SuperBrawl IX

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

SuperBrawl IX

February 21, 1999

Oakland Arena

Oakland, California

News & Notes: After Souled Out, an irate Ric Flair attacked the nWo’s limo. Ric then booked himself in a WCW Title match for SuperBrawl. He ordered Hogan to fight him. Flair also challenged Bischoff, but Eric declined. Bischoff didn’t agree until David Flair offered to face him. If Bischoff won, he regained control. But if David won, they would shave Bischoff’s head! David pinned Eric after punching him with a roll of quarters. Then they clipped Bischoff’s hair. Afterward, Flair continued humbling Eric. He made him sell merchandise and work a carnival dunk tank. Eric tried to avenge himself by shaving Ric. He failed. There was more, but I’ll discuss it in the match notes.

Now for the rundown of other news. The nWo B-Team squabbled about their leadership. Stevie and Vincent both wanted command of the group. Vincent told everyone to call him Vince and bossed them around. Then Hogan stirred the pot and watched them argue. It led to the nWo kicking Hennig out. Meanwhile, Jimmy Hart’s First Family made changes. The Barbarian turned on Meng to end the Faces of Fear. Then the faction added Hugh Morrus. Elsewhere, we saw more of Raven at home. He revealed the whole thing was an act to annoy his mom. So WCW called him back to work. Next, we have a debut. The former Sandman reemerged as Hak. He wrapped his body in barbed wire and fought Bigelow. Finally, WCW showed vignettes of a mysterious blonde woman. She picked up an unseen man at a pool hall and seduced him. But who are they?

The mysterious blonde woman I mentioned opens the show. They haven’t named her yet, but this is Torrie Wilson. She discusses dinner plans with the unseen man. When he doesn’t answer, she asks if he is okay. Torrie thinks she hurt him. He looks pale. Instead of answering, the man hands her tickets to SuperBrawl. She calls him awesome. This will make her friends jealous. Torrie suggests a shopping trip and leaves to change clothes.

Then we get the opening video. The camera spins around various wrestlers. We see Flair, Dusty, Goldberg, Luger, Hogan, and Nash. (Dusty seems out of place. Everyone else is a current star.) They play audio clips from each man’s iconic title wins. This leads to footage of the two main feuds. They hype Goldberg vs. Bigelow and Hogan vs. Flair. The intro ends with an exploding SuperBrawl logo.

Tony welcomes everyone. The commentators talk about how personal the main event is for Flair. He placed the hopes and thoughts of WCW on his back. Flair is a thirteen-time champ. Hogan will do anything to keep his title. Heenan wants Ric to get his hands on Hogan. Tenay tells us Flair dedicated the bout to his family. Meanwhile, this show also contains the finals of a tag team tournament. Someone will win the vacant belts, which sit inside a glass case.

They recap the tournament. Injuries and shocking turns occurred. The biggest shock was the Barbarian turning on Meng! Now it is down to two teams who suffered at the nWo’s hands. We hear comments from Benoit and Malenko. Dean says there are no more second chances. This is a gut check. Benoit vows to return glory, notoriety, and attitude to the championship. Who will win the gold?

Gene stands in front of the new tag team belts. He promises an interesting evening. Then Gene plugs the hotline. He wants to share all the happenings with you, but you have to call! Kids, get your parents’ permission.

Then Disco Inferno arrives for a fight with Booker T. He wears a Wolfpac shirt. The commentators said he wore the nWo down until they accepted him. We see a recap of what led to this bout. Disco insulted Booker on Thunder, so Booker choked him.

Booker T vs. Disco Inferno

Notes: There is good news and bad news for Disco. The good news is he regained the Chartbuster as a finisher. But the bad news is his nWo involvement landed him in hot water more than once. First, Vincent and the B-Team tricked Disco into confronting DDP. He issued a challenge for Scott Steiner. Page gave Disco a Diamond Cutter for his troubles. Next, Disco helped the nWo beat up Arn Anderson. So Arn came after Disco. Then Disco drew Booker T’s ire. He spotted Stevie trying to recruit Booker for the nWo. Disco thought Harlem Heat reformed. He insulted Booker and Booker choked him. Disco scored revenge by costing Booker a bout against Jerry Flynn. He also interfered in Booker vs. Jericho on Saturday Night and brawled with Booker.

The Match: They trade knockdowns and takedowns. Every time Disco gets the advantage, he dances and poses. Booker capitalizes with a jumping forearm and a backdrop, but he misses a sidekick. Disco takes Booker to the floor and uses the railing and the steps. Back inside, he nails strikes and dances again. Disco also does eye pokes and a Manhattan Drop. Booker responds with an axe kick and a surprise spinebuster. Next, Booker shrugs off the Chartbuster and lands a back suplex. After a Spinaroonie, Booker hits a Harlem Sidekick. He then climbs and they fight on the top rope. Booker knocks Disco down and performs the Harlem Hangover for the win.

Thoughts: This was a fun opener. They started a little slowly, but it picked up as they progressed. The loud crowd helped. Plus, I liked the closing moments. It was short, explosive, and well-paced enough to start the show hot.

Winner: Booker T (9:19)

Tony and Heenan argue about who will call the replay. Bobby almost misses his chance. The clip shows Booker landing on Disco’s face with the Hangover. Disco appears to spit out teeth. Heenan calls the move an axe kick, so Tony berates him.

Next is Jericho vs. Saturn. If Saturn wins, Jericho has to wear the dress instead. Jericho, Ralphus, and Scott Dickinson enter the arena together. Ralphus wears a dress to mock Saturn. Heenan likes the earrings. Then Tenay spots Dickinson. He says the thirty-day suspension must be over. Tony wonders why a referee would enter with the match’s participants. Heenan says maybe he can’t walk around them. This leads to Saturn’s entrance. He wears a black dress. Saturn asks the cameraman what he’s looking at and shoves him. Meanwhile, Heenan asks what kind of underwear Ralphus is wearing. Tony loses it. While Tony laughs, Jericho takes a mic and insults Saturn. He calls him a cross-eyed cross-dressing freak and an idiot.

Chris Jericho (w/ Ralphus) vs. Saturn

Notes: Jericho revealed details about Saturn’s dress stipulation. He must wear it at all times for ninety days. Saturn accepted his fate. After all, life is a drag. Then he endured ridicule from his opponents. This included a Big Wiggle from Norman Smiley. But Saturn paid Jericho back by costing him a victory against Scott Steiner. He also stopped Jericho from putting a dress on Damien. Meanwhile, Jericho had no help. JJ Dillon suspended Scott Dickinson for thirty days. Scott bought front-row tickets to WCW events and protested the decision. Without Dickinson, Jericho lost the Booker T match. So Jericho and Dickinson distracted Saturn in a bout with Jerry Flynn. Flynn rolled Saturn up for a win. (Jerry Flynn is beating everybody!) Jericho then mocked Saturn by making Ralphus wear a dress. He said Ralphus looked better than Perry. Jericho even had Ralphus kiss Juventud!

The Match: They brawl over the rail. Jericho throws a drink. Saturn answers with suplexes and a catapult over the ropes. Then Saturn grabs Ralphus and rips off his dress. Ralphus runs in fear. Jericho jumps Saturn with kicks and eye pokes. Chris sends Perry outside for a missile dropkick, but he misses a twisting splash. Saturn capitalizes with a sidekick and a flying splash. Jericho tries cheap tactics and fails. So Saturn wraps the dress around Jericho’s head for ten punches in the corner. He also blocks a Liontamer. Next, Saturn rolls through a crossbody and into the Rings of Saturn. Jericho gets a rope break. Afterward, they fight back and forth and trade Lionsault attempts. Jericho lands his, but Saturn recovers for a DVD after two tries. He doesn’t cover. Dickinson questions him, so Saturn gives Scott the DVD. He then walks away. Dickinson counts him out.

Thoughts: It wasn’t bad. They had some good moments and entertaining spots. But the finish brought it down a notch. I get the story. Saturn wanted to teach Jericho a lesson, but he likes the dress and doesn’t want to stop wearing it. However, it’s still a disappointing ending.

Winner: Chris Jericho (By Count Out) (11:17)

Rey and Konnan are in the internet booth. There is no Madden or Marshall. The unnamed guy asks the questions. He says Elizabeth can grow her hair, but Rey could lose his mask forever. Rey says that won’t happen. He and K-Dawg have known each other for a long time. They will walk in there and win! Then the interviewer reminds them they angered Luger. Konnan says it doesn’t matter. Those strawberry fools will learn what they are all about. They haven’t lived the hard-knock life he and Rey lived. Konnan finishes the segment by telling Liz to say hi to the barber.

Next, they recap the DDP/Scott Steiner feud. DDP has nothing Scott wants or needs. But Page has someone who wants Steiner. We see footage of Steiner terrorizing Kimberly. He wants to show her what a real man looks like. Scott says he is your hook-up, so holler if you hear him! This leads to Heenan and Tony arguing about Steiner’s intentions. Heenan says this wouldn’t have happened if Kimberly was at home making TV dinners.

Cruiserweight Title Match: Kidman (c) vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Notes: Kidman and Chavo teamed in the tag tourney, but they lost twice. (It was a double-elimination tournament. More on that in a moment.) First, Stevie Ray used a slapjack on them. The second loss happened when Chavo accidentally kicked a chair into Kidman’s face. Mean Gene stirred the pot when he interviewed them later. He asked if their team had dissension. Kidman didn’t think so, but Chavo did. He attacked Kidman and walked away. Losing Pepe pushed Chavo over the edge. He pretended to ride around on Pepe’s ghost. Chavo also snapped during a bout with Lash LeRoux. He got himself disqualified and scuffled with Kidman, who came to help. Chavo gave Kidman a tornado DDT off the steps.

The Match: Chavo stalls, hides behind the ref, and regroups. He even offers a handshake. Kidman doesn’t fall for it, so they fight on the floor. Chavo uses the guardrail and takes Kidman inside for a brainbuster. When the action spills outside again, Chavo nails a corkscrew plancha. Kidman rallies with a crossbody and a backdrop. But Chavo responds with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and a back suplex. Next, Kidman dropkicks Chavo out of the air and hits a springboard crossbody. He goes for more, but Chavo does a drop toe hold into the corner. A follow-up Super Frankensteiner earns Chavo a two. Afterward, Kidman surprises Chavo with a Sky High. He climbs to the top only for Chavo to crotch him. Chavo then gives Kidman a draping DDT. It’s not enough, so Chavo attempts a powerbomb. Kidman turns it into a facebuster and lands the SSP for the three.

Thoughts: It was solid but a little short. I liked Chavo’s aggressiveness. Everything was crisp and well-done. The problem is the crowd didn’t care. They were hot for the other matches. Why didn’t they like this one? The fans only reacted to the SSP.

Winner: Kidman (8:26)

They recap the Goldberg/Bam Bam feud. The video has no dialogue. They play the sound of a ticking clock and funky music. We see clips of their various brawls. WCW’s security couldn’t keep them apart. Afterward, Tony talks about Bigelow’s debut. It took until now for them to face each other.

Hennig and Windham arrive for their match. They admire the new tag belts before heading to the ring. Windham argues with unruly fans. Then Tony explains the complicated rules for this bout. Benoit and Malenko must win twice because they already have a loss in the tournament. It isn’t a traditional 2 out of 3 Falls contest. Hennig and Windham only have to score one victory to end it. Heenan reminds us this is current Horsemen vs. former Horsemen.

For the vacant Tag Team Titles: Curt Hennig & Barry Windham vs. Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko

Notes: Flair had enough of the Outsiders interrupting the tag tournament. They weren’t the champs. Ric restarted the tourney as a double-elimination competition. He used lumberjacks to protect the first-round bouts. These teams faced off in round one. Benoit & Malenko lost, so they entered the losers’ bracket. Hennig & Windham advanced in the winners’ bracket. On the other side, the Horsemen bounced back and wrestled Horace & Brian Adams. They held it in a cage to prevent nWo interference. Benoit & Malenko won after Benoit hit a flying headbutt off the top of the cage! Now they must defeat Hennig & Windham twice to win the vacant tag titles.

The Match: They trade takedowns and mat wrestling. Then it becomes a strike exchange. Benoit keeps getting the upper hand. Hennig and Windham try suplexes, a double clothesline, and ref distractions. Benoit answers with a backdrop, backbreaker, and snap suplex. Dean adds a corner clothesline and a back suplex to the list. Then Benoit does the flying headbutt, but Windham breaks the pin. Hennig and Windham finally take control with more ref distractions and low blows. Barry hits a gut-wrench suplex. Hennig fends off Benoit’s clotheslines and does a neck twist and a Manhattan Drop. Windham even lands a superplex, but Dean pulls him off the cover. Hennig continues with more neck work until Benoit nails a German. It leads to Dean’s hot tag. He cleans house and everyone brawls. Dean makes Windham tap to a Cloverleaf after two tries.

We’re supposed to get a thirty-second rest period. However, Benoit and Malenko keep attacking. This distracts Mickey Jay. While he warns Benoit, Windham chokes out Malenko with a belt. He then pins Dean after a lariat.

Thoughts: It was dull, and it had convoluted rules. Why not do a regular 2 out of 3 Falls Match? The abrupt finish deflated an already mild crowd. They reacted well when Benoit and Malenko won the first bout. But they greeted the ending with apathy and confusion. I don’t think the fans understood the stipulation.

Winners: Hennig & Windham (New Champions) (20:37)

Now they recap the US Title situation. Scott Hall called out Ric Flair for favoring the Horsemen. It led to Hall winning a #1 Contender match against Benoit. Meanwhile, Bret claimed he had an injury, but Flair didn’t buy it. He made Bret defend against Piper. MADtv’s Will Sasso cost Bret the gold! Piper is the new US Champ. (I’ll explain the full story later.)

Nash & Luger vs. Rey & Konnan in a Hair vs. Mask Match was originally next. Luger suffered a torn bicep, so who is Nash’s partner? We discover it is Scott Hall. He will pull double-duty tonight. Nash, Hall, Luger, and Liz pass a barber chair in the aisle. Liz isn’t worried, but Tony doesn’t like this. He thinks they should send Luger to the back. Nash grabs a mic, but an overly-excited female fan distracts him. Heenan says he knows her. Then Rey and Konnan arrive. Tony and Bobby argue about luchador masks. Heenan says you shouldn’t wear one if you’re worried about losing it. (Did Bischoff tell him to say this?)

Hair vs. Mask Match: The Outsiders (w/ Lex Luger & Miss Elizabeth) vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. & Konnan

Notes: Rey didn’t understand why Luger bullied him about keeping his LWO shirt. Mysterio said the Mexican colors meant as much to him as his mask. Luger accepted a fight with Rey and threatened to take the mask. Rey wouldn’t hand it over backstage, so Luger vs. Rey turned into a nWo beating. Konnan saved Rey and prevented the mask theft. Then the Outsiders and Hogan beat up Rey and whipped him with Hogan’s weight belt. Rey and Konnan challenged the nWo to any stipulation. Nash and Luger called for a Mask vs. Hair Match. But it isn’t their hair on the line. It’s Miss Elizabeth’s! However, they wrote Luger out of the bout by having Rey slam his arm in a limo door.

The Match: Hall taunts, slaps, and shoves Mysterio. Rey answers with takedowns and springboard moves. He continues until Hall catches him and nails a fallaway slam. Then the Outsiders toss Rey around the ring and slap his head. Hall tries an Outsiders Edge, but Rey escapes and tags Konnan. He cleans house until Nash decks him from the apron. Nash then begins his corner offense. The Outsiders control the action with strikes. Konnan misses a rolling clothesline, but both men fall after a collision. It leads to Rey’s tag. Rey and Konnan nail dropkicks, wheel kicks, and double-team moves. Rey does a Bronco Buster to Hall. However, Luger trips Konnan and rams him into the steps. While this happens, Rey lands a springboard moonsault on Nash. A worried Liz distracts the ref. It allows Hall to give Rey an Outsiders Edge and pull Nash on top for a three.

Thoughts: The match was good fun. I liked the action, especially the closing moments. Rey and Konnan did some great double-team work. But what I don’t like is the stipulation. Bischoff got his wish to unmask Mysterio. It makes no sense. Bischoff thought Rey wasn’t marketable with the mask. Why not sell replica masks at the merchandise stand?

Winners: The Outsiders (11:00)

Luger and Liz enter the ring as Hall wakes Nash up. They help Kevin to his feet while the ref tells Rey he has to unmask. Konnan unlaces it for Mysterio and Rey removes the mask. Kevin tells him to put it back on. Heenan says Rey looks like Leave it to Beaver. Rey tosses the mask to Nash and leaves. Kevin places it on his head and grins like a goof. Heenan says Mysterio can buy a paper bag at a convenience store and put it on his head.

Scott Steiner enters the arena before the Outsiders leave. He gives them the Wolfpac sign as they pass each other. Then Steiner pulls a woman out of the crowd and kisses her. He says, “When Big Poppa Pump comes to town, all my hoochies come around!” Scott also calls everyone in Oakland scumbags. He threatens to steal their women. Finally, Steiner addresses DDP. He says there is a misunderstanding. It’s not his fault Page’s wife digs him! This leads to DDP’s entrance. He runs to the ring, so Steiner bails.

TV Title Match: Scott Steiner (c) vs. Diamond Dallas Page

Notes: Scott Steiner wanted a freak of the week. He targeted Kimberly Page! Scott stalked her. He followed Kim to the Nitro Girls’ locker room and cornered her in a bathroom. Then Steiner interrupted the Nitro Girls’ rehearsal. He caused Kimberly to fall and get hurt. A furious DDP looked for Steiner backstage, but Scotty avoided him. He sent Vincent to issue a challenge for a match. Vince made Disco do it. Later, Steiner jumped DDP in the parking lot. He stole Page’s rental car and shoved Kimberly out the door! She skidded across the ground and they took her to the hospital. Next, Steiner said he wanted Kimberly for thirty days if he wins. Afterward, Scotty brutalized a jobber named Bobby Blaze. Steiner and Bagwell jokingly said Blaze’s moans sounded like Kimberly.

The Match: They brawl around ringside until Dallas hits a hotshot. Page follows with a flying clothesline and a swinging neckbreaker. When Steiner regroups, Buff Bagwell arrives to help. Page fends off both men, but Bagwell decks him from behind. Scott takes control and puts DDP in the tree of woe. He pulls on Page’s neck. Afterward, Steiner uses a chair on Page’s back. Meanwhile, Buff removes two turnbuckle pads. Charles Robinson catches him and ejects Bagwell. Steiner complains, so DDP recovers and does a slingshot crossbody. They fight outside and Robinson stops Steiner from using a chair. Steiner chases him and eats a surprise clothesline from DDP. But Steiner rebounds and lands a Super Frankensteiner. DDP rallies with a Diamond Dream only for Scott to shove him into the exposed buckle. He then rams DDP’s back into it twice and locks in a Steiner Recliner. DDP passes out.

Thoughts: This had great intensity and storytelling. It was a good brawl. They looked like two people who hated each other. Plus, the finish was well done. It was no technical marvel, but it was exactly what it needed to be.

Winner: Scott Steiner (13:54)

Steiner throws Robinson out of the ring and poses. The trainers check on Page while Steiner grabs a mic. He says Kimberly is coming to the Poppa! Then they bring a stretcher for DDP. Steiner shoves it over. Tony wants them to get Scott out of there. Steiner holds his belt in the air as WCW’s security makes him leave. As they put a neck brace on Page, Heenan flubs a joke about bedpans. Tony loses his cool and rips into him. (On a side note, a small DDP sucks chant started. WCW should have pulled the trigger on a DDP title run earlier. They killed the heat he had.)

Madden interviews Bam Bam in the internet booth. Mark says Bigelow barged into WCW months ago. He targeted Goldberg and tonight is the night. Bam Bam calls it a plan. He hawked, hunted, and agitated Goldberg to get a high-profile match. Madden asks why Bam Bam doesn’t respect Goldberg. Bigelow doesn’t answer that. He says Goldberg is the man to beat, and he’s the man to beat him. Bigelow also threatens to throw Goldberg into the crowd.

Next, Disco Inferno enters the arena and calls for Scott Hall. He takes his sweet time. Hall’s music plays twice. Then Piper joins them. Hall swipes the US belt and lets Disco check his reflection in it.

U.S. Title Match: Scott Hall (w/ Disco Inferno) vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper (c)

Notes: Bret Hart appeared on MADtv. He took exception to Will Sasso’s jokes and attacked him. Later, Ric Flair demanded Bret Hart defend his US Title at SuperBrawl against Benoit. Scott Hall accused Flair of favoritism, so Hall faced Benoit in a #1 Contender bout. Hall succeeded with Nash’s help. When Bret complained about the defense, Flair punished him. He booked Hart vs. Piper for the US belt. Piper won the gold when Will Sasso distracted Bret! This led to Bret Hart vs. Will Sasso. Debra Wilson was in Sasso’s corner, but she turned on her co-star! Bret beat Will with a low blow and a Sharpshooter. Meanwhile, Piper challenged Hogan after the nWo jumped Flair. Hall used the stun gun on Roddy and stole his kilt. Scott wore the kilt on Thunder and called himself The Rowdy Scot. Disco conducted a mock interview with him to insult Piper.

The Match: Hall taunts Piper until Roddy snaps. He throws the kilt over Hall and chokes him with his shirt. Piper also does hair-pulling, choking, and a swinging neckbreaker. Hall counters with arm wringers, but Piper returns to the hair-pulling. He pulls out chunks of Hall’s hair. Then Roddy nails atomic drops, eye pokes, and a thumb to the throat. But Hall takes control with Disco Inferno’s interference. He places Roddy in a tree of woe and stomps him. Next, Hall uses an ab stretch with leverage until the ref catches him. Piper hip tosses Hall and they fight back and forth. Roddy grabs a sleeper, but Disco and Nash interfere. As Roddy fights them off, Hall punches Piper in the back of the head. He then pins Roddy with his feet on the ropes.

Thoughts: This was bad. They went through the motions. Neither man looked motivated. It felt like a house show match. I know Bret Hart is dealing with injuries, but was this the best alternative? When you couple it with the ridiculous build, this was a mess.

Winner: Scott Hall (New Champion) (8:21)

The nWo celebrates, but Piper won’t hand them the belt. Hall tells them to cut the music. He asks the ref to remind Piper who the new champ is. After Hall’s taunting, Piper throws the title at his feet. Hall tries to hit Roddy with it, so Piper decks him and tries to take the strap back. Disco pulls it away while the Outsiders surround Piper. They chase Roddy out of the ring. Piper gives them a crotch chop and leaves.

Next, Bam Bam Bigelow enters the arena with no music. The fans have a delayed reaction, but they boo. Then Goldberg joins him. Tony says no one can beat Goldberg unless they have a stun gun. Bigelow demands the ref check Goldberg for weapons before the match begins.

Goldberg vs. Bam Bam Bigelow

Notes: Dillon had enough of Goldberg, Bigelow, and Hall brawling with each other. He booked them in a triple threat on Nitro. Goldberg and Bam Bam took out Hall and fought each other, but the contest became a nWo beat down. Bigelow said Hall was hindering his quest to take out Goldberg. So Bam Bam demanded a Stun Gun Ladder Match with Hall. Disco interfered and brought a second taser, but Goldberg intervened. He tased Bigelow and Hall. It led to WCW booking this encounter. Afterward, Bigelow taunted Goldberg. He saw Goldberg campaigning against dog fighting. Since Goldberg liked dogs, Bam Bam threatened to put a leash on Goldberg’s old lady. This disrespect caused another brawl. They scuffled one more time when Goldberg came to Ric Flair’s aid.

The Match: They tussle into the corners. Bam Bam throws a shoulder block, but Goldberg rises. He hits a powerslam. Bigelow regroups. Then they trade forearms until Goldberg does a fireman’s carry takedown. He follows with a cross armbreaker, dropkick, and a clothesline over the ropes. But Bam Bam trips Goldberg and targets his leg. The leg work leads to a long leglock. Bam Bam also lands falling headbutts and chinlocks. Goldberg counters with a back suplex, but Bigelow nails his flying headbutt. It only gets two! Next, Bam Bam avoids a spear and regroups. When he returns, he misses a clothesline. Goldberg capitalizes with a spear and almost does a Jackhammer. He has another idea. Goldberg uses a sidekick and a second spear. Then he ends it with the Jackhammer.

Thoughts: This was boring. Bigelow slowed the action to a crawl. The commentators kept calling him one of the fastest big men in the sport. Bigelow proved them wrong in this bout. His conditioning was terrible at this point. Goldberg’s stuff was fine. Everything else was dull.

Winner: Goldberg (11:39)

Michael Buffer introduces the main event. He calls it a grudge match like no other in the annals of this sport. (I swear he said spot instead of sport.) Then Buffer announces Hogan’s arrival. His voice cracks on the word heavyweight. Afterward, a subdued Ric Flair joins them. Buffer claims Flair is a wrestler on a mission. He wants to return honor and decency to the championship.

WCW Title Match: Hollywood Hogan (c) vs. Ric Flair

Notes: Flair threatened to make a woman out of Hogan’s wife. He also made an example out of the nWo B-Team. So Hogan targeted David Flair again. Hollywood brought his biker friend to Charlotte. They waited to ambush David. We learned on Thunder they didn’t harm him. But Arn Anderson wasn’t as lucky. The nWo jumped him backstage. Later, Flair teamed with Mongo to fight the Outsiders. Bischoff worked as a custodian, so he gave Hogan a bucket of bleach. Hogan threw it in Mongo’s eyes, but Goldberg helped the Horsemen fend off the nWo. On the following Nitro, Flair ordered Bischoff to drive his limo. Eric drove Flair to the middle of nowhere and the nWo beat Flair up. Ric hitched a ride back to the arena. He stormed the ring during a nWo promo and received another beating. Hall used the stun gun on him.

The Match: They trade headlocks, shoulder blocks, hammerlocks, and strikes. Hogan makes Flair flop and flip. Flair answers with chops and a knee drop, but Hogan takes him outside. Hollywood uses a chair and the guardrail to bust Flair open. He even suplexes Ric on the floor! Then Hogan slams Ric off the top rope and removes his weight belt. Hogan whips Ric with it and wraps it around his fist for punches. Flair counters with eye pokes and low blows. He then takes the belt and returns the favor. Hollywood is bleeding after the attack. Hogan then does the Flair Flop as the mysterious blonde arrives. She distracts and slaps Ric, but Flair continues attacking Hogan. We get a ref bump, so a masked man appears. Flair doesn’t see him and grabs a Figure Four. The mystery man zaps Ric with a stun gun. Hogan covers for the win.

Thoughts: It wasn’t good, but it exceeded my low expectations. I didn’t hate it. The blood made it a little better. But it still didn’t match the intensity the build warranted. It’s clear WCW needs someone new in the main event picture. We’ve seen this before. They’ve had better encounters.

Winner: Hollywood Hogan (12:01)

The masked man enters the ring and Torrie Wilson hugs him. She then removes the mask to reveal—David Flair! David kisses Torrie. Tony doesn’t understand why David did this to his father. Then David reveals his Wolfpac shirt and tases his dad again. Tenay says David did it for the woman in the red dress. Nash then joins the celebration and hugs David. Tony tells the viewers to watch Nitro for Ric’s reaction.

The Good:

• The opener was good.

• Kidman/Chavo was solid.

• The Outsiders/Rey & Konnan was fun, despite Rey losing his mask.

• DDP/Steiner had great intensity.

The Bad:

• Hall and Piper went through the motions.

• Bam Bam/Goldberg was boring.

• The tag title match was slow and convoluted.

Observations:

• Did Kevin Nash love Jerry Flynn? He got fluke wins over everybody on TV.

• Unlike the last two WCW PPVs, every match on this card had a build.

• Schiavone seemed legitimately angry with Heenan on this show.

Performer of the Night:

This might be a surprising choice. I’m giving it to Scott Steiner. He entertained me before his match. Then he showed great intensity in the bout. Now that he finished the feud with Rick, he’s finding his groove.

Final Thoughts:

This event hit and missed. The marquee bouts didn’t deliver, but the undercard was mostly fine. But it suffered from odd booking decisions and weird storylines. Why are Piper and Hall fighting over the US Title? Who thought a Bret Hart/Will Sasso feud was a good idea? And why are we getting Hogan vs. Flair again? WCW is losing its direction. They do not know where to go.

Thank you for reading. My next review is WCW’s Uncensored ’99. Look for it next Sunday.