World War 3 ’98

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

World War 3

November 22, 1998

The Palace of Auburn Hills

Auburn Hills, Michigan

News & Notes: Eric Bischoff continued being a terror after Halloween Havoc. He promised a Ric Flair match on Nitro. It was a swerve. Eric showed footage of Hogan beating Flair in ’94. Bischoff said doctors wouldn’t clear Ric to wrestle, so he cannot return. Flair retaliated by threatening to take Bischoff’s job. Then the nWo tried to injure Mongo, so Arn used a tire iron on them. Bischoff had Anderson arrested. But Flair introduced backup. He brought Barry Windham back to WCW, much to Eric’s chagrin. However, it wasn’t Bischoff’s only woes. Bam Bam Bigelow invaded an episode of Nitro. He wanted Goldberg. It led to a brawl between them. Bischoff blamed JJ Dillon for the mess and attempted to fire him, but Dillon beat him to the punch. JJ quit before Bischoff relieved him of his duties. Say goodbye to JJ Dillon. It was a nice run.

In other news, Hogan rewarded his nephew Horace for his help at Havoc. He gave Horace his nWo colors. Then Hogan did the unexpected. He announced he’s running for President of the United States! Jesse Ventura’s governor win inspired Hogan. Also, The Warrior made two appearances before disappearing. (WCW stopped calling him. I don’t blame them.) Meanwhile, Raven’s losing streak grew. He’s on a downward spiral into depression. Finally, Eddie’s LWO increased its ranks. He rejected Chavo for not being good enough, but they added a new bodyguard. His name is Spyder (Art Flores). They also got Mysterio, but I’ll cover that before the cruiserweight bout.

The opening video starts with footage of DDP and Bret Hart. They also show Goldberg. Then we see a rapid-fire montage of wrestlers. The names flash across the screen at a dizzying pace. It ends with an explosion and the World War 3 logo. This was one of WCW’s lazier intros.

A limo arrives with Goldberg inside. Tony says the heavyweight champ is there to watch. One man out of sixty will prevail and face him at Starrcade. Who will it be? Schiavone says there are so many variables and rings. In fact, there are three rings! Then Tony claims all the wrestlers have butterflies in their stomachs. In other news, Hollywood Hogan isn’t there. This baffles the commentators. Tenay wonders if they’ll get answers on Nitro. But they still have a who’s who of wrestling! DDP will face Bret Hart in the main event. Heenan says Page wants to break Bret’s legs as revenge.

Meanwhile, Gene says returning to the motor city is great. Many people picked a big man to win the battle royal. Gene thinks a little guy will take it. Next, Gene says you can ring the hotline to hear Heenan’s predictions. Okerlund says to call Bobby, but it’s a recorded message. Then the announcers mention the backstage mentality. Heenan says it smells like war.

Wrath vs. Glacier

Notes: Glacier reunited with his old karate buddy, Ernest Miller. He offered his help whenever The Cat needed it. So Miller returned the favor. He helped Glacier defeat Chris Adams. (Glacier was still feuding with anyone using the superkick.) Meanwhile, Wrath continued his winning ways. He faced Kanyon after Raven refused the bout. Kanyon had a scheduled match with Glacier, but he wrestled anyway. Wrath defeated Kanyon, and Glacier arrived to face an already tired opponent. The problem was, Wrath hadn’t left yet. He jumped Glacier during his entrance and beat him up. Glacier then had his encounter with Kanyon, but Kanyon pinned him.

The Match: Wrath shoves a reluctant Glacier until he regroups. Then they brawl outside. Wrath whips Glacier into and over the railing! Glacier answers with strikes, but Wrath throws clotheslines and chokes Glacier. Glacier uses an eye poke. Wrath returns the cheating by pinning him with his feet on the ropes. Next, Wrath strangles Glacier with a camera cable. Wrath ignores the ref’s admonishment, but he doesn’t disqualify him. After more choking and chinlocks, Wrath misses a corner charge. Glacier hits a glancing Cryonic Kick and attempts the Ice Pick (Asiatic Spike). Wrath blocks it and ends the fight with the Meltdown.

Thoughts: Other than the nice guardrail spot in the middle, this was dull and repetitive. When they ran out of ideas, they brawled on the floor. Most of it was chops, choking, and kicks. It had no flow and no story. (On a side note, Tenay mentioned Wrath appeared on the Mortal Kombat TV show. Everything came full circle! Why didn’t they invite Glacier too?)

Winner: Wrath (8:22)

They recap Bret Hart’s path of terror. He injured multiple wrestlers. Bret said he had something to prove in WCW. He doesn’t like Booker T. Luger is a muscle-bound idiot. Benoit disrespected him. And Dallas Page is a punk. Bret made examples out of them. He’s a hitman, and he does what the name says. Bret promises to make an example out of Page again. If they’re lucky, DDP won’t wrestle after tonight.

Then Stevie Ray and Konnan arrive for their bout. The commentators speculate about Hogan’s absence. They expected nWo Hollywood to help him win the battle royal. Now it’s every man for himself.

Stevie Ray (w/ Vincent) vs. Konnan

Notes: Konnan has issues with both nWo Hollywood and the LWO. First, Bret Hart tried multiple times to injure Konnan. Then The Giant attempted to put Konnan through a table. Both men fought with chairs and tables in a wild fight. Meanwhile, Eddie and the LWO told Konnan he’d never join them. Guerrero said Konnan spent too much time with his Anglo buddies in The Wolfpac. The LWO interrupted Konnan’s match against Saturn. Perry and Konnan fended them off, but Saturn didn’t appreciate the help. He punched Konnan, and they brawled. Next, Konnan wrestled Vincent on Saturday Night. Now, he wrestles nWo Hollywood’s self-proclaimed enforcer, Stevie Ray.

The Match: Stevie throws strikes. Konnan answers with a rolling clothesline, a low dropkick, and a seated ab stretch. Then Stevie uses a sidekick that misses. Konnan bumps anyway. Afterward, Stevie sends K-Dawg outside and distracts the ref. Vincent attacks and rolls Konnan inside. There, Stevie grabs loose chinlocks. Konnan breaks free and lands an X-Factor, but Stevie counters with an eye poke. Next, Vincent gets on the apron with the slapjack. Konnan spots him and whips Stevie into Vincent as Vince swings the weapon. It clocks Stevie! Instead of pinning him, Konnan wails on him with punches. Billy Silverman tries to stop it. Konnan shoves him, so the ref calls for the bell.

Thoughts: Stevie controlled most of this, which was a mistake. Konnan sold his weak-looking offense. It was mostly loose chinlocks and whiffed kicks. Then they had a lame finish. This was bad. There was no build, so why even have this bout? It did no favors for Konnan.

Winner: Stevie Ray (by DQ) (6:55)

Booker T stops Konnan’s assault. He checks on his brother as they announce Stevie won by DQ. When Stevie notices Booker, he shoves him. Booker tells Stevie the nWo members aren’t his brothers. Stevie disagrees and leaves with Vincent. Tony can’t believe Stevie chose the nWo over his own blood.

Next, Ernest Miller and Sonny Onoo enter the arena. They are facing Kaz Hayashi and Saturn. Tony says people are talking about this PPV in colleges, middle schools, and offices. Heenan adds correctional facilities to the list. Tony asks how he knows that. Bobby says Tony’s brother-in-law told him. Tony calls it a low blow. Then Penzer announces Onoo is 3-0 as a wrestler. This annoys Tony. He says Miller helped Sonny win. Speaking of Miller, he gives Kaz Hayashi five seconds to leave. Kaz switches with Saturn behind Miller’s back.

Ernest the Cat Miller & Sonny Onoo vs. Saturn & Kaz Hayashi

Notes: Sonny Onoo became Miller’s manager by offering him cash. Then Onoo challenged his former charge, Kaz Hayashi, on Saturday Night. Miller kicked Kaz while the ref checked Sonny for weapons. Onoo pinned Kaz with a foot on his chest. Hayashi tried to get revenge by disguising himself as a masked wrestler named El Gringo. He fought Onoo, but Miller once again helped Sonny pin him. Miller and Onoo also interfered in Kaz’s matches. Kaz had enough. He sought a partner to face Miller & Onoo. Kaz asked multiple wrestlers until Saturn offered his services. But Saturn had to save Kaz from Miller and Onoo’s attacks. Miller scored payback by costing Saturn a victory against Wrath.

The Match: Saturn makes Miller regroup and tags Kaz. He wants Onoo and eventually meets him. Sonny’s kicks are ineffective, so he offers Kaz money. It doesn’t work. Onoo scurries for a tag. Saturn and Miller trade strikes and Perry uses suplexes. Miller then gets in trouble and forces Onoo to tag. Ernest saves Sonny from Saturn’s STF. Next, Kaz returns, and Onoo and Miller take control. Miller and Onoo double-team him in the corner. But Kaz breaks a sleeper with a jawbreaker and tags Saturn. Perry lands a snap suplex. Onoo slaps Saturn behind the ref’s back, but he begs off when Saturn almost grabs him. Then Saturn does more suplexes on Miller. Sonny interferes again, so Kaz stops him. It causes an argument with the ref. Miller takes the opening and nails a roundhouse kick to Saturn’s head. Onoo falls on him for the pin.

Thoughts: When Saturn was in control, it was alright, but the rest was bad. Kaz looked like a chump in both this and the build. They never portrayed him as a threat. Miller and Onoo thwarted Hayashi at every turn. Every time he tagged into this bout, he got his butt kicked. Then Onoo also pinned Saturn. Perry deserves better.

Winners: Miller & Onoo (8:04)

Lee Marshall interviews Jericho in the internet booth. He says Chris looks better than the last time they saw him. Jericho calls him Flea Marshall and thanks him. He always dresses in the best duds. Lee says he wasn’t talking about the clothes. He meant Bobby Duncum hogtying Jericho. Chris labels this WCW propaganda. Bobby attacked him from behind! Jericho promises to lariato Duncum back to Texas. He also calls himself the true killer of WCW. Oh, and Ralphus is too.

Juventud Guerrera arrives for his fight, but Mean Gene spots something suspicious. He confronts Juvi about the t-shirt on his back. Why is Juvi wearing the LWO colors? Did he sell out? Eddie Guerrero appears and explains everything. He says Juvi saw the light. They have to stick together to prevent Bischoff from holding them down. This draws out Rey Mysterio. Rey asks if this is why he didn’t get his title shot. Eddie tells Rey to calm down and think of the LWO’s best interests. Juvi is the champion. Everyone sacrifices things for their family, and the LWO is Rey’s family! Rey vows to do something about this and shoves Juventud.

Cruiserweight Title Match: Kidman vs. Juventud Guerrera (c)

Notes: Juvi wrestled Kidman the night after Halloween Havoc and lost. But then Juvi proved himself in a great showing against Mysterio. It went into overtime and Rey won. However, Juvi got the rematch with Kidman because Rey had his own issues. Juvi defeated Kidman to win the cruiserweight title! Meanwhile, Rey dealt with the LWO. It took multiple tries, but Eddie brought Rey into the fold. Rey and Eddie had a match where Mysterio had to join if Eddie beat him. Juvi tried to help, but he hit Mysterio by accident. Now Mysterio is a reluctant member of Eddie’s group. Rey wanted to face Kidman for a spot in this bout, but Eddie wouldn’t let him. Then Eddie fought Kidman. Rey argued with the LWO’s new bodyguard, Spyder. It distracted Kidman, so Eddie used the opening to pin him with his feet on the ropes.

The Match: They do chain wrestling, reversals, and takedowns. Kidman surprises Juvi with a Sky High. Guerrera answers with a spinebuster. Then Kidman dropkicks Juvi out of the air and they fight at the apron. Juvi does a hurricanrana to the floor. Next, Juvi nails a springboard dropkick and a springboard plancha. Afterward, they wrestle from one ring to another with double springboard moves! The action spills into all three rings! Juvi scores a double springboard Super Frankensteiner! He also reverses a suplex into a Juvi Driver. But Kidman evades a 450. After more counters and a close pin, they head to the top again. Juvi tries another Frankensteiner, but Mysterio appears. Rey grabs Kidman to block Juvi’s move. Juvi crashes. Kidman capitalizes with the Shooting Star Press for the win.

Thoughts: Kidman and Juvi saved this show from a disaster. The first hour was horrible, but this was an excellent bout. They set a good pace, had nice intensity, and did innovative spots with the rings. It woke up this dead crowd.

Winner: Kidman (New Champion) (15:27)

Eddie and the LWO storm to the ring. They attack Kidman and confront Rey. Eddie keeps the troops from attacking Mysterio, but he wants answers. Is Rey in or out? Rey removes his LWO shirt. Eddie tells him not to be dumb. Mysterio throws the shirt at him, so Eddie tells the LWO to get him! Rey escapes and leads everyone on a chase.

Then they recap Scott Hall’s issues on Nitro. He started a fight with Bischoff, and Nash saved him. But Kevin told Scott they would still meet at the PPV.

Next, Scott Steiner and Buff Bagwell arrive. They have Scott’s personal nWo referee with them. This Fonzie wannabe blows a whistle. He also wears Mr. T’s referee nightcap from Starrcade ’94. (This is Slick Johnson, but they haven’t named him yet.) Tony says WCW refs refuse to officiate Scott’s matches. It’s an unsafe work environment! Scott’s opponent is Rick Steiner, but the nWo jumps him backstage! The Giant drags Rick to the ring and rolls him inside for Scotty.

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

Notes: Scott Steiner blamed his loss to Rick at Havoc on Nick Patrick. So Scotty jumped him. Then Steiner even battered JJ Dillon. WCW refs refused to officiate Scott’s matches because of the violence. Dillon fined Scott and Buff $50,000. A furious Bischoff beat up WCW officials for disrespecting Scott this way. Meanwhile, Rick Steiner picked Kenny Kaos as his new partner, but Buff and Scott injured him. So Rick needed a replacement. He found the most unlikely choice. Rick chose Judy Bagwell! (Yes, you read it correctly. Judy was a Tag Team Champion!) However, no title defense happened because no ref would do the bout. Rick suggested they have a tag match at the PPV. But Scott attacked Judy off-screen and put her in the hospital. Then Scotty hired his own referee and mocked Judy by pinning a man dressed as her. Rick interrupted this nonsense.

The Match: Scott and Buff attack Rick with strikes. Rick answers with Steinerlines. He even decks Buff and the nWo ref. But Scotty nails a low blow. He chokes Rick and puts him in a Steiner Recliner. Then Goldberg arrives! Scott flips him off and turns to punch Rick, so Goldberg grabs him. They trade punches until Goldberg hits a spear. He tries the Jackhammer, so Buff uses a chair. Goldberg no-sells it, but the nWo ref jumps on his back. Bill press slams him into the next ring! Finally, Scott and Buff retreat while Goldberg and Rick shake hands.

Thoughts: The Goldberg stuff was good, but this wasn’t a match. It’s time to end this feud. The rivalry was one long bait and switch. It never paid off. Both Rick and Scott need something new. The only positive about this was it popped the crowd.

Winner: No Contest

Before the next bout, it sounds like a child grabbed a house mic. He yells for Goldberg. The kid is either at the announce table or he’s the loudest fan ever! Then Scott Hall and nWo Hollywood enter the arena. Tenay says this is a more focused Hall than we saw at Halloween Havoc. Tony mentions the fight between Hall and Bischoff on Nitro.

Kevin Nash vs. Scott Hall

Notes: Hall feigned reconciliation with Nash. He entered Kevin’s locker room for a talk. But The Giant helped Scott attack him. Then Hall fought Booker T. He wanted revenge on Hall for jumping him. It ended in DQ because Hall pulled the ref into Booker’s missile dropkick. The following week, The Wolfpac jumped nWo Hollywood in the parking lot. Nash stuffed Hall in a trash can. Later, Nash and Luger interrupted a match. They challenged nWo Hollywood and asked for Hall and Hart. Hall and The Giant answered the call, but Bret interfered. Hart and Hall injured Nash’s knee. However, Hall had a public argument with Bischoff on Nitro. Bischoff told him it wasn’t the place, so Hall started a fight with him. Hogan choked Hall to stop it. Nash came to Hall’s rescue. Hall stared at Kevin with confusion. Nash said he’d see Hall at the PPV.

The Match: Bischoff joins them before Nash. He high-fives the fans and enters the ring. Eric says he had a revelation since he last saw Hall. Bischoff wants everyone to know it is survey time. And the survey says—GET HIM! The nWo attacks Scott Hall. Kevin Nash comes to the rescue. Hall and Nash clear the ring together and stare at each other. Tony says he hasn’t seen this look on Hall’s face in forever. The fans chant Outsiders at them. Hall holds up the Wolfpac sign, but Nash shakes his head. He leaves without returning the gesture. Hall looks dejected.

Thoughts: That’s two no contest decisions in a row. I didn’t mind the storytelling. It got a great reaction from the crowd. But this isn’t good for people who paid to see the show. They aren’t delivering promised encounters.

Winner: No Contest

Tony wonders why Nash didn’t return the gesture. Then he says the last time Hall did that, he punched Nash. So there is no trust. Heenan thinks Hogan influenced Bischoff’s decision, but he isn’t there. Tenay believes reality set in for Hall. Heenan offers Tony the Wolfpac hand sign. Tony says he isn’t doing that with him!

Jericho vs. Bobby Duncum Jr. is next. During Duncum’s entrance, Tony says Heenan managed Duncum’s father. They also talk about the Duncum family’s football background. (This would make JR proud.) Next, Jericho and Ralphus appear. Ralphus wags his finger at a fan who gets too close.

TV Title Match: Chris Jericho (c) (w/ Ralphus) vs. Bobby Duncum Jr.

Notes: The original plan was Jericho vs. Goldberg. Chris continued antagonizing Bill. Jericho dared Goldberg to break his 4-0 streak against him. Later, Jericho thought Goldberg was absent, so he mocked him. Bill saw the promo and sneaked behind Chris. He speared Jericho out of his boots and threw the belt at him. They promoted the encounter a week before this show. But Goldberg nixed the angle at the last hour. Someone (Nash) convinced Goldberg it was a bad idea to wrestle a comedy wrestler. The replacement is Bobby Duncum Junior. He is a second-generation wrestler. Bobby worked in Texas and Japan. Duncum even tagged with JBL in his early career. He debuted in WCW against Jericho, but Chris got counted out. Duncum hogtied Jericho in retaliation. Jericho begged Schiavone to free him. Tony ignored him.

The Match: Jericho tries mat wrestling, but he regroups when Duncum shoves him. They trade more holds until the fight spills outside. The ref prevents Bobby from using his bull-rope. But Jericho throws a drink in Duncum’s face. He follows with a clothesline off the rail and a missile dropkick inside the ring. Bobby rebounds with a shoulderbreaker and works the arm. Then they fight on the floor again before Jericho uses more submission holds. Duncum retakes control with lariats, a shoulder block, and a press and drop. He even lands a choke bomb. Jericho rallies with a sunset flip and a Lionsault. Next, Duncum blocks a Liontamer and lifts Jericho. Ralphus grabs Bobby’s foot to distract him. The ref and Duncum argue with Ralphus, so Jericho grabs the title belt. He clocks Duncum and covers him for a three.

Thoughts: The action wasn’t bad, but it was dull. It doesn’t help the crowd didn’t care about this. This wasn’t the bout they wanted. Goldberg should have faced Jericho. This card needed it. Instead, they got a last-minute match with a new guy the fans don’t know.

Winner: Chris Jericho (13:22)

The battle royal is next. Tony says they changed the rules. This year, you can eliminate people over the top rope or by pin and submission. When it’s down to twenty men, they’ll move to one ring. The winner receives a title match at Starrcade. Then Tony once again wonders why Hogan is absent.

60-Man World War 3 Match

Notes: Participants: Kevin Nash, Chris Adams, Chris Benoit, Bobby Blaze, Ciclope, Damien, El Dandy, Barry Darsow, The Disciple, Disco Inferno, Bobby Duncum Jr., Bobby Eaton, Mike Enos, Scott Hall, Hector Garza, The Giant, Glacier, Juventud Guerrera, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Eddie Guerrero, Hammer, Kenny Kaos, Kaz Hayashi, Horace Hogan, Barry Horowitz, Prince Iaukea, Chris Jericho, Kanyon, Kidman, Konnan, Lenny Lane, Lex Luger, Lizmark Jr., Lodi, Dean Malenko, Steve McMichael, Ernest Miller, Chip Minton (a former bobsledder), Rey Mysterio Jr., Scott Norton, La Parka, Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker, Psychosis, Scott Putski, Stevie Ray, The Renegade, Scotty Riggs, Saturn, Silver King, Norman Smiley, Scott Steiner, Super Calo, Johnny Swinger, Booker T, Tokyo Magnum, Villano V, Vincent, Kendall Windham, Wrath, & Alex Wright.

The Match: Scott Hall uses Mickey Jay as a shield while everyone fights. Meanwhile, Nash clears Ring 3 in record time. The Giant tries to do the same in his ring, so everybody jumps on him. He shrugs them off. They reach twenty men when someone dumps Mysterio. Both nWo factions break into their groups. The Giant tosses cruiserweights. But then Bam Bam Bigelow appears from the stands! Goldberg confronts him and they brawl! Next, Nash tells everyone to gang up on the Giant. They work together and toss him. It leaves the nWo, the Wolfpac, and the Horsemen. Nash and Luger take out the Horsemen. We’re down to Hall, Luger, and Nash. They all agree it’s every man for himself. Luger hands out running forearms and lifts Hall. Nash blasts both of them with a big boot. It sends Luger and Hall out of the ring.

Thoughts: It wasn’t as big of a mess as usual. The first fifteen minutes were still uninteresting, outside of Nash’s eliminations. But the final moments weren’t bad. They also improved the camera work. We didn’t get the annoying split-screen. They focused on one ring at a time. It’s still a bad idea. This is the last time they do it. As far as the winner, Nash is the right choice. The crowd reacted well to Nash’s actions. They loved him.

Winner: Kevin Nash (23:28)

Michael Buffer introduces the main event. He says Bret Hart’s actions and personality make him one of the most dangerous men in wrestling. Then DDP enters the arena. He wears the US belt upside-down. Page poses on the commentators’ table and the internet booth. Then he takes a detour through the fans to reach the ring. Bret bails when Page arrives, so DDP dives onto him!

U.S. Title Match: Diamond Dallas Page (c) vs. Bret Hart

Notes: DDP wrestled Bret the night after Halloween Havoc and won the US Title! Bret snapped. He attacked Page with brass knuckles and a chair. Goldberg saved him. Then Bret claimed he pulled his groin while injuring all these men. So he backed out of a fight with Luger. The Giant faced Luger instead, but Bret hit Lex with a section of the guardrail. Goldberg once again came after Bret, but he speared Luger by mistake. Next, Bret went after Konnan and Benoit. When Hart tried to injure the latter, DDP returned and chased Bret away. He dared Hart to come and reclaim his gold. Bret targeted Konnan once more on Thunder, so Page stopped him. Bret retaliated by jumping Page on Saturday Night. They brawled to end the show.

The Match: They brawl outside. Bret answers with a hotshot and a DDT. Page responds with an inside cradle and a swinging neckbreaker. Then Bret uses some of his five moves of doom. But DDP reverses a Tombstone. He also lands a belly-to-belly and a pancake. Bret grabs a fist weapon, but the ref takes it. Dallas capitalizes with a flying clothesline and the worst-looking Sharpshooter ever! Bret reaches the ropes. Hart then works on Page’s leg. Bret does both a ring post and regular Figure Four. But DDP rallies and puts Bret in his own ring post Figure Four! Next, the ref stops a chair attack, so Bret shoves DDP into him! Bret retrieves his weapon and uses it while the nWo ref arrives. He declares Bret the winner by Sharpshooter. But Mickey Jay waves it off. It allows DDP to nail a Diamond Cutter for the real win.

Thoughts: It started slowly, but it built into something good. Then the ending happened. They overbooked it, and that was almost a Dusty Finish. I liked the storytelling of the bout until the closing moments. The traded ring post Figure Fours was a nice touch. But it’s hard to enjoy the entire thing. It was disappointing as a whole.

Winner: DDP (18:31)

DDP celebrates in the crowd while Tony recaps the night. He says WCW security thwarted Bam Bam Bigelow’s attempt to invade the broadcast. Then they show a replay of the main event’s end. Heenan calls the nWo ref a skinhead. Finally, Tony plugs Starrcade and says goodnight. The PPV ends with a Starrcade commercial.

The Good:

• Kidman/Juvi was great.

• I liked the Scott Steiner/Goldberg confrontation.

The Bad:

• More bait and switches.

• Not delivering promised bouts.

• Disappointing main event.

• Konnan vs. Stevie Ray.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to both Kidman and Juvi. They saved this from being a completely awful show.

Final Thoughts:

Welcome to Bait & Switch: The PPV Part 2! Two of their biggest matches ended in a no-contest. Then they nixed one of the more anticipated encounters a week before the event. Most of the action on this show was lackluster or downright bad. It wasn’t an impressive card, to begin with. This isn’t the worst show of the year, but it’s in the bottom three. 1998 started with such promise for WCW. It’s been downhill since Road Wild.

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