Spring Stampede ’99

WCW Spring Stampede 1999

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

Spring Stampede

April 11, 1999

Tacoma Dome

Tacoma, Washington

News & Notes: After Uncensored, Bret Hart complained about his treatment in WCW. He never received a world title shot in a year with the company. Bret said he came there to build a reputation, not ruin one. So Bret made a name for himself. He called out Goldberg. Bret claimed he could beat Bill in five minutes. When the time came, Goldberg speared Bret, but Goldberg was out cold. Bret then removed his hockey jersey to reveal a steel plate underneath. After covering Goldberg and counting his own pin, Bret told Bischoff he quit. We haven’t seen him since.

In other news, the B-Team still hasn’t settled its leadership issues. Horace and Stevie wrestled for the position. Stevie won when Vincent failed his interference. Then Brian Adams and Horace fought over their claims. This time, Vincent helped Horace win. Hogan finally stepped in and suggested a battle royal to determine the leader once and for all. Stevie Ray scored the victory. Meanwhile, David Flair’s saga continued. He said Hogan was more of a father figure than Ric. David also said he was falling in love with Torrie. (I must correct a mistake. WCW hasn’t named her Torrie Wilson, but they gave her a name. They sometimes called her Samantha. I forgot that in previous reviews. The change comes later.)

Also, I have a final note. WCW debuted an updated look the week before this event. They presented a new logo and a remodeled Nitro set. DDP and Hogan destroyed the old Nitro set during a wild brawl the previous week.

Opening Video - Spring Stampede 1999

Generic rock music brings us the opening video. We see footage of the participants in the two main events. Ric Flair and Hogan throw chops. DDP and Hogan whip each other with a weight belt. Sting repels from the ceiling and points his bat. Then they show Nash and Goldberg brawling. It ends with the new and improved Spring Stampede graphic.

Commentators - Spring Stampede 1999

Tony welcomes everyone to the Pacific northwest. Tonight, three men have a chance to dethrone Ric Flair. Then Tony introduces his colleagues. Tony and Heenan joke about letting Tenay join them on commentary. A confused Tenay didn’t expect this. Afterward, they discuss the main events. Heenan believes Goldberg must change his plans against Nash. Also, they wonder what effect Randy Savage will have on the WCW Title match.

The first match is Blitzkrieg vs. Juventud Guerrera. Blitz uses the old Hollywood Blonds theme. While he enters, David Penzer announces the competitors, but we can’t hear it. Tony doesn’t realize this and discusses what Penzer said. The winner of this bout faces the Cruiserweight champion on Nitro. Tony also takes great amusement in Blitzkrieg’s hometown. Penzer bills him from the cosmos. Tenay claims Blitz can fly in any part of the solar system. But Heenan says the cosmos is outside of Yakima.

Blitzkrieg vs. Juventud Guerrera - Spring Stampede 1999

Cruiserweight #1 Contender Match: Juventud Guerrera vs. Blitzkrieg

Notes: Blitzkrieg debuted a few months prior and impressed everyone with his performances. This is only his fifth year of wrestling. He started in APW with guys like Super Dragon. Since Uncensored, Blitzkrieg earned two victories over Super Calo. He even had a good showing against Kidman. Meanwhile, Juvi faced Mysterio for the Cruiserweight Title, but he lost. Then Juvi bounced back with a win over Vampiro. Now Juvi and Blitzkrieg face each other. The winner challenges the Cruiserweight champion on Nitro.

The Match: They do mat wrestling and reversals until Blitz nails a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Juvi answers with a headscissor takedown, but Blitz hits a handspring elbow. Then Blitzkrieg sends him to the apron only for Juvi to ram him into the corner. Juvi capitalizes with a springboard dropkick, plancha, and brainbuster. He also uses a surfboard stretch until Blitz flips into a pin. Next, Blitz evades Juvi and throws kicks, but Juvi dropkicks a flying Blitzkrieg out of the air. When he recovers, Blitz lands an Asai Moonsault and avoids a Juvi Driver. This leads to fighting on the top where they botch a reversed superplex. Afterward, Blitz misses the Sky Twister Press. But he rebounds with an awkward super victory roll. Finally, they return to the top rope. Juvi does a Super Juvi Driver for the win.

Thoughts: It was a fun opener. They did some cool spots, and they had a hot crowd. The action became a little messy toward the end, but it was still solid. Plus, that was a great finish.

Winner: Juventud Guerrera (11:11)

Hardcore Hak Recap - Spring Stampede 1999

Tony says the next contest is a kick ’em in the rear match. They show clips of Bam Bam and Hak’s brawling antics. Hak asked Bigelow if he wanted to get extreme. Then Hak and Chastity used a cane and a fire extinguisher on Bigelow. When Heenan sees the footage, he says, “Sparky!” Tony wants clarification, but Bobby only repeats the word.

Afterward, Hak enters the arena. He carries a table on his shoulder. Tony and Tenay lose their train of thought when they see Chastity. After confirming Mike’s wife isn’t watching, Tony asks for Tenay’s thoughts. Meanwhile, Bam Bam pushes a weapons cart to the ring. Hak meets him in the aisle.

Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Hak - Spring Stampede 1999

Hardcore Match: Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Hardcore Hak (w/ Chastity)

Notes: WCW’s Hardcore Division is taking shape. Rick Steiner and Finlay both declared they want to get hardcore. They developed a rivalry between them. However, Hak believes he is the King of Extreme. He proved this by smacking himself in the head with his cane. Hak also had a Kendo Stick Match with Kendall Windham. Then Hak targeted Bam Bam Bigelow. Bam Bam wrestled Buff Bagwell. During the fight, Hak and Chastity attacked Bigelow with a cane and a fire extinguisher. They cost him the victory. Bigelow scored revenge when Hak fought Whipwreck on Thunder. Chastity tried to cane Bam Bam, so Bigelow chased her away.

The Match: They brawl around a stagecoach. Hak puts Bigelow through a table with a somersault senton off of it. Bigelow recovers and swings a crutch. Hak answers with a trash can and builds a table bridge to the rail. Bigelow counters with a cookie sheet, broom, and salad bowl. Later, Hak dropkicks a ladder into Bigelow. He then sandwiches him with a flying somersault senton. Afterward, Hak finds a section of guardrail. He climbs the ladder only for Bigelow to dump him onto the table bridge. Hak also crotches himself on the guardrail with a missed guillotine leg drop. Next, Bigelow lifts the loose rail and waits. Chastity misses her cue and can’t use the extinguisher, so Bigelow takes it and sprays her. This allows Hak to nail the White Russian Leg Sweep. Hak climbs, but Bigelow catches him. Bigelow ends it with a Greetings through a table!

Thoughts: WCW still hasn’t figured out these Hardcore matches, unlike the WWF. The finish was the only attempted pin in the bout. It was endless weapon attacks with little selling. Plus, Chastity messed up her interference. You could see Bigelow looking and calling for her. It wasn’t good.

Winner: Bam Bam Bigelow (11:33)

During the replay, Heenan sees Bigelow shoot the fire extinguisher up Chastity’s skirt. This flusters Heenan. He says it will put out any fire where—you smell smoke. Tony loses it and laughs. Then Schiavone tells fans not to do this in their backyard. Heenan says to do it in your living room instead.

Next, Scotty Riggs arrives for a bout with Mikey Whipwreck. Scotty carries a mirror with words on the back. It says, “Better looking every day.” Tenay says it’s a Joe Namath quote, but Tony pretends that’s before his time. Tenay doesn’t believe him. Then Tony tells the viewers Whipwreck was out with an injury for a few weeks. So this is an unannounced contest.

Scotty Riggs vs. Mikey Whipwreck - Spring Stampede 1999

Scotty Riggs vs. Mikey Whipwreck

Notes: Scotty Riggs returned to TV with a new cocky attitude, but it didn’t work well for him. He lost to Jerry Flynn and Prince Iaukea. Finally, Riggs scored a victory over Al Green on Saturday Night. Now he has a chip on his shoulder. His opponent, Mikey Whipwreck, only appeared once since Uncensored. He renewed his old rivalry with Sandman when Hak and Mikey wrestled. Hak beat him with the White Russian Leg Sweep.

The Match: Riggs takes Mikey to the mat and taunts him. He pinches Whipwreck’s cheeks. Mikey answers with strikes, dropkicks, and clotheslines. Then Whipwreck whips him into the rail and leg drops Riggs on the ropes. Afterward, Whipwreck does a slingshot hurricanrana, but he misses another leg drop. Riggs capitalizes with a shoulder block and knocks Mikey into the guardrail. He continues with axehandles, dropkicks, and choking. Riggs tries to pin him with one finger, but he only gets one. Scotty’s cockiness backfires. Mikey rallies with a diving dropkick, Russian Leg Sweep, and hurricanrana. However, Whipwreck misses a clothesline and Riggs finishes him with a jumping forearm.

Thoughts: This was a filler match. The fans even chanted boring. Did WCW already lose confidence in Whipwreck? Riggs controlled most of this bout and won with a weak finisher. I doubt they’re pushing Riggs. Scotty lost most of his TV encounters.

Winner: Scotty Riggs (7:03)

Disco Inferno Recap - Spring Stampede 1999

Next, they recap the Disco Inferno/Konnan feud. Disco didn’t want WCW to play Konnan’s music video. He made his own version. They show Disco’s insulting edit, which pissed off Konnan. Disco said if K-Dawg didn’t like it, he can face him at Spring Stampede. Then we see a wanted poster for Disco. Konnan wants him dead or alive.

This leads to their entrances. Konnan has a new rap theme. It’s too loud and drowns out Konnan’s shtick. Afterward, Disco arrives in a shiny cowboy outfit. Konnan insults Disco’s style and calls him a strawberry. Heenan asks what that means, but Tenay tells him he doesn’t want to know.

Konnan vs. Disco Inferno - Spring Stampede 1999

Konnan vs. Disco Inferno

Notes: Disco was sick of WCW playing Konnan’s music video. He interrupted the broadcast and aired his own version. Disco inserted himself into the footage with a green screen and tried to imitate Konnan’s rap. Then a mysterious new luchador debuted. His name was La Cucaracha. He confronted Konnan during a promo with his translator, Juventud. Konnan saw through the ruse and told Disco to take off the ridiculous mask. But Disco played innocent. He used Juvi to translate insulting messages to K-Dawg. Afterward, they attacked Konnan. It backfired. Finally, La Cucaracha appeared on Saturday Night, so Konnan unmasked him. Disco hid his face while Juvi helped him escape.

The Match: Disco does Konnan’s rolling clothesline and climbs the turnbuckles. But he comes down when Konnan taunts him. Then they trade arm wringers and arm drags until Disco nails a back elbow. Disco takes control with a swinging neckbreaker and chinlocks. When Konnan breaks free, they fight outside. Konnan whips Disco into the post, but Disco kicks the ropes into his face when they return. Next, Disco hooks another chinlock. Konnan rallies again and does the rolling clothesline and a 187. They only get two! K-Dawg also scores a surprise roll-up, but Disco fights back. Inferno lands a second swinging neckbreaker and attempts the Last Dance (Chartbuster). Konnan blocks it and hits his own Last Dance for the victory.

Thoughts: It was slow and contained too much stalling and chinlocks. The storyline was amusing, and I liked the finish. But the match wasn’t good. It’s a shame because I like both guys.

Winner: Konnan (9:17)

Kidman vs. Rey Mysterio - Spring Stampede 1999

Cruiserweight Title Match: Rey Mysterio Jr. (c) vs. Kidman

Notes: Rey faced Kidman for the Cruiserweight Title the night after Uncensored. He pinned Kidman to become the new champion! After defending against Juventud, Rey promised Kidman a rematch at Spring Stampede. However, Rey ran afoul of Ric Flair first. El Dandy won Flair’s lottery to get a shot at the WCW championship, but Dandy had an injury. Rey took his spot, much to Ric’s chagrin. Flair used Robinson’s crooked officiating to win, so Rey threw Flair in the spring break pool. This pissed off Benoit & Malenko. They challenged Rey to face them for the tag titles. Rey chose Kidman as his partner. During the contest, Raven and Saturn attacked the Horsemen. They gave Rey and Kidman the victory and the gold! Now these tag champs wrestle each other for the Cruiserweight belt.

The Match: They counter and reverse each other’s moves until the fight spills outside. Kidman drops Rey on the rail and does a slingshot leg drop off it. Rey answers with headscissors over the ropes and off the barricade. On the latter, Rey clips his head on the steps and comes up woozy. It doesn’t stop Rey from doing springboard moves. But Kidman responds with a powerbomb, backbreaker, sidewalk slam, and sit-out spinebuster. He even performs an SSP off the apron! Back inside, Rey lands a super bulldog. Plus, both men dropkick each other out of the air and trade chinlocks. After more reversals, Rey lands a super wheelbarrow bulldog. It isn’t enough, so Kidman rebounds with his own bulldog. He also reverses a powerbomb into a facebuster. Then Kidman climbs only for Rey to crotch him. Rey capitalizes with a Super Frankensteiner for the win.

Thoughts: This was great. It’s even better when you realize Rey knocked himself loopy early in the bout. The only shame is the crowd didn’t react to most of it. They came alive at the end, but they were surprisingly quiet. I still enjoyed it, despite the fans.

Winner: Rey Mysterio Jr. (15:32)

Raven and Saturn Recap - Spring Stampede 1999

Now they recap the Horsemen/Raven & Saturn feud. Raven faced Benoit and Malenko alone until Saturn surprised everybody by helping him. Then Raven used the title belt as a weapon and got disqualified. This led to the teams costing each other matches and even the gold! The violence escalated with chairs and tables. Benoit knocked himself out cold with a flying headbutt on a chair!

Afterward, the teams arrive for the match. Raven and Saturn carry a table to the ring. Saturn still wears his dress, despite ending the Jericho rivalry. Tenay wonders why Saturn and Raven reunited. Heenan says they grew up together and go back a long way. Tony adds to this. He says Saturn claimed he was never in the Flock. He was only Raven’s friend.

Raven and Saturn vs. Benoit and Malenko - Spring Stampede 1999

Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko (w/ Arn Anderson) vs. Raven & Saturn

Notes: Raven challenged Ric Flair. Ric told Raven he and Kanyon would have to beat Benoit and Malenko to get a match with him. The problem was, Kanyon was filming a movie, so Raven tried to face them alone. During the contest, Saturn surprised everyone by joining Raven. The bout ended in a DQ because the teams used the belts as weapons. Then Raven and Saturn cost the Horsemen the tag titles. They said they didn’t like Benoit and Malenko as champs, so they gave the gold to Rey and Kidman. This led to the teams attacking each other with chairs and tables. Next, Raven and Saturn got a tag title shot, but the Horsemen helped Rey and Kidman win. Finally, Benoit wrestled Raven. Benoit knocked himself out with a missed flying headbutt on a chair. So Arn attacked Raven to save Benoit.

The Match: Saturn and Raven use frequent tags and double-team moves. It lasts until Benoit sends Raven outside. Arn and Dean jump him. Then Charles Robinson shows his bias. He turns a blind eye to the Horsemen’s tactics. Raven and Saturn have enough and everybody brawls. It leads to a doomsday crossbody by Raven and Saturn. However, the Horsemen block Saturn’s DVD and put him in a Cloverleaf. He escapes and nails the DVD, but Benoit stops him with a flying headbutt. Next, the Horsemen do their own combo moves while Robinson ignores more cheating. Eventually, Raven makes a hot tag and cleans house. He introduces a chair and a table. Saturn crashes on the latter when Arn saves Malenko. Back inside, Raven nails an Even Flow, but Arn puts a chair on his head. Dean pins Raven after Benoit lands a flying headbutt on the chair!

Thoughts: This was a good hard-hitting fight with a hot crowd. I liked the story they told about Charles Robinson’s officiating. Plus, the finish was a cool visual. However, it’s hard to watch in retrospect. Benoit’s head struck the chair and cut him open.

Winners: Benoit & Malenko (14:11)

US Title Recap - Spring Stampede 1999

Next, they recap the US Title situation. Ric Flair couldn’t find Scott Hall, so he stripped the title from him. Afterward, Flair started a tournament to crown a new champ. We see footage of Steiner and Booker advancing through the competition. This includes Jericho politicking his way back into the tourney. Steiner tried to ruin Booker’s chances, but it backfired. He used a chair on Booker and attempted to cost him the TV belt. Stevie Ray came to Booker’s aid.

Then we get Scott Steiner and Booker T’s entrances. Booker high-fives the fans and even Dillinger. However, Steiner argues with the crowd and Penzer. Scotty lets a female fan touch him and taunts her boyfriend. Steiner delays the start of the match because he can’t stop antagonizing people. Tony insults the fans who get in Scott’s face. He says someone must have lobotomized them.

Scott Steiner vs. Booker T - Spring Stampede 1999

U.S. Title Tournament Finals: Scott Steiner vs. Booker T

Notes: Scott Steiner had enough of Buff Bagwell. After Buff cost him his TV championship, Steiner beat him up and kicked him out of the nWo. Meanwhile, Ric Flair vacated the US Title because Scott Hall was AWOL. He started a tournament to crown a new champion. Steiner advanced by defeating Jericho and Meng. Booker succeeded in his first round bout against Saturn. But then Jericho weaseled his way back into the competition through a loophole. Jericho wrestled Booker, so Steiner interfered and attacked Booker. It backfired and Booker won by DQ. Finally, Steiner tried to help Jericho take Booker’s TV belt. The plan failed because Stevie Ray aided his brother.

The Match: They trade takedowns until Steiner regroups. Then Booker nails a jumping forearm and a heel kick before sending Scott outside. When they return, Booker throws more strikes until Scotty crotches him. Next, Steiner uses a chair and low blows. Scott dares the intimidated ref to do something. Steiner also does suplexes and elbow drops. But he stops for push-ups. Later, Steiner grabs a bear hug. This doesn’t last. Booker rallies with a jumping forearm only for Steiner to pull the ref into him! However, Booker continues with an axe kick, flapjack, Spinaroonie, and Sidekick. It leads to fighting on the top, and Steiner lands a Frankensteiner. He counts with the dazed ref’s hand, but it gets two. A desperate Steiner grabs a weapon. Booker tries a suplex, so Steiner jabs him with the object. He drags the groggy ref into the ring for the three.

Thoughts: It was a little slow, but I liked the storytelling. This match made Steiner look like a madman. It’s good character work. This wasn’t a technical marvel, but it didn’t need to be. I enjoyed it for what it was.

Winner: Scott Steiner (New Champion) (16:00)

Rey Mysterio Internet Segment - Spring Stampede 1999

Mark and Chad have Rey Mysterio in the internet booth. We can’t hear most of what they say because the sound mixing is terrible. Madden asks for Rey’s thoughts about the Cruiserweight and Tag Team Titles. Rey says something about defending both. Then they cut Madden off in mid-sentence.

Nash/Goldberg Recap - Spring Stampede 1999

Afterward, they recap the Nash/Goldberg feud. We see clips of Goldberg demolishing people. They also show Nash performing Jackknives. One Jackknife is on the Public Enemy. They had to take a dig at them because they’re in the WWF now. The segment ends with footage from Starrcade.

It leads to the entrances for Nash vs. Goldberg. While they enter the arena, Tony goes off on a tangent. He takes offense to the media asking why wrestling is hot now. Tony claims it was always hot. They woke up some writers in New York, so now they care about wrestling. After Tony’s tirade, Nash gets a mic. He says hey yo to taunt Goldberg. Nash also says the Wolfpac is in the house.

Goldberg vs. Kevin Nash - Spring Stampede 1999

Goldberg vs. Kevin Nash (w/ Lex Luger & Miss Elizabeth)

Notes: Goldberg had unsolved issues with Flair. He confronted Ric about getting a title shot, but Nash interrupted. He felt he deserved it. This led to Hogan and Nash challenging Flair and Goldberg. Bill only agreed to team with Ric if he got a future championship match. During the encounter, Goldberg refused to tag Ric and brawled to the back with Nash. Then Torrie/Samantha stirred trouble between Hogan and Nash. She asked Nash if he could beat Hogan. Afterward, Goldberg was going to pick a PPV opponent from a lottery tumbler. Nash told him not to bother. He would face Goldberg. Later, Kevin met backstage with Flair, which made Hogan paranoid. Nash assured him everything was alright. It was business.

The Match: They lock up and tussle into the corners. There, Nash throws knees, elbows, and forearms. He also uses boot chokes. Then Liz distracts the ref, so Nash nails a low blow. He continues with a short-arm clothesline, side slam, and a back splash on the ropes. However, Nash misses the big boot. Goldberg capitalizes with a shoulder tackle, suplex, and sidekick. The spear is next, but Nash leapfrogs him and Goldberg wipes out the ref! This allows Luger to use a chair. Next, Nash attempts the Jackknife only for Goldberg to grab a testicular claw! Luger tries to save Kevin and fails, so Goldberg does the spear. Finally, Goldberg ends it with the Jackhammer.

Thoughts: It was short, but I thought they told a good story. I enjoyed this more than their Starrcade bout. This was fine and well-paced. It won’t be for everybody, but I liked it.

Winner: Goldberg (7:44)

Then they recap the main event. Tony thinks it is for the tag titles, but the video package corrects him. It is Hogan vs. Flair vs. DDP vs. Sting, and Savage is the referee!

Michael Buffer isn’t there, so Penzer announces the WCW championship match. He explains the rules. All four men will battle at once. The man who scores the fall wins the title. And there must be a winner! Once he’s done, Dave introduces Randy Savage. Randy’s new girlfriend accompanies him. The producers tell Tony her name is Gorgeous George. Tony likes her. Schiavone also points out Savage had issues with everyone in this bout. This leads to the competitors’ entrances. Sting returned to his black and white paint because he left the Wolfpac.

DDP vs. Flair vs. Hogan vs. Sting - Spring Stampede 1999

Four Corners Match for the WCW Title: Diamond Dallas Page vs. Hollywood Hogan vs. Sting vs. Ric Flair (c)

Notes: Flair became drunk with power. He handpicked his opponents and used Charles Robinson for cheap victories. Robinson always refused to count pins for Hogan. Flair told the fans who didn’t like it to shut up. Ric also tried to manipulate DDP and the Disciple into taking out Hogan. DDP only wanted Scott Steiner, but Flair gave him Hogan instead. Then Ric moved his planned encounter with Hogan to Nitro. However, DDP and Goldberg had enough of Ric. They demanded Ric add them and make it a four-way for the WCW Title. This ended in a no contest because Nash attacked Goldberg. Meanwhile, Sting returned and watched everything from the rafters. He promised a big announcement. When the time came, Randy Savage’s voice filled the arena. Savage said Flair would defend against Hogan, DDP, and Sting. Randy would be the special referee!

The Match: Everyone brawls in pairs. Sting and DDP attempt their finishers and fail. Then they fight outside while Hogan and Flair scuffle. We see the usual weight belt antics and Hogan no-sells some chops. Next, he whips Ric into a Flair Flip. While this happens, Sting grabs a Deathlock, but he drops it to break Hogan’s pin. This allows Flair to attack Hogan’s leg. He wears him down and puts Hollywood in the Figure Four. They reverse it until they earn a rope break, but it did its damage. DDP takes Hogan to the corner and puts him in a ring post Figure Four. Sting breaks it, but it’s too late. The trainers check on Hogan because he says he injured his knee. They carry him to the back while the action continues.

Sting and DDP fight and fend off Flair. DDP almost nails a Diamond Cutter, but Sting escapes and hits a facebuster. Later, Flair returns only for Sting to give him a superplex. Afterward, we get a three-way sleeper hold! Sting stops it with a jawbreaker. This leads to DDP and Flair teaming up on Sting, but Sting no-sells their attacks. He fires up and does a double clothesline, facebuster, and Stinger Splash. Sting follows with a Deathlock on Flair, but Page breaks it. A Diamond Cutter attempt is next. Sting turns it into a Death Drop. However, Flair interrupts the pin and gives Sting a low blow and the Figure Four. They roll over until they reach the ropes. Or do they? Savage pulls Flair to the middle of the ring and lands the flying elbow! DDP recovers and drops Flair with a Diamond Cutter for the three.

Thoughts: This was fun. I liked the back and forth, and I’m even fine with the Hogan story. Also, it’s nice to see DDP get his moment. But it wasn’t what it could have been. They waited too long to pull the trigger on DDP’s title run. Plus, they shoehorned DDP and Sting into this bout at the last second. Then DDP needed Savage’s help to win. The weak build made DDP’s win fall flat. The action was good, but the booking was poor.

Winner: Diamond Dallas Page (New Champion) (17:27)

DDP poses with the belt. Tenay says he made history. Page was the only man in this fight who had never held the gold. Tony calls it a mind-boggling end to Spring Stampede. (He loves that phrase!) Then Heenan asks for some champagne to celebrate.

The Good:

  • The main event was fun.

  • The opener was great.

  • I liked the storytelling/character-building of Steiner/Booker.

  • Benoit & Malenko vs. Raven & Saturn was good.

  • Rey/Kidman was also good.

The Bad:

  • Hak/Bam Bam was a mess.

  • Riggs/Whipwreck was filler.

Observations:

  • Benoit & Malenko and Raven & Saturn looked like fools in their feud. They ruined any chance of their bout being a tag title match. Why would they do that?

  • If Flair is President for life, why can Savage’s disembodied voice book a PPV main event on Nitro? Also, why did Flair allow it?

Performer of the Night:

This is a tough one, but I’m going with a surprising choice. I’m giving it to Scott Steiner. I liked his character work in his match. Plus, he amused me with his pre-match antics. But I will give honorable mentions to Rey and Kidman.

Final Thoughts:

This is a solid and easy watch. Nothing was terrible, and most of the bouts ranged from good to great. People say this is WCW’s last great PPV. We will see about that, but it is an enjoyable event. However, WCW still suffers from poor booking decisions. Despite the fine action, there are reasons to worry.

Thank you for reading. My next review is the WWF’s Backlash ’99. Look for it next Sunday!

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