Halloween Havoc ’99

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

Halloween Havoc

October 24, 1999

MGM Grand Garden Arena

Las Vegas, Nevada

News & Notes: After Fall Brawl, the Turner executives decided Bischoff lost control of WCW. So they sent him home for a while. Then they hired Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara to oversee WCW’s creative. Vince and Ed left the WWF on short notice while everyone was on a European tour. However, they didn’t arrive until the week before this PPV. The commentators alluded to new leadership from New York, but they called them the powers that be. Soon these powers will play a bigger role on TV. But for now, we must wrap up the previous regime’s storylines.

Now for the rundown of extra angles, but it won’t be short. First, the Filthy Animals had their issues with the Revolution. Plus, they pissed off another group. After losing to Psychosis and Juvi, Rey and Kidman attacked them. So Chavo proposed a fight between Kidman and Psychosis. If Psychosis lost, he would unmask. But if Kidman failed, Billy would shave his head. A reluctant Psychosis went along with the plan and lost his mask! Elsewhere, Hall and Nash returned to TV. They sat in the crowd and enjoyed some drinks. When interviewed, Nash joked he was taking it easy in his retirement. He would return in 2012 when he was old enough to main event WCW. Yet this didn’t stop the Outsiders from interfering in other people’s business.

Meanwhile, Buff Bagwell declared himself WCW’s chosen one. But he soon learned it wasn’t the case when Jeff Jarrett returned! He blasted Buff with a guitar, so Bagwell’s attitude soured. He talked back to the powers that be about his status in WCW. Next, WCW aired vignettes for a character named Seven. It’s Dustin Rhodes in white face paint. He stares through children’s windows and sends cryptic messages. Also, Vincent developed a new persona. Since he joined the Rednecks, Vince became a cowboy named Curly Bill. In other news, WCW continued their women’s division revival with Mona (Miss Madness). Unfortunately, they put her in an Evening Gown match as soon as Russo arrived. But this isn’t the only revival. WCW lifted the ban on hardcore fights. Norman Smiley found himself in a few, but he screamed whenever things became too violent. Yet it didn’t stop him from scoring surprise wins.

The opening video focuses on Goldberg vs. Sid and Sting vs. Hogan. Goldberg had enough of Sid’s supposed winning streak. He wants Sid’s belt, and he wants to kick his ass. But Sid tried to get out of it with a restraining order and lawyers. It didn’t stop Goldberg from breaking the order, so Sid threatened to rip up the match contract. It was a ruse. Sid attacked Goldberg and powerbombed him. As far as Sting and Hogan, Sting attacked Hogan’s leg with a bat. He told Hulk promises don’t come true in their business. However, Hogan promised to have the last laugh. It’s showtime at Halloween Havoc!

Tony Schiavone coughs before welcoming everyone to the MGM Grand Garden Arena. As he says this, fireworks explode around the giant gargoyle in the entrance. Then Tony announces breaking news. Rey Mysterio suffered a leg injury. Therefore, WCW stripped Konnan and Rey of the tag titles. And they announced a three-way Street Fight for the vacant gold. Heenan tells them to start the action because he wants to watch someone get hurt.

This leads to the entrances for the Cruiserweight Title match. Disco Inferno arrives in a furry vest and glittery cowboy hat. Heenan says the attire makes Disco look like he’s half man and half goose. Bobby also claims he saw Disco wearing his championship on the Vegas strip. Meanwhile, Disco looks annoyed when Lash LeRoux’s song plays. He can’t dance to it!

Cruiserweight Title Match: Disco Inferno (c) vs. Lash LeRoux

Storyline: Turner’s Standards & Practices department told WCW to nix the Lenny & Lodi storyline. So WCW claimed Lenny lost the gold to Psychosis off-screen. Then Psych faced Disco Inferno, who defeated him for the championship. After a few victories, an over-confident Disco said the division was easy. But a new contender appeared on the scene. Lash LeRoux scored wins and earned a title shot. He called himself the Cajun sensation that’s sweeping the nation. Plus, Lash vowed to do anything to win the belt and make people take him seriously. Later, Lash did commentary while Disco fought Vampiro. During the bout, Lash attacked Disco. He gave him the Whiplash and left.

The Match: Disco uses strikes, eye pokes, choking, and a DDT. So Lash answers with a dropkick, powerslam, and elbow drops. He even mocks Disco’s dancing. This leads to fighting on the floor. They ram each other into the post and the steps. Back inside, Disco dives, but Lash catches him for a belly-to-belly. Afterward, LeRoux almost spikes himself on a flying hurricanrana. He grabs a chinlock to buy time to recover. Next, Disco elbows free of the hold and tries the Last Dance. But Lash blocks it and nails a backbreaker before they have an awkward exchange. Once they recover, Disco scores a swinging neckbreaker, Russian Leg Sweep, and piledriver. When they aren’t enough, Disco tells him to stay down. Instead, Lash surprises Disco with a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Finally, Disco recovers for a Manhattan Drop and the Last Dance to earn a victory.

Thoughts: This started fine, but they rushed and it became sloppy. Lash is still green, so most of the awkwardness came from his end. You could see the frustration on Disco’s face. I like Lash, but this wasn’t a great outing.

Winner: Disco Inferno (7:35)

As Disco celebrates his win, Lash jumps him and hits the Whiplash on the title belt. Heenan says Disco won the match, but he doesn’t look like a winner now. Tony says Lash has unfinished business with Disco.

Then we get footage from earlier in the day. Benoit and Malenko arrived at the arena, and Saturn confronted them. He asked why they didn’t return his or Shane’s phone calls and pages. Dean said they thought about it for a week, and Saturn could shove the Revolution up his ass. And Benoit told Perry to send the message to Shane.

Next, Tenay interviews Harlem Heat about the Street Fight for the tag belts. They have a chance to regain what they lost on Nitro. In response, Booker talks about survival. He says they survived punk asses like the First Family all their lives. So it will be like old times until they get their titles back. When Booker asks Tenay if he can dig it, Mike says he can relate. (I didn’t know Tenay grew up in the streets.) Then Stevie says the First Family and the Animals are in the wrong place at the wrong time. They will put them out of their misery and exterminate them. Stevie calls them fruit booties and egg-sucking animals. Now can you dig that?

Afterward, the First Family enters the arena wearing Halloween masks and pulling a weapons cart. Heenan acts like the masks are their normal faces as a joke. We also see Harlem Heat and the Filthy Animals arrive. The Animals wear the gold, despite not being champs. Plus, Kidman films their entrance with a camcorder. He leaves it at the announce table and tells Heenan to watch it.

Street Fight for the Vacant Tag Team Titles: Harlem Heat vs. The Filthy Animals (Konnan & Kidman) vs. The First Family (Brian Knobs & Hugh Morrus) (w/ Jimmy Hart)

Storyline: This started when the First Family faced Harlem Heat for the tag titles. The Rednecks ruined it, so the First Family sought a rematch. When Harlem Heat mocked them for it, the Family attacked them. It led to Stevie vs. Knobs. Brian won with Jimmy Hart’s help, so they announced Harlem Heat vs. the First Family for the PPV. However, a third team entered the mix. Konnan returned from his injury and joined Rey to face Harlem Heat. K-Dawg held Stevie’s legs down during Rey’s pin, and the Animals became champions. Afterward, the First Family asked for a shot, but Konnan told them to get in line. Unfortunately, WCW stripped Konnan and Rey of the championship because Rey suffered an injury. Now we have this three-way to crown new champs.

The Match: Everyone brawls in and out of the ring with trash cans and lids. When Booker almost scores a pin, the fight enters the ring again. Konnan hands out lid shots while Harlem Heat gives Knobs clubbering in the corner. So Jimmy Hart interferes and leads Harlem Heat on a chase. This draws the melee to the entrance set, and Harlem Heat breaks a Styrofoam casket with Knobs’ body. Meanwhile, Hugh Morrus press slams Kidman on a chair! There are two fights happening. Morrus fends off the Animals in the ring, and Harlem Heat beats up Knobs backstage. Hugh puts Konnan through a table with No Laughing Matter. But Stevie drops a mummy statue on Knobs. Harlem Heat get a three count seconds before Kidman does the same in the ring. (We never see the move Kidman hit for the pin.)

Thoughts: It was messy and hard to follow. Then they had an awkward ending, which didn’t help matters. The finish killed the heat because it confused the crowd. So this didn’t work on any level. The only part I liked was Stevie Ray using a mummy as a weapon and the commentators’ reactions to it. Tony missed an opportunity to say yeh-tay!

Winners: Harlem Heat (New Champions) (5:02)

Once Penzer clears the confusion, the camera focuses on Konnan. He holds his shoulder in pain, so Heenan says he separated it. Then Heenan implies they should put Konnan down like a horse. As Heenan jokes, Rey and Torrie check on Konnan. Plus, they show a replay, and Heenan says Stevie’s mummy helped him win.

Afterward, we see Ric Flair enter the arena with a crowbar in his hand. This leads to a promo from Flair’s opponent. DDP brings Kimberly with him, which distracts Tony and Bobby. Kimberly speaks first. She talks about what happened in the hotel room with Ric Flair. Ric spanked her fourteen times. So Kimberly says when Page spanks her fourteen times, it’s a warm-up. But it’s bad when Flair spanks her. Next, DDP says he loves Kimberly and hates Flair. Page also berates David for getting his dad to fight his battles. Plus, Page mocks Ric for spanking Kimberly. He says, “You like to spank it. Don’t ya, Nature Boy?” With that said, DDP reveals a leather strap. He changes their bout to a Strap Match and promises to whack it all night long! And that’s a promise from the King of badda bing, badda boom, and badda bang!

Afterward, Goldberg storms into the arena and asks for Sid’s location. When a stagehand tells him, Bill drops his bags and heads to find Sid.

Now Tenay interviews the Filthy Animals. He informs them WCW barred all Animals and Revolution members from ringside. Kidman calls this a load of crap, but he promises to watch Eddie’s bout from backstage. Once Kidman and Torrie leave, Mike asks for an update on Konnan’s condition. But Eddie tells him not to worry about Animals’ business. Rey went to the hospital with Konnan. In fact, Eddie wants to call Rey, so he tries to leave. Before he can, Tenay spots the gold Rolex on Eddie’s wrist. He asks if it’s the one Eddie took from Ric Flair. In response, Eddie says, “Are you calling me a thief?” However, Eddie lets it slide because he has to end Saturn’s Revolution tonight.

As Eddie enters the arena, he admires the Rolex before handing it to Heenan. He tells Bobby to keep it safe. When Tony asks to see it, Bobby tells him to look with his eyes, not his hands.

Eddie Guerrero vs. Saturn

Storyline: Saturn scored a roll-up victory over Eddie, which sparked a feud with the Filthy Animals. So Douglas helped Saturn and Malenko by attacking their opponents with a chain. This bothered Malenko and Saturn. They claimed the Revolution had a code of ethics. However, Saturn pretended to take Malenko’s side. He took no issue with helping Shane attack Mysterio. Because of this, Malenko confronted Saturn. Perry claimed he saw Rey coming at him and acted in self-defense. But when it happened again, Malenko had enough. He ripped up his Revolution shirt and left. Without Malenko to stop him, Saturn used a chain on Mysterio once more and put him in the Rings of Saturn. Then Mysterio suffered an injury, so Eddie stepped up to seek revenge on Saturn. This led to a Triangle Match between Eddie, Chavo, and Saturn. Eddie eliminated Saturn, but Chavo earned an upset win.

The Match: They start with athletic reversals, evasions, and flips, but Eddie stops this with a low dropkick. After brawling on the floor, Saturn nails a pop-up powerbomb and springboard crossbody. Plus, he locks Eddie in various arm holds. So Eddie answers with another low dropkick. It doesn’t last because Saturn scores a suplex and targets Eddie’s leg. Another rally by Guerrero follows, but Saturn lands a Lionsault and avoids a Frog Splash. Next, Saturn dives at Eddie, so Guerrero dropkicks him out of the air! It leads to fighting on the top rope. Saturn attempts a super Splash Mountain Bomb, which Eddie escapes. Once he’s free, Guerrero hits a superplex. But before Eddie can do more, Ric Flair interrupts and hits Eddie with a crowbar. It causes a DQ.

Thoughts: Until the finish, it was a strong technical bout with some great high spots. I enjoyed it, but the crowd didn’t. A few people shouted boring. I disagree. My only issue was the ending. But maybe it was for the best since they lost the fans’ attention.

Winner: Eddie Guerrero (by DQ) (11:12)

Ric continues attacking Eddie with the crowbar until Kidman and Torrie arrive. So Flair hits Kidman and kisses Torrie. She smiles, which makes Tony and Bobby say she likes it. Then Flair leaves, but he returns to collect his watch from the announce desk. Heenan claims he was keeping it for Ric.

Next, the cameraman rushes backstage to film a commotion. They show Goldberg beating up Sid. When the officials pull Goldberg away, we see blood pouring down Sid’s face. But Sid asks if that’s all Goldberg has. This shocks Tony and Bobby.

And the surprises don’t stop. Now Buff Bagwell enters the arena. Bagwell talks about his issues with the writers from up north. They call themselves the new sheriffs in town, and Bagwell has a problem with it. But he also has a beef with Jeff Jarrett. Bagwell says if Jarrett has the stroke he claims, he will get his hillbilly ass out there. This draws Jarrett into the arena with a guitar. They brawl in and out of the ring until the Total Package arrives. (I’ll explain the new name later.) Luger is another person looking for vengeance on Jarrett. Jeff hit Liz with a guitar, so Lex tries to do the same to Jarrett. But he misses and nails Buff by accident. Luger smashes the guitar in anger as Jarrett retreats.

Afterward, they return to Tenay for an update on Sid. The doctor tries to stitch Sid’s head, but he pushes him away. Sid then shouts, “Let it bleed!”

Meanwhile, Eddie Guerrero writhes in pain in the stairwell. He pulls out a cell phone and calls Rey at the hospital. Eddie tells him to come back to the arena. They need to settle some Filthy Animals business.

Oh, and we have a match after all the craziness. Berlyn and his still unnamed bodyguard arrive, but the commentators talk about Sid. During Berlyn’s entrance, WCW uses a precursor to Instagram filters over the footage. It’s supposed to be artistic.

Brad Armstrong vs. Berlyn (w/ The Bodyguard)

Storyline: After Fall Brawl, we got the Berlyn vs. Bagwell contest, and Berlyn won. Then Berlyn faced Scott Armstrong. Once he defeated Scott, Berlyn debuted his newest tactic. He put Scott in the dreaded chinlock of death! So Brad Armstrong stopped him and received a beating for his troubles. Later, Berlyn cost Brad a win over Hennig and put the chinlock on Armstrong. As a result, Brad cut a scathing promo on Berlyn and told him to speak English, not German. In response, Berlyn jumped Brad backstage and berated him in German. Also, Berlyn interfered in Brad’s matches. However, this backfired on one occasion. Berlyn hit Rick Steiner by mistake, and Steiner beat him up.

The Match: They exchange takedowns, arm holds, and strikes until Brad scores an arm drag. He continues with a dropkick and headlock, but Berlyn turns it into a back suplex. Next, Berlyn throws uppercuts and chops. He also catches Brad’s leapfrog and nails a powerbomb. After a wheel kick and taunting, Berlyn does an arrogant cover. A brief Armstrong rally follows, but Berlyn nails more uppercuts and clotheslines. It leads to them trading punches until Berlyn tries to hit his neckbreaker. But Brad blocks it and Berlyn lands hard on the mat. Then Armstrong covers for the win.

Thoughts: This was basic and uninteresting. The action was technically sound, but it was forgettable. This character isn’t working. And if this is the best feud they have for him, it won’t get better. I like Alex Wright, but he needs to move on from this.

Winner: Brad Armstrong (4:23)

Berlyn and the Bodyguard don’t let Brad celebrate. They attack him, and Berlyn rips at Brad’s face. Once he is satisfied, Berlyn stands and his bodyguard hands him his sunglasses.

Afterward, Tenay interviews Flair, who still has his crowbar. Ric brags about his legacy and mocks the Filthy Animals. They thought they could play in the big time, but Flair reclaimed his Rolex watch. If the Animals don’t like it, they can find him. Then Mike snitches on Eddie Guerrero. He tells Ric about Eddie calling Rey. Plus, Ric has a Strap Match with DDP later. But Ric says you don’t get where he has without being ready for anybody. As far as Page, Flair says they will strap two of the best to each other tonight. Then Flair brags about giving Kimberly the spanking her daddy should have given her. He claims he heard Kim woo at him. And tonight, Torrie tasted what the Nature Boy is all about. After he’s done with DDP, Flair says Kimberly will get it two times from the Nature Boy!

TV Title Match: Rick Steiner vs. Chris Benoit (c)

Storyline: They redid the Benoit vs. Malenko #1 Contender bout, and Benoit won. Since Benoit claimed he made Sid tap at the PPV, he wanted a title shot on the spot. But Sting didn’t answer the call. It was Rick Steiner instead. During the contest, Benoit rolled up Steiner to win the TV belt. So Rick attacked him after the bell. Later, Benoit received his shot against Sting only for Luger to ruin it with a baseball bat attack. While this happened, Rick continued doing Sid’s dirty work. This included taking out Van Hammer when he tried to get a US championship shot. Meanwhile, Benoit also took exception to the Revolution drama. He removed his shirt and threw it in Shane’s face.

The Match: Rick stalls and tries to lure Benoit into a trap. Then Steiner scores a powerslam, but Benoit answers with a superplex! When Rick bails outside again, Benoit dives onto him. Next, they brawl on the floor and return to the ring. There, Rick shoves Benoit into the ref and nails a low blow. This allows Rick to grab leg submissions and chinlocks. Later, they trade German suplexes until Rick pulls Benoit into the corner. Rick also shoves the ref at Chris, and Benoit elbows him, thinking it was Steiner. With the ref down, Rick grabs a chair, but it backfires. Benoit knocks it into his face. Afterward, Benoit does a flying headbutt, which Rick blocks with the chair. So Malenko comes to help. Dean grabs the chair—and clocks Benoit! He then rolls the ref into the ring and Rick covers for the three.

Thoughts: They wrestled Rick Steiner’s pace, which isn’t good. The action exhausted Rick. He took long pauses between moves. This killed any chance of this match winning over an already dull crowd. When Benoit was on offense, it was good. But the rest bored me.

Winner: Rick Steiner (New Champion) (12:50)

Saturn meets Malenko in the aisle. They hug and shake hands, so Heenan says they set Benoit up and hung him out to dry. Saturn also tells Shane Douglas hello. This makes Heenan blame Douglas for the ruse.

Now Tenay interviews Bret Hart. Mike says everyone witnessed the Total Package’s baseball bat assault on Bret’s ankle. The doctors told Bret not to wrestle tonight. But Bret says doctors always paint the worst picture. This isn’t the first time Bret worked hurt. He says he has the fans behind him. Luger may have cost him his chance at the WCW Title, but he will excellently execute the Total Package tonight!

This leads to the Total Package’s dramatic entrance. Liz removes his top while Luger rips off his pants. He then poses and flexes in the spotlight. Heenan says Luger has the greatest physique in sports today. Afterward, they show footage of Luger’s attack on Bret.

The Total Package (w/ Elizabeth) vs. Bret Hart

Storyline: Sting and Luger attacked Flair the night after Fall Brawl, but Bret and Hogan stopped them. This led to a tag match, which Luger tried to avoid, but JJ Dillon made him wrestle. During the bout, Luger whacked Bret with a bat. Afterward, Luger rebranded himself. He held a mock funeral for the old Lex Luger because he wants people to call him the Total Package. The transformation came with a new logo and a dramatic ring entrance full of posing. Meanwhile, Bret recovered from the bat attack. He teamed with Hogan, Flair, and later Benoit to face Luger and his mates. Plus, Bret still wanted a WCW Title shot, so Sting obliged. However, Sting jumped Bret backstage. Then Luger interfered again to help Sting retain his gold. Finally, Sting and Luger targeted Goldberg, so Bret intervened. He put Sting in a Sharpshooter while Goldberg gave Luger a Jackhammer.

The Match: Bret jumps Lex and they brawl to the floor. He rams Lex into everything that isn’t nailed down, so Luger begs off. Liz even tries to slap Bret, but he stops it, and Luger’s ambush fails. Back inside, Bret targets Lex’s lower back with headbutts, a Russian Leg Sweep, and a backbreaker. He then attempts a Sharpshooter, but Luger pokes him in the eyes. Next, they tumble over the ropes during hip toss counters. Bret hurts his leg upon impact, so Luger focuses on it when they head inside. He kicks the leg and wraps it around the ropes. Finally, Luger puts Bret in a half crab and Bret taps out.

Thoughts: I get the story they told, but it didn’t work. Luger didn’t do enough to the leg to warrant the finish. Plus, Luger used a weak-looking half crab. Bret tapping out to the hold makes him look bad. This did both men no favors.

Winner: The Total Package (7:46)

Tenay interviews Goldberg at the site of his attack on Sid. Mike warns Goldberg his actions made Sid more dangerous. So Goldberg tells Tenay to look at the bloodstain. He also says they pay him to kick people’s asses. As far as Sid is concerned, Goldberg will separate his head from the rest of his body!

Next, Madusa enters the arena in a bikini. She shills WCW’s new Nitro cologne. Heenan says it smells terrible. He compares it to a rest stop restroom and kitty litter. It seems Madusa agrees because she complains about doing this. She tells Tony and Bobby to inform the powers that be this is bullshit. Then Madusa opens the bottle and pours it on Heenan. Bobby coughs and yells while Tony laughs.

Afterward, they recap the Sting/Hogan feud before their entrances. Hogan’s music plays first, but no one appears. This confuses Tony, but Heenan says Hogan is taking his time. Maybe he wants to come out second. Once the theme stops, Sting arrives. Then Hogan’s song plays again. A confused Penzer looks to Tony for answers, but Schiavone tells him he doesn’t know. Finally, Hogan walks to the ring in his street clothes, which adds to the confusion.

WCW Title Match: Sting (c) vs. Hulk Hogan

Storyline: After Hogan and Bret teamed against Sting and Luger, WCW announced a rematch between Hogan and Sting. So Sting targeted Hogan’s bad knee with baseball bat attacks. He even jumped Hogan while Hulk signed autographs for kids. As he did this, Sting mocked Hogan and asked for an autograph. But Hogan didn’t leave the arena. He received medical help backstage. When Sting noticed, he promised to finish the job. So Sting ambushed Hogan in the trainer’s room. Later, they booked Sting, DDP, and Luger vs. Flair, Hart, and Hogan, but Hogan couldn’t make it to the match. However, Hogan limped to the ring to save Bret from Sting’s Scorpion Deathlock. Afterward, Hogan said he was sick of the internet speculation about his condition. He vowed to have the last laugh after Halloween Havoc.

The Match: Hogan says something to Sting we can’t hear. He then lies on the mat. After hesitating, Sting covers him for a three count.

Thoughts: This was one of Russo’s infamous worked shoots. He did it to make people talk and get headlines, but all it did was piss off the crowd. Baiting and switching the fans never results in good business. People paid money for this. Get used to it because it won’t be the last. In fact, we will see Hogan in this same situation again.

Winner: Sting (0:03)

After the bell, Hogan gets up and leaves, so they immediately cut to a video recap. It covers the Goldberg/Sid feud. Afterward, the fans are still booing the previous contest. Sid enters the arena with blood on his face. Next, Goldberg headbutts a door and follows his security escort into the arena. Before he reaches the ring, the Outsiders jump him! Hall nails punches and Nash does a big boot. The security guards do nothing to help Goldberg.

U.S. Title Match: Goldberg vs. Sid Vicious (c)

Storyline: Sid continued adding victories to his total with Robinson and Rick Steiner’s help. So Goldberg had enough of Sid. He called Sid out, but Sid kept ducking him. Also, Sid got a restraining order against Goldberg because he threatened him. Since Goldberg couldn’t touch Sid, he found a new way to antagonize him. First, Goldberg had Sid’s car towed. Then Goldberg hired someone to compact and flatten Sid’s car. When Sid discovered the wreck, he yelled, “Why me!?” Later, Sid took a taxi to Nitro to avoid more car shenanigans. This gave Sid the confidence to interfere in Goldberg’s business. As a result, Goldberg speared him, which violated the restraining order. So Sid brought his lawyers to Nitro only for Goldberg to spear them. But Sid powerbombed Goldberg in response. When Goldberg retaliated, the Outsiders jumped him, to everyone’s surprise.

The Match: Sid attacks a dazed Goldberg. He hits him with axehandles, punches, and kicks while dragging Bill to the ring. But Goldberg reverses Sid into the rail and the steps. Plus, Goldberg targets the cut with punches and backhands. When they return to the ring, Sid kicks Goldberg. He follows with a big boot and Camel Clutch. So Goldberg rises with Sid on his shoulders and does an electric chair drop. This leads to more traded strikes. Despite losing a lot of blood, Sid keeps coming, which frustrates Goldberg. Every time Sid rises, Goldberg attacks his wound with headbutts and punches. Finally, Sid collapses to his knees. The ref realizes Sid can’t continue and ends the bout.

Thoughts: Where did this come from!? I had low expectations, but this more than exceeded them. It was short, explosive, and told a great story. They made Goldberg seem like a killer and Sid look like a valiant fighter. Plus, it was easily Sid’s best performance in years. This show needed this after the Hogan/Sting debacle.

Winner: Goldberg (New Champion) (7:11)

Rick Steiner comes to check on Sid, who still wants to go. The ref won’t let him, so Steiner helps Sid out of the ring. Goldberg glares at them as they leave. Meanwhile, Tony says this ends Sid’s winning streak, but Heenan disagrees. Sid didn’t quit. Tony says it still counts as a loss, so Bobby says, “Tell Sid that!”

After a recap of the Flair’s antics in the hotel room, Sting returns to the ring. He says he didn’t come to Las Vegas for a night off. Sting wants to fight! So Sting issues an open challenge to the locker room. Later, he will come back and wait for someone to show up.

Once he finishes, DDP and Flair arrive for their Strap Match. Heenan says they should call Flair Spanky. (Somewhere, a young Brian Kendrick takes notes.) Then Robinson hooks the strap to Flair’s wrist, but DDP hesitates. He makes Charles come to him instead.

Strap Match: Diamond Dallas Page (w/ Kimberly) vs. Ric Flair

Storyline: DDP came after Hogan again, so Flair intervened. As a result, DDP gave Ric a Diamond Cutter. He also told Ric to retire already. Next, DDP tried to attack Flair during Sting & Luger vs. Flair & Hogan. He failed because Ric shoved DDP into Luger, who blindly put DDP in the Rack. Afterward, DDP and Kimberly antagonized Ric by exploiting David Flair’s romantic woes. Kidman and the Filthy Animals stole Torrie from David and left him heartbroken. So Kim invited David to her hotel room. But when she arrived, she found Ric Flair instead. While this happened, David wrestled Kidman and received a beating from the Animals. When Ric returned to the arena and heard what happened, he called out the Animals for revenge. But the Animals ambushed Ric and swiped his watch while Torrie taunted David.

The Match: DDP is cautious, but the action soon spills outside. They whip each other with the strap and brawl into the crowd. As they scuffle in the stands, Flair wraps the strap around Page’s face and bites him. So DDP answers by choking Flair with the strap and ramming him into the rail. It leaves Flair bloody. More chops and choking follow until they fight around the announce table. Next, the action returns to the ring where Flair ties Page in the ropes. Plus, Ric targets Page’s leg and locks him in a Figure Four. The ref almost counts Page’s shoulders down, but he gets a rope break. Afterward, DDP throws low blows and uses the strap to give Flair a Diamond Cutter. When Page covers, Robinson hesitates because he sees Ric trying to place his foot on the ropes. But he counts the three when Flair fails.

Thoughts: Did they botch the ending? It looked like Flair meant to drape his foot on the ropes and couldn’t. This had good intensity, and it was a decent brawl until that awkward finish. I still enjoyed most of it, but it’s hard to call it great.

Winner: DDP (12:49)

After the bell, DDP nails Robinson with a Diamond Cutter and chokes Flair with the strap. So David Flair runs to the ring with the crowbar, but Kimberly stops him with a low blow. Then Page takes the crowbar and whacks Flair in the crotch. With Ric writhing in pain, DDP gives David an awkward Diamond Cutter. Since it looked bad, he does a second one and elbows David in the balls. Once Page leaves, the EMTs place Ric on a stretcher while David and Charles cry. They wheel Ric backstage only for the Filthy Animals to attack! The Animals shove the EMTs aside and fend off David Flair. Once Eddie and Rey get Flair off the stretcher, they throw him into the ambulance. And the Animals steal the vehicle and drive away.

Before we can recover from the chaos, Sting returns for his open challenge. He says it’s showtime. Who will it be? After a pause, Goldberg’s music plays. Heenan says Bill could hold the US and WCW championships. However, someone hands Tony a note. It says this is a non-title bout. Sting bails outside because there is no ref, so Charles Robinson runs back to officiate the fight.

Goldberg vs. Sting

The Match: Goldberg backs Sting into a corner for knees, punches, and kicks. Then he nails a short-arm clothesline and sends Sting to the floor with a forearm. They fight around the rail and the announce table. But Goldberg strikes the post on a missed clothesline. Back inside, Sting hits elbow drops and a flying splash. He even does a spear! However, Goldberg rises right away and gives Sting a spin kick. When Goldberg attempts his spear, he crashes as Sting moves. This leads to Stinger Splashes. Next, Sting runs at Goldberg again, so Goldberg leapfrogs him. It opens the door for a spear and Jackhammer for the victory.

Thoughts: They kept this short and exciting. The fans loved it, so Goldberg and Sting did their job well. This doesn’t make up for the Hogan nonsense, but this at least sends the crowd home happy. But the live audience didn’t know it was non-title. And what happens next makes it worse.

Winner: Goldberg (3:08)

Charles Robinson raises Goldberg’s hand, but he also gives him the WCW belt! This confuses Tony and Bobby. Sting gets Charles’ attention and explains it was non-title. But Robinson says no one told him this. He refuses to change his decision, so Sting gives him a Scorpion Death Drop as the show ends.

The Good:

• Sid/Goldberg was surprisingly good.

• Eddie/Saturn was solid, despite the crowd.

• Goldberg/Sting was short but fun.

The Bad:

• The Sting/Hogan nonsense.

• Steiner/Benoit was dull.

• The insulting booking and bait and switching.

Observations:

• I know they treated Sid’s streak as tongue-in-cheek, but that’s how you end a winning streak. Sid looked strong even in defeat.

Performer of the Night:

I can’t believe I’m doing this, but I’m giving it to Sid. This was his best performance in years. I will also commend Goldberg. He had two fun and explosive bouts on this show.

Final Thoughts:

Outside of the three good matches, the rest was dull or downright insulting. First, they bait and switched the fans with Sting vs. Hogan. Then they sent the live crowd home thinking Goldberg won the championship. This show ruined what little faith the fans had in WCW. It’s a terrible way to begin Russo’s tenure. How can they trust him going forward?

Thank you for reading. My next review is ECW’s November to Remember ’99. Look for it next Sunday.