The Great American Bash ’99

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

The Great American Bash

June 13, 1999

Baltimore Arena

Baltimore, Maryland

News & Notes: I only have a few extra notes. After Slamboree, Nash appeared on The Tonight Show. He challenged Bret Hart to face him on the program, but those plans changed. Bret took time off after Owen’s death, so they canceled the encounter. Meanwhile, Bischoff returned to his old ways. He took shots at the WWF and spoiled the Higher Power reveal on Nitro. This is a Bischoff moment people forget. Finally, WCW planted the seeds of a new pairing. Lodi showed interest in Lenny Lane’s career. He watched Lenny’s match against Evan Karagias. Then Lodi tried to rally Lane when he wrestled Scotty Riggs. We will see this angle evolve in the future.

Master P and the No Limit Soldiers arrive in a limo. As they pour out of the car, Curt Hennig approaches them with a smile. He calls Master P the king of rap and claims he loves his music. Master P seems skeptical, but he offers Curt a signed CD. Hennig calls it the greatest gift. In fact, he wants to show Master P how much he respects it. Curt then breaks the CD and throws it on the ground. So the Soldiers chase Curt down the hall and yell at him.

Next, they open the show with a video about Nash vs. Savage. The feud was a chaotic mess. We see lipstick antics, sewage trucks, and a contortionist in a bag! But the worst came later. Someone rammed a white Hummer into Nash’s limo and broke his ribs! It’s The Great American Bash!

Tony welcomes everyone to the final summer of the century. He claims they have a capacity crowd to watch this event. After this bold statement, Tony discusses Nash’s condition, Master P, and Randy Savage. Tenay sings Master P’s praises. He calls him the most diversified entertainer in the world. Mike also talks about Master P’s bodyguard, Swoll. He is a former football player.

But wait! WCW isn’t done. They present another highlight package. This one recaps the rest of the card. There are wacky hardcore hi-jinx. Plus, we have rap vs. country. Elsewhere, Ernest Miller faces Scott Norton. (Or does he?) We even get Flair vs. Piper again for the presidency! Also, the Steiners want to take Sting to the dog pound. On top of that, Saturn and Benoit must coexist to defend their tag belts. And they remind us there is a WCW Title contest!

Now it is time for the first bout. Jimmy Hart leads Brian Knobs to the ring. (I was wrong. WCW changed the spelling. Knobs has only one B now. It wasn’t a typo.) His music sounds like a mix of “Simply Irresistible” and “My Sharona.” (As OSW says, “Jimmy Hart, you did it again!”) During the entrances, the commentators joke about interrupting Tony. Afterward, Knobs grabs a mic. He says it’s his wife’s birthday. As a present, he promises to destroy Hardcore Hak. But Knobs doesn’t want sissy weapons. He dares Hak to throw fists instead. Hak asks the crowd for their opinion, but Knobs blindsides him with a trash can.

Kendo Stick Match: Hardcore Hak (w/ Chastity) vs. Brian Knobs (w/ Jimmy Hart)

Storyline: Knobs interrupted another hardcore bout. This time, he jumped Hak and Finlay. Later, Jimmy Hart approached Brian about joining the First Family. After thinking about it, Knobs accepted the offer. Then Knobs, Morrus, and Hart disrupted Hak vs. Kidman and attacked both men. Kidman helped Hak fend them off, only to eat a Kendo stick shot for his troubles. Despite this attack, Kidman and Hak worked together against the First Family. Meanwhile, Hak drew the ire of Eric Bischoff and JJ Dillon. They asked him to stop smoking before a match or they wouldn’t let him wrestle. In response, Hak blew smoke into their faces and tried to cane Bischoff. WCW security stopped him and Knobs caned Hak.

The Match: Brian hits Hak with the can and the lid before giving him a Pit Stop. Then he grabs a chair, but Hak kicks it into Knobs’ face. With Knobs down, Hak throws a ladder into the ring. It lands on Brian’s head! When he recovers, Knobs answers with the classic Three Stooges spot. Brian misses, so Hak puts the ladder on him and nails a slingshot leg drop. Afterward, Hak sandwiches Brian’s leg with a chair and the ladder. This leads to traded ladder and trash can lid attacks. Hak gets the advantage only to crash on a missed flying cannonball. Since Hak went down, Jimmy Hart climbs on the apron with a chair. But Hak reverses Brian into it and knocks him out with a Kendo Stick shot.

Thoughts: They announced this as a Kendo Stick fight, but Hak only used it once. Most of the action was repetitive. However, I will give it two positives. They kept this short, and the fans reacted well to it. But at the end of the night, it’s forgettable.

Winner: Hardcore Hak (5:41)

Hak can’t celebrate. Hugh Morrus appears and the First Family attacks. They give Hak a ladder-assisted No Laughing Matter. Plus, Knobs does a flying trash can shot to the ladder. Chastity begs the ref to do something, but he stands and watches. As they leave, Knobs and Morrus say the First Family is back, and they had the last laugh.

Meanwhile, Buff Bagwell stops Roddy Piper for a word. He thanks Piper for giving him an opportunity to face Disco Inferno again. Buff sounds sarcastic, which Piper notices. Bagwell swears he has Piper’s back against Flair tonight. So Roddy tells Buff to take the ball and run like Emmitt Smith. Once Buff leaves, Piper’s smile disappears. He mutters something about having kids for breakfast. (Um, what?)

Afterward, Mikey Whipwreck arrives for his bout. This surprises one female fan. But the commentators couldn’t care less. They continue talking about the Piper/Bagwell segment. It leads to a discussion about playing politics. Heenan implicates himself in bribing someone in the WCW offices. Tony tells him to shut up and call the match.

Van Hammer vs. Mikey Whipwreck

Storyline: Van Hammer received this month’s inexplicable random push. They gave him squash victories over Chavo, Prince Iaukea, and Evan Karagias. Also, Hammer dropped the hippie gimmick in favor of a rougher look. On the other hand, Mikey Whipwreck didn’t appear on TV. What kind of deal did Mikey sign with WCW? He never wrestles on the weekly programs.

The Match: After Hammer shoves him, Mikey answers with arm drags. It continues until Van blocks a hip toss and nails a backbreaker. He proceeds with choking and runs Whipwreck into the corner. Then Hammer uses strikes, a beal toss, and a delayed superplex. An ab stretch with leverage follows, but the ref catches Hammer. This allows Mikey to score pin attempts until Hammer takes him outside. There, Van moves the steps and climbs them to drop Mikey on the rail. However, Van gets too close and Whipwreck pulls him into the barrier. As a result, Mikey hits a slingshot leg drop, slingshot plancha, and flying clothesline. They only get a two, so Mikey climbs again. When he dives, Hammer surprises him with a spinebuster and a Cobra Clutch Slam for the victory.

Thoughts: It was slow and dull. The fans couldn’t care less. They wrestled Van Hammer’s pace and earned boring chants. Why are they pushing Van Hammer? This guy had an almost ten-year career in WCW, and that baffles me. Did he have dirt on someone?

Winner: Van Hammer (8:35)

Afterward, we have Disco Inferno vs. Buff Bagwell. The commentators say Bagwell wanted someone bigger. He already beat Disco on TV. Also, Tony claims Bagwell will lead WCW into the next millennium. Heenan says Buff is lucky to still wrestle after his neck injury, but he agrees about Buff’s future. Or does he? Bobby says Disco could kick Bagwell’s tail. Tony tries to salvage things by discussing Buff’s athletic background. Heenan cracks jokes.

Buff Bagwell vs. Disco Inferno

Storyline: Buff Bagwell believed the older wrestlers held down the younger talent. He singled out Randy Savage in particular. Savage didn’t help his case by attacking Disco Inferno. Bagwell came to Disco’s aid when it happened. Later, Buff wrestled Savage and received a chair attack. Afterward, Buff approached Ric Flair about getting a rematch with Savage. Flair denied his request, so Bagwell went to Piper instead. Roddy promised to give him the proverbial ball if Piper remained the president after the PPV. However, this didn’t sit well with Disco Inferno. He accused Buff of sucking up to Piper. Buff and Disco fought as a result, and Buff won. But then Piper announced a Buff/Disco return bout for the Bash. This disappointed Bagwell. To make matters worse, Ernest Miller challenged Buff. He also wanted an opportunity. That encounter ended in a DQ, and Disco attacked Bagwell after the bell.

The Match: They exchange headlocks, shoulder blocks, swinging neckbreakers, and arm wringers. Also, both men pose and dance before Disco evades a Blockbuster. Once he regroups, Disco uses an eye poke, hotshot, and clothesline. This allows him to target Buff’s neck. Disco chokes him, snaps his head on the ropes, and drops elbows. But he misses a diving axehandle. Another Blockbuster attempt follows only for Disco to crotch Bagwell. Buff falls outside, and Disco nails the Last Dance. He is content with a count out victory, but Buff beats the count. Since that didn’t work, Disco goes for a piledriver. However, he does the Macarena and gets backdropped. Finally, Buff shakes off an eye poke before scoring a backdrop and powerslam. Disco almost avoids a Blockbuster, but it was a fake out. Buff lands the move for the win.

Thoughts: This was decent but not thrilling. I liked some of the storytelling, and the fans reacted to it. So it did its job. If this was a TV bout, it would be fine. But as a PPV encounter, it’s unremarkable.

Winner: Buff Bagwell (10:33)

Now they recap the rap vs. country feud. Hennig and Duncum don’t like rap. Konnan and Rey don’t care about Hennig and Duncum’s attitude. This caused fights between the teams. Hennig and Duncum even invaded the DJ booth and sang country music. Plus, they hit Rey with a cowbell, but it didn’t cure his fever.

This leads to Hennig and Duncum’s entrance. They debut their new song, “Rap is Crap.” Tony confirms they sang it, which surprises Tenay. He would pick rap over country. Meanwhile, Heenan prefers marching music. Tony asks if he means John Philip Sousa. Bobby says no. He likes Desi Arnaz. Next, Konnan and Rey arrive in gas masks. Tenay thinks it’s a statement about Hennig and Duncum’s song. They also show Master P and the No Limit Soldiers in the crowd. Rey shows them respect and says, “Hoody Hoo!” But Hennig tells Master P he belongs in a toilet.

Konnan & Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Curt Hennig & Bobby Duncum Jr.

Storyline: WCW announced a partnership with the rapper Master P and his record label. Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum Jr. had enough of this nonsense. They hated rap music and called it crap. Hennig and Duncum took over the DJ booth at Nitro and sang country songs, so Konnan and Rey confronted them. It caused a brawl between the teams. We also got singles and tag encounters between the four men. Most of them ended in disqualifications because Duncum used his cowbell. Later, Bischoff revealed Master P and his No Limit Soldiers would appear at the Bash. Gene asked Hennig for his thoughts about rap on Saturday Night. Curt confused Ice T with iced tea. He wondered if Gene meant sweetened or unsweetened. (On a side note, they aren’t the West Texas Rednecks yet. That name comes when another member joins them.)

The Match: Konnan and Rey clean house with dropkicks, headscissors, crossbodies, and a float-over bulldog. When Hennig regroups, Master P slaps him. But Hennig and Duncum take control. They lure Konnan in for distractions and give Rey cheap shots and low blows. Plus, Hennig tosses Rey around the ring and works on his neck. As this happens, the ref misses Konnan’s tag twice. This continues until Rey escapes a Snake Eyes and tags K-Dawg. It causes a wild brawl. Rey scores a Bronco Buster and a hurricanrana. Konnan does facebusters and fights Hennig on the floor. During the chaos, Barry Windham appears and attacks Konnan. It distracts the ref, so Swoll jumps on the apron and decks Duncum. Rey capitalizes with a slingshot leg drop for the pin.

Thoughts: This was okay, but they lost the crowd. The heat segment on Rey went too long. You heard the fans groan when the ref missed Konnan’s second tag. They even received a small boring chant. Only the finish earned a good reaction.

Winners: Konnan & Rey Mysterio Jr. (10:44)

Windham continues his brawl with Konnan and Swoll, so the No Limit Soldiers join the fray. WCW’s security escorts them backstage. This leaves Konnan and Rey alone with Hennig and company. They hogtie Rey and stomp him. Then they pose while the commentators marvel at the chaos.

Tony says Ernest Miller vs. Scott Norton is next, but it doesn’t happen. Onoo leads the Cat to the ring with a briefcase in his hand. It causes an argument between Tony and Bobby about the contents. While this happens, Tenay complains about Miller’s invalid claims of victory over Norton. Afterward, Horace Hogan enters the arena, which confuses everyone. Horace wants revenge, and he claims the fans want to see it. Miller demands Norton only for Horace to ignore him. So Ernest threatens to get his karate gi and beat up the fans. Horace says Miller couldn’t beat himself up, if you know what he means. With that said, Horace rushes into the ring and attacks.

Ernest the Cat Miller (w/ Sonny Onoo) vs. Horace Hogan

Storyline: Miller agreed with Bagwell and Disco, but he had his own way of making a name for himself. Ernest issued an open challenge. The B-Team wanted to teach him a lesson, so they goaded Norton into answering the call. Miller ran when Norton approached the ring. However, Ernest called out Norton on Thunder. This time, Miller won when Onoo passed him a crowbar. The B-Team left the building in fear because they didn’t want to face a pissed off Norton. It didn’t stop Norton from yelling at them. Later, Horace faced Miller and became the newest crowbar victim. Miller fled again when the B-Team sought revenge. Finally, Miller wrestled Buff Bagwell with more crowbar shenanigans. Afterward, Norton chased Miller to the back.

The Match: They exchange strikes and choke each other. Then the fight spills outside, where Miller whips Horace into the rail. Onoo also buys Miller time by leading Horace on a chase. Back inside, they trade cheap shots and more choking. Horace ends this by nailing a big boot and a splash. So Sonny distracts Horace again. This time, Miller charges only for Horace to backdrop him over the ropes. While outside, Onoo opens the briefcase. He passes Ernest a red shoe, which the Cat puts on his foot. It enables a loaded sidekick for the win.

Thoughts: This belongs on Saturday Night, not a PPV. It was dull and basic. Then we had the absurd finish. The Cat used the deadliest weapon in wrestling. They are the magic red slippers of death! Also, I would fault WCW for baiting and switching the fans with Norton, but no one cared.

Winner: Ernest Miller (5:10)

After the bout, Miller does his James Brown imitation. He dons both red slippers and Onoo places a cape on his back. Miller pretends he can’t walk, but then he dances and does the splits. Horace has enough and chases them out of the ring.

Next, they recap the Flair/Piper feud. Slamboree solved nothing because of the Bischoff controversy. But Piper doesn’t think Flair should lead WCW or even the Horsemen. In fact, Piper convinced Benoit and Malenko to leave Flair. Dean accused Ric of turning on them, but Flair says there are no Horsemen without him. He won’t pass the torch to Dean. Meanwhile, Arn tried to keep the peace and failed.

This leads to the introductions. Penzer confirms Flair is still the president and Piper is only a commissioner. Tony says Bischoff had no authority, so we got a return match. Also, Tenay mentions the Buff Bagwell factor. His opportunity rides on Piper’s success.

For the WCW Presidency: Ric Flair (w/ Arn Anderson & Asya) vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper

Storyline: Ric Flair ignored the results of his match with Piper. He said Bischoff had no authority to overturn the decision. Ric continued acting as President. He also asked wrestlers to lie down and lose to his son, David Flair. (Did they forget Ric was angry with David?) When Piper confronted him, Flair allied himself with DDP and Bam Bam Bigelow. So Piper demanded a six-man tag. But Piper’s choice of partners surprised everyone. Benoit and Malenko teamed with Piper! They took exception to Flair for choosing Page and Bigelow over them. Malenko said Flair turned his back on them, not the other way around. Ric was only out for himself. This led to Flair vs. Benoit. Ric almost lost until DDP and Bam Bam attacked Chris. (There was more, but I’ll discuss it before the tag title bout.)

The Match: Piper throws punches and chops until Ric begs off. Flair uses desperate low blows and cheap shots and argues with the ref. When Flair can’t stop the onslaught, he retreats again and gives Roddy a rude gesture. Next, Ric takes control through interference by Arn and Asya. He also does low blows and choking. Piper answers by rolling Flair up with a handful of tights. It exposes Ric’s butt. A slam off the top follows, and Piper fends off Arn. Later, Piper scores a slingshot sunset flip and a sleeper hold, but Ric escapes. This allows Anderson to trip Piper and hand Ric a fist weapon. Ric decks Roddy, but he takes too long to cover. So Flair tries a Figure Four with leverage. This draws out Buff Bagwell. He clocks Arn and attacks Flair to cause a DQ.

Thoughts: Much like their Slamboree bout, this was mostly punching, chops, and shenanigans. The novelty wore off within minutes. Then they had a lame finish. This doesn’t clear up the convoluted authority situation in WCW. It is tedious and annoying.

Winner: Ric Flair (by DQ) (8:16)

Buff continues beating up Flair. It seems to please Piper, but he attacks Buff! Arn gives Bagwell a spinebuster before everyone holds him down for more. With Bagwell prone, Piper removes his belt and whips him. The commentators don’t understand what this means. Why are Piper and Flair working together? After more low blows and strikes, the refs stop the assault. Penzer announces Flair as the winner and still president. Tony calls this mind-boggling, as Piper returns for more belt shots.

We get a recap of the Sting/Steiner feud afterward. Sting answered Rick’s open challenge. He wanted revenge for Slamboree. This led to monster truck madness and brawls. Sting even faced Rick in a cage, but Tank Abbott sided with Rick Steiner. They beat up Sting.

Rick Steiner is still the TV champ, but this is a non-title contest. Falls count anywhere in the arena. Also, Rick stopped wearing his headgear, and he dyed his beard like Scott’s. When Rick reaches the ring, he raises his TV belt and throws it. This leads to Sting’s entrance. Tony points out Sting won his first WCW championship in the same building.

Falls Count Anywhere Match: Rick Steiner vs. Sting

Storyline: We almost got a rematch between Booker T and Rick Steiner, but Rick attacked Booker backstage. He then issued an open challenge. Sting answered it to get revenge for the Steiners’ attack at Slamboree. During the fight, Scott Steiner interfered, so Luger saved Sting. Later, Rick Steiner fought Bagwell until someone in a Sting mask drove a monster truck into the arena. It was Luger. Sting used the distraction to jump the Steiners. Meanwhile, Rick Steiner also had an altercation with the MMA fighter, Tank Abbott. It led to Rick vs. Sting in a cage with Abbott as the ref. However, Tank sided with Rick and helped him beat up Sting! Finally, Sting wrestled Savage only for the Steiners to interrupt again. Luger aided Sting once more.

The Match: They fight in and out of the ring and around the rail. Then they use chairs, sodas, and a camera cable. Next, Rick pulls up the mats and does a piledriver, but he misses the concrete. Back inside, Rick works on Sting’s back until Sting knees him in the crotch. Sting follows with Vader Bombs and a flying splash. Rick responds with a low blow and a surfboard stretch. But Sting escapes and scores Stinger Splashes and a Scorpion Deathlock. Once Rick gets a rope break, they brawl down the aisle. The action heads to the back where Tank Abbott attacks! Also, Scott Steiner releases the hounds! Dogs bite at Sting’s hand, which has a convenient towel around it. WCW’s security rushes to the rescue as they cut to a crowd shot. Finally, the Steiners drag the ref to the ring and make him declare Rick the winner.

Thoughts: It started as a monotonous brawl and became an absurd mess. You could tell they taped the dog segment. Sting’s face paint looked different. Plus, they edited the footage with multiple camera cuts and angles. To make matters worse, the fans chanted bullshit at the finish.

Winner: Rick Steiner (10:35)

Scott Steiner swears Rick pinned Sting, but they couldn’t show the graphic footage. WCW wanted to protect their franchise. Once the ref raises Rick’s hand, Scott throws him out of the ring. With the ref out of the way, Rick says they cut Sting down like a pack of wild dogs. If you don’t like it, you can bite him! With that said, Scott says Rick joined him in the nWo because WCW sucks! Plus, Rick calls Baltimore America’s shittiest town.

Next, they recap the tag title feud. DDP and Bigelow put Raven in the hospital. Then Kanyon swerved Saturn to get the tag belts off of him. Meanwhile, Benoit left the Horsemen and got involved in Saturn’s drama. Despite Flair’s efforts to stop it, Benoit and Saturn captured the gold! But can they stop this Jersey trio?

When DDP, Kanyon, and Bigelow enter the arena, Tenay gives them a few nicknames. One of them is the Jersey Triad. This name sticks. While they arrive, Tony laughs at Tenay for jumping at the pyro. Afterward, Benoit and Saturn join them. Saturn dropped the dress gimmick and got a new partner. Tenay calls it an impromptu team, but they found success.

Tag Team Title Match: The Jersey Triad (Diamond Dallas Page & Kanyon) (w/ Bam Bam Bigelow) vs. Chris Benoit & Saturn (c)

Storyline: In return for helping Flair, DDP and Bigelow wanted a tag title shot. Before the bout, Page and Bigelow jumped Raven and threw him in a dumpster. Kanyon replaced him, but DDP and Bam Bam scored an easy pin on Kanyon to win the belts! Then they attacked Benoit when he wrestled Flair. Ric attempted to regain Benoit’s trust afterward. He teamed with Chris against Page and Bigelow only to abandon Benoit. However, Saturn took Ric’s spot. It appeared Benoit and Saturn won the gold. Ric overturned this ruling because Saturn wasn’t a legal participant. To make matters worse, Kanyon turned on Saturn and joined Page and Bigelow! The Jersey trio claimed any of the three could defend the championships. So Saturn faced Kanyon. It became a title contest when Benoit aided Saturn. They officially captured the championship. Malenko tried to help, but Arn convinced him to leave.

The Match: They wrestle until it becomes a brawl. The Triad regroups after Benoit and Saturn score suplexes. But the Triad takes control with ref distractions and interference. Despite Benoit’s rally, Kanyon lands a diving Rocker Dropper and Page nails a sit-out bomb. They continue until Kanyon misses a moonsault and Saturn tags. He cleans house with suplexes only for Kanyon to stop him with an inverted electric chair. This allows the Triad to use the same tactics on Saturn. Kanyon scores a sit-out Dominator and DDP does a flying splash. However, Benoit tags when DDP misses Saturn. We get another wild melee after Benoit’s suplexes and flying headbutt. In the chaos, DDP drops Saturn with a Diamond Cutter. Perry falls outside, so Malenko comes to help. It distracts the ref, and he misses Benoit’s Crossface. The Triad uses the distraction to do an assisted Diamond Cutter for the win.

Thoughts: This was a solid bout. They did great tag team work and told a good story. I even like the finish. It adds intrigue to the story. Plus, the ending puts good heat on the Triad. They had the match of the night.

Winners: DDP & Kanyon (New Champions) (19:13)

After the bell, the Triad pulls Malenko into the ring. They give him the assisted Diamond Cutter on a title belt. Once he is down, they pose over him with their gold. Heenan calls it a well-deserved victory. Tony and Tenay agree it was competitive, but they knew Bigelow would interfere.

Next, they recap the main event, but it’s the same video that opened the show. This is lazy.

Then Buffer introduces the WCW Title match. He says tonight contained unbelievable action, but now we witness history. It is the greatest big man against the most dangerous man in the sport! (I don’t see Ken Shamrock.) During the entrances, Tony speculates about the Humvee driver and Nash’s condition. Buffer says Nash has ignore the pain courage. He disregarded the doctor’s warnings.

WCW Title Match: Kevin Nash (c) vs. Macho Man Randy Savage (w/ Gorgeous George, Madusa, & Miss Madness)

Storyline: Randy Savage demanded a title match with Nash and targeted Kevin’s buddies to get it. Savage also approached Mysterio about joining him, but Rey refused. When that didn’t work, Savage humiliated Nash. He attacked him and smeared lipstick on Kevin’s face. Afterward, Nash scored revenge by dumping sewage into Savage’s limo. Randy saved some in a bucket and aimed to pour it on Kevin. This backfired. One of Nash’s female friends hid inside a bag. She sneaked behind Randy and emptied the contents onto him. In retaliation, Team Madness locked Nash in his limo while someone rammed a white Hummer into it! We couldn’t see the driver. Then, on the way to Thunder, Randy jumped Brian Adams on the side of the road. He thought it was Nash. Meanwhile, Flair tried to ban Savage’s elbow. Nash had him reinstate the move to give Savage no excuses.

The Match: Nash takes Randy from corner to corner for knees, elbows, and forearms. He follows with a corner clothesline and side slam, but they hurt his ribs. Savage pounces with kicks and punches to the injury. He also chokes Nash and sends him outside. After ramming Kevin into the rail, Randy distracts the ref. It allows Madusa to attack. More distractions lead to a missile dropkick by Miss Madness! This opens the door for Savage’s flying elbow, which only gets two! Savage argues with Nick Patrick, so Nash takes the opening. He scores Snake Eyes, a big boot, and a Jackknife. With Savage in trouble, Team Madness enters the ring. They jump on Nash’s back, but he slams Madusa and gives Miss Madness Snake Eyes. However, Sid Vicious appears! He boots Nash in the face and causes a DQ.

Thoughts: Until the lame finish, it was okay. The action wasn’t thrilling, but it told a decent story. Sadly, the ending ruined any chance of it becoming good. This is the main event, and it was only eight minutes. What a letdown.

Winner: Kevin Nash (by DQ) (7:29)

After giving Nash the last rites, Sid powerbombs him and gets in his face. Heenan calls Sid a sick individual. Tenay says he is psychotic. Then Tony wonders if Sid drove the Hummer. (Don’t expect an answer. WCW never reveals it.) Also, Tony says, “It seems to, but sometimes you can throw logic out the window!” (He’s shooting!) Afterward, Sid helps Savage to the back as Buffer announces Nash won by DQ.

The Good:

• The tag title match was solid.

The Bad:

• The disappointing main event.

• The ridiculous dog attack on Sting.

• Baffling booking.

• Inconsistent storylines.

• Hammer/Whipwreck was dull.

Observations:

• WCW forgot their own storylines. They seem to change their mind on a weekly basis. Is Ric Flair still mad at David? Did David turning on his dad amount to anything?

• The nWo is essentially dead, but no one informed the B-Team about it. After three years, the stable folded with a whimper.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Saturn and Benoit. That’s two shows in a row where they were part of the best match of the night.

Final Thoughts:

It was another one-match show. The rest ranged from mediocre to ridiculous. Then it ended with a disappointing main event. You can find some amusement in the quality of this PPV if you watch this in a vacuum. However, viewing these in chronological order makes them depressing. WCW is in the middle of a rapid decline. Their booking team changes direction every month. Is Piper a heel now? What is the point of the power struggle if he is? What a mess.

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