony calls Vincent useless.) When he returns, Adams catches Steve for a powerbomb. He follows with leg drops and nerve holds. Then Brian sends Mongo to the floor. Vincent attacks, and Mongo no-sells it. He chases him. It allows Adams to do a backbreaker, but he misses a diving knee. Mongo capitalizes with three-point stance chop blocks. Afterward, they botch another clothesline! Adams tries a piledriver and clips the ref. He also kicks the ref when he’s down. With him out, Vincent grabs a chair. He swings, but it hits Brian by mistake. Mongo decks Vincent and gives Brian the Mongo Spike for a victory.

Thoughts: That was awful. It was two men botching moves and putting in a minimal effort. At least they kept it short. The PPV already has plenty of matches. Was this necessary? They wanted to keep the Horsemen storyline in people’s minds. So do a backstage segment instead!

Winner: Steve McMichael (6:32)

Gene is with the American Iron Horse girls. It makes Tony envious. Gene compares them to the Nitro Girls. He also calls the American Iron Horse bikes the finest-built machines on the road. But it’s because Gene will spend tomorrow with their president. Next, Gene asks the girls to cheer while he revs the motorcycle. Heenan wants to run over Okerlund with the bike.

Before the Cruiserweight title match, Dean Malenko arrives. Bobby wonders if Dean has referee experience. Tenay surprises no one by knowing the answer. Dean spent a summer in Florida working as a ref. Tony says he should throw the experience out the window. He doesn’t want Malenko to call it down the middle. Heenan says to cheat. Schiavone agrees. Then Juvi and Jericho join Dean. Chris wears a sweet robe. He recoils when a fan takes his picture. Before the bout, Jericho addresses the fans. He wants them to want him! However, Jericho taunts the bikers. He insults them and brags about his Honda bike. Chris calls himself a true biker, and they know it! The crowd drowns him out with engine noise.

Cruiserweight Title Match: Juventud Guerrera vs. Chris Jericho (c)

Notes: Malenko vowed to finish off Jericho for good. So Jericho offered Dean one last shot. If Malenko couldn’t win, he’d never get another opportunity. During the fight, Jericho used brass knuckles. Dean took them from Chris and decked him. The official saw it and disqualified Malenko. It was over. Dean blew it. Now Jericho needed a new opponent. They held a #1 Contender bout between Juvi and Rey. Jericho gave Juventud the victory by attacking Mysterio. Dillon had enough. He said Chris was out of control. Therefore, JJ appointed a special referee for this encounter. It’s Dean Malenko! Dean had a practice run. Juvi fought Psychosis with Dean as the ref. Jericho told Malenko to prove his integrity. Call it down the middle! Then Jericho attacked Guerrera behind Dean’s back. Malenko was hesitant because he spotted Chris celebrating. But he counted the three.

The Match: Dean steps between them on clean breaks. He yanks Jericho by the hair when he gets in Dean’s face. (The camera misses it.) However, Malenko lets Juvi pull hair and poke Jericho’s eyes. They brawl outside. Juvi performs a springboard plancha over the platform, but he hurts his knee. Back in the ring, Guerrera uses crossbodies. Chris catches the second one and nails a gorilla press powerslam. After a suplex, Jericho does his cocky pin. Malenko’s counts are slow for Chris. Next, Juventud fights out of a rear chinlock and reverses a suplex. He also raises his knees on Jericho’s Lionsault. Juvi follows with takedowns and a flying wheel kick.

Then Juvi tries a hurricanrana. Chris counters with a double powerbomb. After they scuffle at the apron, Guerrera scores a DDT. He continues with a Juvi Driver for two. Afterward, they fight on the top rope. Jericho lands a superplex. Juvi almost flips a Tiger Bomb, but Chris turns it into a Liontamer. Juvi reaches the ropes. Jericho thinks he won. Juvi throws punches when Chris argues with Malenko. One clips Dean, so Jericho gives Guerrera a belt shot. Since Chris paused to shove Malenko, he only gets another two! It leads to more fighting on the turnbuckles. Dean pulls Juvi away when he won’t stop punching. He stands between the combatants. Jericho shoves Malenko toward a running Juvi. Dean hoists Juventud over his head. As Juvi sails toward Jericho, he hooks him for a Super Frankensteiner! It gains Guerrera the three count!

Thoughts: It was the best match on the card, but even this suffered from the heat. The action was solid. I liked the finish. Plus, Jericho worked the crowd better than anyone else at this event. Despite the slower moments, this was good.

Winner: Juventud Guerrera (New Champion) (16:24)

Dean helps Juvi to his feet and raises his arm. Jericho throws a fit. He attacks Malenko, so Dean decks him. He then throws Jericho to the floor while Guerrera celebrates with his belt. The bikers congratulate him with a symphony of revving engines. Meanwhile, they show a replay of the spot the camera missed earlier.

Next, Penzer introduces the nWo Invitational Battle Royal. Wrestlers can eliminate each other over the top rope or by pins and submissions. The nWo Hollywood group is first. It includes the new tag champs, Hall & The Giant. Scott does his survey. The Wolfpac wins, but Hall calls it a win for the good guys. When The Wolfpac arrives, they do their shtick. Then Goldberg joins the festivities. Penzer says his winning streak is at 129-0.

Participants: Scott Hall, The Giant, Curt Hennig, Scott Norton, Kevin Nash, Sting, Lex Luger, Konnan, & Goldberg.

nWo Invitational Battle Royal

Notes: The battle royal has two main storylines and a minor side plot. First, we have Scott Hall’s issues. Nash blamed these on Hogan. Meanwhile, Hogan punished Hall for losing to Goldberg. He showed Hall some tough love. Nash saw it as an opportunity to redeem Hall. But Hall attacked Nash again and remained with Hogan. Scott claimed Hogan and Bischoff were the ones who had his back. Nash called it strike two. He’d have to knock some sense into his friend. An angry Hall stormed the production truck when they replayed Nash’s comments. He destroyed the tape. Hall then mocked Nash and his crew. Scott challenged The Wolfpac to face nWo Hollywood in a battle royal. The second story involves Goldberg. The nWo trashed his locker room. Then the nWo jumped DDP. Goldberg seized his opening. He confronted the nWo, so The Giant chokeslammed Goldberg. Because of the attack, Goldberg invited himself to this party. He vowed to run through both nWo Hollywood and The Wolfpac. His threats led to a confrontation with Sting. I mentioned the Sting & Hart vs. Hall & Giant match earlier. After the bout, Goldberg speared The Giant. Finally, I have one last tidbit. Hennig drew the ire of The Wolfpac. He scored shady victories over Luger and Konnan with the help of Rude and Norton.

The Match: Everyone brawls. Nash fights Hall. Goldberg scuffles with The Giant. Then Scott Hall tries an Outsiders Edge. Goldberg backdrops him out of the ring! Nash eliminates himself to chase his friend. He gives Hall a Snake Eyes on the apron. Goldberg stands back and lets people fight. He hits an occasional spear. However, The Giant grabs Bill. Giant throws headbutts and does a Russian Leg Sweep. Even Hennig jumps Goldberg, so Sting puts Curt in a Scorpion Deathlock. Norton stops it. Next, Giant boots Konnan into a Goldberg spear. Bill dumps him afterward. But Hennig and The Giant stop Goldberg’s momentum. Bill gets payback. He spears Curt and throws him to the floor. Bill then dumps Norton and Sting. Luger doesn’t notice. He turns and gets speared out of his boots. It allows The Giant to eliminate Lex. This leaves Giant and Goldberg. The Giant nails a chokeslam, but Goldberg does The Undertaker sit-up! He follows with a spear and grabs Giant for a Jackhammer. The announcers don’t think he can do it. Bill proves them wrong. He lifts Giant for the move and pins him for the win.

Thoughts: For a Battle Royal, it wasn’t bad. It had enough good moments and storyline progression. Plus, they kept it short. It didn’t overstay its welcome. I also loved the finish. Goldberg giving The Giant a Jackhammer is impressive. It’s a shame Goldberg didn’t have a title defense on this card. But this showcased him well.

Winner: Goldberg (7:58)

Michael Buffer introduces the main event. Hogan’s team enters first. Heenan offers to take over The Tonight Show if anything happens to Leno. Tony accuses Bischoff of writing his own introduction. Next, DDP’s team joins the party. They have Jay’s bandleader Kevin Eubanks with them. Buffer claims Leno is defending the title of the talk show king. (What did Letterman think of that?) When Jay enters the ring, he carries a cup of water. Leno dumps it on Hogan and Bischoff. An angry Hogan shoos Penzer away and removes his chair. Leno dares Hogan to punch his big chin.

Diamond Dallas Page & Jay Leno (w/ Kevin Eubanks) vs. Hollywood Hogan & Eric Bischoff (w/ The Disciple & Miss Elizabeth)

Notes: The nWo became a thorn in DDP’s side. He fended off fights with The Disciple and Hennig. Page was sick of this. He vowed to rid wrestling of Hogan. It led to a DDP/Hogan bout. Page nailed a Diamond Cutter, but the nWo prevented a pinfall. Meanwhile, Bischoff continued antagonizing Jay Leno. Eric changed the name of his talk segment to nWo Nightcap. He then stole Leno’s monologue and his headlines bit. Bischoff had Hogan as a guest. They aired footage of Leno insulting the nWo. Jay dressed a little man as Hogan to mock him. Hogan and Bischoff promised to invade The Tonight Show if he did it again. He did, so Hollywood and Eric stormed Leno’s program. Hogan shoved Jay. Bischoff took over the episode. DDP stopped this. He suggested a match. It’s DDP & Leno vs. Hogan & Bischoff! The next week, Eric did another nWo Nightcap. They insulted Kevin Eubanks and called Leno and DDP losers. Afterward, the nWo went too far. They cornered Kimberly and threatened her until DDP arrived. The Giant held Page down and Hogan slapped him. Then The Giant hit a chokeslam. Page avenged this attack by destroying the nWo Nightcap set.

The Match: Hogan and DDP shove and taunt each other. Then they trade arm wringers and shoulder blocks. After Leno slaps Hogan, Page hits a swinging neckbreaker. Even Eubanks shoves Hogan into the post and rolls him inside. Hogan and Bischoff answer with corner punches and kicks. Page breaks free and tags Leno. Eric freaks out and swaps with Hogan. However, Jay evades him and brings back DDP. After more arm wringers and shoulder blocks, Leno tags again! He puts Hogan in his own arm twist. Hogan sells it! He backs Jay into the corner for knees, but Nick Patrick warns Hogan. It leads to another arm hold from Leno! Page and Leno tag in and out and nail a double clothesline. Leno covers for a two!

When Hogan regroups, Dallas chases him. Hollywood grabs a chair, but Eubanks steals it. They return and Bischoff gives DDP a cheap shot. The distraction allows Hogan to take control. Hogan and Bischoff give Dallas corner attacks. Then Hogan uses a fist weapon. He places Eric on top for a two count! Eric and Hogan make more tags and choke Page. Hogan follows with a big boot and poses. DDP surprises Hollywood with a discus clothesline. Afterward, Leno and Bischoff tag. Jay dares Eric to fight him. They exchange eye pokes and low blows. Jay rains horrible punches on Eric. He then rams Bischoff into the turnbuckles. Hogan interferes and hits Bischoff by mistake. DDP takes the shocked Hogan outside and they brawl. It distracts the ref, so Kevin Eubanks enters the ring. He nails a Diamond Cutter on Bischoff. Leno pins him for the victory.

Thoughts: It was embarrassing. WCW tried to justify these celebrity appearances by saying it made them money. But this one did disappointing business. No one wanted to see Leno wrestle. Watching Hogan sell for him was sad. And I don’t even like Hogan. I’ll credit Leno with one thing. He had fun with it and played to the crowd. The audience reacted well, but the match was terrible.

Winners: DDP & Jay Leno (14:31)

DDP’s team celebrates. Tony praises Leno’s quickness, teamwork, and guts! Heenan thinks the loss embarrassed Hogan and Bischoff. Then Tony tries to sound impressed by Leno’s performance. Meanwhile, Hogan and Bischoff jump DDP and Leno. The Disciple joins the melee. They choke everyone until Goldberg arrives to save the day. He spears both Hogan and Bischoff at the same time! The nWo retreats, so Goldberg raises DDP and Leno’s arms. Bill then looks at the camera and says, “Next!”

Heenan calls Jay gutsy for entering the ring. Tony hopes this will end nWo Nightcap. After some replays, they plug Fall Brawl. We already have a Steiner vs. Steiner match booked. It will be great, but Road Wild was memorable! Bobby recaps the night and sounds close to laughter. Next, fireworks explode and they show a commercial for Fall Brawl. The PPV ends before the Travis Tritt concert. (They don’t have the rights to show it on the network.)

The Good:

• The Triangle Match was fun.

• The Steiner stuff was amusing.

• Jericho/Juvi was good.

The Bad:

• The embarrassing main event.

• Mongo vs. Adams.

• Lackluster performances because of the heat.

Performer of the Night:

It’s Chris Jericho. He’s one of the few who didn’t phone in their performance. Chris also played to the crowd well.

Final Thoughts:

This was awful. That’s two years in a row where Road Wild was one of the worst PPVs. I see why they only do it one more year. Holding an outdoor show in the middle of August isn’t wise. It affected the work ethic. In fact, this might be one of the worst WCW PPVs I’ve covered. It’s up there. Or should I say it’s down there?

Thank you for reading. My next review is the WWF’s SummerSlam ’98. Look for it next Sunday!