Spring Stampede 2000

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

Spring Stampede

April 16, 2000

United Center

Chicago, Illinois

News & Notes: This will be a strange one. WCW switched gears two weeks after Uncensored. They brought back Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff to oversee creative together. So they threw away the storylines from the first two weeks of build. I won’t dwell on the events of those lame duck episodes, but I will mention the original plans. They built toward a Sid vs. Hogan main event for this PPV before the reset. This included the infamous moment on the Spring Break episode. The Wall tried to collect a bounty Sid put on Hogan’s head. He threatened Hogan from a building three miles away, and Hogan somehow saw him. With that said, let’s talk about the reset.

Russo and Bischoff returned on the April 10, 2000 episode of Nitro. They blamed WCW’s good old boys’ network for driving them away. Russo claimed certain people didn’t like how he pushed the younger talent. Bischoff even apologized to those talents for letting guys like Hall, Nash, Sting, DDP, and Hogan hold them down. Eric made them millionaires, and they coasted by on their fat contracts and fading legacies. Now it’s the New Blood’s time to shine. Russo said the old Millionaire’s Club had to prove themselves again after years of resting on their laurels. Then Russo and Bischoff leveled the playing field by vacating all the titles. Eric threatened Sid with losing his job to get the WCW belt from him, and Sid relented. Afterward, they made the Millionaire’s Club compete for the right to face their chosen one, Jarrett, for the vacant WCW championship.

Meanwhile, Russo and Bischoff started personal vendettas against Flair and Hogan. Russo called Flair a piece of shit and vowed to wipe him off his shoe. Bischoff tricked Hogan into thinking they were cool, but then he helped Kidman start a feud with Hogan. They weren’t the only ones creating problems. Tank Abbott also called out Goldberg. He promised to beat up innocent victims until Goldberg showed his face again. Tank started with Mark Madden. Also, Shawn Stasiak debuted in WCW by targeting Curt Hennig. Shawn called himself the Perfect One and even used a rip-off of the Mr. Perfect theme. Finally, Jeff Jarrett crashed the Ready to Rumble premiere and tried to jump David Arquette. However, Arquette hit Jarrett with the guitar. David even showed up on Thunder, where he helped DDP, but it didn’t end well for him.

I have one last note. Bret Hart confronted Russo and Bischoff on their first night, but we don’t know why.

The opening video focuses on Russo and Bischoff’s war against Flair and Hogan. We see their tirades and attacks on both men. Then it cuts to Bischoff, Russo, Kidman and Torrie backstage. Bischoff worries because Hogan checked himself out of the hospital. Kidman says they can jump in the Hummer and finish Hogan if he shows his face. Russo agrees. He tells Eric to relax. This is their night, and it will be great. Bischoff says that’s easy for Russo to say. Afterward, they show a montage of the previous week’s carnage.

Tony welcomes everyone to a new era for WCW. There are no champions, but they will crown new ones by the end of the night. Schiavone also welcomes Mark Madden back to the booth. He got tanked on Monday night, but Mark returned. Madden winces in pain while Tony says this. Afterward, Tony and Scott say Russo stacked the deck in the New Blood’s favor. Only Sting and Team Package represent the Millionaire’s Club in the tournaments. Plus, Jarrett could reach his destiny tonight, but he has to beat DDP, or DD-Me, as Madden calls him. Finally, Tony says Russo told the referees to relax the rules tonight and let everyone fight.

Next, Gene interviews Team Package. He asks why Flair dressed in street clothes. Ric says Russo made it clear this was a street fight for survival. The Total Package looks as only he can look, and they’re ready to fight. Flair ends the promo by wooing and yelling Russo’s name.

This leads to the entrances for the tag tournament semifinals. Team Package and the Mamalukes come to the ring, but Russo follows them. He asks what happened to his even playing field. You have two crafty veterans versus two rookies. Therefore, Russo adds a third team to even the sides. It’s the Harris Brothers!

Tag Team Tournament Semifinals: Team Package (w/ Elizabeth) vs. The Harris Brothers vs. The Mamalukes (w/ Disco Inferno)

Storyline: Scott Steiner distracted Flair when Ric tried to call out Russo. This allowed Shane Douglas to jump Flair from behind. Everyone thought Shane asked for his release, but he returned for a chance to settle his longstanding beef with Flair. Russo then ambushed Flair with a baseball bat and stole Ric’s Rolex as a trophy. Plus, Russo made Ric wrestle Buff. If Luger interfered, he would suspend Team Package without pay. Russo jumped Flair and Luger again with the bat, so they wondered if Team Package would even make it to the PPV. Meanwhile, the Mamalukes grew tired of Disco’s crap. He failed to get them a tag title shot, so they made him wrestle Tank Abbott. Disco pretended to faint. It didn’t work. Tank knocked Disco out of his shoes.

The Match: Everyone brawls and targets Team Package, but Flair and Luger fend them off. Then Ric puts Johnny in the Figure Four, only to pull back when Vito threatens to interfere. This allows the Mamalukes to take control. They draw Luger into the ring for a distraction. However, the Harris Brothers use the opening to take over. They make Flair flop and slam him off the top rope. More distractions make the ref miss Ric’s tag, and Disco attacks Luger. Unfortunately for Disco, random goons appear and drag him backstage! While this happens, the Harris Brothers and Mamalukes argue with each other. They open the door for Luger’s hot tag. He cleans house with clotheslines and forearms. Johnny answers with a springboard clothesline, but this isn’t enough. Luger whips the Mamalukes into each other and makes Johnny submit to the Rack.

Thoughts: This was messy, but it wasn’t hard to follow. The chaos fit the story they were telling, so I didn’t hate it. Was it a good match? No, it wasn’t, but it got its point across. So I can’t fault it.

Winners: Team Package (6:11)

Gene interviews Mike Awesome. He says Mike is now the surprise eighth entrant in the US Title tournament. He faces Ernest the Cat Miller. Mike says he plans to beat all nine lives out of the Cat. They say Miller is a master of karate, Tae Bo, or Cat Bo. Mike doesn’t care what you call it. Before he can say more, Bam Bam Bigelow interrupts them. He asks Gene where he found this jabroni. Mike tells Bigelow to leave. He’s conducting business. So Bam Bam tells him to back off. Awesome pretends to relent, but then he attacks Bigelow and beats him up. (I see why ECW gave Awesome a manager. This was a bad promo.)

Now it’s time for Jimmy Hart vs. the Chicago radio DJ, Mancow. Jimmy Hart wears a Howard Stern t-shirt to piss off Mancow. He also brings Emory “Hail” Hale with him as his bodyguard. (He’s someone Hart brought into WCW to be a potential Hogan opponent. Hail wrestled mostly on Saturday Night since 1998, but he never reached the level they wanted.) Meanwhile, Mancow comes to the ring with women and his entourage of freaks. He thanks Bischoff for giving him a chance to defend his honor and his city. Mancow says Jimmy Pearl Harbored him and injured his eye. Jimmy Hart turns his back as Mancow says this, so Mancow jumps him.

Mancow (w/ Al Roker Jr., Brian the Whipping Boy, & Turd) vs. Jimmy Hart (w/ Hail)

Storyline: This is the only remaining encounter from the original PPV card. It started when Hogan and Jimmy Hart appeared on Mancow’s radio show to promote Spring Stampede. Mancow said Hogan is the biggest star in wrestling. He can do better than Jimmy Hart. Mancow called Jimmy a little clown in a jacket, so Jimmy jumped him and injured Mancow’s eye. Meanwhile, Jimmy Hart also called out Bischoff for betraying Hogan. He wanted answers. Bischoff brought Kidman with him, and Billy attacked Hart. He ripped Jimmy’s shirt and tagged him with the initials N.B. for New Blood.

The Match: They scuffle until Hail distracts Mancow. This allows Jimmy Hart to throw a low blow. He follows with the world’s worst body slam and a flying splash of sorts. (Madden calls it utter nonsense.) However, Mancow pulls the ref into the way of the splash and tackles Jimmy. He also chokes him, but Hail grabs Mancow and press slams him onto his entourage. Jimmy covers Mancow once Hail rolls him inside again, but there is no ref. So Hart tries to revive him. Brian the Whipping Boy passes Mancow a chair while this happens. Mancow taps Jimmy with a weak chair shot and pins him for the win.

Thoughts: They kept it short, but it was still awful and embarrassing. Neither man could do anything without stumbling and falling over. Hail was the only wrestler involved, and even he looked bad.

Winner: Mancow (2:48)

Mancow leaves after the bell, so Kidman runs to the ring and attacks Jimmy Hart. He sends a message to Hogan by roughing up Jimmy, and he shoves Hart to the mat. Madden says the same thing will happen to Hogan if he shows up.

Elsewhere, Russo yells at the Harris Brothers and the Mamalukes for blowing their opportunity. They let Team Package win. Russo throws a fit and hits things with his bat before telling them to get out of his sight.

Now it’s time for the first quarterfinal bout in the US Title tournament. Scott Steiner uses his old “Steinerized” theme. He said in interviews he hated this song, so you know he’s ready for new music.

U.S. Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Scott Steiner vs. The Wall

Storyline: Scott Steiner confronted Ric Flair, as I mentioned earlier. He blamed Ric for trying to get him fired, and he said Flair ran WCW stars off to the WWF. Scott even mocked Flair’s teeth. Later, Steiner competed in a Colorado Collision gauntlet match with the other announced competitors in this tournament. Steiner smacked the Cat with Miller’s red shoes and let Kidman pin him. Then Booker and Wall got counted out when they went through a table. Finally, Steiner won the contest when he eliminated Vampiro. Sting attacked Vamp for revenge, and Steiner put him in the Recliner. (More on that later.) As for the Wall, he helped Bischoff take out Sid and prevented Sid from entering this tournament.

The Match: Steiner beats the Wall down into the corner with strikes, but the Wall fires back with his own corner offense. So Steiner answers with a low blow and a belly-to-belly. Next, the Wall blocks a German and nails a big boot and choke toss. However, Steiner rallies with a hotshot, and they fight to the floor. Now the Wall pulls out a table. Scott almost suplexes the Wall onto it, but Wall stops it and tries a chokeslam. Steiner rakes the eyes to prevent it, and he pulls the ref in front of the Wall. A blinded Wall chokeslams the ref on the table. Billy Silverman sees this and runs to the ring to disqualify the Wall. The Wall chases him away in anger.

Thoughts: Considering the participants, it wasn’t bad until the disappointing finish. They said they were relaxing the rules, but then they ended this in a disqualification. I know they don’t want either man to look weak, but they could have chosen a better ending than this.

Winner: Scott Steiner (by DQ) (3:53)

Next, Gene interviews Ernest the Cat Miller. He says Miller will face Mike Awesome. Ernest said he heard James Brown was there. He wants him instead. Gene says they wouldn’t make James his opponent. Miller doesn’t care. He doesn’t want to face Awesome because Mike can’t dance! Miller calls WCW a redneck company. They found another redneck to do their dirty work. Gene tries to warn Miller of impending danger while Ernest talks, but it’s too late. Bam Bam Bigelow jumps Ernest from behind and beats him up.

This leads to Mike Awesome’s entrance. He uses the old Revolution theme, for some reason. Mike almost makes it to the ring, but then Bam Bam attacks him next. Bigelow tries to take Miller’s spot in the contest.

U.S. Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Mike Awesome vs. Ernest the Cat Miller

Storyline: Nash arrived at Nitro on crutches, but it didn’t stop him from going to the ring. Kevin called Russo and Bischoff jack-offs for their behavior. He said Bischoff wouldn’t even be there if it weren’t for Hall and Nash. Then Nash tried to say more, but Mike Awesome jumped out of the crowd and attacked Nash from behind. He broke a crutch over Kevin’s back. The commentators couldn’t believe their eyes. The ECW champion invaded WCW TV! (I’ll explain what happened to the ECW Title in my next ECW review.) Awesome said this was too sweet of an opportunity to pass up.

The Match: Awesome continues fighting Bigelow. He knocks Bam Bam outside and lands a tope! Then they fight over the rail, and Mike dives onto Bigelow again. Next, they return to the ring, where Awesome nails a flying clothesline. However, Bam Bam reverses a slam into a pin. He also lands his flying headbutt and calls for the Greetings. So Ernest Miller returns to take back his spot! He sends Bigelow outside with a sidekick and grabs a microphone. Miller says he kicked everyone’s ass, so now he will dance! Ernest dons his red shoes while his music plays. He dances, but Awesome hits a clothesline and pins Miller after an Awesome Splash.

Thoughts: This was ridiculous. If they wanted Awesome vs. Bam Bam, why not book it instead? The action we got from them was good, so it would have been a better encounter. Once Miller arrived, it made me annoyed they wouldn’t continue with Awesome vs. Bigelow.

Winner: Mike Awesome (4:00)

Eric continues worrying backstage. Russo tells him to relax again, but Eric says he can’t. Lover boy and Torrie are making him sick. Can’t they make out later? Kidman takes offense to this. He reminds Eric he sent a message to Hogan. Eric laughs. He says Kidman’s actions mean Hogan will definitely come now.

Elsewhere, Gene interviews Shane Douglas and Buff Bagwell. He says the winner of their match with Harlem Heat 2000 will face Team Package in the finals. Buff calls Harlem Heat a roadblock for the New Blood. It’s a new day for WCW, so everyone needs to figure it out. Then Shane Douglas declares Space Mountain closed for the night. He will end Flair’s limo riding and jet flying bullshit. Their time is now.

The commentators admonish Buff and Douglas for looking past Harlem Heat 2000. Madden calls it a mistake. This leads to Buff and Douglas’ entrance. They halfway dub over Douglas’ “Perfect Strangers” rip-off. The intro is different, but the rest remains intact.

Tag Team Title Tournament Semifinals: Shane Douglas & Buff Bagwell vs. Harlem Heat 2000 (w/ Cash & J. Biggs)

Storyline: Buff and Douglas helped Russo and Bischoff screw over Team Package. Bagwell distracted Luger to cost him his chance to face Jarrett. Then Douglas ambushed Flair, as I already discussed. Shane promised to retire Flair’s millionaire ass because Shane is the new franchise of WCW. This led to Douglas vs. Luger. Flair interfered to give Luger the win. Meanwhile, Russo and Bischoff enlisted Harlem Heat 2000 to deal with Sid. They failed when Booker aided Sid in a victory, but Bischoff had the Wall attack Sid afterward. Eric removed Sid from the US Title tournament and sent him home.

The Match: Everyone brawls until it’s down to Stevie and Shane. Stevie slams Douglas, but he misses an elbow drop. This allows Shane and Buff to control things with an arm wringer, strikes, and a swinging neckbreaker. However, Big T makes a blind tag. Harlem Heat scores a spinebuster and leg drop. Next, Big T charges into the corner and eats a back elbow. Buff follows with a Vader Bomb before crawling for a tag. Shane and Stevie return, and Shane cleans house. So Cash grabs Buff and pulls him outside for an attack. He hits Bagwell with the slapjack while Harlem Heat nails a double big boot on Shane. Cash also rams Buff into the post, but it doesn’t matter. The ref argues with Stevie, so Shane hits Stevie and lands the Pittsburgh Plunge for the win.

Thoughts: This was bad. Buff had to buy time for a winded Big T, only two minutes into the fight. Big T’s performances are embarrassing. I don’t know if they cut it short for this reason or if it was always supposed to be brief. Either way, it made for a forgettable bout.

Winners: Douglas & Bagwell (2:41)

After the bell, Harlem Heat 2000 argues with each other. J. Biggs tries to play peacemaker, while Buff and Douglas watch this from the ramp. They leave once they realize they won’t get to celebrate.

Meanwhile, Gene interviews Booker. He says Booker faces Sting in the US Title tournament. It’s another hurdle for Booker to climb. Booker says no one knows about opportunities like him. He and Bischoff are on the same page when it comes to this opportunity, but that’s it. He has never seen eye-to-eye with Eric. Tonight, his business is with Sting.

Madden questions why Booker isn’t on board with the New Blood philosophy. Hudson says Booker doesn’t like taking orders from anybody.

U.S. Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Sting vs. Booker

Storyline: Sting and Sid competed for a shot at Jarrett. The Wall cost Sid his opportunity. Then Vampiro did the unthinkable. He betrayed his brother in paint and ruined Sting’s chances for the world title. Later, Russo made Sting and Sid qualify to participate in the US tournament. Sting’s challenge was a handicap fight with the Villanos. However, Jarrett disguised himself as a third Villano and used the guitar. Things looked bleak for Sting until DDP hit Jarrett with a Diamond Cutter and pulled Sting on top for the win. Meanwhile, Russo included Booker in the New Blood, but Booker rebelled. He aided Sid, so Bischoff and Russo berated Booker for his actions. They threatened to wipe the defiant look off his face.

The Match: Sting shoves Booker before they do the usual headlock, shoulder block, hip toss sequence. Then they trade strikes until the fight spills outside. Sting reverses Booker into the guardrail and wipes out a crew member and cameraman. Afterward, they scuffle around the announce table, and Booker hotshots Sting onto it. Next, they head inside, where Booker slows things with two chinlocks. He also lands a flapjack, does a Spinaroonie, and nails the Harlem Sidekick. However, Sting fires back with a DDT and Stinger Splash. Booker blocks a second one, and they fight back and forth. Plus, they counter each other’s suplexes. Sting ends his counter with the Scorpion Death Drop, which earns the three.

Thoughts: This started and finished hot, but the middle portion dragged. A bout this short didn’t need chinlocks. That’s the only gripe. The rest was solid, which makes it the best encounter so far.

Winner: Sting (6:34)

Sting leaves, so Booker demands he return to the ring, but Sting ignores him. Booker chases him down the aisle and grabs Sting by the arm. He shoves Sting and tells him to come back. Sting obliges and readies himself for a fight, but Booker offers him a fist bump instead. So Sting gives him the show of respect and leaves again. Madden says it sucks.

Next, Gene interviews Billy Kidman, Torrie, and a nervous Eric Bischoff. Gene accuses Bischoff of being worried about Hogan showing up. Eric says it’s a rumor. Don’t think he would let a silly rumor rain on his parade. Hogan is a glory hound, but he’s not dumb enough to step into the lion’s den. Then Kidman says if Hogan shows up, it will be in a wheelchair. He crippled Hogan, and he will send him back to the hospital to suck food through a tube!

This leads to the entrances of Kidman and Vampiro. Hudson says Kidman’s confidence masks his worries.

U.S. Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Vampiro vs. Billy Kidman (w/ Torrie Wilson)

Storyline: Billy Kidman has an issue with Hulk Hogan. Hogan did an interview where he said Kidman couldn’t draw flies at a flea market. So Billy called Hogan out for a fight. During the brawl, Bischoff decked Hogan with a chair and counted a fake pin when Kidman covered Hogan. Later, Bischoff rammed Hogan’s limo with the white Hummer, while Kidman rode shotgun beside him. So the announcers said Bischoff must have been the Hummer driver all along! The EMTs put Hogan on a stretcher, but Kidman attacked Hulk and tagged him with the New Blood initials. Finally, Kidman and Vampiro competed in the Colorado Collision. Sting jumped Vampiro and gave him the Death Drop. This allowed Scott Steiner to win the gauntlet.

The Match: Vampiro gets the early advantage with an overhead belly-to-belly and a flying clothesline. Kidman answers with a hurricanrana and corner punches, but Vamp turns the latter into a release powerbomb! (Vamp is up to four successful powerbombs on Kidman now!) Next, they exchange strikes. Vampiro keeps trying more powerbombs, but Billy reverses them into facebusters. However, Vampiro scores an uranage and an armbar takedown. They aren’t enough, so Kidman lands a DDT. Unfortunately for Billy, Hulk Hogan arrives backstage in a black Dodge Charger!

He storms to the ring while Vampiro and Kidman fight, and Hogan attacks Kidman. Hogan rams Kidman into the steps and the post. He even tosses the steps at Kidman, who moves out of the way. He can’t escape. Hogan gets Billy and choke tosses him from the steps to the announce table! It doesn’t break, so Hogan slams Kidman on it next. Afterward, he rolls Billy inside and tells Vampiro to pin him.

Thoughts: This was a solid bout until Hogan arrived. They disqualified the Wall earlier, but Robinson watched Hogan brutalize Kidman and did nothing. There’s no consistency. Are they relaxing the rules or not? The continuity of this show is a mess.

Winner: Vampiro (8:28)

Hogan says he’s coming for Bischoff next and heads backstage. Bischoff tries to leave, but Russo says that’s a bad idea. He’d never make it out before Hogan found him. Vince tells Eric to stay. He will handle this. Russo leaves while Hogan rampages through the backstage area. He checks doors until he finds Bischoff’s locker room, but it’s locked. So Hogan kicks the door open and corners Eric. Bischoff fends him off with a chair until Russo returns with cops. They drag Hogan off of Eric and pull their guns on him! Eric tells them to shoot him, but they arrest Hogan instead. Hogan threatens to stick the guns up their asses.

Elsewhere, Terry Taylor tells Terry Funk Norman Smiley is hiding in catering. He doesn’t want to do their match. So Funk heads into catering to find him. Everyone immediately stooges on Smiley. They tell Funk he’s in the bathroom. Terry enters the room and calls Norman’s name. He hears screaming coming from the stall, so Funk opens the door and attacks to start their fight.

For the vacant Hardcore Title: Terry Funk vs. Norman Smiley

Storyline: They determined the participants for this bout in a unique way. WCW held a tag team 3-Way Dance. The winning team would face each other for the belt. It was Funk & Smiley vs. Finlay & Knobs vs. Meng & Morrus. During the contest, Meng and Knobs fought into the concourse, where Meng attacked a Goldberg cut-out thinking it was him. Then Meng backdropped Knobs over the wall outside the arena. Knobs fell into the parking lot, so he’s apparently dead now. Elsewhere, Finlay gave Funk a piledriver on a table, and Dustin Rhodes used a chair on Funk. So Norman sneaked in and pinned his own partner to win. (Yes, you read that correctly. Oh, WCW!) Also, Smiley promised to find someone to watch his back. He’s tired of thugs jumping him.

The Match: Norman wears baseball pads, but they don’t help him much. Terry opens a fridge and dumps cans of sodas over Norman’s body. Next, they fight into the kitchen, and Norman sprays Funk with hot water. They also scuffle over a stainless steel table. Afterward, they spill into the hallway. Norman uses trash cans, equipment cases, and a laptop. (Hudson calls it a slaptop when Norman smacks Funk with it.) This gives Norman an opening, so he clings to a pipe to get away from Terry. It doesn’t work. Funk knocks him down onto a table. Now they head into the arena and approach the ring. Norman tries to do a Big Wiggle, but he eats a chair shot. This allows Funk to grab a ladder. However, Dustin Rhodes interrupts them!

Dustin blasts Funk with chair shots and gives him a piledriver on the weapon. He then goes for more chair attacks, but Funk kicks it into Dustin’s face. Norman is back up, so Funk knocks him out of the ring with the ladder. Plus, Funk throws the ladder onto Norman and pins him for the win.

Thoughts: This was good fun. Funk and Norman are entertaining enough guys to make it work. Their antics blend well together. The only downside is seeing Terry Funk take so many chair shots to the head.

Winner: Terry Funk (New Champion) (8:02)

Backstage, Russo doesn’t understand Booker’s earlier actions. He mocks him for showing sportsmanship to Sting. Plus, Russo tells Booker to stop pissing off Bischoff. Vince claims he’s trying to help Booker. Then Russo says something about a potato. (I didn’t understand this part.) Russo also tells Booker he can get back on his good side by doing him a favor.

U.S. Title Tournament Semifinals: Scott Steiner vs. Mike Awesome

The Match: Steiner takes Awesome to the mat for elbows and crossfaces. Then he clotheslines Mike and tosses him outside before doing push-ups. Next, they fight on the apron, and Awesome scores a slingshot shoulder tackle. He follows with a splash and a flying clothesline. So Scott throws a low blow and lands a belly-to-belly. Afterward, Awesome rebounds with a step-up back elbow and a leg drop. Plus, he climbs the turnbuckles again, but the crowd reacts to someone in the aisle. Kevin Nash appears. He whacks Awesome with his crutch and knocks Mike into the ring. This allows Steiner to put Mike in the Recliner for the victory.

Thoughts: This was shaping up to be a nice hard-hitting contest, but they had to ruin it. It is the story of this show. Every time we have the potential for something good, they mess it up with overbooking.

Winner: Scott Steiner (3:14)

Scott Hudson mistakenly declares Steiner the new champion. Tony reminds him there are more matches left.

Meanwhile, Russo and Booker confront Dustin Rhodes. Booker tries to calm the situation, but Russo yells at Dustin. He let Funk win the Hardcore Title. Dustin tells Russo to get out of his face, but Vince doesn’t care. He fires Dustin Rhodes for his blunder. Then Russo tells him he was only something when he played Goldust, and Russo created that character! Dustin says he was the one who made it work.

U.S. Title Tournament Semifinals: Sting vs. Vampiro

The Match: Sting runs to the ring, but Vampiro surprises him with a wheel kick. Then they exchange strikes until the action spills outside. They fight in and out of the ring, and Sting uses a chair. He also lands a flying splash. However, Sting crashes on the guardrail with a missed Stinger Splash. Next, Vampiro climbs the turnbuckles twice, but he drops down when Sting isn’t in position for a move. He opts for a back suplex and shoulder tackle instead. Finally, Vampiro tries a missile dropkick, but Sting swats him aside. He follows with the Death Drop and Scorpion Deathlock for the win.

Thoughts: I’m glad this had no interference, but it wasn’t great. They weren’t on the same page. Vamp had to switch gears twice because Sting wasn’t in position for the move he wanted to do. They needed to communicate more. It made for an awkward encounter.

Winner: Sting (5:59)

Gene interviews DDP and Kimberly. He says Page can become a three-time WCW champion if he defeats Jarrett. DDP says there is something he wants more than that. He wants to kick Jarrett’s rat-bastard ass from one side of Chi-Town to the other! Jarrett hit his baby doll with a guitar. By the end of the night, Kimberly will get her shot at Jarrett.

Now it’s time for the 6-Way Cruiserweight Title match. Shannon Moore and Shane Helms come to the ring and tell the truck to cut their music. This pleases Tony Schiavone and Scott Hudson. Shannon says Evan couldn’t make it, but the two of them are better than anyone else. This draws out the rest of the competitors. They jump 3 Count to start a brawl. (WCW announced this as an elimination match. It appears they made this a normal bout because of time constraints.)

6-Way Match for the vacant Cruiserweight Title: Chris Candido vs. The Artist (w/ Paisley) vs. Juventud Guerrera vs. Shannon Moore (w/ Shane Helms) vs. Lash LeRoux vs. Crowbar (w/ Daffney & David Flair)

Storyline: They announced this six-man for the vacant Cruiserweight belt. Then they held a warm-up tag encounter. Crowbar, Lash, & Shannon faced Candido, Juvi, & the Artist. No one could get along. Candido and the Artist scuffled a few times. Crowbar even argued with David Flair. David danced with Paisley, which annoyed Daffney. Plus, Daffney gave Shane Helms a Frankensteiner when he tried to interfere. Meanwhile, the Artist had enough of Candido. He hit him with the diving DDT. This allowed Crowbar to score the pin after a sit-out gourdbuster. (On a side note, the Russo reset apparently cured David Flair and Crowbar of their injuries.)

The Match: They brawl until it comes down to Candido and Crowbar. Candido and Crowbar block and counter each other, but Crowbar scores a northern lights and a slingshot leg drop. Next, Lash takes control. He gives the Artist the Whiplash 2000 and tries the same on Juvi, but everyone breaks up the pin attempts. Plus, Juvi nails Lash with a Juvi Driver. Afterward, Crowbar returns and tells Daffney to climb. But she lands on Crowbar and gives him the Frankenscreamer by mistake! This leads to everybody heading outside and doing dives! It reduces the numbers to Candido and the Artist. They scuffle on the top rope, but Candido misses his flying headbutt. So the Artist readies for the diving DDT while Paisley introduces a chair. However, Tammy Sytch appears! She shoves the Artist off the top. He lands on the chair, and Candido covers for the three.

Thoughts: This was a chaotic mess. It’s clear they had to cut it down for time. They went from an elimination match to a regular one. So this became a spot-fest until the finish. There were some cool moments, but it’s forgettable.

Winner: Chris Candido (New Champion) (5:12)

Paisley confronts Tammy afterward. She shoves Tammy, and it becomes a catfight. The men try to pull them apart, so Tammy grabs Shannon Moore by the balls for touching her. This leads to more catfighting until Candido pulls Tammy out of the ring.

Now Mean Gene interviews Jarrett. He wants his response to DDP’s earlier comments. Gene says DDP said paybacks are a bitch. So Jeff Jarrett threatens to slap the liver spots off of Gene for being a smartass. Jarrett also asks what DDP doesn’t get. He is the chosen one, and he has Russo and Bischoff behind him! Jeff says he will be the champ when it is all said and done. Then Jarrett tells Gene to choke on that, and he calls him a Geritol slap ass.

Next, it’s time for the tag team finals. Buff and Douglas bring Vince Russo with them. He carries his bat and joins the commentary team. Russo says Flair made this personal. He knows Ric had a hand in the demise of his first run with WCW.

Tag Team Title Tournament Finals: Shane Douglas & Buff Bagwell (w/ Vince Russo) vs. Team Package (w/ Elizabeth)

The Match: Buff takes control and poses, so Luger mocks him and hits clotheslines and a slam. However, Buff and Shane take over with an eye rake. They use strikes and choking until Luger scores a press slam. Next, Flair pulls Douglas outside for some brawling. So Shane uses another eye poke. This time, Buff and Douglas maintain control. They do frequent tags, ref distractions, and double-teaming. Plus, Shane whips Flair into the corner for two Flair Flips. Luger has enough. He nails a clothesline from the apron and makes a hot tag. Luger cleans house until a brawl erupts, and Flair grabs a Figure Four on Shane. Russo can’t take it. He interferes with the bat and pulls the ref outside. This leads to chaos in the ring while Russo argues with the ref.

Meanwhile, Brian Adams and Bryan Clark jump out of the crowd! They attack Team Package, and Russo steals the ref’s shirt. He counts the three when Buff covers Luger.

Thoughts: The action was decent, but not thrilling, and then we got a screwy finish. If this was the only one all night, I wouldn’t mind it. It fits the storyline well. However, this is another in a long line of these.

Winners: Douglas & Bagwell (New Champions) (8:29)

Next, Gene interviews Scott Steiner. He says Steiner represents the New Blood against Sting, but Steiner corrects him. Scott says he represents himself! Gene should get it right. Scott calls himself a genetic freak. He says the vein in his arm is bigger than Sting. So he tells Gene to find Sting and tell him his ass belongs to Steiner!

Then Gene gets Sting’s response after Scott’s entrance. He says Sting will face the loose cannon, Scott Steiner. Sting tells Bischoff and Russo they have their war, and Steiner will be the next casualty. Running will get them nothing. WCW’s blood runs through Sting’s veins, and it’s showtime!

U.S. Title Tournament Finals: Scott Steiner vs. Sting

The Match: They trade strikes until Steiner regroups for a timeout. Sting doesn’t give him one. He lands a slingshot crossbody on Steiner and rolls him inside. Then Sting does a flying splash, but Scott raises his knees. This leads to a press slam, suplexes, and fighting on the top rope. Sting knocks Scott down before hitting a Stinger Splash. However, Steiner pulls the ref into the way of a second one. With the ref down, Vampiro appears through a hole in the ring! He grabs Sting and pulls him into the opening! When they reappear, Sting has blood on his face. The commentators say it is symbolic of the New Blood. Scott revives the ref and puts Sting in the Steiner Recliner. Sting is out, so the ref calls for the bell.

Thoughts: This is more of the same. I’m fine with extending the Sting/Vampiro feud, but the interference on this show is ridiculous. Also, I think something went wrong with the blood spot. Sting only had a little blood on his face. It seems they missed the mark in the darkness under the ring, so it didn’t have the desired effect.

Winner: Scott Steiner (New Champion) (5:33)

An exhausted Tony asks what will happen next. Madden says we’re about to see DD-Me lose to Jeff Jarrett. Hudson talks about the build. He says Jarrett glommed Kimberly with a guitar, but Jeff will get his.

For the vacant WCW Title: Jeff Jarrett vs. Diamond Dallas Page (w/ Kimberly)

Storyline: Jarrett is Russo’s chosen one, so the Millionaire’s Club fought for the right to wrestle him. Russo made Hennig think he had a shot, but they swerved him. Then Buff screwed Luger, the Wall ambushed Sid, and Vampiro betrayed Sting. This left DDP to win the spot against Jarrett. Jeff went after Page with the guitar afterward, but DDP ducked. However, Kimberly ate the guitar swing instead! Jarrett bragged about it, so DDP came to fight. It caused a wild brawl between the New Blood and Millionaire’s Club. Later, they made Kim face Madusa. Kimberly took offense when DDP tried to get her out of it. She wanted him to support her. Kim faced Madusa, but DDP gave Madusa a Diamond Cutter, to Kimberly’s chagrin. Meanwhile, Bigelow jumped DDP, which led to a bout. Jarrett attacked, so Kanyon and David Arquette intervened, but the New Blood beat them up.

The Match: They fight until the action spills outside. DDP holds Jarrett and lets Kim slap him. Then they brawl into the crowd and swing weapons. Back at ringside, Jeff uses Kim as a human shield. Plus, DDP and Jarrett take turns crotching each other on the ring post. Next, Jarrett hits DDP with a chair and focuses on his injured back, while Bischoff comes to watch. Meanwhile, Jarrett finds more weapons, including a copy of DDP’s book! This leads to a ref bump, so Bischoff moves to ringside. Kimberly grabs Jarrett’s guitar in response. Afterward, DDP escapes a Figure Four, but he finds himself in a sleeper. It ends with a jawbreaker, and DDP scores the Diamond Cutter. However, Bischoff grabs the ref. So DDP calls Kim into the ring. She readies the guitar and—clocks DDP! This allows Jarrett to nail the Stroke for the win.

Thoughts: This was pretty good. They gave them mostly a normal match, outside of the finish. And this had a good amount of time. As far as the closing moments, it’s another one I wouldn’t mind if it weren’t for the rest of the PPV. If they kept the interference to this and the tag title bout, it wouldn’t be as bad.

Winner: Jeff Jarrett (New Champion) (15:02)

Eric Bischoff looks smug while Jarrett collects his belt and celebrates. Then Kimberly hugs Bischoff, so Hudson says she stabbed her husband in the back to join the New Blood. Madden calls her a gold-digging hussy. He also alludes to the rumors about the swinger lifestyle of Kimberly and Bischoff, so Tony tells him not to go there. The show ends with Buff and Douglas lifting Jarrett onto their shoulders.

The Good:

• The main event was good.

• Smiley/Funk was fun.

• Sting/Booker was solid.

The Bad:

• Hart/Mancow was awful.

• Buff & Douglas vs. Harlem Heat 2000 was bad.

• Endless interference and screwy finishes!

Observations:

• The Wall got screwed. He’s the only one they disqualified all night. Later, Charles Robinson watched Hogan murder Kidman and didn’t even ring the bell.

• They ignored Duggan’s TV Title when they vacated the belts. Plus, they made Saturday Night a recap show. So that’s the end of the TV Title. It faded with a whimper.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Funk and Smiley. They were the most entertaining part of the show.

Final Thoughts:

This show couldn’t get out of its own way. There was some good action and the potential for decent fights, but the bad booking and constant interference undercut this. I didn’t mind the length of the bouts. A PPV with two tournaments is going to have an abundance of contests. So they had to be short. The problem was the overbooked nonsense. Also, Russo needed a continuity editor. It didn’t take long for him to forget they relaxed the rules. He can’t go an hour without forgetting his own plot devices.

Thank you for reading. You’re getting two reviews this next week. I’m doing a bonus! First, I will cover THAT episode of Thunder. It’s David Arquette’s not-so-big title win. Look for the bonus review on Wednesday. Then I will cover the WWF’s Backlash 2000 on Sunday, as usual.

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